Sports
Patriots owner Robert Kraft opens up on Trump attending Super Bowl LIX, Tom Brady calling the game
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, and his old friend President Donald Trump will be there too.
Kraft gave his thoughts on Trump becoming the first sitting president to attend the big game in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“It just shows you that maybe the NFL and the Super Bowl are important if we got the president of the United States coming as a guest,” Kraft said.
Kraft said he donated to Trump in the past during an interview on “The Breakfast Club” in October. The owner, who has an estimated $11.8 billion net worth, said he first met Trump in the 1990s.
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Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi. (Tubi)
“Donald Trump became a social friend in the early ‘90s, when I was going down to Florida. And then when my wife … died 13 years ago, he was one of four or five people who reached out to me and was really, really nice,” Kraft said.
“The only donation I ever gave to him was he called me when he got elected, and I made a strong donation to his inauguration. I couldn’t believe it. It was like having someone who was a drunk fraternity brother become president of the United States.”
However, the owner said he distanced himself from Trump after the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
“I will say this,” Kraft said. “I was very upset (with) what happened Jan. 6. And I haven’t talked to [Trump] since then.”
The Patriots have gone to other lengths to distance themselves as a franchise from the former president as well.
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Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady speaks during a halftime ceremony as Patriots President Jonathan Kraft and Patriots owner Robert Kraft react at Gillette Stadium Sept. 10, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
In May 2021, the team and Kraft denied allegations he and Trump attempted to pay a U.S. senator money to drop an investigation into a cheating scandal involving the team, according to a report by ESPN.
The report alleged Trump met with Sen. Arlen Specter in 2008 and offered him “money in Palm Beach” if he dropped his investigation into the Spygate scandal, after which the Patriots were disciplined by the NFL for filming a rival team’s coaching signals.
Trump had not started his political career at the time and was well known as the star of “The Apprentice.” ESPN says Trump was acting on behalf of Kraft, a claim those close to the former president and the team deny.
“Mr Kraft is not aware of any involvement of Trump on this topic, and he did not have any other engagement with Specter or his staff,” a team spokesperson told ESPN.
A mutual friend of Trump and Kraft will be at the Super Bowl as well, but for work-related reasons.
Tom Brady will be broadcasting his first Super Bowl as the color commentator for Fox’s broadcast of the game, capping the former quarterback’s first season in the booth.
Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, right, embraces Patriots owner Robert Kraft, center, as Patriots President Jonathan Kraft, left, looks on during halftime ceremonies to honor Brady at a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Patriots Sept. 10, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
Kraft praised Brady’s broadcasting skills in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“I think the way he has presented the nuances of the game, things that fans would never see, is truly special and unique, and Fox was brilliant to attract him,” Kraft said.
Brady previously received praise for his broadcasting during a crucial moment of the Washington Commanders’ NFC divisional-round victory over the Detroit Lions Jan. 18.
The Commanders were up three points with under 14:30 to play. They decided to go for it on 4th and 2 from the Lions’ 5-yard line. A stop for the Lions and they would have gotten the ball back with ample time to either tie the game or take the lead.
Brady noticed something wrong about the Lions’ defense as the Commanders broke their huddle.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft before an AFC wild-card playoff game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. (Rich Barnes/USA Today Sports)
“Need a timeout, 12 on the field, timeout,” Brady said. “Timeout! Timeout! Nope. Nope. Oh no! What are they doing?”
The Lions were penalized for having 12 men on the field. The penalty gave the Commanders a new set of downs. Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. found the end zone two plays later and put Washington up 38-28. The Commanders won the game 45-28.
Brady received praise on social media for pointing out the Lions’ illegal defense.
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Sports
Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo makes NBA history with 83-point game
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Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo made NBA history on Tuesday night.
Adebayo scored 83 points, all while setting league marks for free throws made and attempted in a game for the Miami Heat in a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. It is the second-highest scoring game for a player ever, only to Wilt Chamberlain’s famed 100-point game.
“An absolutely surreal night,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game.
Adebayo started with a 31-point first quarter. He was up to 43 at halftime, 62 by the end of the third quarter. And then came the fourth, when the milestones kept falling despite facing double-, triple- and what once appeared to be a quadruple-team from a Wizards defense that kept sending him to the foul line.
He finished 20 of 43 from the field, 36 of 43 from the foul line, 7 for 22 from 3-point range.
After the game, he was seen in tears while he hugged his mother, Marilyn Blount, before leaving the floor after the game.
“Welp won’t have the highest career high in the house anymore,” Adebayo’s girlfriend, four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, wrote on social media, “but at least it gives me something to go after.”
MAGIC’S ANTHONY BLACK MAKES INCREDIBLE DUNK OVER FOUR DEFENDERS IN HISTORIC NBA GAME
Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat celebrates during the fourth quarter of the game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center on March 10, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The NBA’s previous best this season was 56, by Nikola Jokic for Denver against Minnesota on Christmas night. The last player to have 62 points through three quarters: one of Adebayo’s basketball heroes, Kobe Bryant, who had exactly that many through three quarters for the Los Angeles Lakers against Dallas on Dec. 20, 2005.
