Rob Gronkowski is calling for the NFL to institute referee punishments amid a slew of questionable officiating decisions this season. The New England Patriots legend also revealed he is skeptical of his long-time team's chances at getting back to the Super Bowl, and suggested they made it last year due to a weak schedule.
Gronkowki shared his bevy of strong takes, revealed some newly-unearthed secrets about Bill Belichick's strangest rules, and revealed a new technology he is using to heal his body from the wear and tear of football in an interview with OutKick.
Gronkowski believes officials should face consequences just as the players and coaches whose games they help decide do.
"So yeah, I think, you know, it would be fair and square to, you know, put the referees on a pedestal as well and — and have punishment just like any coach or any NFL player can be punished just like that," Gronkowski said.
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Asked whether the NFL needs more accountability for officials, Gronkowski pointed to how quickly a player’s fortunes can change.
"I think so, actually, because players are accountable. Players can be cut the very next day and you’ve seen players cut," he continued.
Gronkowski’s comments followed Tom Brady’s criticism of several calls during the Detroit Lions’ 20-17 win over the Green Bay Packers during Sunday's NFL on FOX broadcast. Brady and FOX rules analyst Dean Blandino disputed multiple decisions, including roughing-the-passer penalties and an intentional grounding call.
Gronkowski agreed with his former quarterback’s broader concerns.
"I don’t think the referees are doing that great of a job. I think they can definitely improve," he said.
He identified pass interference and roughing-the-passer calls as areas that need improvement before the postseason, warning that incorrect flags could determine games.
"We want it to be fair and square. That’s what fans want to see," he said. "Yes, you call it when it’s appropriate, but when it’s not appropriate, you know, it doesn’t need to be called and affects the game in all ways."
NFL FINES THREE HEAD COACHES $250,000 FOR THEIR CONDUCT TOWARD OFFICIALS: REPORT
The NFL already grades officials on every play, according to its Football Operations website. Those evaluations help determine postseason assignments.
Gronkowski also recalled his own frustration with offensive pass interference penalties when defenders collided with him.
"It was just me running and I was just a bigger body. So the guy would bounce off of me, you know, even though he ran into me and then I would get the flag. It just didn’t make any sense," he said.
The Patriots enter Week 8 at 4-3 after a 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears, and have shown signs of regression after reaching the Super Bowl last year.
"Their schedule definitely was pretty, pretty simple last year. They’re playing tougher opponents this year, tougher defenses. I think that has more to play with it," Gronkowski said of the Patriots. "I definitely think the schedule plays a part in it for sure. It really does."
Gronkowski sees a playoff team in New England. He is less convinced he sees a championship team.
"The Patriots, I think, are a pretty solid, you know, football team. And I think they’re going to make the playoffs. They definitely have a chance at winning their division. They just got to pick it up," he said.
"I just don’t see enough right now for them to be a potential, you know, Super Bowl candidate."
NFL REFS HAVE SET ALL-TIME RECORD FOR FLAGS THIS SEASON, AND IT'S CHANGING THE OUTCOME OF GAMES
Gronkowski also pointed offensive injuries and the need for more playmakers. He said New England’s offense had been clicking more consistently last season.
"They’re just having some problems right now, a couple injuries, injuries all across the offensive line. They’re depleted there. So I think the injuries, you know, to the offensive unit is playing a crucial part as well," he said.
"And once they get everyone back and AJ Brown gets fully healthy, I think they can start clicking at a high level then."
Asked what he would bring to the current locker room, Gronkowski emphasized experience and a belief that the team can win regardless of the circumstances.
"I would say just a mentality of bringing it at practice and also having just a winning mentality that, hey, no matter the situation, we’re going to come, we’re going to find a way to win this game," he said.
Gronkowski’s memories of the Patriots include Bill Belichick’s rules for what players could do away from the field — including a ban on burning incense in hotel rooms.
"He said, not even incense are allowed to be burned in your hotel room," Gronkowski recalled, explaining that Belichick wanted to leave no room for interpretation about burning anything.
But the rule that bothered him most involved where veteran players had to sleep during training camp.
"I would just say the most wildest one, though, was having veteran players stay at the hotel, even though their homes are closer to the facility than the hotel throughout training camp," he said.
"That definitely drove a couple of veteran players like myself crazy."
Still, Gronkowski said he understood the reasoning behind Belichick’s strict approach. He credited Belichick and Brady with shaping his habits, calling them "the two biggest leaders of my life."
Brady’s approach to food and preparation, in particular, offered a lesson Gronkowski could carry beyond football.
