Latest news with #Holliday
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
UK's 'worst driver' leads cops on 70mph chase despite already having SIX bans
Serial offender Robert Peter Holliday, of Crook in Durham, once told officers from Durham Constabulary he got an "adrenaline rush" from leading them on high speed chases One of Britain's worst drivers was jailed after leading police on a chase at double the speed limit - despite already being banned from driving six times. Robert Peter Holliday - who in 2022 had an "appalling" 22 convictions for 65 offences - previously told officers that he gained an "adrenaline rush" from forcing officers to pursue him, often at high speed. During his latest crime on August 4, he was spotted by a PC motoring through Staindrop, County Durham, with active disqualifications in place. It comes after boy, 5, is murdered by kidnappers because his mum couldn't pay £39 ransom. Holliday's Ford Transit van was pursued through the village where the 37-year-old sped up to 70mph in the 30mph zone before coming to his senses, giving up and pulling over. Video footage shows him getting out while holding his keys aloft as he walked round to the PC to hand them over. He was put into the back of the police car where checks revealed he was not just a banned driver, but had six active disqualifications. Despite being caught flouting his latest driving ban, Holliday still seemed hopeful that he could be dealt with at the roadside. But he was arrested on suspicion of driving whilst disqualified and having no insurance. Holliday, of Billy Row, Crook, was remanded in custody and put before Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court on Tuesday August 5 where he pleaded guilty to both offences. He is now spending the rest of the summer in prison after being sentenced to 18 weeks and has also added another driving ban to his record with a further 33-month disqualification and more than £200 in costs on top. Holliday's driving rap sheet is nothing short of terrible, with multiple motoring-related convictions. He was jailed for 20 months in August 2015 after a police chase three months earlier - carried out while he was out on licence from a previous prison sentence for dangerous driving. At the time, Durham Crown Court heard Holliday had a "fascination" with vehicles - and was initially followed by police after he was seen driving a Renault Clio without a seatbelt on Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, on May 26. He then sped up to 90-miles per hour on the A689, while undertaking vehicles and heading the wrong way around a roundabout. During the chase, a father-of-two driving a Volkswagen Golf tried to block him to help police but he rammed his car, containing a two-year-old child and four-week-old baby. A previous hearing heard that when he was interviewed by the Probation Service, he admitted that seeing the blue light of a police car gave him an "adrenaline rush". It was revealed that at the time he had a number of driving offences and had been jailed in each of the last two years for motoring matters, including a previous chase in which police cars were rammed. In November 2022 he was back in court for driving a Volkswagen Transporter which sped off when approached by police on October 1. Durham Crown Court heard that it began a lengthy pursuit in which he drove dangerously in built up urban and residential areas in Bishop Auckland and Crook, reaching 85mph. Then again he carried out risky overtaking manoeuvres and went the wrong way around a roundabout. Holliday and his passenger leapt out of the van as it was still travelling at about 30mph, leaving it to crash through someone's fence and into a garden. Tabitha Buck, prosecuting, told the court he had "an extraordinary record" of driving offending with 22 previous convictions for 65 offences, dating from January 2003. They included dangerous driving and driving while disqualified. At that court appearance, Holliday appeared via video link from Durham Prison as he was jailed for 16 weeks by magistrates for other motoring offences committed five days before the latest incident. A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary described Holliday as "another selfish driver off the roads."
