Latest news with #RobertKraft
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bill Belichick gets special shout out in David Andrews' retirement speech
FOXBOROUGH — As David Andrews fought back tears repeatedly over the course of an 11-minute retirement speech, there were plenty of people the long-time Patriots center wanted to thank. One was his former coach, Bill Belichick, who signed Andrews as an undrafted free agent in 2015 and opened the door to an NFL career. Under Belichick's tutelage, Andrews rose from roster long-shot to two-time Super Bowl champion and was an eight-time team captain. Advertisement 'Coach Belichick, thank you for giving me the opportunity I so desperately wanted in this league,' Andrews said. 'I learned more about this game from you than anyone has ever taught me. And to all my coaches here in New England during my 10-year career, thank you for all the time and sacrifices you all made to make sure we were ready to go each and every Sunday. 'You all always demanded our best and challenged us each and every week. The details were important, and they mattered. That is something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.' Andrews also thanked owner Robert Kraft and his family, the people behind the scenes at Gillette Stadium, all of his Patriots teammates, and was particularly emotional when addressing his family, who watched from the front row. Andrews raved about the sacrifices his wife, Mackenzie, made for him, and spoke directly to his two young boys, Ford and Worth. As he wrapped up his retirement speech after 10 years in the New England organization, the center concluded his speech by addressing the game of football itself. Advertisement 'This game has given me so much over the last 26 years,' Andrews said. 'I've met some amazing people, been places I'd never imagined, and done things I'd never dreamed of. You've taught me so much about myself and life, while letting me get to play a child's game and call it a job. You've been so good to me and I think I've been pretty good to you. 'If there's any parents on the fence about letting your kids play the game, I promise you, you won't regret it. There's no better teacher of the game of life than the game of football. I wouldn't change one thing about my 26 years playing this game, but it's time to say goodbye. As (the Bible) says in 2 Timothy 4:7, 'I fought the good fight, I finished the race, and I have kept the faith.' Thank you all.' More Patriots Content Read the original article on MassLive.
Fox News
7 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Patriots' Robert Kraft expresses concerns over failures to call antisemitic attacks for what they are
New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft expressed concerns on Tuesday with the media and political leaders for failing to call attacks on Jewish people antisemitism. Kraft pointed the discourse around three events that have occurred over the last few months – an arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home, the killings of two Israeli Embassy workers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., and the attack in Colorado on those rallying in support of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. "I'll just tell you that there's been three events that have happened that have really shook me up," he told CNN's Kaitlin Collins. "What happened to Governor Shapiro in Pennsylvania, what happened out in D.C. with a couple of young people who were just employees of the embassy in Washington, and then what happened in Boulder … and people are afraid to call it what it really is. That gentleman you just had on, he called it antisemitism right from the start. "And I'm very concerned that our political leaders and other people in the news area don't report it as blatant antisemitism. We've let this go on, and it's happened at college campuses now for quite a long time, and we need people to speak up and call it for what it is." The Boulder, Colorado, attack on Sunday was another sign of rising antisemitic attacks in the U.S. since the start of 2025. The FBI described it as a "targeted terror attack." However, it was far from the only questionable incident over the weekend. A commencement speaker accused the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) of being part of wiping "Palestine from the face of the Earth," leading multiple students to walk out. Megha M. Vemuri, MIT's 2025 class president, praised her classmates for protesting against Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks and the ensuing Gaza War. The comments drew a mix of boos and cheers from the crowd. An antisemitic incident also occurred at a Barstool Sports bar in Philadelphia last month. Kraft has been among those combating antisemitism since before the Oct. 7 terror attacks. He started the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Reuters
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Longtime Patriots C David Andrews retiring
May 28 - Longtime Patriots center David Andrews is retiring from the NFL after 10 years in New England. The team announced Wednesday that a retirement press conference will be held for Andrews, 32, on Monday. The Patriots released the two-time Super Bowl champion in March with one year and $8 million fully guaranteed remaining on his contract. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia in 2015, Andrews played in 124 regular season games (121 starts) and 12 playoff games (10 starts). Andrews played in only four games in 2024 before season-ending shoulder surgery. He missed the entire 2019 season after suffering a pulmonary embolism. At the time of his release, team owner Robert Kraft released a statement regarding Andrews' importance to the franchise. "His leadership, work ethic, and dedication to the team earned him the respect and admiration of his coaches and teammates, who elected him as an eight-time team captain," Kraft said. "The importance of his leadership during his career cannot be overstated. David is a true professional, and his impact on this organization will be felt for many years to come." --Field Level Media
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Feted by school children, tossing out a first pitch: Former Israeli hostage grapples with celebrity
