Trump’s day was cut short because the race was delayed for a few hours due to inclement weather that rolled through Daytona Beach, Florida, over the course of that afternoon. William Byron won the race for the second straight season.
He talked to Fox News Digital about what it meant for the sport to have the president attend the biggest race of the season.
"It was pretty neat," Byron said. "I think anytime you can have a sitting president come and see your sporting event, it is very special. And for him to take the time to do that was really cool. Just to be able to see the motorcade go across the track and just the various things that he did when he was there was pretty cool.
"Brought a lot of energy and excitement to the race before it started."
Byron picked up the 14th Cup Series win of his career and entered the club of multiple Daytona 500 winners.
He told Fox News Digital the feeling of being a multi-time winner of the race finally sunk in over the last week or so.
"I feel like it took a few days to really set in, but ever since, I guess last Friday or so, I’ve been able to have a bit more time to think about it," he said. "It’s definitely been special, and I want to try to win more races this year. But it was definitely a great start and something that means a lot to our team."
Byron became a brand ambassador for Celsius.
"It’s a pretty natural fit for me just working out pretty often and training for the races, and Celsius encourages all of us to live fit," he said. "So, I feel like it’s a really important partnership for me because I use the product a lot, and so I think it fits really well."
The Maine House of Representatives voted to censure Rep. Laurel Libby Tuesday night for a recent social media post pointing out that a transgender high school athlete won a girls' competition.
The Maine House's Democratic majority, led by Speaker Ryan Fecteau, passed the censure resolution Tuesday night in a 75-70 vote. Libby is now no longer allowed to speak on the house floor or vote until she issues an apology.
Libby told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview after the vote that she does not plan to apologize for her recent post.
After the censure had been determined, Fecteau told Libby that the House members would take a break while Libby considered her apology.
"I told him, ‘We do not need to take ease’ as I was going to continue speaking up for Maine girls," Libby said.
Libby's post came last Sunday when she pointed out that a transgender track and field athlete had taken first place at a Maine girls' pole vault competition after competing as a boy just one year earlier. The premise of Libby's censure by the Maine House was focused on the fact that she posted a photo of a minor and provided that minor's name.
"It's a remarkable double standard as there are public photos of this individual in many places, on social media and even some posted by his school, and so yes, this post went viral, but this was an individual who participated in a public event, who publicly stood on a podium and accepted a championship medal that rightfully belonged to the girls standing on the second-place spot," Libby said.
House Majority Leader Matt Moonen condemned Libby in a statement on the House floor.
"She has irreparably broken the trust that has been placed in her as an elected official serving in this House of Representatives," Moonen said. "This institution and all of Maine deserve better."
House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham spoke out against the censure, pointing out that the state legislature’s ethics code does not mention online posts that members make.
During Tuesday's vote, Libby came to the house floor with a prepared seven-page speech on the importance of protecting girls' and women's sports from trans inclusion. However, throughout the night, her microphone was consistently turned off when she was trying to deliver that speech.
"I was completely unable, from my first sentence, to get a word out, before the other side was shutting me down," Libby said, adding that she had never seen anything like that happen during her tenure in the Maine legislature.
Libby later posted a video of her giving the speech on Facebook after the hearing.
Libby says that while she doesn't plan to apologize, she does have another course of action she plans on taking to regain her voting and speaking privileges, but did not disclose any details of that plan.
Maine Republicans and Libby's constituents will now lose a vote and a voice for other issues in the state's legislative process amid a busy month.
Libby recently proposed a bill to expand access to mental health resources for Maine residents, which she will now not be able to help push through. In the coming weeks, the Maine House will vote on the upcoming biannual budget, and Libby will not get to vote on that either.
"It's look like I will not be able to speak on that or vote on that," she said.
Libby's revelation of the trans athlete ignited national conversation and coverage of the state's policy on trans inclusion after Maine announced it would not comply with President Donald Trump's recent "No Men in Women's Sports" executive order.
Trump then vowed to cut funding to the state for refusing to follow his order during a gathering of governors at the White House last Thursday.
On Friday, Mills' office responded with a statement threatening legal action against the Trump administration if it did withhold federal funding from the state. Then, Trump and Mills verbally sparred in a widely-publicized argument at the White House during a bipartisan meeting of governors.
Just hours after that interaction, the U.S. Department of Education announced it will be investigating the state for allowing trans athletes to compete in girls sports and potential Title IX violations.
Police protection has since been assigned to the high school that is attended by the trans athlete who Libby identified in her Facebook post, amid concerns over safety.
A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports.
Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.
For Libby, she has her own hypothesis about why Democrat lawmakers in her state, and many across the country, are fighting so hard to protect trans inclusion in girls' sports, despite most Americans, and even most Democrats, being opposed to it.
"I think Maine Democrats' stance is, they haven't gone hard enough, and they need to dig in," Libby said.
But she expects that Democrats fighting for their current stance, and censuring her Tuesday night, will backfire on them moving forward.
"I think this was a tremendous misstep on the part of the Democrats, and they are completely misjudging this issue, and they do not understand how vigorously Maine people disagree with them on this policy, and they will at some point regret this action from tonight," she said.
Libby added that she believes her Republican colleagues have her back as she fights the censure.
The New York Jets have already made it known Aaron Rodgers won’t be their starting quarterback heading into the 2025 season.
So, the four-time MVP will have to search for his third team in the NFL, his second since the Green Bay Packers traded him to New York before the 2023 season.
