Sports
Man United’s results have forced this fan to grow hair for a full year in viral challenge
Day 1. Day 10. Day 50. Day 100. Day 365?!
The past year has been tough on all Manchester United fans, but for Frank Illet, it really shows. Illet set himself a quirky challenge last October: he wouldn’t cut his hair until his beloved Red Devils won five games in a row.
“I thought it would only go for a few months and be a bit of a laugh,” Illet told ESPN. “It was something to spread humor to Man United fans during a difficult period of time.
“It didn’t feel unrealistic then, because the season before, they had won five games in a row.”
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At the time, United were still managed by Erik Ten Hag and had ended the previous season by winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City. Illet thought that it would be the perfect time to try out the challenge, despite all of the false dawns and inconsistent form the club have managed in recent years.
The 29-year-old boyhood United fan from the U.K. now living in Spain, started the challenge after a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa. He expected a five-win streak to come quickly. Instead, 77 games across all competitions and a change of manager later, it still hasn’t happened. In fact, the most Illet has been able to see in the past year were three wins in a row when Man United beat Rangers, Fulham, and FCSB in late January under current boss Ruben Amorim.
For context, Liverpool — the defending Premier League champions and United’s bitter rivals — have already won five games in a row this season in just over a month (33 days to be exact).
What began with a clean-shaven Illet has turned into a viral spectacle: a bush of hair growing longer and higher with every passing day and every dropped point.
His daily social media updates to more than 700,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok — counting up the days since his last haircut, whether United played that day or not — have turned him into a cult figure and a living, growing monument embodiment of the club’s travails.
“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, and the thing is, the sheer amount of it takes so much out of my time,” he said. “The washing, the brushing, the drying, everything takes so much longer than I’m used to.”
Illet’s mood has mirrored United’s fortunes. He was in the stands at Old Trafford to watch his team beat Chelsea 2-1 earlier this season, only to then see them lose 3-1 at Brentford a week later.
Add in the humiliation of a shock Carabao Cup exit to League Two side Grimsby Town, and even his optimism has started to fray.
“I’ve tried to keep positive, I’ve tried to keep optimistic,” he said. “But that was the moment where I thought that I couldn’t find a positive and keep pretending that something would happen.”
The reaction has not been universally positive. Police are investigating an incident at the Chelsea game in which one fan grabbed Illet’s hair aggressively and appeared to hurl abuse at him. “It was all a bit weird to be honest,” Illet said at the time. “I will always try to focus on the positives and hope that this was just a one-off.”
Despite United’s continuing on-pitch woes, Illet isn’t calling for Amorim to go. While reports swirl about the Portuguese coach’s future, he believes performances haven’t been as dire as results suggest.
“I don’t think changing the manager is certainly the answer,” he said. “I understand completely that people are saying that they want him out because they’re saying the most important thing in football is results.
“I do think there are some positives. We’ve had the most expected goals and shots in the league. There are a few things like that where a few of those goals go in, and we have completely different conversations. I think in the short term, we need good results immediately.”
With more than 30 Premier League games left this season, plus the FA Cup still to come, Illet hasn’t given up hope for his hair.
“We’ll find out together how much longer it can go,” he said with a laugh.
For now, United don’t have a five-game winning streak, though they have just begun a new run following Saturday’s 2-0 win over Sunderland. But Illet’s hair? That’s just about the only thing that has been going strong all year for anyone associated with Manchester United.
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One of the most intriguing stories entering the first round of the NFL Draft was where Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson might land. Well, fans got their answer sooner than they expected.
The Los Angeles Rams surprisingly selected Simpson with the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The selection isn’t completely out of left field and is arguably the best-case scenario for Simpson. The Rams have Matthew Stafford as their starter for 2026, but Stafford has flirted with the idea of retirement each of the past two offseasons. It’s clear the clock is ticking on his NFL career.
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The Los Angeles Rams pulled a stunner and drafted Alababam QB Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick in the NFL Draft. (CFP/Getty Images)
Now, Simpson gets to sit behind one of the NFL’s best veteran quarterbacks, learn the position while adapting to life in the NFL, and not face immediate pressure to succeed. Additionally, the Rams are one of the most well-run franchises in the league right now. Sean McVay is an elite head coach who led the team to a Super Bowl victory to cap the 2021 season and just had the team within one win of another Super Bowl berth before falling to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship.
