Madden 17 News | Top 5 Running Back Ratings - Le"Veon Bell 94 OVR!
I really dont care if people smoke marijuana. I just dont.I think it should be legal. We waste hundredsof millions of dollars annually on it, arresting, prosecuting and locking people up.But it isnt legal in most places and isnt permissible bythe NFL. Therefore, players should find a way to avoid it.
Im not going to get on a soapbox because I believe people should be freeto make choices about their own lives.This isnt about players lacking character or morals. Its aboutplayers lacking intelligence and not caring about theirteammates.In other words, players getting suspended for smoking weed (ormissing a mandatory drug test) is a really dumb, selfish act.
Remember those discussions about whether the Steelers should signLeVeon Bell or Antonio Brown to a big contract extension?Yeah, well, that is no longer a discussion given the latest newsthat Bell is facing a four-game suspension for violation of the NFLssubstance abuse policy.
Bell was suspended for two games for his little adventure up McKnight Road with formerSteelers running back LeGarrette Blount in 2014,whichshould have been a wake up call but apparently wasnt.Bell, who has appealed this suspension, either tested positive or missedfour different drug tests, which tells me he either is too dumb tounderstand the rules or too arrogant to care about them.
That brings me back to the Bell and Brown contract extension discussion. Not only should the Steelers give the money toBrown, they shouldnt even offer a contract to Bell and maybe evenshould look to trade him.
To be clear, I thought Brown should get the money anyway because heis the Steelers best player (sorry Ray Fittipaldo) and one of the bestplayers in football. It has been proven time and time againthat you dont need an elite running back to win at a high level intodays NFL.The Steelers almost got to the AFC title game with Fitzgerald Toussaint at running back, so they will be fineoffensively.
Its ridiculous that a guy with millions on the line cant lay offmarijuana for a few months.And please, spare me the argument that he was medicating himself because heis in pain from playing such a brutal sport.That is nonsense and an excuse for players. If a guy is in pain, there are plenty of drugs availablefor pain that arent illegal and banned by the NFL.
It isnt that hard to know when a drug test is coming, so it shouldnt bethat hard to be prepared for one.Thats why I said either he isnt very bright, or he just selfish and doesnt care about his teammates. Either way, heneeds to go somewhere else and try again.
Bell is one of the best running backs in the league. There is noquestion about his talent.But he has been injury-prone and drug-prone,which means he is suspension-prone. Therefore, he isnt reliable.
The Steelers cant count on him, so they shouldnt pay himthe big money he wants.Sadly, some owner wont be able to help himself and will giveBell a big contract. Therein lies part of the problem: talented guys like Bell havebeen told their entire athletic life they are above the rules becausetheir talent trumps all else.
For Bells sake, I hope he figures it out, stops doing drugs andgoes on to a great career.I hope he breaks records and goes to the Hall of Fame and becomesa great role model for kids in terms of how to bounce back fromself-inflicted adversity.
All of that has to happen elsewhere. He cant stay withthe Steelers beyond the end of his current contract (after this season) because they cant count on him. He clearly hasnt learned his lessonfrom his first suspension.The Steelers would be foolish to sign Bell long-term, but if theydo, they deserve what they get. At this point, thats a talented yetunreliable tailback who may not be available on game day.
ESPN FIRST TAKE (7/22/2016) REPORT: LE"VEON BELL FACING FOUR-GAME SUSPENSION FOR MISSING DRUG TEST
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The NFL says it is reviewing domestic violence allegations against Dallas Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott.
A police report says Elliott denied allegations that he assaulted his girlfriend early Friday in Columbus, Ohio, causing bruises and abrasions. The report says he wasn"t arrested because of conflicting versions of what happened.
Three witnesses told police they didn"t see Elliott assault the 20-year-old woman. Elliott says the woman got the bruises and abrasions in a bar fight.
The player"s father, Stacy Elliott, said in a statement Friday that the claims are "completely false" and that his son has cooperated with the investigation.
Ezekiel Elliott is a running back who played at Ohio State. He turned 21 Friday.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy says the allegations will be reviewed under the league"s personal conduct policy (see full story).
Colts: NFL suspendsArt Jones for 4 gamesINDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Arthur Jones has been suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season for violating the NFL"s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Jones has struggled to stay on the field since signing a five-year, $33 million contract in 2014. He missed seven games in his first season with Indy with an injured right ankle. He missed all of last season with an injured left ankle he sustained during the preseason.
