Free Republic

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration took steps in several recent disputes involving lucrative upstate gambling rights that were in line with the interests of Delaware North, where hubby Bill Hochul works, a new report says. Just last month, the governor agreed to a last-minute tweak to the state budget to restructure the public-private board overseeing western New York’s Batavia Downs hotel and casino, a competitor of the multibillion-dollar firm where Bill Hochul is senior counsel, the New York Times said. While Delaware North says it is no longer interested in acquiring Batavia, the restructuring could presumably make such a move easier,...

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that a former NFL player threatened him with execution on Twitter. “Who is this guy threatening to execute me? And how does he have so many followers?” Swalwell asked on Twitter, posting a direct message from an account that appears to belong to former San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars fullback Bruce Miller. The message read, “Almost time!!! Would you rather Guantanamo or just execution,” followed by several laughing emojis and ending with “f—– traitor.” Swalwell said in an update Thursday that the 49ers had reached out to him about the “threat from a...

At the NFL league meetings in March, the San Francisco 49ers were confident they would be bringing the Super Bowl back to Levi's Stadium. Barring a sudden change of direction, that confidence will be rewarded at the spring owners meetings in Minneapolis next week. There, the 49ers' bid for Super Bowl 60 in 2026 is slated to be approved by the NFL, a league source said, confirming a report by Sports Business Journal. "If the Bay Area has the opportunity, we would be honored to host Super Bowl LX," 49ers president Al Guido said in a statement. Should the Bay...

When NFL players took a knee during the National Anthem in 2016, a tradition was born at Rainbow Oaks Restaurant. Owners Duke and Jonell Maples, who remodeled and reopened the restaurant in 2009, decided to start playing the National Anthem at noon, seven days a week. "It was my way of waving my middle finger at the NFL," said the retired Marine. The restaurant is filled with patriotic memorabilia and American flags. A Marine Corps flag flies under the American flag atop the restaurant and inside, it's obvious the clientele has support for and by the military and law enforcement....

Last August, just days after earning the starting job as the Buffalo Bills' punter, rookie Matt Araiza was the subject of a civil lawsuit alleging he and two San Diego State football teammates participated in a gang rape of an intoxicated 17-year-old girl. [SNIP] The graphic allegations in the civil lawsuit, however, created a public frenzy. It included a claim that during an Oct. 15, 2021, party at a home near the SDSU campus, Araiza led the girl into a bedroom where “at least three other men” waited. “Once inside, Araiza threw [the girl] onto the bed face first,” the...

Cam Newton is not his 2015 MVP self anymore, but the three-time Pro Bowler says there's another reason why he's still a free agent. Over the years, Newton has grown out his hair for dreadlocks, and he suggests that's a reason why he remained unsigned throughout the 2022 season and is still looking for a job. "It’s been hindered. And I’m not changin’," he said on Josina Anderson's "Undefined" podcast. "People have hinted towards to say like, ‘Cam, we want you to go back to the 2015 clean-cut Cam. But that was a different me. Right now, where I’m at,...

Like many teenagers in the 1990s, my television was usually tuned to ESPN. SportsCenter highlights while I ate breakfast before school. NFL season highlight videos between two-a-day football practices. Baseball and basketball games on at night during homework. The “S” in ESPN clearly stood for “sports” back then, focusing on the achievements of the athletes and stories that inspire us. Now, based on the juvenile trash that I occasionally see when eating at a sports bar or when I catch a provocative news headline, the “S” stands for s–t. I stopped watching ages ago, because I have better things to...

Democratic Texas Rep. Colin Allred is preparing a Senate run against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, according to Politico. Allred, who was a former NFL player before becoming an attorney, has been elected twice to Congress since he unseated Republican Rep. Pete Sessions, according to Politico. The congressman is expected to announce his candidacy for Cruz’ Senate seat as early as this week. The congressman has racked up several leadership positions in the House, including being a member of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California’s team, and currently is a part of House Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts’ team, according to...

Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) is preparing to announce he will run for the U.S. Senate in Texas as early as this week, according to reports. The former NFL player-turned-civil rights attorney has been preparing a run for the Democrat nomination in Texas to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Politico reported Monday, citing two sources, as did the Dallas Morning News, citing four sources. The congressman is in his third term after unseating Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) in 2018. He is reportedly well-liked within the House Democratic Caucus and has also held positions in leadership. He currently serves House Minority Whip...

