Sean Payton had the grouchiest comments about New Year’s Eve
Hopefully you kept off Sean Payton’s lawn with your New Year’s Eve celebrations this year.
The Denver Broncos head coach Payton spoke with reporters on Wednesday ahead of the team’s regular season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. During the session, Payton was asked about his plans for New Year’s Eve and delivered an extremely grumpy response.
“I didn’t know it was New Year’s Eve,” said Payton. “[It’s] the most overrated holiday, honestly. Like, seriously, I didn’t know it was New Year’s Eve.
“What’s interesting as we get older and you’re coaching younger players, these guys are much more in tune to their bodies,” Payton added. “Today’s generation doesn’t drink as much.”
Payton, who has led the Broncos to an elite 13-3 record this season, is 62 years old now. As someone who has thus been seeing New Year’s Eve celebrations since at least the 1960s, you can probably forgive Payton for not being as enthused about the holiday these days.
That said though, Payton could have at least pretended to be a bit more in the spirit of the season there. Even Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (who is over 20 years the senior of Payton) has had a little more fun during New Year’s celebrations of the past.
Magic Johnson gets the meme treatment for his coin toss at the Rose Bowl
Magic Johnson at midfield for the start of the Rose Bowl turned into something of a spectacle online.
The retired NBA legend Johnson had the honor of doing the coin toss before Thursday’s Rose Bowl game between Indiana and Alabama in Pasadena, Calif. But his unexpected appearance led to a wave of memes quickly flooding social media.
Many users on X questioned why Johnson was even there in the first place. Others though poked fun at Johnson’s style of tweeting and imagined how he might analyze his own coin toss.
Need Magic Johnson to explain this coin toss to me pic.twitter.com/FgYXDM9Uon
— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) January 1, 2026
Magic Johnson did a great job handing the coin to the referee for The Rose Bowl coin toss pic.twitter.com/jjFccMP6dl
— Nick Farley (@farlesbarkley62) January 1, 2026
Magic Johnson standing at the 50-yard line for the Rose Bowl coin toss pic.twitter.com/IkCinCQlOO
— Onyx (@OnyxOdds) January 1, 2026
"The coin toss involves a coin that is flipped in the air. If it lands on one side, one team wins it, if it lands on the other, the other team wins it. Good luck to both teams!" pic.twitter.com/QVd1MXxCMS
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) January 1, 2026
Magic Johnson never misses an opportunity to get his face on TV. pic.twitter.com/1HjhjKZgQ0
— Augusta Bulldog "Hitch" (@TheNo1OGGolfer) January 1, 2026
Magic Johnson is gonna be so hyped to find out he did the coin toss tomorrow morning pic.twitter.com/sKCmfG5elX
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 1, 2026
The 66-year-old Johnson is quite notorious for commenting online about various sporting events with extremely simplistic and fairly obvious “analysis.” It even happened again a couple of months ago during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2025 World Series victory.
Meanwhile, Johnson is obviously a Los Angeles sports legend and was thus named the Grand Marshal of this year’s Rose Parade by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association. That explains why he was out there at midfield for the Rose Bowl and providing all kinds of fodder for “Thanks, Magic” jokes to last throughout the entire 2026.
Interesting contract details emerge after Astros win the Tatsuya Imai race
Tatsuya Imai is officially headed to the 713.
The Japanese star pitcher Imai has decided to sign with the Houston Astros in free agency, according to multiple reports on Thursday. Imai, a righty, makes the leap to Major League Baseball after spending the last nine seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He also becomes the first Japanese free agent to sign with the Astros since infielder Kazuo Matsui back in 2007.
Shortly after the news broke, Chandler Rome of The Athletic shared the interesting details about Imai’s new contract with the Astros. Imai’s deal is for three years and $54 million. It also has an additional $3 million per season in incentives for innings pitched, bringing its max value to $63 million.
On top of that, Rome adds that Imai’s contract contains opt-outs after every season. Additionally, Imai is getting the third-highest average annual value (AAV) ever for a Japanese-born pitcher (behind only Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Masahiro Tanaka).
Imai, 27, was a three-time NPB All-Star for the Saitama Seibu Lions. Last season for Seibu, Imai went 10-5 with a glowing 1.92 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP, and 172 strikeouts over 24 total appearances (spanning 163.2 innings pitched).
