Since January, the Minnesota Vikings have lacked a clear leader in the building. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired after four years and no replacement has been hired. Rob Brzezinski was named interim GM, set to guide the franchise through the draft, but hasn’t gotten the full-time promotion.

While Brzezinski has had final say, it’s fair to speculate about who has really made the calls in the draft room. The coaching staff was more involved than in most franchises, some suspect.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote an article about the draft and what executives and coaches said about the peers’ classes.

About the Vikings, Fowler wrote, “The Vikings conducted this draft while in a transitional state, with longtime team executive Rob Brzezinski holding the interim GM tag through the draft. While Minnesota improved its defense, some around the league had questions about the overall haul. ‘How much influence did Brian Flores have [on the selections]?’ one AFC exec asked. ‘It felt like a lot. Felt like a coach-heavy draft.’”

The draft board tilted towards the defensive side of the ball early in the event. The first three picks and four of the five selections in rounds 1-3 were reinforcements for Flores’ group.

Flores has certainly earned the benefit of the doubt, as he keeps delivering elite units capable of carrying the operation. Throughout his three-year tenure, the Vikings have had the second-best defense in EPA/Play, only trailing the Cleveland Browns. That includes a 2023 season with a roster that was clearly not built for his scheme.

Conversely, the offense led by head coach Kevin O’Connell ranks 24th in the same span and metric. Quarterback play in 2023 and 2025 surely hurt his rankings.

The defensive coordinator was a coveted man this offseason, adding to his interview tally. He once again failed to land a head coaching job and subsequently extended his contract in the Twin Cities. Perhaps having more say in roster decisions was one of the perks he received in the process.

Either way, the defensive-coded draft could help him remain at or near the top of the league in defensive output.

Fowler added, “The first-round selection of Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks felt risky to some, due to multiple foot surgeries. But his upside is high. Third-round safety Jakobe Thomas (Miami) was considered more of a mid-to-late Day 3 pick to multiple scouts. Scouts lauded the second-round selection of Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday, one of the top off-ball backers in the draft who should be able to contribute right away.”

Banks is widely considered the top interior lineman who lost some attraction due to his second major foot injury. If his foot checks out, he could end up becoming a franchise cornerstone along the defensive line.

Safety Thomas was a massive reach according to various draft analysts, but it’s noteworthy that his skill set resembles that of a player built for a Flores defense. He thrives in the box and in a versatile role near the line of scrimmage. The same can be said about linebacker Golday, who can play on the edge and as an off-ball linebacker. Cincinnati frequently used him in the slot.

We might never know how much influence Flores had in the draft room, but he has earned that luxury. Notably, he started in New England as a scout.

In the meantime, the Vikings have kicked off their search for a new general manager. Ownership has emphasized that they want to keep the past structure of having a GM at the top of the decision-making pyramid, who reports to them. A new strong man in the organization will arrive sooner rather than later, unless Brzezinski gets the promotion after all.

Until then, Flores might continue to have a strong voice.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt

Fulham manager Marco Silva hopes his side can capitalise on any potential nerves and anxiety that could spread around the Emirates Stadium during Saturday’s visit to Premier League leaders Arsenal.

The Gunners are currently in pursuit of their first Premier League title in 22 years, and sit three points clear at the top of the table, having played a game more than closest rivals Manchester City.

Fulham manager Silva, whose 10th-placed side harbour their own ambitions of European qualification, vowed his team would battle fiercely to secure a shock result amid what he anticipates could be a tense atmosphere in north London.

“Let’s hope we can use that,” Silva stated during a press conference, referring to the potential for tension.

“That depends on us, it depends on them, and it depends on many things. Whether the environment is tense or not depends on how we play and whether we are good enough to make it happen. Simple as that.”

There has been an edgy atmosphere at the Emirates in recent times, with Arsenal losing to Bournemouth just under three weeks ago before picking up an unconvincing 1-0 win over Newcastle last weekend.

