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The LPGA made a mistake. Its boss owned it. But questions persist

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Craig Kessler, in his still newish role as LPGA commissioner, already has steered some big and impactful decisions for his tour: brokering a new broadcast deal; forging partnerships that will put more money in his players’ pockets; affixing the LPGA adjacent to Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s indoor golf league, TGL.

But last Sunday presented Kessler, who is 40, with a different kind of business challenge: how best to determine the outcome of the LPGA season’s opener, in real time and with the eyes of the golf world (and fingers of golf Twitter) squarely on him. Complicating matters further: Kessler wasn’t on site at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona in Orlando — he was 1,000 miles away, at home in Dallas, frantically trying to keep up with reports from the ground. “On the phone, reading materials from sunup until sundown,” Kessler told GOLF.com in an interview Tuesday. “Constantly trying to source as much information as possible in order to make an informed decision.”

That information — about the evolving course conditions, unseasonably cold weather and logistical concerns around pushing the event to a Monday finish — was coming from a variety of sources: Kessler’s deputies, tournament and rules officials, players and caddies, the grounds crew, even marketing partners. But ultimately the decision about whether to shorten the event to 54 holes and declare world No. 2 Nelly Korda the winner without her striking a single shot Sunday sat in Kessler’s lap.

“One of the tougher calls I’ve had to make in my six months with the LPGA,” he said. “No matter what we decided, there would be some who understood it and respected it, and others who didn’t. The questioning was there from the beginning.”

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***

That second-guessing centered around whether the Tom Fazio-designed course, which awoke to below-freezing temperatures Sunday morning was playable for such a high-level tournament — or, more to the point, whether it would become playable as the day progressed and the mercury crept out of the 20s and into the 40s. When Amy Yang, one of eight players who didn’t complete their third rounds Saturday, arrived on property Sunday to prepare for the 10 a.m. resumption of Round 3 she said the greens were “frozen” and “unplayable.”

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Ricki Lasky, who is the LPGA’s chief tour business and operations office, added: “What we found was when we got on site and talked to several of the players when they were warming up was that the grounds was really hard and it was changing the trajectory of their shots as they were practicing. The balls were releasing when they weren’t supposed to be so, so we pushed back [starting times].”

Reasonable minds might counter that contending with the elements — assuming water isn’t pooling or wind isn’t blowing balls off greens — is central to the game, but Laski and her team didn’t like what they were seeing and hearing.

The start was pushed from 10 a.m. local time to 11 a.m. . . . then noon . . . then 1 p.m. . . . before the LPGA finally settled on 2:15 p.m., by which point there was not enough daylight remaining to complete both Rounds 3 and 4.

Many observers noted the decision to postpone play so deep into the afternoon was a curious one given the temperatures (and golf course) were at least playable enough for the contingent of celebrities also competing in the event; they’d been dispatched to the course hours earlier, at 10 a.m. Among the participants in the celeb division was LPGA legend and Lake Nona resident Annika Sorenstam, who after bundling up and playing nine holes Sunday told Beth Ann Nichols of Golfweek: “I don’t know why they’re not playing. There’s pitch marks. I mean, I hit some crispy shots today and the ball even stopped. I am surprised. It’s difficult, it’s cold but it’s as fair as anything.”

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Yang, after signing for a third-round 69 that secured her runner-up honors, also described the course as “playable.” “It got much better,” she said. “It is still very cold but compared to this morning 9 a.m. when I was warming up, much better condition.”


LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler addresses the media at the CME Group Tour Championship

‘I’m sorry’: LPGA chief apologizes for ‘confusing’ decision to shorten event  


By:


Josh Schrock



Still, Kessler said he had other concerns beyond just the competitive integrity of the setup — namely the risk the frigid turf posed to his players. This worry was not communicated to either players or the public Sunday, but in a memo — a mea culpa, really — that Kessler emailed to players Tuesday, he revealed that he was “worried that our athletes might be injured given the way record overnight low temperatures hardened the course.” Kessler acknowledged in that note that “while the decision was a tough one and ran counter to prior statements we shared, I made a judgement call.”

