Month: March 2026

Posted on

4 Takeaways from Roger Goodell’s Press Conference at NFL Owners Meeting

PHOENIX — The end of the NFL’s owners meeting has arrived. But before we departed the Biltmore Hotel on Tuesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave another State of the Union that dropped some crumbs on what to possibly expect around the league next season and in the years to come. Finding a new stadium for the Chicago Bears, NFL players competing in flag football in the Olympics and proposed rules for the expansion of instant replay to help replacement officials were part of a packed agenda this week. Will there be replacement refs in 2026? Where will the Bears play next? Here are my four takeaways from Goodell’s latest press conference. 1. Get ready for NFL replacement officials NFL owners approved, for one year only, a new rule allowing replay assist to correct clear and obvious missed calls in the event of a referee work stoppage, which would mean the implementation of replacement officials. It was one of four rule changes approved by the league. The rule change is possibly the clearest sign yet that we’re heading toward a work stoppage for NFL refs in the 2026 season, and Goodell’s comment on the situation indicated that replacement refs are on the way. “The negotiations have not progressed the way we had hoped from a timing standpoint,” Goodell said. “We obviously have obligations to our fans and everybody in the National Football League to play. So, we are taking the appropriate steps to be ready, but we’re also keeping focused on the negotiations. “So, we’d like to get a negotiated deal, and we certainly are focused on that.” The last time the NFL used replacement officials was in 2012, due to a lockout. However, that ended three weeks into the regular season with an eight-year agreement after a Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, when a replacement official incorrectly ruled a touchdown catch for Golden Tate that ended the game with a victory for the Seahawks. The league and the referees reached an impasse on compensation, accountability for poor performance and shortening the amount of dead time for officials during the down period from the end of the Super Bowl in February to May 15. The current agreement is set to expire at the end of May. “There is frustration discussed among the ownership about the state of our negotiations with our officials,” NFL Executive Vice President overseeing Player Health and Safety Jeff Miller told reporters on Thursday. “The effort has been pretty straightforward. And I think we’ve been crystal clear on it, which is this is an opportunity to improve the state of our officiating. “There needs to be accountability measures. There needs to be performance measures. And that’s what our negotiation posture has been. … What [the NFL owners] are insistent upon – insistent upon — is that the performance of the officials and the accountability for that performance has to improve.” Owners also approved a new rule that allows replay assist to put a flag down and eject players for flagrant football acts or non-football acts not penalized by officials on the field. Rich McKay, Atlanta Falcons CEO and co-chairman of the competition committee, said there was some concern about transparency for fans considering the expanded use of instant replay, but that did not override impeding the speed of the game. McKay said the NFL also would have more staff on hand to deal with the expanded use of replay assist. 2. NFL players expected to compete in Flag Football in 2028 Olympics The NFL is all in on flag football, according to Goodell. Even after current NFL players were soundly beaten by USA Football in the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles earlier in March, Goodell said the league is committed to improving the game and believes NFL players will compete in the sport for USA Football in the 2028 Summer Olympics. “I think we’ll see NFL players in the Olympics,” Goodell said. “They want to play. We just had a player here who wants to compete in the Olympics. That’s his intent. I think it will be great for football. I think it will be great for the fans. And I’m even more excited for the opportunity for young women to play flag football in general, but also participate in the Olympics.” The league’s actions earlier in the week certainly showed the NFL’s commitment to growing flag football. A day prior to Goodell’s press conference, the NFL announced that it’s partnering with TMRW Sports to develop and operate a professional flag football league for women and men. 3. Chicago Bears need clarity on new stadium project The stadium situation for the Bears remains in flux. The Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1971. It’s the smallest NFL stadium, with a capacity of 61,500. However, the team is working on a couple of different tracks that they hope will lead to a new facility. The Bears have received approval from the state of Indiana to fund a new stadium in the town of Hammond, about 28 miles from Chicago. Meanwhile, the Bears also purchased a 326-acre, $197.2 million property in Arlington Heights, Illinois, to build a new facility for home games. However, there’s no clear timeline for completion of the project and the franchise is seeking $855 million in public funding to cover the stadium’s infrastructure costs. Goodell said the Bears need to gain clarity on which project to move forward with sooner rather than later. “They need to find a solution for a stadium,” Goodell said. “And they have looked not only in Indiana, but Illinois and other sites. And they’ve also invested in a site. So, I think they’ve been responsible, and I think it’s really important that they come to a resolution on this relatively soon.” 4. NFL expands access for players to address mental health The league also approved an initiative to expand behavioral and mental health services for NFL players and their families. Franchises must now hire a full-time mental health professional who works from the team facility each day. NFL owners have approved a proposal to expand behavioral and mental health services offerings to players. Teams must now employ a full-time mental health clinician who operates out of each facility. The league also voted to better support vulnerable players on injured reserve separated from their families, and to expand health coverage for players and their families. Previously, the NFL mandated in the last collective bargaining agreement seven years ago that every team must have some mental health resource available to players and coaches. Further, the NFL requires every team to have a mental health emergency action plan. There’s been an increased emphasis nationally on mental health in the NFL, with the recent tragedies of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore dying by suicide.

Go to Source
Author:

Posted on

Cross Star Johnny Ray Gill Isn’t Chasing Fame—He’s Building a Legacy (Exclusive)

Johnny Ray Gill isn’t just thinking about starring in one of Prime Video’s most successful shows and his next roles. The Cross star exclusively explains to Men’s Journal about the vision he has for his career, which includes working with the highest-caliber directors and most respected actors.

Why Johnny Ray Gill Is Focused on Longevity Over Fame

Men’s Journal: Are you eyeing broader Hollywood success, and how are you preparing for that?

