Puka Nacua’s attorney is firing back against a woman who alleged the star Rams receiver made an antisemitic comment and bit her during a New Year’s Eve gathering, claiming the allegations are an attempt at a money grab.

In response to Madison Atiabi seeking a restraining order against Nacua, 24, in Los Angeles on Tuesday, attorney Levi McCathern said the two-time Pro Bowler “denies these allegations in the strongest possible terms” and his team “will be filing a defamation lawsuit and pursuing all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements.”

“Let’s be clear about what this case is — and what it is not. This matter is not sexual in nature, nor does it involve any allegation of domestic violence. If it did, the filings would look very different. They do not. It also doesn’t involve any elements of antisemitism. A completely sober witness has stated unequivocally that Puka never made the comments Ms. Atiabi claims,” McCathern said in a statement obtained by TMZ.

Atiabi alleged in her filing that during the dinner on Dec. 31, 2025, Nacua was “extremely touchy with the girls and had said ‘F–k all the Jews’ in the course of his conversation when he was at the other side of the table.”

Atiabi, who said in the filing she is Jewish, “was immediately offended and emotionally distressed.”

As the night continued, it’s alleged in the documents Nacua “began behaving in a strange, erratic, and physically intrusive manner.”

He’s accused of biting the thumb of Atiabi’s girlfriend and also biting Atiabi “on her left shoulder, on the scapula, with such massive force to leave a complete circular impression of all of his teeth as marks on her skin,” according to the restraining order request.

In the weeks following the alleged incident, Atiabi claims she and her attorney, along with Nacua, McCathern and the athlete’s “crisis team,” met for a March mediation conference, with Nacua’s team allegedly threatening to “contact TMZ and other press and media outlets and to disseminate false, inaccurate, and/or deliberately exaggerated public statements about the events of December 31, 2025,” the outlet reported.

McCathern pushed back, suggesting it’s a shakedown.

“In the months that followed, our office was contacted with demands for millions of dollars in exchange for not publicizing these allegations. That is not a legitimate legal claim — it is blackmail,” the statement read.

“The timing of the claimant’s recent legal action — nearly three months after the alleged incident and just says after JSN [Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba] record breaking [$168 million] contract as a wide receiver — further underscores the complete lack of credibility behind these accusations.

“Puka denies these allegations in the strongest possible terms. We will be filing a defamation lawsuit and pursuing all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements.”

The California Post reported Tuesday a judge has denied Atiabi’s restraining order request temporarily, with a hearing set for April 14.

Their request made to McCathern for comment was not immediately returned.

Nacua, the Rams’ fifth-round pick in 2023, apologized this past December when he agreed on a livestream to perform a touchdown celebration that featured an antisemitic trope.

Could the NFL’s current media rights model, which may add even more players with a new deal expected at some point this year, make its way into college sports? 

As both deals currently stand, the NFL has a unified structure, where it splits revenue evenly across its 32 teams. Meanwhile, college football is fragmented, with conferences such as the SEC and Big Ten seeing more lucrative deals compared to others because of its teams’ popularity and bigger budgets. 

There has been debate about unifying the conferences to negotiate a single TV rights deal, but while some are for it to disperse money and help every school be competitive against the powerhouse programs, others view it as a complicated problem without a simple solution. 

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Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) reacts with the trophy after the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

Making an appearance on OutKick’s “Hot Mic,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., was asked his thoughts about the NFL’s potential problem as it looks to renegotiate its media rights, where streaming platforms could make fans pay more to consume the sport. 

Tuberville explained why he’d rather that than a different future that has been suggested by some in college sports.

“Antitrust stepped in for the NFL back in the early ‘60s,” Tuberville said, referencing the 1966 AFL-NFL merger, which came after Congress allowed an antitrust exemption to combine TV deals. “Basically, the AFL and NFL got together with the federal government and [the latter] said, ‘You’re a monopoly. We’ll give you that opportunity. Go get you one TV contract with one or two TV providers, and you can do it all together.’ That’s the reason they’re making $300-$400 million dollars at the beginning of the year before they even snap a football. Antitrust really helped the NFL.