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The most surprising aspect is the Rams looking toward the future, quite frankly. This is a team that has had no problem trading away first-round picks to make its team the best it can be each season. It seemed most likely the team would use the No. 13 pick to improve its team for next season, which could be Stafford’s last. Instead, the team decided to put itself in position for Stafford’s retirement without skipping a beat.
Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, now 38-years-old, has flirted with retirement after each of the past two seasons. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
There were several surprises in the first 13 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft: the Cardinals taking Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, the Titans selecting Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4, the Kansas City Chiefs trading up to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 6 and even the Cowboys trading up one spot to make sure they drafted Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11.
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But the Rams completely abandoning their recent strategy (usually trading away first-round picks and loading up for now) to select Stafford’s heir apparent is easily the biggest early shock of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Sports
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner considering factors before debuting new alternate uniforms: report
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The choice for the New York Yankees to wear their new alternate uniform is ultimately up to owner Hal Steinbrenner, who has shown a knack for change in recent years.
And according to The Athletic, Steinbrenner and others in the front office will decide when the time is right based on some factors.
The outlet noted that economic impact, how often they’ll be worn, and how fans feel about the jerseys will all be key considerations in deciding if, and perhaps when, the jerseys will be worn.
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Manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees makes a pitching change during the fifth inning of a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida, on March 17, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images)
Hours after The Athletic reported that players had gone to higher-ups about the idea, it was revealed that an alternate jersey had in fact been approved prior.
The Yankees’ navy blue batting practice tops, similar to their road spring training uniforms, were the ones that were approved to be worn in games.
The Yankees have taken part in wearing different jerseys in the past, including Players’ Weekend from 2017 through 2019, a nod to the 1912 team while playing in Boston on the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park’s opening, and jerseys commemorating the Black Yankees in 1996. The Yankees also wore replicas of their 1921 road uniforms for the first Field of Dreams game in 2021.
Paul Goldschmidt, Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees wait for the start of a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, on March 24, 2026. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
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However, none of those jerseys were ever officially put into the rotation, leaving them with just a home and road uniform from day one.
The Yankees also remain the only team to have no last names on the back of their jerseys, home or away, and they are also one of two teams, including the Athletics, without a City Connect jersey.
The Yankees added an advertisement patch on their jerseys in 2023, and beginning last year, “well-groomed” facial hair below the lip was reintroduced after a 50-year ban by Steinbrenner’s father, George.
Yankees players reportedly said they want the home pinstripes untouched and would wear the alternates on the road.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees bats against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of a spring training game at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, on March 23, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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The Yankees sell navy blue “shirseys” that mimic the tone of their spring training uniforms, but the pinstripes have been even more prevalent in home spring games in Florida.
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Fernando Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and projected No. 1 overall pick, is poised to begin his NFL career under the mentorship of one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
Mendoza, who led Indiana to a national championship during an undefeated 16–0 season, revealed this week that he spoke with Tom Brady during his official visit with the Las Vegas Raiders, who own the top pick in this year’s draft.
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza celebrates after defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 19, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
Appearing on the “Dan Patrick Show” Wednesday, Mendoza revealed the advice Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders, shared with him during their meeting.
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“It was fantastic. He gave me the message that he’s going to push me, and he’s not going to be all lovey-dovey. And that if the Raiders draft me, he’s going to be a mentor and wants to pour into whatever quarterback the Raiders have — whether it’s me, whether they draft somebody else.”
Mendoza added that the offseason addition of veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins presents another learning opportunity for the young signal-caller.
Tom Brady attends the Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium Feb. 8, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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“Well, if I’m lucky enough to go to the Raiders, I think it’ll be a great opportunity to learn from someone who’s had so much success throughout the years and who, I think, has a very similar playing style as me.”
Mendoza will likely not take starting reps in Las Vegas. Brady and general manager John Spytek have said numerous times they believe in not playing a young quarterback right away.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza passes against Miami during the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
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The Miami native will not be in Pittsburgh to walk across the stage and be welcomed into the NFL by Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday night. He will instead be home with his family, citing his mother’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
Fox News Digital’s Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.
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