After crushing his female opponents and even winning a girls' state softball championship, a transgender athlete's time at the top may be over.
Charlie Rothenberger, who now goes by "Marissa," is a 6' male athlete who dominated females in their sport for the better part of two years.
'I never thought he was a boy.'
Rothenberger plays for Champlin Park High School in Champlin, Minnesota, and is a starting pitcher for the school's girls' fast-pitch team.
Earlier this year, Rothenberger dominated the state tournament and pitched a three-hit, complete-game shutout in the final to win the state championship. The pitcher won all-tournament honors, but as of last week, those accolades may be coming to an end.
Rothenberger finished the season with a 12-1 record from the mound, with a staggering 0.74 earned runs average and a 0.65 WHIP, which refers to walks and hits given up per inning. This means Rothenberger allowed less than one run per game on average and allowed less than one runner on base per inning, on average.
Despite the impressive numbers, Rothenberger was snubbed by state athletic officials and has been left off the list of the 2025 All-State players, according to Fox News.
After making the prestigious list in 2024, the Minnesota Fastpitch Coaches Association decided to omit the transgender player in 2025, possibly in response to federal lawsuits and backlash the state has received for allowing boys to play in girls' sports.
The association told Fox News that selections are determined through a vote of member coaches after an athlete is nominated by his or her coach.
"The sports associations of the MSHSCA each conduct their own process for selecting athletes for recognition and awards. The methods vary from one sports association to another. However, most sports associations start with a nomination process. The final selections are usually determined by a vote of association members or made by a selection committee," a statement to Fox News said.
The Minnesota State High School League, which governs state sports, has been under federal investigation for possible Title IX violations since February. The investigation into the possible violations has since been escalated by the Department of Education.
In June, a group of female athletes filed a lawsuit against the state of Minnesota, claiming they were forced to play against males.
RELATED: Boy who had birth certificate changed to 'female' now dominating girls' softball
In May, an anonymous female softball player from Minnesota spoke to Reduxx and claimed that she played on the same team as Rothenberger in 2023. The girl said she felt foolish for not realizing Rothenberger's real gender.
"I never thought he was a boy, but after finding out he was a boy and then looking back on a lot of things I wouldn't have looked at before, [it] definitely shows he is a boy, and I felt dumb for missing the clues," the girl recalled.
Rothenberger dominated girls in 2024, as well. With an ERA of just 0.40, he easily landed First Team All-State honors. While 2024 was a better season for the athlete, it is hard to imagine his 2025 numbers were not good enough to be included on this year's list — especially after winning state — unless politics were involved.
As Blaze News previously reported, Rothenberger's mother allegedly altered his birth certificate just after he turned 9 years old. Under state law, most changes to birth certificates in Minnesota require labels indicating that information has been changed, but if a person acquires a court order to replace the birth record, "the original record will be sealed," the state notes on its website
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A rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" at a Baltimore Orioles home game is being debated as possibly one of the worst anthem performances of all time.
Before the Orioles hosted the New York Mets at Camden Yards on Thursday, fans were introduced to "Baltimore electronic musician Dan Deacon."
The Baltimore-based recording artist is not an unknown musician. He has over 160,000 monthly listeners on the streaming service Spotify and has had music featured in movies like "Venom."
Nevertheless, Deacon's pregame performance has audiences split over whether what they experienced was new-age art or ear-piercing noise.
'I think the Orioles have officially hit rock bottom.'
The performance initially caught fire on an Orioles fan's X page, which has now racked up over 1.5 million views.
"I think the Orioles have officially hit rock bottom," the fan wrote in a caption, with the video of Deacon's version of the song attached.
With oversize glasses and a Hawaiian shirt draped over a Baltimore Orioles T-shirt, Deacon raised his hand to the sky and delivered one of the most divisive — and electronic — anthem performances of all time.
The Orioles mascot was shown standing at attention behind Deacon before the camera panned to the mixed reactions in the crowd. Saluting police officers were juxtaposed with likely former military members saluting from their seats. Other fans, adults and children alike, are seen laughing. Some attendees appeared confused but still sang along with the anthem.
