Michael O’Sullivan, a jockey from Ireland who fell from his horse at Thurles Racecourse, has died more than a week after the fall, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) said in a news release. He was 24.
He fell from his horse during the Racing Again February 20th Handicap Chase on Feb. 6.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Michael O’Sullivan celebrates on Marine Nationale after winning the 13:30 The Sky Bet Supreme Novices.(Reuters/Peter Cziborra)
“Michael was an exceptionally talented young rider who was always popular in the weighroom,” IHRB CEO Darragh O’Loughlin said in the release. “Michael will be deeply missed by everyone in racing who had the pleasure of knowing him. Our hearts go out to Michael’s family, especially his parents Bernadette and William and his brother Alan, who will feel his loss most keenly.”
Dr. Jennifer Pugh, the IHRB’s chief medical officer, said O’Sullivan’s family decided to donate his organs.
“I have had the privilege of knowing Michael through his amateur and professional career and his dedication, modesty and kind nature always made him a pleasure to be around,” Pugh added. “Michael’s success and his humility will have inspired many, and I share the feeling of loss today with all those who knew him.
CHURCHILL DOWNS RESCINDS BOB BAFFERT’S SUSPENSION AFTER HORSE TRAINER ADMITS FAULT IN SCANDAL
Impaire Et Passe, ridden by Paul Townend, and Good Land, ridden by Michael O’Sullivan, in action during the 13:30 Ballymore Novices.(Reuters/Peter Cziborra)
“Michael’s family would like to reiterate their gratefulness for all the support they have received in the last couple of days and express their appreciation to the local community and racing family. The O’Sullivan family have asked for privacy at this time.”
O’Sullivan turned pro in 2022 and won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle the next year at the Cheltenham Festival, according to the BBC. He had 95 wins in Ireland and Britain over the course of his career.
“It’s dreadful news which puts all our problems into context. He will be much missed here and there is a real sadness here,” trainer Willie Mullins said, via the outlet. “He was here two mornings a week and was very much a part of the team and his part here was only going to get bigger. He was such a natural rider who was very modest, friendly and understated.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“He had a great understanding of horses and racing and given the horse, he was the man. I think Closutton will be a much poorer place without him and we, as a family, will miss him. He will be much missed in the yard and we have his family in our thoughts and our prayers are for them now.”
Follow Fox News Digital’ssports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
NEW ORLEANS – No player in the NFL wants to have their starting role removed, especially not a team’s franchise quarterback.
Atlanta Falcons veteran Kirk Cousins had to deal with that reality ahead of Week 15, amid a division title race no less, when head coach Raheem Morris said he was turning to Michael Penix Jr. to play under center.
Cousins had been struggling despite coming off a 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders the week prior. Before that game, four straight losses saw Atlanta dip under .500. So, Morris had Penix face the New York Giants for his first career start.
SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE
Falcons quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins on the field before the Pittsburgh Steelers game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.(Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
Speaking with Fox News Digital on Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Penix explained the key advice he gathered from Cousins, who he had watched and studied all season.
“Just let the game come to you and be patient,” Penix said while also discussing his partnership with Sharpie. “Even if you call a shot play, or a big play, you don’t have to take the big play if it’s not there. A lot of the stuff I learned from him was a lot of visual things, just the way he moved through his progression, getting to his fifth read, that’s hard to do, especially at the level we’re playing at. Hearing him in meetings talking about how he got to that last read, how he canceled out stuff early and stuff like that, it helped me out when I got in there early.”
Penix’s first start didn’t see his first career touchdown pass, but he went 18-for-27 for 202 yards with an interception. With help from his defense, which scored two touchdowns on the lowly Giants, the Falcons won 34-7, hitting 8-7 on the season.
HOW TO WATCH SUPER BOWL LIX BETWEEN CHIEFS, EAGLES STREAMED ON TUBI
Penix said the usual jitters weren’t there thanks to seeing a few snaps in losses earlier in the season, as well as preseason play. But he also knows nothing can prepare you for that first start… unless you’re acting like a starter each week.
He said his biggest takeaway from the season was having the mindset of always being ready, which may need to happen next year as well with Cousins remaining under contract despite Morris turning to his young rookie at the end of the season.
“I feel like I always had to be ready because I didn’t know when my time was going to be,” he said. “Whenever it did come, I wanted to be ready for that moment. Each and every day, I prepared like I was the starter. I prepared like I was going to be out there. So, whenever that moment did come, it didn’t seem like a surprise for me.”
