cruel

As if the college sports world weren’t crazy enough with roster limitations and rising numbers in the transfer portal, a new trend that isn’t really new but is accelerating involves coaches telling players they will have little chance to play as motivation for the player to leave and open up a roster spot.

That’s how a coach escapes bad publicity for chasing off a player. But maybe the coach is being honest in their evaluation? It’s all part of the strange happenings taking place.

Check out social media to see the growing number of high school and junior college players suddenly searching for new schools this summer by saying, “My recruitment is back open” or announcing an “involuntary decommitment.”

Just this week, Ole Miss is facing criticism after a longtime high school baseball commit from Iowa who has been battling cancer for three years, Brett Harris, said he had his baseball scholarship pulled.

College baseball, in particular, is being disrupted. Members from the high school class of 2027 are being forced to reopen their recruitment as schools take into consideration a new NCAA rule giving players five years of eligibility across five years.

Braden Ruiz, a Mater Dei High graduate who played shortstop at Cypress College, signed with Oregon last January. Last month he asked for his release from Oregon.

“It was the vibe I was getting,” Ruiz said. “They said I could still go up there and give it a shot. The conversations were they didn’t seem interested as before. I decided to decommit. The coach who recruited me ended up leaving Oregon a week later.”

Ruiz played with a hamstring injury at Cypress College last season.

“It’s all about performance,” he said. “If you’re not performing, it makes the coaches think differently.”

Ruiz has come to understand how college sports has become a business.

“They pretty much can do whatever they want,” he said. “They can pull your offer or in the conversations tell you you’re not wanted anymore. But it’s part of their job. They need to win to keep their job.”

Mater Dei coach Richard Mercado said he’s advising parents and players “if a school is giving out NIL money, it’s a business. You’re not going there to be friends with the coach. It’s a business relationship. They have to win immediately and with limited roster spots. They can’t be wrong.”

Players being pushed away to open a scholarship spot is not new. It’s happened in all sports. College baseball coaches have been engaged in a balancing act for years. Remember the days when Division I schools were limited to 11.7 scholarships. Players were being given partial scholarships and coaches had to project who might leave or stay after the amateur draft. Now college programs can offer full scholarships (think SEC), but rosters dropped to a maximum 34 players last season, forcing coaches to revise and regroup.

Add the impact of no more transfer restrictions and it’s understandable there’s uncertainty. The word loyalty is going to cease to exist in many programs.

So what’s the advice to players and parents?

Betting on yourself still works. If someone doesn’t want you, find someone who does.

“Everybody’s journey is different,” Ruiz said. “You can commit early or late. I would say people who commit now will make it on campus. Their past season was probably good. People performing better more recently have a better chance of playing.”

Do research to find programs that stick with old-fashioned rules and commitments and maybe mention academics.

On Thursday, Ruiz signed with New Mexico State. He’s one of the fortunate ones finding a school with a roster opening this summer before Saturday’s amateur draft begins. He’ll have three years of eligibility left. He’s finally healthy and can’t wait for the day he gets to play against Oregon.

If he becomes a standout, who knows, maybe the Ducks will want him again in this new world of college athletics.

“The portal is crazy,” Ruiz has concluded.

SHE rose to fame singing about her curves. But when singer Meghan Trainor lost 60lb for the sake of her health, cruel online trolls turned on her – branding her “a walking nose.”

But the All About That Bass hitmaker found support in reality show ‘momager’ Kris Jenner, who helped her navigate the horrific online abuse following her weight loss.

Meghan opened up about her recent struggles while sitting down with Biz on Sunday’s Emily following the release of her seventh studio album Toy With Me which dropped on Friday.

The American singer wrote the 14-track album while expecting her third child, daughter Mikey Moon, who was born via surrogate in January.

But while Meghan was excited to welcome her first girl, she said it had never felt tougher to be a female performer.

Meghan said: “I was getting a lot of hate online and it was all about my appearance and my looks and I was like: ‘Man, being a woman in this industry, it’ll never end.’”

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Of seeking advice, Meghan said: “Kris Jenner helped me with the hate online. I went to her and I was like: ‘Everyone’s mad at me.’

“Kris was like: ‘Of course, because you’re successful. You’re on the internet and it’s a terrible place but it can also be a great place.

“She said: ‘Are you happy? Are you thriving in your life?’

“I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m doing pretty well, that’s why I’m confused.’

“She said: ‘That’s all that matters. You’re doing great.’”

Meghan added: “Kris was really nice about it and I was like: ‘I can’t imagine what you guys [the Kardashians] are going through.’

“She was like, ‘You don’t want to know, it’s a lot.’