The New York Daily News reports Rodgers prefers to play for the Los Angeles Rams.
On top of that, Rodgers might take one of his favorite targets, Davante Adams, with him out west once he becomes a free agent. Adams has made it clear he wants to play with Rodgers, and his contract’s hefty $35.65 million cap hit for each of the next two seasons makes him a likely candidate to be cut by New York, which wouldn't come as a shock to the Pro Bowler.
But there’s another big hurdle to get over. Los Angeles has a quarterback on its roster.
The Matthew Stafford trade rumors are swirling this offseason, and Rodgers’ wishes are on the back burner because the Rams would have to move Stafford before a replacement is acquired.
NFL Network’s Peter Schrager said Stafford and the Rams have a "fine relationship," but he reports the Super Bowl-winning quarterback wants $50 million or more to play in 2025. That would put him among the top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the league, and only one of them — the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts — has a Super Bowl ring.
The Rams did give Stafford permission to discuss a contract with other teams this offseason despite being under contract for another two seasons.
According to Sports Illustrated, quarterback-needy teams like the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers have contacted Stafford. Giants GM Joe Schoen even noted at the NFL Scouting Combine he would be "taking swings" at the top quarterbacks on the market, including Stafford.
For the 2025 season, Stafford carries a $49.67 million cap hit, according to Spotrac, and that cap hit rises to $53.67 million in 2026.
The Rams also made it clear that veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp, long one of Stafford’s most trusted targets, is on the trade block. He isn’t expected to be at training camp with Los Angeles.
So, if and when Stafford and Kupp are traded from Los Angeles, perhaps the new duo of Rodgers and Adams could team up with bright, young star Puka Nacua and the rest of the Rams’ squad that won a playoff game in 2024.
Paula Scanlan has fought to keep biological males out of girls and women's sports ever since her former teammate, Lia Thomas, won an NCAA title three years ago.
On Tuesday, Scanlan appeared on "The Ingraham Angle" to discuss the lack of fairness in allowing transgender athletes to compete against biological females.
"It's not fair for them to compete because they're looking at a crazy difference between being in the men's category and being in the women's category. And the people that are saying this have lost their mind … because no one agrees with this. Even Democrats agree that men should not compete in women's sports," Scanlan said.
"It's heartbreaking, and that's exactly why we've fought so hard for this issue. Women didn't have sports back in the day. They fought so hard for Title IX, and now we're looking at having to fight all over again because mediocre male athletes want to put on a dress and grow their hair out and say that they're magically women one day. That's why this issue has lost its way."
Scanlan noted that "80% of Americans" believe that transgender girls and women should not participate based on their gender identity, and "many" of her friends and family members "who are lifelong Democrats voted for Donald Trump this past November strictly because of this issue."
"And if that shows how wildly unpopular it is, 80% of Americans agree on this. How many issues do 80% of Americans agree on? That again shows where this is, that everyone's lost their mind, and common sense is having men not playing in women's sports," Scanlan continued.
"I think what we saw in this past election is so many voters had to come over to our side because the left really lost their way with common sense. … If they want to keep doubling down on this, I say let them, but, for their sake, I hope they stop and realize that no voters want this."
The U.S. Department of Education has launched Title IX investigations into California, Minnesota and Maine for allegedly continuing to allow transgender athletes to compete against biological females in defiance of Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order signed Feb. 5.
The USDOE is also investigating San Jose State; Scanlan's alma mater, Penn; and a Massachusetts high school. Transgender athletes Blaire Fleming and Thomas starred for SJSU and Penn, respectively.
Trump even threatened to withhold federal funding from Maine if Gov. Janet Mills continued to ignore his order.
The USA-Canada hockey rivalry reached its hottest point earlier this month at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and the fans — and politics — played major roles.
In USA's first game of the tournament, which was against Finland in Montreal, the Canadian crowd booed the "Star-Spangled Banner." Two days later, the Montreal crowd again booed the USA anthem before the two bordering countries got into three fights in the first nine seconds of their highly anticipated team.
Sure, politics may not have directly led to the fights, but they sure were the main factor for the large boos.
The national anthem battles began earlier this month when Ottawa Senators fans booed the "Star-Spangled Banner" on Feb. 1, when Trump's tariffs on goods from Canada to the U.S. were set to be implemented (they have since been delayed). It also happened during a Toronto Raptors game the next day, and it carried over all the way to Boston, when Americans faintly booed the Canadian anthem in both of their games on USA soil.
Sean McDonough was on the call for the final, which wound up being a 3-2 overtime win for Canada over USA, but he said while he needed to keep focus on the ice, he felt a need to bring up the politics between the two countries.
"I think in this instance, we had to say something," McDonough said on the "Sports Media" podcast. "I felt like I had to say something because it was an issue — and I guess I contributed to it by what I said on the radio show, but there needed to be some acknowledgment."
McDonough, earlier that week, said he had hoped Americans didn't boo the Canadian national anthem ahead of the final, which he said became a big deal in the media.
"I had said before — it’s amazing how our business works. I’m on a couple of talk shows. I got asked about the booing, and I said, ‘I hope they don’t boo.’ ‘I just hope the Americans don’t boo. I understand why the Canadians are upset: the tariffs, the 51st state stuff.’ And to the point that people are more interested in this because of that, that was much more, in my experience, an issue in Canada than it was in Boston. There were people talking about, ‘Oh, the politics of it,’ where in Canada, they were."
