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Saints staff hunkering down in team facility during Hurricane Francine

The New Orleans Saints are bracing for Hurricane Francine.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen said he released his players early on Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Francine’s scheduled landfall as a Category 2 storm in southern Louisiana. However, Allen revealed that he and his staff will hunker down in the team’s facilities in an attempt to weather the storm.

‘We’ll stay here this evening. We’ll probably find a corner of the room to lay down in at some point in time and get a little bit of sleep,’ said Allen Wednesday. ‘I think the most significant weather is gonna be this evening into the early morning hours. That’s kind of when we would be trying to wrap up. I don’t see anyone trying to get out of here in that type of weather.’

The Saints are scheduled to face the Dallas Cowboys in Texas on Sunday.

Allen said the Saints’ staff made the decision not to evacuate after careful consideration: ‘We kind of knew early on … this was going to be a situation that we could manage… We felt like, obviously in this situation, we felt like we were going to be able to do our work and make sure we keep everybody safe, make sure that everybody’s family is safe. And be able to do that and stay here.’

All things Saints: Latest New Orleans Saints news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Allen said the team makes the decision whether to evacuate or not on a case-by-case basis. Ahead of Hurricane Ida’s landfall in 2021, for example, Saints players, staff and family members safely evacuated to Texas before the Category 4 hurricane touched down. The team’s home opener against the Green Bay Packers was relocated to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ EverBank Stadium as a result of the storm.

‘When it was (Hurricane) Ida a few years ago, it was one of those where we didn’t feel like we were going to be able to get our stuff done. We felt like people might be at risk,’ explained Allen, who was the team’s defensive coordinator at the time. ‘So we took basically the whole football operation, and families and everybody, and we went to Texas.’

Quarterback Derek Carr said he prays ‘that everyone’s safe.’

‘Our prayers are with the whole city, the whole state of Louisiana, wherever this is passing through, and you just pray that everyone’s safe,’ said Carr, who is experiencing his first Hurricane in his second year in New Orleans. ‘We had our players, we were praying for the city today. … Again, we are football players but there are some things that are really important right now.

Francine made landfall in the Parish of Terrebonne, about 30 miles south-southwest of Morgan City, the National Hurricane Center announced at 5 p.m. CDT. Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be near 100 mph.

Francine’s sustained winds dropped to 90 mph by 6 p.m. CDT, and the storm was expected to continue battering the central Louisiana coast on Wednesday evening. ‘Conditions are beginning to deteriorate in southern Louisiana,’ the center said Wednesday afternoon.

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With Trump-Harris debate over and Election Day looming, here’s how to talk about politics with your kids

Parents may want to avoid talking about politics with their kids (and each other!). But in an election year, that’s easier said than done. Social media bursts the information bubble that once protected children and debates over curricula and reading lists put politics front and center in the classroom, leading parents to ask what their children are learning in school. These days, children at ever-younger ages are joining political conversations, and many are wondering, and worrying, about where the country is heading.

Parents can try to avoid talking about politics through November 5, or they can use the election to bring up more engaged, thoughtful citizens. And if the current discourse on social media and TV leaves something to be desired, it may be time to look to the past. 

What does it mean to be an American? Thomas Jefferson called the Declaration of Independence an ‘expression of the American mind,’ but in 1776, there was little consensus. Around one-fifth of Americans were Loyalists, and many left for Canada. Many were skeptical of ‘unalienable rights.’ They asked where do rights come from? What does it mean to believe that all human beings are created equal? Today, debates continue about America as an idea and as a nation, and about what the Founding meant.

How do we achieve equality? Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in 1863, acknowledging that slavery contradicted our Founding ideals. Lincoln argued that the Civil War was a test of whether ‘any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.’ While the outcome of the Civil War was uncertain, millions of Americans—Black and White—risked their lives to ensure that those ideals would survive in the United States. Lincoln’s 272 words at Gettysburg offer a lens through which to debate the meaning of equality today and the tests we still face.

Tomorrow night, perhaps, it’s time to return to history. Talk with your children about what it means to be an American. 

Lesser-known presidents also shaped America’s great debates. James Garfield, mortally wounded just four months into his presidency, recognized the significance of the Reconstruction Amendments. He said that the elevation of Black Americans ‘from slavery to the full rights of citizenship’ was the most important political change since the Constitution’s adoption. Grover Cleveland, who rose to the presidency in just three years, captured the importance of principle over politics when he asked, ‘What is the use of being elected or re-elected unless you stand for something?’

