Sports
Former Vikings GM Has One Big Vikings Reminder
As July 4th has passed and the NFL dead period winds down with teams getting closer to training camp reporting day (for the Vikings—July 26 for rookies, July 28 for vets, first padded practice on August 3), I’m feeling more anxious for the return of football and the Vikings.
The Wild and Wolves playoffs caught our attention for a while. The Twins have been mostly back-of-mind since they unloaded their bullpen last year at the trade deadline (although it’s nice to see them close to .500 with Byron Buxton having a great year, but sad to see him on the injured list once again).
Former Vikings GM Reminds Fans Where Minnesota’s Sports Attention Still Goes
As for the World Cup, I played soccer in high school and college, and while I loved playing the sport, I find it rather boring to watch. So I catch a few minutes of World Cup action (bad job against Belgium by Team USA but Messi-wow, what a player for Argentina), but I only watch soccer every four years during the World Cup, and I find FIFA the most ridiculous and corrupt sports organization.
Like most Minnesota sports fans (along with many in Iowa and the Dakotas and a few western Wisconsinites), I have held the Vikings at the top of my list of teams I’m interested in. That was the case for me long before I went to work for the team in the late-1970s.
I remember playing football in the front yard with my three brothers. At the same time, we listened to the first-ever Vikings game—the monumental 37-13 upset of the mighty George Halas-coached Chicago Bears at old Met Stadium on September 17, 1961, when rookie QB Fran Tarkenton came off the bench to relieve George Shaw and, scrambling Fran threw four touchdown passes and had a rushing score in the shocking blowout victory.
Our family had Vikings season tickets at the Met, and I often went to home games. As a teenager, I would sleep until noon on Sundays when the Vikings played on the road, but I was glued to the tube as soon as the games kicked off.
Sure, I was a big Twins fan in the 1960s when the team went to the World Series and in their championship years of 1987 and 1991. And we had season tickets to the North Stars before they bolted to Dallas in 1993. I liked going to Gopher basketball games in the Bill Musselman era. And it was a thrill to attend the first-ever Timberwolves game against Michael Jordan and the mighty Bulls in 1989. Today I like to watch the Lynx play their unselfish team basketball at such a high level.
But the Vikings always have been No. 1 for me and for the vast majority of sports fans in our area. That’s obvious from attendance numbers, basically constant sellouts at Met Stadium, the Metrodome, and now U.S. Bank Stadium, and from consistently robust TV and radio ratings.
With training camp now less than three weeks away, my thoughts drift to position battles, obviously beginning with Kyler Murray vs. J.J. McCarthy at quarterback and what kind of production will we see from the 2026 draft class led by the top three picks—DT Caleb Banks (is he healthy?), LB Jake Golday and safety Jakobe Thomas along with some interesting later round picks such as CB Charles Demmings and RB Demond Claiborne. And when will we hear from Harrison Smith on his return or retirement?
In this quieter period, I also think back to my mid-July mindset during my Vikings front office years, when it wasn’t quiet for me as I returned from post-minicamp vacation the week after the 4th of July. Early in my career, I was in charge of training camp in Mankato.
During this time, I would be communicating regularly with the wonderful staff at Mankato State University (before the college was renamed Minnesota State-Mankato). I would be working with them on rooming lists in the Gage Hall dorm, menus for the team’s three meals per day in the dorm cafeteria, meeting room setup for all position groups and for the offense, defense, and entire team, and field prep for the practice fields and Blakeslee Stadium.
I was also in charge of team travel, and I would finalize all the road trip logistics with Northwest Airlines, hotels along the route, and the team buses and equipment trucks we would need.
Other than the 90-minute drive from my home to Mankato and sleeping in non-air-conditioned Gage Hall, I mostly enjoyed training camp in Mankato (especially our pickup basketball games in the gym or quick drives to Mankato Country Club for a late round of golf after the long workday concluded with dinner). But I was certainly happy when I joined the Tennessee Titans as team president and learned that our training camp would be held at our Nashville team facility, so I would no longer have long drives to camp.
