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Week 9 NFL roundtable: Anthony Richardson, Lions-Packers, coaches on hot seat

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Week 9 NFL roundtable: Anthony Richardson, Lions-Packers, coaches on hot seat

Maybe the NFL knew what it was doing when it flexed Indianapolis Colts-Minnesota Vikings into prime time.

Quarterback Anthony Richardson’s benching has been a major talking point around the league this week. Another act of Joe Flacco’s career begins against the Vikings, who were once the hottest team in the league before losing their last two. Minnesota reinforced its offensive line by trading for Jacksonville Jaguars OT Cam Robinson.

Speaking of trades, the NFL trade deadline looms Tuesday. So, there is plenty more our NFL writers Jeff Howe, Mike Sando and Zak Keefer will discuss in this roundtable previewing Sunday’s Week 9 slate.

We’ll see more of the wide receivers who have already been traded to new squads — the Buffalo Bills’ Amari Cooper and Kansas City Chiefs’ DeAndre Hopkins among them. New Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson should make his debut against the Denver Broncos.

Elsewhere, we can’t seem to go a week without a big NFC North game. Also, is it time to gauge which head coaches are on the hot seat?

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Read more below.


Another week, another big NFC North game. This time, it’s Lions–Packers. Green Bay has won four straight. Detroit has won five straight. What or who makes the biggest difference in this one?

Howe: The Lions are the best team in the league right now, but I think the Packers are in the neighborhood and capable of beating anyone if Jordan Love is healthy. I’ll focus on the Packers run defense, though. It’s been a top-10 unit so far, and the overall defense has been solid for the most part. The Lions are so successful on offense because they’ve been able to run it whenever they want and have kept Jared Goff on schedule. From what I’ve heard, teams want to see if Goff can play at this level if he’s forced into more of a standard drop-back game — essentially, if the Lions aren’t able to dominate on the ground and allow Ben Johnson to tap into his most creative plays. If Goff can handle such a test, the Lions will be more dangerous than anyone probably realizes. If not, it opens the door in the NFC for some of the teams at the Lions’ heels.

Keefer: I’m with Jeff — I think the Lions are the best team in football right now, even though the Chiefs are the squad with the spotless record. Love’s availability after leaving last week’s win with a groin injury remains paramount, and I wonder if he plays, how much that might limit some of his playmaking ability. But the key here, to me, is what Josh Jacobs can give the Packers offense. They’ve been leaning on him heavily. Jacobs has more carries in the first eight weeks of the season (145) of any Packers running back in the last 25 years other than Ahman Green (in 2003 and 2004). With Love likely less than 100 percent, Jacobs breaking one or two open might be the Pack’s best shot.

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Lions-Packers preview: Can Green Bay slow Jared Goff and the red-hot Detroit offense?

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Sando: Love’s being less than 100 percent is the key variable and swings this game toward Detroit for me. My fear from a Green Bay standpoint is that we might see the worst of Love without the best, and that he simply won’t be efficient enough to keep pace with Detroit.

The Saints (at Panthers), Jaguars (at Eagles) and Cowboys (at Falcons) are each on the road Sunday and in dire need of a win. Which head coach’s seat is hottest among the three?

Howe: All three are in serious jeopardy regardless. I guess it depends on how you quantify hotness. As with anything involving the Cowboys, every situation is always the most extreme there, and the attention on Mike McCarthy’s job with Bill Belichick potentially waiting in the shadows is an unmatched situation this season. On the other hand, Doug Pederson has been under fire the longest because of the Jaguars’ bad start, and it seems like it’ll take a monstrous turnaround for him to get another chance in 2025.

Keefer: The Saints’ collapse this season after a blistering start has been staggering. It’s hard to see Mickey Loomis and ownership backing Dennis Allen again, especially after the two disappointing seasons that preceded this year. I think Mike McCarthy’s future in Dallas at this point is a fait accompli. The Cowboys have been far too uneven, and the roster isn’t nearly as deep as it was in the past, for this team to become a serious contender later in the season. Missing the playoffs would seal the end of McCarthy’s five-year run, and possibly open the door for Belichick to join the circus.


