Sports

Miami and Indiana in the “Cuban Super Bowl.”

Published

5 hours ago

January 19, 2026

CUBA

Tonight’s College Football Championship is being played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and it is being called the Cuban Super Bowl, a nickname that has spread across Miami with unmistakable pride. Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is Cuban American and Miami‑raised, a hometown product now leading the Hoosiers onto the sport’s biggest stage. Miami head coach Mario Cristobal shares that same cultural and geographic lineage, and the two are connected by more than heritage.

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Cristobal and Mendoza both trace their roots to Christopher Columbus High School, the all‑boys Catholic powerhouse in the Westchester neighborhood. Cristobal graduated in 1988 before becoming a standout offensive lineman at the University of Miami. Decades later, Mendoza emerged from the same hallways and practice fields as one of Columbus’ premier quarterbacks, eventually rising to national prominence at Indiana.

The connection runs even deeper. Cristobal was once teammates with Fernando Mendoza Sr., the quarterback’s father, during their own Columbus playing days. That generational overlap adds a remarkable twist to this year’s championship storyline: the head coach of one finalist once lined up alongside the father of the opposing quarterback.

It’s a uniquely Miami narrative — family, football, culture, and legacy converging on one of the sport’s biggest nights.

More than one million Cuban Americans call Miami home. Their presence shapes culture, food, and sports passion. This championship feels deeply personal for many families.

A Community United by Culture, Pride, and Football

This game transcends typical college football stakes. It blends heritage, history, and hometown pride. It brings generations together across Miami’s neighborhoods.

The Cuban community feels seen and celebrated. The city rallies behind its coaches and its star. The “Cuban Super Bowl” becomes a cultural milestone.

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Sports

Polynesian Football HOF names Puka Nacua Player of Year

Published

9 minutes ago

January 19, 2026

Austin Reed

LOS ANGELES RAMS WIDE RECEIVER PUKA NACUA
NAMED POLYNESIAN PRO FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

The Rams WR picks up the award ahead of the Polynesian Bowl

The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced today that Los Angeles Rams WR, Puka Nacua has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year Award, presented by Hawaiian Airlines.

Nacua, of Samoan descent, was a fifth-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2023 NFL Draft. This past season, in 16 regular-season games, Puka hauled in 129 receptions for 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, ranking first in the league in catches and second in receiving yards. His performance earned him a First-Team All-Pro selection and the PFF Offensive Player of the Year Award. Puka is a 2019 Polynesian Bowl All-Star and was also named the 2018 Polynesian High School Football Player of the Year.

“On behalf of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Board of Directors, we congratulate Puka on a remarkable season,” said Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Chairman Jesse Sapolu. “He is a true source of pride for the Polynesian community.”

Other award winners

Mike Iupati was selected as the inaugural recipient of the award in 2015; Washington Commanders QB Marcus Mariota received the award in 2016; Kansas City Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster received the award in 2017 & 2018; Baltimore Ravens OT Ronnie Stanleyreceived the award in 2019; Indianapolis Colts DL DeForest Buckner received the award in 2021; San Francisco 49ers S Talanoa Hufanga in 2022; Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa won the award in 2022 and 2023; and Detroit Lions OL Penei Sewell won the award in 2024.

The formal presentation of the Award was held at the 2026 Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Celebration Dinner (January 17, 2026), along with being recognized during the 2026 Polynesian Bowl (January 16, 2025).

The Polynesian College Football Players of the Year were voted on by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, comprised of Jack “The Throwin’ Samoan” Thompson (Chairman, former NFL player and Inaugural Inductee), Coaches Ron McBride and Dick Vermeil, former NFL player and Inaugural Inductee Olin Kreutz, Inaugural Inductee and past NFLPA president Kevin Mawae, former NFL player and Class of 2015 Inductee Ray Schoenke, sportscaster Neil Everett, NFL Network Chief National Reporter Steve Wyche, and former NFL Player and Class of 2023 Inductee Manti Te`o.

About the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame:

The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame honors Polynesia’s greatest players, coaches, and contributors. Its permanent home is located at the Polynesian Cultural Center and was established in 2013 by Super Bowl Champions Jesse Sapolu and Ma`a Tanuvasa. There are currently 50 inductees. For more information, visit PolynesianFootballHOF.org

About the Polynesian Bowl:

The Polynesian Bowl is a premier all-star game played annually in Honolulu, Hawai`i that features 100 of the nation’s top ranked high school seniors of Polynesian and non-Polynesian ancestry alike – many of whom have gone on to play in the NFL. Past MVPs include AJ Epenesa, Puka Nacua, Travis Hunter, and Nico Iamaleava. The game is broadcast live and in primetime on NFL Network. For more information, visit PolynesianBowl.com

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Sports

AFCON final descends into chaos, with Senegal winning in AET

Published

1 hour ago

January 19, 2026

Austin Reed

Senegal won the AFCON Sunday in contentious fashion

Senegal walked off a the AFCON final after a contentious penalty awarded late in added time

By Andrew Powell for Daily Caller covering AFCON

The final for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) required extra time after both sides played to a tense 0-0 draw, culminating in dramatic scenes when Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in protest after the host nation, Morocco, was given a stoppage-time penalty.

