Latest news with #Collins
USA Today
4 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2021 first-round draft has Arizona Cardinals going with different LB than Zaven Collins
2021 first-round draft has Arizona Cardinals going with different LB than Zaven Collins PFN says the Cardinals would take LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah instead of Zaven Collins in 2021 first-round redraft Four years later, we can judge how the 2021 NFL draft went and whether teams would have or should have made the player selections they did. The Arizona Cardinals drafted linebacker Zaven Collins 16th overall in 2021. In a redraft of the first round of the 2021 draft by Pro Football Network, the Cardinals would not have taken Collins, but they would have gotten a linebacker still. The redraft has the Cardinals selecting linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramorah, who enters his fifth NFL season with the Cleveland Browns. The Cardinals had the right idea taking a versatile Swiss army knife at off-ball linebacker in Round 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft. In this redraft, though, they take a player in Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah who fits that bill and has more than lived up to the hype. When the Cardinals drafted Collins, they envisioned him as the Mike linebacker and able to do other things. He was okay, but when Jonathan Gannon became head coach, he was moved to the edge. The coaches love Collins. He does everything well an outside linebacker should do except for being a great pass rusher. He had a career-high five sacks last season. But he is great against the run and good in coverage. JOK was a Pro Bowler in 2023. He would have perhaps kept the Cardinals from signing Mack Wilson, but that's about it. Both Collins and JOK are more or less on the same level, albeit now at different positions. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Los Angeles Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Will the pendulum on queer rights swing toward sense or nonsense?
Retired NBA center Jason Collins, the first out gay man to play in one of the four major North American leagues, is finally married. His ceremony was in late May, a few yards away from the Lake Austin shore in Texas. He and film producer Brunson Green have basically been together since Collins made history back in 2014. However, now that the two of them are legal, married folks like me will finally stop asking them 'Why aren't you married?' 'You know, we're getting older,' the 46-year-old Collins told me after the wedding, 'and there are advantages. When you're a married couple — especially in the case, God forbid, something happens in a medical emergency or when we're traveling — there are just all of these protections of being married. And if there's a Supreme Court decision that reverses gay marriage and it's up to the states … we wanted to be able get married where we live first. There are a lot of factors that went into it but simply … we chose to get married on our terms.' It's been nearly a decade — June 26, 2015 — since the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution guaranteed the right to same-sex marriage across the land. If that feels like bedrock, it shouldn't. Remember, that was way back when a 50-year-old Supreme Court ruling guaranteed the right to an abortion across the land. That was back when Elon Musk — with an estimated net worth of $13.2 billion — was barely among the top 100 richest people in the world. That was back when few inside the Washington Beltway took the possibility of a Donald Trump presidency seriously. Now we have members of Congress comparing him to Jesus. Needless to say, a lot can change over a decade. However, what has not changed is Collins' unique place in NBA history. The former All-American from Stanford, who went on to be the starting center in the NBA Finals twice, remains the only person to have been an active player while out. 'There are other NBA players who I am aware of that are members of the LGBTQ+ community but don't identify fully,' Collins told me. 'There are those that l've had conversations with, but they are not ready to step forward for whatever reason in 2025. Is there something keeping them from coming out? You know everyone's on their own schedule. … I don't have a simple answer there, but I definitely know that l'm not the only one.' The fact that we still have closeted professional athletes should come as no surprise given the political and cultural touchstones that sexual orientation and gender identity remain in our society. As much as we want to rush to a 'who cares' response when a person of note comes out of the closet, the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ bills today and in recent years across this country tells you that a lot of people care. That's why we all — like Collins and his husband — should remember that marriage is a fragile and hard-won right. The justices' ruling in June 2015 did not end prejudice against same-sex couples any more than Loving vs. Virginia made interracial relationships a moot point in June 1967. As Carl Jung famously said, 'The pendulum of the mind oscillates between sense and nonsense, not between right and wrong.' Lawmakers in at least nine states have recently introduced measures to undermine same-sex marriage. That would include my home state of Michigan, where my husband and I were married. In fact, we celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary the same week as Collins' wedding. Whether our legal marriage makes it a decade has nothing to do with the love we have for each other. That's the tragic reality of having your humanity used for political theater and your rights up for grabs each election cycle. When Collins entered the NBA in 2001, nearly 60% of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, according to Pew Research. Today, more than 60% support it — including 44% of Republicans. Even though marriage equality has been the law of the land for nearly a decade, it has constantly been under assault because it's red meat on the campaign trail. This conversation isn't about right or wrong. As Jung said, this is between sense and nonsense. Marrying your longtime love, as Collins did, makes all the sense in the world. Marrying out of fear of losing that right — in America in 2025 — is understandable … and yet makes no sense at all. @LZGranderson
