Sports
Mike Pereira on the pain of his lost season: ‘I almost gave up on life as I knew it’
At his darkest moment, when the worst thoughts flooded his soul, Mike Pereira wondered whether it was time to give up. Nothing alleviated his back pain — not yoga, not pilates, not any of the various methods of pain management his doctors recommended. Something we take for granted, stepping out of bed each morning, became too excruciating to endure.
Pereira had spent 14 years as an NFL sideline judge and vice president for league officiating before transitioning into a broadcasting pioneer — the first rules analyst for NFL broadcasts when Fox Sports hired him in 2010. But last year, at age 73 and in deep agony, his mind wandered to a dark place. He said he had suicidal thoughts.
“I had never experienced anything like the pain I had,” Pereira said. “I almost gave up. I mean, I almost gave up on life as I knew it. I became such a burden to anybody around me and in so much pain that I laid in my bed saying, ‘Is it really worth this?’ I never thought of myself as someone who would contemplate that. When you’re in that much pain and it slips into your mind one time, it keeps going around your mind. You have to fight it.”
Now, after missing the entire 2023 NFL season, Pereira is back on television for Fox, working a full schedule of college football and NFL games. That’s the result of successful spinal surgery in November at a San Francisco hospital, an 8 1/2-hour procedure that involved fusing seven levels of Pereira’s spinal vertebrae. Pereira was hospital-bound for a week after the surgery, followed by another in-patient week at a rehab facility in Sacramento, Calif.
He was told the surgery was successful, but it didn’t feel that way as he lay helpless in his hospital bed in November. He couldn’t sleep, he could barely move, and his blood pressure would crash anytime he attempted to get out of bed. Finally, he was able to get into a wheelchair, then he moved up to navigating a walker.
“I felt a sense of accomplishment over the simplest things,” he said. “When you’ve been that low and then you feel the accomplishment of being able to achieve something that you couldn’t do before, your attitude changes.”
The healing continued, and Pereira was strong enough to travel to the NFC Championship Game in San Francisco in January. He surprised Fox’s top NFL crew during a production meeting at their hotel and was overwhelmed by his colleagues leaping out of their chairs to greet him.
“The sincere and genuine love that I felt at that moment was overwhelming,” Pereira said. “That moment convinced me I was coming back to work.”
I’m back and well in Cleveland. I’m so thankful! pic.twitter.com/N7bggnmRo4
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) September 8, 2024
Pereira said his top bosses at Fox Sports — CEO Eric Shanks and executive producer Brad Zager — asked him prior to the season how much travel he wanted to do, and he has opted for eight or nine regular-season games on the road (he switches off with fellow rules analyst Dean Blandino) and the rest working from Fox’s Century City studios. (When Pereira and Blandino work from the studio, they watch games from what Fox Sports employees call the “Sky Box,” which is where the pregame show is done.) His road trips so far have included Cleveland for Week 1 and Dallas last week. This week, Pereira will work from Los Angeles — one college game Friday night, nine college games Saturday and four NFL games Sunday.
“I’m now almost 10 1/2 months from the surgery, and I can walk 2 miles a day,” he said. “I can do just about everything that I could before with the exception of I can’t put shoes on by myself. I’ve been after Howie Long to give me some Skechers, but he’s not come through yet (laughs). But I don’t care about any of the small issues because I have my life back. I mean, it was gone and now I have it back.”
We now take for granted rules analysts working on sports television and streaming, but Pereira was a genuine game-changer when Fox created the role for him in 2010. Viewers had longed for broadcasters to provide accurate explanations from the NFL’s Byzantine rule book, and Pereira took the burden off the announcers. Joe Buck once told me he considered Pereira the best hire in Fox Sports history. Pereira said he could have never seen his hiring in 2010 as a precursor for the many rules analysts we now see on television across sports.
Mike Pereira before the Week 1 game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns. He missed the 2023 season due to his injury. (Nick Cammett / Diamond Images via Getty Images)
“It’s wonderment because I never in my mind saw this job coming,” Pereira said. “I never thought when it was my time to retire from the NFL, I would have something like this available. I’m not only proud of the fact of what it has meant to us as former football officials and the role of trying to educate the fans, but I also take pride in the fact that I watch a soccer game, there’s a rules analyst. Same with the NBA. I now see networks with golf rules analysts. Fox started it, but at least I was decent enough at it that everybody felt it was a good idea. I take pride in that. I really do.”
Talking to Pereira these days, it’s hard not to come away with some perspective on mortality. He said he feels like a new person and has such little pain that he no longer has to take Tylenol or any kind of pain reliever. There was even an unexpected result from the surgery: He measures 2 inches taller in height.
