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Category: Sports

Rob Gronkowski takes NFL officials to task over alleged Chiefs favoritism

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Surely, referees in the National Football League don’t actually favor the Kansas City Chiefs, do they?

Well, Rob Gronkowski has the mind of the NFL fan and thinks that something is up.

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The Chiefs are in their third consecutive Super Bowl, and it’s fair to say they got some benefit from the officiating in the AFC title game against the Buffalo Bills.

Rob Gronkowski (Jim Rogash/Getty Images/File)

A pivotal 4th-and-1 rush by Bills quarterback Josh Allen was ruled short (it could be argued the Bills crossed the marker on third down). The Chiefs responded by scoring a touchdown on the next drive. And while the Bills did tie it up, the field was clearly tilted afterward.

This version of the Chiefs is being talked about like Gronk’s New England Patriots used to be talked about: favoritism from the refs but still difficult to beat. Gronk joked in a recent interview with Fox News Digital that even his quarterback Tom Brady got the favor of the whistle.

“It was Tom, but he deserved it at the time. He was an 18-year vet, and he took his punishment as a young buck during his first eight years in the league. Oh my lord, he used to get lit up. It was understandable he got calls,” Gronk said.

And perhaps the Chiefs have gotten that same benefit, Gronkowski added, saying the refs are “definitely … more lenient” toward the Chiefs.

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“It’s been shown throughout the regular season and extending into the playoffs,” Gronk quipped.

He later added, “I just feel like there’s something, like, maybe give them an extra call or two. Don’t make it too obvious, but make it a little obvious.”

Referee Carl Cheffers speaks to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during a break in the third quarter against the Houston Texans on Dec. 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

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Gronkowski will get to see firsthand how much the refs actually favor the Chiefs, if at all, as he’ll be in New Orleans on behalf of Bounty to clean up the mess that comes with dirty eating during Super Bowl Sunday.

“You can’t have football without wings, there’s no doubt about that. But you can’t have wings without Bounty,” Gronk said ahead of his trip to Bourbon Street, where there will be food aplenty.

His wingman, Saints legend Drew Brees, will try to show him the best wings in town, but he doesn’t think anything will beat his hometown Buffalo wings, similar to the Chiefs.

Gronkowski added that even though the Chiefs may have some help from the zebras, it’s “no excuse” for the Bills or anyone to fall short when they have their chances.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes talks to referee Clete Blakeman prior to the AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

“You have opportunities to beat them, you got to overcome all situations, and the Buffalo Bills need to make championship plays in championship moments, and they didn’t come through. You got to make plays in order to beat the Chiefs, and you can’t blame it on the refs,” Gronk continued.

“It doesn’t matter, you still got to beat the Chiefs, and you still got to come through with big plays at the end of the game in order to beat them, and no team has done that yet.”

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Gronk won four Super Bowls in his career, but with a Kansas City win on Feb. 9, this era of Chiefs will have matched him.

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January 31, 2025
Washington, DC, airline tragedy recalls two devastating plane crashes that rocked sports world

An American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter resulting in one of the most devastating airline disasters in decades hearkened back to two tragedies.

On Wednesday night, several members associated with U.S. Figure Skating and their families were on the aircraft that collided with the helicopter. At least six had ties to the Skating Club of Boston, located in Norwood, Massachusetts.

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Emergency response units respond to the crash site of an American Airlines plane and Black Hawk helicopter on the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday, January 30, 2025. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

The figure skating community has felt the effects of an airline tragedy in the past.

Eighteen members of the U.S. figure skating team were killed in a plane crash in Berg-Kampenhout, Belgium on their way to Prague for the World Figure Skating Championships. Laurence Owen and Steffi Westerfield were among those killed in the crash. They were considered to be rising stars in the sport and were preparing for an Olympic bid.

There were 73 people aboard Sabena Flight 548. The New York Daily News reported, citing investigators, that it was likely the jet’s stabilizers that caused the incident.

