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Clock controversy: NCAA says officials botched replay protocol in Michigan's win over Western Michigan
Turns out, had the officials followed the correct protocol during the highly-controversial finish to the Western Michigan versus Michigan game earlier this month, the Wolverines would currently have a loss on their record.
The ending of what was one of the wildest games of the season remains a major talking point nearly three weeks after Michigan won on a second Hail Mary attempt in the final seconds of its season opener.
Should the Wolverines have been awarded an additional second on the clock? The NCAA's FBS oversight committee doesn’t think so.
MICHIGAN-WESTERN MICHIGAN CLOCK CONTROVERSY LEAVES PLAYERS, FANS AND A RULES ANALYST PUZZLED
During the first attempt, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood put too much on his pass, which sailed through the back of the end zone.
But, due to a Western Michigan player touching the ball with what Big Ten officials said transpired with :01 seconds remaining on the clock, Michigan was allowed to line up for one final play with the game on the line.
I think you know what happened next: Bryce Underwood connected with a receiver for the second Hail Mary attempt of the drive, with Michigan winning 13-12 in shocking fashion.
The controversy centered around how the Wolverines were awarded the additional time needed to complete the second pass. During their review of the play, Big Ten officials were using a different clock than what was being seen on national television, causing all sorts of confusion across the country as viewers looked on in shock.
How in the world could the NBC broadcast clock show that time had expired, but Big ten officials were seeing this in a different light? Turns out, the network and Big Ten explained that the television clock was not synced up correctly with the actual game clock.
So, the review team awarded Michigan with one final second of game action, but they actually shouldn’t have even been in that situation.
But, on Wednesday night, the FBS Oversight Committee released a summary of the events, noting that if the officials had gone about the replay process in the correct manner, Western Michigan would be sitting here today with a win over the Michigan Wolverines.
"The committee consulted with national officiating leadership regarding the instant replay protocols," the FBS committee stated. "Based on that information, the committee agreed that the instant replay protocols were not followed in the contest’s second-to-last play. Had the protocols been followed, the outcome of the game would have been different."
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Unfortunately for anyone hoping Western Michigan would be awarded the win, a caveat in the NCAA’s statement makes that a moot point.
"The committee confirmed that it does not have the authority to overturn the contest," the NCAA noted. "The playing rules governing the result of a contest are clear. Once the referee declares a contest to be final, no appeal of the outcome is permitted, according to Rules 1-1-3-b and 5-2-9 of the NCAA football rules:
Essentially, the NCAA is saying that the officials did not follow procedure in how they were using instant-replay, but there is nothing they can do about it now.
That's it. Done. Michigan keeps its win over Western Michigan.
All of the controversy that took place in the days following the wild ending in Ann Arbor, with statements from the MAC, Big Ten, NBC and NCAA all lead to the same result.
The Wolverines are still undefeated, for now, and this topic continues to be a point of frustration around college football.
Democrat candidate seen sobbing, praying in patrol car after DUI arrest: Video
Washington state Democrat Krista Perez, who is running for a state House seat, was seen on police video admitting to drinking wine, declining field sobriety tests and begging to go home before praying and crying in the back of a patrol car after her DUI arrest.
Perez finished first in last month's primary in the 29th Legislative District, Position 1, and will face incumbent state Rep. Melanie Morgan, also a Democrat, in November, as the top two candidates advance to the general.
Tacoma Police said Perez's 2019 Chevrolet Silverado allegedly struck a parked car on South G Street shortly after midnight on August 11, setting off a chain reaction that damaged five vehicles, according to The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red.
Prosecutors charged her with DUI, with a refusal enhancement in connection with the collision and a later encounter with police.
MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN ADMITS TO SUFFICIENT FACTS IN JUNE DRUNKEN DRIVING CASE
Body camera footage shows police questioning Perez after the crash and her subsequent arrest, while footage from the backseat of the patrol car shows her praying and sobbing, according to video obtained by The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red.
After police arrive at the scene, Perez told an officer she did not understand what was going on and claims she was not involved in an accident, the footage shows.
"Did you get into an accident here?" the officer asks.
"I did not," Perez responded.
