Report: Patriots parting ways with Brian Belichick
January 28 - The New England Patriots are parting ways with safeties coach Brian Belichick, ESPN reported Tuesday.
Belichick, the youngest son of six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick, has been with the team since 2016.
He worked as a scouting assistant (2016), coaching assistant (2017-19) and safeties coach (2020-24).
The Patriots hired head coach Mike Vrabel on Jan. 12. He replaced Jared Mayo, who was fired after posting a 4-13 record in 2024 in New England's first season without Bill Belichick since 1999.
North Carolina hired Bill Belichick as head coach on Dec. 11. Another son, Steve, has joined him as the defensive coordinator for the Tar Heels.
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Daily Mirror
42 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Cristiano Ronaldo bodyguard lifts lid on working for him - 'He was threatened'
Cristiano Ronaldo's footballing exploits have raised him to insurmountable fame, and with such notoriety comes an added security risk, as detailed by a former bodyguard Cristiano Ronaldo's former bodyguard has admitted that people and fans would 'threaten' the Portuguese superstar, though his life was never at risk. Having emerged at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo rose to become one of European football's finest and won his first of five Ballons d'Or in 2008 as a Red Devil. A four-time Champions League-winning spell with Real Madrid followed, before a stint with Juventus, a short-lived return to Old Trafford and an unceremonious exit to the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr. Throughout his illustrious career for club and country, in which he has mustered over 900 goals and won countless accolades, the superstar's fame has transcended football. Ronaldo is one of the most recognisable sports stars, if not celebrities, in the world, but such popularity brings with it its fair share of risk. On Wednesday, for example, a fan evaded security before Portugal's match against Germany and invaded the pitch, getting his hands around the 40-year-old before being escorted away by security. The Al Nassr forward has, therefore, often sought the help of a bodyguard, and Hichman, who served him for four years, has given insight into the sort of threats he would aim to deal with and how much he'd be paid. "Our work depends on the client's profile. In the case of Cristiano, with whom I worked for four years, his profile wasn't high-risk because people didn't want to kill him, and he didn't receive death threats," Hichman told Telecinco. "He was threatened by fans or people who wanted to rob him." The 36-year-old Hichman went on to detail the strategies he would employ to keep Ronaldo, his partner Georgina Rodriguez and their children safe. "We always have to know where we're going, who will be there, and have clear entry and exit points, as well as contact points," he continued. "We must always be aware that our lives could be at risk. We have to be willing to protect a person, and sometimes we have to give our lives to protect them. "If I have to use weapons, I will use them. The most important thing is having the ability to think quickly, solve problems, and remain calm in difficult situations." Hichman looks back fondly on his time serving the marksman, claiming that he would earn around £850 per day providing security for Ronaldo, with whom he has a positive relationship despite not working for him anymore. "He is the best boss I've ever had," stated Hichman. "We have a good relationship. Working with him wasn't like working with someone threatened with death or kidnap. We had some silly incidents with paparazzi or crazy fans, but nothing major." Aside from making life difficult for photographers and trying to keep Ronaldo's family out of the public eye as much as possible, Hichman revealed that he never dealt with serious threats to the 40-year-old. There have been many instances of fans running onto the pitch, as occurred during Portugal's Nations League clash this week, to try and get a close-up glimpse of Ronaldo or attempt to take a selfie with him. Yet, in April, Marca reported that Ronaldo had ramped up security efforts after threats were made against his family on social media, allegedly from a group located in Saudi Arabia, where he currently resides.