“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement on Thursday. “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

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View of the scene of the plane crash of the Sabena Flight 548, on February 15, 1961, near Brussels after the Boeing 707 aircraft crashed en route to Brussels, Belgium, from New York City, killing 72 people on their way to the 1961 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. (STF/BELGA/AFP via Getty Images)

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu addressed the tragedy in a news conference.

“It was truly an honor to have future Olympians and those who are at the highest competition level of figure skating, right here in our capital,” she said.

“We were so excited to have the opportunity to host the national championship, and even yesterday I had folks tell me how wonderful these last few days have been with additional individuals that came into our community, whether to watch or to participate. So, our community was really excited and thankful that everything went well with the championship. And so right now we’re just waiting for more information from U.S. Figure Skating that we can release. But right now we’re just hoping and praying again.”

The city of Wichita was described as a tightknit community, which is also no stranger to tragic aircraft incidents.

Wichita State University’s football team, flying in a Martin 404, crashed in Colorado in 1970, leaving 31 dead. Eight players and the co-pilot survived, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.

The cause of the crash was determined to be because of pilot error.

“Wichita is located in the heart of our nation, and today we are grieving. I received confirmation this morning that no one survived the crash of American Airlines flight 5342,” Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., wrote in a post on Thursday on X.

“This is a sad day for Kansas and our nation. My heart breaks for the lives that were lost and their loved ones who are now learning that their family or friends were on the flight.

The chartered Martin 404 was carrying football players, coaches and guests of Wichita State University to Utah. (Duane Howell/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

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“There will be much to learn and do in the coming days in the wake of this tragedy, but today please join me in praying for the victims and their families. May God comfort them and watch over all those who are mourning.”

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
Skaters killed in plane crash were Olympic hopefuls, peers say: ‘Absolutely remarkable’

Emotions were running high at The Skating Club of Boston Thursday after six people with ties to the organization died in a plane crash near Reagan International Airport Wednesday night.

Among those who spoke were Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan, who couldn’t hold back tears while talking about the crash.

President Donald Trump said there were no survivors after an American Airlines jet collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.

The plane was carrying 64 people, among them teenage skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers Jin Han and Christine Lane and their coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

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Spencer Lane was a figure skater at The Skating Club of Boston. (Imagn)

Three members of The Skating Club of Boston — Misha Mitrofanov, Jimmy Ma and Alisa Efimova — also spoke of their peers, who they say were the next generation of hopeful U.S. Olympians.

“The potential that they showed on the ice and the capabilities they had at such a young age showed that they had promise for the future of this sport,” Mitrofanov, whose partner is Efimova, told reporters Thursday.

Mitrofanov and Efimova had just won the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, in the pairs discipline. That’s where the American Airlines flight was coming from. Han and Lane were returning from a developmental camp over the weekend.

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“The camp basically brings them in for the championships so that they can watch, for example, Jimmy, or at least an ice skate at a championship level,” Mitrofanov said. “Afterwards, they are part of a fairly strict routine. … Lot of training, lots of drills and exercises that the U.S. Figure Skating wants to see.”

Han, 13, and Lane, 16, were chosen for the developmental camp because of the promise they showed, and Ma was blunt about just how promising these two skaters were.

“Absolutely phenomenal,” Ma said. “If I was their age back when I was their age, they would blow me out of the water. Even Jinna, at 13 years old, I couldn’t do anything. She was already 10 times better than me at such a young age.

Jimmy Ma skates during the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Intrust Bank Arena. (William Purnell.Imagn Images)

“They showed championship-level skating. It would take time for them to develop to maximize their full potential. But the amount they were able to achieve in such a short amount of time was absolutely remarkable.”

Efimova said the campers were spotted in the crowd in the red jackets they would wear, and as she worked along with Mitrofanov to win in pairs, she used their cheering as motivation.

“They all have these red jackets, so you can really, really identify this community during the competition, which helps me personally a lot to bring a lot of joy into skating,” Efimova said.

Ma also pointed out how great Shishkova and Naumov, winners at the 1994 world championships in pairs while competing in two Olympic Games, were as coaches.

