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Bodycam shows Oklahoma secretary of state’s arrest outside a McDonald’s on public intoxication allegation
Newly released police bodycam video obtained by Fox News Digital shows Oklahoma Secretary of State Benjamin Lepak's encounter with police outside a McDonald's before officers arrested him on suspicion of public intoxication.
Lepak was arrested Friday night in Edmond, after police responded around 10:45 p.m. to a report of a man who appeared to be drunk in public, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital.
Officers found Lepak standing near the restaurant's drive-thru window and saw his vehicle in the parking lot, according to the affidavit. Lepak reportedly confirmed the vehicle belonged to him.
According to the arrest affidavit, an officer said Lepak had "extremely slurred speech" and an "odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath." The officer also said Lepak struggled to remove his identification from his wallet.
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Body camera video obtained by Fox News Digital shows officers questioning Lepak about where he had been, how much alcohol he had consumed and how he arrived at the McDonald's.
Lepak told officers he had attended a gathering with other fathers at a church earlier in the evening, according to the video.
As officers continued questioning him, Lepak disputed that he was unsteady on his feet.
Police allege Lepak was unable to maintain a "coherent train of thought" during the encounter, according to the affidavit. Lepak acknowledged to drinking beer while speaking with officers.
"I had a beer… that’s it," Lepak said, according to the affidavit. He later said he had consumed less than one beer because he did not finish it.
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Police allege Lepak also gave contradictory statements about whether he drove to the McDonald's and how he arrived there, according to the affidavit.
Officers ultimately placed Lepak under arrest on suspicion of public intoxication.
A spokesperson for Lepak told Fox News Digital that he was waiting outside the restaurant for his dinner and noted that police did not administer a breathalyzer test.
"Mr. Lepak was waiting outside McDonald's for dinner. He was not given a breathalyzer test," the spokesperson said. "Mr. Lepak will address the ticket appropriately through the legal process."
The arrest prompted Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond to call on Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt to fire Lepak.
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"After reviewing footage from law enforcement body cameras, it is clear that Secretary of State Ben Lepak was thoroughly inebriated and very likely lied to law enforcement about how much he had to drink and how he and his car both arrived at the same place without him driving it," Drummond said in a news release. "This conduct is thoroughly unbecoming of a such a high ranking state official, and I am demanding that Gov. Stitt fire him immediately."
Drummond also criticized Stitt for appointing Lepak.
"Given the fact that Mr. Lepak had been arrested just a few years ago after being found unconscious in a running vehicle, Gov. Stitt should have known better than to elevate him to such a senior leadership position. Gov. Stitt has made countless errors in judgment like this during his tenure in office, including most recently when he intervened to help a campaign donor avoid further jail time," he added. "He cannot undo those past mistakes, but he can help our state avoid further embarrassment by firing Mr. Lepak immediately."
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Stitt appointed Lepak to serve as Oklahoma secretary of state in October 2025.
Lepak previously served as the governor's general counsel and as executive director of the State Chamber Research Foundation.
Obama strategist turns on rising Dem star over viral Trump attack: 'Gratuitous and unnecessary'
A top Democratic strategist from the Obama White House contended that Sen. Jon Ossoff’s latest shot at President Donald Trump was "gratuitous and unnecessary."
The Georgia Democrat, who has expanded his profile throughout his re-election campaign during this midterm cycle to new heights that have him in the conversation for the 2028 presidential race, recently went viral for his remarks while on the trail, where he went after Trump.
Ossoff was blasting Trump for the war in Iran and the record-breaking deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East when the lawmaker pivoted to a new foe: the president’s executive assistant, Natalie Harp.
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"While the sailors on the Lincoln fight his war, while he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves, the president sleeps through his meetings. He golfs and trades stocks," Ossoff said.
"So, he doesn’t want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar."
The comment received strong pushback from Trump, his allies and family and Ossoff’s opponent, Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga.
But it also drew the ire of a major figure in the Democratic Party: David Axelrod, who was a key player in getting former President Barack Obama elected for two terms and served as his senior advisor.
While Axelrod applauded Ossoff’s previous "eloquent or incisive" attacks against Trump, he warned that mentioning Harp may not have been warranted.
