And Keegan Bradley talked about Bud Light and cereal.
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Talk, talk, talk, talk. It can be cheap, as the saying goes — but major championship press conferences are more than sessions full of other commonly spoken phrases. Maybe that’s due to what’s at stake. Maybe that’s because of the questions. But the answers are more than thoughts about the need to keep the ball in the fairway and the desire to make putts. There’s occasional gold spoken from the dais.
After 15 press conferences over the past three days at the PGA Championship — should you be curious, the pressers lasted nearly five hours — here, then, are a few things that were spoken:
Cam Young was asked about his iPhone
Young is reserved, but an easy way into a person’s personality is through a question into how long they scroll.
“It depends,” he said. “If I’m on my own on the road, it’s a lot more. It’s probably four hours or something. And if I’m at home with my family, it’s probably more on the order of half that.
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“I try to be conscious of it. So I know when I’m by myself, it’s somewhere in the four, four-and-a-half range, and when I’m not, when I’m at home, it’s usually two or under two.”
What does he look at when he’s on his own?
“I don’t know,” Young said. “I go on YouTube. I like to read articles. I look at golf swing videos for more time than I’d like to admit, yeah.”
Luke Donald was asked whether he brings Ryder Cup talk to the dinner table
To best capture the moment, here is the complete exchange between European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and a reporter, with the reporter’s question in italics.
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Luke, you’re clearly a firmly organized fellow and very good at details and things. I’m just wondering how you cope with all the issues of the Ryder Cup? I mean, you must have had hundreds of questions before Bethpage, before you took the job on and since you agreed to do it. I’m wondering if you and Diane [his wife] have an agreement that over dinner you’ll talk about wine, painting and the family and anything other than the Ryder Cup?
“I think the dynamic between Diane and I is interesting,” Donald said. “I don’t get too involved — especially when it comes closer to the Ryder Cup.
“Right now we’re certainly having some discussions together at dinner whenever the time is right about the team spaces. Certainly I don’t talk to her about the golf course. She doesn’t really talk to me about ladies clothes.
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“I just have complete trust in what she does, and she has complete trust in what I do. There are some overlaps. Like right now we’re talking about team spaces. There’s a distinct difference between part of the hotel to the other. One’s a ballroom, one’s sort of part of the old hotel, and which might be better for our team. Those are things we would discuss together.
“But there’s definitely stuff that I have complete faith in what she does, and she has complete faith in what I do. So we don’t need to go into too much detail then.
You don’t have a feeling, ‘Look, we have to stop talking about this. There are other things going on.’
“I mean, we talk about other stuff as well,” Donald said. “If something is needed [to be] discussed with the Ryder Cup that involves both of us, then we talk about it. If not, we’re just dealing with everyday life.”
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Scottie Scheffler talked about why Masters practice rounds are so calm
Scottie Scheffler was asked whether he treats major weeks the same as normal tournament weeks, and he said that wasn’t possible, as each environment is different — and the one at Augusta National was especially so.
“When you look at the Masters,” he said, “you look at the practice rounds there, and the Masters is like the only place on earth where people actually follow the rules because they’re just afraid to get kicked out all the time. So those practice rounds are actually quite calm in terms of there’s not a lot of yelling, there’s nobody running around, there’s not a ton of noise. Except when you’re swinging, there’s camera clicks on every single shot because people are allowed to have real cameras out there. So you’re at the top of your backswing, for every practice round, it’s just camera clicks.
“You come here and there’s a lot of noise and a lot of energy. That’s why you can’t treat them quite the same because there’s so much energy around the tournament. You come into the press room, there’s more people, more fans, more noise. There’s just a lot more stuff going on.”
Xander Schauffele was asked about trees
To set this up, a topic this week has been the trees at Aronimink Golf Club, or the absence of a few, following a renovation. That led to this back-and-forth between Xander Schauffele and the Associated Press’ Doug Ferguson, who are friendly with each other. Ferguson’s comments are in italics.