Despite their recent struggles with finding their best form, Silva is still expecting a formidable challenge as he acknowledged Arsenal’s quality.

“Arsenal are a top side, a side that are title contenders, that play to win all of their games, but are also the most solid team in the league,” he said.

“They are a team, that even if they are not playing at their best level, they have other ways to punish the opposition.”

Nevertheless, the Portuguese coach was resolute that his team would not be intimidated by the task at hand.

“We just have to look at ourselves and be competitive to fight for the three points. Three points to fight for – and we will fight.”

This is a purposeful piggyback on my colleague Joel Blank’s post from a couple of days ago. He asked the question, when it is time to pull the plug on Dana Brown and Joe Espada? I usually don’t write entire essays in response to another article, but Joel asked a serious question and it deserves a serious answer. I can flush out my thoughts better in this format than in a simple reply to the article itself.

There comes a time when you just run out of runway. That time has come for Dana Brown. My normal course on these little essays is to first admit my own culpability. I was a James Click fan, but I also believed in Jim Crane. Granted, I probably shouldn’t have had faith in the immediate aftermath of an off-season that saw him, Jeff Bagwell, and Reggie Jackson sign Jose Abreu and Rafael Montero. However, this is a guy that had hired Jeff Luhnow, A.J. Hinch, Dusty Baker, and Click.

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All of them had been integral to the success of the club up to that point. I certainly had differences with all of them at certain points, but it is hard to argue with the results. So, when Brown was announced I was on board. Based on what we’d heard, he was good at the scouting end and he was going to bring in the philosophy of locking up our young core.

Right or wrong, the results don’t lie. Admittedly, he has been on the job since 2023, so you could argue that it isn’t enough to accurately to judge his efforts to rebuild the farm system. However, only one significant prospect has graduated to the big leagues in Brice Mathews and the results have been mixed at best. He has signed only one significant extension with Cristian Javier and that deal has turned out to be a disaster.

It’s at this point that Brown apologists will stand up and defend him. I’d agree that the efficacy of decisions should not be based on the results. They should be based on the evidence at the time of the decision. However, if every major decision ends up going against you then it becomes difficult to justify keeping you around. Perhaps, any long-term deal for a pitcher is a bad decision in this day and age. Perhaps we should have seen something beforehand. Perhaps there are other issues there we can touch on here.

The decision to move on from Brown sooner rather than later is based on the evidence available and some very real world ramifications. In terms of the evidence, it would be hard to argue that any significant offseason move worked out this year. Obviously, Jim Crane was already teetering towards not retaining him since he did not want to extend him. So, if this season is a referendum on his fitness for the job then it is hard to argue for him to stick around.

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The chief problem has been the injuries. This is where the apologists want to defend him. I get it on a certain level. Injuries (on a surface level) seem like an arbitrary thing that can’t be controlled. We can almost imagine God or fate pointing his finger and zapping an Astro with a hamstring injury or an arm injury. Yet, when you stop and really examine that line of thinking, it collapses under careful scrutiny. The Astros have been among the most injured or THE most injured roster three years in a row.

I suppose there is always a chance that is just lightning striking the same team three times in a row. The more likely explanation is that there is something going wrong. It could be in the player evaluation process. Maybe the Astros select more injury prone players that are destined to break down. It could also be training and health procedures that are not preventing those injuries that could be prevented through proper training and health protocols. Both of those things fall on the general manager.

You also have the Tatsuya Imai problem that is beginning to look like a huge gaffe. We can certainly look at the whys and what fors. Maybe it was a massive talent misevaluation. Maybe they fumbled the ball at the goal line when it came to preparing him for the season. Maybe it is a problem with providing him with the proper day to day support in acclimating him to the rigors of MLB. It is likely a combination of all of those and it should be noted that the book has not been completely written. He could potentially return in May or June and become the pitcher they thought he would be. That would still mean six to eight weeks of zero production because the ball was fumbled somewhere along the way.

