Sports
With Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye, Patriots have one of NFL’s better coach-QB pairings
FOXBORO, Mass. — Mike Vrabel has a plan for Drake Maye. For the young quarterback, who’s coming off a promising rookie season, it’s less about specific footwork and not really — at least yet — about reads, processing or mechanics.
Vrabel, officially now the head coach of the New England Patriots, has been around enough quarterbacks to know what success at that position should look and sound like. And that’s where he thinks he can most help the 22-year-old Maye.
“Drake is going to be his own person, but I’m going to give him some things that I feel like are necessary to help us win football games,” Vrabel said during his introductory news conference Monday.
Left unsaid during the pomp of Vrabel’s big day is what his presence next to Maye solidifies. Even if the Patriots have plenty of other issues that require fixing, they believe they have their coach and quarterback for years to come, the most important pairing in professional sports. They haven’t had that since at least Mac Jones’ rookie season (with Bill Belichick) in 2021, perhaps since Tom Brady had a locker at Gillette Stadium.
In a league that’s all about the head coach and quarterback, it’s OK that the Patriots’ to-do list is long and difficult. Nothing really matters until you have the right coach and quarterback. Now the Patriots feel they have both.
GO DEEPER
Mike Vrabel isn’t selling any Patriots glory. He’s playing defense against it
There’s a long way to go for both Vrabel and Maye to make this work the way the Patriots envision, but it’s also fair to note there are probably not too many other coach-quarterback pairs you’d no doubt take over Vrabel and Maye for the next five years. That’s not to anoint them the second coming of Belichick and Brady. But it’s the one reason that amid so many other issues, there’s a lot of optimism right now in New England.
“Put great people around him,” Vrabel said of his plan for Maye. “I would say that my involvement will be as it relates to game management and situational awareness and where we are on the football field and trying to develop him as a leader of the offense. When a quarterback calls the play, you want to say it like everybody’s going to believe that it’s going to score a touchdown — like with that type of emphasis on how everything is going to operate.”
Mike Vrabel on developing @DrakeMaye2 and the Patriots offense. pic.twitter.com/k3gisgBG97
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 13, 2025
It sounds wild given how bad the Patriots have been the last few years and the state of the roster, but there probably aren’t many pairings more promising over the next five years than Vrabel and Maye. The Chiefs, Bengals, Bills, Ravens, Chargers and 49ers have solid arguments for a better pairing. But the Patriots could be in the next tier with the Texans, Eagles and Lions.
Perhaps one of the slights on the duo could be that Vrabel’s passing offenses with the Titans never put up gaudy numbers. During their 11-win season in 2020, they ranked 23rd in passing yards. When they won 12 games the next year, they ranked 25th. But that would ignore their efficiency. In those two years, they ranked third and sixth in passing success rate.
For his part, Vrabel tried to put to rest the concerns that he’s always had run-first offenses, which doesn’t seem ideal for a promising young quarterback.
“We have to be a very efficient passing football team,” Vrabel said. “When you look at statistically what wins in the National Football League, our ability to affect the other team’s quarterback and our ability to provide for an efficient quarterback and passing game is a high contributor to success.”
Of course, Maye’s development is going to be largely pinned on whomever Vrabel picks as his offensive coordinator.
Vrabel said that decision isn’t close to being made yet and that the Patriots will do a full search to fill out their coaching staff.
GO DEEPER
New Patriots coach Mike Vrabel will have his pick of offensive and defensive coordinators
“That’s far from solidified,” he said. “We want to put the best, (most) talented coaches in front of our players. … I want the players to embrace what every coach is teaching. I will tell you this, as long as I’m the head coach here, our coaches will have three simple jobs — and they sound simple, but they’re probably not as simple as we want to make them be. They want to teach, they want to develop and they want to inspire our players by making a connection.”
On this day, a celebratory one in front of a slew of microphones and cameras, Vrabel seemed to have all the right details and answers down to the three tasks for his assistant coaches.
On Day 1, he brought stability and respectability to a franchise badly in need of it. And in the process, he’s paired now with Maye to give the Patriots assurances at the two most important spots in building an NFL team.
