Auburn Tigers men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl was named the chairman of the Board of Directors for the U.S. Israel Education Association (USIEA) on Thursday.
Pearl is one of the handful of Jewish coaches in college basketball. He has been one of the most outspoken supporters of Israel, which only grew in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack. He was one of three Jewish head coaches who made the NCAA Final Four last weekend.
"I am deeply honored to be named Chairman of the U.S. Israel Education Association, and hope I can even begin to fill the shoes of outgoing Chair Dr. Phil Roe, former member of Congress and Chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee," Pearl said in a news release.
"My experience in Israel was transformative. I felt it was my responsibility to become more involved in the mission of USIEA and educating senior government leaders in America on the importance of supporting Israel. I also shared this important journey with my team. In August 2022, Auburn University became the first Division I basketball team to play a professional Israeli team, marking a historic moment in both college athletics and U.S.-Israel relations. I’m proud to continue advocating for greater understanding and collaboration between our two nations."
"I’ve dedicated much of my life to teaching young people about the importance of leadership, values, and understanding different perspectives," Pearl added. "My work with USIEA aligns with those principles, and I’m excited to continue building a bridge of understanding between these two great nations."
Pearl led Auburn to a 32-6 record. The Tigers’ Final Four appearance was the team’s first since 2019. Pearl has led Auburn to its only two Final Fours.
The college baseball season is winding down and Spring Hill College and the University of Mobile are two schools hoping to get a chance at the postseason in NCAA Division II and NAIA respectively.
The intensity of the last few games of the 2025 season appeared to have added to the pressure of their game on Tuesday as things quickly got out of control between players from both teams.
In the bottom of the 11th inning, the two teams were tied. Spring Hill was up at bat when Seth Williams popped a foul ball behind the catcher. Pitcher Isidro Jimenez was hyped after the catch and let Williams know about it.
It did not sit well with the batter.
Williams and Jimenez went nose-to-nose when Mobile players rushed toward the Spring Hill player and bumped him. The Spring Hill players came back to retaliate, and it was on from there.
"These are haymakers being thrown," the broadcaster said. "This is not just a … these are pure haymakers."
"During Tuesday’s baseball game between Spring Hill and Mobile, play was suspended after the 11th inning following an on-field altercation involving members of both teams," Spring Hill College told WKRG-TV.
"SHC holds all of our student-athletes and coaches to the highest standards of conduct and sportsmanship. What occurred does not reflect the values of our program or institution."
The University of Mobile declined to comment to the station.
Mobile is 22-18 this season and 9-12 in the Southern State Athletic Conference. The team competes in the NAIA.
Spring Hill is 28-9 this season and 21-2 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The team competes in NCAA Division II.
Despite an impressive 51 years in the sports industry representing the crème de la crème of athletes, Leigh Steinberg's career as an agent and philanthropist is far from over.
Steinberg’s approach to athlete management, which includes negotiations for top-tier athletes such as 64 first-round NFL Draft picks in just the first eight years of his career, elite MLB players and Olympic athletes, has remained strategic in both hustle and heart for decades.
The inspiration for "Jerry Maguire" signs athletes who dream of both reaching Hall of Fame status and embedding philanthropy into the minds of their loyal fan base.
"Whether it’s setting up a charitable fund at their high school, a similar thing at their colleges, charitable foundations at the professional level where they take some issue they’d like to address and set up a foundation," Steinberg told Fox News Digital, "all with the concept of an athlete as a role model."
Steinberg highlighted NFL superstar and client Patrick Mahomes’ initiative, 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, as an example of what is possible when elite athletes use their names to raise awareness and funds for a cause.
Mahomes’ foundation, established in 2019, is dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk and underserved youths. Most recently, the foundation revealed the expansion of scholarships in childhood education and reported in 2024 that youth volunteers contributed $2.6 million in service hours through the organization.
"I’ve been very involved with restating what an agent’s responsibility is," Steinberg said. "I think part of it is to care for a player’s health."
Beyond working with athletes to choose a foundational focus, Steinberg clocks time daily as chair of the Leigh Steinberg Foundation, which aims to educate and raise information about the risks of athletic concussions and fund prophylactic treatment of concussions and healing the concussed brain.
"In a sport like football, which is a traffic accident in every play and concussion is an ugly specter, I’ve tried to be proactive over the years," Steinberg told Fox News Digital. "I had a crisis of conscience back in the 1980s because I was representing half of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL. They kept getting hit in the head, and we would go to doctors and ask how many is too many? When should they contemplate retirement? And they had no answers, and so I started holding concussion conferences back in 1994."
Since its inception, Steinberg said the foundation has worked with treatment clinics IQMIND and NESTRE to identify two new breakthrough technologies, transcranial magnetic stimulation and neurofeedback, which heal a concussed brain through the theory of neuroplasticity.
"We also try to provide treatment for underserved communities that don't necessarily have a way to deal with brain health," Steinberg said. "So we'll be looking to bring treatment to a number of people who wouldn't otherwise have it."
In just one week, Steinberg says the foundation raised $500,000, which, in part, will be allocated to host seminars and spread awareness to parents with children in athletics.
Among the voices behind the foundation’s public service announcement and educational campaigns are former NFL quarterback Warren Moon, former defensive end Bruce Smith and former linebacker Ray Lewis. Steinberg hopes to welcome female soccer players to the team of messengers in the future.
"There's hope out there and people need to know they can get treatment," Steinberg said.
Despite an impressive 51 years in the sports industry representing the crème de la crème of athletes, Leigh Steinberg's career as an agent and philanthropist is far from over.
