New Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley addresses reporters while outlining his vision for the franchise and emphasizing cooperation throughout the organization. On June 3, 2026, in Eagan, Minnesota, Teasley discussed alignment between ownership, coaches, and football operations as he began shaping the club’s direction during a pivotal offseason for the Vikings. Mandatory Credit: YouTube
It’s official — more than official. The Minnesota Vikings formally hired Nolan Teasley on Monday to replace Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who was fired four months ago, and on Tuesday, the franchise trotted him in front of Twin Cities media.
Teasley gave an introductory speech and answered questions. Here’s what we learned from the event, as training camp looms about eight weeks away.
Teasley Steps into a Win-Now Vikings Operation
Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley discusses the club’s scouting process during a behind-the-scenes feature focused on NFL Draft preparation. In footage released following the NFL Combine, Teasley detailed how evaluators compare prospects, build consensus grades, and assemble Seattle’s draft board while preparing for one of the most important events on the football calendar. Mandatory Credit: YouTube
1. Teasley Is Ready to Win Now; There Is No Rebuild
One reporter asked about the state of the roster, whether it was time to contemplate a rebuild or win now. Teasley, without hesitation, affirmed the goal is to win a Super Bowl in 2026, not operate under the guise of a rebuild.
“We’re going to build the deepest, most competitive roster possible so that we can be at our best in December and January and February, and ultimately working toward winning the Super Bowl that this fan base deserves,” he added.
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Most fans assumed a rebuild was not afoot — the Vikings never tear it down to the studs and start over — and 2026 is no different. With Kyler Murray and Justin Jefferson on the roster, it’s go-time for Minnesota to win its first Super Bowl in 65 years of existence.
Teasley is not in town to start over.
2. Has Final Say of 53-Man Roster
While Minnesota has a unique power dynamic among Kevin O’Connell, Rob Brzezinski, and Teasley, the buck stops with Teasley.
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Pressed by SKOR North‘s Judd Zulgad to clearly define the leadership hierarchy, Wilf said, “He’s the general manager of the organization. He has final say on the roster, of the 53-man roster, but in the end, he’s going to lean heavily — and he’ll say it himself — on our head coach, obviously, and people like Rob Brzezinski in the building that have deep experience and skillsets that are complementary.”
“So I think we have it all put together in a great way. And I’m confident that this is a great move for the organization, a great move for the Minnesota Vikings.”
Many believe the Vikings’ structure will be more custom than most, with O’Connell and Brzezinski having considerable input on the roster.
“Nolan, the General Manager, reports to ownership as well as the head coach,” Wilf stated.
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You can wonder about a “triangle of power” until you’re blue in the face, but Teasley is the organization’s point guard.
3. Everyone Loves Kevin O’Connell
Throughout the 20-30 minute conversation, O’Connell’s name came up about a half-dozen times. Wilf and Teasley separately gushed about him, claiming he was the right man for the job.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell observes drills during mandatory minicamp at TCO Performance Center. On June 8, 2022, in Eagan, Minnesota, O’Connell continued overseeing offseason preparations as players worked through practice sessions designed to install schemes, evaluate roster depth, and build momentum ahead of training camp. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Wilf even acknowledged that O’Connell was a part of the process in hiring Teasley: “We appreciate Kevin being part of the process in selecting a general manager. We haven’t had that type of iteration here, and I think that was a big part of it, their dialogue and communication.”
Teasley also said he checked with his former Seahawks coworkers who now work in Minnesota, and every one of them spoke glowingly of O’Connell, making Teasley’s decision to accept the job a no-brainer.
4. Wilfs’ Reiteration of Shared Leadership
Wilf, while introducing Teasley and answering questions, repeatedly name-dropped O’Connell and, when pressed about the leadership structure, replied, “Rob is part of the football operations, a football organization that’s under Nolan. So again, in the end, that’s the structure. That’s the way it is. If it comes to structure, we’ve got a problem, OK?”
