White-haired HS basketball referee knocked down by thrown objects after game; coach allegedly 'involved' in incident is fired



Cellphone video caught the moments when a white-haired Michigan high school basketball referee was knocked down to the court surface after objects were thrown at him and hit him after a playoff game last week.

What's more, an assistant coach from one of the teams allegedly was "involved" in the postgame incident and has been fired.

'I had never seen that type of officiating ... ever. Ever.'

Check out WNDU-TV's video report here, which includes the cellphone clip of the referee being pelted with the objects.

First, he's hit in the back of the head by a basketball, which stuns and staggers him for a few moments. As the referee begins to retreat, another object hits him in the shoulder, and another object whizzes by and misses him. Finally, another object hits him in the head, and the referee quickly reaches for his head as he falls to the court surface and rolls over on his back and then rolls again to his knees. Police soon pick him up and escort him from the court.

Police told WNDU-TV a thrown notebook also hit the referee while he was in a hallway in an attempt to leave the building.

Assistant coach fired over 'involvement' in incident

Benton Harbor Area Schools Superintendent Kelvin Butts said the district "confirmed that an assistant basketball coach was involved in the postgame incident with an official. Immediate action has been taken, and that individual is no longer associated with or employed by the district in any capacity," the station reported.

WNDU said the attack occurred immediately after the Benton Harbor boys' team lost to Buchanan 39-36 last Wednesday in a district semifinal playoff game at Dowagiac Union High School. The station said Benton Harbor was called for 22 fouls, while Buchanan was called for eight.

Dowagiac Police told WNDU that charges are being sought and they still are attempting to identify other individuals who engaged in the assault against the referee. A different video report from WNDU reportedly shows a still image of two people allegedly involved in the attack.

Police told the station more than three individuals were involved in the assault and that those from the Buchanan side did not take part.

Butts told WNDU that one of those involved in the postgame fracas is a student — but the district can't provide specific details about the student's involvement due to federal regulations.

Here's more from Superintendent Butts' statement:

Following thorough internal investigations and a report from the Dowagiac Union Schools School Resource Officer (SRO), we have confirmed that an assistant basketball coach was involved in the postgame incident with an official. Immediate action has been taken, and that individual is no longer associated with or employed by the District in any capacity.

Benton Harbor Area Schools unequivocally condemns and will not tolerate any acts of violence. While we understand that competitive events can generate intense emotions for both adults and students, the incidents that occurred following last week’s District basketball game are unacceptable and deeply concerning.

Regarding the student involved, we are bound by FERPA regulations and therefore cannot provide specific details. However, we assure you that the District is actively reviewing this matter in full compliance with Board policies, procedures, and the Student Code of Conduct.

We have maintained close communication with the other schools involved and have also engaged in productive discussions with Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Executive staff. Our focus is not only to address the events of February 26th but, more importantly, to implement comprehensive measures that prevent any recurrence of such incidents. Our dialogue with the MHSAA will continue as we collaboratively work to foster a safe and respectful environment for all participants.

Anything else?

Buchanan Community Schools Superintendent Patricia Robinson — whose team was triumphant against Benton Harbor — told WXMI-TV that "I had never seen that type of officiating ... ever. Ever. This is my first time ever experiencing that." Again, WNDU said Benton Harbor was called for 22 fouls while Buchanan was called for eight.

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'Obviously there's issues': American Brian White responds to anthem boos as Canadians are now even booing at soccer games



An American soccer player who captains a Canadian team responded to his own fans booing the U.S. national anthem.

Fans at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada, booed a performance of the "Star-Spangled Banner" before a Major League Soccer game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Los Angeles Galaxy. The jeers were an ongoing response to threats of tariffs on Canadian goods by President Donald Trump. Despite the fact that Canada has tariffed U.S. goods for years, many sports fans have largely ignored this fact.

In the end, the Whitecaps pulled out a 2-1 victory, but as was the case with NHL fans in Vancouver and Ottawa, fans seemingly forgot their top player is an American.

'It's not my business.'

Enter Brian White, captain and all-time leading scorer for the Whitecaps. White is a native of New Jersey. He responded to his own fans booing his national anthem.

Despite largely took the high road, White said, "I would like to say thank you to the fans that cheered and clapped the anthem at the end and showed respect for the flag."

He added, "Obviously there's issues. It's not my business, and I'll leave it at that."