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Entrepreneurial Center, Rescue Squad to expand with new funding
May 30—The Morgan County Legislative Delegation, the Morgan County Rescue Squad, and the Decatur-Morgan County Entrepreneurial Center will receive more funding after a local bill was passed May 14, the final day of the legislative session. House Bill 581, sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, provides for the redistribution of in-lieu-of-tax payments in Morgan County from the Tennessee Valley Authority. It will roughly double the amount the Rescue Squad previously received, and the E-Center will receive in-lieu-of-tax funding for the first time. The local law takes effect Oct. 1. "We wanted to fund something that would grow revenue, and so we're moving that last percentage of the part that we delegate to the Entrepreneurial Center so that they can expand what they're doing around the county in different locations, not just in Decatur," Collins said. With the funding, the E-Center wants to open a location in Hartselle, the Rescue Squad plans to begin construction of a new station, and the legislative delegation plans to acquire a larger office space. "Our goal is to build a new station on the property that was donated and paid for by the county," Rescue Squad Chief Danny Kelso said. TVA makes in-lieu-of-tax payments each month because it is exempt from paying taxes as a government entity. The TVA pays out 5% of its gross profits from power sales each year to the states within its jurisdiction. Law dictates that the amount paid out to the counties exist in separate "pots." The state must split 75% of the payments it receives among the TVA-covered counties. An additional 3% is allocated to these counties per legislation from 2006. The section of the Alabama code dealing with these payments has changed several times to clarify wording and redistribute the money. Collins said HB581 allows for greater transparency about how TVA funding is being distributed within the county. "The main reason for working on that bill right now is it's very confusing how the language is. ... It's convoluted," Collins said. "Confusing is the best word, and we couldn't even understand it." In fiscal 2024, Morgan County received a total of $13.9 million in TVA in-lieu-of-tax funds. The "pot" referenced in the bill — the 3% increase from 2006 — amounted to $503,137.82. Julie Reeves, chief administrative officer of the Morgan County Commission, said that the amount the county receives varies greatly year to year, making it difficult to predict exact amounts for allocation. However, Reeves said fiscal 2025 has trended roughly 6% less than the previous year. If the trend continues, the amount the bill will redistribute starting with fiscal 2026 could total roughly $470,000. The Legislative Delegation will receive the largest portion of this money. HB581 increased its funding from 40% to 45%. Collins said this increase will help provide a larger office space for the delegation. The Rescue Squad will now receive 9% of the funds. In previous years, the squad received between $20,000 and $25,000. Rescue Squad Senior Board Member Tony Weikert said estimates for future funding have been closer to $45,000. The new station will be built on a 3-acre property on Mill Road that the Morgan County Commission helped the squad acquire. "Our station is out of date and not up to code," Kelso said. "It was built in the 1960s, and we've outgrown it." The Rescue Squad wants to break ground by the end of this year or early next year, Weikert said. He hopes a newer station will help the Rescue Squad appear more professional and attract more volunteers. After paying for the building, Kelso said funding would go to updating equipment. As a volunteer organization, Weikert said, the Rescue Squad didn't have any permanent funding to rely on. "We exist off of donations and annual requests from the city and the county and other places, but none of that is guaranteed money because you have to ask for it every year," Weikert said, emphasizing the difference the TVA funding will make. Weikert said he has been talking with state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, about increasing the squad's funding for about a year. "Arthur Orr has always been a champion for us," he said. "... If it hadn't been for Arthur Orr, we wouldn't have any dedicated funding." A major change that HB581 makes from previous law is that the Decatur-Morgan County Entrepreneurial Center will now receive funding from the TVA payments. The E-Center could receive about $47,000 based on the fiscal 2025 payment estimates. "The thought of the delegation was: This is promoting small business job creation for Morgan County, and that's certainly a good thing that we wanted to support," Orr said. John Joseph, the executive director for the E-Center, said conversations have begun with Hartselle residents about adding a satellite office there. "Hartselle is a very creative, innovative community," Joseph said. "We would absolutely like to partner with them to deliver something that benefits their entrepreneurs and their innovators." Joseph said the E-Center will meet with Hartselle residents and review the services offered to determine the community's greatest need. "A lot depends on if there's additional funding that can come from other places or whether we need to work with what we have," Joseph said. The E-Center has developed connections with Hartselle through its CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) Program, which provides local high school students with real-life business experience. Collins is thankful that HB581 passed. The Alabama Legislature's 2025 session concluded with a Senate filibuster from Senators Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, and Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham. Collins said "the last day was very contentious in the Senate, and (Orr) was able to get both of our local bills on the calendar and through the Senate so that we could pass those bills this year," Collins said. HB581 passed in the House on April 29 and in Senate on May 14. — or 256-340-2437
