Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson are the only two quarterbacks under contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While Justin Fields and Russell Wilson handled the Steelers' starting quarterback duties at different times last season, it remains unclear who will be under center once the regular season kicks off.
Fields agreed to a two-year contract with the Jets earlier this week, while Wilson reportedly visited other teams. While there are more questions than answers in Pittsburgh's quarterback room, the storied franchise did bolster its wide receiver corps by adding DK Metcalf.
The Steelers sent draft picks to Pittsburgh in exchange for Metcalf. The star wide receiver subsequently agreed to a five-year, $150 million extension, ESPN reported.
During his introductory news conference, Metcalf took a moment to praise the Steelers for providing a warm reception.
"Coach [Mike] Tomlin, Mr. Omar [Khan] and Mr. [Art] Rooney all hopped on the phone with me Sunday, and it just felt homey, felt welcoming that they wanted to bring me to this historic organization," Metcalf said. "Everything just snowballed from there and brought me here in front of you today."
Metcalf, who finished last season with 992 receiving yards, also acknowledged he doesn't control the team's personnel. But he said discussions with Tomlin and the Steelers' other decision-makers made him feel confident about the quarterback they will sign.
"They made me feel like they had the right decision with who was going to be throwing me the football," Metcalf said, according to ESPN. "I’m not making the decision in the quarterback room. So, I’m just going to try to do the best of my abilities to help whoever they have out there throwing the football. They make the correct decisions to bring the quarterback in here. So, I’m just going to roll with that."
Metcalf, George Pickens and Calvin Austin III are Steelers' top wide receivers heading into the 2025 season. Metcalf wore jersey No. 14 during his six-year stint in Seattle. Pickens wears the same number, so Metcalf decided to switch to No. 4.
"I mean, he's been here, he's made a staple in the No. 14," Metcalf said in reference to Pickens. "I'm not trying to take away from anybody's legacy, just trying to help build mine."
The Steelers finished the 2024 regular season with a 10-7 record and were eliminated from the postseason in the wild-card round.
Fran McCaffery was reportedly fired as the University of Iowa's men's basketball head coach Friday after a 15-year stint running the program.
McCaffery's firing came just one day after he was ejected from a blowout loss to Illinois in the Big 10 Tournament Thursday. The team will miss the NCAA tournament for the second straight season.
Footage of the ejection circulated on social media after Iowa's 106-94 loss.
Just minutes after McCaffery's firing was reported by multiple outlets, his son Connor, a former Iowa player, current Butler men's basketball assistant head coach and boyfriend of Caitlin Clark, posted three clown emoji on X.
Connor's last two X posts were a retweet of a celebratory post of his father reaching the 200-win mark at Iowa and two heart emoji over a video of his father's emotional interview after a win over Rutgers in February.
Connor played for Fran at Iowa for six seasons from 2017-23.
During his six seasons, Connor played in 166 games, which ranks second in Iowa history. He dealt with injuries throughout the majority of his college career, but a redshirt year and COVID-19 campaign allotted him six seasons of eligibility.
He reached the NCAA Tournament in each of his full seasons apart from his COVID season. He averaged 4.5 points and three rebounds, and played in 111 wins, tying Jordan Bohannon for the most in program history. His career assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.59 (527 assists to 147 turnovers) is the second best in NCAA history.
Iowa is also where Connor met Clark when she was starring for the women's team from 2020-24. The couple started dating in April 2023 after Clark led Iowa on a run to the NCAA title game. Connor was a senior at that time and began his coaching career after graduating.
Fran McCaffery will leave Iowa after he led the team to seven NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to the second round four times but never reaching the Sweet 16. The coach would have led eight NCAA tournament teams had the COVID-19 pandemic not resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 tournament.
In 15 seasons as Hawkeyes head coach, McCaffery had a record of 297-207 and will leave the program as the all-time wins leader.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) paused funding to the University of Maine System (UMS), a network of eight public colleges in the state, according to UMS officials.
On Wednesday night, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins' office said the funding freeze had been reversed, according to local outlets. A reason was not disclosed.
A spokesperson for Collins said the reversal came after Collins' office spoke with both USDA and White House officials.
"We’re deeply grateful to [Collins] for this encouraging news and eager to put the whiplash and worry of recent weeks behind us and keep up our good work to move Maine forward," Chancellor Dannel Malloy of the university system and University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said in a joint statement, via the Bangor Daily News.
In fiscal year 2024 alone, the USDA awarded $29.78 million in funding to UMS for research, the system said. The USDA claims it has provided over $100 million to the UMS in recent years in a letter addressed to the system.
The pause in funding came during reviews of potential Title IX and Title VI violations by the universities after the state's recent refusal to comply with Trump's executive order to keep transgender athletes out of women's sports.
Trump threatened to cut federal funding to Maine after a heated exchange with Gov. Janet Mills last month. That was followed up with a March Against Mills near the State House, where several female athletes took the microphone at the march to speak out against their Democrat governor.
A day later, eight activists protested outside Rep. Laurel Libby's home in opposition to her views. Libby helped ignite the contentious situation when, in early February, she identified a biological male on social media who competed in and won a girls state pole vault competition for Greely High School. Police protection was assigned to Greely High School during the controversy.
