Happy New Year 2025

Category: Sports

Brett Favre reflects on Saints’ bounty scandal that rewarded players who injured him

NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre was once a target of a bounty hunting scheme by the New Orleans Saints and opened up 15 years later about that experience in a thread on X Friday.

In 2009, the Saints offered their players cash incentives to injure certain players. Favre, quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings at that time, was on that list.

The Vikings were considered the top obstacle in the NFC for the Saints to reach the Super Bowl that year.

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Brett Favre is helped off the field after being injured. (Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images)

The Saints beat Favre and the Vikings in the NFC championship game that year, a 31-28 overtime thriller. Favre was never injured, but he took multiple hard hits and ended up throwing a costly interception in overtime.

Favre said he held no “ill will” toward the Saints for the scandal and wished he played better in the game.

“I played the game with the mindset to be prepared for anything: big hits, injuries, and players trying to knock my head off. I never made excuses for the times I wasn’t successful and played the game within the ruleset. In fact, losing just made me want to work harder and fueled my drive to win next time,” Favre wrote.

“I don’t have any ill-will towards those involved in Bounty Gate. After we lost to the Saints, I rooted for Drew Brees and Sean Payton to win the Super Bowl. Looking back 15 years later, my opinion hasn’t changed. If I could have some of those plays back and done my part, maybe we would have been the ones celebrating a championship victory in 2010.”

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre heads to the sideline after throwing a pass intercepted by the Chicago Bears’ Julius Peppers at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis Dec. 20, 2010. (Reuters/Eric Miller)

The Saints won the Super Bowl that year against the Indianapolis Colts.

But once the scandal was uncovered, the Saints received some of the harshest sanctions in NFL history. Former head coach Sean Payton was suspended a year without pay.

Defensive coordinator Greg Williams, identified as the brains of the plan, was suspended indefinitely but was later reinstated. Former general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season, and assistant head coach Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six games of that year.

Former Saints players Scott Fujita, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma were all suspended for their roles.

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New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton looks over plays on the sideline. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

The Saints also had to pay a $500,000 fine and forfeit their second-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 drafts

The team’s bounty hunting plan involved as many as 27 players and at least one assistant coach, the league found in its investigation. Players even contributed to a cash pool.

The players were paid $1,500 for a “knockout,” when a targeted player couldn’t return to the game, and $1,000 for a “cart-off,” when a player had to be carried off the field.

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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 25, 2025
Ryan Day hired armed security to protect his family following death threats after Michigan loss

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.

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Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates with wife, Christina, and daughter after defeating the Oregon Ducks 41-21 in the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Pasadena, California.

“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.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day walks off the field after the game against the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 30, 2024, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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.

Ryan Day ‘Fought Like Hell’ For His Family During Ohio State’s CFP Run

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.

Head coach Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines shakes hands with head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes following the game at Ohio Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

“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.

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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.

January 25, 2025
Philadelphia Rocky statue dressed in Redskins gear ahead of NFC title game between Eagles and Commanders

A rivalry has been renewed.

Philadelphia will host the NFC championship game between the Eagles and the visiting Washington Commanders Sunday.

Ahead of the game, the famous Rocky statue in downtown Philadelphia was dressed in gear representing the Commanders’ former identity, the Redskins.

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The culprit is unknown.

Dressing the statue in opposing teams’ gear has become a tradition in recent years ahead of big Eagles playoff games. Each time its happened, the Eagles have come away with wins.

In 2022, the statue was dressed in New York Giants gear ahead of their matchup against the Eagles in the divisional round. The Eagles won that game 38-7. The following week, the statue was dressed in San Francisco 49ers gear before Niners arrived in Philadelphia for the NFC championship game. The Eagles won that game, 31-7.

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When the Eagles won their first Super Bowl in the 2017 season, the statue was also dressed in opposing teams’ gear.

Ahead of that season’s NFC championship game between the Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings, the statue was draped in a Vikings jersey, and the Eagles won 38-7. Before the Super Bowl, someone placed a New England Patriots jersey on the statue, and the Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33 to claim their first Super Bowl title.

The vandalism became so frequent that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce pleaded with his own fan base not to do dress the statue in any Chiefs gear ahead of the 2023 Super Bowl. The Chiefs won that game 38-35.

“Chiefs, do not touch the f—ing Rocky memorial!” Kelce said during a February 2023 episode of his podcast, “New Heights.”

“Do not do that and definitely don’t put an No. 87 on it!”

