Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza claimed his new team has the “most Hispanic fan base” after going No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. Mendoza made the statement during his introductory press conference for the team on Friday.

“The history of the Raiders, especially the Hispanic history, is like no other. I believe it’s probably the most Hispanic fan base and legends like Mr. [Jim] Plunkett, like Mr. [Tom] Flores. I mean, all those legendary Hispanic idols and cornerstones of the franchise. It means a lot as a Cuban American to come to this franchise and help try to carry the torch. But again, I’ve got to prove it, and I’m really looking forward to connecting with the Hispanic community here,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza himself is Cuban, as the descendant of Cuban refugees.

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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza passes against Miami during the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

After Fidel Castro seized control of Cuba and installed a communist regime, all four of Mendoza’s grandparents fled the country and came to America.

“We all thought it was temporary,” Mendoza’s maternal grandfather, Alberto Espino, previously told The Washington Post. “There was no way the United States would allow a communist regime 90 miles away.”

But Castro’s reign endured, so Espino and the Mendozas remained in the U.S. and built their lives as Americans.

GENO SMITH REACTS TO REPORTED MOVE TO RAIDERS: ‘GOD IS THE GREATEST

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza looks on during warmups before the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Jan. 19, 2026. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)

Mendoza is coming into the NFL after one of the best seasons by a quarterback in college football history for Indiana.

Now, as the quarterback of the Raiders, he will be under pressure to carry one of the league’s historic franchises back to prominence after decades of underachieving.

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Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, speaks during a news conference at the Raiders Headquarters in Henderson, Nev., on April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

“It’s a huge responsibility, but it’s also a huge honor to honor the legacy. The Raiders are a core historic franchise and one of the faces of the NFL, and I feel like, again, I need to prove it and earn it every single day,” Mendoza said.

“Especially as a rookie, nothing’s given, and my belief in that everything is earned. So, I’m going to come in humble, try to establish myself with my work ethic and lead by example, but at the end of the day, it’s all great saying these words, but I’ve got to do it.”

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Now his playing days are done, Ramsey is aiming to make it as a coach.

He has most of his qualifications and has already had a taste of senior management, having taken charge of his boyhood club Cardiff City for three games at the end of last season as they were relegated from the Championship.

Having since been a part of Wales head coach Craig Bellamy’s staff in an unofficial capacity, Ramsey is being touted for a bright future.

“[I]100% want to go into coaching. That’s something that really excites me,” he says.

“I had that experience with Cardiff and loved it, even though the circumstances were difficult. I felt like I got a really good reaction from the team.

“I’ve been in the Welsh camps now with Bellers and his incredible staff as well, and I’ve worked with Cardiff’s Under-18s.

“We’ll just have to see which opportunities may arise soon and we’ll go from there.”

First, Ramsey has a marathon to run.

Ceri Menai-Davis, who has run the London Marathon before, reckons Ramsey has raised more than £25,000 for his charity – and that is before you count donations for Sunday’s race.

They have been friends for more than a decade and Ramsey’s shows of support for the charity – as well as his fundraising – include the butterfly symbol he used as a goal celebration during his career.

On Sunday, the most powerful reminder of Hugh’s life will be his father’s huge physical effort – and his son’s shoes draped around his shoulders.

“He was the most amazing, brave, courageous young boy,” Ceri says. “The reason I do marathons is, just before Hugh died, I stupidly put myself in for a marathon in 2021.

“I never thought I’d get in but I got in, started training for it and Hugh never got to see me run that marathon because I did it two weeks after he died, and we buried him the next day with my medal.

“Last year I carried a 22-kilo rucksack, which was the weight Hugh was when he passed away. That was to display what grief weighs on you as a parent.

“This year, with Hugh’s shoes, he walked into hospital in these shoes and sadly never came out. I wanted him to cheer me on when I did it in 2021 but sadly he never did.

“I did Paris with his shoes. He never got to see Paris so I showed him the Eiffel Tower and we had a chat all the way round. In London, he’ll be there with me on my shoulders and we’ll cross the finish line together.”

Even at 38, Matthew Stafford remains one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. In fact, he added another trophy to his collection in February, winning his first league MVP award.

Stafford edged New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye after throwing a career-best 46 touchdowns. The 2026 season will be his 18th, and with nearly two decades in the league, the Rams appear to be looking toward the future following Thursday night’s first round.

The Rams selected former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick, potentially positioning him as Stafford’s successor. The decision sparked strong reactions and drew a response from Kelly Stafford, the veteran quarterback’s wife.

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Ty Simpson of Alabama celebrates after being selected as the 13th overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Simpson said Kelly Stafford welcomed him to the team with a message on social media.

“Kelly has actually texted me on Instagram and welcomed me and told me to hit her up if we need anything,” Simpson said during his introductory press conference. “But I can’t wait to talk to Matthew. I’m super ecstatic because I just want to pick his brain.”

FALCONS’ MICHAEL PENIX JR SHARES CRUCIAL ADVICE KIRK COUSINS GAVE HIM AFTER TAKING OVER AS STARTER

Simpson was the full-time starter at Alabama, throwing for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2025.

Rams coach Sean McVay shut down any speculation that Simpson was joining the team to compete with Stafford for the starting job.

