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Formerly 'DeFuture,' DeSantis is diminished as 2028 GOP nominee

By
avrotusa
-
0



Pop quiz for political junkies: What do Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) all have in common?

Answer: They are all two-term Republican governors who once made headlines as presidential contenders before failing utterly and fading into obscurity.

But “obscurity” only partially applies to DeSantis, since he is still the popular incumbent governor of the nation’s third-most-populated state. Given that term limits will end his governorship in January 2027, the website Florida Politics accurately summarized DeSantis’s unique situation when reporting a poll showing his approval rating at a net plus-six, reflecting “steady in-state support even as his national profile cools.”

“His national profile cools” is a phrase you would not have expected about DeSantis after Nov. 8, 2022, when he won reelection in a 19-point landslide in what was then still considered a top-tier battleground state.

The following day marked the most memorable media moment of the midterm elections. Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post published a full-page cover photo and headline calling DeSantis “DeFuture.” Translation: “DeWhite House future.” It was a flaming Murdoch spear aimed at then-former President Trump’s ego, but it facilitated what I call “DeCurse.”

The 2028 presidential campaign is now well underway. Potential candidates are conducting “invisible” primary campaigns — refining their messages, chasing headlines, growing their social media presence, identifying wealthy donors and recruiting top advisors. Media outlets are obsessed with horse-race candidate rankings, with political betting sites considered trending indicators.

Feeding the frenzy is the term-limited Trump, who recently teased his 2028 MAGA “dream ticket,” of Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In my writing on 2028, I have also injected Donald Trump Jr. into the mix — a fan-favorite among the MAGA faithful when Trump’s legacy and possibly a dynasty are looming large.

So, what happened to Ron “DeFuture?” Answer: President Trump. Second answer: Layers of “what not to do” lessons for campaign management and political science classes.

Although there is no DeSantis 2028 groundswell, he could eventually make a comeback. The young governor turns 47 in September. Nonetheless, for the rest of this decade, DeSantis’s moment appears “DeMinished.”

“Moment” as a political concept is crucial for understanding DeSantis’s presidential default. In 2022, months before his landslide reelection, the governor and his wife Casey — his closest and many say only political advisor — believed that 2024 was “their moment.”

In my June 16, 2022, piece headlined “Ron and Casey DeSantis: 2024’s formidable couple are ‘spooking’ Trump,” I discussed their White House aspirations, with Casey “cheerleading his presidential run.” Included was a telling quote from a June 11 Washington Post report about the potential 2024 candidates. As a Florida voter, I believed it accurately reflected DeSantis’s mindset then: “The couple believes that the governor’s skills are uniquely matched to the current political climate, and are wary of waiting six years, by which time the tides may have shifted.”

Considering the post-Jan. 6 climate of “it’s time to turn the page on Trump” that stretched into 2022, Ron and Casey correctly perceived a moment when an anti-Trump pendulum could have knocked him off the stage. Moreover, two Republican catchphrases were circulating about DeSantis: “Trump without the baggage” and “Trump without the crazy.”

Still, when early signs of a DeSantis defeat became obvious, he and his team were blinded by ambition and their sunny Florida star power. Throughout 2023, always trailing Trump in primary polls, the governor proved to be an unlikable candidate with multiple flaws. His no-nonsense personality was ill-suited for working a room and the spontaneity of a national campaign. DeSantis dropped out on Jan. 21, 2024 after placing a distant second in the Iowa caucuses.

DeSantis was reportedly warned by Trump, who in April 2023 said, “DeSantis will lose the cherished and massive MAGA vote and never be able to successfully run for office again.”

In the recent book “Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power,” writer Alex Isenstadt reported that in early 2023, Trump said, “Is Ron really that stupid to run against me? Why doesn’t he just wait until 2028?” And later, Trump added, “Now nobody wants him” and “He’s done.”

Time will tell if that is true.

At least for 2028, DeSantis is a non-factor whose name is barely mentioned. A popular betting site shows the governor with only a 3 percent chance of winning the GOP nomination. A primary poll average has him supported by just 10.7 percent of Republican voters, although he leads Rubio, who has 8.6 percent.

Vance is the one now enjoying the “moment” dreamed about by Ron and Casey DeSantis. Years out, Vance has 49 percent support among Republican primary voters, and at two leading betting sites, a 55 percent and 53 percent chance of winning the nomination.

