Tag: Change

Riley Gaines blasts NCAA as 'cowards' over trans athlete policies amid calls for change: 'Disheartening'

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines is holding strong to her criticism of the NCAA for its leaders’ reluctance to meet with female athletes who say they have been adversely affected by policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, and for taking a more passive approach to the issue than she believes is essential.

“In 2010, they implemented a blanket policy for all sports. [Saying that after] 12 months of HRT hormone replacement therapy, you could compete in the category that aligns with your gender identity. Now, what the NCAA is doing is they’re in a phase-out approach. Essentially, they want nothing to do with the policy, which shows how cowardly, really they are,” Gaines told “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Will Cain on Sunday.

RILEY GAINES HAND-DELIVERS LETTER DEMANDING NCAA MEET WITH ATHLETES ‘ADVERSELY AFFECTED’ BY TRANS POLICIES

“It shows they know this is wrong, and now they’re leaving it up to each specific sport to make rules for that sport.”

Gaines, along with Olympians, coaches and other NCAA athletes, met with organizational officials at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix to hand-deliver a demand letter urging the officials to meet with female athletes said to be affected by trans athletes participating in women’s sports.

The group also handed over a related petition said to have over 70,000 signatures. 

Gaines told Cain the group of protesters at the convention made the same demands last year.

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“We went back this year to do the exact same thing, because, over the course of this past year, the NCAA hasn’t changed their policies and, as mentioned, women continue to be discriminated against on the basis of our sex,” she said.

“The people I delivered, the people on the governing board who had delivered the petition and the letter to me, even look me in the eyes, which is pretty disheartening as a female athlete…” 

Gaines previously noted her hope to meet with NCAA President Charlie Baker, who assumed the role in March 2023, to have discussions surrounding the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s events.

“I know President Baker testified before the Senate a few weeks ago that changes are being made and that changes have been made, but that’s not what we’re seeing. We’re still seeing the NCAA continue to discriminate against women on the basis of our sex. It’s happening in just about every sport, every level, every division, every state — that’s why we’re here,” she said last week.

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Baker testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in October and was pressed on the issue of transgender athletes being allowed in women’s locker rooms.

“I’m not going to defend what happened in 2022,” he said. “I wasn’t there. I was still governor of the commonwealth. What I will say is, we have very specific rules and standards around the safety and security of all our student athletes, and anyone who hosts one of our national championships has to accept that they know what they are and then abide by them accordingly.”

“I don’t believe that policy would be the policy we would use today,” he added.

“Fox & Friends Weekend” reached out to the NCAA for a statement, but did not receive a response in time for the segment.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

Bears unfazed by Patriots' mid-game quarterback change, score 23 unanswered in win

Bill Belichick is going to have to wait at least another week before he can own the second-most wins by an NFL coach in league history. 

The Chicago Bears, led by gritty quarterback Justin Fields, beat the New England Patriots on Monday night, 33-14, as both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe couldn’t figure out how to generate offense.

It was Jones getting the start for the Patriots for the first time in three weeks, as he’s been rehabbing a high ankle sprain. Because Zappe had success in his first career starts in these last two Patriots games, many believed he would continue as the starter. But Belichick decided to go with his original starter this season.

It didn’t last long. 

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Jones would come out of the game after just three drives, which resulted in two three-and-outs and an interception that would be the backbreaker to his day. Jaquan Brisker read Jones on the third drive of the night for the Patriots, and made a one-handed interception to get the ball back in the hands of Fields. 

Though nothing came of that turnover for the Bears, Fields and the offense were quick to capitalize on the early three-and-outs that the Patriots couldn’t fully come back from. 

First, it was a field goal on an eight-play drive for the Bears to start their night in Foxboro. Then, Fields used his legs, as he did all night, to pick up the first touchdown of the game, a three-yard rush to make it 10 nothing in the first quarter. 

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But the Patriots began to come back once Zappe took over under center, and the Gillette Stadium crowd went wild. He needed just four plays to find Jakobi Meyers on a 30-yard touchdown to make it 10-7, and then New England got the lead after Fields threw an interception when Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for a touchdown in the second quarter. 

Just when the tides seemed to be turning in the favor of the home team, Fields once again led his team down the field, collecting his only passing touchdown of the game to running back Khalil Herbert, who took a screen 25 yards to the house. 

That was the start of 23 unanswered points that would bury the Patriots and any chance of Belichick picking up his 325th career win. And it only seems fitting that George Halas, a Bears legend, is the one he’s looking to pass. 

Zappe, remaining at quarterback, couldn’t muster anything positive as he either led drives to punts or turnovers following the Herbert score. Meyers would fumble a transfer on a run play that led to a Bears field goal to end the half, and then Zappe threw back-to-back interceptions in the fourth quarter. 

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Three field goals and a touchdown were put on the board by the Bears while the Patriots struggled, as running back David Montgomery crashed his way into end zone for a one-yard score in the fourth quarter to virtually ice the game. 

It’s the Bears’ third win of the season and a better primetime performance than the one they put together against the Washington Commanders last Thursday. 

As we mentioned, Fields was electric in this one, showing his toughness in the run and pass games. He finished the game with 179 yards through the air with one touchdown and one interception, while leading the team in rushing with 82 yards on 14 carries and a score. Montgomery and Hebert each had 62 yards on the ground as well. 

Normally a strength of the Patriots, Stevenson was held to 39 yards on 11 carries. Zappe had his first bad performance since making his NFL debut against the Green Bay Packers three weeks ago. He had 185 yards on 14-for-22 with two interceptions and the touchdown pass. 

The Bears remain on the road next week when they head to Dallas to face the Cowboys, while the Patriots will hope to give Belichick that win at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets, a team he almost coached before heading to New England.