NFL

J. Cole Shared The Letter Colin Kaepernick Sent To The New York Jets After Aaron Rodgers Was Injured

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It has now been six years and five seasons since Colin Kaepernick‘s last game in the NFL before being basically blackballed over his “controversial” (read: totally reasonable and understandable) opinions on the National Anthem. Despite the time away and unfair treatment by the league, it seems he hasn’t lost his passion for the game or his desire to play. And apparently, no one wants to see him get a second chance more than J. Cole.

The rapper, who is a friend of Kaep’s and one of his staunchest advocates, shared a letter the QB recently wrote to the New York Jets seeking an opportunity to prove himself. The Jets, of course, are down one starting field general due to Aaron Rodgers’ injury in the Jets’ September 11 game against the Buffalo Bills. Cole said he asked Kaepernick if he could share the letter, likely hoping that publicizing it would increase his chances at getting a callback — if not from the Jets than from one of the teams that could use a QB.

“My argument was that I believe the people and all organizations should know the truth about how hard he works and how much he still wants to play,” the rapper wrote. “And always has. In the end, he agreed to let me.” In the caption, he wrote, “Everyone from players, to coaches, to execs are feeling the pressure I’m sure. I hope y’all can turn it around, and I hope there’s a spot out there for my boy Kap.”

You can read the letter in its entirety below.

September 21, 2023

Joe Douglas New York Jets 1 Jets Dr. Florham Park, NJ 07932

Joe,
I hope this letter finds you in great spirits, despite the less-than-ideal start to a big season. I’m wishing you, your staff, and the players a great game this weekend as you look to bounce back.

I’m writing, of course, in response to the unfortunate loss of Aaron Rodgers. I know the aspirations this season were, and still are, to win a championship, and so that Hall of Fame-sized hole will need to be filled as best as possible to keep the team on a Super Bowl track. As of right now, Zach Wilson is charged with that task, and I wish him and the rest of the team the best moving forward.

However, I know that there are currently depth issues at the position, and I’ve heard that the back-up spot is likely to be filled by a veteran Quarterback. As much as I would love the opportunity to fill that spot, I’m writing you in hopes that you can imagine a much different approach involving me; I would be honored and extremely grateful for the opportunity to come in and lead the practice squad. I would do this with the sole mission of getting your defense ready each week. If I were able to fill this role for the team, I believe this allows for multiple things.

1. It gives your Defense the advantage of getting a truer read on the more mobile/athletic/versatile quarterbacks it will face when in weeks 4, 5 and 6 (Mahomes, Wilson, and Hurts). I would consider it a privilege to be able to do this and would take on this responsibility with the dedication and passion as if it were the QB1 position.

2. This would also allow you guys as an organization to take a real look at where I’m at football wise, in game-like situations against an elite defense, while also not putting any competitive pressure on Zach. I understand the importance of keeping him confident and focused as QB1, and I would only look to boost that confidence in any interactions that we may have if I was given this role within the team.

In a perfect world for the Jets, Zach Wilson finds his stride and shows that he is able to lead this championship caliber team that you’ve put together to the Super Bowl. I believe a confident Zach Wilson has the tools to do this. However, in the event that this is not the case, I would love to offer you a risk-free contingency plan.

I am sure of my ability to provide you with an elite QB option if, God forbid, QB1 goes down. However, I know that there may naturally be uncertainties from you and possibly from others about my playing abilities. This plan, I believe, allows me to be of great service to the team as a practice squad QB, while also giving you a low-commitment chance to assess my capabilities to help in any other capacity you may see fit.

Worst case scenario, you see what I have to offer and you’re not that impressed. Best case scenario, you realize you have a real weapon at your disposal in the event you ever need to use it. In either of these scenarios, I would be committed to getting your defense ready week in and week out, all season long, and I would wear that responsibility like a badge of honor.

As a final point, I would like to add this. Unlike many of the veteran QB’s that have been named in the media, I’ve never retired or stopped training. My training schedule has remained the same for 6 years; Monday through Friday, 5am-8am training on the field and in the weight room. I’ve kept this training schedule without failure for the past 6 years, in hopes that an opportunity will present itself. I say this to give you some perspective on where I’m at physically.

I have also attached a list of my references within the league that will vouch for my character, work ethic and ability.
Thanks so much for your time.

