Tag: CNN

CNN interview reveals Kevin O’Connell leads through love and empathy

In an interview with CNN, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell gave some insights into his journey through the NFL and his mentality

In a recent interview with CNN anchor and Minnesota native Poppy Harlow, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reflected upon his journey through the NFL ranks and towards becoming a head coach in the league. One of the biggest takeaways from the interview was his mentality on leadership, stating that love and empathy are at the forefront for him.

“It’s really what I view as the standard” is how O’Connell put it when asked by Harlow if it’s fair to say his goal is to lead the team with love and empathy, stating that he believes the players can sense they’re getting the “real, authentic” him and respect him for it.

Perhaps the greatest example of O’Connell putting his words into action came earlier this season through the acquisition of former Cardinals quarterback Josh Dobbs. Dobbs was acquired in a mid-season trade and was almost immediately thrust into action for the team.

Prior to Dobbs seeing his first action with the team, O’Connell let the quarterback know “No matter what happens these next two-and-a-half hours, I’m gonna be with ya, every step of the way.” That confidence in his quarterback let Dobbs come in and lead the Vikings to two straight victories under incredible circumstances.

The season didn’t end how Dobbs, O’Connell, or Vikings fans would have wanted, but during a season where the team faced extreme adversity, it was O’Connell’s principles of empathy and leadership through vulnerability that kept the team together and in the playoff hunt until the very end.

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NBA fans were baffled when CNN Sports (of all outlets) reported that the Bucks hired Doc Rivers

This whole saga is incredibly bizarre!

After the Milwaukee Bucks suddenly fired head coach Adrian Griffin, NBA champion Doc Rivers emerged as a leading candidate to replace him.

Despite the winning record in Milwaukee, Griffin’s departure wasn’t exactly shocking. Rivers, who was the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers until last season, makes plenty of sense as his successor. Rivers was already serving as an “informal consultant” for the team, per The Athletic.

What baffled everyone, however, is that the first outlet credited with breaking the news was CNN Sports. Even though CNN is a trusted news outlet, it isn’t a desk known for its sports department.

So what exactly happened here? How did basketball insiders like Adrian Wojnarowski (currently Rivers’ colleague at ESPN) and Shams Charania get scooped by an outlet that doesn’t have much of a sports presence?

During a broadcast of NBA on TNT, host Adam Lefkoe relayed that CNN Sports was reporting that Doc Rivers was accepting the head coaching gig with Milwaukee.

Jamal Crawford, the longtime NBA player who is now an analyst on the show, immediately asked Lefkoe to confirm that the outlet was indeed CNN. How is this possible? Others had the same question. Here is more from Awful Announcing:

“This Doc Rivers report is the first time CNN Sports has been mentioned as a thing in literally decades. CNN Sports Tonight, the highlight show alternative to SportsCenter from Turner, hasn’t aired since 2001. CNN was linked with the Sports Illustrated brand before the platform was taken over by Bleacher Report sports content in 2013. In fact, all of Warner Bros. Discovery’s sports branding had transitioned to Bleacher Report in the last several years before it literally just rebranded to TNT Sports earlier this month.”

A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports later reported, however, that the news was fully vetted by CNN before it was passed along to TNT.

It is important to note that CNN and TNT are both owned by the same parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. But at the time of the broadcast, there was nothing on the CNN Sports website that mentioned Rivers.

Perez was told this was likely due to CNN’s coverage of the GOP primary in New Hampshire.

As noted on Twitter/X by New York Times reporter Kevin Draper, a CNN Sports correspondent named Coy Wire appeared on NBA TV (also owned by Warner Bros. Discovery) to confirm that Rivers was hired by Milwaukee.

Draper added that he was also told by a CNN spokesperson that all of the reporting went through their “editorial process” at the network.

Later in the night, CNN Sports eventually published a story that credited “a source with knowledge of the conversations” but the reporting had no byline.

But this was far from the end of the story and the confusion continued.

