WWE star Zoey Stark broke her silence on Wednesday after a devastating injury left her unable to compete in a Money in the Bank qualifying match on "Monday Night Raw."
Stark suffered a knee injury as she was going for a drop kick on Kairi Sane. She misfired and came up lame as she writhed in pain on the mat. A trainer nearby needed to come into the ring to help Stark out and to the backstage area.
She thanked her fans and colleagues for their support and well wishes.
"Wow the love and support means more to me than you'll ever know!" Stark wrote in a post on X. "What hurts more than my knee is knowing I wont be able to perform for all of you for a while. I LOVE what I do and I'm blessed to do this. As the saying goes, the comeback is greater than the setback. Love you guys."
Sane and Rhea Ripley were the ones left in the match as the triple threat became a one-on-one fight. Ripley ended up getting the pin and win over Sane to move into the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, which will take place next month in California.
Sane and Ripley both shared their thoughts on Stark’s injury.
"Professional wrestling can be very real and dangerous… Tonight continued to prove that anything can happen," Ripley wrote. "Wishing @ZoeyStarkWWE a speedy recovery!"
Sane added, "I truly hope we get to face each other again when you’re ready. Wishing you a smooth recovery."
Stark debuted on the "Raw" roster in 2023 after having success in NXT for a few years before getting the call-up.
She immediately made an impact when she partnered with WWE legend Trish Stratus during her feud with Becky Lynch. Once the rivalry was over, she found herself in a new faction with Shayna Baszler and Sonya Deville for a few months, but Baszler and Deville eventually departed the company.
Stark was ranked as the No. 86 top female wrestler in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s 2021 list. She won a tag team championship with Iyo Sky in NXT.
Formula 1 will run the Monaco Grand Prix with the Indianapolis 500 taking place in the afternoon and the Coca-Cola 600 at night to put a cap on the day.
Ryan Blaney will be behind the wheel of the No. 12 Team Penske car for the Coca-Cola 600 with the BodyArmor Chill drinks emblazoned on the hood of his vehicle. Blaney’s fellow NASCAR Cup Series colleague Kyle Larson will be attempting to do "The Double."
"The Double" is one of the toughest feats any racecar driver could attempt to do during their career. It involves racing the Indy 500 and then flying on a plane to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600. Larson became one of five drivers to attempt "The Double" last year but failed to make it to the NASCAR race.
Blaney told Fox News Digital it was "neat" to watch Larson attempt it last year.
"It’s the biggest day in racing," Blaney said. "You got Monaco early, then you got Indy, and then we end it with the 600. I get up and watch Monaco in the morning, I cheer on the Penske guys for the 500 and then I get ready to go race. I think it’s a great feat. It was neat to watch him do it last year. Last year didn’t really go his way with rain and stuff like that, it was kind of a crapshoot. Hopefully, it goes a little smoother for him this year just being able to do it all."
An attempt at "The Double" appeared to pique Blaney’s interest given that Team Penske has drivers competing at the Indy 500.
"But yeah, it’s something I’ve always considered," Blaney said. "You never know, maybe down the road if I get a chance. I’m with a great team that has a chance to do it, but we’ll see. You never know, we’ll figure it out."
Larson, John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch have all attempted the feat. Stewart was the only driver out of the group to complete both races on the same day.
No driver has won either race while making the attempt.
Larson is hoping that changes come Sunday.
The Indy 500 will be broadcast May 25 on FOX with coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET. It will also be available to stream live on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app.
As star quarterback Aaron Rodgers remains an unsigned free agent this offseason, the 41-year-old veteran says that his personal life has been impacted by tragedy to those close to him.
During an interview with Joe Rogan on Wednesday, Rodgers said that there are many people close to him who are currently dealing with cancer.
"I've been in the weeds with these people who are close to me that have cancer," Rodgers told Rogan.
The quarterback previously hinted at issues in his personal life during an interview on the "Pat McAfee Show" back in April, as a reason why he had not signed with a team.
"I have a couple people in my inner, inner circle who are battling some difficult stuff," Rodgers said. "So, I have a lot of things that are taking my attention and have since the beginning of January away from football. That's where I have been focusing most of my attention on."
Multiple reports have linked Rodgers to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who currently have a quarterback opening after losing Russell Wilson and Justin Fields this offseason and choosing not to pick a top quarterback prospect in this year's NFL Draft.
Rodgers recently visited the Steelers' facilities, and multiple outlets reported he met with the team's coaching staff. However, Rodgers has still yet to decide if he will continue his NFL career in 2025 or step away from the game all together, as he has not ruled out retirement.
