When the Washington Commanders unveiled the statue of deceased safety Sean Taylor two years ago, it was met with strong criticism and pushback from fans and community members. On Saturday, the team announced it plans to remove the statue, which critics said resembled a cheap mannequin, and is working the Taylor family to replace it.

Taylor played for the Commanders for four seasons after being drafted fifth overall out of Miami in 2004. The Ring of Fame honoree established himself as one of the league’s best players during that span, but he was tragically killed during an attempted robbery at his Florida home during the 2007 season. He was just 24 years old.

On the 15th anniversary of his death two years ago, the Commanders unveiled a memorial for him at the stadium. The problem was the two-time Pro Bowler’s statue was underwhelming and lacked details of Taylor’s signature game look. The initial installation failed to include the proper jersey (Reebok instead of Nike) and didn’t apply pieces of tape all over his face mask–as Taylor did while playing. The organization soon altered the installation to include those, as well as using the proper style of socks and cleats. The unveiling was one of the final sore moments of Dan Snyder’s 24-year tenure as the team owner, which was marked by dysfunction and scandal.

Jackie Taylor, the daughter of Taylor, will be part of the design process for the new statue. Taylor, who wears her father’s No. 21 as a volleyball player at University of North Carolina, expressed gratitude to new Commanders’ majority owner Josh Harris and the team for deciding to replace her father’s memorial. Harris and his ownership group, which includes NBA legend Magic Johnson, purchased the club for a record $6 billion last summer.

The team said in a statement that the last installation fell short: “Together with the Taylor family, we are working on a plan, which includes unveiling a statue that will rightfully celebrate the legacy and impact that Sean had on our organization, fan base and community. The Commanders are committed to honoring our legends in a first-class manner.”

The Commanders are planning to move to a new stadium in the DMV area where it will rightfully recognize all its best players but have yet to decide where it will plant roots as it considers multiple jurisdictions. The new ownership group in the meantime has invested more than $75 million in capital repairs and upgrades at their current stadium in Landover, Md..

Taylor’s No. 21 jersey was retired in 2021, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to earn the designation. The new statue will be able to move to the team’s new venue once it’s constructed.

Police in France say they have arrested a man suspected of starting fires and causing an explosion outside a synagogue in the country’s southwest. 

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said “the alleged perpetrator” has been detained.

French media said the suspect was shot and injured by police after he opened fire on the officers who came to arrest him in the city of Nîmes.

Two cars parked at the Beth Yaacov synagogue complex in the seaside resort town of La Grande Motte near Montpellier were set on fire just after 8am local time, the National Antiterrorism Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. 

Firefighters discovered additional fires at two entrances to the synagogue.

A police officer who walked up to the site was injured after a propane gas tank in one of the vehicles exploded, the statement said. His injuries are not said to be life-threatening.

Five people, including the rabbi, who were present in the synagogue complex at the time of the attack were unharmed.

Prosecutors said they were investigating the attack as an attempted assassination linked to a terrorist group and destruction of property with dangerous means, the statement said.

In a statement on X, President Emmanuel Macron called the attack a “terrorist act” and said, “The fight against antisemitism is a constant battle.”

Acting Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said the synagogue was targeted in a “shocking and appalling” act of violence.

“Once again, French Jews have been targeted and attacked because of their beliefs,” Attal said after meeting with local officials and the synagogue staff.

Earlier, acting Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin ordered police reinforcement to protect Jewish places of worship and following what was “clearly a criminal act.”

He ordered more police officers deployed at Jewish places of worship around the country following a surge of antisemtisim since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last October.

Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Sunday launched their heaviest exchange of fire after months of strikes and counterstrikes. Footage from Hezbollah-allied Lebanese news channel Al Mayadeen showed several large explosions in Zibqin, Lebanon. It came as Israel said around 100 warplanes launched airstrikes targeting thousands of rocket launchers across southern Lebanon.

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