Chris Haynes, who is widely considered the network’s top basketball insider and news breaker at NBA on TNT and Bleacher Report (which is also owned by Warner Bros. Discovery) refuted the report.

He claimed there is “no agreement” yet in place for Rivers to take over as the head coach of the Bucks. Bill Reiter of CBS Sports also reported that there is no agreement in place.

So what exactly happened here? Was this a giant miscommunication or was CNN Sports the first publication to break this news? Basketball fans had a lot of questions.

‘Nobody is perfect’: Bryson DeChambeau torched after CNN interview by golf fans, a PGA Tour player and more

“Nobody is perfect, but we’re all trying to improve in life.”

On Tuesday night, LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau appeared on CNN for a five minute and 20 second interview with Kaitlin Collins.

It led to plenty of golf fans and even a PGA Tour player torching DeChambeau on social media.

He has never been one to mince words about his thoughts or feelings when it comes to the sport. He has often thought outside of the box and has been willing to take risks or do unorthodox things.

However, in his CNN interview, sporting his LIV Golf Crushers team gear, DeChambeau defended Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

“There’s a lot more behind closed doors that’s been going on. What I can tell you is that H-E, Yasir, has always been a staunch supporter of golf globally, and wanting to grow the game,” DeChambeau said.

“H.E.” stands for “His Excellency.”

“I think this is the best thing that could ever happen to the game of golf,” DeChambeau said. “The fans are going to get what they want, the players are going to experience something a little different, a little new, but I truly believe the game of golf wins.

“I do feel bad for the PGA Tour players because they were told one thing and something else happened, and our side, we were told one thing and it’s come to fruition. It does stink a little bit from my perspective that the PGA Tour players are not necessarily winning. I hope they can find a way to make sure that they are valued in the same way that we are over at LIV. I think that’ll happen, it’s just going to take some time with the players pushing back a little bit and trying to figure out what gives them the best opportunity to be successful.”

Collins then asked DeChambeau about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and he at first said the families of 9/11 victims wouldn’t be able to be paid back for what happened but added that it was 20 years ago and “we’re in a place now where it time to work together to make things better as a whole.”

Then Collins asked whether DeChambeau was uncomfortable considering the Saudis are accused of financing terrorism and killing Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

“I mean, look, it’s unfortunate what has happened but that is not something I can speak on because I’m a golfer,” DeChambeau said. “What I can say is that, what they’re trying to do, what they’re trying to work on, is be better allies, because we are allied with them. I’m not going to get into the politics of it, I’m not specialized in that. But what I can say is they’re trying to do good for the world and showcase themselves in a light that hasn’t been seen in a while. Nobody is perfect, but we’re all trying to improve in life.”

Golf Twitter then got a hold of the video and it had a field day.

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Watch: Larry King Attends Notre Dame Game With Regis Philbin

The broadcasting world was shaken Saturday with the news that Larry King died at the age of 87.

The broadcasting world was shaken Saturday with the news that Larry King died at the age of 87. Anybody who was somebody appeared on his CNN talk show. One of those somebodies was Notre Dame alumnus Regis Philbin, who passed away in July. When the Irish battled Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium in 2002, Philbin invited King to the game, and the two appeared on WNDU-TV’s pregame show:

The Cardinal were a bad team in 2002, so it should be no surprise that the Irish crushed them that afternoon, 31-7, in the first of a rivalry-long seven consecutive wins in the battle for the Legends Trophy. Notre Dame’s two-headed rushing monster of Ryan Grant and Rashon Powers-Neal combined for 211 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries. On defense, Courtney Watson and Shane Walton returned interceptions for touchdowns from 34 and 18 yards out, respectively. To say the least, King was in South Bend on a good day.

Shrek fans know that King and Philbin worked together on those films. They were the respective voices of Doris and Mabel, the ugly stepsisters. But whatever they did together, they were broadcasting legends who happened to be legends. Let’s be happy that they didn’t have to be separated from each other for very long.

Former Michigan State star Draymond Green signs as a contributor with CNN

Green has been making media appearances while off from basketball since mid-March.