“Their meticulousness in developing young skaters is almost unparalleled,” Ma explained. “You could tell by their son, Max, who I consider not just a friend, but a fierce competitor. I look at him every day, I’m like, ‘Damn, I got to do better.’ That was all them.”

Evgenia Shishkova (left), Vadim Naumov (center) and Spencer Lane (right) were victims of the collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter. (Instagram/annehgoldbergbaldwin)

The Skating Club of Boston wasn’t the only figure skating community that was hit by this. The Philadelphia Skating Club & Humane Society posted on social media that “beloved members” of its team were on the flight. Skating coach Alexandr Kirsanov and two of his youth skaters were also aboard the fight, according to Kirsanov’s wife, per ABC News.

“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”

As the figure skating world and others affected by the crash mourn the losses of loved ones, Mitrofanov said skaters will continue to train and compete with their “family” in mind.

Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov receive scores during the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Intrust Bank Arena. (William Purnell/Imagn Images)

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“Watching these kids skate and watching their fire and love for the sport, that’s what helped us to, honestly, continue training,” Mitrofanov said. “Watching these kids develop helps us want to push ourselves as well. It’s a two-way street that they look up to us, but we also look up to them.”

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
NBA legend Dwyane Wade opens up about kidney surgery, cancer diagnosis: ‘Weakest point I’ve ever felt’

During the latest episode of his podcast, three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade revealed some details about a health scare he faced more than a year ago.

Wade underwent surgery in December 2023 that removed 40% of a kidney. The surgery was followed by what Wade described as a “shocking” cancer diagnosis.

A full body scan confirmed the presence of a “cyst/tumor” on one of Wade’s kidneys.

“And the doctor was like, ‘You need to have kidney surgery,’” the 43-year-old retired basketball star noted on Thursday’s edition of “The Why with Dwyane Wade” podcast.

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Dwyane Wade at a men’s basketball quarterfinal game between France and Canada during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. (Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports)

Wade admitted he largely avoided seeing a doctor over the years for a physical, but he eventually made an appointment once he began experiencing stomach issues, cramps and trouble urinating.

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“On the process of checking, like, ‘Why is my [urine] coming out slow, why is my stream ain’t powerful? Why is it a little weak?’ ” Wade recalled. After removing a considerable portion of his left kidney, doctors concluded the tumor was cancerous, Wade said.

Wade said the health scare left him weakened.

Miami Heat great Dwyane Wade at Kaseya Center. (Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports)

“I think it was the first time my family, my dad, my kids, they saw me weak,” he said. “That moment was probably the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life. … I was struggling, dog. Struggling.

“And one thing you never want to do as a man is you never want your family to see you as weak. You don’t want to be perceived weak, and you don’t want to be seen in your weak moments. But I had to.”

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Wade’s father, Dwyane Wade Sr., also had a battle with prostate cancer. The former Miami Heat star said experiencing the health scare helped him realize the importance of family.

“What I saw in the midst of me going through my illness, I saw my family that may not always talk, may not always agree. I saw everybody show up for me and be there for me and in that process, in my weakness, I found strength in my family.”

Wade did not reveal details about his current health.

Wade retired from the NBA after the 2018-19 season. He is the Heat’s all-time leader in points, assists and steals. He was named the NBA Finals MVP in 2006.

He bought an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz in 2021. Wade also joined the Chicago Sky ownership group in 2023 when he became one of the WNBA franchise’s minority investors.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
WNBA star who hurt Caitlin Clark’s eye calls for league to ‘take action’ against Trump administration policies

Connecticut Sun player DiJonai Carrington incited fierce backlash by wearing an anti-Trump shirt last weekend, and now she’s taking that message even further.

During a press conference before an “Unrivaled” league game Thursday, Carrington declared it’s time for WNBA players to “take action” in response to President Donald Trump’s policies.

“We see that some of the policies are already going into action, and, of course, that means that as the WNBA and being at the forefront of a lot of these movements, it’s time for us to also take action,” Carrington said.

“It definitely needs to happen as women, women’s rights being taken away, like, now, LGBTQ rights being taken away now. They haven’t happened yet, but definitely in the works.”