"He didn’t force it down anyone, but you just watch him. That’s what it’s all about is leading by example," Gronkowski said.
Now, Gronkowski’s own priorities include staying active and managing the physical toll of his playing career.
"If you have your health, you know, you have everything," he said.
He continues to work out and incorporates hot yoga, saunas and float tanks into his routine. He also discussed his partnership with DNA Vibe, whose Jazz Band wearable he credits with helping him manage aches and pains.
"You got to ask someone that truly knows the science behind red light therapy, but, you know, I just like to do it because I’ve tried it, you know, through my own experiences and it works," he said.
DNA Vibe founder and CEO Perry Kamel said the device combines red and infrared light, micro-vibration and magnetic pulses, which the company markets as supporting the body’s natural recovery processes.
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"One of the things that I love about being at DNA Vibe is that the mission of the company is to help every single person live at their peak potential no matter who you are,"
Gronkowski is also promoting a 30‑Day free tryout for the product.
Gronkowski sees a connection between McCarthy and Brady, but it has more to do with their response to adversity than their playing styles.
"They’re totally different quarterbacks, they really really are," he said. "The only similarities is that you’ve got to go through adversity to be great."
Both quarterbacks played in big games for Michigan, and then didn't have the smoothest starts to their NFL careers.
Brady was famously a sixth-round draft pick who had to spend a year climbing the New England depth chart just to reach the backup role at the start of year two. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in 2024, had to work his way back into a starting role after losing his job in Minnesota and getting traded to the Giants.
The Vikings traded McCarthy to the Giants on Sept. 28 for a 2027 fifth-round pick. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 252 yards in his first Giants start, a 27-21 overtime win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Gronkowski said McCarthy had shown he was prepared when another opportunity arrived, drawing a comparison to Brady’s readiness when he moved from backup to starter.
"That’s also very similar as well is when your number is called and you’re ready to go," he said.
He believes McCarthy can help take New York to the postseason.
"I really do think he has what it takes to take the Giants team to the playoffs," Gronkowski said. "He has a resurgence, he has vengeance within his eyes and that’s what I saw."
Gronkowski also defended the attention surrounding NFL players’ celebrity relationships, particularly Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
"I think it boosted it to a whole other level. I think it got more eyeballs on the game. I think it was great for the NFL to expand its broadcasts to expand to its fan base," he said of their relationship.
"Overall I just see that it was very positive and it helped out tremendously because NFL wants to grow. It wants to grow in the US. It wants to grow overseas and it couldn’t have been a better situation with those two."
Asked whether the focus on celebrity couples could annoy fans, Gronkowski rejected the idea that broadcasts have gone too far.
"I think it’s great for visibility and I don’t think it’s overexposed at all. It’s not like they’re sitting down doing interviews with them. They’re just showing their partner cheering for them and that’s just like any other relationship in life," he said.
"Every partner’s cheering for their partner and that’s what life is all about. I think it’s great and it’s not overexposed at all either and it’s just perfect where it’s at."
Gronkowski is also optimistic about the entertainment planned for the NFL’s biggest stage.
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Jay-Z was announced Monday as the Super Bowl LXI halftime performer. The game is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. His company, Roc Nation, has partnered with the NFL on the halftime show since 2019.
Asked about Jay-Z choosing himself for the performance, Gronkowski suggested that would be a reason to expect something special.
"You know, I can tell you this, if Jay Z is in control of picking the halftime show and he picks himself, I can tell you this, expect a hell of a show because I’m not picking myself unless if I know I’m going to bring the heat," he said.
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"So you know, Jay Z has something up his sleeve and it’s going to be popping."
© The New York Times
To say that expectations were high at USC heading into the 2026 college football season would be an understatement.
The Trojans, especially head coach Lincoln Riley, were adamant that this year would be different than the recent disappointments. SC finished 9-3 in 2025, brought in the number one recruiting class in the country, added some talent at key positions in the transfer portal, and returned starting quarterback Jayden Maiava after a strong 2025. They hired former TCU head coach Gary Patterson to run the defense. In theory, the elements had finally come together to return the program to prominence. And they said as much.
"The time is now," the marketing campaign went. Riley gave interviews in the spring, including one to On3, where he said the administration got "serious" about competing at the highest levels of college football.
"USC had to get really serious about being great in the sport again," he explained. " I give the school administration — everybody — credit. They have.
"Taking this over, you knew you had to go fight like hell just to try to get this window opened," Riley said. "And we’re at a point right now where there’s a lot to be excited about and a lot in front of us. It’s been a lot of work for a lot of people, a lot of commitment from a lot of people to get there, and it should be a lot of fun these next few years."