There is precedent, of course, for calling tournaments after 54 (or even 36) holes, but nearly always it happens only in instances when it’s clear that severe weather (the wet and/or windy variety) will prevent play from being completed not only on Sunday but also Monday. There is little, if any, precedent for a professional golf tournament being called on account of concerns of players jamming a wrist or a catching a stinger.

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But Kessler said the circumstances in Orlando, from what he deduced, were highly unusual. “Hand on heart, based on the information I had available when the call needed to be made, I had real concern about the potential for player injury,” he told GOLF. “Particularly in week one of the season, I think that’s something that has to be taken very seriously, and we took it very seriously.”

So seriously that Kessler made the decision to declare a champion after the third round. When the dust (frost?) had settled, Nelly Korda, who’d shot a stunning eight-under 63 in windy and chilly conditions Saturday, was named the winner by three.  

After picking up her first win since November 2024 and her 16th LPGA title overall, Korda sounded largely supportive of the LPGA’s decision to shorten the event, saying, “At the end of the day, what we have on the line versus what the celebrities have on the line is a little bit different. I think the LPGA made the decision to look after their players, and at the end of the day we can’t do anything about that.”

***

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Another question still loomed, though: Why not finish the tournament on Monday, as is customary on the PGA Tour when an event cannot be completed on Sunday?

“We weren’t fully prepared,” Kessler said.  

Pressed on what that meant exactly — i.e., not prepared in terms of onsite logistics? Necessary support teams? Broadcasting needs? — the commissioner said: “It’s the whole nine yards. Think about the complexity of running a golf tournament. You’ve got sponsored considerations, player considerations, fan considerations, volunteer considerations, folks who actually show up to bring the tournament to life.”

The last Monday finish on the LPGA Tour coincidentally came at the Tournament of Champions, in 2020, but that round included only two players — Gaby Lopez and Nasa Hataoka — who after five playoff holes Sunday were still deadlocked, forcing the players to return to the course Monday morning. Logistically, there is, of course, a big difference catering to two players playing a couple of extra holes vs. 39 players returning to the host site to play a full round. Whatever the reason for the LPGA’s inability to extend to Monday, the tour was not equipped for a fifth day of competition.  

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Nelly Korda looks on during the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions

Nelly Korda wins after LPGA controversially reduces TOC to 54 holes


By:


Josh Schrock



“In hindsight, I wish we had spent a little bit more time thinking about solutions that would have allowed us to get all 72 holes in,” Kessler continued. “I’m not sure it makes sense to go back and sort of relitigate all of the details, but what I do know is that going forward, we’re gonna work like hell to make sure, if we’re ever in a position like this again, we’re ready to go with those creative solutions.”

Kessler declined to say what those solutions might be, but beyond being better prepared to push to Monday, presumably that could mean, in the case of an ominous Sunday forecast, squeezing in more golf on Saturday. Kessler said he has no regrets about shortening the tournament, but in his memo to players he did acknowledge that “this decision, and others we made in real time, were confusing and disappointing to our fans. And our communication around the decision wasn’t clear or timely enough. Your frustration is valid — I own that, and I’m sorry.”

Asked what, in retrospect, he would have done differently, Kessler said, “I think there are two major themes. The first is around preparation — making sure we’re ready for plan A, B and C, and we’ve thought through all the logistics from start to finish, so that if we’re met with exceptional circumstances, we’re ready to go. The second is communications and making sure that when we communicate with the people who matter most, our fans, our players, the media, our partners, we’re communicating in plain English so that people read our statements and understand exactly what we decided and why we made the decision.”

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Kessler will have a minute to process his learnings. The next LPGA event, in Thailand, doesn’t begin until Feb. 18. That tournament kicks off a three-week swing in Asia before the tour returns to the U.S. in mid-March.

“I know I made a tough call from a very good place,” Kessler said. “I realized that there’s been fallout, and there are some people who are upset with the decision that I made. At the same time, I’m just deeply proud of what we’ve done, and the momentum we’ve created, and the culture we’re starting to create with our team here. I really hope as quickly as possible we can get back to that.”

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Napoleonic targets Eskimo Prince Stakes glory in 2026

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1 minute ago

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4 February 2026

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John O’Shea admits Napoleonic has a significant task in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) scheduled for Rosehill this Saturday in 2026.

