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halftime

Rihanna Reveals She Is Pregnant at Superbowl Half-time Show

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Rihanna revealed to fans that she is pregnant with her second baby in an unexpected way. The Grammy award-winning singer performed at the 2023 Superbowl half-time show in Phoenix, where she danced on platforms dressed in a fiery red jumpsuit that accentuated a baby bump.

In the first few moments of her set, the singer rubbed her belly and performed with the zipper of her jumpsuit open. Because of the snugness of the red bodysuit she was wearing underneath, it was visible that she was expecting a child.

People were quick to take to the internet to speculate whether the singer was pregnant again. Shortly after Rihanna’s 13-minute set concluded, her representatives confirmed the news to the media.

Rihanna and her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky, had their first child, a son, in May 2022.

Onlookers saw the rapper filming Rihanna’s performance and dancing enthusiastically throughout the half-time show as he cheered her on from the sidelines.

This is not the first time the couple has shared such a momentous announcement with dramatic flair.

During Rihanna’s first pregnancy, the pair shared photographs of the singer’s growing baby bump to announce that she was pregnant.

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Photographer Miles Diggs took the series of photos as part of a pregnancy photo shoot for the couple. With the buttons of her long pink coat undone, Rihanna flaunted her expanding tummy, and lengthy body chains ornamented her outfit.

Before their first baby was born, Rihanna was interviewed by Vogue magazine, where she revealed how she and Rocky became more than friends after a lot of reluctance. The two had known each other for many years.

“People don’t get out of the friend zone very easily with me, and I certainly took a while to get over how much I know him and how much he knows me because we also know how much trouble we can land each other in.”

Their relationship became more serious when the pandemic took hold and quarantines were implemented. Rihanna said Rocky became her “family in that time.”

The two went on a road trip from Los Angeles to New York in the summer of 2020.

“I cooked our food on this little janky grill I bought from Walmart. I still have it, too. It works like nobody’s business. I love the simple things but also the grand adventures. There’s no pretentious my-brand-your-brand bullshit; it’s just us living. I just feel like I can do any part of life by his side.”

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She shared that her first pregnancy was not something the pair had planned, but they were both receptive to the idea of carrying it to term.

“It was just there on the test. I didn’t waste any time. I called him inside and showed him. Then I was in the doctor’s office the next morning, and our journey began.”

Rihanna told British Vogue in March 2020 that she wants to have three to four kids within the next 10 years.

After her son was born, she told Entertainment Tonight that he was a “happy baby” and that she had affectionately taken to freestyling songs to sing to him.

“Oh my god, the mornings, like, seeing his morning face! Seeing a baby with, like, little bags and waking up, and they’re just, like, startled. They’re trying to figure out where they’re at. It’s the cutest. It’s my favorite part of the day,”

Rihanna was elated but reluctant to take on new projects so soon after becoming a new mom. She told Entertainment Tonight, “If I’m going to leave my baby, I’m going to leave my baby for something special.”

Recognizing the gravity of performing at the Superbowl half-time show, she said, “It was now or never for me.”

“It was a challenge that I welcomed. It was a stage bigger than anything I’ve ever done.”

thanks

Buffalo Bills Damar Hamlin Raising Funds For First Responders

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Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is continuing his recovery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after suffering from cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals last week. 

Now, Hamlin has announced his plans to raise funds to benefit the first responders and hospital that has aided him in his recovery. Hamlin took to Twitter to announce the sale of T-shirts in which the proceeds will be given to first responders and the UC Trauma Center. 

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“We all won. I want to give back an ounce of the love y’all showed me. Proceeds of this shirt will go to first-responders and the UC Trauma Center. Go get yours!”

Hamlin included a link to the website in which fans can choose from three different T-shirt options, all of which feature Hamlin’s hands in the shape of a heart and “Did We Win?” in big print. 

The T-shirt also features a hospital tag ID bracelet on Hamlin’s right wrist. The question “Did We Win” is what Hamlin asked his team of medical professionals after waking up last week following his cardiac arrest last Monday. 

