Sam Darnold cements singular status among 2018 draft QBs as Super Bowl champ

SANTA CLARA, CA – "That was fun."

Those were the first words uttered bySam Darnold, who looked as if he'd barely broken a sweat, as he approached his postgame riser Sunday evening,the Seattle Seahawks quarterback a Super Bowl championfor the first time in his singular eight-year career afterhis team's 29-13 beatdownof theNew England Patriots.

Couldn't have been much fun for the New York Jets. Or Carolina Panthers. Or Minnesota Vikings. Those NFL franchises have all had Darnold on their roster at some point during his peripatetic career but don't now. Those clubs have also combined for zero Lombardi Trophies since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger … and will carry that collective doughnut for another year while Darnold, now a two-time Pro Bowler, is fitted for his first ring.

Sunday also couldn't have been all that much fun for Baker Mayfield. Or Josh Allen. Or Lamar Jackson. Like Darnold, they were all first-round drafts picks in 2018. Unlike Darnold, who was also a member of the San Francisco 49ers when they were NFC champions in 2023, that trio has combined to win three league MVP awards … while making zero Super Sunday appearances.

Super Bowl 60: Check out best photos from Seahawks vs Patriots

"I didn't not believe that I would be (the first 2018 QB champion)," Darnold smiled. "It's special, man. And it's not about that – to me, it's never been about that. I'm just doing the best that I can. Because, every single day, I want to be the best quarterback for theSeattle Seahawks– that's really what it comes down to."

Mission basically accomplished.

Darnold didn't exactly deliver a signature performance Sunday, completing half of his 38 throws for 202 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown strike to tight end AJ Barner that broke the game open in the fourth quarter.

Yet Darnold also bucked his early career reputation for carelessness with the ball that carried over from his time at USC – instead protecting the pigskin, not committing a turnover (he didn't have one in the playoffs after leading the NFL with 20 in the regular season) and only taking one sack. Meanwhile, his New England counterpart, Drake Maye – an MVP finalist in 2025 – had three giveaways while getting bagged six times by Seattle's swarming defense, not that Maye could be blamed for the constant jailbreaks he faced.

"I didn't have my best stuff today, but the team had my back – our defense and special teams," said Darnold, whose unspectacular performance was perfectly sufficient for a Seattle juggernaut that didn't need anything more from him.

"We just played how we always play, we were resilient and we came out on top. So, it was pretty special."

Yet his success was also special for Seahawks players who have universally come to adore their quarterback even though he hasn't been on the roster for even 11 months.

"Unbelievable story. I don't think there's a quarterback in NFL history that's done what he's done – to go through the things that he's had to go through," saidwide receiver Cooper Kupp. "To believe in himself, to overcome everyone that told him that he wasn't that guy anymore, that he couldn't be a starter.

"I'm so thankful I got to know who Sam Darnold is as a person, because it explains everything that's happened in his career."

Added kicker Jason Myers, a teammate of Darnold during his rookie year with the Jets: "He's just one of the guys, he's just great in the locker room. I knew he'd fit in right away when we signed him here."

And with two years left on his contract and a loaded team at his back, perhaps this only the beginning of Darnold's dominant era.

"I don't think it's really hit me yet, to be honest with you," Darnold said of his career-defining moment to date.

"But it's special – this group is why it's special, the connection all of us have as players, the love that we have for each other."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Seahawks' Sam Darnold: From Jets castoff to Super Bowl 60 champion

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February 09, 2026

Sam Darnold cements singular status among 2018 draft QBs as Super Bowl champ

SANTA CLARA, CA – "That was fun." Those were the first words uttered bySam Darnold, who looked as if h...

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Kid Rock’s Alternative Super Bowl Show By Turning Point USA Sparks Backlash Online

America didn't get just one halftime show thisSuper Bowl Sunday. It got two.

WhileBad Bunnytook the stage as the NFL's official 2026Super Bowl Halftime Showperformer, a competing "All-American Halftime Show" was organized by the MAGA-friendly organization, Turning Point USA, to celebrate "American culture, freedom, and faith."

"MAGA just got owned by Bad Bunny," one commented online.

America didn't get just one halftime show thisSuper Bowl Sunday;it got two

Image credits:TPUSA

Turning Point USA (TPUSA) staged theAll-American halftime show on Super Bowl Sunday, February 8, with a country-heavy concert and a strong dose of red-white-and-blue imagery.