BROADCASTER TIM BRANDO SUGGESTS SPORTS FANS GET CONFUSED WHERE TO WATCH GAMES AS STREAMING TAKES OVER

“So, a lot of them want to do that in college. I’d rather do that at the end of the day in the future than have people buy college sporting programs. You’re hearing that now, some of these schools are worth $200-$250 million and some of these billionaires come in and buy them and basically run everything. We don’t need to get into that. This is amateur sports, and let’s keep that way as much as we possibly can.”

Could high-profile boosters with billions in net worth, or private equity firms, get their hands on media rights in the future of college sports, especially in football? Tuberville hopes that’s not the case, but if it were to happen, big-name programs could look to become a team like Notre Dame, which serves as an independent that negotiated its own media rights with NBC through the 2029 season. 

But Notre Dame is not part of a conference despite pressure to join one over the years. They reached a deal with the ACC to play 5-6 rotating games each season, but they remain outside the rest of the conference. 

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) arrives for a Senate Republican Caucus luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on April 2, 2025 (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

If billionaires were to come in and buy the rights to college programs, and essentially run everything to Tuberville’s point, what’s to say higher valued programs, like the University of Texas, Ohio State and the University of Georgia, won’t start driving up asking prices for their media rights with networks? 

So, Tuberville would rather see the NFL model in college football, and so would prominent Texas Tech billionaire booster Cody Campbell, who serves as head of the board or regents for the university. 

Campbell has lobbied Congress to amend the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, called the SAFE Act, to allow college sports to band together and negotiate TV deals as a single group, citing self-commissioned research that showed the deal could be worth around $7 billion. In turn, it would help schools like Texas Tech and others not be heavily reliant on their high-profile boosters to compete with the finances of top programs, which can shell out bigger NIL payouts to top talent coming out of high school and the transfer portal. 

But a study was commissioned by the SEC and Big Ten, which found allowing conferences to pool together media rights would generate less revenue than if they were to continue the current structure in place now. In fact, this study showed that the rising rate of SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 media rights would eventually outperform the $7 billion projection over the next decade from Campbell’s report. 

Campbell responded to this report, believing that “those who first made the mess and profit handsomely from the status quo do not want to fix it.”

 U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) speaks to reporters as he returns to his office at the U.S. Capitol on February 10, 2026 in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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At the same time, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in October 2025 that Campbell possesses a “fundamental misunderstanding of the realities of college athletics.”

While it is, and will remain, a major debate in the ever-evolving universe that is college sports, Tuberville would rather see the adoption of the NFL’s model than have independent programs running rampant for years to come.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Zach Wilson is breaking out his Mardi Gras beads. 

The Jets’ second overall pick in 2021 has signed a one-year deal with the Saints, according to multiple reports. 

The financial terms of the deal are unknown at the moment, but Wilson will join a quarterback room that includes Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler. 

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football was the first to report the news of the signing on Tuesday night. 

Wilson has bounced around the NFL since his stint with the Jets came to an end and spent 2025 with the Dolphins. 

He appeared in four games and completed six of his 11 passing attempts for 32 yards and no touchdowns. 

And when Tua Tagovailoa was benched in Week 16 during the dreadful Miami season, the organization opted to turn things over to rookie Quinn Ewers, with Wilson remaining in the backup role. 

The Saints are Wilson’s fourth team since he entered the league. 

He had started 13 games during his first season in the league with the Jets and nine the following year before briefly being usurped by Aaron Rodgers in 2023, before the future Hall of Fame QB suffered a season-ending Achilles injury that threw Wilson back into the starting role. 

Wilson went 12-21 in three seasons with the Jets, completing 566 passes for 6,293 yards and 23 touchdowns. 

The Jets traded Wilson in 2024, ending his run in East Rutherford and began a brief new chapter in Denver. 

Wilson ended up as the Broncos’ third-string quarterback and did not appear in a single game that year. 

The QB did say he learned “a ton” during his stint in Denver. 