Every NFL team honored Hamlin in this past weekend’s final slate of regular season games. Players, coaches, and team personnel were sporting T-shirts that had “Love You Damar” printed on them along with his jersey number, 3. 

Teams also painted the 30-yard line in red within their hosting stadiums. 

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During the first quarter of last week’s Monday Night Football contest, Hamlin, 24, suffered cardiac arrest after completing his tackle of Tee Higgins, the Bengals wide receiver. After standing up following the tackle, Hamlin almost immediately collapsed. 

Hamlin had to be resuscitated by medical officials on the field following his collapse. Afterwards he was transported to UC Medical Center and was listed as being in critical condition for days following the cardiac arrest. 

Medical officials stated last Thursday that Hamlin was awake and “had made substantial improvement. As he recovered, he continued to show his support for his team during the season finale of regular games against division rival New England Patriots. 

Hamlin continuously tweeted from his hospital bed during the game up until the Bills defeated the Patriots 35-23. 

Following his charity announcement, fans raised more than $8.5 million for the Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive, surpassing their initial goal of raising $2,500. 

dolphins

Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Suffers Concussion Days After Suspected Head Injury

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The Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a head injury on Thursday during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals and was carried off the field on a stretcher. He had suffered another injury less than a week ago in a game against the Buffalo Bills.

In the second quarter of the Bengals game, Tagovailoa was tackled by Bengals defensive lineman Josh Tupou. When he hit the ground, he made a gesture with his hands called the “fencing response,” which is often a sign of a brain injury. He then laid there, barely moving on the field, for nearly 10 minutes until trainers put him on a stretcher and carried him off the field.

A few minutes after the injury, broadcasters announced he had suffered head and neck injuries and was being taken to a hospital to be treated. Later, The Dolphins confirmed that Tagovailoa had suffered a concussion but had movement in all his extremities. After he was released from the hospital, he flew back with the team to Florida on Thursday night.

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Head Coach Mike McDaniel said it was a “scary moment” after the game.

“He was evaluated for a concussion and is in concussion protocol. That was an emotional moment. That is not part of the deal anyone signs up for even though you know it’s a possibility in football.”

Just a few days prior, Tagovailoa had suffered another blow to his head during a game against the Bills. His helmet slammed against the turf after he got hit by linebacker Matt Milano in the second quarter. He “immediately grabbed the sides of his helmet, staggered to his feet and after taking a few steps, fell to his knees.” He was examined for a concussion, cleared and returned to the field in the third quarter.

The Dolphins later said he had suffered a back injury, not a head injury. Tagovailoa agreed that he had passed the concussion evaluations before he returned to the game.

McDaniel defended playing Tagovailoa in the game against the Bengals less than a week after the injury, saying Tagovailoa had been evaluated by an independent doctor who said he was fit to play.

“For me, as long as I’m coaching here, I’m not going to fudge that whole situation—if there’s any sort of inclination that someone has a concussion, they go into the concussion protocol. We don’t mess with that. I never have and as long as I’m the head coach, it will never be an issue that you guys have to worry about.”

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Dr. Sanjay Gupta told CNN that the incident from the game was likely much more severe than it was being portrayed.

“When you look at the video from last night, it obviously looks like a pretty significant injury. Tua’s on the ground for a long time. This movement that he’s doing with his hands … that is a significant sign, something that people really need to pay attention to…It can be a sign of basically disrupting some of the pathways, even temporarily, between the brain and the spinal cord. If that sounds serious, it is serious.”

Dr. Gupta said Tagovailoa appeared unstable after his first injury in the game with the Bills and should not have been cleared to play under the NFL concussion protocol.

Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth spoke about his past experiences with a head injury and the pressures to keep playing after being injured.

“I can literally remember playing the Philadelphia Eagles on a Thursday night football game years ago myself—getting concussed, wobbling around, a referee actually removed me from the game. I go back in the game because you want to play. I was able to get myself through the test, explain that I’m fine, knowing that I had been dinged pretty good. I had a teammate that was like, ‘Man, this guy just is not right and I don’t feel right letting him keep playing.’ He actually pulled me out of the game and told the coaches that I need to be removed. And I’m so thankful for that. … This situation just brings back those memories. For us guys that have been on that field, it’s tough, man. We’ve gotta keep these guys uninvolved in it. They shouldn’t feel obligated to do something more than what they need to. It’s just an ugly scene to see.”

