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Today — 1 July 2025Sport News

Panthers star Xavier Legette shows true grit helping with friend's ATV stuck in muddy water

With NFL training camp around the corner, players are finding ways to stay in shape and have fun before the grind of a new season begins. 

For Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette, that means enjoying the outdoors, even if it means helping a friend out in a muddy situation. 

Legette went viral for helping a friend get an ATV out of muddy water he believed the vehicle could get through. 

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At first, Legette was trying to coach his friend out of the predicament, but when that didn’t work, he jumped on to do things himself. Legette didn’t hesitate a bit when he saw the situation getting even more sticky. 

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However, the video clip ends with Legette and his friend trying together to pull the blue ATV out of the mud without showing the end result. 

Legette’s wilderness adventures have been on full display since the South Carolina product entered the NFL as the Panthers’ first-round selection last season. He went viral for numerous reasons, including his thick Southern accent that fans adore. 

He’s also been seen riding horses on his farm, especially "Dolla Bill," which he gives a nod to with his touchdown celebration that mimics riding a horse. 

Legette had some great moments for the Panthers last season with 497 yards on 49 receptions and four touchdowns in his rookie year. 

He hopes to build off his rookie campaign with a Panthers team that added to its wide receivers room in the first round again, this time nabbing Tetairoa McMillan out of Arizona with the eighth overall pick in April

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Questions rise over UPenn's Lia Thomas lawsuit after Title IX agreement with Trump admin

The University of Pennsylvania agreed to a resolution with President Donald Trump's administration to keep males out of women's sports and apologize to every woman swimmer who was affected by the presence of trans athlete Lia Thomas in the 2021-22 season. 

However, a lawsuit against the university by three former women's swimmers over their experience in sharing a team with Thomas is still active. 

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Former UPenn swimmers Grace Estabrook, Margot Kaczorowski and Ellen Holmquist filed their lawsuit against the university, Harvard University, the NCAA and the Ivy League back on Feb. 5. The suit alleges university officials led them to feel their concerns over being teammates with Thomas were rooted in a "psychological problem," and that by allowing Thomas to compete, the institutions "injured them and violated federal law."

The activist group funding the lawsuit, the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS), released a statement on Tuesday addressing UPenn's resolution. 

"In less than three weeks, lawyers for the University of Pennsylvania will appear in federal district court in Boston, Massachusetts. They have informed the court that they will argue the university did not violate Title IX by allowing Lia Thomas to compete on the women’s swim team," the statement claimed. 

"Will UPenn now admit to the federal judge—just as they did to the Trump Administration today—that they violated Title IX? Or will they continue fighting against accountability and against UPenn’s female swimmers in court?"

Meanwhile, Former UPenn swimmer Paula Scanlan, who is not part of the lawsuit but was one of the first of Thomas' teammates to speak out against the situation, shared the email she received from the university apologizing. 

ICONS added in its statement that Tuesday's announcement should serve as a warning to other institutions.

"We, along with the female athletes we represent, are grateful to the Trump Administration and the Department of Education for their commitment to restoring justice in women’s sports. Today’s announcement, concerning one of the most notorious violations of Title IX, sends a clear message to all educational institutions: denying women equal opportunities and the right to privacy is unequivocally wrong," the statement continued. 

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"ICONS remains dedicated to holding organizations like the NCAA, the Ivy League, and the University of Pennsylvania accountable, ensuring that legal precedents are set so such violations can never happen again."

Fox News Digital has reached out to UPenn for a response to the ICONS statement. 

Thomas, a biological male, previously competed for the UPenn men's swimming team from 2017-20 under the name Will Thomas. According to the lawsuit, Thomas was introduced by women's swimming head coach Mike Schnur to the women's swimmers during a team meeting in Fall 2019 as their incoming teammate. 

Each of the three plaintiffs claims the experience left them "repeatedly emotionally traumatized."

The plaintiffs allege that the university administrators pushed pro-trans ideology onto them throughout the process of accepting Thomas on the team and in their locker room. The former swimmers say that they were led to feel their concerns over being teammates with Thomas were rooted in a "psychological problem."

"The UPenn administrators told the women that if anyone was struggling with accepting Thomas’s participation on the UPenn Women’s team, they should seek counseling and support from CAPS and the LBGTQ center," the lawsuit alleges.

"The administrators also invited the women to a talk titled, ‘Trans 101.’ Thus, the women were led to understand that UPenn’s position was that if a woman on the team had any problem with a trans-identifying male being on her team that woman had a psychological problem and needed counseling."

The plaintiffs also allege that the administrators warned them against speaking out against the situation publicly.

"The UPenn administrators went on to tell the women that if the women spoke publicly about their concerns about Thomas’ participation on the Women’s Team, the reputation of those complaining about Thomas being on the team would be tainted with transphobia for the rest of their lives and they would probably never be able to get a job,’" the lawsuit alleges.

The three female swimmers allege that they were made to believe they would be removed from the team if they tried to protest Thomas' participation ahead of the 2022 Ivy League championships. 