"It’s interesting how our thing works," he added. "I said, ‘Well, I hope they don’t boo.’ Well, then the headlines on these articles become ‘Sean McDonough [inaudible] not to boo,’ like I called a press conference and said, ‘Do not boo.’ All I said was, ‘I hope they don’t boo.’ But it’s like I called a press conference and begged people not to [boo]. I answered a question and said, ‘I hope they don’t boo.'"
McDonough added that, had he known Canadian anthem singer Chantal Kreviazuk purposely changed the words as a shot at President Donald Trump, "I would've acknowledged." But, he initially thought it was an accidental flubbing of the lyrics.
The win improved Canada's record against USA in best-on-best formats to 14-4-1, with wins including the 2002 and 2010 Olympic gold medal games and the 2014 Olympic semifinal.
Schools in Philadelphia will continue allowing transgender athletes to play in girls sports even after the state of Pennsylvania announced it would comply with President Donald Trump's "No Men in Women's Sports" executive order.
The School District of Philadelphia announced in a statement Tuesday it will continue following its previous policy that enables transgender inclusion.
"The district will continue to align its practices to support its LGBTQ+ students in accordance with Board Policy 252 for transgender and gender non-conforming students," the statement said, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The statement comes just a day after the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) approved a revision to its policy that prevents trans athletes from competing in women's sports. The new policy defers to principals to determine a student’s "sex" when "questioned or uncertain," and adds a line that says, in accordance with Trump’s executive order, "schools are required to consult with their school solicitors relative to compliance with the order."
Philadelphia's refusal to comply with Trump's order is the first known instance of a city defying its own state's trans inclusion policy since Trump's executive order went into effect.
In New York City, one education official spoke out against the state's intent to defy Trump's order. However, the city and state appear they will continue allowing trans athletes to compete.
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) provided a statement to Fox News Digital saying it has advised schools to comply with current state law that allows trans athletes to compete with girls but is gathering public input before making a final decision.
But the director of New York City Mayor Eric Adams' Office of Sports, Wellness and Recreation, Jasmine Ray, stated her position in favor of following Trump's order on her Instagram story.
"To those asking about my position, as Director of NYC Sports & Rec, I stand with the recent executive order reinforcing the importance of fairness in women’s sports," she wrote.
However, Ray later took down her story and said she deleted it at the "guidance" of the mayor's chief of staff, Camille Joseph Varlack.
With Pennsylvania trying to comply with Trump's order but facing resistance from Philadelphia, other battleground states are also divided on the issue.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) announced last week it updated its policies to only allow athletes "designated as females at birth" to compete in girls sports. Wisconsin previously enabled trans inclusion in girls sports dating back to 2013.
Meanwhile, Michigan has not complied with Trump's executive order and continues allowing trans athletes to compete in girls sports, but a bill has been introduced in the state legislature that would prevent trans inclusion in girls sports.
Four states are under investigation by Trump's Department of Education for refusing to comply with the order — California, Massachusetts, Maine and Minnesota.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is warning those states to comply with federal antidiscrimination laws that require them to keep boys out of women’s sports or face legal action, Fox News Digital reported Tuesday.
"This Department of Justice will hold accountable states and state entities that violate federal law," Bondi wrote. "Indeed, we have already begun to do so."
Bondi was referring to the Justice Department’s move to sue Illinois and New York earlier in February for defying federal immigration laws.
"We also stand ready to sue states and state entities that defy federal antidiscrimination laws," Bondi wrote.
The Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback unveiled his new haircut over the weekend, showing off a stark departure from his previous style. Mahomes no longer has his signature Mohawk, a defining feature of his image during the first eight years of his NFL career.
Now, he has a simple cropped style with a fade on the side.
Mahomes' barber DeJuan Bonds, who's been cutting the quarterback's hair since his rookie year in 2017, told Fox News Digital about the possible reason why Mahomes chose to go with such a drastic change.
"I just think with the end of the season, frustration maybe, like, ‘You know what, I’m done. It's time for a new look, change,' and I think that's pretty much what prompted his sudden urge," Bonds said. "It probably was a little bit [frustration], then there was like, ‘Hey you know, it’s time for a new look.'"
Bonds later added that frustration "possibly" played into the decision for Mahomes to cut his hair in such a different way, but can't say for sure.
Bonds also said Mahomes was going for a more "adult" and "mature" look with this new style.
It wasn't the first time Mahomes proposed the idea of a drastic change in hairstyle to Bonds. The barber said Mahomes previously brought up the idea of getting a shorter haircut when the quarterback was preparing for the birth of his first child, daughter Sterling, who was born in February 2021.
But Bonds talked Mahomes out of it, bringing up the fact that the quarterback had notable success with the Mohawk. At that point, Mahomes had already won a Super Bowl, a league MVP award, and was ascending as one of the league's greatest players.
"He had mentioned during that time that entering fatherhood, he needed to go ahead and change up his hairstyle and didn't want to be wearing a Mohawk, but we toyed with cutting it off a couple of times, but we were both superstitious and decided that now wasn't the time," Bonds said.
"Then after this season was when we kind of said, ‘Well, let’s just get through the season, and then we'll talk about cutting it off."
When Mahomes came to this decision, he initially told Bonds that he wanted to "cut it off."
"A lot of times, when someone says, ‘Cut it off,’ they don't really know. They're just saying something. Me, as an experienced barber, I know that ‘cut it off’ really don't mean ‘cut it off,'" Bonds said.
Had Bonds listened to Mahomes without any pushback, then the barber would have proceeded to give the quarterback a cut so low that it would have even been considered a skin fade.
