Month: October 2023

Former NFL tight end Russ Francis was killed on Monday, along with another aviation enthusiast when their small plane crashed after takeoff from an upstate New York airport. The crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Authorities said Monday that the 70-year-old Francis and Richard McSpadden, 63, had just departed from the Lake Placid Airport shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday in a single-engine Cessna 177. The New York State Police said the aircraft crashed into an embankment at the corner of the airport. Francis was a longtime flying enthusiast and president of Lake Placid Airways, which runs charter and scenic flights. He was a pilot for nearly 50 years and had run a charter service in Hawaii, according to the airline’s website. McSpadden was a senior vice president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and was known as an aviation safety expert. The organization said his career included a stint as commander of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

Francis – a three-time Pro Bowler with the New England Patriots who won a Super Bowl with the 1984 San Francisco 49ers — was a Patriots first-round draft pick in 1975 and played in New England until 1980, making the franchise’s all-decade team for the 1970s and the 35th anniversary team. He was named to the Pro Bowl three straight seasons from 1977-79. Francis joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1982 and was part of the 1984 team that beat Miami in the Super Bowl. He returned to New England in 1987, retiring for good in 1988. Over his NFL career he had 393 receptions for 5,262 yards and 40 touchdowns.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement: “Russ was a fan favorite throughout his playing career. He was a dynamic player on the field who had an even bigger personality off it. He knew no boundaries, pushed the limits and lived his life to the fullest.”

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Houston Rockets’ general manager Rafael Stone said at Houston’s media day on Monday that they have told Kevin Porter Jr. that he cannot be with the team in any capacity in the wake of his domestic violence arrest last month. The 23-year-old Porter was arrested after an alleged attack on his former girlfriend in a New York City hotel room Sept. 11. Prosecutors said that the attack left her with a fractured neck vertebra and a deep cut above her right eye. Porter has pleaded not guilty to felony assault and strangulation and is due back in court in Manhattan on Oct. 16.

Stone said: “The allegations against him are deeply troubling. Going back a few weeks, as soon as I heard the allegations, I informed his representatives that he could not be part of the Houston Rockets. They understood and he has not been with the team or around the team or had any interaction with the team since that time and will not be at media day today or in training camp. Stone added that everything else related to Porter and his situation falls under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, and will be handled by the league: “What’s left for the team to do is to evaluate the best steps for our organization that remain in compliance with the league domestic violence policy.”

Porter signed a four-year, $82.5 million contract with the Rockets before last season; last year, Porter averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in his third year in Houston after one season in Cleveland  When Stone was asked if he believes Porter will ever be part of the team again, he said: “I can’t answer that and stay in compliance with the policy. So I think this is now a league matter.”

This is not Porter’s first brush with the law; while playing for the Cavaliers, Porter was arrested in November 2020 after police said they found a loaded handgun and marijuana in his car after a single-vehicle crash; those charges were eventually dismissed. Porter was traded from Cleveland to Houston a few months later after he reportedly ‘blew up’ at the Cavaliers’ general manager after discovering his locker had been moved to make room for a new player.  Then in January 2022, the Rockets suspended Porter for a game after then-coach Stephen Silas said he had a “spirited debate” and “lost his temper” at halftime.

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Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott said that cornerback Tre’Davious White would be further evaluated following what’s feared to be a season-ending injury to his right Achilles tendon in the third quarter of Buffalo 48-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

White was injured in the final minute of the third quarter while covering receiver Tyreek Hill up the right sideline, when he suddenly pulled up favoring his right leg and fell to the turf. White attempted to stand up before falling back to the ground. Bills players surrounded White as he was loaded into the cart and off the field.

Speaking to reporters, McDermott then grew emotional when discussing White, who missed a calendar year after having surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right knee in December 2021: “Sometimes you wonder, right, why thinks like that happen twice to someone — I’m not saying what it is, what it isn’t. You just wonder why, because you watched him and how hard he’s worked to get back. I know he’s a man of faith. And I know how strong he is. And he will, he will rebound.” White was the first player the Bills drafted after McDermott ook over in 2017. He’s been a starter since his rookie season and was an All-Pro in 2019.

Safety Micah Hyde said: “We were all there just trying to talk to him. And, you know, sometimes at that point there’s really nothing you can say. It’s kind of one of those situations that words can’t really help Tre’Davious at that point. He understands we’re there for him. We love him.”

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The Portland Trail Blazers announced on Sunday afternoon that guard Jrue Holiday is headed to Boston. The trade comes just days after Holiday was dealt to the Blazers in a blockbuster deal that sent All-Star guard Damian Lillard to the Bucks.

In exchange for Holiday, the Blazers received: Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams, a 2024 1st-round pick (via Warriors), and a 2029 unprotected 1st-round pick (via Celtics)

Boston lands one of the top defensive guards in Holiday. The veteran All-Star guard is five-time All-Defensive selection, who has appeared on defensive player of the year ballots in each of the last three years. The 33-year-old Holiday was also an All-Star last year for the first time in a decade and is coming off a season in which he averaged 19.3 points and 7.4 assists, both better than his career averages of 16.4 points and 6.5 assists.

Holiday helped lead the Bucks to the 2021 NBA Championship title by averaging 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in 23 postseason contests (all starts). He also won a Gold Medal with Celtics’ guard Jayson Tatum and Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics where he averaged 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.

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