Sam Hubbard, the longtime Cincinnati Bengals defensive end, announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday. He is only 29 years old and won’t turn 30 until June.
Hubbard announced his retirement in a statement posted to his social media channels.
"What’s next? Although it’s the end of my playing career, I view this as a new beginning," he said. "A new chapter to explore other business opportunities, further the mission of The Sam Hubbard Foundation, focus on my health and family and also take on a new challenge.
"I want to send a sincere thank you to my teammates, coaches, trainers, support staff, Bengals ownership and the NFL for everything you all have done for me. I could not have done any of this alone. To the fans – Who Dey Nation – I thank you the most; you inspired me. From the years of struggle and adversity to Super Bowl LVI, you never stopped believing. I hope I made you proud."
He was born in Cincinnati, played high school football for Archbishop Moeller and attended Ohio State. The Bengals selected Hubbard in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft and he helped anchor a defense that broke the franchise’s Super Bowl appearance drought.
Hubbard will end his career with 38.5 sacks and 398 total tackles in 104 career games.
Last season, Hubbard had two sacks and 41 tackles. Cincinnati finished 9-8 and narrowly missed the playoffs.
"To play my entire career in one uniform is incredibly special to me, and I am a Bengal for life, always have been and always will be."
One-time U.S Open champion Emma Raducanu said she suffered a physical reaction at the Dubai championships last month after being confronted by a man that was "fixated" on the young tennis star, eventually resulting in him being detained by local law enforcement.
Raducanu, 22, recalled the intense situation at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, her first tournament since the incident took place.
"I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to finish.’ I literally couldn’t see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe. I was like, ‘I need to just take a breather here.'"
The WTA explained in a statement at the time that "a man who exhibited fixated behavior" approached Raducanu in a public space. The following day, that same man was spotted at her match in the first few rows.
According to the Government of Dubai Media Office, the man "left her a note" and also took a photograph of her during one of those encounters.
"Following Raducanu’s complaint, Dubai Police detained a tourist who approached her, left her a note, took her photograph, and engaged in behaviour that caused her distress during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships," the statement read.
According to Reuters, the man approached her twice off the court in Dubai and had been previously spotted at tournaments in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha in the preceding weeks.
The man, who has yet to be identified, was later detained but Raducanu opted to drop the charges against him.
"It was a very emotional time," she added. "After the match I did break down in tears, but not necessarily because I lost."
The man was banned by the WTA from all future tournaments "pending a threat assessment."
Raducanu was given a five-year restraining order against a man in London in 2022 after he was found guilty of stalking her. The man appeared at her home on several occasions and left unwanted gifts. She was 19 at the time.
Raducana will face Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in her first tournament since the incident on Thursday.
Democrats refused to clap for nearly every moment of President Donald Trump's joint address Tuesday night. That included when he honored former volleyball player Payton McNabb, who suffered traumatic physical and mental injuries when she was injured by a transgender opponent in 2022.
Trump commended the 19-year-old McNabb for overcoming her injuries, which included concussion, brain bleed and permanent whiplash, to become an advocate for protecting women and girls from biological males in their sports.
Trump concluded the segment by reiterating his promise to cut federal funding to any U.S. school that allows trans athletes to compete against girls.
It prompted a round of applause from the Republican side of the room, while every Democrat sat in silence.
McNabb told Fox News Digital that the reaction of Democrats was not surprising, but was "heartbreaking" nonetheless.
"Last night, just overall, the Democrat Party was so disrespectful," McNabb said. "And they didn't stand up for any of the guests, they didn't stand up for DJ Daniel, who is the young boy who survived brain cancer, they didn't stand up for Laken Riley's family, whose daughter literally suffered a traumatic death that should have never happened, and every other guest that was there had some sort of powerful story, and they didn't clap for any of that.
"So it was heartbreaking, and honestly I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm not."
Most of the Democratic congresswomen in attendance Tuesday night wore pink to protest Trump in support of women's rights. However, those congresswomen chose to do that one day after Senate Democrats voted nearly unanimously to block the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.
The law would have helped set a stricter precedent to keep trans athletes out of women's and girls' sports across the country, as many states have so far refused to comply with Trump's executive order to address the issue. But not a single Democratic senator voted to help pass the bill, and filibustered it from reaching Trump's desk.
McNabb sent a bipartisan plea to the Senate Democrats in a previous interview with Fox News Digital, days before the vote on Monday, to consider voting for the bill. But instead, none of them voted for it, and instead wore pink to Tuesday's address.