A little over a month ago, Imai explained why he was not interested in signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are MLB’s marquee team right now for Japanese star talent. Now Imai has decided to sign with a big-time Dodgers enemy in the Astros, who thus land a new star pitcher amid the expected departure of multi-time All-Star Framber Valdez in free agency.
Lamar Jackson’s status for Week 18 becomes clear
Lamar Jackson’s status for his Baltimore Ravens’ Week 18 game is becoming more clear.
Jackson practiced in full for the Ravens on Wednesday. He was back at practice again on Thursday ahead of his team’s Sunday night clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley said on Thursday that it looks like Jackson will start in the game.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (back) is practicing for a second straight day.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 1, 2026
He was a full participant Wednesday.
It looks like Jackson will be ready to start Sunday’s AFC North title game at the Steelers.
The Ravens enter the game with an 8-8 record, while the Steelers are 9-7. The winner of the game will clinch the AFC North and the final playoff spot in the conference.
The teams also played in Week 14, and the Steelers won the game 27-22. Jackson played in that game and went 19/35 for 219 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson hurt his back in Week 16 and did not play in the Ravens’ Week 17 win over the Packers. Jackson has played in just 12 games this season and has not looked like his usual MVP self. He has passed for 2,311 yards with 18 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. His 340 rushing yards are the fewest in a season for his career.
Key Utah coach is leaving to join Kyle Whittingham at Michigan
The Michigan Wolverines are getting more than just Kyle Whittingham from the Utah Utes.
Offensive coordinator Jason Beck has informed Utah officials that he will be leaving the school to join Whittingham at Michigan.
Like Whittingham, Beck played college football at BYU before later working for the Utes, though Beck did coach at BYU too. Beck has been jumping around plenty, as this will be his fourth stop in four years. In 2023, Beck was an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Syracuse. In 2024, he held the same position for New Mexico State. Then this season, he was the offensive coordinator at Utah. In 2026, he will be the OC at Michigan.
BREAKING: Michigan is hiring Utah Offensive Coordinator Jason Beck for the same position
— uofmcoverage (@uofmcoverage) January 1, 2026
Utah ranked 5th nationally in scoring this season (41.1 PPG), 2nd in rushing offense (270 YPG), and 6th in total offense (478 YPG) 🔥
Before his one season with Utah, Beck served as the… pic.twitter.com/wcPVWfSPfE
Under Beck, Utah ranked fifth in scoring with 41.3 points per game. They were sixth with 478 yards per game.
The Wolverines lost in their bowl game on Wednesday against Texas, 41-27. Michigan went 9-4 — the same record as Iowa — and is overhauling things by bringing in Whittingham in place of Sherrone Moore, who was fired for cause. Whittingham bringing Beck with him should help the Wolverines’ offense get off to a good start. Whether Bryce Underwood will be their quarterback is an interesting question.
Packers make decision on Jordan Love for Week 18
The Green Bay Packers have made a decision on the status of quarterback Jordan Love for their Week 18 game at the Minnesota Vikings.
Love was cleared from concussion protocol and practiced in full on Wednesday. Despite his complete availability for Week 18, the Packers have decided to start Clayton Tune at quarterback against the Vikings.
The Packers enter Week 18 with a 9-6-1 record and are locked into the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs. Since their seed cannot change, they have decided to give Love extra time to prepare for the postseason. You may recall that Love suffered his concussion during the Packers’ Week 16 loss to the Chicago Bears. He missed the team’s Week 17 loss against the Baltimore Ravens. Green Bay has lost three games in a row.
Malik Willis started for the Packers in their Week 17 game but is dealing with a shoulder injury, so he will also get some time to rest.
Tune saw limited action against the Ravens in Week 17. The 26-year-old has appeared in 14 career NFL games. He has gone 15/27 for 78 yards and 3 interceptions during his career. He has made one NFL start. It came in a Week 9 game for the Arizona Cardinals in 2023, and it did not go well. The Cardinals were shut out 27-0 as Tune was intercepted twice.