BOSTON (AP) — Three months after his release from Hamas captivity, Omer Shem Tov stood on the pitcher's mound at a Boston Red Sox game. Surrounded by supporters, he tossed out the first pitch, then raised his arms in celebration. His name flashed on the stadium billboard. The moment was emblematic of the new-found — and for Shem Tov, unsought and at times unsettling — celebrity the 22-year-old has found since his release from 505 days of captivity in the Gaza Strip. Before being taken hostage, Shem Tov had just finished military service, was working in a restaurant, having fun with friends and planning an overseas trip. Now, he's in the public eye as he travels the globe campaigning for the release of the remaining 58 hostages — a third of whom are believed still alive. Upon his arrival at Boston's Logan International Airport Shem Tov was greeted by dozens of schoolchildren and their teachers — wearing 'Boston Loves Omer' T-shirts — singing Israeli songs in Hebrew and dancing with him. He toured Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL's New England Patriots and Major League Soccer's New England Revolution. He met with an Israeli player for the Revolution, and saw the Patriots' six Super Bowl rings. Both teams are owned by entrepreneur Robert Kraft, whose foundation campaigns against antisemitism. 'I don't like the word, but I'm famous,' Shem Tov acknowledged of the chance to throw out the first pitch at his very first baseball game ever, and the other firsts he's had in Boston. 'I know that a lot of people, a big nation waited for me and a lot of people (fought) for me to come back home," he said of the international campaign waged by hostage families since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, when 251 hostages were seized and about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed by Hamas-led militants. More than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Huge areas of Gaza have been destroyed and around 90% of its population displaced. A return to normal, but also a sense of guilt Shem Tov believes he is doing 'something important' but said it 'can be hard." His return to normal life has not been without challenges. He still freezes when he hears the sound of a jet plane, and is wracked with guilt that things he now enjoys are beyond the reach of the remaining hostages. 'I get greeted in the street. People stop me and want selfies and stuff like this,' he said. 'I support it and I will speak to anyone, anyone, anyone ... because everyone wants to give out love.' Still, little things like 'going and grabbing a bite to eat, I feel it here,' Shem Tov said, clutching his throat. 'It's choking me that I know what they are going through. Maybe they don't have food." "I remember taking the first bite of anything, it was heavenly," he said. "I'm showering and I have guilt that they don't take a shower." Shem Tov, who was attending the Tribe of Nova music festival in southern Israel the day of the attack, described trying to flee with friends Maya and Itay Regev in a car driven by Ori Danino, a stranger who took them in. Militants shot at the car, forced them out and dragged them into Gaza. The Regev siblings were released in a November 2023 ceasefire; Danino was later killed. 'I remember the festival itself, the freedom and happiness and us as youth having fun,' Shem Tov said. 'In seconds, life changed for us. My friends who were there with me, some got killed. Those who came back, they are not the same." Living in darkness Shem Tov said he was initially held above ground with Itay Regev, shuttled between apartments in Gaza — wearing women's cloths to hide their identities. He was eventually moved to a cell 130 feet (40 meters) underground, where he was often in total darkness. He survived on little more than a biscuit daily, he said — dropping from around 176 pounds (80 kilograms) to 121 pounds (55 kilograms). 'There were times I thought, I'm blind. I have been starved. I have been spat on. I've been cursed. Difficult, difficult times,' Shem Tov said. His faith got him through the worst, he said. He began daily conversations with God, offering a greeting and, over time, thanks for all he had — the 'air in my lungs,' 'the small amounts of food that I have' and that his family was safe. Shem Tov said he initially wasn't aware of the battle raging above him. But when he was moved to a tunnel closer to the surface, he could hear Israeli tanks rumbling above and bombs shaking the area. At one point, he could hear Israeli soldiers' voices through a ventilation unit. 'As much as I was glad to hear them, I was very, very scared for my life,' he said. 'The captors that kept me in the tunnels told me as soon as the army or soldiers are heading here, we'll shoot you." 'The first time I feel safe' When he was released on Feb. 22 with five others as part of a ceasefire deal, video showed Shem Tov surrounded by masked, armed Hamas fighters. Under duress, he was seen kissing the head of a Hamas fighter and blowing kisses to the crowd. A van passed in front of the stage, he recalled, and a door opened revealing two hostages who were not being released. He was handed over to the Red Cross and taken to an area controlled by the Israeli military. 'I get out of the vehicle, I look around, I see the sky, the sun. The first time, I feel safe,' he said, adding that he asked an Israeli soldier if he could hug her. 'It's the first time in forever I feel love and warmth,' he said. Shem Tov was taken to meet his parents — his mother, Shelly Shem Tov, had kept his bedroom as he left it, with instructions that nobody should touch or clean it until he came home and did it himself. 'I see my mom and my dad and I run up to them, and I hug them,' Shem Tov said. 'I waited for this moment for so long. I imagined it for so long. This is what I want every hostage to experience.' Shem Tov has embraced the role of advocating for those still hostage — something his parents were already doing — telling anyone who listens they must be brought home. 'It's really fulfilling. I love what I am doing but don't like the cause,' he said. 'I wish they were all here today. I hope it will be soon and in good circumstances.' And while he is reluctant to talk politics, Shem Tov worries Israel's latest offensive in Gaza puts the remaining hostages in danger. 'Every soldier for me is a hero,' he said. 'But there is a big but. For me and the hostages, it's difficult for us while the army is in the area. Places near us are being bombed. I support the army but we have to get them out." "If you keep on going with the military pressure, there is a big chance they will be killed.'
