The Red Wings' practice experience looked drastically different this week. Detroit's NHL franchise skated around a temporary rink in the middle of Ohio Stadium, the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes' football team.

Dylan Larkin, who rose to hockey stardom with the Michigan Wolverines, was critical of the football stadium's aesthetics. 

"It's probably the ugliest stadium I’ve ever been in," Larkin said.

The Red Wings were in Columbus, Ohio, Friday for practice ahead of Saturday's Stadium Series game against the Blue Jackets. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

NHL STAR MATTHEW TKACHUK REFLECTS ON 4 NATIONS FINAL: ‘WE’RE SO LUCKY TO BE FROM THIS GREAT COUNTRY'

"It’s cool to play hockey outside," Larkin told reporters. "There’s a lot of excitement with the guys and (it's) pretty cool to just do something different."

The Red Wings and Blue Jackets enter Saturday's game in a tie for one of the Eastern Conference's wild-card spots. 

Forecasts call for temperatures in the 20s when the puck drops. Wind gusts could also create some issues for the players.

Detroit's Patrick Kane, who has played in several outdoor hockey games, spoke about the weather.

"I’m sure the ice will be a little bit better (tonight), being colder," Kane said. "Sometimes today, I noticed it a little bit. You’re skating into the wind, and then, the other way, you’re skating with the wind at your back. That could be something that comes into play where maybe they might switch the sides with 10 minutes left in (the third) period."

The 2025 Stadium Series will give the Red Wings a chance for revenge for Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Blue Jackets in Detroit.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Following Michigan's huge upset over Ohio State during Rivalry Week, they attempted to plant a school flag at midfield of Ohio Stadium, and it did not sit well with the Buckeyes.

Members of both teams got into an all-out brawl that got to the point where police on the field used pepper spray to break uo the fighting.

That decision prompted some controversy, but according to The Athletic, reviews by two Ohio agencies say that law enforcement was justified in its actions.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"Several people were on the ground, police officers were being pushed and shoved by large, highly trained and skilled division one football athletes in full football game attire," Ohio State University police detective Douglas Cunningham wrote in his department’s report. "The players had the advantage in both size, strength, conditioning, protective gear and they outnumbered the police presence trying to suppress the growing threat."

Cunningham said he used pepper spray to "assist in gaining compliance from the aggression/resistance of the surging crowd," as initial attempts to "suppress the aggressive, combative and growing crowd and to regain order" did not work.

LSU TRACK ATHLETE DEAD AT 18 AFTER FIERY CAR WRECK ON SCHOOL'S CAMPUS

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day defended his players after the melee, saying, "These guys were looking to put a flag on our field, and we’re not going to let that happen."

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, who waved goodbye to Buckeyes fans in the crowd after the Wolverines' final stop, took the high road following their 13-10 win.

"It was emotion on both sides. It can’t happen. . . . We got to handle it better," Moore said.

Michigan running back Kalel Mullins, who ran for over 100 yards in the contest, said the moment was "bad for the sport" and "classless" for the Buckeyes to take it to that level.

Each school was fined $100,000 for the brawl. Nobody was suspended.

It was the fourth year in a row that Michigan defeated Ohio State after the Buckeyes had won 15 of 16 meetings. But the Buckeyes got the last laugh, going on a run to become the national champions.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

• I tried chicken tenders from Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, Whataburger, Raising Cane's, KFC, Bojangles, Zaxby's, Wingstop, and Cook Out.
• Chick-fil-A and KFC's chicken tenders were similar in their breaded texture.
• Raising Cane's impressed me with its crispy-yet-juicy tenders and delicious signature sauce.

Some fast-food chains have built their entire businesses on chicken tenders.

Todd Graves, for example, turned his idea for a chicken-finger restaurant into a billion-dollar business: Raising Cane's. Graves is now the richest person in Louisiana, with an estimated net worth of $9.5 billion, and Cane's is growing rapidly, with more than 800 restaurants in the US and internationally and billions in annual sales, Forbes reported.

But other chains aren't sleeping on chicken tenders — the chicken tender battle is underway, and practically every chain wants in.

KFC revamped its original recipe in October, and this week, Wingstop released new chicken tenders that the chain said will be "lighter" and "crispier" than its previous tenders.

To see which chain might win the battle, I compared chicken tenders from nine fast-food chains from across the country.

Here's how the tenders ranked, from worst to best, based on taste and value.

Of all the chicken tenders I tried, the ones from Whataburger didn't completely wow me.

A three-piece chicken tender cost only $6.97 at Whataburger at the location I visited in Austin.

The chicken tenders were large and perfectly fried.

I thought the tenders could only be described as "classic" — they weren't anything out-of-the-box, but I enjoyed them.

The meat inside was juicy, but I thought the fried coating could have had a bit more crunch.

The chicken tenders tasted good on their own, as well as with ranch dipping sauce. They weren't bad by any stretch of the imagination. However, I did think the other tenders I tried were slightly crispier and had just the slightest hint of more flavor in the batter.

Regardless, for a relatively low price, I'd definitely order these again.

I also ordered chicken tenders from Cook Out, a regional chain I visited in South Carolina.

