Longest Running Triple H Fansite
Since 2006
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts

August 28, 2023

NFL partners with WWE on officially licensed championship belts

A WWE championship belt featuring your team’s name and logo can be yours, if you’ve got nothing better to spend $550 on.

The NFL and WWE announced today that they’ve partnered on a multi-year licensing deal to sell NFL-inspired WWE title belts featuring the official colors, names, logos and branding of all 32 NFL teams.

The belts are already for sale through the NFL’s and WWE’s merchandising sites. The price is $549.99.

This deal is the first-ever licensing agreement between the NFL and the WWE.

source:  nbcsports.com

June 30, 2023

Darren 'Droz' Drozdov Dead, Former WWE & ECW Star Died At Age 54

Darren 'Droz' Drozdov, who wrestling fans remember from his days in WWE and ECW, has passed away aged 54. The official statement from his family, which was obtained by WWE, reveals that he died this morning of natural causes.

While the news of Drozdov's passing is tragic, the statement focuses on the positive aspects of his life and what he accomplished. His family praised him for living each day to the fullest, despite being paralyzed from the neck down for the past 24 years. Furthermore, the family thanked his fans, friends, teammates, and colleagues for showing him support throughout the years while revealing that Drozdov wouldn't want people to mourn for him.

"Everyone who knew Darren was a better person because of it. He taught everyone so much about how to look at life: how to put things in perspective, how to overcome adversity, and how to show compassion for others. He would not want anyone to be sad at this moment and would want to this to be a celebration of his life, to be remembered for all the great things that he accomplished, the fun, the laughter, the great memories he shared with everyone."

Drozdov's wrestling career was cut short due to injury, but he did make an impression on WWE and ECW fans during the Attitude Era. Additionally, he was also known for his time in the NFL.

Darren Drozdov debuted in WWE in 1998, initially portraying a puking gimmick. During his tenure in Vince McMahon's company, he was primarily used as a mid-card superstar and tag team competitor. He once led a body piercing-themed stable that included Prince Albert and Vic Grimes. However, he is arguably best remembered for his stint in the Legion of Doom, which saw him take part in an infamous segment that culminated with Hawk being pushed off the Titantron.

Elsewhere, Drozdov had a short stint in ECW throughout 1997 and 1998. He was part of a stable that included Lance Wright, Brakkus, Doug Furnas, and Phil LaFon. They were presented as invaders from WWE who'd been sent to cause chaos in Paul Heyman's promotion.

Sadly, Drozdov's career was cut short following an accident in a match with D'Lo Brown on the October 5, 1999 episode of "WWF SmackDown." He landed on his head and broke two vertebrae in his neck, causing him to become paralyzed. However, as the aforementioned family statement notes, Drozdov continued to live his life to the fullest after becoming quadriplegic, and those who knew him praised him for his positive outlook.

Outside of wrestling, Drozdov played three seasons in the NFL for the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Denver Broncos

September 30, 2022

Chris Nowinski Blasts NFL's 'Tua Disaster' While Praising Pro Wrestling Promoters

Fans watching last night's NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals witnessed a scary moment when Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had to be carted off the field on a stretcher following a rough sack. Tagovailoa was taken to a local trauma facility, and while he was ultimately released and traveled back to Miami with the team, he clearly suffered a concussion during the play, just one week after likely receiving another head injury in a previous game.

Neuroscientist and former WWE star Chris Nowinski, a prominent advocate for concussion safety, took to Twitter to share his perspective on the matter.

"In light of the Tua disaster last night, I appreciate more than ever AEW's Tony Khan, WWE's Triple H, and NWA's Billy Corgan all inviting me to come teach their talent [about] concussions & the risks of getting in the ring before you've recovered," Nowinski tweeted. "Protecting athletes begins with educating them."

Nowinski had tweeted about the NFL's concussion protocol ahead of last night's game, saying that it was blatantly dangerous to allow Tagovailoa to take the field after allegedly suffering a concussion the previous week. "If Tua takes the field tonight, it's a massive step back for concussion care in the NFL," Nowinski stated. "If he has a 2nd concussion that destroys his season or career, everyone involved will be sued & should lose their jobs, coaches included. We all saw it, even they must know this isn't right."