This brings us to the second consideration of real world ramifications. This club is in the same position it was in 2006. Their competitive window was closing with an aging Craig Biggio, Roger Clemens, and Andy Pettitte. Coming into 2007 they had a hard choice. They could continue to run the course with enough talent to compete, but not enough talent to win. They could have sold off enough minor pieces to rebuild the farm system and compete in 2008 or 2009. They could have also spent their way out of the problem. They chose option one and it set the Astros franchise back five seasons at least.

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This Astros team is in the exact same position. Certainly, Crane COULD explode the budget to 300 million and load up the roster with enough talent to dominate the AL West. I think we know that is not happening. So, in the absence of that you can continue to limp down the road and hope to eat around the margins or you can start building the next great Astros team. The question comes down to who you want at the wheel for that decision?

The problem with keeping Brown through the season is that now is the time to strike. There might not be baseball next year with labor strife. This deadline is the time to get while the getting is good. You have the likes of Hunter Brown, Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker, Jake Meyers, and Yordan Alvarez that are not likely to be a part of that next great Astros team. You could throw in Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader if they get back healthy and/or effective. I’m sure some of them can and will stick around. Which ones should they be and who gets to make that call?

Dana Brown is scrambling for his job. This isn’t an attack on him. I’d be of the same mindset in the exact same situation. His best chance of keeping his job is for the team to make a miraculous comeback and sneak into the playoffs. That’s not happening with a tear down. Yet, a tear down would put the Astros in the best position to win in 2028 and 2029. It only makes sense. Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa will be two years older then. They will be less likely to be productive players, so that production will have to come from others likely not yet on the roster.

In the last calendar year, not many things have gone right for Dana Brown. Even if he were looking ahead to 2028 or 2029, would you trust him to make the right trades to put this Astros team in better position? You are talking about potential moves that would shape this team for the next five to ten seasons. Obviously, the question of who you want making that call is a murky one and one that I have a hard time answering. I just know that I don’t want it to be Dana Brown.

Michael Carrick was over the moon to see Kobbie Mainoo commit his future to Manchester United and hopes to give him the platform to thrive in Sunday’s “standout” clash with rivals Liverpool.

The talented 21-year-old this week signed a new and improved contract to keep him at his boyhood club until 2031 having enjoyed a marked turnaround in circumstances since the turn of the year.

Mainoo’s United future looked up in the air having fallen down the pecking order under former boss Ruben Amorim, with an August request to leave on loan rejected before speculation ramped up in January.

But Carrick’s appointment changed the course for a player that director of football Jason Wilcox rates as “one of the most naturally gifted young footballers in the world”.

“I’ve been hugely impressed with Kobbie since I’ve been here,” the United head coach said. “I’ve known him quite some time in different capacities, but I’ve certainly been aware of him for a long time.

“He epitomises this football club – young players coming through the academy, living and breathing the club and coming through with real talent.

“The last couple of games particularly he’s been fantastic. The natural thing and evolution is to obviously sign a new contract, so everyone’s over the moon with that, including me because I think he deserves it.”

Mainoo’s development after a stunning breakthrough was stunted under Amorim, whose unwillingness to use him meant a first Premier League start of the season only arrived in January.

That was Carrick’s first game in charge and the head coach has played him wherever possible since then, putting the midfielder in with a great chance of going to the World Cup with England.

“Like with all the players, it’s about trying to get that connection and understanding, building relationships,” Carrick said.

“Certainly understanding what it had looked like for Kobbie over the last two, three years – the ups and the downs, and the big highs and some challenging times – and letting him thrive, just giving him that platform to be himself.

“I think he’s evolved, he’s improving all the time. I think you can see that.

“The more responsibility, the more confidence and the more belief he keeps adding to his game and he’s certainly done that.

“Just giving him that platform and opportunity to go and be the best version.

