Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie, created some excitement at the PNC Championship on Sunday when the young golfer made a hole in one during the tournament.
The Woods tandem finished in second place in the event, losing in a playoff to Bernhard and Jason Langer. It was the second straight year the Langers won the tournament.
Tiger Woods was then seen in a warm embrace with his ex-wife Elin Nordegren, who is the mother of Charlie. Sam Woods, their daughter, served as the caddie for them during the event.
Woods and Nordegren haven’t exactly been close since their high-profile divorce nearly 15 years ago. The two were seen together earlier this year to celebrate Charlie after his high school won the Class 1A state golf championship in Florida.
Woods and Nordegren were a part of a high-profile split in 2010 when Woods revealed his infidelity following a single-vehicle crash near their Florida home. They have two children together, and the source told People their tensions have cooled in recent years for the sake of their children.
"She would never go back with him but likes that he is a good father. She has seen that over the years, which worked them into a good relationship. They co-parent pretty well," the source told the magazine back in March.
"Of course, she needs to be very confident that the children are safe and happy around anyone that Tiger is with, especially if the romance becomes serious," the source added. "To that degree, she is very interested. But not on much else."
Nordegren has been dating retired tight end Jordan Cameron for the last few years.
Woods broke up with Erica Herman, who then filed a lawsuit against him. She dropped the lawsuit in November 2023.
The Houston Texans claimed wide receiver Diontae Johnson off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens on Monday after Tank Dell suffered a horrific knee injury over the weekend.
Johnson will be expected to step into a role and become a key target for quarterback C.J. Stroud as the team prepares for the playoffs. Houston has already wrapped up the AFC South title.
But Johnson comes to Houston following a tumultuous end with the Ravens.
Baltimore acquired Johnson in the middle of the season in a trade with the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29. The Ravens suspended Johnson for one game after he refused to enter a Dec. 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was later excused from all team activities.
The one-time Pro Bowler had one catch on five targets for six yards in four games with the Ravens. He hasn’t played a game since Nov. 25 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Johnson previously spent five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his 2021 Pro Bowl season, he had 107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns. Those numbers were career highs.
Dell suffered a dislocated kneecap and a torn ACL in Saturday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, head coach DeMeco Ryans said.
Dell is set to have season-ending surgery for the second straight year.
The Ravens and the Texans will go up against each other on Christmas Day.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow gifted his offensive lineman with samurai swords for Christmas as they have helped protect him better than most seasons since he’s been the starter.
Burrow let each of the linemen pick out a sword. ESPN noted that some of the swords date back to the 1500s. Following his three-touchdown performance against the Cleveland Browns, Burrow explained why he opted for samurai swords over cars, watches or something else.
"Well, they wanted guns," he said. "And I was like, 'I don't know about guns, guys.' So I was in the weapon mindset, and I was like, 'What's a cool weapon?' Samurai swords, I think, are pretty dang cool."
Bengals offensive lineman Alex Cappa told ESPN last week that the gift was one of the best he’s ever received.
"My favorite gift I've ever gotten by far because it's so different," he said.
Burrow is having one of the best seasons of his career. It starts with the offensive line as he’s only been sacked 37 times through 15 games. In 2022, the last time he played at least 15 games, he was sacked 41 times. He led the league in sacks in 2021 (51). The Bengals lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl that year.
The former LSU standout leads the NFL with 39 touchdown passes and 4,229 passing yards.
Cincinnati is 7-8 this season and have games against the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers left on the schedule. If the Bengals win out, they may be in line to sneak into the playoffs.
The Las Vegas Raiders may have complicated their draft position on Sunday as the team defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, and fans of the team noticed.
The Raiders would have dropped to 2-13 with a loss and would have been in a neck-and-neck race with the New York Giants for the No. 1 overall pick. But the Raiders won and the Giants lost. Las Vegas dropped to No. 6 because of the result.
As fans got upset with the Raiders on social media, head coach Antonio Pierce addressed critics during his media availability.
"We don’t do this to lose," he said, per Pro Football Talk. "We don’t do this for anybody’s fantasy football team. We don’t do this for anybody’s draft projections. None of that s--- matters to us. Only thing that matters to us is winning, and that’s all we want to do."
Las Vegas is in the midst of one of the worst seasons in its franchise’s history. Three wins is far from what they hoped for after narrowly missing the playoffs last season when Pierce replaced Josh McDaniels as head coach in the middle of the season.
The Raiders have only made the playoffs twice since losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl in the 2002 season. They haven’t made it out of the wild card round either.
Las Vegas hits the road to play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday and finishes the season against the Los Angeles Chargers on Jan. 5.
Aaron Rodgers gave those interested in the pop culture world a little Christmas treat on Monday during his weekly appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show."
The New York Jets quarterback slyly revealed he’s back in the dating world and currently has a girlfriend. He made the reveal when he, McAfee and former Green Bay Packers teammate A.J. Hawk were talking about buying gifts for the holiday online.
Rodgers’ past relationships were recalled in his docuseries "Enigma," which debuted on Netflix last week. He explained that he "hated" the fame that came with his successful football career.
The four-time NFL MVP referenced the high-profile relationships he was in. The quarterback dated Olivia Munn from 2014 to 2017, Danica Patrick from 2018 to 2020 and Shailene Woodley from 2020 to 2022.
"I didn’t do myself any favors with some of the girls I dated after that that were in the public eye," Rodgers said on the show.
Referring to the fame, Rodgers said, "I definitely hated it at first — like, really despised it."
"I enjoyed my private life," he continued. "I enjoyed being able to go places. But from Super Bowl MVP, MVP, State Farm commercials, that got a little bit more difficult."
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans revealed the extent of wide receiver Tank Dell’s horrific injury on Monday.
Dell will miss the remainder of the season after he tore his ACL and dislocated his kneecap during Saturday’s loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s the second straight season the wide receiver will need season-ending surgery. He broke his fibula in Week 13 last year.
"He dislocated the knee, he tore the ACL, other things there he’ll have to get repaired," Ryans said. "So he’ll be out for the year."
Dell was injured on a 30-yard touchdown catch. He was coming across the back of the end zone and made a spectacular catch on a pass from C.J. Stroud. He collided with teammate Jared Wayne on the way to the ground, and he immediately grabbed his knee.
Dell’s teammates were in tears as they watched him go down. He was placed on a stretcher and driven out of the stadium on a cart before staying overnight at a hospital and flown back to Houston.
"It was just not easy for me to sit there and be emotional," Stroud said Monday. "But it’s something that we all go through in life, and it’s easy to be a fake tough guy. It’s easy to go through life acting like everything doesn’t affect you, but deep down we all know we’re going through something."
He also addressed criticism for letting his emotions show.
"It’s good for young men and women out there, kids who are brought up — and I was taught this too as a kid, not from my parents but just from the world, don’t let anybody see you emotional," the second-year quarterback added. "Don’t let anybody see you down, and yeah, there’s some truth to that in certain aspects, but there’s also life, and I think it was good for people to see me in that light and knowing that there is still a human factor to me, and I’m a normal person."
Dell will finish the season with 51 catches for 667 yards and three touchdowns.
"With a stroke of my pen on Day 1, we’re going to stop the transgender lunacy," Trump proclaimed to cheers. "And I will sign executive orders to end child mutilation, get transgender out of the military and out of our elementary schools and middle schools and high schools.
"And we will keep men out of women’s sports. And that will, likewise, be done on Day 1. Should I do Day 1, Day 2 or Day 3? How about Day 1? Under the Trump administration, it will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders — male and female. It doesn’t sound too complicated. Does it?"
Transgender inclusion in women’s sports became an underlying campaign issue for Trump as he was the only one of the two candidates to draw a hard line against it.
As he accepted the Republican nomination for president in July, he made his stance clear.
"We will not have men playing in women’s sports, that will end immediately," he said at the time.
He also appeared on on Barstool Sports’ "Bussin’ with the Boys" with former NFL players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton and called the notion of trans inclusion in women’s sports "ridiculous."
Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe don’t want to hear "First Take" come out of the mouths of two ESPN colleagues.
Smith and Sharpe both addressed comments made by Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler during their College Football Playoff broadcast on Monday’s edition of the popular sports debate show.
And while Smith was more polished with his response, Sharpe let it be known that he doesn’t care how many ESPN bosses he has to go through if he hears shots thrown at "First Take" again.
"I’m gonna be a good teammate," Sharpe said to Smith. "I’m gonna let it slide. Everybody’s at ESPN. Because had you not taken the route you’ve taken, I would’ve lit their a--es up. If we’re going to be on the same team, if we’re gonna work for the same network, don’t do that.
"Kirk, Chris Fowler, I promise you, if you ever mention any platform that I’m on again talking about ‘I wonder what they’re going to say as negativity,’ I promise you, ESPN ain’t got enough bosses to keep me off y’all for what I’m going to say. Don’t play with me."
The comments from Herbstreit and Fowler were about Ohio State Buckeyes head football coach Ryan Day, where Smith accused them of misquoting him about calling for the coach to be fired.
"Stop it," Smith said into the camera during his speech on the matter. "’First Take gotta get him fired,’ that is not true. I did! Not ‘First Take.’ That was me, Stephen A. Don’t misquote me. What I said was, ‘This man Ryan Day, if he doesn’t get a national championship, he should go. Even with a 66-10 record.’ I didn’t stutter one bit, I ain’t stuttering now."
Herbstreit and Fowler were on the call for the Buckeyes’ rout of the Tennessee Volunteers to move on to the next round of the playoffs.
While Day was leading the team to a dominant victory, Herbstreit brought up the "lunatic fringe" that he feels exists at Ohio State, which came firing at Day after losing for the fourth straight year to Michigan in their rivalry game.
Then, Herbstreit moved the conversation to "First Take."
"’First Take’ tried to fire him," Herbstreit was heard saying. "They thought he was done. So, I’ll be excited to see what they talk about on Monday after this performance. They had him out. They’re trying to find replacements. But here he is. He’s still got his hat on. He’s still coaching."
At that time, Herbstreit’s comments were interesting, to say the least, considering he was talking about a show within his own network.
But, as they’ve done in the past with others who have called them out, Smith and Sharpe responded quickly, even if it meant putting their own colleagues on notice.
Walker Buehler, the star pitcher who recorded the final out to seal the Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series victory in 2024, has found a new home in MLB.
Buehler has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox to add some more fire to their rotation for next season.
The deal is worth $21.05 million, according to multiple outlets. Yahoo Sports adds an additional $2.5 million can be made in performance bonuses.
Boston has been loading up on starting pitching this offseason, most notably trading for Garrett Crochet in a deal with the Chicago White Sox earlier. They also signed another left-hander, veteran Patrick Sandoval, on a two-year deal just days ago.
The Red Sox also sport Tanner Houck, who is coming off a breakout year, Lucas Giolito, Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello to round out a good mix of starters for 2025.
Buehler’s career has been an interesting one to watch, as he was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball from 2018-2021, slicing and dicing hitters as the Dodgers’ potential ace of the future.
However, things took a turn in 2022 when he needed to undergo Tommy John surgery, his second one after needing it in 2015, when the Dodgers made him a first-round pick in the MLB Draft.
Upon returning to the rotation in 2024, Buehler was dreadful, pitching to a 5.38 ERA with a 1.55 WHIP over 16 starts.
But when the postseason rolled around for Los Angeles, Buehler remained in the rotation and seemed to be the pitcher of old, getting his wicked 12-6 curveball to work and dotting his fastball wherever he pleased.
Buehler ultimately closed out the ninth inning of Game 5 in the World Series against the New York Yankees, pitching on one day’s rest after providing five shoutout innings earlier in the series.
All that said, seeing what would happen with the 28-year-old in this free agency period was something baseball experts and fans alike were curious about.
Now, we see the Red Sox providing a good deal where Buehler can prove that what was seen in October is what should be expected moving forward, or at least that’s the plan on a one-year pact.
Buehler owns a career 3.27 ERA over 131 games and 731.2 innings pitched with 754 strikeouts to 190 walks.
Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is taking a break from social media, as is his fiancée, Leanna Lenee, amid loads of online criticism.
Hunter’s and Lenee’s Instagram accounts have been deactivated, which was noticed on Sunday.
Since he was named college football’s best player this year, the Colorado Buffaloes star has had many tribulations over the Internet, as rumors, critiques of his relationship and more began to swirl.
What appeared to start the online frenzy was Lenee’s reaction after Hunter was officially named the Heisman winner last weekend.
Some took exception to Lenee sitting after she gave Hunter a hug and congratulated him, as everyone else in the room in New York City remained standing and clapping for the two-way star as he greeted others. Hunter ultimately went back to Lenee, leaned over, and gave her another long embrace before making his way to the stage.
Then, at a meet-and-greet event, a video of Lenee seemingly irritated that she was just sitting and watching Hunter meet with fans became the subject of criticism.
It got to the point where Lenee, Hunter’s longtime girlfriend who he proposed to in February, made a TikTok video defending her relationship. However, the social media trolls continued to use this video as fuel to their fire.
In turn, Hunter went on his Twitch stream to defend his fiancée.
"I know what I got," he said. "I know my girl. My girl’s been here with me for five years. Y’all are just now starting to talk about me and just now starting to be with me. Come on, man."
The comments and criticism continued for Hunter and Lenee despite their attempts to make people understand, so it appears they’re simply done dealing with it for the moment.
In the meantime, Hunter is gearing up for what’s expected to be his final collegiate game in the Alamo Bowl against BYU. Usually players who are expected to be taken high in the NFL Draft will skip their bowl games, but Hunter explained why he won’t be among that crowd.
"It’s definitely important because I started this thing with Coach Prime, and Shedeur, and most of the coaches on the coaching staff, so I wanted to finish it off right," Hunter said on Dec. 13 when asked why he was playing.
Given his ability to impact the game on both sides of the ball as a wide receiver and cornerback, Hunter is expected to be a top five pick in next year’s draft.
Sports have given fans a little bit of everything in 2024.
Two back-to-back champions, some of the most dominant tournaments and playoff runs seen in their respective sports, while almost giving fans an historic reverse sweep.
Here are all the champions that were crowned in the calendar year.
For the second consecutive season, and for the third time in five years, the Chiefs were Super Bowl champions in 2024. The Chiefs took down the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime, with Patrick Mahomes winning his third career Super Bowl MVP award. This Super Bowl win was a little different for the Chiefs. For the first time in the Andy Reid-Mahomes era, they did not have home-field advantage in the playoffs.
The Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins at home in the wild-card round in frigid temperatures, and then went on the road and took down the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional round and Baltimore Ravens in the Conference Championship game en route to the franchise's fourth Super Bowl victory.
The Boston Celtics were utterly dominant in 2023-2024, going 64-18 in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Celtics were even better, going 16-3 over their four playoff rounds. Only the 2016-2017 Golden State Warriors had a better postseason record since all four NBA playoff rounds became best-of-seven contests in 2003. The Celtics beat the Miami Heat in the first round, the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, and the Indiana Pacers in the eastern conference finals.
In the NBA Finals, the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Forward Jaylen Brown won Finals MVP over Jayson Tatum. The championship was the Celtics' first since 2008, and the 18th championship in franchise history. The championship also gave the Celtics the most titles in NBA history, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Florida Panthers were 60 minutes away from being on the wrong side of history, as they almost blew a 3-0 lead to the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals. After going up 3-0, the Oilers stormed back, winning three in a row, before the Panthers held on, winning Game 7, 2-1, at home. The win over the Oilers secured the team’s first Stanley Cup in the franchise’s 30 years of existence, and avenged their loss in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Panthers beat their in-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lighting, the Boston Bruins, and the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference final en route to the Stanley Cup Final. Oilers superstar Connor McDavid joined a rare group of just six players, winning the Conn Smythe trophy (Playoff MVP) as a member of the losing team in the Stanley Cup Final. McDavid was incredible in the playoffs for the Oilers, scoring a whopping 42 points in 25 playoff games.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won their eighth World Series in franchise history in October, taking down the New York Yankees in five games. The Dodgers went up 3-0 in the series, lost Game 4, but then erased a 5-0 lead in Game 5 to come back and win it all in the Bronx. Freddie Freeman was sensational for the Dodgers, winning World Series MVP. The star first baseman hit .300 with four home runs and 12 RBI, including the first-ever walk-off grand slam in World Series history in Game 1.
The Dodgers were pushed to the brink in the NLDS by the San Diego Padres, falling behind 2-1 before winning their next two games to advance to the NLCS. The Dodgers then beat the Mets in six games to secure the National League pennant. In addition to winning the World Series, Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and have 50 stolen bases in the same season, while winning the NL MVP in his first season with the Dodgers.
In Jim Harbaugh’s ninth and final season as head coach of Michigan, he led the Wolverines to a 15-0 record and a College Football Playoff victory. The victory was Michigan’s first in the new format, and the 12th national championship in program history. During the season, Michigan defeated Iowa 26-0 to win their third consecutive Big Ten championship.
Michigan beat Alabama 27-20 in overtime in the first round of the College Football Playoff round, and then beat Washington 34-13 in the championship game. Quarterback JJ McCarthy and running back Blake Corum lead the charge offensively for the Wolverines, both becoming top picks in the NFL Draft. Following the season, Jim Harbaugh left and went back to the NFL, taking the Los Angeles Chargers head coaching job.
The 2024 season was one of dominance for the Liberty. The team went 32-8 in the regular season and finished in first place in the Eastern Conference and earned the top seed in the playoffs. In the playoffs, the Liberty swept the Atlanta Dream in two games, beat the Las Vegas Aces 3-1 in the semifinals, and beat the Minnesota Lynx 3-2 to win the franchise’s first WNBA title. The Liberty WNBA Final win snapped the team's streak of five WNBA Finals losses.
Center Jonquel Jones won WNBA Finals MVP, as the star center averaged 15.5 points per game over the playoffs. Forward Breanna Stewart led the Liberty in scoring over the regular season, averaging just over 20 points, eight rebounds, and three assists per game. Stewart was an All-Star and also named to the All-WNBA First Team in October.
The Connecticut Huskies had a record-setting 2023-2024 season. The Huskies set a program record for regular season wins (28) and total wins (37) in a single season. They also became the first Big East team to win 18 conference games. Overall, the Huskies went 37-3 (18-2).
The Huskies capped off their incredible regular season with a historically dominant March Madness. Dan Hurley’s team won every tournament game by a margin of 14 points or more, breaking their own record from their March Madness run of beating every opponent by 13 points or more. UConn beat Purdue 75-60 in the National Championship game to win their second straight championship. Their dominant tournament run coupled with their incredible regular season has some people calling the 2023-2024 Huskies the best team in college basketball history.
The Gamecocks did not lose a game in 2023-2024. Dawn Staley’s squad went 38-0, becoming the 10th Division I women’s basketball team to finish the season undefeated. The Gamecocks were SEC regular season champions, SEC tournament champions, and NCAA champions.
South Carolina beat NC State in the Final Four 78-59, and then beat Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeye’s 87-75 in the championship game. In February, Dawn Staley won her 600th career game as a head coach (534 at South Carolina) in 786 games, giving her a sparking career record of 622-187. The Gamecocks 2024 national championship was the program's third in school history, with the other two coming in 2017 and 2022.
Joey Logano secured his third NASCAR Cup Series champion when he won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race and season title. Logano won four races in the season, including one in Nashville, to clinch a spot in the postseason. Logano’s win in Las Vegas secured him a spot in the championship race, giving him the chance he needed to win it all in Phoenix.
This was Logano’s third series win in three years, as the No. 22 car won in 2022 and 2018. Ryan Blaney was closing in on first place, but Logano edged him out by .330 seconds in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race to hold on for the top spot.
For the sixth time in franchise history, the Galaxy were MLS Cup champions in 2024. The Galaxy beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 to win it, with Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Jovelić scoring the two goals in the win. Across the regular season and playoffs, the Galaxy were 25-9-8 and were tied with LAFC atop the Western Conference.
The Galaxy’s MLS Cup win was a league-record sixth MLS Cup win, and their first since 2014. Gastón Brugman was named the MLS Cup MVP after recording an assist and two interceptions in 75 minutes of action in the Cup match.
For the first time in nine seasons in the NWSL, the Pride became NWSL champions. The club set numerous NSWL records, as the team went undefeated through their first 23 games. By making the playoffs, the team ended a five-year drought and won its first postseason victory in club history with a 4-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars.
The Pride beat the Kansas City Current in the semifinals 3-2, and then beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 in the championship game, with Barbra Banda scoring the lone goal in the win. Pride head coach Seb Hines was named the Coach of the Year for her work in leading the Pride to their first playoff victory and championship.
The Atlanta Falcons have taken over first place in an NFC South race that is going to come down to the wire in the final two weeks of the regular season.
However, the quarterback who helped beat the New York Giants on Sunday wasn’t Kirk Cousins – the $180 million man they signed to a four-year deal this offseason.
It was Michael Penix Jr., the rookie first-round pick. Many were shocked when the Falcons called his name because they had just signed the veteran Cousins a month ago.
Cousins’ play, though, had been faltering of late, and one NFL Hall of Famer was blunt with his assessment of him this year after Penix looked good in his first NFL start.
"Consistently mediocre. That’s what Kirk has been this year," Giants great Michael Strahan said, via the Daily Mail. "Whenever you’re a great player in your mind, you’re still that. But sometimes, your skill level diminishes, and it drops.
"You don’t know when it’s going to happen, it can happen at any point in the season. I think for Kirk Cousins, it happened now."
The Falcons were 7-7 under Cousins, but head coach Raheem Morris made a change after Atlanta’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders saw more maligned offensive drives just like the ones in recent weeks with Cousins under center.
But the 36-year-old, who is coming off a torn Achilles from the 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings, was a part of four straight losses before that 15-9 win over the Raiders. In that span, Cousins didn’t throw a single touchdown and had eight interceptions.
So, after throwing just one touchdown and yet another interception, Morris made the switch despite the Falcons being in such a tight playoff race.
Penix’s debut saw no touchdown passes, but he was quick with his decision-making and on time with the ball to his receivers as he threw for 202 yards on 18-of-27 through the air. He also had an interception on his stat sheet, though tight end Kyle Pitts juggled a pass near the goal line that was ultimately picked off.
With Penix taking the reins moving forward, Strahan believes that Cousins must play the mentor role.
"Keep him around, let him teach Michael Penix the intricacies of the game," Strahan said. "It’s good to have that veteran influence, but I think Kirk may have to just humble himself to understand that’s his role right now."
There have been reports the Falcons could cut Cousins before March to avoid the remaining years on his contract, though $100 million was guaranteed at signing earlier this year.
When you’re winning, everything feels great as you head back to the locker room after the game.
But, for Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, every win to finish off the regular season could mean a contract extension. And a warm embrace with owner Jerry Jones has football fans wondering if that’s on the horizon.
McCarthy and Jones were spotted giving each other a big hug after the Cowboys beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 26-24, on "Sunday Night Football."
There were big smiles as they embraced, but Jones also seemed to get serious when talking with McCarthy, though the microphones couldn’t pick up what he was saying. From the looks of things, it was one of those good, serious conversations as the Cowboys moved to 7-8 on the year.
Now, the reality of this season is the Cowboys are eliminated from playoff contention, which isn’t something Jones or anyone in the organization expected to see by the end of Week 17.
However, McCarthy has rejuvenated what was once a team deflated at 3-7 after losing to the Houston Texans on Nov. 18.
Dallas has won four of its last five games, doing so without franchise quarterback Dak Prescott, whose hamstring injury against the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 3 required surgery to repair, ending his 2024 campaign prematurely.
Jones has loved what he’s seen from his owner’s box in recent weeks.
"Those guys came out and played as though they were fighting in the championship game to go to the Super Bowl," Jones said after the win, per Yahoo Sports. "I can’t tell you how proud I am of them and the coaching staff. It really shows me something."
During his media availability, McCarthy spoke about that locker room he was just in, and how he feels his group is still playing like it’s the last play of the season, even if playoffs are not in the picture.
"I just think that shows you who they are," McCarthy explained. "I think everybody says the coach is always talking highly of the locker room – well, this is what I’m talking about. When I talk about, ‘It’s a great locker room,’ this is the definition of it. This is what a great locker room looks like."
Quite the turnaround for McCarthy, who appeared to be all but out the door as the Cowboys kept moving closer to a top draft pick rather than a playoff spot. But despite the tribulations of 2024, McCarthy has gotten the stamp of approval from Prescott and others regarding a contract extension.
Jones himself even commented on McCarthy’s contract status recently, saying near Thanksgiving that he didn’t feel extending him would be "crazy at all." After all, McCarthy has gone 12-5 in each of the last three seasons before this one, which could still be a year above .500.
Two more weeks remain on McCarthy’s current deal, and if Dallas finishes strong against the NFC East’s two likely playoff teams – the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders – perhaps he will continue to lead "America’s Team" into the future.
As the saying goes, end the year on a high note. McCarthy has his 'Boys playing accordingly.
San Jose State women’s volleyball star Brooke Slusser warned the NCAA after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the organization over transgender inclusion in women’s sports.
Paxton filed the lawsuit on Sunday, accusing the organization of deceptive marketing practices for allowing transgender women to compete against biological females. Paxton said in a news release the NCAA violated the Texas Trade Practices Act "which exists to protect consumers from businesses attempting to mislead or trick them into purchasing goods or services that are not as advertised."
Slusser, who was a part of a lawsuit against her own school and the NCAA for allowing a transgender woman on the Spartans’ roster this season, posted about Paxton’s suit.
"Hey NCAA, just in case you haven’t realized yet this fight will just keep getting harder for you until you make a change!" Slusser wrote on X.
Slusser and other plaintiffs had asked a judge to grant an injunction to prohibit Blaire Fleming from competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s volleyball tournament last month, but they were denied.
San Jose State made it to the finals of the tournament but lost to Colorado State.
Paxton accused the NCAA of "engaging in false, deceptive, and misleading practices by marketing sporting events as ‘women’s’ competitions only to then provide consumers with mixed sex competitions where biological males compete against biological females."
"The NCAA is intentionally and knowingly jeopardizing the safety and well-being of women by deceptively changing women’s competitions into co-ed competitions," Paxton said in a statement. "When people watch a women’s volleyball game, for example, they expect to see women playing against other women – not biological males pretending to be something they are not. Radical ‘gender theory’ has no place in college sports."
Paxton said he was seeking a court to grant a permanent injunction to prohibit the NCAA from allowing transgender athletes in women’s sports in Texas or "involving Texas teams, or alternatively requiring the NCAA to stop marketing events as ‘women’s’ when in fact they are mixed sex competitions," the news release said.
The NCAA released a statement to Fox News Digital later Sunday.
"College sports are the premier stage for women’s sports in America, and while the NCAA does not comment on pending litigation, the Association and its members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports and ensure fair competition in all NCAA championships," the organization said.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reflected on the team’s close loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday and how the team stays focused on the final two games of the regular season.
Rodgers had 256 passing yards and a touchdown pass as the Jets fell to the Rams, 19-9. He was asked about how the team will keep a positive mindset with the season nearing its end and New York out of contention for the playoffs.
"I think we’re kinda past the ‘keeping it positive’ thing," Rodgers said, via SNY. "I think it’s just about perspective. Perspective informs your truth and your truth makes your reality.
"So, the reality of the situation is what it is, but your perspective is what you can change every single day. So, what you’re focusing on is the most important thing now. It’s not to change the reality of the situation – being 4-11, out of the playoffs, going into an unknown offseason."
Rodgers then spoke about what the next two weeks will mean in terms of building for the future of the organization.
"You gotta figure out what it means to be a professional," he said. "That's an important part of building culture. The last two weeks we can really see who's on board moving forward and who is ready to get out. It’s just part of the game. I’ve been on a couple of teams who were out of it, and it’s interesting to watch the practice habits, the preparation habits.
"Hopefully, we’ll do the right thing, and it means a lot because everybody’s watching, and it’s a who-you-know business. There will be interesting conversations in the next couple of weeks, but just focus on the relationships we have with each other and try to finish this thing out like a pro."
The Jets underwent dramatic changes during the season, from the dismissal of their head coach and general manager to a major trade for Davante Adams.
The team could see more changes as Garrett Wilson has been noncommittal about his future with the team.
The Dallas Cowboys threw a wrench into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFC South division title hopes on Sunday thanks to clutch plays from the defense when it mattered the most.
Crucial Buccaneers drives were stopped dead in its tracks. In the fourth quarter, Baker Mayfield was intercepted in the end zone by Jourdan Lewis. Then, as the Buccaneers tried to final some last-minute gusto, saw running back Rachaad White get stripped by DaRon Bland.
The two fourth quarter turnovers helped Dallas solidify a 26-24 win.
Cooper Rush was 26-of-35 with 292 passing yards and a touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert. CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 105 yards. But the story of the game was the defense.
Mayfield was sacked four times to go along with the interception and White’s fumble. He had 304 passing yards and two touchdown passes but struggled to find a consistent rhythm.
Chauncey Golston, Micah Parsons, Donovan Wilson and Linval Joseph each had a sack.
The Cowboys were only held to three points in the second half but did enough to crush Tampa Bay’s hopes when it mattered the most.
Dallas was eliminated from playoff contention before the game started but they were determined enough to make it more difficult for Tampa Bay to win the NFC South.
The Buccaneers fell to 8-7 and are behind the Falcons despite having the same record. Atlanta defeated Tampa Bay twice this season.
With two games left in the regular season, the Buccaneers have the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints left on the schedule.
In January, Nick Saban sent shock waves through the college football landscape when he announced he would step away from the sidelines. Shortly after the legendary coach retired, Saban officially joined ESPN.
While Saban works primarily as an analyst for the network's long-running and popular pregame program, "College GameDay," he also contributes to NFL Draft coverage and makes appearances on other ESPN shows and platforms. The last segment of an episode of "College GameDay" typically features a celebrity guest who offers their picks for some of the upcoming games.
On Friday, comedian Shane Gillis was tapped as the guest picker. But at one point during his appearance, one of the funnyman's jokes seemed to irritate Saban.
During a discussion about the state of college football, Gillis cited the relatively new "parity" that exists in the sport. But during his remarks, Gillis also seemed to assert that either Saban or perhaps the Alabama football program as a whole orchestrated or turned a blind eye if players received improper payments.
"This feels different, it feels like we can win it," Gillis said. "There’s a parity, now that everybody can pay their players, Notre Dame has a shot. It’s not just the SEC, it’s not Coach Saban." The seven-time national championship winning coach was not present when Gillis made the comments.
However, fellow ESPN college football analyst Pat McAfee eventually reminded Gillis about what he said.
"You called him a cheater earlier," McAfee noted.
While Gillis said he made the comments in jest, Saban appeared to take offense to the suggestion that players were inappropriately compensated under his watch.
"I was just joking around," Gillis said. "I don’t think the SEC paid players. Ever. I’m joking. Is this not a fun show?"
Gillis eventually turned his attention to Saban's attire, particularly the retired coach's hat.
"Ol' Alabama Jones is being serious," Gillis joked in an apparent reference to the hat that has become synonymous with the fictional character Indiana Jones.
Saban then offered a straightforward response to Gillis' joke concerning how he ran the Alabama program during his 17-year run.
"I do believe in integrity. I always tried to run the program that way so players had a better chance to be successful in life," Saban said. "We make more money in the NFL than any other school, 61 players in the league. That was how we cheated. We developed players."
Saban won six national titles during his storied tenure in Tuscaloosa. Before taking the head coaching job at Alabama, Saban led the LSU Tigers to the BCS National Championship Game after the 2003 regular season.
Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud took a shot at Elon Musk and other billionaires in posts on social media on Sunday after the passage of a stopgap funding bill to prevent a government shutdown.
Musk and President-elect Donald Trump led the conservative rebellion against the initial plan to avert a partial shutdown, a bipartisan deal that came from negotiations between the top two Democrats and Republicans in both congressional chambers.
That bill, 1,547 pages, would have extended current government funding levels until March 14. However, GOP hardliners were angered by what they saw as unrelated measures attached to the bill, like a pay raise for congressional lawmakers, health care policy provisions and legislation aimed at revitalizing RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
It was scrapped as Trump and Musk threatened to force out of office any lawmaker who did not support pairing a CR with action on the debt limit.
It caused a huge controversy in the political arena hours before the House eventually passed the bill.
"So when y’all gone tell Elon to go back to Africa?" Cloud wrote on X.
"Im so glad ALL these billionaires have no idea how the 3 branches of government work….or how a bill gets passed into law. Shoutout to the 38 Republicans who shot the bill down in the House while being threatened & blackmailed."
All Democrats voted in favor of the bill, except Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who voted "present."
Cloud has been outspoken about the U.S. in the past. After Trump won the election, she took a swipe at women who voted for the Republican candidate.
"The privilege of celebrating rn is exactly what’s wrong with us as people," she added. "I am truly worried about my fundamental human rights.
"Racism, misogyny, and hatred of women are so deeply rooted into everything that is America. Until we fix the roots…it will never grow."
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was able to do enough to help the team eke out a victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, 27-24.
It was a game both teams needed to win to keep pace in their respective division title races. Minnesota needed to match the Detroit Lions after they won earlier in the day and Seattle needed to win to match the Los Angeles Rams after they also won earlier in the day.
Seahawks veteran quarterback Geno Smith found A.J. Barner for a 4-yard touchdown pass to take the lead with 4:21 left. It was an 11-play drive that lasted more than six minutes.
Darnold responded. In just four plays, Darnold somehow found Justin Jefferson with two Seahawks defenders around him and snuck the ball through the tightest of windows. Jefferson caught it and ran into the end zone for a touchdown.
The 39-yard touchdown pass put the Vikings back up three points.
Seattle had a chance to tie the game. Jason Myers received an opportunity to give Seattle three points late with a 60-yard field goal try. But he was just a few yards short of making it and the Seahawks lost.
Darnold was 22-of-35 with 246 passing yards and three touchdown passes. Jefferson had two of those three touchdown passes and Jordan Addison had the other. Jefferson finished with 10 catches for 144 yards and Addison had five catches for 35 yards.
Smith was as remarkable as he could be. He finished 31-of-43 passing for 314 yards and three touchdown passes. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf had the other touchdown passes.
Minnesota improved to 13-2 on the season. Seattle fell to 8-7.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson had one last parting gift for Washington Commanders fans at Northwest Stadium on Sunday: two middle fingers.
Gardner-Johnson received a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second half and was kicked out of the game. He appeared to get into a scuffle with Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown and was pushed in the helmet. Gardner-Johnson still received the penalty.
Losing Gardner-Johnson may have been as detrimental to the Eagles’ defense as losing Jalen Hurts was to the offense. Philadelphia led by 10 points when Gardner-Johnson was ejected and scored another three when they got the ball back after a fumble.
Jayden Daniels threw three of his five touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. The Commanders scored 22 points in the final frame and stunned the Eagles, 36-33.
"We didn't do enough," Eagles running back Saquon Barkley said. "We left a lot of plays out there, including myself."
