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The Denver Broncos fired outside linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite following his arrest for an altercation in the departure area of Denver International Airport.

‘After thorough discussions as an organization, I met with Michael Wilhoite and informed him we have decided to part ways,’ Broncos head coach Sean Payton said in a statement to the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel. ‘We recognize the serious nature of the allegations against him and believe this is the best course of action at this time.

‘I appreciate Michael’s contributions to the Broncos and am confident he will move forward in a positive direction.’

Per a Denver Police probable cause statement, the alleged altercation happened on Sunday, Feb. 23 when Wilhoite left his 2021 Ford Bronco unattended. When he came back to the vehicle, an officer approached him and told him he couldn’t leave the car like that, according to the statement.

Wilhoite told the officer to ‘shut the (expletive) up,’ according to the probable cause statement. The officer again told Wilhoite he couldn’t leave his vehicle like that and Wilhoite repeated what he said and bumped the officer in the chest.

The officer shoved him in response and Wilhoite reacted by punching the officer, the statement said.

Wilhoite was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer on Feb. 25 and is expected to appear again in court on March 10.

Wilhoite was hired on to the Broncos’ staff under Payton in 2023. He spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons on Payton’s staff with the New Orleans Saints as a special teams and defensive assistant.

Before reuniting with Payton in Denver, Wilhoite worked as a linebackers coach for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 and 2022.

Wilhoite spent six years as a linebacker in the NFL. He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2012-16 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2017.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is on pace to pass Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goal record before season’s end.

Ovechkin, 39, entered this season needing 42 goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals, which has stood since 1999. The Washington captain has 32 goals this season and needs 10 more with 20 games left to become the NHL’s all-time leader.

Ovechkin scored 15 times in his first 18 games before suffering a fractured left fibula during a Nov. 18 game against the Utah Hockey Club. He has scored 17 times since he returned on Dec. 28.

This season, he moved into second place with 20 consecutive 20-goal seasons and set a record for number of goalies scored against in his career. He tied records for game-winning goals and most franchises against which he has a hat trick. And he became the first player to score 200 goals in three different decades.

If he doesn’t reach Gretzky’s goal record this season, he has one more season left on his contract.

Here’s where Ovechkin stands in his chase of Gretzky’s goal record (stats through March 5):

OVECHKIN VS. GRETZKY: Comparing the two greats

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have?

Ovechkin has 885 career goals.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin need to pass Wayne Gretzky?

Ovechkin needs 10 goals to break Gretzky’s record.

Can Alex Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky’s record this season?

Ovechkin has 32 goals and 17 assists in 46 games. Factoring in the 16 games he missed, that is a 46-goal pace, giving him a chance to reach the 42 goals he needs to break the record this season. As of Wednesday, Ovechkin has played 15 fewer career games than Gretzky.

What did Alex Ovechkin do in his last game?

Ovechkin scored a power-play goal on five shots in a 3-2 overtime win against the New York Rangers. He charged in, picked up a loose puck and beat Igor Shesterkin to tie the game in the third period. Shesterkin robbed him in overtime with a glove save.

When is Alex Ovechkin’s next game?

The Capitals play Friday, March 7, at home against Detroit. Ovechkin has 25 goals in 36 career regular-season games against the Red Wings.

Alex Ovechkin goals in 2024-25

Oct. 19: 1 vs. New Jersey
Oct. 23: 1 vs. Philadelphia
Oct. 29: 2 vs. N.Y. Rangers
Oct. 31: 1 vs. Montreal
Nov. 2: 1 vs. Columbus
Nov. 3: 1 vs. Carolina
Nov. 6: 1 vs. Nashville
Nov. 9: 2 vs. St. Louis
Nov. 17: 3 vs. Vegas
Nov. 18: 2 vs. Utah
Dec. 28: 1 vs. Toronto
Dec. 29: 1 vs. Detroit
Jan. 2: 1 vs. Minnesota
Jan. 4: 1 vs. N.Y. Rangers
Jan. 11: 1 vs. Nashville
Jan. 16: 1 vs. Ottawa
Jan. 23: 1 vs. Seattle
Jan. 30: 1 vs. Ottawa
Feb 1: 1 vs. Winnipeg
Feb. 4: 1 vs. Florida
Feb. 6: 1 vs. Philadelphia
Feb. 23: 3 vs. Edmonton
Feb. 25: 1 vs. Calgary
March 1: 1 vs. Tampa Bay
March 5: 1 vs. N.Y. Rangers

Alex Ovechkin career goals breakdown

Even strength: 559, third overall

Power play: 321, a record

Short-handed: 5

Empty net: 64, a record

Game winners: 135, tied for first with Jaromir Jagr

Overtime goals: 27, a record

Multi-goal games: 178, second overall

Goalies scored against: 181, a record

Hat tricks: 32, tied for fifth overall. Ovechkin has hat tricks against 20 franchises, tying Brett Hull’s record.

20-goal seasons: 20, tied for second

30-goal seasons: 19, a record

40-goal seasons: 13, a record

Alex Ovechkin empty-net goals

Ovechkin has a record 64 empty-net goals, but Gretzky is up there, too, with 56. Ovechkin passed Gretzky in that category last season.

Alex Ovechkin goals per season

Season: Goals, career total

2005-06: 52, 52
2006-07: 46, 98
2007-08: 65*, 163
2008-09: 56*, 219
2009-10: 50, 269
2010-11: 32, 301
2011-12: 38, 339
2012-13: 32*, 371
2013-14: 51*, 422
2014-15: 53*, 475
2015-16: 50*, 525
2016-17: 33, 558
2017-18: 49*, 607
2018-19: 51*, 658
2019-20: 48*, 706
2020-21: 24, 730
2021-22: 50, 780
2022-23: 42, 822
2023-24: 31, 853
2024-25: 32, 885

*-led league in goals that season

NHL all time goal leaders

The top 21 NHL all-time goal scorers all have 600 or more goals. All of the players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, except Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Jagr, who are still playing.

