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Maxx Crosby plans to attend America 250 UFC fight, talks White House, Fernando Mendoza, Tom Brady and Olympics
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Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby told Fox News Digital he plans on attending the UFC fight at the White House on June 14 to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
“I’ve never been to the White House,” Crosby said. “I’m excited, I like history…
“It’s incredible that we all have an opportunity to celebrate our country and just be part of a historic event… we live in the greatest country in the world and it should be celebrated.”
Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders walks on the sideline before a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Dec. 7, 2025. (Chris Unger/Getty Images)
For Crosby, as a highly successful NFL star, the celebration represents an opportunity to recognize the freedoms and opportunities he appreciates most as an American.
“You have an opportunity every day to chase your passion,” Crosby said. “Everyone comes from different backgrounds, but in this country you have a choice every day to chase what you love and what you aspire to do. People don’t say the American Dream for no reason. It’s the greatest country because it’s opportunity. It’s a land of opportunity.”
Crosby also revealed who he’s rooting for at the event.
“I think everyone knows how much I love Justin Gaethje,” Crosby said. “Justin Gaethje is one of the greatest fighters to ever do it, and he’s an absolute legend. He’s also a great friend, so I’ll definitely be biased for him. I want to see him go to the White House and do his thing for sure.”
The fight, slated for the South Lawn, came about after Donald Trump casually leaned over to Dana White during a live UFC match and suggested they “do a fight at the White House”. White immediately agreed, and logistics were set in motion days later.
“Dana White is like family to me. He always does it big, and he always does it the biggest and best way. He’s always going to put on an incredible show,” Crosby said.
“I’ve met Trump a couple times, and he’s been incredible to me,” Crosby later added. “I know Dana [White] thinks nothing but the world of him and has a lot of respect for him. But you know we’ve met a couple times, and he’s always been great to me. So, going to the White House, and being there, is going to be a lot of fun for sure.”
Playing flag football for Team USA at the 2028 LA Olympics
Crosby also said he would welcome the opportunity to represent the United States in flag football when the sport makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“Oh, no doubt,” Crosby said when asked whether he would consider playing. “I think it’d be incredible.”
While Crosby noted that his family has roots in the Balkans, he made clear where his allegiance would lie if given the opportunity to compete on the international stage.
TEAM USA FLAG FOOTBALL STAR WANTS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE OLYMPIC TEAM AMID NFL PARTICIPATION
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby stands on the field after a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa., on Dec. 14, 2025. (Eric Hartline/Imagn Images)
“My mom’s side, I’ve got a Yugoslavian background, so I’ve got some Serbian and Albanian in me over there,” Crosby said. “I’m sure they’d give me a call as well, so it’d be an interesting decision.”
Still, the Raiders star said his heart remains with the country where he was born and raised.
“Everyone knows my heart’s here,” Crosby said. “This is the country I’ve been raised in, born and raised, so yeah, it would definitely be special.”
Crosby was also asked whether he would try to recruit Raiders minority owner Tom Brady to play quarterback for Team USA if he joined the Olympic squad.
“I don’t think he would do that,” Crosby said with a laugh. “I think he’s retired and there’s a lot of great quarterbacks right now. But I wouldn’t be mad at Tom Brady coming back. It’s a great time.”
Getting Fernando Mendoza ready for the NFL
Crosby also had high praise for quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is adjusting to life at the NFL level after a successful college career.
“He’s a young guy and he’s coming in off an incredible season and an incredible college career,” Crosby said. “But when you get to the NFL, you’ve got to start from square one.”
The veteran defensive end said Mendoza has impressed him with his willingness to learn and fit into the locker room.
“I think he’s done an incredible job of just being one of the guys, being humble, being a sponge, just learning from everybody and asking questions,” Crosby said.
WHO IS FERNANDO MENDOZA? THE NFL DRAFT SENSATION NO ONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza warms up during a rookie minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)
But Crosby won’t be taking it easy on the fresh-faced rookie in practice.
“There’s no taking it easy,” Crosby said with a laugh. “We play this game one way, and I’m going to go out there and do what I do. It’s going to help him in the long run and making him better. I want to push all my teammates. That’s how teams improve — by pushing each other and making each other better on a daily basis.”
While many young quarterbacks are immediately compared to established NFL stars, Crosby said Mendoza should be given the opportunity to carve out his own identity.
“A lot of times people try to make comparisons,” Crosby said. “People just need to allow Fernando to be Fernando. I think he’s going to be a really special player.”
Playing for Tom Brady
Crosby also spoke about the unique opportunity to play for an organization that includes NFL legend Tom Brady as a minority owner.