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“The end result is making sure leaders collaborate, work together, and kudos to Rob and the effort he led this past few months. Right now, we have Nolan, and I think that’s an incredible piece to our puzzle. Like I said, Nolan’s leading our football operations at GM reports ownership, and obviously Coach O’Connell reports to ownership as well.”
Teasley won’t work alone.
5. Don’t Expect to Learn Much from Teasley’s Words
On Adofo-Mensah’s watch, the former boss was actually quite revealing at times, telling reporters and fans his plan for the team. Some might argue he could be too forthcoming at times.
Minnesota Vikings owner Mark Wilf attends the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. On March 30, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona, Wilf joined fellow league executives, owners, and team representatives for discussions covering league business, competitive matters, and long-term initiatives shaping the future of the NFL. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Teasley is not like that. Reporters asked him deep questions requiring elaborate responses, and in most cases, Teasley answered in two sentences with canned lingo one might use while running for the United States Senate.
Unless he suddenly changes his personality, Teasley won’t divulge much to reporters; his actions will do the talking. He’s not a “here’s what I will do” kind of guy.
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Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Russell Wilson has announced his retirement from the NFL after 14 seasons, a career highlighted by a Super Bowl victory with the Seattle Seahawks.
Wilson, a 10-time Pro Bowler and the 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, announced his retirement in a video posted to social media.
A third-round pick by the Seahawks in the 2012 NFL Draft, Wilson became one of the league’s most recognizable quarterbacks, tallying 46,966 passing yards and 353 total touchdowns during a career that also included stints with the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants.
Russell Wilson of the New York Giants walks off the field following the game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Jan. 4, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.(Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
This announcement from Wilson comes after he reportedly finalized a deal to become a CBS Sports NFL analyst. When news broke of his sports media deal, it was unclear if he wished to call it quits for his playing career, or simply take a season off to think about it. But Wilson posted a lengthy video on his social media, where he reflected on his time with the game and confirmed that he would be joining CBS Sports.
“I remember the moment I fell in love with football. Waking up before sunrise with my dad and brother. Deep post routes and ‘moon balls.’ Yeah, that’s where it all began. But somewhere along the way, my love for football turned into more than just passion. It was an obsession,” Wilson narrated as clips from his childhood to college, to the NFL Scouting Combine, to his career highlights.
Wilson found quick success in the NFL after a college career that began at NC State, but flourished at Wisconsin. He went 11-5 in his first NFL season, as the Seahawks quickly became a feared squad in the NFC.
Accompanied by the “Legion of Boom” defense in Seattle, Wilson and the Seahawks walked into MetLife Stadium for Super Bowl XLVIII and put on a rout of the Denver Broncos, 43-8, to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy. It was just the second season for Wilson, who cemented himself as the future at quarterback for Seattle under head coach Pete Carroll, who he shouted out in his video.
“To Coach Carroll, thanks for taking a chance on the young, 5’11″ black kid from Richmond, Virginia who was told he was too small to ever make it in the NFL. We knew what winning was like,” Wilson said.
Wilson wasn’t able to win the trophy again, ultimately falling to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIV in heartbreaking fashion. Instead of running with Marshawn Lynch on the goal line, the Seahawks infamously chose to pass, and Wilson was picked off by Malcolm Butler to seal victory for yet another Tom Brady ring.
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson passes during warm-ups before an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Seattle.(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
In 10 seasons with Seattle, Wilson had 37,059 passing yards with 292 touchdowns and a 104-53-1 overall record. Wilson told Seattle fans, “You raised me,” in his video.
It wasn’t as sweet for Wilson once he was traded to the Broncos before the start of the 2022 season, as he started to face some serious adversity and public rifts with head coach Sean Payton. Wilson went 4-11 in his inaugural season with Denver, and after going 7-8 in 2023, the team moved on despite his massive contract looming.