"UPenn swim team members were told by Coach Schnur and UPenn administrators that UPenn administrators coordinated closely with the NCAA and the Ivy League to ensure that Thomas would be eligible for the 2021-2022 women’s swimming season," the suit alleged.

"These statements about close coordination between UPenn, the Ivy League and the NCAA regarding Thomas’ eligibility led the UPenn Women’s Team members to understand the resisting or protesting the participation of Thomas on the team or his presence in the locker room would be futile and could result in the women being removed from the team or from UPenn."

The lawsuit alleges that coaches and UPenn administrators told the women's swimmers not to talk about Thomas' situation. Schnur allegedly told the women's swimmers that Thomas wouldn't be sharing a locker room with them when they asked after the initial introduction. 

But that allegedly changed later.

Thomas officially began to practice and compete with the women's swimmers in Fall 2021. 

And that was when the female swimmers say they discovered that Schnur's alleged claim Thomas wouldn't share a locker room was not true. 

"When UPenn’s women’s swimmers returned to school in the fall of 2021 they were shocked to discover that Thomas was being allowed to use the women’s locker room at UPenn and would be allowed to use the women’s locker room at swim meets," the lawsuit alleges.

"Margot [Kaczorowski] only learned that Thomas had been authorized by UPenn to use the women’s locker room when [Kaczorowski] walked in the women’s locker room to find Thomas in front of her changing his clothing."

Per the suit, Kaczorowski confronted Schnur in tears about her shock of discovering Thomas would now share a locker room with her. She alleges the coach responded by saying, "I know it’s wrong, but there’s nothing I can do."

"Coach Schnur told the Plaintiffs he would be fired by UPenn if he did not allow Thomas to use the women’s locker room and compete on the women’s swim team," the lawsuit alleges. 

In December 2021, another team meeting was held to discuss Thomas' presence on the team and the media attention it garnered, per the court documents. The female swimmers allege they were told that Thomas would continue to be on their team and that "Lia swimming is a non-negotiable."

UPenn addressed the resolution with Trump's administration in a statement on Tuesday. 

"The Department of Education OCR investigated the participation of one transgender athlete on the women’s swimming team three years ago, during the 2021 – 2022 swim season. At that time, Penn was in compliance with NCAA eligibility rules and Title IX as then interpreted," the statement read. 

"Penn has always followed – and continues to follow – Title IX and the applicable policy of the NCAA regarding transgender athletes. NCAA eligibility rules changed in February 2025 with Executive Orders 14168 and 14201 and Penn will continue to adhere to these new rules.

"Penn has never maintained a policy of its own regarding the participation of transgender athletes in intercollegiate sports. Nor do we maintain our own policies related to other NCAA rules. We adhere to NCAA and Ivy League rules that are designed to ensure fair and transparent athletic competitions for all schools and participants."

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Dolphins acquire Darren Waller from Giants after former NFL star makes surprise return from retirement

Darren Waller is putting his pads back on. 

Waller is coming out of retirement to play for the Miami Dolphins, who made a trade with the New York Giants to get him in the building before training camp, according to multiple reports Tuesday.

The Giants held Waller’s rights after he announced his retirement after one season in New York in 2023. They received a 2026 sixth-round pick for Waller and a conditional 2027 seventh-round selection in the NFL Draft, according to ESPN.

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Waller's return from retirement happened one day after the Dolphins sent their Pro Bowl tight end from 2024, Jonnu Smith, to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a deal involving Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick. 

Waller figures to be the starter, though he’ll have to compete with Julian Hill and Pharaoh Brown for that role in training camp. 

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People close to Waller said he "missed football," according to ESPN, and he wanted to get back into the game if a team wanted him.

The 32-year-old was one of the best tight ends in the NFL with 2,341 receiving yards on 197 receptions with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019 and 2020 combined. He had 12 touchdowns during that span. 

The Raiders gave Waller a three-year extension worth $51 million, but he was traded to the Giants after the 2022 season. 

Things didn’t pan out in New York, where he caught 52 passes for 552 yards with just one touchdown in a lost 2023 campaign for Big Blue. 

Waller eventually announced he was retiring after a health scare in November 2023. 

In a YouTube video, Waller revealed he struggled to breathe and spent 3½ days in a hospital unable to stand up, use the bathroom or even feed himself. While he didn’t disclose the diagnosis doctors gave him for those ailments, he said the "very scary situation" changed his mindset, and he decided to retire with a focus on his music career. 

Waller has also been very public about his battles with addiction, most notably, a 2017 overdose that turned his life around for the better. He has since used his own experience with addiction and rehabilitation to help others. 

With the Dolphins, Waller hopes to be a force on offense. He will be teaming up with Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and other electric players on that side of the ball. 

Waller will also reunite with his former Raiders tight ends coach, Frank Smith, who worked with him from 2018-20. 

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Mike Tyson reveals the backstory behind his marijuana reform crusade

Boxing legend Mike Tyson doesn't just like cannabis. He needs it. 