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Former Eagles center Jason Kelce, who played against Travis and the Chiefs in that game, theorized the culprit was an Eagles fan.

“I’m gonna be honest. I think somebody from Philadelphia is doing this now,” Jason Kelce said.

“I don’t think this is an opposing team thing at this point. There’s no way opposing teams continue to do this. I’m convinced there is a Philadelphia fan who is putting these shirts on the Rocky statue just to get everyone fired up, and it’s working tremendously.

“So, keep doing it. I guarantee it. There’s no way. Because it’s happened every single game. The Giants did it. The 49ers did it. There will probably be a Chiefs jersey on it this week.”

Now, Washington is up, and will look to break the trend.

It will be the first time the rivals have met in a conference championship game and marks a high point for a rivalry that has been dormant in recent decades due to Washington’s inability to win in the playoffs since the 1990s.

The 2024 season was the first since 2005 that Washington won a playoff game, and the first since 1991 that the franchise reached the conference championship.

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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 25, 2025
Boxer Devin Haney rips actor Sylvester Stallone over Rocky films: ‘Movies wasn’t real’

American boxer Devin Haney took aim at Sylvester Stallone over the actor’s recent commentary on the current state of boxing.

Stallone, a three-time Academy Award nominee, received critical acclaim for his portrayal of renowned Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa in the iconic film franchise.

A video recently surfaced on social media showing Stallone holding the gloves he wore in the mid 1970s during the filming of the original sports drama movie. At one point during the video, Stallone suggested the gloves were identical to what professional boxers used in the 70s.

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Devin Haney and speaks to media after winning the World Lightweight Championship bout between George Kambosos Jr. of Australia and Devin Haney of the United States at Rod Laver Arena on October 16, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

“They don’t even allow these today because they’re so dangerous. But that’s what they used when I did the film. They’re barely six-ounces, they’re Reyes and they’re literally lethal. I still have them because it’s a time when things people were tougher. I’m sorry, they were. Life is just getting a little easier and easier and easier… I cherish hard work, even though I hate it.”

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Haney disagreed with Stallone’s assertion and shared his rebuttal via X, formerly known as Twitter.

Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers on set of the film ‘Rocky’, 1976. (United Artists/Getty Images)

“Dude don’t know a left hook from a fish hook, and got the nerve to speak on times being easier in boxing like he wasn’t just an actor… Buddy them Rocky movies weren’t real,” Haney wrote.

Last April’s upset defeat to Ryan Garcia marked Haney’s most recent appearance in a professional bout.

Devin Haney (gray trunks) walks to his corner between rounds against Ryan Garcia during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Haney, who is also known as “The Dream” eventually pursued legal recourse against Garcia after learning Garcia failed multiple drug tests ahead of the bout.

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Officials later overturned Garcia’s victory and ruled the fight a no-contest.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 24, 2025
Bryson DeChambeau using Saudi-funded $125M LIV Golf salary to expand size of town by 200 acres

LIV Golfer Bryson DeChambeau has a grand plan for the $125 million he’s receiving from his Saudi Arabian bosses.

The controversial 31-year-old golf star said during an interview on “The Joe Pomp Show” he bought 200 acres of land in his hometown of Modesto, California, and plans to expand the town by 30%.

“We are doing a mega project,” DeChambeau said. “It’s been in the works for a couple of years now, and we’re at the place where we are getting permits to build. People know about it now.

“We have acquired massive amounts of land in my hometown, and it’s a three-phase process to build a whole community and increase the size of where I grew up by 30%”

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Bryson DeChambeau of LIV Golf before The Showdown: McIlroy and Scheffler v. DeChambeau and Koepka at Shadow Creek Golf Course Dec. 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for The Showdown)

DeChambeau says his intention is to create a prominent golf presence in the community, adding the timeline for completing this project is just over a year.

“It’s a full-scale plan, fully thought out. It’s not only to bring golfers to the game but also to bring people to the central valley. You build a community around a multisport complex center,” he said.

“It’s going to take 12-15 months to get the permits approved for the full scope. It’s over 200 acres of land what we have right now. It’s going to be a multisports complex center — driving range, golf course, residential community center, the whole thing.”

DeChambeau was paid a reported $125 million to join LIV Golf in June 2022. He says his latest project is only possible because of the massive salary from the Saudi-funded organization.

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Bryson DeChambeau reacts after putting on the fifth hole during the third round of the U.S. Open. (Jim Dedmon/USA Today Sports)

“A lot of the reason why I have been able to do this is because of LIV. They gave me the economic viability to do these things and the platform to be able to do it, growing on YouTube,” he said.