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DiJonai Carrington (21) of the Connecticut Sun dribbles during Game 2 of the first round of the WNBA playoffs against the Indiana Fever Sept. 25, 2024, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

Carrington wore a shirt that said, “The F— Donald Trump Tour” Friday while walking into Wayfair Arena in Miami, Florida.

The player is most known for her interactions with women’s basketball phenom Caitlin Clark during Clark’s rookie WNBA season in 2024.

Carrington gave Clark a black eye after poking her during a game between Clark’s Indiana Fever and Carrington’s Connecticut Sun in the first round of the playoffs in September. Carrington laughed with Fever teammate Marina Mabrey after the incident.

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Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (21) fouls Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the second half in Indianapolis Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Carrington has said she didn’t intentionally poke Clark in the eye and that she wasn’t laughing about the incident. However, she made light of the controversy over Clark’s black eye in an Instagram Live video in October.

In the video, Carrington and her girlfriend, NaLyssa Smith, who plays on the Indiana Fever with Clark, were in their kitchen when Smith poked Carrington in the eye.

“Ow, you poked me in the eye,” Carrington said. Smith apologized, and the two laughed.

“Did you do it on purpose?” Carrington asked.

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Connecticut Sun guards Marina Mabrey (4) and DiJonai Carrington (21) celebrate during the second half of a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Indiana Fever Sept. 25, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Carrington provoked Clark fans prior to the eye-poking incident with multiple statements berating Clark and her fan base.

During a game in June, Carrington fouled Clark after Clark received an inbound pass from teammate Kristy Wallace. Clark caught the pass and started toward the basket. Carrington was late getting to Clark due to a screen by Aliyah Boston, and she bumped into Clark.

Later that month, Carrington posted on X, saying Clark should do more to speak out about people using her name for “racism” and other forms of prejudice. She also called the Fever fans the “nastiest” in the league.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

January 31, 2025
Wizards hold moment of silence for victims of deadly midair collision in Washington

The Washington Wizards held a moment of silence Thursday for the victims of the deadly crash involving a passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport.

The Wizards hosted the Los Angeles Lakers at the Capital One Arena, and it was the first sporting event in D.C. since Wednesday night’s crash.

Emergency vehicles near the site of the crash after American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington Jan. 29, 2025. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)

The Wizards had a message on their jumbotron before the game began.

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“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last night,” the statement said. “We extend our thoughts and prayers to those families, loved ones, and all those impacted.

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Rescuers on boats work as the sun rises at the site of a crash after a Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342, which was approaching Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington Jan. 30, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

“And we thank all the first responders for their heroic efforts across this massive coordinated effort.”

An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which was carrying three soldiers. All airline passengers and soldiers were presumed dead.

At least 14 members of the figure skating community were on board the plane. Six people with ties to the Skating Club of Boston were among them.

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The Washington Commanders and Washington Nationals also paid tribute to those who lost their lives and showed their support for the first responders who sprang into action to find any potential survivors and recover bodies from the Potomac River.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
Hot mic catches moment Commanders’ Jayden Daniels was perplexed by odd referee announcement in NFC title game

During the Philadelphia Eagles’ beatdown of the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship, there was an odd moment at the goal line in the second half when Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu tried to stop a “tush push” by jumping over the offensive line.

But he was called for encroachment … multiple times.

“Inside the NFL” caught the moment Luvu leaped over the Eagles’ offensive line without the ball being snapped. And, because he did it so many times, referees stepped in.

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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels celebrates a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second half of a divisional playoff game Jan. 18, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

What was said, though, shocked many people, including Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.

“Encroachment, defense, No. 4,” the referee said. “Washington has been advised that, at some point, the referee can award a score if this type of behavior happens again.”

“Award a score? You can give them a touchdown?” Daniels responded on the sideline.

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Although it worked out in their favor, the Eagles’ defenders watching their offense about to punch in another score never heard of the rule either.