"We came here to win championships," he continued. " A lot of us have been fortunate enough to be a part of a lot of championships. We certainly didn’t come here for anything less. We’ve got to go buckle down and improve and really come together, but there’s the makings of a championship-level football team in that building right now."
Fast-forward to late-October, and they're anything but. After an inexcusable loss to Wisconsin this past weekend, USC is now 6-2 and unranked in the AP Poll. While they had a nice win over Penn State in a hostile "White Out" environment in Happy Valley, the Trojans lost at home to a very mediocre Oregon Ducks team playing a backup quarterback.
The seven points they scored against the Badgers on the road, after a bye week no less, represented the lowest point total of any Lincoln Riley-coached team. With a senior quarterback in his third season in the program and a very highly-paid offensive line. Naturally, the defense wasn't good enough to keep the game close. It never is.
The performance, the record, the mediocrity, the consistent underachievement ... all of it has led to rampant, and growingly serious, speculation that Riley's job is contingent on a strong finish to the season. Perfect timing to host Ohio State and go on the road to face Indiana.
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Part of the speculation is the assumption, or the observation, that Riley doesn't seem fully connected to the USC program. That he's ready to move on as much as the SC fanbase is ready to move on from him.
He addressed those questions and opinions at a news conference this week, saying that he's fully committed to staying in LA and that SC is where he belongs.
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"Listen, if I didn't want to be at this place, I wouldn't have come here in the first place. I've had plenty of opportunities to leave," Riley explained Tuesday afternoon. "This is where I want to be. This is the right place for me. I'm the right person to be here. And that's as honest and transparent as I can be with you guys.
"I love it here. I mean like I told you guys a lot of times — there's not many people in college football history that gave up what I gave up to come here," Riley said. "I don't care if it's 15 years down the line, that never should be taken lightly. It's certainly not taken lightly by me. I came here because I believe in this place and none of that has changed whatsoever."
That's an interesting way to put it, because it's not exactly clear what Riley "gave up" to come to SC. He got a huge raise in salary. He locked in a massive buyout, ensuring generational wealth no matter how well he coached. He went from living in Norman, Oklahoma, to a palatial $35 million mansion on top of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, acquired for him by USC. What was the big sacrifice he made? Theoretically losing favor with Oklahoma fans, but uh, you know, $100+ million can make up for some mean comments by anonymous message board accounts.
Riley said that he has a great relationship with USC's Athletic Director Jen Cohen, and said she's been a "huge part of the progress that we've made."
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Though again, it's not clear what progress he's referring to. USC went 11-1 in the regular season in his first year in LA, thanks in large part to Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. They haven't won 10 games since, and have to win while playing three top-10 teams to do so in 2026.
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As for his demeanor, which can sometimes give off the impression he doesn't care, Riley addressed that too.
"When you're a head coach of a blue-blood school, you have to be ready to weather the storms, the overly positive or the overly negative," he said. "Typically, what I've learned from doing this for a few years, I haven't learned it all, but the truth typically lies somewhere in the middle. And that's typically where it's at even if you know that it's going to sensationalize. And so my job is to stay steady."
Well, that's all true. And all well and good. But when your team comes out lifeless for road game after road game, loses games it should win to programs like Minnesota, Maryland and Wisconsin, and struggles against Oregon or Notre Dame, it's reasonable to question. Watching what Curt Cignetti has done at Indiana, or even Bob Chesney in his first year at UCLA, it's easy to see why there's such disappointment in Riley's work at SC. There's little toughness, discipline, or consistency on the roster. And always another special teams mistake.
Riley might be committed to USC, but that's a two-way street. And Saturday's game, Ohio State playing with potentially a true freshman backup quarterback on the road, might be enough to end the Trojans' commitment to him. Baylor anyone?
There is a reason that Megan Rapinoe only does interviews with people she knows won't challenge her. It's the only way the former soccer star won't end up red-faced or storming off in a fit of rage.
Her answers leave her too vulnerable. Her comments sit on the summit of Mindless Mountain.
Her recent sit-down with comedian W. Kamau Bell proved as much.
Among the topics the pair discussed was trans people in women's sports, which Rapinoe has been a staunch advocate for.
Here's how it started.
Bell: "There's a lot of talk about how damaging trans women are to sports, so I give you credit for not being afraid to stand with trans people of all types, but also trans women in sports."
Rapinoe: "I am appalled, I think at just, like, the lack of basic humanity and empathy that people are showing and just the amount of fear and hate, and I just think the silence of athletes is a lot."