The show was a direct rival to the NFL's official Bad Bunny performance and also a tribute to Charlie Kirk, TPUSA's slain founder, who wasassassinated by a rooftopsniper last year.

The hour-long spectacle was headlined by Kid Rock and featured performances from Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett.

"This one's for you, Charlie!" TPUSA host Jack Posobiec said as the show began.

Image credits:Turning Point USA

Brantley Gilbert was the first in the artist lineup, followed by Gabby Barrett and Lee Brice.

Closing the show was Kid Rock, whokicked off his performancewith his rap hitBawitabaand then segued into Cody Johnson's hit songTil You Can't.

Kid Rock introduced the song by saying he woke up one night with the track stuck in his head and felt there was "a verse that still needed to be written for this song."

"There's a book sitting in your house somewhere that could use some dusting off," he sang his self-written version onstage. "There's a man who di*d for all our sins hanging from the cross. You can give your life to Jesus and he'll give you a second chance. Till you can't."

The patriotic spectacle was headlined by Kid Rock and featured performances from Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett

Image credits:Turning Point USA

Charlie Kirk's wife and thenew CEO of TPUSA, Erika Kirk, was absent during the controversial All-American Halftime show.

She previously said her late husband would have been "so stoked" with their "pro-America" halftime show because he wanted to be "in the forefront of the culture war."

"He would be fist-pumping at this … And what better way to honor him than to just get in the middle of this and be able to offer an alternative to families," she toldFox Newsearlier this month.

Image credits:Turning Point USA

A tribute video was played for Charlie Kirk during the All-American Halftime Show, complete with a slideshow showing photos of Charlie, Erika, and their family.

"I want to honor God in all that I do," a voiceover of Charlie was heard saying. "I want to be a great husband, a great father, I want to serve this country. I want to try to continue to lead this movement."

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Netizens slammed the All-American Halftime show, calling it a "Redneck Halftime!" and "Temu Halftime."

"Not being able to speak even a little spanish or vibe with the music is low IQ as fuck hahaha," one said, while another quipped, "Grandpa still calling himself kid lol."

"Was this concert at the Dollar Tree 🌳 Parking lot lmfao," wrote another.

"Turning Point USA having its own halftime show is actually a great idea," read one comment. "It's like handing toddlers an iPad so they stop melting down and everyone else can enjoy the real halftime show in peace."

"You can give your life to Jesus and he'll give you a second chance. Till you can't," Kid Rock sang onstage

Image credits:Turning Point USA

Running in parallel with the All-American Halftime Show was the NFL's Super Bowl LX show, during whichBad Bunny performed some of his biggest hitsfor the screaming crowd.

Lady Gaga andRicky Martin also made appearances, and a real-life bride and groom said "I do" in the middle of the performance.

Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Jessica Alba, and Karol Gshowed up as surprise dancersas well.

Bad Bunny made history by becoming the first musician to perform a Super Bowl Halftime Show entirely in Spanish. But he did have one message in English displayed on a billboard at one point: "The only thing more powerful than hate is love."

Image credits:Turning Point USA

The Puerto Rican artist made the same statement during his Grammy speech, in which hecalled out ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)on music's biggest stage.

US President Donald Trump wasquick to share his thoughtson Bad Bunny's performance, calling it "absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!"

"It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn't represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence," he wrote on his Truth Social website.

Image credits:Turning Point USA

"Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World," he continued

After calling the show a "'slap in the face' to our Country," he added that there was "nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show."

A tribute video was played at the All-American Halftime Show for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk

Image credits:Turning Point USA

Among thosecriticizing Bad Bunnywas also influencer Jake Paul, who lives in Puerto Rico.

The boxerslammed the Latin superstara couple of hours before he took the stage.

"Purposefully turning off the halftime show. Let's rally together and show big corporations they can't just do whatever they want without consequences (which equals viewership for them)," he wrote on X.

The influencer called Bad Bunny "a fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America" and added, "I cannot support that."

"Someone posted a clip and everyone in attendance looked miserable," one commented on the All-American Halftime Show

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February 08, 2026

Kid Rock’s Alternative Super Bowl Show By Turning Point USA Sparks Backlash Online

America didn't get just one halftime show thisSuper Bowl Sunday. It got two. WhileBad Bunnytook the stage a...