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"The paragraph from his weekend speech that has gotten so much attention was a brutal takedown," Axelrod said on X. "But two words in it, ‘with Natalie,’ seemed gratuitous and unnecessary."
He contended the Ossoff campaign likely "juiced the virality" of the clip, which so far has over 6 million views on X, and that it "probably thrilled some in the base, who figured it was just giving Trump a taste of his own nasty medicine."
"But they distracted and detracted from the power of the message," Axelrod contended.
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And Collins agreed with Axelrod, to a degree, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"It's disgusting that he would attack a young female staffer just to score cheap political points with his radical activist base," Collins said. "It's unbecoming of a U.S. senator, and the fact prominent Democrats are starting to call him out just proves it."
But other notable Democratic social media figures disagreed, like Joanne Carducci, better known as Jojofromjerz online, who countered that Axelrod was "100% wrong" and called Ossoff’s callout of Harp "genius."
"The political world has changed since you were a player in it, and if we continue to operate under the antiquated rules of the past, we’ll keep losing," she said on X.
And Ossoff is reveling in the White House’s response, too, which included Trump calling him a "Pee-wee Herman look-alike," while defending the construction of the ballroom at the White House, which has been scrutinized by both sides of the aisle in the Senate.
During an appearance on MS NOW, Ossoff countered, "No one cares about their feelings."
"It's been amazing to watch this White House melt down over this all week," Ossoff said. "And about Natalie Harp, these White House staffers are adults, public officials paid by the taxpayers with immense power in positions of public trust."
Myles Gaskin retires at 29 after 7 NFL seasons and a Super Bowl win with the Seahawks
Myles Gaskin is hanging up his NFL jersey, announcing his retirement from the game of football at 29 years old.
Gaskin, a former seventh-round pick by the Miami Dolphins who spent seven seasons in the NFL as a running back, announced his decision on social media on Thursday.
"Football…there will never be enough words to explain how I feel about you, so I won’t even try," Gaskin’s social media post read. "What I will do is give all the game you gave me to the next generation of young players who dare to be great. Thank you. It’s been real."
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Gaskin’s last touch in the league was with the Seattle Seahawks during the 2025 Super Bowl-winning campaign. He played just one game, seeing action on offense with three snaps, while getting five special teams snaps. He totaled six yards on the three carries he had.
The Lynnwood, Washington native attended the University of Washington, staying in-state where he shined in their backfield. He was the first true freshman running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in school history in 2015 when he ran for 1,302 yards on 227 carries.
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The Dolphins used the 234th overall pick to select Gaskin in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he would spend four seasons working his way up the depth chart to an eventual starting role.
Gaskin’s best season came in 2021, where he rushed for 612 yards on 173 carries with three rushing touchdowns, while hauling in 49 receptions for 234 yards and four scores.
With the Dolphins using a running back by committee scheme in Miami, Gaskin played a versatile role during his early years in the league.
Gaskin signed a one-year extension with the Dolphins in 2023, but he was a roster cut before the start of the regular season. From there, he started to bounce around the league.
First, he landed with the Minnesota Vikings, who quickly signed him after the release. He eventually joined their practice squad and was elevated to the active roster, appearing on special teams in Week 2 of that season.
The Los Angeles Rams signed Gaskin off the Vikings’ practice squad later that season, where he played one game in Week 8. He was waived shortly thereafter.
Gaskin returned to the Vikings, while also working with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, the Baltimore Ravens in 2025, and then joining the Seahawks in October 2025, where he was a part of their Super Bowl victory in Santa Clara.
For his career, Gaskin rushed for 1,360 yards while catching 102 passes for 712 yards with 13 total touchdowns.
El-Sayed booked for major Islamic convention alongside clerics with radical pasts
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is slated to speak at the Islamic Society of North America's (ISNA) annual convention over Labor Day weekend, joining a speaker roster that includes Muslim religious leaders with histories of controversial remarks.
Among the most controversial figures attending the ISNA convention is cleric Baqir Berry, who prayed for "mujahideen" in Palestine and Lebanon, using a term commonly associated with Islamist fighters, and asked God to grant them "a mighty victory."
Islamic Institute of America head Hassan Qazwini is also attending after appealing to God to "grant victory to our brothers in Iran," a U.S.-designated state sponsor of terrorism.