“There are things I can’t do, but I’m living my absolute best life at home and at work,” Pereira said. “Some people might say that, but because of the appreciation of where I’ve been, I really believe I’m living my best life today.”
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
(Top photo of Mike Pereira on the field before last week’s Baltimore Ravens-Dallas Cowboys game: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Napoleon Solo took home the 2026 Preakness Stakes on Saturday, the 151st running of the race.
The favorite in Taj Mahal, the 1 horse, was in the lead from the start until the final turn until Napoleon Solo made his move on the outside and took the lead at the top of the stretch. As Taj Mahal fell off, Iron Honor, the 9 horse, snuck up, but the effort ultimately was not enough.
Napoleon Solo opened at 8-1 and closed at 7-1. Iron Honor, at 8-1, finished second, with Chip Honcho fishing third after closing at 11-1. Ocelli, one of just three horses to run both the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago and Saturday’s Preakness, finished fourth at 8-1.
A Preakness branded starting gate is seen on track prior to the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16, 2026 in Laurel, Maryland. For the first and only time, Laurel Park is hosting the Preakness Stakes which is the second race of the Triple Crown jewel due to the traditional home of the race of the Pimlico Race Course undergoing complete renovations. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
A $1 exacta paid out $53.60, while a $1 trifecta brought in $597.10. But someone out there is very lucky, as a $1 superhighfive – picking the top-five finishers in order – paid out $12,015.70.
Even moreso, a 20-cent Pick 6 – picking the winners of the six consecutive races, with the final being the Preakness, paid out $33,842.34.
The race was run without the Kentucky Derby winner for the second year in a row. After Sovereignty did not run the Preakness last year – and wound up winning the Belmont Stakes – the training team of Golden Tempo opted to skip the Maryland race.
From 1960 to 2018, only three Derby winners did not run in the Preakness. Three Derby winners have skipped the Preakness in the last five years, and for the sixth time in eight years, for various reasons, the Triple Crown had already been impossible to accomplish by the time the Preakness even rolled around.
“I understand that fans of the sport or fans of the Triple Crown are disappointed, but the horse is not a machine,” Golden Tempo’s trainer, Cherie DeVaux, told Fox News Digital earlier this week.
Paco Lopez, right, atop Napoleon Solo, edges out Iron Honor, ridden by Flavien Prat, to win the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes horse race, Friday, May 15, 2026, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
CHERIE DEVAUX REFLECTS ON MAKING KENTUCKY DERBY HISTORY AS FIRST FEMALE TRAINER TO WIN THE RACE
Only three horses from two weeks ago – Ocelli, Robusta, and Incredibolt, were back at the Preakness. Corona de Oro, the 11 horse on Saturday, was scratched well ahead of the Derby, and Great White, who reared up and fell on his back after becoming startled shortly before entering the Derby gate, took the 13 post on Saturday.
The Preakness went off roughly 24 hours after a horse died following the completion of his very first race.
Hit Zero, trained by Brittany Russell, came into the race as the favorite. However, he finished last in the race, which was won by another one of Russell’s horses, Bold Fact — and upon crossing the finish line, Hit Zero reportedly began coughing, dropped to his knees, then put his head down and died.
The Preakness took place at Laurel Park as Pimlico undergoes renovations. It was the first time ever that Pimlico did not host the race, moving roughly 20 miles south.
Paco Lopez, atop Napoleon Solo, wins the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes horse race, Friday, May 15, 2026, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
The Belmont Stakes, the final Triple Crown race, will take place on June 6. The race will return to Saratoga for a third year in a row as Belmont Park continues to be renovated.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL
CITY SECTION FINALS
FRIDAY
At Birmingham
DIVISION I
#1 Taft d. #3 Cleveland, 25-23, 25-14, 25-21
DIVISION IV
#7 Maywood CES d. #4 Math & Science College Prep, 25-17, 25-17, 25-23
At Venice
DIVISION II
#4 Marquez d. #6 Narbonne, 23-25, 25-19, 29-27, 25-16
DIVISION III
#13 Birmingham d. #2 Legacy, 25-20, 17-25, 31-33, 25-21, 15-10
SATURDAY
At Birmingham
OPEN DIVISION
#3 Chatsworth d. #1 Granada Hills, 24-26, 25-21, 25-14, 25-18
DIVISION V
314 Franklin d. #13 Rancho Dominguez, 25-18, 25-19, 25-16
SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS
THURSDAY
At Home Sites
DIVISION 9
Vasquez d. Tarbut V’ Torah, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, 15-10
FRIDAY
At Cerritos College
DIVISION 1
#1 Mira Costa d. #3 Loyola, 25-21, 25-22, 25-22
DIVISION 4
Sunny Hills d. Royal, 24-26, 25-22, 27-25, 25-23
At Home Sites
DIVISION 5
Bishop Diego d. St. Anthony, 25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23
DIVISION 8
Temescal Canyon d. West Valley, 24-26, 25-16, 25-19, 25-23
SATURDAY
At Cerritos College
DIVISION 2
Orange Lutheran d. Edison, 3-1
DIVISION 3
Windward d. St, John Bosco, 24-26, 25–21, 25-22, 25-20
DIVISION 6
Culver City d. Garden Grove, 27-25, 25-20, 19-25, 21-25, 15-9
Sports
It’s Game 7, and we have a bet locked in as the Cavaliers and legacies are on the line against the Pistons
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The NBA takes a lot of flak for having meaningless games, and I can definitely understand it, watching on a random Wednesday in January. However, the playoffs have delivered over and over to viewers and rewarded us for putting up with garbage regular-season games.