For players in the old days, training camp was a grind, with two-a-day practices, usually in full pads, in the summer heat. Fortunately for our players when Bud Grant was head coach, we were the last team to open training camp (just 10 days before the first preseason game).
It’s hard to believe there were six preseason games when I started my career and the starters played in every game except the finale. Kevin O’Connell and I were talking at camp last year. We agreed that today’s players have no idea how good they have it with limited padded practices, shorter practices, and only three preseason games compared to the norm in the past. Key starters such as Justin Jefferson usually don’t play at all in preseason games.
So in just a few weeks, Vikings fans will be showing up for practices at the Vikings’ Eagan facility. They’ll be reading and viewing daily media reports on the 2026 training camp, with September 13 circled on the calendar as the opening-day border battle/division rivalry/likely Kyler Murray debut in Vikings purple against the Green Bay Packers. Everything else in our sports market will take a back seat as usual.
Next Week: I’ll make my annual pre-training camp game-by-game predictions on the 2026 Vikings season.
As we head towards the 2026 NFL season, I have been ranking the position groups and the head coaches of the NFC North teams. Now we come to the endgame – ranking the four teams for the 2026 season.
Check back on the position rankings through the following links QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, iDL, EDGE, LB, CB, S, HC
NFC North Team Rankings for 2026
To try and get the most unbiased rankings I can I am using all the rankings I’ve done so far to assign points to each team. Teams get points for where they ranked in each of the position rankings given out like this;
1st place – 4 points
2nd place – 3 points
3rd place – 2 points
4th place – 1 point
The point totals have been counted and the NFC North team rankings are decided.
1. Detroit Lions – 34 points
The Lions topped the rankings by four points and look like they have the strongest roster in the division. Of course, this was also the case last season, and Detroit finished last. If the Lions don’t prove that last season was a blip and get back to looking like genuine contenders then Dan Campbell’s position will come under fire.
Detroit is strong right across the roster, with the one area I have reservations about being the offensive line. They’ve lost big players from the OL but they do still have one of the best tackles in the game in Penei Sewell. Add to that exciting playmakers on offense like Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Sam Laporta, as well as great defenders like Aidan Hutchinson, Jack Campbell, Brian Branch, and DJ Reed, and this is a team that should still be thinking Super Bowl.
2. Chicago Bears – 30 points
at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
In Chicago, they will be hoping Ben Johnson can build on the success of his first season as head coach of the Bears. His division title win was built on his offense, particularly a strong offensive line, running backs, and tight ends, in a very similar way to the success he helped bring to Detroit.
Johnson helped get more consistent play out of Caleb Williams and the development of the former first overall pick will go a long way to determining how Chicago moves forward.
My biggest concern for the Bears is up front on the defensive line where the team is going to have to figure out ways to disrupt some good OLs that reside in the division. This is still a good team, though, that will be eyeing a return to the playoffs.
3. Green Bay Packers – 24 points
Despite the big trade for edge rusher Micah Parsons during last season, I sense the Packers are potentially a team on the decline.
There are plenty of good players on Green Bay’s roster but not many very good/great ones outside of Parsons and a strong group of safeties – Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, and Javon Bullard. A big rushing season from Josh Jacobs will be crucial for the Packers and they need at least one of their WRs to step up and have a big season.
They will be competitive but I don’t foresee playoff football in Wisconsin this season unless they can sneak into a wild card place. With both plenty of experience and a recent run of lots of playoff football, they shouldn’t be completely counted out.
4. Minnesota Vikings – 22 points
The Vikings have a lot of question marks across the roster. Most notably, QB, RB, CB, S, and the ability of Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores to get more out of the team than the sum of its parts will again be crucial – particularly on defense where the loss of Jonathan Greenard has left the Vikings lacking in top-end talent.