Urban Meyer’s prediction about Ohio State did not go well
The No. 10-seed Miami Hurricanes continue to defy expectations in the College Football Playoff. They are also making a lot of people look bad, especially their doubters, including former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer.
Before Miami took on the No. 2-seed Ohio State on Wednesday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Meyer appeared on the “Herd w/Colin Cowherd,” and issued his dire outlook for Miami, particularly for the Hurricanes’ attack against the stout Ohio State stop unit.
“I just don’t see Miami scoring. I’ve told people if Ohio State scores two touchdowns, they win that game. And I still believe that.”
"This is going to be a slugfest. I just don't see Miami scoring."@colincowherd and @CoachUrbanMeyer discuss the CFP Quarterfinal matchup between Ohio State and Miami pic.twitter.com/GydBzRhWRD
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 31, 2025
The reality, however, did not conform to what Meyer envisioned the game would turn out to be, as Carson Beck and the Hurricanes found a way to gash the Buckeyes’ defense.
Miami did not score a ton of points, but it racked up 291 total yards and had as many first downs (18) as Ohio State. The Hurricanes kept their drives longer than many expected against Ohio State, as Miami went 7-of-14 on third downs.
Miami also weathered the Buckeyes’ offense. Ohio State was held scoreless in the first two periods, and quarterback Julian Sayin threw just a touchdown and was intercepted twice in the contest.
If there’s any consolation for Meyer, it’s that plenty of others doubted Miami as well.
Fans become emotional after Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews interaction
Former Chicago Blackhawks stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews had hockey fans in their feelings on Wednesday.
For the first time in their NHL careers, Kane and Toews played against each other in a game, as the Detroit Red Wings hosted the Winnipeg Jets at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich.
But before the game started, Kane and Toews met on the ice and posed for a photo, not as teammates, but as opponents.
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are squaring off for the first time tonight pic.twitter.com/luDe8lRSt3
— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) December 31, 2025
The interaction between the former teammates garnered tons of comments from fans online, with many feeling emotional about the moment.
I'm not crying you're crying.
— Duke Dog Dad (@fitrmech) January 1, 2026
Who’s cutting onions? 😭
— Giraffe👂🏼 (@GiraffeEarlobe) January 1, 2026
awww omg my babies pic.twitter.com/pUFq2p3pX6
— 🌞 𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐢𝐞 (@_xdreamscape) January 1, 2026
Tears to my eyes pic.twitter.com/nFdjA7VEEQ
— Sebbe187🇸🇪 (@WesterholmSebbe) December 31, 2025
The Blackhawks wouldn’t have won three Stanley Cup titles in the 2010s without Kane and Toews. With the duo leading Chicago’s attack, the Blackhawks captured the Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015.
Both are now certified Windy City hockey legends, having accomplished so much together, while the Blackhawks continue to recapture the glory they enjoyed during the years Kane and Toews donned Chicago’s colors.
As for the game itself, Kane and the Red Wings trounced the Jets, 2-1. However, Toews got a point, as he assisted on Winnipeg’s only goal of the evening. Detroit and Winnipeg will meet again on Jan. 24 at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Caitlin Clark brings up interview blunder to troll Sophie Cunningham
Caitlin Clark sneaked in a hilarious shot at her Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham just before the calendar flipped to 2026.
In an Instagram Story post on Wednesday night, Clark shared a screenshot of a postgame Cunningham interview and wrote, “I love a fresh of breath air,” a reference that many Fever fans would immediately recognize.
Caitlin Clark brings back a hilarious Sophie Cunningham quote (via Clark's IG Story) pic.twitter.com/VjNEfZZ5J2
— Rex (@Rexwell14) January 1, 2026
To recall, Cunningham said “fresh of breath air” instead of “a breath of fresh air” while talking to a reporter after a Fever win in a preseason game against the Washington Mystics in May.
It was indeed a comical moment that probably got more attention at the time than the impressive performance Cunningham had versus the Mystics. For what it’s worth, she had 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting with 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in a 79-74 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
Cunningham and Clark are definitely expecting better in 2026, after how 2025 turned out for each of them.
Both Fever stars were unable to finish the 2025 WNBA season due to injuries. Cunningham was sidelined in August after tearing the MCL in her right knee, while Clark was ruled out in September for the rest of the season with a right groin injury.
