Welcome to the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast, where co-hosts Joe Oberle and Mark Craig offer their unique insider’s opinion and analysis on the latest Purple news and happenings emanating from TCO Performance Center, U.S. Bank Stadium and beyond. The Minnesota Vikings are a constant source of exciting, enervating and, oftentimes, confounding news, and Craig and Oberle illuminate and explain it all from a perspective of experience and hard-earned insight.

The Insider

Mark Craig Mark Craig is a Vikings writer and the NFL Insider for the Star Tribune newspaper and Startribune. Hailing from Northeast, Ohio, he has been covering the NFL since Brett Favre was a rookie (1991) and writing for the Star Tribune about football for 23 years and the Vikings for the past 20 seasons. He is author of the book, “100 Things Vikings Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die,” and is Minnesota’s only Pro Football Hall of Fame selector and Associated Press post-season NFL Honors voter. Each week he shares venerable insight on everything from one-on-one sit-downs with the Vikings head coach to the latest quarterback change for the Cleveland Browns. Craig covers everything NFL and speaks from a time-worn perspective of one who has seen and wrote about it all. But he’s still the, um, “young gun” of this podcast.

The Homer

Joe Oberle has been in on every iteration of this podcast from when it was called Three Deep (with the website creator Joe Johnson) back in 2016 to today. He has been following the Vikings since before their first Super Bowl loss in 1970 and has covered them for several websites (including CBSSports) for more than 12 years. The award-winning author of three books (including “Unstoppable: The Story of George Mikan—The 1st NBA Superstar”) Mankato-native Oberle has spent a career working in sports (with the Minnesota Timberwolves), covering them (Vikings, Twins, NBA, amateur hockey and golf) and talking about them. His coverage is thorough and often passionate, with a dose of humor sprinkled in to spice up his takes.

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Joe Oberle is a veteran sportswriter/editor/reporter and has covered the Vikings since 2008. The author of three books, he … More about Joe Oberle

Fans have mocked Nottingham Forest star Omari Hutchinson for his post-match gripe about bad weather affecting his face cream, claiming that it sums up the frailty of “modern footballers”.

Forest succumbed to a 1-0 defeat in their Europa League last-16 first leg against Danish outfit Midtjylland, the second half of which was hit by torrential rain.

Hutchinson complained in an interview with TNT Sports after the final whistle that the poor conditions caused his moisturiser to run, in turn hampering his vision.

He said: “I couldn’t really see, my face cream was covering my face. It was very tough. The conditions weren’t the greatest.”

The interview has since gone viral but not for the right reasons, with supporters decying Hutchinson’s mental fortitude and longing for the days where players would run through brick walls for their team.

One fan wrote on X: “1956 – Bert Trautmann played on with a broken neck. 2026 – Omari Hutchinson ‘my face cream got in my eyes’.”

Another account added: “Says it all about modern footballers – utterly embarrassing.”

Some of the reaction on social media was slightly overblown to the point of actual outrage, though other fans were able to simply see the funny side of things.

User Tony McDonough wrote: “If Omari Hutchinson wants to use face cream that is entirely his business, but… there is something undeniably hilarious about hearing him say this nonetheless.”

Hutchinson did not try and lay all the blame for Forest’s shortcomings against Midtjylland on the miserable weather, insisting it was “no excuse”.

“We could have punished them but we will come to next week with confidence to bring it back,” said Hutchinson on what he branded as a “very frustrating” night.

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“We had two chances early in the second half but the weather changed things. They put pressure on us and punished us.”

Forest have their work cut out to recover the tie in next week’s return leg to keep their European hopes alive, though there are arguments that their Europa League campaign is acting as an unnecessary distraction from their Premier League survival bid, with the club perched just above the relegation zone.

Hutchinson, however, insists the club are intent on staying in the competition and will fight to do so at the MCH Arena next Thursday.

He added: “Every game is massive and we do have full belief. We are training well and the fans are sticking by us. We want to put things right.”

