Tsuni the baby elephant made a splash at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium – and she certainly didn’t act like she was 900 pounds as she played in her bubble bath.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers were awarded marketing rights to Ireland and Northern Ireland this week as part of the NFL’s International Home Marketing Areas initiative; the Steelers have a long-term relationship with Ireland courtesy of the Rooney family.
Last Updated: 25/05/23 10:23pm
The Pittsburgh Steelers made a welcome return to Croke Park. Pictured is Steelers director of business development & strategy Daniel Rooney
The Pittsburgh Steelers have long-term plans to play a regular season NFL game in Ireland, the team said Thursday during a visit to celebrate its long-standing ties with the Emerald Isle.
The Steelers touched down in Dublin days after the NFL awarded the team marketing rights for Ireland and Northern Ireland, all part of the league’s push to expand its audience internationally.
“Our aspirations long term are to play a game in Ireland,” said Daniel Rooney, the team’s director of business development and strategy. “As we move through the process, we’ll be evaluating all options.”
Ireland has never hosted a regular season NFL game, but the Steelers beat the Chicago Bears 30-17 in a preseason matchup at Croke Park in 1997.
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Croke Park, home of the Gaelic Athletic Association, holds 82,300 and would almost certainly be the site of any future Steelers game.
GAA president Larry McCarthy joined Rooney at a news conference at Croke Park and said the organisation is “delighted to be associated with [the Rooneys] and such a famous name and brand in the Steelers.”
Brett Gosper, NFL head of UK and Europe, was also on hand and called the Steelers and Ireland a “perfect fit.”
“There are so many connections, obviously the family’s heritage [and] the Steelers organising that first and only game – so far – in Ireland,” he said.
The late Daniel M. Rooney was U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009-12.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, who play in London every year, were also awarded marketing rights to Ireland.
The programme was designed to help individual teams build their brands abroad through commercial activity and fan engagement similar to what they do in their home markets. Rights are granted by the league for at least a five-year term.
A student opened fire in front of his school in Pittsburgh on Wednesday morning and killed another student, police said. The suspected shooter was taken into custody after a police officer responding to the shooting at Oliver Citywide Academy saw him running away with a gun, a police official told reporters.
Police Commander Richard Ford didn’t identify the victim or the suspect, but he said both were male juveniles who attended the school.
“There’s no potential threats to the other schools,” Ford said during a press conference.
Officers found the victim in front of the school and rendered aid, Ford said. The student was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
The shooting happened by the steps leading into the school just before 7:30 a.m., Ford said. The school normally opens around 7:45 a.m.
“Some of the teachers were inside; they heard the shots,” Ford said.
Police were investigating what led to the shooting, Ford said. A weapon was recovered, and Ford said he believed it was a 9 mm.
The school is described on its website as a “full-time special education center” with students in grades 3-12.
Last year, a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed outside the school.
“It’s very frustrating,” Ford told reporters Wednesday. “We worked really, really hard. We’ve worked with the schools. We continue to work with the schools, and we’re going to continue to do that. Obviously, any type of violence, any time there’s loss of life, it’s a tragic situation, but, you know, I am very relieved to know that there’s no more danger to the public.”
Wednesday’s shooting happened as Uvalde, Texas, marked one year since 19 children and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.
San Francisco Bay Area to host Super Bowl for third time after being confirmed as venue for 2026; Levi’s Stadium to stage Super Bowl LX; game also played in Bay Area in 1985 and 2016
Last Updated: 22/05/23 11:30pm
Super Bowl 50 was held at Levi’s Stadium in 2016, with the event to return to the venue in 2026
Super Bowl LX will head to the San Francisco Bay Area with Levi’s Stadium confirmed as the host venue in 2026.
The stadium, home of the San Franciso 49ers, last held the showpiece match in 2016 when Denver Broncos beat Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.
The Bay Area will stage its third Super Bowl, with the game also taking place at Stanford Stadium in 1985.
On that occasion, the 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement on Monday: “The Bay Area was an incredible host for Super Bowl 50, and we are thrilled to bring the Super Bowl back.
“We look forward to working with the 49ers and the Bay Area Host Committee to create an impactful Super Bowl LX in 2026 that showcases all the great things the region has to offer.”
49ers president Al Guido said: “We are honored to host the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium once again, and to be stewards of one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
“Since hosting Super Bowl 50 in 2016, Levi’s Stadium has cemented its reputation as a world-class venue. I’m confident Super Bowl LX will be a terrific event that benefits the entire community.”
Super Bowl LVIII will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 11 2024, with the Ceasars Superdome in New Orleans to stage Super Bowl LIX on February 9 2025.
JJ Watt: “I believe in what [chairman] Alan (Pace) is doing at Burnley and what Vincent (Kompany) is building. It’s just a matter of coming in at the right time. We really enjoyed our time in Burnley and we’re looking forward to coming back”
Last Updated: 01/05/23 6:55pm
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Former NFL star JJ Watt and wife and soccer player Kealia Watt spoke of what they hope to achieve at Burnley after announcing their investment into the club
Former NFL star JJ Watt and wife and soccer player Kealia Watt spoke of what they hope to achieve at Burnley after announcing their investment into the club
Former NFL star JJ Watt and his wife Kealia Watt, a former USA international, have announced their investment in Burnley Football Club.
JJ is a three-time defensive player of the year winner. The 34-year-old retired from the game at the end of the 2022 season after 12 seasons with the Houston Texans (2011-20 and Arizona Cardinals (2021-22).
Kealia enjoyed a successful club career with Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars, representing the US national team on three occasions in 2016. She retains the record for scoring the fastest goal of any debutant for the women’s national team, netting 48 seconds into her international debut.
Three-time NFL defensive player of the year JJ Watt retired from the sport at the end of the 2022 season
The couple have always had an interest in English football, with JJ having been a fan of Chelsea and Kealia of Arsenal, she told Sky Sports News, but their loyalties lie firmly with Burnley now after announcing their investment into the club.
“We went to Burnley, visited the town and we just fell in love,” Kealia said. “It’s such an incredible place.
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Burnley’s celebrations begin after their victory against Blackburn to seal the Championship title!
Burnley’s celebrations begin after their victory against Blackburn to seal the Championship title!
“What Vincent (Kompany) has done with this team is unbelievable. We cannot wait to watch this [next] season.
“We’re so excited. It’s going to be so cool – we’ll be there on opening day. We’re counting down the days, we cannot wait.”
JJ added: “It’s all about the opportunity to have an impact in the club.
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Burnley manager Vincent Kompany says there is no better way to win after beating their biggest rivals Blackburn to secure the Championship title
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany says there is no better way to win after beating their biggest rivals Blackburn to secure the Championship title
“Chelsea is obviously an unbelievable club and they’ve built something incredible there, but I believe in what [chairman] Alan (Pace) is doing at Burnley and what Vincent is building.
“It’s just a matter of coming in at the right time. We really enjoyed our time in Burnley and we’re looking forward to coming back.”
The Watts spent time at the club and within the local community earlier in the season, when they attended the Clarets’ 3-0 victory over Wigan at Turf Moor. They are also due to be in attendance for Burnley’s final home fixture of the season against Cardiff City on Monday, May 8.
The pair also spoke of how following Wrexham’s story since the club’s takeover by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney proved to be an inspiration.
Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds celebrate with the National League trophy after their promotion to the fourth tier
Kealia said: “We watched the documentary a few months ago and it was so cool to see what they’ve done.
“That’s kind of what we’re modelling this after. They’re just incredible and Wrexham are such a fun team – we’ve followed that and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do here.”
JJ added: “I’ve spoken to Rob about his experience and I’ve tried to gain some insight into what he’s done, and I’ve spoke to Ryan too to try to get his ideas on what has worked and what hasn’t.
“Obviously they’re in a different league and a different situation, with what Wrexham are doing, but they’ve done an incredible job.
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Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has made an ambitious bid to get Gareth Bale out of retirement and sign for his team
Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has made an ambitious bid to get Gareth Bale out of retirement and sign for his team
“Our goal is to come in and get involved with the community. With the [Burnley] supporters, we want to earn their trust, we understand that we can’t come in and expect them to trust us right away.
“And then we want to help tell their story to America and beyond. We want people to know about the Clarets.”
Alan Pace, Burnley chairman, said of the Watts’ investment in a statement: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome JJ and Kealia into the Clarets family.
“This is a conversation that has been happening for some time and over the course of this season we’ve been hugely impressed by their passion and interest in both the club and the Burnley community. I am very much looking forward to working with them.”
Multiple Norfolk Southern train cars have derailed in the Pittsburgh area, KDKA has reported. Dispatch told KDKA that the five empty cars derailed by West Carson and Telford streets near Brunot Island just after 12:30 p.m. local time.
No injuries or hazards have been reported, but this is the third derailment in two months for the beleaguered railroad company. In March, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Alabama hours before the CEO testified to Congress, as the company faced increasing scrutiny on its safety practices. Thirty train cars derailed in the White Plains, Alabama, area at around 6:45 a.m. local time, the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency said on its Facebook page.
In early February, a train derailment in East Palenstine, Ohio, led to the evacuation of half of the 5,000 residents when responders intentionally burned toxic chemicals in some of the derailed cars to prevent an uncontrolled explosion.
Government officials say tests haven’t found dangerous levels of chemicals in the air or water in the area, but many residents remain concerned about their long-term health.
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the railroad company over the environmental damage caused by the derailment. The state of Ohio filed a lawsuit to ensure Norfolk Southern pays for the cleanup and environmental damage.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw has repeatedly apologized for the impact of the derailment and the company has pledged to pay for the cleanup. The railroad has promised more than $20 million to help the Ohio community recover while also announcing several voluntary safety upgrades.
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WEXFORD, Pa. (AP) — By the time the doors open at 4:30 p.m., a boisterous line of 50 hungry people is looping around the gymnasium foyer at Blessed Francis Seelos Academy. Their objective: to occupy tables on the basketball court and, for the parish’s first time since the pandemic descended in 2020, sit down for an old-fashioned Lenten fish fry.
Many patrons are members of the flock — St. Aidan Catholic Parish north of Pittsburgh — and greet each other as longtime friends. But these days, newcomers figure in the mix, too. And some arrive in a way that unites two rich seams of western Pennsylvania culture — tradition and innovation.
The fish fry, a long-established Friday staple during Lent, is roaring back from COVID with an assist from something decidedly newfangled: an interactive map built by local volunteer coders that points the way to scores of churches, fire halls and other places that offer battered and breaded seafood for the taking. In the process, the new Pittsburgh is helping point the way to the old.
“I like to think that this project helps people get excited about these very old cultural and culinary traditions,” says Hollen Barmer, a Tennessee transplant who came to Pittsburgh two decades ago and started the map in 2012 for her fish-fry-loving self.
“Fish fries,” Barmer likes to say, “are an adventure.”