The three-piece "snack" cost $4.99, not including tax.

The chicken tenders were crispy on the outside.

They were also a good size. I thought the price was also a great deal for the generous portion I received.

However, there wasn't an abundance of chicken meat inside.

These were undeniably classic chicken tenders, similar to the ones from Whataburger, but they were a touch too fried for my liking. However, I thought they were well-seasoned and had a lot of peppery flavor.

Chick-fil-A's chicken tenders were good ... but I really just used them as a vehicle for the chain's Chick-fil-A sauce.

When it's not included in a meal deal, a three-piece chicken tender costs $9.69 at my nearest location in New York City. For a meal, the price bumps up to $17.35, excluding tax and fees.

Some of the chicken pieces looked slightly darker and more fried than others.

There were small bits of fried breading scattered on the outside, which I always love with a chicken tender.

The chicken tenders were nicely fried but still juicy on the inside.

However, they weren't quite as crispy as I expected. I wanted a distinct crunch when I bit into the tenders, but they didn't deliver that. In the end, it's largely up to personal preference.

When I dipped them in the chain's signature Chick-fil-A sauce, the experience was mouthwatering. However, the actual chicken tenders were just alright — it was the sauce that took them over the edge.

My sixth favorite chicken tenders came from Popeyes.

A three-piece tender combo costs $16.89 before taxes and fees. The meal deal included a large serving of fries, a drink, and a biscuit, as well as a choice of dipping sauces. 

The chicken tenders from Popeyes were crispy, flaky, and crunchy.

I really liked the crunchy exterior.

The meat inside was flaky and moist as well.

I also thought the batter was quite flavorful — I could taste hints of seasoning and buttermilk, although they weren't quite as buttery-tasting as the Chick-fil-A tenders.

However, this meal felt expensive for only three chicken tenders, even though they were large.

I thought the chicken tenders from Bojangles were flavorful and super crispy.

A four-piece chicken tenders combo, including fries, a medium drink, and a biscuit, cost me $12.97, excluding taxes and fees.

I thought the chicken tenders were a good size.

The texture and flavor of the breading made them taste like a cross between the chicken tenders from Chick-fil-A and Cook Out. 

The breading was peppery, just the right thickness, and perfectly encased the juicy white chicken meat inside.

I also thought the price was fair considering how much food I received. The chicken tenders paired perfectly with honey mustard but were also tasty on their own.

I would definitely order these again.

KFC's original recipe chicken tenders really impressed me with their taste and value.

I ordered a four-piece tender meal for $13.04, excluding taxes and fees, in Brooklyn, New York. I thought this was an excellent value for the amount of food I received. 

The tenders were well-breaded on the outside, though the breading wasn't as crispy or crunchy as others I tried.

The breading stuck closely to the chicken tenders, rather than having a thick or crunchy texture.

However, the chicken tenders paired well with the chain's honey mustard and new comeback sauce. The breading had a tasty, very peppery flavor to it that was unique compared to the other chicken tenders I tried.

The chicken tenders were flavorful and contained an impressive amount of white meat chicken.

However, the slightly less crispy texture of the breading meant they didn't come out on top when compared to the last three chains I tried.

Wingstop's chicken tenders came in third place.

Wingstop recently revamped its chicken tenders, and I was excited to try them out.

The chain sells its chicken in various flavors, from original hot to hickory-smoked barbecue and mango habanero. However, I ordered these chicken tenders plain.

I ordered a five-piece chicken tender combo at my local Wingstop in Brooklyn, New York. It cost $14.99 and came with a drink, dipping sauce, and a regular side of fries.

The chain also sells four chicken tenders, which come with one dipping sauce, for $10.39, plus tax and fees.

The chicken tenders were large and well-breaded.

The chicken tenders were deep golden in color and evenly fried, with small clumps of fried breading adding even more texture to every bite.

These tenders were filled with real chicken.

The chicken tender easily tore apart with every bite, which is something I look for. The breading itself was slightly peppery, but not overly flavorful. They paired well with Wingstop's signature ranch — my favorite of any fast-food ranch — and the chain's honey mustard.

Wingstop delivered great classic tenders, though the breading didn't pack as much flavor as the top two chains I tried. Nevertheless, I'd definitely order these again.

My second favorite chicken tenders came from Zaxby's.

A five-piece chicken tenders combo came with fries, a small drink, coleslaw, and a piece of Texas toast. I also asked for a side of honey mustard and Zaxby's famous Zax sauce. My meal cost $14.77, excluding taxes and fees.

The breading of the chicken tenders was very similar to Chick-fil-A's in consistency, flavor, and texture, but I thought these chicken tenders had more chicken meat.

The breading was crispy and flavorful, with a slight sweetness.

The chicken tenders held their own without sauce but were really taken to the next level when dipped in the tangy Zax sauce.

Zax sauce tastes similar to Cane's sauce I tried from Raising Cane's, but I found it to be just ever-so-slightly less flavorful, and creamy. I also thought that it didn't have the same kick.

