Much remains to be determined at Vikings training camp. Later on today, the team will continue getting to work on the field, leading to more opportunity for players to assert themselves.

So far, there have been some players to catch the eye of onlookers. Doing so shouldn’t be understood as reason to overreact. Nobody in the list below is assured of much beyond just some initial enthusiasm. Nevertheless, consider some of the players who have done well at TCO Performance Center.

Vikings Training Camp
3 Risers from Some of the First Practices at TCO

Player No. 1 — Tight End Gavin Bartholomew

A lot of people have taken notice. Among them are Alec Lewis, Will Ragatz, and Lindsey Young.

As a rookie in 2025, Gavin Bartholomew didn’t play a single snap. The reason was due to a back injury that ended his rookie season before it could really get going. Prior to needing time in the infirmary, Kevin O’Connell had been saying some enthusiastic things about the newcomer. Needing time to get back to full health feels cruel, particularly for somebody who was so new to the NFL.

Ideally, Bartholomew can mirror Johnny Mundt. Be an underrated pass catcher who is a high-compete blocker. Better yet, be a monster for special teams coordinator Matt Daniels. The TE3 job is there for the taking.

Player No. 2 — Corner Chuck Demmings

Seemingly everybody is impressed by what Chuck Demmings is doing during training camp.

Look at what Thor Nystrom had to say: “Chuck Demmings is gonna force his way onto the field at some point this fall. Extremely aggressive/energetic presence on D — your eyes gravitate to him. Had a slick breakup today, and got under Jennings’ skin late on a short checkdown that Demmings screamed down on.”

Demmings comes in at 6’1″ and weighs 195 pounds. He ran a 4.4 forty. Putting that in baseball terms would mean describing a pitcher with a 98 MPH fastball and a nasty curveball. He was available in the 5th Round due to playing in a modest college program.

Keep an eye on the outgoing player who has been offering sticky coverage.

Player No. 3 — Linebacker Jake Golday

Consider former Vikings GM Jeff Diamond among those who think that Mr. Golday has been better than just okay.

“He’s a future starter on the Vikings defense, whether as an edge player or an inside linebacker,” Diamond writes. “Golday is athletic, versatile and looks smooth wherever he lines up. The second-round pick should be the third edge rusher as a rookie, providing relief for Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner and perhaps lining up with them as pass rushers at times. He appears destined to be a Van Ginkel clone who can rush the passer, stop the run and drop effectively into coverage.”

Earlier in the summer, the snaps that I saw of Golday made him look long and fast. He’s an active, involved player who appears to be an early chess piece for the front seven. Much to be enthused about with the young defender.

The final word goes to Diamond: “The Vikings personnel people and coaches obviously thought highly of him as they passed up quality centers and safeties to take Golday as a higher rated player on their draft board. It won’t surprise me if he winds up as the best player in this Vikings draft class.”

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

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Honduran club signs TikTok star as goalkeeper in one of football’s strangest transfers/ Image: Instagram

CD Choloma have produced one of the most unusual signings of the summer after unveiling Honduran TikTok creator Saúl “La More” Fox as the club’s new goalkeeper for the 2026 Apertura season. Although the 30-year-old has built a large following on social media rather than in professional football, the top-flight side believe his arrival can bring fresh attention to the club both on and off the pitch.

Social media star joins Honduras’ top division

The announcement quickly attracted widespread attention after CD Choloma confirmed Fox’s signing despite him never having made a professional appearance.According to Honduran media, Fox has already completed his first training session with the club under Argentine head coach Héctor Vargas, who will oversee his integration into the squad ahead of the new season.While many fans initially viewed the move as a publicity stunt, reports in Honduras suggest Fox is not entirely new to football.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.Before becoming one of the country’s best-known TikTok personalities, the Sambo Creek native trained as a goalkeeper in D.C. United’s academy in the United States. He later became widely recognised through his appearances for the Honduras TikTokers exhibition team, a group of social media creators that regularly plays promotional matches.

