Happy New Year 2025

Tag: champion

World Series champion Bobby Jenks battling stomach cancer

Bobby Jenks, a World Series champion pitcher who starred for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox, revealed Saturday he is being treated for stomach cancer.

Jenks talked about his illness with MLB.com while at a hospital in Portugal. He expressed optimism he would be able to recover in time to return for a second season as the manager of the Windy City Thunderbolts, who play in the Frontier League.

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Chicago pitcher Bobby Jenks is congratulated by catcher Toby Hall after the White Sox defeated the Giants 3-1at AT&T Park in San Francisco, May 17, 2008. (Phil Carter-USA Today Sports)

“Now it’s time to do what I got to do to get myself better and get myself more time, however you want to look at it,” he told the website. “I’ll tell you one thing: I’m not going to die here in Portugal.”

Jenks, 43, played seven years in the majors and was a two-time All-Star. He made 32 appearances and six saves in his rookie season in 2005. He helped the White Sox to a World Series title then.

In 2007, he retired 41 consecutive batters, which matched a record for a relief pitcher.

REDS MANAGER TO ELLY DE LA CRUZ: ‘I WANT YOU TO BE THE BEST PLAYER IN BASEBALL’

Chicago White Sox pitcher Bobby Jenks pitches against the Orioles at Camden Yards in Baltimore, July 30, 2006. (James Lang-USA Today Sports)

He had a 3.40 ERA and 173 saves for Chicago in 329 games over six years. He spent one season with the Red Sox before walking away from the game.

The White Sox sent their well-wishes to Jenks on social media.

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Boston Red Sox pitcher Bobby Jenks throws against the Phillies in Philadelphia, June 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

“We stand with you, Bobby Jenks,” the team wrote in an Instagram post.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 16, 2025
Super Bowl champion Dana Stubblefield freed from prison after rape conviction gets overturned

Super Bowl champion and former San Francisco 49ers star Dana Stubblefield was released from prison Tuesday after his 2020 rape conviction was vacated by a California appeals court.

Stubblefield, who is Black, had his conviction overturned after the Sixth Court of Appeals determined prosecutors had made racially discriminatory statements during his trial.

The Sixth Court of Appeals found that the prosecutor violated California’s Racial Justice Act of 2020, which was passed during the summer of racial injustice after the police killing George Floyd.

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San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Candlestick Park. (USA Today Sports)

Prosecutors said during the trial that police had never searched Stubblefield’s house and had never introduced a gun into evidence, saying it was because he was a famous Black man, and it would “open up a storm of controversy,” according to the appeals court’s decision.

The court said that by determining that Stubblefield’s race had been a factor in law enforcement’s decision to forgo searching his house, prosecutors had implied that the house would have been searched and that a gun would not have been found had Stubblefield not been Black.

Stubblefield has remained in prison since December because a lower court judge said he didn’t have the jurisdiction to grant bail or release.

Stubblefield’s release was granted after the state attorney general’s office and appeals office weighed in.

Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Hector Ramon granted Stubblefield’s release Friday.

CALIFORNIA APPEALS COURT OVERTURNS SUPER BOWL CHAMP’S RAPE CONVICTION DUE TO RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Former NFL football player Dana Stubblefield leaves a federal courthouse in San Francisco Jan. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Stubblefield had served nearly four years of his 15-year sentence.

“Finally, an innocent man is no longer sitting in a cage away from his family,” Stubblefield’s defense attorney, Kenneth Rosenfeld, said in a statement.

Stubblefield was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison in October 2020, when he was convicted of raping a developmentally disabled woman in 2015 who prosecutors said he lured to his home with a promise of a babysitting job.

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Defense attorneys argued no rape occurred and that Stubblefield said the woman consented to sex in exchange for money.

Stubblefield played in the NFL for 11 years and was named defensive rookie of the year with the 49ers in 1993.

Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield during a game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland Oct. 12, 2003. (Matthew Emmons/USA Today Sports)

The three-time Pro Bowler was named defensive player of the year in 1997 after recording 15 sacks.

After five seasons with the 49ers, Stubblefield played for the Washington Redskins for three seasons before rejoining the 49ers for two more seasons.

After his second stint with the 49ers, Stubblefield played one season for the Oakland Raiders before retiring after the 2003 season.

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

February 13, 2025
Patrick Mahomes lost like a champion which can be harder to do than win like one

The lasting memory Patrick Mahomes left of the 2024 NFL season is that he ultimately lost.

He failed.

That, rather than continue his chase of Tom Brady’s record seven-ring Super Bowl domination and set an unprecedented mark by winning three consecutive championships, Mahomes fell short. And not just fell short because his team betrayed him, but because he played poorly and wasn’t what anyone, including himself, expected.

Mahomes Shows Grace And Class

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and wide receiver JuJu Smith- Schuster (9) walk off the field after a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles during the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

So, yes, bitter disappointment.

And do you know how, amid all that defeat and failure and disillusion, Mahomes handled the moment?

Like a champion.

He took his beating, as did all the Kansas City Chiefs in that 40-22 final that wasn’t really as close as the score, and handled it like a grown man afterward. Like a professional.

Like a winner.

Mahomes sought out opposing quarterback Jalen Hurts, shook his hand and offered congratulations. He also shook hands with a couple of other victorious Philadelphia players, including offensive tackle Lane Johnson, and then he ran off the field.

Even Tom Brady Didn’t Handle This Well

Feb 4, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Confetti falls as New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) walks off the field after Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

No big deal?

Tom Brady didn’t shake Nick Foles’ hand after the Eagles beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Kyle Shanahan didn’t shake Andy Reid’s hand after the Super Bowl a year ago. It’s the classy thing to do, but sometimes the pain and frustration of the moment wipe away the veneer of good sportsmanship.

Because losing these games hurts. A lot. And Mahomes has now lost two of them, including one to Brady in Super Bowl LV.

“Um, I mean, both sucked,” Mahomes said. “There’s no way around it. Anytime you lose a Super Bowl, it’s the worst feeling in the world. They’ll stick with you the rest of your career.

“I mean, these will be the two losses that will motivate me to be even better for the rest of my career, because you only get so few of these, and you have to capitalize on these, and they hurt probably more than the wins feel good.”

Let that marinate for a moment.

The losses elicit a greater lasting feeling than the victories. And yet, amid that kind of personal emotional cataclysm, Mahomes came to the podium to face reporters and answered about 14 questions or so with patience and class.

Mahomes Responds To Emotional Cataclysm

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) shakes hands with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

He talked about Jalen Hurts winning it all.

He talked about Travis Kelce possibly retiring.

And he addressed his rough outing by actually taking responsibility for the loss.

“I threw two interceptions,” Mahomes said. “I threw a pick-six, and I threw a pick that they returned to the 5-yard line, and they scored immediately after, so when you give a team 14 points, especially a really good football team, a Super Bowl football team, then not a lot of good things happen.

“And so, that’s why I take ownership in this loss more than probably any loss in my entire career, because I put us in a bad spot, and even though we put up some stats at the end of the game, those stats didn’t really matter, because I’d already kind of lost the momentum for this entire team.”

At the beginning of Super Bowl week, Mahomes was asked multiple times about his faith. And he boldly proclaimed his faith in Jesus Christ. He talked openly about God.

He said he wants to use Jesus as an example of how to live his life.

And, predictably, the haters said that’s easy to do when your team wins 15 of 17 regular-season games and two playoff games after that. It’s easy to be close to God when the breeze of consecutive Super Bowl wins is at one’s back.

Mahomes Thanks God Even In Defeat

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts from the sideline in the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. (Stephen Lew-Imagn Images)

But what about the rough times?

