The Miami Heat basketball team decided to enter the arena of controversy surrounding the Haitian community in Ohio.Residents in Springfield, Ohio, have reported in social media posts that Haitian migrants are capturing and eating pets, as well as local animals like ducks. Local law enforcement said they have no such confirmed reports. The issue has gone viral on social media and was even brought up during the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.The NBA team decided to release a statement on the team's X page in support of Haitians."The Miami Heat staff, like Miami itself, is a diverse and brilliant mix of vibrant cultures, including many members of our Haitian community," the team wrote. "The false narrative surrounding them is hurtful and offensive and has sadly made innocent people targets of hateful speech and physical threats."The team finished by saying, "Our Haitian employees, fans and friends deserve better." This was followed by a statement in Haitian Creole "Ansanm nou kanpe fo," which appeared to mean "we stand together." — (@) Unfortunately for the team, the responses were flooded with memes related to the controversy, along with statements calling the team out for getting involved.One AI-generated video showed cats and dogs holding signs reading messages like "don't eat me" and "Haitians ate my mom," while other animals in the video held pro-Trump or "Trump 2024" signs."I'm from Miami and will be boycotting the Miami Heat for not staying in their lane," one fan wrote.I'm from Miami and will be boycotting the Miami Heat for not staying in their lane.— TMK 2️⃣.0️⃣ (@TheMagaKing2_0) September 16, 2024 "Is saying 'they should be deported for illegally jumping our border' your idea of hate speech?" another reader asked.Another meme showed several cats in front of a sign that said "Miami Eat."The brutal responses didn't stop there; another post showed late-1980s TV character Alf, an alien who ate cats, with the caption, "Miami's new concessions stand employee."A different X user showed an image of Trump hugging a kitten and a duck, writing, "The Miami Heat doesn't care about your pets being eaten by Haitians illegals."Aside from simply declaring the Heat's statement to be "virtue signaling," other fans wanted to know why the team was concerned with an issue in Ohio or if the team had correspondents on the ground to confirm or deny any of the local reports.Virtue signaling.— Dre Baldwin | #WorkOnYourGame (@DreAllDay) September 16, 2024 The story has seemed to be a losing issue for Democrats, who have looked to use the topic to call Trump racist or anti-immigrant once more.Former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson said on social media that "continuing to dump on Trump because of the 'eating cats' issue will create blowback on Nov. 5.""Haitian voodoo is in fact real," she added, "and to dismiss the story out-of-hand rather than listen to the citizens of Springfield, Ohio confirms in the minds of many voters the stereotype of Democrats as smug elite jerks who think they’re too smart to listen to anyone outside their own silo."Her post has since been deleted.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Two-time Stanley Cup winner Jaromir Jagr says the 2024-2025 season will be the last of his career at age 52.Jagr, who began playing professionally in former Czechoslovakia in 1988, will play his 36th season for the same club he started at, Rytiri Kladno in the Czech Extraliga.After playing in the NHL from 1990-2018, Jagr moved back to the Czech Republic and played for Kladno for another five years. He is also the majority owner of that team, taking over from his father of the same name in 2011.Then, in late 2022, Jagr was seemingly retired until his team was struck with an illness that took it down to just 12 players. Jagr decided to step out of the owner's box and lace up to avoid his team having to forfeit any games, and he ended up playing 26 games that season. He finished 2022-2023 with 14 points at age 50.Adding to his legendary status, coming out of retirement actually delayed Jagr's eligibility to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Despite already being a member of the Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame since 2008 and the IIHF Hall of Fame since 2024, Jagr pushed back his eligibility for the more prestigious honor in order to rescue his team.At 52, Jagr has announced it will be his last season, surpassing Gordie Howe as the oldest professional hockey player of all time. Howe was 52 years, 11 days old when he played his final NHL game in 1980.Jagr's legend has only seemed to grow the older he gets.In 2015, Jagr was reportedly the victim of a blackmail attempt after he was pictured in a bed sleeping next to a young Czech model. As Yahoo Sports reported, a social media user found the photo and attempted to extort 50,000 crowns ($2,000 USD) from the hockey player. Jagr allegedly told the person to do whatever they wanted with the photo because he didn't care.'I'm going to try to deceive age and find out how I'm doing.'Then in March 2024, Jagr was set to make an appearance in Pittsburgh where his jersey was set to be retired. Ahead of the appearance, 18,000 bobbleheads featuring Jagr's likeness were stolen from a loading bay in California. The Pittsburgh Penguins confirmed at the time that the bobbleheads were indeed stolen, and it was not a publicity stunt.However, Jagr immediately turned the heist into a hilarious marketing campaign where he went on a mission to rescue his figurines.Jagr has the second-most points in NHL history with 1,921, and the fourth-most goals scored with 766. He played for nine different teams over 24 years in North America. In 2015-2016, Jagr scored a shocking 27 goals and added 39 assists for the Florida Panthers at 44 years old.He had another 16 goals the next year at 45.The owner has continuously poked fun at himself while continuing to play at a high level."I'm going to try to deceive age and find out how I'm doing," he wrote on Instagram.Jagr's final season kicks off September 18.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The women's volleyball team at San Jose State University remained undefeated and is now 6-0 following its latest victory.The team is off to its best start in program history, according to OutKick, and continued its hot streak with a 3-2 win over fellow NCAA Division I Santa Clara.The team is led by biological male Blaire Fleming, who is listed on the team website at 6'1''.However, for the first time this season, Fleming was not included in the match's postgame recap:"Three Spartans recorded double-doubles and the Spartans recorded a season-best 18 blocks as the San José State volleyball team stayed undefeated on the season with a 3-2 (25-13, 23-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-11) win at Santa Clara Sunday inside the Leavey Center," the recap read.The recap noted that players Nayeli Ti'a and Brooke Slusser recorded double-doubles in the game but didn't mention that the transgender athlete was the other player to do so.'Fleming might just be the most impressive athlete on the floor.'SJSU disabled comments on its X post celebrating the victory, which featured a highlights package from the match. The video did not show any clips of No. 3 Fleming.Another clip from the game featured commentary from an announcer who noted that "Fleming might just be the most impressive athlete on the floor."It has been known for months that SJSU has had the unfair advantage, but Fleming's identity had previously flown under the radar. An April 2024 report from Reduxx revealed Fleming was allegedly born as Brayden, and his biological sex was being withheld from his teammates and opponents.The mother of an opposing player spoke to the outlet and said that her daughter had heard rumors of SJSU using a male player."I first watched my daughter play Blaire via live stream and then in person for a second match," the mother said. "My daughter mentioned to me before the second match that there were rumors about Blaire being a male."When attending a game in-person, the mother said she could immediately tell that Fleming was male, both in appearance and the way he played."He jumped higher and hit harder than any woman on the court. There was no other female athlete on the court that day that could compare with Blaire's athleticism. He also had very narrow hips. I took notice of how he was dressed with a longer shirt in the front as well."The parent also claimed that her daughter suffered far more physical strains during that match and that her teammates were struggling to deal with the velocity of Fleming's strikes.It should also be noted that there is an obvious advantage for male players in the female version of the sport; the men's net in college volleyball is 7'11", while the women's net is 7'4".The ladies from Southern Utah were recently slated to play against SJSU, however, reports surfaced that the team told tournament officials they did not want to play against the undefeated team.It was not confirmed if Fleming was the reason for the cancellation, though.Women's volleyball has been ripe with transgender controversy in places like California, Florida, and even Canada where five male athletes played in a single women's college game.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Every goal in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. The New Jersey team challenge in THUG. Manualing down the Alcatraz switchbacks in THPS4. I’ve done them all. But nothing from the Birdman’s eponymous series ever came close to the thrill of Skate. Beginning in 2007, the swap to analogue-stick dependent close control made even the slightest achievement in virtual skateboarding, a mere kickflip or successful 50-50 grind, feel monumental. Combined with an incredible soundtrack, gorgeous visuals, hilarious physics, and some great writing, the Skate games remain some of my personal favorites. And now, finally, after all this waiting, the series is coming back, as EA confirms the Skate 4 early-access launch window. Continue reading Skate 4 launch coming, as one of the greatest games ever returns MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Skateboard games, Skate 4 release date speculation, Best sports games