TWO PARTS OF PITTSBURGH
At this moment in its history, Pittsburgh is working to blend its fabled industrial yesterdays with a 21st-century economy based increasingly on services and innovation — something the map project reflects.
“Allowing people to interact with something traditional through technology, it adds an element to it that appeals to a different group of people,” says Ellie Newman, a member and the former leader of the nonprofit Code for Pittsburgh, which works with Barmer to operate the map.
During Lent, thousands of western Pennsylvanians — Catholic and non-Catholic alike — stream into Friday afternoon fish fries. Some pick up for takeout. Some chow down right there — fish and shrimp, fries and cole slaw and mac and cheese, sometimes pierogies or a local noodle-and-cabbage delicacy called haluski.
Western Pennsylvania loves the past, but the fish fry itself is steered by some very modern forces.
Long a tradition in American cities with Catholic communities, particularly around the Great Lakes, fish fries surged in popularity after the Second Vatican Council essentially told the faithful in 1966 that the practice of not eating meat on Fridays was optional — except during Lent, the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter. That made February to April a concentrated period of fish consumption.
Then came the steel industry’s foundering in the 1970s and 1980s. That upended the region, stole elements of civic pride and whipped up a fervor for traditions that shouted, loudly, “Pittsburgh!”
“There was a sense of destabilization — of `Who are we?′ And people tended to center around things that symbolized the community,” says Leslie Przybylek, senior curator at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.
Food touchstones like fish fries, pierogies and the “ cookie table ” — a western Pennsylvania wedding staple — became signifiers of identity. At the same time, technological advances in frozen food and the growth of fast food were making fish more accessible. The longtime presence of powerhouse regional fish distributor Robert Wholey & Co. also honed local tastes.
“People in Pennsylvania are used to good fish,” says Bill Yanicko, a funeral director in suburban West Deer Township who runs the community fish fry at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish. “They really don’t want to see a cookie-cutter triangle fish.”
Overlay all that with a robust interactive map (and pent-up pandemic energy) and you have a potent mix that helps people in western Pennsylvania overcome the geographic hesitations of the region’s hills and valleys, and go out searching for fish.
“Putting it in a digital frame and encouraging people to engage with it, it adds a level of vocabulary to it that makes a difference,” says Przybylek, who favors the fry at the Swissvale Fire Department, just outside the city. “Different generations engage in stories in different ways. It literally takes a food tradition and puts it into a platform that speaks to them on a different level.”
MAPPING DELICIOUSNESS
Today, while churches remain a mainstay of Lenten fish fries, fire departments give them a run for their money — of which there is lots at play. Both entities use fish fries as volunteer-staffed fundraisers to offset budget challenges, and each works hard to stand out. “It takes a little army to make this happen,” says Keith Young, a retired businessman who helps with the St. Aidan fry.
Code for Pittsburgh, a group designed to create places where “civics and technology meet,” is all-volunteer as well. Its varied projects include a food access map of Pittsburgh and a cartographic catalog that helps track vehicle-pedestrian accidents.
The volunteer coding sessions held to build the fish-fry map are — how to say it? — fish-forward. Swedish Fish candies are set out. Bowls of Goldfish crackers are distributed. Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” plays.
“It’s kind of the perfect marriage of things — a team of super-nerdy people who know all about maps and know all about coding, and fish fries, which are just so Pittsburgh,” Newman says. “I don’t know of any other city that has this kind of obsession. … As soon as people in the group heard about it, they were instantly hooked on it.”
Pittsburgh’s growing reputation as an innovation hub — with companies from Google to Uber establishing beachheads here — is sometimes cast as recent. But innovation lies at the heart of the region’s history. The steel industry that built it into an industrial powerhouse was a cutting-edge transformation of its day, and advances ranging from early movies to the polio vaccine have roots here.
David Schorr, an IT analyst from the Pittsburgh suburb of West Mifflin, is known locally as “ The Codfather ” for his very public affinity to — and experience with — fish fries. He knows where to go for everything — including the places to secure, as he puts it, “handmade pierogies personally pinched by church ladies.” The interactive map, he says, opens myriad possibilities of fish-fry forays.
“It makes it a treasure hunt: `Oh — let’s go to that neighborhood,’” Schorr says. “They go, ‘Oh, look, this one’s on my way home from work.’ Or `I have to go visit Aunt Edna and we’ll be driving right by it.’ Or, `Oh, they have sauerkraut soup.′ Or, `I don’t like pollock. This one has cod. I’m going there.’”
The map, Barmer and Newman say, is designed to do precisely that — turn the western Pennsylvania fish-fry culture into an adventure stamped onto the landscape that fosters community engagement and understanding for natives and newcomers alike.
“As things become more globalized and cities tend to look more and more the same, there’s something appealing about coming to a place like Pittsburgh that still has things like this that have very deep roots in the community,” Newman says. “Things may change around you every year, but you know that every year you can go to your same church basement or fire hall and get that fish sandwich.”
___
Ted Anthony, director of new storytelling and newsroom innovation at The Associated Press, has been writing about American culture since 1990. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/anthonyted
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
WEXFORD, Pa. (AP) — By the time the doors open at 4:30 p.m., a boisterous line of 50 hungry people is looping around the gymnasium foyer at Blessed Francis Seelos Academy. Their objective: to occupy tables on the basketball court and, for the parish’s first time since the pandemic descended in 2020, sit down for an old-fashioned Lenten fish fry.
Many patrons are members of the flock — St. Aidan Catholic Parish north of Pittsburgh — and greet each other as longtime friends. But these days, newcomers figure in the mix, too. And some arrive in a way that unites two rich seams of western Pennsylvania culture — tradition and innovation.
The fish fry, a long-established Friday staple during Lent, is roaring back from COVID with an assist from something decidedly newfangled: an interactive map built by local volunteer coders that points the way to scores of churches, fire halls and other places that offer battered and breaded seafood for the taking. In the process, the new Pittsburgh is helping point the way to the old.
“I like to think that this project helps people get excited about these very old cultural and culinary traditions,” says Hollen Barmer, a Tennessee transplant who came to Pittsburgh two decades ago and started the map in 2012 for her fish-fry-loving self.
“Fish fries,” Barmer likes to say, “are an adventure.”
TWO PARTS OF PITTSBURGH
At this moment in its history, Pittsburgh is working to blend its fabled industrial yesterdays with a 21st-century economy based increasingly on services and innovation — something the map project reflects.
“Allowing people to interact with something traditional through technology, it adds an element to it that appeals to a different group of people,” says Ellie Newman, a member and the former leader of the nonprofit Code for Pittsburgh, which works with Barmer to operate the map.
During Lent, thousands of western Pennsylvanians — Catholic and non-Catholic alike — stream into Friday afternoon fish fries. Some pick up for takeout. Some chow down right there — fish and shrimp, fries and cole slaw and mac and cheese, sometimes pierogies or a local noodle-and-cabbage delicacy called haluski.
Western Pennsylvania loves the past, but the fish fry itself is steered by some very modern forces.
Long a tradition in American cities with Catholic communities, particularly around the Great Lakes, fish fries surged in popularity after the Second Vatican Council essentially told the faithful in 1966 that the practice of not eating meat on Fridays was optional — except during Lent, the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter. That made February to April a concentrated period of fish consumption.
Then came the steel industry’s foundering in the 1970s and 1980s. That upended the region, stole elements of civic pride and whipped up a fervor for traditions that shouted, loudly, “Pittsburgh!”
“There was a sense of destabilization — of `Who are we?′ And people tended to center around things that symbolized the community,” says Leslie Przybylek, senior curator at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.
Food touchstones like fish fries, pierogies and the “ cookie table ” — a western Pennsylvania wedding staple — became signifiers of identity. At the same time, technological advances in frozen food and the growth of fast food were making fish more accessible. The longtime presence of powerhouse regional fish distributor Robert Wholey & Co. also honed local tastes.
“People in Pennsylvania are used to good fish,” says Bill Yanicko, a funeral director in suburban West Deer Township who runs the community fish fry at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish. “They really don’t want to see a cookie-cutter triangle fish.”
Overlay all that with a robust interactive map (and pent-up pandemic energy) and you have a potent mix that helps people in western Pennsylvania overcome the geographic hesitations of the region’s hills and valleys, and go out searching for fish.
“Putting it in a digital frame and encouraging people to engage with it, it adds a level of vocabulary to it that makes a difference,” says Przybylek, who favors the fry at the Swissvale Fire Department, just outside the city. “Different generations engage in stories in different ways. It literally takes a food tradition and puts it into a platform that speaks to them on a different level.”
MAPPING DELICIOUSNESS
Today, while churches remain a mainstay of Lenten fish fries, fire departments give them a run for their money — of which there is lots at play. Both entities use fish fries as volunteer-staffed fundraisers to offset budget challenges, and each works hard to stand out. “It takes a little army to make this happen,” says Keith Young, a retired businessman who helps with the St. Aidan fry.
Code for Pittsburgh, a group designed to create places where “civics and technology meet,” is all-volunteer as well. Its varied projects include a food access map of Pittsburgh and a cartographic catalog that helps track vehicle-pedestrian accidents.
The volunteer coding sessions held to build the fish-fry map are — how to say it? — fish-forward. Swedish Fish candies are set out. Bowls of Goldfish crackers are distributed. Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” plays.
“It’s kind of the perfect marriage of things — a team of super-nerdy people who know all about maps and know all about coding, and fish fries, which are just so Pittsburgh,” Newman says. “I don’t know of any other city that has this kind of obsession. … As soon as people in the group heard about it, they were instantly hooked on it.”
Pittsburgh’s growing reputation as an innovation hub — with companies from Google to Uber establishing beachheads here — is sometimes cast as recent. But innovation lies at the heart of the region’s history. The steel industry that built it into an industrial powerhouse was a cutting-edge transformation of its day, and advances ranging from early movies to the polio vaccine have roots here.
David Schorr, an IT analyst from the Pittsburgh suburb of West Mifflin, is known locally as “ The Codfather ” for his very public affinity to — and experience with — fish fries. He knows where to go for everything — including the places to secure, as he puts it, “handmade pierogies personally pinched by church ladies.” The interactive map, he says, opens myriad possibilities of fish-fry forays.
“It makes it a treasure hunt: `Oh — let’s go to that neighborhood,’” Schorr says. “They go, ‘Oh, look, this one’s on my way home from work.’ Or `I have to go visit Aunt Edna and we’ll be driving right by it.’ Or, `Oh, they have sauerkraut soup.′ Or, `I don’t like pollock. This one has cod. I’m going there.’”
The map, Barmer and Newman say, is designed to do precisely that — turn the western Pennsylvania fish-fry culture into an adventure stamped onto the landscape that fosters community engagement and understanding for natives and newcomers alike.
“As things become more globalized and cities tend to look more and more the same, there’s something appealing about coming to a place like Pittsburgh that still has things like this that have very deep roots in the community,” Newman says. “Things may change around you every year, but you know that every year you can go to your same church basement or fire hall and get that fish sandwich.”
