In the end, this second Masters championship for Rory McIlroy is almost unavoidably going to become a milestone.
If last year’s emotional triumph to complete the Grand Slam was a destination – the destination – then retaining it puts him in rarefied air but doesn’t answer the only question which will ultimately matter when all is said and done; where this child prodigy from Northern Ireland turned golfing superstar will rank among the all-time greats.
That is the competition for him now: how many majors he can amass, how many records he can break.
By his own admission on this Sunday night in Georgia, at American golf’s most famous course in its crown jewel competition, he won’t always have this level of preparation for a major.
After 71 holes of rollercoaster golf, the 18th hole on Sunday was a microcosm of it all.
Needing to avoid a double-bogey on the last to win back-to-back Masters championships, McIlroy was once again wayward when the fairway was wide open for him.
“Coming off the 18th tee not knowing where my ball was, that was probably the moment of most stress; thinking this could be anywhere.”
Not for the first time, McIlroy’s driving put him out of position heading down the 18th with a two-shot lead (AP)
The Ulsterman had been long but inaccurate off the tee all week, and found the pine straw yet again. An iron to salvage things ended up in the bunker, but he splashed out to give himself a par putt that would have won the Masters. Drifting only a matter of inches past the hole, a bogey was still enough.
On Tuesday, McIlroy had commented that he felt “winning a Masters makes it easier to win your second one.”
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But last year’s triumph might not have helped in the way you’d expect, and it turns out that there are far greater advantages to winning the Masters than people might realise.
The obvious one of McIlroy no longer feeling that same internal pressure to complete the Grand Slam is something that is undeniable, and he admitted himself that he felt it might be simpler this year without the weight of the Grand Slam on his shoulders. But all those years of neurotically wondering how to best prepare in order to give himself the best chance of winning have also set him up for future success at Augusta that will extend far beyond this year’s triumph, his second in a row.
McIlroy with his family after winning a second Masters, including parents Rosie and Gerry McIlroy – who would not miss a second green jacket (REUTERS)
McIlroy tried a lot of different regimes as he looked to climb the mountain – arriving late, arriving early, practicing a lot, not practicing at all, playing in tournaments, skipping them – but this year’s preparation is almost certainly what he will continue for the rest of time.
From his base in Florida, he has been baking practice at Augusta into his weekly routine to the extent that it now “feels like my home course”. Skipping the three tour events running up to the Masters simply because he “doesn’t like them” will have made a couple of PGA Tour tournament directors wince, but it has allowed him time to effectively commute (via private jet, naturally) and practice around the course where a tournament that will actually matter to his legacy is taking place.
“I did a couple of days where I dropped Poppy to school, flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with her – or had dinner with Erica probably… a couple of day trips like that where I felt it was a better use of my time than going to Houston or San Antonio,” McIlroy admitted in typically frank fashion.
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“Monday, Tuesday last week, then Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. I was up here for a day the week before as well.
“I’ve been on this golf course so much the last three weeks, and that’s been a combination of practice and chipping and putting around greens, and then just playing one ball and shooting scores and ending up in weird places that you maybe never find yourself and just trying to figure it out.”
McIlroy’s preparation for this year’s Masters is almost certainly what he will continue for the rest of time (REUTERS)
McIlroy revealed that it wasn’t about conserving energy, just spending productive time working on those details around on the greens where a major championship would be decided come this glorious mid-April Sunday.
And that level of practice has shown.
Ultimately what McIlroy has learned over his nearly two decades of playing years of playing here is that you need to be a killer with the wedges and putter in hand.
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After two days, McIlroy was second-best putting and second-best driving distance but 90th in driving accuracy. He missed every single fairway on the par 5s as he built up his six-stroke lead over Thursday and Friday’s rounds, all eight of them, but came away with seven birdies and a par.
That’s a guy who understands how to play the course.
“I feel like being up here a lot and I’ve prepared as well for this Masters as any other that I’ve played,” he said.
