Sports are an integral part of everyday life in Iraq. Matches are discussed in every cafe, basketball is debated at universities, and martial arts are discussed at work. Over 72% of residents already use smartphones, and mobile internet from Zain, Asiacell, and Korek reaches millions of users. All this has changed fan habits, and apps with instant results, statistics, and broadcasts are now popular, replacing television. In this article, you'll find facts about the development of mobile sports in Iraq, real user figures, and examples of MelBet app features!

A New Era of Sports at Your Fingertips

The digital leap in sports entertainment is no longer gradual—it's a real leap. The MelBet Iraq app allows fans in Basra to follow Real Madrid matches, while basketball fans in Erbil can watch NBA games live. According to Statista, 68% of Iraqi internet users already consume sports content online, and more than half prefer mobile apps. This is no longer a trend for the future, but a new norm for fans.

Equally important, the platform is accessible to everyone. It supports over 40 languages, including Arabic and Kurdish, making it understandable throughout the country. Payments are just as easy: ZainCash, Asiacell scratch cards, or one of 46 cryptocurrencies—from Bitcoin and Ethereum to Tether on Tron. Combined with instant notifications and detailed statistics, the app perfectly meets the expectations of a generation that is unwilling to wait and wants everything now.

Why Young Fans Are Turning to Mobile Platforms

Mobile platforms are in demand across all walks of life. However, it's the young fans who remain the most active. This generation can be described as "always online," and they don't tolerate delays and want everything right here and now. This is why mobile services like MelBet Iraq are becoming their primary window into the world of sports. And beyond the youth, the reasons for switching to mobile platforms are still clear:

1. Availability: With over 27 million mobile connections, the smartphone has become the primary sports device.
2. Speed: Notifications about goals, substitutions, and injuries arrive instantly on your sports phone, coinciding with live broadcasts.
3. Bonuses and offers: A welcome bonus of up to 132,000 IQD and packages of up to 2,887,500 IQD with 290 free spins maintain interest.
4. Payment flexibility: Over 60 deposit methods—from Nass Wallet to BinancePay—suit both residents of large cities and regional areas.

As a result, the stadium's noise is complemented by digital emotions. The smartphone screen becomes as important as the stands themselves!

Beyond Watching: Interactive Ways to Join the Game

In Iraq, sports have long ceased to be mere spectator sports. Today, a match is a gateway to an entire world. The Melbet app allows you to track player stats as the game unfolds, view the latest information on substitutions and injuries, and analyze tactics. A fan in Baghdad or Mosul follows the Premier League while simultaneously comparing numbers, checking odds, and discussing the game in a live chat. What was once a passive activity is transformed into active communication, where every detail adds emotion.

The diversity is also impressive. It's not just football—virtual tournaments and esports are available, from FIFA to Dota 2. According to Newzoo, the esports audience in the MENA region is expected to surpass 34 million by 2024, with Iraq among the fastest-growing countries. When traditional sports and digital competitions come together in one place, fans are treated to a unified space where the old and the new coexist.

How Local Passion Meets Global Technology

Love of sports has always been vibrant in Iraq. But today, in late 2025, it's fueled by global technology. Melbet Iraq demonstrates this balance in practice. It combines local payment methods with international reach. And familiar formats coexist with global opportunities. Just look at how it all works:

This combination creates a unique digital sports culture in Iraq. It's open to the world, easily absorbing new technologies and trends, while remaining deeply rooted in local traditions and fan habits. And isn't that wonderful?

The Social Side of Digital Sports Culture

In Iraq, sport has always been a shared experience. The joy of Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya's victories or the national team's successes is discussed over a cup of tea in a café. They are discussed in markets and university courtyards. Today, these same conversations have migrated to the digital realm. Thousands of fans gather on Telegram and WhatsApp to debate, share impressions, and follow matches together. On crucial matchdays, these chats transform into huge virtual stands. The emotions are as loud there as in the stadium.

The Melbet app fits seamlessly into this atmosphere. It features player ratings. Fans create their own leagues and compare statistics to one another. They support each other and celebrate victories, even when they're hundreds of kilometers apart. This is no longer just an app. It's a space where modern sports culture is born and new communities grow stronger.