Also appearing at the conference is Texas imam Yasir Qadhi, who previously made remarks denying the Holocaust that he later repudiated. Siraj Wahhaj, who was named as a possible co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center terrorism case but never charged, is also scheduled to speak.
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"We pray to Allah to save our people in South Lebanon from the evil of these Zionists, to support the Muslims and the mujahideen on His path in the East and the West, especially our mujahideen in Palestine, Lebanon, and everywhere," Berry said during a June sermon, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute.
"Oh Allah, grant them a mighty victory."
Qazwini, in addition to praying for an Iranian victory, was denounced by Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign over what it called "antisemitic conspiracy theories" after Qazwini claimed ISIS was connected to Israel and acting as an "arm of the Zionists."
Qadhi, Berry and Qazwini did not respond when Fox News Digital reached out for comment on Wednesday.
This is not El-Sayed’s first brush with religious radicals.
Fox News Digital previously reported that the Democratic Senate candidate had touted the endorsement of a Detroit-area pastor who had praised notorious antisemite Louis Farrakhan.
El-Sayed has also faced criticism over his appearances with streamer Hasan Piker, who previously said America "deserved 9/11." El-Sayed later called the remark "dumb" and disavowed the comment, while declining to disavow Piker himself.
El-Sayed has also defended a 2021 blog post that compared President Donald Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to Osama bin Laden’s role in the Sept. 11 attacks.
El-Sayed’s appearance comes as Republicans have increasingly focused on his past associations with controversial political and religious figures in the Michigan Senate race.
El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
'I heard you missed me': Melania Trump turns heads in patriotic Rose Garden look for major announcement
First lady Melania Trump made a memorable return to the White House Rose Garden Thursday, greeting the crowd with a playful five-word message before an announcement filled with patriotism and horsepower.
"I heard you missed me. Here I am," Trump said as she took the podium, as the crowd — including President Donald Trump — erupted in laughter.
The first lady stood before a wall of American flags in a crisp sky-blue oversized Michael Kors shirt with the collar popped and a vivid red Dior pencil skirt, echoing the patriotic setting. She completed the look with red Manolo Blahnik suede pumps.
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And Trump's clothes weren't the only thing turning heads.
Sitting nearby was an IndyCar decked out in red, white and blue and carrying the branding of the first lady's "BE BEST" and Fostering the Future initiatives.
Trump couldn't resist giving the machine her own review.
"Look at this incredible race car," she told the crowd. "Gorgeous and powerful."
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The car brought horsepower to the White House grounds just days before IndyCar drivers are set to roar through the nation's capital for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.
Six-time IndyCar Series champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon joined Trump alongside 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi, Graham Rahal and Scott McLaughlin.
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IndyCar President Doug Boles said the cars will blast through the capital at speeds exceeding 180 mph, passing the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument and racing around the National Mall.
He described the event as a "massive and very fast spectacle" marking America's 250th birthday.
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For all the speed and spectacle, however, the Rose Garden event centered on a cause dear to the first lady: America's youth.
Trump announced an expansion of her Fostering the Future initiative, which supports young Americans transitioning out of the foster care system.
Fox Corporation and IndyCar are each contributing $1 million to establish scholarships at Indiana University and Purdue University, bringing the total commitment to $2 million.
The two schools expand Fostering the Future's network to 26 colleges and universities nationwide.
"The greatest investment America can make is not in technology, infrastructure or capital markets. It's our children," Trump said.
She also announced that a Fostering the Future scholarship recipient became the program's first doctor this spring.
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"He will change the lives of so many people," she said. "Graduates will build new companies, launch new industries and redefine what is possible for all Americans."
And on an afternoon when a race car sat gleaming in the Rose Garden ahead of a 180-mph dash through Washington, Trump offered a different measure of success.
"Education is the one asset that can never be taken away," the first lady said. "It is the foundation upon which confidence is built, opportunities created and the future is invented."
Fox News Digital's Brian Flood contributed to this report.
Hayden Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson breaks silence after star's death
Hayden Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson broke his silence after the sudden and tragic death of the actress.
Hickerson's lawyer, Sloan Ellis, shared a brief statement with TMZ on Thursday.