“I do like trees, Doug” Schauffele said. “Do you like trees?”
I like trees, too, Xander. Let’s do ‘Cat in the Hat’ next. In terms of a golf course …
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“I know where you’re going,” Schauffele said. “Go ahead.”
Go somewhere then. Keep making me work.
“Yeah, when I hear certain designers saying, ‘I’m going to restore this course to 1915,’ I’m like, ‘Well, it probably takes a good 100 years for a nice tree to grow, just to take it out, just to say it was where it was before,” Schauffele said.
“I think people keep talking about distance and how the game is played, but just put a bunch of trees on a course — I think Hilton Head is a good example. Do I like Hilton Head? Not really. But it’s hard. It’s kind of crazy, if you look at the winning score at Hilton Head and the winning score at Doral — one’s called Hilton Head, and one’s called the Blue Monster — you’re like, I think the winning score at Miami is lower. It’s just funny when you kind of look at it in that sense.”
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“That’s all I have to say to your tree question.”
Is it more framing, or is it more trouble?
“It’s just hard,” Schauffele said. “I think when you have — like this rough, for example, if we had trees in the rough and you hit it in it, this week you’ll see guys kind of gouging it towards the green. If there’s a tree there, you’d be chipping out sideways. This is the type of rough where you can’t get a ball to curve at all. You just grab a high-lofted club and hit a knuckleball and have it kind of trundle somewhere.
“There’s certain weeks where the rough is, you can kind of curve it a little bit. But there’s reasons guys are praying to be on the pine straw or dirt when they hit it off line, versus being in thick rough, just because you can get some movement on the golf ball.”
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Collin Morikawa talked about his caddie’s help with his water bottle
Collin Morikawa has been battling a back injury, and he noted who’s been helping him through it, including his caddie, who did a relatively simple task in which Morikawa was appreciative.
“Yeah, it’s everyone,” Morikawa said. “I’ve got great physios at home, I’ve got a great physio on the road. Rick Sessinghaus and I have been working for quite some time and talking about the mental game and finding ways to feel comfortable out there. He’s a big, big proponent and component of me being able to play out here, so I owe a lot to him.
“But I owe a lot of credit to Mark Urbanek, my caddie. At the Masters, we were doing things that just didn’t make sense from simply like him handing me my water bottle. I think it’s ridiculous for him to hand me my water bottle, but if it was going to save me one extra bend that was going to make me uncomfortable, he’s going to do it. So I give him a lot of credit over the last few months of sticking with me through the chaotic things I’m asking for.”
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Jesse Droemer was asked about broken bones and snakes
Jesse Droemer, one of the 20 club pros in the field, went into detail about previous injuries.
“Yeah, I would say the biggest injuries that affected my golf,” he said, “I broke my left wrist pretty bad when I was probably 10. I broke three bones in my ankle in football. That was pretty rough. But yeah, it’s been 13 broken bones. It’s been a battle. But at the end of the day, it just makes me feel grateful to be healthy and to not have to deal with pain anymore.
A reporter then asked Droemer to confirm whether he had also once been bitten by a snake.
“Yeah, I was in my backyard, I was like 12 or so and stepped on a water moccasin,” Droemer said. “My mom didn’t believe me. I told her I just stepped on a snake, and she just kind of shrugged it off. Then I actually fainted, and my toe was about this big [a couple of inches]. So she had to rush me to the hospital. And then I used to go down into the Brazos River with a machete and boots and look for golf balls. So I had to fight off snakes for that.”
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“But, yeah, that was pretty serious. But after that, I don’t really have a fear of it anymore, so …”
Fighting snakes?
“Well, I couldn’t afford Pro V1s back then,” Droemer said, “so I would sell the kind of beat-up ones and I would keep the best ones. So in tournaments I wasn’t going to lose a golf ball that I fought off snakes for.”