Would Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy be fired if his team misses the playoffs in 2024? (Kelley L Cox / Imagn Images)

Sando: I expect all three places to change in the offseason. Short term, I think Dallas and New Orleans are least likely to change in-season. Those franchises take longer-range views.

We’ll get a chance to see more of Amari Cooper (Bills vs. Dolphins on Sunday) and DeAndre Hopkins (Chiefs vs. Bucs on Monday). Diontae Johnson’s Ravens debut could come this week against the Broncos. Which of these three wide receiver trades are you most confident in moving forward?

Howe: I want to say Cooper because he’s already been through a midseason trade, and that experience should pay off when it comes to learning a new playbook. But with that said, I can’t overthink it. Hopkins has had the best career of the three, and he’s joining the best offensive situation. Plus, Hopkins may only need to catch three or four passes per game to be effective.

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Keefer: Jeff’s right. Something tells me Hopkins is going to make a critical catch late in a playoff win for Kansas City in the next few months. He’s one of the best of his generation at not needing to be even remotely open and still finding a way to catch the ball. But I loved what the Bills did in adding Cooper to their young receiving unit; this team is going to need every bit of firepower against Baltimore or Kansas City in the playoffs. He’ll help Keon Coleman continue to develop as well.

Sando: Hopkins, with Cooper close behind him, and then Johnson. Hopkins seems like a good match for Mahones in the scramble drill. I think he can complement Travis Kelce in those situations and expect that to show in critical moments.

Considering a choppy NFC West race this year, should the Rams (at Seahawks) hang on to Cooper Kupp?

Howe: The only reason to trade Kupp, short of receiving a significant return, would be if the Rams believed Matthew Stafford was set to retire this offseason — or Kupp for that matter. I certainly understand other points such as an aging receiver who’s dealt with more injuries of late, but the Rams are still in play in the NFC. Executives and coaches around the league still view Sean McVay in the highest regard, so they’ve got a chance to hang with anyone if they can get into the playoffs. Are they a realistic Super Bowl threat? Probably not. But why remove Kupp from the equation if they think he’s still got some years left?

Keefer: This division is wide open at the moment, with the Rams just a half-game back. And if they beat the Seahawks on Sunday, there’s no way I’m trading Cooper Kupp. McVay will get the offense right with Kupp healthy again — and if that offensive line holds up. First-year coordinator Chris Shula has the defense playing much better than in the first month of the season. With Seattle and San Francisco both looking vulnerable and Arizona as unpredictable as it’s been, it wouldn’t stun me if the Rams made a late-season run with Kupp as a centerpiece.

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Sando: I’d support the Rams getting value for Kupp because of his durability concerns and because of his contract. Those are also the reasons I’m not expecting teams to be lining up to acquire him. I’d think he stays with the Rams.


The Los Angeles Rams have shot down Cooper Kupp (10) trade rumors with Tuesday’s deadline approaching. (Gary A. Vasquez / Imagn Images)

Colts–Vikings is the focus Sunday night. Is Anthony Richardson’s benching justified?

Howe: There’s no arguing Richardson’s performance has dropped off this season, but that’s a small piece of a much larger puzzle. Richardson isn’t going to improve from the bench. He needs experience. If he doesn’t play another snap this season, he’ll enter 2025 with 23 NFL and college starts over a five-season span. It’s like the Trey Lance conversation all over again. If you don’t give a raw, young QB a chance to gain the experience he so desperately needs, you’ll likely never get the return on investment.

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‘It’s so shortsighted’: NFL execs debate Colts benching Anthony Richardson

Keefer: That very question is still raging here in Indianapolis. I think it was. The Colts made it clear they aren’t giving up on Richardson, so what this is is a reset: This team wants him to earn back the starting job. His prodigious athletic talents were enough to get him where he is — the fourth pick in the draft after just 13 college starts and a dismal completion percentage at Florida — but they’re not enough for him to keep this job. He needs to catch up in every other area: preparation, leadership, performance. I wrote earlier this season that Richardson needed to become more than a highlight. So far, he hasn’t. And this benching, humbling as it might seem at this moment, will reveal if Richardson truly is the Colts’ QB moving forward.