"Hayden's death remains under investigation, and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play," Ellis said.
"Out of respect for Hayden's loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time."
The Greenville Police Department told Fox News Digital it is not participating in media interviews regarding this case.
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"The GPD response is the same as in all death investigations. The Police Department works with the Coroner’s Office, receives its findings, reviews the facts and evidence and then decides if a criminal investigation is warranted. There were no signs of foul play during the initial response and investigation," the statement concluded.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ellis for comment.
On Wednesday, Fox News Digital learned the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been contacted and is assisting in the investigation into Panettiere's death.
Also on Wednesday, Greenville police showed up at a South Carolina home linked to Brian and Zach Hickerson just days after Panettiere’s death. Officers appeared to be carrying out a welfare check, but nobody answered the door.
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Two police cruisers were spotted around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning and again around 10 a.m.
Panettiere died Sunday at the age of 36. She was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and the "Nashville" and "Remember the Titans" actress was pronounced dead.
Preliminary autopsy results found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, Fox News Digital confirmed.
A police report obtained by Fox News Digital revealed Hickerson and his brother, Zach, called 911 after finding the actress unresponsive. Hickerson later handed authorities a bag of medication Panettiere had allegedly been taking.
Hickerson was among those at the Greenville apartment when Panettiere was found, and authorities executed a search warrant at the residence, according to the report. The police report claimed Zach appeared "very emotional" while paramedics worked to revive Panettiere.
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Panettiere had an on-again, off-again relationship with Hickerson in the years before her death at age 36. Panettiere and Hickerson reportedly met through mutual friends in 2018, shortly after her split from Wladimir Klitschko.
Hickerson, who is from South Carolina, worked in real estate before pursuing acting and had a small role in the 2017 thriller "M.F.A."
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Hickerson reportedly traveled with the "Remember the Titans" actress from Los Angeles the day before she was found unresponsive at a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment complex Aug. 16, according to TMZ.
The two broke up briefly in 2022 but rekindled their romance the following year. Hickerson's brother confirmed to police Brian was in a relationship with the actress at the time of Panettiere's death.
The former couple's relationship was marked by highly public legal troubles. Hickerson was first charged with domestic violence against Panettiere in 2019. He was arrested again in 2020 on eight felony domestic violence charges, including felony charges of corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon and a misdemeanor charge of battery on a spouse/cohabitant.
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In 2021, he was sentenced after pleading no contest to two felony charges connected to the domestic violence involving Panettiere. The rest were dismissed due to the plea agreement.
Three days before Panettiere's death, Hickerson appeared in Los Angeles court in an effort to have his felony charges reduced.
"On Aug. 13, the prosecution objected to the defense’s motion to expunge and reduce both counts," a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office told Fox News Digital. "The court denied both."
Hickerson had tried to have the charges reduced once before, appearing in court July 18, 2025, Fox News Digital confirmed.
Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz and Lorraine Taylor contributed to this report.
Progressives notch victory in race to replace Swalwell following sexual assault scandal
Progressive state Sen. and Assistant Majority Leader Aisha Wahab has bested Melissa Hernandez, a more moderate public transit executive, in a special election to replace disgraced Rep. Eric Swalwell.
The race between Wahab and Hernandez represented another front in the Democratic civil war between the party’s establishment and progressive wings.
Wahab counted on high-profile endorsements from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and labor icon Dolores Huerta, while Hernandez relied on large sums of super PAC cash and endorsements from local officials.
While progressive Democrats opened the election season strongly, securing high-profile victories in New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado and D.C., they have more recently underperformed on expectations in the Democratic primaries for Michigan’s Senate race and Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race.
Wahab was the strong favorite heading into Election Day, earning 42.8% of the vote in the special primary against Hernandez’s 16.8%.
California has "jungle primaries" in which the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election. Wahab and Hernandez, both Democrats, occupied the top two slots in the special primary, effectively shutting Republicans out of a district that Kamala Harris carried easily in the 2024 presidential election.
The special election, however, represents only a temporary victory because it determined who would serve out the remaining two months of Swalwell’s term. The two will likely face off again in November to determine who will serve a full two-year term in Congress.