“Kris sends me the biggest flowers. It’s like a competition between her and her daughter Khloe Kardashian, who can send me the biggest.”

Meghan rose to fame with her 2014 hit All About That Bass in which she sang: “Yeah, it’s pretty clear, I ain’t no size two.”

But after she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes while pregnant with her eldest son Riley in 2020, Meghan overhauled her lifestyle — with the help of weight-loss medication Mounjaro.

She said: “I’m finally taking care of myself, I’m finally listening to my body first instead of career first and destroying my health.”

But with her slimmer frame came a huge wave of online hate.

Of the comments, Meghan said: “They were like, ‘She’s just a walking nose.’

“‘She’s just so unlikeable now’. ‘I miss the old Meghan’, or ‘Hey, ‘zempy queen’ suggesting she had used Ozempic to lose the pounds.

“It made me just crumble and feel like I never wanted to go outside again.”

Meghan, who also has another son, Barry, with actor hubby Daryl Sabara, said she consulted her doctor following exhaustion from social media.

And earlier this week, Meghan said she needed to put her family first and cancelled her 33-date Get In Girl tour across North America.

She said: “We tested my blood and everything and they were like: ‘You’re on track to get an autoimmune disease.

“It was all the noise from social media destroying me and getting to me mentally.”

She added: “This all happened while having a daughter and I was like: ‘I’m so worried when she gets here.’

Of the album, Meghan said: “I wanted to make a lot of self-love anthems as I know she [Mikey] will need them growing up in this world too.”

Quickfire questions with Meghan

FIRST CONCERT? NSYNC.

WORST HABIT? I peel my skin off until it bleeds.

COMFORT TV SERIES? A weird one but the medical drama series ER.

DRINK ORDER? Shirley Temple.

COMMON MISCONCEPTION? That I don’t put out music any more but I am still out here grinding.

ULTIMATE TREAT? A gluten-free brownie from Gwyneth Paltrow’s brand Goop.

SNOG? Disney+ thriller series Paradise, starring Sterling K. Brown has me totally hooked.

MARRY? Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly in the brilliant Disney+ series Love Story.

AVOID? After my recent negative experiences I will be keeping well clear of media trolls.

Liam’s ex ready to love again

LIAM PAYNE’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy has revealed she feels ready to meet someone again, 18 months after the singer’s passing.

The American influencer, who dated the One Direction star for two years, until he died aged 31, opened up on social media.

She said: “I am ready to start dating again. It has been a year and a half since Liam passed away.

“I think that love after loss is a big chapter within your grief journey and I don’t know how that is going to feel.

“But I do know that I loved being in love. I want to have kids one day, I want to have a family and I know Liam would want that for me and if the roles were reversed I would want him to be happy and fall in love again.”

She continued: “I will always love Liam and that will never change no matter who I meet and who comes into my life.

“I am going to think about Liam on my wedding day, I am going to think about him every day for the rest of my life and that goes without saying.”

It’s in the Stars, Maura

EXCITING news for Maura Higgins as she has been confirmed for Dancing With The Stars.

I can reveal the reality star – who was snapped in New York in a stylish white dress with a long train – turned down Strictly in favour of the US show as she hopes to avoid further scandal.

Strictly is already linked to her exes Pete Wicks and pro dancer Giovanni Pernice, and last year she kissed married McFly star Danny Jones at a Brit Awards party.

A pal said: “She’s heading towards big things in LA, and Strictly is full of drama, she wants to keep her nose clean.”

It’s three love for celebs

CELEBS Go Dating’s relationship expert Anna Williamson has welcomed throuples on the Channel 4 dating show.

It comes after a married couple attended one of the reality show’s mixer events to see if any celebrities wanted to try a non-monogamous relationship.

Anna said: “It’s 2026, we’re moving with the times. Polyamory is something that is very much emerging from the shadows as a relationship construct.

“It’s not for everybody and I don’t believe it’s for the faint-hearted at all.”

Boxer David Haye and his long-term girlfriend Sian Osborne enjoy a rumoured open relationship.

They were most famously in a “throuple” with The Saturdays singer Una Healy, who denied she had a romantic relationship with Sian.

Anna said: “There is no right or wrong way to date.

“So we thought: ‘Well why not?’ It was lovely to throw that different relationship dynamic into the mix.”

Mick gets tongues wagging

THE ROLLING STONES rolled out posters across the UK yesterday promoting their upcoming album Foreign Tongues.

The billboard shows the title of the record –out July 10 in Danish.

Earlier this month I revealed that Paul McCartney will also feature on a track after a cameo on the Stones’ 2023 album Hackney Diamonds.

An insider said: “Details of the Stones’ new album have been kept secret but it’s true that Paul features on a new track on the upcoming album. It’s going to be a real treat for fans.”