Jones won"t be eligible to return to the team until Oct. 3 but will be allowed to participate in training camp and preseason games.
His brother, Jon, a UFC fighter, also has run afoul of that league"s anti-drug policies.
Vikings:Ribbon cut at new $1.1 billionstadiumMINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph spent his first three seasons playing in the Metrodome, a cramped, dingy noise box that tested the patience of fans and players alike.
The home locker room only had five bathroom stalls for 53 players and dozens of coaches and support staff. So when he walked around U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings" new $1.1 billion stadium that is set to open this season, he said comparing the two was like "ground chuck and filet mignon."
The Vikings held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday to mark the official beginning of life in their new home. The celebration featured current coach Mike Zimmer blowing the gjallahorn -- a huge horn used in Viking lore -- with coaching legend Bud Grant by his side and fireworks after a host of speakers praised the new stadium.
With a cutting-edge design that includes a translucent roof to allow in the daylight, a wall of glass with 100-foot doors that open to let the autumn breeze in and a locker room that is twice the size of their former home in the Metrodome, U.S. Bank Stadium has thrust the franchise into the 21st century (see full story).
Bears: Charles Tillman retires with ChicagoLAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Charles Tillman is officially retiring as a member of the Chicago Bears.
The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback signed a one-day contract and called it a career with the team that drafted him in 2003 on Friday.
He had announced Monday on Twitter that he was retiring. The 35-year-old Tillman, known for his "peanut punch" after forcing 44 career fumbles, spent his first 12 seasons with the Bears and went to two Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl with them.
He started 12 games last season with the Carolina Panthers before suffering a season-ending knee injury and missed the team"s run to the Super Bowl.
Chicago also terminated defensive back Omar Bolden"s contract on Friday.
Pro-government supporters chant slogans and wave flags as they protest on Istanbul"s iconic Bosporus Bridge, late Thursday, July 21, 2016. Turkish lawmakers approved a three-month state of emergency, endorsing new powers for Turkey"s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that would allow him to expand a crackdown that has already included mass arrests and the closure of hundreds of schools, in the wake of the July 15 failed coup. less Pro-government supporters chant slogans and wave flags as they protest on Istanbul"s iconic Bosporus Bridge, late Thursday, July 21, 2016. Turkish lawmakers approved a three-month state of emergency, endorsing ... more Photo: Petros Giannakouris, AP FILE - In this May 18, 2010 file photo, TV personality Gretchen Carlson appears on the set of "Fox & friends" in New York. Fox News CEO Roger Ailes is resigning from the network immediately, according to a statement by 21st Century Fox on Thursday, July 21, 2016. The decision comes amid allegations by Carlson that she was fired after refusing his sexual advances. less FILE - In this May 18, 2010 file photo, TV personality Gretchen Carlson appears on the set of "Fox & friends" in New York. Fox News CEO Roger Ailes is resigning from the network immediately, according to a ... more Photo: Richard Drew, AP
This image released by the Disney Channel shows the character Elena who becomes a crown princess in a scene from, "Elena of Avalor," premiering July 22 on Disney Channel. (Disney Channel via AP)
This image released by the Disney Channel shows the character Elena who becomes a crown princess in a scene from, "Elena of Avalor," premiering July 22 on Disney Channel. (Disney Channel via AP)
Photo: Disney Channel, AP
10 Things to Know for Friday
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Friday:
1. DAUNTING CHALLENGES FACE TRUMP POST-CONVENTION
At the top of the list: Unifying a fractured party and quieting Americans" concerns about his preparedness for the presidency.
2. WHO"S TOP CONTENDER IN DEMOCRATIC VEEPSTAKES
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine emerges as the favorite to join the ticket as Clinton"s running mate.
3. ROGER AILES OUT AT FOX NEWS
The chief executive is leaving the network he built from scratch amid allegations that he forced out a former network anchor after she spurned his sexual advances.
4. BRAZIL NABS 10 IN OLYMPICS ANTI-TERROR SWOOP
The suspects allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and discussed possible attacks during next month"s Rio games.
5. WHY NYPD OFFICERS ARE BEING HAILED AS HEROES
After a man hurled a clicking object into their van, the two cops sped off, determined to get the device away from the crowds in Times Square. Only later did they learn the object was harmless.
6. CRACKDOWN IN TURKEY RAISES ALARM
Concern grows that Erdogan is seizing the moment to cement his personal power and steer Turkey from its secular roots toward a more pious Muslim model.
The shooting in Florida illustrates the longstanding fear among black men that almost any encounter with police can go awry with potentially deadly results.
