Opting for a runner made some sense given the recent news about shuffling a young running back to an injury list. That predictable outcome has arrived, as the team’s official social media clarifies.

The Vikings shored up the RB depth by signing Jordan Mims. By no means a lock for the final roster, Mr. Mims nevertheless finds himself with a chance to latch onto a Vikings team that’s desperate for a respectable rushing attack. Whoever wins the QB1 job will be greatly aided by a potent ground attack. Mims will be trying to show that he’s got enough upside to warrant a spot once September football arrives.

Vikings Shore Up RB Depth

In 2023, the Buffalo Bills brought Jordan Mims into the NFL as an undrafted talent. He did so with the promise of $12,000 in guaranteed cash.

— READ MORE: Vikings Step into Batter’s Box and Take a Good Swing —
— READ MORE: Vikings Begin Pruning Roster with 3 Moves —
— READ MORE: A 53-Man Roster Projection as Training Camp Begins —

Mims didn’t settle into Buffalo for very long. His next opportunities arrived in New Orleans, Tennessee, and San Francisco. In fact, he played against Minnesota last preaseason while working as a Titans employee, turning his 13 carries into 40 yards. The Vikings, in other words, have seen Mr. Mims before, possibly influencing the decision to sign him.

In the regular season, Mims has played in 108 snaps on offense and 71 snaps on specials. Very likely, folks, that the best thing he can do for his NFL career is prove to be an absolute monster on specials. Matt Daniels, perhaps, will task him with some responsibility for Minnesota’s special teams.

His career statistics show 20 carries for 70 scoreless yards. Pretty humdrum. More promising, perhaps, is that he has caught 12 passes for 71 yards. Versatility is coveted in the Twin Cities. And, at the very least, there’s some live regular season football within his past to build off of as he looks to secure a lasting home as a pro runner.

Prior to getting into the NFL, Jordan Mims played for Fresno State. His final collegiate season features some eye-popping statistics: 261 carries, 1,372 yards, and 18 touchdowns. Even better, Mims secured 21 catches for 126 yards and 1 touchdown.

So, there was some reason to give the talented runner from an unheralded college a shot.

He has since bounced around, which is bad news since he hasn’t found a permanent NFL home. Putting a more positive spin on on things would mean acknowledging that he keeps getting a chance, suggesting that the NFL still sees upside in him.

The Minnesota Vikings welcome the full team to TCO Performance Center today. Doing so follows welcoming the rookies on Sunday to get training camp rolling. Soon enough, head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Nolan Teasley will step in front of the microphone for a press conference.

Jordan Mims, 27, is the latest add (alongside veteran safety Jamal Adams). He stands at 6’0″ and weighs 205 pounds.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

After France exited the Football world cup in fourth place, there’s a new change coming for the team. French football legend Zinedine Zidane has been named head coach. While Zinedine Zidane has been out of the spotlight since he coached Real Madrid, he is still considered to be a football legend.

Finger click sparked a cheating scandal (Image: BBC/X)

An amateur cricket match in England has found itself at the centre of a major controversy after a fielder was accused of using a finger-clicking trick to fool the umpire into giving a batter out. The incident, which has gone viral on social media and is now being called “Clickgate” or “Clicky Ponting”, occurred during a North Yorkshire and South Durham (NYSD) Cricket League Division Two match between Saltburn Cricket Club 2nd XI and Norton Cricket Club.

What happened?

The controversy revolves around a dismissal involving Norton batter Noman Shabir. As the bowler delivered the ball, it passed close to Shabir’s bat without appearing to make contact. At that exact moment, a Saltburn fielder stationed at first slip clicked his fingers, creating a sharp sound that closely resembled the noise of the ball edging the bat. The wicketkeeper caught the ball cleanly, Saltburn’s players immediately appealed, and the umpire, believing he had heard an edge, gave the batter out.Shabir protested the decision, insisting he had not touched the ball, but the umpire stood by his verdict. A video of the incident quickly spread across social media, with many viewers claiming the finger click had deliberately deceived the umpire.Saltburn won by 159 runs and are top of Division 2 by 18 points.