Marketing move divides opinion

The signing has generated mixed reactions among supporters.According to local reports, Choloma hope Fox’s popularity across social media platforms will help the club attract new sponsors, increase its visibility and reach a younger audience.Others, however, have questioned whether a player without senior professional experience will eventually feature in an official first-team fixture or whether the move is primarily intended as a commercial initiative.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.Regardless of the differing opinions, the announcement has quickly spread well beyond Honduras, making Fox one of the most talked-about signings in the country’s recent football history.

Opportunity to make an unlikely professional debut

CD Choloma compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, meaning Fox could potentially make his professional debut against some of the country’s biggest clubs, including Olimpia and Motagua, if selected.The club represents Choloma, Honduras’ third-largest city with a population of nearly 300,000, and will compete in the 2026 Apertura campaign after confirming Fox as part of their goalkeeping group.Whether he eventually plays in an official league match remains to be seen, but his arrival has already achieved one objective by placing CD Choloma firmly in the global football conversation before a ball has even been kicked.

Ireland finished as runners-up in the 100th edition of the Nations Cup of Ireland for the award of the Aga Khan Perpetual Trophy at the RDS on Friday evening as the USA took victory.

Drawn first to jump of the eight teams competing in the opening round, Ireland came into today’s class as third favourites as per Equiratings.com – behind the number 1-ranked team, USA, and Germany.

Both Ireland and the USA produced three clears in the first round, with Cian O’Connor, making his 20th Aga Khan appearance, opting not to jump in the first round over the course designed by Tipperary man Alan Wade, the designer chosen for the course for the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 – the first Irishman to achieve the honour.

Three First Round Clears for Ireland

Thirty-one-year-old Daniel Coyle with Farrel gave Ireland the perfect start with a clear round. His brother, Jordan, riding Chaccolino matched him, before the third-line rider, Shane Sweetnam, aboard Coriaan Van Klapschuet Z also went clear. With three clears in the opening round it was decided that Cian O’Connor and Kentucky TN would not jump.

The USA team, which started the competition as favourites, also ended the first round on a score of zero. Interestingly, their anchor leg, Laura Kraut and Baloutinue decided, unlike the Irish anchor rider Cian O’Connor, to compete in the first round. The US combination had four faults, but with one score being discarded, they still ended round one with a clean sheet.

Britain, who have previously won the Aga Khan Trophy a record 27 times were third after the first round, having collected one time fault each from Robert and John Whitaker.

The Swiss had four faults, Germany and Belgium eight, last year’s winners, The Netherlands, were on a score of 10, while France brought up the rear with 17 faults.

Aga Khan Goes Down To The Wire

In the second round, Ireland jumped last of the eight teams, with the USA second-last to take on the 1.60m course.

Double clears came from the Derry brothers, Daniel and Jordan Coyle, aboard Farrel and Chaccolino respectively. Shane Sweetnam and Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z had one fence down for four faults, while Ireland’s anchor combination, Cian O’Connor and Kentucky TN, also knocked a pole in the final line of jumps, much to the disappointment of the excited and expectant home crowd in a packed Laya Arena.

Karl Cook and Paris Sellon also delivered double clears for the USA, before Natalie Dean and Mr Bombastic had four faults. Laura Kraut and Baloutinue, who had knocked part A of fence 10 in the opening round, made no mistake this time and delivered a clear to heap the pressure on Cian O’Connor the final rider to enter the arena.

Riding a fresh horse in Kentucky TN, who hadn’t jumped in the first round, the Irish combination knocked 10b leaving the USA as winners of the 100th anniversary edition of the Nations Cup of Ireland. The Number 1-ranked show jumping team won the Aga Khan Perpetual Trophy for a ninth time, their first success in the class since 2024.