Colin Kaepernick

References

Jim Harbaugh — Michigan Head Coach – San Francisco 49ers Head Coach 2011-2014
Chip Kelly — UCLA Head Coach – San Francisco 49ers Head Coach 2016
John Harbaugh — Baltimore Ravens Head Coach
Mark Davis — Las Vegas Raiders Owner

Chandler Jones Swears That He Was Forced Into A Mental Hospital And Given Unknown Substance

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It seems that the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders organization cannot get righ. From Jon Gruden to Henry Ruggs III speeding on the highway, and Damon Arnette waving guns on social media, there is always something wrong. Now, there is Chandler Jones’s behavior that has seen him spiral out of control. At the beginning of September Jones claimed the Raiders sent a “crisis team” to his home saying he was in danger.

Jones thought it was nonsense and he remains confused as to why he is not a part of the team. On top of that, he ranted that he did not want to play for the organization, according to TMZ Sports. He went off on Instagram stories, saying, “They won’t let me in the building tho, tryna provoke a n****.” He went on further, “F*** it, I don’t wanna play for the Raiders.” Now, we just learned more from TMZ Sports that he was forced into a mental hospital.

Read More: Drake Calls Atlanta “The Most Important Place In Rap Music” During Concert

Chandler Jones Shares Journal Entries

According to the report, Chandler was told by the Las Vegas Fire Department to come with them against his will. In his Twitter post, he shared some journal entries where he said he was injected with a substance he had never seen or heard of before. Additionally, he was transferred to a second mental hospital. Jones also feels that whoever was behind this was not doing it for the right reasons. Finally, he claims that he contacted the Raiders to help him but to no avail. Surely, there will be more to come on this bizarre and messy situation.

What are your initial thoughts on Chandler Jones being brought into a mental hospital? Do you think Jones will ever see the field this season? What do you think caused him to be forced into the hospital? We want to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Chandler Jones and the rest of the sports world.

Read More: Nicki Minaj & Son Papa Bear Cuddle Up In Adorable Video Amid Kenneth Petty Drama

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Where Is Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime Show?

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Usher Oscars 2023
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On Sunday, September 24, Usher simultaneously confirmed that his next album is called Coming Home and unveiled himself as the Super Bowl LVIII Apple Music Halftime Show performer. The cover art shows Usher holding a Georgia peach over the back of his neck.

“I’ve been coming home in a lot of different ways — the choice of music and reconnection to some of the people that I’ve worked with from my past and always wanted to work with,”Usher told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, adding, “In a sense, I’m coming home because I’m in that comfortable space. When you’re at home, you’re comfortable.”

Usher has become very comfortable in Las Vegas during his Usher: My Way The Vegas Residency, so, of course, he is performing Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 11, 2024.

“It’s happening,” Usher told Lowe. “It has happened, ladies and gentlemen! Yes! We made it. […] It’s been a lot to keep secrets from my own kids at home. A very, very close-knit group of people knew, and we’re really excited about the entire thing. Obviously, a legacy, but more than anything, the fact that this is the most grand stage to ever play on.”

For fans who can’t bear to wait until February to see Usher, there are still plenty of Usher: My Way The Vegas Residency dates before it closes on December 2.

Coming Home will be Usher’s ninth LP and first original album release since Hard II Love in 2016. So far, the only released track is “Good Good” featuring 21 Savage and Summer Walker from August.

Coming Home is out 2/11/2024 via Mega/Gamma. Find more information here.

When Is Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime Show?

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Usher’s wildly successful Usher: My Way The Las Vegas Residency is scheduled to end on December 2, but Usher does not plan on taking a break in 2024 — and he doesn’t even need to leave Las Vegas.

On Sunday, September 24, Usher, Roc Nation, and the NFL simultaneously confirmed that he will perform the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024. The game will broadcast on CBS.

Usher’s announcement cleverly recreated Usher’s “Confessions, Pt. II” video. One version had present-day Usher talking to the Usher in the “Confessions” video, reassuring him, “The song is gonna be fine. You get a girl pregnant; it’s gonna be a hit. […] Listen, we’re doing the Apple Music Halftime Show. The Super Bowl! In Las Vegas! I’m on set shooting the promo for it right now.”

There were several versions, each featuring Usher co-starring with someone different, including Kim Kardashian, Deion Sanders, Odell Beckham Jr., and Marshawn Lynch.

And what better time to announce an album?

Usher also confirmed that he will release Coming Home during his Super Bowl performance. He spoke with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about both exciting developments, expressing how relieved he is to no longer have to keep the Super Bowl secret from his kids and explaining the meaning behind his new album’s title.

Watch one of Usher’s Super Bowl announcements above, and watch his clips with Lowe below.