"It could have been very low, but I know better than that. I know better than to follow anybody's directions when they ‘just cut it off’ unless I ask them multiple times, and they say yes, and they want it all the way off, and I know he didn't want that," Bonds said.
And Bonds believes that if he did give Mahomes the full "cut it off" treatment, it would have had the reverse effect that Mahomes was looking for in terms of trying to look older and more mature.
"I would advise him not to do that unless he wanted to turn back to a 17-year-old Mahomes," Bonds said, referring to Mahomes' hairstyle in high school when it was essentially just a skin fade. "Even with the haircut that he got right now, it made him look a lot younger, but if I did something like that to him, he would even look younger, and I don't think he wants to look younger like that."
So instead, Bonds proceeded with the haircut that he had in mind for Mahomes. As it was going, the televisions at Purple Lable Luxury Barbershop in Overland Park, Kansas, had NBA games on, as they talked about basketball.
Bonds recalled Mahomes once tweeting about the Luka Doncic trade during a haircut before the Super Bowl while ESPN's "SportsCenter" played on TV, and then seeing the show feature Mahomes' tweet being discussed just minutes later during the same haircut.
And then, after the haircut was over, and Mahomes' new look was cemented, the quarterback smiled.
"He basically smiled and said, ‘Yeah, I like that,'" Bonds said.
Bonds is now set to travel to give Mahomes a follow-up cut on Thursday to maintain the look.
After 20 seasons, Diana Taurasi is ending her WNBA career.
The league’s all-time leading scorer announced her retirement through Time magazine, saying she was "full," both mentally and physically, after a stellar career.
"That’s probably the best way I can describe it. I’m full, and I’m happy," Taurasi said.
The 42-year-old is one of the top basketball players in history, and the accolades on her resume can surely make any player feel full.
Since she was taken with the first overall pick out of UConn in the 2004 WNBA Draft, Taurasi has won three WNBA titles, was named the 2009 league MVP, won two Finals MVPs, registered five scoring titles, was named the 2004 Rookie of the Year and made 14 All-WNBA teams along with 11 All-Star teams.
In addition to being the league’s all-time leading scorer, Taurasi has made more 3-pointers than any player in history.
Taurasi’s star status began at the beginning of the new century, when she joined UConn and became a three-time national champion with the Huskies, being named the AP Player of the Year during the 2002-03 season after averaging 17.9 points, 4.4 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game on the way to her second of three titles.
Then Taurasi joined the Phoenix Mercury and spent 20 years with the same franchise, something unheard of in professional sports today.
She was an easy choice as the 2004 Rookie of the Year when she averaged 17 points, 3.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Taurasi was everything Phoenix wanted from its first overall pick, becoming a mainstay who eventually developed into a legend many believed she would become.
Taurasi also starred in international play with Team USA.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert released a statement on Taurasi’s retirement.
"In a record-setting career that saw her play 20 seasons, score more points and make more three-point shots than any player in WNBA history, she has earned the unquestioned respect of players around the globe, delivered electrifying moments and captivated fans again and again," Engelbert said.
"On behalf of the WNBA family, I thank Diana for everything that she has brought to the WNBA — her passion, her charisma and, most of all, her relentless dedication to the game."
Taurasi told Time she usually begins her preparation for an upcoming WNBA season Jan. 1, but she said she "just didn’t have it in me" this time.
"That was pretty much when I knew it was time to walk away," Taurasi added.
Some will debate whether she is the best player to ever grace a WNBA court.
"I have a resume. It’s not up to me to grade it," Taurasi told Time.
Her UConn coach, Geno Auriemma, added, "Until someone comes along and eclipses what she’s done, then, yes, she is."
For 13 years, from mid-2004 to mid-2017, the New York Giants had just one starting quarterback — Eli Manning.
In 2024 alone, they cycled through four.
The Giants were in unfamiliar territory during the 2024 season, mixing and matching their quarterbacks week by week late in the year. Daniel Jones was released, and Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito were injured, which led to action for Tim Boyle.
Now, the Giants have the third pick in the draft, some capital and cash and a need at quarterback.
It's no secret the G-Men will have a new quarterback under center in 2025, but the question is who. With rumors swirling the Giants could be in the mix for Matthew Stafford, who has gotten permission from the Rams to seek potential deals with other teams, general manager Joe Schoen made a damning comment at the NFL Scouting Combine Tuesday.
"I’m for taking swings at that position. It’s the most important position, and it’s hard to find them. So, keep swinging. Keep swinging at the position until you find one," Schoen said.
Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Jameis Winston, and, eventually, Aaron Rodgers headline this free agency class. Kirk Cousins may also join that list.
Stafford appears to be the main trade candidate, but the Giants could take Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders with the No. 3 pick in the draft.
There are numerous options.
"Again, we don’t know what’s going to happen in the draft. We don’t know who’s going to be there. When we get around these kids, they may or may not be a fit for us. We’re going to have to address the position somewhere," Schoen continued. "We’re going to look at vets. We’re going to look at the draft. We’re going to look at trade candidates. We’re going to look under every rock to find the best quarterback for us going into the 2025 season."
Schoen tipped his hand a tad when he said, "Even if you get a young quarterback, you’d like to have a vet in the room with him to be in the room with him and show him the ropes, how to be a pro."
So, it seems inevitable the Giants will bring in a veteran, but there are a range of different vets availbe.