What’s the purpose of American foreign policy? That question looms large, as the post-Cold War order faces assaults in Ukraine and the Middle East, and as tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific. In his Farewell Address, George Washington counseled us to, ‘Observe good faith and justice towards all Nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all,’ at a time when the United States was not yet the world’s leading power. Woodrow Wilson, nearly 150 years later, declared that America’s role then was to make the world ‘safe for democracy.’ The Truman Doctrine laid the foundation for U.S. policy throughout the Cold War. After 9/11, George W. Bush channeled the Jacksonian school of thought when he pledged at Ground Zero that ‘the people who knocked down these buildings will hear all of us soon.’ America’s role in the world has been shaped by historical context and tradition – and the presidents have debated it all.

A key question about the future is the possibility of scientific progress and the role of government in innovation. John F. Kennedy faced doubts that American technological leadership was still possible after Sputnik during the space race. But in 1962, he declared that America would go to the moon, not because it was easy, but ‘because it is hard.’ Seven years later, that vision was realized. Today, with astounding innovations like artificial intelligence and synthetic biology, we may be on the edge of another age of invention, and as in the Cold War, we face a great-power technology competitor, but this time in China.

Divisive or uninspiring political rhetoric is nothing new. But leaders’ words matter. Parents often tell their children to ‘use their words’ to get their point across, and though they may rightly want to shield their children from toxic discourse, especially as children grow up, they’ll learn about our politics. That’s part of being a citizen. And during the heated debates about the Constitution, John Adams wrote, ‘Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.’ 

Ignoring that task or ceding the education of the next generation to the internet or bad actors isn’t how a self-governing republic sustains itself. So where to start? 

In his farewell address, President Ronald Reagan reminded us, ‘All great change in America begins at the dinner table.’ 

Tomorrow night, perhaps, it’s time to return to history. Talk about what it means to be an American. After all, Reagan concluded, ‘That would be a very American thing to do.’

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Morning Glory: The worst debate in the history of presidential debates

Not one question Wednesday night about the execution of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages two weeks ago, or about any of the Americans murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7?

Not one question on Iran, which is within weeks of acquiring a nuclear weapon and which is paying and perhaps precisely directing repeated attacks by its proxies on American forces in the Gulf or Arabia, the Red Sea, Iraq or Jordan?

Not one question about the capacity of President Joe Biden to continue as president?

And not one, single fleeting question about the People’s Republic of China, and its genocide against the Uyghurs, its oppression of Hong Kong, its threat against Taiwan or the Philippines, or its military buildup, the largest, most expensive peacetime military buildup in history? 

Perhaps ABC’s parent Disney put the kibosh on questions that would upset the People’s Republic of China and endanger the company’s theme parks in the country or the release of its movies in China? Who knows? But ABC and Disney made time for a long exchange on abortion rights (which have been discussed again and again in this campaign) and for an idiotic exchange of ‘regrets, I’ve got a few, but then again too few to mention’ question to Trump about January 6. There were at least four moderator interventions/rebukes disguised as ‘fact checks’ of former President Donald Trump and none of Vice President Kamala Harris. The bias pulsed. It could be felt by everyone. Democrats and leftists cheered, Republicans were first shocked and then outraged. 

When, post-debate, Trump declared it was his best debate ever because it was three against one, very few agreed with the first part of his statement and very few disagreed with the second part. 

In interviews Wednesday morning with conservative thought leaders Matt Continetti, Mary Katharine Ham, Bethany Mandel, National Review’s Rich Lowry and Jim Geraghty, not one of them thought Trump won the debate and many thought he lost, some calling it an awful performance etc. But none of them defended ABC and its moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis. I have not seen one center-right to conservative pundit do so (the opposite reaction to the CNN debate between Trump and Biden moderated by Dana Bash and Jake Tapper which was widely praised as fair on the right.)

It is also widely agreed across the center to the right to have been the worst moderated, most biased presidential debate since they began in 1960. This will eventually be admitted by the left after the election is over. Harris performed well and Trump did not. Trump got angry early and by the time he had his best moment —his closing statement—the audience had no doubt shrunk. 

But while Trump lost the battle he may have won the war. The naked suppression of news, the oozing bias, the ignorance of or refusal to reference key facts—Snopes has debunked the Charlottesville chestnut for goodness sake and thousands of Jewish kids on campuses across the country are in fear of anti-Semitic mobs within the last few months and were not even mentioned!—made ABC and Disney the real loser Wednesday night. It is possible the polls might even edge towards Trump as the ‘great silent majority’ digest the tidal wave of omnipresent criticism of the debate moderators outside of the Manhattan-Beltway media elites. We will see.  

But whatever the polls show and however the elections turns out, it is a debate that will live in infamy. While the journalistic reputations of Muir and Davis are the most scarred by the fiasco, the damage will extend to both the ABC and Disney brands, especially because of the Israel and China related-omissions. 

I have co-moderated five presidential primary debates hosted by big legacy networks as Salem Media’s representative: four with CNN in 2015-2016 and one with NBC in November of last year. None of them were prefect. But in none of them were any of the moderators a story the day after the debate because that was the goal. It should be the goal of every moderator for every debate everywhere. Basic fairness was my constant refrain in the hundreds of hours and dozens of question preparation sessions and rehearsals. The moderators work from very tight scripts. They know their question sets. We rehearse responses to anticipated responses from candidates. Wednesday’s night descent into hackery was intentional. There is no excuse. 

I did not expect a Bud-Lite level disaster for ABC and Disney, but they have created one for themselves. The GOP does not have a long memory, for if it did, it would have recalled ABC’s George Stephanopoulos infamously asking Mitt Romney in a 2012 debate ‘Governor Romney, do you believe that states have the right to ban contraception?’ Perhaps Republicans haven’t forgotten that but didn’t believe in collective media guilt. It should now. This ambush of Trump was carefully planned and well executed. If Trump wins there should never be an ABC interview. No Republican should associate with the network period. No Republican should even watch Muir or Lindsey. They are partisans but dishonest ones. They pretend otherwise. 

The worst presidential debate in American history is not something I’ve ever heard any media talent aspire to participate in. David Muir, Linsey Davis and the entire ABC/Disney team own the title now. It is highly doubtful they will ever surrender it.

Hugh Hewitt is host of ‘The Hugh Hewitt Show,’ heard weekday mornings 6am to 9am ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh wakes up America on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990.  Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcast, and this column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.

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Harris’ support for Palestinian state rewards terrorism, experts warn

JERUSALEM — Vice President Harris’ endorsement of a Palestinian state during and prior to her debate with former President Trump would further destabilize the Middle East and bring about additional terrorism, according to Israeli and American experts.

During Tuesday’s presidential debate on ABC, the Democrat presidential candidate reiterated her support for a two-state solution: ‘I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular as it relates … to Iran and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel. But we must have a two-state solution where we can rebuild Gaza, where the Palestinians have security, self-determination and the dignity they so rightly deserve.’

The two-state solution means an independent Palestinian state on Israel’s borders that encompasses the West Bank territory (known in Israel by its biblical name of Judea and Samaria) and the Gaza Strip. Biden faced intense criticism in February for ignoring the outbreak of Palestinian terrorism in Judea and Samaria while singling out Israeli residents of the region for sanctions.

Trump’s former ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, told Fox News Digital, ‘After Oct. 7th, the two-state became a dead letter. A Palestinian state between Israel and Jordan will destabilize both countries and bring only additional terror and misery.’

Friedman, who authored the new book, ‘One Jewish State: The Last, Best Hope to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,’ added, ‘Vice President Harris should stop parroting failed theories and trying to force a square peg into a round hole. She should empower Israel to reach a just and workable solution on its own and not interfere in matters where she is neither competent nor well-informed.’

In early September, Friedman blasted Biden on Fox News’ ‘Your World’ for creating rifts within Israeli society.

Jonathan Conricus, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 24 years as a combat commander and spokesperson, told Fox News Digital, ‘The so-called two-state solution may have been possible to implement 31 years ago, but four straight Palestinian rejections of Israeli peace offers have made it clear that the current Palestinian leadership does not aspire to end the conflict and achieve peace. Palestinian rejectionism has also eroded the political support for the peace process in Israel, since it has become abundantly clear that the Palestinian leadership does not seek peace.’

According to Conricus, ‘Polling of the Palestinian population in Gaza and Palestinian Authority-controlled areas shows clear popular Palestinian support for Hamas, signaling that the Palestinian population supports the genocidal vision of annihilating Israel through jihad, as demonstrated by Hamas on Oct. 7. Global leaders would do well to listen to the two parties to the conflict to understand how the situation has changed and adapt diplomatic solutions to current possibilities. And whatever the outcome of the Oct. 7 war that Hamas waged against Israel, giving Hamas the ultimate prize of statehood would be devastating for regional stability and peace and for American global standing. Terror must not be awarded with statehood.’