The Wootton Bassett colt, from a late champion sire, confirmed his elite status with a 4-¼ length thrashing in the Group 3 Red Anchor Stakes (1200m) on Cox Plate day.

With Tom Charlton as co-trainer, O’Shea rested the Pinecliff Racing-owned colt after that win and reports strong maturation, highlighted by a recent Randwick trial victory.

“He’s great, I’m really happy with him,” O’Shea said.

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“He’s trialled up well and made a bit of psychical improvement from last season so we’re looking forward to Saturday.

Satisfied with the return to track work, O’Shea notes the Eskimo Prince Stakes and Autumn pursuits will test Napoleonic anew, especially versus benchmark Tempted.

“She’s the benchmark,” O’Shea said.

“She should’ve nearly won an Everest. In terms of 1200 metre sprinters in Australia, especially three-year-olds, there’s none better than her.

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So we’re respectful of her, and we know that we’re going to have to be right at the best of our game to be competitive.”

O’Shea anticipates less flair than the Red Anchor but values the gauge on Napoleonic versus top three-year-olds.

“That was his day, fourth up, he’d had a good foundation going into it,” O’Shea said.

“It was a good day for him to let rip. Saturday is a bit different, he’s got a long campaign ahead, so whatever he does he’ll improve off, but he’s done enough work to run well.

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The stable’s strategy for Napoleonic allows versatility, even eyeing Brisbane Winter carnival options.

Visit the best racing betting markets ahead of the Eskimo Prince Stakes showdown.

Napoleonic sits as $3.60 second choice in Eskimo Prince futures, trailing the $1.50 market ruler Tempted.

The post Napoleonic seeking Prince’s crown first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s Man United return stance as former team-mate speaks out

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10 minutes ago

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4 February 2026

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Cristiano Ronaldo refused to play for Al-Nassr because of Karim Benzema’s move to Al-Hilal, sparking speculation over his future and whether he could return to Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo’s future has come under intense scrutiny following his contentious stand-off in Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo, who celebrates his 41st birthday on Thursday, declined to feature for Al-Nassr in their 1-0 win against Al-Riyadh on Monday after becoming incensed by Karim Benzema’s transfer to title challengers Al-Hilal. Benzema, Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid colleague, had his Al-Ittihad deal cancelled before securing a free transfer to Al-Hilal, who sit one point clear of Al-Nassr at the top of the Saudi Pro League.

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The Public Investment Fund (PIF) owns all three sides, and Ronaldo is frustrated that the transfer was approved, believing the acquisition of the French forward has unfairly strengthened Al-Hilal’s championship challenge. The circumstances have triggered questions about whether Ronaldo will complete the remaining 18 months of his £488,000-per-day agreement with Al-Nassr.

Could the five-time Ballon d’Or recipient make a remarkable third return to Manchester United? Not according to his former colleague, Wes Brown, who told BettingLounge: “He’s not happy, but would Cristiano Ronaldo come back to Manchester United for a third go? I would say no. I can’t see how that could happen.

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“A move to MLS? Maybe. Maybe he goes back to Portugal and plays there. I’m sure he will still have so many options.

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“The main thing is that he still wants to play in the World Cup, and he would have to keep playing and making sure he keeps himself fit to do that. It’s a shock to everyone to see Ronaldo on strike, but I honestly think it will get resolved. We’ll have to wait and see where it goes from here.”

Neither Ronaldo nor any of his teammates and coaching staff have issued public statements following Monday’s victory. Head coach Jorge Jesus had his post-match press conference cancelled, with the squad told not to engage with journalists.

Al-Nassr are next in action on Friday, welcoming Al-Ittihad, though Ronaldo’s participation remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Al-Hilal will take on bottom-dwellers Al-Akhdoud on home soil.

The table-toppers have offered Al-Nassr a glimmer of opportunity in recent weeks, sharing the spoils in their previous two outings. A failure to overcome Al-Akhdoud would give Al-Nassr the chance to claim top spot, having last lifted the trophy in 2019, well before Ronaldo’s switch from United in 2022.