Sando: Yeah, it’s clear Richardson is not ready to play and he’s not progressing. The tap-out showed a complete lack of understanding for his role on the team. Here is where my mind went: Think how many other ways this lack of understanding has surely manifested itself behind the scenes. The decision to bench him tells me the situation was untenable for the coaching staff.

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(Top photo of Anthony Richardson: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)

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The State of Punditry – part 2: How the world analyses football – and the U.S. lead the way

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The State of Punditry – part 2: How the world analyses football – and the U.S. lead the way

Football coverage is a divisive subject.

Some think the standard of punditry is great, others will tell you it needs some work and some will deride it as awful. The analysis of the analysis never ends.

This week, The Athletic is looking more closely at the state of the industry, starting with yesterday’s piece assessing what is demanded of pundits in the United Kingdom in 2024 and how people consume their work.

Today, we broaden the discussion to see how UK coverage stacks up against the rest of the world, including the proudest of all football nations Germany, Brazil and Spain, together with those pesky upstarts in the U.S..


In Europe, the landscape of punditry can be wildly different. Travel to Italy, Spain or Turkey, switch on a television and scan through the channels and you’ll almost certainly be able to find some football coverage, be it via a football talk show, replays of matches, or on the news.

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This is the case in the UK, too, via Sky Sports’ network of channels, but we’re talking free-to-air here in countries where people are arguably far more obsessed with football than your average UK football diehard.

It borders on fanaticism in a place like Turkey and the at-times frantic coverage reflects that. One grim incident recently showcased how seriously football is taken, when pundit Serhat Akin was shot in the foot when leaving a TV studio.

The former Fenerbahce player had been covering the club’s match against Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise from an Istanbul studio, after which he was approached and shot by a masked man.

Akin posted a picture of his bloodied foot on Instagram with the caption: “They shot my foot, our last word is Fenerbahce.”

Over in Germany things are a bit calmer.

In many ways the coverage is very similar to in the UK, only probably a bit better. Standard Bundesliga behaviour.

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Why? Well, depending on your disposition, they don’t quite have as much forced melodrama that you tend to find with the Premier League.

The punditry industry is not quite as accessible for ex-players, so the notion of former pros that you’d get on, say, a certain national radio station in the UK where certain people will make certain comments to attract attention doesn’t really exist.

Presenters, again, unlike in the UK with Gary Lineker, Alex Scott, or, until recently, Jermaine Jenas, are media professionals rather than players. Pundits include Per Mertesacker and Christoph Kramer, the 2014 World Cup winner who has been an analyst for many years already despite being only 33 years old and still not officially retired (he left Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer).


Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann speaks with Christoph Kramer (second right) and (right) Per Mertesacker (Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty Images)

They have a tactics corner on Sky via Dutchman Erik Meijer, the one-time Liverpool striker who spent much of his career in Germany. In a recent interview with The Athletic, Meijer described his reaction to being asked to appear on German television: “The first question I had was, ‘There are 80 million Germans in this country so why do they need to employ a Dutchman? But they wanted a different voice — someone who would say that Bayern Munich were c**p when they were.”

Julia Simic, who used to play for the women’s national team, is also a regular, while pundits who cover the Premier League include former goalkeeper Rene Adler and ex-Croatia international and Fulham and West Ham striker Mladen Petric.

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While Germans do like other sports, such as basketball, handball and tennis, football is the main draw and the coverage can be dense and fanatical, although it tends to be quite considered and mindful of weighty issues. The rise of vloggers and influencers we have seen in the UK hasn’t yet caught on.

Probably the most high profile figure is Wolff Fuss, inflection king extraordinaire. Search for him on TikTok and you’ll find 20 million matches. Fuss has the stage to himself because, in another difference to the UK, co-commentators are quite uncommon in Germany.