Johnny Ray Gill: Oh, man. I’m just taking it in stride. The end goal is to be on the Oscar stage, man. I want to win a couple of them things. I think I got the talent to win a couple of them. I understand that to some degree that’s outside of your control. But that is the level of project that I want to align myself with.

I played sports a lot growing up. So, to go back to a sports reference. I think you have to decide what kind of athlete you’re going to be. Are you going to be the casual cat that plays at the rec center every now and again after work? Or are you going to put in the next level amount of work and preparation that could give you the opportunity to be in the NBA? Obviously, the NBA and sports are more of a meritocracy than Hollywood is, but that’s got nothing to do with me.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to align myself and work with the Ryan Cooglers of the world, with director Bong Joon Ho, who is one of my favorites, with Guillermo del Toro, et cetera. I want to be able to step in the ring with the upper echelon folks.

Men’s Journal: In addition to the directors that you want to work with, do you have any dream co-stars who are your dream person to work with?

Johnny Ray Gill: Oh man, dang. Meryl Streep comes to mind. I wish I was in that new Devil Wears Prada sequel. I would get to stand next to Stanley Tucci, you know what I’m saying? Ken Watanabe is somebody I want to work with very much. His performance in The Last Samurai and his work as an actor has always been beautiful for me. Tom Hanks. I want to work with him very much. Pedro Pascal is somebody who has consistently done phenomenal work that I would love to work with. Emily Blunt is a G, bro. She’s a gangster. Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen. Shoot.

It’s a whole bunch of folks that I would love to rock with, man. That’s just a hooper in me, bro. When you go to the rec, you want to ball with the best. I’m always studying, always watching people’s work, and trying to sharpen my knife. So when I get in the room with Pesci and me in the same room, we can get active.

Men’s Journal: As a successful actor, you have achieved something that most can only fantasize about. Outside of what you have said about being prepared, do you have any advice for people who feel like their dreams might be impossible?

Johnny Ray Gill: I think persistence is key. It’s crazy because it really is all of the cliché advice, like showing persistence and stick-to-itiveness. You know what I think it is? I think there’s a severe lack of self-awareness in America in general. A lot of people think they want to be actors, but they only think that because they see us on TV. They don’t know everything that is required to be a working actor. They don’t know about the people that’ll leapfrog you just ’cause they got a hit record one year and now they’re in that movie that you auditioned for, not because they are better than you. It’s just like people who think that they want to be football players, but they’re not ready to deal with Wednesday after they tore their ACL.

I think the way you achieve your dreams is by having the self-awareness to know what your dream actually is. That’s when you’ll never quit. That’s when you’ll be okay with being broke. That’s when you’ll be okay with “Oh, this is outside my control, but I’m a painter because I love to paint,” or “I’m a shoemaker because I love to design shoes,” or “I’m an astrophysicist because I love the stars.” You see what I’m saying? “I’m not a doctor because my mama told me to be. I’m doing this thing because it speaks to my spirit. It speaks to my soul.” I think there is a need for self-reflection.

I think about “Letters to a Young Poet” by Rainer Maria Rilke, where it says you have to tunnel inside yourself. Folks have to tunnel inside themselves. That’s the advice. Tunnel inside yourself and find out what you are called to do. And then when you hear that calling, that’s when you will start down the path to your dreams. There’s a lot of folks who are living other people’s dreams. They’re living their parents’ dreams. They’re living capitalism’s dreams. They’re living materialism’s dreams. And then they get to that point and they feel unfulfilled because “Yeah, man, you got a lot of money, but you was never supposed to be the IT tech dude.” Self-awareness. It’s self-awareness that pushes you on the path to persistence and the path to being able to achieve what you want — what your soul wants to achieve.

Go to Source
Author: Matthew Thomas

Posted on

Stop Blowing Grass Clippings Into the Street—It Can Cost You

You’ve finished mowing the lawn and trimming the edges along the sidewalk with your string trimmer. Now you have those grass clippings all over your driveway to contend with. Why not just blow them into the street? Well, for starters, doing so can cause problems with the local sewer, create hazards for your neighbors, and it might even be illegal depending on where you live. 

Related: Mowing Too Early Can Destroy Your Lawn—Experts Warn

Why Blowing Clippings Into the Street is Bad

Blowing lawn clippings into the street is a bad idea for several reasons:

It Can Clog Storm Drains

When you blow grass clippings into the street, they often end up in storm drains. From there they flow into local water ways, where the grass clippings break down. While grass clippings are organic, they also contain a fair amount of excess nitrogen, which gets released into the waterway, causing algae growth. 

It’s Illegal

Many cities and counties have ordinances banning people from blowing grass or yard waste into public areas, including streets. They do this to prevent clippings from washing into storm drains and to prevent debris from causing motor vehicle accidents. Violating this ordinance by blowing grass into the street can result in a hefty fine. 

They Can Create Safety Issues

When you blow excess clippings into the street, they can actually make the surface slippery. Not unlike wet leaves, a layer of freshly cut grass in the street can create a hazard for unsuspecting runners, cyclists, and pedestrians. 

Your Cheating Your Lawn

Grass clippings are a free form of fertilizer for your lawn. By blowing them out into the street, instead of back onto your yard, you’re depriving your lawn of that nitrogen content that can feed it. 

Related: The First Lawn Cut of Spring Can Make or Break Your Grass

What You Should Do

Rather than send those clippings into the street, use a mulch kit on your mower to shred them and send them back into your lawn, where they’ll break down and nourish the soil. If the clippings are too long, then bag them up or rake them up and dispose of them in a bag of a dedicated yard waste bin. 

Go to Source
Author: Tony Carrick