Hitchins calls out Haney after title defence
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The Guardian
8 minutes ago
- The Guardian
ESPN drops Spike Lee's docuseries on Colin Kaepernick, network and filmmaker say
Director Spike Lee's multi-part documentary series for ESPN Films about former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a national debate when he protested racial injustice nearly a decade ago, will not be released, the filmmaker and ESPN said. 'ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences,' ESPN said in a statement to Reuters on Saturday. 'Despite not reaching finality, we appreciate all the hard work and collaboration that went into this film.' Lee told Reuters on Friday that the series was not going to be released. 'It's not coming out. That's all I can say,' Lee said on the red carpet ahead of the Harold and Carole Pump Foundation dinner, a fundraiser for cancer research and treatment, in Beverly Hills, California. Asked why, the Oscar-winning director declined to elaborate, citing a nondisclosure agreement. 'I can't. I signed a nondisclosure. I can't talk about it'. Kaepernick ignited a national debate in 2016 when he knelt during the US national anthem to protest systemic racism and police brutality. The 37-year-old has not played in the NFL since that season. Many experts believed his political activism, which triggered a movement that drew the ire of Donald Trump, was the key reason teams were wary of signing him. He later filed a collusion grievance against team owners, which was settled with the league in 2019. Representatives for Kaepernick did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Production on the series began in 2022, with Walt Disney-owned ESPN touting it as a 'full, first-person account' of Kaepernick's journey that would feature extensive interviews with the player. Last year, Puck News reported the project faced delays amid disagreements between Kaepernick and Lee over the direction of the film. I'm grateful to be able to work with the legend Spike Lee on my docu-series. Thank you @jemelehill for being a part of our incredible team. It's time for the narrative to be corrected. The series is co-produced by Jemele Hill, a former ESPN reporter who was suspended by the network in 2017, after she suggested that fans who disagreed with criticism of NFL players taking a knee from the owner of the Dallas Cowboys should boycott the team's advertisers. A month earlier, she had enraged the White House when she tweeted: 'Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists.' The network's decision to drop the series comes as the Trump administration has sued broadcasters that reported critically on the president and pushed private businesses and schools to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that the government now defines as unlawful discrimination against white Americans. In December, Disney's ABC News agreed to pay $15m to a foundation and museum to be established by Trump as part of a settlement in a defamation lawsuit Trump filed against the network.
The Sun
8 minutes ago
- The Sun
Moses Itauma blasts out Dillian Whyte in FIRST ROUND to score biggest win of his young career
MOSES ITAUMA sent sheep-eyed Dillian Whyte to the abattoir in one brilliant round. The 20-year-old heavyweight sensation was supposed to be tested by the dangerous 37-year-old former world title challenger. 4 4 4 But Whyte barely threw a punch, was dominated from the very first second and allowed the biggest and baddest new wolf in the boxing world to chew him and swallow him whole. Itauma roared: 'I thank Dillian, it takes two to tangle and he gave me the opportunity to showcase my skills. 'To be honest, for the first two minutes the nerves were there but then I saw an opening that I could not miss and I executed the gameplan. 'What's next! 'Honestly I will fight anyone they put in front of me. 'If I am honest, Joseph Parker and Agit Kabayel deserved their shot but I would jump in with them lot.' Whyte rolled into Riyadh with a six pack we had never seen on him before and the Body Snatcher stunned the Friday weigh-in crowd when he tipped the scales at just 17st 6lb. It was the lightest he had been in a decade. 4 ITAUMA VS WHYTE LIVE BLOG - FOLLOW UPDATES FROM HUGE HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT The last time he was in such good condition, 2015, Itauma was 10 years old and had only just followed big brother Karol down to St Mary's boxing gym in Chatham. Self-helper Itauma quoted the 48 Laws of Power bestseller, at the start of the week, when he was asked to comment on Whyte's unusually tame approach to the build-up and said 'you can act the sheep to catch the wolf'. Whyte showed exactly what sort of beast he was when he strolled into a small section of the Kingdom Arena wearing a jacket with a snarling and blood-soaked howler on his jumper. Once the Brixton banger was kitted up, he was caught in a clip warming up by punching a wall. It might have toughened his fists for the upcoming war but it would have been a lot more static and easier to bully than the 6ft 2in rapid and elusive southpaw he was about to hunt. Itauma walked to the ring first and then Whyte - in an old-school move - made him wait an age in an effort to knock him off his warm-up. Whyte's team were arguing before their man even arrived as there was not a warm-up bike in his dressing room. But the wheels fell off as soon as he got to the ring and even a helmet and stabilisers would not have saved him. The veteran threw the first couple of jabs but they were patted out. Then Itauma went to work, first feinted his shots and then pinging in jabs. Then as soon as he flicked a switch he made mince meat out of the Body Snatcher. Whyte was bullied back into a neutral corner and slashed at from every angle. He was peppered to head and body and systematically broken down until he collapsed to the floor. He climbed to his feet but was robbed of all of his senses before he even got a sense of the occasion. In hindsight it doesn't look like he was ever ready for the challenge of the red-hot sensation but after a tough career in rows against the likes of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, he deserved an easy Saudi payday.
The Guardian
8 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Jannik Sinner ends Terence Atmane's dream run to reach Cincinnati Open final
The top seed and defending champion, Jannik Sinner, ended the French qualifier Terence Atmane's dream run at the Cincinnati Open with a 7-6 (4), 6-2 win on Saturday to reach the final of the US Open warmup event. Sinner, playing on his 24th birthday, won a remarkable 91% of his first-serve points, did not face a single break point during the 86-minute match and converted two of five break points in his first career meeting with Atmane, the world No 136. 'Very, very tough challenge,' Sinner said on court after being serenaded with 'Happy Birthday' by the crowd. 'Every time when you play against someone completely new it's very difficult. 'I knew that I had to be very, very careful and my mindset today was in a good spot. I feel like I handled situations on the court very well.' The Italian world No 1 had his hands full throughout a tightly contested first set which featured an imperious serving display from both men and not a single break point opportunity for either player. Sinner, who lost only three points on serve in the opening set, held to love for a third consecutive game to force the tie-break where Atmane gifted his opponent the opening point with a double fault and from there the Italian never looked back. The reigning US Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon champion opened the second set with a nine-minute hold of serve, then held to love before finally breaking Atmane for a 3-1 lead that gave him the cushion he needed. Sinner followed that with another hold to love to go 4-1 up and all but end any hope for Atmane, who beat top-10 players Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune en route to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 semi-final. With Atmane serving at 2-5 and looking to stay in the match, Sinner quickly jumped ahead 0-40 before sealing the win on his third match point when the Frenchman sent a forehand into the net. Sinner will face either the No 2 seed, Carlos Alcaraz, or Alexander Zverev in Monday's final.