Matthew Stafford and his wife Kelly celebrate after the Los Angeles Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Jan. 30, 2022. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

“There were a lot of players that we liked, but when you do look at it, I think the thing you liked about the body of work is … let’s make one thing clear, this is Matthew’s team,” McVay said Thursday. “You get a chance to be able to address the backup quarterback.”

Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams stands on the field before the NFC Championship game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 25, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

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Simpson’s parents visited with Rams general manager Les Snead during Alabama’s trip to the Los Angeles area for the Rose Bowl in January, the NFL Network reported. Simpson’s father, Jason Simpson, is the head football coach at UT Martin.

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Mitchell Starc (Image Credit: Cricket Australia)

Delhi Capitals have received a major boost as their star overseas pacer, Mitchell Starc, has officially joined the camp ahead of their clash against Punjab Kings.Starc’s arrival was delayed in IPL 2026 due to ongoing shoulder and elbow injuries. These issues stemmed from a high workload during the Ashes series (where he bowled over 153 overs) and were compounded by a heavy fall while diving for a catch during the Big Bash League (BBL) in late January. Starc experienced persistent soreness when he attempted to return to bowling in February, necessitating a longer rehabilitation period in Sydney.Following his recovery, Cricket Australia officially cleared him to join Delhi Capitals on 23 April 2026. In his absence, Delhi Capital’s pace attack was led by Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, and Lungi Ngidi.In IPL 2025, Starc represented Delhi Capitals after being bought for Rs 11.75 crore in the mega auction. He was one of the franchise’s standout performers, finishing with 14 wickets in 11 matches. He also claimed his maiden IPL five-wicket haul (5/35) against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Visakhapatnam, becoming the first overseas pacer in DC’s history to achieve the feat. However, he did not complete the season, opting to return to Australia to prepare for the World Test Championship Final.

Will he play against Punjab Kings today?

Starc is unlikely to feature in the immediate home game against Punjab Kings on 25 April. Instead, he is expected to play his 1st match of IPL 2026 for Delhi Capitals on 1 May against Rajasthan Royals. Before returning to match action, he will undergo a brief training and acclimatisation phase with the DC support staff to gradually build up his bowling intensity after a three-month injury layoff.Barring any setbacks, Starc is expected to be available for the remainder of the season, including the final league matches and the playoffs. In the meantime, Delhi Capitals’ pace attack will continue to be led by Ngidi, who has taken seven wickets in the first six matches.

Shubman Gill did not shy away from pinpointing where the game slipped for the Gujarat Titans after their five-wicket defeat against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 34th match of the Indian Premier League (2026) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday. “Definitely. From the 16th to the 19th, those three overs, we couldn’t get any boundaries. Those overs were crucial for us. At the end of the Powerplay, we were in a good situation. We needed to take wickets,” he said. “I mean, when a batsman gets dropped on nought, it’s always tough on the fielder. But it’s about how you come back in the game. We had our moments. But we weren’t able to hit the right lengths consistently, which was important. But they batted very well in the middle overs.”

The dropped chance he referred to allowed Virat Kohli to flourish, and the veteran made GT pay with a commanding 81 off 44 balls.

Alongside him, Devdutt Padikkal produced a stunning 55 off 27, dismantling the attack through the middle overs. Their partnership ensured RCB stayed ahead of the asking rate, even as GT’s bowlers searched for control. Gill admitted there was some assistance in the pitch, particularly from Krunal Pandya’s bowling: “When we were batting, the balls that Krunal bowled, it was gripping a bit. I thought if we could get a few wickets, we would come back in the game.”

Earlier, the Gujarat Titans had posted a formidable 205/3, powered by a superb century from Sai Sudharsan, who struck 100 off 58 balls and became the fastest to 2000 IPL runs. Contributions from Gill and Jos Buttler added heft, but the total ultimately proved insufficient.

Despite a brief wobble when Rashid Khan and Manav Suthar removed Jitesh Sharma and Rajat Patidar in quick succession, Krunal’s late flourish sealed the outcome. His unbeaten 23 off 12 balls, including a decisive 18th over assault, shut the door on GT.

Gill also hinted at expectations from his top order moving forward: “He was quite upset with the way he got out in the previous game. But in the upcoming games, hopefully, he gives me some more strike in the Power-play.” It was a telling note from a captain whose side had their chances, but were ultimately outplayed in the moments that mattered most.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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While Nottingham Forest struck the first blow of the weekend on Friday, Tottenham and West Ham – unusually – both play at the same time on Saturday.

The Hammers host Everton and former manager David Moyes, with Spurs visiting already relegated Wolves.

Tottenham boss De Zerbi, whose side conceded a last-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 with Brighton in their previous fixture, said “a win can change this part of the season”.

“We are suffering, they are suffering because it is not easy to play in Tottenham in this condition of the table, but I said they have to be stronger,” he added.

“We have to live every part of the day waiting for a win and preparing for a win.”

Tottenham and West Ham have to contend with similar run-ins, with Spurs arguably facing the slightly easier of the two. The average position of the teams they still have to play is 11th, while for the Hammers it is 10th.

What West Ham do have which Tottenham do not, however, is some semblance of form.

Nuno’s team have won two and lost just one of their past five matches. Spurs have not won since last year.

“The players are improving their levels and the standards,” said Nuno. “We have been solid in defence, good in attack… sometimes not so good. Finding that balance in the remaining matches is going to be crucial for us.”