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Sean Payton ‘encouraged’ and ‘fired up’ about second-year specialist
Sean Payton's liked what he's seen from second-year punter Jeremy Crawshaw this season.
‘Who Would Watch That?’ — Sports Media Analyst Not Sold on ESPN’s Super Bowl Alt-Casts Featuring Pat McAfee, Peyton Manning
Pat McAfee’s role with ESPN has only increased since the company decided to go all-in on the former Indianapolis Colts punter. But the most recent addition to his portfolio hasn’t gone over too well with fans and others in the media.
NY Giants’ $12.3M punter is making the investment count
Nine punts inside the 20 on 16 attempts is the Jordan Stout number I care about more than his 78-yard […]
Hunter Green Named Ray’s Eight, Punting Matchup with Iowa
Washington punter Hunter Green was named one of the “Ray’s Eight” punters of the week by the Ray Guy Award after his 310-yard punting performance at USC. Green punted six times for an average of 51.7 yards with three pinned inside the 20-yard line. Two of his punts were downed at the one-yard line. His …
Justin Jefferson Out on Vikings Final Injury Report vs Dolphins
Justin Jefferson is out Sunday vs the Dolphins, the Minnesota Vikings' final injury report shows. Punter Brett Thorson and CB Charles Demmings are out too.
Vikings Work Out Three Punters, Sign Familiar Name
The Minnesota Vikings brought in a few punters to work out this week at TCO Performance Center after Brett Thorson's hamstring injury.
Whether you like it or not, celebrities have an impact on politics
The global groundswell of support for Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian advocacy serves to remind us that maybe celebrity activism really is that deep after all, writes Cheek’s Varsha Yajman. Subscribe In the last week, publications, podcasts, and influencers that have either rarely or never spoken about Israel’s genocide in Palestine have flooded my social feed. And it was all because singer Ed Sheeran and his team dropped Macklemore as his opener for saying “Free Palestine” on stage. Millions raised, millions speaking up in support of Palestine - all of this confirming my view that, whether I like it or not, celebrities do have an impact on political outcomes. And this is interesting when much of the time celebrity activism can induce an eye roll - I love to see Charli XCX pointing out a Palestinian flag in the crowd, but it’s hardly the bold symbol of allyship that some fans would make it out to be. But there’s a line between healthy scepticism and outright dismissal - and I’d argue that the latter lets the rich and powerful off far too easily. For instance, actress Jennifer Lawrence, once outspoken about her political views, last year told The Times she no longer believes celebrities have a role to play: “Celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for. So then what am I doing? I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart.” While it’s a narrative she might find comfort in, it simply is not true. Grassroots movements often garner worldwide attention when celebrities and other high-profile spokespeople bring a mainstream platform to their causes. And this frustrates me. We have had three years of a live-streamed genocide. Macklemore himself has been calling for a Free Palestine long before he booked the Sheeran concert. Yet it’s the high-profile fallout of the last week that finally seems to have made saying “Free Palestine” socially acceptable in the mainstream. It feels like the collective mood has shifted, where calling out censorship is now the obvious response - not just the business of ‘radical’ activists. To recap, Sheeran’s decision followed an ultimatum from billionaire Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, one of the venues Sheeran was scheduled to perform at: either drop Macklemore as your opener after only two of the eight scheduled shows, or you do not play at any stadiums. Sheeran’s disappointing decision to stand on the side of billionaire-led censorship has ultimately seen a surge in support for Free Palestine. It began when all his openers and his backing band pulled out of Sheeran’s tour, in solidarity with Macklemore and with the Palestinian cause. It was met with an uproar of support from those who had never or barely touched politics before: influencers lip-syncing to Macklemore’s music, singers like Jack Antonoff singing “Free Palestine,” and publications and podcasts standing with Macklemore. And finally, we saw material support: Macklemore donated $1 million in profits from his two nights opening for Sheeran’s tour to several Palestinian aid groups and called for Sheeran and Kraft to match it, which they have since promised to do. We’ve also seen children’s entertainer Ms Rachel follow suit with a $1 million donation to Palestinian aid, and publication PopBase has donated $10,000. Anera, a humanitarian aid group working in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan, said donations since Macklemore’s announcement were more than triple this month’s daily average. The group’s Instagram page has also gained 8,000 followers. Macklemore far from the first celebrity to speak and participate in