DeChambeau was one of many American golfers to incite widespread backlash from fans for choosing to compete in the Saudi-backed league when it launched due to humanitarian concerns with Saudi Arabia and its relations with the west.

Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Jon Rahm were other prominent PGA stars who chose to accept the massive LIV paychecks during the league’s aggressive pursuit of the sport’s biggest names.

DeChambeau is also a close friend of President Donald Trump’s and invited Trump to play with him in a video on his YouTube channel.

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Bryson DeChambeau cradles the U.S. Open trophy after his win in the final round of the 2024 U.S. Open Championship on the No. 2 Course at The Pinehurst Resort June 16, 2024, in Pinehurst, N.C. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

DeChambeau told Fox News Digital at the time he had no regrets about it.

“There’s always risk associated to that. But, from my perspective, it was focused on entertainment,” DeChambeau told Fox News Digital in August at Maridoe Golf Club, site of the LIV Golf Team Championship.

“We can talk about politics. That’s a whole different conversation, something that I was not trying to do on my YouTube channel. It was solely on providing great entertainment.”

DeChambeau joined Trump, Elon Musk and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to watch the SpaceX rocket launch in November.

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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 24, 2025
Patrick Mahomes’ grandfather in hospice just days before Chiefs’ AFC title game vs. Bills, his mother says

Patrick Mahomes’ mother, Randi Mahomes, announced on Instagram Friday that the quarterback’s grandfather is in hospice.

“My dad is in hospice and I’m lost for words,” the mother wrote in the post.

Randi added to her post the bible verse Colossians 3:20, which in The Bible says “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

Randi previously announced that her father was in the hospital in mid-September.

“Prayer warriors please pray for my daddy. He is in the hospital and is not well His name is Randy,” she wrote on X on Sept. 14. A few days later, she made an Instagram post that read, “This is how I fight my battles. If you are seeing this, take a moment, and PRAY for my dad now.”

Now, the news that Mahomes’ grandfather is in hospice comes just days before Mahomes is set to lead the Kansas City Chiefs against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game, as the quarterback is looking to become the first in history to win three straight Super Bowls.

The news also comes just under two weeks after Mahomes and his wife Brittany welcomed his third child into the world, when daughter Golden Raye was born on Jan. 12.

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For Mahomes, a historic season has also been one of constant family chaos. His grandfather being placed in hospice shortly after the birth of his third child is only the latest unfortunate development for his family over the last year.

In March, his brother Jackson Mahomes was sentenced to six months probation for allegedly assaulting a woman. Jackson pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor count of battery. The sentencing came just months after prosecutors dismissed three felony charges for aggravated sexual battery related to accusations that he had grabbed a woman by the neck and kissed her against her will.

Then, in August, Brittany was thrust into the center of a national political controversy and faced a barrage of online attacks from liberals after she simply liked a post on President Donald Trump’s Instagram. Screenshots of her like went viral, and she faced so much backlash that she had to address the controversy multiple times in other Instagram posts.

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The controversy surrounding Brittany was elevated due to her widely publicized friendship with Taylor Swift, as Swift is a Democrat who endorsed Kamala Harris in the recent election. Swift was seen sitting separately from Brittany at Chiefs games this year after they were often seen sitting together last season, which only fueled the controversy and conversation over their political differences.

Trump himself thrust the Mahomes family further into the national political conversation ahead of the election when he acknowledged Brittany’s support and thanked her on social media and in a Fox & Friends interview on Sept. 11, as Mahomes was forced to field questions on the subject from reporters later that day.

Randi also engrossed herself in the controversy when she announced her support for Trump at the Chiefs’ game against the Buccaneers on Nov. 4, just one day before the election. Randi invited some criticism to her and the rest of the family by liberals on social media for her Trump support but never acknowledged the backlash like Brittany did.

Meanwhile, Mahomes’ father, Patrick Mahomes Sr., was dealt a jail sentence and five years probation in late September for driving under the influence of alcohol in February. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail, followed by a five-year probation period, and will be subject to “intense supervision” for the first year of his probation, according to KCTV in Kansas City.

He also had his driver’s license suspended for a year and is required to continue AA courses and will have a breathalyzer ignition device installed in his car.

For the Chiefs quarterback, these distractions all took place in what was, statistically, the worst season of his NFL career as a starter.

Mahomes put up career-lows in passing yards and touchdowns while missing the Pro Bowl for the first time since taking over the starting job in 2018.