As a result, Wilson took a veteran minimum deal to join Mike Tomlin and the Steelers during the 2024 campaign. He went 6-5 in his starts, earning his 10th and final Pro Bowl bid. The Steelers made the playoffs, but didn’t make it out of the Wild Card Round.
Finally, the Giants signed Wilson before the start of the 2025 season, though they drafted Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss to be his successor. That quickly changed after just three starts for Wilson, as Dart took over in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Wilson never regained the starting role, though he was as classy as ever, talking about his mentorship of Dart.
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Throughout the years, Wilson enjoyed working with every coach, teammate and the fans of each franchise across his football journey.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson waves to fans after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Jan. 4, 2026.(Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
“To every teammate I’ve had the privilege of sharing the locker room with, thank you for the sacrifices, the brotherhood, the memories. None of this is possible without you,” he said.
“To every fan who supported, through the highs and the lows, your belief, your energy and your passion meant more than you’ll ever know.”
AC Milan rival Premier League sides for West Ham‘s Crysencio Summerville, Real Madrid to sign Inter’s Denzel Dumfries and Newcastle target Nigerian teenager Zadok Yohanna.
AC Milan have emerged as serious contenders to signCrysencio Summerville, 24, from West Ham, with the Dutch winger also attracting interest from Tottenham and Aston Villa. (Teamtalk), external
Real Madrid are expected to trigger the £17.3m release clause to sign Inter Milan and Netherlands right-back Denzel Dumfries, 30. (Sky Sports), external
Kieran McKenna and Thomas Frank are the leading contenders to replace outgoing Fulhamboss Marco Silva, who is set to replace Jose Mourinho at Benfica. (Talksport), external
Manchester Unitedhave shelved contract talks with Bruno Fernandes, 31, after being assured the Portugal midfielder and club captain wants to stay at Old Trafford for the long term. (Mirror), external
Atletico Madrid could use the big-money sale of Argentina striker Julian Alvarez, 26, to fund the purchase of Marseille and England forward Mason Greenwood, 24. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
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Roma are also interested in Greenwood, with his former club Manchester United set to benefit from a sell-on clause in the deal that took him to France. (Teamtalk), external
Evertonare chasing Arsenal‘s Brazilforward Gabriel Jesus, 29, but want the Premier League champions to reduce their £20m asking price. (Football Insider, external)
MEXICO, Pampanga—Jakob Taruc and Kendra Garingalao completed dominant victories on Wednesday, overcoming rain delays and shifting conditions to capture the premier division titles at the ICTSI Beverly Place Junior PGT Championship.
Taruc capped a wire-to-wire performance with a closing 75 for a 54-hole total of 224, winning by 18 strokes over Nathan Belandres at Beverly Place Golf Club.
Garingalao, meanwhile, stretched a three-shot overnight lead into an eight-shot victory despite a birdie-less 77. The 15-year-old finished with a 235 aggregate, comfortably ahead of Rafa Anciano and Levonne Talion, who tied for second at 243.
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Play was delayed for an hour by heavy rain before competitors resumed under a lift, clean and place rule. Conditions improved later in the day, although another interruption due to lightning threats halted play for nearly two hours.
Taruc, who began the final round with an 11-shot cushion, opened with a birdie but mixed in three bogeys over the next four holes and a double-bogey on the par-3 15th. The setbacks proved inconsequential as he cruised to his first Junior Philippine Golf Tour victory.
Belandres shot a 76 to secure runner-up honors at 242.
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Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket against Tyler Kolek #13 and Jordan Clarkson #00 of the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter of the championship game of the Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena on December 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP
No player from the Philippines has won an NBA title, but two with Filipino heritage—New York’s Jordan Clarkson and San Antonio’s Dylan Harper—meet in this month’s NBA Finals.
And one of them will be part of a championship squad.
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Clarkson, whose mother has Filipino roots, signed with the Knicks last July for his 12th NBA campaign after stops with the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz. He has also played on the Filipino national basketball squad.