Wilson started at BYU from 2018-2020, where he had 7,652 passing yards and 71 total touchdowns, and led the program to an 11-1 record during his junior season in 2020.

He wed girlfriend Nicolette Dellanno in June, and now the pair are heading to the Big Easy.

The Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens might be a playoff preview. If the Canadiens finish fourth in the Atlantic Division, they could cross over to the Metropolitan Division side of the playoffs.

It’s not a bad matchup for the Canadiens. They are more likely to have difficulty with the more physical teams like Tampa Bay or Buffalo.

First things first: in their regular season meeting at the Bell Centre Tuesday night, the Canadiens spotted the Hurricanes with the first two, then roared back for the next five in a 5-2 win.

Wilde Horses 

Every season there are about five lines that hit the 100-goal plateau in the NHL. To show what a slog it’s been for the Canadiens, they haven’t had a 100-goal line since 1993 with Vincent Damphoussse, Kirk Muller, and Brian Bellows.

The top line in the league this season for goals is Nathan MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen, and Martin Necas. They have 96 goals in 69 games. Over a full season that is 114 goals at their present pace. They’re almost unstoppable.

Enter Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Cole Caufield as all three continue to grow their games and develop chemistry with each other.

Down 2-0 and not looking that sharp, the Canadiens top line ignited yet another comeback. After Oliver Kapanen scored his 21st of the season, the line went to work. Caufield won a forecheck to start the offence that also ended with Caufield. He scored on a rebound for his 44th goal of the season. He’s only two off the league lead.

Two shifts later, they scored again. Noah Dobson took a point shot that was deflected by Caufield and hit Slafkovsky’s knee on the way in. That’s how to score in the NHL. Not the good fortune of hitting a knee, but two players in front of the net creating havoc.

For the top line with their two goals, that is 21 goals in 10 games since being brought back together. That’s more than two goals per game and blows away the top line in the league. Now naturally they can’t keep up that pace to get 160 goals, but they can be considered one of the best lines in the league even if their pace fell off by a third.

Individually, Caufield has 44 goals, Slafkovsky has 28 goals, Suzuki has 24 goals. That’s 96 goals. That’s the same total as MacKinnon’s line in Denver. That’s how good they’ve been this season. Hopefully, they get to play an entire season together, so the 1993 statistic can be archived like Caufield just archived Damphousse’s 1994 40-goal mark.

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Exciting times in Montreal — it’s been a long wait. Now the wait is over, and considering that the eldest of the three is Suzuki at 26, it’s going to be a long time before fans have to wait again.

None of the greatness would have been appreciated fully, if not for the stellar net minding of Jakub Dobes. The Hurricanes dominated the first, carrying much of the play on the night. With the game on the line, and with four minutes left, Logan Stankoven had a breakaway that Dobes stopped.

It was his 35th save in 37 shots. He finished with a 42 save performance on 44 shots. His Goals Saved Above Expected was 2.41.

Other players to excel were Kaiden Guhle, Ivan Demidov, Zachary Bolduc, and Alexandre Texier. Guhle looks so right with easier matchups and Alexandre Carrier as his partner. He is brimming with confidence. Demidov scored a tremendous breakaway goal with a deke no one is stopping. Carrier and Bolduc simply played solid and smart.

Wilde Goats

One of the issues on the Canadiens that seems to have flown completely under the radar is that the first pair defenders struggle together. Independently, Noah Dobson and Mike Matheson with other partners have strong analytics. When they are with Lane Hutson, each of their Expected Goals share is higher than 62 percent.

However, when Dobson and Matheson are together and trying to take on the best players in the league, they struggle. Matheson often hits 28 minutes, and Dobson hits 25 minutes regularly. A coach who relies on any player for that much hockey in a game needs them to hold their own or dominate. They have a 47 per cent Expected Goals share when they play together this season.

The eye test was particularly supportive of the statistic in this contest. They could not handle the forecheck of the Hurricanes. They kept trying to exit by passing back the puck or passing between the two, only to get forechecked to death yet again.

