Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
As things stand, the Vikings are boasting north of $13 million in open cap space (OTC). Not too shabby, but things could be improved. In fact, the financial outlook for 2026 seems destined to improve.
The Minnesota Vikings boast a pair of stud players in RT1 Brian O’Neill and EDGE1 Andrew Van Ginkel, both of whom look like logical extension candidates. Combined, the pair of veterans could spark a robust financial windfall for the present-day Vikings. All that’s needed is for GM Nolan Teasley to put together a pair of contract extensions, a task that’s easier said than done but that’s nevertheless quite plausible.
The Vikings’ Cap: Watch for a $25M Boost
At this stage, Mr. O’Neill appears to be a lifelong Viking.
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Kirk Cousins used to pass along the quip that the letters “NFL” actually stand for “Not for Long.” His basic idea is that job security is scarce in the money-hungry, cutthroat football league. Very few players ever arrive at fixity in their employment for a specific team.
Brian O’Neill is therefore a unique player who appears to be following in Harrison Smith’s and C.J. Ham’s footsteps.
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings guard Will Fries (76), offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (75) and fullback C.J. Ham (30) celebrate after a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Right now, O’Neill carries the weightiest cap charge for the Minnesota Vikings. He’s seeing $23,115,657 get attached to his name, a hit that’s worth it but still difficult enough to digest.
Extending the rugged large lad could involve $14,160,000 getting put back into the mix. At this point on the calendar, that’s a total that is quite beefy. Enough to do damage among the remaining free agent talents, that’s for sure.
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Extending O’Neill appears to be Step 1, at least in the minds of many.
There’s then Andrew Van Ginkel, whom the Vikings should be prioritizing as the top player to extend. No team can succeed without having a formidable pass rush. In Van Ginkel, the Vikings boast one of the most overlooked options within considerations of the NFL’s top edge rushers. Ensuring that he finishes his pro career with a horn on his helmet should be a priority.
He, too, is a pricey player. The cap is showing $19,250,000 for the edge rusher’s services in 2026 (third-most on the team behind O’Neill and Justin Jefferson). Extending him could mean seeing $11,352,000 tossed back into the mix for 2026.
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) attempts to recover a fumble defended by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew van Ginkel (43) in the second half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Ginkel recovered the fumble on the play. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Extending both of Brian O’Neill and Andrew Van Ginkel — a reasonable outcome that may even be likely — would mean giving the Vikings $25,512,000 in added cap room for 2026.
Teasley could use that open room to enhance the roster by plucking talent out of free agency. Or, perhaps, there’s a desire to venture into the trade market. Boasting ample cap space helps in when it comes to pulling off a swap.
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The NFL is operating from within its slowest portion of the year. What could disrupt the seemingly inevitable summer doldrums is an extension or two. The Vikings boast several players who appear like nice candidates, none more compelling than O’Neill and Van Ginkel. Since each have hearty cap charges, each can give back ample cap room.
Look for the Vikings to get some enhanced cap space at some point during the summer.
A Minnesota Vikings fan looked on intently on Sept. 14, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the second half of the matchup against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. The afternoon crowd reflected a mix of anticipation and frustration as the game’s momentum shifted late, leaving fans hanging on every possession in another tense home-field showdown. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Best guess on this end of the internet is that Vikings defender Ivan Pace Jr. is facing a tough battle to get onto the final roster. Minnesota would likely be keen to participate in a trade. That’s far from gospel truth, though.
Mr. Pace is a 25-year-old linebacker who offers a pile of aggression and physicality. Coaches, as Mike Zimmer used to say, would “rather say whoa than go.” Basically, coaches would rather need to restrain a player operating with too much compete than motivate somebody who doesn’t appear particularly motivated.
Add it all up and there is a lot to like in Pace. He’s a homegrown talent who is young and who has the potential to improve. Better yet, his mentality appears perfectly-suited for life working under the tutelage of Brian Flores.
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With all of that being said, what of the subtraction chatter?
Demoted Vikings Defender Ivan Pace Jr. in Danger of Subtraction
All along, Pace has been doubted, largely due to being a smaller player.
Looking back, there’s simply no way he should have fallen out of the 2023 NFL Draft. Seeing a redo take place would involve the blitzing specialist going reasonably high. Not a 1st and possibly not somebody for the 2nd or 3rd, but the 4th or 5th would represent good value. Bringing him to town as an undrafted player was an instance of highway robbery from former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
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Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. kneels quietly in the end zone during pregame moments, with Dec 25, 2025 set at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as players prepare for a Christmas Day matchup against the Detroit Lions, capturing a focused and reflective scene before kickoff in a divisional showdown. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Since being promoted to a starting position as a rookie, Pace has been slowly declining. Or, at least, his portion of the pie has decreased, leaving him with less and less snaps.