Several people believe that Tagovailoa may have suffered two concussions in five days, which is extremely dangerous. The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) said their “investigation into the potential protocol violation is ongoing,” and they were hoping for Tagovailoa’s “full and speedy recovery.” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith vowed he would hold all responsible parties accountable.

“We insisted on these rules to avoid exactly this scenario. We will pursue every legal option, including making referrals against the doctors to licensing agencies and the team that is obligated to keep our players safe.”

ncaa

More Plaintiffs Join Lawsuit v. NCAA Claiming Student Athletes Deserve Pay

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Former Villanova University football player Ralph “Trey” Johnson sued the N.C.A.A. in November 2019, claiming that college athletes should be considered employees at the schools they play for under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The case has grown since then, with several former athletes joining as plaintiffs and seeking to form a class-action lawsuit.

This case is one of many blows the N.C.A.A. has taken to its current model of the relationship between athletes, their schools and the N.C.A.A.

In a statement, Johnson said that the lawsuit was “not about being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.” The case was also not restricted to a few select athletes with endorsement deals.

“We are simply asking the N.C.A.A. to pay its student-athletes the basic minimum wage as required by federal law. They pay the students who tear the tickets and sell popcorn at our games. The least that the N.C.A.A. can do for those who bring so much money to the N.C.A.A. and its schools would be to pay them the minimum wage.”

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In June 2021, the Supreme Court passed a unanimous decision in the case N.C.A.A. v. Alston to uphold a lower court’s ruling that the N.C.A.A. restrictions on “education-related benefits” for college athletes violated antitrust laws. These benefits included scholarships for graduate school, payment for academic tutoring and paid post-eligibility internships.

Though the Supreme Court case did not debate the issue of compensation, it was one of the first major blows to the N.C.A.A.’s status quo. Over the last two years, several states have passed legislation that challenged the N.C.A.A.’s rules prohibiting athletes from profiting off their NIL—name, image and likeness. Congress in both parties have proposed new legislation that would grant student athletes long-term medical care and a portion of the revenue they generate.

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The National Labor Relations Board’s General Counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, released a memo stating that she considered college athletes employees under federal law. The memo states that Abruzzo would consider referring to the “employees as mere student-athletes,” violating the Fair Labor Standards Act. It was a sign that the N.L.R.B. would be willing to pursue claims against colleges, conferences and the N.C.A.A. on behalf of the students.

“The broad language of Section 2(3) of the Act, the policies underlying the N.L.R.A., Board law, and the common lawfully support the conclusion that certain Players at Academic Institutions are statutory employees, who have the right to act collectively to improve their terms and conditions of employment.”

The case is currently in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. If the case is ruled in favor of the athletes, it will counter the Seventh and Ninth circuit’s rulings. The conflicting rulings would increase the likelihood that the Supreme Court would step in to make a final decision.

In 2021, the N.C.A.A. made $1.15 billion in revenue and distributed the bulk of it to its 1,200 member schools.

cowboys

Dallas Cowboys’ Tyron Smith Out Of Season Until At Least December Due To Knee Injury

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Right before the opening of the season, the Dallas Cowboys will be starting without their Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith. 

In Wednesday’s practice, Smith suffered an avulsion fracture to his knee and tore his left hamstring which will require surgery. Recent reports say that Smith won’t return to the field until the earliest possibly December, if he returns at all this season.

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Smith was on a running play during practice and fell to the ground as he went to make a block against the Cowboys’s linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.

“The 31-year-old went down in practice with a non-contact injury but was able to walk off under his own power,” reported the NFL.

After the injury, Smith was found leaving the locker room after practice and to others, he didn’t appear to be limping from the recent injury that was sustained. The initial tests came back and indicated that the ACL in his knee was still intact. 