Indeed, his 3.1 strokes gained around the greens during Friday’s round was not just the best in the field all weekend, it was the best by miles. In fact, the gap from first to second was the same as the gap from second to 45th. His chipping and short game was on a different planet to everyone else unfortunate enough to be trying to catch him at Augusta this weekend.
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McIlroy was required to escape from the bunker on the 18th in order to avoid a double bogey (Getty Images)
“My scrambling, my putting and my short game are what won me this tournament,” he would say on Sunday night, that green jacket once again on his back.
While Saturday’s round had made the retrieval of that jacket more difficult, McIlroy leaned into practice as a means of dragging himself to the finish line.
After missing some key iron shots left on day three during a disappointing 73, his post-round trip to the driving range as the shadows disappeared and turned into night on Saturday was all about rediscovering the light fade and re-establishing control.
In McIlroy’s own words, the most important shot of Masters Sunday was his nine-iron off the tee on 12, where he pulled out that baby cut that he’d rehearsed so many times under the lights of the practice area and nailed it under the brightest lights of them all.
McIlroy highlighted his nine-iron off the tee on 12, which led to birdie, as his most important shot of the week (Getty Images)
“It was a really good golf shot at the right time, and probably a golf shot I wouldn’t have been able to hit yesterday before going to the range.”
That birdie, then another on 13, proved decisive. It was his golf through Amen Corner on Sunday and the resultant three-shot swing that was the difference between him and perennial contender Justin Rose, at one point a Sunday leader by two shots, and set McIlroy back on the path to glory after a wobbly start.
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McIlroy described himself on Friday as a “wily old veteran” and this victory provided some support for that. No longer is he the boy wonder who dreams of emulating the greats, he is the established hero who inspires those following around the world.
Could other players have turned up at Augusta over the last few weeks and played practice rounds to familiarise themselves with the angles and sightlines provided by this sternest of tests? Probably not. That’s the benefit of a green jacket. Besides, most of them will have had tournaments to play.
Make no mistake, though. McIlroy has earned the right to prepare how he wishes, he had toiled for more than a decade without tasting glory and tried every which way to prepare in order to win. Now that he’s found his formula, and it appears he truly has, good luck convincing him to change it.
McIlroy and caddie Harry Diamond have cracked the code to win the Masters (Getty Images)
“I thought it was so difficult last year because I was trying to win the Masters and the Grand Slam but it turned it was just really difficult to win the Masters,” he laughed on a Sunday night that will once again be filled with champagne at the impeccable Augusta National clubhouse.
Yet he followed with a more important lesson, and a more pertinent one, as his smile melted into sincerity.
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“If you put the hours in and you work on the right things, it’ll work out for you.”
Former Denver Broncos quarterback Craig Morton, who was inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame, died on Saturday. He was 83.
Morton was critical in helping the Broncos reach their first-ever playoff appearance, ultimately getting them to Super Bowl XII during the 1977 campaign.
After going 12-2 during the season, and getting wins in the playoffs over the Pittsburgh Steelers and then-Oakland Raiders, Morton was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Year.
Denver Broncos quarterback Craig Morton stands on the sidelines with both hands on his hips.(GETTY)
“Craig Morton is unbelievable,” fellow Ring of Famer Haven Moses said after the Broncos won the AFC Championship in 1978, per the New York Times. “To me, he’s the most valuable player in the National Football League.”
Morton also won Sporting News Player of the Year, the PFWA Comeback Player of the Year and the NFL UPI MVP in 1977.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of #BroncosROF quarterback Craig Morton, who died on Saturday at the age of 83,” the Broncos posted on social media.
Morton also led the Broncos to two different division titles and three playoff berths during his six seasons with the franchise. He finished his career in Denver with 11,895 passing yards, which marked the most in franchise history at the time.
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Quarterback Craig Morton #7 of the Denver Broncos drops back to pass during an NFL game at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colo., circa 1978. Morton played for the Broncos from 1977 to 1982.(Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
Morton also led the Broncos with pass attempts (1,594) and completions (907). But Morton’s time with the Broncos was the latter half of his NFL career.