A healthy 2026 for both stars is certainly what the Fever and their fans are hoping for.
Michael Irvin took the belt to Ohio State after CFP win
Just like the No. 10-seed Miami Hurricanes, former NFL star Michael Irvin was unstoppable on Wednesday night.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer was back at it again with his shenanigans amid the College Football Playoff, as he had quite a way to celebrate his alma mater’s 24-14 takedown of the No. 2-seed Ohio State Buckeyes in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Shortly after Miami pulled off the upset against Ryan Day’s Buckeyes, Irvin took off his belt and went to town on a helpless Gatorade jug on the sidelines.
Here’s a clip of the moment.
BTA pic.twitter.com/vRq9pHzBmH
— Michael Irvin (@michaelirvin88) January 1, 2026
The 59-year-old former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver whipped that jug over a dozen times. Of course, it withstood the punishment, but that’s not the point. Irvin has become an attraction all to himself during the College Football Playoff, particularly whenever Miami has a game.
Irvin also grabbed attention with his behavior during the Hurricanes’ previous win against the No. 7-seed Texas A&M Aggies in their CFP first-round matchup at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
With Carson Beck and company advancing to the next round, fans can expect more such antics from Irvin, who helped Miami win a national title in the 1988 Orange Bowl.
Miami next faces the winner of Thursday’s meeting between the No. 6-seed Ole Miss Rebels and No.-3 seed Georgia Bulldogs
Michael Vick reveals his mobile QB Mount Rushmore
When it comes to dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL, Michael Vick is undeniably an authority on the subject.
As someone many consider to have revolutionized the quarterback position, Vick was just the right person to ask for his opinion on who should be on the Mount Rushmore of mobile signal-callers.
In a video shared by Fox Sports, Vick, unsurprisingly, picked himself first.
Also on his list is two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and former Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. Vick then added his “idol,” Steve Young, a member of both the Pro Football and College Football Halls of Fame.
Rounding out his Mount Rushmore is another College Football Hall of Famer and fellow former Philadelphia Eagles star, Randall Cunningham.
Getting the Mount Rushmore of mobile QB's straight from the man who revolutionized the position, @MichaelVick 🔥🙌 pic.twitter.com/vjkEUOxbGv
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 30, 2025
Everyone has their own list of best dual-threat quarterbacks ever in the NFL, and Vick seemed to acknowledge that, as he mentioned other names like Cam Newton, Josh Allen and Russell Wilson as well.
At least for Allen, and to some extent Wilson, their playing days aren’t over, so they can keep adding to their resumes and maybe one day earn a spot on Vick’s Mount Rushmore.
During his time in the NFL, Vick racked up 22,464 passing yards and 133 touchdowns against 88 interceptions, while also recording 16,109 rushing yards and 36 TDs on 873 carries across 143 games for the Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Diego Pavia’s comments about the Big Ten had the ultimate backfire
Diego Pavia’s hot summer take has come back to haunt him following the Vanderbilt Commodores’ loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
During an appearance on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast in June, Pavia candidly spoke about the idea of taking his talents to the Big Ten after gaining another year of eligibility. He decided to return to Vanderbilt despite offers from other programs and even took a shot at the Big Ten, saying he didn’t want to go there and implying the conference’s competition was inferior to others like the SEC.
“You want to play with the best – you don’t want to play with the Big Ten. … You ignore those calls,” Pavia said (transcribed by Nick Schultz of On3.com). “You know that.”
“But you’ve got to think about this, too,” Pavia added. “The SEC is, like, nothing. Like, okay, the Big Ten, you have Ohio State, Oregon … the SEC, it’s like week after week. You’re going to get beat on. The Big Ten, you’re not gonna get beat on with the Purdue, Nebraskas.”
Those comments did not age well, and it became much worse after Vanderbilt’s 34-27 loss to Iowa.
To his credit, though, Pavia had a big individual performance against the Hawkeyes. He went 25-of-38 for 347 passing yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Pavia also scored the Commodores’ only rushing touchdown.
Still, the loss to Iowa didn’t help his case about his refusal to go to the Big Ten.
