Team USA is heading to the finals of the World Baseball Classic after a gritty win over a stacked Dominican Republic squad Sunday, and Paul Skenes couldn&#8217;t be happier leading the charge for his country in what he calls his &#8220;proudest&#8221; moment.
&#8220;The proudest I’ve ever been wearing a jersey is the USA jersey,&#8221; Skenes told <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/paul-skenes-talks-representing-usa-rare-interview-a-rod-its-different-level">Alex Rodriguez</a> in a sit-down interview ahead of the win over the DR. &#8220;You’re playing for a whole lot more. It’s great to play for a city, great to play for Pittsburgh in the regular season, but playing for your country, it’s a different level.&#8221;
Skenes is arguably a generational baseball talent, and while he shines on the diamond, he&#8217;s never shied away from his love of country.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace once thought he would be flying fighter jets in the United States Air Force. The Cy Young winner, an award for the best MLB pitcher, was fresh out of high school when he took an oath to put his life on the line for our country. Even after Skenes was the overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the MLB Rookie of the Year, and already a Cy Young award winner, he says taking that military oath is still &#8220;one of the highlights&#8221; of his life.
&#8220;I got the chills reciting that pledge just from how proud I am of this country,&#8221; Skenes penned in a letter published by <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/paul-skenes-mlb-baseball-pittsburgh-pirates-wbc-usa">The Players&#8217; Tribune</a> ahead of the international baseball tournament. &#8220;I’m actually getting chills right now remembering back to that time. Because when you love something so much that you’re willing to lay down your life for it? It’s pretty meaningful stuff.&#8221;
He played the first two years of his college career at the Air Force Academy before transferring to LSU, where he won a National Championship. But during his time wearing both an Air Force serviceman uniform and baseball uniform, Skenes said he developed the skills that have made him into the pitcher and person he is today.
&#8220;I truly believe that regardless of what you’re doing, if you want to accomplish great things and be the best version of yourself, you’re going to have to work extremely hard — be disciplined, focused,&#8221; Skenes said. &#8220;I’m pretty sure that if I hadn’t put in that time at the Academy, I probably would&#8217;ve spent a lot more time in the minors than I did. So I’m incredibly grateful.&#8221;
His military background is why playing on Team USA is such an honor.
&#8220;I was never deployed myself, but I know how much pride those individuals take in wearing that uniform with your name on the right side of your chest and the U.S. Air Force or Army lettering on the left side … because that’s what you put over your heart,&#8221; Skenes said, adding that the players putting on the red, white, and blue aren&#8217;t doing it for the fame or money, but to simply represent their country.
&#8220;Our team, we’re not cadets or anything like that. (These hairstyles would never fly). But everyone on this team … we all understand that when you put on those colors, you’re not just playing baseball, you’re representing something deeper,&#8221; Skenes said. &#8220;When you’re watching us in this tournament, we hope you feel that too.&#8221;
Skenes set the all-time record for most strikeouts at seven by a Team USA pitcher at the World Baseball Classic in his first appearance in the tourney. In the biggest test of the WBC, Skenes went 4.1 innings and gave up one run, a first-inning homer to Junior Caminero. Skenes got two strikeouts in the win over the previously undefeated Team DR filled with MLB all-stars including Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Skenes, aside from his Players&#8217; Tribune letter, is a man of few words — still after Sunday&#8217;s win, Skenes explained the significance of the semi-final victory, calling the Team DR lineup &#8220;the toughest lineup&#8221; he&#8217;s ever faced.
Now Team USA awaits the winner of Monday&#8217;s semifinal between Venezuela and Italy before taking the field one last time on Tuesday in the WBC Final.
Team USA entered the tournament as the favorites to bring home the hardware, and entering the finals, Skenes&#8217; mindset isn&#8217;t focused on adding another trophy to his case — but winning to honor the real heroes of the United States.
&#8220;Our servicemen and women don’t have the luxury of losing, it’s not really an option for them,&#8221; Skenes said. &#8220;We’re not going to war, but [this] is what we do in America: we fight and we win. That’s our responsibility.&#8221;

Credit: Daily Wire Staff/Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images

‘The Proudest I’ve Ever Been Wearing A Jersey Is The USA Jersey’: Paul Skenes Is America’s Ace

Baseball

General

Sports

Team USA

U.S.

