May 4, 2019; Louisville, KY, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and girlfriend Linda Holliday arrive on the red carpet during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Bill Belichick went through a highly publicized split from his quarterback a few years ago, and the same has reportedly since happened with the New England Patriots coach and his longtime girlfriend.
Belichick and Linda Holliday have broken up, according to a report from Oli Coleman of Page Six. While the two are said to have split nearly a year ago, Coleman says the situation has turned into “a drawn-out, back-and-forth breakup” that is even making Patriots executives a bit uneasy.
Belichick and Holliday had been dating since 2007. They spend a lot of time together on the island of Nantucket, Mass., during the offseason. According to Page Six, Holliday has grown very fond of the community in Nantucket and does not want to leave just because she and Belichick are no longer together. Holliday has supposedly been staying at Belichick’s home on the island recently despite the breakup.
Holliday is also the head of the Bill Belichick Foundation, which adds another element of awkwardness to the situation.
Holliday made headlines on social media back in 2021 when she fired back at a fan who questioned Belichick’s decision to let Brady leave in free agency. That undoubtedly did not sit well with Belichick. Coleman claims it is also one of the reasons the Patriots are on edge about Holliday potentially airing sensitive information online now that she and Belichick have split.
Belichick turned 71 in April but has given no indication that he is thinking about retirement. He told reporters this week that coaching in the NFL “beats working for a living.”
August 21, 2010; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike WIlliams (19) during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers was recently involved in a serious accident at a construction site, but his agent and family say reports that Williams has died are not accurate.
Multiple media outlets reported on Tuesday night that Williams has died. On Wednesday, Williams’ agent told Michael Schwartz of WKBW in Buffalo that Williams has been in a Tampa-area hospital but is still alive.
A GoFundMe page that was linked to Williams’ father stated that Williams suffered a severe head injury when he was hit with a steel beam on a construction site last week. The page said Williams was left completely paralyzed in his right arm and below his waste. Williams “never gained consciousness” and was placed into an induced coma on Sept. 3. Though, Williams’ father wrote “reportedly” in the GoFundMe and said he was sharing information based on “what was reported to me.”
According to Schwartz, Williams’ mother has asked that the GoFundMe page be taken down.
Tierney Lyle, the mother of Williams’ 8-year-old daughter, spoke with the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday after she visited Williams in the hospital. Lyle said Williams is unable to move but that he briefly woke up when she and her daughter spoke to him.
“He was asleep when we went in there and he woke up when he heard our voices and his daughter’s voice,” Lyle said. “And he looked around, and he blinked and he was crying but he can’t move.”
Jon Scott of Spectrum News 1 in Buffalo was one of the first to report that Williams had died. Scott said on Wednesday night that the report was incorrect.
Williams is one of several NFL players with the same name, including a few contemporaries who also played wide receiver. But the former Bucs star receiver was from Buffalo, N.Y., attended Syracuse for college, and was drafted by the Bucs in the fourth round in 2010.
Williams was dominant as a rookie. He had 65 catches for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2010 season with the Bucs. The team went 10-6 that season under Raheem Morris, with Josh Freeman as their quarterback. Williams finished second in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting that season behind Sam Bradford.
In 2011, Williams had 65 catches for 771 yards and 3 touchdowns. Then in 2012, Williams had 63 catches for 996 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Williams was traded to the Bills for the 2014 season. He only played in 9 games for them and had just 8 catches for 142 yards.
During his NFL career, Williams had 223 catches for 3,089 yards and 26 touchdowns. He was estimated to have earned just under $12 million during his playing career.
Nov 7, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; The American Athletic Conference logo at Yulman Stadium before the game between the Tulane Green Wave and the Connecticut Huskies. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
The American Athletic Conference lost another member last week when SMU agreed to join the ACC beginning next season, but a replacement may already be be lined up.
AAC officials have had “positive discussions” with Army about the school joining the conference as a football-only member, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports.
