Reaction to the death of College Football Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz at 89

Reaction tothe death of College Football Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz, who led Notre Dame to a national championship in 1988.

Obit Holtz Football

"Lou and I shared a very special relationship. He welcomed me to the Notre Dame family immediately, offering me great support throughout our time together. Our relationship meant a lot to me as I admired the values he used to build the foundation of his coaching career: love, trust and commitment. ... Lou's impact at Notre Dame has gone well beyond the football team. He and his wife, Beth, are respected across campus for their generous hearts and commitment to carrying out Notre Dame's mission of being a force for good." — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman.

"He was successful. But more important, he was significant." — Skip Holtz, son of Lou Holtz and a fellow football coach.

"Lou Holtz was more than a football figure. He was a true leader. One of one. He consistently encouraged others in life. The message never changed. Trust, Love, Commitment." — Rick Mirer, Notre Dame quarterback from 1989-1992.

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"Notre Dame mourns the loss of Lou Holtz, a legendary football coach, a beloved member of the Notre Dame family and devoted husband, father and grandfather. Among his many accomplishments, we will remember him above all as a teacher, leader and mentor who brought out the very best in his players, on and off the field, earning their respect and admiration for a lifetime. ... Whenever Notre Dame called to ask for his help, Lou answered with his characteristic generosity, and he will be sorely missed." — The Rev. Robert A. Dowd, University of Notre Dame president.

"He not only was a great coach, he was a great person. We need more people like Lou Holtz. ... He was a jokester and a character. People liked to be around him. It's hard to put a tag on Lou Holtz. He did everything so well. He was a great speaker. He attracted crowds wherever he went." — former West Virginia coach Don Nehlen.

"Coach Lou Holtz was a legend on and off the field, who cared deeply for the state of Indiana and lived a remarkable life grounded in faith, family, and giving back. He will be greatly missed." — Indiana Gov. Mike Braun.

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Reaction to the death of College Football Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz at 89

Reaction tothe death of College Football Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz, who led Notre Dame to a national championship in 1...

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Report: Tom Brady-Fantatics Saudi Arabia flag football event likely moving to U.S.

The flag football event organized by Tom Brady and Fanatics for Saudi Arabia for later this month in Riyadh is likely being moved to the United States amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, Front Office Sports reported Wednesday.

In light of attacks from the U.S. and Israel on Iran that began Saturday and have continued to cause chaos in the region, including additional air strikes in neighboring regions and travel restrictions in the key global transportation hub, the Fanatics Flag Football Classic is reportedly likely to be moved to an as-yet undetermined location in the U.S.

An official announcement could reportedly come as early as this week.

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The event will remain on March 21 as planned, with Fox Sports and Tubi still expected to broadcast it and comedian Kevin Hart to act as host.

Brady is set to be joined at the event, produced by his Shadow Lion studio, by NFL stars including Jayden Daniels, Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett, Brock Bowers, Maxx Crosby, Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham Jr., and the retired Rob Gronkowski.

Coaches for the three teams playing the round-robin tournament are Pete Carroll, Sean Payton, and Kyle Shanahan.

--Field Level Media

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Report: Tom Brady-Fantatics Saudi Arabia flag football event likely moving to U.S.

The flag football event organized by Tom Brady and Fanatics for Saudi Arabia for later this month in Riyadh is likely ...

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Aaron Rodgers says Steelers haven't given him deadline to make decision about playing in 2026

It's the first week of March, and Aaron Rodgers is in no hurry.

The 42-year-old Rodgerstold "The Pat McAfee Show"on Wednesday that the Pittsburgh Steelers haven't given him a deadline to decide if he wants to play next season, what would be his 22nd in the NFL.

"I want to say that anybody on here who's expecting me to make some big decision, just turn it off now. Just leave," Rodgers said bluntly.

Host Pat McAfee then said that he understands the weight of the call Rodgers has to make on his NFL future, but McAfee also noted that he imagines the four-time league MVP has done some daydreaming about what another chapter with current Steelers and former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy could look like.