The officer then asked what happened.
"I don’t know. I’ve never been in an accident before," she replied.
She also said she switched insurers just weeks before the incident when asked for her documents. She was able to tell the officer the name of the insurance company.
Perez told the officer she was driving from a friend’s business on Tacoma Avenue South when the collision happened.
"Did you have anything to drink tonight?" the officer asked.
"I just had some wine while I was there," Perez replied.
Asked how much wine she had, Perez said she had one glass.
When the officer asked how big the glass was, she told him, "I think you might need to contact the business."
The officer then asked her to rate her sobriety on a scale of zero to 10, with zero being completely sober.
She first told the officer that she wants to go home. But when asked a second time, she rated herself a four.
The officer then asked her to take standardized field sobriety tests but stated multiple times that the tests are optional.
"So it’s a series of tests that I take you through to make sure to see if you’re impaired by alcohol, or you’re not. Are you okay with doing that? It’s totally voluntary," he said.
Perez declined the tests, kept saying she wanted to go home and repeatedly said that she was "confused."
"Not right now. I’d like to go home first," she said.
"You’re not going to go home first. I’m going to tell you that right now, okay? So your options between the test, yes or no, that’s going to be determined tonight, right now, not when you go home. So would you like to take these tests or no?" the officer asked.
Perez responded by asking if she was allowed to decline the tests.
"You do have a choice. You can either say yes, or you can say no. They’re totally voluntary tests," the officer answered.
"Yeah, I would like to go home first," she replied.
The officer asked whether her answer meant she was declining the tests, and she said yes.
She was then told she was under arrest for DUI and to put her hands behind her back.
"Hold on. Hold on. One second. Hold on," she said.
Perez repeatedly told the officer that she did "not know what any of this means." He told her it means she is under arrest for DUI.
Under Washington state law, roadside sobriety tests are not required and declining them is separate from the refusal enhancement prosecutors allege in Perez's case. According to an arrest report cited by The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red, the enhancement stems from what occurred later at Tacoma Police headquarters, where police said she did not provide a usable breath sample after three attempts before the machine timed out.
BODYCAM SHOWS TONY ROMO ARGUING WITH OFFICER BEFORE REFUSING BREATH TEST DURING DUI ARREST
Inside the patrol car, she can be seen in the footage sobbing, praying and asking God to help her, with her crying lasting several minutes.
"Help me, God. Help me. Help me. Holy Spirit, help me, God," she said.
State law does not prohibit someone with a DUI charge from serving in the legislature. Other Democrat lawmakers have kept their seats after an alcohol-related incident, including House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, who apologized after acknowledging he drank alcohol before a House Appropriations Committee hearing in February.
"I made a poor choice last night by drinking alcohol before we had finished our work for the day. I am disappointed in myself and take responsibility for that poor choice. It won’t happen again, and I’m committed to completing my work this session without alcohol," Fitzgibbon said in a statement at the time to The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red.
Plane passengers scream in harrowing mid-flight video as violent shaking sends cabin ceiling panels flying
Video captured an Iranian flight descending into chaos Tuesday as sudden, violent shaking appeared to tear apart the plane's cabin, causing overhead compartments and ceiling panels to collapse onto passengers.
The incident happened during a Sepehran Airlines Boeing 737 flight over Iran that departed from Mashhad for Kermanshah, according to Jam Press.
According to the outlet, the aircraft may have suffered engine damage and a tire blowout during takeoff.
During the chaos, the plane's cabin appeared to disintegrate, causing ceiling panels and debris from damaged bins to fall and strike travelers. Passengers were heard screaming and praying as they held their hands up against the falling debris.
FORMER NFL QB ROBERT GRIFFIN III DESCRIBES HARROWING ENGINE FIRE ON UNITED FLIGHT
The pilot reportedly declared an emergency landing and sought to return to Mashhad Hashemi Nejad International Airport in Iran.
The aircraft landed safely, Jam Press said, citing NeedToKnow. No injuries were reported among the 127 passengers and crew members.
TWO PLANES BLOW TIRES WHILE LANDING AT MAJOR US AIRPORT HOURS APART, FAA INVESTIGATING
The incident caused the temporary closure of one of the airport's two runways.