Rory McIlroy was asked about Scottie Scheffler
Rory McIlroy, the world’s second-ranked player, was asked about what he admires about Scheffler, the top-ranked player. Answers to this type of question are oftentimes good, as they’re complimentary — and they give a peek into what the player would want for themselves.
“I think it is, it’s his relentlessness,” McIlroy said. “It’s his — the comfort in which he does the same things over and over. It’s the little — it’s not flashy, but he dots his I’s and crosses his T’s and does all the right things.
“Yeah, I just think it’s that relentless pursuit of the process and not just letting the outcome happen. Whatever that means is what it means.
“I’ve said, again, I think his faith has a big part to do with how comfortable he is with doing that because he accepts whatever happens, whatever comes his way, and he moves on.
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“He just doesn’t seem — there’s not a lot of volatility there in his life and in his game, and I think that sets him up so well for the future.”
Jordan Spieth was asked about grilling meat and his swing
To properly capture this moment, here is the complete exchange between Jordan Spieth and a reporter, with the reporter’s question in italics.
I read something where you used an analogy of grilling meat to describe the process of working on getting your swing back to where you want it to be. Where did that analogy come from and how is it going?
“I was just kind of thinking,” Spieth said, “I was smoking chicken in the fall on a big smoker I have and it got up to 155 quickly and then takes awhile. I was like, man, this kind of feels like — I was working on stuff and I was — it kind of feels like what I’m trying to do in the swing. I go play and it’s a little bit out of the barriers that we call sustainable. Kind of outside the margins that we call OK.
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“So, I don’t know, I kind of was just thinking about it one day and came to me.
“But yeah, it seems to be — I don’t know how — if it’s that way for everybody and just seemed that way for me right now where, you know, it’s there, it’s there. It’s like close. It’s matching what I want to do. It feels good and it’s producing right stuff.
“And then, you know, if it just gets — it’s just not quite consistent enough yet to be able to be contending week in and week out.
“But I know what to do and how to get there. It’s just I have to stay the course and just trust that it will happen.”
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Is [smoking] a hobby of yours?
“Not really,” Spieth said, “I’m very average. Probably a 15-handicap at it. In the fall, it’s fun sometimes.”
Bradley was asked how he celebrated his win at the 2011 PGA Championship, and he answered this way:
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“So after the PGA in ’11, my mom and sister were there, and I remember my agent, Ben, was there, and I remember driving out of the Atlanta Athletic Club with the Wanamaker in my lap, holding it like this [in his lap], and we were looking at each other like, this is crazy. Like I was holding it.
“And then I went — we tried to — it was Sunday night. We were trying to get some beers or something. Everything was closed. And we went back, and I had Bud Light and cereal for dinner. We still have a picture of it in my house somewhere.
“And then I took the trophy and put it right next to my bed. I remember waking up in the morning and looking at it, like this is crazy. I can’t believe this.
“And then I got back, and a few of my buddies picked me up. I was single and 25 years old, and all my buddies picked me up from the airport. We went on a few-day celebration tour with the trophy, bringing it everywhere.
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“One of those moments that you get to share with people, and you know, some of the fondest memories of my life.”
Did he remember the cereal?
“I forget what it was,” Bradley said. “… Whatever — I was starving. It was midnight. After you’re done with media, and I just remember like thinking, how surreal this was. It was Bud Light and cereal. It was the best meal of my life. Like one minute I’m a rookie and now I’m a major champion and I’m looking on my Twitter and every couple minutes, I’ve gotten 1,000 new followers. It was crazy, the night and the next following couple weeks.”
JJ Gabriel is putting in the work ahead of his anticipated Manchester United senior bow under Michael Carrick
Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel could have a big part to play in pre-season and is trying to give Michael Carrick no choice but to give him minutes.
United manager Carrick will be without a number of senior stars in July thanks to World Cup commitments. The first pre-season friendly will take place in Helsinki on July 18, with Wrexham the opposition.