1. Wayne Gretzky, 894 goals in 1,487 games

2. Alex Ovechkin, 885 goals in 1,472 games

3. Gordie Howe, 801 goals in 1,767 games

4. Jaromir Jagr, 766 goals in 1,733 games

5. Brett Hull, 741 goals in 1,269 games

6. Marcel Dionne, 731 in 1,348 games

7. Phil Esposito, 717 goals in 1,282 games

8. Mike Gartner, 708 goals in 1,432 games

9. Mark Messier, 694 goals in 1,756 games

10. Steve Yzerman, 692 goals in 1,514 games

11. Mario Lemieux, 690 goals in 915 games

12. Teemu Selanne, 684 goals in 1,451 games

13. Luc Robitaille, 668 goals in 1,431 games

14. Brendan Shanahan, 656 goals in 1,524 games

15. Dave Andreychuk, 640 goals in 1,639 games

16. Jarome Iginla, 625 goals in 1,554 games

17. Joe Sakic, 625 goals in 1,378 games

18. Sidney Crosby, 611 goals in 1,333 games

19. Bobby Hull, 610 goals in 1,063 games

20. Dino Ciccarelli, 608 goals in 1,232 games

21. Jari Kurri, 601 goals in 1,251 games

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

As Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo prepares for the 2025 NFL draft, he is being sued for more than $300,000 by one of his former Sun Devils teammates, Jason Wolf of the Arizona Republic reports.

Attorney Neil Udulutch filed a civil complaint on behalf of Mattheos Katergaris – a former walk-on offensive lineman at Arizona State – that alleges one count of negligence resulting in injury against both Skattebo and the Arizona Board of Regents, the governing body that oversees the state’s public universities.

The complaint stems from an incident in July 2023 during which Skattebo allegedly ‘jumped up and down’ on the back of a golf cart during a football practice, causing the back seat to break and Katergaris to fall to the ground.

Players had been informed only two players could ride a cart at a single time. There was also a 600-pound limit for the cart. There were two players riding the cart when Skattebo allegedly boarded it.

Udulutch detailed that Kategaris significantly injured his triceps as a result of the fall.

‘He got a really bad laceration, essentially going all the way down to the bone in his elbow,’ Udulutch told The Republic, ‘and it essentially ruptured his distal triceps tendon 90 percent of the way, so he required surgery and months of physical therapy.

‘It’s not like how a lot of the (initial) articles are painting it. He actually was very injured.’

Udulutch added Kategaris ‘can’t play anymore’ and that the former walk-on is still experiencing pain more than a year after the injury.

‘He said his arm hurts really bad when he does anything with it,’ Udulutch detailed to The Republic. ‘It moves, but it’s definitely not as strong as it was. And part of that could be the initial injury. Some of that’s definitely attributable to the way the surgery had to unfold. You’ve got to cut into there. But he’s not the same, for sure.

‘Everyone’s saying he entered the transfer portal, but he really just didn’t go anywhere.’

Skattebo wasn’t named in the original complaint, which was made in May 2024. However, it has been amended twice – most recently on Jan. 27, 2025 – when Skattebo was added as a defendant.

At the time, Skattebo was just two weeks removed from a breakout senior season at Arizona State, during which he ran for 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns while leading the Sun Devils to a College Football Playoff berth. He is expected to be selected during the 2025 NFL draft, and potentially early on in it.

Udulutch insisted the timing of Skattebo’s addition to the lawsuit was merely coincidental.

‘I’m aware of the speculation and how that looks, but I can’t comment on the rationalization,’ Udulutch told The Republic. ‘All I can say is that we became aware that it was actually him that was on the back of the golf court, jumping up and down, according to my client.’

The Arizona Board of Regents noted in its response to the complain that it ‘has reason to believe Defendant Skattebo boarded the back of the golf cart while two other players were sitting on the rear section.’

Process servers have been attempting to locate Skattebo to deliver the legal paperwork to him. They have been unable to find him at his most recent known addresses in Arizona and California.

As a result, the court has granted permission for Udulutch to serve Skattebo by publication, which involves publishing the summons and complaint in a Maricopa County newspaper for four consecutive weeks.

Udulutch referred to the process as ‘archaic’ and ‘a last resort.’

‘He’s been hard to pin down,’ Udulutch said of Skattebo. ‘I have reason to believe he was in Florida preparing for the combine and then I know he was in Indy. I don’t know if he even lives in Arizona anymore. Maybe he’s bouncing around hotels. I just don’t know, so I was done chasing him.

‘My hope is that he or his family will retain an attorney and help us out here, but otherwise we’ll have to go that route. It’s kind of an archaic procedure. It is definitely a last resort.’

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

As March Madness approaches, fans are beginning to wonder: which players are going to immortalize themselves on college basketball’s biggest stage? Just last year, we saw a player like Jack Gohlke put himself on the national radar with a tremendous first-round performance to help Oakland upset Kentucky.

However, while America may love an underdog story, the players that will likely have the biggest impact on the NCAA Tournament are the stars we already know. So, who are those players? And who is the best of the best?

Here are the top 10 players in men’s college basketball with March Madness just a few weeks away.

The best players in men’s college basketball

All stats entering play Wednesday.

10. LJ Cryer, Houston

2024-25 stats: 15.0 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 41.9 FG%, 42 3P%

Although Cryer’s stats don’t pop off the page, his talent is undeniable. He’s an obvious shooting threat, leading the Big 12 in 3-point percentage, but that alone isn’t what makes him the likely Big 12 Player of the Year. He’s also an outstanding athlete with great handles. His playmaking could certainly use some work, though.

9. Hunter Dickinson, Kansas

2024-25 stats: 16.9 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.0 APG, 53.1 FG%, 20.9 3P%

Although Kansas has lost three of its last five games, that has been no fault of Dickinson, who has recorded four double-doubles in that span and was one rebound away vs. Texas Tech from making that five of five.

While Dickinson’s stats are not as gaudy as they were a season ago, it’s merely because he’s playing fewer minutes as the Jayhawks now boast a solid backup option in Flory Bidunga. The option for Dickinson to play fewer minutes could pay massive dividends come NCAA Tournament time, as he should be fresher than ever. That said, the Jayhawks have struggled against top-tier opponents this season, so perhaps even Dickinson’s stellar play and fresh legs will not be enough.