"The Democrat party failed women. They don't care," McNabb said. "Even with daughters of their own, the fact that they did not get this bill through is just completely heartbreaking. I'm not the only story, there are so many female athletes who have shared their story, and it's not like they don't know. It's insane that this is the hill they're willing to die on.
"It's just sad… it's just embarrassing."
McNabb isn't alone in her condemnation of the Democrats in attendance for their etiquette on Tuesday. Many conservatives on social media have lambasted not only the congressional representatives in attendance, but the guests who sat in the gallery over not cheering for the guests, the decision to wear pink after blocking Monday's bill and waving small signs with defiant messages in protest.
One of the most controversial moments of the night came when Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was escorted out after waving his cane and shouting at Trump repeatedly during the opening minutes of the speech.
He shouted, "You have no mandate," at Trump as the president touted Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had Green removed by the U.S. Sergeant-at-Arms.
"They were embarrassing to their party and to the country the way they acted with just utter disrespect all around," McNabb said.
"The way that the Democrats acted was a new low for them… the only time they clapped was for Ukraine, which was telling, but they don't clap or stand for literally anything else… the drama and theatrics were definitely there by them. I think that the shirts, the signs and the pink suits were all cute, but I think the American people know now more than ever that the Democrats are not pro-America."
Despite the heartbreak caused by the Democrats, McNabb said she is still "extremely grateful" for having attended and getting the experience to meet key figures in the party, including second lady Usha Vance, whom McNabb sat next to on Tuesday. She also had a chance to share her story with border czar Tom Homan.
"It was unbelievable. This is the type of thing that I'm going to remember for the rest of my life," McNabb said.
Travis Kelce spoke publicly for the first time since announcing that he was going to return to the Kansas City Chiefs during his podcast that was released on Wednesday.
Kelce, 35, initially said he was "kicking every can I can down the road" regarding his decision to retire in the episode shortly after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The star tight end said, ultimately, he still loves playing football as part of the reason for his return.
"I think the biggest thing is that I f---ing love playing the game of football," Kelce said. "I still feel like I can play at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don’t think it was my best outing. I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them," Kelce said on "New Heights."
"Especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in years past. I want to give it a good run. I have a bad taste in my mouth in how I ended the year and how well I was playing and how accountable I was for the people around me. And I love so many people in Kansas City, both in that facility and in the community, and it’s home for me.
"I don’t want to leave that life yet. I’ve put in a lot of hard work and put in a lot of focus into being the best that I can for KC. Last year, it didn’t end well for us and I feel like there is a responsibility in me to play out the contract I initially signed to give Kansas City and the Chiefs organization everything I’ve got and that’s what I’m gonna do, man."
Kelce said his decision to return was based on feel and "pure gut feeling."
"It’s similar to all the decisions I make. It’s just off of feel," he added. "I’m not a big measure the pros and cons and all of that, pure gut feeling. I f---ing love this game, and I love going into the building with the guys that are there."
"Coach (Andy) Reid has been one of the biggest influences on my life, not just in the game of football. And I don’t want to stop going to work with him. I don’t want to stop learning from him. I don’t want to stop being the reason why he has success, or being a part of the reasons he has success. I want that guy to have the most success in the world because of who he’s been in my life.
"There are so many people in that building that I love with all my heart man. I want to keep living out those dreams and going to work with them. I never once kind of second-guessed it. Even when it got tough last year on the body or after the Super Bowl, and you’re at your all-time low, there is something in a motivating factor that you can do this and want to do this. I pulled the trigger as soon as I knew I had that feeling."
Kelce said the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss was probably "the biggest factor" in his return, but said even if they won against the Eagles, he still might have returned.
"I mean it’s a pretty cool way to go out but I still, I think I would still have this love for the game and I think I would have thought about it more if we would have won. I think because we lost and how we lost and just the feeling.
"The ending of that game, I feel like I owe the guys that I come into that building with a whole lot more effort and focus and I just don’t know what it was during that game man. I wasn’t at my best."
Kelce also said that he thinks he can be a better player than he was last season.
The NFL veteran was still productive last season, but his yards (823) and touchdowns (3) in the regular season this year were the lowest he has had in the full season.
If the Chiefs are to return to the Super Bowl for the fourth consecutive season next year, they will need their star tight end to be at his best.
Aaron Rodgers will hit free agency this offseason, and there seems to be a handful of teams that could be interested in his services as he will turn 42 toward the end of the 2025 season.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby became the first player to speak up about wanting the four-time MVP on his team. He said on his podcast he thinks Rodgers could bounce back once he is back to full strength. Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles at the start of the 2023 season.