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Jordon Hudson and Bill Belichick's ex, Linda Holliday, attend same Nantucket party months after holiday clash
It seems the ice has thawed in Nantucket. Jordon Hudson and Linda Holliday were spotted at the same Massachusetts fundraiser on Saturday, roughly eight months after Bill Belichick's current gal pal and his ex-girlfriend, respectively, clashed at a holiday affair. TMZ reported Monday that 'no issues were seen by partygoers' at the Boston Pops on Nantucket soiree, which is 'believed to be [Hudson and Holliday's] first public run-in' since the Nantucket Dreamland encounter last December, when Holliday confronted Hudson. 5 Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson in February 2025. Getty Images 5 Linda Holliday, who previously dated Bill Belichick, was at a fundraiser in Nantucket over the weekend that Jordon Hudson also attended. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Holliday — who split from Belichick, 73, in 2023 after 16 years of dating — told organizers at the December 2024 gathering she felt Hudson's 'presence was inappropriate, since the event was widely advertised as a party headlined by her daughters,' and asked a staffer to 'remove Ms. Hudson from the premises,' according to an incident report obtained by TMZ in May. Holliday and two others confronted Hudson on the dance floor, and when a staffer approached Hudson about whether 'she thought it was a good idea to be there,' the former college cheerleader defended herself, stating she hadn't done anything wrong. 5 Linda Holliday and Bill Belichick dated for 16 years before their breakup was reported in 2023. Getty Images for Churchill Downs However, the fireworks didn't stop there as Hudson claimed to the event staffer that her friend, former Miss Massachusetts USA Melissa Sapini, was 'seemingly threatened by Ms. Holliday, saying that if Ms. Sapini valued her current title, she should think twice about who her friends are and that she, Ms. Holliday, had many powerful friends in the pageant organization,' per the incident report. Sapini joined Hudson for Saturday's festivities. 5 Jordon Hudson with close friend Melissa Sapini. jordon/Instagram Hudson shot to immediate fame last June when she and Belichick went public with their relationship. Controversies have followed the couple in the months since, including a CBS interview debacle in April when Hudson punted a question about how she and Belichick met. Recently, the former Miss Maine USA contestant made headlines for cold-calling podcaster Charlotte Wilder, who has discussed her romance with Belichick on 'The Sports Gossip Show' with Madeline Hill, and later gave her take on the matter. 5 Controversies have followed Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson since the couple went public with their romance in 2024. Instagram/@jordon_isabella Belichick, an eight-time Super Bowl-winning NFL coach, is gearing up for his first season in the college ranks as UNC's football coach. The Tar Heels host TCU in their season opener on Sept. 1.
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 MLB Draft picks tracker: Eli Willits is shock No. 1 for Nationals, Day 1 results
ATLANTA — The Washington Nationals ushered in a new era in franchise history by plucking a second-generation star who may soon emerge as a D.C. cornerstone. Yet the move was something of a shocker. Eli Willits, son of former major league outfielder Reggie Willits, was picked first by the Nationals in Sunday's Major League Baseball draft, the club opting for the less-heralded Oklahoma prep shortstop coming into this season. In doing so, they bypassed Ethan Holliday, son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, who was aiming to follow in older brother Jackson's footsteps by getting selected first overall. "I'm excited, thankful to the Nationals organization for giving me this chance... I'm ready to get to work," Willits told MLB Network. Willits' selection comes one week after owner Mark Lerner signaled a massive shift in organization structure, firing president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez, who served as architect and shepherd, respectively, of their 2019 World Series champions. While such a drastic move might have seemed extreme one week before owning the No. 1 pick, the Nationals had narrowed their gaze for their selection considerably by then, with Holliday, collegiate left-hander Kade Anderson and Willits the industry consensus finalists. Ultimately, they chose Willits, who reclassified to this draft to be eligible at just 17 years old. It's possible the Nationals cut a deal with Willits to provide a bigger bonus pool for subsequent picks. "I'm a player that's going to give everything I've got,' Willits said. 'I feel like my power is up-and-coming, but I needed to get into an organization like the Nationals that could develop that and take it to the next level.' Willits visited Nationals Park the first week of June as the club narrowed its field of potential picks. Ultimately, they chose a left-handed infielder who batted .473 with 14 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 34 RBI, 27 walks, 47 stolen bases and 56 runs scored while striking out just four times for Fort Cobb-Broxton High School, a squad that squared off with Holliday's Stillwater High School team earlier this season. The slot value of the No. 1 pick this season is $11.075 million. 2025 MLB Draft picks tracker Prospect Promotion Incentive picks Compensation picks Competitive Balance Round A Continued first round (CBT penalties) Continued Competitive Balance Round A Second round Competitive Balance Round B Compensation picks Competitive Balance Round B Compensation pick Third round Compensation pick Marcus Phillips: Red Sox draft Tennessee pitcher Marcus Phillips went from South Dakota to junior college to Tennessee baseball starting pitcher to first-round pick in the MLB Draft. Phillips was picked with the No. 33 by the Boston Red Sox in the 2025 MLB Draft on July 13, the fourth Vols pick already. Pitcher Liam Doyle was picked No. 5 by the St. Louis Cardinals. Shortstop Gavin Kilen was chosen No. 13 by the San Francisco Giants. First baseman/third baseman Andrew Fischer was selected No. 20 by the Milwaukee Brewers. Phillips, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, native, spent two seasons at Tennessee. – Mike Wilson Knoxville News Sentinel