Sponsor FedEx asks Redskins to change their nameVideo
WASHINGTON — The title sponsor of the Washington Redskins’ stadium wants the NFL team to change its name. “We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name,” FedEx said in a statement Thursday. The company paid the team $205 million in 1999 for...
Fewer preseason games is another challenge for NFL coachesVideo
Fewer preseason games following an offseason without on-field workouts creates more challenges for new coaches, players who changed teams and rookies. The NFL is cutting the exhibition schedule in half and pushing back the start of the preseason to allow teams more time to train because the coronavirus pandemic forced...
Source: NFL to play Black anthem before national anthemVideo
“Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” will be performed live or played before “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to each NFL game during Week 1, and the league is considering putting names of victims of police brutality on helmet decals or jersey patches, a person familiar with the discussions told the Associated...
Fantasy sports podcast: What a short season means for Josh Bell and Bryan Reynolds, Cam Newton impact
Is this for real? A fantasy sports podcast where we can actually talk about sports!? Will wonders never cease? Major League Baseball teams are reporting for spring training 2.0. So, fantasy leagues that never ended up drafting are finally doing so. Jeff Erickson of RotoWire joins me to discuss strategy...
Tim Benz: Did the Patriots get off easy for Spygate 2.0? Will Cam Newton recruit Antonio Brown?
For our Thursday post, we bring in TribLIVE Radio founding father Ken Laird for a bonus podcast. He now works at WEEI-FM in Boston. And he is a go-to guy for us this morning. Because there are a ton of topics surrounding the New England Patriots that need to be...
First Call: Antonio Brown’s ‘night vision’ practice, Cam Newton moving the needle with Patriots
Tuesday’s “First Call” features Antonio Brown’s night vision with the Washington Redskins’ quarterback. Cam Newton’s new home in New England. And a little jab at the Patriots latest cheating controversy. New Newton Want a look at Cam Newton as a Patriot? Yeah. Me neither. Here it is anyway. Via the...
Netflix series to dramatize Kaepernick’s path to activism
LOS ANGELES — Colin Kaepernick is joining with Emmy-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay on a Netflix drama series about the teenage roots of the former NFL player’s activism. “Colin in Black & White” will examine Kaepernick’s high school years to illuminate the experiences that shaped his advocacy, Netflix said Monday. “Too...
Source: Patriots sign QB Cam Newton to replace Tom Brady
BOSTON — The New England Patriots have reached an agreement with free-agent quarterback Cam Newton, bringing in the 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player to help the team move on from three-time MVP Tom Brady, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The one-year deal is worth...
Munhall grad, longtime NFL coach Joe Bugel diesVideo
Former Washington Redskins assistant coach Joe Bugel, a Munhall High School grad regarded as one of the top offensive line coaches in NFL history, died. He was 80. Bugel died Sunday, according to a statement from the team, which did not disclose a cause of death. Bugel was the architect...
John Steigerwald: 49ers should think twice before flying Black Lives Matter flagVideo
The San Francisco 49ers have opened a large can of worms. In what many may see as a sincere effort to show that the organization has a new dedication to the eradication of racially motivated injustice toward Black people, they raised a Black Lives Matter flag last week to fly...
Family of late Dolphins great Jim Kiick donates his brain; starts fundraiser for CTE researchVideo
Allie Kiick, daughter of late Miami Dolphins great Jim Kiick, said she never had any discussions with her father about donating his brain to science. It was a tough conversation for their family to have, she said, before Kiick — a charismatic and instrumental member of the Dolphins teams that...
Former NFL, college coach Phil Krueger dies at 90; Bucs’ 1st GMVideo
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. — Phil Krueger, who helped build a dominant defense as an assistant for 1967 national champion Southern California and later became part of the first coaching staff in Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ history, has died. He was 90. Krueger died Monday at his home, his family said. Skilled...
NFL coaching summit focuses on giving more opportunities to minority candidatesVideo
The biggest takeaway after the NFL’s two-day quarterback coaching summit is there is no shortage of qualified minority candidates waiting for opportunities to be head coaches and coordinators. The league and the Black College Football Hall of Fame earlier this week held a virtual version of their summit, a third-year...