"First year after an Achilles is one of the hardest things to do," Crosby said. "I think with all the doubt, all the negativity around Aaron Rodgers, ‘Oh, he needs to retire,’ things like that, he’s getting cut by the Jets, I think he’s going to come back and have a — I know he’s 42 or 41, but I think he’s going to have a big year this year, and I hope it’s in our town."
Rodgers and the Jets were 5-12 despite the veteran having notable weapons around him in Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard and eventually Davante Adams. He had 3,897 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes – better numbers than his final year with the Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers failed to find the right rhythm on the offense, and with a new regime in place, the team announced it will release him.
The Raiders could use a quarterback after starting three different ones during the 2024 season. Gardner Minshew II, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder were only able to go 4-13 and finish last in the AFC West.
The Raiders have not made the playoffs since the 2021 season – when Derek Carr was under center.
Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant and head coach Mike Budenholzer were caught in an intense moment during the team’s victory Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Durant walked back to the bench when it appeared Budenholzer was trying to tell him something. Cameras caught Budenholzer grabbing Durant’s arm and the star basketball player ripping it away. The two had more words before resetting and getting on with the game.
Phoenix won the game 119-117 with Durant scoring 34 points. The Suns rallied from a 23-point deficit and trailed the Clippers by 19 points in the fourth quarter.
Durant downplayed the moment in the postgame press conference.
"That’s what usually happens when you don’t know the dynamics of a relationship," he said, via PHNX Sports. "You catch something on TV, you get a quote, and now you’re pushing that narrative as if me and Bud don’t do that s--- all the time.
"We’re competitive as two individuals who want to see things done the right way. Sometimes, my way ain’t the way Bud want to do it and vice versa. … If we both didn’t care, we wouldn’t have stuff like that."
Durant said he was glad the Suns picked up the win.
Phoenix has had an up-and-down season with Durant calling out the team’s performance in their most recent loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Phoenix is 29-33 on the year and sits three games behind the Dallas Mavericks for the final spot in clinching a berth into the play-in tournament.
The Clippers, who are ninth in the Western Conference, are 32-29.
The Holy Cross Crusaders baseball team got a crash course into the old saying, "when it rains, it pours," on Tuesday in a game against the George Mason Patriots.
George Mason broke a 42-year-oold NCAA Division I record when the team scored 23 runs in the second inning of their 26-6 win over Holy Cross. The Patriots sent 28 batters to the plate in the inning and 19 batters after Holy Cross got the first out of the inning.
It was two more runs than the previous D-1 record, which was set by the Penn Quakers in 1983 and matched by the Wichita State Shockers in 1984 and the Valparaiso Crusaders in 2010.
Holy Cross used five pitchers in the inning, with two of them failing to record an out. George Mason freshman catcher Andrew Raymond doubled, walked and recorded three RBI in the inning.
Maine state GOP Rep. Laurel Libby applauded President Donald Trump’s remarks on keeping biological males out of girls’ and women’s sports on Tuesday night in his speech to a joint session of Congress.
Libby was censured in the Maine House of Representatives over a social media post that pointed out a transgender athlete had won a girls’ competition. Libby had also been vocal in her disagreement with how Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ spat with the president went down in February.
The two clashed over the state’s decision not to alter its gender-participation policy to comply with the president’s executive order to keep biological males out of girls’ and women’s sports. Trump threatened to pull federal funding for Maine’s schools if the state did not comply.
On Tuesday night, Trump received loud cheers from his colleagues when he mentioned the executive order. He called out Payton McNabb’s story about being left severely injured when a transgender athlete spiked a ball in her face during a high school volleyball competition. She was unable to finish out her high school career on the court.
"Schools will kick men off the girls’ team, or they will lose all federal funding," Trump said.
Libby wrote on X that Mills must be "absolutely panicking."
"Her failures have made Maine ground zero in the fight to protect girls' sports. President Trump is sending a clear message to her and other leaders nationwide: Our girls’ voices will be heard and their rights will be respected."
Trump’s remarks came a day after Senate Democrats blocked the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act from advancing in the Senate. Republicans needed 60 votes to overcome the filibuster but only received 51.
No Senate Democrat voted in favor of the bill backed by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.
The Florida governor said that 3.3 million of those people came from Canada.
"That's not much of a boycott, in my book," DeSantis said, taking a parting shot at those from the country who have threatened to boycott the U.S. amid the tensions.
He then brought sports into it.
"Maybe they wanted to get a glimpse of what a Stanley Cup-winning hockey team actually looks like."
Of course, the Florida Panthers are the reigning Cup champions, all while no NHL team from Canada has won the Cup since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens. The Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers, despite the Oilers forcing a Game 7 after trailing that series, 3-0.
