Gladiators viewers surprised to see Legend change the event rules in final
Tonight's Gladiators final (April 12) saw two contenders run up The Wall with no head start against their Gladiator opponents after Legend called for the change.
Referee Mark Clattenburg agreed to the change, as did the two contenders.
Joe, a contender in the final, was stripped of his head start against Apollo but managed to win the event.
However, Legend beat Mus after a change in the rules – something he's not been able to do in the last two times the pair have raced up The Wall.
Fans of the show, took to X to share their reaction to the change.
One said: 'one on one, in a straight race this is different. are they going to make this a permanent thing on the wall #gladiators'.
Another commented: 'SCENES #Gladiators'.
A third said: 'The rules have changed. gladiator Vs contender in a straight race. #Gladiators Come on, Mus, come on Joe.'
Amanda, Aneila, Mus and Joe will battle it out for the two trophies but only one male and one female get to take them home.
Recommended reading:
Gladiators viewers share same complaint just minutes into semi-final
Gladiators star makes shock announcement as he's ruled out of series with injury
Viewers 'gutted' to see Gladiators contender miss out on final
Contender Zavia made a short appearance at the start of tonight's episode to share she wouldn't be able to compete after suffering a leg injury.
In her place, Aneila, the fastest female runner-up, takes on the Gladiators in an attempt to take home the trophy.
Viewers shared their sadness at Zavia not competing but congratulated Aneila as she impressed them with her performance across several events.
In the final, contenders have had multiple attempts to score the highest points to progress through to the last event, The Eliminator.
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USA Today
3 days ago
- USA Today
Ravens rival is still searching for answers at QB despite a massive overload
Ravens rival is still searching for answers at QB despite a massive overload The Browns have stockpiled at the quarterback position but are still without legitimate answers. We've learned a lot from OTAs already, and at the time of this story's release, the Baltimore Ravens aren't even halfway through the process of completing them. They've drawn a line through May 27-29. Seven days remain: June 3, June 5-6, June 9-12. Then, we turn the page to mandatory minicamp, which will take place from June 17 to 19. Lights... Camera... Action... Lamar 'Action' Jackson and the usual cast of characters are present. This session wasn't even mandatory, so seeing so many of the team's stars present and leading the way has been a joy to watch. The old guys are even getting the work in. DeAndre Hopkins seems to have found the fountain of youth and appears fully capable of putting the pedal to the metal. It's early, but the Ravens appear ready to defend their crown. Their AFC North rivals look more like speed bumps than real competition. That brings us to the laughingstock of this division, the always comical Cleveland Browns. They seem even more confused than usual, and ladies and gentlemen, that says a heck of a lot. Thankfully, the Ravens don't have the same mess at quarterback that everyone sees with the Cleveland Browns. By now, you've watched enough football to know that the serious contenders in this league need to have answered the question about who their franchise quarterback is. The Ravens have theirs. The Cincinnati Bengals have a good one (and some wide receivers). Cincinnati seems inept at making wise decisions about the rest of its roster. There's no need to troll the Bengals. Marlon Humphrey is on the job and has it covered. It feels like the Pittsburgh Steelers are flirting with Aaron Rodgers, and he's tossed a wink back. Neither side seems willing to commit, though. The Browns have too many quarterbacks, and none of them seem like they're a realistic answer to lead the franchise. Thankfully, the Ravens don't have that problem, but if you've been busy and lost track of what the Browns are doing, don't stress. You aren't alone. Here's a look at the signal-callers they have on the roster. Joe Flacco Once a Ravens Super Bowl hero, Joe Flacco left after 11 seasons and is now enjoying a journeyman career. He is now the enemy after joining Cleveland. Joe is 40 now, and after following a good season in Cleveland with a brief stay in Indianapolis, he's back in Ohio. Trust us on this, though. Joe's days of productive football are over. Kenny Pickett Pittsburgh drafted Kenny Pickett, and they gave up on him after two seasons. He landed in the City of Brotherly Love, won a Super Bowl, and they traded him away. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, whom we aren't sure is better than Pickett, was part of the deal. So was a fifth-round draft choice. Pickett probably won't win the starting job. We'll see what happens, but if you're thinking of placing wagers, this seems like a losing proposition. Shedeur Sanders Now, we're having fun. Shedeur Sanders allegedly didn't want to play in Cleveland... And, he got drafted by Cleveland... You can't make this stuff up. This is precisely what the Browns needed: a locker room distraction who may not see the field for a while. While Sanders is good for television, the questions now are about whether he's good enough to win in the NFL. Put a pin in this one. This could get interesting. Dillon Gabriel The Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel in Round 3, nearly two complete rounds ahead of Shedeur Sanders. That says a lot when Sanders was once expected to be the second quarterback taken. Gabriel, a 2024 First-Team All-American, earned Big Ten Most Valuable Player and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2024. He was also named Big Ten Quarterback of the Year. None of that will help him win a starting job. He, however, seems to have the same shot as everyone else on the roster. That may not be a good thing, as The Athletic's Zac Johnson recently caused a stir by stating that Gabriel "doesn't look like an NFL quarterback." Ouch. That had to hurt! Deshaun Watson Here lies the career of Deshaun Watson, a once-promising star who seemed like he'd be the future of the NFL. What can we say? Things don't always work out as people expect. There's no longer a need to discuss how bad his deal was or how wrong the Browns were for giving it to him. There's no need to discuss that his reputation is now in shambles. Those angles have been beaten to death, so here's where the rubber meets the road. Watson won't play in Cleveland in 2025, and his time there is, in all likelihood, over. Erase his name on the chalkboard. Replace it with the names Flacco, Pickett, Sanders, and Gabriel. Four bodies at quarterback... No real answers... A ton of comic relief for Ravens fans.
New York Times
3 days ago
- New York Times
Pride progress? As gay pro athletes consider coming out, each announcement makes a mark
It was never Jason Collins' intention to be a spokesperson or the leader of a cause. He just wanted to live a life that was open and honest, a life untangled from the usual excuses and dodges that are in the playbook when you're in the closet. But when you emerge as the first active, openly gay player in NBA history, as Collins did in 2013, you can't not be a spokesperson. One of the constants in the evolution of the openly gay athlete in the major North American men's professional sports leagues — the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and MLS — is that everyone who comes out is providing a for-free blueprint for those who dare to be next. Advertisement It's different in women's professional sports, where there's a well-chronicled history of out players and generally high support from the leagues and their fans. In the men's leagues, progress has been slow and tentative. So, yes, Collins shares his experiences. His words are important. His story is important. But the timing for this interview wasn't good. Collins and longtime boyfriend Brunson Green were to be married in two weeks — Memorial Day weekend — and there was still so much to do. Is the tent all set? The food? The DJ? 'And all that other stuff that goes into having a fun and enjoyable weekend,' Collins said, speaking from Austin, Texas, over the phone. 'I would have called earlier, but I was going over the wedding playlist.' And then, just like that, something happened that revealed a subtle difference between being closeted and being comfortably out. With the conversation shifted to the wedding, Collins was asked if his old college roommate from Stanford, Joe Kennedy, a former congressman from Massachusetts, would be in attendance. 'I think Joe's coming,' Collins said. He paused. And then, speaking not into the phone but apparently to somebody else, said, 'Brunce, are Joe and Lauren coming to the wedding?' 'Brunce' is Brunson Green, of course. Had Collins been doing a phone interview during his early years in the NBA — he broke in with the New Jersey Nets in 2001 — he might have thought twice before redirecting a question to a buddy, as in a male friend, who happened to be in the room. And even if he had, it's doubtful he would have dropped in a chummy nickname. The guardrails would have been up, as they are for many in the closet. Always trying to be one step ahead of the posse, always covering up tracks. Now it is 2025, some 12 years after Collins, who was technically a free agent, came out via an essay he wrote for Sports Illustrated. (He reemerged in the NBA months later with the Brooklyn Nets, with whom he closed out his career.) The former NBA big man, 46, is now married to a current Hollywood big shot, the 57-year-old Green. Among his other accomplishments, Green produced the 2011 film 'The Help,' which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Advertisement Yep, they're hitched. The tent, the food, the DJ, all made it to the wedding. As did Joe and Lauren Kennedy. Again, Collins didn't get married for the headlines. He married Green because he loves the guy. But as Kennedy noted in a phone interview, 'If you read the Sports Illustrated piece — I have a copy signed by Jason hanging in my house — he said he wasn't (coming out) to make a statement, but that he was willing to raise his hand and say, 'I'm here.'' In the ongoing story of the out athlete, it's the 'I'm here' that contributes to the blueprint for other past, present and even future pros mulling a big announcement. While the roll call of players who've come out over the last two decades isn't extensive, each announcement makes a mark. It's not just other athletes who are paying attention. Ryan O'Callaghan, who is among several former NFL players to come out in recent years, cites an email he received from a man who had struggled with his son's coming-out news. 'He had disowned his son,' said O'Callaghan, 41, a former offensive tackle who came out in 2017, seven years after playing parts of four seasons with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. 'In his email, he said my story made him reconsider the position he had taken, and to reconnect with his son.' Coming-out stories can also inspire a gay athlete's teammates to rise to the occasion, as American soccer player Robbie Rogers points out. Rogers was effectively retired when he delivered his news in early 2013 while living in the United Kingdom, but he then returned to the United States to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS. He knew he had been accepted by his Galaxy teammates the day he walked into the locker room and saw a message posted on the bulletin board by veteran captain Landon Donovan. Team dinner this weekend. Don't bring your husbands, wives, boyfriends or girlfriends. Advertisement With that one message, Donovan was treating Rogers like one of the guys. No speeches, no attaboys. Just a bro-ey invite for a players-only dinner. 'It's not like Landon was part of some DEI committee who was told what to say,' Rogers said. 