(Photos: Eric Canha and Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)
Sports
Caitlyn Jenner says Tiger Woods ‘needs to get humble’ after DUI arrest, believes he can make comeback
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The aftermath of Tiger Woods’ DUI arrest continues to unfold, as many are concerned about the 15-time major winner, while also condemning using a motor vehicle in an inebriated state.
Caitlyn Jenner, the Olympic gold-medal-winning decathlete and media personality, made an appearance on OutKick’s “Tomi Lahren Is Fearless,” where she was asked her opinions on Woods’ situation.
Woods’ DUI arrest resulted in charges of driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a blood alcohol level (BAL) test after law enforcement said his vehicle collided with another while he drove impaired.
Caitlyn Jenner has voiced support for the International Olympic Committee’s expected ban on transgender women in female sports, citing biological advantages that hormone therapy cannot fully mitigate. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
“I look at Tiger and I saw what happened and I just think he needs to get humble,” Jenner said to Lahren. “Go to a recovery place, recover, clean himself up, and get back to being Tiger.”
Woods released a statement after his arrest and entering a not guilty plea, saying he understood the severity of the situation. He also noted that he would be stepping away from golf to “seek treatment.”
AUGUSTA NATIONAL CHAIRMAN REVEALS TIGER WOODS’ MASTERS STATUS AFTER DUI ARREST
As a result, Woods is not in the field at this week’s Masters Tournament. He admitted to law enforcement at the scene of his rollover crash in Jupiter Island, Fla. that he was “hoping to” be at Augusta National Golf Club this week.
While Woods seeks treatment, Jenner said people will be rooting for the legendary golfer to get back healthy.
Tiger Woods was handcuffed after a sobriety test. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office)
“People love a comeback story. And what a comeback that could be if he could do that,” Jenner said. “He’s had so many health issues over the years, and injuries and back pain, and this and that. It’s a vicious cycle downhill, but you can [come back]. But it has to be done professionally. You have to go to a place that can help you out.”
A judge granted Woods’ request to receive treatment outside the country.
“I think Tiger’s a good person. He’s not a bad person. He’s a great person,” Jenner added. “And he wants to do good. He just has to get his life straightened out and get back to doing what he loves is playing golf.
In this image taken from police body camera video released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office, golfer Tiger Woods performs a field sobriety test for sheriff’s deputies following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
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“So, yeah, I wish him nothing but the best. He’s not a bad person. He’s a good person. It’s just that I think he’s in a bad place because of all the pain and everything that he’s been through. Yeah. And I wish them the best, but he needs professional help to do that.”
This arrest marked Woods’ second DUI arrest within the last decade. In 2017, he was taken into custody, also in Jupiter Island, after taking prescription drugs and falling asleep behind the wheel of a running car at 3 a.m.
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Sports
Commentary: LA28’s first Olympics ticket drop flops, leaving locals locked out of nearby events
Duped. Scammed. Gouged. Sidelined.
LA28 organizers probably didn’t count on such words accompanying their first big ticket rollout ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. After all, the committee and city leaders spent the last six months talking up the event.
The LA28 committee described the arrival of the Games as a boon for the city’s inhabitants, with unifying statements: “Creating the Games together!” Mayor Karen Bass promoted a “Games for All” vision. And we’ve been told over and over that tickets to events would start as low as $28, the 24% ticketing fee included!
The presale ticket lottery for those residing in ZIP Codes around LA28 venues also meant we would have a fair shake at getting into the Games, right? Finally, an affordable way into a major L.A. sporting event for those of us who are not Casey Wasserman, the multimillionaire chairman of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
But that’s not what SoCal locals found in their first real brush with ticket access over the last week.
The presale launched Thursday, and by 10 a.m. Friday, aspiring ticket buyers reported that all artistic gymnastics events were marked “unavailable,” as was the opening ceremony. They observed that the few available tickets to swimming and athletic events such as track and field started at $1,116.27 per seat. Friends described the prices as “Criminal,” “Greedy AF” and “horrific.” My sibling said she felt crestfallen and likened it to discovering there was no Santa Claus. Jeffrey Epstein-level deception is where my mind went (please refer back to Wasserman).