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Though the victory is technically temporary, incumbents tend to have an advantage in elections. The general election will take place under slightly different district boundaries after California’s newly redrawn congressional map takes effect.
Some Democrats have pointed to recent underperformance by progressive candidates to argue that the socialist ascendancy within the party has been stymied, while others point to the continued popularity of socialist politicians and policies among young people as evidence to the contrary.
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On the campaign trail, Hernandez criticized Wahab primarily on ethical grounds for her alleged missteps during her time in Sacramento. Wahab, meanwhile, painted Hernandez as the beneficiary of conservative and pro-Israel money, challenging her liberal credentials.
Hernandez, for instance, accused Wahab of skirting campaign finance laws by routing $60,000 from her state campaign account through the Alameda County Democratic Party, which later funded pro-Wahab congressional mail.
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Wahab hit back with her own campaign finance-related attack, criticizing Hernandez for allegedly taking money from pro-Israel donors and benefiting from expenditures by pro-Israel super PACs.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become a major flashpoint in the internal struggle for control of the Democratic Party, with progressives seeking to push out Democrats who support Israel.
Timeline reveals how man in 'Chucky' mask terrorized Philadelphia streets, evaded police
Surveillance footage captured the brief window of time when a masked man wearing a creepy Chucky-style Halloween mask terrorized multiple people in downtown Philadelphia. Two police officers followed him before he evaded authorities, officials said Thursday.
Zymire Hughes, 22, is being sought by the Philadelphia Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service after an arrest warrant related to the Aug. 12 incident was issued.
"If Zymire Hughes was trying to scare people, make them run: Who's scared now? Who's running now?" Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.
On Thursday, authorities released surveillance footage showing Hughes leaving his apartment before heading downtown by bus.
Once in the downtown area, Hughes donned his mask around 5:30 a.m. and began antagonizing people while filming his actions with a cell phone, police said. He allegedly threatened and assaulted a jogger near City Hall before chasing her.
The first person confronted by Hughes appeared to be terrified.
"The victim is absolutely terrified of Mr. Hughes," Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith said. "He crouches down with his hands up in a pleading motion. We don't know exactly what was said... but it's readily apparent that this individual is certainly in fear for their life. So then Mr. Hughes proceeds to make his way down Chestnut Street, harassing additional people."
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The incident culminated when Hughes allegedly chased the jogger.
Holding up his phone, he allegedly asked: "Are you ready to die?" police said. The jogger injured her leg while fleeing and will require extensive medical treatment, Capt. Smith told reporters.
At one point, Hughes was spotted inside Suburban Station by two Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) police officers in a golf cart and others on foot. The officers told him to remove the mask, Smith said, while showing footage of the interaction.
Hughes removed the mask but attempted to conceal his identity.
"Underneath that Chucky-style Halloween mask, he's got a black, COVID-style mask, which he never removes," Smith said. "Before they spot him, he is running around attempting to engage other people and scare them down in Suburban Station as well."
The officers followed Hughes, but he eventually evaded them and boarded a bus back home, police said.
He took the bus, placed the mask in a backpack, and arrived at his apartment complex, authorities said.
Surveillance footage captured at the complex shows Hughes leaving for downtown before his alleged rampage began. Investigators were able to obtain images of him in a common area without the mask.
SEPTA police officers were able to identify Hughes, along with two other people, police said.
Smith said he believes Hughes initiated the spree for "his own sick personal amusement" or to create monetized social media content.
Hughes remains at large but has ties to California and Nevada, police said.
Substitute teacher arrested after allegedly triggering false active shooter alerts at 5 schools: sheriff
A substitute teacher in Louisiana was arrested after authorities say she triggered false active shooter alerts at five schools, prompting security responses across the district.
Lytonja Barfield, 58, was booked on five counts of menacing after an investigation into the alerts Wednesday, Caddo Parish Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. announced.
The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office began investigating after officials with the Caddo Parish School Board contacted the agency about possible threats after emergency alerts at several schools.
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Don Gibbs, the school board's director of security, told investigators that Barfield, a substitute teacher, had allegedly used the district's emergency management system to report active shooters at five schools, according to the sheriff's office.
School officials responded to the alerts by implementing security measures to protect students and staff while they worked to determine whether the reported threats were legitimate.
