VikingsTerritory is here to answer your questions, publishing them weekly in a single article. The timing is opportune, with training camp getting off the ground in approximately four days.

We have selected the primary questions from the email inbox, and our responses are provided below.

Vikings’ Summer Questions Stretch from Rookies to the Division Race

Question: If you had to guess one single rookie who will make the most impact for the Vikings in 2026, who would that be?

Answer: DT Domonique Orange.

The Vikings found Orange in Round 3 from Iowa State, and because nose tackles are often asked to “only stop the run,” they get up to NFL speed quicker than other rookies. We don’t believe Orange will be different.

The Vikings didn’t have an official general manager during the draft, leading us to assume that defensive coordinator Brian Flores had more input than usual during the process. It’s unlikely that he was forced to pick Orange.

And because Levi Drake Rodriguez — who is decent, not great — is the only NT standing in Orange’s way, VikingsTerritory thinks Orange will see the field as early as September.

Caleb Banks and Jake Golday will get snaps as rookies, but pencil us in for fans falling in love with Orange and his run-stopping ways.

Question: What do you expect from Demond Claiborne as a rookie?

Answer: Enough to wet your whistle for 2027.

Sadly, Claiborne probably won’t see gobs of touches in the Vikings’ offense; Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are ahead of him on the depth chart, and the Vikings’ coaches value the dependability of those men.

But Claiborne has speed to die for (4.37), which Jones and Mason do not possess. We estimate around 75 touches for Claiborne and more if Jones rides the injury train, which usually happens. It’s unclear if Claiborne has the tackle-breaking gene to become an RB1 or elite RB vision, but we trust that new assistant head coach Frank Smith will guide him in the right direction.

When we get to the 2027 offseason, fans will wonder which running back the Vikings will find to pair with Claiborne as a one-two punch.

Question: Why did Minnesota settle on Blake Brandel at center?

Answer: He improved every game at center during Ryan Kelly’s absence in 2025.

Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said about Brandel last season, “The way Blake handled this game, I think we might be looking at a situation where this could be his best position of all five across the line. And getting Jurgens back into practice is just a plus for us. And we’ll see where all those guys are at throughout the week as we assess.”

“Going back to years past, Blake hasn’t played a lot of center, but they’re always working those guys because of these situations, the interior backups particularly, have to at least be swing guards. Having some center flex centers that are only centers, kind of limit you with your roster. Generally, they have to at least function at guard. So those guys get worked in throughout the offseason.”

The Vikings could’ve signed about five different veteran centers in free agency or drafted Logan Jones, Sam Hecht, Jake Slaughter, or Connor Lew in April.

But nope — they trust Brandel. Perhaps the guy deserves a fair shake.

Question: Are the Vikings capable of winning the NFC North?

Answer: Of course.

Minnesota can win the NFC North if they do one thing: protect the football.

In 2024, the Vikings ranked third-best via turnover differential. In 2025, they ranked third-worst in the same metric. Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings follow one strict script: when his team protects the football and wins the turnover battle, it wins 90% of games. When it loses the turnover battle, that win percentage drops to 27%.

The rest will take care of itself if Minnesota’s offense protects the ball while Flores’s defense does Flores defense things.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

First Published: Jul 22 2026 | 10:54 PM IST

A 126-member Indian athlete contingent will vie for medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, starting in Glasgow, Scotland, on Thursday. With no wrestling, badminton, hockey, or table tennis this time around, India will look to maximize medals from the disciplines in which they are competing. Four years ago in Birmingham, India finished fourth with 61 medals-a tally expected to drop noticeably due to the absence of those key sports. Despite that, India has named a strong squad for core events such as athletics, boxing, and weightlifting.

Let’s take a look at India’s top gold medal winning prospects at CWG 2026:

Neeraj Chopra (Javelin)

Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will headline a 32-member Indian athletics team for the Commonwealth Games. Recovering from a lower back injury, Chopra made a late start to the season at the Doha Diamond League, where he finished fourth with a throw of 85.69m. The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist missed the Games in Birmingham, but won the gold medal during the 2018 event in Gold Coast, Australia.

Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting)

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu will carry the Tricolour during the athletes’ parade. India’s Tokyo Olympics silver medallist heads to Glasgow as one of India’s brightest medal hopes. The 31-year-old weightlifter is a two-time Commonwealth Games champion, having claimed gold medals at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. She will compete in the women’s 48kg category at Glasgow.

Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing)

Pugilist Lovlina Borgohain will be looking to win her maiden Commonwealth Games medal after missing out on the podium at both Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. The 28-year-old, a former World and Asian champion, will compete in the women’s 75kg boxing event.

Murali Sreeshankar (Long jump)

Four years after winning the silver medal in Birmingham, Murali Sreeshankar has emerged as one of the standout performers in Indian athletics. Last month, Sreeshankar produced a personal-best-equalling 8.38m effort at the Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar.

Lawn Bowls (Women’s and Men’s teams)

India’s Lawn Bowls contingent scripted history at the Birmingham Games by securing two medals. The women’s fours team won a landmark gold, while the men’s fours team claimed silver.