More allegations surface

The controversy did not stop with the viral video. Following the incident, cricket fans began analysing Saltburn’s statistics and previous matches. One statistic that attracted attention was wicketkeeper Josh Bowes’ tally of 31 catches in just eight matches, including eight catches in a single innings against Shildon Railway.For comparison, the world record for catches by a wicketkeeper in a men’s Test innings is seven, making the figure unusual enough to fuel further speculation, although the statistic alone is not evidence of wrongdoing.Soon after, Rory Cotterill, captain of Middlesbrough Second XI, publicly claimed his side had experienced two similar finger-clicking incidents during a defeat to Saltburn earlier in the season. Another video from a separate match against Wolviston FC has also emerged online, showing a batter being dismissed under similar circumstances, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the club.

League launches investigation

The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League confirmed it has received a formal complaint and has opened an investigation.In a statement, the league said: “The league have received a formal complaint regarding alleged incidents in a Division Two game on Saturday. A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made.”The unusual incident has attracted worldwide attention. The original video has been viewed more than five million times on X (formerly Twitter), while cricket fans from around the world have debated whether the dismissal should stand.Former newspaper editor and television presenter Piers Morgan also reacted, describing the player involved as the “biggest cheat in cricket history”, a comment that further amplified the controversy online.

Pratika Rawal signs Warwickshire

India batter Pratika Rawal has signed with Warwickshire Women for the remainder of the 2026 domestic season, with the 25-year-old set to strengthen the county side’s batting line-up in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. Rawal will be available for selection from Warwickshire’s next One-Day Cup fixture on August 19, as the Bears continue their push for a place in the tournament’s eliminators.

Return after injury

The move marks Rawal’s return to competitive cricket after recovering from a knee injury that ruled her out of India’s one-off Test against England at Lord’s. She suffered the injury during an India A match in Taunton on July 1, requiring stitches and forcing her to miss the landmark Test.Warwickshire currently occupy fifth place in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup standings and are aiming to finish inside the top three to qualify for the knockout stage. The club believes Rawal’s arrival will provide added firepower at the top of the order during the closing stages of the competition.Welcoming the India opener, the club said her addition would strengthen the squad as they look to finish the season strongly.“It’s a great signing for the team, and we are most pleased to be able to welcome Pratika to Edgbaston. Our position in the One Day Cup table at the moment is a good one, and bringing in a player of Pratika’s calibre can only serve to strengthen our team as we aim to end the season on a positive note,” the club said in a statement.Rawal said she is eager to experience county cricket and is looking forward to representing Warwickshire at one of England’s most iconic venues.“I am most pleased to be joining Warwickshire; I have heard many positive things about the club and am excited to get going and do all I can to assist the team. Testing myself by playing in England will be a great experience for me, and I’m also looking forward to walking out at Edgbaston, which is such an iconic ground in world cricket,” she said.

A rapid rise in international cricket

Rawal has emerged as one of India’s brightest batting talents since making her international debut in December 2024. She holds the record as the fastest woman to reach 500 ODI runs, achieving the milestone in just eight innings. The opener also played a key role in India’s successful Women’s ODI World Cup campaign, scoring 308 runs, including a century against New Zealand, to help the team lift the title in 2025.

Sarvesh Kushare and Tejaswin Shankar during the CWG 2026 high jump final in Glasgow.

NEW DELHI: Tejaswin Shankar’s own Commonwealth Games campaign ended in heartbreak, but the Indian high jumper ensured his disappointment did not stop a teammate from making history.The national record holder, forced out of the men’s high jump competition by a recurring knee injury, stayed back at the venue to guide compatriot Sarvesh Kushare from the sidelines. The advice proved decisive as Kushare overcame a shaky start to clinch the silver medal — India’s best-ever result in the event at the Commonwealth Games.Tejaswin had won a historic bronze at the 2022 Birmingham Games, the country’s first medal in Commonwealth Games high jump. On Monday, however, the 27-year-old’s title hopes were dashed before they had truly begun.

