Sports
Women golfers rejoice after LPGA bars post-puberty males from female competition: 'No more!'
Multiple women’s golfers came forward to praise and celebrate the LPGA’s rule change on Wednesday that bars post-pubescent males from competing against females in pro competition.
The organization said in a news release that male players who have gone through male puberty are barred from competing in the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and all other elite LPGA competitions. The new rule will go into effect for the 2025 season.
“Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events,” the organization said. “The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community.”
The International Women’s Forum (IWF) released a press release in which several women golfers spoke in favor of the ruling later on Wednesday. These golfers include Lauren Miller, Hannah Arnold, Dana Fall, and Amy Olson.
Miller said that she and female colleagues in pro golf have said “no more” to the issues of competing against biological males with the statement.
“This announcement from the LPGA and USGA gives me hope for the future of women’s golf,” Miller said. “The movement of female professional golfers was essential and has been heard — we’ve stood up and said, ‘No more’. By acknowledging the distinctions between men and women, golf leadership is uniting with us in their desire to champion women and girls by restoring a space that prioritizes fair competition. Today, women have won.”
Olson, meanwhile, insisted that the biological differences between men and women should be acknowledged in sports.
“This is a positive step forward, recognizing that an individual’s chromosomes affect their physical development in ways that are irreversible,” Olson said.
SJSU TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: TIMELINE OF ALLEGATIONS, POLITICAL IMPACT AND A RAGING CULTURE MOVEMENT
Fall said that Wednesday’s announcement indicates that “women do matter” in sports.
“Today’s policy announcement is a huge win for women and girls in sports. The LPGA and USGA, the premiere bodies which dictate the rules of women’s golf, are standing up for fairness and the integrity of our sport. Today, the message sent to women is that we do matter, and they are working to return equal opportunity and protect fair sport for female athletes,” Fall said.
Still, the announcement was not meant with unanimous praise. Liberals and trans rights activists have criticized the new rule.
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson spoke out against the new rule, as it will likely prevent Davidson from competing in the LPGA moving forward.
“Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Banned from the Epson and LPGA,” Davidson wrote in an Instagram Stories post. “All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.
“And somehow people are surprised the suicide rate for transgender people is around 50%. Situations just like this are part of the reason.”
A female golfer who competed against Davidson, Olivia Schmidt, made a plea to the LPGA to ban trans athletes like Davidson during an appearance at the Independent Women’s Forum in November.
“The bottom line is we can fight this all we want, but the true change comes from the LPGA. They are the only ones with the power to stop it. It’s up to them to protect us,” she said.
“I want my kids one day to chase their dreams and not have these distractions in their way. I’m just praying that [the policy] gets changed, and I’m praying that we can find a way to kind of find some common ground in that and hopefully for the next generation of golfers.”
Now, the LPGA has fulfilled that wish for all of its female competitors and fans.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sports
Boise State wins Mountain West championship as first expanded CFP bracket begins to take shape
Boise State is headed to the College Football Playoff.
The Broncos captured the Mountain West Conference title Friday night and earned their spot in the sport’s first 12-team playoff with a 21-7 victory over UNLV in the Mountain West championship game.
Star running back Ashton Jeanty ran for 209 yards and a touchdown in his sixth 200-plus-yard game this season.
With 2,497 rushing yards for the season, Jeanty is now fourth on the FBS all-time single-season rushing list behind only Barry Sanders (2,628 yards in 1988), Melvin Gordon (2,587 in 2014) and UCF’s Kevin Smith (2,567 in 2007). Jeanty also finishes the regular season with 29 rushing touchdowns.
Jeanty gave Boise State a tone-setting play with a 75-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, his 12th carry of 50 or more yards this season.
Boise State will hang on to or improve on its No. 10 ranking in the final College Football Playoff rankings that come out Sunday. That would almost certainly make the Broncos no worse than the fourth-best conference titlist and in line for a first-round bye.
The Big 12 title game on Saturday pits No. 15 Arizona State against No. 16 Iowa State.
The winner is in the playoff. But the only realistic route left for either team to earn a bye (and the extra $4 million that comes with it) would be to combine that win — preferably a convincing one — with a loss by the Atlantic Coast Conference leader, No. 8 SMU, which plays No. 17 Clemson.
IOWA STATE, SMU ADS HAVE WAR OF WORDS AFTER LATEST CFP RANKINGS: ‘STAY OFF MY LAWN!’