Where was the quarterback’s God Sunday evening while he was getting sacked six times? And where did this mess of a game leave Mahomes and his professed faith?

The answer to both questions is exactly where it all was before the game.

God apparently allowed the Chiefs to take one on the chin. They say setbacks are a set-up for a great comeback. I believe that’s in the Gospels somewhere because Jesus suffered unspeakable punishment on the cross on Friday and died, but didn’t stay that way very long.

Sunday’s grand victory surely came.

Mahomes, meanwhile, thanked God after the Kansas City loss. He thanked God “for every opportunity he has given me.”

That doesn’t change the fact the Eagles were better. It doesn’t change the fact Mahomes went home with an L.

But neither did that loss change the fact Mahomes took the setback like a champion.

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February 12, 2025
UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones announces new initiative

FIRST ON FOX: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight Jon Jones announced Thursday that he is about to deliver a big blow to hidden prices in healthcare.

UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones said that he would be launching a new initiative partnering with the nonprofit group Power to the Patients to take on hospitals, pharmacy benefit managers and insurance companies, which he says have “refuse[d]” to be transparent with their prices in order to rake in more profits.

“This next fight for me is a personal one, but it’s not just for me. It’s for every American who has ever been bullied, robbed or deceived. It’s arguably the most important fight of my career,” Jones said in a mock press conference akin to those he participates in when announcing his next UFC opponent. “My next opponent will be: the American healthcare system.”

VA SECRETARY DOUG COLLINS PRIORITIZES EFFICIENCY, HEALTHCARE FLEXIBILITY FOR VETERANS

Screenshot from Jon Jones Thursday announcement about his new initiative with Power to the Patients. (Jon Jones)

During his first term, President Donald Trump passed healthcare price transparency rules that forced hospitals and insurers to publish all their prices, so patients could make more informed decisions about where they want to get their treatment and, as a result, increase competition and lower prices.

On the 2024 campaign trail, President Trump suggested during an interview with podcaster Theo Von that the lack of transparency around healthcare pricing amounted to “extortion” by these wealthy companies, and he charged former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris with refusing to enforce his first-term rule. However, according to Trump, he’ll be “pressing” to ensure that this sort of transparency in the healthcare system comes to fruition.

Jones said during the mock press conference that people should know whether an MRI costs $600 or $6,000, noting that “in America, we shouldn’t have to advocate for honesty and accountability in healthcare.”

LGBTQ+ ADVOCATES, FAMILIES SUE TRUMP ADMIN FOR ENDING FUNDING OF TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE UNDER 19

Pictured is a photo of a medical billing statement, similar to what most patients get. (iStock)

Medical bills are a leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S., according to some studies. The National Institutes of Health posited in 2019 that a survey of debtors showed that the majority of respondents, 58.5%, agreed that medical expenses contributed to their financial woes.

Trump has said that if his first-term rules on healthcare pricing transparency had been enforced the way he envisioned, it could have brought down the price of care by as much as 50% to 60%. Trump also blamed the healthcare industry’s “powerful” lobby for a reason why the rules have not been adequately enforced.

TRUMP HANDED ‘OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE MEDICARE’ AFTER BIDEN ADMIN’S FINAL BLOW TO SENIORS: EXPERT
While Jones and Trump are allies – the fighter presented the president with his champion belt during one of his recent fights and also surprised fans with Trump’s signature dance move following his win – the issue is a bipartisan one. During the last Congress, a cohort of Republicans and Democrats sought to pass legislation clamping down on improving hospital and insurer price transparency.

President-elect Donald Trump greets Jon Jones after he defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, early Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Power to the Patients is no stranger to star power. The group has partnered in the past with country superstars Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll, as well as rappers Fat Joe, Method Man and others.

“I am proud to be joining Power to the Patients to take on hospitals and insurance companies that refuse to show their prices,” Jones told Fox News Digital.