Journalist Ian O'Conner, who recently wrote the Rodgers biography "Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers," said the quarterback is likely to end up in Pittsburgh.
"I just think verbally, behind the scenes, not that he guaranteed it, but he’s told [the Steelers], ‘Listen, I’m gonna play for you. I just don’t want to go there and then miss part of mandatory minicamp because of my personal issues. I’m pretty sure they’re gonna be solved by the end of May, at least in my satisfaction where I can give you my all.’ So that’s where I think he is," O’Connor said during a recent appearance on 93.7 The Fan.
O'Conner went on to describe the Steelers as the "perfect place" for Rodgers to bring his storied career to a close.
"He knows it was an embarrassment in New York largely, and he’s the face of that embarrassment," O’Connor said. "Whether that’s fair or not, that’s the case. It may be me as an optimist, but I think this is gonna work out. Do I think the Steelers will win the Super Bowl next year? No. But if you told me 11-6 with at least one playoff victory ... I think that’s realistic."
New York Yankees rookie outfielder Jasson Dominguez hit a walk-off home run to give the team a 4-3 comeback win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.
With one out and up 2-0 in the count, Dominguez clubbed a hanging slider from Rangers’ reliever Luke Jackson 398 feet into the second deck to give the Yankees the win.
Dominguez’s home run did more than just win the game -- he also etched his name into the history books.
The 22-year-old is the first player in MLB history to achieve these four feats in a single month: hit three home runs in a game, hit a home run from both sides of the plate in a game, hit a grand slam, and hit a walk-off home run, according to OptaSTATS.
Earlier in the month against the Athletics, Dominguez became the youngest Yankees player to ever hit three home runs in a game. He became just the 16th player ever to have a three-home run game with at least one coming from each side of the plate.
Bruce Pearl, the head coach of the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team and chairman of the U.S. Israel Education Association, mourned the killings of two Israeli Embassy staffers after a Capital Jewish Museum event on Wednesday night.
Pearl appeared on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich" and said he was on Capitol Hill on Wednesday night talking about Jewish Heritage Month before the shooting occurred.
"There’s a tremendous rise in antisemitism. We’re going to overcome it," Pearl said. "This was just a young couple, two diplomats just getting ready to start their life. The young man had a ring and was just getting ready to ask this beautiful girl to marry him and start a family. And that’s all gone right now because of, quite frankly, just the lies. Just the lies and incredibly awful propaganda."
Pearl said he believed that when anti-Israel agitators march in the streets or college campuses and chant "free Palestine," it really meant that they want to free it from Jewish people.
"When they say, ‘free Palestine’ – what they mean is free Palestine of the Jews. Free Palestine of your friend coach, Bruce Pearl. … That’s what this is all about," he said. "If you were to sit there and call for an intifada or if you were going to be calling for the death to the Jews, just replace the Jews with the word ‘Christians’ or ‘Blacks’ or ‘women’ or anybody, where in the world do you get to get out there on a street … I believe in free speech so you know what, you get to do that here in this country. But we got to take them seriously now. We got to take them at their word. Just terrible to see that tragedy in D.C. last night."
Pearl lamented the "lies" being told about Israel – whether it was on college campuses or in the media.
However, the college basketball coach did not think the shooting would be a tipping point for those protesting against Israel.
"I don’t know that it can. I don’t know that we’re at a tipping point at this right now. In three days, it’ll be over, and we’ll be on to whatever is next," Pearl said." You go to Washington, D.C., and you got Jewish congressmen and senators that are Democrats that are gonna take a certain position and a certain side of things because politically we’re lining up in such opposition – we’re Americans! And it’s fine that we got different ways of looking at things, but no, I don’t see this thing changing very much."
Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli, and Sarah Milgrim, an American, both worked at the embassy and were about to be engaged before they were shot and killed at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, according to Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter.
Washington, D.C. police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, who was taken into custody after the shooting attack. He was allegedly seen pacing outside the museum before he approached a group of four people, including the two victims, and opened fire. Rodriguez then reportedly went into the museum where he was detained by security. He allegedly shouted "Free, free Palestine!" while in custody.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic murders of two young Israeli diplomats outside the Capital Jewish Museum," the team said. "Antisemitism and hate have no place in our society, and we join the entire DMV in offering our thoughts and prayers to the families of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgri. May their memories be a blessing."
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs’ Western Conference Final between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers started with high intensity and closed the same way on Wednesday night.
An onslaught of power-play goals from Stars players Mike Heiskanen, Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene in the third period lifted Dallas to a 6-3 win. The Stars, at one point, trailed the Oilers by two goals before marching all the way back for the improbable victory.