8. Bennett Stirtz, Drake

2024-25 stats: 18.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.9 APG, 49.7 FG%, 38.1 3P%

Stirtz is almost single-handedly carrying the Drake Bulldogs into relevancy this year. He’s been outstanding and seemingly has gotten better as the season’s progressed. He’s scored 20 or more points in eight of his last 10 games. While Drake’s competition certainly isn’t the toughest in the country, Stirtz has the Bulldogs earning top-25 votes for a reason.

7. Chaz Lanier, Tennessee

2024-25 stats: 17.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.0 APG, 42.5 FG%, 40.7 3P%

While Lanier does struggle a bit with consistency, having produced six games where he shot under 30% from the floor, he has also produced nine games shooting over 50%. When Lanier gets going, he’s nearly impossible to stop; the Volunteers are a stellar 11-0 when Lanier scores 20 or more points.

6. PJ Haggerty, Memphis

2024-25 stats: 21.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.7 APG, 49.1 FG%, 40.9 3P%

Many people were unsure if Haggerty’s incredible stats at Tulsa a season ago would translate to a team like Memphis, looking to make noise during March Madness. They have, and Haggerty has looked stellar all the while, racking up over 21 points per game for the second consecutive season.

Haggerty’s remarkable ability to get to the free throw line has played well all season for the Tigers, including in their runner-up finish at the Maui Invitational. He’s maintained that same level of play all season and has the Tigers looking for a No. 3 or 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

5. Mark Sears, Alabama

2024-25 stats: 19.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 41.2 FG%, 36.1 3P%

After a relatively slow start to the season, Sears has taken his game up another level, averaging 22.1 points per game over his last eight. We all knew Sears could take command of games at a moment’s notice, but he’s really come into his own as a leader as well. Even in games where Alabama loses, Sears is often able to keep the contests close. In fact, Alabama entered Wednesday with only one loss by more than 10 points all season. Much of that can be attributed to Sears’ incredible knack for scoring.

4. Braden Smith, Purdue

2024-25 stats: 16.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 8.7 APG, 44.6 FG%, 40.6 3P%

Smith is a wizard with the ball in his hands — and the ball always finds a way into his hands. He leads the Big Ten in both assists per game (8.7) and steals per game (2.4), and he does it all while maintaining some of the best shooting numbers among guards in college basketball. There isn’t a single area of Smith’s game where he struggles. Although he doesn’t light up a box score like most other players on this list, he’s more than capable of taking over games when he needs to. As of Wednesday, he’s scored 23 points in back-to-back games en route to solid wins over Rutgers and UCLA.

3. Kameron Jones, Marquette

2024-25 stats: 18.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 6.2 APG, 48.8 FG%, 31.5 3P%

There were a few skeptics wondering whether Jones would be able to transition from wing to guard in just one season. Those skeptics were quieted quickly. Jones has been just as good, maybe better, than he was a season ago. He’s carrying more of Marquette’s offensive load, all without being a detriment in the turnover department. In fact, he’s averaging almost three times as many assists as last year (2.4) while only marginally increasing his turnover rate (1.4 to 1.8 per game).

2. Johni Broome, Auburn

2024-25 stats: 18.0 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 50.4 FG%, 28.6 3P%

Sure, Broome is on a bit of a cold stretch. He’s scored fewer than 10 points four times all season, but two of those instances have come in Auburn’s last two games. Still, despite the recent struggles, Broome is performing at elite levels for a big man, especially on the defensive end, where he leads the SEC in both rebounds per game and blocks per game (2.4).

1. Cooper Flagg, Duke

2024-25 stats: 19.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, 49.7 FG%, 38.2 3P%

Flagg is assumed to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and deservedly so. Flagg’s incredible skill on both the offensive and defensive ends are unmatched in college basketball. His only drawback so far has been his 3-point shooting, but that has been tremendous of late, with Flagg shooting 50% from beyond the arc over his last 10 games.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

No. 1 Texas, No. 2 USC, No. 3 UConn, No. 4 UCLA, No. 5 South Carolina and No. 6 Notre Dame have emerged as top contenders for the NCAA Tournament title, but there isn’t a clear favorite. USC has wins over UCLA and UConn, but lost to Notre Dame. UConn dropped matchups against Notre Dame and USC, but blew out South Carolina. South Carolina also had losses against UCLA, but split the regular-season series against Texas. Texas also dropped a game against Notre Dame. You get the picture it’s anyone’s game.

The NCAA Tournament championship is going to come down to stellar performances from the best players on the court. Who are those players?

Here are the top 10 players in women’s college basketball with March Madness weeks away:

The best players in women’s college basketball

All stats entering play Wednesday.

10. Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt

2024-25 stats: 23.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.5 SPG, 46.4 FG%, 35 3PT% (30 games)

The freshman guard etched her name in the history books when she broke the NCAA freshman single-game scoring record with 53 points in Vanderbilt’s 99-86 win over Florida on Jan. 3. She broke the record again with a career-high 55 points in the Commodores’ 98–88 overtime win over Auburn in February. Blakes was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Year and was named a finalist for the Naismith Hall of Fame’s Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, given to the nation’s top shooting guard.

9. Georgia Amoore, Kentucky

2024-25 stats: 18.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 6.9 APG, 42.4 FG%, 32.2 3PT% (28 games)

New division, no problem. Amoore followed former Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks to Kentucky and the move proved beneficial for Amoore. The 5-foot-6 guard scored in double digits in all but one game this season and leads the SEC in assists per game (6.9). Amoore, who is third in the nation with 192 total assists on the season, is 18 assists away from setting a new single-season record at Kentucky. She was rightfully named the SEC’s Newcomer of the Year.

8. Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State

2024-25 stats: 25.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.7 APG, 2.2 SPG, 45.8 FG%, 35.5 3PT% (26 games)

Latson is the top scorer in the nation at 25.4 points per game and is a key piece to the Seminoles having the highest-scoring offense in the country (88.2 ppg). Latson has recorded at least 20 points in 23 of 26 games this season. She had six 30-point games this year and a career-high 40-point performance against Virginia Tech on Jan. 2. Latson became the fastest player in Florida State basketball history to score 2,000 points this season and picked up her third All-ACC First Team selection. She’s also a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.