8. WHAT"S CAUSING FRESH WORRY OVER ZIKA
Brazilian researchers say they have found that a second common mosquito is able to transmit the virus to humans.
9. US SAFETY REGULATORS STEER CLEAR OF TESLA
A Tesla in Autopilot mode can drive itself but it"s not a "self-driving" vehicle at least as far as the regulators are concerned.
10. SORORITY OF DISNEY PRINCESSES GETTING NEW MEMBER
Disney"s first Latina princess is taking her bow on TV in the new animated series "Elena of Avalor."
Chuck Johnson Speaks Of His Attack by Thuggish Hypocrite Weinstein
After scuffling with anti-Trump protesters, right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones nearly came to blows with the anchor of left-wing show "The Young Turks" after he charged into their live coverage of the GOP convention.
Jones interrupted The Young Turks mid-sentence, challenging its host, Cenk Uygur, about his support for Hillary Clinton. The conversation quickly descended into chaos as hardcore GOP consultant Roger Stone joined the fray.
Having reached his limit, Uygur confronted Stone over his comments from the background, calling him a sick man and "the biggest liar in media." The two then nearly entered into a scuffle.
Jones took to his website, Infowars, telling his side of the story. In his version of events, Uygur went into an emotional breakdown after being challenged to a debate.However, Jones story failed to mention that he was the one to interrupt TheYoung Turks live stream, setting the events in motion.
Later, Jones Tweeted that videos shared by Infowars were removed from YouTube.
As the Jones-Uygur encounter started gaining attention, people turned to Twitter to show support for The Young Turks.
Uygur has been making headlines with his vocal criticism of Donald Trump. Speaking to RTs Watching the Hawks show, he again lambasted Trump for the lack of policy positions.
The only thing he cares about is Donald Trump. Thats his only policy position: Trump, Trump, Trump, Uygur said, adding that GOP supporters do not have interest for policies either.
We have always been told that Republicans care about free trade and supporting the bankers, and all this different things. Trump just came and ripped that up and they are like Yeah, you are right, we never cared about that. The only [thing] we care about is anger and fear. That they have got plenty of supply here at the convention, he said.
Ivanka Trump on growing up Trump, father"s campaign Video Ivanka Trump Softens Fathers Image
Donald J. Trumps eldest daughter, Ivanka, introduced the Republican presidential nominee on Thursday night. In her speech, Ms. Trump offered a different tone than most of the other convention speakers.
By NICK CORASANITI on Publish Date July 22, 2016. Photo by Stephen Crowley/The New York Times. Watch in Times Video
CLEVELAND Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter of the Republican presidential nominee, Donald J. Trump, and perhaps the most poised and articulate defender of his character and ideas, introduced her father as a fighter who will fight for you.
I ask you to judge my father by his results, Ms. Trump told the rapt crowd in a speech that was equal parts familial praise and a recitation of his accomplishments. He is colorblind and gender-neutral.
She discussed the number of female executives at her fathers company, describing them as treated well even as new mothers, in an attempt to build a bridge to female voters with whom Mr. Trumps ratings are low. She also said that as a young girl, her father told her that if she was going to think at all, she should think big.
The speech was a sharp departure in tone from some of the earlier presentations at the convention the first three nights were filled with thunderous oratory and chants of lock her up! about Hillary Clinton. But Ms. Trump presented a far different approach to the convention delegates.
Video Ivanka Trump: A Real First Lady?
Donald Trumps daughter Ivanka has been playing an active role in his campaign, while his wife, Melania, has preferred to take a back seat. The Timess Jennifer Steinhauer explains how Ivanka Trump is taking a lead.
By NATALIA V. OSIPOVA and JENNIFER STEINHAUER on Publish Date July 21, 2016. Photo by Eric Thayer for The New York Times. Watch in Times Video
Ms. Trumps influence with her father is almost unrivaled in their family. And her goal at the convention was to serve as one of his strongest character witnesses, offering a warmer portrait of one of the most famous celebrities in the world yet someone who is known mostly superficially, and most recently in a negative light through his slashing campaign.
I think for someone so famous, in certain regards my father is not very well known, and his warmth and compassion have not been fully experienced by the American public, Ms. Trump said in a brief interview before her speech.
In recent months, Ms. Trump, 34, has operated as something of the superego of the evolving Trump campaign, gingerly influencing and promoting her fathers ambitions while avoiding becoming ensnared in his controversies. Her efforts have impressed donors, Republican members of Congress, skeptics and delegates here at his nominating convention.