As the horn sounded, several players from the Stars and Oilers mixed it up at center ice. The broadcast caught Edmonton defenseman Corey Perry going after Stars rookie Lian Bischel. Perry appeared to mock the player after officials broke up the scrum.
Dallas left the ice with a 1-0 lead in the series over Edmonton.
Stars head coach Pete DeBoer was happy with how the team was able to take advantage of the power play. Dallas had been 0-for-14 in six playoff games against the Oilers.
"I didn’t feel through 40 minutes that we had made (the Oilers) earn the position they were in. so, guys responded. We got fortunate. We got some power-play goals," DeBoer said. "Happy for our power play. It took a lot of heat last year at this point of the year. it was the difference tonight for us, so it’s great."
Dallas became the second team since 1934 to have three power-play goals in the opening six minutes of a playoff period. The New York Rangers did it in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens in 2014.
"The first power play we had was a little bit like the rest of our game. Our execution was a little off, we didn’t make great plays with the puck, we didn’t have great support," DeBoer said. "I thought in the third, we came out and we executed. I think you never know when that switch is going to go.
"Obviously, being at home here for this game, we get that first goal, the crowd gets into it, momentum shifts really quickly. That’s the benefit of being at home here for Game 1."
Bill Belichick's 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson made light of the couple's 48-year age difference in a social media post on Wednesday.
Hudson shared a photo on her Instagram story of them sitting at a table with a focus on a container of "Old Bay" spice. She captioned the photo "Old Bay with my old bae." Belichcik is 73.
The playful Instagram caption comes just days after The New York Times reported that Hudson has told at least one person that she and Belichick are engaged to be married.
The first notion of the two considering marriage was broached in Page Six. A report from the gossip outlet said the two "discussed marriage," which wasn’t "out of the question."
The report added at the time that Hudson didn't "put any pressure on Bill at all to propose, and she feels like it will happen when and if the time is right."
The couple has been a lightning rod of controversy in recent weeks after an interview on CBS Sunday Morning that saw Hudson forbid Belichick from answering a question about how the couple met. The interview was part of a promotional tour for Belichick's new book, "The Art of Winning — Lessons from My Life in Football." At times during the conversation, Hudson was accused of attempting to assert her control.
Hudson also faced criticism over her reported involvement in North Carolina losing out on the opportunity to be featured on HBO's "Hard Knocks." According to The Athletic, Hudson played an "instrumental role" in HBO pulling the plug on the potential production of the UNC-focused docuseries.
The report also noted that Hudson had asked to be "heavily involved with the project."
Belichick has been publicly linked to the 24-year-old Hudson since 2023. In a statement released after the CBS interview, Belichick said he met Hudson on a flight in 2021.
The sports world was rocked by the death of legendary Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay on Wednesday.
The news struck especially hard for many of Irsay's former Colts players, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.
Manning, who played his first 13 seasons for the Colts and helped them win the Super Bowl in the 2006 season, shared his respect for Irsay in an Instagram post Wednesday night.
"I am heartbroken to hear about Jim Irsay’s passing. He was an incredibly generous and passionate owner and I will always be indebted to him for giving me my start in the NFL. His love for the Colts and the city of Indy was unmatched. His impact on the players who played for him will not be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and everyone in the Colts community. He will be missed. Jim, rest in peace my friend," Manning wrote.
Many of Manning's old Indianapolis teammates expressed their condolences too.
Former Colts punter and current ESPN host Pat McAfee shared a long story in an X post on Wednesday, detailing his experience with Irsay throughout the punter's career.
"The 1st time he and I really had an extended convo was at training camp after the lockout in 2011.. players and front office weren’t allowed to communicate with each other during the lockout but, Jim followed me on Twitter throughout the CBA negotiations, his first day at training camp, immediately after the lockout ended, he drove his golf cart over to where I was and started firing off questions about Twitter.. He enjoyed the thought of being able to connect with Colts fans all over the world," McAfee wrote.
McAfee even credited Irsay for helping the punter succeed in his post-NFL career.
"When I decided to retire.. he and I had a 2.5 hour conversation in his office. He was sitting at his desk.. hitting the s--- out of his vape .. and we talked about everything I was hoping to go do. He tried to stop me for a few minutes.. even offered to renegotiate my contract.. and then once he realized my decision was made.. the convo turned into him trying to give me as much game as possible about running a business and maintaining authenticity," McAfee added.
"Jim has done everything he can to help me succeed.. He’d join our show anytime I asked, no matter where he was in the world.. He’d send me motivational messages when he heard I was going thru something.. he’d forward articles that he’d come across that he thought I should read."