Sunday was my window to sign in for the privilege of seeing what wasn’t available, or what was so far out of my price range it might as well have been cordoned off behind a gold rope and glass. There were no tennis, artistic gymnastics or men’s basketball tickets available. And by Monday, there were only a handful of events accessible for less than $150 a ticket (handball, women’s cricket, Judo). The women’s basketball bronze-medal game started at $407.17 a ticket.
Wait, was that a FBL08 Football (Soccer) Women’s Preliminary ticket at only $104.30? Forget it. It’s in St.Louis, among the handful of football (soccer) games that will take place outside California. The canoe slalom and kayak cross are scheduled for venues in Oklahoma City. Tickets are probably still available for those events, which even with air travel figured in may be the closest you’ll get to an affordable LA28 event.
By Tuesday’s draw, we were graciously given the option to purchase closing ceremony tickets at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, at $4,961.20 apiece.
Remember L.A., we’re all in this together.
With that in mind, LA28 has offered locals another way in that won’t cost a dime: Volunteer to work the events throughout L.A., be it at the SoFi Arena, the Rose Bowl, the Coliseum or in Santa Anita. We should probably clarify that the dime saved is theirs, not yours. You’ll be working for free.
Once the LA28 ticket portal opened, those of us who registered and were selected for the ticket draw had a 48-hour time slot to purchase up to 12 tickets per session or event. As that was hardly enough time to sell my home, jewelry and pets for ticket funds, my family and I will be watching swimming, table tennis and the 4×400-meter relay competitions from somewhere outside L.A. That way we’ll avoid the LA28 traffic, limited parking and inflated prices.
More tickets will become available, according to LA28. Tickets for the general public for the LA28 Olympic Games are on sale from April 9 to 19. This “Drop 1” is available to fans worldwide who registered for the ticket draw and were selected for a time slot. Maybe they saved the lion’s share of tickets for the rest of the world … because they need locals to volunteer?
When the organizers claimed they would be “celebrating the communities closest to the action with the LA & OKC Locals Presale … giving local residents the chance to experience the Games up close and secure seats starting at $28,” they didn’t say that the “experience” would probably be outside their venues, on your TV screen, with $28 worth of streaming fees and snacks.
Nothing like being locked out of a party that’s taking place in your own backyard. Way to go, LA28.
Sports
WWE star suffers giant bump on her head before WrestleMania 42 match
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WWE star Liv Morgan was banged up on “Monday Night Raw” after a segment that involved her getting pushed into stablemate Roxanne Perez and then thrown into a TV by her WrestleMania 42 nemesis Stephanie Vaquer.
The promo happened quickly. Morgan and Perez were backstage as the Women’s World Championship title contender wanted to thank “The Prodigy” for her help fending off Vaquer the week prior. But Vaquer got her revenge.
Liv Morgan makes her entrance during Monday Night RAW at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., on March 30, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
The champion rushed into the scene pushing Morgan into Perez and then into the television. WWE fans quickly noticed that it appeared Morgan and Perez bumped heads when the shove occurred. Morgan showed the aftermath on social media.
“You’re mine now b—h,” Morgan wrote on X showing off photos of the bump.
RANDY ORTON, RHEA RIPLEY ENTER WRESTLEMANIA 42 TITLE PICTURE WITH ELIMINATION CHAMBER WINS
Liv Morgan smiles during Monday Night RAW at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 2, 2026. (Mike Marques/WWE)
Perez also posted photos of herself needing to ice her head because of the bump that was left on the top of her forehead. The photos showed the bump and her icing her head.
Vaquer is set to defend the Women’s World Championship against Morgan at WrestleMania 42, and as of now, the match is still on despite the bump.
Wrestling Observer reported Tuesday that both competitors were in concussion protocol after the segment.
Vaquer has been the champion for nearly 200 days after winning the vacated belt at Wrestlepalooza back in September. She defeated Iyo Sky to start her first title reign.
Stephanie Vaquer and Liv Morgan speak in the ring during Monday Night RAW at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Feb. 9, 2026. (Cooper Neill/WWE)
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Morgan held the title from May 2024 to January 2025, losing it to Rhea Ripley on “Monday Night Raw’s” Netflix premiere.
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