Patrick Stewart, the Patriots' director of pro personnel for the past two seasons, will be hired as general manager of Nebraska's football program, sources told ESPN.
The Knicks' winless record against the top three teams in the NBA felt like a first-world problem when compared to the skidding team they ousted in the first round of the playoffs last spring.
Anthony Knox Jr. is suing after a wild brawl at the NJ District 25 Wrestling Tournament led to his disqualification -- and effectively ended his high school wrestling career.
Bill Belichick has always asked a lot of his players while coaching the New England Patriots, whether it was a Super Bowl, a regular-season game or just a training camp practice.
One former Patriot said he witnessed Belichick’s stern coaching almost immediately after getting drafted.
"I guess we’ll start with how Bill put me in fat camp," ex-Pats running back Stevan Ridley, a third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by New England, said on the "Games with Names" podcast with Julian Edelman.
Ridley said Belichick put him in "fat camp" because he was "overweight" for an NFL running back coming out of LSU.
So, how much weight did Belichick want Ridley to cut?
"You have that meeting where you come in there, and you’re a rookie. And he gives you your playing weight. And he brought me into the office because I go into the weight room, and [former Patriots strength coach Harold] Nash said, ‘Hop on the scale, Ridley,'" Ridley told Edelman.
"I hopped on the scale, and I’m about 235, 238 pounds. I played at LSU around 230 as a running back. Eight pounds is a lot, bro."
Ridley said the Patriots obviously knew he was a bigger running back, and he clearly did something to be drafted in the third round.
But Ridley claims Belichick told him he had to get his playing weight down to 220 pounds.
"How? I said, ‘You’re tripping, bro.' I said, ‘Nah,’" Ridley recalled. "[Nash] said, ‘Don’t ask me. I’m telling you what the boss man said.’"
Ridley went to Belichick’s office to hear from the head coach himself.
"I walked in and said, ‘Coach, I need to talk to you about this weight. And he said, ‘What’s the number? I can’t really remember what I had.' Two-twenty, that’s impossible. And he looked at me, and he said, ‘Well, Rid, I mean, really, I think it’s only about $563 per pound per day that you’re overweight. So, it’s really up to you.’
"I can do quick math. I’m a third-round draft pick, I ain’t got money like that. So, fat camp I went."
Ridley got to working on his weight, and it paid dividends after he made it to Belichick’s preferred playing weight of 220.
Despite what Ridley thought at first, it worked out for him.
"Quick as a cat, man," he said, laughing, when Edelman asked how he felt. "Freaking nasty, dude. Once I got to that playing weight, I was like, ‘Hey, Bill knows what the hell he’s talking about.’"
Ridley played four years in New England, running for 2,817 yards, including 1,263 his sophomore campaign during the 2012 season, which included 12 of his 22 career rushing touchdowns with the Patriots. Ridley was a part of the 2014 Patriots squad that shockingly defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the 2015 Super Bowl thanks to Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception.
Ridley then played for the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers after his Super Bowl-winning final season in New England.
Aaron Judge, at 6-foot-7 and 282 pounds, knows better than anyone else in the Yankees clubhouse what the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Spencer Jones is going through
A group of surfers, lifeguards, and other concerned individuals recently gathered around American pro surfer Makai McNamara after he was knocked unconscious. McNamara was wiped out by a massive wave at Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii, which is widely considered one of the world's most dangerous surf breaks.
According to Island News, McNamara was a frequent Banzai Pipeline visitor and was hit by the large wave this past Sunday. The aforementioned group of responders helped McNamara reach safety on the shore.
Eli Olson, who also surfs professionally and is described as a friend of McNamara, said the ordeal was a "freak accident."
"It was just a bad wave, kind of a freak accident, and he went head first into the reef," Olson told Island News. He also described McNamara as "one of the best [surfers] out there."
Olson estimated McNamara was underwater for two minutes before anyone was able to reach him. He also noted that responders attempted "CPR compressions" during the rescue.
"He was underwater for close to two minutes before I got to him. First thing, I just wanted to like keep his head above water so he didn't take more water in," Olson said. "I gave him a couple [of] breaths. Try to give him a couple [of] compressions."