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And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis, then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.

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Updated Stanford Cardinal All-Time Football Seasons

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25 minutes ago

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4 February 2026

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  By SuperWest Sports Staff

After suffering through four-straight 3-9 seasons, Stanford  footballcalled in a familiar name and proven winner to direct the football program as general manager: Andrew Luck

Luck replaced Troy Taylor with interim coach Frank Reich, who broke out of the three-win slump, going 4-8. Then Luck hired former Cardinal quarterback Tavita Prichart.

Stanford football has played 119 seasons through 2025, dating back to 1891.

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The Cardinal did not play any games from 1906 to 1917, when the school played rugby instead, and from 1943 to 1945, due to World War II.

The Cardinal claimed national championships in 1926 and 1940.

In 1926, led by legendary coach Glenn “Pop” Warner, the team was undefeated in the regular season and tied Alabama in the 1927 Rose Bowl.

The 1940 team went unbeaten and untied after defeating Nebraska 21–13 in the 1941 Rose Bowl, but the team ranked No. 2 in the final AP poll released before the game was played.

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The table below gives season rundowns with Conference, W-L record, win percentage, coach, and bowl game, if any, for each year

Year Conf W L T Pct Coach Bowl
2026 ACC 0 0 0 — Tavita Prichart
2025 ACC 4 8 0 .375 Frank Reich —
2024 ACC 3 9 0 .250 Troy Taylor —
2023 Pac-12 3 9 0 .250 Troy Taylor —
2022 Pac-12 3 9 o .250 David Shaw —
2021 Pac-12 3 9 0 .250 David Shaw —
2020 Pac-12 4 2 0 .667 David Shaw —
2019 Pac-12 4 8 0 .333 David Shaw —
2018 Pac-12 9 4 0 .692 David Shaw Sun Bowl-W
2017 Pac-12 9 5 0 .643 David Shaw Alamo Bowl-L
2016 Pac-12 10 3 0 .769 David Shaw Sun Bowl-W
2015 Pac-12 12 2 0 .857 David Shaw Rose Bowl-W
2014 Pac-12 8 5 0 .615 David Shaw Foster Farms Bowl-W
2013 Pac-12 11 3 0 .786 David Shaw Rose Bowl-L
2012 Pac-12 12 2 0 .857 David Shaw Rose Bowl-W
2011 Pac-12 11 2 0 .846 David Shaw Fiesta Bowl-L
2010 Pac-10 12 1 0 .923 Jim Harbaugh Orange Bowl-W
2009 Pac-10 8 5 0 .615 Jim Harbaugh Sun Bowl-L
2008 Pac-10 5 7 0 .417 Jim Harbaugh —
2007 Pac-10 4 8 0 .333 Jim Harbaugh —
2006 Pac-10 1 11 0 .083 Walt Harris —
2005 Pac-10 5 6 0 .455 Walt Harris —
2004 Pac-10 4 7 0 .364 Buddy Teevens —
2003 Pac-10 4 7 0 .364 Buddy Teevens —
2002 Pac-10 2 9 0 .182 Buddy Teevens —
2001 Pac-10 9 3 0 .750 Tyrone Willingham Seattle Bowl-L
2000 Pac-10 5 6 0 .455 Tyrone Willingham —
1999 Pac-10 8 4 0 .667 Tyrone Willingham Rose Bowl-L
1998 Pac-10 3 8 0 .273 Tyrone Willingham —
1997 Pac-10 5 6 0 .455 Tyrone Willingham —
1996 Pac-10 7 5 0 .583 Tyrone Willingham Sun Bowl-W
1995 Pac-10 7 4 1 .625 Tyrone Willingham Liberty Bowl-L
1994 Pac-10 3 7 1 .318 Bill Walsh —
1993 Pac-10 4 7 0 .364 Bill Walsh —
1992 Pac-10 10 3 0 .769 Bill Walsh Blockbuster Bowl-W
1991 Pac-10 8 4 0 .667 Dennis Green Aloha Bowl-L
