City Of New Orleans Makes Final Decision On Sugar Bowl After Deadly Truck Attack That Left 10 Dead And Many Injured On New Year’s

Police tape near Bourbon Street in New Orleans (Photo by MATTHEW HINTON/AFP via Getty Images)
The city of New Orleans, as well as the rest of the country, is waking up in shock this morning after a deadly and intentional attack on Bourbon Street on the first day of the year.

At least 10 people were killed, and dozens were injured when a driver purposely rammed his pickup truck into a crowd during New Year’s celebrations on Bourbon Street.

A suspect was reportedly “hellbent” on killing as many people as possible as he drove at a high rate of speed, leaving families devastated on the first day of the new year.

After mowing down numerous people, the suspect wasn’t finished as he got out and fired shots into the crowd before officers took him down with their own gunfire.

In the aftermath, many wanted to know if the Sugar Bowl being held in New Orlenas would be postponed.

New Orleans police department superintendent indicated that Wednesday night’s College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame at the Superdome will go on as planned.Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said officers would work to ensure safety at the Sugar Bowl, per ESPN.

Prayers For The City of New Orleans

As tourists descended on New Orleans to attend the Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome on New Year’s Day, chaos would erupt in the latest act of senseless violence.

At least ten people were killed and 26 injured when a pickup truck intentionally plowed into a crowd.

The FBI has deemed it an act of terrorism.

Our prayers go out to the families.

While the whole sports world was ecstatic to hear the news that WNBA star Caitlin Clark joined Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce as a guest in their “New Heights” podcast, several Swifties couldn’t help but be disappointed about it.

Of course it’s not that Swifties don’t like Clark. After all, the Indiana Fever star herself is a certified Swift fan, as she proved when she attended the pop star’s concert in Indianapolis not once but twice in November.

However, the supporters of the “Bad Blood” hitmaker were expecting to see the singer guest on the show of her Kansas City Chiefs star boyfriend.

“I was hoping it was going to be Taylor!!” a commenter wrote. Another Swiftie said, “Soooooo… not Taylor.”

“I thought it was Taylor… [expletive],” a disappointed fan added.

“We were hoping for Taylor,” a follower stated while using a sad emoji to express frustration.

A fifth social media user did express excitement about Clark’s appearance, but they also noted who they really want to see next, saying, “It’s going to be a GOOD one! We want Tay next!”

“Most requested guest?? Maybe second most requested??? Sooo excited for this episode!!!” another fan said, referring to Swift as the real “most requested guest.”

To be fair to Taylor Swift fans, it’s understandable why they are frustrated. Considering her relationship with Travis Kelce and the fact that the musician is currently on a break after her “Eras Tour,” it should have been easy for the Chiefs TE to invite her.

It should also be remembered that Swifties got their hopes up when Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce teased their in-demand guest for the Jan. 2 episode of the show. Prior to that, fans had been simply clamoring for Swift to come to the podcast.

For now, though, the Swift faithful can only be patient and hope that she comes to the podcast sooner rather than later.

It was a heck of a 2024 for Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.

She led the Iowa Hawkeyes to a second-straight appearance in the national championship, falling one game short of the title with a loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Along the way, Clark became the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader, passing former LSU Tigers star Pete Maravich (3,667) and finishing her college career with 3,951.

Shortly after, the point guard was selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 WNBA draft to the Fever. She led her new team to its first playoff appearance since 2016. Clark also broke many records during her rookie season, including the most assists in a season and the most points by a rookie, all while being named to the All-WNBA first team.

On New Year’s Eve, Clark celebrated her amazing year with an Instagram post, highlighting her 2024 experience both on and off the court. The post is going viral with nearly 50,000 likes just 22 minutes after publishing.

“My fav moments from the best year,” Clark captioned her post. “Time to make 2025 even better.”

Some sports figures left their own message for Clark, sending their thoughts in the comment section.

“What a year,” Golden State Valkyries guard Kate Martin said.

“Best year ever,” Los Angeles Sparks forward Cam Brink wrote.

“can’t wait for the tunnel fits in 2025,” added former Iowa star Gabbie Marshall.

“Only going up from here!!!” commented Kristin Juszczyk.

Clark is now preparing for her second season in the WNBA. However, after the Fever fired coach Christie Sides, they added 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year Stephanie White to the team.

With a young core including Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, and a coach of White’s caliber, Indiana could be a serious championship threat in the coming season.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark went viral on New Year’s Eve after she reflected on her favorite moments from 2024. Her post drew the attention of her fellow WNBA players, fans and other sports personalities, including San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle.

Kittle sent a strong message to Clark, hyping up the year that awaits her.

On Instagram, Clark posted several photos from 2024, highlighting her “fav moments from the best year.” It included shots from her final season with Iowa and her draft day, as well as personal photos with her boyfriend Connor McCaffery and her Iowa and Fever teammates.

