Welcome to Wednesday. Yesterday was absolutely beautiful, and it seems to be shaping up for more of the same today, so let me get these stories in front of you before I enjoy the weather...
Chelsea FC made a ridiculous request to the FA that because they couldn’t sell tickets due to the economic sanctions placed on the club and its owner, Roman Abramovich, Middlesbrough should have to host the FA Cup quarterfinal match between the two teams behind closed doors. They cited the “sporting integrity” of not having away fans as the reason. That prompted a “nah” from Middlesbrough, and eventually Chelsea withdrew its request.