Final Result

The final result saw Robert Ridland’s side finish on zero, ahead of Ireland on 4 faults. Switzerland took the third spot on the podium with a faster 8 faults than the Germans who were fourth.

Britain was fifth on 10 faults, Belgium on 12, The Netherlands finished with 19 faults, with the French, who certainly had an off day, last on a total of 37 faults.

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Conor McGregor is on the road to recovery after his return to the Octagon barely lasted one minute.

After five years without a fight, McGregor opened his July 11 fight against Max Holloway aggressively, attempting a running kick before throwing a head kick moments later. However, he slipped both times because it was apparent he had suffered a knee injury.

He tried to power through it, but nearly two minutes into the fight, he grabbed at his right leg again, and referee Mike Beltran called the fight after just 69 seconds following what ultimately was a torn ACL.

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Conor McGregor of Ireland reacts after an injury stoppage in a welterweight fight during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on July 11, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

McGregor, though, posted a video to social media saying that his surgery was a “success.”

“What’s up, folks? The Mac is back, baby. My knee is repaired, surgery was a success, and I’m on the road to recovery. That should tell you all you need to know about my mindset. Straight into surgery, knee repaired, and on the road. Let’s go,” he said in the video.

McGregor then name-dropped former fighters Dominick Cruz and Georges St. Pierre, as well as Tom Brady and Adrian Peterson, other athletes who have returned from ACL tears, as his “motivation…especially the fighting boys.”

“My mindset is unstoppable, unbreakable. Thank you God. Thank you so much God.”

McGregor vowed shortly after the injury that he would be back.

Conor McGregor and Max Holloway meet in the octagon for a second time at UFC 329 Saturday, July 11, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

WHY CONOR MCGREGOR CALLS HIS EXACT KNEE INJURY ‘QUITE SHOCKING’ AFTER FINDING OUT RESULTS

“We’ll be back… In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. We’ll be back. Let’s go.”

McGregor made an emotional post the day after the fight, saying his “head gasket is gone.”

“Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell,” he said on X.

Conor McGregor reacts after losing to Max Holloway in a welterweight fight at UFC 329 on Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Las Vegas. (John Locher/AP)

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McGregor was participating in his first bout since July 2021 when he lost to Dustin Poirier due to a devastating leg injury. He’s only won one fight since 2020.

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Trainer Toby Edmonds is confident that the best of Fire Bomber is yet to emerge, but insists the gelding is capable of winning again at Ipswich this Friday.

The gelding, Fire Bomber, will compete in his eighth race, the $28,000 TAB QTIS 3&4yo Benchmark 68 Handicap over 1350 metres. He is seeking his third career win and two placings, and will carry 60 kilograms, a weight that does not concern his trainer.

“I think he can overcome it,” Edmonds stated. “He’s a big, strong Better Than Ready gelding so I don’t think he’ll have much trouble with the weight. He’s going very well and his runs have been terrific.”

Fire Bomber comes back to Ipswich, the scene of both his previous victories, after being beaten by less than a length combined in his last two starts at Doomben.

“Back a tad in grade is good but the QTIS money is what we are chasing,” Edmonds added. “He’s a progressive horse and should get through his grades pretty quickly, maybe next prep.”

Edmonds has a strong record at Ipswich, with a winning strike-rate of nearly 21% and a place-rate of 52.8% from close to 290 runners in his training career before partnering with his son Trent.

In other stable news, Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap winner Spicy Martini has returned to Edmonds’ Gold Coast stable. She had her first fast gallop on Saturday morning as she targets a potential slot in the Group 1 The Everest in October. Spicy Martini’s race comeback is planned for the Group 2 Concorde Stakes at Randwick on September 5.

Given Fire Bomber’s successful history at Ipswich, checking the online bookmakers for the latest odds is recommended.

Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith has a similar mindset to many NFL fans when it comes to embattled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk: Smith has “no damn idea” what’s going on.