Buck Britton, the Orioles' interim third base coach, looked the most puzzled during the performance, seemingly looking around for answers as to what he was experiencing.
The internet was split; some hated Deacon's digitized anthem, while others loved its uniqueness.
"WTF is this?" one sports page on X wrote. "National anthem singer Dan Deacon labeled a 'disgrace to America' after bizarre rendition at Orioles game."
Another viewer on X wrote, "Worst national anthem in recent memory."
Oppositely, one X user said, "I wanted to hate it, but I didn't."
One of Deacon's fans chimed in on X and added, "It doesn't need to be Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey wannabes every night" singing the anthem.
"At least it's not in Spanish," another viewer wrote on X, tagging the Los Angeles Dodgers team in the post. This was likely in reference to singer Nezza singing the anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium in June, despite being told by Dodgers staff not to.
The artist later cried in a video posted to TikTok, where she expressed that she did not understand why it was so controversial, despite admitting the performance was in response to raids on illegal immigrants in California.
Almost exactly a year ago, singer Ingrid Andress performed at the MLB's Home Run Derby in what was deemed a horrible performance, with the singer later apologizing and admitting she was drunk.
She told fans the next day she was immediately headed to rehab.
"It only took, you know, global humiliation for me to be like, 'This is a problem,'" Andress explained.
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Perhaps Deacon was the Orioles' good luck charm, though; the struggling team won both games of their doubleheader that day against the Mets, 3-1 and then 7-3.
For fans in search of national anthem performances similar to Deacon's, look no further than Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. The guitarist delivered an equally, if not more, off-brand electronic performance of the anthem at a Los Angeles Lakers home game in 2016.
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It has been five years since fans of Washington's NFL team were robbed of their beloved moniker Redskins. Now, with new ownership since 2023, the team seems closer than ever to bringing the name and famous logo back.
In 2020, the franchise announced it would bend the knee to activism and retire the Redskins name as well as their logo, which bared the likeness of Blackfeet Chief John Two Guns White Calf.
It was even reported that the team would avoid using any Native American imagery at all. Now, as the walls of wokeness crumble all around, the team is slowly creeping toward a reintroduction of the old tradition.
'We are excited to celebrate Washington's incredible history.'
Washington's NFL franchise used the embarrassing interim name of the Washington Football Team for 2020-2021, until becoming the Washington Commanders in 2022. When Josh Harris bought the team in 2023, the fire in fans to bring back the old name quickly started burning again.
For the upcoming 2025-2026 season, the Commanders took a step in that direction when they announced they would be bringing back their "Super Bowl Era" uniforms for three separate games. Celebrating their 1982, 1987, and 1991 Super Bowl wins, the team will bring back their iconic burgundy, white, and gold uniforms.
In a promotional video, the franchise showed off old footage featuring the Redskins logo, reliving the "grit" and the "glory" the fans felt in the 1980s and 1990s. Although, there was one obvious catch.
While mostly obscuring their "W" Commanders logo, the promo did make a point about embracing the future and will not feature the Redskins logo alongside their new jerseys.
The good news is that pressure, timing, and public opinion is definitely on the right side of history.
In April, the team announced plans to move back to the heart of D.C. with a new stadium. Then in early May, President Trump and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that D.C. would host the 2027 NFL Draft.
These moves coupled with the fact that the Blackfeet chief's family actually wants the team to bring back the old logo, and it certainly seems like the momentum is moving in a positive direction.
In a press release about the throwback uniforms, team president Mark Clouse even said the team was trying to find ways to connect the past to the present.
"Ever since Josh Harris and our ownership group acquired the team back in 2023, they've placed great value in finding ways to connect the past and present and honor those that made the burgundy and gold what it is today," Clouse said in a statement.
"These uniforms recognize the most successful era of our franchise — one that reflects a culture of excellence and encompasses many historical moments and special memories amongst our fanbase. Our coaches, players, and the entire organization could not be more excited to celebrate our team's legacy while creating new memories in these uniforms this season," Clouse added.