“For years, hospitals and insurers have been disregarding rules requiring them to disclose prices to patients in advance of care. In a healthcare system that lacks transparency and accountability, Jones said, “Without real prices, hospitals and health insurers are making healthcare in America unaffordable, inaccessible, and totally dishonest. When we can’t see or compare real prices upfront, we are blindsided by overcharges, price-gouging and surprise bills that we can’t verify are correct.”

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“In his first term, President Trump took aggressive and historic action to make healthcare prices available to patients before they get care instead of sticking Americans with surprise bills,” said White House spokesperson Kush Desai. “After the Biden administration neglected implementation of these commonsense ideas and allowed the healthcare industry to keep patients in the dark, the second Trump administration is committed to lowering costs and Making America Healthy Again by giving Americans the choices they want and the transparency they need to make informed decisions.”

February 6, 2025
World Series champion Rich Dauer dead at 72

Rich Dauer, who was a key member of the Houston Astros World Series winning coaching staff, died earlier this week. He was 72.

The Baltimore Orioles announced Dauer’s death on Monday. Dauer made his Major League debut with the Orioles in 1976 and spent the next decade as an infielder with the franchise.

A cause of death was not immediately released.

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Houston Astros first base coach Rich Dauer, #48, watches play during game two of the 2017 ALCS playoff baseball series of the Houston Astros against the New York Yankees at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Oct. 14, 2017. (Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer paid tribute to Dauer.

“My long time teammate Richie Dauer passes. Was part of the Oriole way, where you didn’t have to be a star to help the O’s win,” Palmer wrote on social media. “Richie had an infectious personality that kept us loose, yet focused. Another reason I was so blessed to be an Oriole for life. RIP.”

LEGENDARY NASCAR BROADCASTER BILL WEBER DEAD AT 67

Dauer served as the Astros first base coach when Houston defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series. He underwent emergency surgery following that season to address a blood clot in his brain. MLB.com reported in 2023 that he had recently had a significant stroke.

Houston Astros first base coach Rich Dauer, #48, gives directions to the infielders during game two of the 2017 ALCS playoff baseball series of the Houston Astros against the New York Yankees at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Oct. 14, 2017. (Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

“Baseball has brought incredible people into my life. Loved him when he coached me and learned from him when he was on my staff in Houston,” former Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “RIP, my friend. And thank you for being you.”

Two-time MLB All-Star Alex Bregman took to Instagram on Monday to honor Dauer. “RIP my brother. We love you,” Bregman wrote. “You will be missed.”

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Dauer homered to open the scoring in Game 7 of the 1979 World Series between the Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates. Baltimore ultimately suffered a 4-3 series defeat, but the Orioles returned to the World Series in 1983 and defeated the Philadelphia Phillies.

Dauer was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2012. He was also part of the 2021 class for the College Baseball Hall of Fame. He helped Southern California win national titles in 1973 and 1974.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 5, 2025
Claressa Shields makes boxing history as 1st-ever female undisputed heavyweight champion

Boxer Claressa Shields made history in the ring on Sunday night.

Shields dropped Danielle Perkins to become the first-ever undisputed women’s heavyweight champion.

She is also the first boxer, male or female, to be the undisputed champion in three different weight classes in the four-belt era. Shields did so in junior middle weight and middle weight prior to this feat.

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Claressa Shields trains during an open media workout at Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit on Jan. 7. (IMAGN)

Perkins was undefeated up until the time Shields landed a right hook in the final seconds of the 10th and final round. That punch, which slumped Perkins for some seconds before she walked to a corner on the canvas, cemented history for Shields.

Perkins is now 5-1 for her career with two knockouts, while Shields remains undefeated at 16-0 with three knockouts.

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After the match, Shields was excited about the win, but she revealed that she would actually need shoulder surgery after suffering an injury before the fight. She noted not being able to lift her left arm earlier in the week.