Steinberg’s approach to athlete management, which includes negotiations for top-tier athletes such as 64 first-round NFL Draft picks in just the first eight years of his career, elite MLB players and Olympic athletes, has remained strategic in both hustle and heart for decades.
The inspiration for "Jerry Maguire" signs athletes who dream of both reaching Hall of Fame status and embedding philanthropy into the minds of their loyal fan base.
"Whether it’s setting up a charitable fund at their high school, a similar thing at their colleges, charitable foundations at the professional level where they take some issue they’d like to address and set up a foundation," Steinberg told Fox News Digital, "all with the concept of an athlete as a role model."
Steinberg highlighted NFL superstar and client Patrick Mahomes’ initiative, 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, as an example of what is possible when elite athletes use their names to raise awareness and funds for a cause.
Mahomes’ foundation, established in 2019, is dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk and underserved youths. Most recently, the foundation revealed the expansion of scholarships in childhood education and reported in 2024 that youth volunteers contributed $2.6 million in service hours through the organization.
"I’ve been very involved with restating what an agent’s responsibility is," Steinberg said. "I think part of it is to care for a player’s health."
Beyond working with athletes to choose a foundational focus, Steinberg clocks time daily as chair of the Leigh Steinberg Foundation, which aims to educate and raise information about the risks of athletic concussions and fund prophylactic treatment of concussions and healing the concussed brain.
"In a sport like football, which is a traffic accident in every play and concussion is an ugly specter, I’ve tried to be proactive over the years," Steinberg told Fox News Digital. "I had a crisis of conscience back in the 1980s because I was representing half of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL. They kept getting hit in the head, and we would go to doctors and ask how many is too many? When should they contemplate retirement? And they had no answers, and so I started holding concussion conferences back in 1994."
Since its inception, Steinberg said the foundation has worked with treatment clinics IQMIND and NESTRE to identify two new breakthrough technologies, transcranial magnetic stimulation and neurofeedback, which heal a concussed brain through the theory of neuroplasticity.
"We also try to provide treatment for underserved communities that don't necessarily have a way to deal with brain health," Steinberg said. "So we'll be looking to bring treatment to a number of people who wouldn't otherwise have it."
In just one week, Steinberg says the foundation raised $500,000, which, in part, will be allocated to host seminars and spread awareness to parents with children in athletics.
Among the voices behind the foundation’s public service announcement and educational campaigns are former NFL quarterback Warren Moon, former defensive end Bruce Smith and former linebacker Ray Lewis. Steinberg hopes to welcome female soccer players to the team of messengers in the future.
"There's hope out there and people need to know they can get treatment," Steinberg said.
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant raised eyebrows earlier this week when he performed a grenade celebration a week after getting fined for using gun gestures.
Morant faced criticism for the new celebration maneuver from former NBA stars Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith on Thursday night.
"He has a history that maybe he should leave the celebrations where people might die alone," Smith advised during the "Inside the NBA" broadcast.
Barkley called it "immature" and predicted that former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins was happy that he did not "have to deal with is crap" anymore.
Morant, again, did the grenade celebration, mimicking throwing one into the crowd and covering his ears for the imaginary explosion. The Grizzlies star received much criticism over the course of the week, and he responded to it on Thursday before the team’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"That's my celebration now until somebody else has a problem with it, and I'll find another one," he said.
Morant was suspended for 25 games at the start of the 2023-24 season after several gun-related issues came to light. He was fined last week for gun-aiming gestures that were deemed to be "inappropriate." He had received a warning before the fine.
"He knows what he's doing, because y'all are going to keep talking about it.," Shaquille O’Neal added on the TNT broadcast.
Morant’s teammate Vince Williams Jr. backed the guard, saying he "would have went to that too."
"It's good for him," Williams said. "He gets to save his money. Anything that benefits him saving his money, I'm all for it, honestly."
Despite the loss, the Grizzlies are still in the playoffs but are fighting to get out of the play-in bracket. Right now, they would be the No. 7 seed and would have to face the Dallas Mavericks.
However, with two games left, the team is just a tiebreaker behind the Golden State Warriors for the No. 6 seed and a game behind the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers for a possible No. 4 or No. 5 seed.
Jon Rahm was once the No. 1 golfer in the world, but after winning the Masters in 2023, he has struggled to stay competitive in the majors that came next.
On Thursday, Rahm had a few bad breaks and nearly snapped his club when he drove a tee shot on the ninth hole to his right and into the woods. Rahm knew exactly what happened and let the club out of his hands as the ball tailed off.
He nearly snapped the club over his knee before thinking he might need the club for the rest of his round.
He finished the first round of the Masters shooting 3-over par and was tied for 63rd. He carded five bogeys.
Datagolf.com projected that 3-over could be the cut line to make it into the final two days of the tournament, with a near 30% chance it moves down to +4 and around a 20% chance it moves to +2.
Rahm was one of the handful of PGA Tour golfers who joined LIV Golf over the last few years. He is third this season in the LIV Golf standings. He finished tied for second at Riyadh and had not dropped out of the top 10 all season long.
Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia are Nos. 1 and 2 respectively in the standings this season.
Rahm finished tied for 45th at last year’s Masters. He talked earlier in the week about the pressure he’s felt amid the tug of war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
"There was a few times where there was a lot of questions that I didn’t really have an answer to, and I tried to, and I just really didn’t," he said, via The Athletic. "Kind of like … the state of the game and what’s happening. We don’t know. No one knows. We all want a solution, and it’s hard to give one."
Justin Rose finished the first round in the lead at 7-under with Corey Conners, Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg tied for second at 4-under.