Consider just his overall snap count on defense across his three years:
2023: 706
2024: 414
2025: 323
Obviously, that’s a discouraging trend. Making matters even worse is that Pace was involved in all seventeen games in 2025 versus just eleven in 2024. Not only did he play less snaps, but Pace played less snaps while playing six more games.
Another factor to consider is the broader injury turmoil for the ’25 Flores defense. Guys like Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman, and Josh Metellus all missed time. In theory, that should have created more work for Pace.
I recognize that a pair of those players are edge rushers and one a safety, but the Flores defense involves shuffling aplenty. Metellus, for instance, is commonly tasked with playing linebacker. Not having Metellus therefore creates a need for somebody to eat into those linebacker snaps (such as a linebacker).
And then not having Greenard and Van Ginkel for some games meant moving Eric Wilson up to edge rusher. Seeing Wilson vacate his normal off-ball linebacker spot didn’t lead to a major boost in playing time for Pace.
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Oct 20, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (0) returns a fumble 36 yards for a touchdown as linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43) and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) look to block against the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Per Over the Cap, Ivan Pace is demanding a $3.52 million cap hit in 2026. None of that money would get left behind as dead money in either of a cut or a trade.
Best guess is that a cut isn’t going to happen. Added cap space is always to be coveted, but Minnesota could have already moved on had there been a desire to add cap room. What appears more likely is a willingness to move on from Pace if somebody offers a Day 3 pick. In that scenario, the Vikings defender would give back cap space while further fortifying the draft ammo.
Otherwise, Pace can be kept around as the LB4 behind Cashman, Wilson, and Jake Golday. He can show improvement (cutting down on missed tackles and not getting eviscerated when in pass coverage) so as to demand a contract in Minnesota. Or he’ll be allowed to walk next offseason, putting a comp pick on the board.
Ivan Pace, 25, hasn’t seen the final chapter of his story written. He is nevertheless needing to overcome the sort of doubt that made him such a fascinating story as an undrafted talent who quickly proved capable of shining in the NFL.
Fourteen years on from the moment Nadiem Amiri joined Hoffenheim’s youth teams and played for a young coach called Julian Nagelsmann, the pair are together in the USA, Canada and Mexico representing Germany at the World Cup.
“If you have a youth coach and you know each other early and for a long time, then it’s always a special relationship,” said Amiri. “There were so many amazing moments together and that shapes us. We have a good connection, and he was always in touch even when he wasn’t my coach. I have a lot of respect for Julian and am grateful to him.”
And after just the second game at this tournament, Nagelsmann can be grateful that Amiri delivered what he wanted from the midfielder exactly when the team needed it. After all, it was the 29-year-old’s perfectly delivered cross that set up Deniz Undav for Germany’s equalizer in Toronto on Saturday.
“I knew my moment would come,” said Amiri, who has met in an exemplary fashion the expectation that Julian Nagelsmann has of him as a substitute who delivers instant results.
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Nagelsmann told ARD at the end of May that Amiri’s emotional energy had played a role in his inclusion in the squad. “Especially in the heat, when a game is petering out after the 70th minute because the teams are tired, [Amiri] can still spark something with his positive tenacity.”
Amiri’s long road back to the top
The turning point in his recent career was a surprise move to Mainz in January 2024.
“The move to Mainz was the best move of my life. At the time, I just wanted to be happy again and play. I never would have thought I’d be sitting here two years later, but in football you never know,” Amiri said, as Germany prepares for a World Cup game against Ecuador. “I always believed in my qualities and I’m very proud.”
After helping the club to stave off relegation, Amiri helped Mainz reach Europe in the following season. In the campaign just finished, Amiri took a jump, scoring more goals and driving Mainz to the Conference League quarterfinals. Notably, the 29-year-old scored all 10 of the penalties he took, including two in one Bundesliga game.
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Amiri returned to Germany’s squad in March 2025 following a five-year absence, admitting that while it hurt being out of contention for so long it didn’t break him. Indeed, Amiri’s openness about his family and what it means to him to be here is a reminder of his strength of will, but also the impact of a supportive inner circle.
“I can’t find that many words to say about him [father] because if I did, I’d have to talk for hours about how grateful I am. I love him more than anything,” said Amiri. “Every moment on the pitch is for them [family]. When I assisted the goal, they were celebrating in the crowd as if they had delivered the cross. It’s an incredible moment,” said Amiri, adding that 20 of his 25 family members were at game in Toronto to watch him live, many for the first time. “With it being my World Cup debut and all that happened, it was a perfect day.”
Nadiem Amiri with his family after the gameImage: Markus Ulmer/Ulmer/Teamfoto/IMAGO
From Afghanistan to America
Amiri’s parents fled war-torn Afghanistan in the 1980s, settling in the West German city of Ludwigshafen. His father had a trucking business and his mother was employed at a care home for 20 years as the pair labored to create safety and opportunity for their children. Amiri was born in 1996 and played on the streets of the city with his older brother. His parents then drove him to practice in Kaiserslautern, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) away, where his football journey began.
