Associated Press – New York Yankees star Aaron Judge supports the club’s decision to finally allow players to grow well-groomed beards, but don’t expect to see him with one anytime soon.

Judge said Saturday that he was shocked by the rule change but added that he has no plans to grow a beard, according to Greg Joyce of the New York Post.

The Yankees announced Friday they were amending the decades-long policy that prohibits beards after conversations with current and former players.

“If this is something that’s going to stop us from winning games or stop us from getting a player or stop a certain guy from not performing their best, why would we put that in the way of what our ultimate goal is?” Judge said, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News.

The Yankees’ facial hair policy dated back to the early 1970s when George Steinbrenner purchased the franchise. Players weren’t permitted to have hair touching the collar of their jersey, and a mustache was the only acceptable facial hair.

Bucs Report – Special to Sports Talk Florida – Throughout the offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield faced intense scrutiny from critics who doubted the team’s potential heading into the 2024 season.

Following a breakout 2023 campaign that earned him a Pro Bowl selection and a division title, skeptics wondered if Mayfield’s success was a fleeting phenomenon. However, Mayfield silenced his doubters by elevating his game to new heights in 2024.

Mayfield achieved impressive statistics in 2024, throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, while also setting a new career-high with a 71.4% completion rate. Notably, despite his outstanding performance, he was overlooked for a Pro Bowl selection.

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Although Mayfield has received limited accolades over the past two years, Pro Football Focus (PFF) has taken notice of his impressive performance. In their annual ranking of the top 101 players from the 2024 season, PFF slotted Mayfield at No. 63, recognizing him as one of the league’s elite quarterbacks alongside just six others.

“Under yet another new offensive play-caller, Mayfield earned an 85.9 overall grade this season, which represents a new career-high for him and ranked him sixth in the NFL. Including the postseason, his 43 passing touchdowns tied him for second-most in the league. His signature performance came in Week 18 with an NFC South title on the line, as he posted a career-best 94.8 overall grade.”

This ranking serves as a well-deserved acknowledgment of Mayfield’s skills, notably placing him ahead of fellow quarterback Jalen Hurts (91).

As he prepares to adapt to his third offensive coordinator in as many years, the spotlight will once again be on Mayfield to prove his consistency and replicate his success.

Fortunately, Josh Grizzard’s promotion from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator ensures a measure of continuity, which should facilitate a smoother transition.

After two consecutive Pro Bowl-caliber seasons, Mayfield has finally garnered recognition from the broader NFL community. Now, as the 2025 season approaches, all eyes will be on him, eagerly anticipating whether he can sustain his exceptional performance.

Given his impressive track record, it’s reasonable to expect that Mayfield and the Buccaneers will make another playoff appearance in 2025.

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You better be at .500 or better.

Want A New Stadium In Chicago, Win Games

February 24, 2025

Here is proposed legislation in Illinois that is going to go nowhere. Before Illinois taxpayers have to fork up money to build a football stadium in Chicago or Arlington Heights,  House member Bob Morgan wants to link the National Football League’s Chicago Bears franchise’s win-loss record to the allocation of money. Morgan’s proposed bill is called Da Bears Stadium Oversight Act. Morgan’s legislation stipulates in order for a franchise to become eligible for public financing, a professional sports team must have achieved a .500 record in at least three out of the last five previous regular seasons. At this point, the McCaskey family’s Bears business would not meet Morgan’s threshold. The team’s last .500 season was in 2020 when the team won eight and lost eight. In the last four seasons, the team went six and 11, three and 14, seven and ten and in 2024, five and 12. Under the terms of the Morgan proposal, the McCaskey family’s business would need to win more games than lose in 2025, 2026 and 2027. The McCaskey family has been told no state money will be available for their project from the Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker.

Morgan’s bill would also apply to Chicago’s other pro sports franchises including Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox franchise and Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire FC franchise. Those two franchise owners are seeking to build new stadiums using taxpayers money. Jerry Reinsdorf’s White Sox business actually would qualify for Morgan’s legislation despite the fact that the team has lost 222 of its last 324 games. The Fire FC team has had five straight losing seasons. The McCaskey family wants to build a stadium-village in the south parking lot of Chicago’s Soldier Field and wants about $2 billion in public subsidies. The stadium game continues in Chicago.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com

Illinois House member Bob Morgan