Basic humanity and empathy? Fear and hate? One could just as easily argue — or better yet, more convincingly argue — that she lacks empathy toward the women and girls who are losing competitions or sharing locker rooms with biological males. Last week, I saw a girl forfeit her cross country season because she chose not to race against a boy. She wasn't giddy about this. She broke down in tears while hugging her mother. Does Rapinoe feel empathy for her?
As for athletes being silent? Megan might want to take that as a sign. It's probably not that they're afraid to stand with her on this issue — it's that they likely disagree with her, as do most Americans. And unlike Rapinoe, who can't lose a spot to a male, these athletes are still active and under that threat.
The interview continued.
Bell: "Why aren't you afraid of trans women in sports? Because that's the big fear is that it's like, suddenly it's LeBron James with a wig on, blah blah blah."
Rapinoe: "Yeah, and that example isn't happening, and I don't think it's ever going to happen. I think there's a lot that trans people have to go through. If you're a trans person in sports to even play, it's like you couldn't just say, one day, 'I'm a woman' and go play. That's not how it works."
Excuse me, but ... HAHAHA. That is exactly what happened with the high school cross country runner in Camas, Washington. He started the year on the boys team, finishing 76th in a junior varsity race. Then he switched to the girls team, where he's won one varsity race and finished second in three others. And not that it should matter, but he hasn't seemed to do anything to try and present himself as a girl. Not even a name change. So, yeah, Megan — it's happening.
Rapinoe continued with the pièce de résistance: "And for me, one of the biggest things is God forbid somebody be good at sports and have some sort of advantage — and, by the way, sports is not fair in any sort of way ever. Right?"
Bell (clapping his hands): "Yeah, it's not meant to be fair."
Rapinoe: "Yeah, what's fair?"
Bell: "I always point to [the 7-foot-4 Spurs center] Victor Wembanyama. Is that fair?"
DAD BANNED FROM SCHOOL GROUNDS AFTER PROTESTING TRANS RUNNER COMPETING AGAINST HIS DAUGHTER
Rapinoe: "What does that mean, even? It's already not fair, and also, just like, it isn't the most important thing in the world over someone's human rights or getting to play or being cruel to people. I don't know. I've won everything at every level, and played, you know in sort of every competition, and I'm just kind of like, I'm the one who could speak to it. Like, I'm okay if God forbid a trans person play sports and they're halfway decent at it."
Yes, Rapinoe has won at everything at every level and played in every sort of competition. But do you know what one of those competitions was? Her U.S. National team playing a group of 15-year-old boys from Dallas and losing 5-2. So, in that sense, she is uniquely qualified to speak to boys playing in girls sports. She knows they'll kick girls' behinds.
But even more asinine is the notion that sports aren't meant to be fair — along with Bell's attempt to equate Wembanyama's natural advantages with those of a transgender athlete.
If sports weren't meant to be fair, there wouldn't be rules or referees. There wouldn't be punishments for performing enhancing drug use, weight classes in boxing or age limits in Little League. There is always going to be someone who's the best — whether it be Usain Bolt, Michael Jordan or Michael Phelps. But exhibiting athletic supremacy isn't unfair. Allowing men in women's sports, on the other hand, defies the very reason we separate the sexes. Simply put: If there was no separation, women's sports wouldn't exist.
Personally, I don't think Rapinoe actually believes what she's saying. She saw firsthand what those 15-year-olds did to the best women's international soccer team in the world.
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She's pandering to a woke crowd and refuses to be challenged. The woman famous for kneeling only accepts interviewers who bend their knee to her.
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Attend a Gotham FC game, and you can expect to see Olympic gold medalists like Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnet, and Tierna Davidson in the spotlight.
What you may not expect is children taking over the pitch by 10 pm after each game.
"It's kind of like a Gotham daycare on the field," said the club's lead owner and governor, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, whose three kids are part of the crowd.
Under Blodgett's leadership, the club has become the reigning champion of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and one of the hottest brands in the rising tide of women's sports.
Bringing family to work is a key part of the brand's success, she said at Business Insider's "The Long Play" event on Thursday.
Blodgett is also the CEO and founder of Next 3 Ventures, a New York-based investment firm focused on sports, tech, and media. She is a member of the NWSL board and serves as chair of the executive committee.
Integrating work and family can help working parents "show up as their full selves," she told Deputy Editor Nathan McAlone.
That's why her husband and three children show up to all the big games — she said her six-year-old is obsessed with the team's goalie, and ran onto the field to celebrate when the team won the NSWL championship last year.