If Fuss is the main man, then Lothar Matthaus is the loudest. Not necessarily in volume, but in the decibel level of his opinions (and his outfits… Matthaus caught the eye at this summer’s European Championship with some striking gilets).


Lothar Matthaus (right), complete with gilet (Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Matthaus could probably be compared to Gary Neville or Jamie Carragher in that he gives forthright views on “his” club, which in this case would be Bayern Munich. Neville and Carragher constantly attract the attention of Manchester United and Liverpool managers with their views but Matthaus — and his partner-in-crime, Dietmar Hamann — tend to take it a bit further.

In the past year alone, Matthaus has called for Thomas Tuchel to be sacked, questioned the signing of Eric Dier, claimed Jadon Sancho’s influence at Borussia Dortmund had been exaggerated by the media and said he “felt sorry” for Cristiano Ronaldo whose “ego trips” had “damaged the team and himself”.

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Last November, Tuchel referenced Matthaus and Hamann in a press conference after a 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, saying: “Can I quote Lothar and Didi? For a team with no further development and a bad relationship between coach and players, that was alright today, I’d say. I’m sure the experts will tell you the rest themselves.” Nice.

Matthaus is probably still tame compared to Rafael van der Vaart, who, since retiring, has very much earned a reputation for making unfiltered and inflammatory comments in his role as a pundit in the Netherlands.

You may recall Van der Vaart had a pop at England’s Declan Rice after the Euro 2024 final on the coverage of Dutch broadcaster NOS, saying: “£100million for Declan Rice, what does he do? He comes to collect a ball only to pass it back to John Stones. He is useless. If you are truly worth £100m then you should be able to play a ball forward.”

This was very much in character for Van der Vaart, whose appreciation for the England team seems to be somewhat lacking given he also decried the whole side as “s***”, also on NOS, after they defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in the semi-finals.

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Over in Spain, you may be most familiar with Spanish football TV punditry from clips of El Chiringuito de Jugones, a late-night debate show in which a cast of big personalities voice their opinions — usually quite loudly and with little sense of impartiality.

In recent years the programme has gained notoriety for interviewing Real Madrid president Florentino Perez after the attempted launch of the European Super League, using the phrase “tic tac” to announce incoming transfer news (imitating the ticking of a clock) and showing three minutes of former Madrid midfielder Guti looking sad after his old side’s 4-0 Champions League defeat by Manchester City last year.

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You will find a more sophisticated level of discussion on TV channel Movistar Plus and streaming platform DAZN. The former features former Madrid and Argentina player turned pundit Jorge Valdano while presenter Miguel Quintana and former Equatorial Guinea international Alberto Edjogo-Owono, who spent his career in the Spanish lower leagues, are two respected voices on DAZN.

But the way fandom works in Spain — in particular with the big two clubs, Barcelona and Madrid — means those pundits are often labelled the enemy of one or other team, despite trying to be impartial.

In Spain, there is also a deeper layer of scrutiny towards refereeing and why decisions do or do not happen (possibly linked to the above). There is no equivalent of Match of the Day, perhaps because there is not much interest in analysing games like Osasuna versus Getafe from a tactical perspective. And the tactical insight mainly comes from social media rather than mass media.

As for other prominent pundits, Guti has made a name for himself on DAZN, while Gaizka Mendieta and Juanfran Torres are also regulars on television.

Often more in-depth analysis can be found on late-night radio shows such as El Larguero on Cadena SER or Cadena COPE’s El Partidazo — both of which go on until the early hours and continue to attract huge audiences, as The Athletic’s Laia Cervello Herrero explored earlier this year. Even then, debates can get heated given the nature of football in Spain.

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You might think the tone would be fairly outrageous in a football-mad country like Brazil, but while passions undoubtedly run extremely high and some coverage can be melodramatic, there is also room for reasoned debate.

The biggest difference in Brazil is the volume of the commentators, who are the stars of the show.

“The commentator really goes for it,” Natalie Gedra, a football reporter for Sky Sports in the UK who previously worked for ESPN and Globo in Brazil, tells The Athletic. “Brazilians cannot understand countries who don’t scream ‘GOOOOOOAAAAAAL!’ There’s also a tune that comes with it, either the club’s anthem or a song that’s related to the national team.