With SMU leaving, the AAC is currently at 13 members for 2024. The conference has 14 members for this season after a major shakeup and wants to remain at that number going forward.
Cincinnati, Houston and UCF have all left the AAC for the Big 12. The conference then added Conference USA schools Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA.
There had been talk of the AAC trying to add Oregon State and Washington State, which are the only two remaining members of the Pac-12. AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco said last week that expanding that far west is not on the table.
With Navy already a part of the AAC, many feel Army would be a natural addition. The two schools play an annual rivalry game that is one of the most highly rated college football games of the year.
Mar 15, 2022; Peoria, AZ, USA; Stillwater High School shortstop Jackson Holliday during a team practice at the San Diego Padres Spring Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jackson Holliday might be the most exciting young prospect in baseball, but he has not yet become a household name. The 19-year-old star was reminded of that after being called up to Triple-A this week.
The Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday announced that they have promoted Holliday from Double-A to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. Holliday was apparently in charge of making his own hotel arrangements, and he was almost denied a room because of his age.
“I had to talk my way into a hotel last night. They don’t take check-ins if you’re 19. You have to be 21, so I had to do that,” Holliday told reporters on Tuesday. “I haven’t had to talk my way into a clubhouse yet, though.”
https://twitter.com/CraigLoperWAVY/status/1699261021217562645
The big surprise there is that the Orioles didn’t make arrangements for Holliday, especially knowing he might be too young to reserve his own hotel room. That just goes to show you that there truly is nothing glamorous about life in the minor leagues.
Holliday, the son of former MLB All-Star slugger Matt Holliday, was drafted No. 1 overall by the Orioles last year and signed a record contract. The shortstop has rapidly ascended through Baltimore’s farm system after posting absolutely insane numbers in high school.
Holliday went 1-for-4 with a double, run scored and a walk in his Triple-A debut Tuesday night. He was 0-for-6 with another run scored in Wednesday’s game.
Jan 4, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) warms up before the AFC Wild Card NFL Playoff game against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
JJ Watt raised some eyebrows with his reaction to the Nick Bosa contract.
Bosa on Wednesday agreed to a 5-year, $170 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Bosa is the reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year and now the highest-paid defensive player ever.
Watt shared his reaction to the contract via X.
“Just getting a chance to sit down and look at the breakdown of Bosa’s new (very well-deserved) contract.
“I have a little more digging to do, but I’m starting to feel comfortable saying that I would consider un-retiring if offered a similar contract.
“Maybe,” Watt wrote on X.
Watt later had to clarify that he was just joking.
“not enough people are understanding the joke here and it’s concerning…,” Watt wrote in a follow-up post.
Watt has retired from the NFL. He spent 10 seasons with the Houston Texans and the last two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
This wasn’t the first time he cracked a joke about coming out of retirement, as he did the same in February. Watt has already signed with a TV network, so despite his jokes, he’s probably not going anywhere.
And for those wondering, Watt’s career earnings are estimated to be around $130 million.
Jul 18, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick arrives for the 2018 ESPYS at Microsoft Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Danica Patrick loves “Burning Man” and attended the annual desert campout this year. She shared some photos from her experience via Instagram, along with some captions about her time at the event. The photos showed off some of the wild outfits she wore for the event, which showcases personal expression, among other principles.
“There is no better place than burning man to wear whatever you want. Everyone’s style is celebrated and part of the fun of the week,” Patrick wrote in her first Instagram post about Burning Man, which she shared on Monday.
Patrick was wearing a bathing suit-like outfit in one photo; a red skirt and red wig in another; a shiny silver jacket and matching silver panties in another; and some serious boots and belt in another photo.
In her second post regarding Burning Man, Patrick showed off some of the art from the event.
“One of my favorite things to do at burning man is to check out all the art. Sometimes it’s fun to climb them too. There are hundreds of amazing pieces that make riding anywhere on the playa stunning. And then the lights at night… Wow. You have to see it to understand,” Patrick wrote.
Patrick showed off another one of her outfits in the photos, which included a very lacy 2-piece matching set.