Trump reaffirmed his intent to punish states that continue to allow trans athletes to compete with girls during his March 4 address to a joint session of Congress.
Fox News' Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
The Michigan House of Representatives voted on a resolution to urge the Michigan High School Athletic Association to follow President Donald Trump's executive order and ban transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports.
"Allowing biological males to compete in women's sports in defiance of a federal executive order could put female athletes in Michigan at risk for injury, threatens the safety and fairness of competitions and undermines the intent of Title IX," the resolution read, via the Detroit Free Press.
Sixty-six people voted in favor of the resolution as opposed to 43 nays; eight of the yays were Democrats, who have been criticized by LGBTQ+ advocates.
"The shift in how Democrats are positioning themselves on issues concerning trans rights is troubling," said Equality Michigan executive director Erin Knott on Thursday. "It's time to act decisively to take a firm stand and to make it clear we will fight to protect the LGBTQ+ community no matter what, and unfortunately we're not seeing that same vigor that we did even just last year."
"We all want sports to be fair, and student athletes to be safe," Knott added. "That’s why the MHSAA already has rules about who can participate in different sports at different levels across a range of issues. They already have a process in place and are experts when it comes to sports in schools. They don’t need politicians in Lansing to override their expertise with a one-size-fits-all blanket ban."
Added Jerron Totten, who runs the party's LGBT & Allies Caucus, "There are so many other issues that are more pressing, more concerning, more alarming than trans kids playing sports. And I think we as voters are looking for legislators that will address those issues and not scapegoat marginalized communities."
"The Democratic Party chose a different way than what we normally would think they would," said Jeffrey Pienela, the president of Muskegon Pride, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.
"It’s surprising. It’s almost like, who has your back when neither party does?"
One Democrat, Rep. Emily Dievendorf, spoke as to why she had voted for the resolution.
"I want you to think about what it means to be a kid. Figuring out who you are trying to find a place to belong. Learning confidence through the support of your peers and mentors. . . . Now imagine, instead being told by adults, by your own government that you are the problem. That playing sports, making friends and being yourself is wrong. That the community meant to support you, instead, is determined to erase you.
"I know what it is to be a queer kid, and it is lonely. I know what it is to be our nonbinary legislator, and it is isolating and dehumanizing. This resolution isn't about fairness. It isn't about protecting women's sports. This isn't about safety, because there is no threat. There is no threat."
However, Rep. Alabas Farhat, a Democrat who went against the majority of her party in the vote, offered an alternative.
"We want to make sure there's a fair environment . . . to compete in. And I'll just be honest, that's where it comes from for me. Folks in my district, definitely, I think, agree with that sentiment. . . ." Rep. Alabas Farhat said. "I would prefer us prioritizing conversations around affordability, around housing. I would prefer those conversations to be at the forefront instead of resolutions like this. But you know, again, for me, it's an issue of fairness and my district has very strong opinions on this stuff."
The Department of Education has launched Title IX investigations against three states - California, Minnesota, and Maine - for not adhering to the order. The USDA stopped federal funding to Maine as a result, which Trump threatened.
A junior hockey player was knocked unconscious during a fight on Tuesday night, resulting in the game being suspended.
Tri-City Americans defenseman Terrell Goldsmith, 19, and Ashton Cumby of the Seattle Thunderbirds dropped the gloves just after a face-off in the beginning of the second period.
The pair exchanged blows, and Goldsmith’s helmet was knocked off. Shortly after his helmet was off, Cumby landed a hard punch that sent Goldsmith unconscious, as he fell face-first onto the ice.
The Americans’ trainer ran onto the ice, and the Thunderbirds' trainer also departed his respective bench to help tend to Goldsmith. The incident was so scary that cameras didn't show Goldsmith on the ice being tended by trainers. Teammates could clearly be seen calling on trainers frantically.
Goldsmith was stretchered off the ice and reportedly offered the crowd a thumbs-up before being taken into an ambulance.
The Americans posted to X on Wednesday morning with an update on Goldsmith.
"Terrell Goldsmith remains in hospital this morning under observation. Upon arriving at the hospital last night, he was awake, responsive and in good spirits. The Tri-City Americans appreciate the words of concern and support for Goldsmith. We will continue to update his status," the statement read.
Following Goldsmith’s injury, the game was delayed and then suspended. The Western Hockey League said the game "will be rescheduled at a later date."
The Thunderbirds had a 2-0 lead at the time of the suspension.
"The decision to suspend last night’s WHL game between Seattle and Tri-City was not made lightly. Following the on-ice incident, coaches and players from both Clubs were consulted, along with various on- and off-ice officials in the building and from the WHL Office," the WHL statement read.
"Collectively, the decision was made to suspend the game out of concern for the wellbeing of Terrell Goldsmith as well as for the emotional state of players on both the Thunderbirds and Americans rosters."
"The game will be rescheduled at a later date, though those conversations have not yet taken place as we continue to prioritize the wellbeing of Terrell."
The Americans posted another update on Goldsmith to X on Thursday, where they thanked everyone for their support of Goldsmith and said that he had been released from the hospital on Wednesday night and resting at home.
