O.J. Simpson died following a cancer battle, his family announced Thursday. He was 76.
Read the full storyTag: NFL
Complete Architecture and Engineering Team for New Titans Stadium Announced
The Tennessee Titans announced this week the complete architecture and engineering (A&E) team to help build its new $2.1 billion stadium.
The A&E team is comprised of 24 firms, including nine local businesses and 13 disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs).
Read the full storyBelichick Out as New England Patriots Head Coach
Bill Belichick is out as head coach of the New England Patriots, according to multiple news sources Thursday.
Read the full storyTennessee Titans Linebacker Supporting Palestine Through the NFL’s ‘My Cause My Cleats’ Campaign
A linebacker for the Tennessee Titans is supporting the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund through the National Football League’s (NFL) My Cause My Cleats campaign.
Read the full storyTennessee Titans to Host Outreach Event for New Stadium Project
The Tennessee Titans recently announced an outreach event for individuals and businesses interested in becoming part of the team’s new stadium project is set to take place on Thursday, October 19.
Read the full storyTennessee Titans Partner with Verizon to Use Facial Authentication Tech to Verify Identities at Nissan Stadium
The Tennessee Titans and Verizon have announced they are partnering to verify guest identities this NFL season at Nissan Stadium by using facial authentication technology.
The move comes after Verizon recently added dozens of 5G Ultra Wideband cell sites at Nissan Stadium, which the company said “will provide enhanced wireless performance to customers in the stands starting at regular season games and events this year.”
Read the full storyTennessee Builders Alliance Selected to Construct $2.1 Billion Titans Stadium
The Metro Sports Authority Board of Directors approved the selection of the Tennessee Builders Alliance (TBA) to construct the Tennessee Titans’ new $2.1 billion stadium at its meeting on Thursday.
Read the full storyUniversity of Tennessee Hires Hall of Fame NFL Quarterback Peyton Manning as Professor
The University of Tennessee – Knoxville announced Monday that NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and UT graduate Peyton Manning will return to campus as a communications professor.
Manning will join the faculty of the College of Communication and Information beginning in the fall of this year.
Read the full storyTennessee Titans Tout New $2.1 Billion Stadium with Video, Season Ticket Waitlist
The Tennessee Titans released a new video giving fans a look into its new $2.1 billion stadium expected to be operational in 2027. The team also unveiled a new website with information on how fans can invest in season tickets for the new stadium.
Read the full storyTitans Follow Advice of Dr. K and Michael Patrick Leahy, Trade up to First Pick of 2nd Round of NFL Draft and Select Kentucky QB Will Levis
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Dr. K. to the newsmaker line to suggest that the Tennessee Titans draft Kentucky QB Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Read the full storyNashville Council Approves New $2.1 Billion Tennessee Titans Stadium, to Open in 2027
The Tennessee Titans will have a new $2.1 billion stadium in 2027 after the deal to fund the stadium was approved by Metro Nashville’s Council on its third and final vote at a special meeting that stretched into Wednesday morning.
The final vote was 26-12 for the stadium project with Council Member Delishia Porterfield voting for the bill in order to attempt a procedural reconsideration of the vote that would have created another vote on the bill at the council’s May 2 meeting.
Read the full storyNashville Council Delays Vote on New $2.2 Billion Titans Stadium, Adds Fee Increase
A second vote on the final documents for a potential $2.2 billion new Tennessee Titans stadium was delayed one meeting after discussion of some amendments early Wednesday morning.
That means the bill could get a second vote April 18 and then receive its final approval at a late April meeting. Metro Nashville has a rule it cannot approve bonds while the budget is on the table, which is expected to happen before the body’s first May meeting.
Read the full storyTennessee Titans Stadium Proposal Submitted to Metro Council for Approval
A final budget proposal for how the new Tennessee Titans football stadium will be funded has been submitted to the Nashville Metro Council by Nashville Mayor John Cooper and the football team.
The legislation will be subject to three readings, beginning at the council’s next meeting on March 7th. April 4th is the earliest possible date for the agreement to be finalized.