U.S. Military

World Baseball Classic

Brooke Slusser took a stand for women in college sports. Now she&#8217;s the victim of vicious online attacks.
In a recent interview with <a href="https://x.com/JackThompsonFOX/status/2030652503356854736?s=20">Fox News</a>, the former San Jose State Volleyball player expressed shock at the hate and vitriol coming out now for simply saying she was not comfortable sharing a bed with a man as a college athlete. The attacks come years after Slusser joined the lawsuit against the NCAA, where she publicly spoke about her experience playing alongside Blaire Fleming, a biological male on the SJSU women&#8217;s volleyball team.
&#8220;I honestly think what struck the biggest nerve is this is really the first time I&#8217;ve like sat and talked about just kind of like a day to day point of view, like, yes, we were good friends, like we&#8217;d share very like intimate details about each of our lives, like that&#8217;s a normal roommate tendencies do in a girl&#8217;s apartment,&#8221; Slusser told The Daily Wire.
<div id="attachment_1057909" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1057909" class="size-large wp-image-1057909" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-32-864x576.png" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-32-864x576.png 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-32-300x200.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-32-768x512.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-32.png 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Brooke Slusser</div>
Since the interview earlier this week, Slusser has been called a &#8220;<a href="https://x.com/Brocklesnitch/status/2030881342385537472?s=20">b*tch</a>&#8221; and a &#8220;transphobe right-wing <a href="https://x.com/druidDUDE/status/2031021289440178594?s=20">grifter</a>&#8221; among other attacks for simply speaking the truth.
&#8220;Someone texted me and was like, &#8216;I love you so much, I hope you&#8217;re doing ok,&#8217; and that usually means that&#8217;s usually how I find out something&#8217;s going on about me on the internet,&#8221; Slusser said of the attacks.
Slusser believed her coaches, support staff, and San Jose State admin when they told her Blaire was a girl. Slusser shared beds with the biological man on team trips and lived together for two seasons. Slusser said she was blindsided by the news that she had been living with a man, even though, in hindsight, she said things seemed off.
&#8220;His doors were always locked, that&#8217;s what I remember, because like I said, we were all very good friends, and so it&#8217;s very normal for girls just to like barge into each other&#8217;s rooms unannounced,&#8221; Slusser said. &#8220;We always had to knock, and I just thought that was weird, but I was like, if a person likes their privacy, I&#8217;m not gonna be the one to push a button.&#8221;
Slusser refuses to focus on the hate. Instead, she&#8217;s driven to ensure other girls don&#8217;t live through the experience of playing and living with a man disguised as a woman, which Slusser described as &#8220;hell.&#8221; Slusser said her coach, Todd Kress, never told Slusser her roommate was a man, and once news broke about Fleming&#8217;s biology, Kress encouraged his team to stay quiet.
&#8220;They gaslit us so much, and the fact that like, if we spoke on this at all, even with like close family and friends, our scholarship would be in jeopardy,&#8221; Slusser said.
In January, the Office of Civil Rights found San Jose State violated Title IX because of its handling of the trans-identifying volleyball player. The Trump admin said that if the university complied with a list of conditions, the university wouldn&#8217;t be punished. Instead of complying, like Penn did last year, SJSU and the California State University system decided to sue the federal government.
SJSU President Dr.Cynthia Teniente-Matson released this <a href="https://blogs.sjsu.edu/newsroom/2026/ocr-titleix-lawsuit/">statement</a> on March 6 regarding the lawsuit:
&#8220;This is not a step we take lightly. However, we have a responsibility to defend the integrity of our institution and the rule of law, while ensuring that every member of our community is treated fairly and in accordance with the law. Our position is simple: We have followed the law and cannot be punished for doing so. OCR has faulted us for following decisions from federal courts that bound SJSU; OCR has no authority to do that. We are asking the court to set aside OCR’s Letter of Findings and Proposed Resolution Agreement and prevent the Department of Education from terminating, freezing, or refusing to grant SJSU’s federal funding.&#8221;
Slusser called her institution&#8217;s decision &#8220;blood-boiling.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s mostly SJSU that needs to be held accountable,&#8221; Slusser said. &#8220;I achieved the dream of playing collegiate sports, and the last year I had was completely ruined. You can&#8217;t get that back.&#8221;
During Slusser&#8217;s senior season in 2024, eight of San Jose State&#8217;s wins came from forfeits because other collegiate programs refused to play against a male. In the Mountain West Conference alone, Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State, and Nevada forfeited seven matches against SJSU. Slusser thought the nationwide pushback would address the issue, but she was proved wrong.
&#8220;I was still trusting of Todd, my head coach, and I asked what happens if we just removed this one person and played as women, and he just cussed me out. I was like, oh, ok, that&#8217;s how we feel about this.&#8221;
The 23-year-old is fighting alongside Riley Gaines as the two are part of a lawsuit against the NCAA. Slusser said it&#8217;s progressing well despite both the NCAA and Mountain West conference attempts to appeal.
The slurs thrown Slusser&#8217;s way for speaking up thankfully don&#8217;t get her down. Even if they did, she said she would never stop standing up for women.
&#8220;If I passed this up and had kids in sports later on and saw them going through what I did when I knew I could change it and didn&#8217;t, I would literally kick myself.&#8221;
&#8220;I just think people need to know you can stand up and nothing is gonna happen to you.&#8221;
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/eUUN2WGlnKVVtZzdWoJ5BId9fbPz6LQW?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=479d302d-88c9-49ce-ba13-bfb3380ce0c7&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-03-11%3A%20Former%20Teammate%20Of%20Trans%20Volleyball%20Player&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F9312af9f-399c-4e2b-bef4-be6fd42c2e7a.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>

Credit: Andrew Wevers/Getty Images

She Stood Up For Women In College Sports. Now She’s The Victim Of Vicious Online Attacks.