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Gabriel’s father Joe O’Cearuill shared a number of videos on social media, showing the teenager doing strength and speed work at the gym and on the training ground. “JJ 12min kick ups with tennis ball walk to gym,” the caption read, with one of a collage of four videos showing the kick-ups in question.
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Get Man United’s new 2026/27 home kit
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Manchester United have launched their new home kit for the 2026/27 season, inspired by the club’s heritage and featuring a classic polo collar with iconic adidas details.
Fans seemed impressed upon watching the footage. “What a player he’s going to be for United, hopefully he will have a statue one day,” one wrote in reply to O’Cearuill’s post.
“I don’t care about the packaging, just work ethic that makes me say this. If he has good people around him who value privacy, he’ll go on to challenge for Ballon d’Or,” wrote another.
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Gabriel isn’t the only United academy talent putting in work this summer. Kai Rooney saw his 2025/26 season disrupted by injury but is doing what he can to be ready to get going again next term, sharing a gym photo which indicated he has been adding muscle ahead of pre-season.
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Carrick will have plenty of time to watch United’s youngsters in action as he prepares for his first pre-season campaign as manager. The Wrexham friendly is the first of six pre-season games over the course of a month before last season’s third-place finishers kick off their 2026/27 campaign.
None of those six matches will take place at Old Trafford. After the trip to Helsinki there’s an away game against Rosenborg in Norway, followed by matches on neutral territory against Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and AC Milan.
Real Madrid have confirmed the reappointment of Jose Mourinho as head coach.
The 63-year-old has agreed a three-year deal and will begin work when the club returns for pre-season training on 13 July.
Real Madrid have paid Benfica £13m (15m euros) in compensation to bring the Portuguese head coach back to the Bernabeu – more than a decade after his first stint at the club came to an end.
Florentino Perez had vowed to reappoint Mourinho as head coach if he was re-elected as club president earlier this month.
It is the second time Mourinho has taken charge of Real Madrid, with his previous spell, which began in 2010 and lasted three seasons, yielding a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup.
Mourinho has since taken charge of Premier League clubs Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and had stints at Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica in more recent years.
During his one and only season at Benfica, Mourinho led the two-time European Cup winners to an unbeaten Liga Portugal campaign, though it was only enough to secure a third place finish.
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Earlier this week, Benfica agreed a deal to appoint former Fulham manager Marco Silva as Mourinho’s replacement.
Mourinho, meanwhile, heads back to Real Madrid with the club having failed to win a trophy in the last two seasons.
Somali referee Omar Artan has been appointed to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg on August 12.
UEFA announced the appointment on Thursday following discussions with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Artan, 34, is regarded as one of Africa’s leading referees. He has been a FIFA-listed international referee since 2018 and was named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025 after a series of impressive performances.
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One of the biggest matches he handled was the second leg of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League final, which further strengthened his reputation on the continent.
The appointment comes after Artan missed the opportunity to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Although FIFA selected him among the tournament’s match officials, he was unable to take part after being denied entry into the United States.
UEFA said the decision to appoint Artan was made under its recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with CAF, which aims to strengthen cooperation between both football bodies, including in refereeing development.
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UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin praised the Somali official, describing him as a talented referee who has already shown his quality at the highest level of African football.
“Football is made to connect people, and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills, which had earned him such a prestigious nomination,” Čeferin said.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe also welcomed the appointment, saying Artan has made Somalia and Africa proud through his achievements.
“His receipt of the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year Award 2025 and his appointment as a referee of the FIFA World Cup 2026 are a recognition of his world-class refereeing ability and the international respect that he enjoys,” Motsepe said.
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The CAF President added that Artan’s selection for the UEFA Super Cup is a great honour for African referees and an example of football’s ability to unite people across continents.