“He’s done fantastic but there’s more to come, there’s loads more to come. I keep saying that because he’s a such a young man but he’s in a great spot at the moment.”

Mainoo’s form and new contract is a boost heading into Sunday’s match against Liverpool, who are a place and three points behind third-placed United.

It is a great chance for Carrick to further his case for the job beyond this season and victory would guarantee Champions League qualification with three games to spare.

“It’s certainly one of my favourite games, without doubt,” the former United midfielder said. “It’s a standout game.

“I think there’s obviously big games and big rivalries that we have with other teams but certainly this one is right up there.

“The history, the ups and downs that past has produced in these type of game, and the excitement, entertainment and emotion, which is a huge part of it, makes it a really special game.”

United will assess Matheus Cunha before facing Liverpool, but Lisandro Martinez is suspended and Matthijs de Ligt remains absent.

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a potential brain-driven mechanism behind the physical benefits of exercise – in findings that could reshape how the health and fitness industry understands training and performance.

The study, which was published in the journal Neuron, shows that exercise stimulates neurogenesis, stronger neural connectivity and reduced neuroinflammation – changes that appear to play an active role in improving endurance and overall health.

The research suggests a shift away from the traditional model, where exercise is thought to condition the body first, with the brain responding secondarily. Instead, the team found evidence that specific brain pathways may help regulate physical adaptation, effectively coordinating how the body responds to training.

“Most people think of the body adapting to exercise through the muscles, heart, lungs, and other tissues, but our study shows that the brain itself can programme endurance capacity,” says Kevin Williams, associate professor of internal medicine and a senior author on the study. His colleagues, including Nicholas Betley and Erik Bloss, identified neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus that appear to influence how efficiently the body adapts to exercise.

In controlled laboratory research, modulating these neurons altered endurance outcomes, pointing to a more integrated relationship between brain function and physical performance than previously understood. The findings suggest that improvements in fitness may be partly driven by central nervous system adaptations, rather than muscle and cardiovascular changes alone.

For health club operators, the implications are significant. Framing exercise around brain health, cognitive performance and resilience – rather than purely aesthetics or strength – could broaden the appeal of exercise, particularly among new or less confident users. The research also supports the growing focus in the sector on recovery, stress reduction and mental wellbeing as core parts of the fitness offering.

More broadly, the study reinforces the idea of exercise as a whole-system intervention, with tightly linked neurological and physiological benefits. While further research is needed to understand how these mechanisms translate in real-world settings, the findings open up new avenues for both programming and positioning across the sector.

The findings could also lead to treatments that reproduce the benefits of exercise training when movement is limited.

The study, exercise-induced activation of ventromedial hypothalamic steroidogenic factor-1 neurons mediates improvements in endurance, was published in the journal Neuron.

WWE NXT on Tuesday night was filled with surprise debuts, but one wrestler made more noise than the rest as she entered the ring.

Lizzy Rain, the niece of late Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, vowed to keep heavy metal alive as she came to WWE from PROGRESS Wrestling, where she was the PROGRESS women’s champion. The British wrestler, formerly known in the ring as Rayne Leverkusen, squared off against Nikkita Lyons in her first NXT match.

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Lizzy Rain celebrates her win during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, on April 28, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)

She avoided a mid-rope splash from Lyons and then nailed her opponent with a step-up knee shot to Lyons, which was dubbed Thunderstruck. She pinned Lyons and picked up her first win.

Rain talked about how her uncle inspired her in her life on “Busted Open After Dark.”

“Clive, he inspired me so much. To be honest, when I was younger, I didn’t really know who he was,” she said, via Wrestle Talk. “He died, I think it’s 13 years ago now, something like that, so I was 15 years old. And when I was growing up, and he was well, he died from MS, unfortunately so he wasn’t very well by the time I got into my teens, he was not verbal or anything.

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“Then I was younger and around him I didn’t have a clue who he was. I liked music, I always liked Alice Cooper, I always liked Iron Maiden but as a child I didn’t really know, ‘Oh, my uncle is the original drummer of Iron Maiden,’ until I got into my teens.”