NFL legend Tom Brady still has it at 48 years old, and he obviously isn’t afraid to flaunt it.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion posted an image of himself preparing for the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic scheduled for March 21 in Los Angeles. It was initially supposed to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but it was moved due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

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Brady, along with multiple other NFL stars, are slated to compete in a flag football event. To no one’s surprise, Brady is already hard at work preparing to step back onto the football field. On Thursday, he posted an image of himself throwing the football shirtless, while wearing tight blue jean shorts.

That prompted NFL fans to roast Brady for “thirst trapping,” as Barstool Sports put it.

After last year’s 6-7 campaign, Utah State football has played 111 FBS seasons, dating back to 1912.

Overall, according to Sports-Reference.com, the Aggies have compiled a 548–557–28 ^{(.496) record as an FBS program through the 2025 season.}

Since the program’s first season, Utah State has appeared in 18 bowl games, winning six, and has secured two conference championships.

Utah State has also produced three consensus First Team All-America players.

The Aggies begin their 112th FBS season in the new Pac-12 with renewed optimism under second-year head coach Bronco Mendenhall, looking to resume their winning ways.

Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings all but handed their starting quarterback job to J.J. McCarthy. Daniel Jones wasn’t given the assurances he could start, and no legitimate backup was brought in either. After watching Sam Howell struggle in the preseason, someone spoke up and called Carson Wentz.

The chatter thus far this offseason has focused solely on Kyler Murray. That’s fair, as he will come in to start in for Kevin O’Connell and can be signed for just $1.3 million. Arguably as important is who backs him up.

A Familiar Veteran Could Solve the Vikings’ Backup QB Question

Murray doesn’t have the cleanest injury history, and McCarthy certainly doesn’t either. The reality, though, is that McCarthy shouldn’t be called upon mid-game at any point. It’s unclear if he’s ready to be relied upon at the highest level, but an unexpected situation makes matters even worse.

The Vikings need a backup capable of stepping on the field without a range that could span the entire field. Last season, Wentz went just 2-3 as the starter for the Vikings. However, he connected with Justin Jefferson for over 95 yards per game while under center, and he completed 65.1% of his passes.

It’s unfortunate how much Wentz’s career trajectory changed after his knee injury with the Philadelphia Eagles. Nick Foles came on and won the Super Bowl; he should have led them to. However, Wentz is a North Dakota kid who grew up cheering for the Vikings, and it’s only right that he be on the sidelines the first time they win one.

Murray brings a serious ceiling to a Minnesota team ready to compete now. If O’Connell can integrate him into the offense and immediately get things clicking, the upcoming season could be really fun. There has to be someone on the sidelines pushing that player, though, and it won’t be McCarthy.

Assuming Wentz is cleared from his season-ending surgery, he’d be best suited to reunite with the Vikings. This time, it would happen a few days before Week 1, and the chemistry is already there with the coach and the roster. QB3 for McCarthy might not be fun, but it needs to happen.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler

For years, trainer Shawn Mathrick out of Cranbourne has thrived using horses let go by Godolphin.

The current stablemate Corniche prepares for another start with Mathrick in the VOBIS Gold Sprint (1200m) this Saturday at Caulfield.

Having raced 14 times for Godolphin with two wins under James Cummings and Ciaron Maher, the gelding was runner-up in the Listed Abell Stakes (1200m) at Cranbourne on February 27.

This came as the gelding’s first race back from last September, and Mathrick was delighted with the outcome having dreaded the worst when Corniche arrived.

“I was worried we he first came, and thought ‘I’ve done my brass here’, but it’s taken a bit of work and he’s thriving at the beach,” Mathrick said.

“He’s got some knee issues. His action was terrible when he came to me and we’ve been doing a lot of beach work with him.

He galloped on Monday, and he worked the place down.”

Mathrick has managed numerous ex-Godolphin performers in his care, with special fondness for Adirondack and Gig, a mare he bred from.

“They pretty much tell what it is with their horses is,” Mathrick said of Godolphin.

“They’re pretty honest about it.

My old man used to say they don’t lose their ability, so there must be something going on and this horse got beaten a length-and-a-half by Joliestar one day and got flattened twice in the straight and then powered home.