Wehiwa Aloy draft: Orioles take Arkansas standout Arkansas baseball shortstop Wehiwa Aloy was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with the 31st overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday night. The projected slot value at No. 31 is $3.04 million. The 6-foot-2 Hawaiian was the SEC Player of the Year and became the Razorbacks' third Golden Spikes Award winner this spring. He led Arkansas in nearly every major offensive category, including slugging percentage (.673), on-base plus slugging (1.107), hits (93), runs scored (81), doubles (19), triples (2), home runs (21), extra-base hits (42), multi-hit games (30) and total bases (179). — Jackson Fuller, Fort Smith Southwest Times Record Gage Wood drafted by Philadelphia Phillies Arkansas baseball pitcher Gage Wood was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 26th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday night, giving the Razorbacks their 11th first-round selection in program history. The Batesville native made 10 starts in 2025 after battling a shoulder injury that required Wood to miss seven weekend starts. He returned in mid-April and finished his junior season by going 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA. Wood made history in June, throwing the third no-hitter in the history of the College World Series. He set a program record with 19 strikeouts as the Hogs kept their season alive with a 3-0 victory over Murray State. Wood hit one batter and needed 119 pitches to complete the no-hitter. – Jackson Fuller, Fort Smith Southwest Times Record Andrew Fischer to Milwaukee Brewers With their first of five picks on the opening night of the Major League Baseball draft, the Milwaukee Brewers went to a corner bat out of college, third baseman Andrew Fischer from the University of Tennessee. Fischer hit 25 home runs while batting .341 with a 1.257 OPS as a junior for Tennessee this season. – Curt Hogg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Ike Irish drafted by Baltimore Orioles For the first time in five years, an Auburn baseball player has been selected in the first round of the MLB Draft. Ike Irish, the well-tooled hitter who led the Tigers to new heights during his three-year college career, was taken with the 19th overall pick in the first round of this year's draft by the Baltimore Orioles organization on Sunday. With it, Irish became the 10th first-round selection in Auburn's history, joining the likes of Casey Mize, Frank Thomas, Gregg Olson and Gabe Gross to be selected within the first 15 picks. The projected slot value of the No. 19 pick in this year's draft is $4,420,900. Irish's Auburn career coincided with a fruitful juncture for the program. In three years, he was part of two regional squads and, in 2025, helped the Tigers to hosting a super regional for the first time. Simultaneously, his tenure ended with his name in the record books, particularly top-10 marks for career batting average and home runs in Auburn history. – Adam Cole, Montgomery Advertiser Gavin Fien MLB draft: Giants take Tennessee shortstop Gavin Kilen is Tennessee baseball's first hitter off the board in the 2025 MLB Draft, going No. 13 to the Giants. Kilen is Tennessee's second pick of the 2025 MLB Draft joining pitcher Liam Doyle as UT had two first-round picks in the draft for the third time in four drafts. Doyle was picked No. 5 by the Cincinnati Reds. Kilen hit a team-leading .357 in his lone season at Tennessee. He hit 15 homers, 13 doubles and a team-high four triples as he flashed the hitting skills that made him a coveted draft prospect. He played second base and shortstop, earning first-team All-SEC honors at second base. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel Billy Carlson to White Sox at No. 10 Billy Carlson, the top-ranked player in Tennessee baseball's recruiting class, was picked in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft. Carlson was selected No. 10 by the Chicago White Sox on July 13. He was the second straight Tennessee signee picked. Alabama shortstop Steele Hall was picked No. 9 by the Cincinnati Reds. The Corona High School (California) superstar is ranked the No. 3 prospect nationally and the No. 2 shortstop, according to Perfect Game. He is considered by many to be the best defensive high school shortstop in the country. tabbed him the No. 7 prospect in the draft. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel Liam Doyle drafted by Cardinals Liam Doyle set a new standard for Tennessee baseball in the MLB draft under Tony Vitello. The Vols pitcher was selected No. 5 overall by the St. Louis Cardinals, making him the highest-draft player in Vitello's tenure and the second highest-drafted pitcher in program history. Doyle was 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA and was named the SEC pitcher of the year. He struck out a program-record 164 batters in 95⅔ innings, while walking only 32. Doyle is the seventh first-rounder under Vitello. UT has had a first-round pick in four straight drafts and a top-10 pick in three straight drafts. Christian Moore was picked No. 8 in the 2024 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels, the previous high mark under Vitello. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel How many rounds are in the MLB Draft? There are 20 rounds in the 2025 MLB Draft, which are set to include 615 total selections. MLB mock draft: Final predictions USA TODAY Sports' final MLB mock draft has prep standout Ethan Holliday going first overall to the wWashington Nationals Check out Gabe Lacques' full MLB mock draft here. Who is eligible for the MLB draft? A handful of requirements have to be met in order for a player to enter and be selected in the MLB draft. A prospect must either be a resident or have attended a school in the United States, Canada or a U.S. territory such as Puerto Rico. MLB has a separate period in which its teams can sign international players. Additionally, players are only eligible after they've graduated from high school. If they're at a four-year college, they are eligible only three years after they originally enrolled or after their 21st birthday, whichever comes first. Conversely, players from junior colleges are eligible to be drafted at any time. – Austin Curtright
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 MLB Draft takeaways: Surprise No. 1, Corona is king, Skenes support coming?
