Vikes’ Jefferson, McCarthy bonding

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President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, left, speaks to the media as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell listens during a NFL football owners meeting, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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Gabby Thomas, left, and Charlotte Tilbury attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

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Vikes’ Jefferson, McCarthy bonding

The Vikings urged Justin Jefferson to fully participate in their offseason program, a commitment some established NFL stars aren’t willing to make each spring. The sixth-year wide receiver was already a step ahead of the coaching staff. This is a critical offseason for Jefferson and the Vikings, breaking in a new quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, so he was planning to make his attendance a priority. “It’s definitely important to gain a little bit of a sight of what the new year is coming to look like, to build that connection with my teammates and especially with my quarterback,” Jefferson, above, said after practice Monday. “It’s definitely great to be out here early to kind of get into the feel.” It’s also a prime opportunity to build that rhythm and trust between the quarterback and his receivers. “He’s a tremendous talent, tremendous leader, but his leadership really shows up when he’s here,” said McCarthy, who accompanied Jefferson to a Timberwolves playoff game last month. “Just being able to get that chemistry building on and off the field has been invaluable.”

Trump jersey irks some Steelers fans

Steelers legend Rocky Bleier called an audible when he presented President Donald Trump with a Steelers jersey with the No. 47 during a rally in western Pennsylvania last week. Not everyone was thrilled about it. Several fans emailed the team expressing their anger at the gesture, which wasn’t authorized directly by the team. The club responded to those who reached out, writing that the viewpoints of current and former players don’t necessarily reflect the view of the organization. Trump was joined on stage at the rally to announce he was doubling tariffs on imported steel by 50% by quarterback Mason Rudolph and safety Myles Killebrew. Bleier, Rudolph and Killebrew aren’t the only people with ties to the Steelers who have appeared with Trump. Former stars Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell met Trump when he was stumping in western Pennsylvania ahead of the 2024 election. Former Steelers owner and Hall of Famer Dan Rooney served as the U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009-12 during Barack Obama’s first term. Rooney died in 2017 at age 84.

Bettor gets ban for heckling Thomas

A sports bettor who heckled Olympic champion sprinter Gabby Thomas during a Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia over the weekend has been banned by the betting site FanDuel Sportsbook. In a statement Wednesday, FanDuel wrote it “condemns in the strongest terms abusive behavior directed towards athletes. Threatening or harassing athletes is unacceptable and has no place in sports. This customer is no longer able to wager with FanDuel.” Last weekend, Thomas, above, finished fourth in a 100-meter race won by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. The bettor wrote in a post on social media that he “made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win.” Thomas, the 200-meter champion at the Paris Games last summer, explained the heckling incident on X. She wrote: “This grown man followed me around the track as I took pictures and signed autographs for fans (mostly children) shouting personal insults — anybody who enables him online is gross.” The Thomas incident is the latest in a string of stalking and abuse of female athletes. —AP