7. Aneesah Morrow, LSU

2024-25 stats: 18.2 PPG, 14 RPG, 1.4 APG, 2.5 SPG, 48.5 FG%, 27.6 3PT% (30 games)

6. Madison Booker, Texas

2024-25 stats: 16 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 46.4 FG%, 41.7 3PT% (30 games)

Texas earned the No. 1 ranking in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, in large part thanks to Booker’s sophomore campaign. The 6-foot-1 forward recorded 20 or more points in 11 games this season and increased her efficiency from the 3-point line, improving from 30.6% beyond the arc to 41.7% this season. Texas may have lost the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament to South Carolina by way of a coin toss, but the Longhorns head into the postseason with lots of momentum after six straight wins against ranked opponents, including South Carolina, LSU and Kentucky. Booker averaged 21.5 points per game during that span and was named the SEC’s Player of the Year. The Longhorns will be looking to improve on their Elite Eight finish last year.

5. Lauren Betts, UCLA

2024-25 stats: 19.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.8 BPG, 62.4 FG% (26 games)

The 6-foot-7 center is a dominant force in the paint and was unanimously named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after setting UCLA’s single-season blocks record (73). She also broke the university’s single-game blocks record with nine blocked shots in UCLA’s win over Baylor on Jan. 20. Betts is averaging a career-high 2.8 blocks per game, the most in the conference, and her 9.9 rebounds per game marks a career-high. She had 16 double-doubles this season. UCLA ended the season with a disappointing 80-67 loss to USC, where Betts was held to 11 points and 11 rebounds on her home court, but the Bruins will attempt to shake off the thumping and make it further than their Sweet 16 finish in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

4. Olivia Miles, Notre Dame

2024-25 stats: 16.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.9 APG, 50.9 FG%, 41.6 3PT% (29 games)

Miles missed the entire 2023-24 season due to a knee injury, but made a statement in her first game back with a 20-point, 10-rebound and 10-assist triple-double to open the season on Nov. 4. She became the first player in ACC history to record back-to-back triple-doubles a month later against Loyola and Virginia. Miles’ three triple-doubles lead the nation. The floor general also leads the ACC in assists per game (5.9). Notre Dame stumbled to the finish line, dropping back-to-back games to NC State and Florida State in late February, but expect Miles to dazzle in her first NCAA Tournament since 2023.

3. Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame

2024-25 stats: 24.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 3.7 SPG, 46.4 FG%, 40.1 3PT% (27 games)

Notre Dame’s backcourt has been the best in women’s basketball all season long, so you can’t have Miles on the list of best players without also having her partner-in-crime. Hidalgo is the third-leading scorer in the nation at 24.2 points per game and ranks fourth in the country in steals (3.7 per game). Hidalgo was named the ACC’s Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year (for the second consecutive season), becoming only the third player in ACC history to win both in the same season.

2. Paige Bueckers, UConn

2024-25 stats: 18.6 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.5 RPG, 53.4 FG%, 40.8 3PT% (29 games)

The 2025 WNBA draft isn’t called the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes for nothing. Bueckers burst onto the scene in 2021 with a breakout freshman campaign that earned her AP Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year honors. Although a string of injuries forced Bueckers to miss significant time, including the entire 2022-23 season with an ACL tear, the fifth-year senior guard has returned to form and is looking to lead the Huskies to the Final Four for the fourth time in her career. Bueckers is currently UConn women’s basketball’s sixth all-time leading scorer with 2,223 points and is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick of the draft.

1. JuJu Watkins, USC

2024-25 stats: 24.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 42.9 FG%, 33.9 3PT% (28 games)

Watkins cemented herself as the best player in women’s college basketball with a dominant 30-point performance in USC’s 80-67 win over rival UCLA to claim the regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Conference tournament. She went on to be named Big Ten Player of the Year for good reason. Watkins became the fastest USC player to reach 1,000 career points (38 games) in November and has the Trojans primed for a run at the national championship after winning eight straight games against ranked opponents, including UConn, UCLA and Maryland. Did we mention she’s only a sophomore?

Honorable Mentions

LSU G Flau’Jae Johnson: 18.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 46.5 FG%, 37.2 3PT% (30 games)
TCU C Sedona Prince: 17.6 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 3.1 BPG, 59.2 FG% (30 games)
South Carolina G Te-Hina Paopao: 10.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 45.7 FG%, 38.2 3PT% (30 games)
Kansas State G Serena Sundell:13.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 7.1 APG, 48.8 FG%, 29.7 3PT% (31 games)

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Multiple sources told Fox News Digital that the U.N.’s Department of Global Communications may be a target for reform and even funding cuts, since it is often at odds with the U.S. and Israel.

The calls for reform come a month after President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for a review of funding to the U.N. At the time, Trump said that the world body ‘has tremendous potential,’ but is ‘not being well run.’ 

Last week, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned about cuts to U.S. spending at the U.N., stating that ‘going through with recent funding cuts will make the world less healthy, less safe, and less prosperous.’

So far, Trump has halted new funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Administration for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and withdrew the U.S. from the U.N. Human Rights Council. On Feb. 27, the U.S. also terminated $377 million in grants with the United Nations Population Fund, which offers sexual and reproductive health services in 150 countries.

The U.N. media branch’s nearly 700 employees are tasked to ‘leverage the power of communications to tell the United Nations story to global audiences in multiple languages and platforms in order to mobilize action in support of the United Nations agenda.’

Anne Bayefsky, Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and President of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital that, through the Department, ‘the U.S. taxpayer pays the U.N. to hire media experts and do P.R. for the purpose of blasting anti-American and antisemitic trash around the globe.’

Asked whether funding the Department of Global Communications serves U.S. interests, a U.N. spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the Department performs media outreach, operates as a newswire, and hosts the Dag Hammarskjöld Library.  

Many of the Department of Global Communications’ personnel, the spokesperson explained, are ‘based at 59 U.N. Information Centers across the world, which communicate about the U.N. and the collective will of its Member States in local languages, closer to the people that the U.N. serves.’ 