“In the tough times, I realized that for me, it’s the family that is always there. A slump like that was good for me at the time,” said Amiri.
Whether it was the path to youth football as a child, the setbacks in Leverkusen or the half-decade long absence from the Germany team, Amiri has overcome the challenges in his life one after another. In September 2025, Amiri came off the bench to score his first goal for Germany and help turn the tide in Cologne against Northern Ireland. In Toronto, at the World Cup, it was his cross that did the same. Deniz Undav might be Germany’s supersub and the man making the headlines right now, but he’s not the only one capable of making a game-changing impact for this team.
Cowboys insider Clarence Hill Jr. made the unlikely suggestion that Jerry Jones signs Lionel Messi after he led Argentina into the World Cup knockout stage. Messi led la Albiceleste to the Round of 32, scoring the two goals in their 2-0 win over Austria on Monday.
The Argentines defeated Algeria 3-0 in their opening group game, with the Inter Miami star grabbing a hat-trick. Reacting to Messi’s run after Argentina’s win on Monday, Hill posted on X.
Thanks for the submission!
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“Let’s get Messi,” he wrote.
•
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The defending champions have been unstoppable in this World Cup, marching to the top of Group J with consecutive convincing wins. The Argentines have been solid in defense, limiting their opponents to just a shot on target across both games.
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Lionel Messi’s impact and performance at the World Cup
The star of the show has been Lionel Messi in offense. The soon-to-be 39-year-old is dominating the tournament, with five goals to his credit after two rounds of games. With the five goals, he has brought his all-time World Cup tally to 18 goals, shattering the record previously held by Miroslav Klose with 15.
The Argentine head coach Lionel Scaloni built a system that has worked to Messi’s strengths, allowing him to focus on attacking. The result has been devastating for opponents, with Messi scoring twice on Monday despite missing an early penalty.
With this most likely being his last World Cup trip, Messi’s performance will cement his status as perhaps the greatest player in soccer history. In addition to surpassing Klose’s goal record, the Argentine has also broken Pele’s record for the most goal contributions.
Lionel Messi now has 26 goal contributions, with 18 goals and eight assists, compared to Pele’s 21 goal contributions. His unprecedented longevity puts him in an exclusive class of players to play in six world cups along with Cristiano Ronaldo.
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He became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the World Cup at 38 years 357 days old against Algeria.
Argentina plays its final group game against Jordan on June 27 in Dallas. The team will face Group H runner-up if it finishes top of Group J.
Securing the top spot is crucial for Argentina, as it will help the team avoid a clash with a fellow contender like Spain. With a core of veterans like Messi, Lautaro Martinez, and Rodrigo De Paul, Argentina remains a favorite in the race to win the World Cup.
Clark has a Ping deal now, but he first switched to the wand back in March without a contract. Ping announced a unique putter-only deal with Clark on the eve of the U.S. Open last week, a first for the company in more than 50 years of sponsoring Tour players.
Now, the company has its first major victory in over a decade and the potential for a gear-industry disruption.
For the first two-plus months that Clark had the all-white, center-shafted putter in his bag, he did so without incentive. It was a bit of a wild journey to get there.
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The now two-time major winner’s previous equipment contract with Titleist expired at the end of last year, leading him to become one of the most high-profile gear free agents to start 2026.
Clark joked at the Memorial earlier this month that he was “dating” different clubs at the beginning of the year as he cycled through both drivers and putters. With the flatstick, he settled into a L.A.B. Golf DF3 at the end of last season, moving away from the counterbalanced Odyssey Jailbird with which he won the 2023 U.S. Open, but it wasn’t long before he switched things up.
First, he started playing the grip upside down. Then he bought a new Bettinardi putter at his home course pro shop and gamed it at the Players. Two tournaments later, Clark walked on to the Ping Tour truck to have some work done to his G440 Max 3-wood.
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PING Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset CB Custom Putter
“During a discussion in Houston regarding his equipment, we noted he was using a center-shafted onset putter and how we just introduced two new onset mallets in our Scottsdale TEC line,” Ping Player Development Manager Dylan Goodwin, who worked with Clark on the switch, told GOLF. “We explained the technology and our philosophy on torque. He liked the look of both models and the principle behind them. He requested we build both to his specifications at the time.”
Unlike the L.A.B. or the Bettinardi Antidote models Clark was using, Ping’s Scottsdale TEC Onset models are not “zero-torque” putters. Instead of the shaft going through the center of gravity of the head, Ping places the shaft directly in front of the CG to create stability by “pulling” the majority of the mass.
Clark tried out both the Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset and Ketsch Onset models and found the Ally Blue, with a slightly more face-balanced design with five degrees of toe hang versus 15 on the Ketsch, better fit his stroke. Specifically, he noted an improved start line, fixing a left miss.
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He put a standard 35″ Ally Blue Onset model in play in Houston and used it for two events before going back to the Ping Truck at the RBC Heritage. There, Clark asked for a new Ally Blue Onset CB to match the same specs of the counterbalanced Odyssey Jailbird 380 he used to win the 2023 U.S. Open.