 

“He gave me a nice reassuring grunt like he usually does. That’s the one thing playing next to him for so long, I can decipher his grunts. I think he’s all right,” said Left guard Connor McGovern.

 

This isn’t the first time that the Cowboys have had to play without Smith’s presence on the field. 

Smith also missed 20 games over the past two seasons and hasn’t played in an entire season since 2015. 

Over the last couple of seasons, he has suffered from other knee, ankle, neck and elbow injuries. He missed 14 games over the 2020 season due to his neck injury and 6 games in the 2021 season due to an ankle injury and having some time on the COVID list. 

The Cowboys are now trying to evaluate potential free agents for the offensive tackle spot but are having trouble finding help within the position. Any and all efforts to find assistance has now intensified. 

The options that are available with the team’s current roster doesn’t come with much experience.

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Back in April, the Cowboys drafted left tackle Tyler Smith from Tulsa within the first round and rotated him between the left guard and left tackle position. Their intent was to have Smith start at left guard but have him prepared to slide into left tackle in case Tyron Smith suffered an injury at any point of the season.

Tyler Smith was originally planned to play left guard for this season but still hasn’t taken the job from McGovern. In the most recent training camps, he did some left tackle reps but still played mostly guard positions.

Tyler Smith is still the Cowboy’s plan for the long run in the position at left tackle. 

Football Stadium Field

NFL’s Legendary Coach, Broadcaster John Madden Dies At 85

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John Madden, the National Football League Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster, has passed away at the age of 85. Madden was revered by many for not only his vigorous personality, but the way he changed the game throughout the years.

Madden’s NFL career started with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958, when he was drafted in the 21st round. However, a knee injury quickly ended any chances of playing. Madden would then move on to coaching, where he would find unimaginable levels of success starting at the age of 32.

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While Madden only helmed the then-Oakland Raiders for just 10 seasons, he more than made the most of it. Madden posted a record of 103-32-7 with seven division titles, qualifying for the playoffs eight times. Even more remarkable was the fact none of his teams ever finished under .500 – the coach finished with a winning percentage of .759. In 1976, Madden led the team to a victory in Super Bowl XI, the Raiders’ first championship.

Following his fruitful head coaching tenure, Madden took up broadcasting. He worked with all four major networks — CBS, NBC, FOX, and ABC — as a color commentator, typically on primetime games like “Monday Night Football” and “Sunday Night Football” up until 2009. “The thing that made it hard is not because I’m second-guessing, ‘Is it the right decision?'” Madden said of retirement at the time. “But I enjoyed it so damn much.”

Al Michaels, who broadcasted alongside Madden on NBC, commented in a statement that working with him was like “hitting the lottery.” “He was so much more than just football,” Michaels said. “[He] was a keen observer of everything around him and a man who could carry on a smart conversation about hundreds and hundreds of topics.”

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Madden was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006. Raiders’ owner Mark Davis — the son of Al Davis, who owned the team during Madden’s reign — lit a torch in honor of the icon, while NFL commissioner Roger Goodell simply stated that Madden “was football.”

“He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.”

In addition to words from the Raiders and the NFL, numerous other teams, players, and legends voiced their sentiments on Madden’s passing, expressing just how much of an impact was left by who many refer to simply as “Coach.”

NFL fans and video game players alike may know Madden best from EA’s “Madden Football” game series, which started back in 1989 as “John Madden Football” before making the switch to the now-used title in 1993. By 2018, more than 130 million copies of “Madden Football” had been sold. The series has become all but unmatched in the genre.

Madden’s death comes just four days after the Christmas Day airing of “All Madden,” a FOX Sports’ documentary that details the life and career of the broadcaster. In his wake, the program is set to be re-aired and will be available on additional streaming services.

Jacksonville Jaguars Fire Head Coach Urban Meyer After Kicking Controversy

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The Jacksonville Jaguars have fired head coach Urban Meyer just eight months into his tenure, finally bringing an end to what was one of the rockiest and most bizarre NFL coaching debuts in recent memory.