“Tom has had one of the greatest careers, if not the greatest career, of anybody,” Crosby said. “He’s an incredible player and won at the highest level.”
Tom Brady looks on before the game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Washington Commanders at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 5, 2025. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images)
While Brady isn’t involved in the day-to-day operations of the franchise, Crosby said having someone with his experience around the organization is a valuable resource.
“Anybody you get around an organization that has done it at that level, I think is a positive,” Crosby said. “He’s not there all the time, but he is a resource for people in that building. I think his winning mindset is only a plus.”
Crosby only played Brady once before Brady retired.
“I wish we could have had a couple more swings at it,” Crosby said.
A big partnership
Crosby’s appearance with Fox News Digital came as part of a partnership with SAXX Underwear, a brand he said immediately caught his attention for more than one reason.
“Obviously, everyone knows I make a living sacking quarterbacks, so the name alone drew me in,” Crosby joked. “The double X was a bonus, too.”
But beyond the name, Crosby said he became a fan of the product itself. Crosby said the product has become part of his everyday routine.
“I literally wear it every single day,” Crosby said. “I wear it during workouts, I wear it around the house, I literally wear it everywhere I go.”
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Still, while Crosby wears it to workouts, he won’t be wearing it during games.
“It’s not NFL certified yet,” he said. “But I wear it to the games, for sure.”
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With 48 teams competing and a grueling path through the knockout stage, reaching the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be an accomplishment in itself.
Only four nations will survive the tournament’s first 100 matches and earn a spot in the final four, putting themselves within two victories of lifting the most coveted trophy in sports.
Let’s take a look at the latest odds to reach the semifinals at FanDuel Sportsbook as of June 26.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
To Reach Semifinals
Argentina: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total)
France: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)
Spain: +120 (bet $10 to win $22 total)
England: +165 (bet $10 to win $26.50 total)
Portugal: +210 (bet $10 to win $31 total)
Brazil: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Netherlands: +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total)
Germany: +330 (bet $10 to win $43 total)
USA: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Norway: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Colombia: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Belgium: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Morocco: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Switzerland: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Mexico: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Japan: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Croatia: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Ecuador: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Canada: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)
Austria: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total)
Here’s what to know about this oddsboard:
The Top 10: Argentina, France, Spain, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands and Germany — all considered powerhouse countries — stand at the top of the board, with each nation listed at +330 or better to reach the semifinals. But right after that group? The USA and Norway. The Americans have never made it to the semifinals of the World Cup, and this is Norway’s first appearance in the tournament since 1998.
SAN DIEGO — Hodad’s is a third-generation small business, a San Diego treasure that makes a damn good burger. I dropped by one of their two restaurants last winter, but I didn’t see what I wanted on the menu.
The burger I get at Petco Park, I explained to the server. She knew exactly what I meant.
“The F— the Dodgers burger,” she said, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
In San Diego, it had been an impish inside joke for years. If you didn’t know what FTD meant on the menu at the Hodad’s stands at Petco Park, the burger — with cheese, onion rings, pickles, mayonnaise and barbecue sauce — still was a good time.
When the Dodgers played here last month, a fan posted a picture of the menu board and explained what FTD stood for. The next day, Jomboy Media did the same, in a post with 1.6 million views.
“When I first saw that,” Hodad’s co-owner Shane Hardin told me, “I thought, ‘Oh, sweet, Jomboy, cool. We’ll get a little bump.’ ”
Then Hardin got a call from Delaware North, the company that handles the San Diego Padres’ concessions. People are talking, Hardin was told.
“And I’m like, ‘Cool, great, let ‘em talk, there’s no profanity anywhere,’ ” Hardin said.
The Padres and Delaware North did not see it that way. “FTD” was stripped from the menu boards at the four Hodad’s stands, initially replaced by the lame quartet of “Foul to Dinger,” “For the Division,” “For the Dugout” and “For the Diegans” and currently replaced by the strained quartet of “For the Dads,” “For the Dub,” “Faithful til Death” and (gulp) “Flyball to Deep.”
Another new name for the FTD burger at Petco Park.
(Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times)
The Padres declined comment for this column.
Hardin is more amused than annoyed, particularly given the origin of the FTD Burger. It’s been on Hodad’s Petco Park menu since …
“Was it the 2022 playoffs that the Padres beat the Dodgers?” he asked.
This is how a San Diegan tells time, but yes.
“The Padres hit us up and said, ‘We want a special menu item for the playoffs,’” Hardin said. “We go, ‘OK, without us ever saying what it meant, can we call it the FTD Burger?’ They said, ‘Oh, yeah, ha ha, that’s funny, go for it.’ And so we did.”
