Russell Wilson named co-owner and chairman of NFL FLAG

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was named the co-owner and chairman of NFL FLAG, the NFL’s youth flag football league.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was named the co-owner and chairman of NFL FLAG – a youth flag football league sponsored by the NFL.

The NFL targeted Wilson with the hope of strengthening the league domestically while also expanding internationally.

Wilson’s new role will include working with Reigning Champs Experiences (RCX) President Izell Reese, who played in the NFL from 1998-2005. They will work to develop the league and help growth for both boys and girls.

RCX is the official operating partner of NFL FLAG and produces some of the country’s premier youth sports events.

“We want to create opportunities for kids around the world to experience and learn the sport of football,” Wilson said. “Our hope is to grow the popularity of the sport on a global level.”

According to the press release, Wilson will make his first official appearance as co-owner and chairman at the NFL FLAG Summit in Nevada during the NFL Draft, where he’ll speak to NFL FLAG leagues from across the U.S. about new initiatives aimed to better support teams and expand NFL FLAG’s global footprint.

Wilson recently became part-owner of the Seattle Sounders and is an investor in the Portland Diamond Project – a group dedicated to bringing Major League Baseball to Portland – so it’s no surprise to see him investing more into the sports world, although this is his first foray into ownership of youth sports.

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Ron Rivera compares Dwayne Haskins to Ben Roethlisberger due to size and pocket presence

Rivera says he’s impressed with Haskins’ size and ability to move around the pocket and keep plays alive, much like Ben Roethlisberger does.

Though rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins is still a young and relatively raw football player, he’s shown some flashes of upside so far in his career, especially in the final two games of his season, where he threw for over 390 yards and four touchdowns combined.

Luckily, those were two games that new head coach Ron Rivera would have been available to watch, as he was no longer working with the Carolina Panthers after being fired. In that time, Rivera was able to see the potential that Haskins has and realize what his size can allow him to do while in the pocket and facing pressure.

While appearing on ESPN’s First Take on Friday morning, Rivera remarked that Haskins’ big body allows him to model a playstyle similar to Ben Roethlisberger. At 6-3, 230 pounds, Haskins isn’t exactly what we consider a ‘mobile quarterback’ in today’s NFL, but he doesn’t need to be. With the height to see over the line, and the bulk to take a few hits, Rivera things that Haskins can face pressure up the middle and stay poised enough to deliver the ball downfield.

It’s also interesting to note that Rivera finished this remark about Haskins by saying that he’s excited about the rookie’s potential, but he is still planning to pit a couple of veterans against him in the QB competition this summer, like Alex Smith, should he recover in time. Be it for a legit fight for QB1, or a way to keep Haskins looking over his shoulder, Rivera seems committed to avoiding the naming of a starter until the fall.

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Drew Brees says Saints championship window still open

SportsPulse: Drew Brees talks about the Saints championship opportunities and how that window is still open. He also talks about his future with the Saints.

SportsPulse: Drew Brees talks about the Saints championship opportunities and how that window is still open. He also talks about his future with the Saints.

Buffalo mayor ‘certainly would like’ to see new Bills stadium downtown

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown would like to see a new Bills stadium constructed in downtown Buffalo.

In a modern NFL that’s done little to hide its love of glamorous markets and multi-billion dollar football palaces, the Buffalo Bills’ long-term stability in Western New York has been oft-questioned.

The Bills, who play in the league’s second-smallest television market and fourth-oldest stadium, appear to be in danger of ultimately relocating to a more attractive destination, if you talk to certain people around the NFL.

And as the team’s lease at the near-50-year-old New Era Field nears its 2023 expiration date, an eventual departure from Orchard Park is starting to look like a realistic possibility.

Where could the Bills hypothetically relocate, you ask?

That’s easy. Buffalo.