“Definitely inspiring to the Filipino-Americans and Filipinos all around the country. It’s definitely going to be fun to watch,” Clarkson said of his matchup with Harper.
“One of us two [is] taking a championship back home to the Philippines and representing that well.”
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Clarkson, who turns 34 on Sunday, has been keeping an eye on 20-year-old rookie Harper, the second overall selection in last year’s NBA Draft.
“He has been really good throughout the whole year. I’ve been watching him, keeping up with him, as well, him being so young and having so much poise throughout this whole playoffs,” Clarkson said.
“It’s a great sight to see a young star coming in this league and doing what he’s doing.”
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Harper, whose father is five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and whose mother, Maria, is from the Philippines, appreciated the special rivalry with Clarkson.
‘The biggest thing’
“Me and him get to do something really special, representing our country, where we’re from, represent everything on the biggest stage in basketball,” Harper said.
“I feel like over there in the Philippines, basketball is probably the biggest thing.
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“I think we’re very excited for that and we’re just very blessed and grateful to be in this position.”
Maria Harper is a high school boys assistant coach in New Jersey who coached Dylan and his brother Ron Jr., who now plays for the Boston Celtics.
“My mom, she’s not my coach no more, so I don’t get it as much anymore,” Harper said of motherly basketball advice. “But regular mom stuff with a little mix of basketball here and there.
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“At the end of the day it’s more of, as long as you’re happy, I’m good.”
Berrettini’s only previous retirement from a Grand Slam match was at the 2023 US Open.
He also made an early exit from the 2021 ATP Tour Finals because of an abdominal injury, while last season he had to pull out midway through matches in Madrid and Rome in the run-up to the French Open.
But the former world number six, who had missed the previous four French Opens because of injury problems, is determined to take the positives from reaching a seventh Grand Slam quarter-final in his first outing at Roland Garros since 2021.
Now ranked 105th, he added: “I have to take the good stuff that I did in this tournament, because a few weeks ago or a few days ago, it would have been crazy to think about me in the quarter-finals, and so I’ll try to go back home with a smile on my face.
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“It’s going to be tough but that’s how I like to approach these two weeks, and of course I’m disappointed, I’m sad, but I’m also proud of the way I fought through this tournament.”
Speaking on court after his win, Arnaldi said: “You never wish for someone to end the tournament like this.
“He did an amazing tournament. I am sorry for him and I hope he recovers because soon it is the grass and he is going to be very tough to play.”
Arnaldi, ranked 104th in the world, is the lowest-ranked male player to reach a French Open singles semi-final since Filip Dewulf did so in 1997 when ranked 122nd.
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He will play another Italian, 10th seed Flavio Cobolli, on Friday for a place in Sunday’s final.
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson celebrates with wide receiver Justin Jefferson after a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium. During the Sept. 21, 2025, contest in Minneapolis, the Vikings leaned on two of their premier offensive playmakers as the passing attack continued producing points in an early-season matchup. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings don’t start training camp until the end of July, and until then, NFL-focused media outlets are making bold predictions about the purple team and its peers.
SI.com‘s Conor Orr publishes such prognostications every summer, and this go-around for Minnesota, he picked Carson Wentz to start more games than J.J. McCarthy and Minnesota to exceed its Vegas win total of 8.5.
McCarthy Pressure Builds around Minnesota’s Summer Plan
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz (11) speaks during a media session at Sport Ireland Campus ahead of Minnesota’s international showcase. On Sept. 26, 2025, in Dublin, Ireland, Wentz addressed reporters as the Vikings continued preparations for their overseas appearance, drawing attention as one of the club’s veteran quarterbacks during a busy week abroad. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Orr’s Two Predictions
Orr began at quarterback, writing, “J.J. McCarthy will start fewer games than Carson Wentz. All three Vikings quarterbacks — Wentz, McCarthy and Kyler Murray — will play at some point this season. Murray will get the lion’s share of snaps while Wentz steps in during a critical two-game late-season stretch to keep Minnesota’s playoff hopes alive.”
