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Posts tagged as “nfl”

2 Chainz’s ‘Dabbin’ Santa’ Sweaters Make $2 Million, Help Him Give Back to Those in Need Via T.R.U. Foundation

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2 Chainz (photo via clutchmagonline.com)

According to Forbes, 2 Chainz conquered Christmas with his timely and super cute “Dabbin’ Santa” sweaters. While the rapper has been toying with merchandising ideas for years, he finally found a hit when “the dab” (a dance) found its way into primetime courtesy of NFL star Cam Newton.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySilAPr6fW4&w=560&h=315]
“I don’t want people to think this was an overnight success. We’ve been trying with a bunch of designs for a couple years now. This is just timing meets opportunity,” he explained. “There’s the whole dab thing, and Atlanta’s always been somewhere that actually moves the culture a little bit. We have been the backbone of hip-hop for the past couple years. So with dabbing coming out of Atlanta, it just began to grow legs and start moving on its own.”
The sweaters became wildly popular and grossed around $2 million in revenues for 2 Chainz and his team. Instead of spending the profits on frivolous things, the Atlanta native decided to help others.
“I had a numerous amount of celebrities helping with the shirt. It was on the NFL, it was on TNT, it was on Good Morning America, it’s on ESPN. So I could not continue receiving those blessings without giving back at the end of the day,” he said.
2C380-SantaDab-Black_t3q74u
A large slice of the profits went into 2 Chainz’s T.R.U. Foundation, which is “dedicated to promoting balanced, respectful and enriched relationships and aim to create life changing moments and help build a positive outcome for our young generation.”
Because of the “Dabbin’ Santa” craze 2 Chainz’s organization was able to pay the rent for one family for an entire year, and donate a minivan to another. The move not only benefitted the families in need, but also helped 2 Chainz as well.
“For us, it’s about putting it together independently, with nobody really being the boss. We’re creating our own way to give back, to do something for people,” he told Forbes. “We’ll trickle down to the kids and lead by example. Like I say, actions speak louder than words. We could have spent this money on possessions, but giving a family that needs it will actually go further for them and for me.”
article via clutchmagonline.com

"Concussion": Meet Bennet Omalu, M.D., the Real Doctor Who Took on the NFL and Changed Football Forever

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Will Smith, Dr. Bennet Omalu and “Concussion” director Peter Landesman (COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES)
Baseball may still be billed as the national pastime, but football actually surpassed it in popularity a long time ago. So for anyone born and raised in the United States, challenging the NFL is just unthinkable.
Dr. Bennet Omalu wasn’t born and raised in this country, however. Had he been, it’s doubtful that the forensic neuropathologist from Nigeria would have discovered CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a degenerative disease associated with repeated brain trauma that doesn’t show symptoms, and its connection to the NFL. He would never have felt the wrath of the NFL, either, and we wouldn’t have Concussion, which marks Will Smith’s finest performance to date.
The Root caught up with the good doctor for a one-on-one discussion about the film, his faith, his wife’s support and his status with the NFL.
The Root: When you turned down this road, did you have any idea of the magnitude of your actions?
Bennet Omalu: Remember, I grew up in Africa. Growing up as a child, I perceived America to be heaven on earth, a country that was closest to what God wants us to be as his sons and daughters. And I came from Nigeria, which is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. So when I came here, I had the study of Mike Webster and other retired football players, and I wondered: If they played this game where they had to wear a helmet, could it be they were damaging their brains without knowing it?
And so I did the autopsy on Mike Webster. I identified the disease and I most gladly took it to the NFL, believing that I had discovered something that would enhance the game. But then I got this pushback, and I discovered there was this systematic and systemic cover-up to conceal the truth. So that reawakened my faith in me, my faith in the truth.
God is the truth. The American experience and the American experiment are founded on the truth. Science was founded on the truth. My faith is founded on the truth. So you have a convergence of both science and America, my faith, coming together to this common objective or common exploit of the truth.
So it was my search for the truth, to become part of that American family, to contribute my part to a society and a country that has given me so much. Because, as the greater American family, we are one love, we are one spirit, we are one hope, we are one joy. So that was what kept me going. Because when you seek the truth, truth shall set you free.
The truth is liberating. Isn’t that what America is all about? One person at a time, one step at a time, one day at a time, we shall continue to build a greater family, if only we would start by the truth. That is what kept me going.
TR: Is the truth still leading you?