Mr. Trumps wife, Melania, has been a reluctant co-campaigner, preferring to remain out of the spotlight and focused on the couples young son, Barron. When Mr. Trump announced his once-seemingly quixotic candidacy in June, it was Ivanka Trump who introduced her father, while Melania Trump lingered behind them.
In an interview this week with People magazine, Ms. Trump defended her stepmother, calling her an unbelievable mother while offering praise for her decision to let parenting take priority over being on the campaign trail on behalf of her husband. The remarks came as Melania Trump has been dealing with accusations that passages from the convention speech she gave Monday night were plagiarized.
How we analyzed the last night of the Republican National Convention, which featured Ivanka Trump, Peter Thiel, Donald J. Trump and more.
I do think Ivanka has the key family role, said Representative Chris Collins, Republican of New York, who has worked closely with the campaign. Melania has said she wants to take a more behind-the-scenes role, Mr. Collins said, adding that Ms. Trump has her fathers ear. The bond between a father and daughter is just very different.
She has had an outsized influence on the campaign, particularly as her father fought to wrap up the nominating fight and then battled this week with delegate efforts to thwart his nomination. She counseled him on ways to broaden his support and nudged him toward moving into a new phase of his campaign, one less reliant on his own gut instincts, according to people briefed on those discussions.
This is about talking to her father, said Representative Lee Zeldin, another New York Republican. Not a presidential candidate who will fire her.
Maggie Cordish, who was introduced to her husband by Ms. Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, said that her friend had developed a new level of comfort in dealing with her father.
She skipped Saturdays with the girls to go to job sites in New Jersey or New York with her dad, Ms. Cordish said. This is something thats been part of her persona. Theyve been working together now for over a decade.
Video Trump Children Take Convention Spotlight
If the convention has any stars, its Donald J. Trump"s children. And their presence reflects the influence they have on their father and his presidential campaign.
By QUYNHANH DO and MICHAEL BARBARO on Publish Date July 21, 2016. Photo by Doug Mills/The New York Times. Watch in Times Video
Ms. Trump, who has built her own business brand over many years, is an established businesswoman herself, with licensing agreements and her own clothing line.
At his rallies, her father often refers to her by her first name only, exuding pride. And during convention week in Cleveland, she has shown herself to be a trusted confidante and defender of her father, however quietly.
Moments after Senator Ted Cruz of Texas subtly eviscerated Mr. Trump from the convention stage Wednesday night, cameras captured a visibly displeased Ms. Trump as she stood to her fathers left. She whispered into her fathers ear as the crowd booed and hissed.
And Tuesday night, she beamed as she stood on the convention floor with her oldest siblings while her brother, Donald Jr., cast the delegate vote that officially made their father the Republican nominee. She was spotted, smiling, as she talked on the phone with her father soon after.
One of the ways I judge a person is the quality of their children, said Dan Perrier, a delegate from Washington state. Everyone should bring their best role to the table and she has with him.
The Show Must Go On: Sia, Adele and More Musicians Who Suffer From Stage Fright
bySamantha Schnurr|
Gary Miller/Getty Images
There"s more to Sia"s wig than just style.
The "Chandelier" songstress is as famous for her identity-concealing wig as she is for her musical pipes. However, while it has shaped her signature look, the platinum bob has also become a personal barricade to help calm her crippling stage fright. In fact, the Australian native was so nervous for her scheduled performance onGood Morning AmericaFriday that she admitted to getting emotional before it was time to hit the stage.
"I just cried in the dressing room," she told co-host Amy Robach. "I"m really croaky and I was like "I"m not going to hit the high note and I want everyone to like me." It"s scary to perform!"
The chart-topping performer may appear cool, calm and collected with a mic in her hand, but the 40-year-old admitted she"s actually quite afraid of her profession."I do not love performing," she said during the show. "I get really scared."
Fortunately, Sia is in successful company. She"s just one of many award-winning musicians who have admitted to major pre-show jitters, including a 40-time Grammy Award nominee.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions
Barbra Streisand, a legendary singer in the industry, became a household name for her portrayals of passionate and steadfast performers like f***y Brice in Funny Girl. Ironically, the actress is admittedly bashful about singing in front of people. In fact, the Oscar winner says the darker the room, the better.
"I"m very shy," she previously told Oprah Winfrey."I don"t like singing. I could never perform in a living room. I could never get up and sing in a living room. I can"t do that...seeing the people"s faces."
