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• 32 Thoughts: The Podcast

  Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.

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Ben Stokes (Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: England’s preparations for the second Test against New Zealand have been overshadowed by controversy, with captain Ben Stokes and all-rounder Gus Atkinson under investigation for an alleged breach of team protocols.The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Tuesday that it is looking into an incident involving the two players following the conclusion of the first Test against New Zealand. England had won the opening match of the three-Test series by 115 runs at Lord’s.According to an official ECB statement, Stokes and Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place.“The ECB is currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men’s Test against New Zealand,” the board said in a statement.“Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place.”The ECB said it is currently gathering additional information before deciding on any further action.“We are currently seeking further information, and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course.”The development has raised questions over the availability of both players for the second Test, with England yet to announce their squad for the match.

The ECB also confirmed that the matter has been reported to the Cricket Regulator.“The Cricket Regulator has been informed and we will provide a further update when possible.”The incident comes as an unwelcome distraction for England, especially with Stokes captaining the side and Atkinson emerging as one of the key performers in the opening Test. The fast bowler finished the match with seven wickets and played a significant role in England’s victory.At present, the ECB has not revealed the nature of the incident, and further details are expected once the investigation is completed.The second Test between England and New Zealand is scheduled to be played at The Oval in London from June 17.

The main source of entertainment, according to many Minnesota Vikings fans, from organized team activities (OTAs)? Quotes from head coach Kevin O’Connell and quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray about the summer quarterback competition. The situation took another turn last week when O’Connell appeared to refer to McCarthy as a “former” team captain.

Some seized on the comment as evidence that Murray has already won the QB1 battle.

Vikings QB Competition Just Got a Little More Interesting

O’Connell’s Comment

Asked about McCarthy’s progress at OTAs, O’Connell replied, “I think he’s handled it really well. He’s been great in the meeting rooms, spending a little bit more time with those guys. The dialogue between the group, the great questions you get from those guys as we’re going through the installation process.”

“He’s been great in the meeting rooms, he’s been great on the grass, and as always, as a former — as a captain and a guy that helps lead our team, he’s been phenomenal there as well.”

The former term turned heads.

O’Connell added about McCarthy’s comments from the first week of OTAs, “So I didn’t make a lot out of it. I know there was some reaction to it, and that’s probably not the first time there’s gonna be a reaction to those guys answering questions about the situation.

“And that’s what part of the competition is all about. There’s no hiding anything; it’s gonna be displayed on the field. And their teammates and coaching staff and the guys in this building have to feel conviction about the direction we go. And you do that by your daily habits and just improving.”

A Slip?

Here’s the question — asked by many social media users — does O’Connell simply know that McCarthy was a captain last year and won’t be one in 2026? He started to say former something, appeared to catch himself, and ended up on the word captain.

The Vikings will embark on the training camp quarterback competition at the end of July, and the victor will almost certainly earn the captain’s title. The “other guy” probably won’t.

There’s always a chance that O’Connell totally lost his train of thought and misspoke, but those hanging on every word at OTAs were convinced that McCarthy’s former captainhood means Murray has already won the QB1 job.

The Viking Age‘s Chris Schad noted, “The latest breadcrumb was unintentionally dropped by Kevin O’Connell after Thursday’s practice. When talking about McCarthy’s viral comments on the quarterback battle made a week ago, O’Connell almost referred to McCarthy as a ‘former captain’ before quickly correcting himself and finishing his statement.”

“Nobody really knows the true intention of O’Connell’s comments, and as Armstead noted, captains are voted on each year. But there’s enough to suggest he said the quiet part out loud. A former player himself, O’Connell may know that whoever the starter is will be voted a captain. And with Murray remaining a heavy favorite, O’Connell’s comments may have been more than just a slip.”

A Battle Nevertheless

McCarthy faces a more immediate challenge this summer. Once heralded as the Golden Boy, the quarterback poised to make the Sam Darnold handoff feel seamless last offseason, his 2025 season devolved into a relentless battle against his own body. A high ankle sprain, a concussion, and a broken hand sidelined him repeatedly. When he did play, his performance was inconsistent. He’d flash brilliance as a fourth-quarter monster, only to appear clunky in the pocket with mechanics that drew widespread criticism.

Consequently, McCarthy has much to prove. He must demonstrate he’s more than just potential, that he can remain healthy, maintain composure, and solidify his position as a QB1.

Murray’s motivation, though different, is equally compelling.

Arizona unceremoniously cut him during their tumultuous 2026 offseason, opting for a quarterback tandem of Jacoby Brissett and Carson Beck. That perceived snub fuels Murray’s desire for redemption, and Minnesota presents the ideal opportunity. He can step into a superior offensive system and prove the Cardinals made a huge blunder.

Murray as the Probable QB1 Anyway

While O’Connell’s accidental hint may or may not be rooted in his inherent knowledge, Murray is the overwhelming favorite to win the QB1 job any damn way. Every 17 starts, the normal allotment in the regular season, he averages nearly 4,000 passing yards, 600 rushing, and 30 combined touchdowns. Third-year NFLers like McCarthy who struggle with consistency and durability don’t often win quarterback competitions against men with that type of production.