ATLANTA — They dressed up the Roxy Theater as best they could and filled it with jersey-clad fans, a main event in search of a headliner. Yet Major League Baseball's draft more often than not comes up short in its search for a main character. And so it went Sunday night in the shadow of Truist Park. The Washington Nationals upset the process, if you will, by choosing Oklahoma prep shortstop Eli Willits with the first pick, opting for the 17-year-old over his in-state legacy cohort, Ethan Holliday, and a slew of elite collegiate arms. MLB DRAFT GRADES: Analyzing every first-round pick ETHAN HOLLIDAY: Prep phenom follows in father's footsteps with Rockies And while the seat-fillers – not unlike a dance floor at a Super Bowl halftime show – did their level best to maintain their enthusiasm, whether booing commissioner Rob Manfred or cavorting with assembled team mascots, they were ultimately viewing a process rife with endless and unseen outcomes. That's how the draft's always been, and while recent years have produced some buzzworthy picks that dovetailed nicely with MLB's insistence on granting it a primetime slot (think: Paul Skenes), the draft on Sunday returned, stubbornly, to its old ways. Here are five takeaways from the first day of baseball's annual selection meeting: Surprise party with Eli Willits at No. 1 Certainly, Willits' selection raised a few eyebrows, though he met with the Nationals last month and it would stand to reason the club might look to avoid the Scott Boras-repped Holliday and save a few bucks from their bonus pool with a younger – just 17 – talent more likely to stick to shortstop. 'He was the guy we wanted all along,' says Nationals interim GM Mike DeBartolo. Sure. Yet the first round really went sideways when the Los Angeles Angels veered away from everyone's projections to snag UC Santa Barbara right-hander Tyler Bremner, who lurked near the top of draft boards all winter before getting off to a slow start in Goleta. But he finished strong, even as he pitched under the radar while SEC darlings Kade Anderson and Liam Doyle starred in the NCAA postseason. The Mariners were surely thrilled to see Anderson available at No. 3; with the club desperate to make the playoffs this season, Anderson may figure in sooner rather than later. The domino effect: Holliday to four (Colorado), Aiva Arquette to seven (Miami) and Billy Carlson 10th (Chicago White Sox), three elite shortstops tumbling as a result of one club jumping the board. Yet to the uninitiated, that's simply the MLB draft, baby. Check back in five years to see if the Angels were brilliantly pragmatic or foolishly counterintuitive. No wonder they were all no-shows Speaking of which, you might have noticed there was no one for Manfred to bro hug. Yep, after years of trying largely in vain to lure top prospects to attend the draft in person, the league came up totally dry this time. Long gone is the day Mike Trout wandered down to MLB Network's Secaucus studios, all by himself, and waited it out for the Angels to take him 27th overall and then become the greatest player of the decade. One of one, indeed. Yet it's also easy to see why draftees stay away, beyond the Boras-driven reason to not cede any bargaining leverage. Unlike their NFL and NBA counterparts, whose biggest draft night decisions involve whether to go suit or open collar fit, it's often business time for these kids. It wouldn't be surprising if Willits or Bremner or any number of picks who might have climbed some draft boards were on the phone with clubs right up to the clock running out, hammering out slices of signing pools as clubs seek flexibility. Better to do all that in the comfort of their great room, surrounded by friends, even if your time in the green room isn't projected to be long. Pirates building super rotation with Seth Hernandez Despite the relative chaos of the first five picks, No. 6 unfolded as anticipated: Seth Hernandez, the 6-foot-5 beast from a decorated Corona High School program, is headed to Pittsburgh. And the notion of pairing Hernandez with Skenes and top prospect Bubba Chandler is perhaps the closest thing resembling hope at PNC Park since Johnny Cueto dropped the ball. Oh, Hernandez presents immense risk: His status as a right-handed prep pitcher likely diminished his chance as the No. 1 overall pick, despite a 98-mph fastball and pro-caliber changeup. Yet Hernandez certainly has the stuff, makeup and track record to move quickly. Will Skenes be around to greet him in Pittsburgh? Yes, the notions of a Skenes trade are premature and somewhat absurd, but that won't be the case two winters from now. Skenes will likely have four seasons of service time under his belt by the earliest point Hernandez could bubble up from the minors. With each passing year and Skenes' continued good health, it