1990 Pac-10 5 6 0 .455 Dennis Green —
1989 Pac-10 3 8 0 .273 Dennis Green —
1988 Pac-10 3 6 2 .364 Jack Elway —
1987 Pac-10 5 6 0 .455 Jack Elway —
1986 Pac-10 8 4 0 .667 Jack Elway Gator Bowl-L
1985 Pac-10 4 7 0 .364 Jack Elway —
1984 Pac-10 5 6 0 .455 Jack Elway —
1983 Pac-10 1 10 0 .091 Paul Wiggin —
1982 Pac-10 5 6 0 .455 Paul Wiggin —
1981 Pac-10 4 7 0 .364 Paul Wiggin —
1980 Pac-10 6 5 0 .545 Paul Wiggin —
1979 Pac-10 5 5 1 .500 Ron Dowhower —
1978 Pac-10 8 4 0 .667 Bill Walsh Bluebonnet Bowl-W
1977 Pac-8 9 3 0 .750 Bill Walsh Sun Bowl-W
1976 Pac-8 6 5 0 .545 Jack Christiansen —
1975 Pac-8 6 4 1 .591 Jack Christiansen —
1974 Pac-8 5 4 2 .545 Jack Christiansen —
1973 Pac-8 7 4 0 .636 Jack Christiansen —
1972 Pac-8 6 5 0 .545 Jack Christiansen —
1971 Pac-8 9 3 0 .750 John Ralston Rose Bowl-W
1970 Pac-8 9 3 0 .750 John Ralston Rose Bowl-W
1969 Pac-8 7 2 1 .750 John Ralston —
1968 Pac-8 6 3 1 .650 John Ralston —
1967 AAWU 5 5 0 .500 John Ralston —
1966 AAWU 5 5 0 .500 John Ralston —
1965 AAWU 6 3 1 .650 John Ralston —
1964 AAWU 5 5 0 .500 John Ralston —
1963 AAWU 3 7 0 .300 John Ralston —
1962 AAWU 5 5 0 .500 Jack Curtice —
1961 AAWU 4 6 0 .400 Jack Curtice —
1960 AAWU 0 10 0 .000 Jack Curtice —
1959 AAWU 3 7 0 .300 Jack Curtice —
1958 PCC 2 8 0 .200 Jack Curtice —
1957 PCC 6 4 0 .600 Chuck Taylor —
1956 PCC 4 6 0 .400 Chuck Taylor —
1955 PCC 6 3 1 .650 Chuck Taylor —
1954 PCC 4 6 0 .400 Chuck Taylor —
1953 PCC 6 3 1 .650 Chuck Taylor —
1952 PCC 5 5 0 .500 Chuck Taylor —
1951 PCC 9 2 0 .818 Chuck Taylor Rose Bowl-L
1950 PCC 5 3 2 .600 Marchy Schwartz —
1949 PCC 7 3 1 .682 Marchy Schwartz —
1948 PCC 4 6 0 .400 Marchy Schwartz —
1947 PCC 0 9 0 .000 Marchy Schwartz —
1946 PCC 6 3 1 .650 Marchy Schwartz —
1942 PCC 6 4 0 .600 Marchy Schwartz —
1941 PCC 6 3 0 .667 Clark Shaughnessy —
1940 PCC 10 0 0 1.000 Clark Shaughnessy Rose Bowl-W
1939 PCC 1 7 1 .167 Tiny Thornhill —
1938 PCC 3 6 0 .333 Tiny Thornhill —
1937 PCC 4 3 2 .556 Tiny Thornhill —
1936 PCC 2 5 2 .333 Tiny Thornhill —
1935 PCC 8 1 0 .889 Tiny Thornhill Rose Bowl-W
1934 PCC 9 1 1 .864 Tiny Thornhill Rose Bowl-L
1933 PCC 8 2 1 .773 Tiny Thornhill Rose Bowl-L
1932 PCC 6 4 1 .591 Pop Warner —
1931 PCC 7 2 2 .727 Pop Warner —
1930 PCC 9 1 1 .864 Pop Warner —
1929 PCC 9 2 0 .818 Pop Warner —
1928 PCC 8 3 1 .708 Pop Warner —
1927 PCC 8 2 1 .773 Pop Warner Rose Bowl-W
1926 PCC 10 0 1 .955 Pop Warner Rose Bowl-T
1925 PCC 7 2 0 .778 Pop Warner —
1924 PCC 7 1 1 .833 Pop Warner Rose Bowl-L
1923 PCC 7 2 0 .778 Andrew Kerr —
1922 PCC 4 5 0 .444 Andrew Kerr —
1921 PCC 4 2 2 .625 Conrad Van Gent —
1920 PCC 4 3 0 .571 Walter Powell —
1919 PCC 4 3 0 .571 Bob Evans —
1918 Ind 0 4 0 .000 A.H. Badenoch —
1905 Ind 8 0 0 1.000 James F. Lanagan —
1904 Ind 7 2 1 .750 James F. Lanagan —
1903 Ind 8 0 3 .864 James F. Lanagan —
1902 Ind 6 1 0 .857 Carl L. “Clem” Clemens —
1901 Ind 3 2 2 .571 Charles M. Fickert —
1900 Ind 7 2 1 .750 Fielding H. Yost —
1899 Ind 2 5 2 .333 B.C. “Burr” Chamberlain —
1898 Ind 5 3 1 .611 Harold P. Cross —
1897 Ind 4 1 0 .800 George H. Brooke —
1896 Ind 2 1 1 .625 Harold P. “Harry” Cross —
1895 Ind 4 0 1 .900 Walter Camp —
1894 Ind 6 3 0 .667 Walter Camp —
1893 Ind 8 0 1 .944 C. D. “Pop” Bliss —
1892 Ind 1 0 2 .667 Walter Camp —
1891 Ind 3 1 0 .750 John R. Whittemore —

