CONCORD, N.C. — Matt DiBenedetto is still trying to wrap his head around how he ended up in this situation.

This time last year DiBenedetto was preparing for his first Daytona 500 as the driver of the No. 95 Toyota for Leavine Family Racing. Fast forward one year and DiBenedetto, 28, has departed the Leavine team and joined Wood Brothers Racing.

None of it was planned, but somehow it has all worked out for the California native.

“It’s been crazy,” DiBenedetto said. “I tell the story best of the rollercoaster of emotions that my journey has been.”

By this point everyone knows the story. In mid-August of last year DiBenedetto was informed he would not return to the No. 95, a move designed to make way for incoming Toyota superstar Christopher Bell.

Two days after his departure from Leavine Family Racing was made public, DiBenedetto nearly shocked the world during the Bristol Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. He led 93 laps late in the race, only to lose the lead to Denny Hamlin on lap 489. He finished second, but he had the crowd and most of the NASCAR community firmly behind him.

Less than a month later, veteran Paul Menard announced he his retirement from active competition in NASCAR and Wood Brothers Racing hired DiBenedetto to replace him.

“Last year when I found out I wasn’t going to be able to return to the 95 team, my wife was crying endlessly every day,” DiBenedetto said. “Then we go to Bristol and, obviously, all of you know what happened there and we had a shot at winning that race. Didn’t really know what to even feel emotionally (after that) and then fast-forward after that probably to two weeks later…in a span of three weeks my wife went from crying endlessly of sadness to fast-forward to three weeks later to her crying endlessly tears of joy for an opportunity that I couldn’t even put into words.”

DiBenedetto insists he had no idea he was a candidate to drive the No. 21 Ford until getting a phone call from Wood Brothers Racing.

“I didn’t know until I got a phone call from the race team,” DiBenedetto explained. “When he (Menard) had has his conversations with them, it all came up quick, him thinking about stepping away around, ironically, a similar time as when I announced I wasn’t going to be able to return to the 95.

“Paul and all that group knew I was a free agent and Paul put in more than a word for me to be the guy to go to for them to approach. That’s something you can’t repay a family for, changing your entire life.”

The timing couldn’t be better for DiBenedetto, whose stock as a driver is higher than it has ever been. His season with Leavine Family Racing was a head turner. He scored career highs in top-five finishes (three) and top-10 efforts (seven) and also led the most laps in the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500.

It all adds up to the opportunity of a lifetime for DiBenedetto aboard the familiar Wood Brothers No. 21. With the team continuing to receive technical support from Team Penske, DiBenedetto believes this could be the year he breaks into victory lane at NASCAR’s top level.

“It’s been neat coming in and getting to know this whole entire team and how they operate, our alliance with Team Penske and everything, so I’ve just been getting educated,” DiBenedetto said. “Seeing just how much experience there is on the 21 team alone, these guys have been around a long time, so they’re really, really good guys.

“This is the best opportunity I’ve ever had in my racing career. It has taken every single person every step of the way,” DiBenedetto said. “This is obviously an amazing team to be with and the best job I’ve ever had.”

STATESVILLE, N.C. – Our Motorsports has named Joe Williams as the team’s NASCAR Xfinity Series crew chief.

Williams most recently worked for StarCom Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series with driver Landon Cassill.

“I am excited to join Our Motorsports for the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Both Chris Our, the team owner, and Andy Seuss, have built great programs over the years, between racing modifieds, competing in the ARCA Menards Series, and now the NASCAR Xfinity Series,” said Williams. “We have a lot of work to do to prepare for the season, but look forward to starting off strong at the season opener at Daytona Int’l Speedway.”

“Bringing Joe on board was a huge benefit for this team,” said Our Motorsports Competition Director Andy Seuss. “To have his experience, knowledge and leadership is already paying off. We have great cars and great engines, Joe was the missing piece to having this team compete at a competitive level this season.”

The league's top team returns from the All-Star break on Monday, but will be without its top player.

Alex Ovechkin will serve his one-game suspension when the Washington Capitals take on the Canadiens in Montreal. Ovechkin is not eligible due to his decision to skip the All-Star Game in St. Louis on Saturday. He also skipped the 2019 All-Star Game.

Ovechkin and the Capitals entered the break on a tear. He posted back-to back hat tricks in wins over the Devils and Islanders, respectively, and Washington closed with a three-game winning streak.

Ovechkin has 34 goals and 50 points in 49 games. He will be eligible to return on Wednesday night against Nashville.

The Capitals, with 71 points, are at the top of the Eastern Conference leaderboard, one point ahead of the Bruins. As play begins Monday, they are also in the league's No. 1 slot.