Read the full storyNFL Lures Millions to TikTok Despite Rising Security, Privacy Concerns About the Chinese Platform
The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles face off Sunday in the Super Bowl, but their competition extends beyond the gridiron to the social media stage, where the two teams are vying, along with the NFL’s other 30 franchises, for followers and engagement on TikTok, the controversial video-sharing app that reportedly has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Although spy balloons are currently dominating the headlines, the wildly popular TikTok appears to be China’s premier Trojan Horse.
Read the full storyArizona Court Rules Against the City of Phoenix in Free-Speech Lawsuit, Even After the City Made Changes to NFL Signage Rule
Arizonan Bramley Paulin has achieved victory in a free-speech lawsuit against the City of Phoenix which allowed the National Football League (NFL) and Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee (ASBHC) to decide what signs residents could or could not display in a part of the City.
“This ruling is a huge victory for Bramley’s rights. Thanks to today’s order, Bramley will be able to exercise his free speech rights without unconstitutional restrictions on what he can and cannot say,” said Goldwater Institute Staff Attorney John Thorpe in a statement emailed to The Arizona Sun Times.
Read the full storyLawsuit Filed Against City of Phoenix for Suppressing Speech During Super Bowl
The Arizona-based Goldwater Institute (GI) announced that a lawsuit had been filed against the city of Phoenix Wednesday, alleging that it is violating the first amendment rights of some citizens leading up to the Super Bowl in February.
“Hosting sporting events should not come at the cost of surrendering fundamental rights. But by giving the NFL a blank check to censor the messages people can share, the city of Phoenix is trampling on hundreds of business owners and thousands of residents’ right to communicate with the public on their own property,” said GI Staff Attorney John Thorpe in a statement emailed to The Arizona Sun Times.
Read the full storyBuffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin Released from Hospital After In-Game Collapse
Buffalo Bills cornerback Damar Hamlin has been released from the hospital following his sudden collapse during last Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Mr. Hamlin has been released and returned to Buffalo. I traveled with him to the airport this morning with our UC Health air care and mobile care crew, including teammates who were with us on the field when Mr. Hamlin collapsed,” confirmed professor of emergency medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and director of the Emergency Medicine MLP Program.
Read the full storyBuffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin Collapses on Field, Game Suspended
Buffalo Bills cornerback Damar Hamlin on Monday collapsed in the middle of a game with the Cincinnati Bengals and had to be hospitalized after receiving CPR on scene.
Hamlin appears to have sustained the injury after tackling player Tee Higgins, according to CBS News. Play has been suspended for the evening.
Read the full storyCommentary: When It Comes to the Titans, It Doesn’t Take a Rocket Scientist – Or Does It?
After falling 27-13 to the Dallas Cowboys at home on Thursday night football, and extending their unprecedented end of season losing streak to six games, you’d think the Titans would be crying in their 7-9 beer.
So why the happy face?
Read the full storyPhoenix Allows NFL to Determine What Residents Can Display on Their Property During Super Bowl
The Arizona-based Goldwater Institute (GI) has called out the city of Phoenix for imposing free speech restrictions on residents in a “Special Promotional and Civic Event Area” (Clean Zone) leading up to and through the 2023 Super Bowl.
Read the full storyJohn Fredericks Commentary: The Ghost of Sid Gilman
As a die-hard Titans fan, I have one thing to say: I love this team.
Not because we are overly talented or particularly fun to watch–we are neither. When we win, it’s some downright ugly football that usually includes seven 60-yard punts by our new phenom punter, at least one missed FG by fat Randy and a botched fourth and one on a dropped handoff off a silly trick play with Derrick Henry standing around in the backfield.
Read the full storyThe NFL Has No Documented Standards for ‘First Class,’ but Phrase Appears Numerous Times in New Titans Stadium Term Sheet
There is not a manual that states the NFL standards for stadiums, even though the language of “first class” is carried forward from the current stadium lease agreement and incorporated in the term sheet between Metro Nashville, the Sports Authority, the Tennessee Titans and the to-be-formed StadiumCo for the new stadium.
Burke Nihill, President and CEO of the Tennessee Titans (pictured above) shared the insight with the Nashville Metropolitan Sports Authority, at a special-called meeting held on Thursday, November 10 at Nissan Stadium, the team’s current home.
Read the full storyTerm Sheet Sheds Light on Details of New $2.1B Tennessee Titans Stadium Deal
Members of the Metro Nashville City Council will be asked to approve a term sheet and legislation to enact a 1% hotel-motel tax starting Feb. 1 with its initial consideration of both to begin at the board’s Nov. 1 meeting.