Walter Clayton Jr. lived the dream of every college basketball player Monday night, becoming a national champion with his Florida Gators.
But when Clayton was coming out of Bartow High School in Florida, he was trying to choose between playing football or basketball in college. He had offers from the Gators, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Nebraska and West Virginia to play football, but he eventually chose basketball and followed Rick Pitino to Iona.
After two seasons and Pitino taking the St. John’s job, Clayton transferred to Todd Golden’s program in Gainesville for the 2023-24 campaign. Two years later, the Gators are back on top with a 65-63 national title win over the Houston Cougars.
The transfer portal, as well as name, image and likeness opportunities, have allowed star college athletes in mid-major schools to move on to big-time programs with the chance of playing right away, building their personal brand on and off the court.
Clayton is just one of many examples, and he had advice for future athletes who could be in the same situation as he was before that 2023-24 season, making a decision that changed his life.
"The only advice I can really give is keep working and trust your work," Clayton told Fox News Digital while working a celebratory "shift" at Raising Cane’s alongside Gators teammates Alijah Martin and Thomas Haugh in Gainesville.
"Nothing is going to be given to you. When I came to Florida, they were 16-17. Obviously, it was [Todd] Golden’s first year, and he wanted to make things better. He didn’t promise me anything. I told him I was going to come here, and I was going to work. So, nothing is going to be guaranteed to you. Just keep on working."
Clayton played for his home state’s university and quickly became a focal point of the offense, averaging 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He initially declared for the NBA Draft but decided he had unfinished business in Gainesville, which paid off Monday night.
Clayton had one of the best seasons in Florida basketball history, helping the Gators to their best overall record in program history at 27-4, also an SEC record. He was named a first-team All-American after averaging 17.2 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds, and the NBA Draft is calling yet again.
Because of his stardom, Clayton’s NIL valuation is $1.2 million, according to On3.
Another example of how beneficial the portal and NIL can be is with Martin, who helped Florida Atlantic University reach the Final Four two years ago. His fifth and final college season was with the Gators this year after four seasons with the Owls, and he produced his best year with a career-high 14.4 points per game as a starting guard alongside Clayton.
So, while there are detractors of the new system of college sports, there are benefits for athletes like Clayton.
The NFL Draft is inching closer and closer and teams have visited some of the best players available in the pool this year.
Last week, Fox News Digital released its first mock draft for the 2025 event. The second edition of the mock draft features some changes within the first 10 picks and a massive surprise when it comes to quarterbacks.
It’s becoming increasingly obvious that the Titans, with a new regime, will start all over. Cam Ward has separated himself from the pack in recent weeks, and all signs point that he will be in Nashville. Sorry, Will Levis.
Early draft projections had Travis Hunter going as high as No. 1. Even if a quarterback needed by the Titans keeps that from happening, Hunter's generational allure can't project to fall any further past No. 2 to the Browns, who have nothing to lose and everything to gain as a franchise from taking a chance on Hunter.
The New York Giants have operated like a team that does not want to take Shedeur Sanders at No. 3 overall. They were in on acquiring Matthew Stafford before he decided to return to Los Angeles. They were interested in Aaron Rodgers before they signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. With Hunter off the board, the Giants will take Carter to bolster their defensive front alongside Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
With Hunter and Carter both being selected, the Patriots, needing to revamp their offensive line, get to work quickly with an LSU tackle.
Campbell is someone who slots in immediately as new head coach Mike Vrabel’s starting left tackle. Drake Maye, the team’s rookie quarterback in 2024, was running for his life most of the time, and that just can’t happen if the Pats wish to rebuild properly.
Instead of trading out, they grab a necessary piece that could project to be Maye’s blindside protector for the foreseeable future.
The Jaguars add Graham to their defensive front, giving star pass rusher Travon Walker a running mate along Jacksonville’s defensive front.
Shedeur Sanders and the Raiders have always seemed like the perfect match. The former Colorado quarterback falls to No. 6 in this mock draft, but he gets to have Tom Brady as his owner, Geno Smith as his mentor and Pete Carroll as his head coach.
Is it the sexy pick? No. But with increasing injuries and other issues on their offensive line, the Jets forgo Tyler Warren and give Justin Fields some much-needed protection and the running game a much-needed most.
The Panthers are getting closer, appearing to have a potential franchise quarterback in Bryce Young. They can make their defense more of a sure thing by recreating a dominant defensive line that's anchored the team in previous eras, and Jalon Walker can be a cornerstone of that kind of line.
If Shedeur Sanders fell to them, I also think the Saints would be tempted to take him with the No. 9 pick. But with Sanders in Las Vegas, the Saints pivot to Jaxson Dart instead. With the Dart selection, the Saints are following the Falcons draft last season when they selected Michael Penix Jr. despite having just signed Kirk Cousins. The Saints would let Dart sit for a season and develop will they start Derek Carr for one more season.
With GM Ryan Poles going to work on the offensive line, revamping with free agent additions, he continues the trend of giving quarterback Caleb Williams and new head coach Ben Johnson all that they need to work with on offense.
Warren is the consensus top tight end in this class, and he truly does it all with his ability to make plays with the ball thrown his way while playing well in blocking schemes when he doesn’t.
With Cole Kmet also on the roster, Johnson can have fun with these two tight ends, but Warren is the future at the position.
The 49ers replenish their secondary after suffering some key losses to that position group this offseason.
Ashton Jeanty’s own interest in playing for the Cowboys bubbled up at the beginning of the year. He’s on the board here at No. 12, though he could go higher once the draft begins. Jeanty was a top candidate for the Heisman Trophy last year and could add a power punch to the Cowboys’ offense.