J.J. Spaun’s ascent from mini-tour anonymity to 2025 U.S. Open champion was a remarkable transformation. Born August 21, 1990, in Los Angeles, Spaun had a standout collegiate career at San Diego State University and turned pro in 2012, competing on West Coast mini-tours. He survived on shoestring budgets, often just scraping by while chasing his PGA Tour dream.
He earned Web.com status for the 2016 season, which he parlayed into a PGA Tour card the following year. Even with the occasional brilliant round on Tour, his inconsistency fueled long slumps and tested stretches of frustration. After a serious health scare in 2023, Spaun enlisted the help of Adam Schriber, a Michigan-based coach at LochenHeath Golf Club. Schriber’s holistic approach rebuilt Spaun from the ground up. They focused on core stability, efficient rotation and mental resilience, allowing him to minimize strain while simultaneously enhancing power.
“Adam reconstructed my swing and mindset,” Spaun said.
Early in the week of the 2025 U.S. Open, Spaun added short-game coach Josh Gregory to the team, and it paid off immediately with a chip-in on the very first hole. At Oakmont, his refined technique and composed attitude kept him in the hunt after a shaky start, culminating with a 64-foot birdie putt on the final hole, clinching a two-stroke win.
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“This is ours,” Spaun told Schriber, trophy in hand.
Known for his calm demeanor under pressure and ultra-solid ball striking, Spaun built his game around discipline rather than flash. Friends describe him as relentlessly curious, always seeking incremental gains. His journey reflects perseverance, humility and belief — proof that patience, persistence and dedication can outlast early-career obscurity.
Check out below for a breakdown of six positions from Spaun’s swing that every golfer should copy.
Mark Newcombe / Visionsingolf.com
1. Setup
Many shorter amateur golfers bend over too much, causing them to stand excessively far from the ball and limiting their pivot. J.J. adopts just enough forward tilt to allow for a comfortable arm swing and easier wind and unwind.
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2. Takeaway
Spaun rotates his torso away from the ball without unnecessary right-leg straightening, allowing minimal right-arm bend while keeping his arms in front and limiting clubface rotation.
3. Top
J.J.’s arms form a neat, equilateral triangle at the top with perfect left wrist and clubface position. You can’t get to this position with a “hold the tray” right forearm. Additionally, he has turned enough to reach this hand location without overturning.
4. Downswing
Spaun keeps from over-closing the clubface by not overdoing the Internet-popular arching of the left wrist. His wrist remains plenty neutral as the club is lowered and pulled into a great position to unload it without fear of a quick hook.
5. Impact
A top-flight professional impact position requires body twisting that most amateurs have never experienced but could learn: hips forward, tucked and open, lower torso turned, but upper torso right tilted and less open. Do these things, and that hall-of-fame arms-and-hands position is possible. Just like Spaun’s.
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6. Release
Take note of the bent right arm and open clubface in No. 4 and the fully released toe of the clubhead and straightened right arm here. All while keeping the right arm under the left. This brilliantly keeps his fade from being a weak wipe and a pull all but impossible.
Accor Stadium will play host to Thursday’s
Round 15 NRL game between South Sydney Rabbitohs and
Brisbane Broncos. The game kicks off at 7:50 pm with South Sydney Rabbitohs heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the South Sydney Rabbitohs vs.
Brisbane Broncos
game and give you our free tips and bets.
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Brisbane Broncos Preview
Round 15 begins with two proud clubs searching for answers as South Sydney hosts Brisbane at Accor Stadium on Thursday night. Injuries and Origin absences have left both sides heavily depleted, adding another layer of intrigue to a contest that could shape their seasons. The Rabbitohs have slipped outside the top eight after three straight defeats, while the Broncos enter on a five-game losing streak that has seen their finals hopes rapidly fade. South Sydney will be looking for greater consistency without Latrell Mitchell, while Brisbane must find a way to tighten a defence that has leaked points at an alarming rate. Recent meetings between the sides have been closely contested, and with neither team entering in convincing form, this traditional rivalry looms as one of the hardest games of the round to predict.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun explains Indiana’s swift action in securing the Chicago Bears stadium project in Hammond. He contrasts this with the Illinois legislature’s five years of indecision, stating, ‘We’re not wafflers.’ Braun emphasizes Indiana’s business-friendly environment, highlighting the state’s economic growth and low unemployment.