An investigation into the incident is underway, reports said.
Passengers were reportedly placed on another flight to complete their journey.
According to Jam Press, decades of international sanctions have left Iran's aviation industry struggling to access newer Western-built aircraft, genuine spare parts and other modern upgrades.
Local carriers have been forced to rely on aging aircraft while completing complex maintenance on their fleets.
Macklemore donates $1M to Palestinian aid organizations after Ed Sheeran tour fallout
Macklemore announced that he is donating the $1 million he earned opening for Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour to organizations providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians, prompting a public response from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
On Monday, the 43-year-old rapper was dropped from Sheeran's "Loop Tour" after he repeatedly called for a "Free Palestine" and performed his anti-Israel song "Hind’s Hall" during his opening act at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sept. 4 and 5.
Macklemore alleged that Kraft, 85, pressured Sheeran to remove him from the tour by telling the singer he would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium and by rallying other stadium owners to issue a similar ultimatum. Kraft later confirmed he opposed Macklemore's participation at Gillette based on what he described as the "Thrift Shop" rapper's history of antisemitic rhetoric.
ED SHEERAN SAYS HE TRIED TO ‘BUILD A BRIDGE’ OVER MACKLEMORE TOUR SPOT BEFORE VENUES SAID NO
Sheeran, 35, has said the decision was made by the tour promoter and venue owners, not by him personally.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Macklemore shared his plans to donate his paycheck from the "Loop Tour" to six organizations including the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA National Committee and American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA).
"With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom," he wrote.
"I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people," he continued. "And I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation. Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth."
"I want to center the parents carrying their children into hospitals without the basic resources to treat them, and the physicians, paramedics, journalists and aid workers who keep going back in. I want to center the organizers and activists who have paid real costs for standing with Palestine," Macklemore added. "Their risk is of a far different order than mine."
Macklemore noted that "writing a check is one of the least costly forms of solidarity to me."
"I am doing it because I can and because these organizations are doing the work while much of the world debates it," he wrote.
"Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights and should not have to wait another day to be free," Macklemore added. "That is where my focus will remain. I will continue to stand with the Palestinian people and their fight for liberation."
MACKLEMORE DOUBLES DOWN AFTER GETTING KICKED OFF ED SHEERAN TOUR AFTER PRO-PALESTINE STANCE
"When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it," he concluded. "Free Palestine."
Shortly after the rapper challenged Kraft to match his contribution, Kraft said Sheeran had already asked him to commit $2 million to match the singer's own donation toward humanitarian relief in the region.
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"I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people. I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting. Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region and fight this humanitarian crisis," Kraft wrote in a statement shared on Gillette Stadium's social media pages.
MACKLEMORE'S LONG HISTORY OF CONTROVERSY FROM GRAMMY WINS TO 'FREE PALESTINE' CONCERT REMARKS
"Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges," Kraft continued.
"In addition, I’d like the people who are speaking in support of the Palestinian people to know that for decades, I have supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians and have brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs, and forge relationships," he added.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Sheeran and Macklemore's representatives for comment.
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Macklemore was originally scheduled to open at eight of Sheeran's upcoming tour dates following his two performances at MetLife Stadium.
The rapper's removal triggered a wave of withdrawals from Sheeran's tour, with fellow supporting acts Finneas, Lukas Graham Aaron Rowe and Beoga all pulling out in solidarity.
Kevin Stefanski 'not ruling anybody out' as injuries to Cooper Rush, Tua Tagovailoa cloud Falcons' QB plans
Atlanta Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski offered little clarity this week on the team’s murky quarterback situation ahead of a Week 2 home game against NFC South rival Carolina Panthers.
Stefanski told reporters Wednesday that he is "not ruling anybody out." His comments came as Cooper Rush, who replaced an injured Tua Tagovailoa in the Falcons’ season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, participated fully in practice after dealing with a back issue four days earlier.
Rush finished the 20-13 loss to the Steelers with 143 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt.
