President Donald Trump is skeptical about the National Football League continuing to hold its first-ever game in Paris amid protests.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are still set to kick off Sunday despite the civil unrest and a Paris Saint-Germain soccer game the same day being postponed.
Paris police requested a postponement of the PSG game because police and security resources are stretched thin due to mass protests, ongoing civil unrest and France's first NFL game happening in the region, per multiple reports.
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The NFL said in a reply to an email from OutKick and Fox News Digital that the PSG game did not impact any potential decision to move the Steelers-Saints game. However, Trump said the NFL "could've probably postponed that match."
"It's looking like tomorrow is going to be a bad day in France, so you worry about it. I would've said the NFL could've probably postponed that match... France is really in trouble," Trump told reporters on Friday.
Trump then took a shot at Democratic policies.
"That's what happens when you go left. That's what happens when you allow unlimited numbers of people into your country from very unfriendly countries."
The NFL has insisted multiple times this week that Sunday's game in France will be safe to play and safe for fans to attend amid civil unrest. However, the Steelers canceled a fan event in the area.
According to a league source, the topics discussed at the two-hour gathering included security for the game, the readiness of the Stade de France, where the game is to be played and the growth of flag football in France.
Organizers of the Paris protest told the Associated Press that an administrative court overturned a protest ban issued by police after they challenged it. The Paris prefecture previously said the ban was necessary, given the risk of street violence after groups of masked youth clashed with officers, looted shops and torched cars over the weekend.
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The organizers signed a police document stating that the protest would remain stationary due to the risk of violence.
Earlier this week, Dani Watt, the wife of Steelers defensive end TJ Watt, questioned publicly why the game has not been moved.
"Tell me how this one makes sense???" Watt posted.
The NFL on Thursday told OutKick that its own NFL Fan House event scheduled for Friday and Saturday remains as scheduled.
"It's happening," a league spokesman said.
On Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he would attend the game and had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in recent days about moving forward with it.
Rubio told OutKick that the American embassy in France believes the game "will be fine."
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OutKick's Armando Salguero contributed to this report.
The narrative on social media that Vice President JD Vance was ignored by multiple Cincinnati Bengals players at a recent team practice apparently does not reflect what actually unfolded that day, a source with knowledge of the visit told OutKick.
A recent video shared online showed Vance and his family outside the team's locker room on Thursday as the team walked back in. The video, that did not have clear audio of the interaction, showed Bengals tight end Drew Sample stop to shake the vice president's hand as other players walked by.
But footage obtained by OutKick portrayed a different story, including a handshake with an enthusiastic Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. The video also captured audio and appeared to show Vance chopping it up with players and other staffers.
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"Seeing how the media works is actually pretty crazy. The players, staff, and Vice President Vance and his son all had a great time at practice," the source told OutKick exclusively. "All of these negative tweets and articles are completely detached from the reality of how well the visit went."
Initial reaction to the video shared on social described the interaction as Vance getting "snubbed" by the team.
"This is what TOTAL HUMILIATION looks like: JD Vance attempted to greet Cincinnati Bengals players in the locker room and got snubbed and ghosted by every single player except one," one person wrote on X.
"JD Vance walked into the Bengals locker room looking for a photo-op, and the players gave him the cold shoulder he deserves," another person wrote, adding that the team didn't want to be used for"political theater."
But the source told OutKick that Vance and his son were warmly received when visiting the facility with no planned media engagement. A photo obtained by OutKick showed the vice president and his family playing catch on the field. The source added that defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence approached the vice president and had conversation with him during the visit.
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Vance, an Ohio native, is a longtime Bengals fan, growing up roughly an hour outside of Cincinnati. He has a home in Cincinnati’s East Walnut Hills neighborhood.
Vance toured the team's locker room, shook hands with several players, coach Zac Taylor and others, and came away with a football. It is unclear if Vance brought the ball to be autographed or the club gave it to him as a memento.
Quarterback Joe Burrow said he "did not" talk to Vance.
"He came with everybody and left with swiftness and efficiency before the end of practice, so I didn't get to," Burrow told reporters earlier this week.
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Vance was in town to deliver a speech at the FBI's Cincinnati Field Office and then hold a campaign rally at the Sharonville Convention Center.
OutKick's Armando Salguero contributed to this report.
Sports betting is a big part of the sports experience these days, and unfortunately, that will lead to questions about the game's integrity, as OutKick's Craig Carton pointed out on Friday's edition of "The Craig Carton Show."
The Chicago Bears took on the New England Patriots on Thursday, and there was a certain play late in the first half that caught Carton's attention.
Patriots running back Rhamondre Stephenson caught a screen pass at midfield and somehow took it all the way to the house for a late touchdown with no time left on the clock. But it was what Bears DB Malik Muhammad did on the play that had Carton asking questions.
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Did... did Muhammad turn and run in the complete opposite direction that Stephenson was headed?
Well, it's at least worth asking some questions.
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"What Malik Muhammad does next is why every single person that is against legalized wagering thinks the fix is in," he said. "Rather than step into the hole and make an attempt to tackle Stevenson, he literally runs away from the play."
Whether it was a bad read or something else, there's really no question: that was about as big a whiff as you'll see in the NFL.
Fortunately, that play didn't have any impact on the game as the Bears won and covered the spread.
Carton noted that the play likely got more attention because it was on a Thursday night, and that the NFL should be asking some questions.