Draymond Green is getting a jump start on his media career.

Green, whose Golden State Warriors haven’t played since the NBA shut down in mid-March and who weren’t a part of the restart, has been making media appearances during his off time, including as an analyst with the NBA on TNT studio show.

Now it appears he will be leaning a bit more into the news and political world, signing on with CNN as a contributor.

CNN and TNT are both owned by Turner Broadcasting Systems, so the marriage of Green appearing on networks under the same company umbrella jives. Green has been outspoken on subjects such as racism, police brutality, and social injustice and I’m sure will be right at home talking on CNN about where those issues intersect with sports.

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Notre Dame Issues Response to Student Newspaper’s COVID-19 Editorial

On Friday, Notre Dame began hearing about its response to the COVID-19 outbreak on campus from its own student newspaper.

On Friday, Notre Dame began hearing about its response to the COVID-19 outbreak on campus from its own student newspaper. In an editorial by The Observer, which covers Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross, made its stance clear: “Don’t make us write obituaries.” For anyone who’s ever worked on a student paper, the idea of having to produce such a section is unfathomable.

Notre’s Dame response to the editorial came Sunday via a statement from university spokesman Dennis K. Brown that was provided to CNN:

“Students, faculty and staff are all in this together, and it’s only by working together that we can stay safe and continue to stay on campus for the remainder of the semester.”

Earlier Sunday, Notre Dame released its latest COVID-19 testing numbers. An additional 19 positive tests were reported, its lowest daily total in a week. That brings the total to 408 confirmed cases out of 2,339 tests conducted since Aug. 3.

The university’s dashboard containing its COVID-19 numbers is updated daily at noon, Eastern Standard Time. While the number of daily cases appears to be dropping, we’ll have to see how this all plays out as remote learning is enacted. Hopefully, students can get back to in-person learning soon.

NCAA chief medical officer gives negative outlook on fall college football

Given Hainline’s comments, football in the fall feels like an unlikely outcome.

In an appearance on CNN early Sunday morning, NCAA chief medical officer Brian Hainline gave a grim summary of the challenges facing college sports. Namely, that resource limitations currently keep college sports hanging in the balance.

Here are some highlights of what Hainline said about the season during his slot.

  • “The pathway to play sports is so exceedingly narrow right now. Everything would have to line up perfectly.”
  • “If testing stays as it is, there’s no way we could go forward with sports.”
  • Added the greater risk is regular students resocializing on campuses. Says that could be “the downfall” if schools can’t handle that.

Of primary concern to Hainline and other NCAA medical experts is the prospect of students returning to campus in the coming weeks. The SEC, Big 12 and ACC are all currently planning on having football in the fall, though more spikes like the ones at Notre Dame and North Carolina could jeopardize that.

Unlike the other two leagues, the SEC delayed the beginning of its season until Sep. 26, presumably to allow league officials to gauge how students’ return to campus affects the situation.

But given Hainline’s comments, football in the fall feels like an unlikely outcome.

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NCAA chief medical officer speaks overnight, gives grim outlook for college football

Speaking on CNN in the early hours of Sunday morning, NCAA chief medical officer Brian Hainline painted a disturbing picture for sports.

In case you were sleeping like any sane human being would be, NCAA chief medical officer Brian Hainline appeared on CNN just after midnight on Sunday morning and didn’t provide much optimism about the chances of college football or any college sport for the time being.

I am yet to find any video of his appearance to link to but thanks to the likes of Chris Vannini and Nicole Auerbach on Twitter, we were able to get the most-significant of quotes from Hainline’s appearance.

  • “The pathway to play sports is so exceedingly narrow right now. Everything would have to line up perfectly.”
  • “If testing stays as it is, there’s no way we could go forward with sports.”
  • Added the greater risk is regular students resocializing on campuses. Says that could be “the downfall” if schools can’t handle that.

If you’re hoping college football gets played by the ACC, Big 12 and SEC in less than a month, it’s not the kind of comments you want to wake up to be reading today.