This may be a bit of a reach, but this is a team need for Miami. The Dolphins need to continue to keep Tua Tagovailoa upright, and this is a way to do it.
Arguably the best cornerback in the draft behind Hunter, Will Johnson can be penciled in as a guy who can take care of half the field on deep passing downs. A team like the Colts can't afford to pass on that kind of coverage asset.
With Matthew Judon still a free agent, the Falcons need to add some depth to their pass rush. They started by signing Leonard Floyd in free agency and continue to do so with the selection of Stewart.
A riser on the draft board, Golden clocked a sub-4.3 40-yard dash during his Texas Pro Day, and evaluators are liking him to go higher in the first round than previously predicted.
The Cardinals took Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall selection in 2024, and head coach Jonathan Gannon gets another top playmaker for Kyler Murray to work with. Golden gives Murray a deep-ball threat to go along with the reliable Trey McBride and a second-year Harrison. Anchored with a James Conner-led backfield, the Cardinals’ offense could be primed for a breakout season.
The Bills don’t miss the opportunity to bolster their defensive line by adding a big body like Grant, a player with plenty of upside.
The Seahawks are going to need some extra protection for Sam Darnold at quarterback and Simmons here makes the most sense. He doesn’t move any higher or lower from the first Fox News Digital mock draft last week.
Baker Mayfield has tapped into his No. 1 pick potential since joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and this offense can become that much better by picking the 2024 national champion.
The Broncos can give Bo Nix a balance to the offensive backfield with the addition of Omarion Hampton. As a punishing power back, opposing defenses will have to respect the run in short-down situations with Nix under center, creating plenty of play-action opportunities for Nix.
The Steelers lost left tackle Dan Moore Jr. in free agency to the Titans and need to make sure that whoever is playing quarterback (Aaron Rodgers?) will have time to get the ball out to George Pickens and DK Metcalf. Banks is someone who can come in and start on day 1 for Mike Tomlin and be effective.
Jim Harbaugh is sprinting this pick in as McMillan, considered to be a potential top-10 selection, slips all the way down here to No. 22.
The Chargers hit on Ladd McConkey last year on day 2, and Justin Herbert gets another young threat that provides a different skill set. McMillan could emulate what Herbert did with Keenan Allen, someone who has good technical route-running with the ability to make tough catches and break open a game.
McMillan tallied 3,423 yards with 26 touchdowns in his time at Arizona, and at 6-foot-4, expect Herbert to love looking his way in the red zone.
The Packers buck their trend of passing on wide receivers in the first round. Egbuka’s versatility would certainly be a welcome addition in Green Bay. The former Ohio State standout is also a prolific blocker.
The Vikings took a hit in the secondary when they lost Cam Bynum to the Colts. Jahdae Barron could add some depth with Jeff Okudah and Tavierre Thomas fighting for starting jobs this season.
It goes without question that Houston needs to bolster the offensive line, and the North Dakota State product has experience in each spot. He’s shooting up big boards, understandably so.
Campbell can play standing upright or rush the passer at a high level, deepening the Rams' defensive front that helped get them back to the playoffs last year.
Derrick Harmon slots in at defensive tackle for John Harbaugh and can make an immediate impact on day 1. Harmon had five sacks last season and would bring a pass-rushing ability to the interior of the Ravens’ defensive line. The addition of Harmon would only strengthen a defense that was outstanding down the stretch as they only gave up 17.75 points per game in their last eight regular-season games.
Another player that has slipped here in the first round, Williams’ draft stock was never in doubt for day 1, but it was a matter of when. With Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes needing some more pass rush, it was a no-brainer to run this pick in for the Georgia product.
An ankle injury held Williams back last season, but explosion is a trait experts and fans alike see when he is on the field healthy. With Aidan Hutchinson, who should be fully recovered from his leg fracture that kept him out most of last season, on the other side of the defensive line, Williams could have 1-on-1 opportunities to exploit in his rookie campaign.
Washington's offense performed well with Jayden Daniels under center. So the team elects to address the defensive line following the departure of Jonathan Allen. Williams could pair well with Pro Bowler Daron Payne.
The Bills’ defense fell off a bit during the 2024 season. Once ranked in the top 10 in points and yards allowed, they fell out of that range. Nick Emmanwori is a good start to pick up the pieces at the position. He could have a chance to start over Taylor Rapp or Damar Hamlin.
Kareem Hunt is another year older, and Isiah Pacheco clearly lost his explosiveness after a horrific injury. With Pacheco under contract for just one more year, the Chiefs get the reigning national champ to man their backfield.
The Eagles always seem prepared to replace a player coming to the end of his deal, and they can add that assurance at tight end with Mason Taylor. Just as Dallas Goedert was taken to transition the mantle from Zach Ertz after the Eagles' last Super Bowl, Taylor can fill a similar role with Goedert set to be a free agent in 2026.
"I was still playing — and I understand what my dad felt like coming to watch me play — but now, with social media, it was a little different. Everybody is like, ‘Oh, Ken’s here,’" Griffey Jr. told Mornings @ the Masters.
"My daughter literally stopped dribbling a basketball and just looked at me when she was 5, and I was like, ‘OK, I’ve got to pay more attention to what’s going on.’ And I figured nobody’s messing with the photographer. Well, let me pick it up."
Griffey's athletic abilities extend beyond the baseball diamond, and he frequently plays golf. The 13-time MLB All-Star said he's played at Masters events in the past.
Griffey finished his prolific big league baseball career with 630 regular-season home runs. While he is best known for his two stints with the Mariners, Griffey Jr. also played for the Cincinnati Reds from 2000-08.
Details of the allegations are not known, but Bond called them "patently false."