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FILE – Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes chews his mouth guard during warm-ups before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

However, this didn’t stop Mahomes from doing just enough to lead the Chiefs to the best record they’ve ever had in their history, with a staggering 15-2 regular season record. Despite struggling in the passing game, Mahomes did just enough every week to make sure his team won all but one game that he started, all while confronted by numerous family distractions.

The one loss Mahomes suffered for the Chiefs this year came against the very team he will play on Sunday, when the Bills beat the Chiefs 30-21 on Nov. 17. The Chiefs’ second loss came in the final game of the regular season when Mahomes sat out to avoid injury with nothing to gain in the standings.

Now, with his grandfather in hospice, Mahomes will take the field for a rematch against the Bills on Sunday with a chance to lead his team to a third straight Super Bowl, as he looks to cap off a turbulent but resilient year.

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January 24, 2025
Super Bowl champion and Nebraska legend Calvin Jones dead at 54

Super Bowl champion and Nebraska Cornhuskers legend Calvin Jones died Wednesday at 54.

Police officers were called to Jones’ home after a neighbor called firefighters to report an odor of gas coming from the house, Omaha police told WOWT-TV.

Officers said a man was found unconscious in the basement and that a generator was running. The man was later identified as Jones.

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Jones’ death is indicative of carbon monoxide poisoning, but an official cause of death is pending an autopsy report.

Jones, an Omaha native, starred with the Cornhuskers from 1991 to 1993. He rushed for 3,183 yards and 40 touchdowns across three seasons.

He led the Big 8 conference in scoring in each of his freshman, sophomore and junior years. He also led the Big 8 in rushing yards and yards per attempt in his sophomore season with 1,210 yards and 7.2 yards per attempt.

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College Football: Nebraska Calvin Jones (44) in action vs Kansas State, Lincoln, NE 10/16/1993 (Patrick Murphy-Racey/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Jones and fellow running back Derek Brown created head coach Tom Osborne’s “we-back” system. Both Jones and Brown were I-backs and together formed one of college football’s best ever running back duos.

The pair averaged 329 yards per game on the ground en route to leading Nebraska to the Orange Bowl. No other duo averaged more yards per game that season than Jones and Brown.

After Jones’ illustrious college career, he was selected in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Raiders.

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Los Angeles Raiders running back Calvin Jones (27) carries the ball against Los Angeles Rams defensive back Todd Lyght (41) at Anaheim Stadium. (Long Photography-USA Today Network.)

Jones played 15 games across two seasons with the Raiders, rushing for 112 yards on 27 carries.

He played one game for the Green Bay Packers while winning the Super Bowl with them in 1997.

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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.

January 24, 2025
Tiger Woods moves Genesis Invitational to San Diego after wildfires damage LA course

Tiger Woods’ famed annual golfing event, The Genesis Invitational, is being moved from Los Angeles to San Diego after the devastating wildfires damaged the original course.

The PGA announced Friday the event will move 123 miles south to Torrey Pines Golf Course in the La Jolla neighborhood in San Diego, the site of this week’s Farmers Insurance Open.

Woods says the event will be a platform to help fire victims.

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“We are grateful to the City of San Diego and Torrey Pines for hosting the 2025 Genesis Invitational, and to everyone who has reached out in support of the tournament,” Woods said in a statement. “While Riviera remains the home of The Genesis Invitational, we look forward to playing on another championship caliber golf course this year and using the tournament to support those affected by the fires in the Los Angeles area.”

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Tiger Woods plays a shot from the 13th tee during the second round of The Players Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass May 11, 2018, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan also expressed gratitude.

“Our thanks to Tiger Woods, TGR Live and Genesis for their leadership in these efforts,” Monahan said. “We are grateful to Farmers Insurance, [San Diego Mayor] Todd Gloria and the City of San Diego and the Century Club for extending the invitation to relocate The Genesis Invitational to Torrey Pines.”

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“Highlighting the resilience of Los Angeles and the need for continued support for the ongoing recovery efforts is what our collective teams are working towards with the playing of The Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines,” Monahan added in his statement.

The Riviera Country Club, where the event was originally supposed to be played, was not destroyed by the fires. However, it is dealing with power and water issues, and the tournament is being moved out of respect to fire victims.

The Genesis Invitational is expected to return to The Riviera Country Club in 2026.

“The devastation that is ongoing with the LA fires is such a tragedy and being from California, it hits home,” Woods said in a statement shared on his social media platforms. “My heart is with those who have suffered unimaginable loss. Thank you to the incredible heroes that are the first responders helping to contain and save the community of Los Angeles.”