Unfortunately, Rain said, she was unable to really talk to Burr about his life in Iron Maiden before he died in 2013.

Elsewhere, a few other newcomers appeared.

Evil confronts Tony D’Angelo during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on April 28, 2026. (Chansey Augustine/WWE)

Former IWGP champion known as EVIL stepped up to Tony D’Angelo, the current NXT champion. After EVIL left the ring, former PROGRESS atlas champion known as Will Kroos assaulted D’Angelo.

Kam Hendrix, Tristan Angels and Tate Wilder also appeared on NXT for the first time.

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Ricky Saints enters the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on April 28, 2026. (Chansey Augustine/WWE)

NXT Results

Myles Borne def. Saquon Shugars to retain the NXT North American Championship.

EK Prosper and Sean Legacy def. Stacks Lorenzo and Uriah Connors.

Lizzy Rain def. Nikkita Lyons.

Kelani Jordan def. Wren Sinclair.

Shiloh Hill def. Ricky Saints.

Floyd Mayweather Sr only had one name in mind when asked who he believes to be boxing’s biggest ever puncher.

Mayweather Sr is well equipped to answer that question after being around the sport for over 50 years. He made his professional debut back in 1974 and competed 35 times, including a bout against the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard.

It is his training career that Mayweather Sr is perhaps best known for, having notably coached his son Floyd Jr to numerous world title wins, along with spending periods in the corner for the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.

In recent years, Mayweather Sr has shared his thoughts on a wide range of topics from within the boxing world, and in a resurfaced clip, he revealed that he deems Earnie Shavers to be the hardest hitter in the history of the sport.

“Earnie Shavers! [Asked, not Mike Tyson?] Earnie Shavers!”

It is a view that many others also share, and it is easy to see why, with 70 of the 76 wins Shavers claimed coming by knockout, 23 of them inside the first round.

While he may have unsuccessfully challenged for the world heavyweight champion on two occasions, he displayed his huge power in both of those contests, rocking Muhammad Ali in the second round of their 1977 clash, and dropping Larry Holmes in round seven of their 1979 battle.

Shavers sadly passed away in September 2022 at the age of 78 following a short illness, but it is clear that boxing fans will forever remember him as one of the most powerful men to ever grace the sport.

Man Utd face Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday and Michael Carrick is hopeful one player can return to the matchday squad.

Manchester United are hopeful Matheus Cunha will be back in the squad against Liverpool on Sunday after he returned to training at Carrington this week.

The Brazilian missed Monday’s win against Brentford at Old Trafford with a sore hip flexor, but he is back in with a chance of returning to the side for what is always a huge game.

Luke Shaw also limped out of the win against the Bees that moved United to within one win of a return to the Champions League. Carrick didn’t offer an update on the left-back but did say the squad was in good shape, with Matthijs de Ligt the only ongoing absentee with a back problem.

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“Matheus has done a little bit of work so we’re hopeful. We’re not sure, but we’re hopeful. Mata still a bit further and not involved in the game,” said Carrick.

The 44-year-old will be taking charge of his first United game against Liverpool, with his side hunting a Premier League double against Arne Slot’s side after a 2-1 win at Anfield earlier in the season.

Carrick is looking forward to the occasion and said as a player it was always the first game he would look out for and one he loved to play in. This contest is third vs fourth heading into the weekend, with United holding a three-point advantage.

“One of my favourite games, without doubt,” he said. “It’s a standout game, there are big games and big rivalries we have with other teams but this is right up there. The history, ups and downs, excitement, entertainment and emotion makes it a really special game.

“It shows the improvements of the group and getting stronger to be coming into this game in such a good position. We’re fully aware of the situation in the league and how close it is. It’s a one-off game, they’re a good team, they won the league this [last] year. We’re treating it as a one-off game and the league position is what it is.”