"Regarding the accusation made against me, I would appreciate the time and opportunity to defend myself and prove the claims made, patently false," Bond wrote on X. "I am in full cooperation with the authorities and will remain a willing and active participant in the investigation."
"Unfortunately, claims like these prove to be harmful to all involved, absent full review. I kindly request that all reserve judgment until the authorities provide a complete report based on truth and evidence."
Bond spent his final college season with the Longhorns after both Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell went to the NFL. He caught 34 passes for 540 yards and five touchdowns. He declared for the NFL Draft shortly after the Longhorns were eliminated from the College Football Playoff by eventual national champion Ohio State, who they open the season against.
Before going to Texas, Bond spent his first two college seasons at Alabama. His final touchdown in a Crimson Tide uniform came from Jalen Milroe on a 4th-and-31 with 32 seconds left on the road against Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
The win saved Bama's season as they went to the SEC title game the next week and upset then-No. 1 Georgia, but they lost in the Rose Bowl to Michigan, which later won the national championship.
Bond is expected to be a second-day draft pick this month.
A school board meeting in Maine's capital city of Augusta on Wednesday night featured a contentious interaction between a parent in a "MAGA" hat and the school board president over the state's ongoing controversy over trans athlete inclusion in girls' sports.
Augusta School Board Chair Martha Witham cut off local parent Nick Blanchard while he discussed the controversial issue and a petition he launched to have Cony Middle and High School Principal Kim Liscomb removed from her position, as seen in footage of the meeting.
Liscomb is currently the president of the Maine Principals' Association (MPA), which supports transgender athletes' participation in school sports based on gender identity and has been a subject of scrutiny by President Donald Trump's administration over the issue.
Blanchard, who showed up to the meeting in a "MAGA" hat and a T-shirt of Gov. Janet Mills that read, "You're fired," started his speech by praising the six of the seven members of the board who voted to adopt the 2020 interpretation of Title IX that did not allow trans athletes to compete as girls.
Blanchard also condemned the board member who voted against it, which prompted the first interruption by Witham.
"Good job and thank you to the six members that voted to go back to the 2020 interpretation of Title IX, and shame on the one board member that voted no," Blanchard began.
Witham then cut him off, saying, "I'm sorry, but negative comments will not be allowed."
Blanchard then proceeded to discuss his petition to have Liscomb removed.
"This petition is asking … if you the school board members will put up a vote," Blanchard began before being cut off again by Witham.
Witham told Blanchard that his statements would "not be tolerated" and warned him that he would be asked to step down from the podium if he continued making "defamatory remarks."
When Blanchard asked how his remarks were "defamatory," Witham responded by saying "I don't have to explain it to you."
"These comments will not be tolerated at the meeting directed toward us or to anybody else in this room," Witham said.
Blanchard then agreed to proceed with his speech without referring to Liscomb by name.
"So, as most of you know, someone who is the president of the Maine Principal's Association," Blanchard began before being interrupted by Witham for the final time.
"Nope, close enough. I'm sorry, you're done, Mr. Blanchard," Witham said, ordering him off the podium.
As Blanchard walked away, he yelled "Communist China right here!"
Fox News Digital has reached out to Augusta Schools for comment.
Maine is currently considered ground zero in the national debate over trans inclusion in girls' and women's sports as multiple federal agencies have levied pressure on the state since February to amend its current policies that enable trans inclusion.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture froze funding to the state last week, and the Department of Health and Human Services has already referred the Maine Department of Education, the MPA and Greely High School to the Justice Department.
Friday is the deadline for the state to amend its current policies or face another referral to the justice department by the U.S. Department of Education.
Name, image and likeness continues to ravage college sports, and the commissioners of the NCAA's Power Four conferences are desperate.
Greg Sankey, Jim Phillips, Tony Petitti and Brett Yormark have all been on Capitol Hill to discuss with Congress how it can help regulate NIL and the transfer portal, the latter of which continues to be a hit among college athletes looking to score more money.
More than 1,000 Division I college basketball players have entered the portal since it opened March 24.
One player even said he was entering the portal just 13 minutes after his team lost in March Madness.
It's becoming clear the situation is getting out of control, and Yormark, the Big 12 commissioner, bluntly admitted to Bret Baier on "Special Report" Thursday, "We need help from Congress."
"From where I sit today, federal preemption, having a standardized platform that oversees and governs NIL is critically important," Yormark said. "Today, 34 states see it very differently, and it’s relatively unruly."
"The volume of laws that are being passed on a state level are making it really difficult for us to regulate and compete nationally," added Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. Every single time someone doesn’t like a ruling, or something comes from the NCAA, we end up in litigation. Those rules then get aggregated, and we’re back to the start.
"We’re hopeful that the combination of what we’ve done in the settlement will give us an opportunity, with some help from Congress, to really put a system in a place that has some stability.
"We’ve crossed the bridge of being willing to provide revenue … but we need to have some structure. We can’t have a system that has complete unregulated movement."
The settlement Petitti referred to is the $2.8 billion deal that allowed schools to pay 22% of their revenue from media rights, ticket sales and sponsorships directly to college athletes. Payments from outside sources would still be allowed.
NOLA.com noted that the settlement would offer more than $2.5 billion to athletes who could not earn NIL money before the NCAA changed its rules in 2021. The report also noted that most of the damage would be paid out to former football and men’s basketball players of power conference schools because their sports bring in the most revenue.
The settlement also called for a clearinghouse to ensure any NIL deal worth more than $600 is pegged at fair market value in an attempt to thwart supposed pay-for-play deals.
