SAN FRANCISCO – The assumption before the season was that the Seattle Seahawks would be on the outside looking in at the Super Bowl, but just about everyone was wrong.

The team’s offseason included a major overhaul, trading away Geno Smith, signing Sam Darnold and even letting DK Metcalf go to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Those moves turned out to be for the better because they clinched the NFC’s top seed with a 14-3 record and are now one win away from their first title in 12 years.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM 

The Seahawks dismantled their division rival, the San Francisco 49ers, in Week 18 to clinch the top seed and then did so again two weeks later in the divisional round.

“They’re a hell of a team. You know, they beat us in both those games. They definitely had our number in both those games. We had to play better, we needed to limit our mistakes,” Christian McCaffrey told Fox News Digital on Radio Row.

“They’re a really well-coached team. Obviously, they got talent across the board, their defense is good, Sam leading the offense with Klint Kubiak,” added Brock Purdy. 

“They’ve done a really good job, man. They’ve earned it. They’re a team that we have to obviously be ready for every single week or every time we play them. Across the board, a really good team.”

CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY REFLECTS ON 2025 SUCCESS AFTER INJURY-PLAGUED 2024 SEASON: ‘JUST THANK GOD’

McCaffrey, though, said the Niners weren’t exactly given the benefit of the doubt against the juggernaut with some schedule craziness.

“I don’t want to make excuses, but the NFL did put us on three short weeks at the end of a season when we had a Week 14 bye. So, they didn’t do us any favors in that,” McCaffrey said. “When you have so many injuries, and you’re kind of decimated already, and then you put a team like that on short weeks, it makes it more challenging.

“But, at the same time, those guys beat us. They beat us in every facet of the game. And if we want to win, we got to play better. Simple as that.”

Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards while catching 119 passes, 10 for touchdowns. Darnold also became the only quarterback to win 14 or more games for two different teams in back-to-back seasons.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

They’ll face the New England Patriots at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium, which McCaffrey and Purdy call home, Sunday.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter

Bad Bunny is backing down from a comment he made in October, saying that critics of his upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance needed to learn Spanish.

“I’m really excited to be doing the Super Bowl. I know that people all around the world who love my music are also happy,” he said on “Saturday Night Live,” before teasing his critics in Spanish.

“If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM 

This week, during an appearance at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, Bad Bunny said learning Spanish was not necessary.

“I know I told them they had four months to learn Spanish. They don’t even have to learn Spanish. They (can) learn to dance,” Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, told a jam-packed crowd.

RAMS’ PUKA NACUA REACTS TO MATTHEW STAFFORD’S MVP, 2026 RETURN: ‘I ALMOST DID A BACKFLIP’

Bad Bunny, who has been Spotify’s most-streamed artist four times in the last six years, got the nod in September. His 2022 album, “Un Verano Sin Ti,” is the app’s most-streamed album of all time, and he has more than 51 million followers on Instagram.

The artist received both praise and backlash for his “ICE out” comments at the Grammys earlier this week. Bad Bunny said last fall he decided to do his residency shows in his native Puerto Rico and didn’t book any U.S. dates on his tour over fears his fans would be detained by ICE agents.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said he will avoid Bad Bunny’s performance in the “Woke Bowl.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“And we’ve got Bad Bunny, or Bad Rabbit, at halftime. I’ll be watching the (Turning Point USA) halftime show. It’s just unfortunate we’ve gotten to this point,” Tuberville said.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

How to get children reading again has become one of the highly debated questions in education.

At the centre of it sits an argument over what young people should be reading at school, with the campaigners behind the Lit in Colour movement suggesting that the answer lies in reforming English Literature education.

They argue that GCSE reading lists are out of step with modern Britain and fail to reflect the diversity of the society in which students live.

Calling for a broader balance of voices, including more writers of colour, Lit in Colour claims changes could help reignite a love of reading among students who currently feel disengaged.

Some pupils at The Swan School in Oxfordshire say they are already seeing the impact of the campaign.

Saba told Sky News: “Difference and diversity is important in literature because I think it helps everyone deepen that understanding of the world.