Aiyuk’s issue with the 49ers dates back to 2024, when they voided his 2026 guaranteed salary after he failed to fulfill obligations regarding his rehab from the ACL injury he suffered in October 2024. He has further estranged himself from the team with bizarre social media posts over the past year.

“It’s a lot of things, but man, I have no damn idea what’s going on in that young man’s head,” Smith said during an appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich.”

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk celebrates after a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 16, 2022. (Brett Davis/USA Today Sports)

“It’s really unique. I was thinking about this too a few times. I just wanted to tweet something, and I was like, ‘No, I will be like everyone else putting him down.’”

The five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver said there is clearly something going on with Aiyuk, and somebody needs to step in and help the 28-year-old.

“There’s clearly something going on, and I don’t want to say in his head because that could come off very judgmental, but there’s obviously something going on in his heart that’s not aligning with what his picture is seeing of how his career is starting to go,” Smith said.

“He needs to have someone in his camp … to sit him down and ask him what is his real goal and outcome (is), because everything he’s doing right now, he is self-sabotaging himself. Because he’s a hell of a football player.”

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk walks off the field after a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field Oct. 10, 2024, in Seattle. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

In Aiyuk’s time away from the team, he has been charged by prosecutors with a California misdemeanor offense of exhibition of speed after he filmed himself speeding on a public roadway near 49ers headquarters.

He has posted Instagram stories about playing for the Washington Commanders, and then got into a social media spat with former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels, effectively putting that possibility to rest.

Aiyuk then seemed to take shots at head coach Kyle Shanahan after his car accident on social media. When asked if Aiyuk will play again in the NFL, Smith said he didn’t know.

The two-time All-Pro said he hopes Aiyuk does something to help himself before it is too late to play again in the NFL.

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Former player Steve Smith Sr. before an NFC wild-card playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 10, 2026. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

“We all have seen players do a lot better, a lot worse things than this, and they’ve still been employed. So, I don’t know what’s going on. And I just hope that he can figure it out so he doesn’t find himself in a place that he doesn’t want to be, which is unemployed and looking at his career in the rearview mirror and looking at life without football through the front windshield,” said Smith, who spoke on behalf of Forzet.

Aiyuk seemed to be on his way to becoming one of the top wide receivers in the NFL after his 2023 season, when he recorded 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. After drawn-out negotiations, he signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers.

He only played in seven games in 2024 before suffering his season-ending ACL injury and has not yet returned to the field while finding himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

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Sachin Tendulkar has been retired from international cricket for more than a decade, but his appeal in the world of brand endorsements shows little sign of fading.

The former India batter has finished fourth in Kroll’s India Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2025, with an estimated brand value of $125.9 million. More significantly, Tendulkar has remained inside India’s top five celebrity brands for the second consecutive year, underlining the extraordinary commercial longevity of a sporting career that officially ended in 2013.

Tendulkar is the only sportsperson among the top four, with Shah Rukh Khan leading the rankings at $177.9 million, followed by Ranveer Singh at $162.9 million and Virat Kohli at $158.4 million. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, another retired India great, occupies fifth place with a brand value of $115.3 million.

For Tendulkar, however, the numbers tell only part of the story. His position reflects something considerably harder to build, a level of trust that has remained intact long after he stopped walking out to bat for India.

A decade into retirement, Sachin’s brand remains powerful

Tendulkar retired from international cricket in November 2013 after a 24-year career that transformed him from a teenage prodigy into one of India’s most recognisable sporting figures.

Yet his commercial relevance has not followed the conventional trajectory of a retired athlete.

Instead of disappearing from advertising campaigns once his playing career ended, Tendulkar has continued to feature prominently in brand associations. His fourth-place ranking in Kroll’s latest report suggests that advertisers still see considerable value in having his name and image attached to their products.

The distinction is important. Celebrity value can often be heavily dependent on current relevance, a new film, a sporting season, a tournament or a major public event. Tendulkar’s appeal operates differently.