politics in the Western World. In 1924, singer Al Jolson supported Republican candidate Warren G. Harding for president, and decades later, celebrities such as Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, and Aretha Franklin voiced their public support for the Civil Rights movement. More recently, in the lead-up to the 2024 US election, ‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah partnered with the organisation Power the Polls to recruit poll workers to address shortages- a problem disproportionately affecting voters of colour. The campaign saw 170,000 new sign-ups - 35,000 of which came directly through the TV show’s link - resulting in the recruitment of 713,000 total poll workers that year, an almost three-fold increase on the organisation’s goal. Alongside recruiting workers, celebrities in the US (where voting in elections is not compulsory) have made a huge difference by calling for people to register to vote. Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris in 2024 saw over 400,000 visitors on the voter registration site within 24 hours of her Instagram post. In 2023, Swift had urged her fans to register, resulting in 35,000 new voter registrations. Similarly, Ariana Grande promoted voter registration in 2019 by setting up booths at concerts on the American leg of her tour, resulting in over 33,000 voters registering. And the same thing is happening closer to home. This year, musician Jack River successfully called for government action to ensure creatives in Australia do not have their work scraped by generative AI companies. Celebrity as the mediator between the punter and the politician Celebrity activism isn’t just a feel-good news story - research tells us it actually makes a difference. By directing attention to issues affecting the average person, like voting inaccessibility or a lack of action on a genocide, researchers Alfred Archer and Amanda Cawston state that “celebrities can play a useful bridging role between political elites and the people they represent”. Alternatively, in a world where talking about politics is “not cool,” or where people lack exposure or knowledge to engage with politics, celebrities can act as an educational resource or an entry point into the political world - when they speak up about an issue, their audience gets exposed to it. Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields festival is a perfect example. Rodrigo partnered with twelve organisations focused on women’s issues, such as reproductive rights. These organisations had stalls at the festival for people to meet them and were also featured heavily on social media, giving their issues global attention and raising $20 million for the organisations. We have also seen celebrities at award shows such as the Emmys wearing F*CK ICE pins, referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s treatment and detainment of people - generally people of colour. When celebrities speak up about political issues in public forums, they put the issue at the forefront of mainstream media, rally their supporters, and make it clear that, however much they disagree, the government cannot simply ignore it. Our over-reliance on celebrities versus our politicians As much as I love seeing my favourite celebrity use their platform for a good cause, there is an important question to ask: not whether celebrity activism is good or bad, but whether we should have to rely on celebrities. And the answer would, in an ideal world, be no. In an ideal world, or merely a just world, action on Palestine would’ve happened decades ago, climate change would be taken seriously, and most importantly, people would understand their democratic rights. However, that is not our reality. Only around 28 per cent of Australian Year 10 students reach proficiency in civics and citizenship. In the US, almost two-thirds of people under 30 say high school civics education didn’t prepare them to understand voting deadlines, how to research candidates, or how to vote by mail. When civics education is weak, our trust in these institutions and our understanding of change-making processes also decline. This is where celebrity steps in and becomes our main source of reliance. As Mary R. Connelly notes in _The Tartan, “_Celebrities will always be involved in campaigns in one form or another, but their presence is not what causes people to vote blindly. The lack of political engagement and literacy is what allows celebrities to wield their influence on the political sphere so impactfully.” About the author Varsha Yajman is the Digital Content Producer at Cheek Media. She is a youth advocate and lawyer with a background in climate litigation and is passionate about looking at the intersection between race, climate justice, and mental health. Thanks for reading Cheek Media Co. ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Share
‘Never hurt nobody’ – Pat McAfee addresses ESPN smoking allegations
Pat McAfee is certainly proving a divisive figure among NFL fans this season due to just how much air time he is getting on ESPN. The former NFL punter has been catapulted into presenter jobs since his retirement, but some now feel he is pushing his luck.