After being forced to retire in 2003 due to his own concussion issues, Nowinski went on to earn a PhD in behavioral neuroscience and is the co-founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation non-profit organization. Nowinski and his former partner, Dr. Bennet Omalu, were able to get a hold of Chris Benoit's brain post-mortem and diagnosed the notorious wrestler with CTE in 2007 — the first time a wrestler was publicly diagnosed with the dangerous illness.

February 21, 2022

XFL And NFL Reach Partnership Agreement

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s XFL announced it has reached a new innovative partnership agreement with the NFL. The XFL is returning in 2023 after suspending operations in 2020 under Vince McMahon’s ownership. The XFL and NFL partnership comes at a time when alternative football leagues are popping up more frequently.

XFL president Russ Brandon told ESPN’s Kevin Seifert the new agreement will give the NFL a “petri dish” to experiment with proposed rules, test new equipment, and develop prospective officials and coaches.

However, the announcement doesn’t signal XFL’s demotion to a developmental league. The league sees itself as an equal competitor in the football industry. The vision for the future remains the same as always for the XFL.

When asked if the XFL would become a developmental league for the NFL, Dany Garcia replied, “That’s a no. We are a spring league. We will play at the highest level in the spring. There is not the anticipation of any player sharing that changes the dynamic. That’s not how we’re executing our vision.”

The deal is not exclusive because either league is still permitted to work with outside entities. This is about the innovation and development of the game of football because the XFL’s looking to make an impact and change the industry.

“One of the things we made clear starting off is that we were going to take a stewardship position on the game and the game of football, expanding it, and being impactful to the industry.”

The partnership benefits not only both leagues but the game of football as a whole. The official statement from the XFL reads, “The XFL has shown us that innovation is one of its core principles. We are hopeful that this relationship will support further development and improvements in the game of football at all levels.”

credit: ESPN Wrestling Inc

February 8, 2021

Triple H On The Tradition Of Sending Custom WWE Title Belts To Sports Teams

Triple H recently spoke with Tony Maglio of The Wrap and talked about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiving their custom WWE Title belt, which was brought to last night’s Super Bowl LV post-game victory press conference by safety Antoine Winfield Jr.

It was noted that the tradition of sending championship sports teams a custom WWE Title belt goes back 8 years, but the seed for the idea was planted long before then. Triple H noted that sports players would often stop him and ask him to take photos with his titles during his various reigns when he was an active Superstar.

“You see Aaron Rodgers motion for the title belt,” Triple H said of the Green Bay Packers quarterback’s regular touchdown celebration. “It’s just become synonymous with ‘The World Champion.’”

WWE began sending titles to sports teams back in 2013 when the Boston Red Sox won the MLB World Series.

“David Ortiz — Big Papi — was a huge fan. Still is. Here’s a guy with all this bling, he’s got the earnings and the giant chains and everything. It’s part of who he is,” Triple H told The Wrap before Sunday’s big game. “When they won the World Series, he was such a big fan and was so into them, we [sent him a] title. He wore it nonstop and just put it over like a million bucks.”

WWE sent a title to LeBron James in 2014 after the Miami Heat won the NBA Championship. James then purchased custom title belts for everyone else on the team. More requests began coming in after that.

Triple H noted that the hand-made WWE Title belts run a few thousand dollars each WWE ordered side plates for both Super Bowl teams this year so the belt would be ready to wear right after the game ended. He said the “rush process” can be the most expensive part of the promotion.

April 14, 2020

Donald Trump Taps Dana White, Mark Cuban, Vince McMahon as Advisors... 'We Need Sports'

Donald Trump is putting together a team of the most powerful people in U.S. sports to serve as advisors to get the country up and running again ... including Dana White, Adam Silver and Vince McMahon.

POTUS says the team will help advise him on how to restart the economy and get pro sports going again in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have to get sports back," Trump said at the White House ... "I'm tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old."
Here are some of the names Trump mentioned ...

NBA Commish Adam Silver
NFL Commish Roger Goodell
NHL Commish Gary Bettman
MLB Commish Rob Manfred
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft
Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban
UFC President Dana White
WWE Owner Vince McMahon
Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones

He's also working with the top execs from the PGA, LPGA, NASCAR and MLS.

Trump says he will consult with everyone -- some people will be included in a group call, others will be 1-on-1.

source: tmz.com

March 13, 2020

XFL to allow players to sign with NFL teams immediately

After announcing it is suspending the remainder of its season due to the coronavirus, the XFL announced it will allow players to sign contracts with NFL and CFL teams immediately.