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Former Chicago Cubs star Anthony Rizzo is reveling in the Windy City after retirement, but pretty soon, the city will be without a primary sport.
The Chicago Bears of the National Football League are set to leave Chicago for Hammond, Indiana, roughly 20 miles south of their current home.
The Bears have called Soldier Field home since 1971, and before that, they played their home games at Rizzo’s old stomping grounds, Wrigley Field, for 50 seasons.
A general view inside Soldier Field during the national anthem before the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Ill., on Dec. 26, 2024.(Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
While the Bears have been pretty insistent on leaving, city officials have been trying desperately to keep them, and Rizzo says they are “in denial that they’re going.”
“I think they’re trying to deny it as long as they can until it’s official,” Rizzo told Fox News Digital.
“Soldier Field was, is, awesome, in my opinion. It’s hard to get in and out of, and it definitely needed some renovations, but the city of Chicago and the fan base, it’s absolutely wild that they’re leaving for Indiana. I know it’s not too far away; it’s not even 20 miles south, but the fact that it’s in Indiana is different,” he continued.
Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo celebrates during the team’s World Series victory rally at Grant Park in Chicago, Ill., on Nov. 4, 2016.(Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)
“Then again, the New York Giants and the New York Jets play in New Jersey, so. The renderings of what they’re doing look amazing. If you build it, they will come, right?”
The Bears’ board of directors met last week into the evening and voted to advance the stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana — with an exact stadium site to be selected. The announcement was made the next day.
“We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana and the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across the neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city,” Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement.
“It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
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This is the first time the team’s board has voted on a stadium site. This development is notable and significant, but an NFL source told Fox News there is a chance Illinois might still be able to convince the team to stay in the state. Those chances were characterized as requiring “a Hail Mary” political effort.
Chicago Bears helmets are displayed before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., on Sept. 28, 2025.(Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)
However, that Hail Mary, even if it were to work, will still move the club out of Chicago, with the only site in Illinois as a likely landing spot being Arlington Heights.
Outkick’s Armando Salguero contributed to this report.
Should Canelo regain the WBC marble, Sheeraz is eyeing up Canelo’s regular Cinco De Mayo outing for a potential 168lb unification affair, planning on announcing himself as the super-middleweight to beat by overcoming the division’s poster boy.
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However, speaking with DAZN Boxing, Canelo stated that, if Sheeraz wants to face him, then he should look to unify the belts against newly crowned IBF world champion, Osleys Iglesias, in order to entice him into the proposed fight.
“I never checked that [potential fights with Hamzah Sheeraz or Osleys Iglesias]. I think that they need to fight each other and then I find out the winner. That is the most smart thing that they can do.
“We all, at some point, we need to earn what we deserve, right? They need to earn it [a fight with me], why not? That is why I say that they need to [fight each other] and I don’t say that they don’t deserve it.
“They deserve it, that is why they are there as champions or number ones or whatever.
“But, they need to fight each other and then, after my fight, we will see.”
Hailed as boxing’s all-time pound-for-pound number one, Sugar Ray Robinson is appreciated by the purists, whilst Floyd Mayweather is seen by many to have been the best fighter since the turn of the millennium. Now, undefeated four-division champion Shakur Stevenson has had his say on how a fight between the two would have played out.
However, speaking on The Art of Ward podcast, current pound-for-pound star Stevenson stated that he does not believe a clash between Robinson and Mayweather would have even been competitive, confidently picking the modern-day great to come out on top.
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“Floyd Mayweather [would have won], no question. Floyd Mayweaher, no question, not even close, nothing to even think about.
“I don’t think that it would be a competitive fight.”