'Feminists' Attack Woman Who Was Forced To Room With Biological Male Teammate

News

Transgender Athletes

Women's sports

The NBA has canceled the Atlanta Hawks&#8217; &#8220;Magic City Monday,&#8221; which was set for next week, after some NBA players raised concerns about having a promotional themed night celebrating a strip club.
The Hawks were set to honor one of Atlanta’s &#8220;iconic cultural institutions&#8221; with special food, merchandise, and a halftime performance by Atlanta rapper T.I. for their matchup against the Orlando Magic next week, per a team release.
But San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet voiced concerns about having a night that brings attention to Magic City, the historic strip club in Atlanta, calling the move a poor decision.
&#8220;The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world,&#8221; Kornet wrote. &#8220;We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love&#8230;we desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience. The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nba-team-to-honor-strip-club-during-international-womens-month">NBA Team To Honor Strip Club During International Women’s Month</a>
Warriors center Al Horford, who played for years for the Hawks, also pushed back against &#8220;Magic City Monday,&#8221; saying he agreed with Kornet&#8217;s assessment of the evening not creating an environment for fans of all ages — and the league agrees.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The following has been released by the NBA. <a href="https://t.co/jzbUW8t73Y">pic.twitter.com/jzbUW8t73Y</a>
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/2031116613986971749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement on Monday: &#8220;When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks&#8217; scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale. While we appreciate the team&#8217;s perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees. I believe cancelling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.&#8221;
&#8220;Magic City Monday&#8221; was scheduled for the Hawks on March 16.
&#8220;The Hawks have worked with Magic City to bring the ‘best of’ the phenomena for fans in attendance at the award-winning State Farm Arena,&#8221; the announcement for the promotional night read.
&#8220;From the food to the music and the exclusive merchandise, we are excited to team up with Magic City to create an authentic, true to Atlanta-inspired game experience,&#8221; said Hawks Executive Vice President &amp; Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Proctor.
Atlanta&#8217;s NBA team responded to the cancellation in a statement Monday evening on <a href="https://x.com/ATLHawks/status/2031132956379533698?s=20">X</a>.
&#8220;While we are very disappointed in the NBA&#8217;s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we full respect its decision. As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta with authenticity in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together.&#8221;
The Hawks never referred to Magic City as a strip club, though the widely-known entertainment space has been known for that since the 80s; instead, the organization planned to focus on other aspects of the club, including its lemon pepper wings that were set to be a special menu item for the March 16 game.
There is no word on if famed rapper T.I. is still set to perform, despite the promotion being called off.
The tip-off for the Hawks and Magic is set for next Monday at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Credit: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire/Prince Williams/Wire Image via via Getty Images/Daily Wire staff

NBA Strips Atlanta Hawks Of ‘Magic City Monday’ Promotional Night After Backlash

Adam Silver

The nation&#8217;s capital will celebrate fast cars and freedom this summer as IndyCar hosts the first-ever street race on the National Mall as part of America&#8217;s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The <a href="https://www.freedom250gp.com/">Freedom 250 Grand Prix</a> will host the best NTT INDYCAR drivers who will take on the 1.7-mile-long course that cuts through the nation&#8217;s historic landmarks in Washington, D.C.
The INDYCAR race celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and was made possible through an Executive Order signed earlier this year by President Donald Trump entitled &#8220;Celebrating American Greatness with American Motor Racing.&#8221;
The race course features a .4-mile front stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue, where INDYCAR fans can see the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. Pit row will run adjacent to the track, on Pennsylvania Avenue. Other landmarks along the race course include the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the National Archives. INDYCAR officials describe the course as &#8220;challenging&#8221; and &#8220;picturesque.&#8221;
&#8220;This circuit is unlike any other street race we’ve seen,&#8221; said two‑time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and back‑to‑back Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden.
The Nashville native toured the circuit Monday morning in Washington, D.C.
<div id="attachment_1056063" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1056063" class="size-full wp-image-1056063" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/indycar-map.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/indycar-map.jpg 1000w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/indycar-map-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/indycar-map-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" />Credit: INDYCAR</div>
&#8220;You’ve got a high‑speed section down Pennsylvania Avenue that will reward commitment and precision, mixed with technical corners around 9th Street that will demand respect,&#8221; Newgarden said. &#8220;Racing through the heart of American history, with those amazing landmarks lining the course, is going to be incredibly powerful. I can’t wait to be back here to race and celebrate America’s birthday at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.&#8221;
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks were alongside Newgarden and other race organizers Monday to kick off the countdown to race day.
&#8220;Freedom doesn’t ring, it revs! The Freedom 250 Grand Prix will showcase American ingenuity in engineering and technology along the backdrop of our historic capital in a spectacle that will leave the world in awe,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “President Trump and our partners at INDYCAR are preparing a historic celebration worthy of America’s 250th anniversary. The design of this unique and competitive track will deliver an exhilarating and safe experience for millions of Americans to enjoy and celebrate.&#8221;
Race course construction for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix circuit starts later this year, with the roads near the U.S. Capitol and around the National Mall expected to remain open and accessible throughout the majority of the course creation.
This race will take place after another historical sporting event planned in Washington, D.C., as part of the year-long America 250 celebrations. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix will take place in August, following the UFC Freedom 250 scheduled for June 14, live from The White House lawn.
It&#8217;s a summer full of firsts. Unlike the UFC fight, the INDYCAR race is free and open to the public.
The engines will rev throughout Washington D.C., August 22-23.