Tagovailoa sustained an oblique injury in practice days before the Falcons were scheduled to kick off against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was ruled out for the opener, remained listed as day to day entering Wednesday’s practice and had yet to participate in practice this week.
Rush continued to receive treatment Wednesday for a back spasm that flared up Saturday, Stefanski said.
FALCONS NAME SIXTH DIFFERENT WEEK 1 STARTING QUARTERBACK IN SIX YEARS
Stefanski declined to say whether Tagovailoa would start if healthy.
"Of course, ideal world, I think everybody, every team, you'd love to know who's playing at every position," Stefanski said. "That's a no-brainer. I get that part. But we're going to be flexible and make sure that we're giving all of our guys the ability to go play and play well."
Michael Penix Jr. is widely expected to take the starting quarterback job at some point this season. Penix, a 2024 first-round pick, started nine of the Falcons’ first 10 games last season, missing the Week 8 loss to the Miami Dolphins with an injury before returning in Week 9.
He tore his ACL in a Week 11 match-up against the Carolina Panthers and has since been medically cleared to return, though he recently told reporters he wants to feel closer to full strength before taking the field in 2026.
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"I had that conversation and I just told [coach Stefanski], 'I'm not where I want to be right now,'" Penix said earlier this month. "I want to be able to be 100 percent so I can help this team win football games. And I'm really close."
Jack Strand, an undrafted free agent from Minnesota State Moorhead, was listed as Rush’s backup in Week 1. He quickly won over many fans with a series of highlight-reel plays during the preseason, finishing the exhibition slate with 306 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
His opportunities to build on that momentum, however, have been limited, as practice reps typically dwindle once training camp ends and the regular season begins. Even so, Strand remains a possibility for Sunday’s game against Carolina.
"Jack is not being ruled out for this game," Stefanski said.
The Panthers lost their season opener 59-37 to the Chicago Bears in Charlotte.
Maryland family speaks out after ‘4-foot-long’ rabid beaver attacks 13-year-old boy
The family of a 13-year-old boy who was viciously attacked by a rabid beaver in Maryland has spoken out about the incident, describing the animal as a massive, four-foot-long adult.
The July 26 incident was the first of three rabid beaver attacks that prompted Cunningham Falls State Park in Frederick County to close, according to the family's GoFundMe.
The teen was identified as Dominick Cebula by WUSA 9.
Dominick was swimming and looking at fish underwater in a designated area when the beaver suddenly struck his chest and latched onto him, the family said in their online fundraiser.
RABID BAT FOUND NEAR ZOO RESTAURANT SPARKS URGENT PUBLIC HEALTH WARNING: 'EXTREMELY SERIOUS'
The family said the unprovoked attack unfolded in front of the boy's mother and younger brother, who watched in horror from the shore.
"This 4-foot-long beaver (not a cute little cuddly beaver — this thing was as big as his 8-year-old brother) came out of nowhere from the deep of the lake, beelined straight toward D, and began biting and attacking him," Dominick's aunt, Leigh Cebula, said.
"He did not provoke it, poke it, or mess with it in any way. This was completely unprovoked."
Dad Jeff Cebula told WUSA 9 the beaver began shaking its head and refused to let go.
"He grabbed its head and a leg, and he tried to get it off of him," Jeff said. "At that point, he kind of felt that it was locked onto him. And then it started shaking its head, kind of like a dog would do."
Dominick eventually managed to pull the beaver off his chest and tried to back away with his hands raised, his dad said.
The beaver then lunged at him again and bit his right hand, prompting Dominick to fight it off a second time.
He was promptly airlifted to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where doctors began treating his wounds and administering rabies post-exposure treatment.
"It was so traumatic. He was lifeflighted to Johns Hopkins because the paramedics were worried his lung was punctured. Luckily it wasn't," Dominick's mother, Alishia Cebula, told Fox News Digital.
The boy is now recovering well after undergoing surgery earlier this month.
NORTH CAROLINA WARNS MOBILE PETTING ZOO VISITORS OF RABIES EXPOSURE AFTER BABY GOATS TEST POSITIVE
"He is doing much better. He just had surgery on 9/4 to repair a severed nerve in his finger," Alishia said. "He had a lot of appointments, especially with the rabies vaccines he had to get. Thank God for the vaccine.