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He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1965, the fifth overall pick out of Cal. Morton spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Cowboys, where he threw for 10,279 yards with 80 touchdowns and 73 interceptions. He went 32-14-1 in his time with Dallas.
Then, during the 1974 season, Morton was moved to the New York Giants, a division rival of the Cowboys. He went 1-6 in his first seven starts that year and wouldn’t find much success in New York across three seasons.
Quarterback Craig Morton #7 of the Denver Broncos drops back to pass during an NFL game at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colo., circa 1978. Morton played for the Broncos from 1977 to 1982.(Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
The Lakers find themselves in ‘no-man’s land’ heading into Game 4. The Thunder‘s average margin of victory in the first three games has been +19.
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The bitter truth is that this Lakers team is not built for nor are they as successful when the game goes through Lebron James first. Without Luka Doncic in the mix, the distribution of offense is off balance.
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Luka Doncic has been ruled out for Game 4 due to his hamstring injury. That injury has kept him out of the lineup since April 8.
The larger concern for Game 4 comes from the OKC side of this tale of the tape. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has not needed to be in MVP form to beat the Lakes by almost 20 points per game. SGA is only averaging 21/5/3 in this series and none of the three games played thus far have been necessarily ‘close’.
The Lakers can win a game in this series, provided Lebron and Reaves provide volume production. However, unless something significant changes, it doesn’t seem likely Los Angeles will push this to a six or seven game series.
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Thunder vs. Lakers live updates, highlights from NBA playoffs Game 4
3rd Quarter- 6:14 Rui Hachimura hits a 3-pointer to cut OKC’s lead 66-58.
3rd Quarter- 7:35: Thunder up 12 after Cason Wallace triple. Lakers timeout.
3rd Quarter- 8:09: Teams trading buckets. OKC up nine, 63-54.
Halftime: Thunder 49, Lakers 45
2nd Quarter- 1:36: Lakers cut the lead to four. 44-40.
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2nd Quarter- 4:00: Teams trading buckets with OKC still up by ten. 42-32.
2nd Quarter- 5:29: Lakers first points of the quarter cuts six and a half scoreless drought. 38-28 lead.
2nd Quarter- 6:01: OKC 17-0 run. Lakers scoreless in the quarter. 38-26 lead.
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2nd Quarter- 6:12: OKC up by 10. 36-26. A 15-0 run for the Thunder.
2nd Quarter- 7:19: Jared McCain 3-pointer has OKC on 13-0 run. Lakers scoreless in first five minutes of the quarter.
2nd Quarter- 9:50: OKC up by 5 with 10-0 run. 31-26 with timeout on the floor.
2nd Quarter- 10:54: Thunder up 29-26 after 8-0 run to open the quarter. Two 3-pointer from Alex Caruso.
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End of 1st Quarter: Lakers 26, Thunder 21
1st Quarter- 18.3: Lakers up by 5 over Thunder, 26-21.
1st Quarter- 1:50: Lakers increase lead 22-19
1st Quarter- 3:25: TV timeout. 17-16 Lakers up.
1st Quarter- 4:53: Lakers on 9-0 run, take 17-14 lead over Thunder.
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1st Quarter- 6:29: Austin Reaves nails 3-pointer, cuts lead to 14-11.
1st Quarter- 6:42: TV timeout. OKC up 14-8.
1st Quarter- 7:34: Lakers trading buckets with the Thunder. OKC up 12-8.
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1st Quarter- 9:01: Thunder increase the lead to 7-4.
1st Quarter- 10:32: OKC jumps out to a 5-2 lead.
Tip-off from Los Angeles
How to Watch Game 4 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0) vs Los Angeles Lakers (0-3)
The College Sports Commission won its first binding arbitration test Monday, but perhaps the harder fight begins later this month in a California courtroom.