Illustration by Daily Wire staff

Fast Cars And Freedom Will Take Over The Nation’s Capital For America’s 250th Anniversary

A Different Kind Of Race Takes Over Nation's Capital For America 250 Celebration

America 250

Donald Trump

Freedom 250

INDYCAR

Washington D.C.

President Donald Trump, as well as some of the biggest names in sports, are at the White House Friday for a roundtable discussion on college sports.
&#8220;The president wants to save college sports,&#8221; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Friday, &#8220;It&#8217;s very important to him and to so many athletes across the country to fix the broken system.&#8221;
According to Fox News, the president is fed up with the overspending on players and the constant transfer of players between schools. A big focus of the meeting will be how to rein in NIL, which stands for name, image, and likeness. NIL is how the players make their millions. Another area of focus will be collective bargaining.
&#8220;The president is saying enough is enough,&#8221; Darren Botelho said.
Trump is not against players being paid, but instead he is focusing on keeping college sports as amateur as it can be in the new NIL era.
Trump will be the chair of the Saving College Sports Roundtable, alongside vice chairs Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and New York Yankees President Randy Levine.
Notable sports figures attending Friday&#8217;s gathering include Nick Saban, Tiger Woods, Urban Meyer, and Tony Dungy.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is set to attend alongside several NCAA conference commissioners and media execs. In total, more than 30 people will be in attendance. As of now, there are no current players or coaches participating in the roundtable.
In response to the lack of current athletes attending the roundtable, Temple University football player Kahlil Poteat said: &#8220;We deserve a seat at the table. We as athletes are the reason the stands are filled, logos are worn, and the game thrives the way it does. Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed about making it to the Division I level to play the sport I love. It is unfair and unfaithful to hold a discussion without the main attraction in mind. We deserve a say, just like the executives and leaders, in sports and in our futures. I believe that we, as athletes at every level, deserve to be at the table and fight for our best interest. We want college sports to thrive just like everyone else in the room. So let’s bond together to generate the best outcome for all.&#8221;
Trump hasn&#8217;t shied away from sports during his second term; the president signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-saves-college-sports/">executive order</a> to ban third-party pay-for-play payments, while allowing legitimate NIL endorsement deals. He also <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-saves-college-sports/">called on schools</a> to expand &#8220;opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports.&#8221;
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has long supported Trump getting involved with the landscape of college sports. Last May, Tuberville said he is confident the Trump administration can find a solution to the current chaos at the college level.
&#8220;While I’m all for players making money, we need to create national standards to protect the integrity of college sports,&#8221; Tuberville said.

Credit: Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

Trump Convenes Star-Studded Roundtable To ‘Save College Sports’

College sports

Executive

NCAA

Trump

Legendary Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz has died at the age of 89, the university <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/legendary-national-championship-coach-lou-holtz-passes-away/">announced</a> on Wednesday.
A cause of death was not immediately stated.
Holtz was considered one of the most influential coaches in college football history, winning 249 games as a collegiate head coach. He began his coaching career at William &amp; Mary in 1969 and spent one season in the NFL before returning to college football.
One hundred of those wins happened at Notre Dame, where he served as head coach from 1986 until 1996.
“Notre Dame mourns the loss of Lou Holtz, a legendary football coach, a beloved member of the Notre Dame family and devoted husband, father and grandfather,” University of Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. said in a statement published on their website.
“Among his many accomplishments, we will remember him above all as a teacher, leader and mentor who brought out the very best in his players, on and off the field, earning their respect and admiration for a lifetime. In the years since leaving the head football coach position, Lou, together with his beloved wife, Beth, supported Notre Dame in innumerable ways, among them making possible the refurbishment of four residence hall chapels and the construction of the Beth and Lou Holtz Grand Reading Room on the first floor of Hesburgh Library — tangible signs of their great love for their Catholic faith and the mission of Our Lady’s University.”
The statement went on, “Whenever Notre Dame called to ask for his help, Lou answered with his characteristic generosity, and he will be sorely missed. The prayers of the entire Notre Dame community are with his family and many friends in this time of sorrow. May he rest in the peace and love of Christ.”
Holtz called coaching for Notre Dame “the dream of a lifetime.” 
&#8220;I remember at school that we would pray every Friday before a game for Notre Dame&#8217;s success,” he said, per <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/48103098/legendary-football-coach-commentator-lou-holtz-dies-89">ESPN</a>. “So, it&#8217;s just part of our religion. It&#8217;s a part of the way we are, and the football team should reflect the values of Notre Dame. That means we had to play with great enthusiasm, we had to play together. We had to play with great character, great integrity, but we also should be playing for our lady on the Dome.&#8221;
After retiring from coaching, Holtz worked in television, including spending more than a decade with ESPN.
The coach was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, the university website noted, and was the man behind several honored Notre Dame football traditions including the “Play Like A Champion” sign in the locker room.
Holtz was also a close friend and longtime supporter of Donald Trump. The president honored Holtz with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in December of 2020 for his contributions to the nation. 
Holtz is survived by his four children, Luanne, Lou “Skip” Junior, Kevin and Elizabeth. The latter three graduated from the University of Notre Dame.
&#8220;He was successful, but more important he was Significant,&#8221; his son Skip <a href="https://x.com/CoachSHoltz/status/2029313222537253174">shared</a> on X.