"We absolutely understand the responsibility we have. Five hundred thousand student athletes have benefited $4 billion annually for scholarships," Philips, the ACC commissioner, said. "This is the heartbeat of Americana, the Olympic movement and the Olympic team. We feel like there’s a better destination and a stabilization coming forward, but we need help with Congress and national legislation."
Added Sankey, who runs the SEC, "To have a College World Series, to have a College Football Playoff, to have national championships, you have to have national standards."
Sankey and Phillips also cited lower grade point averages by those who transfer, and Phillips said it will be "sobering" when they acquire enough data to show that's the case.
"When you look at transfer GPAs prior to transfer versus after, historically, there's been a diminishment. The quality of that education can suffer, as credits are lost, because transferring multiple times starts to inhibit the ability to select the academic program that may have the most value and meaning to someone."
Scottie Scheffler was expected to be near the top of the Masters leaderboard after the first round at Augusta National Golf Club.
But it was Justin Rose, the Englishman playing in his 20th Masters, who walked into the clubhouse with a three-stroke lead over the 2024 winner at 7-under after posting a miraculous first round Thursday.
Rose, whose only major win came in 2013 at the U.S. Open, matched his best round ever at Augusta National, and this marks his fifth time leading after the tournament's first round.
The 44-year-old sprinted out to a 3-under start after he birdied the first three holes. After doing the same on holes 8 and 9, he finished the first nine at 5-under. He birdied 10 before coming back down to earth with four straight pars before finding more red marks on holes 15 and 16 to sit at 8-under.
Rose was flirting with the best opening round in Masters history, Greg Norman's 9-under in 1996. But Rose couldn’t find the fairway on the narrow 18th fairway, and he finished his round with a bogey.
However, he was all smiles after his great start. His best finishes at the Masters came in 2015 and 2017, when he finished second and tied for second, respectively.
There were some questions about how Scheffler would fare this week in Augusta due to him missing a few tournaments to start the year with a freak hand injury he sustained while preparing Christmas dinner. And he admitted weeks before the tournament it’s still affecting his play.
Yet, he shot 4-under to set himself up for a good week to defend his 2024 Masters title.
And some theatrics came with it when he drained a 60-foot birdie on the par-3 fourth hole. He also knocked down a long putt on the par-3 16th that would be his final birdie of the day in a bogey-free round to begin his tournament.
However, he isn’t the only one in the clubhouse at 4-under, three strokes back of Rose. Canadian Corey Conners, picked by some as a dark horse candidate to win this week, birdied three of his final four holes to also sit 4-under heading into Friday.
Finally, Sweden's Ludvig Åberg, who finished second in last year's Masters behind Scheffler, had a strong second nine with four birdies to finish tied for second at 4-under.
It was looking like Rose could have some very close company, if not a tie for the lead, because Rory McIlroy was cruising in his opening round as he searches for that elusive career Grand Slam. He needs a Masters victory to complete that.
He was looking great at 4-under after 14 holes, but a costly error on the par-5 15th derailed what would’ve been a sparkling start to the tournament.
A beautiful drive started the hole, but after his second shot went through the green, McIlroy had to chip down to the hole, which sat at the front of the green on a downslope. It was a similar situation Patrick Cantlay faced earlier Thursday, and both of his attempts rolled off the green and into the water below for a disastrous turn of events.
McIlroy’s chip got a hard second bounce, and he watched as his ball rolled into the water. Instead of going back to the same spot like Cantlay, he opted for the drop zone and would need to chip again after it bounced just off the green into the fringe. McIlroy finished with a double bogey to fall to 2-under on the day, and it got worse from there.
He was able to par No. 16 but found trouble again with a double bogey on 17 to drop to even-par on the round. That’s where McIlroy finished, which isn’t terrible by any means.
However, after such a great start to the day, especially with all the expectations for him entering the week after two victories, McIlroy now needs to build momentum again Friday instead of riding high from it Thursday.
There is a 65-year-old tied within the top 10 at Augusta National, and it’s none other than 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples, who posted a 1-under 71 first round Thursday.
It was a round for the Masters record books. It had been 42 years since he first broke par at Augusta National in 1983. The longest gap prior to that was Jack Nicklaus, who first broke par in 1960 before his last in 2000, a 40-year gap.
Tom Watson also had 40 years between his first and last, and both he and Nicklaus were honorary starters Thursday.
Couples, with his ever-so-sweet swing from the right side, is draining eagles from the fairway as he did Hole 14 with a hybrid from just under 200 yards out. His neon yellow ball hit the green perfectly in line, and it quickly turned the tide for Couples, who bogeyed two of his last three holes prior to that to go 1-over on the day.
Couples is usually aiming to make the cut each year so he can play into the weekend. This was a start to give him that opportunity.
Here's the top 10 on the Masters leaderboard after Round 1:
This week, Justin Thomas officially re-ignited the pursuit of his first-ever prestigious green jacket.
But the two-time PGA Championship winner made headlines for some comments during the first round at the Masters. Thomas' tee shot on the eighth hole, also known as Yellow Jasmine, evoked an NSFW four-word response from the golf pro.
The microphones scattered across the manicured Augusta National golf course picked up Thomas saying, "F--- heeled it… damn it."
Thomas' moment of frustration came just one day after he was all smiles at Augusta during the lighthearted Masters Par 3 Contest. Thomas took to social media to react to an "amazing day" he had with his daughter and the families of fellow golfers Jordan Spieth and Max Homa.
"The par 3 contest @themasters was a little different today than past years! An amazing day with my girls, the Spieths, and the Homa crew. Incredible memories we will cherish forever Prep work is done, it’s time to get after it," Thomas captioned an Instagram post.