Stevenson then expanded on his opinion, declaring that Mayweather’s style is simply far more ‘evolved’ and that his defensive superiority would have proven too difficult for Robinson to overcome.
“Floyd Mayweather, he had different looks. So Floyd would have his hands up [high guard], he would have his hands right here [in front of his chest] sometimes, he would have it here [Philly Shell], he had different looks. I feel like his game was way more evolved than Sugar Ray Robinson’s.
“A lot of the times, if you watch Sugar Ray Robinson, his hands was always right here [left hand low, right hand on chin]. From an offensive standpoint, Sugar Ray Robinson would be harder to deal with than Floyd Mayweather.
“But, from a defensive standpoint and who could do more, who got better boxing, IQ, skills; to me, Floyd Mayweather was way ahead of Sugar Ray Robinson.”
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The debate is perhaps one of boxing’s most difficult fantasy matchups, not only because of their extraordinary talent but because they competed in vastly different eras, under different rules, training methods and levels of competition, making any direct comparison inherently speculative.
F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali said: “We’ve enjoyed an incredible history and partnership with Pirelli, relying on their technical brilliance and focus on performance, innovation and sustainability for many years, so I’m delighted that the FIA and we will continue that relationship for another year.”
At the time, there was talk that the new deal could be Pirelli’s last.
However, while there is said to be interest from other companies for the next contract, sources say Pirelli is open to the idea of continuing beyond 2028.
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The FIA has to open a tender process for the new supply deal. Interested companies submit their technical bid to the FIA, which decides whether they are appropriate, after which F1 holds commercial discussions which decide the destiny of the contract.
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) talks with a referee before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Judging by the media coverage of Vikings OTAs and minicamp, it appears the alleged quarterback competition—if it truly exists—between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy is the only thing of interest currently taking place at the Vikings facility.
We hear a few tidbits about the offensive tackles—Christian Darrisaw is feeling great after dealing with his ACL recovery last season and Brian O’Neill is back at practice as he awaits a contract extension.
The Murray and McCarthy focus means not much is being reported about the progress of the rookie class. Is first-rounder Caleb Banks on track to be a full participant in training camp? Is second-rounder Jake Golday taking reps at edge rusher as well as inside ‘backer after the trade of Jonathan Greenard? What about big DT Domonique Orange and his fellow third-rounder safety Jakobe Thomas? I’d also like to hear more about late-round speedsters Charles Demmings at corner and Demond Claiborne at running back.
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Oct 25, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Baylor Bears tight end Michael Trigg (1) is unable to hold on to a catch as he is tackled by Cincinnati Bearcats linebacker Jake Golday (11) and defensive back Tre Gola-Callard (6) in the second half at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
Sure, there will be plenty of time in training camp to observe and digest the progress of the rookie class and other newcomers such as WR Jauan Jennings, corner James Pierre, and punter Johnny Hekker along with the progress of center Blake Brandel and monitoring the possible return of Harrison Smith.
But when there’s a new quarterback in town who was the first overall pick in 2019 (Murray) and a former first-round QB coming off an up-and-down first season as the starter (McCarthy), then it’s inevitable that the QBs will dominate the chatter in the media and among the fan base.
The Vikings’ Murray and McCarthy Battle
What can help somewhat to quiet the QB conversation is if Murray and McCarthy become more vanilla and less forthcoming in their public comments. That’s not what the media is looking for since there’s nothing better to stir things up than a quarterback controversy.
McCarthy launched the swirling quotes when he said “it’s like two guys in a classroom. He sits on one side and I sit on the other side, and it’s the coaches’ responsibility to coach us and teach us.” I didn’t think that statement was any big deal but some media folks ran with it. Since that statement, McCarthy has been saying he’s focused on what he can control, which is the best approach. I say let’s cut young J.J. some slack and not be overly analytical of every answer to a media question. He didn’t say he dislikes Murray or he’s ticked off that he has to compete for a starting job that appears to already be handed to the more veteran player in Murray.