The WNBA All-Star also included a photo with Kittle and his wife, Claire Kittle, from the time the two watched the Hawkeyes play West Virginia in the women’s NCAA Tournament in March. The Kittles both attended the University of Iowa, with the 49ers tight end playing college football for the Hawkeyes.

In the comment section of the post, Kittle posted a three-word message for Clark, saying, “Great days ahead!!”

George Kittle is a big fan of Caitlin Clark, and he has shown his respect and admiration for the women’s basketball star multiple times in the past. That being said, it’s not a surprise to see the 49ers veteran support her once again.

In an interview in April, Kittle told Fox News Digital that Clark is just so “authentic,” adding that “she’s incredibly personable” and “charismatic.”

“She doesn’t fake anything,” Kittle added. “She’s very interested in everything you’re talking about. She’s great to have a conversation with. You can tell how much she loves her teammates.”

Hopefully, as Kittle suggested, Clark’s 2025 will be able to top everything that happened to her in 2024.

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese had a playful way of bidding farewell to 2024 and ushering in 2025.

Before the clock struck midnight, the WNBA star teased fans with a sultry selfie to ring in the New Year.

In a TikTok post, the 6-foot-3 forward shared a sizzling shot, showcasing her incredible physique in a plunging dress that left little to the imagination.

Reese welcomed 2025 in the color of the year, Mocha Mousse, but added her own twist with an eye-catching animal print dress featuring playful ruffle details.

What truly captured fans’ attention, however, was the daring cut-out design on the dress, especially the bold midsection detail that turned heads.

With this, fans couldn’t help but gush over her daring New Year’s Eve look.

“Gorgeous,” said one fan.

“Pretty as always,” a second user added.

“The girl is really badass,” a follower remarked.

One fan also hyped Reese with a positive comment, saying, “You are that girl…” While another dubbed her the “Chicago queen.”

Another follower also mentioned the WNBA star’s outfit and commented, “Can we get a little commotion for the dress?”

The 22-year-old is not only making waves in the WNBA as a hooper, but she is also building a reputation off the court, particularly in the fashion scene.

Reese made her Met Gala debut in 2024, further solidifying her presence in the fashion world.

The former LSU player also turned heads at the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York, where she wowed the crowd in a striking red crochet dress by Jamaican brand Diotima.

As for her WNBA career, the Sky star is gearing up to return to the court for the 2025 regular season. The team’s first game will be against Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever on May 17.

The moment “New Heights” fans have been calling for is finally here: Caitlin Clark is the newest guest of the podcast from NFL star brothers Jason and Travis Kelce.

Earlier this week the brothers teased their guest with fans hoping it would finally be Clark. Well, the Jason and Travis gave their fans a New Year’s Day present they’ll never forget by having the legendary Iowa Hawkeyes guard on the show.

In an exclusive look at the episode, Clark opened up on getting recruited by top colleges when she was in just seventh grade.

“I feel very fortunate,” Caitlin said while admitting her parents helped keep her grounded amid the influx of letters from teams. “They wanted me to be in seventh grade and enjoy middle school and hang out with [my] friends. Like, you shouldn’t be worrying about where you’re going to college.”

Clark didn’t take any visits to college programs until after he freshman season, eventually settling on Iowa during her senior year.

“I was never in a rush,” she added. “My parents did a really good job of making sure I have a good circle around me. It wasn’t always about college recruitment.”

“New Heights” revealed the introduction of Clark on Wednesday morning with a long introduction of Jason going through the list of accomplishments from the Indiana Fever star – which is longer than a CVS receipt.

During the snippet, Clark admitted, “I don’t get excited about many things, but this…this was at the top of my list so.”

Her admission led to a four-word message from Travis to his older brother, “We made it, Jason.”

If not for Julian Reese, Angel Reese might never have started playing basketball. The Chicago Sky star, only a year older than her brother, always wanted to compete with him playing hoops growing up. And so, a star was born. The older sibling is now a superstar in the WNBA, even if she’s just finished her rookie season. Meanwhile, her brother is on a surefire path to the NBA as well, if his latest achievement is anything to go by.

The brother-sister duo played for the same Maryland program for one year, before Angel transferred to LSU. But where the sister has now graduated, her brother is in his senior year of college and making waves with the Terrapins.

The Instagram page of the men’s hoops team posted a picture of ‘Juju Reese’ with a huge 24 highlighted behind him. The poster reveals his ranking in the Coaches Poll, a huge achievement in one of his biggest college seasons.

Averaging 12.0 points per game, although slightly down from the last season, Reese’s shooting efficiency has improved significantly, with a field goal percentage of 58.4%. This achievement comes on the heels of the Terrapin player making Maryland history – scoring 1,100 points and 800 rebounds, the eighth player in program history to do so, putting him in the elite company of former NBA champion Keith Booth.