In an interview with NFL Network, XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said all players will be paid their base pay and benefits for the remainder of the season, and players are allowed to sign any contract with an NFL or CFL team once they clear a physical.

It’s great news for players like Houston Roughnecks quarterback P.J. Walker, who was already catching the eye of NFL teams. Walker emerged as the XFL MVP in the first half of the season and will likely receive plenty of interest from NFL teams.

While players originally wouldn’t have been allowed to sign with another team until after the XFL Championship Game, the league’s decision to suspend the season changed things.

Walker likely won’t be the only XFL player to attract attention. Los Angeles Wildcats quarterback Josh Johnson, Roughnecks receiver Cam Phillips and St. Louis BattleHawks quarterback Jordan Ta’Amu could also attract some attention.

The XFL plans to return for the 2021 season, and it’s great to see the league do right by all of its players and fans.

source: msn.com

March 11, 2020

Rob Gronkowski Signs With WWE, Will Debut On SmackDown And Appear At WrestleMania 36

Gronk is reportedly headed to WrestleMania 36.

Former NFL player and WWE celebrity friend Rob Gronkowski has signed with WWE and is set to appear at WrestleMania 36 next month, according to The Wrap.

The former New England Patriots tight end has now signed a contract with WWE, and will make his official debut during the March 20 episode of SmackDown on FOX from New Orleans. Gronk is also scheduled to appear at WrestleMania 36. It was noted that current plans for the WrestleMania 36 appearance will lead to a future match for the three-time Super Bowl champion. Gronk is not scheduled to wrestle on The Grandest Stage of Them All this year, but that appearance will lead to the match they have in mind.

The 30 year old Gronk, who retired from the NFL one year ago, signed with FOX Sports as an analyst back in October. The Wrap reached out to FOX Sports for comments on if the new WWE deal will impact Gronk's NFL work, but there's no word yet.
It was noted on WWE Backstage on Tuesday that Gronk and WWE were close to finalizing a deal. That deal has been officially signed, according to the new report from The Wrap.

Gronk, a noted pro wrestling fan and good friend to Mojo Rawley, made his WWE debut at WrestleMania 33 back in 2017, to help Mojo win the 4th Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
There's no word yet on the terms of Rob's deal with WWE.

December 1, 2018

Eight Cities Revealed For XFL Relaunch, More Cities Considered For The Future?, XFL League Advisers

A "Contact Us" page on the XFL website has revealed all 8 cities that will host teams for the inaugural season in 2020. It looks like the pages were edited after the leak.

The following 8 cities were revealed:

* Dallas, Texas
* Houston, Texas
* Los Angeles, California
* New York (could be NY/NJ region but phone number was New York City)
* St. Louis, Missouri
* Seattle, Washington
* Tampa Bay, Florida
* Washington, DC

As we've noted, XFL has announced that they will reveal the 8 cities along with venues on Wednesday, December 5 at noon EST. It's been confirmed that the press conference will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, the site of WrestleMania 35.

In related news, it looks like there could be plans to expand to other major cities once the inaugural season has wrapped. DomainNameWire.com reports that the league registered several domain names for potential host cities and regions earlier this week. The domains use the format of XFLCity.com, CityXFL.com and XFLCityAbbreviation.com. For example, they registered XFLChicago.com, ChicagoXFL.com and XFLCHI.com.

The 21 cities or regions that they registered domains for are: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas/Arlington, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Washington DC, Tampa Bay.

These locations could be a sign of where they plan to expand to with future seasons or places that have been under consideration. All 8 cities revealed for the inaugural season are included in the list of domains registered this week.

On a related note, the XFL website also lists several Advisers that will be working with the league. They are:

* Jim Caldwell - former NFL Head Coach (Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts)

* John Fox - former NFL Head Coach (Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos)

* Doug Flutie - former NFL, CFL & USFL Quarterback, NBC/NBCSN Analyst

* Donna Orender - WNBA President from 2005-2010

* John Kosner - President of Kosner Media, 20-Year ESPN veteran

* Kevin Guskiewicz - Dean of Arts & Science at UNC, Member of the NFL Head, Neck & Spine Committee

November 28, 2018

First XFL Host City Revealed, Rumored Date For Full League Announcement

The XFL is reportedly set to field a team in St. Louis, bringing pro football back to the city for the first time since the NFL’s Rams left for Los Angeles.