(With Agency Inputs)

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“Winning World Cup Most Beautiful thing”: Golden Ball Winner Rodri

It’s a special edition of the Coloradoan’s Athlete of the Week series, partnering with Blue Federal Credit Union to honor our top local sports stars.

This week’s version isn’t about the athletes so much as the schools they represent.

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What is the best mascot among our Fort Collins-area schools? While there is some nickname overlap between a few schools, each school has a distinct branding, including a couple names unique to Fort Collins schools.

So, use your vote for your favorite local mascot! Maybe it’s your alma mater. Perhaps your kid attends school there. Or maybe you just think a Lambkin (or a SaberCat, or an Impala, or a Firebird, etc.) is just a really unique, interesting mascot.

You can find the poll at the bottom of the page.

Voting runs through July 28 at 11:59 a.m., with the winner announced at coloradoan.com/sports soon after the poll’s conclusion.

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Here are the Fort Collins-area high schools and their mascots:

Meet the Fort Collins-area mascots/team names:

Fort Collins High School: the Lambkins

Take your pick between a prancing lamb and the fiercer-looking live mascot that is Clyde. FCHS is the only school in the country with the Lambkin nickname.

Fossil Ridge: the SaberCats

Fang is the Fossil Ridge mascot, representing the school’s SaberCat nickname and displaying the school’s green and white colors.

Heritage Christian: the Eagles

Heritage Christian doesn’t typically use a live mascot and has undergone some recent athletics logo and branding changes. See the school’s current Eagles logo in the photo below.

Liberty Common: the Eagles

Liberty Common also doesn’t typically have a live mascot and also has the Eagles nickname, but with a red, white and blue color scheme. The Eagles mascot “symbolizes America and its values, underscoring the school’s commitment to fostering patriotism and civic duty.”

Poudre: the Impalas

The Impala antelope “is proud, determined, and the possessor of unquenchable spirit” and is nicknamed, “Cache.” Poudre is also the only high school in the country with the Impala nickname and mascot.

Poudre Community Academy: the Warriors

PCA doesn’t have a live mascot but the Warriors nickname represents the idea that “Strength in Community,” which is PCA’s mission and “what defines us as a family of Warriors.”

Rocky Mountain: the Lobos

The Lobos get their school mascot name from the Spanish word for timberwolf and represents “great courage, loyalty and strength.” Loco the Lobo is the live mascot.

Timnath: the Cubs

When the new Timnath Middle-High School opened in Aug. 2022, the Cub mascot kept the tradition from the previously-closed Timnath High School, which had used the Cubs as its nickname.

Wellington: the Eagles

Like Timnath, Wellington stuck to its roots when the new school opened in 2022. The maroon and white branding and Eagles nickname maintained the branding from the original and previously-closed Wellington high school.

Windsor: the Wizards

Windsor’s nickname has over 100 years of history and was derived from the school’s 1924 national championship boys basketball team. The live mascot is named “Walter the Wizard” and can be seen roaming Windsor sidelines with a light-up staff.

Windsor Community Academy: the Firebirds

Windsor Community Academy has another unique nickname in the Firebirds. The school’s live mascot, Phoenix, was designed by a student and chosen by student suggestions and a vote back in 2023.

Vote here:

Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Poll: Vote for best high school mascot from Fort Collins-area schools

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Shreyas Iyer (ANI Photos)

NEW DELHI: India captain Shreyas Iyer has thrown his weight behind teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, expressing confidence that the youngster has learned from his difficult introduction to international cricket and is ready to make a stronger impact.Speaking on the eve of the series opener in Harare, Iyer said he had no concerns about Sooryavanshi’s ability to bounce back after the 15-year-old endured a challenging tour of England.The teenager, who became India’s youngest-ever international cricketer during the England series, managed only modest returns before being left out of the fifth match as Sanju Samson returned to the playing XI.Despite the setback, Iyer believes the youngster has used the break productively.“All the youngsters, I think, they have definitely practiced. There was a decent gap after the T20 series. So he (Sooryavanshi) must have rectified where he went wrong. So personally, I don’t have to give much advice,” Iyer said.

Iyer urges fearless cricket

India head into the Zimbabwe series looking to recover from a disappointing white-ball tour of Ireland and England under Iyer’s captaincy.The skipper urged his young squad to play with freedom rather than worrying about criticism or the fear of failure.“I don’t think they should fear failure because when you have such thoughts at the back of your mind, then you play to save yourself. When you don’t have that fear, you can get the best out of yourself,” Iyer had said.With India travelling directly from England and having only one practice session before the opening match, Iyer acknowledged the challenge but backed his side to adapt quickly.Reflecting on his own comeback from injury, the 31-year-old said overcoming setbacks had made him mentally stronger.“It has made me more confident as an individual. When you overcome the injury phase, mentally it makes you very positive. Whatever challenges you face on the field, you know how quickly you can overcome them,” he said.