White gave his remarks at a postgame press conference after receiving a question that was seemingly left until the end on purpose.

The ongoing anti-American sentiments have extended beyond Canada-versus-America hockey games and were even showcased at a recent WWE event in Toronto.

About 30,000 fans booed the U.S. national anthem at the Rogers Centre during the WWE event Elimination Chamber.

ESPN host Pat McAfee, a commentator for the WWE, called Canada "terrible" in reaction to the fans.

"These are the most stacked [matches] that the WWE has ever had. Kind of sucks that it's in the terrible country of Canada that booed our national anthem to start this entire thing," McAfee said comedically.

The host called for peace the following day but revealed he thought it was strange that fans equated hearing a national with the political policies of President Trump, as he did not make the same connection regarding the Canadian anthem and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Similarly, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) found a new way to take a dig at Canadians who have reportedly called for travel boycotts against the United States. After revealing that millions of Canadians had traveled to Florida, he said, "Maybe they wanted to get a glimpse of what a Stanley Cup-winning hockey team actually looks like."

A Canadian NHL team has not won the Stanley Cup since 1993.

Whitecaps star White recently signed a contract extension through 2027, and this was the team's first game against an American squad since the deal was inked.

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Gov. DeSantis trolls Canada over lack of Stanley Cup wins as Canadian tourists pour into Florida despite claims of boycott



Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) pointed out that millions of tourists are still traveling to his state from Canada, despite claims of boycotts from their neighbors to the north.

Canadians have threatened to cancel travel to the United States over President Donald Trump's trade and tariff war with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Specifically, some liberal seniors who travel from Canada to Florida for extended winter holidays — referred to as snowbirds — have changed their plans over what they believe is unfair treatment from the president.

During an address to the state of Florida, DeSantis listed off some of the more impressive numbers regarding the state's tourism and investments. Fortunately for Florida, tourism from Canadians does not appear to have suffered.

'That's not much of a boycott.'

"[Businesses] have flocked to our state and investment to Florida surged," DeSantis began. "We continue to set tourism records; 2024 saw more than 142 million visitors come to the state of Florida."

He added, "This includes 3.3 million visitors from Canada. That's not much of a boycott, in my book."

The governor then hit Canadians right where it hurts, in their hockey pride.

"Maybe they wanted to get a glimpse of what a Stanley Cup-winning hockey team actually looks like," DeSantis said with a grin, clearly pleased with himself.

It is true, with the Florida Panthers winning the Stanley Cup in 2024, marking their first return to the NHL finals since 1996 when they lost to the Colorado Avalanche. During that 28-year span, zero Canadian teams won a Stanley Cup. In fact, it has been about 32 years since a Canadian team last won the Stanley Cup: the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.

The tariff wars have spilled into the sporting world, especially into hockey where Canada and the United States recently faced off in an international tournament. Although Team USA won the first matchup, Canada won the second and more important final game of the tournament, which was riddled with fights and Canadian fans booing the U.S. national anthem.

NHL fans have booed "The Star-Spangled Banner" before games in Vancouver and Ottawa, as well.

DeSantis' address boasted about the state's ability to curb illegal immigration and relieve taxpayer burdens. He also touted protections for homeowners and insurance reform, according to Florida's Voice.

At the same time, the governor said he wanted to clean up petition fraud, strengthen Florida's Second Amendment rights, and reform laws around condominiums.

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Ousted for political incorrectness — Jon Gruden deserves a MASSIVE NFL apology



The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially reinstated Jon Gruden back into their Ring of Honor after labeling him a racist for the past four years.

“I think in 2021, when Jon Gruden got lynched and strung up by Roger Goodell and the media that Roger Goodell controls, over emails, private emails, that he exchanged where he didn’t speak in politically correct terms,” Jason Whitlock of “Fearless” explains.

Gruden reportedly called Goodell the “f-word” and said that DeMaurice Smith, who was the executive director of the NFL Players Association, had “big rubber lips.”

“Everybody whined and cried and Jon Gruden lost his job, was forced out with the Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took him out of their ring of honor,” Whitlock says. “Well, now they’ve caught religion and believe in forgiveness.”


A statement from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reads, “Jon Gruden was initially inducted into the Bucs Ring of Honor based on his many accomplishments during his seven seasons as our head coach, and he remains a significant figure in the history of our franchise. Upon further reflection, we have decided to reinstate him into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.”

