Football is finally back, and that means it’s the season for tailgating and game watching parties.
Ovie Mughelli, former All-Pro football player and tailgating expert, joined us today with some super suggestions for football fun.
He has all the tips you need for the ultimate tailgating party while supporting your favorite team.
For more information visit, TipsonTV.com.
THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY ANGOSTURA, AROMATIC BITTERS, BALL ALUMINUM CUP AND GARDEIN.
A football season like no other is finally here!
That means we’re looking for new ways to make game day special as we watch the games with chips, dips and more, whether it’s Zoom watch parties or socially distant tailgates.
Ovie Mughelli, a former All Pro Fullback for the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens and a former network TV football analyst for an ACC football show, has some tasty tailgating tips.
For more information visit, TipsonTV.com
THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY WISCONSIN CHEESE & GE LIGHTING.
(CNN) — An NFL player claims in a lawsuit filed against United Airlines that flight staff ignored numerous complaints as he and another man were sexually harassed and assaulted by a female passenger on a February red-eye flight.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court by the unidentified player and another man, accuses United Airlines of failing to have or enforce policies and procedures that protect passengers from assault.
Despite multiple complaints by the men, the lawsuit claims, the woman was moved only after she allegedly continued her groping and ripped a mask off the athlete’s face.
“Those who report assaults should not be ignored, but believed, their claims investigated, and appropriate action taken where warranted,” attorneys for the men said in a statement.
The attorneys cited a 2018 FBI report that found the number of sexual assaults reported during commercial airline flights was increasing “at an alarming rate.” The bulk of the incidents happen on red-eye overnight flights, the FBI said. The lawsuit said the United flight was scheduled for 11:15 p.m.
United said the safety and well-being of its customers is its top priority.
“In this instance, the customer involved was moved to a different seat,” spokesperson Rachael Rivas told CNN in a statement. “Because litigation is now pending, we’re unable to provide further comment.”
Allegations of assault
The lawsuit alleges that during the flight from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, John Doe 1 (the NFL player) and John Doe 2 shared a row with their alleged assailant, whom the two men believed to be intoxicated.
The two men allege the woman initially began harassing the NFL player about the fact that he was wearing a face mask due to concerns about increasing reports of the dangers of coronavirus.
The woman allegedly began making sexual advances toward and groping the NFL player, who repeatedly asked her to stop, according to the lawsuit.
The two men made three separate complaints to flight staff about the woman’s behavior during this time, according to the suit. The first two complaints were allegedly ignored and the third produced a verbal warning to the passenger.
The woman later grabbed the NFL player’s genitals and pulled the mask off his face, the lawsuit said.
The NFL player left his seat to complain to flight staff, at which point the woman allegedly groped the other man, according to the lawsuit. At this point, flight staff moved the woman to a different seat.
United Airlines gave both men a $150 voucher, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory damages and punitive damages.
Two flight attendants and the woman who allegedly assaulted the two men were included but not identified in the lawsuit, which claims that the airline would not provide their names.
“This matter is about accountability; not just from United but the assailant as well,” attorneys for the men said. “Those with a duty to others should be held accountable for their failures to uphold their responsibilities.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Just across the Cumberland River, NFL fans flocked to Nissan Stadium for the first day of the NFL Draft Fan Experience.
For the little ones, like Garyson Cantrell, it’s feeling like an NFL star at the combine corner.
“He has been talking about it since they announced they were going to be here so we’re down here today and tomorrow,” said Cantrell’s mother.
Adults like Chad Davidson, also took part in the fun, while proudly showing their team’s colors.
“It goes to every football game I go to and it comes to here too,” said Davidson, wearing his decked out custom Jets jacket.
Albert Robinson came with his friends.
“I want to get an autograph form Eddie George,” said Robinson.
They’re tight knit, but among them, a Bucks fan.
“I can’t have Eddie george on my jersey!” said Holmes.