The term sheet outlines plans for the projected $2.1 billion new stadium for the Titans, including the order of financing and how a fund that includes the hotel tax and sales tax at the stadium and outside the stadium can be used. The stadium is expected to be ready for the 2026 NFL preseason. The lease will be for the term of the bonds — about 30 years — with three five-year renewal options.
Read the full storyNashville, Titans Agree to Stadium Deal
Nashville Mayor John Cooper Monday announced that he and the city’s professional football team had reached an agreement to build a new stadium.
The Tennessee Titans will reportedly have a new stadium by 2026, replacing the current Nissan Stadium, according to Titans Wire. The deal was made after months of negotiating whether to repair the current 23-year-old stadium, or build a new one.
Read the full storyFamily of Four Pays $576 to Attend Tennessee Titans Game, 12th-Highest Among NFL Teams
It would cost a family of four $576.22 to attend a Tennessee Titans game last season, according to a new report from Bookies.com.
The website took the cheapest available ticket for each NFL team and multiplied it by four before adding in the price of parking, four hot dogs, two beers and two sodas at each stadium.
Read the full storyHosts Leahy and Brewer on Former University of Tennessee Footballer Josh Dobbs’ Athletic Prowess, Smarts, and Model Citizenship with Cleveland Browns
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in-studio to speculate best case scenario for former UT grad and Cleveland Browns’ Josh Dobbs.
Read the full storyReport: New Tennessee Titans Stadium Could Increase Franchise’s Value by $300 Million
The Tennessee Titans’ franchise value could increase by $300 million if the team gets a new stadium, according to a new report from Forbes.
That report comes as the Titans saw one of the largest valuation increases in the NFL, according to new numbers from Sportico, which say the Nashville franchise is now worth $3.2 billion.
Read the full storyNashville Committee Receives Overview of Legal Obligations for Tennessee Titans Stadium Repairs
Metro Nashville’s East Bank Stadium Committee heard an overview of its obligations for stadium repairs, including the legal department’s definition of the key “first-class condition” term at its most recent meeting.
The terminology is key as the committee evaluates the city’s options related to the current Nissan Stadium and the Titans’ proposal for a new $2.2 billion stadium, which could include as much as $1.5 billion in public funding.
Read the full storyMetro Nashville Committee Won’t Seek Independent Review of Economic Numbers for Tennessee Titans’ New Stadium
Nashville’s East Bank Stadium Committee plans to parse information on a new projected $2.2 billion Tennessee Titans stadium deal once it’s announced, along with information on the city’s current lease obligations and a $200,000 stadium study the council has planned along with land-use requirements around Nissan Stadium.
But the group will not be producing its own economic impact and tax impact numbers related to the proposed project.
“I am guessing the council doesn’t have an appetite for spending $25M on its own professionals, or $5 million or $1 million or half a million,” committee chair Bob Mendes said in the group’s planning meeting. “So we’re, necessarily, going to have to rely on information from others on that. I assume we’re going to hear about that. When we’re going to get presented with an actual deal, there’s going to be a list of income streams and a look forward on what it generates over time. Sources and uses.
Read the full storyReport: Tennessee Stadium’s Proposed $1.5 Billion Public Subsidy Far Surpasses Any Prior NFL Stadium
A new report from Sycamore Institute shows that the proposal for a new Tennessee Titans stadium includes the highest total amount of public subsidies for an NFL stadium at a proposed $1.5 billion while bringing limited public benefit in return.
That commitment was part of $1.5 billion in total stadium commitments lawmakers have made in the past 18 months. In a comparison of 10 new NFL stadium proposals since 2008, the new Nashville stadium includes more total public funding than any previous NFL stadium proposal and includes an estimated 68% public financing, which is higher than any proposal since the $700 million Lucas Oil Stadium built in Indianapolis in 2008, which relied on 86% public financing.
Read the full storyMissing NFL Bets Could Be Costly for Ohio Sports Gaming
Ohio could lose as much as $130 million a week if it continues to hold to a Jan. 1 launch date for legalized sports betting and miss the majority of the NFL season, an industry-leading group said.