When the game is resumed, Goldsmith, if able to play, and Cumby would not play in the remainder of the game, as they both received fighting majors and game misconducts for a "staged fight."
The WHL deems staged fights when players drop the gloves immediately after the faceoff and do not get involved in the play prior to fighting. Staged fights were banned in 2012.
Goldsmith was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes, now the Utah Hockey Club, in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL draft. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the team in October 2024.
Cavinder recently scrubbed Beck off her entire Instagram; Cavinder, along with her sister, Haley, play basketball at the University of Miami, while Beck recently transferred there from Georgia for his final year of eligibility.
Hanna posted TikToks of herself and Beck on a trip with twins sister and her boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson, earlier this week.
But, according to Betr Media, it appeared that Beck added another girl on Snapchat, saying that he and Cavinder broke up "literally this past weekend." Another apparent message said that "things just start not working out ya know, feel it coming."
Haley took to the twins' joint TikTok account to share her thoughts, all but confirming her sister and Beck had split.
"I just want to say one thing, because I can't be too crazy unfiltered on here: if your sister comes to you or your friend or someone that's really important in your life, and they have a gut feeling about a relationship or a friendship, for example, and they just tell you that on a repeated basis, trust your dang sister. Trust her," Haley said. "She's always right. I promise you or your mom, they're always right…
"It's not my story to tell, I know there's a lot of speculation, and I see someone in my life that's hurting, and I don't think it's OK to not be able to have to always keep your mouth shut. I'm trying to be as nice as possible."
This is not Beck's first incident with Snapchat; he was once accused of sending raunchy messages to other girls.
Beck and Hanna each had a vehicle stolen last month in Florida.
Beck, the former starting quarterback at Georgia, declared for the 2025 NFL Draft in December, just days after undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. He was injured in the first half of the Bulldogs' overtime victory over Texas in the SEC championship game.
The Cavinders initially said they were skipping their final year of eligibility, with Hanna completing her playing career,r and Haley saying she would play this season at TCU. However, they both returned to the Canes.
Fox News' Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Steph Curry continued to etch his name in the NBA’s history books during the Golden State Warriors' 130-104 win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.
Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 4,000 3-pointers in the win.
Curry achieved the feat with 8:19 left in the third quarter. The star point guard received a pass from Moses Moody, pump-faked and then took a quick dribble before rising up and nailing the contested shot.
In the timeout that followed Curry’s 3-pointer, the Warriors played a video message from Andris Biedrins, a former Warriors center who assisted on Curry’s first career 3-pointer.
"I'd call it an emotional moment on the bench when I saw (Biedrins). They didn't tell me that they found him and got a video message from him. That was my vet when I was here my rookie year," Curry said postgame.
"I would love to have quizzed our team on the bench and see if anybody knew who that was, because that was such a long time ago. . . . Really cool to kind of think back how far I've come from the first one to four thousand, which is crazy."
Curry said he could sense the energy in the building in anticipation of witnessing history.
"I could feel the energy and the buzz from the beginning of the game after I made my first three, even the second one I shot and missed, it was an adrenaline rush, and they were with me every moment of the game tonight," Curry said.
"When that second one went in I knew there was a lot of game left, so I tried to not get too ahead of myself. But it was a special moment to feel that energy and allow them to enjoy that milestone and accomplishment with me."
The two-time MVP had 11 points and five assists, going 2-6 from 3-point range in the win, while Draymond Green scored a season-best 23 points to lead the team.
Curry surpassed Ray Allen’s then-record of 2,973 3-pointers made in 2021 and became the 26th player in NBA history to score 25,000 points in the Warriors' win over the Detroit Pistons last Saturday.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was asked what he might expect next from Curry.
Davante Adams has long been one of the most physical wide receivers in the NFL, but he couldn't break free from the tenacious recruitment press of Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay.
"Honestly, the period hasn't been too long since I've been a free man, and Sean wanted to make sure he kept it that way, that's for sure," Adams said at his introductory news conference Thursday.
Adams said McVay's attentiveness was one of the main reasons he signed a two-year contract that could be worth up to $46 million to join the Rams. Many of those conversations took place while Adams, 32, was vacationing in Japan.
"And, I mean, I thought he was out there too," Adams said. "I was talking to him more than I was talking to my wife. But he definitely showed a lot of interest."
Adams said he first met McVay at the Kentucky Derby in 2019. The previous October, Adams had five receptions for 133 yards for the Green Bay Packers against the Rams. McVay expressed his appreciation for Adams' play, which first sparked the idea of a potential collaboration.
It wasn't until Adams became a free agent for the first time after 11 seasons with the Packers, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets that he fully understood how much McVay appreciated him.
"He sent me a couple highlight tapes of myself," Adams said. "It was kind of Jon Gruden-esque a little bit. And you know how he is with ball, so he's breaking down every single clip. The first one was like seven minutes, and then he sent another one that was like probably another two minutes where he's just going through everything.
"I thought he took that job to be on TV for a minute when I was watching it, but, yeah, it just shows how much ball means to him, how much of a priority I was for him."
Adams is coming off his sixth career 1,000-yard receiving season, finishing with 85 catches, 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games with the Raiders and Jets. He offers production and experience to compensate for the loss of stalwart Cooper Kupp, who was released after the Rams could not find a trade partner for the MVP of Super Bowl 56.