Former member of the U.S. delegation to the U.N. Hugh Dugan told Fox News Digital that the need to use information centers ‘to lobby its own members on their dime in their countries speaks to the deep state to me.’ With U.S. public support for the U.N. declining, Dugan said the Department of Global Communications ‘is more than failing in its own backyard in the most consequential country for its future.’

A Pew Research Center found that 52% of Americans had a favorable perspective of the U.N. as of April 2024, down from 57% in 2023.

Fox News Digital asked Under Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming whether the Department of Global Communications is involved in oversight of communications for additional U.N. entities. 

Fleming said that her department ‘does not have oversight, but convenes regular coordination meetings with communication colleagues from across the U.N. system to discuss crisis situations and content plans.’ Fleming also confirmed that the Department of Global Communications has charge of the main United Nations’ social media account.

Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of U.N. Watch, told Fox News Digital that ‘in terms of its regular communications, whether it’s the Secretary General, or whether it’s various U.N. social media accounts, are routinely engaged in anti-American and anti-Israel, and you could say, to the extent that it’s demonizing the Jewish people, antisemitic messaging.’

U.S. Ambassador-designate to the U.N. Elise Stefanik recently tweeted that ‘the days of propping up organizations at the United Nations that run counter to our interests are long gone. We will no longer fund terrorism, antisemitism, and anti-Israel hate.’ Stefanik was speaking at the ADL’s ‘NEVER IS NOW’ summit.

Fox News Digital found multiple Tweets from the U.N. Twitter account that promote a one-sided narrative of the Israel-Gaza conflict. These included a Jan. 29 Tweet in support of the UN Relief and Works Administration for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which states that ‘Israeli legislation imposes massive restraints on UNRWA’s operations,’ but fails to note why Israel has banned UNRWA’s operations and a growing number of countries have pulled funding from the terror-tied organization.

A Dec. 27 World Health Organization Tweet retweeted by the United Nations said that a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital was part of a ‘systematic dismantling of the health system in Gaza,’ but did not mention that the Israel Defense Forces entered the facility to apprehend multiple members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, including the director, who stored weaponry inside the hospital, as terror groups have done repeatedly during the war.

Spokespersons from the U.S. State Department, U.S. Mission to the U.N., and the United Nations were unable to provide Fox News Digital with figures about what percentage of the Department of Global Communications’ more than $117.9 million budget is covered by the U.S.

In 2022, the U.S.’s $18.1 billion contribution to the U.N. covered 30% of the organization’s total budget. By 2024, U.S. contributions to the U.N. were at 22% for the general budget and 27% for the peacekeeping budget. The U.N. reports that more than 40% of humanitarian aid it donated in 2024 was provided by the U.S. 

A State Department spokesperson did not answer direct questions about whether funding the Department of Global Communications serves U.S. interests, but explained that a 90-day review period instated by a Jan. 20 executive order ‘is a measure put in place for us to align our ongoing work with the America First agenda. The results of the in-depth review will be communicated transparently.’ The spokesperson said that the State ‘Department and USAID take their role as stewards of taxpayer dollars very seriously.
 

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January Littlejohn, a mother and one of President Donald Trump’s guests at his address to Congress on Tuesday night, shared a special message to the president in an interview with Fox News Digital.

During his address, Trump recognized Littlejohn and thanked her for advocating against transgender ideology, which he called a ‘form of child abuse.’

‘My administration is also working to protect our children from toxic ideologies in our schools,’ said Trump. ‘A few years ago, January Littlejohn and her husband discovered that their daughter’s school had secretly socially transitioned their 13-year-old little girl. Teachers and administrators conspired to deceive January and her husband while encouraging her daughter to use a new name and pronouns, they-them pronouns actually, all without telling January.’

Trump touted his recent signing of an executive order that he said bans public schools from ‘indoctrinating our children with transgender ideology.’ 

During his address, the president urged Congress to pass a bill ‘permanently banning and criminalizing sex changes on children and forever ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body.’

‘This is a big lie and our message to every child in America is that you are perfect exactly the way God made you,’ said Trump. 

Littlejohn told Fox News Digital that she was ‘extremely grateful’ to the president but that the fight is far from over.

Regarding Trump, Littlejohn said, ‘I would just like to thank him and continue to speak truth that there are two sexes, male or female, and no matter what one does to their body, that can never change. Sex is binary.’

‘It’s really important that parents understand how destructive in nature social transition of children is,’ she said. ‘It’s the first step toward medical intervention, and it makes the child less likely to desist.’

She explained her daughter as a 13-year-old in middle school and some friends became fixated on their gender identity.

‘The school took it upon themselves to intervene and socially transition my child. And this goes way beyond name and pronouns. They sit the child down, and in our case it was behind closed doors with three adults that consisted of the school counselor, the assistant principal and a social worker I had never met, and they did an official ‘gender support plan.’’

Littlejohn said that in this session, the school staff asked her daughter what bathroom and locker rooms she wanted to use, which sex she wanted to room with during overnight trips and whether she wanted her parents to be notified or not.

‘They put the burden on her as to whether or not my parental rights would be honored by deciding she was the sole decision maker as to whether or not my husband and I would be notified of the meeting,’ she explained.

Littlejohn said that when she made inquiries about the session to the school she was told ‘they could not give me any information about that meeting’ and ‘that my daughter was now protected by a nondiscrimination law.’

Today, Littlejohn says her daughter has worked through her gender confusion. But she said the school’s actions created a ‘huge wedge between us and our daughter’ that ‘took many years to repair.’

‘If you give these children the gift of time, if you allow them to go through their natural puberty, the vast majority of these kids will resolve their distress naturally, just like my daughter did,’ she said. ‘My daughter is a shining example of that, although she still does grieve the time that she lost, years that she lost, dedicated to the lie of this ideology to become something that she could never become. So that part is really tragic.’

Despite all this, Littlejohn said she was ‘humbled and honored’ to be invited to attend the address as the president’s guest.

‘I felt the weight of not just representing my family and what we’ve been through but of all families who have been harmed by this gender identity ideology,’ she said. ‘And it’s still happening. I get phone calls weekly from parents whose children are being seduced by the false idea that they were born in the wrong body.’ 