In the first period, the pairing was absolutely caved in by Carolina. When the pairing was on, the Hurricanes had 10 shots for, zero against. An Expected Goals share of zero for your top duo is troubling.

The truth is this season that the Canadiens’ best has been when Lane Hutson plays on his correct side with Dobson. They complement each other well and can handle the other team’s top players. Offensively, Hutson creates the space, then feeds to the best blue line shot on the team. That makes sense as well.

The third pairing has been outstanding since united with Kaiden Guhle finding a real comfort zone with Alexandre Carrier. They’re both in their proper seat in terms of matchups and supporting each other’s strengths.

That leaves the second pairing as the mystery. Mike Matheson could use easier matchups and less ice time, but he doesn’t have a partner yet in the ultimate best look for the blue line going forward. Perhaps Matheson would make a good partner for David Reinbacher.

That would be the best roster construction according to the eyes and the analytics.

Wilde Cards

The seasons are winding down for the best prospects of the Canadiens. Two are approaching an exciting time as Michael Hage and Bryce Pickford are set for their playoffs.

Hage plays for the number one team in all of college hockey and they are hot at the right time. The Michigan Wolverines stormed their way to the Big 10 title with three easy games. They now head to the regionals, getting a favourable draw in Albany, N.Y.

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The semifinal is Friday at 5:30 with the Wolverines as the number one seed drawing the 16 seed Bentley. Bentley won the Atlantic Hockey America Conference 3-2 over Sacred Heart. That’s worth an automatic bid as conference winner, but it is not a strong conference. Bentley was actually ranked 23rd in the nation.

A loss in game one would be an absolute shocker for Michigan. Should they win, they face the winner of Minnesota-Duluth and Penn State. The Sunday final against the Nittany Lions is the attractive matchup, as it would have Hage against Gavin McKenna who is the consensus pick to go number one in the NHL draft.

The winner of the Albany Regional goes to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas in mid-April.

Pickford wrapped up his regular season counting 45 goals as a defenceman, giving him the highest goals-per-game average for a rearguard in the history of the Western Hockey League. Simply a remarkable levelling up for Pickford, who went from an afterthought in the draft to a top-5o prospect in hockey.

Pickford’s Medicine Hat Tigers won the Central Division with ease and are one of the top teams in the country ranked fifth. Their first-round matchup is with the Regina Pats. It should be an easy best-of-seven for the Tigers.

In both instances, Pickford and Hage will begin their association with the Canadiens if they wrap up their seasons quickly. Pickford would join the Laval Rocket, and Hage is likely to join Montreal. If they both go on deep playoff runs, though, they may not arrive to Quebec in time.

Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.

Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua has reportedly been accused of biting a woman and making anti-Semitic comments, according to TMZ. 

The woman made the allegations in a rejected application for a temporary restraining order after an alleged incident on Dec. 31 in Los Angeles. 

Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, said, according to TMZ, that “the whole claim is nothing more than a shakedown attempt” and that the bite “left nothing more than a temporary mark.”

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NFL Network reporter Jamie Erdahl interviews Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) after the game against the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 28, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

A hearing is scheduled for April 14.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Nacua’s agent and the Rams for comment. 

Nacua previously apologized for performing an “antisemitic” act on a YouTube stream in December. 

UPSCALE SHOPPING DISTRICT ROCKED BY ALLEGED ANTISEMITIC BEATING AS LAWYER, 2 OTHERS CHARGED

Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams reacts during the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 28, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Nacua discussed touchdown celebrations on YouTuber Adin Ross’ stream, as Nacua’s Rams are set for a Thursday night affair in Seattle against the Seahawks.

Many, however, believed the celebration perpetuated a harmful anti-Jewish stereotype.

In the video, Ross instructed Nacua to spike the ball, flex and then rub his hands together. Ross, who is Jewish, has referred to the movement as his own “dance” or “emote.”

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua reacts following an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. The Rams won 44-42.  (Eric Thayer/AP Photo)

Nacua received overwhelming pushback and issued an apology Thursday, hours before his Rams took on the Seattle Seahawks.