According to a report from KSDK St Louis / 5 On Your Side Sports Director Frank Cusumano, the XFL will bring a team to St Louis, and they will play 10 games in the 2020 season. Five of those games will be played at the Dome at America’s Center (formerly the Edward Jones Dome) which served as the Rams’ home from 1995 through 2015.

Additionally, according to a Reddit post by user ReadingTeaLeaves, we may be getting a major update on the XFL this coming Wednesday, December 5th. It is believed that this will be an announcement of the eight total host cities for the revival XFL teams. As is known, the XFL is looking to relaunch in 2020 through Vince McMahon‘s newest business endeavor, Alpha Entertainment.

According to this post, the XFL is being purposely secretive because of all of their competition. Not only are they considering the NFL competition, but the new endeavor from Charlie Ebersol, The Alliance of American Football (AAF), and apparently a third new competitor to the National Football League, The American Patriot League:

The XFL is purposely being secretive because of their competition. Mostly the AAF but there is also yet another spring league launching in The American Patriot League. That group is headed by former NFL player Marques Ogden and former XFL announcer Bob Golic. Their league has started try out camps and has announced Daytona Beach and Mobile Alabama as their two first markets. They have already started naming contests and those two playing venues are Daytona Stadium and Ladd Peebles Stadium.

September 29, 2018

XFL CEO Talks Vince McMahon, Mandating Players Stand For The Anthem, & Re-Imagining Football: ‘Forget About 2001’

XFL commissioner and CEO Oliver Luck recently talked with former Green Bay Packers linebacker AJ Hawk on The HawkCast podcast.
Luck opened up about all things XFL including his thoughts on WWE CEO Vince McMahon & what it takes to create a professional football league from scratch:
On How His Own Personal Experience Helps In His New Role As XFL Commissioner And CEO:
I do feel as though my experience playing football at the college level has helped me, certainly at the NFL level. Probably the thing that has helped me the most in terms of getting ready for this challenge was the ten years I spent working for the NFL after I quit playing, in Europe. Running franchises in the old World League of American Football and basically running the league as league president in the ’90s and being an athletic director, you’re administering football. That’s what you do. Not only the football side with coaches; but, also the business side – you gotta sell tickets, you gotta sell sponsorships, you’ve got stadium up-keeps, concession issues, parking, all those things that matter to having a successful football program. I also believe that in life everything you do helps you in the job you’re currently doing. You take skills that you picked up along the way and try to use them the best you can to try to do a successful job wherever you’re at. I’m absolutely prepared – I think – for this challenge.

On Forging Forward With A Brand New XFL:
We’re looking at it more as shaping a lump of clay and trying to do the best we can possibly do. Forget about 2001. Some of the things that were done were a little bit gimmicky, I think is maybe the best word. We want to make this build a serious sustainable league that football fans can enjoy, that families can enjoy, that’s family affordable, that’s as safe as can be while still respecting the great rock ’em sock ’em game of football, which we know and you know better than I, is a very physical rough game. We kind of look at it as taking a mold of clay – thanks to Vince [McMahon] and his foresight – we’ve given ourselves plenty of time before we kick off in 2020 to get it right, to really make sure we’re doing all the right things in terms of tweaking the rules, the markets we go to, the types of coaches and players we have in our league. I almost feel like we’re starting from scratch quite honestly.

March 22, 2018

WWE sends a scout to Penn State Pro Day

In listing those who attended Wednesday’s Pro Day, the Penn State football program revealed some unusual information: A scout from World Wrestling Entertainment was in attendance.

That came as a surprise and raised immediate questions about which player or players the WWE scout was looking at. There’s been some speculation that the WWE scout could have been looking for XFL players, but that seems unlikely: The XFL isn’t launching for two more years, and Vince McMahon has made clear that the XFL is his own separate venture, not an arm of the WWE.

More likely, the WWE just wants to get a better handle on the kinds of big, strong, athletic men who are going to be looking for work in the months ahead. It’s highly unlikely that a player who’s good enough to get drafted could be lured away by the WWE, but there are plenty of players at Pro Day workouts who aren’t going to make it to the NFL. It makes sense for the WWE to look at those players.