The burger has been sold at Petco Park ever since, with the same recipe, despite the online conspiracy theory that its three onion rings represented the Dodgers’ three World Series championship rings this decade.
“Dude, I don’t keep track of what the Dodgers have,” Hardin said. “I really don’t care.”
It is in that spirit that I am stunned the Padres made the change.
The San Diego Padres often sell “Beat LA” T-shirts in their team store.
(Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times)
The Padres, the team that sells “Beat L.A.” shirts in the team store. The Padres, the team that put up a meme of Clayton Kershaw crying on the video board. The Padres, the team that begged its fans not to sell their tickets to fans of “a team from a little ways up north” and also refused to sell tickets to that 2022 playoff series to anyone in Los Angeles County.
The Padres deserve a ton of credit for breathing life into what now is a feisty rivalry with the Dodgers. It is odd that, all of a sudden, they’re worried about decorum.
“I was under the impression that FTD was just kind of a fun ‘if you know, you know’ sort of thing,” Hardin said. “People will hold up signs saying ‘FTD’ and they’ll get on the JumboTron.
“At the end of the day, Hodad’s is a little rough around the edges. But we’re still a family place.”
Hardin isn’t upset with the Padres. It’s their ballpark, after all, and he enjoys being part of it.
“I love being there,” he said. “The relationship is great, honestly.”
And he had one other thing to say about the demise of the FTD label: “That first homestand after that news broke, we sold 50% more of that burger each game. I’ll take that.”
The Padres might want to reconsider. In baseball, curses are no joking matter, and the Curse of the FTD Burger might now have befallen the team.
When the Dodgers left Petco Park five weeks ago, the Padres were 1½ games behind them. Before the Padres’ next game, the Jomboy post went viral and the “FTD” name vanished.
As the Dodgers return here Friday, the Padres are nine games behind the Dodgers.
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Team USA’s final group stage match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup may not have had any implications for either team, but patriotism was in full force for the home country as Second Lady Usha Vance was among the many prominent figures at Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday night.
As the U.S. national anthem rang across the stadium, with players and fans singing in unison, the FOX Sports broadcast showed Vance in a suite with a huge smile on her face as “The Star-Spangled Banner” ended.
Vance was present at the match just two days after FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that President Donald Trump would present the World Cup trophy to the winning team at the final in New Jersey on July 19.
U.S. Second Lady Usha Vance attends the 2026 World Cup Group D match between Turkey and the United States at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 25, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
Vance was just the beginning of the stars that showed out in Inglewood, as Paris Hilton was seen presenting the match ball before kick-off. Then, cameras started to pick up the many high-profile faces throughout the crowd.
Among them were Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, a pair that many movie lovers know from their hit classic “Fight Club.” Some social media users even hoped that the discussion they were seen having was about a sequel.
TOM CRUISE, DAVID BECKHAM, KATY PERRY AND MORE CELEBRITIES SPOTTED AT 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP MATCHES
Also, movie star Ashton Kutcher was seen speaking with Los Angeles Rams standout wide receiver Puka Nacua, who knows the confines of SoFi Stadium (what it is called outside of FIFA play) very well.
Then, Colin Farrell, though Irish born, was rocking a replica Team USA jersey alongside his son in the stands to support the Stars and Stripes. Leonardo DiCaprio, Scottie Pippen and more were also seen in the seats.
U.S. Second Lady Usha Vance sings the anthem during the 2026 World Cup Group D match between Turkey and the U.S. at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 25, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
There has been a tremendous outpouring of support for the USMNT from everywhere, celebrity or not, throughout this tournament. The 4-2 win over Paraguay at the same Los Angeles stadium caused a frenzy in the stands, as the U.S. made a statement to begin the tournament on home soil for the first time since 1999.
USA WORLD CUP TEAM CLINCHES SPOT IN KNOCKOUT STAGE AFTER ANOTHER HISTORIC PERFORMANCE VS AUSTRALIA
Then, it was on to Seattle, where a 2-0 victory over Australia not only led to a spot in the knockout round, but led to a bellowing of the John Denver classic, “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” from everyone in the stands. The USMNT saluted their fans after yet another successful match.
It was a much different look for the USMNT entering Thursday night’s matchup against Türkiye, with nine changes to the starting XI after the team had already secured its place in the knockout stage. The Americans will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 1.
Paris Hilton is seen with children before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Türkiye and USA at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on June 25, 2026. (Sarah Stier/FIFA)
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No matter who’s on the pitch, some of the biggest names in the country are showing support for the team that has inspired tremendous national pride to kick off this tournament.
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