If the Vegas oddsmakers are to be believed, there is no separating New England and Seattle.

The Denver Broncos will be sweating this week on the fitness of quarterback Peyton Manning, who led them to their eighth win of the season on Sunday but saw his injury-prone ankle targeted in the process.

What might happen if football’s top referees, across the continent, walked away?

The US PGA was widely criticised last month for staging the fourth major of the year just as London and most of the rest of the world were enjoying the final weekend of the Olympics.

“I’ve never seen anything like that in all my years in football.”