"Luckily, we're getting to the end of this traumatic event."
Leigh added that the incident happened in an area where the family had swum for years and had never spotted beavers before.
After the attack, the beaver was euthanized after testing positive for rabies. Swimming access to Hunting Creek Lake at the park was closed soon afterward.
The incident marked the first in a series of three attacks at the park.
On Aug. 5, a 19-year-old fisherman was bitten in the ankle by a beaver.
Less than three weeks later, a 10-year-old girl at Seneca Creek State Park was also attacked while wading with an organized group.
Amanda Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski say separation is 'right move' for family after nearly 10 years of marriage
Amanda Seyfried and her husband of nine years have called it quits.
Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski issued a joint statement to People, sharing that they have been separated "for a while" and filing for divorce is what's right for their family.
"We have been separated for a while, and it’s proven to be the right move for us and our family unit. We’ve got each other forever — and it’s GOOD," Sadoski and Seyfried said.
In January, Seyfried touched on her marriage and said Sadoski "sacrifices a lot" for her.
"He also knows that, in this moment, the opportunities I’m being afforded are insane… I do say no a lot," Seyfried told Vogue.
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At the time, Seyfried was appearing in "The Housemaid," "The Testament of Anne Lee" and "Long Bright River."
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Seyfried and Sadoski first met in 2015 while starring together in the Off-Broadway play "The Way We Get By." They reunited on the set of the movie "The Last Word," began dating in 2016 and secretly eloped in March 2017, just days before welcoming their first child, daughter Nina.
They later expanded their family with the birth of their son, Thomas Jr., in September 2020.
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Seyfried and Sadoski kept their private life private. They lived together on a farm in upstate New York, raising their two children. The "Mean Girls" star gave fans little glimpses into her life via Instagram, sharing photos of her farm animals, pets and kids.
Travis Kelce among pro athletes defrauded by Ponzi scheme that funneled funds into one stock
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, 36, was officially identified as a victim in a $35 million Ponzi scheme run by a Texas fund manager.
During a Tuesday sentencing hearing in a St. Louis federal courtroom, prosecutors named Kelce among those defrauded by 38-year-old Siddharth Jawahar.
Jawahar operated Swiftarc Capital LLC, an investment firm that collapsed into a federal wire fraud investigation.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Jawahar raised more than $35 million from investors between July 2016 and December 2023.
Instead of managing a diversified portfolio, he allocated roughly 99% of client capital into a single stock, Philip Morris Pakistan.
As that position tanked, Jawahar hid the losses, issued falsified statements and used funds from new investors to pay out earlier clients.
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Federal prosecutors noted Jawahar actually invested roughly $10 million of the total funds raised. He spent the remainder funding personal luxuries, including private jet charters, upscale apartments in Austin and New York, high-end dining and exclusive private club memberships.
Court filings did not specify the exact financial loss suffered by Kelce.
Kelce was not the only professional athlete caught up in the operation.
A 2021 Forbes report previously linked Swiftarc funds to several NBA players, including Gary Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Mason Plumlee.
Jawahar pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud in January 2026.
U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone sentenced Jawahar to 11 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $31.35 million in restitution.
Kelce is currently playing in his 14th NFL season after signing a contract extension with Kansas City. Luckily for the Chiefs star, marrying Taylor Swift earlier this year means any bad investment can easily be covered by loose change tucked behind her couch cushions.
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Republican congressman presses NHL over Alex Ovechkin’s appearance in Putin party campaign ad
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., has a problem with Alex Ovechkin appearing in a campaign advertisement for the Vladimir Putin-backed United Russia party, and he wants NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to address it.
Wilson sent Bettman a letter Tuesday calling the Washington Capitals captain’s participation "shameful" and asking the league to review the matter. Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was copied on the letter.
Ovechkin does not speak in the ad. He stands behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a United Russia campaign video ahead of Russia’s Sept. 18-20 parliamentary elections. Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Russian state-controlled network RT, also appears in the ad.