Clark was part of maybe the wildest gear story of 2023 when he earned his first two victories, including the major at the Los Angeles Country Club, with a counterbalanced Jailbird with lead tape covering the entire sole. Rickie Fowler was the first player to switch to that kind of build, and Clark asked for the “Rickie-build.” Both players, along with Keegan Bradley, a longtime user of the head, won that year.
At the time, the Jailbird was a potentially forgotten-about Odyssey head, but within one summer it became the company’s flagship mallet and was back in production. Clark wanted that same heavy feel again.
“We initially built a standard 370g head at 38” with a SuperStroke 3.0 17” grip,” Goodwin said. “However, he felt this setup lacked the head feel and control he prefers. To address this, we built two new options: one with a standard head weight and a 17g tip weight, and another with a 400g head featuring tungsten in the sole plate. Since Wyndham adds lead tape to the sole regardless of the initial build, he found the 400g head too heavy with the added tape, but the 387g head (which finished at 400g with the lead tape) was perfect.”
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Clark excelled with the added stability both from the shaft and CG placement, as well as the overall weight. It showed in the stats.
“Since I switched to this Ping putter, it’s been amazing,” Clark said at the RBC Canadian Open two weeks ago. “Now I feel like all the hard work I’ve put into my swing is paying off because when I hit the greens or hit it close, I’m actually making the putts, where maybe earlier in the year I wasn’t.”
Wyndham Clark gets makes his second U.S. Open title the first major title for Ping’s new Scottsdale TEC putter.
It’s the first major title for a Ping putter since Bubba Watson at the 2014 Masters. pic.twitter.com/Dlmo7RhXoY
After finishing 4th in the field at Shinnecock in SG: Putting, Clark has risen from 155th on the PGA Tour in the stat, where he was losing .725 strokes a round, to 43rd, gaining .239 strokes. He’s also 5th in putting average at 1.702.
“I played some ugly golf the last two days, but my putter and short game kind of kept me in it,” Clark told NBC’s Mike Tirico Sunday after hoisting the U.S. Open trophy.
There’s no telling whether Clark’s improvement will lead to the same fever around the Ally Blue Onset that surrounded the Jailbird three years ago, but it’s safe to assume that at least a few have jumped off the shelves in the last few hours.
Not since TaylorMade’s 2022 signing of Scottie Scheffler has a company pulled off a better-timed sponsorship agreement than Ping just did.
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Wyndham Clark’s putter Specs:
Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset CB Loft: 3˚ Lie: 70˚ Length: 38″ Headweight: 400g (17g tip weight + 13g lead tape) Insert: PEBAX Grip: SuperStroke Tour 3.0 17″
PHILADELPHIA — Weather has officially impacted the 2026 World Cup as France, facing Iraq at Lincoln Financial Field, has been delayed for at least 30 minutes, with France leading 1-0 at half via a goal from Kylian Mbappe. The bowl of the stadium was cleared for safety, with fans huddling in the concourse and other covered areas of the stadium until the weather passes. FIFA confirmed the delay, which will mean that the match will restart at a minimum of 15 minutes after halftime, but that could be longer as storms enter the area.
When these delays drag on, at times players also need a chance to warm up before restarting the game, but there isn’t an official time during which that needs to happen. This is the first weather-related delay of the FIFA World Cup after there were multiple during the Club World Cup, with notably a Chelsea versus Benfica match being delayed for an hour and 53 minutes, and it was stopped in the 86th minute. The game went to extra time and in total lasted more than four hours.
FIFA has released the following statement on the delay:
Due to adverse weather conditions in Philadelphia, including the risk of lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the FIFA World Cup match between France and Iraq has been suspended. A 30-minute break has been announced, however, this situation is still being observed to determine if further delays come. FIFA will follow the safety protocols established by the local authorities, and the match will resume as soon as it is safe to do so. The safety and security of all individuals is FIFA’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation.
When are matches stopped?
If lightning is detected within eight miles of an outdoor stadium, the game must be stopped for at least 30 minutes. During that time, a countdown begins, and if lightning strikes within the eight-mile radius during that time, the clock restarts, and that cycle continues until the lightning has passed.
CBS Sports will have more on this situation shortly.
DAYDREAMING IN THE TRADE PRADE, LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — Boo, Wyndham Clark.
Booooo.
Boooooooo.
Clark is your now two-time U.S. Open winner, and the scene at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, on the eastern end of Long Island, N.Y., felt as if he traded in his golf polo for a Boston Red Sox jersey and ate the last cookie at Tate’s, a local favorite here. Some unpleasant actions — a locker smash, a club throw, a run-in with the rules, some comments — likely led to the unpleasantries, and he also wasn’t helped that his Sunday playing partner, Scottie Scheffler, was playing for the career grand slam … on his 30th birthday … on Father’s Day.
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“Man, they definitely didn’t want me to win,” Clark said afterward.