March 21, 2018

Vince McMahon’s XFL Revival Faces Early Competition From New Football League

WWE's chairman and chief executive Vince McMahon already has an opponent in drawing away NFL's football fans, and it comes from a surprising name: Charlie Ebersol. Not only did Charlie's father, and longtime NBC executive, Dick help Vince launch the original XFL 17 years ago, but the younger Ebersol directed the recent ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on the original failed launch of the XFL. Today, Ebersol announced the formation of the Alliance of American Football.
After political protests by NFL players and concussion injuries gained recent attention, ratings for the league fell by 17 percent. Perhaps seizing on this environment, McMahon announced this past January that he'd revive the XFL (backed by $100 million in stock he sold). He emphasized a more family-friendly stance than the previous XFL, downplaying the sexy cheerleaders and violence of the original league and adhering more to the current PG-era of the WWE. He also stressed nonpolitical actions during games and employing players without criminal backgrounds.
Ebersol's announcement of his Alliance for American Football league also might mean McMahon's plan will come too late. Whereas Vince wants to revamp the XFL in in early 2020, his rival scheduled his launch for February 9, 2019 on CBS, soon after the next Super Bowl.

February 15, 2018

FDA Authorizes Marketing Of First Blood Test To Aid In The Evaluation Of Concussion In Adults

The FDA has released the following news which will no doubt have an affect on the way WWE, the NFL and other sports institutions handle concussion treatment:
FDA authorizes marketing of first blood test to aid in the evaluation of concussion in adults
New quick testing option to help reduce need for CT scans, radiation exposure for patient
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today permitted marketing of the first blood test to evaluate mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), commonly referred to as concussion, in adults. The FDA reviewed and authorized for marketing the Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator in fewer than 6 months as part of its Breakthrough Devices Program.
Most patients with a suspected head injury are examined using a neurological scale, called the 15-point Glasgow Coma Scale, followed by a computed tomography or CT scan of the head to detect brain tissue damage, or intracranial lesions, that may require treatment; however, a majority of patients evaluated for mTBI/concussion do not have detectable intracranial lesions after having a CT scan. Availability of a blood test for concussion will help health care professionals determine the need for a CT scan in patients suspected of having mTBI and help prevent unnecessary neuroimaging and associated radiation exposure to patients.

January 25, 2018

Vince McMahon: XFL to return in 2020 without gimmicks

WWE founder and chairman Vince McMahon announced Thursday he is giving a professional football league another go.

It will be called the XFL, the same name of the league McMahon and NBC tried for one season in 2001, but it won't rely on flashy cheerleaders and antics as its predecessor did, he said.

McMahon said he is the sole funding source for the league, which is slated to begin in January 2020. Its first season will have eight teams around the country playing a 10-week schedule. The initial outlay of money is expected to be around $100 million, the same amount of WWE stock McMahon sold last month and funneled into Alpha Entertainment, the company he founded for the project.

"I wanted to do this since the day we stopped the other one," McMahon told ESPN in an exclusive interview. "A chance to do it with no partners, strictly funded by me, which would allow me to look in the mirror and say, 'You were the one who screwed this up,' or 'You made this thing a success.'"

One mark of the new league, McMahon said, will be faster games. The ideal running time, he said, would be two hours.

As for the timing of the announcement, two years before the league's debut, many might point to McMahon's relationship with President Donald Trump, who this fall criticized the NFL for allowing its players to kneel and sit during the national anthem. McMahon said players in his league will not be given the forum to take a personal stance while on the playing field. McMahon's wife, Linda, heads the Small Business Administration in Trump's Cabinet.

October 3, 2017

Triple H defends NFL national anthem protest

For the second consecutive Sunday NFL stars around the US and London demonstrated during the American national anthem by taking a knee to highlight racial injustice.

Wrestling legend Triple H appeared on Sky Sports and claimed that taking a knee would probably not be a problem in WWE as they respect people’s right to freedom of speech.

But the multi-time world champion, who holds high rank in the company that presents itself as patriotic, would prefer this to be done in a way that wouldn’t offend anyone.

“I speak for myself, personally only, and if it was me I would stand for my national anthem. For my country I would stand,” the King of Kings told Sky Sports. 

“But I and WWE certainly respect the rights of everybody’s first amendment right of freedom of speech, their right to peacefully protest and do what is meaningful to them. Certainly we support that.

 photo i_zps0ebed5ab.jpg
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear