Latest news with #Hooker
Chicago Tribune
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin Pride Parade & Festival organizers expecting big crowd for Saturday's downtown festivities
The Elgin Pride Parade & Festival returns for a third year with plans to be bigger, louder and prouder than ever before, organizers say. Events start at 11 a.m. Saturday with the parade in downtown Elgin followed by a party in Festival Park, both organized by ELGbtq+ and the city of Elgin. They've added another 10 units to the parade lineup, bringing the total to 60, when it steps off at Prairie Street and Grove Avenue, according to Travis Hooker, president of the ELGbtq+ Board. The goal is to embrace and show off the city by creating positive, inclusive events open to the entire community, he said. 'One of our big things is to bring recognition to Elgin, specifically our downtown,' Hooker said. With Saturday's weather forecast looking good — temperatures are expected to be in the 70s and the chance for rain low — ELGbtq+ is expecting a turnout of about 4,500 people, building on the 4,000 who came out it their inaugural year, he said. Last year, rain kept event attendance down to about 2,000, he said. New parade participants include Walmart/Sam's Club, Footprints in Recovery, Marshmallow Moon Sound Bath Salon and the National Alliance on Mental Illness Fox Valley, a newly formed chapter in northern Kane County, Hooker said. And there are a lot of groups returning, including Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gay (PFLAG), the Girl Scouts, and numerous Elgin churches and organizations. The festival will feature 14 food trucks, 70 vendors and live music, with the headlining act being 'Crocodile Rockstar' Beazley Phillips, an Elton John impersonator. Because it wants to be inclusive to all, the festival will have a specially designed sensory-safe area for those in the autism spectrum, Hooker said. The official afterparty will feature an appearance by Orion Story, a contestant on season 14 of 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' at the Martini Room in downtown Elgin. Other performers will include Gina D'Licious, Sativa Diamond and Mark Love. National Pride Month events have been experiencing a decrease in corporate support, but that's not the case in Elgin, where Walmart has signed on to be a sponsor, Hooker said. There's been a lot of fear because of changes coming out of Washington, but those actions have 'helped galvanize the community' here, said Hooker, senior partner with CDO Executives. His firm trains police officers and government agencies on how to better interact with diverse and marginalized communities. 'They've found the fire to rally behind something,' he said. 'I see more interest and involvement now. We have lost some corporate sponsors but the community has come together.' Hooker said he believes the increased support shows that not everything has to be based on 'far left or far right' viewpoints. While issues like transgender athletes can divide communities, including the trans community, most people are somewhere in the middle and support basic human rights, he said.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dan Hooker scoffs at critics of his viral backyard brawls tournament: 'Now I have to do it' more
Dan Hooker can't currently compete in sanctioned combat, but that doesn't mean he can't organize a backyard tussle or two. Although the MMA world took a collective break this past Memorial Day weekend, the holiday didn't stop the top-ranked UFC lightweight contender from putting on fights at his home. Last Saturday, Hooker invited 32 men to his New Zealand backyard, taking the internet by storm with a winner-take-all tournament of one-minute brawls. Advertisement Speaking on Wednesday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show," Hooker explained how this wild, throwback concept materialized. "I got contacted a while back by a crazy Russian fight show, made my way out to Thailand where they had put it on in, like, a warehouse," Hooker said. "They brought me out to host it. So I brought a couple fighters with me from New Zealand, but I had nothing to do with the organization or kind of planning that event. Then I just saw how they got down. They had 32-man, one-minute fights. I took the idea and I saw how you could run it smoother — or how I would do it, you know?" Hooker, 35, has only shared a steady drip of clips from the event over the past few days, but plans to upload the entire hour-long tournament this Friday. Advertisement Dealing