"Some of us can’t live, can’t function without it," Tyson told Fox News Digital, adding that he is "100%" one of those people. He believes he would likely be in prison and "less successful as a human being" if he never discovered the plant.

Cannabis played heavily into Tyson's fight with YouTuber Jake Paul. Tyson says he was heavily under the influence of marijuana when he agreed to the match.

When asked if he would have agreed to fight Paul if he was sober, Tyson said "I don't really believe so, no."

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The day of the match, Tyson said he used marijuana "not long before" the fight started. 

"Yeah, I can't stop. … I don't think I was high. I was very relaxed and cool," Tyson said of his state of mind before the fight. "It put me at an advantage." 

After losing to Paul in eight rounds, Tyson immediately used marijuana again. 

"I said I needed a joint right away. As soon as it ended, I needed a joint. Let’s get out of here," Tyson said. "It was like I was dreaming. It was like a dream. It was beautiful. It felt like I won the fight." 

When asked if he will fight again, Tyson said, "It depends on if cannabis ever becomes legal or not and rescheduled." 

By "rescheduled," Tyson means he wants to see the plant officially reclassified by the government from a category that is defined by high potential for abuse with no accepted medical use to a category of moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. 

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It is one of the three points Tyson advocated in a recent letter to President Donald Trump's White House that he wrote in conjunction with other superstar athletes and entertainers, like Kevin Durant and Allen Iverson. 

Tyson, Durant and the others are pushing for reform and are putting their faith in Trump. Joe Biden, and previously Barack Obama, did not achieve major federal reform for cannabis or significant clemency for those incarcerated for non-violent cannabis crimes during their respective terms. 

"It was a letdown, but you have to respect they were in power. You have to respect that," Tyson said. "We have a different president now, so we're talking to him. So, it seems to be a lot different talking to President Trump than with the other guy. And, like I said before, that's their agenda. This is our agenda right here." 

Tyson added he believes the rescheduling of marijuana is the top priority in his federal reform goals. On top of that, he and his supporters want to see mass clemency for nonviolent marijuana offenders. 

Tyson said seeing people going to jail for these offenses was an unfortunate memory of his childhood. 

"I always knew that. I always knew that I am friends with those people, people come from my community," Tyson said. He recalled one member of his community he watched go to jail when he was a kid and who wasn't released until Tyson became an established fighter. 

A recent study by researchers at UC San Francisco determined that eating edible cannabis, such as gummies, has the same cardiovascular risk as smoking marijuana for long-term users. The risk stems from reduced blood vessel function, according to the study, published in JAMA Cardiology May 28.

Tyson admitted to first using the drug before he was 10 years old. Now, he believes the minimum age for a cannabis user should be 21. 

For Tyson, the plant became a key component in achieving success as a boxer. He claims it made him a better athlete as a fighter, and he often used it after fights to recover. 

Other than the Paul fight, Tyson says there was only one other time when he used cannabis just before a fight. It was against Andrew Golota in 2000, a fight Tyson won by technical knockout.

"Very relaxing, very calm, very — I don’t know — just very free," Tyson said of the experience winning that fight under the influence of cannabis.

Tyson added the plant helped him avoid other drugs, like cocaine and alcohol.

"It makes you health conscious," Tyson said. 

However, when the plant was illegal and criminalized throughout parts of the U.S., Tyson said he would get sick from using cannabis he bought off the street that was laced with chemicals. He says it happened multiple times. 

"It wasn't good. It felt like my throat was going to explode," Tyson said. 

Preventing the spread of marijuana laced with chemicals is one of the driving factors behind Tyson's push for federal reform. He believes the industry must be legitimized to snuff out the black market marijuana trade. 

The final point he made in his letter to Trump was to put an end to banking practices that restrict the financial management for cannabis businesses. 

"They're going to do it anyway, legal or illegal, so let's make it safe. Get all the bad actors out of the picture," Tyson said.

Tyson isn't embarking on his mission alone. He, Durant and Iverson were joined in the letter by former boxer Roy Jones Jr., former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant, former NFL star Antonio Brown and former NFL player and prominent cannabis advocate Ricky Williams. 

They were also joined by music producer Weldon Angelos, who was sentenced to 55 years in prison in November 2004 for marijuana charges. Angelos was released in 2016 and pardoned by Trump in December 2020. The letter also criticized former President Joe Biden for a lack of action on addressing marijuana-related incarceration.

"We want [Trump] to follow through on his campaign promises," Angelos said. 

"I think a lot of athletes use cannabis for medicinal purposes. That's why so many athletes are on the letter that we organized, because cannabis has helped him. Just look at Mike Tyson. … Cannabis has helped him tremendously. So, cannabis is a medicine, People need to have access to it." 

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Yankees implode late again after critical call, grand slam in lopsided loss to Blue Jays

This one came in a five-run seventh inning and again included a critical catcher’s interference, with George Springer delivering the decisive blow on a grand slam off Luke Weaver as the Yankees got walloped by the Blue Jays, 12-5, in a holiday matinee.

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