Boston Globe
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Feted by school children, tossing out a first pitch: Former Israeli hostage grapples with celebrity
Advertisement Upon his arrival at Boston's Logan International Airport Shem Tov was greeted by dozens of schoolchildren and their teachers — wearing 'Boston Loves Omer' T-shirts — singing Israeli songs in Hebrew and dancing with him. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up He toured Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL's New England Patriots and Major League Soccer's New England Revolution. He met with an Israeli player for the Revolution, and saw the Patriots' six Super Bowl rings. Both teams are owned by entrepreneur Robert Kraft, whose foundation campaigns against antisemitism. 'I don't like the word, but I'm famous,' Shem Tov acknowledged of the chance to throw out the first pitch at his very first baseball game ever, and the other firsts he's had in Boston. 'I know that a lot of people, a big nation waited for me and a lot of people (fought) for me to come back home,' he said of the international campaign waged by hostage families since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, when 251 hostages were seized and about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed by Hamas-led militants. Advertisement More than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Huge areas of Gaza have been destroyed and around 90% of its population displaced. A return to normal, but also a sense of guilt Shem Tov believes he is doing 'something important' but said it 'can be hard.' His return to normal life has not been without challenges. He still freezes when he hears the sound of a jet plane, and is wracked with guilt that things he now enjoys are beyond the reach of the remaining hostages. 'I get greeted in the street. People stop me and want selfies and stuff like this,' he said. 'I support it and I will speak to anyone, anyone, anyone ... because everyone wants to give out love.' Still, little things like 'going and grabbing a bite to eat, I feel it here,' Shem Tov said, clutching his throat. 'It's choking me that I know what they are going through. Maybe they don't have food.' 'I remember taking the first bite of anything, it was heavenly,' he said. 'I'm showering and I have guilt that they don't take a shower.' Shem Tov, who was attending the Tribe of Nova music festival in southern Israel the day of the attack, described trying to flee with friends Maya and Itay Regev in a car driven by Ori Danino, a stranger who took them in. Militants shot at the car, forced them out and dragged them into Gaza. The Regev siblings were released in a November 2023 ceasefire; Danino was later killed. Advertisement 'I remember the festival itself, the freedom and happiness and us as youth having fun,' Shem Tov said. 'In seconds, life changed for us. My friends who were there with me, some got killed. Those who came back, they are not the same.' Living in darkness Shem Tov said he was initially held above ground with Itay Regev, shuttled between apartments in Gaza — wearing women's cloths to hide their identities. He was eventually moved to a cell 130 feet (40 meters) underground, where he was often in total darkness. He survived on little more than a biscuit daily, he said — dropping from around 176 pounds (80 kilograms) to 121 pounds (55 kilograms). 'There were times I thought, I'm blind. I have been starved. I have been spat on. I've been cursed. Difficult, difficult times,' Shem Tov said. His faith got him through the worst, he said. He began daily conversations with God, offering a greeting and, over time, thanks for all he had — the 'air in my lungs,' 'the small amounts of food that I have' and that his family was safe. Shem Tov said he initially wasn't aware of the battle raging above him. But when he was moved to a tunnel closer to the surface, he could hear Israeli tanks rumbling above and bombs shaking the area. At one point, he could hear Israeli soldiers' voices through a ventilation unit. 'As much as I was glad to hear them, I was very, very scared for my life,' he said. 'The captors that kept me in the tunnels told me as soon as the army or soldiers are heading here, we'll shoot you.' Advertisement 'The first time I feel safe' When he was released on Feb. 22 with five others as part of a ceasefire deal, video showed Shem Tov surrounded by masked, armed Hamas fighters. Under duress, he was seen kissing the head of a Hamas fighter and blowing kisses to the crowd. A van passed in front of the stage, he recalled, and a door opened revealing two hostages who were not being released. He was handed over to the Red Cross and taken to an area controlled by the Israeli military. 'I get out of the vehicle, I look around, I see the sky, the sun. The first time, I feel safe,' he said, adding that he asked an Israeli soldier if he could hug her. 'It's the first time in forever I feel love and warmth,' he said. Shem Tov was taken to meet his parents — his mother, Shelly Shem Tov, had kept his bedroom as he left it, with instructions that nobody should touch or clean it until he came home and did it himself. 'I see my mom and my dad and I run up to them, and I hug them,' Shem Tov said. 'I waited for this moment for so long. I imagined it for so long. This is what I want every hostage to experience.' Shem Tov has embraced the role of advocating for those still hostage — something his parents were already doing — telling anyone who listens they must be brought home. 'It's really fulfilling. I love what I am doing but don't like the cause,' he said. 'I wish they were all here today. I hope it will be soon and in good circumstances.' Advertisement And while he is reluctant to talk politics, Shem Tov worries Israel's latest offensive in Gaza puts the remaining hostages in danger. 'Every soldier for me is a hero,' he said. 'But there is a big but. For me and the hostages, it's difficult for us while the army is in the area. Places near us are being bombed. I support the army but we have to get them out.' 'If you keep on going with the military pressure, there is a big chance they will be killed.'