A neutral arbitrator affirmed the CSC’s rejection of NIL deals between Nebraska football players and Playfly Sports, validating the commission’s authority to designate the school’s multimedia rights partner an “associated entity” under the House v. NCAA settlement. Such deals are barred under CSC rules. Those deals under scrutiny are worth more than $1 million combined.
Jeffrey Kessler, lead counsel for the House plaintiffs, made clear the ruling doesn’t settle what he believes is a broader fight over the CSC’s enforcement reach. In a separate case tied to the House settlement scheduled for later this month, Kessler will argue that multimedia rights companies are not associated entities.
Bryan Seeley, the CEO of the CSC, framed Monday’s ruling as proof that the new enforcement system can do what the House settlement intended.
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“This case was never about whether these student-athletes can get paid,” Seeley said outside the ACC’s spring meetings Monday. “It was about whether they can get paid in this way, and our determination was they could not get paid in this way, and the arbitrator agreed with us on that.”
The House settlement administrator is scheduled to review the NCAA and the CSC’s interpretations of the House settlement’s language regarding “associated entities” in the Northern District of California on May 27. That motion could unravel a key element of the House settlement, opening the floodgates to more loose interpretations of the settlement’s guidelines, which were put in place by the CSC, the enforcement arm created last July as part of the settlement’s terms.
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“This is just one deal decided by one arbitrator,” Kessler told CBS Sports. “That is how the arbitration system works. Broader issues will be decided by the court, where we just filed our reply brief in support of our motion against defendants and the CSC for overreaching in their enforcement in violation of the settlement.”
On Monday, at least, the CSC picked up a much-needed win after months of creative interpretations of the new rules by players and schools.
The decision affirmed three of the CSC’s most consequential interpretations of the settlement rules. The arbitrator ruled that Playfly qualified as an associated entity, found the deals failed the valid business purpose test because they did not involve goods or services offered to the general public for profit, and concluded that the structure amounted to warehousing rather than the direct activation of NIL rights.
The arbitrator declined to rule on whether the compensation was commensurate with that paid to similarly situated individuals, which is yet another debate as to what and how much a player should be paid in a free market.
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The decision on Monday is the first of its kind in the post-House era. Of the 1,153 deals the CSC has declined since the NIL Go platform launched in June 2025, only 21 have ended up in arbitration. Those 21 were consolidated into three cases, with Nebraska’s case comprising the majority (18). The Playfly-Nebraska matter is the first to produce a binding ruling.
The CSC cleared 26,556 deals worth $242.35 million in its first 10 months of operation. Those deals represent only about 4% of submissions, but they account for nearly 19% of total dollar value under review.
Seeley repeatedly said Monday that arbitration decisions are not precedential. The system, which he admitted has pushed through growing pains as many schools have so far refused to sign the CSC’s participation agreement, would have survived a loss.
“Even if we were to have lost today’s decision, it would not bring down the whole system,” Seeley said. “Even if it’s not precedential, the fact is it’s influential, and it’s influential in people’s minds about how they think about enforcement. So to me, it was a good day.”
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Seeley also sharpened the contrast with the Kessler motion when asked where these fights belong: in the courtroom or before a neutral arbitrator.
“Looking at whether an entity is an associated entity is a fact-based inquiry, and it cannot be divorced from the facts,” Seeley said. “What plaintiff’s counsel is trying to do in the California litigation is divorce this decision from the facts, and that is not how the settlement is supposed to work.”
Nebraska athletics director Troy Dannen said in a statement Monday he was “proud” of the players and “how they represented themselves during this process,” and added that the school continues “to operate within the parameters of the House settlement and the CSC process, while monitoring changes in the collegiate landscape.”
Nebraska’s players are expected to submit new deals to the CSC for review. Seeley said he told the school that the commission will expedite those reviews.
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“I believe there are deals in the pipeline for these student-athletes with actual sponsors attached to them that we can approve,” Seeley said.
But the bigger battle looms in the courtroom, as the reach of the CSC’s power will be questioned later this month.
Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel expressed satisfaction after the team registered a three-wicket win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Monday at the HPCA Cricket Stadium in Dharamsala. Chasing 211, DC recovered from 74/4 thanks to captain Axar Patel’s 56 off 33 balls and David Miller’s explosive 51 off 28, with the duo adding 64 runs in quick time. Despite late wickets, DC’s lower order stayed calm. Ashutosh Sharma smashed a crucial 24 off 10 balls, while Madhav Tiwari remained unbeaten on 18 off 8 and Auqib Nabi struck 10* off just 2 balls to seal the chase as DC made 216/7 in 19 overs, keeping DC’s playoff hopes alive.
Earlier, PBKS posted 210/5 after a blazing start from Priyansh Arya (56 off 33) and Prabhsimran Singh. Captain Shreyas Iyer anchored the innings with an unbeaten 59 off 36, while Suryansh Shedge added a quickfire 21*. In the bowling department, Mukesh Kumar (1/31 in 4 overs) and Madhav (2/40 in 4 overs) shone for DC.
For PBKS, dropped catches, poor bowling, and costly fielding errors hurt them as they suffered their fourth straight defeat.
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After the match, DC captain Axar Patel expressed happiness with Delhi Capitals’ all-round performance and hoped the team could carry the momentum into their remaining matches. He praised the bowlers for recovering well after conceding 60 runs in the first few overs and restricting Punjab Kings to 72 in the powerplay, calling it a key turning point.
Axar also highlighted the contributions of Mukesh and Madhav in the middle overs, his crucial partnership with Miller, and the composure shown by the young players in finishing the chase. He particularly praised youngster Sahil Parakh (13 runs off 6 balls), saying he has the potential to become a very good player in the future, and added that having such talented youngsters gives him confidence as captain.
“Very happy with how the team played, and hopefully we can do the same in the next two games. In the bowling, first 3-4 overs, they had 60 runs but to finish with only 72 in the powerplay, that was a winning moment. Then, Mukesh and Madhav bowling in the middle, and after that, my partnership with Miller, with the youngsters then finishing off the game. The cricket we are playing and the players we have, the future is strong. The runs Sahil also made, I had said before as well, he could be a good player in the future. A captain is very happy when he has youngsters like this, and as you said, the Delhi Capitals can do anything,” Axar said at the post-match presentations.
Madhav Tiwari, who won the Player of the Match (POTM) award for his contribution with both bat and ball, thanked the team management for backing him and said he was delighted to contribute to Delhi Capitals’ victory. He revealed that he has worked hard on improving his bowling and range-hitting with his batting coach, and jokingly described himself as both “100 percent bowler and 100 percent batter” when asked about his all-round abilities.
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“I would like to thank the management for giving this opportunity. Lucky enough to be on the winning side. I worked on my bowling a lot and my range hitting with my batting coach. It was fun and happy I was able to contribute for the team. (On if he is a batting or bowling all-rounder) I would like to say I am a 100 percent bowler and a 100 percent batter,” Madhav said after the match.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Placed No. 1 for most of the league stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign, Punjab Kings are now fighting to keep hold of the No. 4 spot in the standings. The defeat against the Delhi Capitals on Monday was their fourth consecutive loss of the season, prompting discussions about the team’s strategy, especially after Yuzvendra Chahal remained an unused bowler against DC. PBKS later pulled off another bizarre move as they sent the franchise’s spin bowling coach, Sairaj Bahutule, to the press conference, where he had to justify the no-spinner decision.
After going unbeaten in the first seven games, PBKS have lost four on the trot, with the disastrous run putting their playoff qualification hopes in jeopardy. Chahal, who was named in the team’s XI, didn’t bowl a single over against Delhi, leaving fans and pundits scratching their heads.
When Bahutule was asked about the all-pace strategy in the match, he said: “Definitely there was a thought (about bowling spinners) during the time-out, but I think the ball was seaming and the conditions were suitable for the fast bowlers. So I think the decision was very spontaneous to continue with the fast bowlers and see how we can get those wickets, which we did early on. But I think one partnership just took it away from us.”