The presence of Adams could bring a different aspect to McVay's offense, which has tended to rely on putting Kupp or breakout star Puka Nacua in motion to give receivers free release off the line of scrimmage to find space in the short or intermediate levels of the defense.
At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, Adams can create separation on his own. He is also adept in the red zone at making contested catches, something the Rams struggled with this past season. They ranked 25th in goal-to-go touchdown percentage in the regular season and were 2-for-5 in scoring red-zone touchdowns in an NFC divisional playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in January.
"He knows my football acumen, and it's nothing I'm going to come in, you know, put my foot down, ‘I know ball so much, do it my way,'" Adams said of his discussions with McVay. "But it kind of just helps when you both see it the same way. Right now, I kind of envision it looking like that for the year."
In Adams' estimation, the Rams have everything he could have wanted in a new destination. They have a team capable of challenging for the Super Bowl, as demonstrated by their 28-22 defeat in the snow to give the eventual champion Eagles their toughest test of the postseason. They have a proven veteran quarterback in Matthew Stafford, who previously accentuated the game of another big-bodied receiver in Calvin Johnson.
"The Rams move feels like a very substantive one, maybe two-year deal to line up in an excellent offensive culture with Sean McVay and Matt Stafford," Colin Cowherd said on "The Herd."
The Rams also allow Adams to be closer to family and friends, returning to his native California after growing up in the Bay Area and attending college at Fresno State.
"Before I even knew for sure if I was headed to LA, he was already talking about wearing (No.) 12," Adams said. "For everybody out there that want to hate me for making them buy new jerseys, I did not tell him. I didn't pay him. I didn't do anything. That was out of the kindness of his heart, and he wore it in college so I guess it makes sense."
Bill Belichick's 23-year-old girlfriend is apparently tapped into all things in Chapel Hill.
Of course, the legendary football coach joined the Tar Heels late last year to become their head coach after spending close to 50 years on NFL sidelines.
The 2024 season was the first time since 1974 where Belichick was not coaching in the NFL; he interviewed for at least two jobs after he and the New England Patriots parted ways after 24 years, but he was skipped over.
Alas, he joined UNC, which he called a "dream come true."
However, shortly after his hire, Belichick apparently requested that his girlfriend, former cheerleader Jordon Hudson, be included on emails.
According to The Assembly, UNC's senior associate athletic director for external affairs and strategic communications, Robbi Pickeral Evans, emailed Belichick in mid-December about "social media and web content," as per the email subject line.
Belichick appeared to reply on Dec. 16 at 11:43 p.m. ET with the request.
"Robbi, Thank you for the e-mail," Belichick wrote. "I am including Jordon on this email so she can also keep up with our postings. Can you include her on anything you send to me? Thank you. BB."
The Assembly also reported that Hudson was copied on emails about whether to accept interview requests.
The two were linked romantically last year and have recently "discussed marriage," according to Page SIx. Belichick, 72, and Hudson, 24, met on a flight headed to Boston in 2021 and apparently immediately hit it off.
The two were first publicly linked last year, three years after meeting on the flight. They apparently got more serious after his breakup with Linda Holliday in 2022.
Belichick was spotted at a cheer competition last year in support of Hudson. Afterward, she attended Tom Brady's Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony in June, shortly before reports surfaced that she and Belichick had been dating.
The 48-year age gap was the butt of one of Snoop Dogg's jokes during the NFL Honors.
"I've been a football fan for a long, long time. . . . Bill Belichick's girlfriend wasn't even born yet," Snoop joked.
At the honors, Belichick wore all eight of his Super Bowl rings, including the pair he won with the New York Giants as their defensive coordinator. Hudson wore a national championship ring she won for cheerleading in 2021.
"Dallas is my home. Made my home there, family lives there, I'm forever gonna be there," he told a reporter this week. "But I know for sure I'm not gonna win a Super Bowl there, so we're here."
Micah Parsons caught wind of the comments and spoke out.
"This what rejection and envy look like! This some clown s--t!"
Despite being teammates for four years, Lawrence was not going down easy.
"Calling me a clown won’t change the fact that I told the truth. Maybe if you spent less time tweeting and more time winning, I wouldn’t have left," Lawrence responded.
Parsons has been criticized in the past for being active on social media and hosting a podcast.
But Lawrence may have a point. The Cowboys haven't even reached an NFC championship game since winning the franchise's fifth Super Bowl title to cap the 1995 season.
Lawrence, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Seahawks, was a second-round draft pick by Dallas in 2013 and signed the biggest contract for a defensive player in club history six years later, after consecutive seasons with double-digit sacks.
Lawrence never had more than 6.5 sacks after signing the big contract, while the Cowboys made it to the divisional round four times in his 11 seasons. He said the Cowboys hadn't offered him a contract this offseason, yet his deal with the Seahawks could be worth $42 million.
The 32-year-old was limited to four games by a sprained foot in 2024 and missed at least half the season in two of the past four years, but early on in his career, he made four Pro Bowls.
With Parsons going into the final year of his rookie contract, the Cowboys could be on the verge of making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett just took that title with an extension that averages $40 million per season.