Aside from autographs, the Fan Experience also includes an NFL museum, a display of all 52 Super Bowl rings, a replica of game day lockers, and what fans will wait patiently for – a picture with the one and only Lombardi trophy.
The three-day event ends on Saturday.
The event is free to the public.
Don’t forget to download the ‘NFL Draft Fan Mobile Pass’ app for exclusive access to the Draft’s events.
The biggest game in football will take center stage on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and one of the biggest attractions leading up to the big game is Radio Row.
It’s a sight to see: over 200 stations in one room in the Georgia World Congress Center, all talking about Super Bowl 53.
“You walk into Radio Row, you never know who you’re going to run into where you go, ‘Wow, I can’t believe they’re here,'” said Mike Golic, ESPN Radio personality.
The current stars at Radio Row are players like Patrick Mahomes and Alvin Kamara, as well as all-time great Jerry Rice.
Super Bowl 43 MVP Santonio Holmes and Super Bowl-winning player and head coach Tony Dungy headed down for the game excitement, too.
“Incredible to see how this game has grown. Super Bowl 13 we flew in on Wednesday, we played the game, it was a big game, but just like another game,” said Dungy. “Now, 40 years later it’s just incredible how it’s grown.”
It’s former players like Holmes who add to the hype on the Row.
“I’m more so getting the questions in stares of amazement that ‘Santonio Holmes is actually walking past me’ and ‘I remember that catch 10 years ago and to see him here at radio row answering these questions,’” he explained.
This year, even Nexstar Nation is front and center.
“Nexstar Nation has made the most emphatic entrance on to Radio Row. We are here in full force doing a live stream every single solitary day leading up to the Big Game,” said J.B. Biunno, Member of Nexstar Radio Row Digital Team.
Two more Big Game Bound shows are lined up for this weekend. Tune in on The Big Game page at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
ATLANTA (NEXSTAR) —
One of the most incredible things covering the Super Bowl — particularly in Atlanta on such a tight campus — is all the amazing talent you can talk with in just a short walk. Nexstar Nation’s Big Game Bound Digital Reporter Ashley Bridges broke down what difference the location can make with a few greats who have been there before.
Michael Irvin played the Super Bowl with those Cowboys in 1994; that’s Super Bowl XXVIII. Let’s just say he had a really, REALLY good time.
“We walked in at half time and E said, ‘awww, s**t, do you think we had too good of a time in here?’ And I said, ‘yeah, we better get back out there and win this game, or the answer is definitely ‘YES.'”
Times have changed and The Dome is now The Benz, but Atlanta still has it going on: just ask Reggie Bush.
“I think about the culture, the food, Lenox Mall,” he laughed.
Irvin did come out on top back in 1994, with a win for the Cowboys 30-13. But, Irvin says what he learned actually inspired his entire system for how he picks the Big Game winner between two great teams.
“I start on Friday,” he explained. “I make my calls and I ask ‘hey guys, what’s going on, what’s the week like?’ If they say, ‘we’re at the Super Bowl, it’s dope’ or ‘this city is poppin’,’ if they say that, I put an X for ‘this city poppin’. But if I call them up and they say, ‘man, I’m focused on the game,’ I put a check by their name. I add up all the Xs and the checks, and that’s how I choose my winner.”
The legends we talked with who had been there before say those factors rely upon discipline which they believe leans toward the Patriots as they’ve been there over, over, over, over, over, and now over again.
Just over a year ago, Atlanta hosted the College Football Playoff National Championship game, but this week, the security levels go even higher with Super Bowl 53 in town.
About a million visitors are expected to be in Atlanta as the Rams and Patriots go head to head. And the City of Atlanta is being proactive when it comes to keeping people safe.
“The federal government uses a ranking system on sporting events or large events like the Super Bowl, and this is considered the top, S.E.A.R one, which is the highest ranking you can have below presidential inauguration,” explained Deputy Chief Scott Kreher with the Contingency Operations Division.
With the influx of people in the city, 1,700 members of the Atlanta Police Department are active and alternating in 12-hour shifts.
