Latest news with #FredTaylor
CBS News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Worcester residents outraged by ICE arrest, police response
Police say two people were arrested when a crowd of people tried to interfere with an ICE operation in Worcester on Thursday. The incident has generated a lot of anger in the city. Crowds swarmed around federal agents on Eureka Street as they took a woman into custody. A witness describes what she saw. "The mom as she was being detained too, she was screaming, I don't know if she was being hurt as she was handcuffed, but she was truly screaming," Dali RaRocha said. "Those are the screams I have truly engrained in my ears right now." Residents demand answers Another relative, believed to be her daughter, was flailing in front of the ICE vehicle in a scene that rapidly grew into chaos in front of agents, some masked, and witnesses saying they had no answers about the arrest. "We were all asking for a warrant, they didn't answer at first, and then eventually just said this is a warrantless arrest when they were shoving them into the vehicle," said witness David Webb. Worcester police say they moved in to deescalate the situation, but the response has outraged the community, some saying they question which side the police were on. "We saw both federal and Worcester officers descend on a family with a level of aggression that you would use when apprehending someone who is known to be dangerous and carrying weapons," said Fred Taylor of the Worcester NAACP. School committee candidate arrested Two others were arrested, including school committee candidate Ashley Spring, who is charged with disorderly conduct and assault and battery as she allegedly threw an unknown liquid at responding officers. The daughter of the woman taken into custody by ICE was also arrested. At some point DaRocha took the infant of another family member into her arms to help. "What I felt is indescribable, because such an innocent baby that is going to be impacted by separation of family members," DaRocha said. "Get out of our city" City leaders are calling for accountability and an investigation into the response. "The message for ICE is get out of our city," Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj said. "Our local police is not tasked to protect ICE, they're here to protect the people and they should behave that way," Taylor said. It is not clear who the arrested woman is or where she was taken.
Axios
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Axios
It's March Sadness again for Ohio college basketball teams
Ohio State has bragging rights when it comes to March Madness Final Four appearances, but it's been a while since the last one. Why it matters: An Axios review of bracket history shows the longtime dominance of "blue blood" programs, while lesser-known schools like Cincinnati and Dayton have also reached the brightest lights. Yes, but: Not this year, as Ohio teams saw early exits in 2025's NCAA Tournaments. The OSU women's squad got bounced at home in the Round of 32, while the low-seeded Xavier and Akron men's teams each lost in the first round. The big picture: It's now been 13 years since an Ohio school reached the Final Four, when the OSU men's team lost a heartbreaking semifinal to Kansas in 2012. Flashback: The Buckeyes dominated the early bracket years, losing the first national championship game in 1939 and making seven more Final Four appearances through 1968. 😮 That included a three-year stretch when OSU and Cincinnati made the Final Four together. OSU won it all in 1960 under Hall of Fame coach Fred Taylor and with legends John Havlicek, Jerry Lucas and Bob Knight, plus local East High School stars Mel Nowell and Joe Roberts. Yes, but: Cincinnati beat OSU in the 1961 championship game, then did it again in 1962. Only one women's team from Ohio has ever reached the Final Four — OSU made it to the 1993 title game thanks to the heroics of current assistant coach Katie Smith. Zoom out: North Carolina and California have the most men's Final Four appearances. Eleven states have never had a school make it, and all 11 were shut out again this year. Connecticut leads the way on the women's side with 23 UConn appearances under head coach Geno Auriemma. A larger number of states (23) have been shut out, mainly because the women's tournament began 43 years after the first men's event. Only No. 5 seed Kansas State is still alive from that group.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Burglar loads up on batteries from several auto parts stores: MPD
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A man is accused of breaking into several auto parts stores over several weeks and stealing carts full of batteries. Fred Taylor, 41, was arrested Wednesday and charged with three counts of Burglary to a Business, Theft of Property $2,500 to $10,000, Evading Arrest in a Vehicle, and Reckless Driving. His bond has not been set. His court date has not been scheduled. According to police, Taylor was wearing a blue mechanic jacket and pants, a reflective undershirt, boots, and a black face mask when he broke into the business. Memphis shelter deals with second outbreak of canine distemper On Mar. 11, at 12:57 a.m., officers responded to a business burglary at O'Reilly Auto Parts at 1049 Frayser Boulevard. Police were told that the suspect entered the business by prying open a rear door. He stole 10 batteries worth over $2,000. On Feb. 12, at 2:10 a.m., police responded to a business burglary at O'Reilly Auto Parts at 1049 Frayser Boulevard. Officers were told that a male suspect forced entry through the same rear door as before and stole 11 batteries valued at over $2,000. On Feb. 28, at 12:34 a.m., officers responded to a business burglary at AutoZone at 4394 Summer Avenue. They were told a rear door was pried open, and 13 batteries were stolen from the business. The value of the batteries was almost $4,000. TN farmers, local food bank brace for $1B in federal cuts Police said that video surveillance in the area captured Taylor's vehicle, a silver Infiniti M35 with a mismatched front passenger door and a distinct deformity to the rear passenger fender. According to reports, while police made the scene of the burglary, the Austin Peay Task Force observed a vehicle matching the description of the car caught on camera traveling south on Overton Crossing. MPD said that they initiated a traffic stop, but the car refused to stop and evaded at a high rate of speed, running a red light. Officers did not pursue the Infiniti. Worker dead after apparent fall at Arlington warehouse Reports say the Tennessee Highway Patrol Aviation Unit helped track the vehicle as it fled. The car stopped in the 700 block of Persons, and police attempted to detain the male. The male re-entered his vehicle and fled. THP aviation continued to track the vehicle until it stopped in the 2200 block of East Holmes, where the suspect was taken into custody without incident. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hall of Fame voting change makes it harder for Fred Taylor, Tom Coughlin to gain entry
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the holy grail for the legacies of NFL players. It delivers unquantified immortality, not to mention puts a lot of residual income in the pockets of gold jacket members who can deliver at corporate speaking engagements. It explains why results of the annual HOF vote, especially for players/coaches/contributors not regarded as automatic first-ballot selections, is such a high anxiety moment. Every voter understands the massive responsibility of trying to fairly judge the resumes of finalists vying to get into Canton. That's why the recent change to the HOF voting bylaws could negatively impact the legacies of multiple candidates, including former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor and head coach Tom Coughlin. After only four players were elected to the Class of 2025 — the smallest group in 20 years — many people blamed voters for the diminished class instead of putting the blame where it rightfully belonged: the HOF Board of Directors that foolishly altered the voting process. Youth movement: Jacksonville Jaguars going with younger leadership in organizational reset Speaking with a half-dozen voters, all of whom preferred to talk anonymously, there's a feeling of overwhelming disappointment, and certainly some anger, about the changes in voting protocol that made it look like they were shortchanging the careers of HOF finalists. "This year, we had so much ammunition that should have gotten more people in the Hall of Fame,' said one voter, who has been part of the 49-member electorate for over a decade. 'I was shocked that [coach nominee] Mike Holmgren and [wide receiver] Torry Holt didn't get in. "I'd say the majority of voters are very disappointed how this went down and we're going to have a call about it.' Another voter was livid about deliberating on a Zoom call for eight-plus hours, discussing the 15 modern-era finalists and five senior players/coach/contributor finalists, yet resulting in only three and one, respectively, getting into Canton. 'What makes me upset is it makes us look as voters that we didn't think more than three modern era candidates were worthy of election,' he said. 'That's not the case.' It'll be interesting to see whether the voter pushback results in the HOF Board of Directors calling an audible when it comes time to vote on the Class of 2026. It's undeniable that the HOF changing the voter protocol for this year's class — which elected Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, Eric Allen and senior candidate Sterling Sharpe — led to only half of the maximum class being elected. Here's why: it used to be voters reduced the 15 modern-era finalists to 10, then 5, and voted yes or no on the final five (80 percent, or 40 of 49 approval required for entry), which is almost guaranteed election because voters are highly reluctant to turn down a candidate advancing that far. This year, the HOF decided to have voters choose five candidates out of seven finalists, which reduces the odds of the maximum five players gaining entry. Under the new voting procedure, a minimum three modern-era players and maximum five get into Canton. But with seven players to choose from instead of five, the vote was obviously more divided and increased the likelihood of more players not hitting the 80 percent threshold. If only two players hit that standard, the next-highest vote-getter would make the HOF. For the other category, with three senior players, one coach nominee and one contributor nominee going up against each other, voters were asked to pick three and that same math meant less of a chance for a maximum three finalists to get into the HOF. For Taylor and Coughlin, who has yet to be the coach nominee in two years of eligibility, this voting change makes it a lot more difficult to be fitted for a gold jacket. With the HOF decreeing that whoever among the seven modern-era finalists doesn't get in is automatically a finalist next year, that means four of the 15 spots for 2026 are reserved for tackle Willie Anderson, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri and Holt. As one voter pointed out, since quarterback Drew Brees, running back Frank Gore and receiver Larry Fitzgerald (all expected to get in) become eligible next year, that essentially leaves only eight slots available for Taylor to be among the 15 finalists for a third straight year. Given that seven other finalists, among them Eli Manning, Terrell Suggs, Reggie Wayne and Darren Woodson, and other first-time eligible players will be in the same predicament, it's almost guaranteed that at least a couple finalists from 2025 won't get that far next year. As one voter put it: 'This [voting change] they're doing makes it very difficult for players who either played in small markets, didn't play a glamor position or never won a Super Bowl to get in the Hall.' Translation: Taylor's chances of getting into Canton are significantly reduced. Coughlin's situation is a different complication. Holmgren and 2024 coach nominee Buddy Parker not getting in the HOF only clutters the coaching pool. This year, a blue-ribbon committee deliberated over Coughlin, Holmgren and seven other finalists to be the one coach nominee. It chose Holmgren, who won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers, finished runner-up with the Seattle Seahawks, and has an overall record of 161-111 (.592). Holmgren not getting the required 80 percent — a difficult standard when the coach nominee is thrown into the mixing bowl with three senior finalists and one contributor — means he goes back into consideration next year. Well, not only must Coughlin compete with other worthy candidates like two-time Super Bowl champions Mike Shanahan and George Seifert, but Bill Belichick, who hoisted the Lombardi Trophy six times as a head coach, is also eligible after the HOF reduced the waiting time for coaches after leaving the NFL from five years to one year. 