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Rookie Punter Option for Vikings Could Be a … 2nd-Rounder?

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Georgia punter Brett Thorson in 2022
Georgia punter Brett Thorson (99) punts the ball away during the G-Day spring football game in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, April 16, 2022. The black team won 26-23. News Joshua L Jones. © Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK.

If you’ve been scoping punters for the Minnesota Vikings in the upcoming draft, the best one might fly off the board in Round 2. He’s Brett Thorson, and there’s a wild new theory about his draft stock.

Minnesota could use draft capital on a punter if Thorson keeps climbing boards this spring.

The Vikings almost certainly won’t use a 2nd-Rounder on a punter, but the idea is out in the rumor mill as of this week for Thorson.

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Thorson Could Become an Option for Minnesota — But Not in Round 2

A 2nd-Rounder on a punter is wild.

Brett Thorson punts during a drill at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Brett Thorson Vikings
Georgia punter Brett Thorson drives through the football during a combine drill, showcasing hang time and directional control for scouts evaluating specialist consistency and leg strength Feb 25, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the NFL Scouting Combine as teams assessed punting prospects ahead of the 2026 draft cycle. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.

Report: Teams Could Spend Day 2 Pick on Thorson

Get familiar with the name Brett Thorson because his draft placement could blow your socks off.

NFL insider Jason La Canfora quoted an anonymous personnel executive this week: “I don’t know that you can justify taking a punter above the third round, but if that’s the threshold then he meets it. Maybe he even goes late second round.”

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“He has elite hang time and distance, and a lot of special teams coaches now seem to be getting more into that and not as much solely looking for the directional stuff… And he can do that too.”

Another source told La Canfora: “It’s crazy to talk this way about a punter, but the Georgia kid might be kind of special. If you really need a punter, and you have a coach who wants to be able to flip the field, there’s value to having a great punter.”

La Canfora added personally, “Thorson is a native of Australia with a tough-minded mentality and a willingness to throw his body into traffic to make a tackle.”

“It can, and has, led to injuries, but teams who have met with him love him and his metrics are off the charts and if nothing else there is a strong sense among teams I spoke to that he will be selected somewhere on the second day of the draft (second and third round).”

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Thorson is evidently a true weapon.

Precedent for Round 4 — but Not Round 2

In the last half-decade, the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have drafted punters in Round 4, picks that drew scorn from the general public because most specialists can be plucked from later rounds or undrafted free agency.

Taking Thorson in Round 2 — or even Round 3 — would take the cake. And yes — even the men drafted in Round 4 recently were advertised as game-changers, just like Thorson.

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Short and simple: drafting punters anywhere in Round 2 or Round 3 is lousy business. It’s an example of a general manager getting carried away or getting too cute.

Thorson’s Scouting Report

The Australian is 6’1″ and 240 pounds. The only knock on him might be a lack of experience in poor weather; they don’t really have that in Australia or at the University of Georgia.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein on Thorson: “Australian punter with adequate drive power and above-average hang time. Thorson gets good leg extension and has the ability to generate consistent lift, allowing the cover team to swarm when punts are returnable. He displayed vast improvement in touch with his coffin-corner kicks in 2025 and checks the boxes to be a Day 3 pick.”

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Brett Thorson punts during the SEC Championship game in Atlanta. Brett Thorson Vikings
Georgia punter Brett Thorson (92) launches a high, spiraling kick in early action as field position battles take shape, delivering a clean strike off his foot in a championship setting Dec 3, 2022, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, during the SEC Championship game with special teams playing a critical role. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports.

SI.com‘s Ethan Hurwitz on the Georgia punter: “The winner of the Ray Guy Award (given to the nation’s best punter) in 2025, and a finalist of the award one year prior, the two-time All-American was invited to the NFL Combine this past offseason and wowed teams with his strong leg. The Australia native regularly pins teams inside their own 10-yard line and can change the game with one swing of his right leg.”

“In his college career, Thorson punted the ball 156 times for 7,115 yards. His longest punt went 75 yards and he averaged 45.6 yards per punt. Though he’s still adjusting the NFL-sized fields coming from Australia, he’s continued to get better through the draft process, which included a stop at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.”

Vikings Have Johnny Hekker

Moreover, the Vikings have a new punter; his name is Johnny Hekker. Once upon a time, Hekker was the best punter in football, claiming six All-Pros, four Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl to his name. But that was then, and this is now.

Hekker represented an average punter by the numbers in 2025, and if he takes off in the Twin Cities, it will require a turn back of the clock.

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Johnny Hekker punts the ball during a game against the Arizona Cardinals. Brett Thorson Vikings
Los Angeles Rams punter Johnny Hekker (6) prepares and swings through a punt, sending the ball deep downfield as coverage units sprint into lanes, illustrating veteran technique and field-flipping ability Dec 23, 2018, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, during a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.

It’s also worth noting that Hekker’s contractual structure puts him in line to be the primary punter next season. Minnesota would have to swallow a bit of dead cap if it drafted Thorson and cut Hekker. Teams don’t typically keep two punters.

Thorson might be an option for the Vikings, but if he’s truly a 2nd-Rounder, you can rule him out.

Minnesota’s punter from the last four years, Ryan Wright, left the Vikings in free agency for a large contract with the New Orleans Saints.


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‘Now that the cremation is over…’: Former India cricketer’s shocking disclosure about cricket commentary | Cricket News

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‘Now that the cremation is over...’: Former India cricketer’s shocking disclosure about cricket commentary
File Pic: Laxman Sivaramakrishnan (TOI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer and renowned commentator Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has made another explosive revelation about his years in cricket broadcasting, alleging that he was forced to return to commentary duties immediately after his elder brother’s cremation.The former leg-spinner, who recently retired from the BCCI commentary panel citing “colour discrimination”, shared the emotional incident through a series of posts on social media on Thursday.“My elder brother passed away a few years earlier. We finished cremation in the evening, minutes after that, The Director Broadcasting of BCCI called me and said, ‘now that the cremation is over, can you take a flight the next morning to commentate on Ind v Aus Test in Mohali?’. I went,” Sivaramakrishnan wrote on X.The 60-year-old revealed that despite personal grief, he prioritised his professional commitments.“I sacrificed the mourning and went. My mother passed away when I was doing commentary in Pune. Having done all that, I was subject to whatever I went through,” he added.

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan

‘That’s why I retired’In another post, Sivaramakrishnan hinted that the same individual was one of the major reasons behind his decision to step away from commentary duties earlier this year, although he stopped short of naming the person publicly.Back in March, just days before IPL 2026, Sivaramakrishnan had announced his retirement from BCCI commentary, alleging discrimination based on skin colour and claiming he was sidelined in favour of newcomers.The former India spinner, who represented the country in nine Tests and 16 ODIs, had earlier opened up in interviews about battling depression, anxiety and severe emotional trauma during his commentary career.

Laxman

‘I thought I was going to die’In a deeply personal interaction with the Indian Express earlier this year, Sivaramakrishnan spoke about experiencing a mental breakdown during the IPL in the UAE during the Covid-19 period.“I was down completely and I didn’t want to see myself in the mirror,” he had said. “Whenever I was awake, I thought I was going to die.”He described terrifying hallucinations, sleepless nights and emotional isolation, while also alleging years of racism and appearance-based discrimination within cricket circles.Sivaramakrishnan further claimed he was often denied high-profile on-air roles because he was considered “not presentable”.“I’ve never done a toss or a presentation,” he said earlier, adding that producers allegedly told him they had been instructed not to put him in those positions.The former spinner also recalled painful experiences from his early cricketing days and said such incidents severely damaged his self-esteem at a young age.

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Towering statue of Pele unveiled in Guadalajara ahead of FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup 2022

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Pele's statue installed in Guadalajara

Pele’s statue installed in Guadalajara


A large statue of soccer great Pele was unveiled Thursday in the Mexican city of Guadalajara to commemorate his achievements with the Brazilian national team.


Pele, who died at age 82 in 2022, won one of his three World Cup titles in Mexico at the 1970 edition of the tournament.


“This monumental figure of this great player, who played here and scored a great goal, is a great gift to the people of Jalisco and to all visitors,” Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus said. “Pele loved Guadalajara, and the Brazilian national team fell in love with it because the Mexican public gave them everything in 1970.” 

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The 9.5-meter-tall (31-foot) statue is located in a public square called Plaza Brazil outside the Jalisco Stadium, which hosted matches in the 1970 and 1986 World Cups. For its 1970 title run, Brazil played its first-round, quarterfinal, and semifinal matches at the stadium before beating Italy in the final at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.


“People who come to the Jalisco Stadium now will stop to take pictures. This statue will be a landmark, especially since it depicts a football star like Pele,” Lemus said. “It’s a great gift for the World Cup.” 
In the 2026 World Cup, Guadalajara will host four first-round matches: South Korea vs. Czech Republic on June 12; Mexico vs. South Korea on June 18, Colombia vs. Congo on June 23, and Uruguay vs. Spain on June 26.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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First Published: May 22 2026 | 12:32 PM IST

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Pro reveals details of insane tattoo bet with caddie

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On Sunday, Lottie Woad enjoyed what is becoming a regular tradition in her pro career.

With a final-round 69 at the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati, Woad, who is 22, won her second LPGA event (and third event in total) since turning pro in the middle of last year. Woad’s victory was the latest highlight in her rapid climb up the food chain in the women’s game. It was also a moment of affirmation for one of her more … eclectic competitive rituals: a bag of gummy bears that has served as her good-luck charm.

As the story goes, the tradition started with Woad’s caddie, David Taylor, a veteran LPGA looper who evidently shares her sweet tooth.