He added, "We're getting hit by waves out here. We're getting kind of recycled in the waves and then we got him in life first, did another round of CPR compressions, and he started coughing up water."
McNamara was able to eventually regain consciousness when he was "brought him back to life on the sand," Surfer reported. McNamara was later transported to a local hospital where medical personnel placed him in an induced coma for three days.
McNamara's father Liam provided an update on his son's status 24 hours after the harrowing incident.
"It's been 24 hours since the incident, and he's on his road to recovery," he said in a video posted to Instagram. "He feels your energy. He feels your love. He feels your positive vibes, and we appreciate each and every one of you for your support."
"I thank the lifeguards and everybody who helped, so many people. Thank you so much for helping save my son," Liam continued.
"The next two days he’ll be here in the hospital, and we just need the continued prayers and positive energy," he added. "Makai's a strong young man, and he's going to get through this."
Meanwhile, Olson described the rescue as a "team effort" and expressed his hopes that Mcnamara makes a "full recovery."
"All that matters is Makai makes a full recovery and we can laugh and share waves with him soon," Olson noted via Instagram Stories.
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is proud of the polarizing "tush push" and finds that calls to ban the play are "a little insulting."
Speaking to the media at the 2025 NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Sirianni addressed the recent controversy surrounding the Eagles' signature play.
For Sirianni, the Eagles have perfected the play, making it look easy. But make no mistake, that has required a ton of work.
"I almost feel a little insulted because we work so hard at that play. The amount of things that we’ve looked into how to coach that play, the fundamentals, there’s a thousand plays out there, but it comes down to how you teach the fundamentals and how the players go through and do with the fundamentals."
He continued, "It’s a little insulting to say, ‘We’re good at it so it's automatic.’ We work really hard at it."
The "tush push" has become a favorite for Philadelphia in the red zone. Quarterback Jalen Hurts scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl LIX utilizing the play. But for some around the league, the play has become an issue.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday that his team submitted a proposal to ban the play, which will be reviewed by the NFL Competition Committee. The play has previously been discussed, but this marks the first formal complaint to ban it all together.
Other teams have attempted to use the play, but none as successful as the Eagles.
And Sirianni doesn’t believe they should be punished for that.
"There’s just so much time put into it. The fact that it's a successful play for the Eagles and people want to take that away, I think is a little unfair."
After previously referring to Wayne Gretzky as the "governor of Canada," President Donald Trump has declared the NHL legend a "free agent."
Justin Trudeau announced his plan to resign as Canada's prime minister earlier this year, prompting Trump to ask Gretzky if he wanted to be the country's "governor" after Trump called for Canada to become the "51st state."
However, Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday his "friend" is "somewhat ‘low key' about Canada remaining a separate Country, rather than becoming a cherished and beautiful 51st State."
"Wayne Gretzky is a fantastic guy! They call him, ‘The Great One,’ and he is. He could run for any political office in Canada, and win. Wayne is my friend, and he wants to make me happy, and is therefore somewhat ‘low key’ about Canada remaining a separate Country, rather than becoming a cherished and beautiful 51st State, paying much Lower Taxes, a Free and Powerful Military, NO TARIFFS, and having a Booming Economy," Trump wrote on Wednesday.
"Wayne and Janet, his wonderful wife, love Canada, and they should only support Canada, and whatever else makes the Canadian People, and Governor Justin Trudeau, happy. He’s the Greatest Canadian of them all, and I am therefore making him a ‘free agent,’ because I don’t want anyone in Canada to say anything bad about him.
"He supports Canada the way it is, as he should, even though it’s not nearly as good as it could be as part of the Greatest and Most Powerful Country in the World, the Good Ole’ U.S.A.!"
While speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago last month, Trump said Gretzky was "not too interested" in becoming Canada's "governor," but "he probably would have liked statehood."
Gretzky attended a victory party for Trump's 2024 election win after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris. Gretzky was spotted wearing a MAGA hat shortly afterward and attended Trump's inauguration.
The NHL's all-time points leader was named Canada's honorary captain for the 4 Nations Face-Off final against the Americans. Canadian and American fans booed each other's national anthem during the tournament due to political tensions between the countries.