The final straw for Meyer came Wednesday, when former Jacksonville kicker Josh Lambo claimed that during a practice in August, Meyer came over, kicked him in the leg, and told him, “Hey, dip—-, make your f—ing kicks!” Lambo told Meyer to not “ever f—ing kick me again,” to which Meyer replied, “I’m the head ball coach, I’ll kick you whenever the f— I want.”

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Lambo added that later on, Meyer approached him and told him that if the kicker ever spoke to him like that again, he would be gone. In response to the accusation, Meyer stated it was “completely inaccurate,” and that Lambo never brought the situation up in any meetings they had.

“After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team. I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone,” team owner Shad Khan said in a statement Thursday.

“I informed Urban of the change this evening. As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen.”

According to Khan, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will become the interim head coach, while general manager Trent Baalke will continue to operate in the position. It’s the second year in a row that Bevell will act as an interim HC – he took over the role in Week 13 for the Detroit Lions in 2020, finishing with a 1-4 record.

Meyer, a three-time college football champion, finishes his time in Jacksonville with a 2-11 record, tied for last place in the AFC South with the Houston Texans. The team currently ranks last in the NFL in points and 30th in offensive yardage.

Meyer’s reign was tumultuous from the start. Just days after his hiring, he hired former Iowa strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle, who was accused of making racist comments and bullying while with the Hawkeyes. Doyle quickly resigned after criticism arose.

The following months would bring more controversies. Meyer’s drafting raised some questions – despite undrafted rookie James Robinson rushing for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns in 2020, the team picked RB Travis Etienne with the second of their two first-round picks.

Meyer then brought aboard former quarterback Tim Tebow to play tight end — a position he’s never played before — while making first overall draft pick QB Trevor Lawrence split first-team reps with Gardner Minshew, despite Lawrence obviously having the starting role well in hand. Minshew was later traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Meyer’s activities during training camp and the preseason prompted NFL actions. Meyer was fined $100,000 for excessive contact, while the NFLPA launched an investigation after Meyer stated he and Baalke included a player’s vaccination status in their considerations during final roster cuts.

It didn’t get much better during the season. The team often looked unprepared and outmatched, with numerous key players showing little to no improvement in their play. A day after a loss that dropped them to 0-4, Meyer was spotted at his restaurant in Ohio, with a young woman who wasn’t his wife. Despite the incident, team owner Shad Khan continued to stand by the head coach.

Throughout the process, the locker room became more and more alienated. Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. had to be convinced to return to the Jaguar’s facility after Meyer’s criticism of the wide receivers. Jones Jr. and Meyer reportedly had a heated exchange following Jones Jr.’s return.

According to NFL Network, Meyer also went after his coaching staff — handpicked by himself — calling them “losers” and questioning their résumés. After Sunday’s 20-0 loss to the Tennessee Titans — only the fourth shutout in team history — Meyer said that claim wasn’t true and although Jones Jr. met with him, their conversation wasn’t heated.

Jacksonville will now look to end the season on a positive, less drama-filled note. The Jaguars could also get a head start on the search for a new head coach, as NFL owners approved a rule change on Wednesday that allows teams to start interviewing candidates two weeks before the end of the regular season.

Football on Field

The Future Of College Football Remains Unclear As Season Kicks Off This Week

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The college football season is kicking off this week, however, many individuals still have a lot of questions as to what this season will look like and what new procedures will be put in the place to protect all parties involved. 

The biggest and most general question is if fans can expect a full season of football. The answer is the same for all other sporting events occurring currently in the US; it’s to be determined. This virus has proven to all of us that the way it moves and grows is unpredictable, and the way it impacts college campuses is completely uncharted territory for everyone. 

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There have already been multiple games rescheduled due to outbreaks on the teams, which is likely to continue as the season progresses. The Big Ten and Pac-12 both announced that they wouldn’t be participating in this season, which is fairly historic in itself. Without the Big Ten alone the entire season is going to be restructured and different. Many college campuses have already shut down due to a spike in cases, so the thought of restarting training and practicing just didn’t seem worth it for Big Ten or Pac-12, and many other teams are likely to follow suit in the coming weeks. 