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When asked if any major changes could be made to the team to revive the remainder of the campaign and finish the league stage on a strong note, Bahutule ruled it out.
“I think the team that has been doing so well, yes, we have lost a few games. We will again reflect on certain areas only. There won’t be any major changes, in the sense that everybody has been performing. But we will definitely look into it and see how we can just turn it around for ourselves,” he asserted.
When asked about the reason behind the defeat, the PBKS spin bowling coach echoed captain Shreyas Iyer‘s words and threw his fielders and bowlers under the bus.
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“Definitely we will look into certain phases of our bowling and also the fielding part. Again, today unfortunately we dropped a few catches again at a crucial time, so that was very important. And I think we will reflect, but again, there is no time for us to really brood about it; we must move ahead. At a crucial time, we are dropping catches, which unfortunately is breaking the momentum that we were getting. Because if we had taken two catches, I don’t think they would have reached the target; it would have been very difficult for them and we may have won the game by 20 runs,” he asserted.
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Farever servers could currently be down, as players from all regions have reported a patchy experience. As of the writing of this article, no planned server downtimes have been announced from Shiro Games for today (May 11 PDT). However, with a sudden playerbase growth two days into the game’s launch, server issues are rampant. So is it really down, and when could it be back online? The answer is almost always “well, that depends on whether the devs put out a post on it”.
However, there are ways to check the nature of the outage, and whether it’s a problem in your end.
Update: After a sudden outage of ~10 minutes, servers are now back online as of 5:00 pm PDT at May 11, 2026.
How to check Farever server status and downtimes
At the moment, Farever does not have an official downtime webpage. However, you can head over to the game’s official Discord through this link to check an official server status tab on Farever.
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In case you cannot join the Discord, that means the invite link has hit its current maximum amount. You should be able to join after server admins look into culling the outstanding invite list, so it will take a few hours at most depending on time of day.
After you’ve joined the Discord, check the server-status channel, which you can also follow to automatically send any announcements to your own Discord server(s).
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Alternately, this Metaforge API can also be used to double-check server status on Farever. Simply look for the “online” parameter under realms:
“online”:true means server is online
“online”:false means server is either down or facing instabilities
How long does Farever server downtime last usually?
This dreaded screen might not always mean it’s a full-on outage (Image via Shiro Games)
If there are server downtime announcements, it will likely last for 2-3 hours based on precedence. Farever is ultimately an MMO from an indie studio, so some turbulence in its Early Access days is to be expected. The developers upgraded their server capacities within a week from release, and their blog post says it’s an ongoing process:
“Since launch, we’ve been continuously working on improving stability, fixing bugs, and expanding our server infrastructure across all world regions. (…) We have not yet reached the level of stability that Farever deserves, and we will continue working on improving the servers so we can achieve the best possible performance, alongside fixes and improvements to the game itself.”
However, any major outage should regardless be an announcement on Farever’s discord. If a planned downtime is big enough, you might even see it posted on the game’s X page.
If it’s none of the above, check if there’s talk of a sudden outage on the Discord. Minor fluctuations and issues have been somewhat common in the game’s first week, so if you got kicked out of the game all of a sudden, it might be on the server end, and should be fixed within 30 minutes or so.
Finally, try to change the server region from the top-right corner if you’re consitently facing “Couldn’t connect to server” error screen. It’s possible for it to be a problem on your connectivity, although in such cases you’d have other telltale signs. A good way to spot-check is trying to log in from another server region, and if you still can’t do it from anywhere, it’s likely an outage.
Fernando Mendoza was not present during his alma mater’s visit to the White House on Monday, and at least one person was disappointed at it.
While commemorating the Indiana Hoosiers’ undefeated run to the national college football title, Donald Trump said about not seeing the No. 1 pick of the 2026 draft around:
Thanks for the submission!
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“I’m not happy, but that’s okay. The reason he didn’t is because he’s at spring training, right? And I actually said, ‘Let him! He’s got to win.’”
