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Today — 26 December 2024Sport News

WWE star CM Punk rips Bears' leadership amid team's disappointing season

26 December 2024 at 17:04

Phillip Brooks, better known by his WWE ring name, CM Punk, is not happy with the state of his hometown NFL team.

Punk, who was born in Chicago, aired some of his grievances with the Bears during a guest appearance on Netflix's NFL coverage Christmas Day.

"Nothing’s going to change until the McCaskeys sell the team. I said it," Punk said in reference to the family that inherited ownership of the Bears from team founder George Halas several decades ago. 

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"We’re live on Netflix, I don’t care. I’ve been there. Oh, Lovie Smith is going to change the Bears. Oh, Trubisky is going to change the Bears. Then, we trade up and we lose [Patrick] Mahomes."

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While quarterback Mitch Trubisky finished his four-year run in Chicago with more than 10,000 passing yards, his tenure was viewed as a disappointment.

"We’re going to just walk off the set and let you rant," pregame show co-host Devin McCourty said.

"Mahomes right now. No, he’d be on the Bears. Sorry," Punk responded. 

Trubisky was the second overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, when the Kansas City Chiefs used the tenth overall selection for Mahomes. In April, the Bears had the draft's first overall pick after trading the 2023 top pick to the Carolina Panthers. This year, the Bears kept the pick and selected USC Trojans standout Caleb Williams.

Williams has struggled at times this season. 

The Bears enter Thursday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks with a 4-11 record. The Bears have already been eliminated from playoff contention and parted ways with coach Matt Eberflus last month.

But Punk, a self-proclaimed "Chicago sports fan," suggested the franchise's shortcomings should fall at the feet of the team's leadership. 

"I’m a Chicago sports fan," Punk said. "And, ladies and gentlemen, it doesn’t get any lower than that right now."

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DeSean Jackson finalizing deal to become latest ex-NFL star to land college head coaching job: report

26 December 2024 at 16:44

Another former NFL star will be leading a college program in 2025. 

DeSean Jackson, the dynamic wide receiver who spent 15 years in the NFL, winning one Super Bowl and making three Pro Bowls, appears to be heading to Delaware State to become its next head coach. 

Jackson and the school are reportedly finalizing an agreement, according to ESPN. 

"He did an on-campus interview in recent days, and the sides are expected to come together in the near future," the report says.

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ESPN adds that Jackson has always wanted to coach at an HBCU program, and Delaware State will fulfill that dream for him.

Jackson retired from the NFL in 2023, but he wasn’t away from the game long. He was coaching at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, as an assistant throughout the 2024 season. 

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Jackson will get a crack at leading a program, a Hornets group that went 1-11 in 2024. 

Jackson is the latest notable former NFL star to join the collegiate ranks. Michael Vick, a former Philadelphia Eagle like Jackson, accepted the head coaching role at Norfolk State. 

Bill Belichick became the next head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, a shocking development considering he’s never been a college coach during his illustrious career. 

Deion Sanders made the leap to coaching in college with Jackson State before transforming the Colorado Buffaloes the past two seasons. 

Jackson played his last NFL season with the Baltimore Ravens, catching nine passes for 153 yards in seven games. But many remember him from his days torching defenses with the Eagles, making all three of his Pro Bowls with the Eagles from 2008-13. 

Through those eight seasons, Jackson recorded 6,512 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns, many of which left defenses in the dust. He was also involved in one of the most memorable special teams plays in league history with the "Miracle at the Meadowlands II," returning a punt against the New York Giants as time expired to win a game, capping a fourth-quarter comeback from a 31-10 deficit.

Jackson later played for the Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders before that final year in Baltimore. 

Jackson finished his career catching 641 passes for 11,263 yards and 58 touchdowns. 

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Toledo, Pitt make bowl game history in extended contest that becomes instant classic

26 December 2024 at 16:40

Bowl season is always crazy, but on the day after Christmas, college football fans saw something they had never seen before.

Thursday's GameAbove Sports Bowl between Pittsburgh and Toledo took nearly five hours to finish because of a bowl game first.

The contest saw six overtimes, the most ever in a bowl game, en route to Toledo's 48-46 victory.

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Overtime was established in college football in 1996, and it was just a month ago that we saw Georgia and Georgia Tech go to eight overtimes. The most in any game is nine from an Illinois-Penn State battle in 2021.

In the first half, Toledo was down 12-6 but scored two touchdowns in a 14-second span – a 67-yard pass and then a 40-yard pick-six – to take a 20-12 lead.

