Tag: leaning

  • Chiefs’ Travis Kelce asks reporters, ‘Why are you guys leaning into this whole ref thing?’

    Chiefs’ Travis Kelce asks reporters, ‘Why are you guys leaning into this whole ref thing?’

    Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce was asked on Monday night if he had a question for the media as reporters gathered at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX.

    Kelce swung for the fences.

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    Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce talks to the media during Super Bowl LIX Opening Night at Ceasars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 3, 2025. (Stephen Lew-Imagn Images)

    “Why are you guys leaning into this whole ref thing?” Kelce asked. “You know what I mean? Like, why are you guys leaning into it? That’s all I got though.”

    Alleged favoritism from NFL officials to the Chiefs has been a major topic of conversation since Kansas City defeated the Houston Texans in the divisional round. Two questionable penalties called in favor of the Chiefs sparked the conversation on social media.

    But after a few head-scratchers in the AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills, the social media chatter was taken from the keyboard to the Roger Goodell press conference on Monday.

    Goodell threw cold water on the notion that there was any favoritism toward the Chiefs.

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    Travis Kelce being recorded

    “Why are you guys leaning into this whole ref thing?” Travis Kelce asked reporters. (James Lang-Imagn Images)

    “This sort of reminds me a little bit of ‘the script,’ right? That I write a script and I have a script for the entire seasons,” he said. “I think a lot of those theories are things that happen in social media, and they get a new life.… Nobody wants it to be their theory.

    “I understand it. I think it reflects a lot of the fans’ passion. I think it’s also a reminder for us on how important officiating is. I think the men and women officiating the NFL are outstanding. They have the highest possible standards. That’s a ridiculous theory for anyone who might take it seriously, but at the end of the day, it’s something we always have to continue to work on, how we make our officiating better at all times.”

    Chiefs team owner Clark Hunt also dismantled the theory.

    “You almost have to laugh at it, because you know how everybody in the NFL wants to compete to win, and that’s true of our guys as well. The referees are doing the best job that they can. If you look at the stats or a lot of stats, that shows that we’ve been on the wrong side of calls as often as we’ve been on the right side.” Hunt said in an interview with NFL Network. 

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    “There’s definitely no conspiracy, right? It’s the nature of the game. And when you start having a lot of success, people like to start making excuses for why you’re having the success.”

    Fox News’ Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.

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  • Ohio State national champion Jack Sawyer leaning on faith as he gears up for NFL: ‘Keep trusting His plan’

    Ohio State national champion Jack Sawyer leaning on faith as he gears up for NFL: ‘Keep trusting His plan’

    For Ohio State Buckeyes standout linebacker Jack Sawyer, the last 48 hours have been quite a “whirlwind” if you ask him. 

    On Monday night, he helped the Buckeyes cap a resilient College Football Playoff run with a national championship victory over Notre Dame. And you can expect what happened when the team returned to Columbus, Ohio. 

    “It’s been a lot of fun,” Sawyer told Fox News Digital before his celebratory “shift” at Raising Cane’s in Columbus alongside his star quarterback teammate Will Howard. “Obviously, it’s been a whirlwind after the game when we first got back to Columbus. Now, it’s maybe even more of a whirlwind, but we’ve had a lot of fun with it and so happy we were able to get the job done for Coach Day and the city of Columbus.”

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    Will Howard and Jack Sawyer take picture with Ohio State fans outside Raising Cane’s in Columbus, Ohio.  (Raising Cane’s)

    Sawyer pulled up to Raising Cane’s early Wednesday morning with “already 100 people outside,” all of whom were waiting to praise the two Buckeyes for their contributions to a championship season. 

    But while the Buckeyes’ celebrations continue, the end of the season means both Sawyer and Howard are set to become NFL Draft prospects, as they aim for their transition to pro football. 

    Sawyer’s draft stock skyrocketed as he had a tremendous CFP run, including the strip-sack, scoop-and-score against his former Ohio State roommate, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, to seal the Buckeyes’ victory in the Cotton Bowl to cement a spot in the national title game. 

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    While his motor on the field, and work ethic off it, are qualities that teams will be looking at during the scouting process, Sawyer knows that his faith will continue to play a large role in what happens next. 

    “It’s everything to us,” Sawyer said about his faith, bringing Howard into the fold as well. “It’s a number in our lives when you put God first like that and truly seek to grow with him and follow his plan. He’s going to open so many doors for you that you would never think you could achieve otherwise. 

    “For me and Will, and really everyone on the team, our faith’s been the biggest thing keeping us up and keeping us moving forward after a couple tough losses in the season.”

    One of those losses was a massive upset by the Michigan Wolverines, the Buckeyes’ bitter rival whom Sawyer naturally refers to as the “Team Up North,” on Nov. 30. It was a loss in Columbus that led to a brawl on the field between the two teams, where Sawyer was seen ripping a Michigan flag away from midfield after the Wolverines wanted to celebrate their win even more. 

    At the time, it was a disaster for head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. They weren’t able to get a shot at the Big Ten title, and many questioned if they had what it took to make that CFP run. 

    Jack Sawyer poses inside Raising Cane's

    Jack Sawyer poses with football at Columbus Raising Cane’s.  (Raising Cane’s)

    But Ohio State showed what resiliency looks like in the face of adversity, especially with a load of naysayers believing the Buckeyes once again wouldn’t be able to take their talented team to the title game. 

    “We knew we had to get to work and fix the things we needed to fix and attack it as hard as we could,” he said. “That’s exactly what we did. No one saw the work we were putting in behind the scenes.”

    For Sawyer personally, he went into his next game after losing to Michigan and racked up 1.5 sacks with two passes defended and five total tackles in the rout against Tennessee in the first round of the CFP. Then, he had two sacks and three passes defended in the Rose Bowl against Oregon, followed by his 83-yard return for a touchdown against the Longhorns.

    “I think it’s just taught me a lot about life,” Sawyer said of this title run. “It’s taught me about how everything is not always going to go your way, but if you keep trusting in God and fight and keep getting up every day swinging, eventually you’re going to come out the other end. 

    “I think that is something I’m going to take with me to the next level, and it’s something I hope teams see in me. No matter what, I’m going to give it my all, keep fighting and continue to grow every day.”

    Again, this is time for celebration after a long, hard season for Sawyer, his teammates and his coaches. But the NFL Scouting Combine is right around the corner, and pretty soon, Sawyer will likely be hearing his name called in April when the NFL Draft kicks off.

    Jack Sawyer with national championship trophy

    Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) celebrates after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

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    Whichever team writes his name on their card, he knows he’ll be giving his all to make an impact like he has in Columbus. But he won’t stress any step moving forward, as his faith will remain a constant as he looks ahead to his next major life moment. 

    “Anything’s possible with God, and I’m going to keep trusting his plan,” Sawyer concluded. “Like I said, he blessed us far more than we could ever thank him enough for.”

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