Though she said the experience left her feeling ‘filled with such hope,’ she said, ‘executive orders alone will not change this, because this ideology has infected every institution, including our schools.’

‘There are still 21,000 school districts across our country that have these secret social transition plans. And it’s really sad … because these children, this identity crisis is being forced on them. It’s creating confusion where no previous confusion would have existed,’ she said. ‘But the bottom line is, is we have truth and reality on our side. And I’m very grateful that we are moving in the right direction.’

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PEORIA, Ariz. — It’s like buying a shiny new Porsche with a rusted Honda Civic engine.

It’s hiring Neil deGrasse Tyson as a professor and having him teach first-grade science.

It’s inviting Dave Chappelle to do a set in front of a church gathering.

It is these Seattle Mariners.

This is a team that had baseball’s greatest collection of pitchers last year, but were burdened with an offense that ruined a potentially magical season. Instead of earning their first World Series berth in their 48-year franchise history, the Mariners sat home and missed the playoffs for the 22nd time in the past 23 years.

No team in baseball was in more dire need this winter of hitting the free-agent market for offensive help. Outfielder Juan Soto was available if they really wanted to spend big. First baseman Pete Alonso could have been had for a bargain-basement price. Same with third baseman Alex Bregman.

The Mariners didn’t make a single offer to any of the three All-Stars.

Instead, they merely re-signed Jorge Polanco to a one-year, $7.8 million contract and brought in infielder Donovan Solano on a one-year, $3.5 million contract.

That was it.

They may have been better off convincing Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro Suzuki and Edgar Martinez, the three Hall of Famers who were at the Mariners facility on Monday, to come out of retirement for an offensive boost.

The inactivity left Mariners fans screaming, the players union and agents seething, and their own players restless.

“The fact that they missed the playoffs by one game, and didn’t go out and add an impact bat or two when you have the best pitching staff in baseball,’ former Mariners infielder Justin Turner told USA TODAY Sports, “just seems absurd to me.’

Turner, who spent the last two months of the season with the Mariners after being traded from Toronto, badly wanted to return. He fell in love with the city. Adored the people. Dug the Pacific Northwest vibe. And thoroughly enjoyed playing for manager Dan Wilson.

He waited all winter for the Mariners to make a respectful offer, but instead was left signing a one-year, $6 million deal with the Chicago Cubs after the start of spring training.

And this isn’t Turner bitter about not re-signing with the Mariners. Even if he returned, but they made no other major additions, his sentiments would be exactly the same.

“Honestly, as much as I wanted to be back there,’ Turner said, “if I was the only piece they brought back in, I would be saying the same thing: What the hell are we doing? Are you trying?’

“There’s not going to a better time to go for it. So, I don’t know what they’re doing. I’m very confused. It’s a head-scratcher for me.’

Turner says he was frustrated all winter just thinking about how they squandered their spectacular pitching staff, knowing that if they just got into the playoffs, they could have been the last team standing.

“I told them several times this offseason, you have a unicorn of a pitching staff,’ Turner said. “This might be the best five starting pitchers in the history of the game. I mean, find me a better 5-man. There obviously has been teams that have had elite three guys, right? [Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz in Atlanta]. Maybe four guys [Baltimore Orioles’ 20-game winners Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Bobby Culler and Pat Dobson in 1971]. But five guys?’

Well, the ’88 Mets certainly would disagree with Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling David Cone, Bob Ojeda and Sid Fernandez, but Turner’s point is clear. The Seattle rotation – with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo starting 149 of the 162 games – set a franchise record with a 3.40 ERA. The rotation also led MLB in lowest opponent’s batting average (.223), on-base percentage (.266), OPS (.644), fewest hits per nine innings (7.37), WHIP (1.03), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.77) and quality starts (92).

“There’s never going to be a better time in the history of that franchise to have added a couple of bats to make a run than this year,’ Turner said, “and they missed it. …

“I thought Alonso was a slam-dunk. How can you not go after him? You kidding me?’

The Mariners’ passionate fanbase is fuming and while the current players aren’t about to lash out at ownership, they’re well aware that they spent $71 million less in free agency than even the Athletics. Their projected payroll is $152 million – $90 million under the luxury tax threshold – ranking 16th in the league and lower than everyone in the AL West with the exception of the homeless A’s.

“That’s not our job,’ Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford said. “I know the fans are mad at certain people, but they’re taking it out on all of the players. So, I really don’t get that.’

Said Gilbert: “I wouldn’t say we’re frustrated, we were just kind of waiting to see what happened. You kept hearing rumors, and whether we’d sign somebody. Really, I think we were more curious than anything.’

The players can’t demand the front office or ownership to spend. They’re free to speak their mind, but would prefer to do it privately. Gold Glove catcher Cal Raleigh publicly criticized ownership for its lack of spending at the end of the 2023 season, but apologized the next day.

“It’s hard, because it’s not our money,’ Miller said. “We could say, ‘Go get everybody.’ Obviously, there were a lot of guys who were free agents this year who were impact guys, so no one would ever turn down an impact guy for the offense.

“But at the end of the day, the guys who are in the locker room, that’s who were going with, that’s who we’re riding with. We believe in who we have.’

Really, they have no choice. They’re hoping that after their offense, the second-worst in baseball the first five months – hitting .214 and averaging 3.9 runs a game – will pick up where it left off after Wilson was hired Aug. 22 to replace Scott Servais, while bringing in Martinez as their hitting coach. They went 21-13 after making the change, averaging 5.8 runs a game (third-best in MLB) while hitting .273 (second-best) with an .804 OPS (second-best).

“There was a definite culture change,’ Turner said. “I don’t really know how to describe it, just a vibe, a relaxed intensity. You could definitely see a difference in the room.’

Said Kirby: “With the staff we had, and the way we were getting clutch hits with the bats, we would have been trouble for teams, for sure.’

The Mariners say the biggest change was merely simplifying their approach at the plate, focusing on putting the ball in play instead of swinging for the fences. Their offensive surge has carried over this spring with the Mariners averaging six runs a game under new hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, with Martinez the senior director of hitting strategy.

“I think we’re all excited with Dan at the helm now, and Edgar leading the charge with the offensive strategy,’ Raleigh said. “I think guys are hungrier. There’s very good energy going on around here.