Pitt rallied to go up 30-20 at a point, but Pitt tied the game with just under five minutes to go in regulation.

Both teams scored field goals on their first overtime possession, and then they matched one another with field goals on their next. New overtime rules state that from the third overtime on, teams must convert two-point conversion plays.

Both teams converted on each of their first three tries, but in the sixth overtime, after Toledo hit their fourth-straight, Pitt's pass fell incomplete.

In the fourth overtime, though, Toledo had actually celebrated twice. But their first stop was called back due to a penalty, and after thinking they stopped Pitt again, replay review reversed the call and continued the game. The Rockets got the victory anyway.

Toledo's Tucker Gleason went 26-for-50 for 336 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while also rushing for a score. Junior Vandeross III had 12 catches for 194 yards and a touchdown.

Desmond Reid ran for 165 yards on 32 carries for Pitt in the losing effort.

Toledo is now 12-10 in their bowl game history; it was the fourth year in a row they made a bowl game.

Pitt missed a bowl opportunity last year after taking home the 2022 Sun Bowl.

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Chiefs great Tony Gonzalez vows to pay Travis Kelce's fine after record-breaking touchdown

26 December 2024 at 16:22

Tony Gonzalez is a man of his word. 

Travis Kelce surpassed the Hall of Fame tight end to break the Kansas City Chiefs’ franchise record for touchdown receptions in the team’s Christmas Day win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Kelce hauled in his 77th career receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter to put his name in the record books alongside Gonzalez. Paying tribute to the Chiefs’ great, Kelce then dunked the ball over the goal post. 

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The celebration drew a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, but it didn’t make a difference to veteran kicker Harrison Butker, who nailed the extra-point attempt. 

During Prime Video’s pregame broadcast, Gonzalez vowed to pay Kelce’s fine in the event that he emulated his famous touchdown celebration. 

"I am so happy for him. He is one of the best tight ends to ever do it on [and] off the field," he said. "I’ve been following him since he was a rookie, and I’m not surprised by it. He is one of the greatest tight ends of all time. 

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"If he dunks it, I will pay that fine."

Kelce responded to Gonzalez’s post on X celebrating the accomplishment and reminded him of the offer he made prior to the game. 

"​​You know I had to show love to the greatest of all time," Kelce wrote. "You did mention you’d help me with the fine tho."

Gonzalez obliged, happily. 

"I got you!"

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Cowboys shut down star CeeDee Lamb for rest of season due to shoulder injury

26 December 2024 at 14:56

CeeDee Lamb won’t be finishing the season with the Dallas Cowboys. The team announced he has been shut down due to a shoulder injury. 

The team revealed the move Thursday, saying Lamb would not be available for the final two games to start the recovery process for a shoulder injury he’s been dealing with throughout the season.

"Additional examinations and scans this week on CeeDee Lamb’s shoulder have determined that his injury has now progressed to a point that he will be listed as ‘Out.’

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"He will undergo a process of treatment and rehabilitation for his shoulder, is not currently expected to require surgery and is projected to make a full recovery."

Lamb was diagnosed with an AC joint strain in Week 9, but he played through it as Dallas continued to try to keep its playoff hopes alive. 

Despite Dallas picking up a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, the Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention. 

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So, with no playoffs in sight, the Cowboys want to make sure Lamb doesn’t injure himself further and start the process with a full recovery in mind for 2025. 

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addressed Lamb’s situation on 105.3 the Fan Tuesday.

"We will leave it up to the player," Jones said. It’s unknown what say Lamb had in this decision to be shut down for the rest of the year. 

Lamb has discussed his injury this week, saying "my shoulder is out of whack" after beating the Bucs, 26-24. 

"I’m just out there battling and doing what I gotta do," Lamb said. 

Lamb, who the Cowboys signed to a contract extension in the offseason, had his fourth straight season with 1,110 or more yards after hauling in 101 receptions for 1,194 yards with six touchdowns in 15 games.

Lamb didn’t have Dak Prescott throwing to him all season because the franchise quarterback, who also received a contract extension in the offseason, sustained his own season-ending injury earlier this season against the Atlanta Falcons. 

However, Lamb found some chemistry with Cooper Rush, Prescott’s backup, who took over as starter. The Cowboys won four of their last five games, but, at 7-8 with two games remaining, it isn’t enough to crack into the NFC playoff picture. 

Lamb will continue on his rehab to get ready for 2025, when the Cowboys hope to see a different outcome.

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