___
Ted Anthony, director of new storytelling and newsroom innovation at The Associated Press, has been writing about American culture since 1990. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/anthonyted
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
A petition created for Travis and Jason Kelce’s mum Donna to do the ceremonial coin toss before Super Bowl LVII on Sunday has already gained over 170,000 signatures and is still rising; Donna: “I would [do it], if the two of you say I would not be a distraction”
Last Updated: 07/02/23 6:19pm
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Donna Kelce stops by to give her sons Travis and Jason some cookies during their interview on Opening Night of Super Bowl LVII.
Donna Kelce stops by to give her sons Travis and Jason some cookies during their interview on Opening Night of Super Bowl LVII.
Travis and Jason Kelce will become the first brothers to play against each other in Super Bowl history when the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles face off in Arizona on Sunday – and their mum has become a minor celebrity as a result.
On ‘Opening Night’ of Super Bowl week, Donna Kelce delivered cookies for her boys on stage while they spoke to the media, decked out in a half Chiefs, half Eagles jersey.
There has also been a petition created for Donna to do the ceremonial coin toss before Sunday’s game, which has already gained over 170,000 signatures and is still rising.
“‘Here’s the thing,’ Donna began saying. When asked about the possibility on her son’s New Heights podcast, she said: “There are so many legends and people that have their blood, sweat and tears on that field… I don’t think that’s the right place for me to be.
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“Would I be a distraction out there for you guys? That’s what I would worry about.
“I would [do it] if the two of you say I would not be a distraction… and you’ll be focussing on the game plans.”
Travis then responded, saying, “You’re in,” before jokingly adding: “I’ll tell [NFL commissioner] Roger [Goodell].”
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The Super Bowl LVII countdown is on in Arizona ahead of Sunday’s game between Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Super Bowl LVII countdown is on in Arizona ahead of Sunday’s game between Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
The two brothers have each won a Super Bowl previously, with Jason’s Eagles triumphant five years ago, beating the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII, while Travis and the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV – their first of three Super Bowl visits in four years.
‘I would sure love to get this one over his head’
When asked about the matchup at Opening Night, Jason said: “We’re always rooting for each other.
“I always want him to do well, but I would sure love to get this one over his head and have at least something over top of Trav.”
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Travis and Jason Kelce, who will face each other in Super Bowl LVII, discussed on MNF when they had their last ‘fist fight’ when growing up.
Travis and Jason Kelce, who will face each other in Super Bowl LVII, discussed on MNF when they had their last ‘fist fight’ when growing up.
Travis, meanwhile, said of what it was like growing up and competing against his older brother: “What he did do is he gave me a cool perspective on how to beat somebody that’s better than you.
“I kind of got to learn the mind games at a different level as a younger kid, so he’s helped me get to where I’m at without a doubt.
“But he got the majority of the wins for sure.”
Watch Super Bowl LVII – Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles – live on Sky Sports NFL and Main Event from 10pm on Sunday, February 12, with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Christian Wilkins and Efe Obada among the guests joining Neil Reynolds and Hannah Wilkes for 90 minutes of build-up to the big game.
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A look at the journey the Kansas City Chiefs have taken to reach Super Bowl LVII
A look at the journey the Kansas City Chiefs have taken to reach Super Bowl LVII
The Kansas City Chiefs are back in another Super Bowl – their third in the last four years – but how did they get there?
With the retirement of record seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady still fresh in the memory, the man who looks to be the greatest challenger to his throne as the ‘GOAT’, Patrick Mahomes, gets the chance to add a second ring to his collection at Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona on Sunday.
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That said, not only are the Eagles a fearsome opponent standing in their way, but there are injury concerns over the Kansas City star QB heading into the big game.
Here, we take a look back on the Chiefs’ road to Super Bowl LVII…
What went right?
The Chiefs once again proved themselves to be the elite of the NFL, particularly on offense, owning the No 1 unit in points per game (29.2), yards per game (413.6) and passing yards per game (297.8).
Kansas City’s 14-3 regular-season record not only wrapped up a seventh-straight AFC West divisional title, but it also secured them the No 1 seed in the conference for the third time in their dominant present-day stretch.
Kansas City Chiefs 2022 season (14-3)
Week
Opposition
Result
1
@ Cardinals
W 44-21
2
vs Chargers
W 27-24
3
@ Colts
L 17-20
4
@ Buccaneers
W 44-31
5
vs Radiers
W 30-29
6
vs Bills
L 20-24
7
@ 49ers
W 44-23
8
BYE
9
vs Titans
W 20-17 (OT)
10
vs Jaguars
W 27-17
11
@ Chargers
W 30-27
12
vs Rams
W 26-10
13
@ Bengals
L 24-27
14
@ Broncos
W 34-28
15
@ Texans
W 30-24 (OT)
16
vs Seahawks
W 24-10
17
vs Broncos
W 27-24
18
@ Raiders
W 31-13
Highlights from the year include a 44-21 thumping of the Cardinals, in Arizona, on the opening day of the season to signal their intent, while they edged out Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24 in a thriller a week later.
Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were comfortably put away 41-31 in Week Four, as were the San Francisco 49ers 44-23 in Week Seven – both huge road victories against major NFC contenders.
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Highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers from Week Seven of the NFL season
Highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers from Week Seven of the NFL season
The victory over the 49ers would kickstart a run of 10 wins across 11 games to close out the season, with only a defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals sandwiched in between.
But the Chiefs would ultimately have the last laugh, with star quarterback Mahomes gaining revenge for that defeat, and for his three total losses in three career games to Joe Burrow and the Bengals, with their 23-20 victory in the AFC Championship game over the same opponents to book their Super Bowl spot.
Kansas City Chiefs 2022 regular season rankings
Offense
Defense
1st
Total
11th
1st
Passing
18th
10th
Rushing
8th
1st
Scoring
16th
1st
DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average)
17th
1st
EPA/play (Expected points added)
15th
What went wrong?
As usual, not a great deal. Although there was the odd hiccup along the way, none more bizarre and unaccounted for than the 20-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week Three – a team which would ultimately end the season a dreadful 4-12-1.
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Highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs against the Indianapolis Colts in Week Three of the NFL season
Highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs against the Indianapolis Colts in Week Three of the NFL season
Also, a 24-20 loss at home to the Buffalo Bills in Week Six that dropped the Chiefs to 4-2 on the year would hint towards a possible changing of the guard in the AFC, with Buffalo earning a second-straight regular-season win at Arrowhead (and after having pushed Kansas City all the way in an incredible overtime finish to their divisional round match-up in the playoffs the previous year).
But, while the Bills and the Bengals – who would themselves defeat the Chiefs in Week 13 – threatened to steal Kansas City’s throne, neither were able to deliver the decisive blow, with Buffalo bested by Cincinnati in the divisional round this time, before they themselves were undone in the AFC title game by Mahomes and co.
And a banged up Mahomes and Chiefs offense, at that. One of the biggest concerns going into Super Bowl LVII this Sunday is certainly the health of Kansas City’s star quarterback, who picked up a high ankle sprain in their divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Watch the moment Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes picked up an ankle injury in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Watch the moment Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes picked up an ankle injury in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars
He has not looked the same since, limping his way through the subsequent one-and-a-half outings, only serving to make his sensational match-winning performances in those wins over the Jags and the Bengals all the more impressive.
Wideout Mecole Hardman has already been ruled out of the Super Bowl due to injury, while JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney were also banged up against the Bengals, weakening Mahomes’ receiving corps, with progress to be monitored this week.
Star names
Starting with the most obvious selection of them all, Mahomes, of course. The 27-year-old is favourite to win a second league MVP title this season in just his fifth year as a starter in the NFL.
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A look at some of the best plays from Mahomes this season, in his bid to grab his second league MVP award
A look at some of the best plays from Mahomes this season, in his bid to grab his second league MVP award
Mahomes set a new record for the most offensive yards (5,614) in NFL history this season – breaking down as 5,250 passing yards, 358 rush yards and six receiving. He also led the league in passing TDs during the regular season, with 41, six greater than Josh Allen (Bills) and Burrow (Bengals) tied for second on 35. And Mahomes did it all despite the team trading away his best receiver too, with Tyreek Hill moving to the Miami Dolphins in the offseason.
Mahomes has at least retained the comfort blanket Travis Kelce on offense, with the superstar tight end notching his seventh-straight 1,000-yard season, finishing 2022 with 1,338 yards along with a career-high 12 TDs.
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A look at the best plays this season from the most impressive tight end in the NFL, Travis Kelce
A look at the best plays this season from the most impressive tight end in the NFL, Travis Kelce
Also, following on from last week’s AFC Championship game, only one quarterback and receiver duo have connected for more postseason touchdowns than Mahomes and Kelce’s 13 (Brady and Rob Gronkowski with 15).
Also, look out for seventh-round rookie Isaiah Pacheco, who has added a real spark to this Kansas City offense since his introduction midway through the season, averaging over five yards per carry, while defensive tackle Chris Jones is the standout from an underrated defense, having equalled his career high of 15.5 sacks this season.
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Highlights of the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs
Highlights of the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs
Kansas City are 5-0 in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs with Mahomes at quarterback. Though, having said that, this particular victory against the Jaguars to open their playoff run almost came without their star QB at the helm.
Mahomes missed most of the second quarter due to the injury he sustained to his right ankle, but ultimately returned to finish 22 of 30 passing for 195 yards and two touchdowns, while back-up quarterback Chad Henne also threw a scoring pass in his absence.
Kelce’s 14 receptions (for 98 yards), meanwhile, tied for the third most in NFL postseason history, with Marquez Valdes-Scantling also adding a touchdown catch for Kansas City.
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Highlights of the Cincinnati Bengals against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game
Highlights of the Cincinnati Bengals against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game
The Chiefs had never before hosted a single Conference Championship game in franchise history, but are now coming into the Super Bowl off the back of hosting a fifth in a row, with Mahomes and co this time getting the better of the Bengals in a repeat of last year’s AFC title game which they lost.
Despite being hampered by his injured ankle, Mahomes threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns in the contest and the Chiefs’ star QB also helped set up the game-winning field goal on a crucial five-yard scramble for a first down with 12 seconds left.
As he crossed the sideline, Mahomes was shoved when already out of bounds by Cincinnati defender Joseph Ossai, resulting in a 15-yard penalty to further aid Harrison Butker’s game-winning kick to break a 20-20 tie after another epic battle with the Bengals.
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The Kansas City Chiefs are presented with the AFC Championship as Kelce sounds off on their opponents, the Cincinnati Bengals
The Kansas City Chiefs are presented with the AFC Championship as Kelce sounds off on their opponents, the Cincinnati Bengals
Super Bowl pedigree
Despite their dominance over the past five seasons – appearing in five-straight AFC Championships – since Mahomes became the starter at QB in Kansas City, it has thus far translated into just one Super Bowl title over that span.
They lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy on their first visit to the Super Bowl in 50 years when they beat the 49ers to cap the 2018 season, with Mahomes named MVP after engineering a comeback from 20-10 down midway through the fourth quarter.