Lorde shares the legend"s anxiety."I, like, totally threw up before my show last night," she told The West Australian."I am reduced by nerves. I can be completely crushed by feelings of all kinds." While the 19-year-old "Royals" singer has earned herself two Grammy Awards since she first arrived on the music scene, those jitters still creep up.
"It"s definitely feeling like a really comfortable place for me now," she continued to the newspaper. "But I get nervous, I get freaked out, I get, you know, the usual stuff."
Michel Porro/Getty Images
Adele is another famous voice rolling in deep stage fright. While the 28-year-old British star is in the middle of her latest world tour, she admitted years ago that touring triggers anxiety attacks for her.
"I"m scared of audiences," she told Rolling Stonein 2011."I get s****y scared. One show in Amsterdam, I was so nervous I escaped out the fire exit. I"ve thrown up a couple of times. Once in Brussels, I projectile-vomited on someone. I just gotta bear it. But I don"t like touring. I have anxiety attacks a lot."
It"s a challenge she still struggles with today, admitting toToday"s Matt Lauer in 2015 that the nerves came on before she hit the stage for her one-night-only special at Radio City Music Hall."I saw the crowd and I just melted," she said. "After the second or third song, I was chill, I was alright."
She"s spent her entire life in the spotlight, first as Judy Garland"s daughter and later as an Oscar-winning actress, but all that time has not prevented Liza Minnelli from clamming up in front of the lights and cameras. However, by the time she reached her 60s, the icon explained her nerves had taken on a new form."It"s a different kind of nervous," she told Harper"s Bazaarin 2011."It"s like a race horse gets nervous. Because I want to do it right."
E! Online - Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows!
Megyn Kelly: I Was Sexually Harassed By Fox News" CEO Roger Ailes
The ex-chairman signed a non-compete clause when he was forced to resign, but industry insiders say he could easily secure funding should he want to set up a rival network.
With shocking swiftness, Roger Ailes has been forced to resign effective immediately as chairman and CEO of the Fox News and Fox Business cable channels he built from scratch, just 15 days after fired Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation lawsuit against the 76-year-old Ailes.
A Thursday afternoon press release from parent company 21stCentury Fox announced Ailess abrupt resignation as well as executive chairman Rupert Murdochs interim role in Ailess former jobs, which also include the chairmanship of the Fox broadcast television stations, as the company searches for a successor.
Ailes deputies Bill Shine, Jay Wallace, and Mark Kranz will run the channels day to day until a successor is named, the press release announced.
The corporate shakeup represents a win for Rupert Murdochs sons and fellow top 21stCentury Fox executives, Lachlan and James, who have clashed with Ailes in the past and have reportedly used Carlsons lawsuit, and ordered up an internal review of her allegations and those of other female employees, as a wedge to drive him out of his powerful perch.
But it also represents a victory of sorts for Ailes, who is stepping down under undisclosed but assuredly generous financial termsa leaked but unsigned term sheet mentioned a figure of $40 millionand with an official company statement that showers him with praise and makes no explicit mention of the controversy that prompted his exit.
There was no mention in the release of whether 21stCentury Fox will be underwriting Ailess legal bills.
Especially damaging were reports that Fox News prime-time star Megyn Kelly had told lawyers from Paul, Weiss, the law firm conducting the internal investigation, that Ailes had sexually harassed her a decade ago when she was a cub legal reporter.
Dear Rupert, Ailes wrote in his resignation letter released by Fox News contributor Susan Estrich, one of his attorneys involved in the exit negotiations. With your support, I am proud that we have built Fox News and Fox Business Channels into powerful and lucrative news organizationsthat inform our audience and reward our shareholders.
Apparently with an eye toward Kellys alleged account to the Paul, Weiss attorneys and Carlsons ongoing lawsuitwhich claims Ailes suggested in September 2015 that having s*x with him would help her career at Fox News, and then retaliated by firing her when she rebuffed his unwelcome advancesAiles added: I take particular pride in the role that I have played advancingthe careers of the many women I have promoted to executive and on-air positions. Many of these talented journalists have deservedly become household names known for their intelligence and strength, whether reporting the news, fair and balanced, and offering exciting opinions on our opinion programs.
Rupert Murdoch, meanwhile, said in part in his effusive farewell statement: Roger Ailes has made a remarkable contribution to our country and to our company. Roger shared my vision of a great and independent television organization, and executed it brilliantly over 20 great years.