Joel Rubin, former deputy assistant secretary of state and Democrat strategist, told Fox News Digital, ‘The two-state solution is on life support right now, but just because this is a difficult moment to envision a peaceful endgame between Israel and the Palestinians that’s rooted in diplomatic compromise, that does not mean it should not be the goal. After all, Israel fought multiple existential wars with Egypt and then, only years after the Yom Kippur War, concluded a peace deal that has held and provided Israel with deep security along its southern border for more than four decades. That is what a two-state solution is all about: Ending the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in a manner that provides stability and security for the long haul.’

Rubin, who is a longtime Jewish community activist, added, ‘We have seen it achieved with Arab states. There is no reason that it can’t be done with the Palestinians as long as the political will is there, extremism is rooted out and security arrangements are solid. So, for Vice President Harris to make this a priority is an inherently pro-Israel position, one that seeks to provide Israel with the long-term security and stability that it still clearly does not have.’

In late August, Harris noted her endorsement of a Palestinian state in an interview with CNN. She said, ‘I remain committed since I’ve been on Oct. 8 to what we must do to work toward a two-state solution where Israel is secure and in equal measure the Palestinians have security and self-determination and dignity.’

The Harris campaign did not respond to multiple Fox News Digital press queries.

Harris and Biden have provided significant funding for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is led by Mahmoud Abbas. The PA president is considered by some to be a moderate when compared to the Iranian regime-backed Hamas leadership. Abbas, however, supports stipends for convicted Palestinian terrorists and their families regarding the infamous ‘pay for slay’ system that might mean the PA compensates Hamas terrorists.

Fox News Digital reported in November that many of the newly released convicted Palestinian terrorists who were part of a swap that secured the freedom of some Israeli and foreign hostages held by the terrorist movement Hamas could receive U.S. funds via the PA.

Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch, an Israeli-based organization researching Palestinian society, told Fox News Digital at the time, ‘The American and European funding boosts the Palestinian Authority budget by $600 million. The Palestinian Authority pays the salaries of imprisoned terrorists and the family members of the martyrs, and the amount comes to $300 million a year.’

Last month, Abbas, according to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute, told the Turkish Parliament that ‘America is the plague, and the plague is America’ and ‘We implement Shari’a law: victory or martyrdom.’

The 88-year-old Abbas, who has clung to power since he took over the presidency of the PA in 2008, has been embroiled in antisemitism and Holocaust-distortion scandals over the years.

In 2022, Fox News Digital reported that Abbas delivered a tirade against Israel in Berlin, where the Holocaust – the mass extermination of European Jewry – was organized, claiming the Jewish state carried out ’50 holocausts.’

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MLB pitcher loses no-hitter in 9th for second time in three weeks

For the second time in 18 days, Toronto Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis had a no-hit bid broken up by a home run in the ninth inning.

On Wednesday, Francis held the New York Mets hitless for eight innings and came back out for the ninth at 108 pitches, but gave up a leadoff homer to Francisco Lindor – which tied the game 1-1.

It was déjà vu for Francis, who also took a no-hitter into the ninth against the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 24 – only for Taylor Ward to begin the frame with a solo home run.

Dave Stieb’s 1990 no-hitter remains the only one in Blue Jays franchise history.

Francis, 28, made his big-league debut in 2022 for Toronto and Wednesday’s no-hit bid was his 46th career appearance (11th start).

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He was removed after Lindor’s homer, ending his day with one walk, hit two batsmen and one strikeout.

The Mets ended up batting around and scored six runs in the ninth with Toronto relievers Chad Green and Genesis Cabrera combining to issue four walks and surrender three hits in the disastrous inning. Francisco Alvarez’s three-run homer off Cabrera was the knockout blow in New York’s eventual 6-2 win.

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Fantasy football rankings: Our guide to setting your Week 2 lineup

The first rule of fantasy football after Week 1 is simple: Don’t panic.

But that’s far easier said than done. With all the injuries last week and the uncertainty over how the new season will play out, fantasy managers have some tough calls to make in Week 2. That’s why we’re here to help.