“When I appeared the other day on a social media livestream, it was suggested to me to perform a specific movement as part of my next touchdown celebration. At the time, I had no idea this act was antisemitic in nature and perpetuated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people,” Nacua said in a “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” graphic. “I deeply apologize to anyone who was offended by my actions as I do not stand for any form of racism, bigotry or hate of another group of people.”

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Last month’s NBA trade deadline came and went with no deal reached for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks entered Tuesday in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, outside the NBA playoff picture. The past few seasons in Milwaukee have been marked by disappointing results, leading to coach Mike Budenholzer’s exit and speculation that Antetokounmpo could seek a change of scenery.

Antetokounmpo has seen limited action in the 2025-26 season, appearing in 36 games — putting him on track for a career-low total. He hasn’t taken the court since Milwaukee’s 134-123 win over the Indiana Pacers on March 15. 

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Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on Jan. 19, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.    (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Despite a knee hyperextension and bone bruise, the Bucks’ slim odds of qualifying for the NBA play-in and just 12 games left in Milwaukee’s regular-season schedule, Antetokounmpo appears willing to play down the stretch. The Athletic first reported the Bucks approached him about sitting out, an idea he was not interested in.

However, his stance conflicts with the Bucks’ reported push to keep the two-time NBA MVP sidelined for the rest of the season. 

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO STICKS WITH BUCKS AS NBA TRADE DEADLINE PASSES DESPITE SOME INTEREST

The reported dispute prompted a response from the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), the union representing NBA players.

“The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,” the statement from the NBPA read.

A basketball is placed on the court next to an NBA logo during a break in the first half of a 2023 NBA Summer League game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

“Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) of the Milwaukee Bucks in action against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on Jan. 21, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

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Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.6 points and 9.8 rebounds this season but has not yet been medically cleared to return.

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EXCLUSIVE: Emails obtained by Fox News Digital show a former Yale University administrator telling a lawyer of former Yale strength and conditioning coach Thomas Newman that he was recorded during a meeting. 

Other emails show Newman’s lawyer arguing that Connecticut law requires both parties to consent to being recorded during telecommunication, which is current state law, and that the recordings were allegedly used against him by higher-level admins. 

“A former employee recorded a portion of a meeting with your client, without the university’s knowledge,” reads part of an email sent to Newman’s attorney, Alan Granovsky, from a Yale deputy general counsel, who now no longer works at the university.

The counsel’s email was sent in response to an Aug. 13, 2025, letter with the subject line “Ongoing Reputational Harm and Misstatements Regarding Thomas Newman.” 

The counsel’s email also included the lines, “The university has not made any defamatory statements to anyone regarding your client,” and “The university did not disclose any medical information inappropriately, the university has not said that your client left the university involuntarily or is subject to an investigation.” 

The counsel retired this past January, as seen on the person’s LinkedIn page. Newman resigned from his position in early 2021. 

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Over 54,000 fill the Yale Bowl for the second half of the 141st plays of “The Game” between the Yale Bulldogs and the Harvard Crimson on November 22, 2025 in New Haven, Connecticut.  (Sean D. Elliot/Getty Images)

Newman’s attorneys at Granovsky & Sundaresh Employment law sent multiple emails to Yale regarding the issue and Newman’s ultimate departure from the university in 2021, which were provided by a source to Fox News Digital. 

Newman confirmed to Fox News Digital that the emails were exchanged by the university and his attorneys, but declined further comment. 

An Oct. 10 email from Granovsky to the counsel includes the following allegations: 

“You now concede that a former employee recorded a portion of a meeting with Mr. Newman,” part of the email wrote, later stating, “Despite knowing the recording was unauthorized, the parties involved— specifically [Executive Deputy Director/Chief Operating Officer of Athletics] Ann-Marie Guglieri and [Athletic Director] Vicky Chun—attempted to use the recording for disciplinary purposes. 

“Despite my client’s repeated formal requests for a copy or transcript of this recording, both Ms. Guglieri and Chun refused to provide it, thereby preventing any opportunity to verify the alleged content or context. And yet they still used the ‘recordings’ as pretext to undermine Mr. Newman’s leadership and credibility and ultimately force him out.” 