He’s definitely got the ability and softer tracks, with his knees, would be better for him, but I’ll let him go around on Saturday and then see if we have to back off.”

Early on, Corniche placed in the Blue Diamond Preview and Prelude, won the Group 2 Magic Night Stakes, and later the Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas.

His Sunshine Coast Guineas triumph dates to May 2024, followed by sparse racing.

“I’ve been picking my mark when I gallop him,” Mathrick said.

“I’ll only gallop him on the grass and when we’ve had a bit of rain, but his action was faultless on Monday.

The Goodwood in Adelaide, it might be a good race for him, so we’ll see how he is.”

Visit betting sites to find the best racing odds for Corniche’s run in the VOBIS Gold Sprint.

A unification fight between Rolando Romero and Devin Haney appears to be on the verge of confirmation.

‘Rolly’ Romero is the reigning WBA welterweight champion, having won the Regular belt with a unanimous decision victory over Ryan Garcia at Times Square in New York last May before he was later upgraded to full champion.

He began his career at 135lbs, winning the WBA interim lightweight title, before moving up to super-lightweight and becoming WBA champion there, prior to his current campaign at 147lbs.

Another fighter that has reigned in multiple divisions is Haney, who was undisputed lightweight champion and WBC super-lightweight champion over the years.

He moved to welterweight last year, dethroning Brian Norman Jr to become WBO welterweight champion, with a number of possible next opponents listed ever since.

Keyshawn Davis was mentioned, along with former foe and newly-crowned WBC champion Ryan Garcia, but it appears that Romero has won the race to be the next man standing opposite Haney.

Romero and Haney have gone back and forth on social media in recent weeks to publicise their potential fight, and now Romero has told Fight Hub TV the expected details surrounding the clash.

“It’s looking like it might get done for May 30 here in Las Vegas. MGM [Grand].”

The victor of the bout would have his hands on two titles at 147, and would likely look to target the other world champions in the division, with the aforementioned Garcia holding the WBC belt, and Lewis Crocker the current IBF champion.

Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 128 runs via the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method in the rain-affected second ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Friday. Maaz Sadaqat was the stand-out performer of the game, blasting a rapid 75 for Pakistan before picking up three wickets. Chasing a revised target of 243 in 32 overs after a two-hour rain and hailstorm delay, Bangladesh collapsed for 114 in 23.3 overs despite a brief counterattack from Litton Das. Bangladesh had already been in trouble before the weather halted play.

Tanzid Hasan fell early for one, caught at backward square leg off Shaheen Shah Afridi, while Saif Hassan departed for 12 after offering a catch to short mid-off off Mohammad Wasim Jr.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was bowled by Afridi for a duck, leaving the hosts reeling at 27 for 3 in 6.3 overs when a sudden thunderstorm accompanied by hail forced the players off the field.

When play resumed, Litton attempted to revive the chase with a series of boundaries including two sixes. He was eventually trapped lbw for 41 by part-time spinner Maaz Sadaqat.

Tawhid Hridoy made 28 off 38 balls before falling lbw to Haris Rauf, while Afif Hossain added 14 before becoming Sadaqat’s second victim.

Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz managed just one run as Bangladesh’s innings folded quickly.

Rauf and Sadaqat claimed three wickets each to complete a dominant bowling performance for Pakistan.

Earlier, Bangladesh had fought back with the ball to bowl Pakistan out for 274 in 47.3 overs after a blistering start by the visitors.

Pakistan raced to 103 for the opening wicket inside 13 overs through an aggressive partnership between Sahibzada Farhan and Sadaqat.

Sadaqat struck 75 off 46 balls with six fours and five sixes, while Farhan scored 31 before falling to Taskin Ahmed.

Salman Agha later top-scored with 64 from 62 balls and shared a 109-run stand with Mohammad Rizwan (44), though Agha’s innings ended in a dramatic run-out by Mehidy Hasan Miraz at the non-striker’s end that sparked animated reactions on the field.

Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain finished as the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 56 as Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 274, a total that proved more than enough on a rain-shortened night in Mirpur.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)