One of his best performances came against Maryland Eastern Shore, where the senior scored 23 points and 11 rebounds, making his double-double noteworthy. His sister also cheered for him as she reposted the school’s post on X, celebrating with the one that was a major reason why she picked basketball in the first place.

“Everything was always competitive with my younger brother,” Angel told What’s Up? in March 2022. “We had a basketball court in front of our house, and it was always very competitive and intense. We played all the time together. It helped shape me to who I am now.”

But taking the sentiment forward, Julian Reese recently teased her sister playing hoops because of him, and the older sibling was quick to correct him!

Angel Reese rushes to correct Julian Reese’s hilariously misguided notions

Being competitive and picking basketball because both their parents played the sport was natural. But then in a recent X post by NBA Future Starts Now, Julian Reese said in a video that his sister is actually right-handed but shoots left-handed because she wanted to be like him.

Correcting him in a tweet, Angel reposted the video with the caption, “my baby brotherrr💞😭 not you lying saying i switched hands cause i wanted to be like you stoppp itttt😭🤣”

The Chicago Sky forward is actually ambidextrous when it comes to shooting but prefers to do it with her left hand. However, with her left wrist injured at the end of her rookie season and having to have surgery on it, Reese might focus on shooting with her right hand now. In fact, she is already practicing with her right hand.

The brother-sister duo, who are only 13 months apart in age, disagree on who is the better player of the two. When asked, both said themselves! Julian was confident that he could beat her 100 to 20 times, whereas Angel said, “100 to 20?! He’s out of his mind. He knows I have the better shoe, he buys expensive stuff though.”

It would certainly be interesting to see when Julian comes to the NBA and both Reese siblings get into the top echelons of the sport!

The Watsco Center was buzzing with excitement as the Miami Hurricanes took the court to face the North Carolina Tar Heels. As expected, the game was a hit. The defensive efforts from UNC were stellar all the way through, resulting in a 69-60 victory against Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. An appreciation token for the same came in the form of a beloved basketball star for the Tar Heels.

UNC managed to score only seven points in the fourth quarter, leading fans to expect the opponents to win. But the tone was firmly established. While Miami was stuck with a season-low point total, UNC marked their first win in Coral Gables since 2015. But that wasn’t the only surprise for UNC’s roster.

As the team celebrated their win, they were greeted with a surprise in the locker room. It was none other than A’ja Wilson. The Las Vegas Aces star, decked out in a moss green t-shirt, a plain silver necklace, and a red bandana, was there to witness some quality basketball. And she wasn’t disappointed.

During the game, Wilson shared her enthusiasm in a video message, saying, “What’s up y’all, it’s A’ja Wilson here, enjoying the game. It’s a good game, you got a ranked opponent here. So yeah, I’m loving some good basketball over here.” Her passion for the sport and her support for women’s basketball were evident as she cheered alongside the fans.

Hearing those words, “It’s a good game,” 22-year-old star Alyssa Ustby couldn’t hold back her tears. It was a powerful moment, highlighting the impact of seeing a role model and WNBA star up close. Wilson’s surprise visit wasn’t just a thrill for Ustby; it was an ultimate compliment to the entire UNC team. “Good win, guys!” Wilson said as she entered the locker room, offering her congratulations. The team was ecstatic, taking photos with the WNBA star and soaking in the praise from one of basketball’s best.

Back at the Watsco Center, despite Miami’s strong fourth-quarter run, UNC’s early lead proved insurmountable. The Tar Heels’ defense and rebounding were key to their victory, with a significant 40 points in the paint and 16 second-chance points.

Alyssa Ustby added 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Maria Gakdeng led UNC with 21 points. But for the coach, it was the defense that stood out, limiting Miami’s points in the paint to 20 while forcing 15 turnovers to their mere 4.

“I liked how we were defending,” Coach Courtney Banghart said. “They weren’t getting any looks that they wanted in the fourth quarter. So I was using the clock and the time and trusting our defense even more so than our offense.” With momentum on their side, the Tar Heels now gear up for their next challenge against Notre Dame.

In the basketball world, every game is a chance to rewrite history, but sometimes, it’s the players off the court who make the biggest impact. For Caitlin Clark, her name has become synonymous with record-breaking feats, but now, it’s her collectibles that are in the spotlight. While Clark has continued to dominate the court, setting new milestones like most points by a guard in a single season in WNBA history, Sabrina Ionescu is eyeing a different kind of legacy—one that could soon push one of Clark’s records into the rearview mirror.

According to a recent post by wnbacards.com on X, “Sabrina Ionescu Black 1/1 Rookie Card has popped up on eBay…in a CGC slab no less. With the recent Caitlin Clark sales, it looks like the owner is ready to try and cash in! This is one of the most sought-after WNBA cards in the modern era – what would you pay for it?” This post reveals just how the world of WNBA collectibles is heating up, with Ionescu’s card poised to challenge Clark’s record-breaking sales.