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During the Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie minicamp, Mendoza had been candid about missing the visit to focus on training for the first time as a pro:
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“I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here. I’ve got to prove myself. I can’t miss practice. I don’t have the calendar, but as a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look. I want to try to best serve my teammates, and I don’t know if that’d be accomplishing that goal.”
Raiders owner Mark Davis gets candid on Fernando Mendoza leading franchise rebuild
For most of the Raiders’ fanbase, the Fernando Mendoza era is one of optimism. After Derek Carr’s departure and three straight years of floundering veterans, the franchise finally has a young quarterback it could rally around.
Owner Mark Davis is well aware of that notion, as he put it when speaking to Raider Nation Radio’s JT The Brick last Thursday:
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“With Fernando Mendoza coming in as potentially the starting quarterback is just so exciting. We’ve got the pieces in place, it’s going to take a while to get all the players and everything, but I believe we’re at the forefront of getting this thing going again.”
He added:
“We continually win the offseason, it’s time to now make it translate to the regular season. I do feel a different vibe around this building right now. Everybody really is working together. Everybody seems to be on the same page. It seems like we’re ready to go for a long-term, sustained growth now.”
The Raiders’ OTAs begin on May 18 and will last until June 4. Mandatory minicamp will be from June 6 to 11.
Jake Paul’s controversial and money-spinning boxing career could end after 14 fights.
The YouTuber and businessman turned his hand to boxing professionally back in 2020, though competed against men at a similar level to his. He then made a name for himself by beating former UFC fighters, including Nate Diaz, Ben Askren and Anderson Silva.
Paul suffered his first loss when he faced Tommy Fury, but it was not damaging. That much, however, cannot be said about the second defeat of his campaign, which came in December last year when he stepped up against two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
Speaking on the Ariel Helwani show, he has now said that the ‘AJ’ fight – which many rightly said was dangerous when it was announced – could be his last.
“I’m getting some new scans in a couple of days, of the jaw, to get an update on the healing process. We’ll see what the doctors say. I think I’ll be able to get a more accurate timeframe, or can I even fight again? That is definitely in the realm of possibility.
“It does feel a lot better as weeks go by, but I definitely need to get cleared to be able to spar. I’m sort of staying in shape. I’m always in the gym regardless … Yeah [my fighting future is in doubt.] Most definitely. I think it just depends on how the bone heals. And also, there’s a tooth missing here, I’m pretty sure I’m gonna have to get an implant of some sort. I don’t know how much time that adds to things. We’re just going to have to see and figure out what’s the smartest thing for me.”
While Paul, 29, admitted that he has considered that this might be the end, he says that he feels like he still has things to accomplish in the sport and, if cleared to do so, will return.
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A broken jaw can be one of the most serious injuries a boxer suffers, not only because of the immediate pain and slow recovery, but because of the long-term physical and psychological effects it can leave behind.
The injury becomes an issue to doctors and governing bodies due to concerns over durability, nerve damage or the jaw’s ability to withstand further heavy impact – particularly if surgery involving plates, screws or other metal fixation to stabilise the fracture is required.
If competing is out of the question for Paul, his time in boxing as a whole is unlikely to come to an end, as MVP has become the standout promotional company for women’s boxing.
Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings fans cheer during the second quarter of a wild card game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings acquired nine players as reinforcements in last month’s draft, especially Brian Flores’ defensive unit, which added some much-needed youth on all three levels. All eyes are on big defensive tackles Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange, or on versatile linebacker Jake Golday.
It’s no coincidence that those three were the first three players selected by interim GM Rob Brzezinski. Another guy, however, could make some noise in the upcoming season and that’s third-round safety Jakobe Thomas.
The Miami product was the 98th overall pick in the draft and will forever be connected to Jonathan Greenard. Minnesota landed the pick for him by shipping the 2024 Pro Bowler to the NFC East. Another third-rounder next year, as well as a significant salary cap relief, was part of the deal, too.