Sooryavanshi ready to move on

Sooryavanshi, meanwhile, admitted that the last four months have been an emotional rollercoaster but insisted his confidence remains intact.“Yes, there have been several ups and down in the last four months; it’s part of cricket it will keep happening but I have to follow the process and give my 100 per cent for the team,” the youngster told bcci.tv.His omission from the final T20I against England had sparked criticism of the team management, with several former cricketers questioning the decision to drop the teenager after just three innings.However, Sooryavanshi said the support from the coaching staff helped him regain his focus.“It’s an obvious thing that whatever I want (guidance etc), the coaches are making it available and whatever practice I require I am getting that. Feeling very good, there is confidence also,” he said.The Zimbabwe tour also carries special significance for the youngster. It was at the same venue in Harare that he starred in India’s triumphant Under-19 World Cup campaign earlier this year, smashing a breathtaking 175 off just 80 balls against England in the final.“It’s a very memorable ground for me. Just four months back, we had played the U-19 World Cup Final and won, so a very special ground,” he said.Confident of the knowledge he gained during that tournament, Sooryavanshi said he hopes to use his familiarity with the conditions if selected for the opening T20I.“I will back my practice which I have done so far and try to back my game… whatever contribution I can make for the team I will try to give that,” he said.

A day after the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, which Argentina lost to Spain, a video went viral showing Lionel Messi saying something to his teammates. “Come on, guys. Calm down, calm down is the most important thing. Let’s stay calm. Let’s just think about playing, nothing else. Calm down, let’s forget about everything. Let’s just play, let’s think about playing. That’s all, guys, let’s go,” the captain of the Albiceleste was heard saying.

With Messi being heard trying to ‘calm down’ his teammates, asking them to forget everything and move on just minutes before the start of the title showdown, the internet was intrigued.

Carlos Mac Allister, father of Alexis Mac Allister – Messi’s teammate – sent his son a message to find out what was behind it.

“I texted Alexis: ‘Hey, what happened in the locker room? Did something happen?’ I was just as worried. If I was worried, thinking that if something had happened my son would have told me right away, imagine how everyone else felt!” said “Colo” in an interview with Radio La Red.

La charla completa de los jugadores de la Selección Argentina antes de entrar a la cancha.

El video que despeja todas las dudas. pic.twitter.com/g0MKTtmCqu

— De Primera (@DePrimeraa) July 21, 2026

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“He told me no, that they were talking about going out to play, in the football sense, about playing, passing, rotating, creating triangles, not kicking the ball high, not giving away possession. That’s what they were referring to. Then a lot of doubts started to arise. These days, also because of that post that was made, many people write to me and some people have said this to me,”  the former footballer, who played for Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors, added.

Now, an extended video has been released on social media, highlighting what happened right before kick-off. In the video, Messi can be seen leading his troops from the dressing room to the waiting area.

Messi walks out of the dressing room wearing a white Argentina jacket over his kit. Chants of “Vamos muchachos” (“Let’s go, guys!”) can be heard, while the support staff also seem to be cheering the team.

The video later shows Messi with teammates behind him. The camera follows him as he moves forward. As Messi reaches the waiting area where both teams line up before walking onto the pitch, he deliberately goes around greeting players from Spain.

He makes a point of shaking hands, patting shoulders, or briefly hugging several of them, particularly those associated with Barcelona, the club where Messi spent most of his career.

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Yamal Laughs At Paredes vs Gavi ‘Fight Of The Year’ Poster During Parade

ONE featherweight Muay Thai contender Luke Lessei of the United States walked away from ONE Fight Night 45 with his hand raised, but the perfectionist inside him is still chasing something sharper.

“The Chef” outpointed “The Eagle” Mohamed Younes Rabah of Algeria via unanimous decision in the featherweight Muay Thai main event on Friday at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.

Lessei took full control as the fight wore on and badly rocked the Algerian with a thunderous hook in the third round.

Rabah survived, and all three judges ultimately sided with Lessei. Still, the 30-year-old cannot shake the feeling that a golden opportunity slipped through his fingers in that very moment.

“There was one shot in the third round, a big hook, and my coach tells me, like, it should have been an eight-count,” he told the promotion after the fight.

“I wish I had gotten that eight-count. I could have smelled blood and went for the kill, chasing the 50K bonus.”

Still, the Iowa native is thrilled to be back in the win column, adding:

“But it is what it is. I’m happy with the shots that I landed. I can always improve. I can always do better, and I think I could push the pace even more.”

Luke Lessei reveals his shortlist of next opponents

With the win pushing him back into featherweight Muay Thai world title contention, Luke Lessei already has a shortlist of names he wants next.

He would like to run it back with foes who beat him in the past, and will even welcome a kickboxing transition.

“I just heard [Shadow] has a broken jaw right now, so I’m not sure how soon he’ll be back, but all three of the names, Bambi, Nico, Shadow, whoever,” he told ONE Championship.

“The Chef” continued:

“I’ve always been interested in putting the big gloves back on, doing kickboxing, since there’s no big-glove Muay Thai. But, yeah, I love banging in whatever style it is for striking.”

ONE Fight Night 45 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.