Representative Eric Burlison (R-MO) wrote a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, stating his belief that Trevor Bauer has been ostracized from the league due to his support for Trump.
Bauer was suspended for 324 games in 2021 for violating MLB's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. His suspension was reduced to 194 (representing the time he missed in 2021 while on administrative leave and the entire 2022 season), but he was still released by the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2023 season began. As a result, he played professionally in Japan in 2023 and in Mexico in 2024.
The majority of Bauer’s legal issues are behind him, and has maintained his innocence, settling with one accuser while another is facing 16 years in prison after being charged with fraud following the faking of a pregnancy and asking Bauer for money for an abortion.
However, it has been almost four full years since Bauer last took an MLB mound, and Burlison is taking MLB to task as to why.
"Mr. Bauer was suspended for 324 games; the longest non-lifetime suspension in the history of the league, despite the fact that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office declined to pursue criminal charges against him, citing insufficient evidence. . . ." Burlison wrote.
"Given that no legal action was taken against Mr. Bauer, I am concerned his absence may be tied to certain political statements he made that diverged from prevailing league orthodoxy, as well as statements he made that were critical of MLB and particularly you. Specifically, in 2016, Mr. Bauer publicly expressed positive views about then-candidate Donald J. Trump, including comments on social media praising Trump's campaign rhetoric and outsider status. Additionally, Mr. Bauer, in responding to a social media post, noted his belief that disrespecting fellow human beings should not be tolerated, which was taken as an opposition to MLB's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. And lastly, Mr. Bauer made a number of remarks prior to his suspension critical of MLB and specifically you, ranging from expanded playoffs, the marketing of MLB players, to the then refusal of MLB to investigate pitchers using sticky substances. . . .
"Given the timing and severity of Mr. Bauer's suspension, it is reasonable to question whether MLB's actions were influenced more by his political stances and criticisms of [Manfred] and MLB than by the allegations against him, which have since been undermined by judicial review and evidentiary shortcomings."
Bauer, who once said that he "may have no other choice" but to sue the league for his ouster, told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview last year that he had never done anything "criminally" but still had to look in the mirror and work on himself after the allegations.
"Anyone that’s willing to sit down with me and listen: I’d like to play the second half of my career in a better way than I played the first half," Bauer told Fox News Digital. "I’d like to be an example that you can make mistakes, recognize them, adjust and then be better in the future. I think that’s something us as humans have to do and should be doing constantly."
In a combined 28 starts in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and his abbreviated 2021 campaign, his ERA was a minuscule 2.24, and he struck out 11.8 batters per nine innings with a 0.92 WHIP. He was named the 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner.
Bauer and Lindsey Hill, who accused the pitcher of beating and sexually abusing her in 2021, settled their case late last year. Bauer revealed texts from Hill, who had said that Bauer would be her "next victim," among other damning messages. Hill has since said that MLB has more evidence of Bauer's alleged misconduct.
A University of Texas golfer was removed from the grounds at TPC Sawgrass during a Players Championship practice round on Tuesday at TPC Sawgrass in a moment that has since gone viral on social media involving PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy.
Luke Potter, a junior in the Longhorns’ golf program, went viral after McIlroy walked over to him after the young golfer seemed to say something to the four-time major champion just after his drive went into the water on Hole 18.
While it’s unknown what Potter said, McIlroy clearly didn’t like it, as he immediately turned around and walked over to him. McIlroy then asked for Potter’s cell phone and took it.
McIlroy started to walk with Potter’s phone, seemingly looking for whatever video he believed Potter had taken during that moment.
Golf.com reported that Potter referenced McIlroy’s 2011 Masters, where he infamously had a meltdown during the final round on Sunday that year, ultimately shooting an 80 and losing the tournament to Charl Schwartzel.
As McIlroy looked through Potter’s phone, the Texas golfer was reportedly escorted off the course. His phone was later given back to him.
"Look, I just made a mistake, and I take ownership for it," Potter said, according to the Golf Channel, about what had happened with McIlroy. "I apologize for it. That’s about all that needs to be said. . . . It’s just a good learning experience. Yeah, I apologize."
Potter was riding high in his collegiate career at the time of the incident, having won his first NCAA individual tournament, as he won the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational at Sawgrass Country Club. That course is very close to TPC Sawgrass, where the Players is held every year.
John Fields, Potter’s golf coach at Texas, also spoke to Golf.com about the incident.
"He had no idea that what was coming out of his mouth was going to result in this fashion," Fields said.
"With regards to our University of Texas program, I mean, it’s an embarrassing moment. It is particularly sensitive to me, because our program is built on respect for the game, and I would tell you that we coach 18- to 22-year-olds on a normal basis, and they don’t always make the right call, and that’s my responsibility as a coach, and when they do make a mistake, it’s a learning moment."
McIlroy wasn’t fazed by the moment, though, as he started off the tournament with a 5-under first round on Thursday. He is one shot off the leaders, Lucas Glover, J.J. Spaun and Camilo Villegas, who all finished 6-under.
However, McIlroy wouldn’t respond to two different questions about the incident after his round.
Fields noted that Potter had sent a written letter of apology to McIlroy, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and others.