Giants co-owner John Mara opted to keep both Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll despite a 3-14 season, the franchise's worst record in a generation (Saquon Barkley's 2,000-yard, Super Bowl-winning season didn't do Schoen many favors either).
Daboll has said he needs good quarterback play to succeed, a sentiment Schoen echoed Tuesday.
"It would be nice to have one guy out there who gives you the best chance to win games and also stay healthy. Again, that is an important position, and we need better play out of that position than what we’ve had, and that will really help us," he said.
The tush push, made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles, is back in the spotlight this NFL offseason after the Green Bay Packers reportedly submitted a proposal to ban the play.
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has seen it done throughout the league, including by his brother, John, with his Baltimore Ravens. Jim admitted he didn't have a "strong opinion" on the matter.
However, Harbaugh said he's watching good football when he sees the tush push, which means finding a way to stop it or, better yet, running the play successfully.
"It just seems like it works every single time, but it seems like football to me. Get good at it or stop it," Harbaugh told Fox News Digital while discussing his partnership with Invivyd, the American biotech company that is working to provide non-vaccine preventative options for COVID-19.
"I don’t have a strong opinion on it right now and probably defer to others and see which way the vote goes. Get good at it ourselves, or get in position to stop it."
Harbaugh said these were his thoughts after the Eagles started converting the play at such a high rate.
Since then, other teams have tried the play, but none with the same success as the Eagles.
"I am not a fan of this play," Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy said. "There is no skill involved, and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less. The series of plays with the Commanders jumping offsides in the NFC championship game to try to stop the play was ridiculous."
The Athletic reported the Packers were the NFL team that submitted a proposal to the NFL’s competition committee to ban the play, which will be voted on by league owners in March.
"I guess the discussions will be in the offseason, but the quarterback sneak will never be eliminated from football," Harbaugh added. "I guess it’s the aspect of pushing [the player under center], and you’re not allowed to drag [the player holding the ball], but you are allowed to push."
The Eagles introduced the play in 2022, and have converted it over 90% of the time. Despite Harbaugh and others feeling like the Eagles convert it almost automatically, the percentage has gone down since then.
In 2023, Philadelphia converted at an 88.1% rate, and it was 82.4% in their Super Bowl-winning season in 2024. But it came in clutch for quarterback Jalen Hurts to score yet another tush push touchdown in the Super Bowl, the first score of the game, to help them defeat the Kansas City Chiefs.
The play was debated last offseason, but we'll see where owners stand when they vote on banning the play.
HARBAUGH HERE TO HELP
This offseason, Harbaugh’s coaching involves spreading information about a multilayered prevention approach to fight COVID-19, which remains a serious health issue, even if we’re no longer in a pandemic.
From Oct. 7, 2023, through Sept. 8, 2024, Invivyd found there were over 656,000 hospitalizations, 112,302 of which were intensive care unit admissions, and over 58,000 deaths due to COVID-19.
"As a coach, you want to see people not sidelined in the game, at the game and gathering without having that fear," he said. "Proud to have partnered with Invivyd. People think COVID is old news, don’t really like talking about it as much. But facts are it’s still around, and [we] don’t know the long-term effects.
"People are still getting sick, still being hospitalized, some still dying, especially those who are immunocompromised. It could be yourself, could be somebody you know, somebody that’s a friend or family. And there are options, so talk to your doctor — bottom line."
"Illegal and defamatory threats and demands against Rachaad and his family will be met with zero tolerance," the attorneys said in the statement. "We will continue to exercise all legal avenues to protect Rachaad's rights as a victim of extortion."
The Bucs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
White began the season as the team's starting running back but was slowly taken over by rookie Bucky Irving. After rushing for 990 yards on 272 carries in 2023, those numbers bumped down to 144 attempts and 613 yards, as Irving eventually took the lead role.
White just wrapped up his third NFL season after being a third-round pick out of Arizona State. Irving, too, was selected in the third round. Irving garnered 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns on his 207 rushing attempts.
The Bucs won the NFC South, but were eliminated in the divisional round by the Washington Commanders, who made it all the way to the conference title game — White had just three touches in that 23-20 loss to the Commanders.
There is speculation that White could be a salary-cap casualty for the Bucs, as Sean Tucker also found a role in the Bucs' backfield later in the season.
Despite rumors that the Philadelphia Eagles would not attend the White House to celebrate their recent Super Bowl LIX victory, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will extend the invite.
The Birds skipped out on attending when they won in 2018, but a club source told OutKick on Monday that the team would in fact go this year. Trump confirmed the invite while talking with reporters.
"They will be [invited]. We haven't yet, but we will be," Trump said. "I thought it was a great performance by them. Absolutely, they'll be extended an invitation. We'll do it right away, we'll do it some time today. They deserve to be down here, and we hope to see them."
Trump, in attendance for the game, predicted that the Kansas City Chiefs would win the Super Bowl for the third straight time, but instead it was a Philadelphia beatdown from the jump, earning a 40-22 victory over Kansas City to put a hold on their dynasty.
The day after the Super Bowl, veteran offensive lineman Lane Johnson said it would be a "team decision" to go. Johnson was a part of the Super Bowl LII team that had its invitation rescinded by Trump as some players said they would not visit the White House due to Trump’s criticism of those who kneeled or raised their fists during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
Trump released a statement at the time regarding his invitation cancellation, saying that "the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better."
"They disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country," Trump’s statement read seven years ago.
The Florida Panthers recently visited the president to celebrate their Stanley Cup victory last summer.