“It’s pretty rare in an Open Championship or a major to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots.”
He’s right, right?
Maybe a crowd un-favorite isn’t cheered. But vitriol? In individual golf tournaments, there aren’t away teams, nor are there really home teams, so I’m genuinely wondering then:
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Why would you come to a golf event to hate?
How’d we get here?
This also seems like it’s only going to worsen, isn’t it? The golf balls are out of the sleeve, so to say.
I’m not completely naive, of course, and I think I know the answers — among them being the lust to be loud and the desire to go viral — but, if you’re so inclined, you can reach out to me at nick.piastowski@golf.com to share your thoughts. Or better yet, offer a solution. I’ve said in this space before that banning phones would help — this is done at the Masters, and the patrons mostly behave.
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You can also just boo me in a message, too. I’ve heard worse.
As we look back at the U.S. Open week that was at Shinnecock, let’s make that observation No. 1 then. We’ll try for 49 more, and, to help the mood, we’ll mix in some Billy Joel, one of Long Island’s favorite sons.
2. I’m also being fueled by a bagel and coffee from Goldberg’s.
3. Notably, Clark said he understood why fans weren’t on his side. He also joked about the distaste with his caddie, Dave Pelekoudas.
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“If we heard someone cheer for me,” Clark said, “I’d go, ‘Oh, there’s one person that likes me. So we would kind of make jokes and make it maybe a little light-hearted.”
4. What does it say about Clark’s game that he still won?
5. Scheffler was impressed.
“The crowd was tough today,” he said. “I mean, New Yorkers, they are tough people. There was a good turnout from the fans. You like seeing the fans cheer for you. I think sometimes it can get a little too much when, you know, balls are kind of going off greens and you start hearing cheers. That felt a bit much to me.
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“But at the end of the day, I can’t control fan behavior. Being in the arena is not for everybody. You know, there’s been crowds that have been for me in my career; there’s been crowds that have been significantly against me in my career. …
“Being in the arena is not for everybody, and I think it shows a lot about Wyndham, how he handled not only this golf course but I think the crowd today as well and is a well-deserving champion.”
6. I liked this story here from the Fried Egg’s Kevin Van Valkenburg. He writes that we expect a lot from athletes.
7. What’s the over-under on total majors Clark will win? He’s 32. I’ll set the line at 2.5.
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8. How many pros are calling Julie Elion this week? She’s Clark’s sports psychologist.
9. Before he started Saturday’s third round, she told Clark this on the range:
“It’s not what happens to us. It’s how we respond to what happens to us.”
10. I won’t forget seeing Sam Burns playing with his son, Bear, as Clark was finishing his final round.
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11. Burns has now come thisclose in back-to-back U.S. Opens. What’s his total majors over-under? He’s 29. I’ll set the line at 1.5.
12. Here’s a bit of a look at the sports writing process. Early Sunday, in anticipation of a Clark runaway, I’d started on a story saying that while he won, no one else really lost, but I paused it to follow Burns.
Let’s continue that winners piece now.
13. There were the rebounders, like Burns, who a year ago, led after 54 holes, only to shoot an eight-over 78 on Sunday. Also among this bounceback group was Keith Mitchell, who played his first nine holes of the tournament at six-over par, then played six-under golf after that.
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“I might have not won,” he said Sunday, “but I felt like I achieved a lot more than potentially I thought I was going to after about two hours into the round.
“You can always look at winning a tournament, but I think I won the week after the start.”
14. Another rebounder was Harry Higgs, who tied for 43rd after going six for six in missed cuts this season on the PGA Tour. His press conference after Friday’s second round was one of the best I’ve heard, and you can watch it here.
15. Another rebounder was Tom Kim, who’d been as high as 11 in the world golf ranking but entered last week at 141st. At the Open, he was one of just three players to finish under par for the week.
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“You know, for the first time, I was able to really taste a major championship right in front of my fingertips,” Kim said. “I can go back this whole week and just see how close I actually am, and I think I finished three back, so a lot of little soft, small stuff that if I had done better, I definitely would have had a chance.
“But I’m not going to look at the week of what could have been. I’m going to look at the week where, you know, I haven’t had — this is my best finish in a major since the British Open in 2023, so a lot of positives.
“I think this is going to give me a big boost for the rest of the season.”
Five-under 65 on Friday. Two-over 72 on Saturday. Four-under 66 on Sunday. That’s seven-under golf.
After an eight-over 78 on Thursday, which included a two-stroke penalty for a club toss, turning a nine on the 6th hole into an 11. Sunday, he was reflective about the incident. After being asked if he thought he was being made an example of, Niemann said he thought he was.
“I was not trying to offend anyone,” Niemann said. “I think it was something more — it was more something kind of like against me. I was frustrated. I had my expectations, which are always super high. I was playing good golf. I knew it was going to be a tough week, a long week, a challenging week.
