Carson Beck made the surprise decision to forgo an NFL pursuit and play at least one more year of college football when he decided to transfer from Georgia to Miami.
On the surface, the transfer made sense. Beck is dating Miami Hurricanes women’s basketball star Hanna Cavinder, and being closer to the person he is involved with seemed to be a no-brainer. However, Cavinder was adamant that she played no role in bringing Beck to "The U."
"Obviously, the University of Miami is an amazing campus. And, I think it was the best decision for him. I think he’s gonna love the university," she told ESPN. "Obviously, I love Miami, so I will stay here. … I’m super excited for him and to be able to watch him play."
Cavinder said she did not really need to convince Beck to fly south and added she would not have any NCAA eligibility left when Beck begins to play football.
"Honestly, I was not involved at all. I know that a lot of people probably think that. But no, I was not involved at all. It was honestly what was the best decision for him and where he was gonna fit and be able to be successful. I’m super excited for him. It’s very convenient. Obviously, you can’t beat Miami and the people here."
Beck will be a replacement for Cam Ward, who had one of the best seasons any quarterback has had at the program.
The ex-Bulldogs star was on the team when they won back-to-back national titles.
He had 3,485 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes in 2024. The Bulldogs lost in the Sugar Bowl to Notre Dame.
Inter Miami star Lionel Messi was fined on Tuesday over a startling incident with an assistant coach from New York City FC after their match to open the Major League Soccer season ended.
Messi was leaving the field following the 2-2 draw. He had received a yellow card following a verbal exchange with referee Alexis Da Silva. He then exchanged words with NYCFC assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy.
Messi began to walk away from the fracas when he turned back toward the coach and put his right hand on the back of his neck and squeezed. It is unclear what the two said to each other, but it appeared to be enough for MLS to issue the fine.
"The MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi an undisclosed amount for violating the hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent policy following the conclusion of Inter Miami’s match against New York City FC on February 22," the league said.
Luis Suarez, Messi’s Miami teammate, was also fined an undisclosed amount "for violating the hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent policy during halftime" in the same match. He grabbed NYCFC Birk Risa by the back of the neck.
Inter Miami followed the controversy with a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City later Tuesday to advance to the next round of the CONCACAF Championship Cup.
President Donald Trump talked Tuesday about the negotiations to bring golf back together as representatives from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have met with him in recent weeks.
Trump expressed optimism the two sides will get some type of deal done.
"They’re gonna have to get together," he said. "They’ve had a lot of discussion back and forth. They both are meaning well, and a deal will ultimately happen. I think it will happen pretty quickly. It would be nice to see the best golfers play against each other."
The president said he was playing the role of mediator between the two leagues and was trying to help expedite the situation. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and LIV Golf’s Yasir Al-Rumayyan met last week about the possibility of unifying the sport again.
"They are all great people, and they want to work it out," Trump added. "So, if I can help work it out … I don’t get anything out of it. I can help them work it out. I just think golf – it’s very much an individual sport, and you want to see the best players playing against each other and not playing in two different locations."
The president was asked what was more challenging: the PGA-LIV deal or the Russia-Ukraine deal.
"I think the PGA deal is much more complicated," he said with a smile and laughs from those around him.
Last week was the second time in a month the PGA and LIV have had talks.
"I think that things are going to heal quickly," Woods said at the Genesis Invitational. "We’re going to get this game going in the right direction. It’s been heading in the wrong direction for a number of years and the fans want all of us to play together, all the top players playing together, and we’re going to make that happen."
Golf splintered in 2022 with the emergence of LIV Golf, which came with the backing of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm all play in the league.
The Philadelphia Eagles possibly going to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl LIX win with President Donald Trump is still up in the air.
Trump said Tuesday the White House would send an invitation to the Super Bowl-winning team very soon. However, as rumors swirled about the possibility of the Eagles declining the invite, former NFL star Adam "Pacman" Jones wondered why the team would not go.
The Eagles did not go after winning the Super Bowl title over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. At the time, tensions between NFL players and Trump were at a fever pitch. The president attended Super Bowl LIX and did not receive any outward criticism from any player.
"There’s a lot of people that have jobs who don’t like their CEO but go to work every day," Jones told TMZ Sports. "There’s a lot of people who don’t agree with how their preacher, or whoever they’re going to read (God’s) message from, with what he does. So, I think it’s kind of ludicrous that you win the championship and don’t want to go to the f---ing White House."
"I’d be honored to go, regardless of who the president is, but we’ll see," Johnson said via Sportico. "It’s ultimately a team decision. I’ll do what’s best for the team."
Jones added that it is a once in a lifetime experience for anyone to get to go to the White House and celebrate the title.
"I’ve always said, in the locker room, politics don’t have nothing to do with us bonding together to get to one thing, which is winning the Super Bowl," he added. "But I think it's an experience you get once in a lifetime. Wait five years from now and see if a motherf---er invites you to the White House. No. So, that's my take."
The arrival of four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers in April 2023 brought with it the hopes of not just breaking a historic playoff drought – but also the possibility of bringing home the Lombardi Trophy.
But just two seasons later, the Jets are again on the hunt for a new quarterback.
The offseason brought major changes to the coaching staff and earlier this month, the organization informed Rodgers that they would be moving in a different direction at the quarterback position as well.
Rodgers, 41, has not confirmed whether he will return for another season or finally hang up his cleats. But if he does decide to return for his 21st season in the NFL, there are a few teams that could be the perfect landing spot for the veteran's long-awaited comeback.
Speculation surrounding Matthew Stafford’s future with the Rams has opened a new door for Rodgers to make his return to the West Coast.
According to multiple reports, Stafford is seeking a robust extension that Los Angeles appears unwilling to meet. It was reported that the Rams gave Stafford permission to seek a trade, fueling speculation that the quarterback-needy Giants would go after the Super Bowl champion.