Travis Boyd, who has two goals in 19 games this season, will dress against the Canadiens and play on the third line with Carl Hagelin and Lars Eller.

Will Gray and Ryan Lavner are joined by Rex Hoggard as they discuss the golf world's reaction to the death of Kobe Bryant.

In addition, they break down Tiger Woods' first event of 2020, Jon Rahm's roller-coaster finish at Farmers, Jordan Spieth's falling outside the Official World Golf Ranking's top 50 and more.

Click on the player below:

It's officially Super Bowl week, which means that bettors of every shape and size have dozens of prop bets to pore over as the Kansas City Chiefs get set to take on the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Included among them are a few that touch upon the performances of some of golf's biggest names.

Oddsmakers at the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook have unleashed a wide variety of prop bets ahead of Sunday's big game in Miami, some of which tie the action on the football field to results elsewhere in pro basketball, college hoops and European soccer. There are also a few cross-sport prop bets that include golf, with the PGA Tour heading to Arizona for the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the European Tour in the Middle East for the Saudi International.

Here's a look at some of the prop bets involving golf, with the action tied to various final-round results on Sunday (Note: should the golfer in a given matchup miss the cut, the wager in question would be refunded):

Total points scored by both teams in the first quarter (-1.5) vs. Total fairways hit by Justin Thomas in the WMPO final round

• Jon Rahm WMPO final round birdies (-0.5) vs. Emmanuel Sanders (SF) receptions
• Kansas City total rushing yards (-18.5) vs. Rickie Fowler WMPO final-round score
• Travis Kelce (KC) receiving yards (-3.5) vs. Jordan Spieth WMPO final-round score
• Travis Kelce (KC) receiving yards (-2.5) vs. Dustin Johnson final-round score in Saudi Arabia
• Tyreek Hill (KC) receiving yards (-3.5) vs. Patrick Reed final-round score in Saudi Arabia
• Tyreek Hill (KC) receptions (-2.5) (-150) vs. Phil Mickelson final-round bogeys or worse in Saudi Arabia (+130)
• Patrick Mahomes (KC) gross passing yards vs. Winning score of Waste Management Phoenix Open
• George Kittle (SF) receptions (-1.5) (-180) vs. Brooks Koepka final-round birdies in Saudi Arabia (+150)

Manchester United will travel to the FA Cup replay winners between Northampton and Derby County, setting up a potential reunion with the Red Devils and former club legend Wayne Rooney.

- Watch and stream FA Cup matches and replays on ESPN+

The FA Cup fifth round draw, held on Monday, could see United visiting Derby, where Rooney now serves as the Rams captain and assistant manager.

Following their 2-2 draw on Sunday, the winners of the replay between Liverpool and Shrewsbury Town will visit Chelsea.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said that he nor first-team players will be involved in the replay against third-tier Shrewsbury because it clashes with his side's Premier League winter break.

Instead under-23s coach Neil Critchley will again take charge of a Liverpool youth squad. Critchley was in the dugout for the Carabao Cup quarterfinal tie against Aston Villa in December when Liverpool's first-team squad were in Qatar at the FIFA Club World Cup. Villa won 5-0.

Premier League sides Newcastle, Southampton and Tottenham also face replays during their breaks, and while their managers are not happy with the situation there is no suggestion they will field youth teams.

Defending champions Manchester City will visit Sheffield Wednesday.

These fifth round matches will be played midweek between March 2 and 5, with fixtures as follows:

Sheffield Wednesday vs. Manchester City

Reading/Cardiff City vs. Sheffield United

Chelsea vs. Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool

West Bromwich Albion vs. Newcastle United/Oxford United

Leicester City vs. Coventry City/Birmingham City

Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United

Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur vs. Norwich City

Portsmouth vs. Arsenal

Manchester United are ready to offer Alexis Sanchez a chance to revive his Old Trafford career in the summer, sources have told ESPN.

Sanchez is spending the season on loan at Inter Milan but the Italian side do not have an option to buy and the Chilean has been told he is expected back at Carrington in July.

- Transfer Grades: All the big moves rated
- When does the transfer window close?
- All major completed transfer deals

The 31-year-old endured a disastrous spell at the club following his move from Arsenal in January 2018 and while United remain open to offers, they will not sanction a cut-price exit to get him off the books.

His £500,000-a-week deal runs until 2022 and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been told it is likely he will have to include the former Barcelona man in his plans for next season.

Sanchez has struggled with injury since his temporary move to San Siro and has scored just once in six appearances.

Meanwhile, United are set to continue talks with Sporting Lisbon as they look to agree a fee for midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

The two clubs have until Friday's transfer deadline to reach a compromise. United are keen to agree a structured deal worth around €60 million but it remains €20m short of Sporting's valuation.