Jasprit Bumrah is widely regarded as one of the best bowlers in the world today, but it is surprising to see that his average is currently among the worst in this IPL season. Bumrah went wicketless in his first five games and picked up his first wicket only in the sixth match against the Gujarat Titans, dismissing Sai Sudharsan on the very first ball he bowled in that game.

Before this match, Bumrah had struggled, going wicketless in Mumbai Indians’ first five matches against Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings. His wicket of Sudharsan, who was dismissed for a golden duck, helped to set the tone for Mumbai Indians victory, as Gujarat Titans suffered a heavy 99-run defeat.

Bumrah has historically dominated some of the biggest T20 batters. He had never conceded a six to players like Travis Head and Sanju Samson, but during this rough phase in IPL 2026, both managed to hit him for sixes. Young prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also took him on, smashing two sixes in a single over. This highlights the lean patch Bumrah is currently going through.

Bumrah’s current IPL bowling average stands at 132, the worst of his T20 career. Compared to other bowlers who have bowled 30 or more overs this season, his average is nearly double, placing him among the most underperforming bowlers for Mumbai Indians. This dip in form could be one of the reasons why the Mumbai Indians have struggled to maintain momentum.

Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, it was only the second time in IPL history that Mumbai Indians failed to defend a total of 200 or more, and the first time at Wankhede Stadium. In that match, Bumrah conceded 54 runs in his four overs, getting hit for sixes by Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, and Salil Arora. It is rare to see Bumrah conceding so many sixes, especially in situations where his team relies on him the most.

What is behind Jasprit Bumrah’s struggle?

Bumrah entered IPL 2026 after an intense and packed international schedule that included the Asia Cup, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, series against Australia and South Africa, and a demanding five-match Test series in England. During that England tour alone, he bowled 119 overs across three matches, despite managing a long-standing back issue.

Cricket experts have pointed to multiple possible reasons for his dip in form. Some believe Bumrah may not have had adequate rest after continuous international cricket, while others suggest he has struggled to find his usual rhythm and lengths.

Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth was blunt in his assessment after Bumrah’s outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad:
“Bumrah is not getting that zip at all. Not one delivery looked threatening. Maybe he is tired, so I am not blaming him. But he is clearly not at his best. He is trying hard but looking very ordinary.” His statement narrates that Bumrah might be exhausted after packed schduled.

On the other hand, Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted the mental aspect of the game. During Bumrah’s wicketless run in the first five matches, Ashwin suggested that external narratives and pressure may have affected his rhythm.

“I still think Bumrah bowled really well in the first two matches, but then the team started losing. Then the narrative also started that Bumrah was not getting wickets. That was probably playing on his mind,” Ashwin said, adding that the best of Bumrah could still be around the corner.

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif also weighed in, suggesting that Bumrah’s body may not be fully supporting him at the moment and that a short break could help him regain peak fitness.

Meanwhile, Kieron Pollard, Mumbai Indians’ batting coach, downplayed concerns over Bumrah’s form. He emphasized that the pacer is human and occasional dips are natural, urging people to remember his immense contributions to the team over the years.

Here’s a look at the bowling averages this season among players who have bowled 30 or more overs, along with their averages and economy rates:-

In contrast, during IPL 2025, Bumrah led the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack with an outstanding season, taking 18 wickets in 12 matches. Despite missing the first four games due to a back injury, he returned strongly and delivered what many analysts considered his most economical season, maintaining an economy rate of 6.68, the best in the league among bowlers with more than 10 wickets.

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Before the IPL, Bumrah was a key figure in India national cricket team’s successful title defence at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. He finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets in 8 matches. His campaign peaked in the final on March 8, 2026, where he was named Player of the Match for his outstanding figures of 4/15 against New Zealand national cricket team. Earlier, in a match against England at Wankhede Stadium, he reached the milestone of 500 international wickets by dismissing Harry Brook with the very first ball.