Coming Home is out 2/11/2024 via Mega/Gamma. Find more information here.

Taylor Swift Yelled ‘Let’s F**king Go!’ After Travis Kelce Caught A Touchdown Against The Bears

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FOX

The Kansas City Chiefs spent Sunday afternoon dogwalking the Chicago Bears up and down the field, as they led 34-0 at halftime. However, the Chiefs enjoying a get-right game against the hapless Bears was a secondary story to many, as the rumored romance between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce reached a fever pitch when Swift showed up to the game in a luxury box alongside Kelce’s mom.

The superstar tight end was, rather surprisingly, not a huge part of the offensive explosion in the first half, but he eventually got in on the fun in the third quarter as the Bears somehow lost track of him in the back of the end zone to let the Chiefs go up 41-0 on them. Naturally, the FOX cameras cut quickly to Taylor Swift in the suite and captured her extremely fired up, chest bumping the guy next to her and then very clearly yelling “LET’S F**KING GO!” as she celebrated Kelce getting a touchdown catch.

The slow-mo of the chest bump is great stuff.

Afterwards, the folks in the production truck decided to continue the new tradition of broadcasts dropping Swift references for Kelce touchdowns by posting a “The Story Of Us” graphic after Kelce and Patrick Mahomes set a new Chiefs franchise record for touchdown combinations.

Aside from having to watch Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears attempt to play offense, it was a pretty great day for Taylor at the Chiefs game as she got to watch Kansas City’s offense in full force and see Travis do what he does best in the red zone.

Usher Will Perform The Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show In Las Vegas

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Usher Lovers & Friends Music Festival 2023
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With the Super Bowl coming to Las Vegas for the first time ever this February, there figured to be plenty of interest from musical artists in performing this year’s halftime show. The annual rumors of a possible Taylor Swift performance came and went, and the NFL’s dream of getting the pop icon will continue on for another year.

Still, there are a ton of artists with ties to Vegas through residencies, and the league (and partner Roc Nation) had to decide what direction they wanted to go in for the show. Ultimately they landed Usher, who has a residency in Vegas coming to a close later this year, as the legendary R&B artist will perform a compilation of his biggest hits at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024.

The NFL announced the news by getting Kim Kardashian involved to film a video where she hops on the other line of a phone call from an Usher music video.

As always there are debates about who should’ve been the selection and fan theories that ended up being incorrect, but Usher is hard to argue against as he has a deep history of hits to dig into, is an incredible live performer, and can absolutely carry a solo halftime performance. He also just so happens to have his next album, “Coming Home” releasing on…February 11, 2024.

Snoop Dogg And Chris Stapleton’s New ‘Monday Night Football’ Anthem Remakes A Classic ’80s Hit

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Snoop Dogg
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Monday Night Football has returned, bringing with it one of the most interesting musical collaborations we’ve seen in a long time. Perhaps learning its lesson from the disastrous reception to the NFL’s undercooked Carrie Underwood and Ludacris song from a few years back, ESPN’s latest attempt to merge football’s disparate fanbases (“two Americas,” after all) finds a better balance between rap and country, meshing them through an ’80s rock power ballad, and tapping two undeniable personalities in Snoop Dogg and Chris Stapleton. The result is a remake of Phil Collins’ smash “In The Air Tonight” that actually captures the energy you want before a big game.

The new theme song premiered ahead of last night’s broadcast of the New Orleans Saints vs. the Carolina Panthers on ESPN, and played before the Cleveland Browns/Pittsburgh Steelers game on ABC. The hype video features the anticipatory buildup before a rivalry game game, as felt through the slow build of Collins’ original. In this version, though, that iconic drum breakdown kicks in early courtesy of drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, right before Snoop delivers a thematically resonant verse that captures the glory and passion of leaving it all on the field for your team and your city. Check it out below:

Incidentally, both Snoop and Stapleton performed at the last two Super Bowls; Staple sang the National Anthem at this year’s game, while Snoop performed the halftime show alongside Dr. Dre last year.

Xavien Howard Allegedly Has Four Women Pregnant, According To IG Model

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Miami Dolphins shutdown cornerback Xavien Howard has got himself into some serious baby mama drama. This is not the first time the star has been involved with women calling him out. Last October, he was included in a lawsuit filed in Broward County, Florida. The woman went by Jane Doe, and she believed that she contracted an “incurable” STD from him. Doe sought $30,000 after a back and forth of Howard showing her a negative STD test and Doe finding out in 2021 she caught something.