For DeSantis, nagging questions remain: Where will the former governor land in January 2027? How will he stay relevant and newsworthy? Will he join Trump’s administration? (He was briefly mentioned as a potential replacement for the then-embattled Pete Hegseth to run the Pentagon.)

DeSantis could run for Senate in 2028. However, he appointed Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill Rubio’s vacant seat, and in 2026, Moody is running to complete Rubio’s term. She was recently endorsed by Trump, making her a shoo-in and more likely to run in 2028 for a full six-year term. Nevertheless, if by late 2027, DeSantis declares, “I want that job,” then cue the fireworks.

The Senate potentially offers DeSantis a cushy long-term perch with a chance to rebrand. He could build a national reputation and get reelected twice. Then, in 2044, at age 66, the White House gates may swing open. By then, MAGA might be history, and DeSantis could have his presidential moment — two decades later than predicted — if that is his destiny.

There are political lessons from the DeSantis story: Wear sunglasses when your star shines like the sun, because your eyes are blind to reality. Listen to alarm bells warning against entering the arena before your time, where a wild bull is waiting to gore you into obscurity.

Myra Adams is a political and religious opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns, in 2004 and 2008.

CICC Initiates Coverage of Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (PBR) With an Outperform Rating

By
avrotusa
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0


Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy under $20. On July 20, CICC initiated coverage of  Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) with an Outperform rating and a $16 price target.

Is Petroleo Brasileiro (PBR) the Best-Falling Stock to Buy According to Analysts?
Is Petroleo Brasileiro (PBR) the Best-Falling Stock to Buy According to Analysts?

A worker in a hard hat looking up at an offshore drilling rig at sunset.

In other news,  Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) announced on August 4 that it concluded the transfer of its entire participation in the Cherne and Bagre fields to Perenco Petróleo e Gás do Brasil Ltda. The fields are located in shallow waters in the Campos Basin, and had their production halted in March 2020.

Management reported that the “respective production facilities have been mothballed since then,” and that the transfer of these fields entails compensation adjustments to be paid by Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (NYSE:PBR).

These are associated with the integrity of the asset, allowing the opportunity of resuming production by the new operation and providing an alternative to their decommissioning by Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (NYSE:PBR).

Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) is involved in exploration, production, and distribution activities involving oil and gas.

The company’s operations are divided into the following segments: Exploration and Production; Refining, Transportation, and Marketing; and Gas and Low Carbon Energies.

While we acknowledge the potential of PBR as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

Ex-RAF test pilot says Chinook crashed on safety ‘show flight’

By
avrotusa
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0


Calum Watson and Megan Bonar

BBC Scotland News

PA Media wreckage of an aircraft on a hillside surrounded by police tapePA Media

Four crew and 25 passengers were killed when the helicopter crashed in June 1994

A Chinook helicopter that crashed in Scotland, killing 29 people more than 30 years ago, was being flown as a “show flight” after safety concerns were raised about its airworthiness, a former RAF test pilot has said.

Four crew and 25 passengers were killed when RAF Chinook ZD576 struck a hillside in foggy conditions over the Mull of Kintyre in 1994.

Retired Squadron Leader Robert Burke said the Mark 2 version of the Chinook had been chosen to demonstrate to the Army that a recent upgrade from the Mark 1 version was safe.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it sympathised with relatives of those killed but insisted the circumstances of the crash had already been thoroughly investigated.

The allegation comes ahead of the rebroadcast this weekend of a BBC documentary which first aired concerns about the airworthiness of the Mark 2 Chinook.

Sq Ldr Burke, who was a unit test pilot based at RAF Odiham at the time of the crash, made the new allegation during recent discussions with relatives who have been campaigning for a new public inquiry.

He has said the Mark 2 version was chosen despite safety concerns being raised about its airworthiness by RAF test engineers and pilots.

The former test pilot said he believed that internal politics between the Army and RAF might have influenced the decision to use the Mark 2 aircraft.

Many of the passengers who died were senior members of the security services who were travelling from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness, for a conference believed to about the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

“The reason why that aircraft was flown in spite of all the reservations, and indeed the request from one of the dead pilots at the time, was to show the Army that the Chinook programme was running on time and the Mark 2 was perfectly safe to go into service,” he said.