These fantasy football rankings are based on the point-per-reception (PPR) scoring used in most seasonal and daily fantasy football formats. One point is awarded for every 10 rushing and receiving yards and one point for every 20 passing yards. Six points are awarded for touchdowns scored, four points for passing TDs and one point for receptions.

Rankings are compiled by Daniel Dobish, TheHuddle.com. 

(*-check status before kickoff)

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Fantasy football Week 2 quarterback rankings

Josh Allen injured his left hand in Week 1 diving for a touchdown, but has been cleared to practice and should be fine to start on Thursday night.
Justin Fields is expected to get another start for Pittsburgh with Russell Wilson still dealing with a calf injury.

Fantasy football Week 2 running back rankings

De’Von Achane (ankle) is questionable and Raheem Mostert (chest) is out for Thursday night vs. Buffalo. Look for Jeff Wilson Jr. to see more reps with Jaylen Wright set to make his NFL debut due to the short week.
Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles) appears likely to miss a second consecutive game. The Niners can feel more comfortable giving him extra time to recover after Jordan Mason‘s big game (152 rushing yards, TD) on Monday night.

Fantasy football Week 2 wide receiver rankings

Tee Higgins (hamstring) has yet to return to practice after sitting out Week 1.

Fantasy football Week 2 tight end rankings

David Njoku (ankle) has been ruled out for Week 2. Jordan Akins is the next man up.
Jake Ferguson is dealing with an MCL sprain and a bone bruise in his knee, but the Cowboys haven’t officially ruled him out for Sunday.

Fantasy football Week 2 kicker rankings

Fantasy football Week 2 defense/special teams rankings

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Caitlin Clark declines to endorse Kamala Harris, encourages voting

Shortly after Taylor Swift officially endorsed Kamala Harris late Tuesday night via Instagram following the presidential debate, other social media activity sparked even more chatter online: 

Caitlin Clark, the star of the Indiana Fever and a self-proclaimed Swiftie, liked Swift’s post. 

Did that mean the overwhelming favorite to win 2024 Rookie of the Year was endorsing Harris herself? 

Clark was asked exactly that Wednesday during her pregame availability before the Fever took on the Aces in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 

“I think for myself, having this amazing platform, the biggest thing I would encourage people to register to vote — this is the second election I can vote — that’s the same thing Taylor did,” Clark said of Swift’s plea to for Americans to vote, which included a link to register. 

“I think continue to educate yourself about the candidates that we have and the policies that we’re supporting, I think that’s the biggest thing you can do and I would recommend that to every single person that has that opportunity in our country.”

Clark did not answer a specific question about if she would be endorsing Harris herself. 

It’s hardly the first time a prominent WNBA player has gotten involved in politics. In 2020, the WNBPA decided as a league to endorse Rev. Raphael Warnock for one of the U.S. Senate seats in Georgia, leading a public campaign to oust incumbent — and then-Atlanta Dream owner — Kelly Loeffler. The WNBA was also the first league to back the Black Lives Matter movement and individual players have taken actions like skipping the national anthem.

At the Paris Olympics, Breanna Stewart said WNBA players were committed to “finding a way to make sure we can back Kamala as much as we can,” mentioning that two foundational pieces of Harris’ campaign – voting rights and reproductive rights – were issues players have advocated for. 

But Tuesday marked the first time Clark has made any sort of political statement herself — even if she tried to downplay it somewhat on Wednesday. 

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Tyreek Hill: I could have ‘been better’ during police interaction

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill said Wednesday that he wishes he ‘could go back and do things a bit differently’ during his encounter with police over the weekend, during which officers forcefully removed him from his car, took him to the ground and handcuffed him outside Hard Rock Stadium.

After watching the body-worn camera footage of the encounter, which was released Monday evening, Hill said he feels like ‘I handled myself well in that situation’ but also that he ‘could’ve been better.’ He said he has spoken with family members who are police officers and reflected on his actions during the traffic stop, when he rolled up his window after being asked by police to keep it rolled down.

‘Yes, I will say, I could’ve been better. I could’ve let down my window in that instance,’ Hill said in a news conference. ‘… I don’t want attention, I don’t want to be cameras out, phones on you in that moment. But at the end of the day, I’m human. I’ve got to follow rules. I’ve got to do what everyone else would do.

‘Now, does that give them the right to literally beat the dog out of me? Absolutely not. But at the end of the day, I wish I could go back and do things a bit differently.’

Hill, 30, was detained for about 15 minutes after a Miami-Dade Police Department officer pulled him over for careless driving and driving without a seat belt. Police estimated that the Dolphins star was going 60 mph – 20 mph over the posted speed limit – in a heavily-trafficked stretch of road before Miami’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

All things Dolphins: Latest Miami Dolphins news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The officers involved in the traffic stop have come under scrutiny in recent days after the release of the body cam footage, with critics describing their use of force as excessive given the circumstances and otherwise routine nature of the encounter. Miami-Dade Police say one officer, Danny Torres, has been moved to administrative duties pending an internal investigation into his conduct during the stop.

Hill said he was at a movie theater on Monday when the Dolphins’ director of team security, Drew Brooks, called and notified him that body cam footage had been released. When asked about his initial reaction to the videos, Hill said he was ‘unfazed’ and ‘numb to it.’

‘I’m not the only one that goes through that, you feel me?’ Hill said. ‘Where I’m from, you typically see that a lot and you don’t hear about it, because not everybody has the same resources as Tyreek Hill. Not everybody has the name Tyreek Hill or is able to call a Drew Brooks or (agent) Drew Rosenhaus.’

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said of his initial response to the video that ‘it wasn’t shock, it was sadness.’ He believes the conversations around Hill’s attitude and conduct during the traffic stop should be completely separate of what the officers did.

‘There’s always things you can do (better),’ McDaniel said. ‘… But I think a conversation about what provoked unnecessary is trivial to the unnecessary.’

Hill believes that Sunday’s traffic stop, which resulted in him receiving two citations and about $300 in fines, happened ‘at the right time in my life, because of the way I’ve matured, the way I’ve been handling myself.’ He reiterated that, while he thinks Torres should be fired, he is supportive of police and hopes the incident can lead to positive conversations.

‘It’s a lot to unpack. There’s a lot we can learn,’ Hill said. ‘I think in football, how we get better from things is we watch the tape and we get better from it. In this instance, we should do the same, you know? A lot of people want to critique, a lot of people want to criticize, a lot of people want to do this (or that). But I think this can be a learning tool for everybody.’

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @Tom_Schad.

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What else was Travis Kelce doing at US Open tennis tournament?

On the opening Sunday of the 2024 NFL season, neither Travis Kelce nor Jason Kelce was anywhere near a football field.

The irony was not lost on the two brothers as they kicked off the 100th episode of their ‘New Heights’ podcast on Wednesday. However, both were still very connected to the games.

Travis, after his Kansas City Chiefs played in the league’s Thursday night opener, was with pop star Taylor Swift at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, watching the men’s singles final. But he admitted he was also watching live football on his phone.

‘It was prime time for any NFL fan,’ Travis said. ‘I’ve always been an NFL fan first.’

Jason, meanwhile, couldn’t help but offer a few barbs at his brother’s attire, which Travis described as ‘the old country club look – going with the cardigan, button-up and the hat to match.’

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And no, they did not mention Swift’s endorsement Tuesday night of Kamala Harris for president.

Jason Kelce makes ‘Monday Night Countdown’ debut

Jason, who retired this past offseason after 13 years as a center with the Philadelphia Eagles, caught Sunday’s slate of games in the privacy of a longtime friend’s basement, getting ready for his second career as a TV analyst.

Perhaps it was just a case of nerves that he forgot his dress shirt and had to buy one just before making his initial appearance on ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Countdown.’

Travis called his brother’s debut ‘very entertaining’ before turning the fashion talk around and poking fun at Jason for the wardrobe malfunction.

Jason admitted being nervous beforehand, but conceded, ‘It was fun to actually get one under my belt. Now I kinda know what to expect going into this next week.’

Coincidentally, Jason Kelce and the crew will be back in Philadelphia on Monday night when the Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons.

‘It’s gonna be a wild environment,’ he quipped.

Jason Kelce on Eagles’ new-look ‘Tush Push’

The Eagles played their first game without Kelce on Friday night, a 34-29 win over the Green Bay Packers in the first-ever NFL game played in Brazil.

‘I was tweeting to avoid the distraction of not being able to do anything. Probably over-tweeting to be honest with you,’ Kelce said.

The biggest unknown with converted guard Cam Jurgens taking over at center was how effective the Eagles’ signature ‘Tush Push’ play would be without Kelce leading the way.

Though quarterback Jalen Hurts did convert a short-yardage situation early in the game, he and Jurgens muffed an exchange at the goal line late in the game that cost Philly what looked like an easy touchdown.