Sources have told ESPN that United are unwilling to go above a guaranteed fee of €55m while the Portuguese wide want €60m up front another €20m in bonuses.

Arsenal advanced to the FA Cup fifth round with a convincing 2-0 winners over Bournemouth at the Vitality stadium thanks to a star performance from Bukayo Saka.

- Stream all FA Cup matches and replays on ESPN+

Mikel Arteta's side got off to a flyer, taking the lead just five minutes in, with Saka firing home from a tight angle, following a wonderful passing sequence. The Gunners doubled their lead not longer after, with Saka this time turning provider, laying the ball on a plate for Edward Nketiah to tuck away.

It was a complete performance from the away sides young, energetic attack, with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Joe Willock also starring. The Cherries attempted a comeback after a late Sam Surridge goal, but Arsenal held on for the win to set up another away day on the southern coast -- this time at League One club Portsmouth in the next round of the competition.

POSITIVES

The kids are alright -- and tonight's win was yet another reminder of that fact. Saka, Willock and Nketiah -- all academy graduates-- made the difference in a dominant first half-hour for Arsenal. Saka was superb at left-back, ending the game with a goal and an assist to his name, while Nketiah, fresh from a successful loan at Leeds, also got on the scoresheet. Willock was again excellent, providing dazzling close control and tidy passing which dedicated the tempo from the onset.

NEGATIVES

On a night that will greatly please the Arsenal coaching staff, perhaps the only major drawback was what appeared to be a nasty looking injury for defender Shkodran Mustafi. The German was taken off after an hour, following a clash with his own goalkeeper -- not something fans will want to see given the sides recent injury issues at centre-back.

MANAGER RATING (out of 10)

8 -- Arteta got his selection spot on, back at the ground where his managerial journey began last month. On this occasion, however, his side came away with the victory, in part due to the managers selection. He fielded a young, dynamic forward line, with the exciting Saka also at left back -- an inspired choice, as the academy graduate was immense when advancing forward.

PLAYER RATINGS (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Emiliano Martinez, 5 -- The stand-in stopper had very little to do, on a night of relative dominance for the travelling side. When he was called into action, he looked less that assured with aerial balls into the box.

DF Hector Bellerin, 6 -- A quiet evening for the long-serving wing-back, who tonight was very much outshone by Saka on the opposite side of the pitch. However, defensively, Bellerin was composed throughout.

DF Shkodran Mustafi, 6 -- Got off to a poor start, with some skittish defensive moments threatening to undo Arsenal's early dominance. He soon grew into the game, even having a hand in the second goal, after winning the ball back high up the pitch.

DF Sokratis Papastathopoulos, 7 -- While positionally naive at times, any deficiencies were balanced out by his sheer domination in the air. The 31-year-old was a towering presence when defending Bournemouth set-pieces.

DF Bukayo Saka 9 -- A sensational display from the youngster, back in the position he started his career at - left-back. His perfectly weighted assist for Nketiah was only bettered by a thunderous early goal of his own, on what felt like a momentous night for the talented youngster.

MF Granit Xhaka, 6 -- In possession, the powerful midfielder instinctively looked to create openings - to which he had some modest success. Committed one or two needless fouls, but overall, a solid night's work for the Swiss international.

MF Matteo Guendouzi, 8 -- The 20-year-old recovered well from an early error, by going on to break up a number of Bournemouth counters. His work rate, interceptions and industrious runs were all essential in helping to steer his side to victory.

MF Joe Willock, 8 -- Deployed in the number 10 role normally reserved for Mesut Ozil, the 20-year-old at times ran the show for Arsenal. It was his sharp turn and dribble that first initiated Saka's goalscoring move, a sequence that neatly sums up his superb contributions.

FW Nicolas Pepe, 7 -- While the former Lille man did lack end product at times, he still has a big impact on proceedings, by troubling Bournemouth defender Jack Simpson on a number of occasions with direct running and intelligent movement. Peripheral, but threatening.

FW Eddie Nketiah, 7 -- The academy graduate took a while to get into the game, but soon made his mark, by converting Arsenal's wonderfully worked second goal. Far from just providing goals, the former Leeds loanee helped immensely when out of possession, by pressuring the Bournemouth backline into giving the ball away numerous times.

FW Gabriel Martinelli, 7 -- The summer signing from Ituano has been a revelation since arriving, and he continued his rich vein of form by registering another assist tonight. The 18-year-old linked up beautifully well with the overlapping Saka, which made for an exciting looking tandem down the left-hand side of the pitch.