Lou Holtz

Beloved Notre Dame Football Coach Lou Holtz Dies At 89

College Football

Death

Football

The Iranian women’s national soccer team made a statement Monday night as they stood silently during the playing of their country’s national anthem.
Their silence spoke volumes ahead of the opening match of the Women’s Asian Cup in Queensland, Australia. None of the women sang as the song was played, choosing instead to look ahead with serious expressions. The crowd applauded at the conclusion of the song, and the team manager, Marziyeh Jafari, was spotted smiling on the sidelines. 
She was later approached by reporters but had no comment, The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/03/iran-women-football-team-decline-to-sing-national-anthem-before-asian-cup-tie">reported</a>.
The team lost its game against South Korea 3-0, the outlet noted. This was their first game since air strikes began in the Middle East, killing the nation’s longtime Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Our heart goes out to them and their families. It’s a difficult situation, and it’s really brave of them to be able to be here and to perform,” Australian player Amy Sayer said. “They put on a really strong performance, even with the political climate that’s going on and the struggles that they might be going through.”
President Trump has estimated that Operation Epic Fury could last four to five weeks, but has said it could continue longer to permanently eliminate Iran’s capacity to have a nuclear weapon. America’s intervention has had mixed reactions at home, but was celebrated in the streets of Iran after it was announced that Khamenei had been killed.
Many reactions to the women’s soccer team refusing to sing the anthem focused on how poorly the regime treated women of their nation, <a href="https://x.com/SamanthaTaghoy/status/2028624631922393332">noting</a> that their silent protest was what “real feminism” looked like.
“A defying silence… the Iranian women’s football national team REFUSED to sing the anthem of the Islamic regime. Side note: By the time their next game comes up, they probably don’t even have to wear those hijabs anymore,” one commenter <a href="https://x.com/Tarikh_Eran/status/2028539904230060340">wrote</a>.
“These brave women risk a lot with this display,” another person <a href="https://x.com/13jeep24Bob/status/2028822151395000355">chimed in</a>. “After having been treated worse than dirt for years by their country, thanks to President Trump, they may have a chance at a much better future. Meanwhile ‘freedom loving’ severe left wing women &amp; men in our country cheer for the oppressive Iranian regime who has murdered 10’s of thousands of their fellow countryman. What is wrong with this picture?”

Iran soccer team

Iranian Women’s Soccer Team Stands Silent During National Anthem

Iranian Women's Soccer Team Stands Silently During Islamic State's National Anthem