grows exceedingly unlikely the Pirates can sign him to an extension. So, come 2028, Skenes and Hernandez might join forces, even if just for a year or two. And whether big fella leaves for nine-figure free agent riches, swinging big and betting on Hernandez's arm was the right move for Pittsburgh. High school is cool again One year after teams made draft history by using the first eight selections on collegiate players, the preps bounced back in a big way this year, accounting for the No. 1 overall pick, three of the top six and six of the top 10. What does it all mean? Well, it enhances the chances 2024 was something of a blip wrought by a shortened 2020 draft and a moderate COVID-19 hangover that compelled more top talents to attend college – or stay there. And as draft bonus pools swell, the lure of a high seven-figure payday and a faster path to the big leagues can still outweight the lure of campus life and the NIL payday that might come with it. Corona High School was all that So, just how good was St. John Bosco High School's team? It's a question nobody's asking but is worth pondering since the SoCal parochial school more associated with high school greatness took down the dominant Hernandez and the Panthers in the semifinals of the Southern Section playoffs. And yeah, perhaps Corona will still go down as one of the greatest squads of all time. After all, they had three players selected in the top 32 picks. Hernandez was followed later by shortstop Carlson, who went 10th to the Chicago White Sox. And Brady Ebel, son of Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel, narrowly missed garnering a historic third first round selection for the school. He was picked 32nd overall by Milwaukee. Assuming all sign, Vanderbilt (Hernandez), Tennessee (Carlson) and LSU (Ebel) will miss out on premier talent. And through 32 picks, the leaders in players picked were: Tennessee: Four Corona High School: Three Arkansas: Two Wake Forest: Two Can a high school join the SEC? Makes you wonder.
USA Today
13-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
MLB Draft: Ethan Holliday follows in All-Star dad's footsteps with Rockies
ATLANTA — As Matt Holliday's eldest sons navigated their way through amateur baseball, rising from decent prospects to potential first-round picks, the difference between father and sons became apparent in their public appearances: Jackson and Ethan were simply different physical specimens than their father, a seven-time All-Star who at 6-4 and 240 pounds still looks like he could bat cleanup – or be an edge rusher – for somebody. But now, there is an undeniable link between the OG Holliday and Ethan: Son will follow in father's footsteps as a Colorado Rockie. MLB DRAFT TRACKER: Every pick from 2025's first round Ethan Holliday's draft day didn't begin as anticipated Sunday night, with the Washington Nationals opting for his Oklahoma prep shortstop cohort, Eli Willits, as the No. 1 overall pick, followed by collegiate arms Tyler Bremner and Kade Anderson by the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners. But any semblance of a slide turned into serendipity. The Rockies did not hesitate to snag Holliday with the fourth overall pick, opting for a shortstop who stands eye to eye with his father yet posseses an athleticism that allows him to patrol shortstop. Ethan is also taller and projected to be stronger than younger brother Jackson, and although he did not equal Jackson's 2022 feat by becoming the first overall pick, he has the ceiling to light up Coors Field. Holliday batted .661 with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs for Stillwater High School this season, earning consensus as the No. 1 pick yet not separating himself to the extent an organization's whims or the vagaries of bonus pool allocation might get a club like Washington to switch up. Yet there's a certain family tradition he's now happy to inherit. Matt Holliday mashed in Denver, hitting 130 home runs in six seasons, with a .936 OPS and a 131 adjusted OPS, meaning that with altitude factored in he was still approaching elite offensive production. He provided one of the more iconic moments in franchise history, sliding home just ahead of the throw (or not – the play would be a lightning rod for eventual replay review) – to score the winning run in a one-game playoff against the San Diego Padres in 2007. Eventually, the Rockies faded and traded Holliday to Oakland, and he went on to have seven All-Star campaigns with the Cardinals. He finished up with a final, partial season in Colorado, by which time young Jackson and Ethan were familiar sights in Matt's clubhouses. Now, it will seem like déjà vu in Denver, with a thinner, perhaps more athletic and potentially potent Holliday back in town. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
