LOS ANGELES — As some of college basketball’s coaching greats have stepped away from the ever evolving game, Tom Izzo has stayed put.

He’s done everything one could do. A national championship, eight Final Fours, numerous conference titles while making Michigan State nationally relevant and becoming one of the most well-respected coaches in the country. He could walk away knowing he doesn’t have to prove anything else.

‘He’s a leader in his community and his school,’ said UCLA head coach Mick Cronin. ‘If he’s not the dean of college basketball, I don’t know who is.’

It doesn’t feel like he’s slowing down. Now in his 30th season in East Lansing, Izzo is proving he still has some magic left in the tank. After years of a middling NCAA Tournament team, Michigan State is back in the Big Ten championship picture with eyes set on a successful March.

However, a winless trip to Los Angeles questions if the Spartans are legit.

Michigan State entered the season as an enigma. After another campaign of doing just enough to extend Izzo’s record streak of 26-straight tournament appearances, the Spartans had enough optimism and worry about what 2024-25 could be. 

In the annual Champions Classic, the Spartans didn’t look anything like one against Kansas, and the questions about whether it’s deserving of being in the event were only raised further. 

Maybe that was jolt; after that loss to the Jayhawks, the Spartans won the next 16 of 17 games, including a third-place finish in the Maui Invitational and a 13-game win streak with no losses in December or January.

How did Michigan State flip the script? Thanks to a mix of young and old. The Spartans have 10 players who average at least 15 minutes a game, getting contributions from veterans like Jaden Akins to younger players like Jase Richardson. The depth has worked so well in Izzo’s favor, it’s not odd for him to deploy complete hockey line-like change substitutions, with his team among the top in bench points.

And those Spartans love to run. They average 17.6 fastbreak points per game, second most in Division I, thanks to their ability to control the boards and get the offense flowing. The speed can frazzle defenses, resulting in fouls and trips to the free throw line. From there, the points might as well be added to the scoreboard with an 80.5% free throw percentage that’s fourth-best in the country. 

While exceptional, could there be something else underlying in Michigan State’s success?

During the 13-game win streak, the competition was rather lax. Michigan State only faced two teams in the top 25 of KenPom – Illinois and Ohio State – and seven of those victories came against teams in the bottom seven of the Big Ten standings. Michigan State only has one victory against a team ranked in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll. 

Basically, the Spartans are going to have to prove they can beat elite teams, and the West Coast trip proved there’s still work to be done. 

On Saturday, Michigan State never led against Southern California as turnovers were an issue. Then came the contest against a surging UCLA team on Tuesday, and again, Michigan State couldn’t hold onto the ball and get out in transition. It was a winless trip to California for the first back-to-back losses this season.

‘It’s inexcusable. It’s ridiculous,’ Izzo said of the turnover plagued trip.

The team will have to quickly figure it out. The schedule only gets tougher and puts a magnifying glass on whether Michigan State is a serious contender. It’ll face the top of the Big Ten with two games against Michigan and one against Purdue. Currently, the last seven games of the regular season are Quad 1 opportunities. 

Maybe the losses to the Big Ten newcomers were a wake-up call.

‘I’m going to leave here with a better basketball team, but it’s not good enough until we realize playing hard is not just the ticket. You got to play hard, smart and good,’ Izzo said. ‘We got some work to do.’

Izzo knows how to get his team into March and win a game or two. Now it’s all about putting together a squad that can make a run toward San Antonio to give Izzo another accolade and prove he’s still got it.

The National Women’s Soccer League violated players’ civil rights and must pay $5 million in restitution as part of an historic settlement announced Wednesday following a years-long investigation of player abuse.

The league will create a fund with the money for anyone harmed by abuse or harassment from a person in a position of power, according to a statement from the New York attorney general’s office that was provided to USA TODAY Sports. The list of requirements, which the NWSL has already begun implementing, also includes all teams employ at least two mental health professionals.

NWSL leadership is required to report every six months for the next three years to the attorneys general who led the investigation — Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul — with updates on implementing all aspects of the settlement.

‘While NWSL has made critical improvements, the victims never received any compensation for the sexual and emotional abuse they endured on the League’s watch,” Attorney General Schwalb said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. ‘No dollar amount could ever fully address the damage that was inflicted.’

The settlement marks the next step in a years-long process for the NWSL, stemming back to a wave of bombshell reports during the 2021 NWSL season. Extensive allegations of abuse, sexual coercion, racism, harassment and other forms of misconduct were substantiated at a majority of the league’s clubs, sparking two investigations and in-game protests from players league-wide. Multiple clubs were sold in the aftermath, while a long list of coaches and general managers were dismissed or stepped down in disgrace.