Opportunities Opening Through Instant Access

Instant access is a good thing. But on Melbet, it turns into a whole host of benefits that make sports closer and more exciting:

• Welcome bonus: 100% on your first deposit up to 132,000 IQD on sports bets.
• Casino packages: Multi-tiered bonuses up to 2,887,500 IQD and 290 free spins.
• Event promotions: Special offers during finals and international tournaments.
• Flexible payments: 62 deposit methods, from Korek scratch cards to Solana cryptocurrency.

These are just a few of the platform's advantages. There are various loyalty programs, over 25 bonuses for regular users, and numerous other cool and exciting features.

Where the Game Ends, the Human Spirit Continues to Shine

In conclusion, sports in Iraq connect generations, bring friends and strangers together for conversation, and become a part of everyday life. Apps like MelBet Iraq only strengthen this connection, allowing for instant sharing of emotions. And even after the game ends, the spirit of sport lives on, filling people with energy and a shared sense of unity!

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced today that the Coaches Blue-Ribbon Committee has narrowed down a group of 15 candidates to 12. 

Following this, the members of the Coaches Blue-Ribbon Committee will receive an additional ballot, which will reduce this group to nine.  That will be announced in early November.

Here are the 12 Coaches who have made it to this stage.

*Denotes First Year of Eligibility.

**Denotes that they made it to this stage last year.

**Bill Arnsberger.  Arnsberger is one of the most heralded defensive minds in NFL history, having first worked for the Baltimore Colts (1964-69), where his defense brought the Team to Super Bowl III.  He would join his Cots Coach, Don Shula, in Miami, where his “No-Name Defense” led the Dolphins to back-to-back Super Bowl wins.  He took a shot as a Head Coach with the New York Giants, but after that failed, he returned to Shula and built up another potent defense (The Killer B’s) that won another AFC Title.  Afterward, he went to LSU, then Florida, and returned to the NFL with the San Diego Chargers, where, as the Defensive Coordinator again, he helped the Bolts make their first Super Bowl.

*Bill Belichick.  With all due respect to this loaded group of candidates, there is nobody who brings a resume with the accomplishments of Bill Belichick.  Beginning his coaching career as a special assistant in Baltimore, Belichick joined the New York Giants in 1979, worked his way up to Defensive Coordinator, and won two Super Bowls in that role.  He became Cleveland’s Head Coach, but he only achieved a winning record in one of his six years.  He received another chance as a Head Coach for New England, and the rest was history.  Belichick ushered in the Patriots dynasty, leading the Pats to six Super Bowl wins, nine Super Bowl appearances (both records as a Head Coach), and presided over the greatest run by any Head Coach associated with one team in NFL history.  Belichick had a career record of 333-178, a 31-13 playoff record, and also boasts three AP Coach of the Year Awards.  He was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary Team.

**Tom Coughlin:  Coughlin worked his way up the ranks and became the Head Coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995.  He was their Head Coach for eight years, bringing them to two AFC Championship Games, the first of which was in the franchise’s second year.  After being fired, he joined the New York Giants, where the stoic leader led the G-Men to two Super Bowl wins (XLII & XLVI).  He retired with an overall record of 170-150 and is already a member of the New York Giants Ring of Honor and Pride of the Jaguars.

**Alex Gibbs.  An Assistant Head Coach and/or Offensive Line Coach for 27 years, working for Denver (1984-87, 1995-2003 & 2013), the Los Angeles Raiders (1988-89), San Diego (1990-91), Indianapolis (1992), Kansas City (1993-94), Atlanta (2004-05), Houston (2008-09) and Seattle (2010).  He won two Super Bowls with the Broncos.

**Mike Holmgren.  Holmgren won two Super Bowls with San Francisco, first as a Quarterbacks Coach and then as their Offensive Coordinator, and it propelled him to the Head Coaching job at Green Bay in 1992.  He led the Packers to a Super Bowl win at SBXXXI.  Holmgren accepted the Seattle Seahawks coaching job and took them to a Super Bowl appearance in 2005.  A member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor, Holmgren had a career record of 161-111.

**Chuck Knox:  An Offensive Line Coach with the New York Jets (1963-66) and for Detroit (1967-72), Knox was elevated to the Head Coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 1973, where he won the AP Coach of the Year award in his first season in that role.  He later coached Buffalo (1978-82) and Seattle (1983-91), where he won Coach of the Year Awards for both clubs, and he concluded his career with three years back with the Rams.  He had an overall record of 186-147.