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Regardless, the Vikings have to nail some draft picks after failing to find enough contributors in recent years.
Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive back Jakobe Thomas (8) celebrates after the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
ESPN’s Field Yates forecasts Thomas to help the Vikings rather quickly. He named Day 2 and Day 3 picks that will have an immediate impact, including Thomas. Yates wrote this week, “The exact impact Thomas will make on the Vikings’ defense is difficult to forecast, but that’s a testament to defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ creativity. Thomas has excellent size for a safety (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) and plays with an ultra-physical mentality.”
Indeed, physicality is one of his prime attributes. A true heat-seeking missile, Thomas is known for hard hits. Perhaps fitting that he could replace Harrison The Hitman Smith in the starting lineup.
Flores uses his safeties in various roles. Some function almost as linebackers, others play a classic free safety role as the last line of defense in the deep passing game. Thomas is more of the former, playing in the box and making plays on the ball rather than anchoring the secondary.
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The good news is that Flores has deployed Smith and Joshua Metellus in a way that could be a good fit for the rookie.
Miami Hurricanes defensive back Jakobe Thomas remains on the field after suffering an injury during second-quarter action against the SMU Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. On Nov. 1, 2025, Thomas was hurt following a defensive stop as Miami’s defense battled through a physical road matchup in Dallas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
“His on-ball production last season spoke for itself, as he had five interceptions and 3.5 sacks,” Yates added. “Minnesota is in the process of reshaping its secondary, and Thomas will be a key part of that transition.”
For the first time in years, the cornerback duo remains intact from one season to the next, but the safety rotation could be altered by Smith’s potential retirement. Metellus returns, and so do last year’s third and fourth safeties, Jay Ward and Theo Jackson.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said about the rookie after the draft, “His play style jumps off the tape. He’s a very, very highly intelligent player that we were able to really dive into. Jakobe’s a good blitzer, he’s a good tackler, and I know Flo’ (Brian Flores) is incredibly excited about him as a communicator and his upside football I.Q.”
Thomas will likely compete with Ward and Jackson for the jobs in Flores’ crew. Without Smith, there will be two spots with heavy snaps for the trio; if Smith is back, that number likely drops to one opening.
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Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive back Jakobe Thomas (8) against the Indiana Hoosiers during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Of course, a rookie is never guaranteed to emerge as a starter early in his career. Thomas is no different. The Vikings could just roll with the more experienced Ward and Jackson, while Thomas develops behind the scenes.
The fact that he was drafted earlier than many expected indicates that the coaching staff has a plan, though. After five college seasons with 53 games, including the final season on an elite Miami defense, he might be ready to compete earlier than some other first-year players.
Thomas and the other safeties will be worth monitoring in training camp.
The 28-year-old becomes just the fifth player to win back-to-back awards, the last being Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2014.
Dembélé last year succeeded Kylian Mbappe who won the prize five times in a row before departing for Real Madrid.
“It’s an individual trophy but all the individual trophies I’ve won are thanks to this team,” Dembélé said.
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The forward retained the honour despite having had an injury-plagued season.
He has started just nine matches in Ligue 1, notching up 960 minutes of gametime, compared to 20 starts and 1,736 minutes last season.
Despite the reduced time on the pitch, Dembélé has scored 10 goals and six assists — still down on the 21 and eight he achieved last year.
Paris Saint-Germain effectively wrapped up another Ligue 1 title on Sunday as a 1-0 win over Brest left them six points clear of nearest rivals Lens.
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With just two games remaining, Luis Enrique’s side also boast a superior goal difference.
PSG will be officially crowned French champions for the fifth season running, and the 12th time in the last 14 years, if they avoid defeat away to second-placed Lens on Wednesday.
PSG are also preparing for the Champions League final against Arsenal later this month after edging Bayern 6-5 on aggregate in their semi-final.
The award for best young player went to Dembélé’s teammate Desiré Doué, while Pierre Sage picked up the honours for best coach after establishing Lens as a direct challenger to PSG.
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