‘For too long, the hardworking and talented women of the National Women’s Soccer League were forced to endure an unacceptable culture of abuse, harassment, and retaliation,’ Attorney General James said in a statement. ‘This settlement sends a clear message that such misconduct will not be tolerated and ensures players receive the compensation and protections they deserve. Every athlete should be able to compete in a safe, supportive environment, and I thank the brave individuals who came forward to share their experiences.” 

Here’s what to know about Wednesday’s landmark NWSL settlement and how it will impact women’s sports going forward:

What are the terms of the NWSL settlement?

The settlement outlines a long list of requirements that NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said has been a collaborative effort between the league, the NWSLPA and the attorneys general.

The $5 million restitution fund will be overseen by former U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones, who was an independent member of the committee overseeing the 2022 NWSL/NWSLPA joint investigation. Jones has 45 days to submit a plan to the attorneys general for approval. Once approved, Jones will notify players no less than 15 days prior to the fund’s opening, and players will have six months to apply.

‘We remain grateful to the many brave individuals who came forward to share their experiences, which has informed our approach to systemic reform,’ NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said. “We have worked collaboratively with the NWSLPA and the attorneys general to add greater strength to the programmatic changes we adopted in 2023 in light of the joint investigative reports, and we look forward to supporting the administrator in distributing the Players’ Restitution Fund.’

The settlement also detailed multiple protocols the attorneys general will oversee, with the NWSL required to report back on its progress every six months. The changes required include the following:

‘Rigorous vetting of prospective coaches, general managers, athletic trainers and player safety officers.’
The creation of multiple ways for players to safely report misconduct.
Rules preventing coaches from having unilateral control over medical decisions or housing for players.
Coach misconduct and player safety investigations cannot be conducted by the teams involved. Organizations are required to find outside, impartial investigators.
The hiring of a league safety officer.
All teams must hire dedicated human resources staffers.
All teams will be obliged to hire ‘a board-certified psychiatrist or doctoral-level psychologist to serve as Team Clinician, as well as a Mental Performance Consultant.’
Players will be entitled to mental health leave, as recommended by specialists in the field.
Annual anti-bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, racism and retaliation training, as well as instruction on how to use reporting mechanisms.
Annual anonymous player surveys on coach conduct and team culture must be submitted to the attorneys general.

The NWSL could be hit with up to $2 million in unspecified penalties ‘if it defaults on any terms of the agreement,’ the statement said.

Additionally, the NWSL Players Association will be granted input on the hiring of any coach, general manager or other decision-maker on the soccer side of the business, a person with direct knowledge of the settlement told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the settlement had not yet been made public.

Why was NWSL under investigation?

The NWSL was hit by a wave of allegations across the league for various forms of misconduct, with a pivotal 2021 season packed with revelations about bad actors and systemic issues at most clubs. Though these issues happened over several years — U.S. women’s national team forward Christen Press filed formal complaints against former Chicago Red Stars head coach Rory Dames as far back as 2014 — the league lacked any formal policy for the removal of abusers, or for players to report issues without fear of retaliation.

The misconduct involved was widespread and varied, indicating systemic abuse. Multiple coaches were found to have engaged in sexual coercion, while other coaches and general managers were found to have engaged in verbal abuse, racist and anti-Semitic statements, and harassment. In other cases, coaches were hired despite past allegations of abusive conduct or body-shaming at previous clubs.

An August 2021 report from the Washington Post detailed allegations of verbal abuse and racist statements from Washington Spirit head coach Richie Burke, who days earlier had been reassigned to a front-office role with the club citing the English-born manager’s health as the rationale. A month later, The Athletic published a report on former Portland Thorns, Western New York Flash, and North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley, with extensive allegations of sexual coercion among the issues at hand.

The combination of both explosive reports sparked massive changes around the league, with players coming forward to detail other instances of misconduct at Racing Louisville, the Chicago Red Stars, the Houston Dash and the Seattle Reign, among others. A league-wide movement saw players on all teams halt play for an in-game protest, while then-commissioner Lisa Baird resigned under pressure after the league suspended its regular season for a weekend to allow players to process the revelations.

U.S. Soccer hired former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates in October 2021 to do an independent investigation into abuse and sexual misconduct in women’s soccer. Her voluminous report the following year detailed widespread misogynistic and abusive culture at all levels of the game. A separate investigation by the NWSL and NWSL Players Association found much the same as Yates.

