Sports
MLB stars discuss their 'important' roles in growing baseball to new fans
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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s rule changes may not be loved by baseball purists, but the proof is in the pudding.
As the length of games has significantly shrunk in recent years, Major League Baseball saw increased attendance in back-to-back years for the first time since the early 2010s in the last two seasons.
A Dodgers-Yankees World Series was going to bring in plenty of viewers anyway, but nonetheless, it’s all a good sign for the sport.
Christian Yelich and Dustin May know their roles to grow the game. (IMAGN)
Two of the biggest names in the game know that they, too, have a job to do off the field as well.
“I think it’s important to grow the sport,” Milwaukee Brewers star and 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “I think it’s important to attract as many new viewers as possible, obviously keep your existing audience and have it be a good product for everybody to consume. I think if you can have an impact like that as a player, you should do it.”
So, in order to do that, Yelich, Dodgers star pitcher Dustin May, and Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson teamed up with DirecTV, whose “Nothing On Your Roof” campaign with the MLB stars is telling potential providers that dishes are no longer necessary to enjoy ball games.
Yelich, May and Swanson star in the commercial for the campaign where there is nothing on their roofs – in this case, their heads. Each wore bald caps, which is quite the look for the long-haired May.
“I like my hair, and I have a lot of it, and then they wanted to do the Nothing On Your Roof, and I thought it was really cool twist on things,” the 27-year-old May, who began growing it out as a junior in high school, said. “I was excited to be a part of the commercial to kind of boost that they don’t need anything on your roof to be able to broadcast baseball.”
Don’t expect May’s real hair to be gone any time soon, though.
“I definitely think my wife would be kind of irritated if I cut them off,” he said.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Dustin May warms up during spring training camp. (Rick Scuteri-USA Today Sports)
“It was a cool concept that I thought was really unique, and an opportunity to have some fun with a couple of other guys around the league,” added Yelich. “DirecTV did a great job with the set and the concept, and I thought everything turned out awesome. People are able to watch baseball, access Major League Baseball games without having to have satellite. I think it was a unique way for DirecTV to get that message across, putting us in bald caps and the Nothing On Your Roof campaign. I didn’t really know how I’d look bald and stuff, but I thought that was a cool part because it looked so realistic. Once they finished with all the hair and makeup stuff, it was a lot of fun.”
“So being able to partner up with DirecTV with this campaign, show baseball fans that they can consume Brewers games, Major League Baseball games without satellites, it was an easy decision to do the commercial.”
Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich follows the flight of his solo home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chad Kuhl, Sept. 6, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
As for continuing to grow the game, “We’re here to put out a good image,” added May. “So people want to come back and want to watch.”
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Sports
Taylor Swift shows up to support Travis Kelce for possible final home game
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Taylor Swift showed up to Arrowhead Stadium Thursday night to watch fiancé Travis Kelce in what could be his final home game with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Swift, wearing a red leather jacket, was shown on the Amazon Prime Video broadcast hugging a friend.
The pop star has mostly been out of the NFL spotlight after the Chiefs lost the Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles in February and the two announced their engagement.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift kiss after the AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills in Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
But it was a special night for Kelce as he mulls his NFL future.
Amazon Prime Video aired an interview between him and Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez before the game began.
“I think I’m still searching for those answers. I think, obviously, the way this one ended with a sour taste in my mouth, I feel motivated, but I got to make the right decision for me,” he told Gonzalez. “I’ve got to hope that, you know, if I do want to come back, the Chiefs are willing to bring me back.
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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is introduced before a game against the Denver Broncos Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
“So it’s a two-way street on that, but, at the same time, man, I am, at this point in this year, I’m just trying to finish out and give Chiefs Kingdom everything I got and go out there and do it with some of that flair that you said I play with.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked what it meant that it could be Kelce’s last game at home.
“I don’t know if it is or not. I haven’t talked to him,” Reid said. “I think his numbers and personality and the person, I think, speak for themselves. Phenomenal person (and) great for the community. He’s everything you want from a player representing an organization.”