This will be the fourth Game 7 of the playoffs. Three series have been sweeps, and the other three have been six games. That shows competitive hoops. Now, how do we bet this Game 7 in the Eastern Conference?
The Cleveland Cavaliers blew it. After not winning a road game all postseason, they took Game 5 in surprising fashion. It looked like they were going to win in six games. After all, they hadn’t lost a game at home in the postseason.
Instead, Detroit came out and blitzed the Cavs, never giving them a chance to get their footing. They lost in an ugly fashion and now have to figure out a way to win a game on the road.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons during the second half of Game 5 in the second-round NBA playoffs in Detroit on May 13, 2026. (Duane Burleson/AP)
It isn’t just the Cavs’ fate that rests in this game. It is also the legacy of James Harden and, to a lesser extent, Donovan Mitchell.
We know that Mitchell is a very good player, but he isn’t regarded as one of the best players ever. Harden is. Unfortunately, Harden has struggled in Game 7s. He’s averaged 19.1 points, 7.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds. That’s not terrible, but looking at his shooting percentages, he is at 35.3% and 22.2% in those games. He actually is 4-4 overall in the games, but in his past three, he has scored a combined 34 points over 113 minutes.
The Detroit Pistons seem to like playing with their backs against the wall. They are a gritty team, so I suppose it makes sense.
Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren reacts after allowing a pass to go out of bounds in the second half of Game 4 of the second-round NBA playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland on May 11, 2026. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
Cade Cunningham continues to deliver for the team, and he finally got some help in Game 6 from Jalen Duren. This was never going to be an easy series for Duren, but it feels like he is taking more time to mature than others. He definitely improved this year, but the consistency they need from him just isn’t there yet.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Now as the team goes home they will need Duren to be a beast on the glass. If he can keep the Pistons in the rebounding battle, they should win this game with ease. They won Game 6 by just three rebounds, but that takes away a big dimension of what Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley do for the Cavs. It isn’t everything, though, as the Pistons won the rebounding battle in both losses in Cleveland.
I don’t see this being a runaway game for the Pistons. Mitchell and Cunningham likely will cancel each other out with scoring. Harden needs to establish himself as the third-best player on the floor. I haven’t seen him do that in the postseason, yet.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden talk during Game 2 in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs vs. the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Ohio. (David Dermer/Imagn Images)
This is the second Game 7 of the playoffs for both of the clubs, so it isn’t like either will be caught off guard about what this entails.
If I look at it objectively, I think the Cavs have the better players. However, the Pistons have looked significantly better this season, and definitely in the playoffs overall. Both are prone to issues and slipping. The Cavs shouldn’t be as they are a veteran team.
This game has to be won by Cleveland, though. There is too much riding on the franchise and legacies of guys for them to not prepare properly for it. Maybe that’s weak analysis, but I’m taking the Cavs with the points and I do think they win outright. I expect a monster game from Mitchell, and Harden should get 10+ assists.
Either way, whoever wins will lose to the New York Knicks.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
-
Arkansas3 minutes agoSuburban sprawl has reached a dead end in Northwest Arkansas, planners say | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
-
California9 minutes ago3 people killed, several others injured after driver crashes into crowd in Oakland, California
-
Colorado15 minutes agoThese Colorado school districts want their students back. So they’re adding online classes
-
Connecticut21 minutes agoAt least 50 people charged with animal cruelty in ‘significant’ police operation in Tolland Saturday
-
Delaware27 minutes agoMassive fire destroys historic church in Wilmington, Delaware
-
Florida33 minutes ago
A Newly Built Oceanfront Compound in the Florida Keys With Its Own Sandy Beach Lists for $40 Million
-
Georgia39 minutes agoHonolulu Police Chief Candidate Under Investigation In Georgia
-
Hawaii45 minutes agoOdds of El Nino forming this summer increase – West Hawaii Today