Senegal ultimately claimed a 1-0 victory in extra time, securing their second AFCON championship and their second title in five years following their triumph in 2021. However, the manner of the loss left Morocco and head coach Walid Regragui deeply dissatisfied.

Senegal manager Pape Thiaw led his squad off the field Sunday as Moroccan supporters cheered amid chaotic scenes on the pitch, with players from each team clashing over the VAR decision that granted the hosts the late penalty opportunity.

Senegal walks off in AFCON final

After a 14-minute interruption, the Senegal players returned to the field, thanks in large part to left winger Sadio Mané, who went to the locker room to urge his teammates to resume play. (RELATED: TaylorMade Hits Callaway With Lawsuit Over Alleged ‘Mud Balls’ Claims)

Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy then produced a crucial save to deny Morocco right winger Brahim Díaz from the spot, while additional Senegal supporters attempted to rush the pitch. Tensions also spilled over into the press area, where journalists were involved in physical altercations.

Following the final whistle, Regragui sharply criticized Thiaw’s choice to remove his team from the match and came to the defense of Díaz regarding the missed penalty kick.

“I think a lot of time passed before [Brahim] was able to take the penalty, and this put him off,” said Regragui, per ESPN. “The match we had was shameful for Africa.

“When a head coach asks his players to leave the pitch, when he’s saying things that already started in the press conference [before the match, when Senegal accused Morocco of unsporting tactics] … he needs to stay class, in victory as well as in defeat.

“What Pape [Thiaw] did tonight doesn’t honor Africa. He’s an African champion now, so he can say what he wants, but they stopped the match for over 10 minutes.

“That doesn’t excuse Brahim for the way he hit [the penalty], he hit it like that and we have to own it. We need to look forward now, and accept that Brahim missed it.”

Chaos after ward of penalty

The VAR call by referee Jean-Jacques Ndala — awarding a penalty for a foul on Díaz — sparked immediate chaos, triggering a physical confrontation between the coaching staffs and players of both teams that quickly spilled over into the stands. Senegal‘s prominent Gaindé supporter group appeared to escalate the surge, vaulting over the hoardings and onto the pitch in an attempt to reach the match officials and the Moroccan contingent.

Security personnel and riot police eventually stepped in, forming a cordon to separate the incensed fans from the playing surface as objects rained down onto the pitch. Senegalese supporters climbed onto the electronic boards lining one side of the field and began tearing them apart. (RELATED: Broncos’ Bo Nix Out For Rest Of Playoffs After Suffering Season-Ending Fractured Ankle Against Bills)

Authorities escorted several Senegal fans away from the area, while a steward was carried off on a stretcher after seemingly suffering an upper-body injury during the disorder.

At the direction of Thiaw, the Teranga Lions walked off the pitch amid the turmoil — though it remained uncertain whether the departure stemmed from immediate safety concerns or served as a protest against the referee’s late call to hand out the penalty after Senegal left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf made contact with Díaz inside the box in the sixth minute of added time.

While further scuffles erupted on the field between Morocco central midfielder Ismaël Saibari and Senegal centre-back Abdoulaye Seck, and Mendy receiving a booking for seemingly disturbing the penalty spot, Díaz eventually took responsibility for the kick. Lacking confidence, his attempted shot was scooped up with minimal effort by the goalkeeper.

Early in the first period of extra time, Senegal defensive midfielder Pape Gueye Produced a brilliant strike from right outside the box, giving Senegal a lead that the team would successfully defend through the remainder of the match.

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Sports

Shirt wars: which brands won big over holidays?

Published

2 hours ago

January 19, 2026

Austin Reed

Adidas and Snapdragon won big over the holidays

Sportingpedia analysed the latest trends in the shirt designs for the upcoming 2025/26 season, investigating the front-shirt sponsors and kit suppliers for all 96 clubs competing in the five major leagues, revealing where the money and brand power lie in European football.

One of the report’s most curious revelations is that travel companies (mostly Airlines) are the most common front-shirt sponsors in Europe’s top leagues, ahead of the heavily represented Finance & Insurance and Gambling sectors. Meanwhile, Adidas has secured the largest market share among kit suppliers, beating both Puma and Nike by a clear margin. Another fact that merits attention is that eight clubs will start the season without a front-shirt sponsor at all.