However, the chicken tenders really impressed me. They were a good size, extremely flavorful, and addictingly delicious. I found myself craving even more than the five chicken tenders I was given, which is rare for me.

In the end, it was a really tough call on whether I preferred Zaxby's or Raising Cane's chicken tenders.

But my favorite chicken tenders came from Raising Cane's.

My six-piece meal cost $16.59, including tax, but a three-finger combo that includes three chicken fingers, fries, Cane's sauce, Texas toast, and a regular drink costs $9.59, excluding tax and any additions or swaps. 

The chicken tenders were super crispy.

The chicken tenders were also thick. After biting in, I could actually see the strips of white chicken underneath, which, in my experience, you don't always find with fast-food chicken tenders.

The chicken tenders were crispy and juicy on the inside — I had to give them the win.

I tried the tenders on their own and with the Cane's sauce. On their own, the tenders were simply everything one could ask for: thick, juicy, and crispy on the outside.

However, the chain is famous for its chicken-complementing sauce, and after biting in, I could definitely see why. It had a slight kick to it, and it was creamy and surprisingly tangy. It paired perfectly with the chicken and was unlike any other sauce I've ever tried.

In the end, Raising Cane's took home the win for me with the chain's near-perfect chicken tenders and fair prices.

Donovan Munger, a former college football defensive lineman who played for the 2014 Ohio State national championship team, has died, his mother announced on social media. He was 30.

A cause of death wasn’t announced.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"My heart will never beat the same. It is with my deepest sadness that I formally announce to the world the passing of my eldest child Donovan Munger. Pray for my family," his mother wrote in an Instagram post.

Munger was a standout high school football player and committed to Ohio State as a four-star recruit. He was diagnosed with a blood clot before the start of the 2013 season, which forced him to sit out a year, according to 247 Sports.

MIAMI QUARTERBACK CARSON BECK'S LUXURY CARS STOLEN IN FLORIDA: REPORT

He eventually made appearances for Ohio State starting in the 2014 season. He had five total tackles and one tackle for a loss during the season. 

The Buckeyes finished 14-1 and won their first College Football Playoff National Championship against the Oregon Ducks.

He returned to the team in 2015, appearing in 11 games.

But the blood clot eventually caused him to retire from football altogether.

Ohio State fans paid tribute to Munger on social media as his death was announced.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day entered this past season under considerable pressure. The criticism of Day ramped up after the Buckeyes once again failed to defeat their top rival, the Michigan Wolverines, in late November.

Day ultimately sent a strong message to the doubters as he guided Ohio State to the College Football Playoff National Championship. During a recent appearance on the "The Triple Option" podcast, Day credited the Navy SEALs for providing the Buckeyes with some added motivation during their run to the national title.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Clint Bruce, who played in the NFL before and is a former Navy SEAL, stepped in and shared some words of wisdom about leadership with the football team.

"He's been really good for me in the process of understanding what it means to be a leader," Day said. "The soldiers are doing all the fighting. It's your job as a head coach, leader and captain to look along the horizon and figure out what's coming next. There are so many parallels between the military and coaching. He and I would share a lot of conversations."

OHIO STATE'S RYAN DAY AGREES TO NEW CONTRACT THAT MAKES HIM SECOND-HIGHEST PAID COACH

Bruce graduated from the Naval Academy and had stints in the league with the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints. He is currently a motivational speaker. He delivered an "unbelievable talk" to the Buckeyes before their playoff semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns in January.

"We played down in Dallas, and just by chance, the fort he is stationed at was like five minutes from our hotel," Day said. "He just came over and gave our team an unbelievable talk. He talked about how when the SEALs go to a hot spot in Afghanistan or different places, they set up shop, take a few days to get regulated with the area, then they create a storm, wreck and then leave. That was what we were doing. It was really cool. I'm just trying to find as many people who are in the top 1% of the top 1% as possible and put them in my life as possible."

Day credited Bruce for his contribution to the program's culture but said the players should receive the majority of the credit for what they built.

"The expectation comes from the players. We create a leadership committee that we vote on before spring ball, and then we re-vote on after spring ball. We write the expectations up on the board," he said.

This month, Day was rewarded with a contract extension that will tie him to the football program through the 2031 season. Day also became the second-highest paid coach in college football, only trailing Georgia's Kirby Smart.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Philadelphia Eagles rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean says he received a thoughtful message from fellow Iowa alum Caitlin Clark after his Super Bowl victory – despite her loyalty to the Kansas City Chiefs. 

The WNBA star made headlines last month when she was spotted sitting alongside Taylor Swift in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs’ divisional round playoff game against the Houston Texans on Jan. 18. 

The two were seen embracing one another after Swift’s boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, scored a touchdown in the second half. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

However, despite her apparent loyalties to the "Chiefs’ Kingdom," Clark sent a message to her fellow Hawkeyes star after his standout performance in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.  

"She sent me a nice message congratulating me," DeJean said during an appearance on the "Up & Adams Show." 

"That was nice of her, being a Chiefs fan and all," he added with a smile. 

