Latest news with #CraigJones
NBC Sports
a day ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
NFLPA lead security officer poses question to all staff: "What of JC Tretter?"
At a time when some within the NFL Players Association are overly sensitive about outside scrutiny, there's some significant internal scrutiny happening in the aftermath of the sudden resignation of executive director Lloyd Howell. PFT has obtained an email message sent by NFLPA lead security officer Craig Jones to all union staff announcing Howell's departure. In a 4:58 a.m. ET response to the email from P.R. executive Liz Allen to all NFLPA staff, with a 'cc' to general counsel Tom DePaso and NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Jones raised the question that we later addressed here. '.....and what of JC Tretter?' Jones wrote. 'He is the progenitor of this whole tawdry episode of poseurs, 30 pieces of silver, player leadership manque and avarice. What of him? God bless the NFLPA so that it may return to its hallowed annals.' The NFLPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the email. Meanwhile, the NFLPA executive committee continues to sort through the process of finding an interim executive director. Given the kind of moxie, courage, and passion the union currently needs, maybe they should take a look at Craig Jones.
HKFP
3 days ago
- Business
- HKFP
Chinese tech firm Tencent seeks removal of anti-censorship archive FreeWeChat, watchdog says
Chinese tech giant Tencent is seeking the removal of an archive developed by GreatFire, according to a statement released by the anti-censorship group last week. The website specialises in surfacing deleted or blocked WeChat posts on politically sensitive topics. According to the statement, the conglomerate's legal representative, Group-IB, accused FreeWeChat of trademark and copyright infringement, submitting a takedown complaint to the site's hosting provider on June 12. GreatFire have denied the claims: 'They cite the use of the word 'WeChat' in our domain, even though FreeWeChat does not use WeChat's logo, claim affiliation, or distribute any modified WeChat software. The claim is thin, but the intent is clear: shut down a watchdog.' 'This escalation comes amid a tightening censorship regime inside China and dwindling international support for digital rights work due to foreign aid cuts,' they added. Despite rebutting the allegations, the hosting provider complied and removed an instance of the site, GreatFire said. It was 'a troubling indication of how even flimsy legal threats can silence public-interest platforms,' it added. Nevertheless, the site was accessible as of HKFP's checks on Thursday, with GreatFire saying it will not comply with the takedown order and was seeking legal assistance and technical support to ensure the website remains accessible. A spokesperson told HKFP on Wednesday that they 'already had two hosts for this website – as far as we know, the second one has not been contacted or, if they have, they have not taken action… we hope that our hosting provider will change their decision and – if not – we will pursue legal action.' Tencent did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Transparency platform Launched in 2016, FreeWeChat was designed to challenge growing censorship in China. The site archives and republishes public posts from official WeChat accounts, allowing users to view censored content, including posts removed from the Tencent-owned platform due to political sensitivity. 'With over 175,000 unique visitors in the past three months, the site serves researchers, journalists, and Chinese citizens seeking transparency about the topics WeChat's owner, Tencent, suppresses,' said GreatFire in the statement. 'This isn't our first battle, nor will it be our last. Over the years, our projects have documented thousands of censored articles, circumvented China's Great Firewall… With the support of our users and allies, we will continue to shine a light on censorship, no matter how hard its corporate and state sponsors try to shut it off,' they added. Group-IB's leadership includes entrepreneur Dmitry Volkov and Craig Jones, former director of cybercrime at INTERPOL.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Make your picks for the best men's college basketball players, coaches and teams of the last 25 years
All week, The Athletic is looking back at the last quarter century of men's college basketball to rank the best players, coaches, teams and games. It's naturally an imperfect exercise, perhaps more in this sport than any other. How do you compare the phenomenon of a one-and-done star against four seasons of sustained success? How do you weigh Final Four runs against conference championships? How do you measure teams from the early aughts against today's game — two different eras when it comes to roster building? Advertisement We want to ask you those questions as well. In the survey below, you'll have the opportunity to pick your No. 1 player, coach and team, as well as a top five in each category. We're also curious: For you, what was the most memorable game of the quarter-century? (You can see our top 25 games Friday.) In case you missed it, here are our top 25 players and coaches. Happy debating! (Photos: Ethan Miller, Craig Jones / Getty Images)
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'UFC hates me': Craig Jones explains his war against UFC — and why he's going to 'help them out' anyway