“After seeing that and knowing that the best score I could do was an eight, it kind of frustrated me a lot. I’m not happy doing that. I’m not proud about throwing a golf club. I get I deserve it in a way; I don’t know. But there’s nothing I can do. I feel like I learned from it.
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“To be honest, it was a good throw. [Here, he laughed.]
“I never try to offend anybody, not even the volunteers that were there. I know they do their job … and they do the best they can. They don’t pay them to be there; they do that because they like it. I was frustrated. …
“It was just frustration, but it’s more because of the passion that I have to get better and better.”
18. Also winning this week were a trio of players fighting ailments. Collin Morikawa has fought a back injury; after Friday’s second round, he said he still feels uncomfortable, and that he couldn’t comfortably hit cuts with irons into right-to-left wind and “the high bomb. But the two-time major winner tied for 17th.
19. A year ago, Sahith Theegala fought an oblique and a neck injury, missed events and finished 147th in the PGA Tour’s regular-season standings. At the Open, Theegala tied for 11th.
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20. Following a brain procedure in 2023, Gary Woodland has been managing PTSD, and his revelation of it, to Golf Channel’s Rex Hogaard during the Players Championship, will remain as one of the moments of the year. The 2019 U.S. Open winner tied for seventh.
21. There were also good stories. James Nicholas, a native New Yorker who hit the tournament’s first ball, shot a one-under 69 on Sundauy, and he tied for 65th.
22. We learned more about Miles Russell, the 17-year-old prodigy who touchingly brought his dad out from the crowd on Sunday — Father’s Day — to carry his bag up the 18th hole.
23. We learned more about Jackson Koivun, the college megastar who will play as a pro going forward. On Saturday and Sunday, Russell and Koivun played together.
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24. We learned more about Arni Sveinsson, who, though he missed the weekend cut, became the first golfer from Iceland to play in a U.S. Open. I wrote about him here.
25. There were also continuations. Aaron Rai, J.T. Poston and Alex Fitzpatrick showed stickiness. In the first major since his PGA Championship win, Rai tied for 11th.
26.J.T. Poston, the Memorial winner, tied for fourth.
27.Alex Fitzpatrick, who earned PGA Tour membership in April after a win with his brother, Matt, at the Zurich Classic, tied for 23rd.
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28. And we found out more about Sam Stevens, who tied for seventh — and on Saturday had this exchange with a reporter (the reporter’s questions are in italics):
Sam, you’ve been around for a while, obviously, but I think a lot of people are going to turn on their televisions tomorrow and say …
“Who the heck is Sam Stevens?” Stevens said.
Yeah, so who the heck is Sam Stevens?
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“I don’t know. I’m an average PGA Tour player, I guess,” Stevens said. “Yeah, I don’t know. That’s a good question. I’m just a golfer.
“Yeah, I’m excited for tomorrow, and hopefully I can play well enough to help a few more people get acquainted with who I am.”
29. Adam Scott is another winner. He’s now played in 100 straight majors, a streak that started with the 2001 Open Championship. At that time, Clark was 7.
31. A Scheffler thought. He wasn’t at his best — and tied for fourth. That is maybe the best sign of who he is — a less than fully charged Scheffler was bested by only three players. Tiger did that type of thing.
32. Scheffler completes the grand slam next year.
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33. What’s his total majors over-under? He turned 30 on Sunday. I’ll set the line at 7.5.
34. Does Bryson DeChambeau make the weekend at the Open Championship — and avoid missing the cut at every major this year?
35. I thought Jon Rahm would contend. He’s had success on poa annua greens. But he also missed the cut, playing his last 13 holes at eight-over par.
36. I’m about a 14-handicap. Had I played from the tips at Shinnecock and the wind was at its worst, I think I would have shot — hell, I’d still be out there.
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37. I didn’t hear one complaint about the course or the setup, which was impressive considering seemingly everyone complained in 2018, the last time Shinny hosted a U.S. Open.
38. The lack of fans on Saturday was odd. I think there were about a dozen spectators following the penultimate group.
39. I did learn all about the “Trade Parade” traffic of the area. Our lodging for the week was 12 miles from Shinnecock — and on Thursday, it took an hour and a half to get to the course. Saturday and Sunday? Twenty minutes.
43. Here are a few of my favorite reads this week from the on-site GOLF.com staff. From my batch, I hope you’ll like my story here on Sveinsson, the first Icelander to play in a U.S. Open.
44. From Michael Bamberger, his story here that looked at Clark was great.
45. From Alan Bastable, his story here on John Shippen was great.
46. From Josh Berhow, his story here that wrapped up the tournament was great.
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47. From James Colgan, his story here on the Turnesa family was great.
48. From Sean Zak his story here on Niemann[‘s penalty was great.
49. From videographers Darren Riehl and Emma Devine, the video below wrapping up Sunday play was great.
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50. Wednesday, I’m off to another U.S. Open course — Pinehurst. The trip is a boys trip for my nephew and I after he just graduated high school. Let me know at nick.piastowski@golf.com if you have must-dos when you’re out there.