Buddy Parker:  Parker was left off this stage last year after failing to make the Hall as a Finalist in 2024, but he is back where he belongs: in Hall of Fame consideration.  An NFL Champion as a player for the Detroit Lions in 1935, Parker became their Head Coach in 1951, and promptly led them to back-to-back NFL Championships in 1952 and 1953.  He left to helm the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957, where he brought them to respectability.  He had a 107-76-9 record.

**Dan Reeves.  Reeves won a Super Bowl as an Assistant Coach in Dallas and was hired by Denver as their Head Coach in 1981.  He led the Broncos to three AFC Titles but could not punch their ticket to a Super Bowl win.  After he was let go by Denver, he signed with the Giants and won the 1993 AP Coach of the Year.  Later, he took over as Atlanta’s Head Coach, leading them to their first Super Bowl appearance, a loss to his former team (Denver), though he did win his second Coach of the Year.  He had an overall record of 190-165-2 and is a member of the Broncos Ring of Honor.

**Marty Schottenheimer.  Working his way through the Giants and Lions as the Linebackers Coach, Schottenheimer landed the Defensive Coordinator job in Cleveland in 1980 and was promoted to their Head Coach in 1984.  He brought Cleveland to the AFC Finals twice but left for Kansas City in 1989 with another (unsuccessful) trip to the AFC Championship Game (1993).  Schottenheimer took some time off and was lured back by Washington, but that lasted only one year.  He returned the following season for the San Diego Chargers, where he twice took them to the playoffs.  He had an overall record of 200-126-1 and is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame.

**George Seifert.  Seifert joined the San Francisco 49ers as their Defensive Backs Coach in 1980 and was elevated to Defensive Coordinator in 1983.  He won three Super Bowls as an assistant, and in 1989, he was again promoted to Head Coach. Here, he led the Niners to two more Super Bowl wins and to five NFC Championship Games overall.  He concluded his career with three years as Carolina’s Head Coach and had an overall record of 114-62.

**Mike Shanahan.  Shanahan joined Denver as their Wide Receivers Coach in 1984, and a year later, he began a three-year stint as their Offensive Coordinator, where he caught the eye of Raiders owner Al Davis, who hired him to replace Tom Flores.  That did not last long, and he was back in Denver but was let go due to a dispute between Quarterback John Elway and Dan Reeves.  He went to San Francisco, where he won Super Bowl XXIX as their Offensive Coordinator. He returned to Denver in 1995, leading the Broncos to their first two Super Bowl wins (XXXII & XXXIII) during a 14-year run.  He finished his career with three years at Washington and had an overall record of 170-138.  He is also a member of the Broncos Ring of Fame.

**Clark Shaughnessy.  Arguably one of the first great Assistant Coaches in NFL history, Shaughnessy was a very successful college coach (150-117-17) and became the Washington Redskins Advisor in 1944.  He later served as the Head Coach for the Rams for two years and as Chicago’s Defensive Coordinator from 1951 to 1962.

Of note, those who were here last year, who did not return to this stage were Jeff Fisher and Richie Petitbon.

We congratulate the candidates who have made it to this stage.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024/25 revision of our top 50 Toronto Maple Leafs

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Leafs made it all the way to the second round, but as usual, they were unable to make it to the big dance.  There were no new entrants in the Top 50, but four elevations.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes.

1. Syl Apps
2. Turk Broda
3. Tim Horton
4. Charlie Conacher
5. Borje Salming

You can find the entire list here.

Auston Matthews is closing in on the top five with a current rank of #6.  He was #8 last year.

Mitch Marner, who is now with Vegas, advanced to #26 from #33.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly climbed four spots to #34.

Center John Tavares climbed from #39 to #36.

Another Center, William Nylander, took over Tavares’ previous spot on #39.  He was at #45 last year.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Enjoying two runs (2018-21 & 2021-25) with the Jets, Mason Appleton filled every team’s need as the Center of a checking line, and/or a penalty kill, and as such, he often flew under the radar.

Appleton’s best year with Winnipeg was in 2023-24, when he had 36 Points, a plus-16 16 and 44 Blocked Shots.  Overall, he scored 121 Points in 351 Games with the Jets.