Australia

Iran

Operation Epic Fury

Women

Women's Soccer

World

The Atlanta Hawks are apparently making the most out of International Women&#8217;s Month by teaming up with a famous strip club as part of their promotional &#8220;Magic City Monday&#8221; game on March 16.
The NBA team put out a release that stated the &#8220;Magic City Monday&#8221; game will honor one of Atlanta&#8217;s &#8220;iconic cultural institutions&#8221; with special food and a halftime performance by Atlanta great, T.I.
&#8220;The Hawks have worked with Magic City to bring the &#8216;best of&#8217; the phenomena for fans in attendance at the award-winning State Farm Arena,&#8221; the statement read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Magic on a Monday? 👀 <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicCity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MagicCity</a> <a href="https://t.co/xwWrGyVE20">pic.twitter.com/xwWrGyVE20</a>
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/2027060189606604916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;We doin’ this one for the city&#8230; Magic City,&#8221; T.I. said.
The famous Atlanta strip club has been around since the &#8217;80s and is known for more than just its strippers. Magic City is famous for its lemon pepper wings, which will be featured at the &#8220;Magic City Monday&#8221; game in a few weeks.
“From the food to the music and the exclusive merchandise, we are excited to team up with Magic City to create an authentic, True to Atlanta-inspired game experience,” <a href="https://www.nba.com/hawks/news/hawksto-celebrate-atlantas-iconic-cultural-institution-magic-city-during-the-teams-magic-city-monday-game-against-the-orlando-magic-on-monday-march-16">said</a> Hawks Executive Vice President &amp; Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Proctor.
The wings are apparently so good that during the NBA bubble season in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, former Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams broke protocol to visit Magic City for the wings and was forced to miss games because of the mandatory 10-day quarantine the league required.
Not all NBA players are excited for this collab during a month that&#8217;s meant to celebrate women&#8217;s accomplishments. San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet penned an <a href="https://lukekornet.medium.com/concerning-the-atlanta-hawks-0f07c62ea65e">article</a> asking Atlanta to cancel &#8220;Magic City Monday&#8221; theme night because he said the promotion doesn&#8217;t protect or esteem women and would reflect poorly on the NBA.
&#8220;The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world,&#8221; Kornett wrote. &#8220;We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.&#8221;
Kornet insists that women in the adult entertainment industry often experience abuse and harassment. He encouraged the league to hold teams to a higher standard when it comes to in-game partnerships. The Spurs center added that many people around the league were shocked by the Hawks&#8217; decision.
&#8220;We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience,&#8221; Kornet said. &#8220;The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.&#8221;
The Hawks did not refer to Magic City as a strip club in the release, but instead focused on other aspects of the establishment.
It&#8217;s fitting that the visiting team for the March 16 game is the Orlando Magic. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.

Credit: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire/Prince Williams/Wire Image via via Getty Images

NBA Team To Honor Strip Club During International Women’s Month

NBA Team Honoring Strip Club With 'Magic City Monday' Night During International Women's Month

Atlanta Hawks

Georgia

Magic City

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) has introduced legislation that would impose a tax on income earned by American athletes who compete in international sporting events on behalf of foreign governments.
The proposal, titled the &#8220;Officially Limiting Yearly Money Procured by Individuals Concerning Sportsmanship Act,” or OLYMPICS Act, would apply to athletes who represent what the law defines as &#8220;foreign entities of concern.&#8221; Those countries include China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Although the legislation would not apply retroactively, Ogles cited freestyle skier Eileen Gu as the inspiration for the proposal, <a href="https://www.outkick.com/sports/exclusive-rep-andy-ogles-bill-targets-eileen-gu-tax-olympics-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OutKick</a> reported. Gu, an American-born athlete, won a gold medal and two silver medals while competing for China at the recent Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Her decision to represent China drew criticism in the United States. She also represented the communist government at the 2022 Beijing Games. Gu was raised in the United States by her mother, who immigrated from China.
“Any American who works with a foreign adversary has not only betrayed our country, but must be stripped of all benefits from doing so. That is why I am ensuring that the IRS takes every dollar earned by athletes like Eileen Gu,” Ogles told the outlet.
He added that the bill would impose an excise tax on athletes who compete internationally for &#8220;a foreign country of concern.&#8221;
&#8220;Being American is a privilege, and anyone who openly mocks that privilege on the world stage must be punished,” the congressman continued.
China awards prize money to Olympic medalists, but it’s unclear how much they earn, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/16/2026-winter-olympics-medal-bonus-payouts-by-country-athletes-milano-cortina.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a>.
Vice President JD Vance said last week on Fox News that “someone who grew up in the United States of America, who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that makes this country a great place, I would hope they want to compete with the United States of America.”

Freestyle Skiing – Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Day 14

GOP Rep Cites Eileen Gu In Push To Tax Athletes Competing For ‘Foreign Entities Of Concern’

GOP Rep Cites Eileen Gu In Push To Tax Athletes Competing For 'Foreign Entities Of Concern'