Sony Offers Free Admission to ‘Concussion’ for NFL Players, Families

'Concussion' Free Admission Offered to NFL
Will Smith in “Concussion” (PHOTO COURTESY OF SONY)

Sony Pictures Entertainment is offering NFL players and their families free admission at Cinemark Theaters to Will Smith’s “Concussion,” which opens on Christmas Day.
The studio said it has already reached out to current and former NFL players by holding private screenings in each team’s city in advance of its opening.
“This is a movie for the players, so we wanted to give them a chance to see it before its nationwide release and free admission during its run in theaters,” producers Ridley Scott and Giannina Scott said. “The movie is so inspiring. Will Smith gives one of the best performances of his career as Dr. Bennet Omalu, a man who shined a light on the truth.”
Players will receive complimentary admission for themselves and one guest by presenting their NFLPA membership card at any Cinemark theater. Cinemark has almost 500 theaters with about 4,500 screens in the U.S.
Omalu is a forensic pathologist who fought against the NFL’s efforts to suppress his research on the brain damage suffered by professional football players. The film was directed and written by Peter Landesman, based on Jeanne Marie Laskas’ 2009 GQ article “Game Brain.”
“Concussion” also stars Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Albert Brooks. It’s a Columbia Pictures presentation in association with LStar Capital and Village Roadshow Pictures.
article by Dave McNary via Variety.com

NFL's Devon Still Says Daughter Leah Shows No Evidence of Cancer

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Devon and Leah Still (DEVON STILL VIA INSTAGRAM)

If there’s one football player who had the world cheering for his family from the sidelines this year, it’s Devon Still. The former Cincinnati Bengals player let the world know that his daughter, Leah, has no evidence of cancer.
Leah touched the world this year with how she was bravely battling the disease. And Still’s former football team stepped up to the plate and made sure he had medical insurance in order to take care of his daughter.
In an Instagram post, Still gladly shared Leah’s health update.
“Thanks for all the support and prayers!” the caption read. “Just got the phone call that her scans showed NED (no evidence of disease)!”
Leah was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, and was the recipient of the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at this year’s ESPYs.
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com

NFL Star DeAngelo Williams to Cover Cost of 53 Women's Mammograms to Honor Late Mother

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

The NFL allows teams to wear pink during the month of October for breast cancer awareness month, and pushes assorted pink memorabilia to consumers, though it only donates a small portion of the proceeds to actual breast cancer research.
DeAngelo Williams, who lost his mother Sandra Hill to breast cancer last year, is going to personally help women in North Carolina get diagnosed according to ESPN. Williams is footing the bill for 53 mammograms for 53 women – one for each year of Hill’s life.
The median cost of a mammogram is $243, so this is an estimated value of $12,879, but it’s priceless in terms of early breast cancer detection.
article by Micah Peters via ftw.usatoday.com

Will Smith’s Latest Film "Concussion" Exposes Truth About Concussions in The NFL (VIDEO)

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Will Smith in the film “Concussion” to be released December 25 (photo via tribecafilm.com)

The trailer for Will Smith’s new film about the discovery of the NFL’s concussion controversy has arrived merely a few weeks before the league’s fall season is set to begin.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated-affiliated site Monday Morning Quarterback released the first look at Concussion Monday morning. Directed by Peter Landesman, the film will focus on Nigerian neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (played by Smith), who discovered Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
Dr. Omalu found the disease, also known as CTE, after working on the autopsy of former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster. CTE is the progressive degenerative brain disease that athletes can acquire thanks to repetitive head trauma on the field.
The book and documentary, League of Denial, already told Omalu’s story and the battle he faced in bringing CTE to the NFL’s attention. But Landesman says the film will dive into more of the story, and explore the doctor’s determination in pushing the condition to the forefront of the sports world. He also noted that the project isn’t anti-NFL.
MMQB reports:

“It’s the dynamic of, ‘Respect the person or respect the truth,’” he said. “Bennett has a savant-like relationship to the dead. His obsession is to tell the story of death. As he says in the movie, I think more about the way people die and reasons they die than the way they live. He was completely focused on the science. He didn’t know football, he didn’t know who Mike Webster was; to him, Webster was just another body on a slab. He didn’t have a reverence for the game because he wasn’t brought up in this country. So in some ways, his purity and his innocence was a requirement for him to drill down into this and tell us a very uncomfortable and inconvenient truth.”

Concussion will be released in theaters on Christmas Day.  Check out the trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io6hPdC41RM&w=560&h=315]
article by Desire Thompson via newsone.com

Jacqueline Davidson Promoted to Director of Football Administration for New York Jets

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The New York Jets have promoted Jacqueline Davidson to director of football administration. (Photo Credit: NY Jets)
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – The Jets announced Saturday that they have promoted longtime executive Jacqueline Davidson to director of football administration.
Davidson, who is African-American, now is one of the highest-ranking women in an NFL front office.