In fact, the state of Florida has actually brought home four Stanley Cups since the turn of the century; three others by the Tampa Bay Lightning (2004, 2020, 2021) as opposed to zero by Canada, which is synonymous with hockey.
While the Stanley Cup has not headed north in more than three decades, Canada has dominated the United States in international play.
Team Canada took home the newly-founded 4 Nations Face-Off last month in an overtime win against the USA. The country is 14-4-1 against the red, white and blue in best-on-best format, including the 2002 and 2010 Olympic gold medal games and the 2014 Olympic semifinals.
The best win the Americans have had since their rivalry started in the 1970s was the 1996 Canada Cup victory. The Americans won round-robin games against Canada in both the 2010 Olympics and last month's 4 Nations Face-Off.
Riley Gaines and former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick discussed their fight to keep biological males out of girls' and women's sports.
Gaines has fought against transgender athletes from competing against biological females since Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, won a Division I NCAA championship.
Patrick has been mostly step-for-step with Gaines on the issue. In fact, it was a primary reason why she voted in this past election for the first time in her life.
"I think it’s ironic that I’m passionate about that, because I was a girl in a guys’ sport," Patrick told Gaines on OutKick's "Gaines for Girls" podcast.
However, Patrick reiterated her very clear stance.
"There are just clear biological differences between the two," Patrick said.
"All you have to do is YouTube or Google some stories of people that took transition drugs and how different they felt taking testosterone. Whether it be strength, libido, or just all the changes that end up happening – hormones play a huge role. Hormones, to a large degree, create your personality, and they definitely drive biology. So there’s just some clear differences. When it comes to strength and pure potential there, there’s just no question that guys are able to achieve more than women."
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month to keep transgender athletes out of girls' and women's sports, but that has not stopped at least three states from ignoring it.
The Department of Education has begun investigations into California, Minnesota and Maine, the latter of which came after a heated discussion between Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
Trump made mention of his order during Tuesday's joint address to Congress, again promising a lack of federal funding if states defy his order.
Travis Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, is facing some pushback over his response to a question about the difficulty of being a two-way athlete.
Former NFL stars and current podcast co-hosts Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson were among those who shared criticism after learning Hunter said that playing both offense and defense in football was more challenging than hitting and pitching in baseball like Shohei Ohtani has done so successfully.
During last week's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Hunter was asked if being a two-way football player was more challenging than throwing from an MLB pitching mound every five days while also being a full-time designated hitter.
Johnson, who spent the majority of his pro football career with the Cincinnati Bengals, spoke of Hunter getting in a batting cage.
"I got to get Travis Hunter in the batting cage," the former wide receiver said during an appearance on "The Stephen A. Smith Show" after hearing Hunter's take. "As athletically gifted as you are, I want to see you hit a 95 mph fastball in the cage. The comparison is not even close.
"The two most difficult things in life are hitting a baseball and keeping a woman happy, long term."
Sharpe also disagreed with Hunter, concluding that the comparison between what Hunter does on the football field and what Ohtani does on the baseball diamond "aint even close."
"Hey Trav, until you can get in that batting cage, just the batting cage … just the machine. Tell them to turn that up to 90-95 miles per hour and let me see you hit it. Just the fastball, I ain't talking about no slider. I ain't talking about no curve. I ain't talking about no sinker," Sharpe said during a recent episode of "Nightcap."
"The most difficult thing to do in this world is hit a baseball coming at you. Just the fastball," the Pro Football Hall of Famer continued. "As difficult as the game of football is, and I love you, you're an exceptional talent. But it's not even comparable."
While NFL team decision-makers debate whether Hunter should be deployed as a full-time offensive or defensive player, the former Colorado star views himself as a two-way player.
"Did some meetings at receiver. Did some meetings at DB. So, still up in the air," Hunter responded to questions at the NFL Scouting Combine about playing significant snaps on offense and defense in the pros.
"They say, 'Nobody has ever done it, for real, the way I do it,' but I tell them, 'I'm just different.'"
Hunter played wide receiver and cornerback at Jackson State and Colorado under head coach Deion Sanders. Hunter excelled on both sides of the ball in college, playing more than 700 snaps on offense and defense.
"Her heart stopped due to complications of severe dehydration," the post read on Vance’s Instagram page. "Despite all efforts by the hospital, they were unable to revive here.
"She was a beautiful person inside and out, and she will be missed every single day. This was sudden and unexpected. Please give her family time to process this loss in peace. If anyone takes anything from this, please put your health first."
Vance was not at the Arnold Sports Festival to compete on stage, but rather to help coach those doing so, according to TMZ Sports.