A move from the suburbs to Buffalo-proper has been long-rumored, an inevitability that some feel will finally propel the Bills into the modern NFL. The theoretical move has a strong supporter in Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, who expressed his desire for a new downtown stadium during a Thursday-evening appearance on WIVB-TV.

“I’ve said it many times. I’ve said it every single time that I am asked,” Brown said. “I certainly would like to see a new stadium in the city of Buffalo, where so much progress is being made, where so much investment is taking place. I think the stadium being where it’s located, when it was located there decades and decades ago, it was one of the major planning mistakes in this region. We talk a lot about the planning errors that took place in the region, I certainly think that is one of them.

“I know the Pegula’s are looking at this very extensively, they have a study going on. They are major decision-makers in this process, of course, with other stakeholders. But certainly, as Mayor of the City of Buffalo, the largest municipality in this region, would love to see the stadium in the city of Buffalo.”

As Mayor Brown alluded to, team owners Terry and Kim Pegula are currently exploring their options in regards to the Bills’ stadium. The ownership group hired CAA Icon to conduct a “comprehensive study of New Era Field” in November 2018, a study that will help determine the feasibility of renovations to the current stadium or the construction of a new venue entirely.

In September 2019, Pegula Sports and Entertainment revealed that the results of the study will not be released publicly.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently spoke about Buffalo’s stadium situation, citing both renovations and the building of a new stadium as possible outcomes.

“A stadium that is going to be competitive with other stadiums around the league is going to be important in that context,” Goodell said while speaking to the media last Wednesday. “I think everyone is committed to that, whether it’s a new significant renovation or a completely different facility in a new place.”

What PSE ultimately decides to do in regards to its football team’s stadium remains to be seen, but one thing is clear – Buffalo’s mayor is willing to play ball.

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Bryant family asks media for ‘respect and responsible judgment,’ as false reports add to the pain of

Kobe Bryant’s family is asking for privacy as it grieves, saying that inaccurate reports following Sunday’s fatal helicopter crash are adding to the pain of the loss of the former NBA star and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.

Kobe Bryant’s family is asking for privacy as it grieves, saying that inaccurate reports following Sunday’s fatal helicopter crash are adding to the pain of the loss of the former NBA star and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.

Bryant family asks media for ‘respect and responsible judgment,’ as false reports add to the pain of

Kobe Bryant’s family is asking for privacy as it grieves, saying that inaccurate reports following Sunday’s fatal helicopter crash are adding to the pain of the loss of the former NBA star and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.

Kobe Bryant’s family is asking for privacy as it grieves, saying that inaccurate reports following Sunday’s fatal helicopter crash are adding to the pain of the loss of the former NBA star and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.

2020 NBA Rising Stars: Williamson, Morant among rookies selected

Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were among the 10 rookies selected to play in the Rising Stars game during All-Star Weekend in Chicago.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant were among the rookies selected to play in the 2020 NBA Rising Stars game during All-Star Weekend in Chicago.

The 26th Rising Stars game will pit 10 first- and second-year NBA players from the United States against 10 first- and second-year NBA players from around the world in the league’s annual showcase.

Williamson was chosen to participate in the game as an injury replacement for Chicago Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. after the second-year player recently suffered a sprained ankle. Carter is expected to be out until after the All-Star break.

NBA assistant coaches selected the Rising Stars rosters, with each of the league’s 30 teams submitting one ballot per coaching staff. A ballot consisted of four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players at either position group for each team. Voters also had to choose a minimum of three first-year NBA players and three second-year NBA players for each team.

Coaches were not permitted to vote for any player on their team.

NBA denies Jonathan Isaac DPE request

Josh Robbins: Reporting from @ShamsCharania: The NBA has denied the Orlando Magic’s request for a disabled player exception for Jonathan Isaac, who is recovering from a left knee injury. Orlando previously was granted a DPE for Al-Farouq Aminu. The $4.6 million Aminu DPE can be used on a player with an expiring contract or to sign a player for the remainder of this season.