While Rodgers praised McCarthy, and the Steelers for hiring him, the veteran quarterback didn't tip his hand about his plans for a potential reunion during the 2026 season.

"We're sitting here, it's March 4th. Free agency starts in a week," Rodgers explained.

"I've been spending a lot of time with my wife. We went on a ski trip, just been laying low. ... But I've talked to Mike, I've talked to [general manager] Omar [Khan]. There's been no deadline that's been put in front of me. There's no contract offer or anything, so there's nothing that I'm having to debate between.

"I'm a free agent. And, again, I'm enjoying my time with my wife and enjoying this part of the offseason, and I think there's conversations to be had down the line, but right now there hasn't been any progressive conversations."

Aftercontemplating retirement last offseason, Rodgers signed aone-year dealahead of Steelers minicamp.

He went on to lead Pittsburgh to an AFC North title — the franchise's first since 2020 — but the Steelers once again went one-and-done in the playoffs. They're still searching for their first postseason win since the 2016 season.

Mike Tomlin stepped down from his post as head coach, and the Steelers filled his vacancy with McCarthy, who overlapped with Rodgers from 2006-18 before coaching the Dallas Cowboys for five seasons. The pair won a Super Bowl together during the 2010 season, ironically against the Steelers.

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During McCarthy's introductory news conference in January,he told reporters that he "definitely" wants Rodgers back.

Then, in early February,NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that the "odds are increasing" Rodgers comes back to play for the Steelers in 2026.

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Later that month, at the NFL scouting combine,Khan said at the podium that Rodgers would be welcomed back next season. He also indicated that Rodgers' decision wouldn't drag on like it did a year ago.

But with free agency looming, and a thin quarterback draft class on the horizon, it's fair to wonder just how long the Steelers will be willing to wait this time around.

Rodgers had plenty of good things to say about McCarthy

Rodgers emphasized that, at the moment, he's spending a lot of time with his wife, whose identity is still undisclosed. The two got married last offseason.

He spoke about her Wednesday, but he also effused about McCarthy.

"Yeah, Mike's one of the great guys in the league," Rodgers said on "The Pat McAfee Show." "Just an absolutely exceptional human being with a huge heart. We had a lot of great years together, a lot of fun. He really cares about the players, but he also holds guys accountable and creates a lot of structure and details in the process."

The Steelers bringing in McCarthy bucked their trend of hiring 30-something-year-old defensive coaches to lead the franchise. Plus, on a league-wide scale, the decision went against the grain, in terms of an NFL pattern established in recent coaching cycles.

Rodgers believes the league is cyclical and thinks football lifers like McCarthy remain valuable.

"I don't give a s*** about how old he is, how long he's been in the league or the trend of the new young play-caller who's been on the staff of one of the Shanahan disciples," Rodgers said. "It seems like that's kind of the hot thing. I get that. There's a lot of great scheme in there, but there's something to an old-school organization ... bringing in a guy not only who brings accountability in a program that's proven to work at multiple places now, but he's a f***ing yinzer."

Rodgers added: "Mike bleeds Pittsburgh, Pa."

byGreen Magazine

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Aaron Rodgers says Steelers haven't given him deadline to make decision about playing in 2026

It's the first week of March, and Aaron Rodgers is in no hurry. The 42-year-old Rodgerstold "The Pat ...

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2 people rescued from hot air balloon stuck in 920-foot cell tower

Two people are now on land after beingrescued from a hot air balloonthat got stuck in a communications tower more than 900 feet in the air in rural East Texas.

TheLongview Fire Department said in a Facebook postthat around 8:15 a.m. local time Feb. 28, units responded to a "high angle rescue after a hot air balloon basket carrying two occupants struck a cell phone tower at an estimated height of 920 feet near the intersection" in Gregg County.

Longview, the county seat of Gregg County, is some 130 miles east of Dallas.

Firefighters began climbing operations around 8:50 a.m., "using multiple rope systems due to the extreme height and complexity of the incident," according to the post. Rescuers made contact with the occupants at about 10 a.m., and they were both secured and safe inside the nearby tower by 10:58 a.m.