“Visually it’s different too — for example, you will have a gigantic ball going back and forth on the screen between transitions of replays. I remember watching World Cups growing up and they had a little mascot who would show up on the screen and dance around.”

Having ex-referees as pundits, for example, has been a well-established practice in Brazil for at least a decade, formerly in the commentary box but now more as studio analysts. Oh, and the studios are always at TV HQ, not on site at stadiums.

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Talking of the commentary box, it’s typically filled with three people – a commentator, i.e. the star, a journalist and a former player.

“They have more ex-players now, but a lot of journalists are co-commentators or pundits on both pre and post-match shows,” Gedra adds. “Everyone knows the commentator; they’re massive stars.”

Reflecting how their best players tend to head to Europe, Brazil’s most famous ex-players aren’t really part of the TV coverage over there, other than for World Cups. Ronaldo worked on the 2014 World Cup and, most famously, Pele was a commentator for the 1994 World Cup.

“There are some ex-players, like, for example (Walter) Casagrande, who played for Corinthians. He was the most prominent for many years,” Gedra says. “He was a bit of a pioneer, he had a big profile and didn’t back down from making big statements, but he was also very articulate.

“The main Brazilian football names don’t become pundits in Brazil, but Pele in 1994 is by far the most famous example. There is a picture of him celebrating in the commentary booth with commentator Galvao Bueno which is one of the most iconic images in the history of Brazilian television.

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“Galvao Bueno is probably the biggest name in the history of Brazilian TV, he’s absolutely huge and the voice of many of the biggest sporting moments, like all the World Cups. Yes, people love or hate him but everybody knows who he is.”

Commentators in the UK don’t have anywhere near as big a profile. No wonder Guy Mowbray has started doing Gladiators.

Another difference is in the make-up of the post-match chat. Gedra has observed that Brazil’s coverage is less data-orientated than in the UK, although the tone depends on the channel. Globo, the free-to-air channel, have largely monopolised coverage but they are now under threat from newer players such as Sport TV, ESPN and TNT Sports. YouTube channels are also growing.

“I worked for ESPN and I think they got the tone just right, very analytical and not too spectacular or passionate,” Gedra says.

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Unspectacular is definitely not a word you would use to describe the stylings of Alexi Lalas, one of the most prominent broadcasters in the U.S., whose brash persona brings a love-it-or-hate-it quality.

He works as an analyst for Fox Sports, has a podcast called Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union and doesn’t care if people like him or not. But his bold, direct and outspoken opinions have made him an influential figure in the U.S. and beyond.

Lalas is another who doesn’t seem to especially like English players, saying during the Euros that Gareth Southgate’s team were “insufferable as they are talented”.

“But I’m in the entertainment business,” Lalas told The Athletic earlier this year. “I am a performer. When you say that, sometimes people cringe. By no means am I saying that I can’t be authentic and genuine. But I recognise the way I say something is as important as what I say.

“When I go on TV, I put on a costume and when that red light goes on, I don’t want people changing the channel.”

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Lalas’ audacious approach is a bit of a leap from the English-style NBC coverage that rose to prominence a few years ago. A number of ex-Premier League players headed Stateside and made names for themselves, such as Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe — while having decent careers in England, neither was a household name when playing for Wimbledon and Middlesbrough respectively.

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The pair, who have their own podcast called The 2 Robbies, gave NBC’s coverage a familiar feel alongside commentator Arlo White and pundit Lee Dixon, while former Stoke City defender Danny Higginbotham is another face of the channel having moved Stateside. “What we’ve tried to do from the start is talk in a normal way about football,” Earle told The Guardian in 2017. An underrated concept.

Fox Sports also employ recognisable names from UK TV coverage including commentator (sorry, ‘play-by-play announcer’) Ian Darke, former Newcastle defender Warren Barton and ex-Sky Sports reporter Geoff Shreeves. Fox also use Mark Clattenburg as a refereeing analyst.

