The 37-year-old Green Bay Packers quarterback introduced himself on the show “As a lifelong fan of Jeopardy!” and expressed “it is an incredible honor to guest host.”
Rodgers not only is a dedicated fan of the game show, he also won Celebrity Jeopardy! in 2015 — an experience he says he will cherish forever.
“Now, I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of amazing things, but winning Celebrity Jeopardy! and getting to share the stage with the legend Alex Trebek is something I will never forget,” the athlete continued. “Alex was such a gentleman. So smart, so precise, I was in awe.”
Rodgers promised he will “work hard to honor his legacy.”
His debut episode also ended on a memorable note when one contestant opted to tease the quarterback instead of jotting down the correct response in Final Jeopardy.
Scott, the two-day reigning champion, referenced the controversial decision made by Packers coach Matt LaFleur that fans say handed the NFC Championship to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
LaFleur directed the team to score a late-game field goal from the 8-yard line and, consequentially, Tom Brady regained the ball.
When Rodgers called upon Scott to see if he had the correct response, the poker-faced contestant instead wrote, “Who wanted to kick that field goal?“
“That is a great question,” Rodgers chuckled. “It should be correct, but for this game today, that’s incorrect.”
Trebek died November 8 from pancreatic cancer. Until the game show selects a permanent replacement, celebrity guest hosts will be manning the podium.
ABC(LOS ANGELES) — Morgan Freeman is using his signature voice in a powerful new PSA promoting the COVID-19 vaccine.
The actor teamed with the Creative Coalition on Monday in hopes of easing people’s concerns about the vaccine. In addition, Morgan, 83, furthers that getting vaccine is the right thing to do because it will make the world safer.
And who could argue with the voice of God (at least in the movies Bruce Almighty and its sequel Evan Almighty)?
Morgan, who’s seated in his library as gentle music swells in the background, starts by declaring that he is not a scientist, but expresses why he strongly supports getting the vaccine.
“I’m not a doctor, but I trust science. And I’m told that, for some reason, people trust me,” the Oscar winner declares. “So here I am to say I trust science and I got the vaccine. If you trust me, you’ll get the vaccine.”
Morgan takes his PSA a step further by encouraging others to think about protecting others against the infectious COVID-19 virus.
“In math, it’s called the distributive property. In people, it’s called taking care of one another,” he implores. “Get the vaccine. Help make our world a safe place for us to enjoy ourselves again. Please.”
The PSA ends by reminding viewers that “This is your shot.”
As of Monday, nearly 20 percent of the entire U.S. population — or roughly 62 million people — has been fully vaccinated while a little over 32 percent of the nation has obtained at least one dose.
(NEW YORK) — Already, 2021 has been a record year for anti-transgender legislation — especially when it comes to school athletics — and one group is taking a stand.
To date, 28 states across the country have taken action to introduce, pass and sign anti-transgender bills, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The majority of these bills are attempting to exclude transgender athletes from school sports and deny gender-affirming health care to youth.
In response, the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s (NCAA) Division III LGBTQ OneTeam Program and members of the NCAA’s Division III LGBTQ Working Group condemned the newly proposed laws in an open letter.
The LGBTQ advocacy group on Monday released a letter titled “An Open Letter in Support of Transgender Student-Athletes,” which called upon elected officials to put an end to legislation aimed at “excluding transgender youth and young adults from equal and equitable participation in sport.”
“We have decided to use our collective voice to condemn such actions,” the letter reads. “We cannot, in good conscience, fail to speak out at this critical moment.”
The NCAA Division III LGBTQ OneTeam Program trains coaches, athletics administrators and student-athletes across all Division III athletics to promote LGBTQ inclusion in college athletics and create an inclusive and safe climate.
“Legislation aimed at categorically banning transgender people — and particularly transgender girls and women — from sport is inherently discriminatory,” the letter said. “Such legislation is often ‘informed’ by hate and misinformation rather than science, and it is most certainly ‘informed’ by fear instead of fact.”
The release of the open letter comes amid controversy over several bills targeting transgender people that have advanced in multiple states. The governors of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee have all signed laws prohibiting transgender girls and women from competing in school sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Executive orders to the same effect have also been signed in South Dakota.
The letter was signed by more than 50 other facilitators of the NCAA Division III LGBTQ OneTeam Program, including Timothy R. Bussey, associate director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Kenyon College.
“It’s so important to speak out against this legislation, because it is fully rooted in transphobic lies and myths and misconceptions about transgender people,” Bussey, who uses they/them pronouns, told ABC News.
“These laws really play off of those myths and misconceptions about the trans community, and this proposed legislation really weaponizes that misconception and that lack of understanding of science in a way that seeks to exclude trans people and ultimately causes harm to trans folks on a number of levels,” they said.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, 18 states introduced bills last year that would ban transgender girls and women from competing on girls’ and women’s school sports teams. That number increased this year, with more than two dozen states now introducing similar legislation in their current session.
Additionally, more than 90 anti-trans bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the nation this year, according to the HRC.
Bussey also warned that the continued passage of anti-transgender legislation is sending a “dangerous message.”
“It’s sending a message to educators and school professionals across the country that legislators in your state want to treat trans and non-binary students in a way that they can be excluded from certain spaces,” they said.