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. runs against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Penix couldn’t lead the Falcons to the NFC South title, losing his final two starts of his rookie campaign. However, he showed flashes of why the Falcons were so high on him with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Heading into his sophomore season, Penix will continue working hard with his mindset not changing. But his experience with Cousins shows that, while the veteran gunslinger wants to remain a starter in the league, he’s willing to teach the next generation in his quarterbacks room.
‘PASSING THE PEN’ WITH SHARPIE
Penix was among Sharpie’s “Rookies of the Year,” which marked the inaugural class as they headed into their professional journeys. From signing day, to his My Cause My Cleats this season, Sharpie has allowed Penix to add a personal touch to his rookie moments.
Now, he’s ready to “pass the pen” to the next class, which includes top NFL prospects Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State and Tetairoa McMillan from Arizona. He shared his love for their respective game.
“Those two in particular, I played against T-Mac, McMillan, just seeing him live, he makes big-time plays,” he said. “He’s a great receiver and he’s going to do a great job in this league, and with Sharpie. I’m looking forward to it. With Ashton, the year that he had, coming second in Heisman, I did that last year, too. The year he had as a running back at the college level, it was something that was very special, and he was almost put at number on as far as yards and stuff like that. Big kudos to you guys.”
Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi.(Tubi)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
As a lefty, Penix has had to deal with smudges all over his work from a young age. But he showed his appreciation for the Sharpie S-Gel with it’s “No Smear, No Smudge Technology.”
“It was crazy. It sucked when you didn’t have that Sharpie pen in your hand, but I found the solution now, so I’m super excited to be able to do that,” he said.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
Marcus Jordan, the son of NBA legend Michael Jordan, was arrested in Florida on multiple charges.
The Maitland Police Department booked Marcus into the Orange County Jail on Tuesday on charges of cocaine possession, resisting arrest and DUI property damage or personal injury. Fox News Digital reached out to Jordan’s representatives for comment.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Marcus Jordan was arrested in Florida.(Orange County Jail)
The details around his arrest were still unclear.
The 34-year-old is the second-eldest child of the former Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards star. Marcus played high school basketball and later tried his hand at college basketball at the University of Central Florida.
LUKA DONCIC’S FATHER BLASTS MAVERICKS FOR TRADING SON TO LAKERS: ‘ABSOLUTELY DOESN’T DESERVE THIS’
Marcus Jordan attends the 2022 Rookie USA Fashion Show at 608 Fifth Avenue on Sept. 8, 2022 in New York City.(Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Rookie USA)
He ended up leaving the program in 2012 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree at The Rosen College of Hospitality Management in 2013.
Marcus has laid low for the most part. He was thrust into the spotlight about two years ago when he began dating Larsa Pippen, the ex-wife of his father’s teammate Scottie Pippen. The relationship lasted for about two years as the couple broke up in 2024.
Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan attend day 2 of Rolling Loud at Hard Rock Stadium on July 22, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida.(Romain Maurice/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He has had a brush with the law in the past. He pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in an incident in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2012. He was also charged with obstructing a police officer, but the charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.
Follow Fox News Digital’ssports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
President Donald Trump continues appointing new people to his second administration, naming three recent picks in a series of Truth Social posts on Monday.
Just two weeks after taking office, Trump announced that Michael Ellis will serve as deputy director of the CIA. Ellis, who will not need to be approved by the U.S. Senate, will work under CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Trump wrote that the incoming deputy director, who is also a lawyer, will help “fix the CIA, and make it, once again, the Greatest Intelligence Agency in the World.”
“During my First Term, Michael served at the White House National Security Council, and helped expose abuses of the ‘unmasking’ process by the Obama Administration at the beginning of the Russia, Russia, Russia, Hoax,” the president wrote. “Michael was also General Counsel of the House Intelligence Committee under Devin Nunes, and was selected to be General Counsel of the National Security Agency before being corruptly purged by the Biden Administration.”
NEW YORK AG LETITIA JAMES ADVISES HOSPITALS TO IGNORE TRUMP EO ABOUT SEX-CHANGE PROCEDURES FOR MINORS
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
In another post, Trump named Joe Kent to serve as director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). According to the agency’s website, the NCTC operates within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and helps officials by “analyzing, understanding, and responding to the terrorist threat.”