The Virginia teen who was seen bashing an opponent's head with a baton during a high school track meet held a rally of supporters on Thursday to reiterate her innocence.
The rally came just one day after she was served with a misdemeanor battery and assault charge.
The student, Alaila Everett, held the rally outside of her school, I.C. Norcom High School, in Portsmouth, Virginia. Dozens of individuals were seen attending the rally, as Everette delivered a tearful speech, where she thanked her supporters while sobbing.
"Thank y'all for supporting me," Everett said to the supporters, as seen in footage by local Virginia news station WAVY. "There's no one else that wanted to hear my story, except the people that know me and people that know I would never do anything like that, I would never harm anybody. I'm not a fighter, I'm not even confrontational, I wouldn't even do that on purpose, and I thank y'all for believing in me. I love y'all."
Everett's speech was met with loud applause and a chant of "We stand with you."
Portsmouth NAACP President James Boyd also spoke at the rally, alleging threats and slurs that have been directed at Everett's family.
"The Everett family has experienced racial slurs, they’ve experienced death threats, and we think unequivocally that those things are unacceptable," Boyd said.
Local community activist Germain Green called for unity from the community in support of the teenager.
"It bothered me to my heart to see how the whole world was dragging this young lady, dragging her character based on what they thought they saw. I just wanted to step up, speak out, and bring unity and let this young lady know that the city of Portsmouth has her back," Green said.
Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Office confirmed to Fox News Digital Wednesday that one misdemeanor charge of assault and battery jad been filed over the incident.
The incident occurred last Tuesday during a championship meet, as footage showed Everett smashing her baton onto the head of Brookville High School junior Kaelen Tucker during a relay race. Everett and her whole team were disqualified.
Tucker was later diagnosed with a concussion and possible skull fracture, as footage of the incident went viral.
Everett has since said the hits were accidental, in interviews with WAVY and "Good Morning America."
The Virginia High School League (VHSL) previously issued a statement to Fox News Digital on the matter.
"The VHSL does not comment on individuals or disciplinary actions due to FERPA," the league's statement read. "The actions taken by the meet director to disqualify the runner were appropriate and correct. We thoroughly review every instance like this that involves player safety with the participating schools. The VHSL membership has always made it a priority to provide student-athletes with a safe environment for competition."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Portsmouth Public School District for comment from the Everett family.
Prior to the misdemeanor charges being announced on Everett, the Portsmouth NAACP released a statement defending the embattled teen on Wednesday.
"Alaila is NOT AN ATTACKER and media headlines that allude towards that in any way is shameful. We understand the sensitivity of the circumstances for both athletes and their families involved but this narrative must not go unaddressed," the statement read.
"Alaila is an honor student and a star athlete at the historic I.C. Norcom High School. From all accounts, she is an exceptional young leader and scholar whose athletic talent has been well documented and recognized across our state. She has carried herself with integrity both on and off the field and any narrative that adjudicates her guilty of any criminal activity is a violation of her due process rights."
Fox News Digital's Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
Dusty May was hired last offseason to be the Michigan men's basketball coach after spending six seasons with Florida Atlantic.
May, 48, was asked about what he learned in his first season in the Big Ten during a recent appearance on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich."
"It was even more physical and physically demanding than we anticipated. All summer, every time one of our players would complain about a foul, our response would be, 'We play in the Big Ten, you’ve got to play through it,'" May said.
The Michigan coach said the coaching staff didn’t prepare the players well enough for the physical play.
"I don’t think we were as intentional enough at creating an environment of physicality every day. Whether it was pads, everything we did should have had – there’s no freedom of movement. Just giving bodies on bodies at all times, we didn’t prepare our guys well enough," May said.
While May lamented the team’s preparation, he noted they weren't built to play a physical game.
"But also, we are not built that way. We have a lot of guys who are very skilled, and they’re finesse by nature. It’s not as if we recruited to it either we just tried to get the best players we could in a small window," he explained.
The Michigan Wolverines are 22-9 this season going into the Big Ten tournament, and May appeared pleased with the team’s foundation in his first year.
"We laid a really strong foundation, we learned a lot, I learned an incredible amount, but those are the things that really jump out."
May will look to further build on that foundation in the Big Ten tournament.
The Wolverines are the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament and will play their first game on Friday at 9 p.m. ET. They will play the winner of USC and Purdue.
Caitlin Clark appeared to take a playful jab at her Indiana Fever teammate Lexie Hull.
The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year left a comment under a post from Hull showing off one of her pregame fits. Hull has spent the past few weeks in Miami playing for Rose Basketball Club. The team is competing in the inaugural season of Unrivaled, a professional three-on-three women's basketball league.
Clark and Hull seemingly developed a close friendship during their first season playing together in Indiana.
When the WNBA season paused for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Clark and Hull attended a concert in Indianapolis. At one point during Jordan Davis' show, the basketball stars joined the country music star on stage and belted out some tunes.
Hull played college basketball at Stanford and was the sixth overall selection in the 2022 WNBA Draft. She averaged 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season.
Clark became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer across men's and women's basketball during her final season at Iowa. She was the top pick in last year's draft and earned WNBA All-Star honors after her rookie season.