"While Mr. Ovechkin has every right to hold personal political views, actively participating in campaign material for Putin’s oppressive party while serving as the captain of an NHL franchise in our nation’s capital raises serious questions about the standards expected of players who represent the League and their communities," Wilson wrote.
STEPHEN A SMITH WARNS POLITICS IS CAUSING 'DIVISION' WITHIN AMERICA'S LAST UNIFYING PASTIME
The letter does not ask Bettman to suspend or fine Ovechkin. Wilson wants the NHL to explain whether it has any policies governing active players who appear in political advertisements for foreign parties or regimes.
He also wants the league and Capitals to make clear that Ovechkin’s participation does not represent either organization’s position.
Wilson was more direct on social media.
"It is incredibly alarming that [the NHL] and [the Capitals] have allowed Alexander Ovechkin to appear in a campaign advertisement supporting the party of war criminal Putin," he wrote. "American hockey fans deserve better leadership from their star players!"
Wilson elaborated on the letter Wednesday during an interview with Fox News’ Dan Scully.
Asked what he wanted Bettman to do and whether he was seeking discipline for Ovechkin, Wilson did not directly answer.
"For Ovechkin to be campaigning for a person who is indeed the new Hitler of the 21st century, it’s just inconceivable," Wilson said.
Scully also asked whether Wilson had information that the NHL or Capitals knew about the advertisement beforehand.
"Ahead of time, I’m not sure," Wilson said.
The Capitals said Ovechkin was approached while spending the offseason in Russia.
"This summer, while in Russia, he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign," Capitals spokesperson Sergey Kocharov said in a statement to Reuters.
But who asked him?
The Capitals did not say. The team also did not answer questions from Fox News Digital/OutKick about whether it knew of Ovechkin’s participation beforehand or whether anyone within the organization approved or facilitated it.
Kocharov noted that Ovechkin lives with his family in Moscow during the offseason and plans to return there after his NHL career. He said Ovechkin and the Capitals are focused on the upcoming season and his continued impact in Washington.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS STAR ALEX OVECHKIN CRASHES A COUPLE'S WEDDING PHOTO SHOOT ON A HOTEL STAIRCASE
Ovechkin has publicly supported Putin for years. He founded "PutinTeam" in 2017 to rally support for the Russian president, and his Instagram profile photo remains an image of the two men standing together.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ovechkin called for peace but declined to criticize Putin.
"Well, he is my president," Ovechkin said at the time. "But, like I said, I’m not in politics. I’m an athlete."
Wilson argues that the Kremlin has a history of using athletes and international sporting achievements to promote the Russian government abroad.
"An NHL superstar appearing in campaign propaganda for Putin’s political party cannot simply be dismissed as an activity wholly disconnected from the League," Wilson wrote.
Wilson also writes that the broader United Russia campaign features Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Lvova-Belova and Putin in 2023 over the alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territory.
Scully asked Wilson how Ovechkin’s appearance differs from an American athlete supporting a U.S. politician.
"The difference is that the American politician is not a mass murderer," Wilson said.
"Now, we can all disagree," he continued. "There is a right to free speech, of course, but there should also be consequences of being associated in promoting a war criminal."
Wilson did not say what those consequences should be. When Scully later asked directly whether he wanted the NHL to suspend Ovechkin, Wilson again did not answer.
Wilson also said he is working with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and that Risch agrees Ovechkin’s participation "is just not right." Wilson did not describe what action, if any, he and Risch intend to pursue.
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The congressman said he has not received a response from the NHL but is willing to give the league time to answer.
Throughout the interview, Wilson repeatedly referred to Putin as a "convicted war criminal," echoing the handwritten message beneath his signature.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova in 2023, but neither has been convicted by the court.
The NHL did not respond to questions about Wilson’s letter, the advertisement or its policies governing political activity by players. Ovechkin did not provide a comment through the Capitals prior to publication.
We will update this story if we receive a response from Ovechkin, the NHL or the Capitals.
Dem insurgent turns on the charm with party establishment as Schumer leaves bitter feud hanging
Michigan’s insurgent progressive Senate nominee ran as far as he could from Washington, D.C., but, on Wednesday, he traveled to the nation’s Capitol for a closed-door meeting with top Democratic brass as the race for power intensifies.