In addition, more than 50 local, state, and federal agencies are helping out.
Inside the Joint Operations Center, a staff of 50 plus people is able to monitor more than 10,000 cameras that are located throughout the city — and specifically inside the Super Bowl footprint.
“We support 13 different instant command locations throughout the city,” said Kreher. “So those instant commanders that are out there on the street doing the actual work report up to area command here located inside the Joint Command Center.”
Members of the Rams and Patriots have their own security detail through the NFL, although the city will help out at the team hotels and practice facilities.
This way, the players and coaches can focus on football.
“You see cops, you see the army, you see the secret service,” said Robert Woods, Rams wide receiver, adding, “You have to make sure guys are safe.”
Several members of the Atlanta Police Department were on sight for the past two Super Bowls in Houston and Minneapolis to get a better understanding of what to expect for one of the largest sporting events in the world.
Super Bowl Experience is one of the go-to spots for football fans in Atlanta during the week leading up to the Big Game.
The interactive theme park is home to endless fun, including an exhibit sponsored by the official sleep and wellness provider of the NFL, Sleep Number.
At the Super Bowl Experience, fans can participate in a number of activities centered around the importance of sleep. You can build your own dream NFL bedroom and even take a ride on a 360 smart bed.
A fan favorite is the virtual reality quarterback challenge, which gives players a chance to throw the football at various “rest levels.”
“We turn it to round two, and when we get sleep deprived it gets a little bit more difficult. It gets blurry, and they get to see when they are not sleeping well. It’s really eye-opening,” said Sam Fosmoen, Sleep Number District Manager for Northern Michigan.
The Super Bowl Experience takes place at the Georgia World Congress Center. For more information, visit here.
ATLANTA (NEXSTAR) — It takes a lot of food to fuel 200, 300, even 400 pounds of football player. And, let’s go ahead and get it out of the way that Tony Gonzalez’s vegan diet and Tom Brady’s kale quinoa are definitely the exception. So what foods are NFL player’s comforts to cook up?
Rams Cornerback Sam Shields had two years out of the NFL and is back to the big game — but in those two years he had a lot of mama’s home cooking — his favorite?
“Shepard’s Pie,” Shields declared.
That dish is hearty and homecooked, kind of like Patriots Offensive Lineman Ted Karras’s favorites that his dad made when he was growing up. Karras said his go-tos were pasta, potatoes, and chicken.
But homecooking doesn’t always have to come from home: former Georgia Tech now Patriots offensive guard Shaq Mason was ready to be “back back back at Miss Mary Mac Mac Mac’s.” So, what would he tell his teammates to order?
“The six fried wings, the mac and cheese, and the rice and gravy,” Mason said.
The Rams’ Andrew Whitworth’s wife still makes his Cajun favorites. She says he loves her sausage jambalaya and she still orders the spicy sausage from Louisiana.
But for some, after the season, it’s all about the sweets and the sleep! Patriots wide receiver Robert Woods says he can’t wait for the candy and to catch a nap. — like Patriot’s wide receiver Robert Woods:
By the way, that amazing video of “Mary Mac’s Tea Room” is from Ron Clark Academy, an incredibly successful, unique school in Atlanta. Look for another #BigGameBound digital extra with the amazing students you saw there and a cameo by Ludacris.
On the live premiere of “Big Game Bound” from Atlanta, Anthony “AC” Calhoun and J.B. Biunno are joined by guests Brett Daniels, Chris Simms, and Ruthie Polinsky.
Daniels, the COO of the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee, discusses why this Monday night could revolutionize the fan experience as 10,000 ticketholders file in to State Farm Arena.
Simms, the former NFL quarterback and current NBC Sports broadcaster, shares why Tom Brady might not be among his top three quarterbacks of all-time.
Polinsky, a sportscaster who follows the Patriots for WPRI, tells Calhoun and Biunno why she believes Brady is too stubborn to quit playing football.
Watch Big Game Bound: Live from Atlanta all week long on this website beginning at 1:00pm EST.