Officials determined the alerts were false and identified Barfield as the person responsible for sending them, the sheriff's office said.
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Caddo Parish Public Schools told Fox News Digital Barfield is no longer employed by the district and was not assigned to work at any district location at the time of the incident.
"We are cooperating fully with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office as they continue their investigation into the matter. Ms. Barfield is no longer employed by the district, and, at the time of the incident, she was not assigned to work at any district site," the district's statement said.
"While we will not speak to the individual details of the investigation, as that is under the purview of the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, I can say that, in response to the mobile alerts, the district followed our established security protocols to ensure student and staff safety at all locations."
The sheriff's office did not identify the five schools in its announcement or say what specific security measures were implemented.
A Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office detective later located Barfield and questioned her about the incident.
Based on evidence and information gathered during the investigation, authorities arrested Barfield and transported her to the Caddo Correctional Center, according to the sheriff's office.
Barfield was booked on five counts of menacing.
The sheriff's office said false reports of active threats can disrupt schools, trigger emergency responses and cause fear among students, parents, employees and the surrounding community.
Authorities did not disclose a possible motive for the alleged false alerts.
The investigation remains ongoing.
NFL fines Saints and Cowboys $500K for practice brawl, but fights won't stop unless players get fined
It was another day of joint practices around the NFL on Thursday with more fights between teams, including one between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants that apparently featured someone taking a swing at quarterback Jameis Winston.
And, yes, this feels like it should be the tipping point because once Winston got in the scrum and apparently leveled someone, someone else took a swipe at him. And that led Giants starting quarterback Jaxson Dart to jump in.
"I just looked over and saw the red 19 jersey (which is Winston) and I was like, 'I got to go,'" Dart said. "I got to go help my boy! I don't know what's going on over there."
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The NFL has had enough. Well, sort of.
The league levied $500,000 fines against both the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints on Thursday, one day after the teams were involved in a serious brawl.
The NFL noted that its Competition Committee has made sportsmanship, including conduct during joint practices, a point of emphasis in recent years. The league also reminded all 32 teams of that emphasis this summer.
So, the hefty fines are a solid attempt to curb the violence. But they don't go far enough.
This week's brawl should make one thing clear to both the NFL and NFL Players Association: players themselves need to face fines for misconduct during training camp practices, just as they do during preseason and regular-season games.
So you are aware, Thursday marked the fourth consecutive day that teams holding joint practices got into fights, scuffles, skirmishes, whatever noun you wish to use.
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The Eagles and Patriots went at it the past couple of days, even though both coaches warned their teams to abstain before the practice sessions.
"I don’t want anybody fighting," Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said. "I don’t want our guys fighting in practice. I don’t want them throwing punches."
"They get thrown out of the game when those things happen," Vrabel added.
Anyway, at the Bears joint practice with the Bengals on Thursday, we had multiple scuffles. The big one came when Bears receiver Ray-Ray McCloud seemed to throw a punch at a Bengals defensive back, after which multiple Bengals players piled on top of him.
And then there was the brawling in Miami Gardens, where the Giants and Dolphins held a joint practice.
Multiple players from both teams were removed from the practice for throwing punches or seemingly causing others to throw punches. Multiple players were removed or benched.
And that punishment was supposed to serve to calm matters going forward.
But here's the thing: Getting any part of a hot, muggy, uncomfortable workout off is not the punishment coaches think it is. For some players, especially veterans, it's a welcome reprieve.
And having the club fined is also not going to cause individual players to curtail their emotions or not defend themselves against actual or perceived wrongs.
Players are simply not going to hold back because their coaches say, or the NFL is fining their beloved club.
The only way teams and the NFL are going to address this issue successfully is with fines to the players themselves. If the teams aren't going to go there, then the NFL should step in.
Players don't generally act this way in regular-season or preseason games because it draws a fine for them. From their paychecks.
The league's own compliance guidance explicitly says its enforcement staff oversees player conduct during preseason, regular-season and postseason games, and specifically identifies fighting as conduct within its jurisdiction.
Not so in joint practices.
So the NFL took a notable step on Thursday. But players are quite likely to continue engaging in joint practice skirmishes until it costs them money.