Reggie Miller called out Luka Doncic for his bad defense
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic can do a lot of things on the basketball court at a high level, but defense remains a vulnerable aspect of his game.
Former NBA superstar Reggie Miller brought that to everyone’s attention during a pause in Tuesday’s game between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
While watching a replay of a driving play by Detroit big man Jalen Duren, Miller highlighted the apparent lack of defensive effort on the part of Doncic.
“Look at Luka right here. It’s OK, Luka, to move your feet a little bit over and help out,” Miller said.
“What does he do? He just throws up his hands. This would be frustrating for me.”
Hall of Famer Reggie Miller calls out Luka’s defensive effort: “Look at Luka right here. It’s OK, Luka, to move your feet a little bit over and help out. What does he do? He just throws up his hands. This would be frustrating for me.”
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) December 31, 2025
Via: https://t.co/l5n0IOrZYq pic.twitter.com/1OMhwPN2iG
Miller simply wanted to see Doncic show a little more sense of urgency in stopping an attacking player to the basket.
But the Slovenian’s first instinct wasn’t to slide over to help out on defense, but to ask for what he believed was an offensive foul on Duren, and that seemingly did not sit well with Miller.
Defense wasn’t just an issue for Doncic in that contest.
The entire Lakers team had trouble all game long slowing down Detroit’s offense. The Pistons shot 63% from the field, knocked down 11 of their 24 attempts from deep and outscored the Lakers in the paint by 30 points (74-34).
No wonder Los Angeles lost, 128-106.
Ohio State fans furious over missed offsides call in loss to Miami
Ohio State fans were furious after the Buckeyes’ 24-14 loss to the Miami Hurricanes in their College Football Playoff game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday night, over what they felt was a missed call.
Miami was leading 17-14 with 3:57 left in the game and had a 3rd-and-3 situation. Carson Beck ended up throwing a completion for the first down. Buckeyes fans were furious that no penalty was called on Malachi Toney, who had clearly lined up offsides on the play.
WOW: OHIO STATE FANS ARE EXTREMELY ANGRY THAT THE REFS MISSED AN OBVIOUS OFFENSIVE OFFSIDE PENALTY ON MIAMI.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) January 1, 2026
Malachi Toney was very obviously offside.
No calls insane.
pic.twitter.com/IZFRcpXrmB
Had an offsides penalty been called, Miami would have been pushed back five yards. Instead, the completion stood. The Hurricanes continued their drive and continued to use up the clock to the point that Ohio State let Miami walk in for a touchdown with 55 seconds left. They went on to win by 10 points, meaning the missed penalty was a big deal. That’s why Buckeyes fans were pointing to it as a big missed call.
Carson Beck made great admission after beating Ohio State
Carson Beck made a great admission after leading his Miami Hurricanes to a College Football Playoff game win over the Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday night.
Miami beat Ohio State 24-14 and sealed the game with an interception on Julian Sayin. Beck, who is in his first season at Miami after transferring from Georgia, went 19/26 for 138 yards with a touchdown. He also rushed for 23 yards. That was enough for his Hurricanes to escape with a win in a close, low-scoring contest.
Beck was asked what was going through his mind on a key 3rd-and-4 that Miami converted to solidify their win.
“Shoot, I was blacked out. Man, I was blacked out, I was out there just, shoot. I was blacked out, just playing the game I love,” Beck said.
🚨 The Cost Was High for Carson Beck. However, it Was All Worth it. Canes Advance.
— 🔥 CEO Branding Expert (@Ceo_Branding) January 1, 2026
Carson Beck describes the 6am to 5pm days, the grind, and being built for this.
When you have a QB with this maturity. It’s hard to bet against the Canes.
Can you imagine if it’s a matchup… pic.twitter.com/WaDA8UIteV
Sometimes that is the best. The less you have going through your head in big moments, the less you’re affected by the pressure. It’s still pretty funny to think that a player playing a position that demands so much mental power was “blacked out” at such a big moment. Maybe it’s better that way.
Darius Garland gets a rare technical foul for flopping
The NBA is trying its best to keep floppers on their toes again.
Darius Garland and the Cleveland Cavaliers battled the Phoenix Suns at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday. During the fourth quarter of the game, the Cavs guard Garland was defending Suns star Devin Booker on a drive.