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And for the win forecast, he opined, “The Vikings will surpass their current projected Vegas win total. Topping 8.5 wins feels manageable for a team that finished last year with nine wins despite a markedly worse quarterback situation. In fact, I’m bold enough to say that this team will have four wins by its Week 6 bye.”
It’s a pair of bittersweet, perhaps contrasting, theories.
An Awful Look for McCarthy
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If McCarthy plays fewer games than Wentz, something will have gone really, really wrong. Foremost, it could be that the Vikings elevated Wentz to the QB2 job, which would be an utterly terrible look for McCarthy’s career trajectory — if he can’t win a backup quarterback job over a guy who’s a few years from retirement.
Or — the prediction could insinuate that McCarthy gets hurt again after suffering a torn meniscus, high ankle sprain, concussion, and broken hand through two NFL seasons. McCarthy has missed 73% of Vikings games due to injury.
Even if Murray establishes himself as Minnesota’s QB1 in 2026, McCarthy’s endgame cannot be Wentz playing more snaps. It would put McCarthy on borrowed time in Minnesota.
Nine Wins or More Checks Out
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On the other hand, Orr’s second bold prediction is a little ironic and bittersweet. He expects the Vikings to win nine games or more — they finished 9-8 last year despite showcasing the NFL’s fifth-worst quarterback production per EPA/Play — while oddsmakers believe Minnesota will finish 8-9 or 9-8.
Having Wentz play more games than McCarthy but the Vikings still finishing with a winning record would either be a re-run of 2025 or feature a Minnesota club that is playoff-bound. Fans would prefer the latter.
Also, the Vikings boast one of the NFL’s top defenses, led by Brian Flores, who has marshaled a Top 3 defense since he arrived in Minneapolis three years ago. The working theory suggests that if that trend continues while Murray, McCarthy, or Wentz deliver average-or-better quarterback efficiency, the sky is the limit.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray answers questions from reporters following OTA practice at the TCO Performance Center. On May 27, 2026, in Eagan, Minnesota, Murray discussed his transition to Minnesota, collaboration with J.J. McCarthy, and developing chemistry with wide receiver Jauan Jennings as offseason workouts continued. Mandatory Credit: YouTube
Orr basically thinks the Vikings will be good, and very little McCarthy will be needed.
Essentially Sports‘ Luke Hubbard predicted the Vikings to finish with a 7-10 record last week and opined, “I don’t not like the Minnesota Vikings’ roster, but I don’t love it either. It all starts at quarterback. As fun as Kyler Murray could be, there’s a reason Arizona let him go.”
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“He’s dealt with a ton of injuries, and when he’s been on the field, he hasn’t been all that great. And we all know J.J. McCarthy isn’t the answer. If they had a quarterback, they would feel like a bubble team, but without above-average quarterback play, they’ll miss the playoffs by quite a few games.”
Other Bold Stuff from Orr
Orr, sadly, also picked the Detroit Lions to win the NFC North. He explained, “One of the most underrated aspects of a team’s schedule, in my opinion, is the runway with which to build momentum. That momentum overpowers the basic fact that many of those wins were against opponents that the team should have beaten. Those wins create a false confidence those teams carry with them into more neutral matchups or matchups in which a team should be considered an underdog.”
“I love the beginning of the Lions’ slate, even if Detroit has all of its road divisional games over the final weeks of the season. My thought: If the Lions can bank four wins from their opening stretch against the Saints, Bills, Jets, Panthers and Cardinals, they will be in a much better position to lose ground later in the season in Green Bay or Chicago.”
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) embraces Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) following a hard-fought NFC North matchup at Ford Field. On Nov. 2, 2025, in Detroit, Michigan, McCarthy celebrated the Vikings’ 27-24 victory after a competitive divisional contest that carried significant implications in the conference standings. Mandatory Credit: Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Sportsbooks agree, with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears fighting for second place in the division, but the Vikings stuck in last.