Eventually, four coaches (Riley, Burke, Rory Dames and Christy Holly) were given lifetime bans, while others were barred for multiple years. Over half of the NWSL’s 10 clubs at the time dismissed a coach or general manager that had been in place to start the 2021 season.

NWSL settlement a historic step for women’s sports

The NWSL settlement is a unique development for a league that has spent the last three-plus years overhauling a long list of processes in the name of player safety.

Having three attorneys general in positions of oversight, as well as the significant financial penalties in place as an enforcement mechanism, is an unprecedented step.

Prior to the settlement, the NWSL had changed leadership, significantly increased its staffing and had multiple new club owners in place to lift standards. The league and NWSLPA also agreed to a milestone new CBA last year, while the previous CBA had already required clubs to hire at least one mental health professional.

Still, outside controls may force lasting change since progress has not been linear in the NWSL. The San Diego Wave is facing a lawsuit over allegations of a hostile work environment and sexual harassment. Former Wave and USWNT coach Jill Ellis, who has since moved on to a role at FIFA, was mentioned throughout the lawsuit and previously had denied claims of creating a hostile work environment. Ellis sued former Wave video and creative manager Brittany Alvarado for defamation.

‘Accountability is not a one-time event,’ NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke said in a news release from the office of the New York State Attorney General. ‘It is an ongoing commitment that never ends. … This settlement not only acknowledges those failures but, for the first time, establishes enforcement mechanisms under the law to hold NWSL accountable and to prevent future harm.’

Women’s soccer writ large has been at the forefront of multiple moves to improve conditions for its athletes. The USWNT Players Association reached agreement with U.S. Soccer in May 2022 for equal pay, ending a years-long battle. Entrepreneur Michele Kang’s successful battle with former Washington Spirit owner Steve Baldwin over majority control of the club was followed by a rapid rise in club valuations, bringing with it major investment in terms of staff, infrastructure and other standard-raising moves.

This settlement pushes the league further on the types of protections that are commonplace in major men’s sports.

This story has been updated to include new information.

New York Yankees star and two-time MVP Aaron Judge has now also embraced the role of a girl dad. He and his wife, Samantha Bracksieck, welcomed their first child, Nora Rose Judge, into the world.

In January, after announcing that his wife was expecting, Aaron Judge accepted the 2024 AL MVP award via video, marking his second time receiving this honor. He received all 30 first-place votes following an impressive season. His 2024 statistics include a batting average of .322, 58 home runs, 144 RBIs and 122 runs scored.

On Feb. 5, Judge shared the joyful news of their daughter’s birth — which happened on Jan. 27 — in a heartwarming social media post. Along with a photo of his daughter’s tiny feet, he captioned it, ‘What an incredible week it’s been! I can’t wait for the memories the three of us will make.’

Aaron and Samantha’s love story

Judge and his wife, Samantha, were high school sweethearts. They met in high school and both continued their education at Fresno State University. Their journey together culminated in a beautiful private ceremony in Maui, Hawaii, in December 2021. The Judge family also includes two dachshunds named Gus and Penny.

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The party didn’t go as planned last year at the WM Phoenix Open.

Inclement weather led to muddy conditions on the hills of TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course typically used by spectators, which then led to an overcrowded and overserved gallery of fans, which in turn exacerbated and exposed some of the risks inherent in throwing the rowdiest golf event on the calendar each year.

The festive scene that had become one of the major selling points of the PGA Tour’s early season schedule instead resulted in a chaotic and congested mess, particularly during Saturday’s third round. Entrances were closed and alcohol sales were shut down at one point. Golfers got into shouting matches with fans. ‘It’s crossed the line a little bit the last couple years,’ said PGA Tour golfer Billy Horschel, who was captured on video telling a group of unruly patrons to ‘shut the hell up’ last year.

“Saturday at the WM Phoenix Open in 2024 is going to end up being a turning point for our tournament and our organization to make our event better,” tournament director Chance Cozby told Golf Channel in the tournament’s aftermath.

Event officials called it a perfect storm of events that has now led to a series of changes to ensure the 2025 WM Phoenix Open goes more smoothly. Here’s a look at how this tournament transformed into golf’s biggest party and what’s planned this week with round one action set to tee off on Thursday:

WM Phoenix Open history

TPC Scottsdale has been the home course of the tournament since 1987. The Phoenix Country Club and Arizona Country Club previously served as host of the event. Previous winners have included Byron Nelson (1939, 1945), Ben Hogan (1946, 1947), Arnold Palmer (1961, 1962, 1963), Jack Nicklaus (1964), Phil Mickelson (1996, 2005, 2013), Brooks Koepka (2015, 2021) and Scottie Scheffler (2022, 2023).