On offense, Minnesota needs to find consistent QB play to allow Justin Jefferson to take over games and let the rest of the offense come with him. A healthy offensive line would also help after a season that saw the unit decimated by injuries in 2025.
Through all the turmoil of last season, the Vikings managed to win nine games, so I expect them to be competitive again. Making it to the playoffs through a wild card place would constitute a good season.
Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.
An Indian court on Monday acquitted the former head of the country’s wrestling federation of sexual harassment and stalking charges brought by female athletes.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a former lawmaker from Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had denied allegations that he groped wrestlers and demanded sexual favors.
What was the reaction to Singh’s acquittal?
Singh’s lawyer Rajiv Mohan said the New Delhi court found “inconsistencies” in witness statements and “contradictions on major issues.”
“I had complete faith that justice would be done,” Singh told reporters after the verdict. “I never considered myself a criminal at all.”
Supporters celebrated outside the court by setting off firecrackers, showering Singh with flower petals and offering him sweets.
Leading female wrestler Vinesh Phogat said the women would challenge the ruling in a higher court and continue their legal fight.
“It took a great deal of courage for us to take to the streets and get a complaint registered against a powerful leader of the ruling party,” she wrote on X.
What is the significance of the case?
The allegations triggered months of protests in New Delhi in 2023, led by prominent athletes including Phogat, Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik and Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia.
Hundreds joined sit-in demonstrations accusing authorities of failing to act against Singh.
Malik later retired from wrestling in protest, while Punia returned one of India’s highest civilian honors.
Delhi police charged Singh in 2023 after sustained pressure from the protesting wrestlers.
A court formally brought charges against him in 2024 over allegations involving five women.
Singh completed his parliamentary term that year and was not selected to run again. The BJP instead fielded his son from the same constituency, which he won.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
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Moses Itauma‘s possible career path has become a lot clearer after he was officially named as the mandatory challenger for a reigning world heavyweight champion.
Itauma is viewed as being the future of the heavyweight division, with the 21-year-old having won all 14 of his professional fights to date, 12 of them coming by knockout.
He has claimed wins over the likes of Dillian Whyte, Mariusz Wach and Demsey McKean, and last time out became the first man to stop former Whyte and Anthony Joshua foe Jermaine Franklin when he earned a fifth round TKO victory.
Itauma is set for his toughest test so far later this month when he takes on Filip Hrgovic at The O2 Arena on August 29, and with a win there, the youngster could now head straight into a world title shot.
That is after the WBA confirmed that Itauma is the mandatory for Murat Gassiev, correcting an earlier mistake where Jarrell Miller was wrongly listed as mandatory.
“The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee wishes to clarify an inadvertent error in the publication of the July heavyweight rankings, which incorrectly listed Jarrell Miller as the division’s official mandatory challenger.
“The heavyweight division has one official mandatory challenger: Moses Itauma, who currently holds the No. 1 spot in the rankings and has been awaiting his world title opportunity for several months.
“While Miller returned to the ring on April 24 and earned a unanimous decision victory over Lenier Peró in Las Vegas, it is important to clarify that the bout was not a final eliminator. As such, that victory did not make him the WBA’s official mandatory challenger.”
Gassiev became WBA Regular champion in December with a knockout win over Kubrat Pulev, and after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his unified world heavyweight titles earlier this summer, Gassiev was subsequently elevated to full champion.
It means Itauma now has another avenue for a world title shot, having already been ordered to negotiate with Frank Sanchez for a fight for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.
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Levi Wyatt, a former college football standout who played for the Jackson State Tigers and McNeese State Cowboys, has died. He was 23.
Jackson State mourned the loss of the former cornerback on Saturday. Wyatt was a 2024 Preseason All-Southland Conference Second Team selection before he joined the Tigers. He had 12 tackles and four pass breakups in 2025.