"You need to walk the walk. If I showed up to every game and pretended that my kids didn't exist, and no children were around, I think players might not feel as comfortable," she said.
The end goal is not only to build a winning team but to shape a brand that fans can connect with, increasing attendance, engagement, and ultimately, revenue.
Blodgett, formerly the global head of marketing at Peloton, said she takes a page straight from the Peloton playbook by focusing on players' personalities to cultivate fan loyalty.
"So much of people's relationship through their favorite sports team is through the players," she said.
For instance, one of the biggest stars in women's soccer, Alex Morgan — Olympian, World Cup Champ, and a mom — has more than 9 million Instagram followers. The San Diego Wave, her most recent club before retiring in 2025, has fewer than 1 million followers.
Morgan has also been outspoken about the challenges of being a working parent, advocating for more systemic support for athletes who become moms.
Balancing a career with parenthood isn't only a problem for athletes — it's also increasingly a point of friction for women in leadership roles across industries, including finance and tech.
But athletes can face specific challenges, such as navigating long seasons of travel and training at sports facilities that haven't historically offered childcare benefits.
Blodgett's bet is that everyone wins, from the players to brand leadership, if you build a culture of normalizing parenthood at work.
In July, the Gotham FC made history by playing before a sold-out Citi Field crowd of more than 40,000, a record-high attendance for a women's sporting event in New York City.
For Blodgett, business (and sports) has long been a family affair: her family has helped run the NY Giants since 1991. For most of that time, the vast majority of investment has gone toward male athletes, she said.
Her hope is to eventually bridge the gap until enthusiasm for women's sports becomes so pervasive that it won't be interesting to talk about.
"I think you'll have less panels like this saying, 'wow, let's talk about the future of women's sports' because women's sports will just be another chapter in all of sports," Blodgett said.
Pakistan secured a convincing four-wicket victory over India in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament after chasing down a target of 89 runs in just 3.5 overs.
India set Pakistan a target of 89 runs, but the national side made light work of the chase, reaching the required total after losing just two wickets.
Khawaja Nafay led Pakistan’s batting performance with an explosive 41 runs off just 12 balls. Abbas Afridi also played a sensational innings, scoring 35 runs from only eight deliveries.
Pakistan’s powerful batting display ensured a comfortable victory over their arch-rivals in the tournament.
The post Pakistan thrash India by four wickets in Hong Kong Sixes appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
The Green Bay Packers opened Week 8 with a crucial win, keeping pace in a tightly contested NFC North race.
Jordan Love threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns as Green Bay defeated the Carolina Panthers 27-19 at Lambeau Field Thursday night.
Bryce Young was sacked six times and threw an interception as Carolina lost its second straight game. Despite the setback, the Panthers remain atop the NFC South and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker after defeating division rival Atlanta in Week 2.
Packers wide receiver Christian Watson got taken to the hospital after injuring his chest in the second quarter, only to return to the game in the second half.
Watson’s injury occurred as he made a 53-yard catch, with Panthers cornerback Will Lee also getting hurt on the play while making a diving stop. Lee was carted into the locker room with a hamstring injury and didn’t return to the game.
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After getting sent to the hospital for examination, Watson returned to Lambeau Field and received a huge ovation as he headed back to the field after the Packers had extended their lead to 27-10 in the third quarter. Watson returned to the game later in the third, after Ryan Fitzgerald’s 50-yard field goal made it 27-13.
Less than 24 hours after the Milwaukee Brewers captured the franchise’s first World Series title, the team’s celebration continued roughly 120 miles north at Lambeau Field.
Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff brought the Commissioner’s Trophy onto the field Thursday night at the end of the first quarter. Teammates Christian Yelich and Sal Frelick also joined the celebration.
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Watson had six catches for 100 yards before leaving the game.
The Packers will face New England on Nov. 8, while the Panthers will host the Denver Broncos in Charlotte in Week 9.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Seemingly every other game in the NFL these days, there's a scary injury that requires transportation and tests at the hospital. Just in the past few weeks, Jalen Hurts' blood clots and Terry McLaurin's awful leg injury were major stories around the league.
During Thursday night's game, that injury went to Green Bay Packers star wide receiver Christian Watson. On a play that also hurt a defensive back.
Watson was in the middle of a huge night against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field, racking up six catches for 100 receiving yards in the first half. His big play came when he brought in a 53-yard catch on a deep ball from Jordan Love about midway through the second quarter, setting the Packers up in great field position as they drove down for another score.
But he hit the ground hard while colliding with Panthers cornerback Will Lee III, and was slow to get up. Lee himself also had to be helped to his feet thanks to a hamstring injury, eventually needing the cart to leave the field.