“Ultimately, it’s going to have an impact on trans youth and trans young adults, irrespective if they want to play sports,” Bussey added, “because it’s sending a message to those kids that they are not welcome.”
The NCAA LGBTQ OneTeam letter echoed that warning.
“Discriminatory legislation that is aimed at excluding transgender people from sport has a number of serious consequences for transgender students,” the letter reads. “Such legislation dehumanizes transgender students, refuses them the opportunity to participate equally and equitably in athletics, undermines their support in educational settings, damages their mental health, and ultimately harms these students, while also contributing to an exclusionary athletic environment and a more hostile school climate for all students.”
The letter closes by calling for an end to such legislation in all states, along with the repeal of laws signed in Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi and Tennessee.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE LA Dodgers 10, Oakland 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE Minnesota 15, Detroit 6 Kansas City 3, Cleveland 0 Toronto 6, Texas 2 NY Yankees 7, Baltimore 0 Boston 11, Tampa Bay 2 LA Angels 7, Houston 6 Chi White Sox 6, Seattle 0 NATIONAL LEAGUE St. Louis 4, Miami 1 Cincinnati 5, Pittsburgh 3 Philadelphia 5, NY Mets 3 Chi Cubs 5, Milwaukee 3 San Francisco 3, San Diego 2 Atlanta at Washington (Postponed) NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Dallas 111, Utah 103 Toronto 103, Washington 101 Cleveland 125, San Antonio 101 Detroit 132, Oklahoma City 108 Minnesota 116, Sacramento 106 Brooklyn 114, New York 112 Phoenix 133, Houston 130 NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Winnipeg 4, Ottawa 3 Montreal 3, Edmonton 2 (OT) Philadelphia 3, Boston 2 (OT) Vegas 6, St. Louis 1 Colorado 5, Minnesota 4 Toronto 5, Calgary 3 Arizona 5, Los Angeles 2
ABC/Eric McCandless(LOS ANGELES) — Let the All-star duets and solos continue!
The journey to become the next American Idol continued on Monday night with the second group of 12 from the Top 24 contestants giving their best shot at both a solo and duet performance.
For the duet round, each singer was paired up with an A-list mentor. The mentors on Monday night’s episode were powerhouse singer Tori Kelly, country superstar Jason Aldean, Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd, multi-platinum artist Josh Groban, and Grammy-award winning musicians Jewel and PJ Morton.
While judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan were there to give their expert advise following each performance, only eight of the contestants from each group will move forward in the competition and into the Top 16 — and that decision will be determined by America’s votes.
Here’s are the performances from Monday night.
Jason Warrior – 25, Chicago, IL, Music Teacher Mentor: PJ Morton Solo: “Call Out My Name” The Weeknd Duet: “How Deep Is Your Love” Bee Gees
Madison Watkins – 26, Fayetteville, AR, Hair Model Mentor: Tori Kelly Solo: “Holy” Justin Bieber Duet: “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” Stevie Wonder
Beane – 23, Brighton, MA, Wedding Singer Mentor: Josh Groban Solo: “Don’t Start Now” Dua Lipa Duet: “Angels” Robbie Williams
Hannah Everhart – 17, Canton, MI, High School Student Mentor: Jason Aldean Solo: “I Was Wrong” Chris Stapleton Duet: “She’s Country” Jason Aldean
Mary Jo Young – 19, Cleveland, OH, Real Estate Sales Associate Mentor: Jewel Solo: “Castle On The Hill” Ed Sheeran Duet: “Foolish Games” Jewel
Chayce Beckham – 24, Apple Valley, CA, Heavy Machine Operator Mentor: Brandon Boyd Solo: “Afterglow” Ed Sheeran Duet: “Drive” Incubus
Colin Jamieson – 22, Boxford, MA, Wedding Singer Mentor: Tori Kelly Solo: “Locked Out Of Heaven” Bruno Mars Duet: “Hollow” Tori Kelly
Liahona Olayan – 17, Wahiawa, HI, High School Student Mentor: PJ Morton Solo: “Just Friends” Audrey Mika Duet: “Say So” PJ Morton featuring JoJo
Ava August – 15, Laguna Niguel, CA, High School Student Mentor: Josh Groban Solo: “drivers license” Olivia Rodrigo Duet: “Both Sides Now” Joni Mitchell
Caleb Kennedy – 16, Roebuck, SC, High School Student Mentor: Jason Aldean Solo: “Midnight Rider” The Allman Brothers Band Duet: “Fly Over States” Jason Aldean
Hunter Metts – 22, Franklin, TN, Software Developer Mentor: Jewel Solo: “Chandelier” Sia Duet: “Who Will Save Your Soul” Jewel
Casey Bishop – 16, Estero, FL, High School Student Mentor: Brandon Boyd Solo: “Decode” Paramore Duet: “Wish You Were Here” Incubus
Find out who America voted into the Top 16 when American Idol returns Sunday, April 11 at 8 p.m. ET.
Jeopardy! Productions/©2021 Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.(LOS ANGELES) — NFL star Aaron Rodgers kicked off his first week of guest hosting Jeopardy! and, before he could challenge the contestants to start answering questions, took a moment to honor his hero, Alex Trebek.