A Nov. 17 email from Granovsky to counsel includes the following allegations:

“Legal violations implicated by Yale’s conduct. Surreptitious recording / all-party consent. The audio you provided appears to be a spliced compilation of segments from staff Zoom calls that included multiple employees and interns (some not Yale students). 

“Connecticut law requires all-party consent to record private telephone/telephonic communications and creates a civil cause of action for non-consensual recording (C.G.S. § 52-570d) and criminalizes eavesdropping and mechanical overhearing (C.G.S. § 53a-189). 

“If any portion was captured via telephony/Zoom audio without consent from all participants, both civil and criminal exposure are in play. Yale’s use and retention of such a recording aggravates the violation. 

“Yale’s professional-conduct and recording policies (Policy 9001) prohibit surreptitious recording of meetings/classes by community members and guests. Retaining and weaponizing such a recording to affect employment outcomes is, on its face, a policy breach, regardless of who pressed ‘record.’”

No current or former administrator at Yale University has been officially implicated in any illegal activity. 

Under Connecticut General Statutes § 52-570d, it is unlawful for any individual to record a private conversation without informing and obtaining the consent of all parties involved.

UNIVERSITY LEADER ADMITS SCHOOLS ARE ‘NOT A POLITICAL PARTY’ IN WARNING TO ELITE CAMPUSES

Newman left the university voluntarily in March 2021, after five years of leading the Yale athletics’ strength and conditioning team. 

A former Yale football player, who spoke to Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity, claims that under the staff that took over after Newman’s departure, he suffered multiple injuries amid changes to the routine. 

The former player said that, unlike Newman’s program, the new program had him go to practice only a short time after doing a conditioning test, and no Gatorade was available that day, and that he later suffered cramps so severe that he wound up in the hospital for three days. 

The player claimed he went on to suffer multiple injuries during the season, related to that cramping. 

On Monday, Fox News Digital published a letter signed by former longtime Yale ice hockey coach Keith Allain, addressed to Yale President Maurine McInnis. In the letter, Allain claimed other Yale coaches urged him to speak out against Chun to McInnis after his retirement. 

“I am writing to you at the urging of several head coaches in our Athletic Department. They told me that you were soliciting feedback from a few coaches regarding extending the contract of our athletic director, and are concerned, that with the culture of fear that permeates the athletic department, you will not receive candid feedback,” the letter began. 

Allain went on to call Chun the “worst leader” he has ever been around and alleges she has prioritized “silencing any dissent.”

“As a Yale alum and someone who has a great affection for our University and the role of athletics within the greater Yale community I felt compelled write you as my former colleagues asked. Vicky Chun is the absolute worst leader I have ever been around in my life,” he wrote. 

“She is dishonest, self centered and inaccessible. Vicky’s singular talent is self promotion and has created a toxic environment within the department where she is insulated by a cadre of administrators whose main task seems to be silencing any dissent.”

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Head coach Keith Allain of USA during practice before the 2011 IIHF World U20 Championship Group A game between USA and Finland on December 26, 2010 at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York.  (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

A source provided the letter to Fox News Digital. Allain later confirmed to Fox News Digital that he wrote the letter and sent it to McInnis in October, shortly after he retired after 19 years leading Yale hockey. Allain declined further comment. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Yale president’s office and athletic department for a response.

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A deadly house fire in Minnesota that claimed the lives of an NHL reporter and her three children over the weekend does not appear to have been intentional, officials said Monday, citing preliminary investigative findings.

The White Bear Lake Fire Department released a statement Monday following the Saturday morning fire that claimed the life of 37-year-old Minnesota Wild correspondent Jessi Pierce and her three children. 

The Minnesota Wild announced that reporter Jessi Pierce was killed in a house fire along with her three children. (Minnesota Wild)

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“We are in the very early stages of the investigation, and our preliminary findings have not led to any evidence that the fire was set intentionally,” the press release read. “The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The official cause and further information will be released once the investigation is complete.”