“It was a show flight. This journey – from airfield to airfield – was a perfect opportunity to fly such a high-profile group in an RAF Hercules for instance.

“Not in a helicopter about which there were so many concerns. It was a gesture, that flight. A reckless act, but a show flight – it’s as simple, and utterly tragic, as that.”

It was previously revealed that the pilots had requested to fly a Mark 1 version of the Chinook or two Puma helicopters which were on stand-by.

It has also been revealed that files relating to the crash will not be made public for 100 years.

Sq Ldr Burke suggested this was part of an attempt to cover up the true facts surrounding the disaster.

‘A lifetime of bereavement’

Patricia Conway A young woman in a red top with stripes next to a dark-haired man in a dark suit and tiePatricia Conway

Patricia Conway lost her father, Det Ch Supt Desmond Conroy, in the disaster

Patricia Conroy, from South Belfast, lost her father, Det Ch Supt Desmond Conroy, in the crash. He was 55.

Ms Conroy said: “I feel sick to my stomach to discover that this flight was a show flight to effectively try to end an argument between the RAF and the Army about the safety of the Chinook fleet.

“Instead, that decision ended my Daddy’s life and started a lifetime of bereavement, trauma and a search for the truth.”

Several families have written an open letter to the UK government renewing calls for a public inquiry.

What has been the MoD’s response?

Last week, the prime minister wrote to families telling them an inquiry would not be in the public interest.

The crash on 2 June 1994 remains one of the RAF’s worst peacetime losses of life.

Two pilots accused of negligence over the disaster were exonerated 17 years later.

An MoD spokesperson said the crash was a “tragic accident” and that “the lack of certainty” about the crash had added to the distress for families.

The spokesperson said: “We provided a detailed and considered response to the pre-action protocol letter stating the reasons why we cannot accept the demand for establishing a new public inquiry.

“It’s unlikely that a public inquiry would identify any new evidence or reach new conclusions on the basis of existing evidence.

“The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review.”

What do Putin, Trump and Zelensky want from Alaska summit?

By
avrotusa
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0



President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday could shape the future of Moscow’s more than three-year war in Ukraine — for better or worse.

Trump has made ending the war a priority focus in his second term, but Putin has been a brick wall, refusing any concessions toward peace and only increasing the severity of attacks on Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not get an invite to the Alaska summit, but he along with European leaders has sought to stiffen Trump’s spine this week, hoping to steer him away from any talk of territorial concessions.  

The White House has lowered expectations for a major breakthrough in the summit, which Trump has described as setting the table for a potential second meeting that includes Zelensky. 

Still, the world will be watching closely for any signs that a peace deal is possible.

Here are the priorities for Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia: 

Zelensky

Watching from the sidelines, Zelensky has the most to lose from Trump and Putin meeting face-to-face. 

Trump has swung wildly between anger with the Ukrainian leader, at one point halting U.S. military support and intelligence sharing, to expressing sympathy and even unity over the loss of life and suffering.

Zelensky will be hoping for a chilly meeting in Alaska, said Olga Tokariuk, a fellow with the Democratic Resilience Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis. 

“The best scenario for Ukraine would be if there is no deal tomorrow, if there is no agreement between Russia and the U.S. on anything,” Tokariuk said. 

She added that a decision by Trump to impose more sanctions on Russia, as he has threatened to do if Putin doesn’t move toward a peace deal, would be a major victory for Kyiv. 

Zelensky, along with European leaders, held a virtual call with Trump on Thursday to reinforce principles Trump should take with him into the talks: A ceasefire on the current front lines must be the basis for any negotiations; Ukraine must be part of discussions; Ukraine needs security guarantees and to leave the door open for NATO membership; and there must be no recognition of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, which includes about 20 percent of the country. 

Trump has already strayed from those positions, saying Thursday that Putin was unlikely to agree to a ceasefire, but he hoped to make progress on broader peace talks. 

“There’s no doubt in my mind that Zelensky understands that territorial concessions may be required to get a durable peace,” said John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. 

“Trump’s view is that the durable peace will involve Russian occupation at least de facto, but it should only be de facto — that’s an important distinction of Ukrainian territory,” he continued. 