“Dan is such a good person, but brings a fierce kind of competitiveness to this team.’

‘Jerry gets a bad rap’

The front office stayed the same with Jerry Dipoto, president of baseball operations, returning for his 10th full season. While Dipoto has been mocked for his flurries of trades while making the playoffs only once in his tenure, their payroll constraints may have played a significant factor in some of the trades that backfired.

You don’t think the Mariners would have loved to have kept third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who hit 30 homers and drove in 101 runs last season for the Arizona Diamondbacks, while earning $11 million? Or wish they have given outfielder Teoscar Hernandez at least a qualifying offer instead of watching him hit 33 homers and drive in 99 runs last year for the Dodgers?

“I think Jerry catches a bad rap for a lot of these trades and how crazy some of these trades have been,’ Turner said. “But now being a part of it, I kind of understand. He doesn’t have any money to spend, so he’s got to create money. Like, OK, is it really Jerry’s fault?

“He’s doing everything he can to create a budget to be able to do things. It’s like when he traded [Kendall] Graveman to Houston for [Abraham] Toro. You’re thinking, ‘What in the world?’ He’s probably needed to trade guys just to be able to spend money in the offseason, which is nuts.’

The fear now is that time is running out for the Mariners to take advantage of their pitching prowess. Gilbert, who struck out 220 batters with a 3.23 ERA in a league-leading 208.2 innings in his All-Star season, is a free agent in two years. Raleigh, their Platinum Glove winner who is the first player to led catchers in homers for three consecutive years since Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, is a free agent in three years. Who even knows how long they’ll be here when their salaries start rising before free agency?

“Logan Gilbert is the modern-day Felix Hernandez,’ Turner said. “He’s got that kind of an ERA and he’s [9-12]. That’s crazy. And you got a catcher that’s the best catcher in the history of the game his first three years, just won a Platinum Glove, and you’ve only got a few more years left for him. There’s not going to a better time to go for it.

“I feel for them. They’ve got great fans. Their fans are amazing. They want to win so bad. The team is very profitable. And they don’t spend.’

‘We can go toe-to-toe with anybody’

Maybe all will be forgiven if the Mariners just get into the postseason. They don’t need to win 116 games like their 2001 team. They don’t even have to win the division. Just get into the dance, and with their starting rotation and deep bullpen, they’ll take their chances against anyone and everyone.

“When it comes to pitching, there’s nobody better,’ Mariners first baseman Rowdy Tellez said. “I would take this staff over the Dodgers and anybody else. It’s such an electric staff and you have one of the best catchers in baseball that runs it.’

And this year, besides returning the entire staff without trading a starter for offensive help, they’ve got a secret weapon.

A massive chip on their shoulders.

“Almost every guy in the lineup will tell you they had a down year, except for maybe Cal,’ said Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger, who hit .208 with 12 homers and 44 RBI. “We all expected more of ourselves. So we’re all motivated.

“Missing out on the playoffs is never fun, but we all have something to prove, and make sure what happened last year never happens again.’

Their 2025 mantra: Just get in, baby.

“I feel like we can go toe-to-toe with anybody in the playoffs, whether it’s a three-game, five-game or seven-game series,’ Gilbert said. “When I was home watching the playoffs on TV, I knew they were the best teams in the league, but I also know we could have played with them.

“I really believe we’re going to give people a run for their money this year.’

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“Jimmy said that you need to get back here! And bring a notebook!”

That was a direct message during the spring of 1989, as I sat in my cubicle at Valley Ranch doing some busywork as editor of The Dallas Cowboys Weekly, the team’s in-house newspaper, while Jimmy Johnson conducted his first minicamp as an NFL head coach.

The caller was John Wooten, then a top scout for the Cowboys. After I hustled to the practice fields on the other side of the complex, I discovered Johnson had an assignment: Tag alongside an assistant coach and jot down results as they timed and tested players.

Sure, it felt weird. Especially when a couple of the players – Everson Walls and Steve DeOssie – looked at me sideways and gave me a whole lot of grief. After all, every other time they saw me with a notebook, I was a reporter.

It illustrated how people in the building might be tasked for any and everything that year after Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys. Decades later, with the news this week that Johnson, 81, is retiring from his gig as Fox Sports studio analyst, the memories rush back.

Of course, so much more happened as Johnson’s legend grew. Like back-to-back Super Bowl titles and the infamous split with Jones in 1994. The return to coaching as Don Shula’s successor with the Miami Dolphins. The Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in 2021.

When his selection was revealed early in 2020, it marked one of the highlights of his tenure at Fox. Johnson was surprised with the news from then-Hall of Fame executive Dave Baker during halftime of a playoff game that drew 35 million viewers, while his Fox cohorts, including tight sidekick Terry Bradshaw, shared in the moment. Big TV moment.

Weeks before his Hall call, Johnson hosted me at his home in the Florida Keys and for several hours on one of his swanky fishing boats. He really opened up that day, maintaining that the No. 1 reason why he retired from coaching after the 1999 season, a little more than a year after his mother Allene passed, was because, “I never had any family life.”

He regretted that he never saw either of his two sons, Brent and Chad, play in a football game. And he told me how the strain hit him harder during his Dolphins years when he’d lay in bed crying as Chad dealt with substance-abuse issues.

“The good part of the story is that Chad cleaned up,” Johnson told me in 2021.

Even better, Johnson has strengthened his bond with his sons. And Chad founded a successful drug and alcohol rehab center in the greater Tampa area.

“To see the boys and their families do well is phenomenal,” Johnson reflected. “Had it not turned out the way it has, it would have been a disaster, and I would be in a severe state of depression because I would be thinking it was my fault.”

Nearly a year ago, Johnson told me he thought it might be his last year at Fox. It wasn’t the first time he suspected he would retire again. But as was the case when he gave up coaching – and then-Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga wanted him to remain in coaching so bad that he pitched the idea of Johnson taking the entire offseason off, except to run the draft – the TV executives would try talking him out of it.

A few years ago, Fox kept Johnson aboard by setting up a studio in his home and scaling back on the cross-country trips to appear in the Los Angeles studio.