Badgers punter goes viral but avoids getting 'full of myself'
Wisconsin's Sean West kicked a 70-yard punt against Notre Dame. But that wasn't his favorite Badgers moment.
Eagles Show Interest in Specialist Just Days Before Week 1
Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles worked out undrafted rookie punter Luke Elzinga in a tryout Thursday. The post Eagles Show Interest in Specialist Just Days Before Week 1 appeared first on HEAVY.
New England Patriots Announce Roster Moves Hours Before Seahawks Kickoff
The New England Patriots will turn to a familiar reserve in their first game of the 2026 season.ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported Wednesday that running back Lan Larison and punter Mitch Wishnowsky were elevated from the practice squad for the Patriots’ season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. RB Lan Larison and punter Mitch Wishnowsky have been […] The post New England Patriots Announce Roster Moves Hours Before Seahawks Kickoff appeared first on HEAVY.
Patriots announce two main roster elevations ahead of Seahawks matchup
The Patriots elevated running back Lan Larison and punter Mitch Wishnowsky from the practice squad ahead of their Week 1 game against the Seahawks.
P JK Scott among final Chargers cuts
The Chargers do not have a punter on their initial 53-man roster.
Bills inform punter Wishnowsky he will be released, AP source. Hardman among 13 players cut by team
The Buffalo Bills informed veteran punter Mitch Wishnowsky that he is being released as the team began making its cuts for the start of the season, a person with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on Saturday. The person said Wishnowsky’s release will be made official on Sunday, when all NFL teams are required to establish their 53-player rosters. In the meantime, the Bills announced cutting 13 players on Saturday, including veteran receiver/punt returner Mecole Hardman.
Arizona Cardinals sign punter, safety before preseason finale
The Cardinals filled their two roster vacancies with a punter and a safety on Tuesday.
Four Patriots Whose Stock Rose in Saturday Night Win over Eagles
Haskins ran hard in his audition, Morton pulled double duty at QB and punter, and two Day 3 picks made a real case for a roster spot.
Commanders Give Injury Update on $25 Million Special Teams Ace
Washington Commanders GM Adam Peters announced NFL All-Pro punter Tress Way is starting training camp sidelined with a pectoral injury. The post Commanders Give Injury Update on $25 Million Special Teams Ace appeared first on HEAVY.
Bills news: Early preview of biggest training camp battles
Competition will be intense at left guard, cornerback opposite Christian Benford, No. 3 wide receiver and punter!
Patriots host rookie punter on minicamp tryout
The Patriots have invited Arkansas product Devin Bale to their minicamp.
Does rookie Tommy Doman Jr. win the starting punter gig?
Will Doman Jr. go from late-round pick to starting punter as a rookie?
Bills news: Buffalo begins OTAs
Left guard Alec Anderson and punter Mitch Wishnowsky are among those looking to win a starting job with OTAs starting.
Fake lawyers, scientists, chefs and punters: meet the ‘white monkeys’ paid to make Chinese businesses look global
A foreign face is often thought to add prestige to a product or business – what’s behind this unregulated economy?
Steelers rookie minicamp roster includes 3 tryout punters
Big-legged punter Ryan Stonehouse is fighting for a roster spot in Pittsburgh this weekend.
'We've been sold out': Punters Politics fronts inquiry into gas export tax
Konrad Benjamin, a former school teacher who is behind the social media account Punters Politics, tells a Senate inquiry into taxing gas that the issue has fired up his near million followers
Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe is ready to turn his activism into a political career
Chris Kluwe never imagined a life in politics, but after years of speaking out, he's now running for a California Assembly seat.
3 things to know about new 49ers punter Corliss Waitman
The San Francisco 49ers are replacing Thomas Morstead with Corliss Waitman. Let's get to know the team's new punter before he boots his first ball.
Vikings Add 6-Time All Pro Veteran
The Minnesota Vikings were punter-less for about a week until Tuesday evening, when the club announced the signing of six-time […]
Eagles re-signing free agent punter Braden Mann
The Eagles are re-signing punter Braden Mann to a four-year deal, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.
Ohio State offers multiple new 2028 prospects, lands transfer punter
Ohio State’s coaching staff hits the trail hard offering multiple new players and lands their punter for next season