Bud Light NFL Draft Ad DESTROYED As SALES GET WORSE AND They GET TROLLED BY New Anti Woke Watch Ad! Conservatives making tic toks clowning Bud Light are destroying the company. Watch company trolls Bud Light

Fans on Twitter are criticizing the Georgia football “culture” after recruit Jamaal Jarrett uttered a racist remark during a live stream of the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday. Jarrett, a four-star defensive tackle recruit who committed to play under Kirby Smart starting in 2023, derogatorily said “ching chong” while an Asian child announced the Falcons’ eighth pick in the draft – and now some are calling for consequences. “Suspend him and public apology needed,” one Twitter user wrote.

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The NFL has made it very clear that gambling on games won't be tolerated and five different players found that out the hard way on Friday. The NFL has announced that Stanley Berryhill III, Jameson Williams, Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore and Shaka Toney have all been suspended for gambling. The Lions were hit the hardest by the suspensions with four players being banned (Berryhill, Williams, Cephus, and Moore) while Toney plays for the Commanders. The most notable name on the list is Williams, who was the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

DETROIT -- Four Lions players, including 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams, were among five players leaguewide to be suspended for violating the NFL's gambling policy after an investigation by the league. Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety C.J. Moore have been suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games, as was Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney. They can reapply for reinstatement after one year, although Detroit announced that its two players have been released. Second-year wide receivers Williams and Stanley Berryhill are being suspended for six games each for mobile betting that occurred at the Lions' Allen Park facility....

NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. has reportedly been named as a suspect in an assault investigation after a woman claimed he put his hand around her neck in a Los Angeles-based hotspot. The Ravens WR has denied all allegations. The woman alleged Beckham Jr. grabbed her throat with light pressure when she was inside Delilah, according to TMZ. Sources close to the situation said the woman, who has remained unnamed, and Beckham Jr., both remained at the venue for the night and didn’t seem to interact with one another, according to TMZ. The woman met with police several days later...

CLEVELAND -- Former NFL defensive end Chris Smith, who was touched by tragedy while he played for the Cleveland Browns, has died. He was 31. Smith's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and the Browns confirmed his passing on Tuesday. The cause of death was not immediately known. “Rest in Peace Chris,” Rosenhaus wrote on Twitter. “Condolences to all his family, friends and loved ones. We will miss you.” Smith played for the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons this season. He previously spent eight seasons in the NFL with Jacksonville, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Las Vegas and Houston. While Smith was with the Browns in 2019,...

Hurts' average annual value of $51 million is more than any other player in league history Jalen Hurts has parlayed his breakout season into a history-making contract. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $255 million, according to CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. The deal, which reportedly includes $179.304 million in guarantees and a no trade clause, makes Hurts the highest-paid player in NFL history in terms of average annual value. Hurts was heading into the final year of his rookie contract. A second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hurts helped the...

Bud Light has consistently been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. Roger Goodell's NFL has -- true to form -- joined it there. Despite the Bud Light's inexplicable choice to partner with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, the NFL has made the beer company the official sponsor of the NFL Draft. That’s right, on a weekend when the best college football stars will be transitioning to the next phase of their careers, the NFL will be advertising for a company that supports transitioning of the worst kind. It's a match made in progressive heaven! The NFL Draft will...

Once the 2022 playoffs arrived, the Tony Romo critics reached a fever pitch. His on-air partner, Jim Nantz, recently pushed back. “I think there was a little bit of a misinformation attempt there to portray him in a not-so-favorable light,” Nantz said on the SI Media with Jimmy Traina podcast. “It was very disappointing. It really got, to me, more steam after the AFC Championship game, which was our last game. And for the life of me, I didn’t understand it. . . . Where was all this outcry during the season? It’s not like we were invisible.” He’s right....

A surprising number of the most expensive sports teams sales were triggered by scandal. Or maybe that's not so surprising. The Washington Commanders are reportedly being sold to billionaire hedge fun manager Josh Harris for a staggering $6 billion, a price tag that would smash the record for most expensive sports team sale in U.S. history. With the Commanders reportedly soon to be at the top of that list, let's take a refreshed look at the 10 most expensive sports team sales. Were they also partially spurred by scandal and wrongdoing, like Dan Snyder's sale of the Commanders? Let's find...