Enter Rodgers.
The Rams hired former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt on Monday. He was Rodgers’ quarterbacks coach in Green Bay from 2014-2017 – one of his MVP seasons. Rodgers would appear more likely to sign a deal that would free up more cash for the Rams than any deal Stafford would agree to.
Rodgers could find himself a starting role in Pittsburgh amid the commotion surrounding Art Rooney II’s noncommittal remarks this month on Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
The duo split time at the helm, with neither fully taking off this season with their performances. With both due to become free agents, Rooney said he would like to keep one of them for a multi-year deal.
He didn’t clarify which, although he did indicate age could be a factor.
Speculation has linked Wilson to the Raiders, where he could reunite with former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll – a rumor Wilson has sidestepped.
Deshaun Watson’s time in Cleveland has likely come to an end after the embattled quarterback ruptured his Achilles tendon for the second time in three months and underwent another operation earlier this year.
With the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, the Browns are likely to pursue Colorado's Shedeur Sanders or Miami's Cam Ward, but a veteran signal caller could serve an important role in allowing a young quarterback time to adjust.
Rodgers already has experience fulfilling such a role, as he did with Jordan Love, who led the Packers to back-to-back playoff appearances in his first two seasons as a starter.
At 61 years old, the drive for Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh remains ever energetic, ready to attack each day.
On Tuesday morning, it was the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis that had Harbaugh alert, attentive and all smiles as he spoke with Fox News Digital on behalf of Invivyd.
"Blessed to be here and be able to wake up today," Harbaugh said. "[To] be 61 years old, be in the middle of the competition, be in the Indianapolis at the Scouting Combine, and watch guys go through just some of the best times of their lives.
Blessed has a profound meaning for Harbaugh, someone who has been very open about his Christian values.
Harbaugh used the timeless saying, "faith, family, football," to describe his life. It is something he truly lives by, with his faith being the guiding force to the two pillars that comes after it.
"Those priorities, I can keep things straight in my mind if I can make sure I’m keeping those three," he explained. "It’s just the best advice I’ve ever gotten, it comes from the Bible: ‘Seek first the kingdom of God, and all else will be added onto you.’
"So, that’s the priority. That’s the gameplan, and nobody pays better interest than the Lord."
Harbaugh is not the only athlete in the NFL who has tapped into their faith, and furthermore, been very open about speaking about it.
Take Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud for instance. Harbaugh's Chargers lost to Stroud and the Texans in the Wild Card Round last month, and during his postgame interview, like many before, he thanked God for the opportunity to play the game he loves.
"First and foremost, all glory has to go to my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ," Stroud said. "I feel so unqualified, but the Lord has qualified me to play in this great city, this great state and I’m just so grateful for who I serve."
Philadelphia Eagles' Saquon Barkley, Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels, Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Atlanta Falcons' Kirk Cousins and so many others have also publicly tapped into their faith, and let it be known how much it drives them on and off the gridiron.
"It's inspiring," Harbaugh simply said when asked how great it is to see players openly discussing their faith.
In the Chargers' locker room, Harbaugh explained how, in all faiths, his team is strong. He mentioned punter J.K. Scott as someone who truly embodies the three-word mantra he lives by.
"He’s our punter, and he’s one of the best punters in the game. But he’s also a brother in Christ, and he’s our team chaplain, if you will," Harbaugh said of Scott. "We get that on a daily basis, and just to watch him be the kind of person he is, dad that he is, husband that he is, and teammate that he is.
"Gosh, nobody has it better than us at the Chargers to have him and others – strong Christians like that. It’s pretty awesome."
HARBAUGH HERE TO HELP
This offseason, Harbaugh’s coaching involves spreading information about a multilayered prevention approach to fighting COVID-19, which remains a serious health issue, even if the world is 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."
Legendary college basketball coach Jim Boeheim had high praise, and a lofty comparison, for Duke star Cooper Flagg.
Boeheim, 80, was asked how good Flagg is when compared to some of the NBA’s greats.
"I think he is almost – to me, he’s [Larry] Bird-like, a little bit. Except he is quicker, faster, more athletic, doesn’t shoot it as well, but his shot’s coming," Boeheim said during a recent appearance on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich."
In 27 games played, Flagg is averaging 19.5 points per game while averaging nearly eight rebounds and four assists per game.
The 18-year-old Maine native is the catalyst for a 24-3 Duke team that is currently ranked second in the nation behind Auburn.
To Boeheim, it’s clear that Flagg is the best player in the college game.
"People that say other people are better than him just don’t know anything about basketball. I mean it’s just crazy. I mean they’ve got to be – I don’t know what they’re watching. Maybe they are just trying to be contrarian or something, I don’t know," Boeheim said.
"Cooper Flagg, he’s the best all-around player in terms of doing all the things in college basketball that I’ve seen. I mean there’s better shooters, better rebounders, better passers, but he’s a defender."
There is something else Boeheim says Flagg brings to the table in addition to being one of the best all-around players.
"I’ve talked to [former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski] about this. He’s got an edge to him. He’s not backing down from nobody, and in a good way," he said.
Boeheim has seen a lot of great basketball players throughout his long coaching career, including Carmelo Anthony, who helped lead Syracuse to a National Championship in 2003.
Boeheim was Syracuse’s head coach from 1976 to 2023 and amassed a career record of 1,015-441.
Boeheim led Syracuse to the Final Four five times and was the Big East regular champion 10 times while winning the Big East tournament five times.
If Boeheim is right, and Flagg turns out to have a career like Larry Bird's, whichever team that drafts him will be thrilled.
Bird is in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a three-time MVP and three-time NBA Champion while making 12 All-Star games.
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.