Abdul El-Sayed met with top Senate Democrats just hundreds of yards away from Congress, where lawmakers and the wunderkind candidate huddled to discuss his campaign and how to keep Michigan blue.
Many left boasting that the Wolverine State would not turn a shade of purple.
But few, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would say whether the fences broken during El-Sayed’s primary fight had been mended.
SCHUMER DUCKS QUESTION ON CAMPAIGNING WITH SOCIALIST CANDIDATE WHO REFUSES TO BACK HIM AS LEADER
"Look, we have to win Michigan, and we had a great and friendly meeting," Schumer said when asked by Fox News Digital if he and El-Sayed had moved on from their differences.
Still, El-Sayed held court with Democratic brass for hours at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s (DSCC) headquarters in Washington, where a steady flow of lawmakers — both allies and skeptics of his Senate bid — milled in and out of the building throughout the day.
Schumer and Democrats are confident and determined that they can flip the Senate, which Republicans hold with a 53-47 margin. Losing Michigan to the GOP and former Rep. Mike Rogers would serve a mortal blow to that push.
"He’s gonna win," Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who is also the DSCC chair, said.
The key mission for Democrats is getting independents and Republicans on the fence. But few, including Schumer, said they would actually hit the campaign trail with El-Sayed.
It all comes after El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., locked horns in one of the most bitter Democratic primary fights of this cycle that pitted the Democratic old guard versus a progressive movement gaining steam across the country.
SEE IT: DEM SENATORS RALLY BEHIND EL-SAYED BUT DUCK QUESTIONS ON PROGRESSIVE AGENDA
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who initially endorsed Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow before she dropped out, told Fox News Digital, "Obviously, primaries can get really hot, and the Michigan primary got hot.
"This is what you do after a primary is you try to unite the party and then you do the work to reach out and cross over to independent voters and Republican voters," Murphy added. "So, I don't think anybody should be surprised that he's trying to build bridges after a heated primary. That's what good candidates, that's what winning candidates do."
Another McMorrow backer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., painted a rosy picture of the closed-door session and noted it was "hard to hear in there because so many people were talking and laughing and wanted to hear about the campaign.
"He makes good connections because it's a lot of people in there who are talking about, ‘What can we do next? What can we do to lower costs for families? What can we do to make this government work better for working people?’ So, it was a very enthusiastic, very cheerful group of people."
Retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., whose seat El-Sayed is gunning for, initially endorsed Stevens. Now, he’s shifting gears.
DEMS' LEFTWARD LURCH GETS LEGS AS EL-SAYED'S MICHIGAN SENATE VICTORY SPARKS PARTY DEBATE
"I'm endorsing him, and he's been getting support across the board in Michigan. The Democrats are coming together," Peters said in response to a question about whether the Democratic establishment was uniting behind El-Sayed. "We understand how important this election is."
Others were more keen to lend an assist to El-Sayed, including Murphy and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who said, "I’m gonna be in Michigan here in a couple of weeks."
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who is running for re-election in deep blue Massachusetts, said that Democrats’ strategy heading into the final stretch was pitching an affordability agenda, and El-Sayed "is the answer."
"I'm helping him. I think we're all gonna help," Markey said when asked if he would raise money for El-Sayed.
The specter of El-Sayed’s relationship with controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who helped to amplify his campaign in the primary battle, wasn’t something that Democrats focused on during their huddle.
"Hasan what?," Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told Fox News Digital when asked if he came up during the meeting. "I don’t even know who that is."
When asked if Piker came up or if Democrats encouraged El-Sayed to further distance himself from him, Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said, "Not in terms of the conversation. Like I said, I was just trying to get to know him."
After initially dodging Fox News Digital’s question on whether he would campaign with Piker, El-Sayed later told reporters, "This conversation is so far removed from what people are talking about.
"Everyday, in Michigan, people sit at their kitchen tables and ask, 'How am I going to make this work next month?’ That’s not a middle, right, left issue, that’s a basic affordability issue."
When further pressed, he countered that Michigan voters "really don’t care about that."
"They really don't," El-Sayed said.