JALEN HURTS DISPELS 'TUSH PUSH' TERM, SAQUON BARKLEY DISCUSSES ROLE IN EAGLES' FAMED SHORT-YARDAGE PLAY

The rookie cornerback was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He had an immediate impact in his first NFL season, which was headlined by a stellar performance in the Eagles' 40-22 win over Kansas City.

On his 22nd birthday, DeJean picked off Patrick Mahomes to score a touchdown and became the first player in Super Bowl history to intercept a pass or score a touchdown on his birthday. 

"I was trying to find the fastest way to the end zone," he said after the game. "Luckily, I got some blocks out there. I had to avoid some of those big guys, but it was just our defense working together like we have all year. It fell right into my lap."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jim Tressel was nominated as the next lieutenant governor of Ohio on Monday, and it drew a reaction from one of his former star players while he coached at Ohio State.

Terrelle Pryor, who was the quarterback for the Buckeyes from 2008 to 2010, had a two-word show of support for Tressel.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"My guy," he wrote in a post on his Instagram Stories on Monday.

Pryor passed for 2,772 yards and 27 touchdowns in his final season with the Buckeyes in 2010. It proved to be Tressel’s last season with the Buckeyes as well.

Tressel and Pryor were both caught up in an improper benefits scandal. The NCAA, after an investigation with the FBI and the Justice Department, determined Tressel, Pryor and other Buckeyes players violated the organization’s policies over impermissible benefits. Players were accused of receiving tattoos or cash for autographs.

Tressel was accused of withholding information in the investigation and resigned before the start of the 2011 season. Pryor left the school before his final year.

COLORADO'S DEION SANDERS EXPLAINS AVERSION TO COACHING IN NFL

Pryor went on to play wide receiver in the NFL and put together a solid career. Tressel never coached in the collegiate ranks again. Instead, he served as Youngstown State University’s president from 2014 to 2023.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine nominated Tressel for lieutenant governor after Jon Husted replaced Vice President JD Vance in the U.S. Senate.

"Jim Tressel is Ohio values. He’s a hard worker and shares that vision (I have) for the future of Ohio," the Republican governor said Monday at a news conference. "He has the ability to pull people together. He has the ability to lead. He will enable me to be assured that if something happens to me, he can walk in and be governor that day and that would be seamless."

Tressel expressed his admiration for DeWine.

"I want to study a little bit about what Jon Husted has going on, and so I want to learn the business, if you will," he said. "And then it’s up to when you sit down with the team and the staff and everyone else trying to figure out who plays what position best. And I’d be more than happy to help wherever I can."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Since Mike Tyson's Punch-Out was first released on the NES in 1987, millions of players have undertaken millions more digital matches against one of the hardest video game bosses ever—Tyson himself (or, later, the reskinned "Mr. Dream"). Only a small percentage of those players could survive Tyson's flurry of instant-knockdown uppercuts and emerge victorious with the undisputed World Video Boxing Association championship. Even fewer had fast enough fingers to take out Tyson in the first round.

In all this time, no one has been able to register a TKO on Tyson in less than two minutes on the ever-present in-game clock (which runs roughly three times as quickly as a real-time clock). At least, that was true until this weekend, when popular speedrunner and speedrun historian Summoning Salt pulled off a 1:59.97 knockout after what he says was "75,000 attempts over nearly 5 years."

Incredibly good and incredibly lucky

Breaking the storied 2:00 barrier on Tyson is a matter of both incredible skill and incredibly unlikely luck. As Summoning Salt himself started documenting in a 2017 video, getting the quickest possible Tyson TKO requires throwing 21 "frame perfect" punches throughout the fight, each within a 1/60th of a second window. Punch too early and those punches do slightly less damage, making the fight take just a bit longer. Too late and Tyson will throw up a block, negating the punch entirely.

Read full article

Comments

Caitlin Clark had a terrific Sunday afternoon.

The University of Iowa women’s basketball program immortalized Clark’s career forever as they officially retired her No. 22 jersey and hung it in the rafters of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Clark stood with her family as the number was raised to the top of the facility.

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

Clark then got to watch the Hawkeyes stun No. 4 USC for one of the biggest wins of their season. Lucy Olsen scored 28 points and Addison O’Grady had 13 in the 76-69 win. Iowa opened the game on a 17-1 run but were down at halftime before righting the ship and pulling off the victory.

Olsen and O’Grady had 23 of Iowa’s 25 fourth-quarter points.

JuJu Watkins, who is set to be the next women’s basketball star, led the team with 27 points, five rebounds and three assists. She was 8-of-22 from the field and played 40 minutes.

But it wasn’t enough for the Trojans to hold off Iowa.

Clark, who became college basketball’s all-time leading scorer while leading Iowa to back-to-back national championship appearances, spoke about her jersey retirement before the game.

SOUTH CAROLINA RETIRES JERSEY NUMBER OF 3-TIME WNBA MVP A'JA WILSON

"I feel like I already have those butterflies in your stomach when you walk in here," Clark said during a pregame press conference. "Not so much for a basketball game now, but obviously just to be around everybody and to enjoy this environment. I don’t have to go and compete for 40 minutes, even though I wish maybe I could. I think it will definitely be a little bit more emotional that I don’t have to compete."