'He just naturally wrote that. I was, like, oh, the world really changes.' The way Rogers saw it, 'Landon was just being Landon. It was something I never thought I'd see in the locker room. I've not shared this too much, but it was a really cool moment.' Rogers, 38, has been married since 2017 to producer Greg Berlanti. They have two children: Caleb, 9, and Mia, 6. Rogers and Berlanti are also in business together, with Berlanti serving as executive producer and Rogers as producer of the television series 'All American,' which is entering its eighth season. Rogers was executive producer of the gay-themed miniseries 'Fellow Travelers,' which won a Peabody Award and garnered Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, and he is a producer of the documentary 'The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel,' which premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday. To whatever extent Rogers has gone Hollywood, he understands the impact of his decision to come out. He listens. He speaks. He offers advice. 'I would say find someone that can just listen to you talk,' Rogers said. 'Someone who can help get your thoughts together and get whatever you're dealing with out of your head. It can be such a lonely experience if you can't put words to what you're feeling.' Collins said he took note of Rogers' coming-out news as he was preparing to step out of his own closet. 'At the time that I did it, Robbie was out,' Collins said. 'So I was thinking that you could look at his example, look at my example, that it was possible to do it. (I was) hoping that there would be more players continuing to lead the way regarding this conversation.' Advertisement But, Collins said, 'I don't know if disappointed would be the word. I would always try to spin things in the way of there's work to be done.' Ex-professional athletes have been coming out for decades. Dave Kopay, a running back who played in the NFL from 1964 to 1972, came out in 1975. The late Billy Bean, an outfielder with the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1987 to 1995, came out in 2003. John Amaechi, who broke into the NBA during the 1995-96 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and later played for the Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz, came out in 2007. The list goes on and on, including these history-making announcements: • In 2021, Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out. The 6-foot-7, 275-pound defensive end played for the Las Vegas Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring. • In 2014, University of Missouri defensive end Michael Sam came out in advance of the NFL Draft and was selected in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams. Though Sam never played a regular-season game in the NFL — he appeared in preseason games and served practice-squad stints with the Rams and Dallas Cowboys — his coming-out announcement remains a watershed moment in the LGBTQ+ community. • Luke Prokop is the first openly gay hockey player to be under contract to an NHL team, with his announcement taking place about a year after being selected by the Nashville Predators with the 73rd pick in the 2020 draft. Prokop has yet to appear in the NHL. He played for the AHL Milwaukee Admirals this past season. Professional athletes come out in many different ways. In 2012, some five years before O'Callaghan came out publicly, and after spending all of 2011 on the injured reserve list with the Chiefs, he had a private conversation with then-Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who over the years has emerged as a five-star ally of the LGBTQ+ community. Advertisement 'Ryan came into my office, he seemed really upset, really anxious,' Pioli said. 'He said, 'I have something to tell you.' And he couldn't get the words out, so now I'm getting nervous, like maybe he's done something really bad.' O'Callaghan finally said, 'I'm gay.' Pioli remembers his response as being, 'OK, what else?' Years later, O'Callaghan said he expected Pioli to be upset or disappointed. Looking back on it, Pioli said the only thing that upset him was the way the meeting ended. 'We got up, I'm sitting behind my desk, he's sitting in front of my desk, he was emotional, I was emotional,' Pioli said. 'When he went to leave, I was walking in to hug him and he put out his hand to shake my hand. It was always handshake and a hug, but now he was giving me the distance of a handshake. And I gotta tell you, that broke my heart. I said, 'What are you doing? We hug.'' They hugged. They did, after all, have a long history together: Pioli was vice president of player personnel for the Patriots when O'Callaghan broke into the NFL with New England, and they were later reunited in Kansas City. O'Callaghan's public coming out took place in 2017 via a story for written by Cyd Zeigler. The two later collaborated on a book, 'My Life on the Line: How the NFL Damn Near Killed Me and Ended Up Saving My Life,' which also deals with O'Callaghan's battle to cleanse himself from reliance on prescription painkillers. 