The Herald Scotland
5 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Shaq increasing fortune and fame as NBA Finals begin
Well, boys and girls, it's slightly more complicated than that, even for a 7-foot-1 basketball legend who pulled off this feat: retire from the sport that helped make you rich and famous, then get even more rich and famous. TV commercials. Licensing deals. Other partnerships. O'Neal, 14 years removed from his Hall of Fame career that included four NBA championship rings and three Finals MVPs, seems to be cashing in everywhere. On Wednesday, June 4, Netflix premiered a six-episode docuseries called "Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal" about the 53-year-old taking over as president of Reebok in 2023. (Shaquille O'Neal's Jersey Legends Productions partnered with Sony Pictures Television on the show.) This week, he will provide commentary during NBA TV's coverage of Game 1 and Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. "Shaq's ubiquity today is unmatched and what makes it even more fascinating is that it's post-career,'' Stacy Jones, a marketing expert and CEO of Hollywood Branded, told USA TODAY Sports. "Most athletes peak in visibility during their prime and Shaq totally flipped that script.'' O'Neal was unavailable for an interview this week, according to his representatives. But his agents, Perry Rogers and Colin Smeeton, help paint a vivid picture of how O'Neal turned his millions in NBA wages into more millions -- and became a household name. ANALYSIS: Haters gonna hate, but NBA's 3-point shot is crucial to winning titles ANALYSIS: Unsung heroes? Underrated players who could make a difference in NBA Finals Rogers and Smeeton said before O'Neal retired in 2011 they read professional athletes on average lose 4% of the public's awareness after their playing careers end. "And that freaked me out,'' Rogers told USA TODAY Sports. Also, O'Neal would be losing steady income -- his playing salary that earned him a total of $286 million, according to The trick was figuring out how to generate more money. Shaq's instincts lead to big bucks It was July 2011, a month after O'Neal officially retired, and ESPN and TNT (then known as Turner) were courting him as a potential NBA analyst. Rogers said he wanted to wait for offers from both networks and use them as leverage. Then, O'Neal spoke. "He goes, 'Perry, you heard the pitches,' " Rogers recalled. "On the one hand, Turner just said that they're relationship people, that they don't need me, but they want me. I'm a relationship guy. "Then you heard (an ESPN executive) say, 'Hey, I'm the most competitive (expletive) in the world. I'll build a whole show around you.' And what that means is if (ESPN) doesn't beat (TNT), I'm going to be taking the full blame. I'm not going to have time to develop. I don't have these reps yet.'' Rogers, who relayed the anecdote to USA TODAY Sports, said he complied with O'Neal's wishes and promptly negotiated a deal with TNT. The network's Emmy-winning "Inside the NBA" studio show proved to be an ideal platform to keep O'Neal visible. He needed time to develop his skills as a TV analyst. He also found the right chemistry working alongside former NBA players Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, and six-time Emmy winner Ernie Johnson. The quartet is headed to ABC/ESPN next season and O'Neal has agreed to a contract extention worth more than $15 million a year, according to Front Office Sports. "One thing that's great about Shaquille is he lets you sort of manage him,'' Smeeton, O'Neal's other agent, told USA TODAY Sports. "But at the same time, he trusts his instincts, and we certainly trust his instincts.'' OPINION: 'Inside the NBA' with Ernie, Charles, Kenny and Shaq gave us so much more than basketball Shaq surrounds himself with talent O'Neal did not treat retirement as an opportunity to take up golf and lounge by the pool. "That's just not the way he's wired,'' Smeeton said. "He's wired for 'OK, I still have this drive that made me one of the best players of all time. Now how am I going to apply that to other parts of my business?' And that was music to our ears.'' Leonard Armato, O'Neal's first agent, played a key role in helping shape the Shaq brand into a lucrative entity before the two parted ways in 2001 for undisclosed reasons. But without Armato and later without his basketball career, the brand kept booming. Rogers and Smeeton, hired by O'Neal after the split with Armato, helped refine the Shaq brand. In 2015, Sports Illustrated published a list of O'Neal's top 50 endorsements. The full list continues to balloon and includes the likes of Carnival Cruise Line, DraftKings, Hershey's, Papa John's and BeatBox Beverages. He also is deeply invested in the food services business, owning more than 30 Big Chicken franchises, which serve some of his childhood favorites. He once owned 155 Five Guys, the burger and fries joint, according to Yahoo Finance. "Whether during basketball games, NFL games or programming beyond, Shaq has staying power that competes with just about any other celebrity,'' said Tyler Bobin, senior brand analyst at a company that tracks TV and streaming advertising. Rogers and Smeeton have focused on "the fun business,'' which has led to O'Neal serving as an ambassador of fun in a slew of new TV commercials. Case in point: In his commercials for Carnival Cruise Line, O'Neal plays the role of the company's CFO -- "Chief Fun Officer.'' Perhaps their biggest play came a decade ago, when Rogers and Smeeton brokered a deal to sell 51% of the Shaq brand to Authentic Brands Group (ABG). O'Neal, in turn, has become the second-largest shareholder in a company that owns brands for such luminaries as Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe and David Beckham and whose subsidiaries include Champion and Reebok, which ABG acquired in 2022 at the behest of O'Neal. Smeeton indicated the partnership with ABG has helped propel O'Neal toward the $1 billion threshold for lifetime earnings. "If he's not already