Kelce chalked the miscue up as part of the learning process, especially for Jurgens.

‘It’s a really hard play to run when a lot of guys are running it for the first time,’ he explained. ‘You’re so far leaning forward and trying to get leverage, it’s a very awkward snap if you’re doing it right. I gotta think, especially with the slick field, there were factors there that led to that fumbled one.

‘I think that reality is, the more reps these guys get at it, the more it’s going to get back to that 90-plus percent success rate.’

Problems playing NFL games on soccer fields

One other interesting discussion point from the game in Brazil was the frequency of players losing their footing on what’s normally a soccer field.

Why was there so much slipping and sliding?

‘I don’t think it’s the grass, I think it’s the sod. It’s not rooted in there and it’s not tough,’ Travis opined. ‘It’s either you’ve gotta go turf or you’ve gotta make it strong enough for 300-pounders to be able to move, or like big strong running backs and linebackers to be able to put their foot in the ground without slipping.’

The field is similar to the ones at soccer stadiums that host NFL games in Europe, ones Jason said ‘are made for tiny European people; they’re not made for large American men.’

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Jordan Chiles continuing to pursue medal for ‘my peace and my justice’

Jordan Chiles said her “heart was broken” when she was stripped of her Olympic bronze medal because of mistakes by gymnastics officials, and she’ll continue to fight it because she did nothing wrong.

Chiles appeared at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit on Wednesday and detailed the toll the last five weeks have taken on her.

“The biggest thing that was taken from me was,” Chiles said before pausing to gather herself, “it was the recognition of who I was. Not just my sport, but the person I am.

“It’s not about the medal,” she added. “It’s about my skin color. It’s about the fact there were things that have led up to this position of being an athlete. And I felt like everything has been stripped. I felt like when I was back in 2018 where I did lose the love of the sport, I lost it again.”

Chiles initially finished fifth in the floor final on Aug. 5, her 13.666 putting her behind Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea. (The Romanians had each scored 13.7, but Barbosu placed higher because of a better execution score.) But  Cecile Landi, who is Chiles’ personal coach in addition to being the U.S. coach in Paris, appealed her difficulty score, arguing Chiles had not been given full credit for a tour jete, a leap.

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A review panel agreed, and the additional 0.100 elevated the American ahead of both Romanians into third place.

But Romania appealed, challenging the timing of Chiles’ inquiry. On the final day of the Paris Games, six days after the event final, the International Gymnastics Federation announced it was re-ordering the floor exercise results after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Chiles’ scoring inquiry had been submitted too late.

The International Olympic Committee then declared Barbosu of Romania the bronze medalist.

USA Gymnastics said video found after the CAS ruling showed Landi had, in fact, made the inquiry in time. But CAS said it could not be considered after the fact.

Though medals are often reallocated, it almost never happens because of someone else’s error. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee have repeatedly expressed support for Chiles and have said they plan to appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

“I followed the rules. My coach followed the rules. We did everything that was totally, completely right,” Chiles said.

The FIG acknowledged during the CAS hearing that it had not put safeguards in place so officials would immediately know whether verbal appeals were submitted on time or late. Omega, the official timing system at the Olympics, had that data, but it wasn’t linked to the FIG’s system or communicated to the appeal panel.

The FIG also acknowledged it had accepted Chiles’ appeal because it believed it had been filed in time.

In addition to tainting a career highlight — the floor bronze was Chiles’ first individual medal in two Olympics — she’s been bullied and harassed online, with much of the abuse racist.

“It’s definitely been really hard to really, truly see all the love and support,” Chiles said. “Looking out here, seeing everybody, I can feel it now. But at first it was really hard to really take that in, because of how badly my heart was broken.

“I do appreciate every single person that has been able to come out and say what they needed to say. Whether it was through social media, whether it was through news outlets, whether it was through just people texting me, I do appreciate it so much.”

Chiles’ bronze medal had produced one of the feel-good, and viral, moments of the entire Paris Olympics. The floor podium was the first to feature three Black gymnasts, with Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade winning gold and Simone Biles the silver.

As Andrade stepped onto the podium to receive her gold medal, Chiles and Biles bowed to her. The International Olympic Committee posted a photo of the moment with the caption, “This is everything.”

“It’s not over,” Chiles said. “Because at this rate, it’s not really about the medal. It’s about my peace and my justice.”

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