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood also dropped a single called Rough & Twisted under the pseudonym The Cockroaches earlier this month.

Millie’s Liv-ing it up

MILLIE MACKINTOSH has sat down with Olivia Attwood for an intimate chat following her high-profile split from Hugo Taylor.

The former Made In Chelsea star – who wore this revealing black gown to The Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere in London this week – will appear on an upcoming episode of Olivia’s House podcast.

The pair will have had a lot to discuss as the Love Islander ended her ten-year relationship with footballer Bradley Dack in January.

A source said: “It wasn’t a tell-all chat, that’s not Millie’s style, but she does touch on what she’s been going through.

“The women clearly bonded over a shared experience in the public eye.

“Olivia is bagging great guests for her podcast.”
I’m sure they had plenty to discuss off camera too . . . 

HELENA BONHAM CARTER has left season four of HBO hit The White Lotus.

The Crown actress was set to appear in the next installment of the drama, which has begun filming on the French Riviera.

But an HBO spokesman said the character, created by filmmaker Mike White for Helena did not work on set.

In a statement to Deadline, they said: “With filming just under way it had become apparent that the character which Mike White created for Helena Bonham Carter did not align once on set.

“The role is being rewritten and will be recast. HBO and Mike are saddened that they won’t get to work with her, but remain ardent fans.”

Sounds like this is an even bigger plot twist than writers had anticipated.

Meryl: Anne’s saintly

MOVIE sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2 plugs weight-loss drug Ozempic.

The film, starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, hits cinemas this Friday, and a source said: “There are many big brands in the film and it seems the makers of Ozempic will be pleased.”

It comes after Anne, who plays the film’s Andy Sachs, spoke to producers about casting models for the film.

After noticing models at last year’s Milan Fashion Week, were “alarmingly thin”, her co-star Meryl, told Harper’s Bazaar: “Anne made a beeline for producers about it, securing promises the models for our film wouldn’t be so skeletal.

“She’s a stand-up girl.”

CHLOE Ferry has been criticised by fans and animal charity Peta after her boyfriend surprised her with a new French bulldog puppy.

The Geordie Shore star’s dog Ivy died in October leaving her devastated. In a bid to cheer Chloe up, her boyfriend Alex Swinney bought her a pup she’s named Olive.

Seeing her other dog Narla playing with the new addition immediately brightened Chloe’s mood and she told fans: “After losing my baby Ivy I wasn’t sure I was ready but my boyfriend SURPRISED me with this little one.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally see Narla with her spark back again, just seeing her play has fulfilled my heart so much.

“From grieving to growing she accepted her new sister right away meet baby OLIVE.”

While many fans heaped praise on her property developer partner for the gift and complimented the cute pup, others, including charity Peta, made their reservations known.

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The animal charity commented: “Your boyfriend needs to rethink this. French bulldogs struggle to just breathe, let alone live a happy and healthy life.

“Buying one neglects the tens of thousands of homeless dogs in shelters just waiting to be adopted [broken heart emoji] Tell him to adopt next time.”

Others echoed the sentiment, with one writing: “Puppies are cute, but so, so sad to see people buying breeds with breathing impairments who will never be able to fully enjoy what it means to be a dog. Please stop buying and promoting breathing impaired breeds

“Blue is one of the worst choices when it comes to health issues…”

Another said: “Frenchies can barely breathe, and buying one keeps it going. Shelters are full [broken heart emoji] Adopt next time.”

A third wrote: “If you buy a Frenchie you are asking for heartache. The breeds are not meant to mix and that causes defects. It’s sad but true. Its unfortunate they have become the ultimate chav accessory. Poor babies.”

French Bulldogs are renowned for having breathing difficulties due to the way they’re bred to have flat faces.

They have greater chance of contracting a variety of health conditions and, according to Peta, brachycephalic dogs (flattened faces) have, on average, 40 per cent shorter lifespans than other dogs.

They also struggle to give birth due to the large shape of their heads and narrow hips.

Meanwhile, when Ivy died, Chloe told her followers that the pooch “couldn’t stop being sick” prior to its passing.

She wrote: “Pftt, losing a pet is so hard, it’s just like a human and it [the emotion] comes in waves when you least expect it.

“One day you’re alright the next you’re not.

“Today I’ve just tried to get on with jobs, my house has been a mess, so I’ve tried to clean it.

“It has actually made us feel a little bit better but then you sit and overthink everything, and think could I have done more.

“What makes it worse for me, my other dog Narla, she doesn’t understand.

“I had Ivy first so Ivy was always independent, she didn’t need Narla, but Narla came second and needs Ivy.”