With a starting price that could easily top $600,000, it’s clear the market is ready to take Ionescu’s legacy to new heights, creating the possibility that Clark’s world record for an autographed card could soon be eclipsed.

This comes on the heels of Caitlin Clark’s impressive rise in the collectibles scene. A one-of-a-kind Caitlin Clark autographed card was recently sold earlier this month for a whopping $234,850, breaking the record for the second-highest sale for any women’s sports card. This places her just behind tennis legend Serena Williams, whose 2003 NetPro Serena Williams autographed patch card fetched $266,400.

Back in September, another Caitlin Clark card hit the headlines when it sold for $84,000, setting the record for the most expensive women’s basketball card ever sold—until now.

New collectibles rivalry: Ionescu’s $600K card poised to overtake Clark and Serena

Now, it’s all about Sabrina Ionescu, whose marketability has soared due to massive sales of her shoes and her on-court impact for the Liberty. These factors are likely behind the surge in the value of her collectibles, which are set to surpass both Serena Williams’ and Caitlin Clark’s records soon.

USA Today via Reuters

While Clark is poised to make new landmarks by bidding for a National Women’s Soccer League expansion franchise in Cincinnati, Sabrina has clearly matched Clark’s marketability. Her shoes have received a warm reception from both players and fans alike, solidifying her place as a force in the world of sports memorabilia and beyond.

As Clark’s legacy grows, Ionescu is emerging as a worthy rival in the collectibles world, and the $600,000 rookie card is just the beginning. The future of WNBA collectibles seems to be in the capable hands of these two stars, and it’s clear that the competition is only going to get fiercer from here.

Will Caitlin Clark’s record stand, or will Sabrina Ionescu’s rare card topple it? Only time will tell. What is clear, however, is that the women’s sports collectibles market is in for an exhilarating ride, and these two athletes are leading the charge.

Let us go back to 2012 when the police in the city of Mildura, Victoria (Australia) had to issue a warning. Apple’s iOS 6 service had incorrectly listed Mildura as being in the middle of Murray Sunset National Park. This left several motorists stranded in the Australian Outback. They were left in the middle of nowhere—3,000 square miles of Australian bush that had poisonous snakes and insects. They had very little water or mobile reception and some of them were helpless for 24 hours.

Well, the company has surely worked on its maps over the years, which has been much better. However, Angel Reese knows it can be much better. Hear it from her!

“Apple maps please get it together. I’m driving and the navigation is jumping all over the place 😭🤣🥲” she posted on X. When Steve Jobs resigned his post as the CEO of Apple and Tim Cook took over in August 2011, there were some obvious reservations about the new leadership.

In 2024, perhaps most can say that Cook has done his job well, but for Angel Reese, the Apple maps still aren’t the best. Although Cook’s first order of business as the new boss was to release the iPhone 4s, on Sept. 19, 2012, Apple also launched its navigation app for the iOS 6 update. And it was a disaster.

In 2012, the gap in technology was addressed by Cook and his team. A statement was issued: “With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.”

“While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app,” he had added.

Some even criticized the CEO for hurriedly releasing the Apple Maps feature when it wasn’t ready, citing how Steve Jobs would have focused on the user experience more than anything. Although there have been solutions to the navigation issue, the problem never seems to have been 100% fixed. It’s not as if Google Maps, their direct competitor, is completely problem-free.

But while there was a time when Google ruled, Apple has now allowed non-users to access a beta version of Apple Maps in the Chrome and Edge browsers on Windows. While Google Maps first hit one billion users back in June 2012, just before their competitor’s version launched, Apple has grown in that time as well through the sheer amount of updates.

Clearly, Reese has so far preferred Apple Maps, but she might just move on to Google if this continues! While Jobs’ brainchild provides quality products, the maps still have some problems in 2024.

Apple maps and the problems that users have been facing in 2024…

The company’s maps have encountered problems such as freezing and lagging, which left many users frustrated. Think about crashes, glitches, errors, and unresponsive maps. It seems Angel Reese experienced a similar problem. Is there any solution available for this?

Well, as per ‘My GPS Tools’, users may have to check the internet speed for such problems. Apple Maps uses on stable and fast internet connection to show the maps and help users navigate efficiently. If the connection isn’t working properly, the app will start lagging or freezing and the performance won’t be great.

And if the app keeps crashing, users can identify and address errors using diagnostic apps. While issues persist, Apple Maps has made some great changes as well. For instance, they have tried to make the guidance feel more natural by using human-sounding phrases. Think: “Go past the light and make a left,” instead of “In 300 yards, turn left.”

Additionally, Apple also handles route instructions differently for urban and rural roads as well as for highways and local streets.

Do you have any issues with Apple Maps? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.