Bonus! Time for a Long Island story. It’ll tell you a little about me, and it’ll tell you a little about the folks out here.
After college, I interned for a summer at Newsday newspaper. The experience was great. Played Bethpage. Ate at Friendly’s
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Went to a certain type of club.
Training for the internship was in Philly, and, after driving out, another out-of-town intern and I looked for a spot for a drink. We’d done zero research, and this was a few years before everyone had a cellphone, but we found what looked like a heavily trafficked road and saw a sign for “a restaurant and bar.” Hey, Applebee’s is a restaurant and bar. We pulled up. It had a valent. Hmm, maybe it was something more upscale. We walked in. There was a $50 dollar cover charge. Odd, but New York is expensive.
I made a bee line to the bar and ordered a Long Island iced tea. Felt like I needed to. Whatever. To my right, a woman was dancing. Hmm.
To my left, my intern friend was frozen. She motioned to look behind us.
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More dancers.
But no clothes.
On the way out, another no-clothed worker must have made sense of what happened, and she told us about another bar right down the street.
Lionel Messi is now the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, after scoring twice Monday against Austria in the 2026 World Cup. His first match, where he scored a hat-trick against Algeria, saw some online controversy. According to internet users, Algerian fans allegedly targeted him with an aggressive chant, calling Messi the “enemy of Allah” and threatening Argentina. But the audio is manipulated, and an old Arab protest chant against al-Sisi.
A viral video viewed millions of times online falsely claims to show Algerian football fans chanting against Lionel Messi ahead of Argentina and Algeria’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Kansas City.
Social media posts alleged that supporters were chanting: “Messi is the enemy of Allah, Allah is on our side, and Algeria will destroy the infidel nation of Argentina” before last week’s game. The video was even shared by French far-right politician Jean Messiha.
While an Arabic chant can be heard over footage showing large crowds of Algerian fans, the lyrics have nothing to do with Messi, Argentina, or football. In reality, the chant refers to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and has been widely known across the Arab world for more than a decade.
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The original lyrics translate as: “There is no God but Allah, Mohammed is his messenger, Sisi is the enemy of God.” There is no mention of Lionel Messi, Argentina, or any threat to “annihilate” the South American nation.
The chant is political in nature and predates the 2026 World Cup by many years. It is believed to have emerged in Egypt following the 2013 military coup that ousted former president Mohammed Morsi before spreading throughout North Africa and the Arab world as an anti-oppression chant.
The misinformation appears to exploit the phonetic similarity between “Sisi” and “Messi” to falsely suggest Algerian fans were targeting the Argentine captain.
Further investigation shows the audio used in the viral clip was not recorded at the World Cup at all. The soundtrack matches audio from a protest in Algeria that was uploaded to YouTube six years ago, demonstrating the chant’s long-standing use across the region.
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The video circulating online is therefore a misleading montage, created by combining unrelated footage and audio.
The footage itself was also not filmed before Algeria’s World Cup match against Argentina in Kansas City, despite widespread claims online. At around the 12-second mark, two prominent retail stores – Zara and H&M – are visible in the background. Using those landmarks, the FRANCE 24 Observers found the footage can be geolocated to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The video was in fact recorded on June 3, when Algeria played a friendly match against the Netherlands, not during the World Cup and not in the presence of Argentina.
Overall, neither the footage nor the audio is connected to Lionel Messi or Argentina. Instead, an old political chant and unrelated fan footage were stitched together to create a misleading narrative across social media to target Messi and Algerian fans.
My parents tell me there used to be a time when it was hard to be a jackass.
The problem wasn’t necessarily a lack of willing participants (in the long history of the world, the human race has never wanted for ignorance). Rather, the constraining factor was a social environment that disincentivized displays of stupidity. Through sheer force of collective human spirit, my parents tell me, we were able to push problematic ideologies, flagrantly immoral beliefs, and generally gross displays of sensitive masculinity straight into the societal gutter where they belonged.
The reason wasn’t high-mindedness, it wasn’t sanctimony, and it certainly wasn’t hegemony. It was something much simpler: shame.
On Sunday afternoon at Shinnecock, the crowds at the U.S. Open showed us that if shame ever really did exist, it has long since left us. For the second time at a major golf event on Long Island in the last 10 months, the fans in attendance spent most of the afternoon proudly bearing their ignorance, loudly rooting against the wire-to-wire winner (and several other players, including Rory McIlroy) in a way that forced the USGA to deliver a mid-tournament apology via NBC.
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The 24 hours since have featured no shortage of hand-wringing over the whole affair, including several suggestions that Long Island be banned from the major championship rota altogether. As a Long Islander who is proud of his golfing heritage and the people who protect it, I’m galled by those suggestions. As a journalist who has witnessed both major Long Island golf events of the last 12 months up close, I can’t say I disagree with them.