Therefore, while O’Connell might’ve spilled the beans, which would not be a great look for a head coach, most of the world knows and understands that Murray is the frontrunner to lead the Vikings at QB1 in 2026.

The next question will be how McCarthy reacts to a QB2 assignment.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

The Philippines’ Alexandra Eala celebrates winning her women’s singles final match against Nikola Bartunkova on day nine of the Lexus Birmingham Open Championships at Edgbaston Priory Club, Birmingham, England, Sunday June 7, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala jumped four places to World No. 33 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings ahead of her campaign at the HSBC Championships, formerly known as the Queen’s Club Championships in London.

After winning the title in the WTA 125 Birmingham Open on Sunday night, Eala wastes no time and gets back into action on Tuesday in the main draw of the Queen’s Club Championships in London.

READ: Alex Eala wins Birmingham Open title, ends Czech curse

The 21-year-old Eala battles China’s Zhang Shuai, who’s ranked 64th, in the round-of-32.

Eala survived Czech Nikola Bartunkova, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, in the Birmingham final for her first victory against a Czech in 14 tries since turning pro in 2020.

Polish rising star Maja Chwalinska, who made a surprise run to the French Open final, was the biggest mover in the rankings, soaring to 21st from 114th.

Russian ace and newly minted French Open champion Mirra Andreeva improved two spots to No. 6.

Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka remains the top-ranked WTA player for the 89th consecutive week.

Less than a week away from the UFC White House event that has been nearly a year in the making, it doesn’t seem like anyone is setting their sights low.

“We’re expecting Super Bowl-type numbers for this fight,” UFC CEO Dana White told TNT Fight Sports.

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U.S. President Donald Trump, no stranger to hyperbole, at one point promised that this event would be “the greatest show on earth.” White House spokesman Davis Ingle was slightly more measured, calling it “one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history.”

Mark Shapiro, president and COO of UFC parent company TKO, has said the event will be “a once-in-a-generation moment.”

In other words, this is going to be big. Just how big — and for whom, exactly — remains to be seen.

Specific plans for the broadcast on Sunday, June 14, have been scarce so far. White has suggested that a portion of the undercard may air for free on CBS, with the top fights held in reserve for Paramount+ subscribers, but no exact schedule has been released as of yet. (Uncrowned reached out to a Paramount executive with questions about the broadcast plan, but did not receive a response.)

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In a recent story from “The Hollywood Reporter,” executives from both TKO and Paramount suggested that one primary goal for the event is to drive signups on Paramount+, the streaming service that’s home to all UFC events under a behemoth seven-year, $7.7 billion deal.

“This is about sampling, new fans, casual viewers, a spectacle on a stage that will ultimately expand our audience, our viewership, and our success on Paramount+,” Shapiro told Wall Street analysts back in February. “We see this once-in-a-lifetime stage as a strategic investment to drive subscriber acquisition at Paramount+, massive audience sampling for the UFC overall, and Super Bowl-like earned media across the globe.”

But here’s where it gets tricky. As a network, CBS is available in almost every home in America that contains a television set. Paramount+, on the other hand, has reported somewhere around 80 million subscribers. If the UFC were to air some of the White House event prelim bouts on CBS, but keep the title fights in the main and co-main event exclusively on Paramount+, that could significantly limit the overall reach.

For the sake of comparison, the most recent Super Bowl drew an estimated 125.6 million viewers. Even if every single existing Paramount+ subscriber watched this event, the UFC would still need to pick up an additional 45 million viewers either through new subscriptions or other broadcast methods in order to hit the goal of “Super Bowl-type numbers.”

It’s not impossible, but it’s also not easy. This event will be up against the opening weekend of play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and potentially Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. It also faces the resistance that’s now essentially built-in to any Trump-endorsed event, which is no small obstacle in a country where the President faces plummeting approval ratings.

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That backlash potential became evident when Trump’s “Freedom 250” concert plans saw multiple artists, ranging from Martina McBride to Bret Michaels, withdraw in recent weeks. That alone suggests that Trump’s very vocal and visible association with this UFC event might be enough to turn some viewers away.

Even without polarizing political implications, MMA has long been a niche sport that appeals to a subset of American sports fans. Unarmed combat in the confines of a cage simply may not to everyone’s liking.

So what’s a reasonable bar for success? The recent MVP MMA debut on Netflix last month peaked with nearly 17 million viewers while averaging about 12.4 million, shattering the record as the most-watched U.S. MMA broadcast in history. If the UFC White House event doesn’t at least beat that mark, you’d have to think it would be a major disappointment after all this build-up and these promises of Super Bowl-level interest worldwide.

But a lot may depend on what the goal of this event really is. If it were purely about reaching the largest audience possible, you’d think it would air simultaneously on CBS and Paramount+. That would expose the UFC to the largest potential audience, while also increasing the Trump administration’s chances to come away boasting that it had met the goal of putting on a truly massive sporting event.