Many big name players on these teams have personally opted out of playing this season out of personal fears of contracting the virus. Additional players are also likely to follow suit as the weeks progress, as juggling sports, a full class schedule and living during a global health crisis would be overwhelming for anybody. 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is allowing every player to have another year of eligibility when it comes to playing on the team, which they believe will help motivate players to stay on for the season, despite it already having the opposite effect. All players are also required to be tested multiple times for Covid as well as endure additional heart testing after myocarditis concerns rose. 

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Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that can weaken the entire organ relatively fast and lead to sudden death. It’s brought on mainly by extensive viral infection within the body, such as contracting Covid-19, and has been a major concern among healthcare professionals across the world. The worry with testing football players is that it’s likely many other underlying health issues will reveal themselves with the type of testing involved for the upcoming season. 

The College Football Playoff plans to go ahead with a four-team playoff, however, the idea of playing “bowl-games” also complicates how the season will work. There are currently 80 bowl slots available for the season with only 76 teams playing. This means it’s likely that every team could receive a bowl game this season to fill the slots needed to air college football, however, it’s yet again unclear whether that will work or not. 

Finally, another major concern regards the Heisman Trophy, as it typically goes to the most prestigious individuals in college football, however, it’s unclear as to whether or not the Heisman Trust will focus only on players who participate in a traditional fall season, or the more limited number of players. There’s no decision from The Heisman as to what they’ll do, as they likely want to see if an entire football season will even be able to play out.

American Football NFL

The 2020 NFL Draft Will Be Done Online

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The NFL draft is set to take place between April 23rd and April 25th. Now, due to public health and safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL is hosting the entirety of the draft online. This way, prospect players, coaches, general managers, and executives who are stuck at home as non-essential employees, can still make their selections while avoiding any sort of group interaction. 

“We have reviewed this matter in the past few days with both the competition committee and CEC (a group of league executives). And this will confirm that clubs will conduct their draft operations remotely, with club personnel separately located in their homes. Moreover, we want all NFL personnel to comply with government directives and to model safe and appropriate health practices. Our staff will carry out its responsibilities in the same way, operating in separate locations outside of our offices,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a memo to teams.

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Goodell went on to state that he consulted with medical advisers about the situation and they all agreed that the only type of draft alternative that would fully protect every participant from possible exposure to covid-19 would be a remote virtual draft. 

According to the NFL, the entire league is going to conduct a mock 32-team draft before the official one in order to ensure that the entire process works smoothly without any technical difficulties. There’s a multitude of tech executives working for the NFL that are remotely working on the back end of the platform the virtual draft will take place on. These executives will also be performing multiple system checks before every player draft in case any technical issues appear as the draft is occurring. 

Of course, coaches are still worried about technical difficulties occurring during one of the NFL’s biggest days of the year, as well as how tight online security would be during. Coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens recently spoke with the Baltimore Sun about this exact concern.

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“Every time I read something in, like, The Wall Street Journal or the New York Times that talks about how messed up Zoom is, or some of these other deals … I immediately text it to our IT people, and [director of football administration] Nick Matteo’s one of those guys, and they assure me that we are doing everything humanly possible. We’ll see what happens, I really wouldn’t want the opposing coaches to have our playbook or our draft meetings. That would be preferable, if we can stay away from that.”

Other NFL executives and coaches have also expressed their hacking concerns as well. Los Angeles Rams Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Demoff, spoke to a newspaper column recently about how he was worried about making conversations private regarding draft boards and players. Additionally, fans are disappointed that they’re being robbed of seeing some of their favorite players’ reactions to being drafted.

In response to this concern, the NFL is providing home cameras for certain players, like LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, who is one of the top picks for prospective players this year. Goodell went on in his statement to say that the entire company is working to ensure that a virtual draft not only runs as smoothly as possible, but is entertaining as well. There is likely going to be a decent amount of highlight reels during the event, as well as a musical act. 

A virtual draft is the safest option for the NFL right now. Coronavirus concerns are only continuing to grow here in America, so it’s important that we all are following the proper protocols and staying indoors. You were likely planning on watching the draft from your home anyway, this is just like that, but more mandatory.