From medal contender to coach on the sidelines

Tejaswin experienced a sharp pain in his knee during the warm-up and was unable to continue after clearing only his opening height.Instead of leaving the arena, he remained beside the competition area, closely watching Kushare’s attempts and offering technical inputs that helped the Indian recover after struggling midway through the event.Kushare revealed that Tejaswin’s timely advice transformed his competition.“I wanted to clear the height in my first attempt itself, but during 2.25m my rhythm was affected and my stride became shorter. Then TJ told me to move forward in my run-up, and that helped,” Kushare said after winning silver.The medal improved on Tejaswin’s bronze-winning effort from Birmingham and marked India’s finest-ever Commonwealth Games finish in men’s high jump.

‘It really stings’

A visibly emotional Tejaswin admitted the injury struck at the worst possible moment.“I felt a shooting pain in my knee. It happened during my warm-up. It’s nothing new; I have always had tendonitis in my knees,” he said. “I don’t think there is any high jumper who doesn’t have it. That’s why it’s called jumper’s knee. Everyone manages it, and so do I.”The timing of the flare-up made the disappointment even harder to accept.“But it’s one of those days. You want just one day in a year when you don’t have that pain, but it came on that day only. It really stings. In these conditions, I was really confident I could jump for a win, jump for a medal. I really knew I could win a medal,” he said. “But to not even get through the first height, it stings because I was in really great shape.”Explaining the issue further, he added: “It’s just overuse of the patellar tendon. There is nothing spectacular about it. It just flared up today and ruined my entire competition.”

Eyes now on decathlon return

Despite the setback, Tejaswin has not given up on his Commonwealth Games campaign.The versatile athlete remains optimistic of recovering in time for the decathlon, which begins on Thursday.“I will come back in two days. We still have two days. I’ll give my best over the next two days and try and fix this. I will obviously start. I’m not here on vacation,” he said. “The patellar tendon is used in high jump and long jump, so if I’m somehow able to get by those two events, I’m still confident the other events will be fine.”Tejaswin is the national record holder in the decathlon too.

Uefa has reacted furiously to reports that Fifa president Gianni Infantino is planning to sell stakes in the World Cup and its other tournaments to investors.

Infantino is plotting a scheme whereby Fifa would retain majority control of a new enterprise, and the rest would be sold, partly to each of Fifa’s 211 national associations should they wish to invest, and partly to private investment.

The plan could potentially see Infantino installed as the “commissioner” of the World Cup when his Fifa presidency finally ends in 2031, a position that would prove extremely lucrative, according to The Times .

Uefa, the governing body of European football and a long-term critic of Infantino, said in a statement: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross.

“UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially.

“None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”

The investment would be led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, through his Thrive Eternal fund.

Thrive Eternal took a minority stake in Major League ‌Baseball’s San Francisco Giants this year. The ​vehicle was founded by Kushner, and former ⁠Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger serves as an adviser.

Fifa is working with bankers at JPMorgan to raise billions of dollars by bringing in external investors to take as much as a 20 per cent stake ‌in the entity. Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei has ​been involved as a commercial adviser on the creation of the Fifa enterprise.

In a statement, Fifa said it would “raise up to $4.2bn later this year” to fund the project, “based on an initial equity valuation of $ 20bn by carefully selecting long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests … All net benefits will be reinvested back into football worldwide.”

It added: “In a similar way to other sports governing bodies with dedicated commercial subsidiaries, FIFA will invite third parties to make … investments.

“Any such investors would be selected against clear long-term, governance, and strategic criteria. They would represent a geographically diversified group that reflects the global nature of the game, acting as minority, long-term partners that could contribute capital and commercial expertise in support of FIFA’s mission to grow the global game.

“FIFA would retain sole control via majority board representation and exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, the international match calendar and all regulatory and sporting decisions.”

The proposal is subject to approval by the Fifa Council.

Football Supporters Europe called for Infantino’s resignation. “The World Cup is not for sale,” it said. “Enough of this charade. FIFA member associations – and everyone who cares about the future of the game – must stand up to the man who wants to sell world football. Gianni Infantino must go.”