'I was surprised how big a story it was at the time,' O'Callaghan said of his coming-out news. 'I was on Dan Patrick and all these other shows. Thankfully, Cyd acted as a stand-in publicist.' For Rogers, it was a heartfelt post on his website. 'And then I turned my phone and computer off,' Rogers said. 'A few hours later, I was with some friends and they said, 'You should look at that thing you posted.'' Advertisement Rogers looked. People were reaching out. Lots of them. 'And reporters were calling me and my agent,' Rogers said. 'I was in London. Back home in California, my mom said a reporter came to the house.' Collins wrote the essay for Sports Illustrated, which was posted on April 29, 2013. It was the cover story for the magazine's May 6 print edition. 'We knew it was going to be online at 11 a.m. Eastern time,' Collins said. 'I was living in Los Angeles at the time. There were people I felt should hear it from me first, so that weekend, there were a lot of phone calls that were being made.' About an hour before the story appeared, Collins was on the phone with then-NBA commissioner David Stern and then-deputy commissioner Adam Silver. 'They were extremely supportive,' Collins said. 'I couldn't have done what I did without seeing what the leadership of the NBA was doing. When I first entered the NBA in 2001, players were allowed to use homophobic language without consequences. That changed in the mid-to-late 2000s. There started to be fines for using homophobic language. When I saw those fines being levied, especially with a minimum fine of $50,000 being implemented, that to me was a sign that NBA leadership has my back.' The homophobic remarks continue here and there, in all sports. One might go so far as to say snarky, inappropriate language has made a comeback in today's politically charged world, and not just in relation to coming-out announcements and the transgender community. Now that legalized gambling is part of the sports experience, the crowing is getting louder and nastier — from the stands and on social media. Looking back on his coming-out experience, Rogers said, 'I heard people say, 'Why do you have to tell everyone,' and 'Why can't you just live your life,' or 'You don't belong in sports.' But those aren't downsides. That's just the way the world works.' So, why did Rogers have to tell everyone? 'I kind of felt I was doing something a bit more selfish,' he said. 'It sounds cliché, but I was setting myself free.' (Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Jeff Gross / Getty, Fernando Medina / Getty, Georgoe Gojkovich / Getty)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Joe Montemurro appointed Australia Women's head coach after Lyon exit
Joe Montemurro has been appointed head coach of the Australia Women's national team. It was announced on Sunday that Montemurro, 55, would be departing Lyon after a single season in charge, and he will officially begin his position at Australia on June 16. Advertisement Australia have been without a permanent manager since Tony Gustavsson resigned following the side's group stage elimination at the 2024 Olympics. Former USWNT head coach Tom Sermanni has led the team on an interim basis. Montemurro will oversee the team for the first time in a pair of friendly double-headers against Slovenia and Panama in June and July as Australia build towards the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup on home soil. Football Australia interim chief executive officer Heather Garriock described Montemurro's appointment as coming at a 'critical time' for the team ahead of the Asian Cup next year, 2027 World Cup in Brazil and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Montemurro takes the role after almost a decade coaching in Europe with Arsenal, Juventus and Lyon, winning league titles at all three clubs. He moved to Europe following spells in charge of Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City, and the national team job marks his return to his home country Australia and first position in international management Advertisement 'I'm here because of the love of the game here and the love of the opportunity to come back,' he said. 'All these years that I went through the coaching journey in Australia, all these years through the A-League… to be given the opportunity to lead one of the best brands in the world, one of the most exciting teams in the world, and to do it at home, it's something quite emotional.' Australia reached the semi-finals of the 2023 Women's World Cup, which they co-hosted with New Zealand, and were beaten in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. They exited the Paris Olympics at the group stages after winning just once at the tournament. 'Every one of the criteria, Joe ticks,' Garriock added. 'That's the reason why we fought so hard to get Joe back to Australia. He's Australian, and Australian-based. He loves football, he loves the nation. He wants to develop the next generation, and he knows how to win a few trophies.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Australia, UK Women's Football, Women's World Cup, International Football 2025 The Athletic Media Company