When Booker tried to create space for a pull-up shot at the right elbow, Garland went flying theatrically towards the baseline area some 15-20 feet away. In response, referee Dannica Mosher waited for the attempt by Booker (which went in) and then stopped play to call a rare flopping technical on Garland.
Here is the video of the full sequence.
Darius Garland receives a technical foul for flopping (with replays).
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) January 1, 2026
Suns and Cavaliers commentaries
Happy new year for the refs too, I guess… lol pic.twitter.com/Un9sfR4I0k
Though the flopping T on Garland was certainly well-deserved, it is not one that we see all too often in the NBA these days. Usually, the league prefers to assess retroactive fines for flopping instead (which they have already done multiple times this season). For actual in-game flopping technicals, they have happened in the past but not since at least last season.
The two-time All-Star Garland finished Wednesday’s game with 19 points and six assists as the Cavaliers cruised to a 129-113 victory over the Suns. But now Garland will have to pay a standard $2,000 fine for a technical foul, which is equal to the amount that he would have been docked via a retroactive flopping fine anyway.
CBS criticized for cutting off Gary Danielson’s final sign-off message
Gary Danielson did not exactly get the perfect ending that he had been hoping for.
The longtime college football commentator Danielson called the final game of his illustrious broadcasting career on Wednesday before his retirement. Danielson was on the call for CBS as Arizona State battled Duke during the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
After the game (which Duke won by a final score of 42-39), Danielson delivered an emotional sign-off. Flanked by his broadcast partners Brad Nessler and Jenny Dell, Danielson reflected on his career as a tribute video played and production members and other colleagues bid farewell to Danielson.
Unfortunately though, CBS ended up completely botching the landing. As Danielson was delivering some final remarks, the network abruptly cut to commercial, spoiling the final sign-off of Danielson’s career. Here is the video.
CBS cut away from Gary Danielson’s final goodbye…
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 31, 2025
unreal pic.twitter.com/hToDuaz8K1
While a staffer could be seen in the background counting down the seconds with her fingers until the cut, CBS was absolutely skewered over social media for the decision to abruptly end Danielson’s final sign-off. Take a look.
CBS really cut to commercial on that sign-off from Gary Danielson? Absolutely despicable where we are and what gets prioritized.
— John Flesta (@jflesta) December 31, 2025
I would’ve really liked to have heard the rest of Gary Danielson’s speech.
— Jared Palmgren (@CFF_Jared) January 1, 2026
Shame on @CBSSports for cutting him off.
CBS cutting off Gary Danielson during his goodbye speech is brutal.
— juice (@orangejuice_865) December 31, 2025
Not the biggest Gary fan, as a matter of fact I don’t like him, but no doubt he’s a legend and super disrespectful and a bad look on CBS
Cutting off Gary Danielson of all people CBS needs to apologize immediately. Absolutely pathetic company
— ElliottFan24/9 (@Elliottfan92) December 31, 2025
Shame on @CBS for cutting off the end of Gary Danielson talking. I know he was about done but let him finish.
— Adam Kadavy (@adamk63) December 31, 2025
The 74-year-old Danielson, a former NFL quarterback, had been a broadcaster since 1990 and had been with CBS Sports as their lead college football analyst since 2006. Danielson’s original partner in the booth for CBS was Verne Lundquist (who retired in 2024) and then Danielson later teamed up with Nessler.
An undisputed icon of the college football world, Danielson had called some of the most famous games of the 21st century for CBS. But viewers certainly felt that Danielson did not get the respect he deserved with that abrupt cut to commercial by the network in the middle of his very last sign-off.
Arch Manning runs wild in bowl game against Michigan
Arch Manning sure looked like a Heisman Trophy-type player during Texas’ Citrus Bowl game against Michigan on Wednesday.
Manning ran wild against the Wolverines, scoring on rushes of 60 and 23 during his Longhorns bowl game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Arch passed for 221 yards with 2 touchdowns and rushed for 155 yards with 2 TDs in Texas’ game. His second rushing touchdown helped blow the game wide open for Texas.
ARCH DOES IT AGAIN 🤯
— ESPN (@espn) December 31, 2025
60 YARDS TO THE HOUSE‼️ pic.twitter.com/shY5tixTdr
When he wasn’t running the ball into the end zone, Arch was throwing dimes to help his Longhorns score.