“As a Soldier, Green Beret, and CIA Officer, Joe has hunted down terrorists and criminals his entire adult life,” Trump’s Truth Social post read. “Above all, Joe knows the terrible cost of terrorism, losing his wonderful wife, Shannon, a Great American Hero, who was killed in the fight against ISIS.”
“Joe continues to honor her legacy by staying in the fight. Joe will help us keep America safe by eradicating all terrorism, from the jihadists around the World, to the cartels in our backyard,” the president concluded.
TRUMP’S ULTIMATUM TO FEDERAL WORKERS: RETURN TO OFFICE ‘OR BE TERMINATED’
U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters from the Resolute Desk after signing an executive order to appoint the deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration in the Oval Office at the White House on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump also signed a memorandum ordering an immediate assessment of aviation safety and ordering an elevation of what he called “competence” over “D.E.I.” (Getty Images)
Finally, Trump named Sean Parnell to serve as the chief Pentagon spokesman, and to work as the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs.
“A Great American Patriot, Sean is a fearless Combat Veteran, who led one of the most decorated units in the Afghanistan War,” Trump said of Parnell. “He earned two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart, while his platoon achieved an incredible record of eliminating over 350 enemy fighters.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media before boarding Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C. on January 31, 2025.(BRYAN DOZIER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
“During my First Term, Sean was also instrumental helping pass the MISSION ACT, the BIGGEST VA Reform in History,” Trump added. “Congratulations to Sean, his wonderful wife, and their five children!”
Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to [email protected].
Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.
By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.
Please enter a valid email address.
As Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs head to their third straight Super Bowl, NFL fans can’t help but feel for the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Josh Allen.
The Chiefs can make history in New Orleans Feb. 9 by winning their third straight Super Bowl. That history has come at the expense of Allen, who is 0-4 in postseason games against Mahomes and the Chiefs.
As good as Allen is — he’s an MVP frontrunner alongside Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson this year — he has been unable to get the Bills back to the Super Bowl for the first time in over three decades.
And his postgame interview after falling to the Chiefs 32-29 showed his raw emotion. He was short with his answers and looked dejected.
SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen walks off the field after the AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.(Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
One ex-NFL star, though, broke down Allen’s challenge of having to get through Mahomes to achieve the team’s goals to other sports greats.
“Sometimes you run into a Michael Jordan. Sometimes you run into a Tiger Woods in their prime, and you got to deal with it,” former All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall told Fox News Digital while discussing his new venture with his “I Am Athlete” partnering with Revolt.
“If these guys can pull off one or two, then that’s what they can do. But [Mahomes has] been in the league eight years and been to the Super Bowl five times.
“Great job, Josh Allen, but this is the wrong era to be a quarterback.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Marshall said that was “no knock” against Allen, Jackson, Joe Burrow or even C.J. Stroud with his Houston Texans falling to the Chiefs in the divisional round.
But as good as Basketball Hall of Famer Karl Malone was with the Utah Jazz, they couldn’t beat Jordan and the Bulls in the two NBA Finals they played. And when Woods was in his golfing prime, some players accepted that finishing second place any given week was an accomplishment because Woods would likely be lifting the trophy.
It’s the unfortunate result of greatness. Someone or some team has to lose.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes rolls out to pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half Nov. 26, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Marshall described Mahomes and the Chiefs as a “once-in-a-lifetime” phenomenon to watch in sports, and it’s not just because of the two-time MVP.
“There’s a few people. There’s Patrick Mahomes. It shows his greatness,” Marshall explained. “It shows Andy Reid’s greatness, and they both need to be in the conversation of the greatest quarterback of all-time and also the greatest coach of all-time, challenging Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
“Another person that we have to include in this conversation since he’s taken over this defense is Steve Spagnuolo. Before he got there in 2018, this defense was dead last. It was one of the worst defenses in the league for a few years. Insert Coach Spags. Now they’re top 10, and they’re doing a phenomenal job, which results in Patrick Mahomes being more of a game manager.
“He’s still spectacular and magical, but he doesn’t need to go out there and put up 40 points. He doesn’t need to go out there … he doesn’t even need Tyreek Hill.”
Allen’s numbers in the last three Bills games against the Chiefs in the playoffs are outstanding: 931 total yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions. Yet, he’s lost them all.
Like Marshall said, it’s not a knock on Allen. It’s just clearly showing how great Mahomes and this Chiefs dynasty is it looks to make history against the Philadelphia Eagles.
