The “One Bite” pizza reviewer and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy threw his support behind Yum! Brands’ campaign to temporarily rebrand Pizza Hut, praising the pizza chain’s strategic marketing move as “brilliant” while pitching company executives on directing advertising dollars toward Barstool Sports during football season.

“At first, I didn’t really get it. But I’ll say this, Stuart. We do business with Pizza Hut. And we want them to spend lots of money with Barstool. So I think it’s a brilliant move. Whoever came up with that, I like it,” Portnoy said on “Varney & Co.” Friday.

“They’re thinking smart. It’s football season. There it is, the football with the ‘Hut.’ And you know, they’re gonna spread this message. They gotta find some new media vehicles that cover football,” he continued, “and maybe do a little bit of an ad spend to let people know what’s going on so they don’t get confused.”

CANCEL ME IF YOU CAN: DAVE PORTNOY TAKES AIM AT CANCEL CULTURE CRITICS WHO ‘ALREADY DECIDED’ THE VERDICT

FOX Business host Stuart Varney replied: “And Barstool Sports is ideally situated to pick up a little pizza business, right?”

David Portnoy of Barstool Sports on May 11, 2019, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Getty Images)

“You don’t say!” Portnoy responded.

On Wednesday, the chain announced that it will go by “Hut” for the next 25 weeks, coinciding with the 2026 NFL season.

“You can just call us HUT for the next 25 weeks,” Pizza Hut wrote in a social media post announcing the temporary rebrand.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

The company showed off the change at a restaurant in Plano, Texas, where a banner featuring a football covered the word “Pizza” on the restaurant’s exterior sign. Pizza Hut, which is headquartered in Plano, also changed its social media profile images to a logo without the word “Pizza.”

READ MORE FROM FOX BUSINESS

FOX Business’ Brittany Miller contributed to this report.

Nearly 40,000 bottles of eye drops are being recalled nationwide due to potential contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Tarrytown, New York-based Prestige Brand Holdings is voluntarily recalling 39,060 bottles of its Clear Eyes Maximum Itchy Eye Relief eye drops due to a “lack of assurance of sterility,” according to an FDA enforcement report.

The affected product comes in 15-milliliter bottles with the lot code 2552A and an expiration date of Sep. 30, 2027. They were distributed by Medtech Products Inc., a Prestige Consumer Healthcare company.

NEARLY 12 MILLION BOTTLES OF ROHTO EYE DROPS RECALLED OVER STERILITY CONCERNS, FDA ANNOUNCES

Nearly 40,000 bottles of eye drops are being recalled nationwide due to potential contamination. (Getty Images)

The FDA classified the recall as a Class II recall, which it describes as a “situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

MILLIONS OF PRESCRIPTION EYE DROPS RECALLED NATIONWIDE OVER CONTAMINATION CONCERNS

Other brands in the Prestige portfolio include Dramamine, Luden’s and Anacin.

The FDA classified the recall as a Class II recall. (Getty Images)

The company completed the acquisition of the Breathe Right brand – known for its nasal strips – and other assets from Foundation Consumer ​Healthcare in June in a deal valued at about $1.05 billion.

CLICK HERE TO GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO

FOX Business reached out to Prestige Brands for comment.

BALTIMORE — O.J. Brigance, the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl champion who became one of the most inspirational figures in franchise history during a 19-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, has died at age 56, the team announced Monday.

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti confirmed Brigance’s death in a statement that reflected the depth of grief across the organization. “We are devastated by the awful news that we have lost O.J. Brigance,” Bisciotti said. “O.J. was a beloved legend, mentor and man to everyone who was fortunate enough to know him. His infectious smile and the inspirational way he lived and played endeared him to everyone he touched, both inside our building and across this city. This is a tremendously sad day for Baltimore.”

Brigance was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2007 at age 37, when doctors told him he likely had two to five years left to live. He defied that prognosis for nearly two decades, becoming a defining symbol of resilience within the Ravens organization even as the progressive neurodegenerative disease gradually took away his physical abilities.

Ravens executive vice president Ozzie Newsome, who worked closely with Brigance for years, described him as one of the most genuine people he had ever known. “He was a hero to this city long before his courageous battle with ALS and became an even greater inspiration in the way he faced it with the same fight, faith and grace he brought to the football field,” Newsome said in a statement. “O.J.’s service to our community, to the Ravens and the fight for a cure for ALS will never be forgotten. He was and always will be a beloved mentor and man. With heartfelt sorrow, we extend our deepest sympathies to Chanda and the Brigance family.”

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, reflecting on 22 years of friendship with Brigance, said he never once witnessed Brigance express anger or frustration over his diagnosis throughout their long relationship. “O.J. inspired us with humility, faithfulness, determination, competitiveness and love for humankind,” DeCosta said. “We never once saw O.J. angry or frustrated by his disease. Instead, we all witnessed a hero who influenced so many people through his unwavering optimism and grit.”

Brigance, a Houston native, began his professional football career with the Canadian Football League’s Baltimore Stallions, helping the team win the 1995 Grey Cup championship. He later transitioned to the NFL, joining the Ravens as a free agent linebacker in 2000, where he became a standout special teams player during Baltimore’s Super Bowl XXXV championship season, recording the game’s first tackle on the opening kickoff. Following a seven-year NFL playing career that concluded with the New England Patriots in 2002, Brigance returned to Baltimore in 2004 to join the Ravens’ front office, eventually leading the team’s player engagement and development department.

His work in that role earned him significant recognition from the league itself. Brigance received the NFL’s Best Overall Player Development Program award for two consecutive years, in 2005 and 2006, along with the Most Outstanding Internship Program Award in 2005 and the Outstanding Continuing Education Program Award in 2007.