Mahomes and the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV to wrap the 2019 season
They have made it all the way to the Super Bowl on four occasions in total, losing to the Green Bay Packers in the first-ever Super Bowl to be played, back in the 1966 season, before triumphing over the Minnesota Vikings three years later.
After their Super Bowl LIV win over the Niners to break the drought, the Chiefs missed the chance to go back-to-back as they were beaten by Brady and the Bucs in the big game following the Covid-disrupted 2020 season.
Tom Brady got the better of Mahomes in Super Bowl LV, preventing the Kansas City Chiefs from claiming back-to-back titles
The concern for the Chiefs would be that, much like he is heading into this game, Mahomes was hobbled by injury in that game, making it easier for Tampa Bay’s ferocious pass rush to get after him and limit his explosive Chiefs offense to only nine points.
With the Philadelphia Eagles, and their own hugely-intimidating defensive line full of monsters, awaiting in Super Bowl LVII, Mahomes’ ability to still deliver enough magic moments despite his ankle injury will prove key to deciding the outcome of the game.
Watch Super Bowl LVII – Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles – live on Sky Sports NFL and Main Event from 10pm on Sunday, February 12
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Justice Department has been scrutinizing a controversial artificial intelligence tool used by a Pittsburgh-area child protective services agency following concerns that the tool could lead to discrimination against families with disabilities, The Associated Press has learned.
The interest from federal civil rights attorneys comes after an AP investigation revealed potential bias and transparency issues surrounding the increasing use of algorithms within the troubled child welfare system in the U.S. While some see such opaque tools as a promising way to help overwhelmed social workers predict which children may face harm, others say their reliance on historical data risks automating past inequalities.
Several civil rights complaints were filed in the fall about the Allegheny Family Screening Tool, which is used to help social workers decide which families to investigate, AP has learned. The pioneering AI program is designed to assess a family’s risk level when they are reported for child welfare concerns in Allegheny County.
Two sources said that attorneys in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division cited the AP investigation when urging them to submit formal complaints detailing their concerns about how the algorithm could harden bias against people with disabilities, including families with mental health issues.
A third person told AP that the same group of federal civil rights attorneys also spoke with them in November as part of a broad conversation about how algorithmic tools could potentially exacerbate disparities, including for people with disabilities. That conversation explored the design and construction of Allegheny’s influential algorithm, though the full scope of the Justice Department’s interest is unknown.
All three sources spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity, saying the Justice Department asked them not to discuss the confidential conversations. Two said they also feared professional retaliation.
Wyn Hornbuckle, a Justice Department spokesman, declined to comment.
Algorithms use pools of information to turn data points into predictions, whether that’s for online shopping, identifying crime hotspots or hiring workers. Many agencies in the U.S. are considering adopting such tools as part of their work with children and families.
Though there’s been widespread debate over the moral consequences of using artificial intelligence in child protective services, the Justice Department’s interest in the Allegheny algorithm marks a significant turn toward possible legal implications.
Robin Frank, a veteran family law attorney in Pittsburgh and vocal critic of the Allegheny algorithm, said she also filed a complaint with the Justice Department in October on behalf of a client with an intellectual disability who is fighting to get his daughter back from foster care. The AP obtained a copy of the complaint, which raised concerns about how the Allegheny Family Screening Tool assesses a family’s risk.
“I think it’s important for people to be aware of what their rights are and to the extent that we don’t have a lot of information when there seemingly are valid questions about the algorithm, it’s important to have some oversight,” Frank said.
Mark Bertolet, spokesman for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, said by email that the agency had not heard from the Justice Department and declined interview requests.
“We are not aware of any concerns about the inclusion of these variables from research groups’ past evaluation or community feedback on the (Allegheny Family Screening Tool),” the county said, describing previous studies and outreach regarding the tool.
Child protective services workers can face critiques from all sides. They are assigned blame for both over-surveillance and not giving enough support to the families who land in their view. The system has long been criticized for disproportionately separating Black, poor, disabled and marginalized families and for insufficiently addressing – let alone eradicating – child abuse and deaths.
Supporters see algorithms as a data-driven solution to make the system both more thorough and efficient, saying child welfare officials should use all tools at their disposal to make sure children aren’t maltreated.
Critics worry that delegating some of that critical work to AI tools powered by data collected largely from people who are poor can bake in discrimination against families based on race, income, disabilities or other external characteristics.
The AP’s previous story highlighted data points used by the algorithm that can be interpreted as proxies for race. Now, federal civil rights attorneys have been considering the tool’s potential impacts on people with disabilities.
The Allegheny Family Screening Tool was specifically designed to predict the risk that a child will be placed in foster care in the two years after the family is investigated. The county said its algorithm has used data points tied to disabilities in children, parents and other members of local households because they can help predict the risk that a child will be removed from their home after a maltreatment report. The county added that it has updated its algorithm several times and has sometimes removed disabilities-related data points.
Using a trove of detailed personal data and birth, Medicaid, substance abuse, mental health, jail and probation records, among other government data sets, the Allegheny tool’s statistical calculations help social workers decide which families should be investigated for neglect – a nuanced term that can include everything from inadequate housing to poor hygiene, but is a different category from physical or sexual abuse, which is investigated separately in Pennsylvania and is not subject to the algorithm.
The algorithm-generated risk score on its own doesn’t determine what happens in the case. A child welfare investigation can result in vulnerable families receiving more support and services, but it can also lead to the removal of children for foster care and ultimately, the termination of parental rights.
The county has said that algorithms provide a scientific check on call center workers’ personal biases. County officials further underscored that hotline workers determine what happens with a family’s case and can always override the tool’s recommendations. The tool is also only applied to the beginning of a family’s potential involvement with the child-welfare process; a different social worker conducts the investigations afterward.
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, which can include a wide spectrum of conditions, from diabetes, cancer and hearing loss to intellectual disabilities and mental and behavioral health diagnosis like ADHD, depression and schizophrenia.
The National Council on Disability has noted that a high rate of parents with disabilities receive public benefits including food stamps, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income, a Social Security Administration program that provides monthly payments to adults and children with a disability.
Allegheny’s algorithm, in use since 2016, has at times drawn from data related to Supplemental Security Income as well as diagnoses for mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia or mood disorders, AP found.
The county said that when the disabilities data is included, it “is predictive of the outcomes” and “it should come as no surprise that parents with disabilities … may also have a need for additional supports and services.” The county added that there are other risk assessment programs that use data about mental health and other conditions that may affect a parent’s ability to safely care for a child.
Emily Putnam-Hornstein and Rhema Vaithianathan, the two developers of Allegheny’s algorithm and other tools like it, deferred to Allegheny County’s answers about the algorithm’s inner workings. They said in an email that they were unaware of any Justice Department scrutiny relating to the algorithm.
The AP obtained records showing hundreds of specific variables that are used to calculate the risk scores for families who are reported to child protective services, including the public data that powers the Allegheny algorithm and similar tools deployed in child welfare systems elsewhere in the U.S.
The AP’s analysis of Allegheny’s algorithm and those inspired by it in Los Angeles County, California, Douglas County, Colorado, and in Oregon reveals a range of controversial data points that have measured people with low incomes and other disadvantaged demographics, at times evaluating families on race, zip code, disabilities and their use of public welfare benefits.
Since the AP’s investigation published, Oregon dropped its algorithm due to racial equity concerns and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy emphasized that parents and social workers needed more transparency about how government agencies were deploying algorithms as part of the nation’s first “AI Bill of Rights.”
The Justice Department has shown a broad interest in investigating algorithms in recent years, said Christy Lopez, a Georgetown University law professor who previously led some of the Justice Department’s civil rights division litigation and investigations.
In a keynote about a year ago, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke warned that AI technologies had “serious implications for the rights of people with disabilities,” and her division more recently issued guidance to employers saying using AI tools in hiring could violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“It appears to me that this is a priority for the division, investigating the extent to which algorithms are perpetuating discriminatory practices,” Lopez said of the Justice Department scrutiny of Allegheny’s tool.
Traci LaLiberte, a University of Minnesota expert on child welfare and disabilities, said the Justice Department’s inquiry stood out to her, as federal authorities have largely deferred to local child welfare agencies.
LaLiberte has published research detailing how parents with disabilities are disproportionately affected by the child welfare system. She challenged the idea of using data points related to disabilities in any algorithm because, she said, that assesses characteristics people can’t change, rather than their behavior.
“If it isn’t part of the behavior, then having it in the (algorithm) biases it,” LaLiberte said.
___
Burke reported from San Francisco.
___
This story, supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, is part of an ongoing Associated Press series, “Tracked,” that investigates the power and consequences of decisions driven by algorithms on people’s everyday lives.
____
Follow Sally Ho and Garance Burke on Twitter at @_sallyho and @garanceburke. Contact AP’s global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/
WASHINGTON (AP) — On a winter’s day in 1984, a briefcase stuffed with classified government documents showed up in a building in Pittsburgh, borne by someone who most certainly wasn’t supposed to have them.
That someone was 13-year-old Kristin Preble. She took the papers to school as a show-and-tell project for her eighth grade class. Her dad had found them in his Cleveland hotel room several years earlier and taken them home as a souvenir.
As a different sort of show and tell unfolds in Washington over the mishandling of state secrets by the Trump and now Biden administrations, the schoolgirl episode from four decades ago stands as a reminder that other presidents, too, have let secure information spill.
The Grade 8 escapade and one known as Debategate both involved the mishandling of classified documents that Democratic President Jimmy Carter used to prepare for a debate with Republican rival Ronald Reagan in Cleveland on Oct. 28, 1980. In the latter instance, the Reagan campaign obtained — some said stole — Carter’s briefing materials for the debate.
In today’s docu-dramas, special counsels have been assigned to investigate Donald Trump’s post-presidential cache of classified documents, which he initially resisted turning over, and Joe Biden’s pre-presidential stashes, which he willingly gave up when they were discovered but did not disclose to the public for months.
With classified material also found at former Vice President Mike Pence’s home, there is now a palpable sense in the halls of power that as more officials or ex-officials scour their cabinets or closets, more such oops moments will emerge.
On Thursday, the National Archives wrote to representatives of all ex-presidents and ex-vice presidents back to the Reagan administration to ask that their personal records be checked anew for any classified documents, according to two people familiar with the matter. They were not authorized to speak about document investigations and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Carter files fell into Kristin’s hands through a somewhat meandering route.
Two days after the 1980 debate, businessman Alan Preble found the papers in his Cleveland hotel room, apparently left behind by Carter press secretary Jody Powell. Preble took them to his Franklin Park home, where they sat for more than three years as a faintly appreciated keepsake.
“We had looked through them but didn’t think they were important,” Carol Preble, Kristin’s mother, said back then, apparently unimpressed by the classified markings. But for social studies class, Kristin “thought they’d be real interesting. I thought they’d be great, too.”