China

Congress

Olympics

Taxes

Someone grab the Zamboni. There is a meltdown happening right now on social media over the United States Olympic men&#8217;s hockey team.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a fu*king scary time on hockey twitter right now,&#8221; a user <a href="https://x.com/admbeaumont/status/2026106336207856012">posted</a> to X after penning an entire article about their disgust with the men&#8217;s team.
The team that should be universally celebrated for winning the United States a gold medal in men&#8217;s hockey. Instead, they&#8217;re being torn apart by people on the Left who expected a group of jocks 10 bottles of booze deep in the locker room after making history to stand up to President Donald Trump for cracking a joke about the women&#8217;s hockey team.
&#8220;I will actually never look at those men the same ever again,&#8221; another person on X <a href="https://x.com/hrts4celebrini/status/2026240198015590844">wrote</a>. &#8220;The USA women&#8217;s hockey team deserves an apology for so much more.&#8221;
The men&#8217;s team immediately celebrated the women&#8217;s accomplishment after their own overtime gold-medal match. Jack Hughes, the golden goal scorer, said the first thing he thought about moments after scoring the winning goal was Megan Keller, who had scored the winning goal for the women&#8217;s team.
During the locker room celebration, the men&#8217;s team can be heard yelling &#8220;two for two,&#8221; meaning the golden hockey sweep, which marked the first time ever the men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s teams brought home the top Olympic prize.
Still, the hate is piling on because the men accepted the president&#8217;s invitation to the State of the Union on Tuesday in Washington, something most would call a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
However, Greg Cote, host of &#8220;The Dan Le Batard Show,&#8221; who couldn&#8217;t find the back of a mile-long net, called the men&#8217;s hockey team a &#8220;willing pawn&#8221; for attending Tuesday&#8217;s State of the Union.
&#8220;As long as the players realize that, this is an immensely unpopular president with half of the nation. Going to this, to serve as a willing pawn, is controversial,&#8221; Cote <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/usa-hockey-players-receive-warning-170103943.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAE97FKmhLGLodzFNszdAgV8GlSjx98OoVINXLZVdK2ucQPtffIUafBLu-OnAoslhyA9_4Zy1CNBzZzimmzy3j6JZsAIcTzACAFQHJGKoqWR0WBghdcOy-E81e3n0m2bh4gxPloip3O64CdVzbfVGq2_8V_QL3YMDDOG4rIYmM5xT">said</a> Tuesday.
The women&#8217;s team declined, stating prior commitments.
&#8220;We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning U.S. Women&#8217;s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,&#8221; a USA Hockey spokesperson said to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/us-womens-hockey-team-declines-trumps-invitation-state-union-rcna260299">NBC News</a>.
There are people online comparing the men&#8217;s hockey team to January 6 rioters for not denouncing what most considered a joke in real time during a celebratory beer pong game.
&#8220;It&#8217;s so crazy to be so disrespectful of women&#8217;s sports when your mom is literally a pioneer for women&#8217;s hockey,&#8221; another person <a href="https://x.com/satosgs/status/2025797932029510011?s=20">said</a>.
Ellen Hughes, who worked with the Olympic women&#8217;s team and is a medal winner herself, was asked about the phone call with the men&#8217;s team on Tuesday morning and simply called for unity.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unity-over-politics-ellen-hughes-schools-media-after-team-usas-historic-double-gold-sweep">Unity Over Politics: Ellen Hughes Schools Media After Team USA’s Historic ‘Double Gold’ Sweep</a>
&#8220;At the end of the day, it’s just about the country,&#8221; Hughes said. &#8220;I think the moment that these players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country—people that cheered on that don’t watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side—that’s all both teams care about.&#8221;
Hockey on X for sure won&#8217;t like that completely sane response.

Credit: Elsa via Getty Images

The Left Cannot Handle The Olympic Hockey Team Having Fun And It’s Hilarious

The Left Cannot Handle Hockey Being Fun And It's Hilarious

Hockey

Winter Olympics

Not even 48 hours after they clinched their first gold medal in 46 years, the men of the U.S. Olympic hockey team landed on American soil — and proceeded with gusto to paint the Miami club scene red, white, and blue.
Videos quickly circulated on X of the team descending on the popular Miami hotspot E11even, where they led the crowd in a loud, raucous rendition of &#8220;The Star-Spangled Banner.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The US hockey team rolled into E11ven night club in Miami and led the club in singing the national anthem. This is phenomenal: <a href="https://t.co/Fq3oa3NwZN">pic.twitter.com/Fq3oa3NwZN</a>
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/2026186773030678923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The boisterous — and clearly infectious — patriotism didn&#8217;t stop there, as members of the team then went on to lead the crowd in singing Lee Greenwood&#8217;s &#8220;God Bless the U.S.A.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
US hockey team leads Miami’s E11ven night club in singing Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” <a href="https://t.co/tV7tx338df">pic.twitter.com/tV7tx338df</a>
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/2026295728897740859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The team led the singing themselves, pouring drinks for fans as they sang along. And when the song came to the iconic line — &#8220;I will gladly stand up next to you, and defend her still today&#8221; — every single member of Team USA stopped and stood tall.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Elite patriotic awareness from the US gold medal hockey team during Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” last night. You’ve gotta skate to where the puck is going, not where it is. <a href="https://t.co/o6ze96AHuh">pic.twitter.com/o6ze96AHuh</a>
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/2026308752912404583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The late country star Toby Keith&#8217;s &#8220;Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue&#8221; also got a nod during the celebration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
US men’s gold medal hockey team leads E11ven night club in singing along to Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” <a href="https://t.co/SPx32kKbk3">pic.twitter.com/SPx32kKbk3</a>
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/2026306274573644002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The team is also set to join the crowd on Tuesday evening for President Donald Trump&#8217;s State of the Union Address. Trump issued the invitation during a post-game call to the locker room just after Team USA clinched the gold in a nail-biter of a game. He was barely able to get the words out before members of the team interrupted to tell him, &#8220;We&#8217;re in!&#8221;
Team member <a href="https://x.com/curtishouck/status/2026280462759436783">Quinn Hughes</a> — alongside his brother and teammate Jack Hughes — told ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday that everyone was looking forward to attending the president&#8217;s address.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know how much we&#8217;re allowed to say, but yes. Yeah, we&#8217;re excited to go. Something you don&#8217;t get to do — I don&#8217;t know what today is — every Tuesday. But yeah — but, it&#8217;s going to be special for us, but I&#8217;m glad you mentioned the women&#8217;s team again. You know, we&#8217;re really happy for them. Obviously, a lot going on on social media surrounding our team and their team. But, you know, the last couple we&#8217;ve done a lot of training with them and got to know a lot of those girls really well. We&#8217;re extremely happy to come,&#8221; he said.
Jack Hughes, upon landing in Miami on Monday, spoke to a reporter about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gold-lost-teeth-and-a-true-grit-american-moment-from-jack-hughes">losing teeth</a> in the gold-medal game and still going on to score the game-winning goal.
&#8220;It sounds like definitely crazy for you guys because just different profession, but in hockey, like, if you lose your teeth, it’s not even a question of, like, coming back and playing,” Hughes said. “That’s like an automatic.&#8221;
&#8220;The Gold Medal is for all the guys that have come before us, and all the young kids that are going to come after us,” he added. “We want to leave USA Hockey in a better place than when we first got there.&#8221;