Yet this time, Johnson is really retiring. With his love of fishing, his yacht and other boats, just don’t think this retirement will confine him to some rocking chair.

In any event, he’ll remain a legend in my mind, too, with my own instant replays.

One moment came when I visited training camp during my first year at USA Today in 1993 and all hell broke loose. Troy Aikman was still sidelined after undergoing back surgery and the backup quarterback was out, too, with a day-to-day injury. They had just one quarterback for practice, Hugh Millen.

Well, despite the red jersey Millen wore that screamed “untouchable!” for contact, Charles Haley blasted the quarterback, igniting a mini brouhaha.

On the first play after peace was restored, Michael Irvin ran over the middle and blasted defensive back Kenny Gant with a forearm in a retaliatory blow that ignited more tempers.

Didn’t Haley know to not hit the quarterback? After practice, absolutely no one would answer that question for me.

I finally caught up with Johnson in his dorm room. He told me that before practice he instructed the team to be extra careful because they were down to one quarterback.

Johnson also told me that his confirmation was “on background,” that he couldn’t be quoted. He said something like, “You’re just here for a couple days. I’ve got to deal with him all year!”

Sure enough, a few weeks later after a loss against Buffalo dropped the Cowboys to 0-2 without holdout Emmitt Smith, Haley, according to witnesses, expressed his dismay by smashing his helmet into the locker room wall. Soon after, Smith came back with a new contract…en route to NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP honors.

The morning after his practice-field hit on Millen, Haley was livid. On his way to practice, Nate Newton told me, as I can best recall: “Man, you’ve done it now. Charles is in the locker room and he’s hot. He’s walking around with the paper. He said the season hasn’t even started and y’all are on him.”

Me: Uh, but he hit the quarterback.

Newton: “You said he hit him after the whistle. They didn’t blow the whistle until after he hit him. I was there. You made it sound like he’s a dirty player.”

Oh, brother. Haley, by the way, wouldn’t talk to me before that next practice. He finally gave me a few choice words after practice…none of which could be printed in a family newspaper.

But hey, at least Johnson wasn’t quoted.

I met Johnson in 1982 when he coached at Oklahoma State and I worked my first full-time job as a reporter for The Dallas Times Herald, covering high schools and occasionally college sports. I went to Stillwater, Oklahoma and after his Cowboys trounced North Texas State, I interviewed Johnson for about 20 minutes in his office.

After he joined the Dallas Cowboys – following the trek to the University of Miami that included a national championship – I reminded him of that first meeting. He said he remembered me because it was big deal to have a reporter in town from Dallas.

Yeah, the man with a psychology degree can butter you up.

Let me go back to 1989. During what became known as the “Saturday Night Massacre” press conference, when Jones declared that he would be involved down to the “socks and jocks,” the new owner maintained that his former Arkansas roommate was worth “five first-round draft picks and five Heisman Trophies” as the successor to Tom Landry.

Too bad they had that split.

In any event, after we returned from his first training camp in Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Johnson didn’t like the camp site because it wasn’t hot enough), I got another call at my desk, probably from Marge Anderson, the coaching staff secretary. Come see Jimmy, ASAP.

I got to Johnson’s office to find the latest edition of the Weekly spread out on his desk to display a feature story on veteran third-string quarterback Babe Laufenberg. I was proud of the spread, with the main art drawn up by one of our illustrators, Bubba Flint, who depicted the NFL journeyman standing next to a US map that marked his various NFL stops.

Well, Johnson hated it.

He said, “What is this doing in here? I just drafted two quarterbacks with first-round picks (Aikman and Steve Walsh) and we’re running a story on Babe Laufenberg?”

It was deep into August. I reminded Johnson that we had 40 issues per year, 48 pages each. Walsh was on the cover of that issue, and there were stories on Aikman and Walsh in the front of the paper.

“If we’re ever going to do this story on Babe Laufenberg, now is the time,” I explained.

Johnson grumbled.

“Uh, okay,” he said. “I just wanted to hear your thinking on it.”

My gut told me Johnson was really peeved because the story contained a classic quote Laufenberg dropped during camp, outlining inspiration from the new coach.

Said Laufenberg: “If he wanted me to run 26 miles through the hills, I would. If he wanted me to carry water bottles, I would. If he wanted me to get a haircut like his … well, you have to draw the line somewhere.”

A few years ago, while Johnson was with the Fox crew and I was attending a New England Patriots Super Bowl practice as pool reporter, I prompted a flashback. I told him that for all that was involved in building the Cowboys, I was amazed that he concerned himself with the Weekly.

“Yeah, that sounds like me,” he said. “At that time, I was doing everything. I was even doing contracts until I almost got into a fight over Mark Stepnoski’s deal. I had to let go of some of that stuff.”

And here he is now, letting go of some more stuff.

Bottom line: Thanks for the memories.

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Hughes, who has 70 points in 62 games, was injured on Sunday when he crashed into the boards during a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Devils placed him on long-term injured reserve and said he would be back for the start of training camp.

The injury comes with the Devils sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division and on a 2-4 slide, including their last two. They’re just six points ahead of the top non-playoff team and have played two more games.

New Jersey’s situation got worse when defenseman Dougie Hamilton left Tuesday’s game with an injury. The team had no update Wednesday on his condition.

The Devils were in need of more scoring even before Hughes’ injury. They rank 14th in goals per game and there’s a dropoff after Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier.

Placing Hughes on LTIR gives the Devils cap relief if they make a trade before Friday’s 3 p.m. deadline.

When was Jack Hughes injured?

Hughes crashed into the boards in the third period Sunday and left the game. Vegas’ Jack Eichel, who got tangled up with Hughes, checked to make sure his Team USA 4 Nations Face-Off teammate was OK.

Hughes missed 20 games last season because of various injuries.

Devils coach Sheldon Keefe fined $25,000 for arguing non-call

Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe, who was ejected Sunday after complaining about the lack of a call on the play on which Hughes was injured, was fined $25,000 on Wednesday for unprofessional conduct directed at the officials.

Jack Hughes statistics

Hughes has a team-best 27 goals, 43 assists and 70 points in 62 games. He’s tied with Bratt for the team lead in points.

This story has been updated with new information.

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