Off the girl went to Ingomar Middle School on Jan. 19, 1984, with the zippered briefcase.
Teacher Jim DeLisio’s eyes popped when he saw the warnings on the documents inside. Among them: “Classified, Confidential, Executive” and “Property of the United States Government.”
“I truly didn’t want to look at it,” he said then. “I was just too … scared. I didn’t want to know.”
Curiosity got the better of him. That night, he said, he and his wife and daughter pored over the documents, containing “everything you’d want to know from A to Z” on world and U.S. developments. One folder was marked “Iran.” Libya was also in the mix.
Unable to reach Kristin’s family by phone, DeLisio the next day called the FBI, which swiftly retrieved the papers.
A Justice Department official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity at the time said the bundle of documents was 4 inches (10 centimeters) thick.
Despite steering the secrets back to their proper place, DeLisio was reprimanded by school officials for calling the authorities before reaching the Preble family or them. The discovery fed into a broader investigation by a Democratic-led congressional committee of the official Carter papers obtained by the winning Reagan campaign.
The Reagan Justice Department declined calls by the committee to appoint a special counsel in that matter. A court case trying to force that appointment failed, and no criminal case was brought. Debategate faded, but not the concern over how classified documents are handled by those in power.
As for Kristin, she earned a niche in history and a “B” on her school project.
___
This story draws on one by Associated Press writer Marcia Dunn in January 1984 and on research by Rhonda Shaffner in New York.
San Francisco’s win over Dallas was their 12th-straight this season, the 49ers booking a third NFC Conference Championship appearance in four years, while also knocking the Cowboys out of the playoffs for a second year in a row; watch Championship Sunday live on Sky Sports NFL
Last Updated: 23/01/23 3:49am
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey celebrates with quarterback Brock Purdy after scoring his crucial go-ahead touchdown
Christian McCaffrey ran in the go-ahead touchdown as the San Francisco 49ers eked out a 19-12 win over the Dallas Cowboys in a hugely absorbing divisional round clash, booking a third NFC Championship appearance in four years.
Story of the game
Robbie Gould also kicked four field goals for the 49ers, while rookie seventh-round QB Brock Purdy completed 19 of 29 passes for 214 yards as the 49ers book their trip to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in next Sunday’s title game.
George Kittle also had five catches for 95 yards – including an incredible one-handed circus grab off his helmet to help set up McCaffrey’s crucial score – as San Francisco won a staggering 12th-straight game this season.
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San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle made an astonishing one-handed catch that bounced off his helmet!
San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle made an astonishing one-handed catch that bounced off his helmet!
Dak Prescott was 23-of-37 passing for 206 yards, one touchdown and two first-half interceptions for the Cowboys, who were knocked out of the playoffs for the second year in a row by the 49ers.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throws a second interception of the first half against the San Francisco 49ers.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throws a second interception of the first half against the San Francisco 49ers.
Prescott tied for the regular-season lead with 15 interceptions, though his first half picks didn’t prove as costly as they perhaps could have, with the 49ers failing to find the end zone and building only a 9-6 advantage at the break.
Scoring summary
FIRST QUARTER
Cowboys 0-3 49ers
Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal
SECOND QUARTER
Cowboys 6-3 49ers
Dak Prescott four-yard TD pass to Dalton Schultz (failed extra point)
Cowboys 6-6 49ers
Robbie Gould 47-yard field goal
Cowboys 6-9 49ers
Robbie Gould 50-yard field goal
THIRD QUARTER
Cowboys 9-9 49ers
Brett Maher 25-yard field goal
FOURTH QUARTER
Cowboys 9-16 49ers
Christian McCaffrey two-yard rushing TD (extra point)
Cowboys 12-16 49ers
Brett Maher 43-yard field goal
Cowboys 12-19 49ers
Robbie Gould 28-yard field goal
Of greater concern to Dallas was the injury to running back Tony Pollard, who was carted off the field and wouldn’t return after picking up a high ankle strain late in the first half.
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The Dallas Cowboys took the lead after a Dalton Schultz TD grab, but Brett Maher then missed with another extra point attempt.
The Dallas Cowboys took the lead after a Dalton Schultz TD grab, but Brett Maher then missed with another extra point attempt.
Dallas head earlier taken a 6-3 lead on a Prescott four-yard TD toss to tight end Dalton Schultz with nine and a half minutes remaining in the second quarter. On the ensuing extra point attempt, San Francisco’s Samson Ebukam used his left hand to block Brett Maher’s kick, his fifth such miss this postseason.
Maher was, however, successful with two second-half field goals, one to tie the game up in the third quarter after Ray-Ray McCloud fumbled a punt return to set Dallas up with superb field position deep inside the San Francisco half.
The 49ers again regained the lead on the very first play of the fourth quarter, courtesy of McCaffrey’s two-yard TD run to cap a 10-play, 91-yard drive.
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Christian McCaffrey ran in what proved to be the game-winning touchdown for the San Francisco 49ers against the Dallas Cowboys.
Christian McCaffrey ran in what proved to be the game-winning touchdown for the San Francisco 49ers against the Dallas Cowboys.
Maher’s second FG from 43 yards moved the Cowboys back to within four of their hosts, but another lengthy 49ers drive, this one capped with Gould’s fourth field goal of the game, restored their one-score advantage with only three minutes left and Dallas failed to threaten to find the end zone in the final exchanges.
Stats leaders
Cowboys
Passing: Dak Prescott, 23/37, 206 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing: Ezekiel Elliott, 10 carries, 26 yards
Receiving: CeeDee Lamb, 10 catches, 117 yards
Dalton Schultz, five catches, 27 yards, 1 TD
49ers
Passing: Brock Purdy, 19/29, 214 yards
Rushing: Elijah Mitchell, 14 carries, 51 yards
Christian McCaffrey, 10 carries, 35 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: George Kittle, five catches, 95 yards
What’s next?
We have our final four for the Conference Championship games next Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL.
Firstly, the 49ers travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in the NFC title game (Kick-off, 8pm), while the Kansas City Chiefs then host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC (Kick-off, 11.30pm), with the winners progressing through to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona on February 12.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
Fans shows support for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin
Is there a storybook ending to the tale of the 2022 Buffalo Bills? The disruption phase of every traditional narrative arc continues to linger, and now the Cincinnati Bengals await as the next Big Bad on their quest to Super Bowl riches and resolution.
The NFL has little time for supposed fate, and yet a cocktail of Mother Nature, near-tragedy, A-lister injury, a three-decade-long wait for Lombardi redemption and all the inbetween nuances of football’s any given Sunday-any given snap mantra threaten to merge as the perfect imperfect finale.
As an on-field product Sean McDermott’s side persist to test the boundaries of full throttle every-down aggression, the face of which has been quarterback Josh Allen and an unerring belief in his mutant arm and ability to decapitate a defense no matter the circumstance.
They have become quintessential movie theatre football at both ends of the spectrum, from climactic deep-ball haymaker to one-too-many fearlessness. They teeter on the edge of chaos, more often than not though out-weighing sloppiness with devastating execution. And the NFL loves them for it.
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January 22, 2023, 7:00pm
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There was 1.54 on the clock in the second quarter of their Wild Card win over the Miami Dolphins, the Bills facing a third-and-eight in the wake of a sack generated by the 256th Josh Boyer blitz of the day. Ken Dorsey’s reply was to dial up and disguise a quads concept (four receivers aligned to one side of the field), Khalil Shakir mirroring Gabe Davis’ curved inside release into an out before subtly transitioning to a post-route downfield; Allen had already wound up (granted, he needs little wind up) and dunked on an exposed secondary with the most Allenest of moonballs to meet the path of his receiver, only for the rookie to fumble a would-be 54-yard catch and likely walk-in touchdown.
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Highlights of the the Miami Dolphins’ clash with the Buffalo Bills in the Super Wild Card game
Highlights of the the Miami Dolphins’ clash with the Buffalo Bills in the Super Wild Card game
The Bills had been up 17-6; it would have been game out of sight against a Skylar Thompson-quarterbacked Miami, who instead closed within three points by half-time before taking the lead on a fumble return immediately after the break and forcing back-to-back punts as Allen whiffed an easy third-and-seven completion to a crossing Shakir having missed an open Davis on his endzone-bound out-and-up pattern.
It was frenetic, Orchard Park could not settle, it was ‘what next?’ Bills football.
The Boyer blitz was unrelenting as he elected to throw every available Miami body at blunting the story’s main character. That he resorted to daring Allen to beat him was – while potentially a blueprint to luring 2018 Allen-esque mistakes against Cover 0/1 – testament to the ‘only so much you can do to slow him’ potency he has developed under center.
Buffalo’s superpower is their never-ending bucket of splash plays with which to snatch back momentum should it ever leave them. For every erratic Allen quirk a retaliating masterpiece is to be expected. They found a way again.
Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano were burning up the turf as they flew from tackle to tackle, Leslie Frazier barely flinched on the sideline while stylishly rocking the slanted beanie hat to leave his headset ear exposed, Allen was starting a new club as the only quarterback in the league willing to pick a fight with defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, rookie cornerback Kaiir Elam was plotting his heroic game-icing fourth-and-six pass breakup. On the edge, high-charged Bills football.
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Watch the best plays from an incredible 2022 season by Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen
Watch the best plays from an incredible 2022 season by Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen
Staring down a challenge has become part of their identity, They have needed it more than ever this year. And here they still are.
On Sunday, they face the Bengals for the first time since Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during their Week 17 Monday Night Football matchup. Harrowing scenes had seen Bills players and personnel being consoled on the field as they watched, and said their prayers, while medical staff administered CPR to their team-mate and brother, before taking a knee together at mid-field as Hamlin was transported to local hospital in Cincinnati and placed in intensive care overnight.
It prompted a league-wide outreach of support as the nation held its breath for the 24-year-old, who by Thursday had been reported to have opened his eyes and displayed remarkable progress before doctors removed his breathing tube on the Friday as Hamlin was able to talk with Bills players and coaches over FaceTime.
A draining week made for emotional scenes that weekend when the Bills hosted the New England Patriots in their regular season finale, Orchard Park playing stage to a flood of No 3 shirts and hats in tribute to Hamlin as Allen and co. dedicated the performance to the second-year safety, who would encapsulate his staggering improvement by tweeting a picture of him watching on from his hospital bed.
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Nyheim Hines scores an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots
Nyheim Hines scores an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots
The rest was storybook stuff. On the opening play of the game, returner Nyheim Hines would punch the open lane and tear away for a 96-yard touchdown from kickoff to the sound a raucous Bills mafia. He would do it again in the third quarter, this time bouncing through multiple would-be tacklers to race home for a 101-yard score as a fired up city erupted once more. As if it the script could not get any better, Hines’ opener marked the team’s first return touchdown in three years and three months. A reminder: Hamlin wears No 3.
“If you want the truth, it was spiritual,” said Allen. “It really was. Bone-chilling. It was special.”