Undoubtedly the most renowned U.S. soccer coverage, though, is on CBS Sports via its hugely popular Golazo Champions League show, complete with the instantly recognisable line-up of Kate Abdo, Thierry Henry, Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher, whose on-screen chemistry make them a social media staple on every matchday.

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Left to right: Kate Abdo, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards have been a hit on CBS (Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

Pete Radovich, the coordinating producer of the UEFA Champions League coverage on CBS Sports, told The Athletic in September on how he came to realise that the network’s Champions League Today studio now owns the global conversation on major nights of European football.

“Thierry Henry, in no uncertain terms, says he gets asked more about CBS now than Arsenal,” he said. “That to me is wild.”

The show’s razor-sharp use of social media and its mix of humour, analysis and engaging post-match interviews with managers and players is a winning formula, while most importantly the quartet’s camaraderie feels natural, warm and unforced.

Americans showing the world how to make excellent football soccer coverage? It’s a brave new world.

(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Dan Goldfarb)

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Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines calls out ‘deranged’ co-hosts of ‘The View’ over Capitol Hill bathroom ban

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Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines calls out ‘deranged’ co-hosts of ‘The View’ over Capitol Hill bathroom ban

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines blasted the co-hosts of “The View” on Wednesday, calling them “deranged” and “out of touch” after they spoke out in defense of Delaware Rep.-elect Sarah McBride over a resolution that would ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms at the U.S. Capitol.

Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer who has publicly spoken out against trans inclusion in women’s and girls sports and advocated for protecting women’s spaces, posted a message on X calling out the group for speaking out on an issue that does not directly impact them.

Former competitve swimmer Riley Gaines speaks during a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump at Desert Diamond Arena on August 23, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. The rally, held in partnership with Turning Point PAC and Turning Point Action, came two weeks after Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Harris held a rally at the same location.  (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

“I wonder if the deranged, out-of-touch women on The View would be comfortable letting Mr. McBride change in a locker room inches away from their own daughters,” she wrote in a post on X which accompanied a clip of the show. 

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“It never matters until it affects you personally.” 

Gaines competed against former UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete, at the NCAA championships in 2022, where she said the NCAA had opted to give Thomas the fifth-place trophy for the “photo op” despite them tying in the women’s 200 freestyle.  

Thomas would go on to win a national title in the women’s 500 freestyle. 

Gaines was responding to a segment of Tuesday’s episode of “The View” where the co-hosts reacted to a resolution by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., to ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms at the U.S. Capitol in response to McBride, the first openly transgender federal lawmaker set to join Congress in January.

RILEY GAINES REPEATEDLY TEARS INTO AOC FOR TAKING PRONOUNS OUT OF X BIO AFTER ADVOCATING FOR TRANS ATHLETES

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“I don’t understand how this is [Mace’s] welcome to someone who is coming to make a difference in the country,” Whoopi Goldberg said.  

Rep.-elect Sarah McBride

Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Del., poses for a photograph after joining other congressional freshmen of the 119th Congress for a group photograph on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol Building on Nov. 15, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“It’s not a welcome, it’s flipping her the middle finger. Because she is the one person in the House that this will affect,” Sara Haines responded, adding, “And this woman that came and sat at our table is one of the most decent, amazing politicians I’ve ever seen. Her messaging resounded across the boards.”

Alyssa Farah Griffin chimed in, calling the attempt to ban McBride “gross.”

“It is a new member of Congress, who ran as a centrist democrat, talked about issues – pocketbook issues. She said at our table ‘I am not a spokesperson for my community. I’m running to deliver for Delaware.’ And Nancy Mace is trying to goad her into a fight she did not sign up to be part of. She’s trying to pigeonhole her into ‘You have to be this culture warrior, who makes this your whole identity’ purely because Nancy Mace doesn’t like how she chooses to exist.” 