A sellout crowd of 14,998 attended the game. Former Iowa coach Lisa Bluder and former teammates Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall were in attendance. Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White and comedian David Letterman were also at the game.

Clark reflected on the winning Iowa did while she was at the press conference.

"The winning came because of the great culture that we had," she said. "And for me, I hope that’s the thing that always stays intact, and I know it will, because of the great coaching staff we have and the type of players that they are here. 

"We had players that were selfless. We had players that didn’t care how many points you were going to score. They’re going to do whatever they could for your teammates. They were going to hold their teammates accountable. And I think that’s a lost art in college these days, and you don’t always see that."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Caitlin Clark has become one of the most polarizing figures in all of sports over the last year-plus.

Her popularity reached a peak nearly two years ago when she and Angel Reese duked it out in the national championship – and then, she became a household name.

Clark set numerous records in her senior year, including becoming the NCAA's all-time leading scorer, and parlayed it all into becoming the No. 1 overall pick.

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

But then came the culture wars that she found herself in the middle of, with many, including WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, saying that her race played a role in her popularity.

Clark was the victim of some hard fouls and trash talk throughout her rookie season, but it didn't seem to faze her, as she set plenty of records in Year One.

Clark returned to Iowa on Sunday to see her No. 22 go into the rafters, and she was asked about the criticism she's received recently.

"I think it’s just life. Everybody goes through some of the things that I’ve gone through, a lot of people go through a lot worse. I just try to remind myself every single day how grateful I am to be in the position I am, I want to treat everyone the same way that I would want to be treated. It speaks to the way I was raised and my parents raised me. There’s gonna be good days, there’s gonna be bad days. But it’s just, you go with the flow. I think having a good circle around me, a small circle around me of people that I really trust that I can always count on and lean on is what’s been so important for me over this past year," Clark told reporters on Sunday.

ANGEL REESE BECOMES FIRST PLAYER EJECTED FROM UNRIVALED LEAGUE AND THEN CALLS COVERAGE OF IT 'CLICKBAIT'

"But also, I’ve said this before, I feel like one of my greatest skills is I really don’t care. Like, I don’t. I don’t care. I believe in myself, I’m confident in myself, I’m confident in my teammates, I try to instill that in them, I’m confident in the coaching staff of whatever team I was on, whether that was [at Iowa], whether that’s at the Fever now. You just rely on those people. Nobody gets to step inside your locker room… Everybody thinks they know everything and have an answer, but that’s just not reality. That goes for all of professional sports, that goes for all of you as well and people in life."

As Clark's rookie season progressed, there were allegations of racism from both Fever and Iowa fans, a claim made by the aforementioned Reese.

But Clark's appearances in games brought historic viewership to both the college and pro levels. The final three games of her college career were the most-watched women's college basketball games ever. She also had several of her regular-season games draw more viewers than WNBA playoff games, and her WNBA matchups with Reese were some of the most-viewed WNBA games ever.

WNBA teams even had to move to larger arenas simply because of the ticket demand Clark drew; the Fever sold 90 times more tickets this past year than in 2023.

Clark was named the Rookie of the Year for her historic campaign during which she set the record for the most assists in one season in league history. She carried the Fever to a playoff appearance after a slow start, and she quickly became a double-double machine. She even set a single-game record with 19 assists. She also became the first rookie to record a triple-double, registering two of them.

She received the most votes for the All-Star Game and was just the fifth rookie in league history to make the All-WNBA first-team. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

• I compared spicy chicken sandwiches from Burger King, McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and Wendy's.
• I thought Burger King's sandwich had a nice kick but not the crispiest chicken patty.
• Chick-fil-A's sandwich took the top spot because it was crispy yet juicy and full of flavor.

While classic chicken sandwiches have long dominated fast-food menus, their spicier counterparts are stealing the spotlight.

For the last couple of years, Gen Z's appetite for spicy foods has been fueling competition in the food market.

In 2025, this trend is expected to intensify, with "complex heat" emerging as the generation's flavor of choice, according to a November 2024 report by Rubix Foods, a food science company. About 48% of 15,000 respondents said they would opt for a spicier version of an item over the original.

Gen Z are also ready to back their preferences with their wallets. The report found that two-thirds of its Gen Z respondents said they were more likely to buy an item if it was advertised as spicy, and 44% would even pay extra for it.

I don't have a high tolerance for spicy food, but still, like other Gen Zers, I prefer a chicken sandwich with a little kick.

To see how popular fast-food chains turned up the heat on their menu, I put their spicy chicken sandwiches to the test, trying and comparing offerings from five major brands.

Here's how they ranked, from my least to most favorite.

5. Wendy's

Cost: $6.39 — excluding tax and tip — at a Wendy's drive-thru in Chicago.

Note: All prices listed here may vary in different markets.

The bun felt stale, lacking the soft, fresh texture you'd expect, and I found the chicken disappointingly dry.

Wendy's introduced its spicy chicken sandwich in 1995, becoming one of the earliest fast-food brands to bring heat to the mainstream chicken sandwich market.