Legendary NFL kicker Adam Viniatieri expressed his condolences to Irsay in an X post. Viniatieri cemented his legacy by helping the New England Patriots win three Super Bowls from 2001-2005, often beating the Colts on the way there. However, when Irsay's team signed the kicker in 2006, it immidietly helped change the fortunes of both teams, as Viniatieri kicked the game-winning field goal against the Patriots in that year's AFC championship game to send the Colts to the Super Bowl.
"I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Jim Irsay. He was more than just an owner, he as a man of the people and his generosity was unmatched. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to have played under his leadership, and his impact on my life. Rest in peace, Jim," Viniatieri wrote.
Former Colts star wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who played for Irsay's team from 2012-2021, making four Pro Bowls, shared his love for Irsay in a post on X on Wednesday night.
"Please don’t ask me if I’m ok. Cuz I’m not. Thank You Sooo Much Mr.Irsay. I will forever hold our talks close to my heart. Love You! RIP Mr.Irsay," Hilton wrote.
Several other current and former pro athletes paid respect to the owner on social media as well, including Robert Griffin III and the son of former legendary Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Marvin Harrison Jr.
Irsay's father purchased the team in 1972, when they still played in Baltimore, for $12 million and moved the team in 1984. Irsay was the general manager of the team from 1982 to 1996 and became the NFL's youngest owner at age 37, shortly after his dad's death in 1997.
Irsay had several health issues over the years and battled drug and alcohol addiction, once admitting he had been to rehab "at least 15 times."
The Colts announced in January 2024 that Irsay was being treated for a "severe respiratory illness." That February, he posted on X that he was "on the mend."
"It's a long road, and you have to be patient. The great news is everything is going well," a hospitalized Irsay said that March after he underwent a procedure on his right leg.
Irsay said by that point he had undergone "26 surgeries over the last seven years."
Over his tenure running the day-to-day operations of the organization, Irsay won 258 games, the fourth-most in the NFL in that span. He also won 10 division titles, went 1-1 in Super Bowls and made the playoffs 18 times.
He is survived by three daughters and 10 grandchildren. He and his ex-wife divorced in 2013.
American tennis player Danielle Collins had some choice words for the cameraman during her Internationaux de Strasbourg match against Emma Raducanu on Wednesday afternoon.
Collins was in the middle of a changeover when she felt the cameraman’s hovering was a bit too close for comfort in the middle of the third and defining set. She got off the bench and made the point clear.
"I need to get water. We’re on a changeover. You don’t need to be that close to me, and you don’t need to be on top of Emma. It’s wildly inappropriate," Collins said. "It’s not that difficult to give space."
The camera was kept on Collins as she filled up her water bottle with Raducanu in the shot to the right.
Collins ended up winning the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, and is set to take on Anna Kalinskaya in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Raducanu weighed in on what she heard from Collins during her outburst.
"I was standing up because I did not want to sit down in the third set because of my back," Raducanu said, via The Tennis Gazette. "I was staying standing because it was a bit more comfortable, and then she came to fill her bottle up and was just saying how the cameraman was really close and felt a bit inappropriate, but that is all she was saying."
The two are preparing for the French Open later this month.
Former ESPN NFL reporter Ed Werder ripped CNN broadcaster Jake Tapper as he promoted his new book, "Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," and acknowledged "humility" in past coverage of former President Joe Biden.
Tapper, and co-author Alex Thompson, have received criticism about the cover-up of the former president’s decline while he was in office. Tapper has been on multiple shows admitting to failures in how the reporting on Biden’s health was done.
Werder, the longtime ESPN journalist, offered his two cents in a post on Wednesday.
"He sold his credibility as a journalist for access to power - and now expects to profit from the very audience to whom he lied," Werder wrote on X.
Werder was far from the only journalist or pundit who has called out the coverage.
Jon Stewart, Charlamagne Tha God, and "The View" hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg all made their feelings known about the book and the coverage around it. Some were specifically scolding CNN for promoting it, while some "View" pundits wondered whether Tapper would write a book about President Donald Trump’s decline.
MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski, a noted Biden supporter, pushed back on the authors over the notion of a "cover-up" while speaking to Tapper and Thompson on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." She questioned the notion of a "cover-up."
Naomi Biden also defended her grandfather in a post on X upon the book’s release.
"Just read a copy of this silly book, and if anyone is curious for a review from someone who lived it first-hand: this book is political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class. The ones who rarely enter the arena, but profit from the spectacle of those that do. Put simply, it amounts to a bunch of unoriginal, uninspired lies written by irresponsible self promoting journalists out to make a quick buck," she wrote.
Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
Caitlin Clark was among those who tuned in to watch Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton absolutely crush the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals matchup.
Haliburton’s long jumper sent the game into overtime, and Indiana fended off New York in overtime to win the game 138-135. Clark made one big declaration following the Pacers’ victory.
"PACERS ARE THE GREATEST COMEBACK TEAM IVE EVER SEEN," she wrote on X.
The Indiana Fever star has been a huge supporter of the Pacers and Haliburton and vice versa. Haliburton was at the Fever’s first game of the season against the Chicago Sky over the weekend. Clark has routinely been spotted at Pacers games supporting the big guard.
The Knicks led by 14 points with under three minutes to play in regulation. However, Aaron Nesmith got Indiana jump-started with some 3-pointers. It was Haliburton’s jumper that silenced the crowd.
Haliburton dribbled the ball up the floor and into the paint. He nearly lost control of it before he stepped back and shot the ball. The ball bounced off the back of the rim and went in. He thought he had won the game with a 3-pointer and was mobbed by his teammates. He threw up his hands around his neck, like Reggie Miller, to signal that the Knicks had choked the game away.
It was later ruled a long 2-pointer, but Indiana sealed the win in overtime.
"It’s always special. It’s always fun," Nesmith said. "This is what we live for."
Haliburton had 31 points and 11 assists. Nesmith had 30 points.
As Illinois faces a growing political divide over the issue of trans athletes in girls' sports, the state's lawmakers addressed the topic in a heated back-and-forth on the floor of the state capital on Wednesday.
The state's General Assembly members broke out into aggressive arguments over the issue during the session. One Democrat member even made the unsubstantiated argument that laws to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports would result in genital inspections of children. That argument was initially used by U.S. House Democrats who voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in January.
The Illinois lawmaker to repeat the unsubstantiated claim was Rep. Kelly Cassidy of Chicago, who accused GOP colleagues of being "obsessed with children's genitalia."
"My colleagues on the other side of the aisle feel the need to share their obsession with children's genitalia once again," Cassidy said. "We are grown adults, and we are picking on kids because you are obsessed with children's genitalia."
Cassidy's statement was then pushed back upon by Republican Rep. Blaine Wilhour of Southern Illinois. Wilhour called out the state's Democrats as a whole for supporting gender transitions for minors and pointed out a recent track meet in Naperville, Illinois, that sparked national outrage after a biological male won a girls' race.
"These folks up here accuse people of being obsessed with kids' genitalia because they have the audacity to believe that boys should not be competing in girls' sports. But I just want to point out here that there is only one party, the Democrat Party, that is supporting and encouraging minor children to use life-altering and often unreversable hormone blockers," Wilhour said.
"What we've seen in Naperville, that's not fair competition. Not only that, it's abusive to these young girls and it's a clear violation of Title IX."
The recent Naperville incident has put the community and state under a national microscope in recent days. The controversy even prompted a series of heated debates, which went viral on social media, at the Naperville 203 Community School District Board meeting on Monday.
Democrat state Rep. Anna Stava-Murray, who represents Naperville, defended the trans student who won the race.
"I find it disgusting when adults try to bully children, and that's what's happening right now," Stava-Murray said.
"We have adults, including adults on the House floor, who want to take a moment that that child trained for and use it as a political talking point, that's disgusting, you should be ashamed of yourselves. That child did not ask to be in national media. That child's parents didn't consent to that."
Republican state Rep. Adam Niemerg then chimed in to condemn the Democrats for allowing the issue to continue in Illinois, warning of potential cuts to federal funding by President Donald Trump's administration for defying an executive order to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports.
"To think parents and kids still have to be dealing with this astounds me, after all, there is an executive order banning this kind of thing from happening. Folks, this nonsense has to stop. This insanity is leaving a trail of tears heartache and oppression of girls and women everywhere," Niemberg said.
"You want federal dollars? Then stop embracing policies that 90 or 95% of the people oppose! Stop letting boys compete in girls' sports! What is so hard about that to understand? I will not stay silent on this issue and neither will parents."
Niemerg also called out the mainstream media over coverage of the issue.
"The media needs to do their job and stop acting like this is not happening. Ask the governor directly, press him on this issue, do your jobs, and stop lying about what is going on here in Illinois," he said.
Tension over the issue in Illinois has mounted in recent months before coming to a head in the aftermath of the Naperville incident over the last week.
There is already one federal Title IX probe in Illinois regarding transgenders impeding on female spaces, but it is only against one school, that was launched back in March.