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Jan 7, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) huddles with the offense in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Murray has taken the first reps in team drills lately but he and McCarthy have basically been splitting reps. For Murray’s part in the early drama, he sounded like he was making excuses for throwing a couple picks in Tuesday’s minicamp practice when he said, “me already being behind, not getting the amount of reps you would typically want a guy to get learning an offense, that’s probably the toughest part.” Then he added, “I’m not really too worried about the competition side of things, honestly.”
It’s nice for Murray that he’s so confident he’ll win the job—despite his resume that does not include any playoff wins–plus he’s already making $38 million this year (all but $1.3 million from the Cardinals who gave up on him). So splitting reps with last year’s starter should not be a shock to Murray. But does he really expect us to believe that he’s not worried about competing for the starting job when he’s on a one-year contract and is looking for a huge season to set up his next big payday as a 2027 free agent who can’t be hit with the franchise or transition tag?
Murray should just be saying he’s focused on learning the offense and getting in sync with his teammates and avoid saying anything remotely controversial about reps or his relationship with McCarthy.
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) runs for a touchdown during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.
Kevin O’Connell is trying to lower the temperature by saying he encourages open dialogue among his QBs and he doesn’t worry about the media characterizations of the relationship between Murray and McCarthy. O’Connell says it’s a “professional“ interaction. But I believe behind the scenes, O’Connell is telling all his QBs to avoid talking about personal relationships or numbers of reps and just say they’re all working hard along with their teammates.
So even as I’m already tired of this quarterback chatter, I just spent this week’s column further dissecting it. I’ll try to refrain from a weekly look at the Vikings QBs, at least until the pads go on in training camp and we get closer to O’Connell’s pronouncement of the Week 1 starter which should come in mid-August around the time the Ravens come to town for two days of joint practice.
Around the NFL Observations
1. Caleb Williams: I was mildly surprised to hear Williams is on the cover of this year’s Madden NFL game. Not that it’s such a big deal but it is considered by many to be an honor to be selected for the Madden cover. Recent selectees include Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Josh Allen, John Madden himself, Tom Brady, and Lamar Jackson.
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After a shaky rookie season, Williams made strides in his second season of 2025 as he quarterbacked the Bears to the NFC North title with several late comebacks to his credit (including the critical Week 11 win over the Vikings). He led the Bears to a playoff victory over the Packers but then threw three interceptions in the divisional round loss to the Rams. His 90.1 passer rating ranked 22nd and he has not yet been selected to a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team.
I’d say Matthew Stafford, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, or Myles Garrett would’ve been more worthy choices based on their outstanding seasons. As a former Vikings coach once said, it’s not yet time to “crown” Caleb Williams with even something such as the Madden NFL cover. And with the Bears having the league’s toughest schedule as a first-place team compared to last year’s fourth-place schedule and losing their Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman to retirement and leading wide receiver DJ Moore in a trade, I expect it to be a difficult season for Williams and the Bears.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) spoke briefly with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell near midfield after their matchup wrapped on Dec 16, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The postgame exchange offered a calm moment between competitors after a physical divisional meeting, reflecting mutual respect as players and coaches filtered toward their locker rooms. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
2. Aaron Donald: will he and should he return to the Rams this season? After the Rams traded for Garrett, the rumblings have been that Donald, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, is thinking about a comeback and likely to do so after being retired the past two seasons. The Rams have the salary cap room to make it work as long as Donald is willing to take a lot less than the $30 million per year he made on his last deal.
Donald has reportedly stayed in shape but it’s a lot different to be in football shape and it’s questionable how effective he would be after such a long absence. But the Rams are highly motivated to be a Super Bowl team this season when the big game will be played in their home stadium and they’re not afraid to make big moves so I think it’s likely they’ll make this splashy signing and bring Donald back.
Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was selected NFL Executive of the Year … More about Jeff Diamond
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