Each burger features a marinated chicken filet tossed in a breading with peppers and eight different spices. The fried chicken is placed atop lettuce, tomato, and mayo.

I'd heard great things about the brand's spicy menu, especially its chicken sandwiches and nuggets, so I was excited to try this.

One bite in, though, I thought the sandwich needed major modifications to compete with offerings from other chain restaurants. From the bun to the veggies, everything felt a bit off to me.

I shared the sandwich with a friend, who felt the sauce was too "liquidy," making the chicken soggy. It also came with limp green lettuce and a lifeless half tomato. In terms of spiciness, I didn't think it tasted any different from a regular Wendy's sandwich.

The only saving grace was that the sandwich came wrapped in foil, which kept it warm and toasty despite the freezing temperatures outside.

While packaging and portion size might win it some points, a great sandwich needs to deliver on taste and texture and this one fell short on both. Even the sauce, which should have added flavor, did little to elevate it.

When I contacted Wendy's, the spokesperson apologized for the bad experience and offered a gift voucher, recommending that I give the sandwich another chance.

4. McDonald's

Cost: $5.89 — excluding tax and tip — at a McDonald's drive-thru in Chicago.

Although well-constructed, the sandwich I tried was stuffed with a very dry chicken filet.

In my experience, McDonald's in the US can be a hit or miss, depending on which location and, at times, what item you order.

Its limited-time spicy chicken nuggets, for example, were a huge hit. The spicy chicken sandwich, on the other hand, was somewhat of a miss for me.

When I received the sandwich, it came warm and wrapped in a cardboard box. Upon opening it, I thought it looked appetizing and filling — it was similar to the Chick-fil-A sandwich, but with a split-top potato bun that included shredded lettuce, Roma tomatoes, a Southern-style fried chicken fillet, and a spicy pepper sauce.

However, when I took my first bite, I was disappointed by how dry and lackluster the burger was. Even in terms of spice, the sandwich did not have much to offer and tasted similar to the McCrispy.

My friend and I agreed that to move up the ranking, this sandwich needed a spicier sauce and maybe some of the punchy seasoning used in the spicy chicken nuggets.

A better alternative and more bang for your buck when you're craving something fried and spicy is the restaurant's Hot 'n Spicy McChicken sandwich. It is perfect as an evening snack, full of flavor, and has the juiciest chicken.

Business Insider contacted McDonald's for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

3. Popeyes

Cost: $4.99 — excluding tax and tip — at a Popeyes drive-thru in Chicago.

The Popeyes spicy sandwich had the juiciest and crispiest chicken filet but lacked seasoning.

Popeyes debuted its chicken sandwich in 2019, offering two flavors: classic and spicy. The sandwich keeps it simple; the crispy chicken filet is packed in a soft brioche bun with cured pickles and spicy mayo.

When my friend and I were doing this taste test, he felt Popeyes deserved a higher ranking for its pillowy soft brioche bun and perfectly crispy, juicy chicken.

While I thought it was a generous sandwich, the underlying taste of oil and the lack of spicy seasoning put me off.

For a sandwich marketed as "spicy," I expected a stronger punch of heat. Instead, the flavor leaned heavily on the richness of the chicken and bun, which, while delicious in their own right, didn't deliver the bold, fiery experience I hoped for. My friend didn't mind the absence of spice, however.

Popeyes has mastered the art of a satisfying chicken sandwich, but for me, the lack of spice kept it from moving higher up in this lineup. A touch more seasoning or a spicier sauce could have pushed it closer to the top.

The brand also serves a ghost pepper sandwich — which, the last time I tried, also did not live up to my spice expectations — but perhaps with some extra sauce, it could be a better option compared to the regular.

When I reached out to Popeyes about my experience, they said they believe its chicken sandwich "stands out as the ultimate choice for chicken lovers because of our perfect balance of flavor, texture, and quality" and that "each bite delivers an irresistible combination of savory, spicy and crunchy."

2. Burger King

Cost: $6.09 — excluding tax and tip — at a Burger King drive-thru in Chicago.

The "fiery" chicken sandwich lived up to its reputation, packing the most heat.

The first thing that hits you when you bite into this sandwich is the kick from the sauce.

So far, all the other sandwiches I'd tasted were either sprinkled with a slight spice mix for a kick, or their fried chicken was coated in a slightly spicier batter.

But Burger King's fiery, crispy chicken sandwich, which was introduced last year, combines both techniques. The triple pepper fiery glaze sauce is also generously spread on both buns, ensuring you taste the spice in every bite.

That generous spread is also where the trouble begins, though. I thought the sauce and the juices from the tomato slice killed the chicken's crispiness, leaving a wet sandwich.

It was also messy to eat, with blobs of sauce and oil dripping out. One of the joys of a good drive-thru burger is being able to eat it without making a mess, but with this one, that was nearly impossible.

On a brighter note, I appreciated that, unlike many traditional sandwiches, this one skips the pickle and features lettuce and tomato instead. The fresh crunch of the vegetables added a nice contrast and helped balance out the meatiness of the sandwich.