“It’s also important that everyone can see themselves in literature.”

The campaign has gained momentum as concerns grow about falling reading engagement.

Research carried out by Public First for Lit in Colour suggests 33% of young people say the books they read at school put them off reading, while 68% want an English curriculum that better reflects modern Britain.

Caspar, another student, said exposure to a wider range of voices has changed how he sees the world.

“I think it’s made me more empathetic and open to other people’s lives and what’s going on,” he told Sky News.

“You never really understand what’s going through someone’s life until you actually see what’s happening.”

Caleb added that diverse voices in reading can make “us aware that we can do anything, especially for me, being a young black man in this generation”.

“It makes me aware that I can do so much,” he added

And Bana said: “It just leads on to different perspectives that some students might not be able to see or are not familiar with.”

On getting kids reading, Harriet Hintzer, head of English at The Swan School, told Sky News that campaigns like Lit in colour “shows you once again that kids do love reading, if you give them the right stuff”.

“I think campaigns like Lit in Colour make it far easier than it used to be,” she added. “There are now a lot of resources available, and we’re prepared to share them.”

The government’s recent Curriculum and Assessment Review has recommended that schools ensure pupils study diverse books and poems, but campaigners argue the pace of change remains too slow.

Critics warn however that expanding the curriculum risks diluting academic rigour, insisting that classic writers such as Shakespeare and Dickens should remain central pillars of English literature.

Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, educator and director at the anti-identity politics group Don’t Divide Us, told Sky News: “Shakespeare or Dickens are not just personifications of literary talent; they are human beings in a particular time and place.

“Their social and cultural experiences inform their work, but what makes them still of value today is their unique literary talent.”

Dr Cuthbert also argues that students are being “sold short” if literary quality is compromised, adding that diverse books “might be what you want to read in your own time, for pleasure at home”.

“But,” she said, “they are simply not of sufficient literary quality to be on the curriculum.”

Currently, some exam boards include works by former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman, Dame Meera Syal, Kit De Waal and Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro.

Some curricula also include works by the authors Chinua Achebe, Zadie Smith and Vikram Seth.

Read more from Sky News:
Doctors warn of ‘horrific’ impact of tech and devices on children
Nearly a third of kids can’t use books when starting school

The spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “High and rising standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure all children can achieve and thrive.

“As part of the government’s response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, we will ensure that alongside classic English literature, the curriculum will allow space for teachers to choose a wider range of texts and authors.”

Around 4,000 students from 63 schools of Noida and Greater Noida participated in the initial phase of the chess competition. The competition is being organized in two age groups. The first category includes students up to 12 years of age and the second category includes students above 12 years of age. Players from major schools of the area are participating in it. The competition is being organized in collaboration with UP Chess Sports Association and Gautam Buddha Nagar Chess Association. The association’s international arbiter Lalit Kapoor, joint secretary Atul Nigam and senior arbiter team will monitor the final matches.

There were four rounds of matches on the first day
On the first day i.e. Saturday, the rapid rounds of the competitions started at around 10.30 am as per FIDE rules. A total of four rounds of matches were played on the initial day, while three rounds of matches were being played on the second day i.e. Sunday. Its final match will also be played today itself. A total of seven rounds consisting of two days were to be played on the basis of classic system. More than 250+ participants took part in it. There is a time limit of 15 minutes for each player and an additional 10 seconds will be added for each move.

Winners will get prizes
On the second day of the finale, prizes will be awarded to the top five players in both age groups. The first winner will be given a prize of Rs 21 thousand, the second winner will be given Rs 11 thousand and the third place winner will be given Rs 5100. Also, the fourth winner will be given a prize of Rs 3100 and the fifth winner will be given a prize of Rs 2100. Participation certificates will also be given to all players.

The American women’s hockey team improved to 2-0 at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Saturday.

Team USA captain Hilary Knight scored in a second straight game, tying the U.S. Olympic record in the Americans’ 5-0 rout of Finland. Her 14 career Winter Olympic goals match totals set by Natalie Darwitz and Katie King.