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Travis Kelce’s Solo Super Bowl Run Amid Taylor Swift’s Blake Lively Text Drama

Travis Kelceattended the 2026 Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California. However, the star NFL player arrived without his fiancée,Taylor Swift. The tight end was spotted in a sleek black suit paired with sunglasses. He was looking sharp and stylish as he smiled during the presentation of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

Despite his polished appearance, fans were surprised to see him at the high-profile event without the pop icon by his side. The sighting comes amid recent headlines surrounding Swift, following the release of her text messages with Blake Lively, which further intensified her ongoing feud with Justin Baldoni.

Taylor Swift skips Super Bowl as Travis Kelce goes solo amid Blake Lively texts drama

Travis Kelceattended the highly anticipated Super Bowl in 2026. It was held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on February 8. The Kansas City Chiefs star was spotted arriving in a tailored black suit, styled with sunglasses, looking sharp and composed. However, his fiancée, Taylor Swift, did not attend the game.

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The news comes after Swift andBlake Lively's text messageswent public, in which the singer reportedly referred to him as a "b***h," sparking fresh headlines. This isn't the first time the singer has skipped accompanying Kelce to pre-game parties or appearances. In the past, Swift has occasionally missed games due to professional commitments and scheduling conflicts.

Kelce attended the event where Bobby Wagner received this year's award for his excellence on and off the field. The 36-year-old athlete previously earned the same prestigious honor in 2020. While the NFL star is preparing for more Super Bowl appearances, Swift is also enjoying a busy season in her career. She recently released the music video for her song "Opalite" from the hit studio album "The Life of a Showgirl." The video features a 90s-themed aesthetic and includes several celebrity cameos.

The postTravis Kelce's Solo Super Bowl Run Amid Taylor Swift's Blake Lively Text Dramaappeared first onReality Tea.

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Travis Kelce’s Solo Super Bowl Run Amid Taylor Swift’s Blake Lively Text Drama

Travis Kelceattended the 2026 Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California. However, the star NFL player arrived without his fiancée,Taylor Swift....

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Chinese robot makers ready for Lunar New Year entertainment spotlight

BEIJING, Feb 8 (Reuters) - In China, humanoid robots are serving as Lunar New Year entertainment, with their manufacturers pitching their song-and-dance skills to the general public as well as potential customers, ​investors and government officials.

On Sunday, Shanghai-based robotics start-up Agibot live-streamed an almost hour-long variety show featuring ‌its robots dancing, performing acrobatics and magic, lip-syncing ballads and performing in comedy sketches. Other Agibot humanoid robots waved from an audience ‌section.

An estimated 1.4 million people watched on the Chinese streaming platform Douyin. Agibot, which called the promotional stunt "the world's first robot-powered gala," did not have an immediate estimate for total viewership.

The show ran a week ahead of China's annual Spring Festival gala to be aired by state television, an event that has become an important - if unlikely - ⁠venue for Chinese robot makers to ‌show off their success.

A squad of 16 full-size humanoids from Unitree joined human dancers in performing at China Central Television's 2025 gala, drawing stunned accolades from millions of viewers.

Less ‍than three weeks later, Unitree's founder was invited to a high-profile symposium chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Hangzhou-based robotics firm has since been preparing for a potential initial public offering.

This year's CCTV gala will include participation by four humanoid ​robot startups, Unitree, Galbot, Noetix and MagicLab, the companies and broadcaster have said.

Agibot's gala employed over 200 ‌robots. It was streamed on social media platforms RedNote, Sina Weibo, TikTok and its Chinese version Douyin. Chinese-language television networks HTTV and iCiTi TV also broadcast the performance.

"When robots begin to understand Lunar New Year and begin to have a sense of humour, the human-computer interaction may come faster than we think," Ma Hongyun, a photographer and writer with 4.8 million followers on Weibo, said in a post.

Agibot, which says its humanoid robots ⁠are designed for a range of applications, including in education, ​entertainment and factories, plans to launch an initial public offering in ​Hong Kong, Reuters has reported.

State-run Securities Times said Agibot had opted out of the CCTV gala in order to focus spending on research and development. The company did not respond ‍to a request for comment.

The ⁠company demonstrated two of its robots to Xi during a visit in April last year.