Contrary to rumors that Ailes would stay on as a corporate consultant through 2018, a role unmentioned in the 21stCentury Fox press release, Ailes wrote in his resignation letter: Having spent 20 years building this historic business, I will not allow my presence to become a distraction from the work that must be done every day to ensure that Fox News and Fox Business continue to lead our industry. Ailes, however, will advise the elder Murdoch, said a corporate source.
Gretchen Carlsons legal team, meanwhile, issued this statement reacting to Thursdays developments:
Within just two weeks of her filing a lawsuit against Roger Ailes, Gretchen Carlsons extraordinary courage has caused a seismic shift in the media world. We hope that all businesses now understand that women will no longer tolerate sexual harassment and reputable companies will no longer shield those who abuse women. We thank all the brave women who spoke out about this issue.We will have more to say in coming days as events unfold.
Team Carlson says the lawsuit will proceed. Lawyers for Ailes are trying to force Carlson into confidential arbitration, while lawyers for Carlson are fighting that maneuver, with the goal of securing a jury triala process that could take many months.
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Depending on the terms of his departure from Fox, Ailes might have agreed to a non-compete clause that would sideline him for a period of time from the television business or from joining or launching a rival outlet to Fox News and Fox Business.
If, however, Ailes managed to avoid those golden handcuffs, industry observers said he could very well do just that (although Bloombergs Lucas Shaw reports that Ailes did sign a non-compete provision, an assertion confirmed by The Daily Beast, though details were unclear).
I think he could do whatever he feels like doing, said a media industry executive who spoke to The Daily Beast on condition of anonymity, so as not to get involved in the ongoing controversy. Hes got a ton of money and a reputation as a gold mine, a builder of empires, and if he decided that he wanted to go off and launch a conservative cable channel to rival Fox News, and he went off to a private equity firm, he could raise as much cash as he needed.
That sanguine view of Ailess future, never mind his current spot of bother, was echoed by an Internet and technology maven who suggested that the legendary Republican media strategist-turned-television mogul would have no trouble attracting tens of millions of dollars from any number of Silicon Valley venture capitalists.
This tech expert mentioned Gawker arch enemy Peter Thiel, a self-described libertarian and Donald Trump delegate from California at this weeks Republican convention in Cleveland, as a promising source of cash for Ailes through his wildly successful Founders Fund.
Hes vindictive, and he would take revenge if he could, the media industry executive said. If theres any way that he could make James and Lachlan look bad, that would be his first choice.
The Murdoch sons, perhaps ironically, issued their own statement heaping praise on Ailes: We join our father in recognizing Rogers remarkable contributions to our company, it began. But they pointedly added: [W]e continue our commitment to maintaining a work environment based on trust and respect. We take seriously our responsibility to uphold these traditional, long-standing values of our company.
The media exec, meanwhile, said Ailes could also team up with an existing conservative outlet like Newsmaxwith or without such on-air talent as Bill OReilly, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren, who reportedly are contractually permitted to follow Ailes out the doorin order to try to create a television powerhouse to rival Fox News.
If he went to Newsmax, hed have no troubling attracting the money he would need to hire people, said the exec. Dont forget: He built that channel [Fox News] on no names. He believes his playbook. He doesnt believe he needs stars. He believes he makes stars. He wouldnt require OReilly and Hannity. Hes going to have a philosophy and hes going to know how to execute.
It would be problematic, however, if Ailes were to join a large publicly traded companysay, if Verizon, succeeded in its quest to acquire Yahoo and needed someone to beef up television and video operationsbecause of Ailess baggage as an accused sexual harasser who is facing damaging litigation.
Beyond the public relations challenges to sucha move, employees of the company might rise up against it, said the media industry exec.
Another possibility for Ailess future would be a return to his roots as a Republican political strategist, although he has worked hard since he founded Fox News 20 years ago to shed that identityoccasionally threatening reporters who continued to describe him that way with legal action (as when he was caught sending a memo to then presidential aide Karl Rove, now a Fox News contributor, advising George W. Bush on how he should respond politically to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001).
At the Republican convention in Cleveland, unsubtantiated rumors in media circles name Ailes, one of the most successful campaign admakers in history, as a possible leader of or consultant to his longtime friend Donald Trumps presidential effort, driving a disciplined message for a frequently anarchic-seeming campaign organization.
Or he could also say, Screw it. Im 76 years old. I dont feel that great, said the media exec. And go home to Garrison, New York, and say Im gonna kick back, take it easy, and write a book. Im sure hes going to want his legacy to be couched in the correct way.