Panthers coach Matt Rhule considers kneeling during national anthemVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers coach and former Penn State linebacker Matt Rhule said he is considering kneeling alongside his players during the national anthem this season in support of the movement against racial injustice. “I would consider anything as we move forward,” Rhule said Thursday on a Zoom conference...
NFL training camps still on original schedule for late JulyVideo
The NFL still plans to hold training camps on time beginning in late July, though contingency plans are in place. Hours after the league canceled the Hall of Fame game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys that kicks off the preseason, the 32 team owners on Thursday were updated...
How will MLB reboot rules impact fantasy baseball interest, Pirates DH, roster strategy
Major League Baseball is coming back! In real life. We think. So that means it’s coming back for fantasy sports players as well. Jeff Erickson of RotoWire joins us to discuss if he’s seeing many leagues canceling because there is only going to be a 60-game season. For those that...
Redskins removing ex-owner Marshall from Ring of Fame
The Washington Redskins are removing former owner George Preston Marshall from their Ring of Fame and striking all references to him on their website. A spokesman confirmed the decisions Wednesday, saying Marshall’s name has already been removed from the history wall at the team’s training facility in Ashburn, Va. The...
Browns’ Kareem Hunt ‘blessed’ for another chance after traffic stopVideo
CLEVELAND — Kareem Hunt knows he’s run out of second chances. “I’ve got to do better,” he said. Scared he jeopardized his NFL career when police found a small amount of marijuana in the Cleveland Browns running back’s car during a traffic stop, Hunt, who served an eight-game league suspension...
Former NFL, USC offensive lineman Max Tuerk dies at 26Video
LOS ANGELES — Max Tuerk, an All-America offensive lineman at Southern California who was drafted by the Chargers, has died. He was 26. Tuerk’s family said he died Saturday while hiking with his parents on a favorite trail in Cleveland National Forest north of San Diego. No details were provided....
Jim Kiick, Dolphins’ perfect season running back, dies at 73Video
MIAMI — Jim Kiick, the versatile running back who helped the Miami Dolphins achieve the NFL’s only perfect season in 1972, died Saturday at age 73 following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease, daughter Allie said. The former Wyoming star was part of a formidable backfield that included his best friend,...
NFLPA advises halt to private workouts togetherVideo
The medical director of the NFL players’ union recommended that all players stop private workouts together. Dr. Thom Mayer told members of the NFLPA in a message Saturday that the risk of being stricken by the new coronavirus is too great to be staging those workouts. Mayer said staff was...
Redskins retire Bobby Mitchell’s jersey, rename stadium levelVideo
The Washington Redskins will retire the jersey of Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell. They also will rename the lower level of FedEx Field for him, replacing the section named for former owner George Preston Marshall. The team, which is under pressure to change its name during the ongoing national reckoning...
Washington Post calls on Redskins owner or NFL to change nameVideo
WASHINGTON — The Washington Post editorial board is calling on Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to change his football club’s name. Under the headline, “Change the name of the Washington NFL team. Now,” the newspaper says in an editorial posted online Friday that if Snyder won’t switch the nickname, the...
NFL teams went high-tech for team bonding this offseasonVideo
NEW YORK — NFL players and coaches went home in March and stayed there for the next few months, along with most of the world. Football pads were replaced by iPads. Handshakes and high-fives gave way to emojis and video chats. When the coronavirus pandemic forced everyone indoors — away...
First Call: Antonio Brown to 49ers? See NFL covid-19 helmet idea. Praise for Steelers defense
Friday’s “First Call” features yet another potential destination for Antonio Brown. High praise for Steelers stars Minkah Fitzpatrick and T.J. Watt. Plus the mock-ups of the NFL’s covid-19 helmets are… …well…. Let’s just say we provided a photo. Have a nice weekend. A.B. to S.F.? Thursday afternoon, the San Francisco...