Neither the Toronto Raptors nor the Los Angeles Lakers, the winners of the 2019 and 2020 NBA Finals, visited the White House during Trump's first presidency to commemorate their titles, but the Milwaukee Bucks made the trip to visit now-former President Joe Biden in November 2021.
The last championship team from the pros to visit Trump in office during his first presidency were the 2019 Washington Nationals, five days after their World Series victory over the Houston Astros. The pandemic made visits tougher in 2020, and by the time restrictions started to be lifted, Biden had taken office.
The UConn men's and LSU women's teams visited Biden last year. Biden was criticized for originally not inviting the University of Georgia football team last year. After they received an invitation, the Bulldogs did not go. They also did not make the trip the year prior due to COVID-19 safety precautions.
Both the Las Vegas Aces and Boston Celtics, the reigning WNBA and NBA champs, respectively, visited Biden before he left office. The prior NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, notably canceled their visit last year, citing their quest to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference (they got the No. 2 seed after a tiebreaker).
Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
Season 3 of Netflix's "Full Swing" is out now, and it gave golf fans everywhere an inside look at one of the wildest stories the sport has ever seen.
While on his way to his second round of the PGA Championship in May, World No. 1 and reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was arrested and faced four charges, including assaulting a police officer.
It stemmed from a fatal accident outside Valhalla Golf Club while Scheffler was attempting to get to the course with a large security presence due to the accident.
Scheffler later called it a "big misunderstanding."
Netflix acquired additional footage of Scheffler's arrest, including bodycam footage.
"I'm terribly sorry. I'm just trying to get to my tee time. I'll keep my arms back there, I promise," Scheffler said as he was handcuffed.
Other footage shows Scheffler asking someone to "please help" him, and he asked another officer if they were "able to just talk for a second."
"Are you guys aware that I'm playing in the golf tournament?" Scheffler added. Apparently, one officer was not.
"I assume you're pretty good if you're playing in the PGA," an officer said.
Scheffler humbly replied, "Yeah, I'm all right."
"I'll be honest. I didn't think this was a position I'd ever be in," Scheffler told an officer on his way back to Valhalla.
"Usually, people never do," the officer replied.
Scheffler even cracked a joke that he only wanted mouthwash, as "I try not to drink too much before I go play golf at 8 a.m."
"I didn't know you were the No. 1 in the world right now. You're too casual to be No. 1 player in the world," an officer said while escorting Scheffler to the course.
"I think that's why they're so surprised I was arrested," the golfer replied.
Scheffler was later booked and released and made it to the course with time to spare.
"I was freaking out because I somehow went from driving to the golf course to a jail cell, and I still don't really know how that happened exactly. I don't think it really ever felt real," Scheffler told producers for the documentary.
Less than two weeks later, all the charges against Scheffler were dropped. And he casually shot a 66 just hours after his arrest. He sputtered a bit in his final two rounds, but he still managed to tie for eighth at 13-under for the weekend.
Xander Schauffele won his first of two majors in his career, the second being the Open Championship later that July.
Police protection was assigned to Greely High School in Maine this week after one of the school's transgender athletes was thrust into the national spotlight, per multiple reports.
The school is home to a transgender track and field athlete who recently took first place at a girls' state pole vault competition. The athlete, who recently competed in the boys' category, out-jumped every other female by half a foot, and the winning pole vault was pivotal in helping Greely High School win the Class B state championship meet by just a single point.
Due to the win, the trans athlete has also automatically qualified for the multistate regional championships, taking the spot that would have been awarded to the female athlete who garnered second place had Spencer competed in the boys' division.
Last week, news of the athlete's win went national after it was publicized by state Rep. Laurel Libby.
When students returned from a school district vacation this week, the police presence at the school reportedly heightened after a highly-publicized spat between President Donald Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills over the state's refusal to comply with Trump's recent executive order to ban biological males from girls' sports.
Cumberland Police Department Capt. Mindy Coe told News Center Maine that the school and parents expressed concerns for safety amid the national controversy.
"There were some concerns from the school and the parents that coming back from vacation today that there might be some issues," Coe said. "We wanted to relay their fears and have some more cars in the area."
Jeffrey Porter, superintendent of the Cumberland-North Yarmouth School District, told the Portland Press Herald that there hasn't been a specific threat against the school that warranted the police protection, but it is precautionary due to recent social media activity.
"Along with this attention has been a flurry of online postings and communications, including some that have been of concern to members of the school community," Porter said. "Please know this is not in response to any specific threat or information; rather, it is a proactive security measure only."
Trump vowed to cut funding to the state for refusing to follow his order during a gathering of governors at the White House.
"I hate to tell you this, but we're not going to give them any federal money, they are still saying, ‘We want men to play in women’s sports' and I can not believe that they're doing that… So we’re not going to give them any federal funding, none whatsoever, until they clean that up."
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Maine received more than $360 million, or about 10.1% of its education funding, from the federal government in the 2021-22 fiscal year.
On Friday, Mills' office responded with a statement threatening legal action against the Trump administration if it did withhold federal funding from the state. Then, Trump and Mills verbally sparred in a widely-publicized argument at the White House during a bipartisan meeting of governors.
"Are you not going to comply with that?" Trump asked Mills.
"I'm complying with state and federal laws," she responded, before Trump said "Well, we are the federal law" and "You better do it, you better do it because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't.
"And by the way, your population, even though it's somewhat liberal, although I did very well there, your population doesn't want men playing in women's sports, so you better comply because otherwise you're not getting any federal funding," Trump continued.