“But for that to happen, we need major concessions from Moscow, and the conversation has to include those concessions.”

Putin has shown little willingness to back off any of his maximalist demands of Ukraine ceding territory, demilitarizing and changing its government, to name a few. 

Trump

The best case for Trump — a breakthrough in peace talks — is unlikely, as even he has admitted this week. 

The president has previewed that his goal for the summit is to move from this first meeting with Putin to a second meeting, likely to include Zelensky, and possibly the U.S.

“This meeting sets up the second meeting. But there is a 25 percent chance this meeting will not be a successful meeting,” Trump told Brian Kilmeade on his Fox News Radio show Thursday.

Trump is heavily invested in his image as a peacemaker, and getting a good deal for Ukraine would make a compelling addition to his credentials for a Nobel Peace Prize. 

However, the president also wants an off-ramp of U.S. involvement in the war, and has taken steps to zero out American financial support for Ukraine. 

The shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development ended humanitarian and economic assistance to Kyiv, as Trump continues to send military support to Ukraine from previously appropriated funds.

Trump is not looking to replenish those accounts and has instead focused on getting allied countries to purchase U.S. weapons for Ukraine. It’s unclear if Trump will veto an effort in Congress to send about $800 million to Ukraine next year.

The White House this week touted on the social platform X the “worldwide calls for President Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize,” along with a photo of Trump speaking behind a podium with a NATO logo. 

White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said that was an intentional choice. “His agreement to sell American-made weapons to NATO allies is one way he is working to stop the killing between Russia and Ukraine,” she told The Hill.

Trump said on Thursday he would impose severe consequences on Russia if Putin refused to halt the war following the Alaska summit, but on Friday morning he said that if the summit is not successful, he’ll turn his attention back to the U.S. 

Earlier this week, Trump said his goal for the summit is to “feel out” Putin and gauge his seriousness in committing to end the war. 

But Trump has also talked about major economic potential for renewed U.S.-Russia ties, raising the possibility that business deals could be used as an incentive for Putin to stop the war. 

“They have tremendous potential in Russia to do well,” Trump said Wednesday. 

Allies, however, are warning against that type of offer. 

“If Trump is a business guy, Putin isn’t. Whatever you give him in trade and investment, he’s happy to take it, but he will not back down an inch,” Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told The Wall Street Journal. 

Putin

Analysts argue Putin has already secured a major victory by having a face-to-face meeting with the U.S. president, on American soil, without having to give up anything or make any commitments. 

Putin has succeeded in delaying Trump’s threats of “secondary tariffs,” which were promised for Aug. 8. A Senate Democratic report noted that Trump has imposed no additional U.S. penalties on Russia in the past six months, despite Putin’s intransigence.

And the Kremlin is also dangling the potential for renewed U.S.-Russia business ties. 

“It is worth noting that this cooperation holds immense, yet regrettably underutilized, potential,” Yury Ushakov, a top Putin aide, said Thursday. 

Analysts say that Putin has not changed his initial aims of wanting to subjugate all of Ukraine and has also always looked beyond the country, framing the “special military operation” as a larger conflict against the democratic West, in particular his criticism that NATO is a threat to Russia’s security. 

“The aim is to establish long-term conditions for peace not only between our countries but also in Europe and indeed globally — especially if we proceed to subsequent stages involving agreements on strategic offensive arms control,” Putin said Thursday. 

Daniel Fried, distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council and a former U.S. ambassador to Poland, warned that Putin is the master of deflection and would likely try to wave some “shiny” but meaningless offer as a new development or concession. 

“I’ve seen this myself,” Fried said. “He might do that to divert the conversation with the objective of deflecting pressure from Trump, which is the best realistic case outcome here.”

But Fried said the U.S. has significant leverage with the threat of sanctions on Russia and its partners, and increased military support for Ukraine in a way that isn’t a burden on U.S. taxpayers. 

“If Trump does this, if he tells Putin that he, Donald Trump, and the U.S. are tired of being played, it is possible Putin will recalculate,” Fried continued.

“Putin knows what the deal on the table might look like: a ceasefire in place plus security for Ukraine … that doesn’t give Putin what he wants, which is control over all of Ukraine. But it doesn’t matter what Putin wants. If he can’t get anything more, he may settle for what’s available.”