PUSHING BOUNDARIES WITH REVOLT
Revolt Sports, co-hosted by Brandon Marshall and Kayla Nicole, aims to push boundaries with sports and culture talk in a new partnership with “I Am Athlete.”(Revolt Sports)
Marshall loves watching and discussing the league he played in 13 seasons and other sports and culture with his “I Am Athlete” sports media platform. But he feels he’s going to take it to the next level with the brand’s partnership with Revolt, the Black-owned multimedia platform that announced its launch of Revolt Sports.
Marshall, with media personality and cultural commentator Kayla Nicole as a co-host, will be featured on Revolt Sports Weekly powered by “I am Athlete,” which will feature unscripted discussions with the duo and other celebrity contributors from the top stories in sports to the hottest cultural topics.
The first episode, which featured Marshall’s former UCF teammates, Josh “Beezo” Bellamy and Mike Sims-Walker, discussed the NFL’s conference championship matchups, while also going deep on whether celebrating rapper Big Meech with a welcome back party next month after spending 16 years in jail for drug trafficking and money laundering is right for the community.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi.(Tubi)
“People want the real. They want authentic, and that’s what our culture is,” Marshall explained. “These are the conversations we’ve been having in the locker room since sports were established. It’s the same conversations we have in the salons and barbershops. This is the same conversation we have on the stoops on the block, same conversations.
“’I Am Athlete’ lives at the intersection of hip-hop and sports. So, talking about things that are relevant to the culture — pop culture, whatever you have it — is just a general conversation that is natural to us. That’s what you’ll get from this show every single week. We’ll dive into the hottest topics in sports and also the biggest stories in pop culture.”
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.
By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.
Please enter a valid email address.
The Dallas Cowboys made the stunning decision to hire offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as the team’s head coach after the team split from Mike McCarthy and rumors swirled about Deion Sanders’ interest in the job.
Schottenheimer is the son of the legendary Marty Schottenheimer and spent the last two seasons as Dallas’ offensive coordinator under McCarthy. He was also the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets from 2006 to 2011, the St. Louis Rams from 2012 to 2014 and the Seattle Seahawks from 2018 to 2020. The Cowboys will be the first team he will serve as head coach.
SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE
Michael Irvin is a three-time Super Bowl champion and played in five Pro Bowls in his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys.(IMAGN)
Not everyone was thrilled with team owner Jerry Jones’ decision on Schottenheimer. Fans made their opinions known on social media.
Cowboys legend and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin was unhappy as well.
“Here’s my issue. We lost an opportunity here. I don’t know what happened with coach Schottenheimer and the Cowboys, but Jerry is a shrewd, shrewd businessman, and this opportunity, I’m shocked he did not see. I was pushing for Deion Sanders to be the next head coach, and I still stand 10 toes down on that push,” he said in a video posted to his YouTube channel.
He pointed to the NFC Championship being between two NFC East teams – the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders.
“Let me break it down,” he said. “We have two NFC East teams in the NFC Championship game being played tomorrow. All eyes on them. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders. Our enemies on all fronts. And they’re in a position that we haven’t held in 30 f—ing years. The longest drought by any NFC East team, 30 years…. You bring in someone who’s already inside for head coach. You lose things there that you can’t grab back that I’m worried about.”
Irvin expressed concerns about the Cowboys losing their standing in the conference.
NFL Hall of Fame member Michael Irvin during the game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York, Nov. 30, 2024.(Rich Barnes-Imagn Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“We’re losing ground in the NFC…. It was time to bring somebody in here that could shake things up and grab this last leg of Cowboys nation,” he added. “If we’ve got 30 years right now, and life expectancy is 100 years, that means by math one third of Cowboys Nation has never felt or lived the glory of a championship story. Don’t even know about it. How the hell can they pass something down when they don’t even know about it?
“Worse yet, that generation has seen total domination from a team named the Kansas City Chiefs, who in that span is running up on winning three in a row. So not only are you losing football games over here and opportunities over here and divisions over here, you’re about to get our moniker snatched off our backs.”
It’s unclear how serious the talks between the Cowboys and Sanders were. It gained interest among fans, but Sanders was clear about his love for the Colorado football program.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Stream Super Bowl LIX for free on Tubi.(Tubi)
For now, Sanders stays in college and Dallas embarks on a new journey with a new coach.
Follow Fox News Digital’ssports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