TERRY MCLAURIN CARTED OFF, MIKE EVANS HURT AS 49ERS HOLD OFF COMMANDERS 23-17 ON BRUTAL MNF
But Watson's injury, at first glance, seemed more serious. The 27-year-old was transported in an ambulance to a hospital near Lambeau Field, undergoing precautionary checks for a chest injury, while Lee was deemed doubtful to return to the game himself. But that's where the story gets crazier, and so much better.
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Not long after leaving for the hospital, Watson, miraculously, returned to Lambeau Field. Quite literally driven back to the stadium in the ambulance, cameras caught him running out of the tunnel back in full pads to, unsurprisingly, a raucous reception from the home crowd.
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Seems like Watson either never got out of pads while going to the hospital, going through medical tests while in full uniform, or did an extremely fast quick change. Then he was driven back to the stadium in an ambulance, running directly from the tunnel out to the field. Less than an hour after sustaining what looked to be a scary, and painful, injury.
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And sure enough, Watson returned to the game not long afterward. Even pulling in another reception, as Love found him for a six-yard completion in Carolina territory right at the start of the fourth quarter. Incredible.
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That drive wound up in a Love interception, but the Packers still took a 27-13 lead into the middle part of the fourth quarter. And they have their star wide receiver back, somehow, after a brief detour to a local hospital. Not that most fans doubt NFL players are tough, but absolutely nobody will be questioning Christian Watson's toughness and commitment to his team anytime soon.
Less than 24 hours after the Milwaukee Brewers captured the franchise’s first World Series title, the team’s celebration continued roughly 120 miles north at Lambeau Field.
Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff brought the Commissioner’s Trophy onto the field Thursday night at the end of the first quarter of the Green Bay Packers’ game against the Carolina Panthers. Teammates Christian Yelich and Sal Frelick also joined the celebration.
Frelick embraced the moment by attempting a Lambeau Leap of his own, drawing a warm reaction from the Packers faithful.
Milwaukee could come to a standstill Friday, with thousands of fans expected to line the streets for a victory parade celebrating the Brewers’ long-awaited championship.
Wisconsin’s largest school district, Milwaukee Public Schools, announced it would close Friday, citing operational and safety concerns. However, the closure will also give faculty and students the opportunity to enjoy the parade.
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The parade route will run through downtown Milwaukee before ending with a fan fest at Henry Maier Festival Park.
The Packers are likely hoping to build on the Brewers’ success, despite not having won or reached a Super Bowl since the 2010 season.
The Brewers’ Game 5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays to clinch the World Series title and the Bucks' 2021 NBA Finals victory means the Packers now own the longest championship drought among Wisconsin’s major men’s professional sports teams.
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Green Bay entered Thursday night’s game coming off a Week 7 loss to the Detroit Lions. The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 first-quarter lead. The Packers responded by taking a 20-10 halftime lead and extending the advantage to 27-10 in the third quarter.
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Alex Rodriguez says baseball taught him the value of failure.
Speaking on Friday's episode of "The Sebastian Maniscalco Show," Rodriguez said his professional baseball career shaped his approach to managing his business, A-Rod Corp.
"I think the greatest thing that I've learned from sports is to develop thick skin, because baseball specifically is a major sport of failure," Rodriguez said.
The former baseball player said he ranks fifth all-time in strikeouts in the history of the game.
"That means only four people in the history of mankind have failed more than me, right?" Rodriguez said. "I often tell my girls I have a Ph.D. in failing, but I also have a master's in getting back up."
He said the key is to keep coming back and trying again. No matter how many missed hits or strikeouts came before, each new at-bat is a fresh chance, he said.
"That's a real gift, and I think that this generation of young kids lacks that a little bit," Rodriguez said.
He also said success requires a strong work ethic, a team with complementary skills, and the ability to work together toward a shared goal.
Rodriguez then referenced a quote that resonated with him. "Great players often don't win championships. The best teams do, even though they may not have the most talent," he said.
"I'm a big believer in that," he added.
Rodriguez is not alone in seeing setbacks as part of the path to success.
Professional field hockey player Boris Burkhardt told Business Insider in July 2025 that sports made him comfortable with losing, a lesson he has carried over into building his businesses.
"When you lose a deal or you didn't manage to close the deal, then you dive into it — where did it go wrong?" Burkhardt said. "Failure is something you should embrace when you play sports or when you're building a business to get better."
Conan O'Brien has similarly said that his long career has depended on treating setbacks as a way to reset and look ahead.