“Next time they do that, they award a score?” Darius Slay asked fellow defensive back Cooper DeJean.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, left, and Saquon Barkley (26) celebrate after Hurts ran for a touchdown in the second half in Arlington, Texas, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

“The refs can give us a touchdown I guess if they do it again or something,” DeJean responded.

The obscure rule is found in the NFL Rulebook as Rule 12, Section 3, Article 4.

“PALPABLY UNFAIR ACT: A player or substitute shall not interfere with play by any act which is palpably unfair. 51 Rule 12 Penalty: For a palpably unfair act: Offender may be disqualified. The Referee, after consulting the officiating crew, enforces any such distance penalty as they consider equitable and irrespective of any other specified code penalty. The Referee may award a score.”

The rule is for obvious unfair situations, and referees felt Luvu consistently jumping the gun on his leap to stop Jalen Hurts and the tush push was too much because the Eagles didn’t snap the ball.

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Hurts eventually got into the end zone on a tush push for his third rushing touchdown against the Commanders in the 55-23 rout.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
Indiana football player opts to join Barstool Sports over declaring for NFL Draft: ‘This is my thing’

After playing six years at Indiana University, Mike Katic has decided to put his NFL dreams to the side.

After initially declaring for last year’s NFL Draft, then returning for his final year of eligibility, the former center has decided to join Barstool Sports as a media personality and analyst.

“I’m pumped. This is what I think I was born to do,” Katic said on “The Yak” with Dan “Big Cat” Katz. “Football’s great, but I think this is my thing. So, I’m super excited to move in here.”

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Indiana’s Mike Katic (56) hoists the Old Oaken Bucket after a game against Purdue at Memorial Stadium Nov. 30, 2024. (Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Katic doesn’t start officially working until March 1, but he paid a visit to Jon Gruden, who was recently hired by the site, at Barstool’s offices. And they had about as much of a greeting as one would predict from a Super Bowl champion coach and a six-year college star.

“Barstool’s got our new center and I already love him!” Gruden said on X while posting a video of their first interaction.

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Immediately after shaking hands, Gruden asked Katic to get into his lineman stance, and the two shared another handshake and hug.

“When [Gruden] tells you to get in a stance, you get into a damn stance!” Katic posted on X.

Katic seemed to hint his playing days were over after the Hoosiers’ College Football Playoff loss to Notre Dame when he posted on X, “Thank you Indiana University. Thank you Football.”

Indiana OL Mike Katic (56) during a game against the Louisville Cardinals Sept. 16, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Katic was likely to be a late-round selection if he had been taken at all. Pro Football Focus graded Katic as the 10th best center in the Power Four conferences.

Katic said he was hired quickly after Dave Portnoy saw him in “three clips doing media” after being connected through a member of the Hoosiers’ men’s basketball team.

Indiana’s Mike Katic (56) celebrates with the Old Oaken Bucket after a game against Purdue at Memorial Stadium Nov. 30, 2024. (Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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The Pittsburgh native will work out of Barstool’s Chicago office after playing in 50 games for the Hoosiers.

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January 31, 2025
NFL star Xavier Worthy recalls meeting Taylor Swift after Chiefs’ AFC title game win: ‘She’s taller than me’

NFL rookie Xavier Worthy is sharing some details about meeting Taylor Swift.

The music star made her way to the field inside Arrowhead Stadium shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game.

Cameras captured Worthy taking note of Swift’s stature moments after he greeted the “Anti-Hero” singer.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy in the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

“Oh s—,” Worthy said as he smiled. “She’s taller than me.”

The Chiefs’ roster lists Worthy at 5-foot-11. By most accounts, Swift stands around one inch shorter than the Chiefs wide receiver. While Swift and Worthy are similar heights when flat-footed, the heels Swift was wearing at the time of the exchange could have made her appear to be taller than Worthy.

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Worthy later confirmed Sunday’s game marked the first time he met Swift.

“I just met her.” Worthy told ABC 30. “It’s the video going viral right now. I was like, ‘Damn, she’s tall. She’s taller than me.’”

Worthy added that Swift recognized him because Kansas City selected him in the first round of April’s draft.