'It's problematic, no question,' said one voter. 'We had one of the best meetings because the presentations were so good for so many people. Holmgren not getting in just stunned me.' That wasn't good news for supporters of Coughlin, inducted into the Pride of the Jaguars in 2024. He has an overall record of 170-150 (.531), which lags behind his competition in terms of win percentage. Still, winning two Super Bowls over Belichick's Patriots and taking an expansion Jaguars team to two AFC title games in its first five years is plenty Hall of Fame-worthy. 'For one coach to emerge by a committee out of pretty stiff competition, a lot of thought went into this to bring a coach or contributor to the voters,' said one voting member. 'So he should be subjected to a simple yes or no vote [to get into the Hall].' 'I've always felt my job is always to listen to all the presentations and to put people in the Hall, not keep them out.' At 78-years-old, Coughlin's brilliant career deserves a bust in Canton. It'd be nice to see him get it while he's still around to enjoy the honor. One voter highly critical of the voting change says it's almost a guarantee that future HOF classes will not reach the maximum number because there's too many qualified candidates. Another reason this change is misguided is football, by virtue of 22 starting positions, has more HOF-worthy candidates than other sports. It should be putting a greater number of players in Canton, not less. 'We've got so many guys backed up that are worthy of getting in and it's only going to get worse now,' the voter said. 'I would be curious to find out who thought this would be a good idea. This rule change doesn't make any sense to me. 'I could have predicted this [reduced class] would happen because when you get good candidates, the vote is going to get split. We were agonizing every year just trying to get it down to five [finalists].' Many voters I've known for decades have expressed how gut-wrenching it is for them just to whittle 15 finalists to 10, then 5. Now the change in voting for five of seven finalists — and not knowing how many or who gets in because the HOF doesn't tell them — makes it even more agonizing. 'They didn't need to change anything,' said one voter. 'Just give it to the top five vote-getters. There's never going to be a shortage where you don't have five deserving candidates. 'Smaller classes are absolutely going to happen because more deserving guys are going to be backlogged. If 80 percent is the standard, less guys will get in every year.' Some have speculated the HOF is concerned about voting results, which voters are supposed to keep secret, getting out and that's why this new format was adopted. Others believe current HOF members influenced the Board of Directors to make entry more exclusive, but HOF spokesman Rich Desrosiers denied that was the reason for the voting change. 'There were certainly some [Hall of Famers] that expressed those views, but it was not pervasive,' said Desrosiers. 'The bylaws are reviewed every year, so change is always possible. 'But you're right about the smaller class this year. It's a reflection of the number of people worthy of being in the Hall that you get that vote fragmentation.' So the question becomes this: will the HOF revert back to the old voting protocol that practically ensures a maximum five modern era candidates are elected, or will the current bylaws stay in place for the foreseeable future? 'With this change and having only one year to look at how the results transpired, it's more likely this system will stay in place for one more year,' Desrosiers said. For Jaguars' legends Fred Taylor and Tom Coughlin, it means the privilege of Canton immortality is likely going to take a lot longer. Sadly, maybe way too long. Gfrenette@ (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Change in HOF voting make it harder entry for Fred Taylor, Tom Coughlin
USA Today
07-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Jaguars' RB Fred Taylor doesn't make 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame
Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor, a franchise great, was not named a member of the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Taylor was one of 15 modern-era finalists for this year's Hall of Fame class. This was the second consecutive year that Taylor was among the finalists. Those going into the Hall of Fame this year include Jared Allen, Sterling Sharp, Antonio Gates, and Eric Allen. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, in order to be selected, a 50-person selection committee could each pick up to five players from that group of 15 finalists to be a part of this year's class. Then collectively, among the 50 voters, a player has to receive a minimum positive vote of 80% in order to make the Hall of Fame. Taylor played 13 seasons in the NFL with 11 of them coming with the Jaguars, where he was the 9th overall pick in the 1998 draft out of Florida. He finished his career with 11,695 rushing yards, 66 rushing touchdowns, and was a one-time Pro Bowler. Out of Taylor's 11 seasons with the Jaguars, he eclipsed the 1,000 yard rushing mark in seven of those years and surpassed 1,300 rushing yards three times. Taylor's most productive season on the ground came in 2003 when he rushed for 1,572 yards. Tony Boselli was the first Jaguars player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame back in 2022.