"It keeps happening over and over and over again, and then it's just learning to roll with it and say, OK, what's my next opportunity? Reset, recommit, and look for the next opportunity," O'Brien said in a March podcast appearance.
Auf den ersten Blick hat diese Geschichte weder mit Deutschland noch mit Europa besonders viel zu tun. Am 31. Oktober beginnen in Dakar die Olympischen Jugendspiele, zum ersten Mal überhaupt findet damit eine olympische Veranstaltung auf afrikanischem Boden statt. Doch tatsächlich zeigt gerade Dakar ein weiteres Feld der europäischen Konfrontation mit Russland – eines, das mit Sport im eigentlichen Sinne und mit den viel beschworenen Prinzipien des „Fair Play“ inzwischen nur noch wenig zu tun hat.
Russland wird im Senegal mit lediglich 13 jungen Athleten vertreten sein. Immerhin dürfen sie wieder unter der eigenen Flagge antreten, und bei einem Sieg soll auch die russische Hymne erklingen. Nach Jahren der Verbote, neutralen Uniformen und absurden Konstruktionen, bei denen ein Sportler zwar Russe sein durfte, Russland aber möglichst nicht erwähnt werden sollte, sieht das zunächst wie eine Rückkehr zur Normalität aus.
Ist es aber nicht.
Denn diese Rückkehr erfolgt nur teilweise. Der Internationale Olympische Ausschuss hat seine bisherigen Empfehlungen gegenüber russischen Athleten inzwischen weitgehend aufgehoben. Verbindlich sind diese Entscheidungen für die internationalen Sportverbände jedoch nicht. Deshalb entsteht eine ausgesprochen merkwürdige Situation: In einer Sportart treten Russen wieder mit Flagge und Hymne an, in einer anderen bleiben sie „neutral“, in einer dritten dürfen sie weiterhin überhaupt nicht starten.
Mit sportlicher Leistung hat das alles nichts zu tun.
Ein junger Schwimmer, Judoka oder Radfahrer wird damit nicht danach beurteilt, wie schnell er schwimmt, wie gut er kämpft oder wie stark er fährt, sondern danach, welchen politischen Kurs die jeweilige internationale Föderation für richtig hält.
Das nennt sich dann gerne Autonomie des Sports. In Wirklichkeit ist es die institutionalisierte Politisierung des Sports.
Besonders deutlich wird der Widerspruch beim Vergleich mit Israel. Seit Jahren werden russische Sportler für einen Krieg sanktioniert, den sie weder begonnen haben noch beeinflussen können. Israelische Athleten dagegen treten trotz des Krieges im Gazastreifen weiterhin ganz selbstverständlich mit Nationalflagge, Hymne und Mannschaftsbezeichnung auf.
Der IOC erklärt diesen Unterschied formal damit, dass das israelische und das palästinensische Nationale Olympische Komitee die Olympische Charta einhalten. Gleichzeitig betont dieselbe Organisation inzwischen wieder ausdrücklich, dass Athleten grundsätzlich nicht für die Handlungen ihrer Regierungen verantwortlich gemacht werden dürften.
Eine ausgezeichnete Erkenntnis. Nur hätte man sie vielleicht auch schon 2022 auf russische Sportler anwenden können.
Genau darin liegt das eigentliche Problem. Nicht darin, dass israelische Athleten teilnehmen dürfen – selbstverständlich sollen sie teilnehmen. Sondern darin, dass für Russen jahrelang völlig andere Maßstäbe galten.
Entweder trägt ein Athlet Verantwortung für die Politik seines Staates – dann müsste diese Regel für alle gelten. Oder er trägt sie nicht – dann hätte man russische Schwimmer, Turner, Fechter und Jugendliche niemals kollektiv bestrafen dürfen. Eine dritte Variante gibt es eigentlich nicht. Es sei denn, die Regeln werden abhängig davon angewendet, welches Land gerade politisch bestraft werden soll. Und genau danach sieht es aus.
Der Ausschluss Russlands aus weiten Teilen des internationalen Sports war von Anfang an weniger ein sportliches Instrument als eine Form politischer Sanktion. Er sollte Russland isolieren, aus internationalen Strukturen verdrängen und zugleich demonstrieren, dass ein Land, das sich dem westlichen politischen Konsens widersetzt, selbst in Bereichen bestraft werden kann, die mit Außenpolitik überhaupt nichts zu tun haben.
Dass dabei ausgerechnet junge Sportler getroffen wurden, machte die Angelegenheit nur noch grotesker.