Davidson — the team’s lead negotiator of player contracts — will be responsible for managing the team’s salary cap and player budget, along with forecasting salary-cap trends in the NFL and ensuring that the Jets are compliant with the NFL collective-bargaining agreement.
“Jackie has served as an integral part of our football administration efforts under Rod Graves this offseason,” general manager Mike Maccagnan said of Davidson, now in her ninth season with the organization. “She’s bright and talented and she has earned this opportunity.”
Davidson first worked with the NFL in 2004 as a legal intern with the NFL management council. Before joining the Jets, she worked as staff attorney for the U.S. District Court in Alabama.
Davidson earned her juris doctorate from Cornell in 2005 and her bachelor of arts in economics from Davidson in 2002. She also is a member of the New York State Bar.
article by Kimberely A. Martin via newsday.com

Laila Ali and Antonio Brown Honored by Variety Magazine as Sports Personalities of the Year

Variety Names Laila Ali and Antonio
COURTESY OF LAILA ALI AND ANTONIO BROWN (via Variety.com)

Variety has named retired boxer Laila Ali and NFL player Antonio Brown the Sports Personalities of the Year as part of its inaugural Sports Entertainment Breakfast Presented by Mercedes-Benz.
The breakfast, which will be held July 14 at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles, celebrates the accomplishments of athletes in their respective sports and will include discussions with other prominent players including Chris Bosh, Willie McGinest and Matt Barnes about the next New All-Star Athlete.
Ali, who went undefeated in the ring, is being feted as the first female sports personality of the year. The award recognizes not only her accomplishments as a boxer but also as a TV host, CEO, mom, wife, advocate for children and author.
Brown, who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers, will receive the male sports personality of the year. He’s the first player in NFL history to record at least 1,000 receiving yards and at least 1,000 return yards in the same season. Brown made his acting debut in HBO’s new series “Ballers.”
The breakfast includes a panel on what athletes must do to become 2015’s the New All-Star Athlete. Ten-time NBA All-Star Bosh (Miami Heat), Hall of Famer McGinest (New England Patriots) and NBA star Barnes (Memphis Grizzlies) will discuss the changing role of athletes. From reality show competitions to social-media followings, athletes are taking a larger role in pop culture, and the New All-Star Athelete is meant to measure that.
The panel also includes sports executives Justin Castillo (CAA), Mark Ciardi (producer), Jon Weinbach (Mandalay Sports Media) and Eric Weinberger (NFL Network).
article by Reece Ristau via Variety.com

Dwayne Johnson's "Ballers" Renewed for 2nd Season by HBO

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HBO has ordered a second season for its scripted half-hour series “Ballers,” starring Dwayne Johnson as a retired NFL player attempting to reinvent himself as a financial manager for current players in Miami.
According to HBO, the June 21 premiere of the current 10-episode season drew 8.9 million viewers across HBO-owned platforms, making it the most watched half-hour premiere for the network since 2009. The episode has also been viewed 5.6 million times on Johnson’s Facebook page.
“The charismatic and hugely talented Dwayne Johnson, along with the rest of the ‘Ballers’ cast, has truly struck a chord with the HBO audience,” HBO programming president Michael Lombardo said in statement Friday. “We are thrilled with the overwhelming response the series has received and look forward to another exciting season.”
Rob Cordry, John David Washington, Omar Miller, Donovan W. Carter, Troy Garity and London Brown round out the cast.
“Ballers” airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on HBO.
article via eurweb.com

NFL QB Cam Newton Signs 5-Year, $103.8 Million Deal with Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers Star Quarterback Cam Newton (photo via theurbandaily.com)
Carolina Panthers Star Quarterback Cam Newton (photo via theurbandaily.com)

Cam Newton’s new contract is historic. Now the Carolina Panthers will hope his play jumps to historic levels.  Newton not only got a mega-deal from the Panthers, it’s one of the biggest the NFL has ever seen. Newton will make $67.6 million in the first three years of his five-year, $103.8 million deal, according to multiple reports. The deal became official on Tuesday.

That would be the largest payout over the first three years of a deal in NFL history, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said. USA Today’s Tom Pelissero said Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger held the record at $65 million. The deal includes $60 million in guarantees for injuries, according to reports.

Newton is very talented and his production has been severely underrated throughout his career, but that’s still a heck of a payout based on what Newton has done so far. And it must make the Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks a little nervous.

Newton isn’t considered at the same level as Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, and hasn’t been a part of as much team success as Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. So it’s fair to wonder if Luck and Wilson, who entered the NFL a year after Newton did, will get long-awaited contract extensions that will surpass Newton’s deal. That deal certainly sets the bar high.

Newton put up career lows in most statistical categories last season, but he dealt with some major injuries along the way. Still, expectations will increase for Newton now. That’s the nature of such a big deal. And, at least by one measure, there has never been a bigger deal.

article by Frank Schwab via sports.yahoo.com