“I actually think I’m going to have to have surgery on my left arm. I tore my labrum last week, so the fight almost didn’t happen,” Shields said, via ESPN. “I didn’t want to let Flint down, but I really couldn’t use my jab the way that I wanted to, but I did the best that I could. I iced it, I did therapy, and now I think I’m going to have a shoulder surgery.”

Claressa Shields, left, fights women’s WBC champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse during the main event fight at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (IMAGN)

Shields gave kudos to Perkins after the match, saying she was “strong as hell” with her punches in the ring. However, Shields was patient and struck at the last second when Perkins’ guard was down.

“My experience and my skills got me over it and also, I’ve been in plenty of street fights with bigger people and I had to use some of my skills in that today, too. So, when I dropped her in the last round, it’s because she got greedy,” Shields said of her opponent.

Shields landed 29% of her punches on Perkins, as well as 36% of her power punches. Perkins landed just 19% of punches.

Boxer Claressa Shields fights women’s WBC champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse during the main event fight at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (IMAGN)

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It was a unanimous decision on the card, as judges ruled the fight in favor of Shields 97-92, 99-90 and 100-89.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 3, 2025
Olympic medalist Scott Hamilton recalls final meeting with champion Russian skaters days before plane crash

Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton held back tears on Friday as he remembered the victims from the figure skating community who died after an American Airlines flight traveling from development camp in Kansas to Washington, D.C., collided with an Army helicopter in midair late Wednesday night.

The four-time men’s singles world champion spoke fondly of the victims during an appearance on TODAY but called the reality of this week’s tragedy “overwhelming.”

Figure Skater Scott Hamilton of the United States competing in the figure skating competition in the XIV Olympic Winter Games circa 1984 in Sarajevo, Bosnia. ( Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

“For this to happen just days after those championships were over is just devastating, shocking – it just doesn’t make any sense. . . .We’re no stranger to tragedy but this was just beyond devastation.”

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Officials have said that 14 skaters, coaches and family members were aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 when it collided with a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, near D.C., at around 9 p.m. local time.

Many of the victims have been identified, including Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the renowned ice skating coaches who won a world championship title together in 1994.

World champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia execute a throw during the pairs short competition at the World Figure Skating competition in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on March 19, 1996. (Dave Buston/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

YOUNG FIGURE SKATING SISTERS FROM VIRGINIA AMONG VICTIMS KILLED IN DC PLANE CRASH

Hamilton became emotional when he spoke of the couple, who settled in America to become coaches following their successful career, which culminated in two Olympic appearances. He saw them just days before the crash while attending the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Kansas.

“I actually sat with them for a nice visit in Wichita,” Hamilton recalled Friday.”

“To think that they’re gone is, um, I can’t wrap my head around the last 36 hours. It’s just been devastating, and the loss is just beyond description. My heart is shattered.”

Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia perform during free skating in the pairs event of the NHK Trophy International Figure Skating Competition at Nagoya, Japan, on Dec. 9, 1995. AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File

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Shishkova and Naumov married in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1995, and they moved to Connecticut. They had a son, Maxim, who competed in men’s singles in the U.S. He was in Kansas but did not travel back with his parents. The Russian pair were coaches for the Skating Club of Boston.

Sixty passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines plane and three soldiers aboard a training flight on the helicopter are presumed dead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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January 31, 2025
World champion Russian figure skaters aboard flight involved in midair collision, Kremlin says

Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were a Russian figure skating pair who competed in multiple Olympic Games and medaled in multiple world championships.

The Kremlin said Thursday the figure skating stars were among those aboard an American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter near Reagan International Airport on Wednesday night.

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Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were killed in a plane crash, the Kremlin said. (Reuters)

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Shishkova and Naumov were on the plane.

“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash,” he said.

It was Naumov’s coach who introduced the pair in 1985, wanting them to work together despite Naumov rebuffing the idea at first. They began to work together in 1987 and competed and won bronze in the 1991 European Championships while representing the former Soviet Union. The pair would go on to win two more bronze and silver medals in the event.