The Big 12 commissioner and Iowa State’s athletic director are among those already crying foul. By the time the title games are over and the brackets are revealed, they won’t be the only ones.
Now the country will turn its attention to the other conference championship games as the first playoff picture of the expanded playoff era will shake out.
Oregon, top-ranked and the only undefeated team in the country, is in, too. But Saturday’s game against No. 3 Penn State is for the Big Ten title and a first-round bye.
If Penn State prevails, then there’s an argument that the Nittany Lions could end up with that top seed.
In the SEC, it’s No. 2 Texas vs. No. 5 Georgia. Sadly, Bevo will not be in the building. The winner gets a bye and a championship. The loser should still be in, but if that loser is Georgia, the Dawgs could be on the road for the first round.
Depending on how the brackets shape up, these teams could face each other three times this season.
Barring something completely unexpected, it will take either a loss by SMU, a change of heart from the selection committee or both to knock Alabama out of the bracket. If the Tide make it, the Southeastern Conference will have four teams in the playoff.
Since the selection committee placed the Crimson Tide at No. 11 last week, one spot ahead of Miami, it looks very much like the Tide will stay ahead of the Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The way last week’s ranking shook out, that meant Alabama was in and Miami was out.
A handful of teams aren’t playing this weekend and don’t have much to worry about. No. 4 Notre Dame should get a home game.
No. 9 Indiana, one of four Big Ten teams projected to make the playoff, will probably be on the road.
In between, there is the matter of No. 6 Ohio State and No. 7 Tennessee. Last week’s projected bracket paired the 10-2 teams in a first-round game to be played at the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sports
Oxnard Pacifica advances to Division 2-AA state bowl game with defeat of Narbonne
Coaches always stress the importance of special teams, and Oxnard Pacifica’s Mike Moon had a huge grin after three blocked punts played a vital role in his team’s 37-20 victory over Narbonne on Friday night in the CIF Southern California Regional Division 2-AA bowl game in Oxnard.
The Tritons (11-4) advance to the state bowl game next Friday at 4 p.m. against Sacramento Grant at Saddleback College.
“Our special teams early in the year, especially against Inglewood, was atrocious and there’s no reason for it because we practice it so much,” Moon said. “We watched film of Narbonne and thought we could take advantage of that.”
Anthony Macias knifed through the line to block a punt at the goal line, and Max Magana recovered the ball in the end zone to give Pacifica a 14-6 lead late in the first quarter. On its next possession, Narbonne was forced to punt from its own 25-yard line and this time Deon Hasley got the block. Magana pounced on the loose ball at the 22 and, four plays later, Isaac Magana kicked a 32-yard field goal to put the home team ahead 17-6.
“Coach Moon takes pride in special teams, and so when I saw them on the floor, I had to pick them up,” said Max Magana, a nickel back who also had five pass breakups on defense. “I like when I’m tested in the secondary. Now we have to keep our foot on the pedal and make sure that we win next week.”
Narbonne pulled to within 17-14 on Jamari Todd’s five-yard touchdown run and Jaden O’Neal’s conversion run, but Pacifica marched 66 yards in 12 plays and Isaac Magana booted his second field goal — a 23-yarder — as time expired and the Tritons took a 20-14 lead into halftime.
Narbonne pulled even on Mark Iheanachor’s seven-yard touchdown run on its first drive of the third quarter, but the extra-point kick was deflected by Macias and fluttered wide left. On its ensuing possession, Pacifica retook the lead on Dominic Duran’s seven-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Dillon. After both teams turned the ball over on downs, the Gauchos were forced to punt again from their 28. Juju Hernandez blocked it, and Budder Aina scooped up the prize and returned it 13 yards for a touchdown to make it 34-20.
After recovering a fumble on a pooch kick, Pacifica tacked on a 21-yard field goal by Isaac Magana — his third of the night — to make it a 17-point margin with 4:06 left.
One week after throwing for 396 yards and six touchdowns while running for another score in the City Section Open Division final versus San Pedro, Oklahoma-bound junior O’Neal was pressured all night and completed 14 of 32 passes for 199 yards. His longest throw was a 65-yard touchdown to Tre’Shaun Jackson in the first quarter. Senior receiver Michael Ashford had five catches for 53 yards for Narbonne.
“We wanted to pressure him with our four-man front and put them into guaranteed pass situations,” Moon said. “This team is battle-tested and we’ve won eight in a row. Our schedule has 100% contributed to us being where we are.”