The Fever finished the 2024 campaign with a 20-20 record and earned a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Christie Sides was relieved of her head coaching duties shortly after the Connecticut Sun eliminated Indiana from the postseason. Stephanie White left the Sun and was named the Fever's next head coach last November. White previously served as Indiana's head coach in 2015-16.
He started the first five games of the season, but after going 2-3, head coach Antonio Pierce went with his backup, Aidan O’Connell, for Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Minshew was back starting by Week 8 as the Raiders struggled to put together wins. Then, in Week 12, Minshew broke a collarbone that knocked him out for the rest of the season, leaving the quarterback duties in O’Connell’s hands.
Minshew finished the year 2-8 in the 10 games he played, passing for 2,013 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
However, Minshew has had better seasons in the past, including a Pro Bowl year with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. He went 7-6 in his 13 starts in place of rookie Anthony Richardson, throwing for a career-high 3,305 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
For his six-year career, which began as a Jacksonville Jaguars sixth-round pick in 2019, Minshew is 17-29 over his 46 starts with 11,950 passing yards, 68 touchdowns and 34 interceptions.
Last season, Carson Wentz, the former Philadelphia Eagles franchise quarterback, backed up Mahomes in Kansas City. The year before that, it was Chad Henne.
The Chiefs hope Minshew doesn’t have to step into a starting role since it would mean Mahomes would be dealing with an injury.
As California continues to defy President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender athletes from girls sports, residents across the state are standing up to pressure officials to comply.
The California Interscholastic Federation, which is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education over potential Title IX violations, had its meeting Thursday crashed by protesters advocating for the protection of girls and women in sports.
Multiple protesters spoke to CIF officials at the meeting, pleading with them to ban trans athletes from girls sports, citing their own experiences.
One of those speakers was St. Francis High School track and cross-country student-athlete Jordan Brace, who fears potential injuries from competing against a biological male.
"Allowing a biological male to compete against a female athlete that does not have the same kind of build or physical abilities is completely unfair and unsafe for women, and that can lead to so, so, so many injuries," Brace said.
"How many more injuries, which are sometimes permanent, will it take for everyone to realize how important it is for women to feel safe and for young girls to feel like they have fair competition."
Former high school volleyball player Payton McNabb is a female athlete who says she sustained permanent injuries from a trans opponent. McNabb says she sustained long-term physical and mental injuries in 2022 when she was spiked in the face by a transgender athlete allowed to compete on a girls team because of a policy put in place by North Carolina's high school athletic association.
The United Nations released study findings saying that nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of victories because they have been defeated by transgender athletes.
The study, "Violence against women and girls in sports," said more than 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions in 29 different sports, totaling over 890 medals, according to information obtained up to March 30, 2024.
"I want to know that I'm facing … someone who's the same gender as me," Brace said. "That I'm not being beat by someone in a race that has more physical capabilities than me, that's naturally going to be faster than me, more muscular. I don't think that anyone, anywhere, any young women, should have to deal with that, should have to fear that they aren't safe or that they are being discriminated against in their sport.
"This is a matter of women's safety."
California mother Riece Morris, who has five children who compete for schools in the state, implored CIF officials to "do the right thing," while expressing her belief the officials have "good intentions."
"Good intentions do not make good policy. Good intentions do not absolve you from being complicit in robbing the girls of California of fair competition and single-sex privacy," Morris said.
"Sacrificing girls sports by admitting boys was never a good idea. It was never going to last. So, I'm asking you to read the room, read the data and do the right thing. Do not let your legacy be that you had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do the right thing for girls after everyone else. Please stand up now and do the right thing."
California has allowed trans athletes to compete in girls' sports since 2014, and the policy has resulted in multiple controversies over the last year alone.
Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, is embroiled in one of the most contentious disputes on the issue.
A Dec. 19 Riverside Unified School District meeting included a parade of parents berating the board for allowing a trans athlete on the Martin Luther King girls cross-country team. A lawsuit filed by two girls on the team alleges their "Save Girls Sports" T-shirts in protest of that player were compared to swastikas.
The father of a girl who lost her varsity spot to the trans athlete previously told Fox News Digital his daughter and other girls at the school were told "transgenders have more rights than cisgender[s]" by school administrators when they protested the athlete's participation.
Stone Ridge Christian High School's girls volleyball team was scheduled to face San Francisco Waldorf in the Northern California Division 6 tournament but forfeited just before the match over the presence of a trans athlete on the team.
A transgender volleyball player was allegedly booed and harassed at an Oct. 12 match between Notre Dame Belmont in Belmont, California, against Half Moon Bay High School, according to ABC 7. Half Moon Bay rostered the transgender athlete.
The state continues to allow transgender athletes in girls sports at the risk of losing federal funding by defying Trump's executive order, and Gov. Gavin Newsom recently admitted trans athletes competing with girls is "deeply unfair."
But Newsom also won't take a decisive stand opposing transgender inclusion, arguing transgender people are "poor people" who are "more likely to commit suicide, have anxiety and depression."
California state lawmakers have introduced two bills to block trans athletes from competing in girls sports.
California Assemblyman Bill Essayli introduced one such bill Feb. 14, while fellow Assembly member Kate Sanchez announced Jan. 7 she is introducing a bill to ban trans athletes from competing in girls and women's sports.