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NZ defence minister pledges more deployments, co-operation
By Greg Torode SINGAPORE (Reuters) -New Zealand is seeking to expand Asia-Pacific military deployments in its quest to show it was now "pulling our weight" with increased spending on its armed forces, the South Pacific nation's defence minister said in Singapore on Friday. Defence minister Judith Collins raised the prospect of welcoming increased warship visits to the country, deepening joint training and other cooperative efforts with its traditional defence partners including ally Australia, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Britain and the Philippines. "So we're open for business, we're back in the world and we're pulling our weight," Collins told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence meeting in Singapore. The New Zealand government announced in April that it would boost defence spending by NZ$9 billion ($5 billion) over the next four years, with the aim of nearly doubling spending to 2% as a share of gross domestic product in the next eight years amid growing international tensions. The new spending is a significant boost to the defence budget of just under NZ$5 billion in 2024/25, and follows its first national security review in 2023. The review called for more military spending and stronger ties with Indo-Pacific nations to tackle issues of climate change and strategic competition between the West, and China and Russia. The USS Blue Ridge, the command ship of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, visited Wellington earlier this month and further visits from partners could be expected, Collins said. The ship was just the third U.S. warship to visit in 40 years. When asked about Chinese concerns at New Zealand's more assertive military posture, she said Beijing realised Wellington had "actually got a spine", but "I don't think China stays awake at night worrying about us." "I don't think we're any threat to China, or anyone else really," Collins said, describing relations with China, an important trading partner, as "very mature". Regional military attaches and analysts say that after years of relative neglect, New Zealand still had to improve its ability to sustainably project power given its small, ageing navy and air force but supporting its traditional relationships were key. Nuclear-free since the 1980s, New Zealand maintains an independent foreign policy but remains part of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network with the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada. Deployments of its four new Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are being closely watched, given how they can help other countries plug gaps in the hunt for Chinese submarines, analysts say. Collins said New Zealand and Australian pilots now had the ability to fly each other's P-8 and transport planes - a sign of growing "interoperability" in action. Collins said the P-8s had already flown up towards Canada and she expected further patrols in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. "I think you'll see quite a lot of that," she said. "We go everywhere. Everywhere where we're wanted we go, if we can."
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Domino's just dropped a meat pie pizza crust and it's pure Aussie chaos in the best way
We all know footy season brings out the best in Aussie snacks, sausage rolls, party pies, maybe a cheeky pizza if the game's going well (or terribly). But this year, Domino's has lobbed a wild one straight through the goalposts, teaming up with Four'N Twenty to drop what might be the most chaotic and genius idea in fast food history: the Meat Pie Crust Pizza. Yes, it's real. Yes, it's glorious. And it's only $3 extra. You can wrap your favourite Domino's pizza in mini meat pies. Not just any meat pies, Four'N Twenty's golden, flaky classics filled with 100 per cent Aussie beef, nestled right into the crust. It's nostalgic, indulgent, and has 'don't talk to me, I'm watching the game' energy written all over it. Let's be honest: Aussies have always had a thing for mashing up food traditions. So, turning a pizza into a pie party? It actually makes perfect sense. Domino's ANZ Chief Marketing Officer, Allan Collins, calls it a 'game-day power play', and he's not wrong. 'We've taken two of Australia's most iconic game-day staples and fused them into something truly unique,' Collins says. 'This is the kind of pizza dreams are made of.' But they didn't stop there. The whole collab is basically a starting lineup of elite footy snacks, with something for every level of hunger. Here's what else is on the Domino's-Four'N Twenty menu this season: The My Footy Box Pizza, pies, chips. What more do you want? This is the MVP of meal deals. You get a mini Domino's Pepperoni Pizza, two Four'N Twenty meat pies, a side of seasoned chips and a serve of tomato sauce for that full-time flavour fix. It's like a box seat in your lounge room. Perfect for solo snacking or sharing with your loudest mate. Mini Meat Pies 4 Pack The ultimate sideline snack. Golden, flaky, and straight-up delicious. Each four-pack comes with mini Four'N Twenty beef pies and a hit of tomato sauce, ready to back up your main game-day meal. Crispy on the outside, nostalgic on the inside. Warning: not for the faint-hearted. Domino's has turned the sauce levels up to 11 with this range. Choose from Mega Meatlovers, Ranch Supreme, Atomic Meats, Carnivore, or Mango Habanero Chicken. These saucy bad boys are bursting with flavour and absolutely packed with toppings. It's like your favourite pizza got a cheeky attitude upgrade. Whether you're in it for the meat pie crust, the fully loaded boxes or just the novelty of saying, 'I ate a pie pizza,' Domino's has officially raised the bar on footy food. It's fun, a little outrageous, and totally Aussie. And at just $3 to upgrade your crust, it's an easy win.