Just hours after that interaction, the U.S. Department of Education announced it will be investigating the state for allowing trans athletes to compete in girls' sports and potential Title IX violations.
Maine is the fourth state to have a Title IX investigation launched against it for defying Trump's order since it was signed on Feb. 5. The DOE announced on Feb. 12 it would be investigating the high school athletic associations in California and Minnesota after those states refused to comply with Trump's recent order.
Before that, the DOE announced on Feb. 6 it would investigate the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) alongside San Jose State University and the University of Pennsylvania for potential Title IX violations.
A female high school track and field athlete praised Trump for intervening in the situation on Friday.
Zoe, who competed in shot put at Maine's Class B state indoor championship meet on Monday, said she is "grateful" for the president's announcement that he will be cutting federal funding to Maine over its defiance of Trump's order to keep men out of women's sports, adding that leaders in the state "have failed our female athletes."
"State leaders have failed our female athletes and there needs to be repercussions for their neglect," Zoe said. "We feel seen and heard because of this announcement and hope that steps will continue to be made to protect women's sports in Maine."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "Partisan elected officials and judicial activists who seek to legally obstruct President Trump’s agenda are defying the will of 77 million Americans who overwhelmingly re-elected President Trump," and added that "their efforts will fail."
"All of President Trump’s executive actions are lawful, constitutional and intended to deliver on the promises he made to the American people," Leavitt said. "The Trump administration is prepared to fight these battles in court and will prevail."
Fox News Digital's Alex Schemel contributed to this report.
Lammey notes that Gronkowski "loves Denver & QB Bo Nix," while also pointing out his connection with head coach Sean Payton, who worked at Fox Sports with the legendary tight end before heading back into coaching.
Fox News Digital has not heard back from Gronkowski’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, after an initial request for comment.
Gronkowski did note on his "Dudes on Dudes" podcast that his current broadcast schedule with Fox Sports is pretty grueling, to the point where he’s traveling like he was in the league.
"I might as well go back because playing ball would be easier than what I’ve been doing over the last six months," Gronkowski said.
Gronkowski has come back to the NFL after retiring in the past, as he joined former New England Patriots teammate Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gronkowski played a critical role in them winning Super Bowl LV, where he scored two touchdowns.
Gronkowski went on to play one more season with the Bucs until retiring again after the 2021 season.
Now, Gronkowski has previously said to outlets, including Fox News Digital, that he was definitely retired, even mentioning that he was "washed up."
But perhaps that itch for the game is back for one of the best to ever play the tight end position.
The 35-year-old is a five-time Pro Bowler with three Super Bowl rings to his name with the Patriots before securing the fourth in Tampa Bay.
He is third all-time among tight ends in receiving touchdowns (92), and has 9,286 yards on 621 career receptions over 143 games in his 11 NFL seasons.
Shakir was star quarterback Josh Allen’s top target last season, as he led the team in targets (100), receptions (76), and receiving yards (821).
The sure-handed wide receiver dropped just one pass last season and was a threat with the ball in his hands as he was third in the NFL in yards after the catch with 597.
The only two players who had more yards after the catch are Cincinnati Bengals superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (787) and Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (665).
In the Bills' three playoff games, Skakir caught 18 of his 20 targets for 174 yards.
The 2022 fifth-round pick out of Boise State has seen an uptick in his production year after year. In his rookie year, Shakir caught 10 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown in 14 games.
In 2023, Shakir started to become a bigger part of the offense, and finished with 39 catches for 611 yards and two touchdowns.
The 6-foot, 190-pound wide receiver might not be a true No. 1 wide receiver, but Shakir is at the very least a strong No. 2 wide receiver who has a solid connection with Allen.
Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel are among other wide receivers who are under contract for the Bills next season.
One of the Philadelphia Eagles' keys to success may soon be a thing in the past, and it sounds like there's some excitement about the possibility.
The Green Bay Packers recently proposed a rule to ban the tush push, which has been synonymous with the Eagles, who beat Green Bay in the wild-card round en route to a Super Bowl championship.
And while it's often imitated, it's never duplicated. The Eagles have had a success rate of well over 90% with the play over the last three years.
There is an argument about whether the play should be allowed, since players technically cannot help a ball carrier advance down the field.
One NFC head coach applauded Green Bay's proposal.
"It should’ve been illegal three years ago," Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "No, the tush push play, I’ve never been a big fan. There’s no other play in our game where you can absolutely get behind somebody and push them, pull them off, do anything."
Packers CEO Mark Murphy recently said the play is "almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less," and it takes "no skill."
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott cited injury risks with the play Monday.
"It's just that play to me — or the way that the techniques that are used with that play to me — have been potentially contrary to the health and safety of the players," he said. "Again, you have to go back in fairness to the injury data on the play, but I just think the optics of it I'm not in love with."
The Birds used the play well to their advantage. Jalen Hurts scored the first touchdown of the Super Bowl with it in a 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Last offseason, there was some heated debate about whether the play should remain in the game, but it never came to a vote.
League owners would have to vote to have the play removed, which would be done in March.
Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the NCAA for its recent revised gender eligibility policy, demanding the governing body begin mandatory sex screening to keep trans athletes out of women's sports.
The NCAA announced its revised policy on Feb. 6 in response to President Donald Trump's "No Men in Women's Sports" executive order, which was signed just one day earlier. The revised policy states that biological male trans athletes are not eligible to compete in women's competitions, but may continue practicing and receive "other benefits" from women's teams.