SUBSTITUTES

Rob Holding, 7 -- Replaced the injured Mustafi on the hour mark, defending well late on to help his side seal the win.

Dani Ceballos, -- N/A

Ainsley Maitland-Niles, -- N/A

Glamorgan will be led by Chris Cooke and David Lloyd next season after a captaincy reshuffles. Cooke continues as Championship captain while also taking charge of the T20 side, while Lloyd will step up for the Royal London Cup, when Cook will be absent at the Hundred.

Cook, 33, oversaw Glamorgan's best Championship campaign since 2015, as the club kept alive promotion hopes until the final weeks before finishing fourth. He adds the Blast captaincy for 2020, with Colin Ingram relinquishing the role.

"It was an honour to lead the club last year and I'm delighted to continue in the role," Cooke said. "We saw a lot of improvement in our County Championship performances last season and it's something we want to take into the Vitality Blast.

"It's going to be an exciting season and we can't wait to get started and hit the ground running in April."

Allrounder Lloyd, 27, has been a regular member of the List A side since 2014 and took charge in one Royal London Cup game last season.

"I thoroughly enjoyed stepping in as captain and it's a really proud moment to be asked to lead the side in the Royal London Cup," Lloyd said. "We have a great bunch of lads at the club and a lot of talent in the squad, so there is no reason why we can't build on last season's improvement and reach the knockout stages of the competition."

Cooke will be absent with Birmingham Phoenix during the Hundred, which will also feature Ingram, who was signed as a 'local icon' by Welsh Fire.

Glamorgan's director of cricket, Mark Wallace, said: "Chris did a fantastic job in his first season in charge and led the side with a great deal of enthusiasm and skill. He commands a lot of respect in the dressing room and deserves the opportunity to carry on his good work from last year and take the club forward.

"It's also great news for Glamorgan that David is taking over the 50-over captaincy. He showed many leadership qualities last year and did a good job under tough circumstances when he deputised for Chris."

Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt said he would fail a drug test for marijuana and was found to have an open container of vodka in his vehicle, according to dashcam video of a Jan. 21 traffic stop released by the Rocky River (Ohio) Police Department.

Hunt was pulled over on suspicion of speeding last week in Rocky River, a suburb of Cleveland. During the stop, police found marijuana in a backpack with Hunt's name on it but cited him only for speeding. According to the police report, officer Michael Asbury took Hunt to the police cruiser after detecting the smell of marijuana coming out of the car.

"I understand you're with the Browns and all that. ... You have my word: If there's nothing in that car, I'm just going to give you a traffic ticket," Asbury told Hunt, before returning to search the car. "A traffic ticket is not going to get you in trouble. We constantly stop athletes around here because you're all working in Cleveland. If it's just a traffic ticket, you're not going to get in trouble, man."

The officer returned to the cruiser with a plastic bag of marijuana. Hunt, who said he was on the way to the airport to catch a flight, said it was his brother's, but when pressed as to whether he would fail a drug test, Hunt admitted he would.

"It's the offseason," Hunt answered. "Sorry, I was having a good time."

The officer said he would still write Hunt only a traffic ticket but would seize the backpack.

"I hate to say this, but you of anybody should know if you're trying to stay good, stay on the right path, this is not the way to go," Asbury told Hunt. "I mean, you had, like, a good second part of the year. You don't want to screw that up over some weed.

"Here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to write you a traffic ticket, then I'll just seize this stuff. Fair enough? I'm not going to write you a weed ticket either. Don't lie next time."

Hunt served an eight-game suspension this season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. He was released by the Kansas City Chiefs in November 2018 after video from February 2018 surfaced of him kicking a woman in downtown Cleveland. He signed with the Browns in February 2019.

"I mean, honestly, I'm like one of the hugest Browns fans ever," Asbury said on the video. "Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and it's frustrating to watch the Browns every single year."

Asbury also referenced former NFL running back Ray Rice, who was suspended over domestic violence, and told Hunt, "I would hope that second chance would be enough to keep you clean."

Hunt said the past few days had been tough on him with his former team having made the Super Bowl.

"I should be playing for a freaking Super Bowl," he said. "It hurts my soul. Like, you don't understand, I've been fighting a lot of s--- lately, man. It still hurts me to this day. I love Cleveland, I love the Browns, but you don't understand, I'm just the worst person in the world sometimes, like, I guess. And I don't even do nothing. Try to help everybody."

The officer warned Hunt about the open container of vodka he also found in the backpack and said he could give Hunt another ticket but wouldn't.

"I appreciate everything today," Hunt told the officer. "I will definitely think a lot more."

A spokesman from the Rocky River PD called the officer's actions "appropriate."

The Browns said last week that they were "aware and looking into" Hunt's incident.