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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) walks onto the field before taking on Spain during first half FIFA World Cup final action, in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, July 19, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) CORRECTION: Corrects the day to Sunday, instead of Saturday.

A leaked police dossier has reportedly revealed the scale of security threats investigated during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Argentina captain Lionel Messi allegedly emerging as the primary target of multiple terror threats throughout the tournament. The documents, first reported by a Spanish newspaper, describe a series of incidents involving bomb threats, stalking cases and online abuse directed at players, referees and officials as security agencies worked throughout the competition.

Messi allegedly identified as primary target

According to Spanish newspaper Informacion.es, which said it had reviewed the police dossier, Argentina and Messi featured prominently in several of the highest-priority security alerts handled during the tournament jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.One of the most serious incidents reportedly occurred before Argentina’s match against Jordan, when a caller contacted Dallas airport claiming he and two other individuals planned to enter the stadium carrying “homemade bombs and an AR-15.”The dossier reportedly stated that the caller threatened to attack “police officers and players from both teams” while making “special mention” of Messi.Another alleged threat was linked to Argentina’s July 7 meeting with Egypt in Atlanta. According to the police report cited by Informacion.es, an X user posted:“I’m about to enter the Atlanta stadium and blow up Messi with four bombs strapped to my body.”During the same match, another individual reportedly contacted police claiming three explosive devices had been placed inside rubbish bins around the stadium. The report said bomb disposal units and specialist canine teams subsequently searched the venue.According to the reports, all of the threats were investigated as part of the tournament’s extensive security operation.

Joint security operation monitored multiple incidents

The dossier, as reported by Informacion.es and subsequently cited by other outlets including the Daily Star and The Mirror, said a joint security network involving the FBI and the Centre for International Police Cooperation (IPCC) monitored terror threats, stalking incidents and violent messages directed at players, match officials and their families throughout the competition.The reports describe Messi as the player who attracted the greatest number of terror-related threats during the tournament.

Ronaldo among players requiring extra protection

The leaked documents also reportedly detailed repeated security incidents involving Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo.According to the dossier, a FIFA employee alerted authorities after “a suspicious man” sought information about Ronaldo’s accommodation during the tournament.The report also described several other incidents in Houston, Toronto and Miami involving supporters attempting to gain access to the Portuguese forward.In one case, police arrested a man after he allegedly entered Ronaldo’s team hotel and attempted to board a lift with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. According to the dossier, the individual later told officers he simply wanted to take a selfie with the Portugal captain.Another incident reportedly involved a supporter wearing a Ronaldo shirt who entered the field during Portugal’s match against Croatia.

Referees and players also faced abuse

The police documents reportedly extended well beyond threats directed at football’s biggest stars.French referee François Letexier allegedly received more than 6,000 threatening WhatsApp messages following the Argentina-Egypt match, while video assistant referee Willy Delajod was also subjected to abusive messages and death threats.According to the dossier, several players also became targets following performances during the tournament.The report cited online xenophobic abuse directed at France forward Kylian Mbappé after France’s match against Paraguay, including claims that an effigy bearing his likeness was burned and shared on social media.Norwegian striker Alexander Sørloth and his wife were also reportedly threatened after he missed a goalscoring opportunity, while Colombia international Jaminton Campaz allegedly received threats following a missed penalty that prevented him from travelling home with the rest of his national team.The documents further claimed that South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo and the entire South Korean squad required a significant police escort to the airport after authorities received death threats directed at the team following its group-stage elimination.

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

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

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

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

A decade into retirement, Sachin’s brand remains powerful

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

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

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

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

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

The ‘Sachin’ brand is bigger than cricket

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

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

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

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

 
Why brands continue to trust Sachin Tendulkar
 

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

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

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

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

Tendulkar has largely avoided that problem.

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

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

Trust is the real currency behind his brand value

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

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

That stability allows brands to borrow from his reputation.

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

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

From cricketing icon to long-term brand ambassador

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

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

Tendulkar has effectively challenged that model.

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

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

The numbers underline the longevity

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

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

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

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

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

A legacy that keeps creating commercial value

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

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

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

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

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

Broncos defensive lineman Matt Henningsen had to be carted off the field during Friday’s training camp practice.

There’s been no word from the team yet about the nature of his injury, but reports from media members at the team’s facility painted a grim picture of the scene. Henningsen went down during a drill and players took a knee around him before he was helped to a cart by medical personnel.

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It’s an all too familiar course of events for Henningsen. He tore his Achilles during a joint practice with the 49ers last August and missed the entire season.

Henningsen was a 2022 sixth-round pick and he played in every game over his first two seasons. He had 40 tackles and a sack, but spent all of 2024 on the team’s practice squad.

Tom Dabernig and the connections of Cavalry Girl are poised to continue the mare’s successful campaign as she prepares for a run at Caulfield Heath.

Cavalry Girl recorded a significant victory in Adelaide last start and is scheduled to compete in the Sweeney Estate Agents Handicap (1000m) this Saturday.

The now four-year-old mare captured the Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville on July 25, adding crucial Black Type to her pedigree.