PlayOhio, part of the PlayUSA Network, estimates the state’s handle could reach between $8-10 billion over the first 12 months and almost $1 billion in gross gaming revenue. It also estimates, partly because of the state’s two NFL teams, gambling operations could bring in as much as $130 million per week in NFL-specific betting volume.
Read the full storyTennessee Legislature Approves $500M for New Titans Domed Stadium
The Tennessee Legislature approved $500 million of bonds for a new Tennessee Titans stadium as part of a record $52.8 billion budget on Thursday.
The Titans stadium funds were not initially included in budget appropriations passed by the Senate in the early afternoon after they were removed in committee on Wednesday, but later in the day the Senate concurred on the budget that the House had passed, including the Titans stadium funds.
The $500 million in bonds for the stadium will require $55 million in annual payments.
Read the full storyMinnesota Attorney General Warns NFL It Could Face Investigation of Treatment of Women and Minority Groups
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison warned National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell that he shares “grave concerns” with five other state attorneys general about the league’s treatment of women.
The attorneys general also said in their Wednesday letter to Goodell they may open an investigation. Along with Ellison, the attorneys general of Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington and New York signed the letter in response to the New York Times’ February report that more than 30 former employees of the NFL said the league’s culture was demoralizing.
Read the full storyTom Brady Ends Retirement, Will Join Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022
Football legend Tom Brady has reversed his decision to retire and now plans on joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2022 season.
“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now,” Brady tweeted Sunday evening.
Read the full storyLeft-Wingers Blast Michele Tafoya After She ‘Comes Out’ as Conservative
A former NFL sideline reporter for NBC has faced major criticism after leaving her job in sports to work in conservative politics.
Michele Tafoya left NBC after Sunday’s Super Bowl, and immediately took a job as the co-chair of Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls’ campaign, as reported by The Minnesota Sun.
Read the full storyNFL Sideline Reporter Quits to Chair Minnesota Gubernatorial Campaign
A well-known National Football League (NFL) sideline reporter who formerly worked for NBC has ditched her gig covering professional sports to join the campaign of a Minnesota gubernatorial candidate.
“Sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya will be joining my campaign as co-chairwoman! I’m excited to work with Michele & hope you’ll join us as we focus on saving Minnesota,” candidate Kendall Qualls announced Monday on social media.
Read the full storyLos Angeles Rams Score Late to Beat Cincinnati Bengals, Win Super Bowl LVI
The Los Angeles Rams gave their hometown crowd a Hollywood ending Sunday in Super Bowl LVI.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford guided a late game drive, connecting with Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp to help the Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in a game dominated by defensive superstar Aaron Donald.
Read the full storyDr. K. Gives Super Bowl Summary, Predicts Big Win for Los Angeles Rams
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Dr. K. to the newsmakers line to give his take on the Super Bowl winner.
Read the full storyCaller Carl Weighs in on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Future, Olympic Comments, and the NFL Racial Discrimination Lawsuit
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed regular listener and caller Carl to the newsmakers line to weigh in on the fate of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, her Olympic statements, and the NFL racial discrimination lawsuit.
Read the full storyWashington Football Team Changes Name to ‘Commanders’
The Washington NFL football team on Wednesday officially announced its new name as the “Commanders,” according to multiple news reports.
The team changed its name from the Washington Redskins several years ago, amid decades of pressure from those who said the name was derogatory toward Native Americans.
Read the full storyTom Brady Reportedly Set to Retire After More Than 20 Seasons in NFL
Legendary Patriots and Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is reportedly set to retire after 22 record-smashing seasons in the NFL, according to media reports.
Read the full storyFormer Titans Coach Jeff Fisher Named Leader of Michigan Panthers in USFL
Former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher will have the opportunity to control a new football franchise, as he was named the coach and general manager of the Michigan Panthers in the United States Football League (USFL).
Fisher coached in the NFL for more than two decades for multiple teams. He made six playoff appearances, losing Super Bowl 34 as the leader of the Titans. Most recently, Fisher served as an advisor to Eddie George at Tennessee State for the 2021 season.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Biggest Junk Science of 2021
Just as it did last year, the most dangerous pandemic in a century spawned all sorts of junk science in 2021, running the gamut from pure quackery to ideology-fueled misinformation. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to spot junk science, especially when it’s disguised in techno-babble or parroted by governments, doctors, or other traditionally trusted sources. This sneakiness, combined with the unprecedented stress of a novel, highly-infectious disease, makes almost anyone prone to falling for BS.