WM Phoenix Open 16th hole

The WM Phoenix Open has turned into an event with the biggest crowds on the PGA Tour, attendance numbers that soared to new heights in 2018 with a single-day crowd of 216,818 for Saturday’s third round and an overall mark of 719,179 fans for the week. That’s the last year tournament organizers released official figures.

This surging popularity was due, in large part, to the spectacle on the par-3 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course. For tournament week, temporary grandstands and suites surround the entire hole with as many as 20,000 fans. It’s been dubbed ‘The Coliseum,’ and features a tee shot that will either lead to thunderous cheers or loud boos from the party-like atmosphere taking place around the golf shots.

A hole-in-one by Tiger Woods in 1997 is credited with making No. 16 the memorable scene it is today, as Woods’ raucous celebration with the delirious crowd became part of tournament lore. Jarrod Lyle (2011) and Sam Ryder (2022) have also carded an ace at No. 16 during Saturday’s third round of the WM Phoenix Open, when the gallery is usually its biggest (and most boisterous).

‘Not only are you battling the golf course, but there can be a pretty hectic crowd out there,’ Scheffler said this week. ‘It’s cool to be able to get in that environment and have people cheering for you. The cheers for you immediately stop if you miss the green or don’t make birdie, so that part is a little bit tough. At the end of the day, it’s a lot of fun. It’s really cool to be able to play in front of our fans, and this is a week when we get to play in front of a lot of them. As a player, I think it’s a special week. It’s a lot of fun.’

What did WM Phoenix Open change this year?

The Thunderbirds announced in October several changes instituted for this week’s WM Phoenix Open in response to what happened at TPC Scottsdale in 2024.

The tournament has most notably added a new entrance near the tee box at No. 18 to enhance the flow of foot traffic, particularly on Friday and Saturday when the crowds on the course are at their largest. It’s also turning to all-digital ticketing and instituting a policy in which fans can only buy tickets for specific days, as opposed to a ‘good any day’ ticket option that was available previously, to combat the overcrowding that occurred during Saturday’s round last year.

WM Phoenix Open organizers also widened pathways, upgraded concessions and added other fan features to other parts of the course. Police and security will crack down on unruly or over-indulging fans outside the ropes.

“We expect a zero tolerance across the course every year but one benefit of the digital general admission tickets is fans will be required to click on the fan code of conduct,” said WMC Phoenix Open tournament chairman Matt Mooney. “We do intend to enforce it.”

But Mooney noted the Thunderbirds still want this to be considered ‘the People’s Open’ and the PGA Tour’s party of the year.

“While we are making changes, we are also being careful not to over-correct because this event generates half a billion dollars in economic impact to the area each year and we just passed $200 million in charitable giving since the inception of this event,” Mooney said. “We’re going to make sure that we continue to improve the event for fans and for players.”

2025 WM Phoenix Open: TV, streaming, how to watch PGA Tour event

The WM Phoenix Open will be carried live by Golf Channel all four days. CBS will then pick up live coverage of the third and final rounds.

There is streaming on ESPN+ and Paramount+ as well as the NBC sports app and CBS sports app. The 2025 WM Open can also be streamed via Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Watch 2025 WM Phoenix Open with Fubo

Thursday, Feb. 6

First round

9:15 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
4-8 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
4-8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app

Friday, Feb. 7

Second round

9:15 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
4-8 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
4-8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app

Saturday, Feb. 8

Third round

11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
1-3 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
1-3 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app
3-6:30 p.m. ET, CBS
3-6:30 p.m. ET, Paramount+, CBS Sports app

Sunday, Feb. 9

Final round

10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET, ESPN+
1-3 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
1-3 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app
3-6 p.m. ET, CBS
3-6 p.m. ET, Paramount+, CBS Sports app

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Former MLB outfielder Jim Edmonds says changes in the culture surrounding the St. Louis Cardinals have made it ‘not fun anymore.’ And as a result, he will not be part of the team’s local broadcast crew this season.

In a radio interview with ESPN 101 in St. Louis on Monday morning, Edmonds – who played eight seasons with the Cardinals from 2000 to 2007 – said he and the team have mutually decided to part ways after 12 seasons as a TV analyst.

Edmonds didn’t hold back in criticizing his former employer.