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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 24, 2025
Bills star Dion Dawkins says there should be a ‘Protector of the Year’ award for offensive linemen

Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins wants offensive linemen to start getting some recognition.

While the offensive linemen are named to the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro teams, there currently is not an offensive lineman of the year award or anything of that ilk.

“Offensive linemen don’t have awards for being great. There’s not a ‘Protector of the Year’ award. I’m knocking on so many doors now to get this award going. I’m gonna head spear it and make sure this gets done before I’m done playing,” Dawkins said during his press conference on Thursday.

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“Because there’s so many greats. So many greats. We have great quarterbacks, we have great running backs, we have rushing titles, we have quarterback passing titles. All of those titles are reflections of the O-lineman, which are the protectors.”

At the college level, offensive linemen are recognized with numerous different awards.

The Lombardi Award is awarded to the best college football lineman of the year, tight end or linebacker. This season, it was awarded to Texas Longhorn left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.

The Outland Trophy is given to the best interior lineman both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Banks also won that award this season.

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Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins, #73, leaves the field after winning a game against the San Francisco 49ers to clinch the AFC East title at Highmark Stadium. (Mark Konezny-Imagn Images)

The Rimington Trophy is awarded to the best center, which was given to Ohio State Buckeye’s star center Seth McLaughlin.

The NFL awards the MVP, Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, Walter Payton Man of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The only award offensive linemen have a realistic chance of winning is Walter Payton Man of the Year, an award given for acts of service to the community, which is an off-the-field award.

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Buffalo Bills Dion Dawkins, #73, blocks for quarterback Josh Allen, who sneaks in for a touchdown, during first half action in the Buffalo Bills divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Jan. 19, 2025. (IMAGN)

Dawkins has spent all eight seasons of his career with the Bills, which will be put the test this weekend when the Bills take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship.

Dawkins, a four-time Pro Bowler, will be tasked with stopping star defensive lineman Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, Leo Chenal and others who will try to pursue Josh Allen.

The Bills and Chiefs are set to play at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.

January 24, 2025
Nikola Jokić drains near full-court shot en route to joining elite company with dominant triple-double

Nikola Jokić is well on his way to winning his fourth MVP in five seasons, and performances like Thursday night’s are why that’s the case.

The Serbian superstar put up perhaps his most impressive game ever, and one of the best in NBA history, en route to his Denver Nuggets’ 132-123 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Jokić dropped 35 points, grabbed 22 rebounds and handed out 17 assists in the contest, good for his league-leading 20th triple-double of the season; the next-closest is LeBron James with nine, so he is quite literally lapping the field.

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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts following the win over Sacramento Kings at Ball Arena. (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)

With the performance, Jokić became just the second person in NBA history to drop 35-plus points, grab 20 or more rebounds, and dish out at least 15 assists in a game. The other? Wilt Chamberlain, who did so back on February 14, 1962, when he put up 35-24-15.

But in putting up the dominant numbers came something that you have to see to believe.

With the seconds winding down in the third quarter, and the Nuggets up big, Jokić decided to heave a shot at the opposite end of the court. Well, when you’re hot, you’re hot.

It’s now five consecutive triple-doubles for Jokić, who is averaging a career-high 30.2 points, 13.4 rebounds (his second-most), and 10.1 assists, also the most of his career. But the shot is what seemed to take the arena by storm – except Jokić, of course.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts alongside forward Aaron Gordon (32) following a full court basket made in the second half against the Sacramento Kings at Ball Arena. (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)

“I thought it had a chance, and then boom,” said teammate Russell Westbrook, who ironically is the last player to average a triple-double in a season. “The best part of it was no reaction from him. Which I love.”

Added head coach Michael Malone, “Not surprising. He’s a guy that has this uncanny ability.”

“When you play you want to make every shot,” Jokić said. “I took it to make it and I did make it. It’s a lucky shot, not really a high-percentage shot, but I took it to make it. It’s three points. It’s going to help us.”

Only Oscar Robertson and Westbrook have averaged a 30-point triple-double in NBA history, but Jokić could very well join their company.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) is interviewed by Altitude sports reporter Katy Winge following the win over Sacramento Kings at Ball Arena. (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)

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“I think this is the best basketball I’ve ever played,” Jokić said. “I’m feeling good out there, I’m in shape, the ball is going in. I think I’m playing really good.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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January 24, 2025