LIVE UPDATES: MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDES WITH AIRCRAFT NEAR REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT

From left to right, in pairs are silver medalists Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia, gold medalists Radka Kovarikova and Rene Novotny of the Czech Republic, and bronze medalists Jenni Meno and Todd Sand of the United States. (Reuters)

Shishkova and Naumov earned accolades on the world stage as well. At the 1993 World Championships, the two earned a bronze medal. The following year in Chiba, Japan, the two picked up their first gold medal. They finished with a silver in 1995 in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

The pair competed in the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, and the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. They finished in fifth in 1992 and fourth in 1994.

Shishkova and Naumov married in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1995, and they moved to Connecticut. They had a son, Maxim, who competed in men’s singles in the U.S.

German runner-ups in the pairs Mandy Wotzel, left, and Ingo Steuer (2nd L) with winners Evgenia Shishkova, right, and Vadim Naumov wave to fans in the awarding ceremony of the NHK Trophy Figure Skating Grand Prix in Nagoya, Japan. (Reuters)

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The Russian pair were listed as professional pairs coaches on the Skating Club of Boston’s website.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 30, 2025
Super Bowl champion hopes fans appreciate Chiefs’ greatness, not hate on it

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The Kansas City Chiefs haterade is being served triple this year after reaching their third consecutive Super Bowl.

The back-to-back reigning champions are one win away from becoming the first team to ever three-peat, and despite putting their name among the greatest dynasties in sports, a large majority of football fans can’t wait for it to end.

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However, one former NFL great has no issues with the Chiefs’ success, knowing how difficult it is to do what the Chiefs have been doing.

Clay Matthews, left, and Patrick Mahomes (IMAGN)

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Clay Matthews, who won a Super Bowl, says it’s easier for him, as opposed to the average fan, to appreciate the Chiefs’ greatness rather than hate on it.

“I don’t think people understand how difficult it is. Unlike maybe in some other sports where there’s no salary cap, and certain teams dominate football, because of the salary cap, because of the parody within the league, it’s so difficult to stay on top,” Matthews told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “And for [Tom] Brady to do that for so long, and now [Patrick] Mahomes to do that within his first seven years, it’s remarkable.

“So I look at it as just enjoy the show, and I hope everybody is as well.”

Matthews knows how difficult it really is, and how grateful the Chiefs should be, considering fans in the early 2010s thought the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers would be the next great dynasty. Matthews called Rodgers “arguably the greatest talent” at the quarterback position, but even they couldn’t get over the hump more than once.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, left, points to Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 6, 2011. (USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis. via Imagn Content Services LLC)

“We were only able to make one Super Bowl. … So I firsthand know how difficult it is to get back to the Super Bowl. So for him to be able to do this year and year out, it’s almost like a cheat code, but the reality is it takes so much more than just us at home saying it’s unfair,” Matthews added.

Green Bay Packers Clay Matthews is shown during a game on Sept. 9, 2012. (John Biever/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

EX-NFL STAR CLAY MATTHEWS DISCUSSES RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP AS A FATHER, RAISING SONS TO BE HUNTERS

“I grew up in the Kobe [Bryant] era, the Lakers era where they were winning championships, and I’m sure everybody was hating. When the Yankees were winning, I was hating on them because I was a Dodgers fan,” the Southern California native continued. “So whereas I wasn’t involved in professional athletics, it’s a lot easier to hate on the couch as a fan.

“Being a former player and, you know, football as well is just such a difficult sport. I mean, the physicality of it, the war of attrition, everything that goes into it to get to this point right now, it’s truly remarkable. So, yes, I do appreciate it a lot more than perhaps others who haven’t played the game do.”

Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi. (Tubi)

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Maybe it will be a different story, though, if the Chiefs go to four in a row.

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January 30, 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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Stream Super Bowl LIX for free on Tubi. (Tubi)

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