“We were on the field, and she walked right past me and said, ‘Oh you’re the one who got drafted?” Worthy said. “So, we met like that. It was cool.”

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Denny Medley/Imagn Images)

Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, recently said the pop star continues to support him.

“She’s fully encouraging me to enjoy playing this game,” Kelce said earlier this month.

Kelce, 35, is playing in his 12th season in the NFL. He appeared in 16 of 17 games and finished the year with 823 receiving yards.

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The 2024 campaign marked the second consecutive year the star tight end did not reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark, which prompted some questions about whether he would step away once the postseason comes to an end.

“I got all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams,” Kelce added.

Kansas City has advanced to the last seven AFC title games. The Chiefs will take on the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl Feb. 9 in New Orleans. The Chiefs are vying for an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl championship.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
Ravens’ Justin Tucker faces sexual misconduct allegations; kicker slams report

Baltimore Ravens star kicker Justin Tucker was accused in a bombshell report Thursday of sexual misconduct by several massage therapists during a period spanning four years, including his rookie season, when he helped the team win a Super Bowl.

Six massage therapists in the Baltimore area accused the NFL kicker of exposing himself during sessions at four different high-end spas and wellness centers, brushing the alleged victims with his genitals and other acts of alleged sexual misconduct from 2012-2016.

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker arrives before a game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan/Imagn Images)

The allegations were first revealed in a report by The Baltimore Banner.

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Tucker released a statement through his attorneys Thursday not long after the news broke, calling the allegations “unequivocally false.”

“Throughout my career as a professional athlete, I have always sought to conduct myself with the utmost professionalism. I have never before been accused of misconduct of any kind, and I have never been accused of acting inappropriately in front of a massage therapist or during a massage therapy session or during other bodywork,” Tucker’s statement said.

“I have never received any complaints from a massage therapist, have never been dismissed from a massage therapy or bodywork session and have never been told that I was not welcome at any spa or other place of business.”

Tucker, a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro during his 13-year NFL career, took aim at the outlet’s reporting, calling it “desperate tabloid fodder.”

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (9) kicks the ball during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan/Imagn Images)

RAVENS STAR KICKER JUSTIN TUCKER SAYS STEELERS’ FIELD CONDITIONS WEREN’T ‘IDEAL’ AFTER SHAKY PERFORMANCE

“It is no surprise that the paper’s interactions with me were marked by journalistic failures at every turn,” Turner said. “When I first learned that the newspaper was writing this article, they refused to reveal the full claims they were planning to make against me.

“It wasn’t until I was forced to hire the leading defamation law firm in the U.S. to write to the paper that they finally revealed what they were planning on writing. Then, when they did finally provide some of this information, they gave me next to no time to provide a response. It is clear why. They had no interest in what I (or anyone else) had to say.”

Tucker accused the outlet of “deliberately misconstruing events as nefarious” and relying on “third-party speculation.”

“The newspaper had already written this false, salacious profile well before ever attempting to speak to me or any of the bodywork professionals I have worked with closely for the better part of the last decade. The newspaper made no effort to interview these key witnesses until prompted to do so by my defamation attorney because they did not want to hear what they had to say about me.”

Fox News Digital reached out to The Baltimore Banner for a response to Tucker’s remarks.

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According to the report, the accusers said they ended sessions early or refuse to work with Tucker again because of the allegations. The report also says Tucker was banned from returning to two of those spas, a claim Tucker’s legal team denied.

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker warms up against the Kansas City Chiefs before a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Denny Medley/Imagn Images)

Among the allegations leveled in the report, five women claimed the NFL player was erect during sessions with him and that he fully or partially exposed himself, while others made other accusations of egregious acts.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the NFL said it learned of the accusations from the reporter investigating the story and that allegations were not previously reported to the league.

“We take any allegation seriously and will look into the matter,” the statement continued.

The Ravens told Fox News Digital, “We are aware of The Baltimore Banner’s story regarding Justin Tucker. We take any allegations of this nature seriously and will continue to monitor the situation.”

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January 30, 2025