Now, it appears the NFL player is dealing with four baby mamas after an Instagram model released a statement. An IG account, theneighborhoodtalk, caught wind of these accusations from the woman, whose handle is tappedinwithtai. She posted a photo of her laying on top of Xavien with a long caption underneath detailing all of the screenshots of their conversations. Additionally, she shares her messages with another one of his baby mamas.

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Xavien Howard Is In A Messy Situation: Look

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by The Neighborhood Talk (@theneighborhoodtalk)

The caption says, “iamxavienhoward Let’s clear the air, because this man obviously has a fetish in getting women pregnant. And now I have his other baby mothers reaching out to me.” She continues, “He wants to pay me off to terminate my pregnancy and from the looks of the screenshot he sent me with his other baby mother he wants her to terminate too. Steer clear from this one ladies, there’s no regard for anyone he involves himself with.” In addition, the model mentioned that she owned up to her actions and that she was going to have the child. Clearly, there is a lot going on with many different parties involved. If more follows this situation we will continue to update you on it.

What are your thoughts on this messy situation with Xavien Howard and these four women? Do you think this IG model was in the wrong for letting Xavien do this? Or, is this all his fault? We want to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around the sports and pop culture world.

Read More: Skip Bayless Reveals Travis Hunter Suffered Lacerated Liver After Vicious Hit

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SOURCE SPORTS: NFL Week 1 Primetime Games All Pull In Over 20 Million Viewers

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The NFL reigns supreme. Week one is in the books and the league posted hisotric numbers for their major primetime games.

The NFL reigns supreme. Week one is in the books and the league posted hisotric numbers for their major primetime games.

The Thursday night season kickoff between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs averaged 27.5 million viewers. It was the largest kickoff audience since 2015 and up 24% from the previous year.

According to Deadline, the NFL primetime games ran it up. The Sunday Night Football matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants brought in 21.8 million viewers, while Monday Night Football brought in 22.64 million.

This week, the Minnesota Vikings will visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. The Sunday night matchup will have the Miami Dolphons bringing their high flying offense to Gillette Stadium for a matchup with the New England Patriots. On Monday night, there will be a doubleheader as the New Orleans Saints will travel to the Carolina Panthers and the Cleveland Browns will visit the home of the terrible towels and battle the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: NFL Week 1 Primetime Games All Pull In Over 20 Million Viewers first appeared on The Source.

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SOURCE SPORTS: NFL Launches Hilarious ‘You Can’t Make This Stuff Up’ Campaign with Keegan-Michael Key and Star Players

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NFL Launches Hilarious 'You Can't Make This Stuff Up' Campaign with Keegan-Michael Key and Star Players

The NFL has ushered in the ’23 season with a burst of humor and star power through its uproarious campaign, “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up.” Featuring renowned actor and comedian Keegan-Michael Key alongside football luminaries such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Justin Fields, and more, the campaign blends meme culture and pop references to present the NFL as a stage where reality outshines fiction.

Presented against the backdrop of an “NFL 104th season table read,” Keegan-Michael Key takes the director’s chair. The campaign humorously exaggerates the scripted nature of the league’s events, turning the mundane into the extraordinary. From Metcalf’s no-handed, abs-only catch to Mama Kelce’s romantic dreams involving Jimmy Garoppolo, the players’ outlandish ideas make for a riotous spectacle.

“Our goal was to make this campaign tongue-in-cheek, humorous and clever in the way we tapped into popular memes and cultural conversations about the league and its incredible real-life storylines that are better than anything you could make up,” said TIM ELLIS, Chief Marketing Officer at the NFL. “We really wanted to have fun with this and not take ourselves too seriously. We hope fans get a kick out of the campaign and are sitting on the edge of their seats to see what spectacles unfold this season.”

Produced by 72andSunny, the campaign consists of 16 pieces of content scheduled to coincide with pivotal moments like Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas, and international games. The campaign kicks off during the Thursday Night Football game on Amazon Prime Video, featuring the Philadelphia Eagles versus the Indianapolis Colts on August 24.

As the NFL gears up for its 104th season, “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” injects laughter and anticipation, proving that real-life NFL narratives often trump fiction. The campaign will continue to entertain fans throughout the season on various platforms, culminating in the NFL Kickoff presented by YouTube TV on September 7th.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: NFL Launches Hilarious ‘You Can’t Make This Stuff Up’ Campaign with Keegan-Michael Key and Star Players first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: NFL Launches Hilarious ‘You Can’t Make This Stuff Up’ Campaign with Keegan-Michael Key and Star Players appeared first on The Source.