New Gold’s (NGD) Rainy River Drives Record Cash Flow in Q2 2025

By
avrotusa
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0


New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:NGD) is one of the 13 Most Promising Gold Stocks According to Wall Street Analysts. On July 28, New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:NGD) reported Q2 2025 results. The company reported that quarter-over-quarter production growth helped it achieve strong cash flow from operations of $163 million and a record free cash flow of $63 million.

A key factor driving this strong performance was the Rainy River project, which generated a record $45 million of quarterly free cash flow. The Rainy River project achieved a monthly production record in June and the project is on track for continued ramp-up throughout the year.

New Gold’s (NGD) Rainy River Drives Record Cash Flow in Q2 2025
New Gold’s (NGD) Rainy River Drives Record Cash Flow in Q2 2025

Aerial view of an open mine with large cranes and excavators working on the surface.

This second-quarter performance builds on the positive momentum from the first quarter. New Gold Inc.’s (NYSEAMERICAN:NGD) strong cash flow from operations allowed it to invest about $58 million in Q2 to advance growth projects.

New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:NGD) is an intermediate mining company with a portfolio of two core producing assets in Canada, the New Afton copper-gold mine and the Rainy River gold mine.

While we acknowledge the potential of NGD as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

Inside the strategy of organizing an NFL locker room

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avrotusa
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0


  • Marc RaimondiAug 14, 2025, 06:23 AM ET

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      Marc Raimondi’s first year covering the Falcons was 2024, but it wasn’t his first year at ESPN. He joined the company in 2019 and was a top combat sports reporter. He also covered professional wrestling and wrote the book “Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro Wrestling’s New World Order Changed America,” which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2025. Raimondi also worked for the New York Post and Newsday, beginning in 2009, covering high school and college sports, plus the NFL, NFL, MLB and NHL.

MICHAEL PENIX JR. knew early on. It was last spring during voluntary organized team activities. The rookie quarterback had just gotten his locker assignment at the Atlanta Falcons facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia.

Directly to Penix’s right was veteran safety Jessie Bates III, an All-Pro who takes notes on two different iPads during film study.

Penix was the Falcons’ backup quarterback in 2024 and typically, in practice, would go up against the first-team defense, led by Bates. In one 11-on-11 period last spring, Penix saw Bates break on one of his passes even before the wide receiver.

After practice, while both were changing at their lockers, Penix leaned in and asked Bates what he saw on the play.

“He’s like, ‘I just saw the receiver looking that way, or a certain technique or the way that we were running the routes,’ and just small stuff like that,” Penix said. “Because when he’s back there lurking, he’s able to do whatever he wants. It is scary for a quarterback.”

It was a valuable learning experience for Penix, a welcome-to-the-league moment before he ever took a regular-season snap. Penix continued to pick Bates’ brain throughout the season, and Bates was more than willing to take the promising QB under his wing.

Later, Penix realized that his budding mentor-protégé relationship with Bates was, in part, orchestrated by the coaching staff.

“I feel like [there] might’ve been some thought into putting me next to him as far as whoever makes the locker room assignments,” Penix said. “So, definitely take advantage of that. Always asking him why he felt like he should have drove on a certain ball.”

There are very few things done by NFL coaching staffs without some form of intention. Locker room geography is something organizations consider, especially when it comes to where to place promising young players.

Penix wasn’t the only rookie quarterback adjacent to a brainy veteran safety last year — J.J. McCarthy was next to Harrison Smith in the Minnesota Vikings locker room. Philadelphia Eagles six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay requested his locker be next to then-rookie corner Quinyon Mitchell last season. In New England, No. 4 pick Will Campbell, an offensive tackle, is currently being mentored by Patriots locker neighbor Morgan Moses, an 11-year veteran at the same position. The Dallas Cowboys have strategically placed team leaders in the corners of the locker room going back to the Jason Garrett era.

“It happens a lot,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said of intentional locker assignments. “Some of it’s public, some of it’s not.”

Morris, who has coached in the league on both sides of the ball since 2002, said part of finding the right fit is playing amateur psychologist, which he’s not fully comfortable doing. However, Morris did pair up rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. and veteran cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. in the Falcons locker room this season. Morris was on the Atlanta staff in 2020 when Terrell was a rookie. Pearce has a quiet demeanor off the field like Terrell did then, Morris said, so the coach has paired them up in the locker room, as well.