USA Men’s Hockey Team Celebrate Their Olympic Gold At E11EVEN Miami

SEE IT: Fresh Off Olympic Gold, USA Hockey Brings Red-White-And-Blue Swagger To Club In Miami

Media

Politics

Jimmy&#8217;s Famous Seafood didn&#8217;t like the crabby article that HuffPost published over the weekend in the midst of Team USA&#8217;s winning streak.
After the U.S. men&#8217;s hockey team won gold Sunday, the Baltimore-based restaurant told HuffPost to &#8220;go f*ck yourself&#8221; in response to a piece the outlet published, titled &#8220;There&#8217;s A Name For The Discomfort You&#8217;re Feeling Watching The Olympics Right Now.&#8221;
The family-owned business sent the message to HuffPost on <a href="https://x.com/JimmysSeafood/status/2025663262864376146?s=20">X</a>, and it already has more than 11 million views.
The HuffPost piece detailed how people who hate their country are having to deal with Team USA winning at the Winter Olympics. HuffPost offered great advice to those who can&#8217;t stand seeing Team USA on top, like &#8220;don&#8217;t forget to breathe.&#8221; Groundbreaking.
Jimmy&#8217;s Famous Seafood is an all-American joint that has been a Maryland landmark since the 1970s, and clearly doesn&#8217;t have an issue with celebrating the athletic achievements of Americans. Like the Minadakis family, who started Jimmy&#8217;s Famous Seafood and turned it into a nationwide staple, the Olympians accomplished their own American dream and should not have to worry about being tolerated instead of celebrated.
With lines like this in the HuffPost story — &#8220;If waving the American flag or chanting, ‘USA!’ makes us feel grossed out or ashamed, we can cheer for individual athletes&#8221; — it&#8217;s easy to see how the Team USA-supporting seafood restaurant got ticked off.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🇺🇸 For bringing home the gold and delivering an overwhelming sense of pride throughout America, we hereby grant FREE CRABCAKES FOR LIFE to all members of the 2026 USA Men’s &amp; Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey Teams! This applies to both dine-in and shipping for all time. God Bless… <a href="https://t.co/YY4eI2xa8j">pic.twitter.com/YY4eI2xa8j</a>
— Jimmy’s Famous Seafood (@JimmysSeafood) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimmysSeafood/status/2025695986883129437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
To battle the HuffPost whining, Jimmy&#8217;s Famous Seafood offered free crab cakes for life to every member of the 2026 Team USA men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s Olympic ice hockey teams.
The free offer is good for dine-in or shipping, since Jimmy&#8217;s sends crab cakes near and far across the United States.
The praise from the online world couldn&#8217;t have been greater for Jimmy&#8217;s Famous Seafood. Immediately, patriots from all over started ordering crab cakes to show support for an America-loving establishment.
And as if Jimmy&#8217;s Famous Seafood&#8217;s Sunday couldn&#8217;t have been busier shipping out crab cakes to new fans, the company brought back a crab cake-themed American flag shirt to show support for the country long after the Olympic hype had faded.
What won&#8217;t fade is the American spirit Jimmy&#8217;s Famous Seafood exudes daily. From the Minadakis family raising three boys in a small apartment on top of their restaurant to building a seafood empire — thanks to the restaurant sticking to its beliefs, Jimmy&#8217;s Famous Seafood has a whole new batch of Americans to serve.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/huffpost-attacks-team-usa-pride-gets-crushed-by-americans">HuffPost Mocks Team USA Pride — Americans Clap Back</a>

Restaurant Tells HuffPost To ‘Go F*ck Yourself’ After Outlet Cries About Team USA

Baltimore

Huffington Post

Patriotism

Menu