Justin Mihaly, Vance’s coach, alleged in an Instagram video that he knew the reason behind the severe dehydration, which ultimately led to the fatal heart attack: "extremely hazardous substances."
"Jodi made a serious error," Mihaly said in the video. "Jodi used two extremely hazardous substances to improve her physique — I assume just for the Arnold Expo — without my knowledge, my approval, without family’s knowledge, their approval. … There is no reason that she should have been dehydrating."
In December, the Chicago White Sox traded pitcher Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox. Shortly after joining the Red Sox, Crochet made it clear he was seeking a long-term contract extension from his new team.
The request raised some eyebrows, considering the White Sox were not successful in their reported attempts to move Crochet ahead of last July's trade deadline. Crochet was also on an innings restriction last season, but he did manage to pitch 146 innings in 2024.
Crochet is projected to take the mound for the Red Sox on opening day next month. As April nears, the 25-year-old is sharing some details about what led to him being described as a "greedy" player.
"I know when it came out a lot of people were looking [at it] as greedy," Crochet said during an appearance on "Baseball Isn't Boring" in reference to his contract demands going public.
Crochet explained that his push for an extension centered around him moving from a reliever to a full-time starter.
"I didn’t, by no means, feel like I was demanding it because I wanted money or security by itself. It was more so in the fact that I was establishing myself as a starter and kind of getting away from the idea that teams viewed me as a potential high-end reliever."
Crochet emerged from the bullpen 54 times in 2021 when he was with the White Sox. He was deployed as a reliever a total of 18 times in 2020, 2022 and 2023 due to injuries.
Crochet moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation last season, making 32 starts and finishing the year with a 3.58 ERA. Crochet acknowledged the important role his health played last season.
"I was having a good year, and I was staying healthy for the first time in my career," he said. "In 2020, flexor strain. In ’21, I had the back thing.
"Then I blow out. … Now I’m starting on a set routine, and I’m feeling good every fifth day. And I’m able to go out and perform. Why should I jeopardize that for a team I don’t really owe anything to?"
Barring a contract extension, Crochet would be eligible to enter the free agent market after the 2026 season.
A professional tennis player received a frightening message from a sports bettor who threatened to go after him if he didn’t win a recent match at the Thionville Open event on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Arthur Bouquier of France, the No. 219-ranked men’s player in the world, posted the message on his Instagram, which was originally in French.
After Tennis World translated the message, it revealed a deranged diatribe of how the bettor needed Bouquier to win a match against lower-ranked Florian Broska of France. If Bouquier failed to do so, the bettor said, "I will come after you."
"French tennis is so mediocre right now that French players stick to playing at home to avoid embarrassment abroad," the message said. "Let me remind you that you don’t achieve much when you leave France – it shows the limits of your tennis game.
"Anyway, today you’re playing against Florian Broska, ranked 522, who never wins in the first round. I just hope you make the effort to beat him in 2 sets because I have bet 2000 euros on you to win in 2 sets."
The thought of losing the hefty bet prompted the bettor to threaten Bouquier.
"I swear, if you lose, I will never forgive you," the message continued with a laughing emoji. "I will track you and your family down just to hurt you, even if it means going to prison. Might as well, because if I lose these 2000 euros, I’ll be on the streets, so my life won’t make sense anymore – I might as well spend my days in prison."
To make matters worse, the bettor claimed to be at the court where Bouquier was scheduled to play his match against Broska.
"I swear on my mother’s life that I will come for you. Right now, I am at the court in Thionville, where you’re playing exactly at 15:20.
"Be careful, and these are not empty threats. Good luck."
Bouquier tagged the ATP Tour, International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Thionville tournament in his post to make them aware of the threats.
Bouquier won his match in two sets, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the second round of the tournament, and there was no incident at Thionville.
Sports betting has prompted bettors to reach out to athletes via direct message on social media platforms and other methods to deliver threats.
Fellow French tennis star Caroline Garcia shared messages she was getting at the 2024 U.S. Open, saying "there’s hundreds" she’d gotten before the tournament.
"This are some of the messages I received lately after loosing some matches. Just a few of them. There’s hundreds," Garcia wrote on her social media platforms at the time, while sharing some messages in her X post she’d been getting. "And now, being 30 years old, although they still hurt, because at the end of the day, I’m just a normal girl working really hard and trying my best, I have tools and have done work to protect myself from this hate. But still, this is not ok.
"Social media platforms don’t prevent it, despite AI being in a very advanced position. Tournaments and the sport keep partnering with betting companies, which keep attracting new people to unhealthy betting. The days of cigarette brands sponsoring sports are long gone. Yet, here we are promoting betting companies, which actively destroy the life of some people.
"Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they should be banned as people are free to do whatever they want with their money. But maybe we should not promote them. Also, if someone decided to say this things to me in public, he could have legal issues. So why online we are free to do anything? Shouldn’t we reconsider anonymity online?"
Andy Cohen, the talk show host best known as the face of Bravo TV's "Watch What Happens Live," got into a social media debate over trans inclusion in women's sports with Meghan McCain and former volleyball player Payton McNabb, who suffered brain damage when she was injured by a transgender opponent years ago.
Cohen started the debate when he responded a McCain post. She praised the 19-year-old McNabb as "incredibly smart, strong and brave," as Cohen suggested the teen was "villifying" transgender people.
"Surprised you’re buying into the vilification of the trans community given the real problems happening in this country, your previous ally-ship of the lgbtq community, and the fact that this non issue affects about four people in this country," Cohen wrote in a post.
McNabb then responded to Cohen's attack on McCain, calling his comments "factually wrong."
TUNE IN: LIVE COVERAGE OF TRUMP'S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TUESDAY NIGHT ON FOX NEWS
"Andy, calling the protection of women’s sports a ‘non-issue’ that affects ‘four people’ is not just dismissive—it’s factually wrong. Hundreds of female athletes have lost podium spots, scholarships, and opportunities. My own injury was life-changing. And even if it were just one girl, that’s one too many. This is about fairness and safety, not ‘vilification,'" McNabb wrote.
Cohen then responded to McNabb, admitting that his original response was based on just one piece of data that was provided by NCAA president Charlie Baker in December.
"The NCAA President testified under oath that of over 500,000 student athletes, he is aware of fewer than 10 trans members. that’s where I got my information," Cohen wrote, referencing Baker's statistic that was provided at a congressional hearing on Dec. 17.
Cohen did not account for the athletes impacted at the high school level, or in other levels of competition. Cohen has not responded since that last post at the time of publication.
His exchange with McCain and McNabb quickly went viral on Tuesday evening, as many lined up to harshly criticize the Bravo personality for his criticisms on a post that was meant to celebrate the 19-year-old.
McCain responded, inviting Cohen for a more in-depth conversation on the issue while giving the host more clarity about McNabb's situation.
"Surprised you’re okay with violence against female athletes. Peyton suffered serious brain damage - just one story. You have my cell, always happy to talk privately or publicly on either of our shows because these conversations are reductive to hash out on social media," McCain wrote.
McNabb suffered significant and long-term physical and mental injuries in 2022 when she was spiked in the face by a transgender athlete who was able to compete on a girls’ team because of a policy put in place by North Carolina's high school athletic association.
McNabb was then unable to compete in her final volleyball season, and claimed her performance in softball was significantly hampered by her injuries.
McNabb will attend President Donald Trump's joint address on Tuesday night, just one day after Senate Democrats blocked a bill that would have prohibited trans athletes from competing in women's and girls' sports nationwide.
The Minnesota Vikings are opting against using their franchise tag on quarterback Sam Darnold, ESPN reported. NFL teams had until Tuesday to decide on placing a franchise tag on players.
Darnold will now be eligible to explore the free agent market when it opens March 12, the official start of the NFL's new league year. The move does not guarantee Darnold's departure because the Vikings have signaled an interest in potentially working toward an agreement on a long-term contract, according to reports.
There are several teams who will likely seek to add an experienced quarterback to their rosters during the free agency period, given that this year's quarterback draft market is widely considered thinner than the 2024 class.
The franchise tag is a lever a team can use each offseason to keep a key player on an expiring contract from leaving while buying time for further evaluation of a long-term deal. But that one-year arrangement comes at a steep fixed price based on the top salaries at a player's position.
For Darnold, that would’ve been between $35 million and $41 million for 2025, depending on the type of tag.
Darnold led Minnesota to an impressive 14-3 record last season, but the Vikings' brass is eyeing several spots on its roster for upgrades. The team's front office used a first-round pick on quarterback J.J. McCarthy in last year's NFL Draft.
Darnold delivered a strong performance in his first season in Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell's offense.
The Vikings have been busy weighing whether it's worth banking on continued progression by Darnold in a second season under O'Connell while McCarthy gets another to watch and learn after spending his rookie year on injured reserve while recovering from a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Although Darnold had a breakout regular season, his performance in the playoffs raised concerns. The Los Angeles Rams cruised to a 27-9 win in their postseason matchup with the Vikings. Darnold was sacked nine times and threw an interception in the game.
The Vikings would be in line for a compensatory draft pick in 2026 if Darnold were to sign elsewhere this year.