Officials said that in addition to the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office, they are “dedicating all possible resources to this investigation.” 

“Words just can’t express how devastated we all are,” Guerin said of Pierce.  “But, as I mentioned to some of you the other night, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the media, if you’re a player, if you’re in management, a coach, we are all in the sports world and the hockey world, and we’re all in this together.” (Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI)

WILD GM BILL GUERIN CALLS WRITER JESSI PIERCE A ‘RAY OF SUNSHINE’ AFTER HEARTBREAKING DEATH INVOLVING HER KIDS

Officials said Pierce and her children were found deceased in the single-family home, which bystanders reported seeing flames coming through the roof early Saturday morning. Pierce’s husband, Mike Hinrichs, was reportedly out of town on a work trip at the time of the fire.

Their children, Hudson, Cayden and Avery, were 8, 6 and 4 years old.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin remembered Pierce as a “ray of sunshine.” 

Jessi Pierce, left, covered the Minnesota Wild. (Minnesota Wild/AP)

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“Words just can’t express how devastated we all are,” Guerin said.  “But, as I mentioned to some of you the other night, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the media, if you’re a player, if you’re in management, a coach, we are all in the sports world and the hockey world, and we’re all in this together.”

Pierce covered the Wild for 10 seasons with NHL.com. She also had her work featured in The Athletic, B1G Ice Hockey blog, the Minnesota Hockey Journal and Massachusetts Hockey.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Canadian sport needs an overhaul. That was the conclusion of the Future of Sport in Canada Commission’s final report released Tuesday.

“The work must begin now,” said Lise Maisonneuve, a former chief justice of the Ontario court of justice, who headed the commission.

“Our review has revealed the Canadian sport system is broken, fragmented and in its present form, unsustainable.

“In many settings, and for far too many people, it has caused and continues to cause real lasting harm.”

The commission’s mandate was to make the Canadian sport system better and safer.

“As we discovered in our work, these two matters are deeply interconnected,” Maisonneuve said.

“Sport in Canada stands at a defining moment. Canadians expect meaningful and concrete transformation.”

Announced in December 2023 by former federal sports minister Carla Qualtrough, the commission was among various federal government remedies in response to a wave of maltreatment and abuse reports, both current and historical, that surfaced after the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

The commission held cross-country consultations, conducted a public survey, held a summit and issued two public reports over nearly two years.

Maisonneuve said the commission heard submissions from over 1,000 individuals, including 175 survivors of abuse and maltreatment.

“We listened and what we heard was heart-wrenching,” she said.

The report issued 98 calls to action for phased-in change over five years, but starting immediately.

The commission identified that abuse is widespread and ongoing at all levels of sport, and that complaint mechanisms are fragmented and inconsistent across the country.

Power imbalances create a culture of silence and “is one of the most dangerous features of the system,” Maisonneuve said.

“We heard repeatedly about athletes afraid to speak out, parents punished for raising concerns, whistleblowers sidelined, and victims re-traumatized by the complaint processes. Too often, winning, reputation and funding are prioritized over safety and dignity.”

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Federal funding hasn’t kept pace with inflation or the expanding responsibilities of sport organizations.

“An underfunded sports system is an unsafe sports system,” she said.

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Sheldon Kennedy: Has hockey’s culture improved amid World Juniors sexual assault case?

Sport overall has become too expensive, inaccessible and exclusive for broad participation, she added.

The report calls for a single federal minister responsible for sport with a dedicated department. Sport currently falls under both the Heritage and Health portfolios.

The report also states there should be a centralized sport entity overseeing sport as a Crown corporation, which is structured like a private corporation, but under government control.

“We need a new model of leadership,” Maisonneuve said. “Canada lacks a single point of leadership for sport and physical activity.”

Olympic moguls skier Philippe Marquis, who is now coaches Freestyle Canada’s young talent, took a wait-and-see approach to the final report, while he lauded the commission for its work.

“The one thing that keeps my optimism alive is the fact that we have a bit of this perfect storm right now,” said the 36-year-old from Quebec City.