Following his ALS diagnosis, Brigance and his wife, Chanda, established the Brigance Brigade Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising money and awareness in the fight against ALS. The foundation has worked to improve quality of life for people living with the disease and their families, providing access to support services, necessary equipment and resource guidance for those navigating a similarly difficult diagnosis.

Former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, who worked alongside Brigance for years, often referred to him as “the strongest man in the organization,” and remembered him as a man of deep faith who found purpose through extraordinarily difficult circumstances “through the great glory of God,” according to tributes shared following his death.

Brigance’s impact extended well beyond the Ravens’ coaching staff and front office, reaching players who credited him directly with shaping their careers and character. When former middle linebacker Ray Lewis received the Lamar Hunt Trophy after Baltimore’s AFC championship win in January 2013, he turned to Brigance and told him, “You’re my greatest motivation.” Former Ravens safety Ed Reed similarly acknowledged Brigance’s influence during his 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech, saying, “You’re the reason why I’m here, man. You’re the reason I became a great professional.”

Tributes to Brigance extended well beyond the Ravens organization following news of his death. Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, a former teammate, shared an emotional message reflecting on Brigance’s character. “One of my favorite teammates ever!! They don’t build them like this man very often & when I say that, I don’t mean his physical stature but his character, heart & integrity! I will miss you, brother!” Warner wrote.

Throughout his years living with ALS, Brigance remained a visible and engaged presence around the Ravens organization, frequently attending games and practices while navigating the team facility in a motorized wheelchair, consistently greeting those around him with what colleagues repeatedly described as an infectious smile despite the physical toll of his disease.

The Ravens organization, in a statement announcing his death, emphasized that Brigance’s legacy would continue to shape both the franchise and the broader Baltimore community for years to come. “O.J. will be remembered for his service to our community, to the Ravens and to the fight to find a cure for ALS. With heavy hearts, the Ravens organization extends our deepest condolences to Chanda and the entire Brigance family,” the team said.

Brigance is survived by his wife, Chanda, and their family, who have continued the work of the Brigance Brigade Foundation alongside him throughout his nearly two-decade fight with ALS. As tributes continue to arrive from across the NFL and the Baltimore community, Brigance’s legacy is likely to endure not only through his contributions on the football field, including his role on the franchise’s first Super Bowl championship team, but through the ongoing work of the foundation he and his wife built to support others facing the same disease that ultimately claimed his life after nearly 20 years of what colleagues and teammates alike consistently described as unmatched courage and grace.

A California helicopter manufacturer whose R66 helicopter was selected for use in a major new U.S. Army flight training program said the effort could support hundreds of American jobs.

Robinson Helicopter Company, based in Torrance, California, will provide its R66 turbine helicopter for the Army’s Flight School Next program as part of a team led by M1 Support Services.

The program will train the next generation of Army helicopter pilots at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The R66 was selected as the team’s aircraft for the Army’s Initial Entry Rotary-Wing training program.

“Robinson didn’t just check the boxes; it blew past them, beating out competitors on price, performance and resiliency,” company spokesperson Erica Dumas told FOX Business.

PENTAGON BOOSTING THAAD INTERCEPTOR PRODUCTION WITH NORTHROP GRUMMAN, LOCKHEED MARTIN DEAL

Robinson Helicopter Company will provide its R66 turbine helicopter for the Army’s Flight School Next program as part of a team led by M1 Support Services. (Robinson Helicopter Company)

Robinson Helicopter CEO David Smith said the selection shows that an American-made aircraft can compete with foreign-built products in a critical military training role.

“This is a really powerful demonstration of American-made displacing what are currently foreign products that occupy this very important role of training Army aviators,” Smith told FOX Business. 

Smith said the program will create demand for maintenance workers, instructors and overhaul specialists in Alabama while also driving additional work at Robinson’s California factory.

“There’s an opportunity for us to both sell these aircraft and the parts that feed them for 26 years,” he said, adding that future exports to allied nations could help create “likely hundreds of jobs over time” in Torrance, California.

Robinson says the R66 is 100% U.S.-designed and manufactured, with more than 85% of its parts produced at the company’s vertically integrated Torrance facility.

FORD ENTERS COMPETITION TO DEVELOP NEW US ARMY TACTICAL TRUCK

Robinson President and CEO David Smith said the selection shows that an American-made aircraft can compete with foreign-built products. (FOX Business)

“We absolutely have the skills, the resources to design, the resources to innovate, and ultimately to make the hard manufactured products that build these products,” Smith said.

The company says the R66 has the lowest acquisition price and direct operating cost of any turbine helicopter in its class over the past decade while giving Army pilots experience with modern avionics, autopilot systems and night-vision capabilities.

Smith said those savings could allow the Army to redirect funding toward other priorities.

“One of the great benefits of this project is it will help the Army allocate more funding to some of the more significant projects they have [in] the future,” he said.

The contract also advances Robinson’s expansion into defense.

“This is a way for us to contribute directly to an area of great need,” he said.

DEPARTMENT OF WAR TAPS ORACLE FOR SOFTWARE DEAL WORTH NEARLY $7B

The contract also advances Robinson’s expansion into defense. (Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Smith also argued that rebuilding America’s defense industrial base will require renewed emphasis on skilled trades.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

“We need to rebuild that first, the appetite and the interest of the workforce to go into these very important skilled areas and make it a fun and cool business to be in again,” Smith said.

Robinson also plans to reinvest proceeds from the program into research and development, including unmanned aircraft and other defense technologies.

“I’m an engineer first,” he said. “And so my mindset is, how can we continue to use wins like this to reinvest in the business and grow in the years to come?”

This article was written by

Follow

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of FLR either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.