Deerfield Public Schools District 109 is facing a probe by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights after middle school girls were allegedly forced by school administrators to change in front of a trans student in the girls' locker room.
Back in April, the the Illinois High School Association announced in a public letter that Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have declared that state law requires that transgender athletes be allowed to participate based on gender identity. So it is continuing to allow biological males to compete with girls, as it has since 2006.
U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., has addressed two letters to the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice asking for federal intervention into the issue. Miller previously sent a letter in April and is now doubling-down on her pleas for the Trump administration to step in.
Miller's latest letter asks U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Secretary Linda McMahon to specifically look into the Naperville incident and consider pulling federal funding from the state, as seen in a copy obtained by Fox News Digital.
Even Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher has spoken out on the issue while his home state is ravaged by controversy.
"It's just different because we are men, there are certain things we do better than women, and it's just, number one, it's not fair, and if I had a daughter who had to be forced to play against a man, I would not be okay with it and I would raise hell about it," Urlacher said during an interview on the "Global View" podcast on May 9. "I just don't get it, it's a common sense thing, I just don't see how you can push this and make someone thing they're a different sex."
The iconic Borg-Warner Trophy is a constant in the legendary Indianapolis 500 race every year.
Each winner gets their name, average speed, the year they won, and their face engraved on the trophy that weighs roughly 110 pounds and stands just over five feet, four inches tall.
The first time the trophy was unveiled was in 1936, when it was given to Louis Meyer and declared an annual prize for Indy 500 winners.
While the trophy was created in 1935, it honored the winners from 1911 onwards as they had their name, year, average speed and faces engraved on the trophy.
In its original form, the trophy was 52 inches tall and 80 pounds of sterling silver. It was made to commemorate 70 race winners. Two bases were added to the trophy in 1987 and 2004, and those additions to the trophy can commemorate the winners of the Indy 500 through 2033.
There is one non-race winner who is engraved on the trophy, and that is Anton Hulman. Hulman owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1945 until his death in 1977. His face is the lone one on the trophy that is gold.
The Indy 500 will be broadcast May 25 on FOX with coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET. It will also be available to stream live on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app.
The winner of the upcoming 109th Indianapolis 500 will be given an ice-cold bottle of milk in the victory circle on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
But why milk? When did the tradition begin?
The origin of the tradition was in 1936, when Louis Meyer, after having won his third Indy 500, sat perched on his car and had a bottle of buttermilk in his left hand.
But the tradition began with an accident. Meyer drinking the milk post-victory was unplanned.
"It was a hot day. I came into the garage area … and all I could think of was some nice, cold buttermilk," Meyer said, per the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website.
Meyer grew up in Yonkers, New York, and his mother told him that buttermilk would refresh him on a warm day. So, after a grueling race, Meyer wanted the drink he had growing up: buttermilk.
The milk stuck because the moment of Meyer with the milk was caught by a cameraman. An executive in the dairy industry saw the footage of Meyer and requested that milk be given to every winner of the Indianapolis 500.
Each winner from 1938 through 1941, and then after the race returned from a hiatus due to World War II in 1946, drank milk in the victory circle.
However, there was a time when milk was not the drink handed to winners. Wilbur Shaw, who won the Indy 500 in 1937, 1939 and 1940, became president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and implemented some changes.
From 1947 through 1954, the winners of the iconic race were handed cold water in a silver chalice. However, the tradition did not last as Shaw died in a plane crash in 1954, and in 1956 the milk returned.
But the milk returned as an accessory prize as winners were offered $400 for drinking the milk.
Since then, 69 consecutive winners of the race and 76 overall winners have enjoyed milk in the victory circle.
The Indy 500 will be broadcast May 25 on FOX with coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET. It will also be available to stream live on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app.
With Reggie Miller on the call, the Indiana Pacers paid homage to their franchise legend on Wednesday night.
Well, it wasn't a direct homage -- but the New York Knicks, in their first Eastern Conference Finals game of the 21st century, blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead to drop Game 1 against Indiana, 138-135.
New York led by as many as 17 with just over six minutes to go, and even by 14 with less than three, but it was no match for the Pacers.
Aaron Nesmith did his best Miller impression by drilling six consecutive three-pointers to help Indiana cut their deficit to just two points with 22.1 seconds to go. After the Knicks, on two occasions, went 1-for-2 from the line, Tyrese Haliburton hit a buzzer-beater that he thought was a three and did Miller's infamous choke signal while pointing at him. But, Haliburton's toe was on the line, and the game headed to overtime.