But the policy came under heavy scrutiny by women's rights activists over concerns biological males will use amended birth certificates to gain entry into women's sports. Now, Paxton has joined that list of critics and is taking legal action to try and amend the policy further.
"In practice, the NCAA's lack of sex-screening has allowed (and will continue to allow) biological men to surreptitiously participate in 'women's' sports categories," the lawsuit states. Additionally, Paxton lays out that the NCAA allows "ample opportunity for biological men to alter their birth records and participate in women's sports."
Former U.S. gymnast and founder of XX-XY Athletics Jennifer Sey supported Paxton's decision to file a lawsuit, she told Fox News Digital.
"The only reliable way to retain the integrity of women’s sports – ensure they are XX only – is to test for sex. Birth certificates are changeable, but sex is not. It’s a simple non-invasive test. Spit in a cup. That’s it. Athletes are already tested for drugs. Some are weighed to ensure they make weight in their category. This is no more invasive than either of those," Sey said.
Paxton had filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in December over its previous policy. In that suit, 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 wellbeing 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."
The NCAA provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the criticisms and insisting that amended birth certificates will not be accepted.
"The policy is clear that there are no waivers available, and student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team with amended birth certificates or other forms of ID," the statement read. "Male practice players have been a staple in college sports for decades, particularly in women’s basketball and the Association will continue to account for that in the policy."
These specifics are not currently outlined on the official NCAA policy page, as it makes no specific references to birth certificate or ID amendments, or women's scholarships going to trans athletes, per the NCAA's website.
In the U.S., 44 states do allow birth certificates to be altered to change a person's birth sex. The only states that do not allow this are Florida, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Montana. Meanwhile, there are 14 states that allow sex on a birth certificate to be changed without any medical documentation required, including California, New York, Massachusetts and Michigan.
Still, Trump and his Department of Education celebrated the NCAA's policy change when it was announced earlier this month.
"Exciting news! Due to my Executive Order, which I proudly signed yesterday, the NCAA has officially changed their policy allowing men in Women’s Sports – IT IS NOW BANNED! This is a great day for women and girls across our Country," Trump wrote on social media in response to the NCAA's policy change.
The Department of Education wrote in a post, "NEWS: In accordance with President Trump's Executive Order, the NCAA just announced that 'a student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete for an NCAA women’s team.' The wins keep coming under POTUS’s leadership!"
Neither Trump nor anyone directly in his administration has addressed the recent criticisms of the new NCAA policy over potential amended birth certificates.
Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta spoke about sexual misconduct allegations against kicker Justin Tucker during a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine Tuesday.
The Baltimore Banner reported that 16 massage therapists at eight spas have claimed Tucker engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior during spa sessions from 2012-16.
Tucker has denied all allegations, but DeCosta called the allegations "serious and concerning."
"The amount of allegations are serious and concerning," he told reporters in Indianapolis.
"I think we’re fortunate the league is doing an investigation. We’ll wait as patiently as we can for as much information as we can. We’ll make our decisions based on that."
DeCosta added he has met with Tucker and the league since the allegations surfaced, though he didn't disclose specifics about the talks with his kicker.
"I think in this case we’re awaiting as much information as possible. I met with the league. I believe the league is meeting with other people in Baltimore as well. We’ll wait for the details of that investigation and make our decision based off that."
DeCosta said the team was aware of the allegations published by The Baltimore Banner, and it was the first time the team became aware of the allegations.
The NFL reportedly began interviewing massage therapists who accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior.
Last month, the first six alleged victims claimed Tucker exposed himself repeatedly during sessions spanning four years, including his rookie campaign, when the Ravens won the Super Bowl.
The accusations placed him at four different spa and wellness centers, with claims he would brush the therapists with his genitals and commit other acts of sexual misconduct.
More massage therapists have come forward since the original Baltimore Banner report with similar allegations.
Tucker released a statement through his attorneys last month, calling the accusations "unequivocally false."
"Throughout my career as a professional athlete, I have always sought to conduct myself with the utmost professionalism. I have never before been accused of misconduct of any kind, and I have never been accused of acting inappropriately in front of a massage therapist or during a massage therapy session or during other bodywork," Tucker’s statement said.
"I have never received any complaints from a massage therapist, have never been dismissed from a massage therapy or bodywork session and have never been told that I was not welcome at any spa or other place of business."
"Still think he has that fire and desire to play and, as far as I’m concerned there is no deadline I think we left as he’d be back, and we’re excited to get him back and get him going."
Reid said he spoke to Kelce during the team's exit meetings and gave the tight end some advice.
"At this point, get out of town and relax. That's my motto for these guys. They played a lot of games for a consistent amount of seasons here," Reid said, via The Kansas City Star.
"You get to the end, and you've exhausted yourself mentally and physically... step back and take care of that, then we'll talk."
"But for right now, I think that's what he's doing."
Kelce said he was "kicking every can I can down the road" regarding his decision to retire during his last episode of "New Heights."
Kelce was still productive this season, but his yards (823) and touchdowns (3) in the regular season this year were the lowest he has had in a full season.
The star tight end did say that if he was going to come back, he would not be taking any half-measures.
"I think I owe it to my teammates that if I do come back, it’s going to be something that – it’s a wholehearted decision," Kelce said.
"I’m not half-a--ing it. I’m fully here for them and I think I can play. It’s just whether or not I’m motivated or if it’s the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person to take on all that responsibility."