Fully-fledged magic could yet reach greater heights as John Brown proceeded to celebrate his 42-yard touchdown catch on the next drive by gifting the ball to one of the Bills trainers responsible for saving Hamlin’s life on the field that night.
To focus on football when football had temporarily lost all meaning or importance was a glowing reflection of an already tight-knit family that now had something else to galvanise them. And it hasn’t been their only obstacle.
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A look at some of this season’s best plays from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow
A look at some of this season’s best plays from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow
In November, seven feet of snowfall in just 24 hours resulted in the Bills having to fly to Detroit for a relocated home matchup against the Cleveland Browns, before returning home and then heading back to Detroit to face the Lions on Thanksgiving four days later.
They battled treacherous conditions again in December when another snowstorm left players having to dig out their cars, the more pressing concern being the loss of at least 39 people in the area. The Bills have since surprised local resident Jay Withey with Super Bowl tickets in reward for his efforts in saving 24 people during the storm by breaking into a school to provide shelter.
Elsewhere away from the field, 2022 saw the Bills position themselves at the forefront of support for the local community following a racist shooting that resulted in the death of 10 black people in a supermarket in May, before rallying around tight end Dawson Knox in the wake of the death of his younger brother Luke in August.
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The Buffalo Bills family show support for Damar Hamlin ahead of their game against the New England Patriots
The Buffalo Bills family show support for Damar Hamlin ahead of their game against the New England Patriots
On the field, many people’s pick for the Super Bowl was dealt a setback in Week Two when star defensive back Micah Hyde suffered a season-ending neck injury, before Hall of Fame-bound edge rusher Von Miller was also ruled out for the year with a knee injury picked up on Thanksgiving.
Four straight Super Bowl defeats from 1990-1993 remain an unyielding point of reference. So too does the Kansas City Chiefs breaking Bills hearts with 13 seconds left in last year’s Divisional Round matchup after Buffalo had spent the best part of a year devising a plan for Patrick Mahomes on the back of their AFC Championship Game defeat.
Allen attempts throws of 20+ yards at a preposterous rate and plays with interception fire like few others, while the Bills defense has itself been among the most susceptible to downfield bombs-away passes all year. They are box office, with some story to tell.
In Joe Burrow they meet a master of narrative demolition. But can anybody thwart these charged up Bills?
The NFL playoffs continue on Sky Sports this weekend, with divisional round double-headers on both Saturday and Sunday night; watch Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills on Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL from 8pm
The NFL playoffs and continue on Sky Sports on Sunday with a triple-header of Super Wild Card Weekend action – starting with Dolphins @ Bills, followed by Giants @ Vikings and Ravens @ Bengals; watch live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm, Sunday
Last Updated: 15/01/23 3:07am
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Highlights of the Seattle Seahawks’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Wild Card playoff game.
Highlights of the Seattle Seahawks’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Wild Card playoff game.
Brock Purdy threw for three touchdowns and ran in another as he starred on his first career playoff start, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a 41-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks to start Super Wild Card Weekend on Saturday.
Story of the Game
The 49ers – the NFC’s No 2 seed and riding a 10-game winning streak into the playoffs – trailed by a point at half-time as a stubborn Seattle outfit led 17-16 at the break. But a stirring second half showing by San Francisco, in which they scored 22 points in the space of 12 minutes at one point, secured their passage through to the divisional round.
The 49ers will now host the Minnesota Vikings next weekend, should they beat the New York Giants in their wild card clash on Sunday. If the Giants win, it will instead be either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Dallas Cowboys who travel to San Francisco.
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A look at San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy’s best plays from his stunning NFL playoff debut
A look at San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy’s best plays from his stunning NFL playoff debut
Purdy, who was taken with the very last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, completed 18 of 30 passes for 332 yards, the rookie QB overcoming some early jitters to put in a hugely accomplished display.
Christian McCaffrey rushed 15 times for 119 yards and had a touchdown grab to see San Francisco into an early 10-0 lead, while Deebo Samuel had six receptions for 133 yards and a blistering 74-yard catch and run for a score as the Niners streaked clear of the Seahawks in the second half.
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San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga said his team’s performance was ignited after tempers flared when Johnathan Abram appeared to twist Deebo Samuel’s ankle.
San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga said his team’s performance was ignited after tempers flared when Johnathan Abram appeared to twist Deebo Samuel’s ankle.
Seattle QB Geno Smith was 25-of-35 passing for 253 yards with two touchdowns, both to DK Metcalf – one a 50-yard stunner to see the Seahawks into the lead for the first time. But he also had an interception late in the second half, while he lost a fumble in the third quarter which is the point at which the game turned.
Metcalf had 10 catches for 136 yards and those two TDs, while rookie running back Kenneth Walker also found the end zone, in the second quarter, as he earned 63 yards on 15 carries.
Scoring summary
FIRST QUARTER
Seahawks 0-3 49ers
Robbie Gould 34-yard field goal
Seahawks 0-10 49ers
Brock Purdy three-yard TD pass to Christian McCaffrey (extra point)
SECOND QUARTER
Seahawks 7-10 49ers
Kenneth Walker seven-yard TD run (extra point)
Seahawks 7-13 49ers
Robbie Gould 33-yard field goal
Seahawks 14-13 49ers
Geno Smith 50-yard TD pass to DK Metcalf (extra point)
Seahawks 14-16 49ers
Robbie Gould 46-yard field goal
Seahawks 17-16 49ers
Jason Myers 56-yard field goal
THIRD QUARTER
Seahawks 17-23 49ers
Brock Purdy one-yard TD run (extra point)
FOURTH QUARTER
Seahawks 17-31 49ers
Brock Purdy seven-yard TD pass to Elijah Mitchell (two-point conversion)
Seahawks 17-38 49ers
Brock Purdy 74-yard TD pass to Deebo Samuel (extra point)
Seahawks 17-41 49ers
Robbie Gould 31-yard field goal
Seahawks 23-41 49ers
Geno Smith three-yard TD pass to DK Metcalf (failed two-point conversion)
Trailing 17-16 to start the second half, the 49ers immediately drove 75 yards down the field in 13 plays, with Purdy scoring on a one-yard plunge. And they wouldn’t look back from there.
With the Seahawks driving deep into 49ers territory, Smith was sacked by Charles Omenihu for a seven-yard loss, with the ball squirting loose and being recovered by Nick Bosa at the 30-yard line.
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The San Francisco 49ers’ defense finally proves too much for the Seattle Seahawks as their pressure forces Geno Smith to fumble which is recovered by Nick Bosa.
The San Francisco 49ers’ defense finally proves too much for the Seattle Seahawks as their pressure forces Geno Smith to fumble which is recovered by Nick Bosa.
San Francisco then stretched ahead by two scores off the back of the turnover as Purdy escaped the rush and threw a seven-yard TD to running back Elijah Mitchell, with a two-point conversion to George Kittle following.
Just over three minutes later, Samuel turned on the turbo jets to take his TD 74 yards all the way to the house and effectively end the game.
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San Francisco 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel turns on the turbo jets on this sensational 74-yard catch and run for a touchdown!
San Francisco 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel turns on the turbo jets on this sensational 74-yard catch and run for a touchdown!
Robbie Gould, who kicked four field goals in the contest, fired one through the uprights from 31 yards after Smith was picked off immediately after Samuel’s score.
Seattle and Metcalf would at least find the end zone once more for a consolation TD with just under two minutes remaining but then the Niners ran out the rest of the clock to book their spot in the divisional round and knock out their great NFC West divisional rivals.
Stats leaders
Seahawks
Passing: Geno Smith, 25/35, 253 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Receiving: Deebo Samuel, six catches, 133 yards, 1 TD
What they said… ‘Purdy looked like Frank Tarkenton’
49ers quarterback, Brock Purdy: “We came out and had some momentum and Seattle did a good job tracking back.
“It’s playoff football; everyone is going to play their best from here on out. When our offense and defense are doing their thing, we’re hard to beat.
“We’ve got a goal of winning the whole thing. We’re in a tournament, so anything can happen. I’ve got such a great team, O-line, receivers, defense, across the whole board. It’s not a one-man show, I’m very blessed.”
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy praises his team-mates after his team’s dominant win over the Seattle Seahawks in the wild card round of the playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy praises his team-mates after his team’s dominant win over the Seattle Seahawks in the wild card round of the playoffs.
Seahawks head coach, Pete Carroll: “We chased him all over the place and he [Purdy] looked like [former Minnesota Vikings QB] Fran Tarkenton out there.
“Down 10-0 on the road with the fans going nuts, we did a great job to bounce right back. We were in it right to the end of the third quarter.”
What’s next?
The NFL playoffs continue on Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL, with a Super Wild Card Weekend triple-header.
The Buffalo Bills first host the Miami Dolphins (kick-off, 6pm), before the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants do battle at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (kick-off, 9.30pm). The evening wraps up with the Baltimore Ravens’ visit to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football (kick-off, 1.15am).
The wild card round then concludes on Monday night as Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host ‘America’s Team’, the Dallas Cowboys, live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am early on Tuesday morning.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
The best stats from Week 18 in the NFL; Tom Brady sets new completions record but returns first losing season of his career; Nyheim Hines becomes just the 11th player in NFL history to have two kick-off return TDs in same game; Rams return worst record by a defending Super Bowl champion
Last Updated: 10/01/23 6:19pm
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A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play against the Las Vegas Raiders, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play against the Las Vegas Raiders, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
Sky Sports statistician – and big Buffalo Bills fan – Benedict Bermange picks out the best stats the NFL has to offer from Week 18, including Patrick Mahomes setting a new record for the most total yards in a season and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin avoiding a losing season for a record 16th-straight year…
The Kansas City Chiefs claimed the No 1 seed in the AFC with their win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes ending the season with the most total offensive yards in NFL history – comprising of 5,250 passing yards, 358 rushing yards and six receiving yards. Also, 28 of Mahomes’ 41 touchdown passes were to either running backs or tight ends this season, equalling the NFL record set by Y.A. Tittle of the Giants in 1963.
Most total offensive yards in NFL history
Player
Team
Year
Yards
Patrick Mahomes
Chiefs
2022
5,614
Drew Brees
Saints
2011
5,562
Peyton Manning
Broncos
2013
5,446
Tom Brady
Buccaneers
2021
5,397
Patrick Mahomes
Chiefs
2018
5,369
The Jacksonville Jaguars won the AFC South division title with victory over the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night – the first time the team has secured five successive wins since Weeks 8-12 of the 2005 season. The 2022 Jaguars join the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals and 2020 Washington Football Team as the only teams to reach the playoffs having started the season 2-6. The Jaguars also managed to score 10 points in the fourth quarter against the Titans, despite having -1 total yards.
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Highlights of the Tennessee Titans against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 of the NFL season.
Highlights of the Tennessee Titans against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 of the NFL season.