New York got out to a four-point lead to start overtime, but a 5-0 Pacers run gave them their first lead since it was 45-44 in the second quarter. Neither team got out to more than a one-point lead for the next two-plus minutes, until former Knicks forward Obi Toppin slammed one home with 15.3 seconds left to go up three. The Knicks missed two game-tying threes, and the Pacers stole the victory.
Teams leading a playoff game by nine-plus points in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime of a playoff game had been 1,414-0 since 1998 entering Wednesday.
Also, since 1997, teams are now 4-1,640 when trailing by seven-plus points in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime of a playoff game – the Pacers have won three of those games this season alone.
Unfortunately for the Knicks, it was a taste of their own medicine – they had completed comebacks of 20, 20, and 14 points against the Boston Celtics to win their second-round series.
Haliburton and Nesmith had 31 and 30 points, respectively – 20 of Nesmith's came in that epic fourth quarter.
Jalen Brunson led the way with 43 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 35 plus 12 rebounds – but neither hit their game-tying three-pointers in the final seconds.
This series is a rematch of the second round last year, which Indiana won in seven games against an injury-riddled Knicks squad, but it's also who the Knicks faced in both the 1999 and 2000 Eastern Conference Finals – the teams split both of those series.
In fact, the Knicks and Pacers faced each other four times in the playoffs during the 1990s, with both teams winning a pair. Both of New York's wins sent them to the NBA Finals.
Now, the rivalry is hotter than ever. Game 2 is Friday night in Madison Square Garden.
And if there's any saving grace for the Knicks, they would wind up winning the series where Miller hit them with his choke signal.
A lawsuit filed by a Utah woman accused BYU football player Jake Retzlaff of a sexual assault at his home in Novemeber 2023, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The woman, listed in the filing as Jane Doe A.G., says she reported her allegations to police.
The accuser said she and Retzlaff initially made contact via social media.
Retzlaff is being sued for alleged battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. According to the lawsuit, the woman is seeking punitive damages from the BYU quarterback.
As of Wednesday, Retzlaff does not face any criminal charges. Mark Baute, Retzlaff's attorney, issued a statement saying the BYU quarterback is "factually innocent."
Baute also described his client as a "nice young man."
Retzlaff made the move from California to Utah in 2023 when he transferred to BYU. He led the Cougars to an 11-2 record last season.
Jax Ulbrich, the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, sparked controversy after he got his hands on Sheduer Sanders' phone number from his father's computer before the start of the NFL Draft.
The NFL subsequently fined the Falcons assistant coach $100,000. The league also issued the Falcons a $250,000 fine.
The situation sparked some debate about whether Ulbrich, in his second stint with Atlanta, would be dismissed from his job. But Ulbrich said he was never concerned his job was at risk.
"In all honesty, I never went there, but I felt nothing but support from the organization in every single way, from the people that worked the line in the cafeteria to [owner] Mr. [Arthur] Blank himself, all of them," Ulbrich told ESPN Wednesday.
Ulbrich handled various assistant coaching roles from 2015-2020 during his first stint with the Falcons. Head coach Raheem Morris, also in his second stint with the team, brought Ulbrich back to Atlanta in January to fill the defensive coordinator opening.
The Falcons fired former defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake shortly after the regular season ended.
"I felt great support from him. It was one of the biggest reasons, in all honesty, that I came back here because of the organization and what I think of this building," Ulbrich added.
Ulbrich said he still hasn't decided on discipline for his son.
"We're still working through that, but it was a challenge for our family," Ulbrich said. "But it's a challenge that everyone in our family's up for. And like I said, it's going to make my son better because of it."
During a news conference last month, Ulbrich said Jax's actions were "absolutely inexcusable." He also said he was unaware his son was responsible for the prank call until after the draft, but he was "shocked" when he did learn of the development.
A pair of high-profile South African golfers were thrown into a tense exchange at the White House Wednesday.
Ernie Els and Retief Goosen joined Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, for a meeting in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump.
While the meeting between the two leaders got off to a cordial start, the tenor of the meeting took a noticeable turn when Trump confronted Ramaphosa with a video that allegedly showed grave treatment of white farmers. Trump also presented Ramaphosa with documents he claimed were accounts of killings of "thousands" of Afrikaners.
Ramaphosa offered multiple denials to the claims and made it clear the statements made in the videos were not representative of his government's policies. Els and Goosen were then brought into the discussion.
Trump welcomed the golfers as he introduced the South African president.
"I really appreciate that you guys came along. It really helps us in our thought process," Trump said. "You two guys are fantastic," Trump added. "What a group of golfers South Africa has had."
Els previously held the world's No. 1 golf ranking. He presented his passport and said he was a "proud South African" before referencing "the apartheid era" and calling for unity.