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Jamie Little talks about covering the 150th edition of the Westminster Dog Show

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39 minutes ago

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4 February 2026

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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The 150th edition of the Westminster Dog Show is underway.

The highly anticipated event has taken place at the Javits Center and will conclude at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. “Prove-It,” the Border Collie, handled by Amber McCune, won the Westminster’s Masters Agility Championship on Saturday.

The conformation part of the show began with best of breed judging from the Javits Center on Monday, and group judging continued on Tuesday, on FS1, where Best in Show is awarded.

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Jamie Little smiles

FOX pit reporter Jamie Little smiles on pit road before the NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, on Feb. 23, 2025. (David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The floor reporter for FS1’s primetime coverage, Jamie Little, talked with Fox News Digital about what it’s like to cover the event.

“Such an honor to be here to cover the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. It is the biggest dog show in the world. It’s the most prestigious. And then you add in the fact that it’s the 150th. You have to let that sink in. This is the second longest sporting event to the Kentucky Derby,” Little told Fox News Digital.

Little interviewed the first four winners on Monday, and the 47-year-old said you can feel the intensity and the emotions of those participating.

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“You meet these families that have been coming here generation after generation with show dogs. We have so many stories. And that’s what makes this year special. We’re telling those stories, the background of the breeds who was here in the first year of the show in 1877 is pretty neat,” Little said.

“It’s always intense backstage in the staging area with the dogs you always feel the energy. But last night you know interviewing those first four winners that we saw on Monday night it’s we saw tears. I saw tears two or three times because it means that much more.”

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Jamie Little looks on

Pit reporter Jamie Little of FOX Sports during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link’s 500 race at Talladega Superspeedway in Eastaboga, Alabama, on April 26, 2025. (David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Winning the Westminster Dog Show is always an honor, but there is something different about having the chance to win the 150th edition.

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“I mean the fact that you have a chance to win the 150th, I mean that’s just something for the record book you’ll never forget,” Little said.

Little has been covering the show for eight years and said it feels like the event has only gotten bigger and that the dogs have gotten better. She said that even for those who don’t have a dog, the show is for everyone and it’s something that everyone loves.

Last year was the first time in four years the Westminster Dog Show returned to Madison Square Garden, returning for the first time since COVID-19. Little talked about the significance of the event being at the world’s most famous arena.

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Dog competes

A dog competes during the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show-Group Judging (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, Herding) and Westminster Legends Presentation at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on Feb. 2, 2026. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club)

“My first year covering this show, we were at Madison Square Garden. It was just like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ Like, it’s that show or that movie that you see ‘Best in Show.’ It’s like the bright lights, the cameras, the energy. And then with COVID-19 we had to move out of the city, and we’ve gone to a couple other places,” Little said.