Last week, Infantino praised Fifa for “delivering the best show in the world” and spoke of the World Cup bringing “joy and togetherness,” in a 900-word statement published across a 15-page post on his Instagram account and on the Fifa website.

“Sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all,” the Fifa leader wrote, addressing his comments to “those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours”.

Fifa and Infantino faced criticism during the World Cup for Iran team officials, a Somali referee and fans being denied entry to the United States; alleged political influence by Mr Trump in letting Folarin Balogun avoid a ban for a red card; unprecedented high ticket prices and commercialised breaks in play midway through each half of all 104 games.

“Every city was packed with fans from all around the globe,” Infantino wrote. “While they celebrated, you were busy planting seeds of hate.”

Aziz Abdul never met his grandfather. He was a military dictator and died in exile when little Aziz was a toddler. His name was Idi Amin.

Globally, he had another name. The Butcher of Uganda.

Amin took charge of his homeland in a coup in 1971 – becoming the country’s third president – and ran a brutal regime for eight years. It’s estimated half a million people were killed and the country’s entire Asian population were expelled.

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He married six times and fathered around 60 children. Or, rather, that’s how many he acknowledged. Somewhere among all that, belongs Abdul.

This week, the 25-year-old is one of around 3,000 athletes in Glasgow. Just another face in a tracksuit, here for the Commonwealth Games. But not many others have the lineage that the super-heavyweight boxer does.

Abdul fights England’s Damar Thomas in the quarter-finals of the 90+kg category on Wednesday, knowing victory will guarantee at least bronze and make him Uganda’s first Commonwealth boxing medallist since Auckland in 1990.

That it could come in Glasgow is particularly pertinent.

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The despotic Amin harboured a fascination with Scotland after serving in the King’s African Rifles in his 20s. At the height of regime, he was fond of wearing a kilt and playing the bagpipes – and even declared himself “King of Scotland” in 1976.

Some years later, those predilections even spawned an Oscar-winning film, The Last King Of Scotland, starring Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy.

So what would it mean to Abdul – who goes by the nickname Ringo – to win gold in Glasgow?

“In everything we do, God knows tomorrow,” he told BBC Sport Scotland. “It’s God’s plan. I might be the new King of Scotland. It’s possible.

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“When I arrived, I put up the flag, ’cause I like Scotland so much.”

‘I want my country to recognise me’

Amin was an accomplished fighter himself, holding the Ugandan light-heavyweight title for nine years from 1951. Even that was not without controversy, though.

Having been beaten in one fight during that time, he reportedly decreed a rematch after taking power, and delivered a staged knockout while wearing his a suit and tie.

In a previous interview, Abdul said he was “inspired” by Amin, although it was not entirely clear whether was was talking about his boxing feats or not.

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He refused to answer when asked if he was proud to be the dictator’s grandson, but he did address the question of how he feels when he is linked to someone with such a sinister reputation.

“Sometimes people say positive about him, but others say negative about him,” he explained. “That’s why I don’t want to talk more about him.

“It’s not good to say something negative about someone who is not there, and it’s not good to say something about someone negative who was not there by the time when the incident happened, if it happened.”

As well as those killed under Amin’s rule, many more were imprisoned and tortured.

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Human rights groups and the Ugandan government both expressed disappointment that he never faced trial for his alleged crimes before dying in Saudi Arabia in 2003.

All this happened long before Abdul was born, clearly. His life in Kampala has been an ordinary one but now he has the chance to make a positive contribution to the reputation of Uganda.

He wants the gold chain he wears around his neck to be replaced with a gold medal this week. He believe his “Ringo punch” will be too much for his rivals.

“Our first medal will be won tomorrow. No excuse,” he says. “That’s why I’m here. I have that dream that I’m gonna go back with gold medal. That’s the reason I’m here in Glasgow right now.

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“I want to do something for my country. I think the day is tomorrow for them to recognise me and for the world to recognise me. I want to be known as the Ringo the boxer.”