Savion Taylor, who entered the game with 92 receptions for 1,255 yards and 14 touchdowns, added to his gaudy total with eight grabs for 63 yards, and Alijah Royster had five catches for 95 yards, including a 48-yard reception for the game’s first touchdown. Isaiah Phelps rushed for 73 yards in 22 carries, and Duran completed 18 of 33 passes for 212 yards.
The Tritons are one win away from a second state bowl championship, having won the 2-A title in 2019 to complete a 15-1 season two weeks after claiming the Southern Section Division 6 crown under Moon. That season Pacifica beat another City Section team, Birmingham, in the regional bowl.
This might well be Moon’s most talented team. The Tritons (11-4) avenged a Marmonte League setback to St. Bonaventure to capture the Southern Section Division 4 title last week. Their other three losses are to schools in higher divisions.
The Gauchos (7-7) ended the season 1-3 on the field against Southern Section opponents, losing to Los Alamitos, Culver City and Pacifica while beating L.A. Cathedral — a result that was changed to a forfeit defeat after an investigation determined Narbonne used ineligible players. The Gauchos are banned from the playoffs next year. Asked if he’ll finish his prep career at Narbonne, O’Neal said he did not know.
“I’m not sure — I’ll speak with our coaching staff in the exit meetings,” O’Neal said. “The odds were stacked against us but we proved people wrong. We felt confident coming out of the half but ultimately they out-disciplined us. We’re more athletic, but the little things added up and we couldn’t overcome our mistakes.”
It remains to be seen how many players will return.
“Jaden is a gamer and did everything we expected of him,” said Gauchos coach Malcolm Manuel, who thanked his players for their commitment. “I’ve had Mark Iheanachor for four years, he gave it everything he had and I’m excited to follow his career at SMU.”
As for next fall, Manuel is confident the returning players will buy in.
“They’ll for sure compete,” he said. “We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores. Playing a 10-game season — which we didn’t get to do this year — is the motivation. We’ll get back to the drawing board.”
Narbonne had 24 players transfer into the program since spring ball, prompting all four league opponents to forfeit their games against the Gauchos and allege rule violations. Seven players were declared ineligible for the postseason.
Sports
‘New York Sack Exchange’: New ESPN doc takes on ferocity, fame, forgiveness
“I never could convince anyone … that I was anything more than a crazy Jets fan stuck in the 1980s wanting to do this film.”
Some men dream of walking on the moon, building a Fortune 500 company, or starring in a Hollywood blockbuster.
James Weiner had a more esoteric aspiration: He wanted to direct a film about the famed defensive line of the 1980s New York Jets — “The New York Sack Exchange.”
Weiner is an award-winning senior producer for NFL Films with “The Brady 6” and “SEC Storied: Saturday Night Lights” among his credits, but growing up in the 1980s in Port Washington, New York, a 20-minute drive from Shea Stadium, his lifelong professional passion was to direct a film about the formidable defensive line of the 1980s Jets that featured Marty Lyons, Abdul Salaam, Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau.
“I’ve been trying to do this film for at least 20 years,” Weiner said. “But I never could convince anyone.”
The dream was deferred but not unrealized. Weiner and co-director Ken Rodgers (who has been profiled on this site before and is the director of many terrific NFL documentaries, including “Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching,” “The Two Bills” and “Four Falls of Buffalo”) have produced a breezy and captivating look at one of the most talked-about defensive units in the history of the NFL.
“The New York Sack Exchange” premieres on Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and will be available to stream on ESPN+ following its linear premiere. The film is narrated by musician, actor and lifelong Jets fan Method Man.
Weiner said he met with Gastineau and his family in 2013 to take the temperature of doing a film treatment on the Sack Exchange, but the meeting went nowhere. The project looked dead until the fall of 2022, when Weiner took a bike ride to Rodgers’ home, and the two discussed projects that they always wanted to do. Rodgers, in an encouraging mode, told Weiner that no good idea never dies.
Then came a news catalyst: Klecko entering the Hall of Fame in 2023. Finally, a big break. Last year, Rodgers was giving Marsha Cooke, the vice president and executive producer of ESPN Films and 30 for 30, a tour of NFL Films, and the two got to talking about Joe Namath. Cooke, who started in her current role in 2021, said she was a born-and-bred Jets fan from the Bronx. Rodgers pitched her during the tour about a documentary on the New York Sack Exchange, and Cooke loved it. The filmmakers later made a more formal pitch, and eventually, ESPN Films was in.