Thomas failed to make the cut at the Masters in 2023 and 2024. His best finish at the major tournament happened in 2020 when he ended the event in fourth place.
Thomas also produced a top-10 finish at the U.S. Open in 2020. His PGA Championship victories happened in 2017 and 2022.
Thomas walked off the 18th hole at Augusta on Thursday one shot over par, placing him in a tie for 38th place.
Ballester seemingly admitted that he urinated in Rae's Creek at Amen Corner.
The Spaniard said he "completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the (13th) tee box," and after playing partner Justin Thomas "had an issue on the green," he said he took advantage.
"I'm like, ‘I really need to pee.’ Didn't really know where to go, and since JT had an issue on the green, I'm like, ‘I’m just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me much,' and then they clapped for me. Probably one of the claps that I really got today real loud, so that was kind of funny," Ballester, who shot a 4-over 76, said after his round.
Ballester did not seem too concerned that he would get any blowback from Augusta National.
"They saw me. It was not embarrassing at all for me. If I had to do it again, I would do it again," he said.
Ballester showed up to the course in a typical young golfer's attire. The Arizona State golfer wore a hat that said "Sun Devils" upside down, a new fashion for Gen-Z. But it hasn't exactly been a riveting week for the Sun Devils golf program.
Men’s golf coach Matt Thurmond was removed from the course during a practice session Tuesday for wearing shorts on the course after he went to say hello to former ASU player Kevin Yu, who is making his Masters debut this year.
While patrons are free to wear shorts, full-length pants are required beyond the ropes where players and coaches are. Phones aren't even allowed on the course.
Ballester was paired with Thomas and reigning champion Scottie Scheffler, which is pretty fun company to be in. Last year, amateur Neal Shipley spent his final round with five-time winner Tiger Woods.
Fox News' Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
Florida Gators star and 2025 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Walter Clayton Jr. is still talking to his teammates about what happened Monday night in San Antonio.
How could they not after winning a hard-fought national championship with a 65-63 NCAA Tournament final win over the Houston Cougars?
It came down to maximum effort on the final play of the game in which Houston, to the shock of everyone watching, never got a shot off for a potential tie or win as the final buzzer sounded.
But Clayton and his teammates made it difficult for the Cougars to get a clean look at the hoop, including Clayton's close-out on Emanuel Sharp beyond the 3-point line, which iced the victory after the Houston guard couldn’t touch the ball again after dropping it.
Clayton, working a celebratory "shift" at Raising Cane’s in Gainesville, Florida, Thursday, spoke to Fox News Digital about what he saw in those final seconds.
"I saw a lot going on," he explained over the phone. "We felt like they were either going to try to get something for [L.J.] Cryer or [J’Wan] Roberts. So, they ran a little action to the right side of the wing. [Florida’s] Will [Richard] and Alijah [Martin] did a good job of pressuring the ball. Sharp kinda slipped down there to the baseline. I thought he was going to set a back screen for Roberts, so I kinda got stuck down there in the paint a little bit.
"He ended up slipping it, so then just thinking in my head, ‘Get out there and contest the shot.’ [I] jumped to the side, he ended up kinda pump-faking, throwing the ball down, and I’ll definitely say I was a little surprised they didn’t get a shot off knowing you have to get one off in the moment."
Clayton and the Gators are not complaining a shot was never put up by Houston. Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson admitted his own surprise during his postgame comments, saying, "You’ve gotta get a shot" in that situation.
Clayton gave some insight into what the Gators were looking for on the other end of the floor when play resumed.
"We talked about them running a flare screen for Cryer or a back screen for Roberts," Clayton said. "So, we felt those were going to be the two options they went to. They ended up throwing us off with that little surprise, but we were ready for anything to happen."
Looking back at the final play, it appeared Houston had a play for Cryer, who took the ball up, to get it again after some screens were set. But Florida sniffed it out, and Richard was right in his face when he received the pass.
Sharp then ran away from Clayton to meet Cryer for a pass, and he was hoping to get off a 3-pointer for the win. But Clayton timed his jump perfectly, and the rest goes down in history as Florida won its first title since 2007.
"Man, it feels great," Clayton said when asked about being a national champion. "I honestly can’t even explain the feeling. Me and some of the guys are still talking about it. It still doesn’t feel real, but it’s just a great feeling to bring it back to Gainesville."
Clayton was with Martin and Thomas Haugh at Raising Cane's, as were hundreds of Gators fans celebrating the title.
Clayton will be in search of his next championship in the NBA as a projected lottery pick in this year's NBA Draft.
Youth sports in America are more competitive than ever, especially football. One man with a track record of raising boys who can thrive is Super Bowl champion wide receiver Ed McCaffrey.
McCaffrey is the father to superstar San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, Miami Dolphins assistant coach Max McCaffrey and former college quarterback Dylan McCaffrey.
"We were lucky. We had great kids who were very competitive, very motivated. We did set certain standards. Academics were important to us. We wanted to get them a good education, so if they didn't play well in the classroom, they wouldn't be allowed to play sports," Ed said.
Handling adversity is a critical point of focus in parenting for the McCaffreys. Ed believed in parental intervention after moments of adversity in sports in particular.
"After the game, if things don't go well, either for them personally or their team, or if they're injured, or any time they're going through a tough time, as a parent, you want to build their spirit back up, pat them on the back and say ‘try again,’" he said.
For young athletes, Ed McCaffrey believes wins and losses are less significant than the individual mindset of competing.
"If you play to win and give your best effort, then you've already won, regardless of what the scoreboard is," he said.