“So, back in the UK, we’ve got kind of little supermarket called Marks & Spencer, and they do this sweet called Percy Pigs, and it just so happened that Singapore had one of these little small supermarkets, and I came across it one night when we were out for dinner,” Taylor said. “So, I took them and I put them in the bag, and I said, ‘These are some birdie sweets.’”

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Caddies are famously adept at discovering motivational tools for their players, and in Taylor’s case, the key to Woad’s heart was simple.

“Now, every player is driven by different things, some are financially driven, Lotte is in fact driven by sweets,” he said. “So, I put them in the bag, and I said, ‘Every birdie you make, we get one each.’ So it’s not she’s going to hit some mad sugar rush or anything.”

Woad is careful to point out that she’s not exactly housing gummy bears during the course of competition. The candies are a boost that helps to break up the monotony of life on the road.

“I don’t know, we’ve done it the last few events that we remembered,” Woad said with a grin. “Yeah, I think people think that we’re like stuffing our faces with sweets during the round, but like realistically we’re eating like four gummy bears.”

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But Woad’s moment in the sun at the Kroger Queen City Championship was dually rewarding, and not just for the sugar high of a pro victory. As Taylor explained in an interview with SiriusXM, he’d made his pro an unusual promise: The next time she won an event, she could choose the design for the next tattoo on her caddie’s body.

Woad’s victory in Cincy meant that she had earned that right, and as you might expect, there was only one option that made sense.

“Actually, about one hour ago, I got a text message from her, and she’s finally chosen what to get,” Taylor said with a laugh. “She’s chosen the piece, and it is, in fact, going to be a little gummy bear with a crown on it.”

A gummy bear with a crown — fitting for the first crowning of a new LPGA heavyweight player-caddie pairing … and one that just so happened to come in the Queen City.

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You can’t put it on kids

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Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned Ruturaj Gaikwad for attributing the Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) early exit from IPL 2026 to a young and inexperienced team. He highlighted that the blame shouldn’t be put on kids and that the seniors need to own up.

CSK were eliminated from IPL 2026 after an 89-run loss against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Thursday, May 21. The visitors were bowled out for 140 in pursuit of a 230-run target.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former India batter opined that Gaikwad should have spoken about the underperforming seniors instead of the youngsters while reflecting on CSK‘s exit in the post-match interview.

“He said that’s a very young team, that they cannot show that much faith in youngsters, and that they don’t have enough experience. I am wondering why those who have experience aren’t being spoken about. The talk should have been about Sanju Samson, Rutu, Shivam Dube, and Dewald Brevis. The talk shouldn’t be about Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, or Urvil Patel. What they did was excellent,” Chopra said.

“The talk should actually be about the elders. Rutu, how was your season? Kids bring bravado and an attacking approach. They don’t bring consistency, and how will they bring consistency? They are kids. So whose responsibility was it? You said you would open and don’t want to let Mhatre open. You needed to score runs. I agree that anyone can have a bad season, but you need to own up. You can’t put it on kids that they didn’t do well,” he added.

Ruturaj Gaikwad aggregated 337 runs at an underwhelming strike rate of 123.44 in 14 innings in IPL 2026. Shivam Dube (270 runs at a strike rate of 158.82 in 12 innings) and Dewald Brevis (151 runs at a strike rate of 127.96 in eight innings) also weren’t at their best this season.


“The mistake was in the auction as well” – Aakash Chopra on CSK’s IPL 2026 exit

Dewald Brevis was one of the two overseas batters in CSK's IPL 2026 squad (Image via X/@IPL)Dewald Brevis was one of the two overseas batters in CSK's IPL 2026 squad (Image via X/@IPL)
Dewald Brevis was one of the two overseas batters in CSK’s IPL 2026 squad (Image via X/@IPL)

In the same video, Aakash Chopra reckoned it wasn’t the youngsters’ mistake, highlighting that CSK had also erred in the IPL 2026 auction.

“In that interview, it seemed like it was the kids’ mistake. It wasn’t the kids’ mistake. The mistake was in the auction as well. You had two overseas batters, and they weren’t even like-for-like. You played with three overseas many times,” he said.

While acknowledging that Gaikwad might not have had enough time to reflect on the loss before the post-match interview, the cricketer-turned-commentator opined that his comment was odd.

“Plenty of problems that can be talked about later, but I found that one comment odd. Putting your responsibility on someone else is not the nicest way of doing things. You might not have got enough time to think about it post-match, you reacted suddenly, and you don’t mean it perfectly, but it still felt slightly odd as the kids have done decently. It wasn’t about them at all,” Chopra observed.

However, Aakash Chopra concurred with Ruturaj Gaikwad that the Chennai Super Kings were hit hard by injuries in IPL 2026. While terming CSK the ‘Chotil Super Kings’ because of the number of injuries they have endured, he pointed out that even Sanju Samson got injured while keeping in their last league game.

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