Gerade die Jugendspiele in Dakar zeigen nun, wie widersprüchlich das System geworden ist. Einerseits erklärt der IOC plötzlich, insbesondere junge Athleten dürften nicht für Entscheidungen ihrer Regierungen verantwortlich gemacht werden. Andererseits bleiben die Folgen der früheren politischen Entscheidungen bestehen, weil einzelne Verbände weiterhin eigene Restriktionen anwenden können.
So entsteht keine Rückkehr zum Sport, sondern ein Flickenteppich politischer Loyalitätsprüfungen.
Dazu kommt die besondere Behandlung russischer Athleten im Anti-Doping-System. Wer nach längerer Abwesenheit wieder in internationale Wettbewerbe zurückkehrt, muss mehrfach getestet worden sein, russische Anti-Doping-Programme werden zusätzlich international überwacht, und einzelne Verbände können weitere Anforderungen festlegen.
Formal lässt sich das alles mit der Vorgeschichte des russischen Dopingsystems begründen. Praktisch entsteht aber erneut eine zusätzliche Hürde, die ausschließlich eine bestimmte Nationalität betrifft. Auch hier lautet das Problem nicht, dass kontrolliert wird. Dopingkontrollen sind notwendig. Die Frage ist vielmehr, wann Kontrolle aufhört, allgemeine sportliche Regel zu sein, und wann sie zum zusätzlichen politischen Zulassungsinstrument wird.
Parallel dazu verkauft der IOC Dakar 2026 als großes historisches Projekt: die ersten Olympischen Spiele auf afrikanischem Boden, ein Fest der Jugend, Afrikas und der internationalen Verständigung. Schöne Worte.
Die finanziellen und infrastrukturellen Risiken trägt allerdings vor allem Senegal. Sportstätten müssen modernisiert, Infrastruktur geschaffen, Sicherheits- und Organisationskosten übernommen werden. Der IOC erhält dagegen genau das, was eine Organisation seiner Art am dringendsten benötigt: neue Märkte, neue Bilder und den enormen symbolischen Gewinn, erstmals die olympischen Ringe auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent präsentieren zu können.
Auch das gehört inzwischen zum modernen Olympismus: Risiken werden lokalisiert, der internationale Reputationsgewinn wird globalisiert.
Und gleichzeitig spricht man weiter von Frieden, Völkerverständigung und politischer Neutralität. Vielleicht liegt gerade darin die größte Ironie. Der Sport sollte eigentlich einer der letzten Räume sein, in denen ein Mensch nicht als Bürger eines „richtigen“ oder „falschen“ Staates betrachtet wird, sondern schlicht als Athlet. Genau deshalb existiert überhaupt die Idee des Fair Play.
Doch im Verhältnis zu Russland wurde dieser Grundsatz jahrelang außer Kraft gesetzt. Nicht weil dadurch ein Krieg beendet worden wäre. Nicht weil ein russischer Judoka Einfluss auf Entscheidungen im Kreml hätte. Nicht weil ein 17-jähriger Schwimmer die russische Außenpolitik bestimmen könnte. Sondern weil Russland bestraft werden sollte.
Und besonders in Europa wurde diese Bestrafung längst zu einem politischen Selbstzweck. Russland muss ausgeschlossen, isoliert und sanktioniert werden – selbst dort, wo der Zusammenhang zwischen Sanktion und angeblichem Ziel vollkommen verschwunden ist.
Wenn dieselben Prinzipien bei anderen Kriegen plötzlich nicht mehr gelten, bleibt am Ende nur eine Erklärung übrig: Es geht nicht um universelle Regeln. Es geht darum, gegen wen sie angewendet werden.
Spätestens dort endet Fair Play und beginnt Politik. Oder, präziser gesagt: blanke Russophobie im Sportdress.
El Barça no tiene término medio desde la llegada de Hansi Flick en 2024. A una serie de 11 victorias consecutivas, nueve de Liga —una cifra récord— y dos en la Champions desde que se inició la temporada, han seguido dos derrotas, una en cada torneo, en la Copa de Europa en París y en el Camp Nou frente al Madrid. Los azulgrana tienen alergia al empate si se tiene en cuenta que solo contabilizan 10 en 130 partidos, siete en el ejercicio 2024-2025 y tres en el 2025-2026, una circunstancia a valorar porque perdió contra el PSG por 4-2 después de igualar el partido (2-2) en el minuto 80 y cedió por 1-2 ante el equipo de Mourinho con un segundo gol de Mbappe al contrataque en el minuto 86 cuando el marcador era de 1-1.
© David Ramos (Getty Images)
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