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The Chiefs were taking on the Denver Broncos in the Week 17 matchup. Kansas City has already been eliminated from playoff contention.
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Sports
Lakers’ Austin Reaves will not return vs. Rockets because of calf soreness
Lakers guard Austin Reaves will not play in the second half against the Houston Rockets because of left calf soreness, the team announced Thursday.
Reaves missed three games with a left calf strain before coming back to play at Phoenix on Tuesday night. He scored 17 points off the bench in the Lakers’ loss to the Suns.
Against the Rockets at Crypto.com Arena, Reaves started and played 15 minutes in the first half, scoring 12 points on five-for-eight shooting.
With Reaves out, the Lakers struggled in the third quarter, giving up 29 points to trail 92-74 heading into the fourth. The Lakers are trying to avoid losing three consecutive games for the first time this season.
Reaves entered Thursday averaging 27.3 points per game, ranking him 11th in league scoring.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said earlier this week that Reaves wasn’t on a minutes restriction, but the team would monitor his workload “in real time.”
Sports
NFL’s Christmas games lose major star power as key quarterbacks sidelined with injuries
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On paper, Netflix had great divisional matchups on Christmas Day for Week 17 when the season began.
Of course, the NFL season never goes as planned, and the three matchups scheduled for the holiday are not what anyone had planned.
The reason? Star quarterbacks won’t be playing in each game.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott walks off the field after the team’s NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
Christmas Day’s first kickoff will be an NFC East battle between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders, with both teams already eliminated from playoff contention.
And while Dak Prescott and company are looking to finish the season strong, the Commanders shut down Jayden Daniels, their second-year quarterback who led them to the NFC Championship Game in his rookie season just a year ago, after reaggravating his elbow injury.
In fact, the Commanders won’t even see Marcus Mariota, Daniels’ backup who has had to start eight games this season, as he’s dealing with an injury as well. It will be veteran Josh Johnson making the start in Landover, Maryland, on Christmas Day for a 4-11 Commanders squad that hoped to at least make the playoffs after a fantastic finish in 2024.
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“When you do circle those matchups, that’s exactly what you’re thinking: This is going to be cool. How it’s all laid out — division games right here at the end between two games of Philadelphia with a Dallas game in between,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said.
“Playing these division games, they still mean a lot.”
Unfortunately for both squads, it will only be for bragging rights.
Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders looks on from the sidelines after leaving the game during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 7, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)
In the 4:30 p.m. ET slate, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, a storied NFC North rivalry, the home team in Minneapolis will be without its own second-year signal caller — J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy suffered an injury in the win over the New York Giants last week, and it will be Max Brosmer having to start again for Kevin O’Connell’s group.
The Minnesota product’s first career start didn’t work out too well in Seattle, as the Seahawks had their way on defense against Brosmer. Perhaps a home crowd will do him and the Vikings’ offense better, but the Lions at least still have something to play for.
Detroit heads into this game following a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where a game-winning touchdown was called back after Amon-Ra St. Brown was penalized for offensive pass interference, negating Jared Goff flying into the end zone after a pitch-back from the star receiver.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes chews his mouth guard during warmups before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)
The Lions need to win their remaining two games, while also needing the Green Bay Packers to lose their last two games to secure the final NFC wild card spot.
Finally, and perhaps the biggest disappointment for Netflix, is the Kansas City Chiefs not having Patrick Mahomes on the field this holiday season.
Mahomes suffered a torn ACL, which he quickly had surgery to repair, following a loss that knocked them out of playoff contention two weeks ago. The Chiefs were hoping that his backup, Gardner Minshew, could finish out the season, but he tore his ACL last week in a loss to the Tennessee Titans.
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That leaves USF alum Chris Oladokun, who filled in for Minshew last week, starting against Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos — a 12-3 squad who already clinched their playoff berth. Denver will still be playing hard, as they’re competing for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC, which would ensure home games throughout the playoffs.
These games were supposed to be potential division/playoff clinching matchups, but the NFL and its fanbase will be hoping these games are not as lopsided as some believe they could turn out to be.
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