His career may be over, but the emotions associated with it remain remarkably current.

The ‘Sachin’ brand is bigger than cricket

Few Indian athletes have managed to turn their name into an identity that transcends their sport in the same way Tendulkar has.

For generations of Indians, Sachin was not simply a cricketer. He represented aspiration, consistency, humility and excellence. His record-breaking career created an emotional connection with audiences that went far beyond statistics.

That connection has given brands something particularly valuable: association with a personality whose reputation was built over decades rather than manufactured overnight.

Tendulkar’s commercial appeal therefore rests on more than his 100 international centuries, 200 Test appearances or World Cup triumph. It is built around what consumers believe they know about him.

 
Why brands continue to trust Sachin Tendulkar
 

There is a simple reason why Tendulkar remains attractive to advertisers: risk is low and credibility is high.

Brands looking for celebrity ambassadors are not merely buying reach. They are buying the associations that come with the celebrity’s personality.

Tendulkar’s public image has historically been built around discipline, professionalism and relatively little controversy. That gives companies a dependable figure who can fit into campaigns across categories without fundamentally changing the perception of their product.

A celebrity can have enormous popularity and still be a difficult brand proposition if their public image is unpredictable.

Tendulkar has largely avoided that problem.

His appeal is also remarkably broad. He can speak to audiences who watched him during the 1990s, those who followed his peak years in the 2000s and younger consumers who know him primarily through his legacy, social media presence and association with Indian cricket.

That cross-generational recognition is an asset that few personalities possess.

Trust is the real currency behind his brand value

There is another factor that helps explain Tendulkar’s staying power: consistency.

A successful athlete can spend years building credibility and lose it quickly through a controversial endorsement or public controversy. Tendulkar’s brand, by contrast, has benefited from an image that has remained relatively stable across different stages of his life.

That stability allows brands to borrow from his reputation.

When a company associates itself with Tendulkar, the message is not necessarily just about cricket. It can also be about reliability, achievement, hard work and longevity.

In that sense, Tendulkar’s greatest commercial asset may not be his fame but his trustworthiness.

From cricketing icon to long-term brand ambassador

Tendulkar’s story also highlights how an athlete’s commercial life does not necessarily have to end with retirement.

The traditional sports endorsement cycle often follows an athlete’s competitive career: peak performance brings peak visibility, followed by a gradual decline once the athlete retires.

Tendulkar has effectively challenged that model.

His playing career created the foundation of the brand, but his post-retirement identity has allowed companies to continue using that foundation. He has remained connected with cricket while also expanding his public persona beyond the boundary.

That has made his name less dependent on whether he is currently scoring runs.

The numbers underline the longevity

Kroll’s 2025 rankings provide a useful snapshot of just how unusual Tendulkar’s position is.

His $125.9 million valuation puts him fourth among India’s celebrity brands, ahead of Dhoni, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh Bachchan and several other major Bollywood names.

He also climbed from fifth in 2024 to fourth in 2025.

The broader list shows that India’s celebrity-brand economy remains dominated by entertainment and sport. Virat Kohli is third with a $158.4 million valuation, while Dhoni’s $115.3 million puts him fifth.

But Tendulkar’s presence carries an additional layer of significance because his active sporting career ended years ago.

A legacy that keeps creating commercial value

The most striking aspect of Tendulkar’s ranking is therefore not that he remains famous. It is that his fame continues to have measurable commercial value more than 12 years after his retirement.

That suggests his brand has moved beyond being dependent on sporting performance.

Tendulkar no longer needs a century, a World Cup or a major cricketing milestone to remain relevant. His career itself has become the asset.

For brands, that offers something rare: a celebrity whose credibility was accumulated over decades and whose public image continues to resonate across generations.

And perhaps that is the clearest explanation for why Sachin Tendulkar continues to sit among India’s five most valuable celebrity brands. The runs stopped in 2013. The Sachin Tendulkar brand never did.