“I hate to do that, because I’m not qualified,” Morris said of playing psychologist. “But I’m definitely good enough to pair people up.”

PUKA NACUA‘S LOCKER was placed next to that of Los Angeles Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein during Nacua’s record-breaking rookie season in 2023. Havenstein was one of the oldest, most-tenured players on the team and Nacua showed deference to the 6-foot-8 veteran.

“I was next to ‘Big Rob,’ and it wasn’t my duty to bring ‘Big Rob’ towels, but I always did,” Nacua said.

Rams All-Rookie defensive end Braden Fiske ended up near Havenstein the next year in the Rams’ new facility. He found himself rubbing elbows with Super Bowl winners Havenstein, quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and tight end Tyler Higbee.

“Cooper was a big one last year that I would talk to,” Fiske said. “How did he make that jump in Year 2 of his career? What was something that elevated his game? And a lot of that was the diet. That’s a lot of what I implemented into my offseason. I was super fortunate to have those guys in my area of the locker room.”

That area, in fact, has become prime real estate. It even has a nickname. Rams players have dubbed it “The suburbs.”

“We have got a good group of vets over there,” Fiske said. “They’ve done their time. They’re living life lavish.”

Rams coach Sean McVay said he typically lets Brendan Burger, the team’s senior director of equipment, assign lockers, because “he’s got such a good feel.” McVay is not a believer in keeping the offensive players in one place and the defenders elsewhere.

“So much of the days are broken up where it’s offense-defense separate, and to just be able to create that natural interaction and appreciation for each other — not exclusive to just one side of the ball — that’s kind of what goes into it,” McVay said.

As a rookie, Nacua was also near cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, a veteran he used to go up against daily on the practice field.

“It’s always fun post-practice to come and be like, ‘Alright, what were you thinking right here when I lined up against you and I doubled up at the line of scrimmage and then you jab this way?'” Nacua said. “So having a [defensive back] next to you is something that you don’t really imagine in the locker room, but it’s also really fun because you have some great conversations.”

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t have two players from the same position group sitting directly next to each other in any instance unless it’s the practice squad or when the roster is at 90 players.

“I put a lot of thought into it,” Shanahan said. “I like to mix everything up, because you’re always with your position groups, you’re always in rooms with ’em.

“Position groups are always going to be tight. You don’t get too many opportunities to cross over. You’re always competing on the field, sometimes fighting. So I think it’s important to mix everybody up.”

The Falcons were so happy with the Bates-Penix arrangement that they have rookie cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. next to three-time Pro Bowl right guard Chris Lindstrom this season.

“For Penix, it was more like, ‘This is what a pro looks like,'” Morris said. “I know you got [Kirk Cousins in the quarterback] room, but here’s another pro from the different side of the ball that you probably didn’t even know moved this way. And it’s just always things that you can do for people and that they can see to help them be the best version of themselves.”

McCarthy was sandwiched between Smith and wide receiver Justin Jefferson as a rookie last year in Minnesota. And professionalism is what stood out the most.

“Their day-to-day routine is something that is extremely beneficial,” McCarthy said. “Just being able to observe as a young guy is one of the biggest things for any young player coming into this league.

“So, I feel like building relationships with those guys is going to be something that I carry with me for the rest of my career.”

When Moses was a young player with Washington, his locker was near future Hall of Fame tackle Trent Williams‘. It wasn’t directly next to Williams’ — “he had three lockers!” Moses said — but it was close enough to pick up some tips and advice from the three-time first-team All-Pro. Now, Moses is paying it forward with Campbell and the Patriots.

“Not saying I’m at [Williams’] caliber, but the years I’ve been able to play, just being able to sit beside Will in the locker room and be able to talk over looks — we’ll pass the iPad back and forth, bounce questions,” Moses said. “That’s what you like because that brings camaraderie and brotherhood.”