Arch Manning is playing grade-A football.
— Joe (@JoeA_NFL) December 31, 2025
He must have been falling apart physically in September, because this version is magnitudes better. pic.twitter.com/ycvMKmALsM
Arch entered the season with tons of hype, and many feel he did not live up to that billing — nor his last name — for most of the season. But this also was just his first full season as the team’s starter, so he needed some time to grow into the role. If Wednesday’s performance was any indication, Manning looks ready to shine during the 2026 season.
Arch has already been pulling off feats that make history for Texas. He is poised to do even more of that next season.
Mark Williams takes a vulgar shot at the Lakers over rescinded trade
Mark Williams still has not forgotten about how the Los Angeles Lakers did him nearly a year ago.
The Phoenix Suns big man Williams appeared this week on “The Old Man and the Three” podcast. During the episode, Williams opened up about the saga last season where the Lakers agreed to acquire him in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets … only to later renege on the deal.
“Honestly, like, f–k y’all,” said Williams of the Lakers. “I was excited to go there. I thought I was like a piece that could really help them going into the playoffs. And then once they lost, obviously I tweeted a little smiley face. I was hating.”
Here is the clip (but obviously watch out for the bad language).
Mark Williams on the Lakers trade being rescinded
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) December 31, 2025
“Honestly, like fu*k y’all”
(Via @OldManAndThree, h/t @PurpGolded)pic.twitter.com/I24AOmfqQf
The seven-footer Williams, 24, was supposed to go to the Lakers at the trade deadline last February for Dalton Knecht and a couple of other assets. But the Lakers ended up failing Williams on his physical, claiming that they had found “multiple issues.” Williams and his camp strongly disagreed with the Lakers’ decision, and Williams’ agent even proceeded to send a shady message to the Lakers over the whole mess.
Meanwhile, Williams did indeed troll the Lakers by posting a smiley face online after the Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Then a few months later, Williams ended up (successfully) getting traded by the Hornets to the Phoenix Suns.
Williams has done well for the Suns this season, averaging 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest while also playing in 28 of a possible 33 games thus far. However, Williams was recently suspended by the league over a heated incident in which he exchanged punches with an opponent.
Indiana football fans taking over Pasadena ahead of Rose Bowl
Indiana fans are stoked for the Hoosiers’ first appearance in the Rose Bowl game since 1968 and have traveled hard to Pasadena, Calif., to enjoy their team’s game.
Hoosiers fans have been sharing photos on social media of themselves out and about around Los Angeles. They have noted how many IU fans there are around the city ahead of Thursday’s Rose Bowl game between the Hoosiers and Alabama Crimson Tide.
#IndianaUniversity has taken over Pasadena. #RoseBowlGame pic.twitter.com/7HZ9fOqxvt
— Bob Kizer (@THEBIGFATBOB) December 31, 2025
You would think we were in Bloomington, but this is Pasadena!! Hoosier fans showing out for the #RoseBowlGame!! GoIU! #iufb #Hoosiers pic.twitter.com/HS1ehCYV71
— Mark Spinks (@spinks33) December 31, 2025
If you’re in Pasadena, come on over to KingsRow GastroPub. @CrimsonCast puts the on a good shindig. #NeverDaunted pic.twitter.com/vYFHNz5SKj
— Wes Reynolds (@WesReynolds1) December 31, 2025
Ran into some IU fans and Indiana natives at our dinner stop and gave them a Rose Bowl rally towel. Hoosiers everywhere! #IUS2P 🦬 pic.twitter.com/r7kGKMh8E8
— CrimsonCast (@CrimsonCast) December 29, 2025
Indiana fans were used to experiencing success with their basketball fans, but the dominance from their football team is a new thing. The Hoosiers went 13-0 in the regular season, and quarterback Fernando Mendoza became the first player in program history to win the Heisman Trophy. The team also won its first outright Big Ten championship since 1945.
Indiana is experiencing unprecedented success with their football team, and that has been matched by corresponding levels of fan enthusiasm.



