Craig Jones and the UFC may not see eye-to-eye on much right now, but the CJI headman is still willing to lend a hand — in his own unique way. With or without the UFC, Craig Jones wants to continue doing what's best for jiu-jitsu. In 2025, UFC has committed to grappling more than ever before with the recent launch of UFC BJJ, featuring notable names like Mikey Musumeci and Rerrison Gabriel. At the same time, Jones hosted his own event last year, the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI), which caused quite a stir throughout the sport as it went head-to-head with the famous annual Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) World Tournament. Advertisement Despite being on good terms with the UFC in the past and even competing on UFC Fight Pass Invitational events, Jones is starting to feel a different energy as he goes in a different direction. "I will say, without a shadow of a doubt, that is basically the negotiation point for them," Jones said on Tuesday's in-studio edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show." "Are you an enemy or are you a friend? There's really no gray area in between. "It's hard for people to really understand the big picture of this, right? I wouldn't want to call any organization a monopoly, but there are a lot of problems associated when there's just one dominant [organization]. Let's say the UFC — there's no alternative [in MMA]. If you want to become famous in the sport of MMA, there's no alternative. And when there aren't alternatives, you don't have leverage to negotiate. So if it comes down to compensation, anyone, it doesn't even have to be UFC, if anyone came in and offered enough money early enough to secure the best athletes, and the other organizations died, how are you going to leverage your pay rise?" Jones has his next jiu-jitsu match set for the upcoming CJI 2 event on Aug. 31. He'll take on Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson in Steveson's jiu-jitsu debut, however the path to that match could've been drastically different had Jones taken the offer he received from UFC BJJ. Advertisement Jones claimed the promotion also wanted to broadcast CJI, but that the deal UFC presented was "embarrassing" in comparison to what CJI has in place now. "[UFC] made an offer," Jones stated. "I thought it was not a fair offer for the time commitment and what I would have to give away in terms of the exclusivity type of deal there. I really did turn it down and I went with Flo Grappling instead. They basically offered me whatever. This isn't an exclusive deal. If you want to compete over there, compete over there — just make sure we can figure it out within our calendar schedule. "The money we made from the first [CJI], we just gave away to charity to building jiu-jitsu schools around the world. So, it's like, I don't see our event as competition to [UFC BJJ], but obviously they're going to be protective of their athletes. Like if their athletes were to come to CJI and lose, it damages their brand. They've gained nothing from it." Communication with UFC has been "off" for Jones since he declined the offer. And Jones hasn't been shy to voice his displeasure — just this past week, he posted a clip on social media of him using a rocket launcher to blow up a blow-up doll with UFC CEO Dana White's face on it. Advertisement Regardless, Jones has still been present in the corners of UFC champions like Alexander Volkanovski and Jack Della Maddalena. "I would be shocked, to be honest, if they were to ban me," Jones said. "UFC hates me, but they also hate Dagestani wrestlers. Jack Della is fighting Islam Makhachev, so they're in a catch-22. They're like, 'F***, we hate this guy, but we hate these wrestlers as well.' So I think they want me. I helped them get rid of Belal [Muhammad]. Hold on a bit longer, guys, we'll get rid of Islam Makhachev for you." Jones' coaching work was on full display in Della Maddalena's matchup for the UFC welterweight title against Muhammad earlier this year at UFC 315, resulting in Della Maddalena's decision win. "JDM" showcased improved takedown defense and get-up ability in the few instances he hit the mat. Advertisement The Muhammad bout was a solid appetizer for the stiff challenge Della Maddalena can expect against the aforementioned Makhachev later this year. Although the fight has yet to be confirmed, the pound-for-pound star and record-breaking former lightweight champion Makhachev is expected to debut at 170 pounds. With Jones in Della Maddalena's corner, it only adds another compelling wrinkle to the already incredible fight on paper, as Jones helped Volkanovski prepare specifically for Makhachev in the past. "I think it's a super difficult fight for Islam, this one," Jones said. "Obviously, he's faced 'Volk' twice — forget about the second one, but the first one [was] very competitive. Very competitive in the grappling. Now we're talking about, he's facing a guy who has some of the best scrambling ability, I think, period, in all of MMA — and some of the most unorthodox grappling. I think that's what Belal struggled with. Belal really just sticks to a blueprint. The blueprint obviously works very well. But in terms of creativity in what Belal does, it's pretty strict. "Jack, as you saw in that fight, some of his off-balance sets and grip breaks, and some of the things he does, it's really hard to prepare for that. "I think the size difference is going to be quite a lot bigger than people think," Jones continued. "We've seen how 'Volk' did on the ground and how much Islam struggled with him in the grappling exchanges. Having seen Jack and 'Volk' work together, seeing their skill sets, this is a perfect one. The UFC want guys that stand and bang, I'm trying to still help them out — even though we're potentially enemies. Very, very confident for this one."
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shakur Stevenson, Craig Jones, and Cherneka Johnson all in studio The Ariel Helwani Show
Shakur Stevenson, Craig Jones, and Cherneka Johnson all in studio | The Ariel Helwani Show | July 8, 2025 Ariel Helwani and the Boys In The Back go live for Tuesday's edition of The Ariel Helwani Show. Catch the full rundown for Tuesday's show below: 1 p.m. ET: Ariel and the gang kick off the show. 1:15 p.m. ET: Jiu-jitsu extraordinaire Craig Jones joins us in-studio. Advertisement 2:15 p.m. ET: Cherneka Johnson takes over the studio to preview Friday's unified bantamweight bout against Shurretta Metcalf. 3 p.m. ET: Shakur Stevenson finishes up the in-studio triple-header ahead of Saturday's showdown against Edgar Berlanga.