Whitlock isn’t impressed.

“The Pro Football Hall of Fame had already established a precedent. OJ Simpson has never been removed from Canton. If OJ Simpson can be in Canton, Ohio, Jon Gruden should have stayed in the Ring of Honor, the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Whitlock says.

“And trust me, there’s other guys in the Pro Football Hall of Fame that have written worse emails than Jon Gruden, and it just never made sense to me,” he adds.

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'Anora,' an adult film, won more Oscars than 'The Godfather'



The 2025 Academy Awards was taken over by the film “Anora,” which won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress — though Jason Whitlock of “Fearless” can’t seem to figure out why.

“Are you kidding me? This is a porno? And I’m telling you that’s what went through my mind particularly during the first hour, 45 minutes to an hour, of this movie,” Whitlock says. “It’s like this is a porno.”

According to Whitlock, the film starts with a line of strippers wearing g-strings and nothing else.

“They appear to be in some sort of champagne room giving out lap dances, and they’re leaving hardly anything to the imagination, and this is the first scene of the movie. It’s just a long line until they finally get to Anora, who calls herself Annie, and she’s giving someone a lap dance,” Whitlock explains.


The film then spins into one of romance, where Anora, or Annie, marries the son of a Russian oligarch, who initially just paid her for sex.

“How did a porno win the Oscar for best movie?” Whitlock asks. “This has no plot, this has no character development, none of these people, from Annie to I think the little Russian kid’s name was Vana, neither one of them are likable.”

“They’re drugged up, vaping, smoking weed, doing coke, drinking the entire time,” he continues. “In the first 45 minutes to an hour of that movie, he must have banged her eight times, and they showed all eight of them.”

“It’s just like, how much sex can they pour into a movie?” he asks. “And I’m like this is the best we have. This is American art, this is American cinema, this is the best movie in the world.”

However, Hollywood does not share Whitlock’s sentiment.

“Whoever the director, Sean Baker, this guy won four Academy Awards last night. He won four Oscars. This guy, he either broke or tied Walt Disney’s record for most Oscar wins in a night,” Whitlock explains.

“It’s not the most decorated movie, but the four Oscars that this movie did win is one more than 'The Godfather' won. 'The Godfather,' arguably the greatest movie of all time,” Whitlock continues, adding, “It only won three Oscars. This porno with no plot, no character development, no understanding of anyone’s motivations, it won four Oscars. It beat 'The Godfather.'"

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'You booed us': Pat McAfee explains calling Canada a 'terrible' country after US national anthem booed at WWE event



ESPN host Pat McAfee is calling for a truce with Canadians after wrestling fans booed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a WWE event in Canada.

Boos chorused through the Rogers Centre in Toronto during the WWE event Elimination Chamber, as 30,000 or so Canadian fans continued their alignment with mainstream liberal pundits by booing the American national anthem. The jeers are in response to the tariffs and trade war between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump.

Fans reacted far worse to the U.S. national anthem on Saturday night than they had during any instance of the 4 Nations Face-Off where Team Canada and Team USA played each other in hockey in Montreal.

ESPN host McAfee, who is also a commentator for the WWE, reacted to the boos during a pre-match segment and called Canada "terrible."

"These are the most stacked [matches] that the WWE has ever had. Kind of sucks that it's in the terrible country of Canada that booed our national anthem to start this entire thing," McAfee said as he stood up in a comedic rage. "But it's gonna be a historic night for the WWE on the road to WrestleMania."

McAfee followed up on his remarks on Monday, hoping to come to an understanding with the very same Canadian fans who had booed the anthem.

'I called your country terrible ... let's shake hands.'

"There's been some things said to me from Canadians that I, I guess I respect because of the passion that you have for your country, which I hope you understand that I was showing the same for mine. You booed my country. Now, I heard from a lot of Canadians, during the national anthem, obviously, the Rogers Centre, overwhelming boo. I mean, very loud boo," McAfee recalled.

After explaining that his immediate gut reaction to anyone boing the American national anthem is "f*** you," the former NFL punter said a lot of Canadians had asked him to look into why they have been booing. McAfee explained he did not understand why when Canadians hear the U.S. national anthem, they immediately think of the government's decisions.

"I feel like anytime I think of Canada, I don't think of what Justin Trudeau does. I don't think immediately of Justin Trudeau's decisions. I don't think immediately of what Canada is doing in the political sphere. I think of the people of Canada," he said on "The Pat McAfee Show."