“The recipe, the elements are here at this specific time to be transformational, so I am optimistic because of that. If we speak in three months, six months and nothing has moved and there’s no light in sight I think there will be a wave of discouragement across the system.

“The report is great. It’s based on fact. It’s concrete. It’s real. We’ve never had such a good portrait of the whole Canadian sports system.”

Secretary of Sport Adam van Koeverden said in a statement that the report makes clear that urgent, system-wide action is needed.

“We accept the findings and will now carefully review the recommendations and actions that must be taken to strengthen safe sport and improve the sport system at all levels in Canada,” he said.

“Abuse and maltreatment have no place in sport. Sport participants should have access to safe, welcoming, inclusive, and accountable sport environments that uphold public trust.

“We recognize that restoring trust in the sport system requires meaningful, co-ordinated action across all levels.”

There have been eight changes in the federal leadership of sport over 15 years of Liberal government.

Van Koeverden, who was appointed last year, said the report “will shape the next chapter of sport in Canada.”

“It also shows that we need to fix bigger, system-wide problems, including how sport is managed across the country and gaps in safety protections,” he continued. “It was the voices of survivors that broke the culture of silence. Their time, insights, and lived experiences have created a pathway forward for a better Canada.”

“Our new government will now focus on developing our response and implementation plan, working closely with the provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, athletes, under-represented communities, sport organizations and private sector stakeholders nationwide. This work will be grounded in stronger coordination, transparency, and accountability across the sport system.”

Funding was a common thread in the report. The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees have asked on behalf of national sport organizations in two successive federal budgets for an increase in core funding, which they say has been stagnant since 2005.

The most recent ask was for a $144-million increase in core funding, which is annual money NSOs count on to fund operations, athletes, coaches and support staff. One of the commission’s calls to action is every sport organization that receives federal funding have a safe sport officer on staff.

The federal government spends over $250 million annually on sport. In a published report in 2023-24, it was $266.8 million spent on high-performance sport, hosting international events, increasing sport participation and improving safe sport practices.

Sid Eudy went by many monikers during his professional wrestling career, but the late champion will forever be immortalized next month as a WWE Hall of Famer.

The WWE announced that Eudy will go into the Hall of Fame as a legacy member. The class of 2026 already includes Stephanie McMahon, AJ Styles, Demolition and Dennis Rodman.

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Sid Eudy, also known as Sid during his career with WWE, makes his entrance during “Monday Night RAW” at DCU Center on March 10, 1997 in Worcester, Massachusetts. (WWE/Getty Images)

“Known as ‘The Master and Ruler of the World’, Sid’s reputation as one of the toughest and most visually captivating Superstars cemented his legacy in WWE, and he will now take his rightful place amongst his fellow legends in the WWE Hall of Fame,” WWE said in a news release.

Eudy wrestled under different names, including Sid, Sid Eudy, Sid Justice, Sid Steele, Sid Vicious, Sycho Sid, Vicious Warriors and Lord Humongous. He performed in WWE when it was still the World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the United States Wrestling Association, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and on the indies.

Sid Eudy, also known as Sid during his career with WWE, looks on during Superstars of Wrestling at Portland Civic Center on August 19, 1995 in Portland, Maine. (WWE/Getty Images)

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Despite injuries, Eudy still managed to reach the upper echelons of some of the promotions he worked for. He was a two-time WWF champion, a two-time WCW heavyweight champion and a WCW U.S. champion.

He had iconic feuds with Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, Booker T and Sting. After a devastating injury in 2001, Eudy would wrestle sparingly at several different promotions. He returned to WWE for “Monday Night RAW” in 2012.

Eudy later died of cancer at age 63 in 2024.

Sid Vicious poses for a photo. (WWE)

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“No matter which moniker you knew him by, Sid’s intensity was palpable across the ring and through your TV screen,” WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque wrote in a post on X. “A multi-time champion in @WWE and WCW, and a two-time #WrestleMania main event, it’s a pleasure to announce that he will take his rightful place in the 2026 Legacy Class of the #WWEHOF.”

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