To help identify junk science in the future, it’s useful to showcase junk science from the present and past. Here are six of the worst examples from this year:
6. Star NFL Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Was ‘Immunized’ Against COVID-19 With Homeopathy. Through much of the NFL season, Green Bay Packers starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers led reporters and fans to believe that he had been vaccinated against COVID-19. But when Rodgers was diagnosed with the illness in early November, it was revealed that he had not in fact been vaccinated, but rather had been ‘immunized’ with a homeopathic remedy. Homeopathy is a ridiculous, utterly disproven pseudoscience based on the magical notions that “like cures like” and that water can ‘remember’ the essence of a substance. Furthermore, according to practitioners, diluting a substance down to infinitesimal, often nonexistent amounts actually makes the homeopathic remedy stronger. In keeping with this fairytale logic, Rodgers likely imbibed a homeopathic potion (essentially just water) that before dilution may have had some sort of virus in it, and claimed that it raised his antibody levels, rendering him ‘immunized’. It’s utter nonsense.
Read the full storyFootball Legend John Madden Dies Unexpectedly at 85
Pro-Football Hall of Fame coach John Madden died unexpectedly Tuesday morning at the age of 85, the NFL reported.
“We all know him as the Hall of Fame coach of the Oakland Raiders and broadcaster who worked for every major network, but more than anything, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, adding that he sends his condolences to Madden’s family.
“Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today,” Goodell concluded.
Read the full storyReport: Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden Resigns Following Release of Offensive Emails
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden on Monday resigned following the release of multiple emails where Gruden used highly-offensive language, according to a report from ESPN.
Gruden, who in the fourth season of a 10-year contract worth $100 million, repeatedly made derogatory statements towards black and gay players and women associated with the National Football League (NFL), The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times described.
Read the full storyAmericans’ Allegiance to National Anthem Remains Strong Despite Protests, Poll Shows
Polling ahead of the 2021 NFL season indicates that, despite an increasingly political landscape for the sport and its fans, Americans overwhelmingly would prefer that the National Anthem continue to be the sole anthem played prior to games.
According to a recent poll conducted by Newt Gingrich’s American Majority Project in conjunction with McLaughlin & Associates, a total of 61% of Americans believe that “only” the American National Anthem should be played at NFL Games. That figure ticks up slightly to 64% among Republicans, and falls to 58% among Independents, while 11% of those polled said they don’t know.
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National Gingrich 360 Anthem X-tabs 8-3-21 .pdf
The poll was conducted in the wake of the NFL’s recent decision to play “Lift Every Voice and Sing” – often referred to as the black national anthem – before all games during the upcoming season, ahead of the playing of the American National Anthem. The song was initially introduced by the NFL when it was sung by Alicia Keys at the Super Bowl for the 2020-2021 season. The decision to play the song before each game is reportedly part of the league’s quarter-billion dollar investment in social justice messaging and initiatives.
Dr. K. Talks About the Tremendous Change of Dynamics in College Athletics
Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Sports with Dr. K. to the newsmakers line to talk about the change in college athletics as players reach professional levels and endorsements.
Read the full storyCrom Carmichael on White Liberals Versus What Black Americans Really Think and the Fascism of China
Monday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael in studio to compare the differing views of White liberals with Black Americans and the fascism of China.
Read the full storyCommon Sense Conservative Carol Swain Talks NFL and Her New August Book Release, ‘Black Eye for America’
Monday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Dr. Carol Swain to the newsmakers line to discuss the woke NFL, critical race theory, her new book and offered advice to MNPS.
Read the full storyCongressman, Former NFL-er Owens Says He’s Done with League until ‘America Divider’ Goodell Is Fired
Former NFL star and freshman Utah GOP Rep. Burgess Owens says the NFL has gotten too political and he will continue to boycott the National Football League until Commissioner Roger Goodell is fired.
Owens played for the New York Jets in the 1970’s and helped bring the Los Angeles Raiders to their championship Super Bowl win in 1984. Owens, who now represents Utah’s fourth Congressional district, has since become a sharp critic of the modern-day NFL.
Read the full story