“Being back at Madison Square Garden, that’s what everybody wants. They want that big venue. I mean, the amount of events that this place does and then they turn it into a dog ring — like dog showing — it’s amazing. But the energy and the lights, it’s just something special for the people watching, the sound from the audience, the dogs feed off of it.”

The favorite part of the show for Little is getting the opportunity to interview the winners.

“I think my favorite part is just telling the stories of the dogs. I think these winners that come in and they’re emotional because they’ve been trying it for 20 years, and then their parents before them, their grandparents before that. And they work so hard every single day to create these perfect specimens that they do. And to have them as a show winner, it means everything to them. So, I think anything, no matter what I’m covering, interviewing a winner is the best. And this is even better because then I have a dog I get to pet during the interview.”

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Joey Logano talks to Jamie Little

Joey Logano (22 Team Penske AAA Insurance Ford, left) talks with FOX Sports reporter Jamie Little after winning the Wurth 400 Presented by LIQUI MOLY in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 4, 2025. (Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

After covering the Westminster Dog Show, Little will shift gears and head down to cover the Daytona 500. She said the dog show is intense, but it’s different compared to the intensity that comes from NASCAR.

“I always joke with people that I cover four paws and then I’m going to shift it up and go four wheels in Daytona. And it is so different. I mean, you have the intensity of the dog show, but everybody’s happy. They’re having fun. The dogs love their job. These dogs are treated better than most people. I mean, they’re living a life. They are pets at home or they’re therapy dogs. They do incredible things,” Little said.

“And then you shift it up to Daytona where people are happy, but it’s intense. I mean, we’re going to see crazy wrecks. It’s going to be intense. So, completely different worlds. It’s so much fun. My hair will be back in a ponytail, headset on. For the dog show, I’m wearing a fancy evening gown like I’m going, you know, to a wedding. It’s incredible. It’s fun to get to do both.”

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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.

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“1% Better” – Alex Bregman’s wife Reagan echoes Cubs star’s relentless motto in exclusive interview with former All-Star 

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55 minutes ago

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4 February 2026

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All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman became a free agent at the end of the 2025 season after opting out of three-year contract he signed with the Boston Red Sox last offseason.

Amid his high-profile free agency, Bregman started Club Nemesis, a performance hub designed for professional baseball players. Former All-Star outfielder Chris Young visited the club this week and had a conversation with the Chicago Cubs infielder.

During a conversation with Bregman for MLB Network, Young asked what drove the two-time World Series winner to opening the club. Bregman answered:

“I’ve played over the last 10 years. You kind of learn and adapt and grow and figure out what works for you and and you take a little bit from one coach and one player and you try and put the pieces together for your puzzle.

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“I feel like for me, I was always searching to try and get one percent better, whether that’s staying healthy or strengthening conditioning or baseball activity defense, hitting whatever it may be.”

Bregman’s wife Reagan Elizabeth reacted to the Instagram post with the video of the interview, commenting:

“1% better.”

(Image source - Instagram)(Image source - Instagram)
(Image source – Instagram)

Bregman has had several visitors to his club in the offseason, including San Francisco Giants star Matt Chapman and Baltimore Orioles’ Jackson Holliday.

Alex Bregman’s wife Reagan shared adorable moment between their children

Alex Bregman ended his free agency after signing a five-year deal with the Chicago Cubs last month. Bregman’s wife shared a glimpse of their time in Chicago during the offseason. She shared pictures of their time together at the Wrigley Field in an Instagram post.

“The warmest welcome,” Reagan captioned her post.

Reagan and Alex welcomed their second son in April 2025. Bregman’s wife shared a picture of her elder son, Knox, sharing an adorable moment with his sibling in her Instagram story.

“My heart,” she captioned her story.

(Image source - Instagram)(Image source - Instagram)
(Image source – Instagram)

Reagan and her children were often in the stands at Fenway Park to cheer for Bregman last season. They will be showing their support to the All-Star infielder in his first season with the Cubs in 2026.