At the same time, these comments could be interpreted as the team being willing to address the past, without making it a future reality.
For instance, during a 2024 preseason press conference, owner Harris said that the old Redskins name "can't come back."
"We've been very clear, we can't, for obvious reasons, the old name can't come back," Harris explained, per sports radio station the Team 980 AM.
Noting that he wanted to "honor" the team's heritage and past, Harris said he was focusing on unity and "not things that might drive people apart."
In 2025 and beyond, though, bringing back the old name seems to be exactly what would bring fans back together. Hopefully for Redskins supporters, a new stadium, the draft, and President Trump can be big enough catalysts to make their wishes come to fruition.
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It's not often civilians get an up-close and personal look at a professional athlete's skills, but one golfer made sure not to pass up his opportunity when he met one on the golf course.
The Alberta Springs Golf Course in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, was at the center of controversy over the Fourth of July weekend when it produced an unexpected viral video featuring two groups of male golfers.
A man and his friend — the friend allegedly too drunk to put his ball on the golf tee — were apparently holding up another group of golfers behind them for over 20 minutes before an altercation broke out, the video shows.
'You're gonna get booted the f**k out of here!'
The second group finally had enough and told the first group to either move out of the way or simply drop back behind them so there was no delay.
"Drive the f**k up there or you're gonna get booted the f**k out of here!" one man yelled.
After the man filming suggested calling the police to remedy the situation, one of the golfers holding up the second group pleaded with him and stated that his friend was indeed going to play on.
As the second group continued to complain about the delay, the seemingly intoxicated golfer — still struggling to place his ball — exploded in rage after he was told that if he did not speed up he would be thrown in the lake. He soon found out he should have heeded that warning.
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"F**king cry about it!" the man yelled back from the tee box.
Instead of simply hitting his ball, the man threw his hat to the ground and started slapping his legs while screaming, "You're a f**king pussy!"
"Let's f**king go, man!" he continued, before barreling at one of the men in the second group, who was wearing a light blue golf shirt.
As promised, the large man easily handled the golfer and tossed him into the nearby lake. Soaking wet, the man emerged from the lagoon to continue the brawl. The man in blue grabbed then him by the collar and punched him in the face several times.
"Bang! Bang!" the man in blue yelled as he punched the drenched golfer. Unfortunately, the possibly drunk man continued this cycle another two times before being thrown to the ground.
The fight was overwhelmingly one-sided, likely due in part to the fact that the man in blue turned out to be former NHL tough guy Nick Tarnasky, as noted by Barstool Sports and the Toronto Sun.
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Listed at 6'2", 230 pounds, Tarnasky played five years in the NHL, averaging almost 100 penalty minutes per season. He was known as a tough player during his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, and his stats certainly back that up.
At just 40 years old, it is not hard to see why Tarnasky was easily able to handle the golfer. He played for the San Diego Gulls as recently as 2017 in the AHL, the NHL's minor league, so it has only been eight years since he laced up his skates professionally.
As it turns out, he is still in fighting shape.
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The Hunt family, the owners of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, confirmed that they have lost a young family member to the recent Kerr County, Texas, floods.
At least 104 people died as a result of the floods, recent reporting from ABC News showed, including 30 children in Kerr County.
One of the hardest areas hit also included a Christian girls' camp called Camp Mystic, where, as of Tuesday afternoon, five campers and one counselor were still deemed missing. The camp was wrecked by flooded waters from the Guadalupe River that also ravaged the nearby communities before dawn on Friday morning.
Lost in the fray of the disaster have been the personal stories, and the Hunt family's recent revelation is just as sad as any other.
'If your heart is broken, I assure you God is near. He is gentle with your wounds.'
Tavia Hunt, wife of Chiefs owner, Clark Hunt, confirmed the death of their 9-year-old cousin Janie Hunt in a social media post on Sunday.
According to Fox 4, Tavia Hunt explained that their cousin and several of her friends had their lives taken by the storm.
"Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of many lives — including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend's little girls."