In a comment to Business Insider, Burger King said the sandwich "uses a special blend of spices for a bold and balanced level of heat that builds gradually, allowing guests to experience its full flavor profile."

1. Chick-fil-A

Cost: $6.49 — excluding tax and tip — at a Chick-fil-A drive-thru in Chicago.

The perfect seasoning, soft bun, and crunchy chicken landed this in the top spot.

Disclaimer: This has been my go-to order at Chick-fil-A since I first ate at the restaurant in 2022. This sandwich is always served hot, tastes fresh, and is packed with flavor.

This time, when I tried it for the taste test, it was no different. There are two other spicy chicken sandwich variations on its menu, but I prefer the spicy deluxe sandwich because it has vegetables and is more filling.

Visually, this sandwich blew the others out of the water. A large piece of fried chicken was layered between two halves of a soft, buttered bun, topped with one large pickle, a tomato slice, some lettuce, and a slice of pepper jack cheese.

There is no spicy sauce here, but the fried chicken is full of flavor and hits all the right spice notes.

Overall, each sandwich I tried had a distinct flavor profile, varied textures, and different ways of spicing it up.

But Chick-fil-A's chicken sandwich stood out as the complete package. The heat was perfectly balanced: not overpowering, but enough to give each bite a kick. The perfectly seasoned chicken remained crisp and juicy, and the bun held everything together beautifully.

Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as the next U.S. Secretary of Defense late Friday and might feel a bit like Ohio State quarterback Will Howard. 

Vance, an Ohio State alum, celebrated Hegseth's confirmation with an anecdote that referenced his alma mater's recent 34-23 national championship victory over Notre Dame. 

"As I learned with the Buckeyes just a week ago, when you win the championship, it doesn't matter what the score was. We won the championship on this one. We've got a great Secretary of Defense. We're proud of him, and he's going to do a great job," Vance said. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Vance has been on a roll with sports analogies lately. 

After former President Joe Biden falsely insisted the Constitution had been amended to include the the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th amendment, Vance mocked that notion with a baseball comparison.

Vance responded to Biden's declaration in a post on X, joking that Biden should put the late disgraced MLB icon Pete Rose in the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

OHIO STATE'S EMEKA EGBUKA REFLECTS ON HOW BUCKEYES RALLIED FROM MICHIGAN LOSS TO WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

"Hey Joe if we’re doing fake s--- on the way out can you declare Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame?" Vance wrote, in reference to an infamous baseball debate. Rose, MLB's all-time hit leader who died in September, was banned from the sport for life for illegally betting on games. 

Vance, meanwhile, got to witness the Buckeyes' first national title since 2014 the same day he and President Donald Trump were inaugurated. Vance has been a proud, vocal Ohio State football fan throughout his political career as a former senator from the state. 

Vance even joked about skipping Monday's inauguration to watch the Buckeyes take on Notre Dame in Atlanta. 

"Hopefully everyone is cool with me skipping the inauguration so I can go to the national title game," Vance joked in a post on social media. 

During the campaign, Vance revealed he told Trump his loyalty to the Buckeyes might affect Trump's chances of winning the key battleground state of Michigan.

"When he first asked me to be a VP, I was like, 'Well, you know, hopefully we don't lose Michigan by like 900 votes, because you're going to regret it. 'Cause it's probably just a thousand p---ed-off Wolverine fans who wouldn't vote for a Buckeye," Vance said during an appearance on OutKick's "The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show." 

"But I think that most Michiganders are going to be able to put sports rivalries aside and put the country first, which is what, of course, all of us believe is the most important thing."

The Democratic National Committee attempted to exploit Vance's connection to Ohio State with a campaign strategy in Michigan in early September. The DNC flew a plane over a Michigan football game Sept. 7 with a banner that said, "J.D. Vance [loves] Ohio State [plus] Project 2025." 

However, the Trump-Vance ticket ended up easily carrying Michigan.

Hegseth, 44, a former Minnesota National Guard officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, secured the role to lead the Pentagon after weeks of intense political drama over his nomination and public scrutiny of his personal life. 

The Senate was deadlocked at 50-50 with three Republicans — Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — joining the Democrats in opposing Hegseth's confirmation.

The stalemate forced Vance to cast the tiebreaking vote, securing his confirmation.

"It's not the first time the headline reads, ‘Junior enlisted Marine bails out junior Army officer,'" Hegseth, a former Fox News host joked, referencing Vance's previous service in the U.S. Marine Corps. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

In the days following Ryan Day walking off the field in Columbus following Ohio State's loss to Michigan to end the regular season, his family’s safety was the main priority after they received death threats from a lunatic fringe of Buckeye fans. 

There was obviously a monster fallout in Columbus after the loss, with fans calling for Ryan Day to be fired after Ohio State lost its fourth straight game to the Wolverines. But what some folks have not heard is how everything spiraled out of control from a safety standpoint for Ryan Day and his family. 

Speaking with the Columbus Dispatch, Nina Day, the wife of Ryan Day, spoke about the terrible events that came in the aftermath of the Michigan loss. The situation behind the scenes for the family had turned, in a dangerous manner. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"The time between the Michigan game and the Tennessee game was as low and dark as you could possibly imagine. Extremely negative. Unprecedented hate," Nina Day explained. 