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Levi Wyatt #2 of Jackson State reacts against Prairie View A&M during the 2025 SWAC Championship at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss., on Dec. 6, 2025. (Getty Images)
“The bond of this brotherhood does not end when the game clock expires,” Jackson State said in a statement. “Today, we mourn the loss of our brother, Levi Wyatt. His memory will forever live within the halls of Jackson State football and in the hearts of everyone who shared this journey with him.
“We ask the Tiger Nation to join us in lifting his family and loved ones in prayer during this incredibly difficult time. Rest easy, Tiger.”
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Jacob Bostick No. 11 of the Texas A&M Aggies runs after a reception while defended by Levi Wyatt No. 2 of the McNeese State Cowboys in the second half at Kyle Field on Sept. 7, 2024, in College Station, Texas. (Getty Images)
Wyatt was killed in a car crash in Mississippi early Saturday, according to state officials.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said officers in Jackson responded to a report of a car crash just after midnight local time, according to WLBT-TV. Responding officers located two vehicles that sustained damage at the scene.
A Chevrolet Camaro reportedly struck a utility pole.
The Hinds County coroner identified Wyatt as one of the victims of the crash, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, WLBT-TV reported.
Levi Wyatt #2 of the Jackson State Tigers reacts against the Prairie View A&M Panthers during the 2025 SWAC Championship at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Dec. 6, 2025, in Jackson, Miss. (Getty Images)
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Mississippi Highway Patrol was reportedly investigating the incident.
Jul 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (32) delivers a pitch agains the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning t at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Arizona Diamondbacks were in danger of falling into a deeper hole when they faced the San Diego Padres before the All-Star break. How things have changed.
After salvaging a split in the finale of a four-game set in San Diego on July 9, the Diamondbacks have the best record in the National League since that date and are tied with Philadelphia for the final two NL wild-card spots as they open a four-game series against the Padres on Monday.
Arizona is 14-6 since July 9 and leads the major leagues with 118 runs.
“It’s my favorite month of baseball,” said Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, whose team completed a 6-4 road trip as the calendar turned to August.
“I think the season starts to take shape. The contenders and pretenders start to separate. So I think the real teams, and the ones that are capable of carrying on for the next two months, start to separate themselves, and it’s the purest form of baseball.”
The Padres have been nearly as good in that span, going 12-8 with 110 runs, the third-most in the majors. They are one game behind the Diamondbacks and Phillies after a 5-1 homestand.
“How we’re playing right now, I think, is the true identity of this club,” said Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth, whose walk-off single beat the Giants 6-5 on Saturday.
Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt (5-1, 4.00 ERA) will seek to continue his recent dominance in the opener against fellow right-hander Michael King (6-7, 3.38), who was pushed back from a scheduled Sunday start against San Francisco for this matchup.
“We’re chasing them,” San Diego manager Craig Stammen said. “He’s our best pitcher. It would be nice to have our best pitcher pitching against them. He would miss them otherwise.”
King is 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA in five career starts against Arizona.
Pfaadt is 5-0 with a 1.85 ERA since his June 30 return from Triple-A Reno, where he was dispatched after early-season ineffectiveness. Injuries to right-handers Ryne Nelson and Michael Soroka provided a rotation opening.
After tweaking his mechanics, Pfaadt has taken advantage. He shortened his windup and moved to the first-base side of the rubber. He had been going back and forth with his starting point.
“More simple and more consistent,” Pfaadt said. “I think when you move and change so many things over a long period of time, stuff becomes inconsistent. Just making that as consistent as possible.”
Pfaadt threw five scoreless innings in an 8-0 victory over the Padres in his second start back July 6, He gave up six hits in seven scoreless innings in his last appearance, an 8-7 no-decision at Pittsburgh last Tuesday.
“There’s just confidence with everything that he’s doing,” Lovullo said. “His timing’s great. His delivery looks great, and he’s executing.”
Pfaadt is 4-3 with a 4.25 ERA in 11 career appearances (10 starts) against San Diego. Cronenworth is 11-for-24 with three RBIs against Pfaadt, Manny Machado is 7-for-21 with a homer and Ty France is 3-for-9 with a homer.