A cousin of Le'Veon Bell has been awarded $25 million after she claimed the former NFL star sexually assaulted her for about a decade, beginning when she was a child.
In a March 2024 lawsuit filed in Franklin County, Ohio, the cousin claimed Bell began having incestuous relations with her without her consent when she was around 6 years old, and it continued until she turned 18 in 2017.
TMZ, citing court documents, reported the woman was awarded millions in a judgment two weeks ago.
"My client adamantly denies any and all allegations that have been lodged against him. Further, he was never served with a civil complaint or any documents," Bell's attorney, Thomas W. Shaffer, said in a statement to TMZ.
"The default judgment granted was based upon violations of his Fifth Amendment rights of due process for failing to be served. My client is in the process of filing a motion to open and reverse the default judgment because the merits of the case have never been litigated."
Bell took to the streaming platform Twitch to further maintain his innocence.
"I just found out this was brewing up maybe about two days ago … when TMZ hit me up. They got my number," Bell said, according to the New York Post. "The same cousin that was at all my football games. Do y’all think Le’Veon Bell, do I need to force myself upon a woman? Anybody? Do I need to force myself upon them? I don’t.
"I put this on all my kids' life, my mom’s life. I put this on everything. I never ever pushed myself on a girl when she ain’t want that s---. I’ve never forced myself on nobody. I got my pick of the litter. Stop this s-–- right now. Let alone my cousin?
"My number is so high, thousands of women, slayed by the dragon. I done slayed so many women it’s like a f---ing dragon bro. I’m a dragon slayer out here."
Bell's younger brother, La'Vonte, was ordered to pay their cousin another $11 million, according to the Post, citing court documents.
Southwest Airlines trolled the Dallas Mavericks over the team's shocking decision to move on from superstar Luka Doncic.
Doncic was the centerpiece of the blockbuster trade that sent the five-time All-Star to the Los Angeles Lakers early last month, much to the dismay of the majority of the franchise's fan base. The Mavs received Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a draft pick in exchange for Doncic and a package of other players.
"It’s not like we traded Luka…," the airline said in an Instagram post on Thursday. The remaining photos in the post touched on the airline's recently announced changes to its bag policy.
For more than a half-century, Southwest has allowed customers to check their luggage for free, but the airline has faced backlash after revealing it would begin applying a bag fee on May 28.
The Dallas-based carrier has recently announced several policy changes to ramp up revenue growth and meet shareholder profitability expectations, FOX Business reported.
The airline has not yet shared details on how much travelers will be charged, although the fee for a third checked bag is listed at $150 on Southwest's website.
Shortly after Donic was traded to the Lakers, fans were seen at a Mavs home game on Feb. 10 with poster-board signs that read, "FIRE NICO." The sign's wording referred to Dallas general manager Nico Harrison. Multiple fans were ejected from the game, with a team official citing the NBA's Code of Conduct.
"In the first incident, the guest brought in a sign that broke the following rule included in the NBA Code of Conduct: Clothing, garments or signs displaying explicit language, profanity or derogatory characterization towards any person(s)," Mavericks vice president of corporate communications Erin Finegold said in a statement.
Mark Cuban, who sold his majority stake in the franchise in 2023, later invited an ejected fan to sit courtside at a future Mavericks game.
Doncic reacted to the trade by saying he was initially in a state of disbelief.
"You can imagine how surprised I was," he said on Feb. 4. "I had to check if it was April 1. I didn’t really believe it."
Doncic won his first scoring title last season before leading the Mavs to the NBA Finals. In addition to his five appearances in the NBA All-Star game, he is also a five-time All-NBA selection.
Feinstein's career at The Washington Post began in 1977, but it had nothing to do with sports at first. He was a night police reporter, but he "soon distinguished himself on the sports beat," according to the outlet's obituary.
"He covered a wide range of sports and developed a talent for deep sourcing that fed personality-driven and dramatic narratives about athletes, coaches and management," the obituary continued.
While working for The Washington Post, Feinstein was also doing work for ESPN, NPR and the Gold Channel. He also had shows on SiriusXM.
Feinstein also wrote more than 40 books, including the bestselling basketball book of all-time, "Season on the Brink," which debuted in 1986 after he took a full year off from his Washington Post gig to follow the 1985 Indiana Hoosiers and their polarizing head coach, Bob Knight.
The book was a huge success, spending 17 weeks as the No. 1 bestseller after its release. And experts and casual readers alike loved how Feinstein didn't leave out a single detail about how Knight went about coaching his players during a season with an NCAA Tournament appearance but not a national championship.
The Hoosiers won Knight's third and final national title as head coach of Indiana during the 1986-87 campaign.
The book was eventually adapted into an ESPN TV film, premiering in March 2002.
Feinstein is a 23-time New York Times Best Seller who achieved the milestone of publishing his 50th book, "The Ancient Eight," which goes deep into Ivy League football. The book was released last year.
It was announced in November that Feinstein would join Longwood University as a broadcaster and teacher, providing color commentary for ESPN+ broadcasts of men's basketball games.
Feinstein's achievements have been recognized with numerous awards and inductions, which include the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame.