there,'' Smeeton said, "he'll be there soon." Shaq: 'My biggest mistake was ruining my family' The strength of O'Neal's brand has been tested. By O'Neal himself. During the most recent episode of his podcast, "The Big Podcast with Shaq,'' O'Neal referred to the infidelities he has said led to divorce from his ex-wife, Shaunie. "I am the voice for those that made a lot of mistakes and want to recover from the mistakes,'' said O'Neal, who has six children, including four with Shaunie. "Because I always say, my biggest mistake was ruining my family by being dumb.'' There have been other setbacks for O'Neal. Like two civil lawsuits, one stemming from his endorsement of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange and another stemming from involvement with the Astrals Non-Fungible Tokens project, which he settled this year for a total of $11 million. O'Neal and other celebrities were accused of misleading consumers into promoting unregistered securities for FTX and promoting unregistered securities for Astrals. But the Shaq brand has taken no discernible hit. Corporate America keeps lining up to partner with O'Neal, who in 2024 played a hands-on role in developing Shaq-a-Licious XL Gummies (cannabis free) with The Hershey Company. "He gets involved on a deeper level, and brands love that,'' said Jones, the CEO at Hollywood Branded. "His involvement isn't just about exposure, it's about strategic value. He shows up, he promotes and he often contributes behind the scenes. That's a big reason why brands keep coming back.'' O'Neal also has protected his business interests by steering clear of controversial political issues, said Kimberly A. Whitler, associate professor of business administration at the University of Virginia. "That model - to maximize the number of consumers who support and appreciate the celebrity - requires focusing on creating broad appeal,'' Whitler told USA TODAY Sports. "They do this by remaining largely apolitical, so they can appeal to liberals, independents, and conservative consumers.'' Shaq building his empire off Michael Jordan's blueprint - with one exception Michael Jordan is the blueprint when it comes to athletes developing brands, Jones said. "He took his athletic legacy and elevated it into a luxury brand and that quiet, high-end exclusivity plays perfectly into his legacy,'' she said. O'Neal has embraced something else: the common man. New Air Jordan sneakers can cost upwards of $200. O'Neal's branded shoes on are available for $29.95. Rather than attempting to mimic Jordan's luxury brand, O'Neal's Big and Tall Collection is housed at JCPenney, with ribbed Polo shirts available for $17.49. Then there's his deal with The General, the insurance company known for affordable car insurance rates. "I called Shaquille and said, 'Hey, look, we're talking to these folks. I don't know how you feel about it,' " Rogers aid. "And Shaquille goes, 'Do it.' (I said), 'Hold on a second. I haven't talked to you about anything. Why do you like this? "And he said, 'I had The General for my insurance company. I know what it means to need affordable insurance.' " Sometimes, with the cameras rolling and without, O'Neal has given away pizzas, shoes, clothes and hugs. He has bought other people vans, engagement rings and heaven only knows what else. In 2024, he received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award for raising millions of dollars for charitable efforts through the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation. Last month, at the end of the last episode of "Inside the NBA" on TNT, O'Neal told the show's stage manager "we put our money together and bought you a gift.'' He handed her a Louis Vuitton gift bag. Said Barkley, "Shaq, in fairness, you should buy all the gifts. You got the most money.''
The Herald Scotland
5 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Aaron Rodgers to Steelers winners, losers: Will Mike Tomlin benefit?
WINNERS Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin? They'd had something of a long-distance bro-mance years before they officially team up ... and before Tomlin, always one to turn a phrase, exclaimed "there's no substitute for intimacy" following Rodgers' visit to the Steelers' facility in March. It remains to be seen how their transition from mutual admirers to direct collaborators goes, but what has either got to lose? Neither has appeared in a Super Bowl since the 2010 season, when Rodgers' Green Bay Packers barely got the better of Tomlin's Steelers - and they could certainly be mutually supporting the other's protracted quest to secure a second ring (if we don't count the one Tomlin won as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002). But Rodgers was about as good a veteran option as Tomlin could have hoped for following the Russell Wilson Experience in 2024, while the Steelers were probably Rodgers' best hope all along - given the Vikings never swiped right - to allow him to conclude his career in a manner he deems fitting after getting unceremoniously dumped by the New York Jets. Minnesota Vikings? It had to be tempting. Right? Minnesota's brass continues to - understandably - say glowing things about 2024 first-round QB J.J. McCarthy, whose rookie season ended before it began due to a preseason meniscus injury. But there's no denying that McCarthy is an unknown professional commodity, and that a team coming off a 14-3 season - thanks in large part to departed Pro Bowl QB Sam Darnold - and with a loaded roster at just about every other position is taking a risk. But rather than replicating Brett Favre's Packers-Jets-Vikings career-ending path - and how amped up would the already spicy Green Bay rivalry have been by injecting Rodgers back into it? - HC Kevin O'Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah are doing right by McCarthy, putting him on the field with the loaded supporting cast any young passer should have before being asked to shoulder too heavy a burden. Right? Because McCarthy couldn't possibly be the second coming of