Tom Brady set new NFL records both in pass attempts (733) and completions (490) for the 2022 season, but suffered his first career defeat in 12 games against the Atlanta Falcons. Despite winning the NFC South, Brady also suffered his first losing season as a starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ending 8-9. But Brady will take solace in the fact that his career record is 7-0 against their opponents on Super Wild Card Weekend of the playoffs, the Dallas Cowboys.
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Nyheim Hines returned the opening kick-off to score for the Buffalo Bills in front of an emotional home crowd showing support for Damar Hamlin.
Nyheim Hines returned the opening kick-off to score for the Buffalo Bills in front of an emotional home crowd showing support for Damar Hamlin.
The Buffalo Bills clinched the No 2 seed in the AFC with victory over the New England Patriots, with Nyheim Hines becoming just the 11th player in NFL history to have two kick-off return touchdowns in the same game. The last player to achieve the feat was Leon Washington for the Seattle Seahawks against the Chargers in 2010.
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Nyheim Hines scored an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots.
Nyheim Hines scored an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots.
The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears to end the season with a record of 13-4 despite conceding more points than they scored this season. Their -3 point differential is the worst in NFL history by a team with a winning percentage of at least .750 in a season.
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Highlights of the Minnesota Vikings’ clash with the Chicago Bears in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the Minnesota Vikings’ clash with the Chicago Bears in Week 18 of the NFL.
The Bears will have the No 1 overall pick in 2023 NFL Draft – the first time the franchise will have the first pick since 1947. On that occasion, they selected running back Bob Fenimore, who ended his NFL career with just one touchdown.
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Highlights of the Cleveland Browns’ clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the Cleveland Browns’ clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 of the NFL.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have missed out on a playoff spot, due to the Miami Dolphins’ late win over the New York Jets, but head coach Mike Tomlin has now finished each of his first 16 seasons in charge with a winning percentage of .500 or better, the longest such start to a career by any head coach in NFL history.
Most consecutive seasons for a head coach without a losing record
Head coach
Team
Seasons
Streak
Mike Tomlin
Steelers
2007-2022
16
Marty Schottenheimer
Browns and Chiefs
1984-1997
14
Don Shula
Colts and Dolphins
1963-1975
13
Curly Lambeau
Packers
1921-1932
12
George Allen
Rams and Washington
1966-1977
12
The Steelers have now had 19 successive ‘non-losing’ seasons, the joint-second longest streak in NFL history. The only longer streak is the 21-year stretch of the Cowboys from 1965 to 1985.
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Highlights of the New York Giants’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the New York Giants’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18 of the NFL.
The Philadelphia Eagles clinched the No 1 seed in the NFC with victory over the New York Giants – their 14th win of the season. On both previous occasions when they have won at least 13 games in a regular season. They reached the Super Bowl – in 2004 and 2017. The Eagles led the NFL with 70 sacks this season, the first team since the 1989 Vikings to have that many in a single season.
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Jason Myers’ field goal to end regulation hit the post, but he made up for it in overtime to ultimately clinch a playoff place for the Seattle Seahawks.
Jason Myers’ field goal to end regulation hit the post, but he made up for it in overtime to ultimately clinch a playoff place for the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks snuck into the playoffs with an overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams, coupled with defeat for the Green Bay Packers to the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. Quarterback Geno Smith set franchise records for completions, pass attempts, completion percentage and passing yards. Running back Kenneth Walker led all rookies this season with 1,050 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. In addition, Tariq Woolen led all rookies with six interceptions.
Worst records by defending Super Bowl champions in NFL history
Team
Year
Record
Win percentage
Rams
2022
5-12
.294
49ers
1982
3-6
.333
Broncos
1999
6-10
.375
Giants
1987
6-9
.400
The Rams clinched the worst record by a defending Super Bowl champion in history, ending their season at 5-12. No other reigning champ had ever lost more than 10 games. The San Francisco 49ers and Giants played in strike-shortened seasons.
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Highlights of the Arizona Cardinals’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the Arizona Cardinals’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 of the NFL.
Brock Purdy led the 49ers to a 10-straight win and became just the fourth rookie quarterback to win each of their first five starts. The others were Mike Kruczek and Ben Roethlisberger – both with the Steelers, in 1976 and 2004 respectively, and Dieter Brock of the 1985 Rams.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
The final NFL Sunday of the regular season sees the Patriots travel to the Bills, needing a win to book a playoff spot; the Eagles can clinch the NFC No 1 seed with a home win over the Giants and the Packers host the Lions as part of a ‘wild card’ battle – live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm
Last Updated: 08/01/23 1:53am
Isiah Pacheco celebrates his rushing touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs as they secured the No 1 seed in the AFC
The Kansas City Chiefs secured the No 1 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye in the playoffs with a 31-13 road win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday night.
Story of the Game
Given the NFL’s decision to cancel the Monday night game between Buffalo Bills (12-3) and Cincinnati Bengals (11-4), after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field, the Chiefs knew coming into Saturday’s contest that a win would clinch the top seed in the conference.
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A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
There was a moment’s applause held for Hamlin ahead of the game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, with players from both sides seen in ‘Love For Damar’ t-shirts, showing their support.
The Chiefs then wasted no time in getting out in front in the game, as Patrick Mahomes hooked up with receiver Justin Watson for a 67-yard reception on just the second play from scrimmage before the QB then threw a short touchdown pass to Jerick McKinnon three plays later.
Ronald Jones, Kadarius Toney and Isiah Pacheco each tacked on TD runs for the Chiefs, while Harrison Butker kicked a 44-yard field goal, as the visiting side put up 31 on Las Vegas.
“Getting that bye, it’s like winning a playoff game,” Mahomes said after the game. “Now we just have to focus on watching tomorrow and then this next week to see who we play and come out with out best football.”
The Chiefs defense repeatedly harassed Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham, particularly in the first half, as they sacked him four times – one of which led to a fumble – and picked him off once.
Stidham, making just his second NFL start after the Raiders benched Derek Carr, threw for 219 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 50 yards.
The Raiders (6-11) trailed 14-3 early in the second quarter when they drove 74 yards to the Chiefs two-yard line. However, consecutive incompletions on third and fourth down by Stidham saw them turn the ball over on downs.
Kansas City then drove 98 yards on 12 plays, capping the series with an 11-yard score from Kadarius Toney. Stidham fumbled on the Raiders’ next possession and, two plays later, Butker kicked a 44-yard field goal in the final seconds of the first half to see the Chiefs up 24-3.
Las Vegas opened the third quarter with a 13-play drive but had to settle for a Daniel Carlson 38-yard field goal.
Pacheco scored early in the fourth quarter for KC, while the Raiders finally found the end zone for nothing more than a consolation score midway later in the fourth as Stidham found Hunter Renfrow for an 11-yard TD.
Passing: Jarrett Stidham, 22/36, 219 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Josh Jacobs, 17 carries, 45 yards
Receiving: Davante Adams, five catches, 73 yards
Hunter Renfrow, seven catches, 63 yards, 1 TD
What’s next?
Live NFL
January 8, 2023, 5:00pm
Live on
The New England Patriots (8-8) need to win to ensure a playoff place in the AFC as they travel to the Buffalo Bills (12-3) on the final NFL Sunday of the 2022 regular season – live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm.
The game will be the Bills’ first following the cardiac arrest suffered by Damar Hamlin on the field during their game against the Bengals on Monday night. Hamlin tweeted on Saturday for the first time since, saying he was “thankful for everyone who has reached out and prayed”.
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Neil Reynolds, Jason Bell, Phoebe Schecter and Jeff Reinebold reflect on an emotional week following the cardiac arrest suffered by Damar Hamlin on the field in the Bills’ game against the Bengals on Monday night.
Neil Reynolds, Jason Bell, Phoebe Schecter and Jeff Reinebold reflect on an emotional week following the cardiac arrest suffered by Damar Hamlin on the field in the Bills’ game against the Bengals on Monday night.
Following the action in Buffalo, we head to Philadelphia for the Eagles‘ (13-3) season-ender against the New York Giants (9-6-1) – kick-off, 9.25pm. The home side need to win to wrap up the No 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-advantage through the playoffs. The Giants, meanwhile, are already assured of the No 6 seed in the NFC.
Live NFL
January 8, 2023, 9:15pm
Live on
Live NFL
January 9, 2023, 1:10am
Live on
Rounding off the Sunday evening triple-header, we join our friends at NBC for Football Night in Americaand a massive game at Lambeau Field as the Green Bay Packers (8-8) host the Detroit Lions (8-8) – kick-off, 1.20am, Monday. The Packers clinch a playoff spot with a win, while a Lions victory would see them claim the last remaining wild card place in the NFC, provided the Seattle Seahawks lose their earlier game to the Los Angeles Rams.
As well as the live action over on Sky Sports NFL and Main Event, you can keep up-to-date with the events in all of the other games via NFL RedZone on Sky Sports Mix (from 6pm) as playoff places are won and lost on the final day of the regular season.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
Buffalo Bills statement on Damar Hamlin: “While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.”
Last Updated: 05/01/23 4:03pm
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin has shown “remarkable improvement” in the last 24 hours but remains critical after suffering a cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buffalo Bills said on Thursday.
Hamlin collapsed after tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins midway through the first quarter of Monday’s game and underwent CPR for approximately 10 minutes before he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
“Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours,” the statement said.
“While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.
“We are grateful for the love and support we have received.”
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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Hamlin opened his eyes on Wednesday night and has been able to grip the hands of those with him.
The Bills had stated earlier on Wednesday that Hamlin was showing signs of improvement but remained in critical condition in the ICU.
An incredible league-wide response has seen coaches and players pay tribute to the 24-year-old, whose toy drive GoFundMe page set up in 2020 as part of his Chasing M’s Foundation has seen donations eclipse an initial target of $2,500 by reaching upwards of $7m.
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“The outpouring of support for Damar across the nation has been amazing,” said Hamlin’s representation Agency 1 Sports on Thursday. “Thank you for the calls, messages and emails.
“Damar has made substantial improvement overnight. We are so thankful for all of the first responders, doctors and hospital staff and every one who has played a role in this process.
“Please continue to pray for Damar and we will provide updates as they are available.”
This is a breaking news story that is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh this page for the latest updates.
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Damar Hamlin remains in a critical condition in hospital
NFL player Damar Hamlin remains in a critical condition in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest during the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, but his condition is “moving in a positive direction”, according to his marketing representative and friend, Jordan Rooney.
Rooney, speaking to the NFL Network on Wednesday, also clarified that Hamlin was “resuscitated once”, on the field. Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, had told CNN on Tuesday evening that his nephew had been resuscitated a second time at the hospital.
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“Right now things are moving in a positive direction,” Rooney said.
“There’s not clarity at this point about how long it’s going to take and where things are going to go. For the family, it’s just a matter of seeing more positive signs and hopefully building on that.”
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The 24-year-old Bills defensive back had briefly got to his feet after making what appeared to be a routine tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins during Monday’s game but then collapsed to the ground.
The game in Cincinnati was halted as medical staff quickly attended to him and administered CPR for approximately 10 minutes before he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Glenn, speaking earlier on Wednesday to NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe, said: “They’re trying to get his lungs back to full strength.