"And that's the type of play that needs to be investigated," he said. "The NFL now has to sit down and interview Malik Muhammad and interview Ben Johnson of the Bears and get an explanation as to why (Muhammad was) running away from the ball carrier? Like it makes no sense at all. There's not even a logical, reasonable explanation of 'Well, I was going this way because I thought he might cut outside.'
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"No, there was no chance to cut outside because by you coming this way, you opened up a seven-yard gap."
'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news, and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday-Friday on OutKick.com.
We're eight days out, folks.
Eight days away from Halloween. Hard to believe, right? October is flying by, and for good reason. We've got a TON going on right now — and that doesn't even include the World Series, which starts tonight.
Show of hands ... who's paying attention? I know there's this big debate about small market teams and lack of interest ... blah, blah, blah.
I don't care. Anything — and I mean anything — beats having to watch the Dodgers. Give me some fresh blood in the Fall Classic. I don't even like the Rays, but I'll take them over the alternative.
Obviously, we're all rooting for the Brewers, right? Feels like that's a pretty unanimous choice. If you haven't watched a single second of Brewers baseball this year, do me a favor and watch the first inning tonight.
Wait till you see this Jacob Misiorowski pitch. He's gonna blow your minds.
On that note, welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where fans (you guys!) weigh in on two things that are pretty top-of-mind at the moment ...
Penalties in the NFL, and the ongoing anthem controversies in both the W and NBA.
Spoiler alert: You're sick of both! I don't blame you.
What else? I've got bedlam in Boone, I thought Kirk Herbstreit was actually really good alongside Al Michaels last night (see, I can be nice!), and let's check in with UGA fans after last week's horrible loss to Auburn.
They're doing great!
OK, grab you some bologna for National Bologna Day, and settle in for a Friday 'Cap!
I'm certain we've celebrated this day before, because I contend that bologna is one of the more — if not the most — underrated meats on the market.
People dunk on bologna all the time, and it's baffling to me. I don't get it.
I'd put a fried bologna sammy over any sammy in this country. I'm dead serious. It's rare that you can find one anymore, but if you do, you're in for quite a ride. Nice thick slice of bologna? Cheese? Toasted bun. The best.
Mount Rushmore of deli meats? Sure! Why not?
1. Bologna (duh)
2. Pepperoni (not sure it counts as a deli meat, but I get it from my Publix deli, so it counts today)
3. Turkey (gotta be sandwich-sliced though. If it's too thin, I walk away. Thinly sliced turkey is for the birds)
4. Roast beef (I had chicken in this spot last year, but I've evolved)
And that concludes our culinary portion of today's class! Gordon Ramsay would be proud.
OK, let's go ahead and get started by addressing some fan frustration from this past week. First, we'll start with last night's flag-fest in Chicago:
Yikes. Look, I don't even think last night was that bad when you compare it to the rest of the year, but still ... the flags in the NFL are out of control right now.
I believe Al Michaels made a comment about it last night. Whenever there's a big play, you almost expect a flag. You're STUNNED when you don't see one.
That's not a great place to be. There's no flow in these games anymore. No rhythm. It's just a three-hour ref show at this point. I don't know who to blame, by the way.
The players? The coaches? The league for, at times, forgetting it's actually tackle football? Everyone probably shares some of it.
Bottom line? It's hurting the product. Something has to change.
Moving on ...
Yesterday, I asked the class how y'all felt about the ongoing anthem debates raging in both the WNBA and with LeBron James. I was curious, mainly because I'm personally just over it all.
I don't care anymore. I think it's all silly and the players doing it are insufferable, but I'm just tired of giving them oxygen at this point. It's not worth it.
You guys agreed.
Here's a quick sampling of some of the responses I received — and I received DOZENS of emails last night.
Yeah, I cannot stand LeBron James. He's awful, and has been for decades now. He's the worst. But it's 2026. We've known this about LeBron for YEARS now.
Why should I let it bother me anymore? What's the point? Why am I letting LEBRON JAMES or the WNBA girls affect my mood? It's silly. I'm over it.
Most of you are, too.
OK, let's rapid-fire this Friday class into a big weekend of FOOTBALL. First up? I give Herbie and Al Michaels a lot of grief, but I thought Kirk was actually really good last night.
He absolutely nailed the most pivotal moment of the game:
I was screaming at the TV the second I saw it happen. That play was straight out of the Bill Belichick handbook. I thought it was actually brilliant by Mike Vrabel, and I'm no Mike Vrabel fan.
It's the right call. If you somehow stop them, you have to waste a timeout. That's one.
They're gonna go for it because Ben Johnson is Ben Johnson. The chances of getting another stop on 4th and inches are very slim. If you don't, the game is basically over because you're only going to have one timeout left and they'll have a new set of downs.
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I'd take my chances with the 58-yard field goal any day of the week in that spot. Good work, Herbie! Less of the dog, and more of THAT!
Next? While everyone was watching that Bears-Pats ending, I was dialed in on the App. State-JMU game over in Boone.
And buddy, it was college football at its finest:
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I mean, it's just the best. This season, more than any other I can remember, has really separated college and the NFL for me. Right now, college football is clearly No. 1 and it's not particularly close.
It's just a better all-around product at the moment, and the gap is getting wider by the week.
OK, that's it for today. Good class, everyone. While we're talking some college football, I leave you with this incredible message board regarding the University of Georgia football team.
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It just means more in the SEC, baby!
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See you Monday.
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