The Americans wore down an illness-hampered Finnish squad, extending Finland’s winless Olympic record against the U.S. to 0-11. Vice President JD Vance and his family attended and cheered on the tournament-favorite Americans.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Team USA defender Megan Keller had a goal and two assists, while Alex Carpenter, Taylor Heise and Abbey Murphy also scored. Aerin Frankel stopped 11 shots for her first shutout in just her second career Olympic game.

The Finns returned to the ice as a full team for the first time since last being together at practice Tuesday. That night, four players developed symptoms of norovirus. Two days later, Finland’s 23-player roster was down to eight forwards and two goalies, prompting Olympic officials to postpone the team’s tournament opener against Canada to Feb. 12.

2026 MILAN CORTINA OLYMPICS: EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT THIS YEAR’S WINTER GAMES

On Friday, coach Tero Lehterä vowed his team would play the Americans even if it meant having a minimum of five forwards and a goalie. After canceling their morning skate Saturday, the Finns took the ice six hours later with a full 22-player contingent.

Goalie Sanni Ahola stopped 44 shots and kept the Finns in the game through a first period in which she stopped 14 of 15 shots. Carpenter was the only one who beat her, scoring with a one-timer from the slot on a power-play goal with just under five minutes left in the period.

Vance was seated next to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena.

Vance and his family entered during the intermission at the end of the first period, with the U.S. leading 1-0. Paul joined them shortly after. Paul’s fiancée, Jutta Leerdam, is a speedskater and is competing for her native Netherlands at the Winter Games.

U.S. second lady Usha Vance wore a sweatshirt with “USA” in big letters.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Among those also seated near Vance were 2010 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek and hockey’s twin sisters, Hall of Famers Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando. They were members of the U.S. gold medal-winning team at the 2018 Winter Games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., asked attendees at a campaign event Saturday to show government-issued photo ID, even while opposing similar standards for voters in federal elections.

Email confirmation information for an Ossoff rally in Atlanta detailed that “a matching government-issued ID will be verified against the RSVP list by name to enter.”

Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., who is running against Ossoff for a Senate seat in 2026, blasted what he called a double standard.

VULNERABLE DEM’S SUPPORT FOR ALEX PRETTI COLLIDES WITH LAKEN RILEY ACT ANNIVERSARY

“Typical Jon Ossoff to say one thing and do another. It’s ridiculous that Jon Ossoff would require a government ID to listen to him speak about why you shouldn’t need a government ID to vote,” Collins said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Ossoff’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

In the wake of election security concerns highlighted by President Donald Trump in previous years, Republicans across Congress have made demands for tighter voter registration standards.

Most recently, lawmakers led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., have called for the passage of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES THREATEN EXTENDED SHUTDOWN OVER ELECTION INTEGRITY MEASURE

In its current form, the SAVE Act would embed proof of citizenship requirements into existing voter registration pathways and require states to conduct stricter audits of their voter rolls. The bill also defines documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and links it to some form of photo ID.

It is illegal for noncitizens to participate in federal elections, although Republicans maintain that the standard is applied inconsistently, leading to easily exploitable election vulnerabilities. 

Democrats like Ossoff have blasted the legislation, arguing it would only make it harder for people with limited access to photo ID to participate in elections.

SCHUMER FACES BACKLASH AFTER CALLING SAVE ACT ‘JIM CROW’ DESPITE PREVIOUS ALLEGATION FALLING FLAT

“This is a nakedly partisan, totally unworkable, bad-faith bill cynically intended to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters,” Ossoff said in a statement on the SAVE Act as the bill made its way through the House of Representatives last year.

An earlier version of the SAVE already passed the House in April 2025, attracting bipartisan support in a 216-208 vote. Four Democrats joined Republicans to pass the bill.

Despite Ossoff’s previous opposition to the SAVE Act, his campaign event framed the requirement for photo ID as a security measure.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Due to security requirements … be ready to show ID that matches our RSVP list and these arrival instructions (printed or on your phone),” the campaign event’s confirmation email said.

The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation reaches the chamber floor, is expected to consider an updated version of the SAVE Act in the House of Representatives Monday.