Both occupants were on the ground by 12:47 p.m. that day, the fire department said. Following the rescue, both victims were conscious, and no injuries were reported, it added.

'Not an everyday rescue'

Lt. Stephen Winchell, a part of Longview's Special Operations Team, saidduring a news conference on Feb. 28that this incident was "not an everyday rescue," as 14 emergency responders climbed the tower to help save the two occupants.

"Our ropes are limited at 300 feet at the most," Winchell said, adding that the balloon was sitting "close to 1,000 feet," so it took about "five or so" ropes to get the occupants all the way down to the ground.

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According to Winchell, the only way up the cell tower was physically climbing it.

In aninterview with local news station KLTV, Chris Jackson, who works for the Longview Fire Department, described the collaborative effort involving several agencies.

"They initially told us that there was a hot air balloon stuck. We were thinking probably in a tree or some type of high aerial. When we got on scene, it was much more than that," Jackson said.

Jackson added that at least 50 first responders and several additional tower engineers were involved in the rescue.

"Anything we could do on the ground to make their operation more efficient is what our guys provided," he said.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Video shows dramatic hot air balloon rescue in Texas

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2 people rescued from hot air balloon stuck in 920-foot cell tower

Two people are now on land after beingrescued from a hot air balloonthat got stuck in a communications tower more than...

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Man dies after sneaking into closed section of popular national park

A 33-year-old Hawaii man is dead after entering a closed section of Kīlauea caldera atHawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, triggering an overnight search and rescue operation in steep, hazardous terrain, officials said.

National Park Servicepersonnel responded Feb. 26 to the east side of the caldera. The volcano was not erupting at the time, authorities noted.

Rescue crews searched through the night before locating the man the following day. On Feb. 27, responders airlifted him from the area and transported him to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Park officials said his family was notified, and his name is being withheld pending privacy considerations.

Hikers Stiff Hotel On Unpaid Bill After Treacherous 7-Hour Mountain Rescue Operation, Nonprofit Says

The death comes as officials continue to warn visitors about the risks of venturing beyond designated areas, particularly amid heightened interest inKīlauea's ongoing eruption activity.

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In December, two trespassers were caught on camera hiking dangerously close to an active eruption inside a restricted zone of the park. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatorytold Hawaii News Nowat the time that no U.S. Geological Survey scientists or other authorized personnel were in that closed area.

Lou Ettore, who runs the eruption-tracking media company Two Pineapples with his wife, Anna, told the outlet the incidents appear to be fueled by social media attention.

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Man Dies At Grand Canyon After Slipping Over Edge, Falling More Than 100 Feet, Sheriff's Office Says

"I think it's really just for the clicks, just for the views to grab attention to themselves," Ettore said.

The couple said they documented nine trespassing incidents over the past year.

"We're seeing it more often now than we have in the past," Ettore added. "There are dozens, if not hundreds, of videos and images, all from out-of-bounds, being posted on all platforms nonstop."

In another close call last June, a 30-year-old Boston man survived a 30-foot fall afterleaving Byron Ledge Trailin an attempt to get closer to erupting lava. A tree broke his fall and likely prevented him from plunging another 100 feet to the caldera floor, according to the National Park Service.

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Kīlauea's eruption, which began Dec. 23, 2024, has drawn a surge of visitors to the park, officials said. During one June episode, lava fountains soared more than 1,000 feet into the air, according to officials. Theactive eruption arearemains closed due to serious hazards.

Kīlauea caldera features unstable cliff edges, hidden cracks and other dangerous volcanic terrain, according to the National Park Service. Officials urge visitors to stay on marked trails and overlooks, avoid climbing over barriers and comply with all warning and trespassing signs.

Original article source:Man dies after sneaking into closed section of popular national park

byGreen Magazine

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1:42:00 PM

Man dies after sneaking into closed section of popular national park

A 33-year-old Hawaii man is dead after entering a closed section of Kīlauea caldera atHawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, tr...

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