“She’s raced very consistently and then won over in Adelaide last time which was quite a comfortable win and important for her in getting the Black Type which is a big thing for her breeding future,” Dabernig remarked. “And Bivouac (her sire) is actually doing quite well also.”

That Adelaide win was against two and three-year-old company, and now as a four-year-old mare, she faces tougher competition.

Dabernig is not overlooking the more challenging nature of Saturday’s Benchmark 100 contest, but he did highlight several positive factors.

“If you look at the benchmark of all the other horses, it not a true 100 sprint,” Dabernig observed. “She’s also good at Caulfield, she’s got the minimum weight, she’s got a good gate and it’s a small field, so she should run well.”

“We trialled against (fellow Warrnambool-trained) Stokke with Shadhavar recently and it looks to be going well, but I would say with our race fitness, we’re pretty confident to be taking it on.”

The trainer indicated that Saturday’s 1000m journey is likely Cavalry Girl’s preferred distance, although she has achieved success at 1050m and competed at 1100m.

“Craig Williams has mentioned that we could try 1200 (metres), but we know the 1000 is a good formula for her,” Dabernig said. “I looked ahead in the program, and it was a little bit awkward to try and find the right race and I thought this did look the right race. She is jumping out of her skin, but ideally, I would have preferred it to be three weeks, that would have been perfect.”

Dabernig stated he will observe Cavalry Girl’s performance on Saturday before deciding on her next steps.

He mentioned that the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m), scheduled for Sandown on September 5, is being considered.

“She’s never been to Sandown, and that track is racing pretty tired, and we know she loves Caulfield and, or the Flemington straight,” Dabernig noted. “If she won on Saturday, the Moir could be a consideration, while the other thing is because she’s raced through winter we could freshen her up and come back later in the spring for a race maybe during Melbourne Cup week.”

For those interested in backing Cavalry Girl in the Sweeney Estate Agents Handicap, check out the available betting markets for the race with various Australian betting sites.

Trainer Dan Meagher is looking forward to a familiar reunion as Lim’s Saltoro heads to Adelaide.

Lim’s Saltoro is set to compete at Morphettville on Saturday in the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes (1200m), with Noel Callow confirmed as the jockey.

Meagher, the son of Melbourne Cup-winning trainer John Meagher, spent a considerable amount of time in Singapore. He initially worked as one of his father’s assistants before becoming a leading trainer in his own right, eventually relocating to Melbourne when the Singaporean racing industry ceased operations.

During the late 2000s, Callow rode in Singapore and developed a strong rapport with Singaporean businessman Lim Siah Mong, who had horses with several stables, including Meagher senior’s.

Later, the younger Meagher took on the majority of Lim’s horses, and Lim’s Saltoro followed Meagher to Melbourne when racing concluded in Singapore.

“It’s a full-circle moment really having Noel aboard on Saturday,” Meagher stated.

“He rode plenty of winners for Dad and plenty of winners for Mr Lim.”

“When I informed Mr Lim that we’d be able to get Noel Callow, he was happy about that.”

“Mr Lim is a loyal person, and he appreciates team success and Noel was a team member with Mr Lim for a while and they had great success.”

“It’s worked out well that Noel is in Adelaide and we’re taking this horse over.”

“I think Noel will suit this horse too. He’s a very laid-back customer and Noel being Noel, he won’t let him think too much which will be ideal for him.”

It has been just over twelve months since Lim’s Saltoro last raced, having incurred an injury when finishing near the rear at Caulfield in July of the previous year.

That was the fourth start of Lim’s Saltoro’s only Melbourne campaign, and Meagher admitted that his training of the horse was not ideal.

“I thought he had a good campaign last time, but I trained him a bit ordinary, to be honest,” Meagher confessed.

“I was rushing him, wanting results straight away, and I panicked a bit, and despite that he handled it OK.”

“But at his last start he pulled up with an issue behind which required a long spell but he’s 100 per cent right now.”

Lim’s Saltoro has completed four jump-outs in preparation for his return and is deemed fit enough for a 1200-metre weight-for-age contest.

“It looks a nice for him to kick off at this time of year, but my concern, and I hate saying it, is this weather,” Meagher remarked.

“It’s going to be wet, and I hope it doesn’t rain too much more, because I don’t really know. He’s handled trials well on wet tracks, but it is different on race days.”

Last preparation, he ran behind War Machine, who went on to win a Group 1 race. Meagher believes the horse’s form is sufficient, especially for a 1200-metre weight-for-age event.

“If I ran him in a benchmark 100, he might be giving up-and-coming nice horses weight, but there wasn’t a suitable one around.”

“There was a 1000-metre one this week and then a 1400-metre one in a few weeks, but they weren’t suitable as I want to kick him off short, so we’ll run him over 1200 (metres) and build from there.”

“He’s fit enough and the barrier, nine, it’s OK.”

“He’s a go forward horse, first four, first half-a-dozen at that trip and I got a pretty good jockey on.”

Considering a wager on the Behemoth Stakes? Explore the available racing odds at leading betting sites.

Manchester United are interested in signing Newcastle defender Lewis Hall, but they may have a difficult task landing the Magpies’ star in the coming weeks

Manchester United have been informed by Newcastle United that Lewis Hall is not for sale. The former Chelsea youngster has been eyed by Michael Carrick’s side this summer as they look to strengthen their options at left back.

The Magpies turned down an enquiry for Hall two weeks ago and have no plans to facilitate an exit for the 21-year-old this summer, report Sky Sports. Newcastle are already in the market for a full-back themselves, so do not feel able to lose another in the market, with Kieran Trippier departing at the end of his contract in June.

Hall established himself as a key player for Newcastle last season under Eddie Howe. The defender produced standout performances, including against Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, but was unfortunate to miss out on Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup

United were said to be willing to pay £60million for Hall’s services after he turned down the chance to return to Chelsea. Luke Shaw is currently Carrick’s only natural option after Harry Amass was told he can leave the club, with Patrick Dorgu preferred in a more advanced position.

Hall is set to remain at St James’ Park, but Newcastle have seen a number of players they did not wish to sell depart in recent times. Alexander Isak left for Liverpool last summer after forcing a move to Anfield, while the Magpies have relented and allowed Bruno Guimaraes to depart for Arsenal despite not wanting to sell him.

Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson explained the decision. “We didn’t want to sell Bruno. It wasn’t in the plan to sell Bruno. None of us — or ownership — wanted to sell Bruno,” he said.

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“He’s our captain, he was very, very important to us and the debate over his price — it’s a world-record fee for a player of his age. What we had to weigh up was, very respectfully from Bruno with his behaviour towards us, very emotionally as well, effectively told us he wanted to leave and move on.

“That doesn’t mean he can go but it certainly plays a part in what our thinking is when we hit a certain range of number. But there’s no part in saying it was part of our strategy and was in our thinking this summer — it wasn’t.

“But we have got to be flexible and react to things that happen. It might have been in our plan to sign one player but we didn’t get him so we move on to another. We can only be honest about that.”

Hall was absent from Newcastle training on Thursday morning but was working on a different fitness programme.

Thousands of Man United fans upgraded their matchday last season. This is how they did it.

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Brendon McCullum has hailed his successor Stephen Fleming as “like me, but better”, after England appointed his former New Zealand teammate as Test coach. McCullum was sacked from his role in charge of the red-ball side last month after a woeful Ashes campaign was followed by a 2-1 series loss at home to New Zealand, but he remains in charge of England’s limited-overs teams. England are now reverting to a split coaching set-up with Fleming — like McCullum a former captain of New Zealand — taking over for the tour of South Africa later this year that follows a home series against Pakistan.

Former batsman Fleming, 53, made his name as a coach in the Indian Premier League, leading Chennai Super Kings to five titles.

“The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) has done incredibly well to get someone who has options all round the world,” McCullum told Sky Sports. “To get someone (like him) to commit to English cricket for the period he has is an outstanding achievement.

“I had a great time for those four years and now it’s heading in a different direction. Flem will be excellent. He’s a little bit like me, but better.”

McCullum believes he can work closely with Fleming to avoid disputes over the availability of multi-format players such as Test captain Joe Root and white-ball skipper Harry Brook.

“Flem and I talk pretty much every day, we’re close mates and we’ve done a lot together. He’s one of those guys I trust completely,” said McCullum.

“We have good robust conversations and both of us just want what’s right for English cricket. We want to be able to set this thing up so England is successful across all three formats of the game. 

“That is going to take some give and some take at times, but we both understand that and we are going to try and work very closely together.”

Former England batsman Marcus Trescothick will be the interim head coach for the three-Test series against Pakistan starting at Headingley on August 19.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney produced a thrilling solo ride to the summit of Mont Ventoux to claim her first Tour de France Femmes stage win and the overall race lead.

The iconic climb of Mont Ventoux was included in the Tour de France Femmes for the first time for this year’s ‘queen stage’.

Niewiadoma-Phinney began the 146.8km ride from La Voulte-sur-Rhone third in the general classification, one minute and 17 seconds behind race leader Marlen Reusser, with Demi Vollering second.

And the Polish Canyon-SRAM rider, who won the Tour in 2024, launched an attack with 9km of the Mont Ventoux climb remaining.

As the 31-year-old pulled clear of her rivals on stage seven, it became a battle for the leader’s yellow jersey.

She ultimately reached the summit finish one minute and 16 seconds before Dutch rider Vollering, with Reusser 30 seconds further back and defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot more than 10 minutes down.

Niewiadoma-Phinney now holds a 15-second lead over Vollering with two stages remaining while Swiss rider Reusser is 39 seconds adrift in third.

“I’m blown away with what just happened,” said Niewiadoma-Phinney.

“This victory goes to so many people that were with me along this very long road without proper big wins.

“It was so funny, as we started to climb Mont Ventoux I looked to my right and saw my parents. They made a surprise visit and I could see my dad crying. I was like ‘I just need to make them proud’.”

Saturday’s penultimate stage is the longest of this year’s race, with the mostly flat 171.9km ride from Sisteron to Nice set to suit the sprinters.

That will leave the general classification rivals to battle it out for the title on a 99.2km mountain stage beginning and ending in Nice on Sunday.