U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, who has pivoted automakerTeslatoward a focus onartificial intelligenceand the Optimus humanoid ⁠robot, has said the only competitive threat he faces in robotics is from Chinese firms.

Like those rivals, Musk has also used stunts ‌to promote Optimus, rolling out human-directed robots as bartenders at an event in 2024.

(Reporting by ‌Qiaoyi Li and Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Jamie Freed)

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February 08, 2026

Chinese robot makers ready for Lunar New Year entertainment spotlight

BEIJING, Feb 8 (Reuters) - In China, humanoid robots are serving as Lunar New Year entertainment, with their manufacturer...

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Key Venezuelan opposition figure Guanipa ‘kidnapped’ by heavily armed men after being freed from prison, allies say

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Key Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa was kidnapped by heavily armed assailants on Sunday night, shortly after he was released from prison, according to his family and multiple political allies.

Leader of the conservative Primero Justicia party, Guanipa was among several high-profile political prisoners freed on Sunday, in the latest effort from Caracas to satisfyUS demandsfollowing Washington's ouster of strongman leader Nicolás Maduro.

But Guanipa, 61, was later snatched by a group of men in the Los Chorros neighborhood of Caracas, said Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Laureate María Corina Machado, who is not in the country.

"Heavily armed men dressed in civilian clothes arrived in four vehicles and took him away by force," she saidon X.

Guanipa's son Ramón said in a video that his father was "ambushed" at a late night event "by approximately 10 agents who had no identification whatsoever."

"They pointed their guns at them, they were heavily armed, and they took my father," he said, before demanding to see proof his father was still alive.

Guanipa's Primero Justicia party also accused the Caracas regime of being behind the kidnapping. "We hold (interim President) Delcy Rodríguez, (National Assembly President) Jorge Rodríguez, and (Interior Minister) Diosdado Cabello responsible for any harm against the life of Juan Pablo," it said in a statement on X.

After Maduro was captured by US special forces last month, his former deputy Rodríguez took over as leader with the blessing of the Trump administration, on the proviso Caracas complied with a raft of US demands – from access to oil to the release of political prisoners.

Guanipa was freed earlier Sunday night after more than eight months in prison.

Shortly after walking out of a detention center in Caracas, Guanipa had uploaded a video on social media, declaring, "Today we are being released. Much to discuss about the present and future of Venezuela, always with the truth at the forefront."

Guanipa was arrested inMay 2025, following claims by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, made without evidence, that he was involved in an alleged "terror" plot against regional and legislative elections. Guanipa has repeatedly denied the accusation.

Machado had celebrated the news of his release earlier Sunday. "My dear Juan Pablo, counting down the minutes until I can hug you! You are a hero and history will always recognize it," she wrote on social media.

Another of Machado's allies, lawyer Perkins Rocha, was also released on Sunday, but under strict restrictions, according to his wife María Constanza.

Human rights group Foro Penal said it had confirmed that at least 30 political prisoners were released on Sunday, according to the group's director, Alfredo Romero.

Others who were freed include Luis Somaza, a member of the Popular Will party, and Jesús Armas, an activist and former opposition councilman.

Venezuela's opposition and human rights groups have long accused the country's authoritarian regime of using arbitrary arrests to suppress dissent. Foro Penal estimates that hundreds of additional political prisoners still remain behind bars.

The government has denied that it holds people for political reasons, arguing that those in prison have committed crimes.

Sunday's releases come days after Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez promised relatives of political prisoners that "all detainees" would be freed. Rodríguez, the brother of acting president Delcy Rodríguez, said the process would be completed "no later than" Friday, February 13.

His announcement comes as the acting socialist government moves forward with anamnesty billthat could lead to the mass release of prisoners – some of whom have been held since 1999, when strongman leader Hugo Chávez came to power – as a first step toward what officials describe as national reconciliation.

Although the government announced the release of "a significant number of people" days after the US captured Maduro, rights groups and family members believe that the pace of releases has been slow.

So far, more than 380 people have been freed from prison, according to Foro Penal, while the government claims to have released more than 800.

CNN's Michael Rios, contributed to this report.

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byCosmopolite

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February 08, 2026

Key Venezuelan opposition figure Guanipa ‘kidnapped’ by heavily armed men after being freed from prison, allies say

Lee este artículo en español Key Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa was kidnapped by heavily armed assailants on Sunday night...

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