Rather, McAfee said he thinks of "poutine" and "magical times" at Canadian casinos.

"I think about loonies and toonies in good times, and Mounties allowing teenagers to puke in their streets because maybe we're a little bit overserved," the host laughed. "I don't think of Justin Trudeau."

Calling for a verbal ceasefire, McAfee concluded, "I called your country terrible ... let's shake hands."

Along with the recent international hockey tournament, Canadian crowds have trended toward booing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on frequent occasions. Similar instances occurred in Vancouver and Ottawa; Vancouver Canucks fans booed the U.S. national anthem before a game with the Detroit Red Wings in early February, as did Ottawa Senators fans before a game with the Minnesota Wild the next day.

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'She was really bad': NBA player fined after calling out female referee by name



Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome was fined $25,000 after calling out NBA referee Natalie Sago following a game.

Jerome received a technical foul from Sago during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, one of at least two technicals the Cavaliers received from the referee after verbal exchanges on the court.

Despite the Cavs winning in overtime 133-129 and Jerome finishing with 25 points, the 27-year-old voiced his displeasure with the referring after the game.

"Yeah, I thought the refs were really bad tonight. Especially Natalie [Sago]," Jerome told reporters in the locker room. "She was really bad. So when stuff like that happens, they kind of lose control of the game. [You just have to] keep your head. I thought that first half was ridiculous. The third quarter was horrendous, and you just got to keep your head and keep playing."

The NBA acted swiftly and fined Jerome the next day for his remarks.

"Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of the officiating, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations."

The league added, "Jerome made his comments to the media following the Cavaliers' 133-129 overtime victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on March 2 at Rocket Arena."

— (@)

According to the referees' association, Sago is in her sixth season in the NBA after four seasons in the G League and three seasons in the WNBA. In 2021, Sago was one of two female referees to officiate the same game, the first time that had happened in NBA history.

Sago has not been well-received by fans over the last couple of seasons, and this has been coupled with several public altercations with players upset over her officiating.

Viral videos have ranged from a slight annoyance with Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic forcing her to pass him the ball, to Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum arguing over a blown call.

Early in 2025, Indiana Pacers player Bennedict Mathurin even bumped Sago and was immediately ejected from the game.

'It shouldn't be based on your gender, race, [or] ethnicity.'

For her part, Sago has seemingly not made any excuses for her position in the league. In a 2021 interview, she appeared to explain that young women should not be getting jobs in her field based on their gender or ethnicity.

"Go out, and do your job. It shouldn't be based on your gender, race, ethnicity, anything like that, it should just be based on your abilities. If you can get the job done just like the men can, then we belong out there, too."

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Ex-UFC star says organization still unfairly pushes athletes to sign lifelong name, image, and likeness agreements



Former UFC welterweight Jon Fitch says the UFC still unfairly pushes its athletes to sign lifelong agreements to give up their name, image, and likeness rights.

In an interview with Blaze News, Fitch discussed a lawsuit against the UFC that he was involved with for years. His issues with the organization began all the way back in 2008, when the UFC dropped him for refusing to sign what he described as a lifetime contract for his likeness rights. The dispute famously took just 24 hours to resolve before Fitch was welcomed back into the promotion after agreeing to terms that would see him in a UFC video game.

'They wanted me to sign my image and likeness rights away for zero dollars.'

Fitch claimed these contracts still exist and that fighters are still signing away their likeness rights in perpetuity. Particularly, Fitch referred to UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former champion Conor McGregor. Fitch said the UFC's consistent mentions of Jones as the greatest of all time and the organization persistently teasing McGregor's return both are efforts to capitalize on the fighters' likenesses.

"They own Jon Jones. They own him in a way that no one was ever able to own Muhammad Ali or Bruce Lee. Think about if a corporation or a film studio or Don King, like, one of Ali's promoters, owned everything about Ali," Fitch said, adding that the UFC "own[s] every fighter. That was my whole thing back then. ... They wanted me to sign my image and likeness rights away for zero dollars ... forever."

Fitch then referred to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000, which prohibits boxing promoters from requiring boxers to grant future promotional rights as a prerequisite for competing. This rule does not apply to mixed martial arts, however, which Fitch said often traps fighters into one promotion when their marketing value is at its highest.