"I’ve had great dialogue with Sam from the time this season ended up until very recently, and I think my relationship with Sam has grown to a point where the respect level is sky-high," O’Connell said last week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. "Sam is in a position where the NFL thinks he can play quarterback at a high level, so that’s a really good thing. And I feel very proud to be a part of helping him get to this point. We’ll see kind of where it goes from here."
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order Tuesday to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women's college sports. He was joined by former San Jose State University volleyball player Elle Patterson, who claims she lost out on a scholarship to a trans athlete.
"Women’s sports create opportunities for young women to earn scholarships and develop leadership skills," Braun said. "Hoosiers overwhelmingly don’t want those opportunities destroyed by allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports, and today’s executive order will make sure of that."
The order states, "This executive order mandates that Indiana’s state educational institutions must comply with the 2020 Title IX Rule rather than the 2024 Biden Administration reinterpretation that extended protections based on self-reported, ever-changing new idea of ‘gender identity.’
"The order ensures that female athletes in college sports are not forced to compete against biological males, preserving the integrity of women’s athletics and protecting opportunities for women in female-only sports leagues."
Braun then signed another executive order that "rejects extreme gender ideology in favor of the scientific reality of biological sex" by reinforcing Indiana’s legal definitions for "sex," "gender," "women," "male," "citizen," "individual" and "person."
"Today’s executive order will end any confusion about our state’s policy on this issue so we can focus on my goal to secure freedom and opportunity for all Hoosiers," Braun said after signing the second order.
Braun honored Patterson during the signing. Patterson joined a lawsuit against SJSU and the Mountain West Conference in November with 10 other conference players and one former assistant coach over its handling of transgender player Blaire Fleming.
Patterson alleges the university did not fulfill previous verbal offers of a scholarship to her for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Patterson says she even paid full tuition to play in 2023 after being told she would get a scholarship for 2024. However, the program did not make good on that offer either, she alleges, while Fleming got a full scholarship.
"Ultimately, Patterson informed Associate Head Coach Batie-Smoose and Head Coach Todd Kress that she was financially unable to pay for full out-of-state tuition, room and board at SJSU again in 2024 and therefore would be unable to return to the SJSU Team without a scholarship," the documents state.
"Nevertheless, Todd Kress remained firm in his position that Patterson would not receive a scholarship to play on the SJSU Team in 2024, and that Fleming would receive a full scholarship to play on the SJSU Team."
Braun expressed sympathy for Patterson during his address Tuesday.
"It's just wrong, and leaders need to stand up for young women like Elle," Braun said. "We need to protect their physical safety and the great opportunities that come with that athletic excellence."
The order comes just one day after the U.S. Senate failed to pass the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. Despite getting 51 votes by the Republican majority, Democrats filibustered the bill with 45 votes against it.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women's sports Feb. 5. However, some Democrat-led states have so far refused to comply with the order.
Braun has taken steps to ensure that does not happen in his state, joining Idaho Gov. Brad Little, who signed a similar executive order in August.
Star New Jersey high school wrestler Anthony Knox has been charged with simple assault-purposely/knowingly causing bodily injury after allegedly participating in a brawl in the bleachers at a tournament last month, per the New York Post.
Knox and his father, Anthony Knox Sr., were detained after the brawl at Collingswood High School dissipated. Knox Jr. had already won his match for St. John Vianney High School, which checked another key box on his way to an expected fourth straight New Jersey title in his weight class.
Court documents obtained by The Post and videos on social media reveal a person alleged to be Knox Jr. sprinting up the bleachers to join the brawl at the high school.
"The defendant did enter the opposing team’s designated section of the gymnasium bleachers during the District 25 wrestling tournament, where he proceeded to punch [redacted] about the face and head repeatedly, which result in bruising and pain to the right temple area," the complaint document read.
Knox Jr. was disqualified by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) from participation in the tournament until Mercer County Superior Court Judge Patrick Bartels granted him a temporary restraining order from his ban, allowing him to compete in the Region 7 tournament.
Knox Jr. won his match and will compete for his fourth straight state title this weekend.
Knox Jr. issued a statement explaining why he joined the brawl, in which he said his father approached the opposing team to address alleged insults.
"During the finals matches, the atmosphere of the crowd became increasingly hostile toward me and my teammates because of our success," Knox Jr.’s statement read, which Bartels asked of him. "Insults were hurled at us. Apparently, my father approached the people hurling the insults and asked them to stop.
"In response, I saw these people lunge forward assaulting my father and he was pulled down and completely surrounded by unruly people. My immediate reaction was to run close to the section to aid in the protection and safety of my father and mother, who was with me. I dispute the NJSIAA’s adopted version of the facts."