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Mace speaks to reporters in Capitol hallway

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) arrives for a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on November 19, 2024, in Washington, DC. Mace introduced legislation that would require House members and staffers from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.”  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Gaines said in a separate post on X Wednesday that she would be “happy” to join “The View” for a conversation after disagreeing with Goldberg’s numbers regarding trans athletes competing in public schools. 

Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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Freddie Freeman grand slam ball to be auctioned. Could bring 'life-changing money' for Venice family

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Freddie Freeman grand slam ball to be auctioned. Could bring 'life-changing money' for Venice family

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for Zachary Ruderman.

He’s the 10-year-old Dodgers fan who ended up with one of the most significant baseballs in team history — the one his favorite player, first baseman Freddie Freeman, hit for a walk-off grand slam during the 10th inning in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees.

Since then, Zachary has seemingly become one of the most famous people living in Venice.

“It’s a lot more attention than my son has ever had,” his father, Nico Ruderman, said. “He’s spoken to so many media outlets, so many interviews. People recognize him. I mean, literally everywhere we go people stop him and want to take pictures with him. He’s really actually been loving it. It’s been a fun experience for him.”

That experience is entering a new phase. On Wednesday, SCP Auctions announced the ball will be up for bid from Dec. 4-14. Coming just weeks after the Dodgers won their eighth World Series championship — with Freeman hitting four home runs and winning MVP honors, all on a badly sprained ankle — SCP founder and president David Kohler said his company thinks “the sky’s the limit” for what the auction could bring.

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“We think this is gonna bring seven figures,” Kohler said. “We think it’s one of the most historic baseballs ever, with the moment of this World Series, the first walk-off grand slam, the whole story of Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers, Game 1, extra innings. Just everything about it. I mean, it’s one of the most historic moments in sports and we feel that people are going to appreciate that.”

Last month, Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball was sold by Goldin Auctions for a record $4.4 million. Could the Freeman ball be worth even more than that?

Zachary Ruderman holds up Freddie Freeman’s grand slam ball with his parents, Nico and Anne, at his side.

(Courtesy of Nico Ruderman)

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“It could be. You never know,” Kohler said. “We’re gonna find out. Certainly the Ohtani ball was very, very significant and Ohtani is beloved, but this is more of the history of the game of baseball and just the moment — seeing that happen was just incredible.”

Zachary, along with his father and mother Anne, were part of that moment. After Freeman blasted his game-winning shot into the right-field pavilion, the ball rolled next to Zachary’s feet. The fifth-grader batted it over to his father, who pounced on it, stood up and handed it back to his son.

“They’re just amazing memories,” Zachary said Thursday, looking back on that night. “Like after we got it, no one was mad. No one was trying to take it from us. Everyone was just super happy.”

His father added: “We just feel so lucky and honored to be a small part of such a huge moment in Dodger history.”

The experience was so special that at first the family had no intention of parting with the ball.

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“That night when we caught it we were like, ‘We’re gonna keep this forever,’” Ruderman said. “The problem is, if we keep it, we’re not gonna keep it in our house. I don’t want to pay for the insurance for it, so it would just be locked up in some safety deposit box. Nobody would ever see it.

Zachary Ruderman holds his Freddie Freeman grand slam ball while posing with L.A. City Councilmember Traci Park at City Hall

Zachary Ruderman holds his Freddie Freeman grand slam ball while posing with L.A. City Councilmember Traci Park at City Hall.

(Nico Ruderman)

“Maybe [the auction] brings life-changing money and pays for education for our son, and also allows somebody with the resources to actually display it and show it to the world. We’re really hoping that whoever buys it agrees to display it at Dodger Stadium for some time so everybody can see it. That’s really our wish.”

Even with all the incredible experiences he’s had because of the ball — including his favorite, speaking in front of Los Angeles City Council at City Hall and receiving a certificate of congratulations from Councilmember Traci Park earlier this month — Zachary said he’s “really excited” about the auction.

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“It’s probably going to be a pretty fun experience,” Zachary said.

“We’ve had our fun with the ball,” his father added. “At this point he cares more about the memories, the pictures. He loves reading all the articles and watching all the news stories about it. That’s what’s fun for him, not the item itself.”

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