The 47-year-old said he didn't ask for money during his original dispute; he simply wanted a 20-year sunset clause for his likeness rights, which means he would have been under contract to this day. He further claimed that the UFC used his situation to "scare everybody else into signing, and it worked."

The class-action lawsuit against the UFC, which lasted more than 10 years, claimed that the company suppressed fighter pay by using an anti-competitive scheme to shut out rivals. The UFC has declined to comment on the suit on many occasions (in particular to MMA fighting) and has simply said that it will "vigorously defend itself and its business practices."

In February, the UFC finally settled for a whopping $375 million.

Other outlets have reported that UFC contracts often include exclusive image and likeness rights as well as competitive restrictions.

At the same time, however, former fighters such as Demetrious Johnson have expressed gratitude over the extensive likeness rights. Johnson has praised payouts that he has received from UFC video games.

The UFC didn't immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment on Fitch's claims.

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Whitlock: Andrew Tate is playing the ‘victim card’ as the right-wing Gloria Steinem



Andrew Tate and his brother are back in the news after leaving Romania — where they are facing human trafficking charges — and arriving in Florida. The reaction among conservatives is split, with some celebrating his arrival, while others are not happy with it.

Jason Whitlock of “Fearless” and Delano Squires are among the latter.

“If young men think they’ve been sold a bad deal by feminists, they need to understand Andrew Tate is really no different than Gloria Steinem,” Squires tells Whitlock. “He’s selling a particular message.”


“Gloria Steinem in the 1960s was telling women working for your husband is a bad deal, marriage is a bad deal,” he continues. “‘Go out in the corporation, go make your own money, stand on your own two feet, you don’t need a man to fulfill your life.’”

“Andrew Tate is right there on the other side. This is the horseshoe theory in effect,” he adds. “Telling young men marriage and family is a bad deal, traditional values are a bad deal. Make your money, build your own empire. You don’t need a woman to fulfill your life.”

“He has executed this, ‘Hey, I’m a victim’ card, and conservatives have fallen for it,” Whitlock agrees. “He’s a victim of the globalists and the feminist and the DEI crowd or whatever, and he’s played that game.”

“This is where politics gets in the way of truth and righteousness, and that’s the real danger that I see here,” he continues. “We’re so caught up in politics, we’ve thrown out our values once again.”

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'I'm more than willing': UFC's Justin Gaethje says he is open to training FBI agents under Kash Patel



UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje said he would be happy to serve America by helping to train FBI agents.

Gaethje was asked about his willingness to train federal agents after new FBI Director Kash Patel was rumored to have floated the idea last week during a call with field offices.

Patel recently led a weekly virtual meeting with the heads of 55 offices, during which he was alleged to have brought up the idea that the federal agency should engage in a mutual partnership with the UFC to develop programs that improve the physical fitness of the FBI's field agents.

"Kash Patel ... proposed an idea that he thinks the UFC, UFC fighters should help train the FBI agents. When you hear something like that: good idea? Bad idea?" a reporter asked Gaethje.

"I think he should use us to ... " Gaethje began, before thinking again. "I think there's much more skilled people, but I got no kids, no wife, so if he needs somebody to go out there and serve some justice, you know, I would love to be a part of that team."

The 36-year-old continued, "I think if they're in a hand-to-hand combat situation [that] has gone wrong, you guys have guns, and they shoot pretty damn good. That's the first option," he said.

Gaethje then added it was realistic to suspect that when "clearing houses," agents may get into situations that would require close-quarters training in martial arts like wrestling or jiujitsu.

The Arizona native was an All-American wrestler in the NCAA's Division I. He was also inducted into the University of Northern Colorado Athletics Hall of Fame for wrestling.

In 30 pro MMA fights, Gaethje has never shied away from his patriotism, and told TMZ that he would love to be involved in "any part" of training federal agents.

Gaethje continued, "I love representing the country. I can't wait to fly this flag walking to the Octagon. It's been a while since I've been proud to be American."

"Any time anybody at that position needs my help, I'm more than willing."

'I can't wait to fly this flag.'

Reuters said it spoke to two people said to be briefed on Patel's idea who said current FBI agents described the proposal as "surreal" and "wacky."

It was also branded as a bad idea by anonymous Justice Department officials who spoke with the outlet.

"The answer is not to go to [the UFC]," one source said.

Director Patel lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the UFC is also based and has extensive facilities that train professional athletes and provide top-tier health and nutritional programs.

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