The Knox family also participated in an interview with ABC7, where Knox Sr. said "racial slurs" were being said toward kids on the mats below.
"[I] saw a bunch of grown men yelling racial slurs at kids that I’ve been training since they were 6 years old, cursing at my son, cursing at my wife," said Knox Sr., a former MMA fighter.
"As a man, I walked over, walked up into the stands and asked the guy to stop. At that point, I was assaulted. Never threw a punch. Never hurt anybody. Never ran up there like a bat out of hell just throwing punches at people. None of that happened. I got pushed down the bleachers. I could have gotten seriously injured. Then I got surrounded by about 10 other families."
The NJSIAA’s initial response, after reviewing the video evidence online, was to disqualify Knox Jr., the top-ranked wrestler in the 126-pound weight class in the country, from the state tournament. Then, after Bartels’ decision on the matter, the governing body said it would appeal the court’s decision, which they "strongly disagree" with.
Knox Jr. is a Cornell commit who had a "tough conversation" with his future head coach, Mike Grey, about the situation that unfolded at Collingswood High School. Grey told NJ.com that Knox Jr.’s status with the university hasn’t been affected by the incident, and he plans to have him on his roster whenever he enrolls.
Knox Jr. defeated Lacey High School’s Aidan Flynn to win the Region 7 title in the 126-pound weight class, setting himself up for one more match that would make him the fifth wrestler in the state to ever win four straight New Jersey titles.
The University of California, Davis, has announced plans to convert its men's and women's locker rooms at its recreation centers into "universal" all-sex locker rooms, sparking outrage among women's rights activists.
The university announced the renovation project in February, claiming it was doing away with the old locker room format for the purpose of "inclusivity.
"We value inclusive, accessible environments that accommodate the diverse needs of our community. We are pleased to announce that we will be remodeling the current locker room facilities to implement universal locker rooms," the university said in its announcement.
"All campus recreation members can use our universal locker rooms, regardless of who they are or how they identify. These spaces are inclusive of members with disabilities and members of all gender identities."
News of this change spread Tuesday after two bills aimed at keeping transgender athletes out of women's and girls sports failed to pass Monday at the state and federal level.
California women's rights activist Beth Bourne posted on X about the universal locker rooms and the backlash from female students.
Women's tennis legend Martina Navratilova called the situation ‘beyond f----- up.’
"This is beyond f----- up! Be prepared to lose a lot of women to this insanity," Navratilova wrote.
Many other users expressed similar outrage with their own posts.
The university expects to spend $5 million on the renovations, and students will have until Wednesday to clear all of their belongings out of the current locker rooms. The renovated locker rooms won't reopen until September.
The university's announcement states that all toilets, changing rooms and cabanas are individual, private spaces with floor-to-ceiling locking doors, claiming it "offers more privacy for all members" compared to the current format.
Fox News Digital has reached out to UC Davis for comment.
On Tuesday, no Democrats in the U.S. Senate voted in favor of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to break a filibuster.
Republicans needed 60 votes but only received 51. On the same day in Minnesota, House lawmakers there voted against the Preserving Girls’ Sports Act. All Democratic lawmakers in the state voted against the legislation.
Luka Dončić is focused on the Los Angeles Lakers, but he took time to help lift the spirits of a former Dallas Mavericks teammate who will miss the remainder of the season due to injury.
Veteran guard Kyrie Irving tore an ACL against the Sacramento Kings Monday night, ending his season prematurely and hurting the Mavericks’ playoff hopes.
Dončić posted on his Instagram story a picture of him and Irving embracing with the caption, "You will come back stronger mi hermano!"
Dončić calling Irving his brother in the post clearly shows they remain friends after the shocking blockbuster trade before the NBA deadline last month.
Dončić and Irving were a dynamic duo in the 2½ seasons they played together in Dallas, which included a run to the NBA Finals during the 2023-24 campaign.
Both guards averaged 40 minutes per night, while Doncic averaged 28.9 points per game to Irving’s 22.1 points.
They were opponents Feb. 25 for the first time since the trade, and Dončić had a triple-double — 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists — in the Lakers’ 109-99 victory.
Irving kept the Mavs in it with 35 points, but it wasn’t enough to get the win on the road.
The Mavericks and Lakers face each other again April 9, but it will be without Irving, who doesn't figure to return until some time during the 2025-26 season.
That game will mark Dončić's return to American Airlines Center, where fans held a public "funeral" to cope with the shock of his departure via trade.
Irving is a nine-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA honoree and an NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
In his 14th NBA season, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds over 50 games for the Mavericks this season.