‘I haven’t gone really down in spring training the last couple of years. It’s not fun anymore,’ Edmonds said in a transcription on social media via Cardinals Talk. ‘They don’t make you feel like you’re wanted. … It’s just not the same. It’s not the same organization. It’s not fun to be around.’

Edmonds played 17 seasons in the majors, mostly with the Cardinals and Angels, before calling it a career in 2010. He won eight Gold Gloves in center field, was a four-time All-Star and won a World Series ring in 2006 with St. Louis.

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He was inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014, after beginning his broadcasting career with the team a year earlier.

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For the second year in a row, NFL fans will be treated to a rematch in the biggest game of the season. Last February saw the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the San Francisco 49ers for the second time in five years for the championship. This year, Kansas City will play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years.

With just two years between games, there are lots of players and coaches still with the Chiefs and Eagles from the last time these teams played in the big game. Both starting quarterbacks — the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts and the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes — still are leading their respective offenses. Other stars on offense remain on both teams, including tight end Travis Kelce (Chiefs) and wide receivers A.J. Brown (Eagles) and DeVonta Smith (Eagles).

This is the sixth time in NFL history that two teams have played each other in the Super Bowl within a 10-year span.

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There are repeat matchups with a longer break between the first and second games, but those often included significant changes in personnel as well as coaching staffs. As an example, the Eagles and New England Patriots faced off in Super Bowl 52 for the second time but their first matchup was in Super Bowl 39. That’s a long layoff between contests that saw lots of changes on both teams.

Here’s what happened in the prior five Super Bowl rematches in NFL history that meet the 10-year criteria.

Super Bowl rematches in NFL history

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys

First game: 1976 Super Bowl; Steelers won, 21-17
Rematch: 1979 Super Bowl; Steelers won, 35-31

The Steelers and Cowboys had played in at least one Super Bowl before the 1976 title game. Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl, 16-6, a year earlier over Minnesota. Dallas won Super Bowl 6, over Miami, after losing Super Bowl 5 to Baltimore.

Pittsburgh scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win the 1976 Super Bowl. MVP Lynn Swann made one of the most iconic catches in NFL history in that matchup. His 161 receiving yards was the record for more than a decade and still ranks fourth all-time in Super Bowl history.

Three years later, the same starting quarterbacks and defensive stars met again, at the same venue (the Orange Bowl). Pittsburgh held a 21-17 lead entering the final quarter. The Steelers later scored two touchdowns to take and hold the lead for a win.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

First game: 1982 Super Bowl; 49ers won, 26-21
Rematch: 1989 Super Bowl; 49ers won, 20-16

This is the longest gap between meetings on the list with the least carryover in key personnel as a result. Super Bowl 16 in 1982 marked the first appearance in the game for both teams.

San Francisco raced out to a 20-0 lead by halftime and held on in the second half. The Bengals outgained the 49ers 356 to 275 on offense but committed four costly turnovers.

Seven years later, the teams looked slightly different as they met in Miami for another championship battle. This one was much closer; it took until the third quarter for either team to score a touchdown as Cincinnati’s Stanford Jennings took a kickoff return 93 yards for a score.

Down 16-13 with just over three minutes to go, the 49ers offense took the field with a chance to win. Quarterback Joe Montana looked to the sideline and famously told tackle Harris Barton ‘isn’t that John Candy?’ before the team marched 92 yards to score the game-winning touchdown.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills

First game: 1993 Super Bowl; Cowboys won, 52-17
Rematch: 1994 Super Bowl; Cowboys won, 30-13

It doesn’t get any closer than this back-to-back rematch.

Super Bowl 27 in 1993 was the third consecutive championship game appearance for Buffalo. The Bills already had lost to Washington and the New York Giants. Dallas was back in the Super Bowl for the first time since that loss to Pittsburgh in 1979.

The Cowboys dominated the first half to take a 28-10 lead by the break. Halftime that year included a performance by Michael Jackson that changed the Super Bowl halftime shows to include popular musicians instead of marching bands. Dallas outscored Buffalo 21-0 in the fourth quarter to secure a dominant win.

Things were a bit closer when the teams met the next season. Buffalo took a 13-6 lead at halftime thanks to a Thurman Thomas four-yard touchdown. But Dallas roared back in the second half to score 24 unanswered points and secure another Super Bowl title.

New York Giants vs. New England Patriots

First game: 2008 Super Bowl; Giants won, 17-14
Rematch: 2012 Super Bowl; Giants won, 21-17

The 2008 Super Bowl marked seven years since the Giants made the Super Bowl. They’d lost 34-7 to a Baltimore Ravens team with one of the best defenses of all time. New England was no stranger to the title game; since New York’s loss to Baltimore, the Patriots had won three Super Bowls.