Vikings training camp, the next major step in the summer, is about eight weeks away.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Davido is set to perform at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert in Los Angeles on June 10.
The Nigerian singer will take the stage at Crypto.com Arena as part of a special event connecting the three host nations of the 2026 FIFA World Cup: the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The concert will also feature performances from Major Lazer in Los Angeles, Bryan Adams in Toronto, and Los Ángeles Azules in Mexico City.
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According to FIFA, the event will be broadcast simultaneously across the three cities and streamed live on TikTok beginning at 6 p.m. PT.
The appearance marks another World Cup-related event for Davido after his involvement in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In 13 career appearances at Big Jack’s Memorial Tournament, Rory McIlroy has five top-10 finishes and another four top-20s. It’s a record, on one of the game’s splashiest stages, that most players would embrace, but McIlroy is, of course, not most players. He’s a 30-time PGA Tour winner with six major titles and the career Grand Slam. He has arrived at a place where he’s not looking to win just any tournaments but the right kind of tournaments. Majors. National opens. Events hosted by or affiliated with legends.
“I would say here and Tiger’s event at Riviera, they’re the two that I would love to win,” McIlroy said Wednesday.
Tiger’s event is the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles, where McIlroy has gone winless in 10 attempts. “Here” is this week’s event, the Memorial, at Muirfield Village in Ohio, where McIlroy is 0-for-13. “I always thought it would be cool to win here and take that little walk up the hill off the 18th green and shake Jack’s hand,” McIlroy said.
McIlroy and Nicklaus go back nearly two decades: mentee and mentor, fellow GOATs and South Floridians, occasional lunchmates at the Bear’s Club. During one of those bread-breakings a couple of years back, McIlroy gave Nicklaus a shot-by-shot description of how he planned to attack Augusta National at that year’s Masters. “I wouldn’t change a thing,” Nicklaus told him. “I think it’s exactly the way you should play it.” Before this year’s Masters, Nicklaus spotted McIlroy during a range session and offered him more counsel. “I put my hands on his shoulders,” Nicklaus said, “and I said to him, ‘No effing double bogeys.’”
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McIlroy did card a couple of doubles, but Nicklaus’s message still was received: Don’t be a dummy out there. Heeding that strategy led McIlroy to his second straight green jacket.
Which brings us back to Muirfield Village. What wisdom has Nicklaus imparted to McIlroy about how to manage Nicklaus’s masterwork?
“He hasn’t asked me,” Nicklaus said Tuesday.
Reporters did, though — specifically, whether Nicklaus had any theories about why McIlroy had not yet triumphed at Muirfield. Nicklaus provided a thoughtful answer.
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“I think that this golf course is a golf course that really requires patience,” he said. “I didn’t design it for big hitters, didn’t design it for short hitters, didn’t design it for the middle. I tried to design it so we could take care of everybody and try to give a fair shake to every kind of player. And when you get that, you can’t just stand up and just whack away at it on every hole.”
That grip-it-and-rip-it approach is how a younger Nicklaus used to try and slay his own design (unsuccessfully), and it’s not hard to imagine a younger, bolder McIlroy coming into MVGC with the same mentality. In time, though, McIlroy, like Nicklaus, has learned that driver — at least with the distance he smashes his tee shots — is no good at Muirfield. That’s because the fairways pinch his landing zones.
“It’s frustrated me in a way that I feel like my biggest weapon is in some way neutralized here,” McIlroy said. “And then I have to play the golf course like most of the other guys in the field.”
That is, strategically — identifying the best leaves for the most optimal angles into the greens and then controlling the flight and spin of those approaches.
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The greens are no pushover, either, Nicklaus said, particularly for players who like to zip back their irons (see: most modern Tour pros). “Take 3, 6, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, and 18,” Nicklaus said. “If you spin the ball off of those greens, what happens? Not a good result.”