When Ryan Day was eight years old, his father died by suicide. So, when fans somehow got hold of Nina Day's cell phone number in the days following the Michigan loss, unfathomable messages started to pour in at a constant rate, before Nina decided it was best to just disconnect her phone. 

"They told me multiple times to have Ryan follow in his father's footsteps and kill himself," Nina noted to the Dispatch. 

On the outside, Ryan Day continued to push forward, holding his weekly press conference, while waiting to see who his team would play in the first round of the college football playoff. But inside the family, things were starting to get out of control when it came to their safety. 

According to Nina Day, their 16-year-old son, RJ, started to receive death threats on social media, while the family’s address was also posted, leading to Ryan Day hiring armed security guards to protect his family at their house. There was also a thought from Nina that she should take her kids and leave Columbus during this time, not knowing what the next month could bring. 

"I think he, at times, second-guessed his decision to get into this and be in the spotlight that we're in. He felt responsible and just felt bad that he had put us in this position. He promised us he'd get us out of it," Nina Day mentioned about the conversations with her husband. 

There are fans across all sports that take things way too seriously, and this is another instance of something that could not be controlled. There was no reason that the Day family needed to fear for their lives over a football game, I don’t care how much you’re paid, or what your job title is. 

This is obviously the ugly part of sports, and it's not as if this is the first time we've heard of coaches having to deal with these types of situations, and it won’t be the last. 

"He fought like hell and got us out of a very dark place that we were in five weeks ago because of his resilience, because I don’t think anybody really thought this was going to end the way it did," Nina Day mentioned. "Everybody thought the season ended in November. 

"All he kept telling me was ‘I want to bring you guys peace. I just want to bring you guys peace.’ And he knew that for us to feel any type of peace, he had to win it all."

All of this over a football game. A family fearing for their lives, needing armed security to guard their house, just to get a peaceful night of sleep and feel safe. 

While Nina Day mentioned that you cannot label an entire fan base as the ‘lunatic fringe’, there are certainly a number of people who should be held accountable for their actions towards the Day family. 

As I watched Ryan Day celebrate with his family on the field Monday night, hugging each member of the family, there was certainly more to the story than just a head coach who was dealing with outside noise. 

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day was under considerable pressure entering the inaugural 12-team edition of the College Football Playoff. 

Despite ending the regular season with a 10-2 record, Day was on the sideline in late November for a fourth consecutive loss at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines, the Buckeyes' top rival.

The disappointing end to an otherwise solid season prompted a contingent of Ohio State fans to question whether Day should be removed from his head coaching post. However, Day seemed to quiet most of those critics by guiding the team to an unblemished December and January. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

After knocking the Tennessee Volunteers out in the first round, the Buckeyes blew out the top-seeded Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinals. Ohio State then defeated the Texas Longhorns in the semifinal to advance to the national championship game in Atlanta, where they prevailed with a 34-23 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Amid the Buckeye faithful's national title celebration, Day's predecessor called out fans who previously used social media to express their displeasure with the program's current head coach. Urban Meyer, who served as Ohio State head coach from 2012-18, described the fans who previously criticized Day via social media as "idiots."

OHIO STATE'S EMEKA EGBUKA REFLECTS ON HOW BUCKEYES RALLIED FROM MICHIGAN LOSS TO WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

"I coached a long time, and a lot has been made of it and Coach Day and the pressures of coaching at a place like Ohio State," Meyer said during a recent appearance on the "Triple Option" podcast. "I made the comment that that's not going to change. The thing that has got to change and has changed is the idiots on social media that don't sign their name to stuff."

Reaction to the loss to Michigan prompted Day to hire security to protect his home. Meyer also said the reported poor treatment that Day's children encountered as they attended school was a step "too far."

"When you start involving families, you’re pushing it too far," Meyer added. "Booing because you don’t get first downs and you lose to the rival, that’s part of the game. That’s all fair. But you’ve got to keep the families out of it."

Meyer then compared Day's situation to what he faced during his coaching stint at Florida.

"When I first [went] to Florida, you know they wanted [Steve] Spurrier. I’d want Spurrier, too. He was a Heisman Trophy winner there, won the national championship," Meyer said. "But it was Coach Spurrier went, I think, to the [Washington] Redskins, he got fired and left. He was available. The contingency wanted him back, and they hired me from Utah. 

"I really didn’t understand the dynamic until I got there, and I got there and I’ll never forget — he goes to South Carolina — we lose to South Carolina, which you don’t do that at Florida. I walk in to do my radio show on a Thursday, and I am the most miserable human being. I’m a stranger in a strange land down South there, and I come walking in and they boo me. I’m 7-2, I think, at the time."

Meyer and Day have history, with the latter serving as the offensive coordinator under the former from 2017-18. Meyer retired following the 2018 season, and Day was later introduced as Ohio State's next head coach.

Meyer coached the Buckeyes to the national title following the 2014 regular season, making Ohio State the winners of the inaugural College Football Playoff. A decade later, Day got them back to the mountaintop. 

Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.