"I know there was a lot of anger through the transition. There was a lot of stuff happening in the apartheid days," he said. "We grew in the apartheid era, but I don’t think two wrongs make a right."
Els added he was eager to attend the meeting and hoped it would prove beneficial for his country.
"We really wanted to meet you, meet the administration and see our way forward because we still want to see our country flourish," Els added.
Goosen, a two-time U.S. Open winner, was asked about the farms in South Africa.
"My dad was a property developer as well as a part-time farmer, and, yeah, some of his buddy farmers got killed. The farm is still going. My brothers run it, but it's a constant battle with farms. … They’re trying to burn the farms down, to chase you away. So it is, it is a concern to try make a living as a farmer. … Without our farmers, there’s no food on the plate."
Goosen said his family members who lived on farms had electric fences and lived in fear of crime.
"They left behind electric fences, you know, try to be, at night, safe. But it is constant whenever you leave that something could happen. … Both of them have been attacked in their houses. My mom's been attacked in our house when she was 80. It is difficult. But the guys live a great life despite everything going on."
Els and Goosen are well acquainted with the sitting U.S. president. Prior to Trump's first term in office, he posted a photo on social media of himself and Els.
"Ernie Els and myself at Trump National Doral," he captioned the 2013 Facebook post.
Trump is an avid golfer. His real estate portfolio also includes golf courses.
President Donald Trump was surrounded by multiple "winners" on Tuesday.
Trump hosted the University of Florida's men's basketball team to commemorate their national championship won early last month — and near the front of the stage was UF legend Tim Tebow.
Trump spotted the former quarterback and took a moment to praise him — all while taking a parting shot at one of his former teams.
"And a very special thanks to the NFL legend and University of Florida. I mean, one of the greatest players I've ever seen," Trump said of Tebow. "I'll tell you what, as a college player, maybe the best ever. And you did damn well. And you did damn well in the pros, too. He was great. Despite being on the Jets, you did damn well."
Tebow was drafted 25th overall by the Denver Broncos in 2010, and in his sophomore season, he found the late Demaryius Thomas on an 88-yard touchdown in overtime of the NFL playoffs.
Denver, though, signed Peyton Manning in the offseason, leading the team to trade him to Gang Green. His role with the Jets was heavily debated, with coaches saying he'd be used both on special teams and in a wildcat formation. He lasted just one season, during which he had just eight pass attempts and never touched an NFL field again.
He won two national championships and lost in a third. He also won the Heisman Trophy.
"He's a terrific guy. He is a terrific guy. He's a winner. Boy, he was a winner. You won two, right? And you almost won a third. Nobody did that. I think he goes down really as one of the best, maybe the best college football player. If you think about it, we can only base it on results, right Tim?" Trump continued.
After playing football, Tim Tebow joined the New York Mets' minor league system in 2016. He played in the minors until 2019 and played in spring training in 2020 before the pandemic canceled the minor league season. He hung up the metal spikes in 2021 before signing with the Jaguars as a tight end, rejoining Urban Meyer, but he didn't make the team.
The Canadian star and league's leading scorer posted career highs with 32.7 points and 6.4 assists per game, carrying the Thunder to the No. 1 seed in the West with an NBA-best 68-14 record.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished in second place last year to Nikola Jokić. The Thunder defeated Jokić's Denver Nuggets in seven games in the second round.
Gilgeous-Alexander was the 11th overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 2018 but was quickly traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He only spent one year there, though, and was part of a package that sent Paul George to Los Angeles.
Since the trade, Gilgeous-Alexander has been a diamond in the rough, and he will soon be named first-team All-NBA a third straight year. He's also led the NBA in free throws made per game the last two seasons.
Oklahoma City kicked off the Western Conference finals with a 114-88 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, who fell in the same round to the Dallas Mavericks last year. OKC trailed by four points at the half but outscored Minnesota 70-40 in the second half.
This is the furthest OKC has gotten in the playoffs since 2016, when the Thunder blew a 3-1 lead to the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in the conference finals. The Warriors then did the same to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Gilgeous-Alexander beat out Jokić, who was seeking a fourth MVP in five years. No one has won four MVPs in a five-year span since James did it from 2009 to 2013.
Jokić averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, the first time he averaged a triple-double in a season. And he became the third player to do so, joining Oscar Robertson and teammate Russell Westbrook, who has done it four times.
Oklahoma City, formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics, are still looking for their first NBA title since moving (Seattle won the NBA title in 1979). The Thunder last made the NBA Finals in 2012, when they lost to James and the Miami Heat.