The crowds at Shinnecock were not the worst I’ve seen at a golf tournament. They were not especially vile or “over the line.” Nobody yelled in a backswing or cursed out a parent. In fact, for a few seconds on Sunday, I realized that I wasn’t really hearing the jeers because I have grown so accustomed to them. And then I thought for a few seconds more, and I realized that I felt shame. Is the only time we can agree the house is on fire after it has already been scorched to the ground?
I came of age in the time of social media. I was in high school when I made my first accounts on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. We didn’t know anything about algorithms then, we were just posting into the abyss. Tech leaders made the idea of the “virtual town hall” sound exciting and civic-minded, and for a little while we proved them right. Then, after we were addicted, we realized we were condemned to spend the rest of time remembering why nobody likes attending town halls in the first place: The most obnoxious people tend to do the most speaking.
On Sunday at the U.S. Open, we saw what happens when our lives revolve around those “virtual town halls” — and when those town halls have altered their rules to intentionally inflame every one of our sensibilities. The audience was not cheering but dunking. The yellers were not fans but commenters. The players inside the ropes were not people at all.
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To be alive is a beautiful thing, and to be alive outside the ropes on Sunday at U.S. Open is particularly vibrant. There is a beautiful, historic golf course on display, an incredible achievement in the offing, and a whole bunch of regular guys competing to see the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. To flatten that experience into our internet cubbyholes of virtue and anger — and then to act on those feelings in broad daylight without an ounce of empathy for the shared humanity of the people around you? It is not just wrong, it’s sad.
My parents tell me there has never been a time when empathy was a strength. It has always been something to work toward, slowly and often painfully. It was worth it because it brought us closer to one another, and whether you believe in a god or not, there was something holy about the experience of being known.
Still, if we could not bring ourselves to empathy — because of a feeling we could not buck or a contender in a golf tournament we did not particularly like — there was a time when we could still force ourselves to find our better angels.
Not because we were better, smarter, or knew more. But because we felt an emotion that appears to be fading only in the people who need it most — a feeling that will be familiar to too many golf fans on U.S. Open Monday morning on Long Island and all over the world.
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58), linebacker Eric Wilson (55) and linebacker Andrew van Ginkel (43) celebrate after a play during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.
Some view the addition of linebacker Jake Golday as being key to the Jonathan Greenard deal. After all, the rookie defender has a history of coming off the edge, meaning he could soak up edge rusher snaps for the Vikings as early as 2026.
What gets missed in that calculus is the presence of Eric Wilson.
The off-ball linebacker was used in an unusual manner in 2026. Wilson more than doubled his career snaps at edge rusher in 2025 alone, boosting what was 327 snaps along the defensive line up to 663 snaps along the defensive line. What changed was the effort from Brian Flores to lean into Wilson’s ability to line up as an edge rusher, a reality that appears unlikely to change in 2026.
Many onlookers glance at the list and feel a cold shiver work down their spine. The nervous spectator can’t help but be gripped by fear at the glance of the horrors that appear behind Door 3: unproven UDFAs all the way down. Is the depth as horrific as it appears?
For whatever it’s worth, the Vikings appear to believe that there’s very little reason to fear.
Jul 29, 2025; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43), linebacker Dallas Turner (15) and linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) talk during the teams training camp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Check out how the edge rusher hierarchy looks upon considering the reality of snap allotments and not the position tag that’s attached to players. The more accurate hierarchy:
Last year, Eric Wilson played 965 snaps on defense. Looking under the hood means seeing 336 snaps as an edge rusher. His final stat tally shows 115 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, 17 tackles for loss, and an eye-popping 4 forced fumbles. Excellent stuff.
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Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson (55) celebrates after a defensive play during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sep. 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. Wilson energized the crowd with his reaction following a key stop as Minnesota’s defense attempted to control the pace against Atlanta during early-season NFC action at home. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Per Over the Cap, Eric Wilson’s contract sits at a trio of seasons for a total compensation promise coming in at $22,500,000. Paying him so much would be an overpay were he merely an off-ball linebacker. Paying him so little would be great value if he proves to be an outside linebacker on top of being an off-ball linebacker.
Boasting Van Ginkel alongside Turner as the starters isn’t a bad spot to be. Van Ginkel is already elite; Turner is capable of getting to that spot. Wilson can then be an explosive EDGE3 to pin his ears back some of the time. Ingram-Dawkins can be a heavy edge rusher who clogs running lanes as the EDGE4.
Part of what allows the team to move players around freely is the presence of guys like Golday. Even if he never plays a snap at edge rusher in his debut season, Golday will help at edge rusher if he frees Eric Wilson to be an edge rusher. Essentially, there’s a domino effect that gives Brian Flores the flexibility he desires.
Quite possibly, the move is to add somebody else to have a more traditional EDGE3. Jadeveon Clowney, in particular, looks like a good fit. Regardless, the presence of Mr. Wilson means that there’s little reason for the team to panic. He’s essentially the EDGE3 until further notice.
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