with a broken hand, Hooker has been on the mend since his injury forced him out of a scheduled matchup against Justin Gaethje in March. He recently underwent a successful surgery and hopes to return by September or October. Meanwhile, Hooker's having fun watching fights as closely as one can get without physically being involved. The one-minute backyard fights allowed punches only, and each fight had judges, a medic and a referee to keep things organized. Out of all the bouts, Hooker said only one real injury occurred when someone hurt their arm. The limited rules included a three-second knockdown rule and a TKO loss if knocked down twice. Everyone received $1,000 to compete, with the winner taking home $50,000. "I just put a video up on Instagram, and people messaged me," Hooker said of finding competitors. "I just kind of looked through. You spend enough time, you know how to filter through everything. Advertisement "It's just a man with an iPhone and a dream. I knew that everyone would think it was crazy. I knew that there would be people who had issues with it, so I wanted to match[make] it — I wanted it at my house so I could control it. I had some amazing people step up to the plate." Controlling the festivities was an essential part of the evening for Hooker. What looked like a group of friends throwing down in the backyard could easily attract problematic attention — and it did from some. Hooker initially hadn't put much thought into continuing the concept for multiple iterations, however the minor complaints he's received since have acted only as fuel to carry on rather than stop. Advertisement "Deter me? I feel like you're now — you've challenged me now," Hooker said of detractors. "I was going to leave it. There's people trying to stop me? Now I have to do it. Now I'm unbound and forced to pursue it. "Once everyone watches the full 45 minutes and just sees the respect for all the fighters that's shown to each other, you see that it's just a couple of guys who end up putting gloves on in the backyard. When did having a punch-out with your mates become illegal? Since when was that a crime? And it's being run by some of the most experienced combat sports people in the country. Thousands of fights, medically trained. If that's illegal, then they've got better things to do."
Economic Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Economic Times
Fight Club, Dan Hooker's $50K MMA event sparks police heat, online bets, and bloodsport frenzy
TIL Creatives Auckland braces for chaos as Dan 'Hangman' Hooker's $50,000 underground fight sparks police warnings and public outrage A controversial underground fighting event in Auckland has drawn sharp criticism from boxing authorities and prompted police scrutiny over safety and legality concerns. Police are trying to speak with the organisers of an amateur fighting competition expected to take place in Auckland on Saturday(May 24). The event, dubbed "King of the Streets," is promoted by New Zealand mixed martial arts fighter Dan "Hangman" Hooker. Scheduled for Saturday, it features 32 amateur fighters competing in one-minute bouts without weight divisions, wearing 4-ounce MMA gloves, for a winner-takes-all prize of $50,000. Police have expressed concerns about the event's compliance with legal requirements. A spokesperson stated, "Police will look at any options available to us should an event proceed that has the potential to put public safety at risk or that would be operating in breach of any law.""It's worth reminding people that organising events comes with certain responsibilities and requirements under law. These requirements are in place for good reason," police added. The New Zealand Boxing Coaches Association has condemned the tournament. President Billy Meehan described it as "straight-out thuggery," highlighting the lack of medical oversight, absence of weight classes, and the use of MMA gloves as significant safety concerns. He warned, "We're going to see somebody get seriously hurt, if not killed." The event is also reportedly linked to an online gambling platform called "TheDoctor." Promotions have included unconventional tactics, such as a treasure hunt for tickets involving a metal plate from Hooker's previously broken arm, which contained the event's location details. Hooker and fellow UFC fighter Israel Adesanya have actively promoted the event despite the backlash. Adesanya encouraged attendance, saying, "Bring the family, bring the whānau, bring everyone, come watch, you'll get knocked out or knock someone the f--- out."