The alternative? Vary your trajectories, Nicklaus said. That’s what he learned to do, both at Muirfield and another ballpark with which he became synonymous, Augusta National. ”I think Augusta’s a trajectory golf course also,” Nicklaus said.
McIlroy is a traj maestro. Really, he can do just about anything he wants with a golf ball. At Muirfield, it’s just a matter of committing to the shots that the course demands. If McIlroy can follow that formula, a warm handshake from his Bear’s Club pal might be in his very near future.
“I would love to see Rory play well here,” Nicklaus said.
Having revealed several superstitions in his on-court interview – thanking the crowd in French, maintaining the same racquet tension no matter the conditions and keeping the same post-match routine – Cobolli was asked about them in his press conference.
“I’m a little bit [superstitious] but not crazy – this week I’m a little bit more crazy than the others,” he said. “I just go to the same restaurant, the same menu, the same shower.”
Cobolli then recalled a moment at a previous French Open when he was using the shower and Nadal knocked on the door asking him to hurry up because he was waiting to use that particular cubicle.
“He told me that it was his shower since 14 years,” continued Cobolli. “So I think the best thing that I’m doing is the shower.”
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Cobolli recovered from losing the first set to beat Auger-Aliassime 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 and he will make his top-10 debut on Monday if Jakub Mensik, who faces Alexander Zverev in the other semi-final, fails to win the title in Paris.
Arnaldi’s win in Wednesday’s night session means an Italian finalist is guaranteed, even after the shock second-round exit of overwhelming favourite Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti being ruled out of the tournament because of injury.
Game 1 heroes Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos during Game 1 of the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals between Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings and TNT Tropang 5G. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Many see a different RJ Abarrientos in his return to the PBA Finals—a huge contrast from his two previous trips, when he was a rookie who often kept second-guessing things.
This time, Abarrientos looks more like a confident and secure sophomore who has emerged as arguably the team’s main man and, without doubt, one of the best in his position in the league.
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Abarrientos finished with 24 points and seven rebounds to help the Gin Kings to a 102-100 victory over TNT on Wednesday in Game 1 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
But even he had a mature outlook on his late-game heroics, where he knocked down two huge four-point shots that paved the way for Justin Brownlee’s game-winner.
“Those two four-point shots that I made are not sustainable, so we need to be better,” Abarrientos said, while also admitting that he has a lot of things to tidy up if he and his teammates want to double their series edge in Game 2 on Friday.
On top of those things is his defense.
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“Coach Tim (Cone) got mad at me,” Abarrientos said, noting how TNT erased an 18-point Ginebra lead and even went ahead courtesy of Rey Nambatac, the Finals Most Valuable Player from last season’s Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
“My defense against Nambatac, especially in this Finals, is unacceptable. So I need to be better and I have to embrace that,” Abarrientos said.
Abarrientos hit two four-pointers late—the first gave Ginebra a one-point lead and the second put the Kings ahead, 100-97, with 20 seconds remaining.
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“He hit some huge shots, we were down both times and got the leads on both shots, which were gigantic,” Cone said.
The Tropang 5G again tied the game courtesy of a Roger Pogoy triple but Brownlee secured the win for the Gin Kings, hitting a jumper with six-tenths of a second remaining.
The midseason conference has become Abarrientos’ breakout campaign, one where the team and its faithful legion watched him knocking down big shot after big shot from Ginebra’s opening assignment all the way through the hard-fought semifinal series with Rain or Shine.
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He is the league’s top local scorer at 21.4 points per game, hitting 49-percent of his shots, on top of 3.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals through 19 games of the second conference.
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His rise in the ongoing conference has also made Abarrientos the front-runner for the Best Player of the Conference award, which could only be a mere formality given that other candidates from the early part of the tournament, NLEX’s Robert Bolick and San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo, were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
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