"It's not about winning every single game. We all want to win, but you're not going to win every game you play. It's about knowing that you gave it everything you possibly could to your team, to your sports."
For McCaffrey and his sons, arguably the most critical aspect to their athletic success was their day-to-day lifestyle, especially diet and getting enough sleep.
The vast majority of the McCaffrey sons' meals were cooked at home by their mother, Lisa McCaffrey, Ed said, adding Lisa prepared dinner for the boys "every night."
Due to the boys' constant athletic activity, the parents increased the amount of red meat and dairy they ate to higher levels than what is recommended for the average adult.
"Kids can consume a little more red meat, a little more fat, more dairy," McCaffrey said.
Sticking with homemade food was even more important when it came to snacks before sporting events. If Ed or Lisa gave them any food at all before games or practice, it had to be free of certain ingredients and "easily digestible."
"It's hard to consume food before an event because most foods have things in them that are hard to digest, but they have additives in them that affect your gut, and it's hard to go and compete," Ed said. "It was so important for us when they were growing up to give them healthy snacks that were easy to digest."
One of the most common snacks Ed and Lisa fed their sons was homemade protein bites, which has since inspired the family to release its own line of McCaffrey Protein Bites with similar ingredients. Those ingredients include flaxseed, brown rice and pea protein. They also made sure to keep peanuts out of the bites because of their sons' allergies.
Arceneaux said in an Instagram post competing at Houston "has been a part of my story that I’ll always carry with me."
"I’m walking away with no bitterness, just growth, gratitude, and a clear vision for where I’m headed next," he added. "Sometimes the path to purpose requires a pivot, and I’m trusting the process."
Arceneaux has averaged 5.2 points per game with Houston. He played 17.5 minutes per game and pulled down 2.9 rebounds per game over the past three years.
He averaged 6.5 points and 2.7 rebounds in his most recent 40 games as Houston made a run to the national championship game. He did not score a point during his eight minutes on the floor during the national title game against the Florida Gators.
So far, Arceneaux is the lone Cougars player to enter the transfer portal since the championship.
Arceneaux appeared in just 11 games during the 2023-24 season due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Aside from Arceneaux's departure, Houston is grappling with losing L.J. Cryer, J’Wan Roberts, Ja’Vier Francis and Mylik Wilson, who have exhausted their collegiate eligibility.
Florida's 65-63 win over Houston Monday gave the Gators their third NCAA men's basketball championship.
A North Dakota man is facing five years in prison after allegedly threatening an Augusta National employee.
Joseph Armand Zimmer, 48, is alleged to have told an employee he would "throw [the individual] in a cell and have [her] set on fire" and that he would "blow [her] head off," according to the Department of Justice.
The DOJ said Zimmer phoned the golf club in February and made numerous violent threats toward the female employee.
"Those who make threats against members of our community in violation of federal law will be held accountable, as we continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and bring to justice those who seek to intimidate and instill fear in our citizens," Acting U.S. Tara M. Attorney Lyons said in a news release.
"The FBI treats threatening communications with the utmost seriousness and will dedicate all available resources to locating and prosecuting those responsible for such actions," Paul Brown, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, added in the release. "We trust that this indictment sends a clear message to anyone contemplating making threats, whether genuine or fabricated, through electronic means."
The Masters teed off on Thursday as favorite Scottie Scheffler looks to become the first person to win back-to-back green jackets since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.
A victory would also be Scheffler's third win at Augusta in the last four years. Only Jack Nicklaus has accomplished that feat, doing so in 1963, 1965 and 1966.
Rory McIlroy is in his 11th attempt at accomplishing the career grand slam, as he is still without a green jacket. His major drought is in its 11th year as well.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and his wife, Keeta Hill, were seen on the balcony of his high-rise condo the day of his reported domestic dispute that involved police, a video obtained by Fox News Digital showed.
Hill is holding the couple’s 5-month-old daughter while he and his wife look over the balcony from the 35th floor Monday.
Fox News Digital obtained a police report from the incident after the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department responded to an "assault in progress" at Hill's condo. Hill and his wife were present when authorities arrived. His wife's mother, Alesia Vaccaro, who made the 9-1-1 call, was also there.
The case is considered closed after officers determined no crime was committed.
"On Monday, we were informed that the police were called to Tyreek Hill’s home, and after conversations with Tyreek and members of his family, the police departed the residence without further incident, and the case was closed," a Dolphins spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "We have since been in communication with Tyreek and the NFL and will have no further comment on the matter."
Hill's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not immediately answer a request for comment.
According to the police report, Vaccaro told authorities she had been living with her daughter and Hill since the birth of her granddaughter in November.
She called police after Hill allegedly threw a laptop on the floor, grabbed his daughter and started walking to the balcony in the high-rise condo when Hill and his wife had an argument.
The report added that Vaccaro called Hill "very aggressive and impulsive," saying she feared for her daughter's safety.
Keeta Hill also spoke with police, saying she and her husband had been arguing more often recently. She alleged he "becomes angry and throws objects." Couples therapy between the two is "not working out" either.
The argument Vaccaro called police about involved Keeta telling the star receiver he wasn't involved enough with his child. Keeta said Tyreek, "without malice," grabbed their daughter and began walking around the condo with her.
Hill told officers he had just gotten home from offseason training when an argument broke out about the couple's therapy. He admitted grabbing their baby as well.
"I have the same rights as a father as her as a mother, and I can take my baby whenever I want," Tyreek said, according to the report.
Tyreek and Keeta said the argument never got physical, though the report notes a bruise on Keeta's upper chest area. She said it may have unintentionally occurred when Tyreek took their daughter from her.
Keeta added that she is "in the process of filing for divorce."