“Joe Klecko getting into the Hall of Fame changed things,” Rodgers said. “Our first shoot with the collective group was at the Hall of Fame. We followed Joe behind the scenes and had all of them wired during his speech and backstage. I’m not sure any of the four of them would have necessarily wanted a film made about just them. They wanted a film about the Sack Exchange. I think Mark understood once Joe got into the Hall of Fame that that was somewhat of a validation for his own career, though as you see in the film he wonders if he’ll ever get in.”
Once they got the go-ahead from ESPN Films, they needed to interview Salaam because of his declining health — he died in early October at age 71. The filmmakers knew they had to shoot the quartet at the New York Stock Exchange, replicating the famous photo of the foursome (seen atop this story) when they posed in uniform on the floor of the financial hub. So, as part of the making of the film, they hired a private car to drive Salaam 10 hours from his home in Cincinnati to New York City in April 2024.
Gastineau is the central figure of the documentary and remains an exhausting figure, though compelling too. The filmmakers, to their credit, do not sugarcoat Gastineau’s career, his decisions and how infuriating his behavior was for his teammates. You will rarely see someone on film more unsparing about a teammate as Lyons is about Gastineau. They also highlight where Gastineau was ahead of his time (his sack dance today is quaint compared to some celebrations).
“There’s empathy there for Mark’s arguments, if not for him,” Weiner said. “His arguments have some real merit and allowed us to present them as he argued them.”
(The Athletic’s Dan Pompei wrote a terrific profile of Gastineau last June that is worth reading if you missed it.)
“I was always attracted to this project that James had such passion for, because of the disagreements these four guys had together,” Rodgers said. “Back in the day, it was Klecko and Gastineau disagreeing, and now it’s more Lyons and Gastineau. I feel like the question the film asks is: ‘Do you have to get along with others in order to be great together?’ They were great together, there’s no doubt. But you can ask the question: If they got along better, could they have reached even greater heights? I don’t know the answer to that. But the theme of the film ends up being about forgiveness and accepting.”
The most remarkable moment of the film — and it will likely go viral when it comes out — was footage the producers procured of Gastineau last fall going up to longtime NFL quarterback Brett Favre at a memorabilia show in Chicago and laying into a bewildered-looking Favre about letting New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan break Gastineau’s 1984 single-season sack record of 22 (Strahan holds the current record with 22.5 on a gifted sack from Favre in 2001). The footage has never aired publicly.
“It is the real-time moment of the film, and it has never been seen before,” Rodgers said. “We found out that they were going to be together at a card show in Chicago signing autographs, though Abdul ended up not making it. Our goal was to just capture the three of them together. When we got there, Mark was discussing with Klecko and Lyons the fact that Brett Favre was there and how he’s finally going to go talk to him because he had never had a chance to confront him. We were following Mark and when it happened, and it’s as genuine as it looks. He was 100 percent expressing that hurt. I think Farve was 100 percent bewildered at the response and the vehemence of it.
“It got serious very quickly,” Rodgers continued. “Everyone in the room realized it was serious. I don’t know that there was a thought that they would come to blows, but there was true emotion. It really does still stick with Mark. He feels it’s an unfair breaking of his record. I think if he were to blame anybody, he might blame the NFL for letting it happen second to Favre first. I don’t want to speak for him, but I think he feels robbed by that moment.”
GO DEEPER
Mark Gastineau doesn’t need your attention anymore
(Top photo: Ronald C. Modra / Getty Images)
-
Entertainment1 week ago
Review: A tense household becomes a metaphor for Iran's divisions in 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig'
-
Technology1 week ago
US agriculture industry tests artificial intelligence: 'A lot of potential'
-
Technology6 days ago
Elon Musk targets OpenAI’s for-profit transition in a new filing
-
Sports7 days ago
One Black Friday 2024 free-agent deal for every MLB team
-
News5 days ago
Rassemblement National’s Jordan Bardella threatens to bring down French government
-
Technology6 days ago
9 ways scammers can use your phone number to try to trick you
-
World6 days ago
Georgian PM praises country's protest crackdown despite US condemnation
-
World3 days ago
Freedom is permanent for Missourian described as the longest-held wrongly incarcerated woman in US