Tavia Hunt's message was even more heartbreaking as she talked about her faith.
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"If your heart is broken, I assure you God is near. He is gentle with your wounds," Hunt wrote on Instagram. "And He is still worthy — even when your soul is struggling to believe it."
With her message, Hunt expressed the sentiment that even though bad things happen, trusting in God does not mean one has to be "over the pain" but rather handling it in a way that is near and dear to their heart.
She concluded, "For we do not grieve as those without hope."
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The Hunt family also opened their wallets to flood victims seemingly just hours prior to losing one of their family members. According to Us Weekly, Tavia Hunt had announced a donation of hundreds of thousands of dollars to emergency services for flood relief just an hour before the post about her deceased cousin.
Noting the "devastation and loss of life" caused by the floods, Tavia said the family was donating "$500,000 to provide immediate resources for rescue, relief, and long-term recovery efforts."
Clark Hunt has been the chairman of the Chiefs since 2005 and the co-owner since 2006. The team has won three Super Bowls during his reign.
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The Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Trump administration have reportedly come to terms on a monumental agreement, a first of its kind.
President Trump made the announcement from behind the presidential bulletproof glass in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, while speaking about America's national parks. He had just announced an executive order that calls for the lowering of costs at national parks for American visitors while increasing fees for foreign tourists.
However, the president told his Iowa supporters that he had much bigger plans for perhaps the country's most historic site: the White House.
'This is what the Roman Senate would do ...'
With a "USA" hat on, the president announced that "every one of our national parks, battlefields, and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250," the country's birthday in 2026.
Trump then shocked the audience when he revealed, "I even think we're going to have a UFC fight."
"We're going to have a UFC fight," Trump continued. "Think of this, on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there."
With supporters behind him laughing, unsure whether or not to take the announcement seriously, the president announced a full-fledged "championship fight" with more than 25,000 attendees on White House grounds.
"We're going to do that as part of 250 also. We're going to have some incredible events, some professional events, some amateur events, but the UFC fight's going to be a big deal," Trump announced.
Following the president's remarks, UFC greats wasted no time throwing their hats in the ring to be included in the historic event.
"Happy 4th of July, USA," former UFC champion Conor McGregor wrote on X. "Excited with President Trump announcing a UFC fight event at the White House. I would be honoured! Count me in!"
McGregor has not fought since 2021, and there has been focus on legal troubles and potential political runs in his home country of Ireland. McGregor still consistently teases a comeback, though, an endeavor that would require a significant amount of lead-up time to re-enter the drug testing pool.
Recent heavyweight champion Jon Jones is a more likely candidate, however. The on-again, off-again fighter perked up on the Fourth of July to write on his X page, "Fighting at the White House?" followed by some mischievous eyes.
Jones has fought just twice in the last two years and was recently thought to have retired, conceding his belt. As is typical of Jones, though, he claimed just 20 minutes after his post that he had re-entered the drug testing pool just to "keep everyone’s options open."
RELATED: UFC fighter Miesha Tate rejects transgender athletes being in women's sports 'in any form'
— (@)
Fans had their own concerns in reaction to the news. One replied to the announcement on X that the "security risk" for an event at the White House meant it "surely it doesn't go through."
While some thought the event might be "one for the history books," others decided such a display indicates a failing empire.
"This is what the Roman Senate would do to distract the plebs from revolting against unfair taxation," an X user said in reaction to ESPN's report.
NBC News confirmed through a UFC spokesperson last week that the event is indeed in the works, and the president implied that an official UFC Octagon and setup will be built at the White House.
"We're going to build a little. ... We're not; Dana's going to do it," Trump joked about UFC President Dana White.
Historically speaking, this would not technically be the first sporting event to take place on White House grounds, a fact that comes with a huge asterisk. The Tee Ball on the South Lawn games under President George W. Bush predate any possible UFC card, although both events are likely to have served burgers and hot dogs.
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'While young female athletes and students are forced to share single-sex spaces with biological males, leaders in states like California and Maine continue to play politics at the expense of women’s rights.'
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