He wound up passing Bryant for single-game scoring as well. Bryant’s career-best was 81 — a game that was the second-best on the NBA scoring list for two decades.
Adebayo scored 31 points in the opening quarter against the Wizards, breaking the Heat record for points in any quarter — and tying the team record for points in a first half before the second quarter even started.
He finished the first half with 43 points, a team record for any half and two points better than his previous career high — for a full game, that is — of 41, set Jan. 23, 2021, against Brooklyn.
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Adebayo’s season high entering Tuesday was 32. He matched that with a free throw with 5:53 left in the second quarter, breaking the Heat first-half scoring record.
Adebayo’s 43-point first half was the NBA’s second-best in at least the last 30 seasons — going back to the start of the digital play-by-play era that began in the 1996-97 season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
Kings lose in overtime to the Boston Bruins
BOSTON — Charlie McAvoy scored 39 seconds into overtime and Jeremy Swayman stopped 14 shots on Tuesday night to earn the Boston Bruins their 13th straight victory at home, 2-1 over the Kings.
Mason Lohrei scored midway through the third period to break a scoreless tie. But the Kings tied it five minutes later when Drew Doughty’s shot from the blue line deflected off the heel of Bruins forward Elias Lindholm and into the net.
It was the seventh straight time the teams had gone to overtime in Boston.
In the overtime, Mark Kastelic blocked a shot in the defensive zone and made a long pass to David Pastrnak, who waited for McAvoy to come into the zone. The Bruins’ defenseman and U.S. Olympian, who went to the locker room at the end of the second period after taking a puck off his mouth, skated in on Darcy Kuemper and went to his backhand for the winner.
Kuemper stopped 21 shots for the Kings, who entered the night one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The victory kept Boston in possession of the East’s second wild-card spot.
Swayman tied his career high with his 25th win of the season. The Bruins haven’t lost at the TD Garden since before Christmas.
After the game, Kings forward and future Hall of Famer Anze Kopitar stayed on the ice to shake hands with the Bruins after what is expected to be his last game in Boston.
Sports
Jon Jones requests UFC release after Dana White says legend was ‘never’ considered him for White House card
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Mixed martial arts legend Jon Jones ended his retirement from UFC simply because he wanted a spot on the “Freedom 250” fight card at the White House in June.
But, when UFC CEO Dana White announced the card during UFC 326 this past weekend, Jones wasn’t among the fighters. As a result, he has requested a release from his UFC contract.
White was candid when asked about Jones following the UFC 326 card.
Jon Jones of the United States of America reacts after his TKO victory against Stipe Miocic of the United States of America in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2024 in New York City. ((Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images))
“Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys a hundred thousands times, was Jon Jones ever even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House,” White explained, per CBS Sports. “Some guy with Meta Glasses filmed him talking about his hips – that his hips are so bad. And I don’t know if you guys saw that flag football game where he can barely run. Jon Jones retired because of his hips. He’s got arthritis in his hips. Apparently, doctors say he should have a hip replacement.”
White added that “the Jon Jones thing is bulls—,” saying that he texted the fighter’s lawyer saying he would never be on the White House card despite Jones saying he was in negotiations for it.
UFC ANNOUNCES CARD FOR WHITE HOUSE EVENT
The Meta Glasses incident White is referring to came from a viral video, where Jones, unaware he was being filmed, discussed issues with his hips to a fan.
On Monday, Jones composed a thorough response to White’s comments about him and the White House Card. He previously posted and deleted social media explanations, but Monday’s appeared to be his final statement on the matter.
UFC President Dana White speaks after UFC Fight Night at Toyota Center on Feb. 21, 2026. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
“Yes, I have arthritis in my hip and it’s painful, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight,” Jones, who retired a heavyweight champion in 2025, said. “So let me get this straight, if I had accepted the lowball offer, suddenly my hip would be fine and I’d be on the White House card? That doesn’t make sense. I even received stem cell treatment last week to get ready for the White House card, and training camp was scheduled to start today. I was preparing to be ready.
“I understand business deals fall through sometimes, but going out publicly and saying things that aren’t true isn’t right. After everything I’ve given to the UFC, the years, the title defenses, the fights, hearing that I’m ‘done’ is disappointing. Especially when as recently as Friday UFC was calling me trying to get me on that White House card for a much lower number.”
Jones finished his statement by saying he “respectfully” asks to be released from his UFC contract.
Jon Jones enters the ring before facing Stipe Miocic in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City, New York. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“No more spins, no more games. Thank you to the real fans who know what’s up,” he wrote.
The UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Jones is considered one of the best UFC fighters of all time, owning a 28-1-1 record, which includes his last bout with Stipe Miocic, knocking him out to take the heavyweight title belt. He is also a two-time light heavyweight champion.
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