SkyCity turned the landing pad for its Sky Tower SkyJump into a temporary dartboard to celebrate being the official sponsor of the 2025 SkyCity New Zealand Darts Masters later on this year.
The PDC's World Series of Darts returns to Auckland on August 15th-16th, with the Spark Arena playing host to the two day event which will feature eight leading players taking on eight Oceanic stars.
To launch the partnership, The New Zealand professional, had to launch himself off the Sky Tower land on the bullseye, which he managed to do so.
Haupai Puha joked when asked about how he felt in the moment, "I'm used to standing still to throw darts, not launching myself off the Sky Tower!"
"I was probably more nervous doing this than when I'll play in the SkyCity New Zealand Darts Masters!"
SkyCity Chief Operating Officer, Callum Mallet, said SkyCity is excited to support one of the country's fastest growing sports and he cannot wait for the tournament to start.
"This is just the beginning of an on-point partnership that puts both Auckland and SkyCity in the global darts spotlight," Callum Mallet said.
"We're proud to bring fans closer to the action and offer unforgettable experiences for visitors and locals alike."
Puha went on to add: "It's an honour to be part of this event and to represent New Zealand on home soil. SkyCity's support is a massive show of support for darts in this country."
The PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter also spoke about the sponsorship, saying,: "We're delighted to bring the World Series back to Auckland this year, and to partner with an iconic brand in SkyCity is a huge boost.
"This partnership will elevate our event, raise the stakes, and help to grow the profile of the New Zealand Darts Masters."
With the massive help for SkyCity, it is set to be an incredible tournament. Tune in 15th-16th of August to see how it all plays out.
More must-reads:
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin had been holding out of training camp but reported Sunday. McLaurin was fined $200K ($50K per day) for skipping four days of camp. The fines, however, aren't the only reason he returned to the team's facility in Ashburn, Va. He also missed spending time with fans and teammates. According to ESPN's John Keim, supporters chanted his name at Sunday's practice, and the WR later signed autographs for approximately 30 minutes. "It feels good to be around my teammates and around the fans," the WR said, per Keim. "I can't beat that at all. They showed me a lot of love and support. You lose sight of something when the business gets involved, but I never lost sight of the way they supported me. It's business, but it has nothing to do with them." While it's a positive for the Commanders that McLaurin is no longer holding out, it's fair to wonder whether contract negotiations will continue to drag on. The WR is entering the final year of his deal and seeking an extension. (He's set to make $15.5M this season.) McLaurin and the team have made little progress in negotiations thus far. The two-time Pro Bowler recorded a career-high 13 touchdown catches in 17 games last season, but his age could be a concern for the Commanders. McLaurin turns 30 on Sept. 15. He's already injured as well. McLaurin is starting training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list because of an ankle issue. The WR is aiming to make a quick recovery and insists his age shouldn't be a factor in contract negotiations. McLaurin said the Commanders should view it on a "case-by-case" basis. McLaurin has been one of the NFL's more consistent pass-catchers, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in five of his first six seasons with Washington. Now that he's back with the team, perhaps that will remind the Commanders why they love having him around. That could expedite contract talks.
The longtime former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins is in a serious contract dispute with his new team, the Buffalo Sabres. Nobody appears happy to stay with the Buffalo Sabres organization. Most of the talented players on the team were included in trade or free agency rumors, and now, Timmins doesn't appear too excited to sign with the team. Indeed, the Restricted Free Agent, who was traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Sabres earlier this offseason for Connor Clifton and a second-round pick, isn't close to reaching a deal in Buffalo. With arbitration hearings set to take place over the coming days, Timmins and the Sabres are likely to meet for that reason soon. Unless a deal is reached before then, the hearing will take place on August 2nd. The Ontario native is coming off a rocky season, where he played 51 games for the Leafs and 17 more in Pittsburgh after being traded. In those 68 games, the 26-year-old defenseman tallied 15 points, including three goals. After seeing three players around the NHL reach deals before their hearing date, some fans hoped to see the Sabres and Timmins sign a contract soon, but multiple reports confirmed that there hasn't been any 'traction' between both camps. As of now, five more players are scheduled to have salary hearings. Here's the full list, per PuckPedia: Arvid Soderblom (Chicago Blackhawks) - July 28 Maksim Tsyplakov (New York Islanders) - July 29 Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg Jets) - July 30 Conor Timmins (Buffalo Sabres) - August 2 Nicholas Robertson (Toronto Maple Leafs) - August 3 Jayden Struble (Montreal Canadiens) - August 3 It'll be interesting to see what kind of contract Timmins would get in a hearing, or if a deal will be reached before the date. With the Sabres' reputation, it's not surprising to see that he appears reluctant to sign in Buffalo. Hopefully for their fans, massive changes will be done to the team to make sure they can attract top talent and convince them to stay with the team.
For the past two seasons, Joel Embiid has been dealing with a knee issue. The former MVP underwent surgery in April to try to repair his meniscus, the second time he's received such surgery in the past 12 months. Embiid recently sat down for a tell-all interview with ESPN's Dotun Akintoye, where he detailed the struggles his body is currently going through. "We're not going to push anything," Embiid said. "For my whole career, I felt like we never took that approach ... We don't have a timeline. Hopefully, sooner rather than later ... It's all about the results ... If I come back early enough and I'm still not myself, guess what? You're not winning any games." Embiid's struggles have left the Sixers in a precarious situation. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey has built the entire roster around the star center's unique skill set. Philadelphia has constructed a team to go as far as Embiid can take it. It makes sense, then, that Embiid is just as frustrated with his injury-induced absences as the rest of the Sixers fanbase. In a July 27 appearance on Sirius XM Radio, Sixers beat writer Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer shared a unique take on the big man's recent interview and the messaging he's been putting out recently. "I think Joel may know that the end is near, and this is just me saying, and it's kind of like explaining to people what he's been going through," Pompey said. "Because rarely do you have a guy tell you how much pain (they're in) and how much they're going through. The thing I took from it was no matter who is there, the culture is the same. And I feel like Joel Embiid knows that it may not be this season, but the end is near. Maybe he feels as though he can't play to the level he used to. I could be wrong. He could come out and have another MVP season. But that was my takeaway." Embiid is probably one more lost season away from making such a difficult decision. He's only suited up for 58 games over the past two seasons, 39 in 2023-24 and 19 in 2024-25. Embiid doesn't project as the sort of player who would accept a decline while still cashing enormous checks that limit his team's ability to compete. The problem for Embiid is that injuries are only half the battle. Even when healthy, conditioning has been his Achilles heel. So, not only would he need to stay injury-free, both with his knee and his back, but he would also need to get into the best shape of his life. Anything less, and the Sixers could be doomed to repeat their failures of the past. Embiid is still working his way through a long road of recovery. However, he may also be coming to terms that the NBA chapter of his life is on the final few pages, and that must be a daunting reality to face.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!