King was 1-0 with 2.79 ERA in five July starts. He gave up a combined three runs in 12 innings in a win and a no-decision against Arizona this season. Against King, Gabriel Moreno is 4-for-8 and Corbin Carroll is 1-for-9.
–Field Level Media
Celtic have been drawn against Austrian champions LASK in the Champions League play-off round.
Meanwhile, Rangers will face either Northern Irish champions Larne or Iberia Tbilisi of Georgia in the Europa League play-offs should they defeat Jagiellonia Bialystok of Poland.
And Heart of Midlothian, who dropped down to the Europa League after losing to Sturm Graz in Champions League qualifying, will take on either AGF Aarhus of Denmark or Sabah of Azerbaijan should they defeat Benfica.
Should they lose, the Edinburgh side will face Paide Linnameeskond of Estonia or Rapid Vienna of Austria in the Conference League play-off round.
If Rangers lose, they will meet Jablonec of Czech Republic or RFS of Latvia.
Motherwell will take on Freiburg of Germany should they defeat Finland’s HJK Helsinki.
Meanwhile, Hibernian will take on IFK Gothenburg of Sweden or Gent of Belgium if they oust Shkendija of Macedonia.
Russian 16-year-old Kristina Liutova won the WTA Memphis title on Sunday, beating Darja Vidmanova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 to capture the crown in her first main-draw appearance. Liutova became the youngest player to win a WTA title since 15-year-old Coco Gauff triumphed in Linz in 2019. When she fired a stinging forehand to the corner to
Veteran trainer Les Bridge received a belated birthday gift at Rosehill as Aye Aye Captain returned to her best form. Jockey Kerrin McEvoy confessed he was indebted to the stable for a positive result after a questionable recommendation last start.
Aye Aye Captain had previously failed to impress when the favourite on a heavy surface, a decision McEvoy had urged Bridge to proceed with.
However, on firmer footing in Saturday’s Congratulations Chris Waller Handicap (1400m), the mare executed perfectly. Aye Aye Captain, sent to post at $3.30, fought tenaciously to win by a neck from Ticklebelly ($5), rewarding the patience of her connections.
McEvoy conceded he had some ground to make up after the mare’s previous outing.
“I must admit, he wasn’t too happy with me the other day when I convinced him to run on the heavy track,” McEvoy said.
“I could tell when I rang him after the races he was a bit flat on me.
“Anyway, he’s waited for today, freshened her up, and her work during the week was good.
“She settled better for me today, and the better ground suited her.”
The victory continues the extensive history between McEvoy and Bridge, a partnership stretching back almost a quarter of a century. Their first success together was with Miss Zoe in the 2002 Emancipation Stakes, followed by their career-defining win when Classique Legend captured The Everest in 2020.
“My first winner (for Bridge) was a good mare of his way back in the early 2000s, Miss Zoe. This was when I was just out of my apprenticeship,” McEvoy revealed. “Then when I moved to Sydney, I didn’t ride a lot for Les early on. Carmel (Size) linked me up when she knew she had a smart one in Classique Legend, and I’ve been doing a bit ever since with Les.”
The heavily supported favourite, Enviable ($2.50), performed poorly, fading to last after racing on pace. James McDonald informed stewards the mare travelled well but offered no response when asked for an effort in the straight. A post-race veterinary examination was expected to reveal any underlying issues behind the disappointing performance.
Check out the latest betting markets for the race.
MANILA, Philippines—Barangay Ginebra import Riley Grigsby got his first taste of the “Manila Clasico” rivalry on Sunday in the PBA Governors’ Cup at Araneta Coliseum. As expected, Grigsby felt the atmosphere of one of the biggest sports rivalries in the country. “I’ve heard about what this game means to fans. You feel the energy. I
NFC North Team Rankings for 2026
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