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New York Jets punter Thomas Morstead proved he has elite hang time in more ways than just his punting.
Morstead posted a video to X on Tuesday that showed him winning a game at what looked like an arcade. The game was called “Hang Time” and it requires competitors to hang from a pull-up bar for as long as possible. If Morstead could hang for 2:15 before letting go, he would win $100 in arcade tokens for his family.
Spoiler alert: Morstead beat the challenge. But the best part was seeing his children run up to hug him after his feat of strength.
That was very cool, and it showed that punters can have some elite strength in addition to their kicking ability.
“All those years of pull-ups finally paid off,” Morstead wrote in his post on X.
The Jets punter called his accomplishment a “great dad triumph.”
What could be better than winning a competition like that in front of your young kids?
Apr 14, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) high fives teammates after scoring on a double hit by designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (not pictured) in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Trea Turner was placed on the paternity list, which led to everyone saying the same thing.
The Philadelphia Phillies announced on Tuesday that they had placed their shorstop on the paternity list.
Turner’s wife Kristen is pregnant with the couple’s second child. The timing of her being close to giving birth would set their likely conception date at some time in December.
Well, guess what happened exactly nine months prior to September 5? Turner signed his 11-year, $300 million free agent contract with the Phillies.
Everyone made note of the timeline via X, implying that Turner and his wife knew exactly how to celebrate the big contract.
That will be a joyous way for Turner to get ready for the stretch run in the postseason.
Turner was phenomenal for the US in the World Baseball Classic, leading to high expectations for his first season with the Phillies. Turner struggled for the first part of the season, but he got hot in August and is now batting a respectable .262 with 22 home runs. Phillies fans are hoping he will continue his hot streak once he returns to the club.
Jun 10, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes throws out the first pitch before a game between the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Mina Kimes is getting the big bucks to stay at ESPN.
Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported Wednesday that the ESPN personality Kimes has agreed to a huge new contract worth over $1.7 million per year to continue with the network. That will take Kimes’ annual career earnings to over $2 million a year (she also has separate deals with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions for her podcast and with John Skipper and Dan Le Batard’s Meadowlark Media for weekly appearances).
Kimes was set to become a television free agent but is now getting a raise from six to seven figures to stay at ESPN. Her role will reportedly remain functionally the same as she will continue to appear on “NFL Live” and other ESPN shows. You can read Marchand’s full report on Kimes’ new contract here.
Since joining the network in 2014, Kimes has become one of the most prominent personalities at ESPN. She specializes in pro football and also serves as a senior writer for ESPN on top of her many duties on television.
ESPN has been in upheaval for much of 2023, having laid off dozens upon dozens of their on-air talent in an attempt to dramatically slash payroll. But they are holding onto their bigger names like Kimes and even adding a few heavy hitters as well.
Oct 20, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias (7) returns to the dugout after the second inning against the Atlanta Braves during game four of the 2021 NLCS at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday revealed their plans for how they would handle the scheduled Julio Urias bobblehead giveaway promotion.
The Dodgers had plans to give away Urias bobblehead dolls on Sept. 21. But Urias was arrested Sunday night on alleged felony domestic violence charges. The 27-year-old pitcher was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday as the matter is investigated.
The same day the news about Urias being placed on leave was made public, the Dodgers said they would be canceling Urias’ bobblehead giveaway. Instead, it seems like the Dodgers will be giving away some left over bobbleheads that night.
“The Dodgers are replacing the Julio Urías bobblehead promotion for the night of September 21 with a giveaway of select premium bobbleheads to the first 30,000 fans in attendance,” the team announced.
The photo for the promotion shows bobbleheads of J.D. Martinez, Freddie Freeman, Tony Gonsolin, Chris Tayor and Tommy Lasorda, which might be the “premium bobbleheads.”
The Dodgers are also doing a Dave Roberts bobblehead giveaway on September 13 and a Joe Kelly bobblehead giveaway on September 22.