Payday 3 Steam data has been a little disheartening over the last year. Since the crime FPS first launched, the player count, and reviews, have painted a picture of a struggling game. But Starbreeze is working hard on the comeback. The halcyon days of Payday 2 might still be far away, but with a new armor system, additional heists, and now the addition of a key feature that we’ve been needing since the game first landed, Payday 3 is starting to feel like it’s off the ground - and the metrics look more promising. In combination with an inviting new sale, the latest Payday 3 update feels like another step in the right direction. Continue reading Payday 3 Steam count explodes as Starbreeze adds fan-loved feature MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best co-op games on PC, The best crime games on PC, The best FPS games

When is the Genshin Impact Xilonen banner release date? Xilonen is a five-star Geo, sword-user and highly anticipated character coming to Genshin Impact in the next update. Here's everything we know about her banner and abilities so far. If you're eagerly awaiting the Genshin Impact 5.1 update, then we have your first proper look at the latest five-star character. Thanks to the leaks from Honey Hunter World, her abilities have been shared and Xilonen so far, looks like a very powerful new Genshin Impact character. She's from the Natlan region and is described as a Name Engraver of the Nanatzcayan. Continue reading Genshin Impact Xilonen banner and abilities MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Genshin Impact codes, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide

When is the Genshin Impact 5.1 release date? While we're still exploring the new Natlan region, it's not long to go until the next update drops introducing new characters and events, here's what to expect. If you're already looking forward to the next Genshin Impact banner and want to know how the characters fit onto our Genshin Impact tier list, there are already a few rumored details about the 5.1 update, including the now officially announced five-star Geo character, Xilonen, and an event with a chance to get a free Candace. Here's what we know about the Genshin Impact 5.1 release date. Continue reading Genshin Impact 5.1 release date, characters, and events MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Genshin Impact codes, Genshin Impact character tier list, Genshin Impact leveling guide

One of the best things about Starfield is sitting down in front of the ship construction tool and going wild on your next creation. Dedicated players have managed to pump out ships of all shapes and sizes, with crafts inspired by Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and even Space 1999 making their way out of the game’s shipyard. Sadly, the method many ship builders used to enhance their best creations was technically a glitch and has been removed from the game, but that’s all about to change as it’s coming back - officially. Continue reading Starfield pre-DLC patch adds formerly removed fan favorite feature MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Starfield mods, Best RPGs, Best space games

Strategy games are about making choices. Some of these choices are complicated - when to go to war or what type of civilizational goals to embrace - and some are simpler, like choosing which kind of military unit to train or specific building to construct. Frostpunk 2, a game about surviving an apocalyptic eternal winter, is clever in that it gives every one of these types of choices, hard or easy, emotional weight and dramatic stakes. Continue reading Frostpunk 2 Review - a brutal, enhanced survival game sequel MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best city-building games, Best survival games, Upcoming PC games

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