“He was 100 per cent assisted by ventilators [Tuesday]. He’s improved, up to 50 per cent. That’s an upward trend and we’re thankful for that.”
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In a statement issued on Tuesday, Hamlin’s family said they would provide updates on his wellbeing “as soon as we have them”.
“On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time. We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans around the country,” said the family’s statement, which was released via Hamlin’s agent.
“We also want to acknowledge the dedicated first responders and healthcare professionals at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who have provided exceptional care to Damar. We feel so blessed to be part of the Buffalo Bills organization and to have their support.”
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The Bills, who had confirmed Hamlin’s cardiac arrest in a statement late on Monday night, issued a follow-up statement on Tuesday which stated: “We are grateful and thankful for the outpouring of support we have received thus far.”
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Niagara Falls, Old County Hall and Peace Bridge in Buffalo City are lit in blue in support of Damar Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac arrest during the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals
Niagara Falls, Old County Hall and Peace Bridge in Buffalo City are lit in blue in support of Damar Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac arrest during the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals
Will the postponed match be replayed?
The NFL announced a full postponement to the Bengals-Bills game just after 10pm local time on Monday evening, 90 minutes following kick-off.
After Hamlin exited the field in an ambulance, it looked briefly as if play might resume before Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and Bills counterpart Sean McDermott met with game officials and the decision was made to pause proceedings. The Bengals had been leading 7-3 with five minutes and 58 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The NFL has since informed the Bills and Bengals that the suspended game will not resume this week, while the Week 18 schedule remains unchanged.
The league said in a statement on Tuesday: “The NFL continues to be in regular contact with the medical team caring for Damar Hamlin, and also the Bills and Bengals organizations and the NFL Players Association.
“The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date.”
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Mike Florio and Peter King react to the cardiac arrest suffered on the field by Damar Hamlin on Monday night, saying a rescheduling of the game between the Bills and Bengals ‘does not matter’ in light of his critical condition in hospital
Mike Florio and Peter King react to the cardiac arrest suffered on the field by Damar Hamlin on Monday night, saying a rescheduling of the game between the Bills and Bengals ‘does not matter’ in light of his critical condition in hospital
The game has major playoff implications as the NFL enters the final week of the 2022 regular season, with the Bills (12-3) needing a win to reclaim the No 1 seed in the AFC, in the hope of clinching a first-round bye and home advantage through the playoffs. The Bengals (11-4) would have clinched the AFC North division title ahead of the Baltimore Ravens (10-6) with a victory.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that if the game was not to resume, it would be “declared a no contest”, essentially a tie – which would be enough for the Bengals win their division and finish as the No 3 seed in the AFC, while the Kansas City Chiefs would then theoretically clinch the No 1 seed ahead of the Bills with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday.
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Will the Week 18 games still go ahead?
The Bills are scheduled to close out the regular season on Sunday against New England Patriots (8-8), who need to win to secure themselves a wild-card berth in the AFC, while the Bengals are due to take on the Ravens (10-6).
The Bills will not practice or be available to media on Wednesday, it has been reported. They will hold a team meeting and have a brief on-field walkthrough; the Patriots will practise as scheduled.
When Hamlin was taken from the field in an ambulance on Monday night, Bills coach McDermott was seen leading his team in prayer, while players from both teams were shown to be visibly distraught, some with tears in their eyes, as the situation unfolded.
The NFL’s statement on Tuesday said that they had “not made any changes to the Week 18 regular season schedule”, before adding that they “will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available”.
Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio has questioned whether the Bills will be sufficiently mentally and physically prepared to play again by Sunday, and whether the NFL might reconsider sticking to the current schedule.
“Will all of the players be mentally ready to go?” Florio said on Wednesday’s show. “They may tell themselves they are – and maybe once they’re out there, they’ll feel fine – but I think that crossing the thick white stripe on the sideline is going to be different now to what it has ever been, for them and their family members.
“You’ve got every family member of every NFL player, fearful that what happened to Damar Hamlin can happen to their father, husband, friend, nephew, cousin – someone they know and someone they care about.
“It’s part of what everyone has to process to get to the point where guys can play.
“This game is too hard, too demanding, and the risks are too great to have someone play who doesn’t want to.
“There’s no manual to this, no playbook, no standard operating procedure. Will all players be ready to go? That’s the concern I have for players not just on the Bills and Bengals but for players on every team.
Florio added: “This is a very delicate moment in the scheduling of the season, it’s the culmination of the regular season, the playoffs are looming.
“I really don’t know what the right answer is. There is no perfect solution to this.”
The playoffs are due to begin on the weekend of January 14/15/16, with the Super Bowl scheduled for Sunday, February 12 in Glendale, Arizona. There is a free weekend in the calendar prior to the Super Bowl which would allow for the playoff schedule to begin a week later, should the NFL decide to postpone any Week 18 games.
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson hinted at the challenge he has faced in trying to prepare his team for a ‘win-and-in’ showdown for the AFC South division title with the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night.
“Obviously on Monday night, watching it, coaching went away,” Pederson told the NFL Network on Wednesday. “I was thinking about Damar and his family – about the players on both sides of that field.
“Then my attention turned to our team. How was I going to handle this and prepare our football team, what was I going to say? It’s human nature.
“I can honestly say I don’t have all of the answers, but I want my players to understand that we’re here for them.”
“We are preparing for a football game. It’s the hardest thing, to transition from life – and things that are out of our control – to a football game, and trying to get the focus of the room back on that.”
NFL world gathers to show support for Hamlin
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Former NFL player Jason McCourty prays for and pays tribute to Damar Hamlin after he was taken to hospital in a ‘critical condition’, having suffered a cardiac arrest in the Bills’ game against the Bengals on Monday night
Former NFL player Jason McCourty prays for and pays tribute to Damar Hamlin after he was taken to hospital in a ‘critical condition’, having suffered a cardiac arrest in the Bills’ game against the Bengals on Monday night
Hamlin is in his second season in the NFL, after being taken in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bills. He spent five years playing his college football at Pittsburgh, his hometown, appearing in 48 games for the Panthers.
He has started 14 games for the Bills this season in place of injured safety Micah Hyde, who suffered a neck injury in Week Two and has been on injured reserve since. Hamlin is tied for the second-most tackles on the team this year, with 91.
After the incident, people started donating to a GoFundMe page set up by Hamlin’s charitable foundation, Chasing M’s, to raise money to support a toy drive for in his community.
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Hamlin’s initial stated goal was $2,500 but, by Wednesday, the page had reached over $6.3m (£5.2m), with donations coming in from around the world. NFL stars Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, plus the Houston Texans organisation and Patriots owner Robert Kraft were among those to donate large sums.
NBA star LeBron James sent his best wishes to Hamlin when speaking to reporters after the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.
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LeBron James sends thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family after the Buffalo Bills player suffered a cardiac arrest during an NFL game
LeBron James sends thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family after the Buffalo Bills player suffered a cardiac arrest during an NFL game
“It is a terrible thing to see and I wish nothing but the best for that kid and the city of Buffalo, for the franchise of the Bills and the rest of the NFL and also the Bengals that were playing in that game as well,” LeBron said.
“I’m a huge fan of the NFL and a huge fan of football and you never want to see anything like that happen.”
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A number of NFL teams postponed their scheduled press availability on Tuesday out of respect for Hamlin, while Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin spent part of his news conference sharing his personal connection with the 24-year-old Pittsburgh native.
“I’ve known that guy probably since he was about 12,” Tomlin said. “Just got a lot of respect and love for him as a human being, his commitment to the pursuit of his goals and dreams of doing what it is he’s doing right now, which is playing in the NFL.
“To watch him make personal decisions and make that a realisation, it’s just an honour to get to know young people like that. I had an opportunity to express that to him whenever I see him.
“We’ve played Buffalo each of the last two seasons, and he and I get to have a moment because it’s just cool to not only appreciate these guys in terms of where they are now, but to know them since they were younger people and to watch their maturation their development.
BRACKENRIDGE, Pa. — Authorities say five guns were recovered from a man shot and killed by police after a chase and gunfire that killed a western Pennsylvania police chief and wounded two other officers.
The police chief and another officer were shot blocks apart Monday in Brackenridge, an Allegheny County borough northeast of Pittsburgh, authorities said. The suspect was later shot and killed in Pittsburgh after he crashed a carjacked vehicle and exchanged gunfire with police, authorities said.
State Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the governor-elect, said slain Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire “ran towards danger to keep Pennsylvanians safe — and he made the ultimate sacrifice in service to community.” The second officer was in stable condition with a leg wound and a third officer was hit by suspected shrapnel.
Allegheny County police said Tuesday that state police had tried to stop Aaron Lamont Swan Jr., 28, of nearby Duquesne, on Route 22 on probation violations involving weapons Sunday evening, but he fled.
Police said Harrison Township officers spotted him Monday and gave chase, and he fled again on foot. Police said he was spotted again about 2 p.m. Monday and officers from a number of departments pursued him for several hours through various neighborhoods.
Another foot pursuit began in Brackenridge after an officer spotted him about 4:15 p.m. Monday, and shots were fired in two locations that left McIntire dead and the Tarentum officer wounded in the leg. Police said Swan then walked into a home and demanded the inhabitant’s car keys, fleeing in the vehicle.
After multiple police departments and a SWAT team responded for the suspect now considered armed and dangerous, the stolen vehicle was spotted in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood. After a short pursuit the car crashed in the city’s Homewood-Brushton neighborhood and Swan again fled on foot into a wooded area.
While police set up a perimeter, Swan left the wooded area and ran into a housing development, firing at officers while fleeing, police said. Swan fired additional shots and police returned fire. Swan was declared dead at the scene. A Pittsburgh officer had a minor injury from what is believed to have been shrapnel, police said.
Five guns believed to have been used by Swan during the case were recovered, four in Brackenridge and one in Homewood-Brushton, police said. Allegheny County police will investigate the shooting of the suspect and turn their findings over to the county’s district attorney, authorities said.
On Monday evening, dozens of police cars lined the southbound lanes of Route 28 as a procession of officers brought McIntire’s body to the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office. Dozens of officers from departments across the county lined Pittsburgh streets as the procession passed, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
“He’s going to be sorely missed, there’s no doubt about that,” fire Chief Rick Jones said of McIntire on Monday evening, noting that McIntire grew up in the borough, The Post-Gazette reported.
“(He) loved his job, loved his community,” said Dave Miller, a firefighter and fire police captain with Pioneer Hose, told the Tribune-Review. “He was a hell of a guy.”
McIntire’s wife, Ashley, expressed heartbreak at her family’s loss. Describing him in a Facebook post as her best friend, she wrote that her entire world was gone “in the blink of an eye.”
“I am literally broken. I just want someone to tell me this nightmare is over … ,” she said. “I can’t even put into words how great of a person my husband was. He was my person. I love you with all my heart. Until we meet again.”