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If a portion of the broadcast is limited to Paramount+, however, that would decrease the potential audience size while likely increasing the potential for immediate monetization. Telling people they have to subscribe to Paramount+ to see the top two bouts would almost certainly lead to a sudden injection of new signups. It also means inevitably playing to a smaller audience in the end, since not every viewer will be willing to add a new subscription service to their monthly bills.

There’s also the question of broader purpose for this event. If it’s truly a celebration of America, shouldn’t it be available to all Americans? Or at least those with a TV?

Then again, maybe there is something quintessentially American about charging a subscription fee even for our big birthday bash. We want big audiences, sure. But it’s paying crowds that keep the lights on.

Harry Maguire will not wear an England shirt at the World Cup, but he will be there to follow the Three Lions’ progress in the USA, Canada and Mexico

Harry Maguire will appear as a pundit on Gary Lineker’s Netflix programme ‘the Rest is Football’ for this summer’s World Cup. The Manchester United defender was omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the tournament.

Maguire, 33, issued a statement expressing he was “shocked” not to have been selected by Tuchel, who has instead opted for Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Jarrel Quansah, Dan Burn and John Stones in his position. Nevertheless, the former United captain will feature in the USA, Canada and Mexico in an alternative capacity.

He, alongside the likes of Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Frank Lampard and numerous others, will form part of a punditry panel for Netflix’s coverage of the competition, as part of Lineker’s programme.

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Maguire’s involvement, along with various other footballing and entertainment personalities, was announced by a statement released by the show. It read: “Hosts Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will be joined on the show by regular guest Joe Cole, alongside a standout line-up of special guests including Harry Maguire, Frank Lampard, Millie Bright, Patrick Vieira, Romesh Ranganathan and Niall Horan, with more to come.

“The Rest is Football will be coming to Netflix as a daily TV show during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, every day from 6am BST, starting 10 June.”

Maguire was also omitted from Gareth Southgate’s final England selection for the 2024 European Championships after failing to recover from a calf problem in time. Having impressed for United this campaign, especially under Michael Carrick, he had expected to receive a call-up to the tournament by Tuchel, reports the Mirror.

Upon learning he had been excluded, he issued a public statement on Instagram which read: “I was confident I could have played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had.

“I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer.”

Maguire had appeared at the 2018 World Cup, the 2020 European Championships and the 2022 World Cup, but has not participated in a major tournament since. Instead, he will be observing the Three Lions from the Rest is Football’s studio in Times Square, New York.

England meet Costa Rica on June 10 in their final pre-World Cup warm-up fixture. Their tournament will then kick off with a challenging encounter against Croatia, who claimed third place at the previous World Cup, on June 17.

The Three Lions then face Ghana on June 23, before confronting Panama on June 27 in their concluding group fixture.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

When India A starts their Tri-series campaign against Sri Lanka A, it will be a fresh start for Tilak Varma. Not only is he the captain of the Indian team for the series, but recently he was named the vice-captain of the Indian T20I team. The tour will also be an audition of Tilak’s captaincy skills as his name was also among the candidates who were being touted to replace Suryakumar Yadav in the national T20 team as captain.

“I never dreamt of leading my country. It’s a big opportunity to learn. Leading the country is the biggest thing. I’m feeling no pressure, just added responsibility. A few days ago, I was named vice-captain, and I am pretty excited about it. When you see that VC [vice-captain] in front of your name, it means there is more maturity coming into that senior category,” he said.

“Whenever I played for India, I talked to Gautam sir a lot about captaincy, and he told me, ‘Whenever you lead India A, keep this in mind that you have to do that for India also.’ So, I observe a lot and learn a lot on the ground. I was prepared and got the opportunity at the right time,” he said.

Varma went on to speak about the influence of Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma.

“I am pretty confident as a captain. I have already done two series (as a captain) before this, and we have done well,” Tilak said.

“Coming here, I am pretty confident. I have captained in the Duleep Trophy for my team Hyderabad, so I have got the experience of captaincy. I have learnt quite a lot from Rohit bhai and Surya bhai whenever I was in the IPL franchise. I always talk about captaincy, and this is a role I have really enjoyed,” Tilak added.

Tilak said he has learnt a lot about leadership from Rohit in particular.

“We don’t talk about batting that much, but when it comes to captaincy, I learn a lot from Rohit bhai, even by watching him. I always ask him how his mindset works, how he works under pressure and how his thinking works,” Tilak said.

The Indian squad carries a heavy list of IPL stars, including Ruturaj Gaikwad, explosive openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, Nishant Sindhu, and Kumar Kushagra as another keeper-batter.

Anshul Kamboj, Arshad Khan, Vipraj Nigam and Yudhvir Singh will be among India’s bowling options.

Each of the three teams will play against the two opponents twice, with the top two teams advancing to the final.

Squad: Tilak Varma (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Kumar Kushagra (wk), Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur, Yudhvir Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Arshad Khan, Anukul Roy.

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