THE COWBOYS HAVE been strategic about locker locations going back to Garrett’s tenure as coach in the 2010s. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb resides at a locker once held by tight end Jason Witten and guard Zack Martin. Offensive tackle Terence Steele is in a corner spot once held by defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. Cornerback C.J. Goodwin and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa are in corner lockers once occupied by offensive tackle Tyron Smith and linebacker Sean Lee, respectively. Running back Miles Sanders, a free agent signee, is now in the spot near the equipment room that backup quarterback Cooper Rush once held.

New Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer has added some of his own wrinkles, though, including putting pass rusher Micah Parsons near the middle of the room next to quarterback Dak Prescott‘s locker.

“Two of our best players, put them together,” Schottenheimer said. “There’s also other things we’re doing in there where guys are competing every day in different things that we’ve kind of put in there, but just they can challenge each other in a good way. … There’s a method to the madness.”

In some cases, players who have some leverage because of their standing on the team can make specific locker requests. Famously, Patriots legend Tom Brady requested the new star player he’d be throwing to — wide receiver Randy Moss — be next to him.

Slay petitioned that Mitchell be his neighbor last season, which ended in Mitchell being one of the best rookies in the league as the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman told Mitchell on draft night: “I want you to live next door to Slay. I want you to sleep next to Slay. That’s your guy.”

“We talk a lot about life, and he just gives me life lessons, and it translates onto the field,” Mitchell said in 2024. “During the games, I’m asking him what he’s seeing and what he thinks is coming up during the next series. I lean on him a lot.”

The Cincinnati Bengals recently shook things up in their locker room, switching the defensive line and offensive line areas. The offensive linemen are now closer to Joe Burrow and the other quarterbacks.

“Everybody walks past me when they come in, when they’re out,” Burrow said. “So, I’m saying hi to everybody. It’s been nice to have [offensive linemen Orlando Brown Jr.] and Ted [Karras] right there. Those are my guys.”

Do locker assignments matter a great deal? Can they make the difference between winning and losing? Some players are skeptical. In a few cases, the dynamic can become toxic. New York Jets wide receivers Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet had lockers next to one another in 1997 and they did not get along at all. They wouldn’t even acknowledge each other when both were doing media at the same time. Johnson, in his book, referred to Chrebet as the “team mascot” and later said comparing the two was like comparing “a flashlight to a star.”

“I think when you look that deep into it, you could always find good, bad or however you want to,” Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. “At the end of the day, I still got to line up and play my defense as called.”

But that won’t stop coaching staffs from at least giving some thought to where players are situated in their locker rooms. The Falcons believe it has paid dividends when it comes to Penix. Bates became a big part of helping position Penix for the role he’s in now: Atlanta’s starting quarterback.

“I can break it down in so much detail,” Penix said of his and Bates’ conversations last year, “but I’ll be talking forever.”

Additional reporting by Todd Archer, Ben Baby, Sarah Barshop, Rich Cimini, Courtney Cronin, Mike DiRocco, John Keim, Tim McManus, Mike Reiss, Kevin Seifert, Nate Taylor, Katherine Terrell and Nick Wagoner.



Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte: Time to believe the hype? Young Briton hits big stage with Saudi Arabia fight

By
avrotusa
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0


Most 20-year-old boxers would be building towards national and European titles – former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury was 21 when he won the English belt – but Itauma has skipped that route and is aiming straight for the top.

Fellow Britons Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois have gone on to become world champions. Itauma has exceeded what they had achieved in the professional ranks by his age.

All three enjoyed undefeated starts to their careers, but Dubois was 21 when he won his 12th fight, Fury was 22 and Joshua was 25.

However, early success for Itauma by no means guarantees future gold.

Itauma has been carefully managed over the past two years and Whyte, albeit at the age of 37, is set to be the biggest name he has faced.

“Yes, it is the right time [to face Whyte] and I only say that because it isn’t the wrong time,” Itauma said.

“Everyone needs a breakthrough fight. AJ had it with Charles Martin, Tyson Fury had it with Deontay Wilder, so I guess this is my breakthrough fight.”

Taking on Whyte, a former WBC interim champion who has fought Fury, Joshua and Joseph Parker, undoubtedly offers Itauma the platform to move to the next level of his career, but only if he gets the win.

Saturday will be the first time Itauma has headlined a card as a professional. If he delivers on the big stage, he could soon find himself in with WBO interim champion Parker or even Usyk.

Fed faces new inflation risks

By
avrotusa
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0


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