New York was one of the biggest underdogs in Super Bowl history in 2008. The undefeated Patriots held onto a 7-3 lead entering the final quarter. Down 14-10 with just over a minute to go, Giants wide receiver David Tyree made one of the biggest catches in Super Bowl history. That set up the go-ahead score to give New York the win and end the Patriots’ hopes of a perfect season.

Four years later, the teams met again with the same head coaches and starting quarterbacks. Once again, the Patriots held a slim lead entering the fourth quarter, this time 17-15. A back-and-forth final frame culminated in a go-ahead touchdown by Ahmad Bradshaw with less than a minute to go. New York won once again and became the only team to beat Tom Brady multiple times in the Super Bowl.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers

First game: 2020 Super Bowl; Chiefs won, 30-21
Rematch: 2024 Super Bowl; Chiefs won, 25-22 in OT

It’s hard to imagine now but the 2020 Super Bowl marked the Chiefs’ first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years. Their opponent, the 49ers, were back in the Super Bowl for the first time in 25 years.

San Francisco built a 20-10 lead late in the third quarter following a Raheem Mostert touchdown run. But it was all Chiefs in the final frame as Kansas City took the lead with 2:44 to play and sealed it with a Damien Williams touchdown.

Four years later, the teams faced off again. San Francisco held a 19-16 lead late in the fourth quarter but Kansas City managed to force overtime with a field goal in the closing seconds of regulation. In overtime, Mahomes orchestrated a game-winning drive to give the Chiefs a third title in five years and a second Super Bowl win over San Francisco.

2025 Super Bowl: Rematch history for Eagles vs. Chiefs

History is on Kansas City’s side for Super Bowl 59. The winner of the first Super Bowl won the rematch every time with the 10-year span criteria. If they’re able to do that, Kansas City would make history as the first NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.

Conrad Dobler, once regarded as the dirtiest player in the NFL, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he died in 2023 at age 72, his family and the Boston University CTE Center announced Wednesday.

Dobler, an offensive lineman and a three-time Pro Bowl selection in the 1970s, was diagnosed with Stage 3 CTE. There are four stages of CTE, a degenerative brain disease that can be diagnosed only after death.

CTE is associated with repeated blows to the head and symptoms such as depression and aggressive behavior.

“My dad loved the game of football, but his love for the game took a toll on his body, his mind, and his relationships,” Erin Lewin, Dobler’s daughter and described as Dobler’s primary caregiver for the final few years of his life, said in a news release issued by the Boston University CTE Center. “His CTE diagnosis provides a sense of closure in terms of justifying his neurological and behavioral issues that took a toll not only on him but on all of us who loved and cared for him.

“We are relieved to have a definitive answer and proud to honor his wish to go public with the findings to raise awareness for the risks of repetitive head trauma and for the research being done at Boston University.”

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In a 2016 interview with USA TODAY Sports, Dobler said he was struggling with his memory and motivation levels.

“I have six kids, I don’t even know their names,’’ Dobler said during a phone interview. “It kind of pisses me off because I prided myself on having such a wonderful memory.’’

Dobler’s daughter Holli told USA TODAY in 2016 that her father at times struggled to control his emotions but it was difficult to know if that was part of his personality or the result of football-related brain trauma associated with CTE.

His NFL career spanned from 1972 to 1981, and a 1977 cover story in Sports Illustrated crowned him “Pro Football’s Dirtiest Player.” Dobler relished that reputation and his autobiography was titled, “They Call Me Dirty.” 

He retired from the NFL after a 10-year career that included stints with the St. Louis Cardinals, the New Orleans Saints and the Buffalo Bills.

In 2010, Dobler pledged to donate to the Boston University CTE Center and took part in clinical research, according to the Center’s news release.

Upon Dober’s death Feb. 13, 2023, his brain was sent to the Center. Research revealed Dobler had a subtype of CTE called cortical sparing CTE that has earlier onset of behavioral symptoms but tends to have slightly less severe cognitive symptoms, according to the Boston University CTE Center.

“The support we have received from Conrad Dobler and the hundreds of former NFL players and their families who have participated in our research has put us on the cusp of diagnosing CTE in living people,” said Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System and director of the Boston University CTE Center. “With continued support from the NFL player community, we will eventually be able to prevent future families from suffering the indignities and pain of CTE.”