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Fight Club, Dan Hooker's $50K MMA event sparks police heat, online bets, and bloodsport frenzy
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A controversial underground fighting event in Auckland has drawn sharp criticism from boxing authorities and prompted police scrutiny over safety and legality concerns. Police are trying to speak with the organisers of an amateur fighting competition expected to take place in Auckland on Saturday(May 24).The event, dubbed "King of the Streets," is promoted by New Zealand mixed martial arts fighter Dan "Hangman" Hooker. Scheduled for Saturday, it features 32 amateur fighters competing in one-minute bouts without weight divisions, wearing 4-ounce MMA gloves, for a winner-takes-all prize of $50,000. Police have expressed concerns about the event's compliance with legal requirements. A spokesperson stated, "Police will look at any options available to us should an event proceed that has the potential to put public safety at risk or that would be operating in breach of any law.""It's worth reminding people that organising events comes with certain responsibilities and requirements under law. These requirements are in place for good reason," police New Zealand Boxing Coaches Association has condemned the tournament. President Billy Meehan described it as "straight-out thuggery," highlighting the lack of medical oversight, absence of weight classes, and the use of MMA gloves as significant safety concerns. He warned, "We're going to see somebody get seriously hurt, if not killed." The event is also reportedly linked to an online gambling platform called "TheDoctor." Promotions have included unconventional tactics, such as a treasure hunt for tickets involving a metal plate from Hooker's previously broken arm, which contained the event's location details. Hooker and fellow UFC fighter Israel Adesanya have actively promoted the event despite the backlash. Adesanya encouraged attendance, saying, "Bring the family, bring the whānau, bring everyone, come watch, you'll get knocked out or knock someone the f--- out."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lions' Hendon Hooker 'a puppy,' already showing improvement in battle for backup QB job
No one wants to play four preseason games, but for Detroit Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell, there's a silver lining to his team's extra exhibition affair. 'For the quarterback position, I mean, I love it,' Brunell said May 13. 'I love it that Hendon and Kyle will be getting more reps, more game time, and so it allows you to evaluate more. It allows those guys to have more opportunities to move the team.' Advertisement The Lions signed veteran Kyle Allen to compete with Hendon Hooker for the backup quarterback job behind Jared Goff in training camp, and with Goff expected to have a workload 'probably very similar to what' he has had in previous years, Brunell said, that will leave the bulk of the preseason game reps to Allen and Hooker. Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker (2) looks to pass against Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half of a preseason game at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 24, 2024. Goff has not taken a snap in a preseason game since 2022, with the Lions preferring he get his reps in joint workouts and practices. Lions coach Dan Campbell said he hopes to have two sets of joint practices again this summer. The Lions open the preseason July 31 against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame game. They play a road game Aug. 8 against the Atlanta Falcons, then host the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans to close the preseason. Advertisement STEVE JOBS OF SCOUTING: How Brad Holmes' 5 years at HBCU set him on path to Lions GM Hooker, a third-round pick in 2023 who missed his first training camp with the Lions while recovering from a college knee injury, saw his first NFL action last season when he completed 6 of 9 passes for 62 yards in three games. After using Hooker as Goff's backup most of the year, the Lions signed Teddy Bridgewater late in the season as veteran quarterback insurance and made him their No. 2 quarterback in the playoffs. The team added Allen as competition this offseason. 'He's a puppy and he's still young,' Brunell said of Hooker, 27. 'And does he have a lot (to grow)? Yeah. Yeah, there's some things that we got to work on, but what other — that's the same case for every other young guy that's going into his third season. There's a lot of things to work on.' Advertisement Allen, 29 and entering his eighth NFL season, has attempted just one pass the past two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills but is 7-12 in his career as a starter. 'What we saw in Kyle was a quarterback, to your point, who has experience, he has played, he's been on multiple teams, different systems, very smart,' Brunell said. 'What I loved about the tape that we saw, he made good decisions with the ball. He managed very well. You could tell he was operating within whatever offense that he was in, and just has a good grasp on how to play at this level and has for a while.' Brunell said how Allen and Hooker fare this summer will go a long way toward determining the backup. He said he wants his No. 2 quarterback to be fundamentally sound and to be able to move the offense and make good decisions in games and practices. He has already seen Hooker improve in some of those areas. Advertisement 'He's throwing the ball better, his footwork is better, and he understands our concepts (better),' Brunell said. 'And so this has been really good for him. And as we go, the kid, because of his focus and his attitude and his work ethic, he's naturally just going to become a better quarterback. And when he gets out there in preseason, I imagine he's going to get a lot of reps. You'll see a better version of him than you did last year, and I'm excited about that. I'm really pleased with Hendon.' Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@ Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions QB Hendon Hooker 'a puppy,' looks improved in backup QB battle