Football on grass

Arrest Warrant Issued for Browns Wide Receiver

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New Orleans police have issued an arrest warrant for Odell Beckham Jr. after investigations into allegations of battery against the NFL wide receiver. This follows the release of a video that seemingly shows Beckham slapping a police officer on the backside in the LSU locker room following their victory in Monday’s national title match.

Beckham Jr. spent three collegiate seasons at LSU and was also seen handing out cash to players as they came off the pitch, reports that have been confirmed by the university.

Now 27, Beckham has spent his career embroiled in controversy both on and off the field and the latest developments would not have pleased his side the Browns, who are coming off an ill-disciplined season themselves.

The 6-10 sacked Freddie Kitchens after just one season, a season in which they were tipped for playoff football but instead saw a steady stream of disappointment throughout the year. They now sit with ex-Viking Kevin Stefanski in the head coach position and released a statement after the Beckham news broke:

“We are aware of the incident and have been in touch with Odell and his representatives on the matter. They are cooperating with the proper authorities to appropriately address the situation.”
A further investigation was instigated earlier this week by LSU after footage was released seemingly showing the wide receiver handing out cash to the LSU players following their victory. It’s been suggested that the money was fake and even that Beckham was intoxicated, but the school have now finished their investigation:

“Information and footage reviewed since shows apparent cash may have also been given to LSU student-athletes,” said university spokesman Michael Bonnette.

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“We were in contact with the NCAA and the SEC immediately upon hearing of this situation in which some of our student-athletes may have been placed in a compromising position.”

Whether or not the cash was fake, Odell Beckham Jr. was performing this stunt to mock the amateurism rules of the NCAA. These rules prevent any player taking cash or any other benefits, else risk the removal of their eligibility to play.

This has been dubbed hypocritical by many in recent times as universities and staff can reap the financial rewards that the college game produces, while the players themselves aren’t able to profit at all, even from their commercial likeness.

The incident has been praised by some, but it leaves LSU at risk of sanction by the NCAA. The organisation will investigate whether any LSU staff were involved, or if they could have done something to prevent Beckham’s actions.

Beckham broke onto the scene in 2011 during his freshman year at LSU and after making an impact as both wide receiver and kick returner, and was named a freshman ALL-SEC selection. His second year at LSU opened with a 70-yard punt return, his first of two that season, and ended with the Louisiana-born star forming a formidable partnership with fellow wide receiver Jarvis Landry.

Beckham’s next season was a record-breaking one that saw him finish with over 1100 yards and eight touchdowns, not including his 109-yard return after a failed field goal attempt. This success meant the wide-out chose to forego his senior year at LSU and declare for the draft.

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2014 saw Beckham picked up in the first round by the New York Giants, going 12th overall. Despite missing the first four games, he racked up over 1300 yards in the air and scored 12 touchdowns in a season that saw him break multiple rookie records and go to the pro bowl.

The next season also saw him named to the pro bowl as he caught 13 touchdowns and recorded a career-high 1450 receiving yards. Despite remaining injury-free, Beckham only completed 15 games due to a suspension upheld by the NFL after a game against the Carolina Panthers featured multiple aggressive confrontations with Josh Norman.

Beckham made the pro bowl for the third consecutive season in 2016 but it was another year shrouded with controversy. The wide receiver was able to play the full 16 games and help guide the Giants to the playoffs with an 11-5 record. However, the joy was cut short as the Giants fell to the Packers in the wildcard round, after which Beckham punched a hole in the wall of his locker room.

Plagued with injuries, Beckham only managed 16 games overall over the course of the next two seasons with the Giants and at the end of the 2018 season, traded to the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns had seemingly built a roster full of talent such as Beckham and looked set for a good season, but perhaps the personalities in the changing room were too much for young head coach Freddie Kitchens, who failed to control and garner the respect of his players.

The new regime at Cleveland has got off to an unpleasant but predictable start, and Browns fans will be hoping this sort of news can be eradicated and that Odell Beckham Jr. and his fellow stars can stay out of the headlines and get back to playing great football.