Christian Ponder. Right? Cam Heyward? The Steelers' longtime captain openly wondered earlier this spring why it was taking Rodgers so long to sign up. (Per the quarterback, there were extenuating circumstances as he subsequently revealed people close to him were suffering from cancer.) However, with Rodgers now apparently ready to make an ironclad commitment to the Steel City, Heyward - the son of Ironhead - should have at least some renewed optimism that he could somehow play in his first Super Bowl in his 15th NFL season. Low a bar as it is, Rodgers at least provides better odds than Wilson or Mason Rudolph or Skylar Thompson. Will Howard? After mismanaging the quarterback position for at least a half-dozen years - including the spiraling portion of Big Ben's career - Pittsburgh at least had one (side?) eye on the future in April, drafting the Ohio State quarterback in the sixth round. And given Howard is likely shooting for the QB3 job here behind Rodgers and Mason Rudolph, he could soak up some wisdom given Rodgers' willingness to mentor Jordan Love in Green Bay and Zach Wilson with the Jets. Calvin Austin III and Pat Freiermuth? Could the Steelers' slot receiver and tight end, respectively, wind up getting the predominant target share from Rodgers, who tended to thrower shorter passes and typically between the hashes last season - often getting rid of the ball in a hurry rather than inviting more abuse onto his aging frame? Don't be surprised if it's the case - and it might be a coup for Austin as he enters a contract year. LOSERS NFL schedule makers Not that the Steelers aren't a national draw anyway and typically featured in prime time, but the league has to be rueing the lost opportunity to fully maximize the Rodgers factor. And look no further than the Jets' 2024 schedule, when they played in exclusive broadcast slots in six of their first nine contests - just long enough to get a heaping helping of Rodgers before he piloted the Jets into irrelevance. The 2025 Steelers are currently scheduled to play four prime-time games, though their Week 1 opener against those very same Jets will kick off at 1 p.m. ET. Bummer. Pat McAfee If the erstwhile Indianapolis Colts punter turned ESPN multimedia superstar can't get Rodgers, allegedly his buddy, to break the news of his signing on "The Pat McAfee Show," then how close are they? Really? Kirk Cousins Now relegated to QB2 duties with the Atlanta Falcons, who are poised to pay him $27.5 million in 2025 to sit the bench, Cousins had to be hoping as 10 days turned into 20 turned into 40 turned into 80, that just maybe he'd have an opportunity to fill the QB1 job in Pittsburgh. But now that Rodgers is ready to sign? Well, Cousins can't like that ... especially given the apparent lack of other viable destinations for him to play. DK Metcalf? Will a wideout who typically does most of his damage as an outside deep threat defeating man-to-man coverage grow frustrated playing with Rodgers, especially given their combustible on-field personas and his growing propensity to stay inside the numbers? (And especially given Rodgers' own combustible on-field persona and propensity to telegraph shade at teammates who don't run routes to his specifications?) Don't be surprised, despite Rodgers' private workouts with Metcalf. Video of Aaron Rodgers throwing to DK Metcalf at UCLA via on IG #Steelers #NFL — Steelers Depot 7? (@Steelersdepot) March 31, 2025 Arthur Smith The playbook of Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator has generally worked best when he has an athletic quarterback who operates a run-heavy attack that's also reliant on play action and a healthy mix of deep shots to physical receivers. But instead of re-signing Justin Fields, the Steelers wound up with Rodgers, who tends to have his own way of doing things, so ... RFK Jr. After considering Rodgers as a running mate for his failed 2024 presidential bid, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - now the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services - will have to continue waiting to sign the quarterback who was infamously "immunized" against COVID-19 but wasn't vaccinated. Yeah, they seem like a good fit as Kennedy amplifies his anti-vax agenda. But Rodgers will have to wait to become the food dye czar. Mason Rudolph After returning from his one-year exile in Nashville, he was getting so close to QB1 with the Steelers, for whom he's 8-4-1 as a spot starter over the course of his six seasons with the franchise. Heck, RFK Jr.'s boss, Donald Trump, recently opined at a Western Pennsylvania rally that Rudolph, who attended the festivities, would be the guy for the Steelers. And who knows as he's still just one torn Achilles away. Pittsburgh fans? They've long been told by Tomlin that "The standard is the standard" - but have known for five decades that that means Lombardi Trophies. Yet the organization's Stairway to Seven has now been under construction for 16 years - since Tomlin, Roethlisberger and Co. prevailed over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl 43. But can Rodgers really add any meaningful steps at this stage? The last time Steelers fans saw him in person - this past October in Acrisure Stadium - he was picked off twice in a 37-15 loss, which almost certainly won't make him an easy sell as a savior. Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin? Can you imagine their press conferences if this thing goes sideways? Tomlin has famously never had a losing season in his 18 years at the helm in Western Pennsylvania, yet he has a six-game losing streak in the playoffs going back to the 2016 campaign. As for Rodgers? He's lost 22 of his past 36 regular-season starts, which doesn't include three defeats in his past four postseason appearances. Given how much will be expected of this shotgun marriage, there's certainly quite a risk that this duo's codependency devolves into an unfortunate union that might even send both up the Three Rivers. All NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter.