Our colleague Clint Lamb of Roll Tide Wire then made a compelling point about why there being no college football this fall is in the best interest of the NCAA, and it doesn’t necessarily have to do with anyone’s physical health.

As I’ve said all along this is an outcome that is next to impossible to predict.  Some thought the significant amount of positive tests at Clemson, LSU and Alabama months ago meant there was no way we’d even get to now without everything being called off for the fall.

With the rest of students returning to college campuses across the country over the last week and this next one, the real indicator is still to come after we see how quickly this virus does or does not spread over said campuses.

State Department report: Jets’ Woody Johnson ’made inappropriate or insensitive comments’

A State Department report obtained by ESPN shed more light on the investigation into Jets owner Woody Johnson.

More details have emerged regarding racist and sexist comments allegedly made by Jets owner Woody Johnson.

A 39-page report from U.S. State Department consisting of interviews and questionnaires with employees at the United States Embassy in London determined Johnson “sometimes made inappropriate or insensitive comments on topics generally considered Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)-sensitive, such as religion, sex, or color,” according to the document obtained by ESPN.

The report references allegations in stories from The New York Times and CNN that Johnson made racist and sexist remarks during his time as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, a position he assumed in 2017.

Johnson allegedly asked if the crowd for a 2018 Black History Month event would be comprised of “a whole bunch of Black people,” and why African Americans want a Black History Month. He also allegedly purported that Black fathers abandoning their families was the “real challenge.  Johnson also made disparaging comments about women, including objectifying their appearance and clothes and saying he prefers working with them because they’re cheaper than men. 

Johnson denied the allegations vehemently, both in a statement on Twitter and in the State Department report. 

“If I have unintentionally offended anyone in the execution of my duties, I deeply regret that, but I do not accept that I have treated employees with disrespect or discriminated in any way,” Johnson said, per the report obtained by ESPN. 

Johnson has also been accused of using his position to promote President Trump’s businesses overseas, a claim which Johnson also denied. 

The NFL referred questions on the matter to the State Department, while a State Department spokesperson said Johnson is “a valued member of the team who has led Mission U.K. honorably and professionally.” The Jets, Johnson’s brother, Christopher, and general manager Joe Douglas also defended Johnson.

The Office of the Inspector General concluded that “a more thorough review by the dept is warranted” after the extent of Johnson’s alleged actions were realized. Johnson said he and his staff have or will review courses on work-place discrimination, but that wasn’t enough to curb the OIG’s investigation, which began in 2019.

Former Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins hired by CNN as a contributor on race and social justice

Malcolm Jenkins joining CNN as a contributor on race and social justice

Malcolm Jenkins has landed himself another job after signing with the New Orleans Saints. The former Eagles star was just hired by CNN as a contributor on race and social justice.

“Having spent years running non-profits and supporting grassroots organizations to address the inequalities of our criminal justice system, educational system and disparate wealth in our marginalized communities, I believe I can be a voice for other athlete activists and those who have dedicated their lives to changing legislation, policies, and reforms for human equality,” Jenkins said in a statement. “As we move forward from these moments, journalists must not make the grave mistake of allowing the world to go back to sleep. The groundswell of energy that has been injected into all of us must continue when the protests stop and that includes responsible reporting.

“Now more than ever, the public needs to be educated on the roles of elected positions of power, such as the District Attorney, Police Chief or City Council, and how to hold those individuals accountable, especially through their voice and their vote. In an important election year, I’m eager to join the CNN family and share my perspective as a regular contributor. I also want to thank CNN for their thoughtful leadership in viewing professional athletes beyond their sport as another educated voice who brings a varied perspective and value to the network’s programming and shows.”

Jenkins co-founded the Players Coalition with former NFL receiver Anquan Boldin and was named the NFLPA’s Alan Page Award winner for going above and beyond to serve his community in 2017.

Jenkins will contribute to studio shows across CNN’s multiple platforms and special programming, according to the announcement, while still playing in the NFL.

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