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Jesús Montero, former Yankees top prospect and Mariners player, dead at 35

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Jesús Montero, former Yankees top prospect and Mariners player, dead at 35


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Jesús Montero, a former top prospect with the New York Yankees who ended up mostly playing in the majors for the Seattle Mariners, has died. He was 35.

The Yankees announced the Venezuela native’s death on social media.

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New York Yankees catcher Jesus Montero (83) at bat during their spring training against the Washington Nationals at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 5, 2011. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)

“The Yankees are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jesús Montero. We send our sincerest condolences to his family & loved ones,” the Yankees said.

Montero was involved in a motorcycle crash in Venezuela earlier this month, according to a GoFundMe that was set up to pay for his hospital bills, according to the New York Post. He was put into a coma and later died.

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Jesus Montero swings the bat

Seattle Mariners first baseman Jesus Montero (63) watches his three-run homer against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Safeco Field on Sept. 16, 2015. (Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports)

Montero was ranked as high as No. 3 in Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus’ top prospects before the 2011 season. He made his debut for the Yankees’ Rookie League team when he was just 17. He hit .280 with three home runs in 33 games.

He played in 18 games for the Yankees in 2011. He was traded to the Mariners in January 2012 as part of a deal that landed Michael Pineda and Jose Campos in pinstripes.

Montero was with the Mariners from 2012 to 2015. In 208 games, the catcher and designated hitter hit .247 with a .668 OPS and 24 home runs.

Jesus Montero behind the plate in spring training

New York Yankees catcher Jesus Montero (83) during their spring training against the Washington Nationals at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 5, 2011. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)

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He was with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles after his time with the Mariners was finished, but never saw time at the major league level for either team.

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Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck advocates for cholesterol screening after father’s cardiac arrest death

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Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck advocates for cholesterol screening after father’s cardiac arrest death


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Three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck made sure to avoid defenders when throwing passes in his 18-year NFL career, but now he makes sure that he keeps his cholesterol down in his post-playing days.

Hasselbeck’s father, Don Hasselbeck, passed away suddenly at age 70 from cardiac arrest. Following his death, Hasselbeck’s mother urged him to get screened, and he was humbled by his results.

“It was really my mom who said to, you know, there’s three boys in our family and said, ‘Boys, I want you to get screened for everything, you know, calcium score in your heart, blood pressure, LDL cholesterol,'” Hasselbeck told Fox News Digital in a recent interview with the Family Heart Foundation.

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Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) of the Seattle Seahawks throws a pass in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears in the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, on Jan. 16, 2011. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

“And we kind of like to be honest kind of rolled my eyes at the cholesterol one, because I was like, ‘Oh, that’s for people that are out of shape, the people that I crush on the Peloton.’”

“I was humbled really when my scores came back. A lot of my other scores were great, fantastic, and the cholesterol thing was too high, and I was shocked to be honest, and I can’t take credit for taking ownership. I just was trying to honor my mom kind of in a tough time for her and through the process accidentally probably helped myself quite a bit and probably helped my kids. It was eye-opening.”

Hasselbeck has partnered with the Family Heart Foundation for their “Tackle Cholesterol: Get into the LDL Safe Zone” campaign. As a football player, Hasselbeck said he always knew if he was injured, but with cholesterol, the threat is invisible.

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Matt Hasselbeck, Don Hasselbeck, Tim Hasselbeck

(Left) Matt Hasselbeck, (middle) Don Hasselbeck, and (right) Tim Hasselbeck all pose for a photo.  (Courtesy of Matt Hasselbeck)

“When you’re a football player, a lot of the injuries that you have, you can see them. It’s a shoulder, it’s a knee, it’s a high ankle sprain. It’s like orthopedic. With things like LDL cholesterol, it’s invisible. And you can exercise all you want or eat as great as you want, but if you aren’t in that safe zone of where you need to be cholesterol-wise, it can lead to all kinds of different issues, and cardiac arrest is one of them,” Hasselbeck said.

Hasselbeck, who has a family history of cardiovascular disease, urges families and fans to get screened. Hasselbeck hopes people will visit CholesterolConnect.org for more information or to order a free, one-time at-home cholesterol screening.

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Matt Hasselbeck greets

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck greets fans before the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on Jan. 25, 2026. (Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)

“I’m really passionate about trying to tell everyone it’s the easiest thing ever to get screened. Get screened, find out what your numbers are, find out what those numbers mean, and then you’ll know how to lower your risk,” Hasselbeck said.

Hasselbeck played for four different teams in his 18-year career: 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, three with the Indianapolis Colts, two with the Green Bay Packers, and two with the Tennessee Titans. In 209 games, he completed 60.5% of his passes for 36,638 yards with 212 touchdowns and 153 interceptions.

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Hispanic icons who owned Super Bowl halftime before Bad Bunny

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Hispanic icons who owned Super Bowl halftime before Bad Bunny


SUPER BOWL LX is making history: For the first time, the halftime show will feature a Spanish language-dominant solo performance, led by multi-Grammy-winning Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny. While Latin powerhouses such as Shakira and Jennifer Lopez have electrified previous shows, this groundbreaking moment represents something bigger — a celebration of Latin music’s explosive global reach and a nod to the 40-plus-million Spanish speakers calling the U.S. home. This isn’t just entertainment; it’s a cultural earthquake showcasing how American identity and inclusivity are constantly evolving.

As Super Bowl 60 festivities kick off, let’s revisit magnificent moments when Hispanic artists took center stage at halftime.

Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan was the first Hispanic artist to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show in 1992. Estefan performed “Live for Loving You” and “Get on Your Feet” on a 50-foot elevated platform to close out the “Winter Magic” themed halftime show in Minneapolis. The Cuban-American artist returned to the Super Bowl stage seven years later and performed alongside Stevie Wonder and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Super Bowl XXXIII. As part of the “A celebration of Soul, Salsa and Swing” halftime show in Miami, Estefan performed her single “Oye,” which blends Spanish and English lyrics.

Arturo Sandoval and the Miami Sound Machine

Sandoval and Latin Pop group Miami Sound Machine shared the halftime show stage with Patti LaBelle and Tony Bennett at Super Bowl XXIX in 1995. Sandoval delivered a memorable trumpet solo during Bennett’s rendition of Duke Ellington’s classic “Caravan.” The show, entitled “Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye,” featured more than 1,000 performers, including dancers, acrobats and jugglers. The show concluded with a spectacular performance of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” with all the performers sharing the stage.

Christina Aguilera and Enrique Iglesias

The Disney-produced Super Bowl XXXIV halftime show in Atlanta featured Hispanic pop stars Christina Aguilera and Enrique Iglesias. In front of more than 70,000 fans, the co-headliners performed “Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand” on a giant circular stage. The elaborate millennium celebration also included Phil Collins, Toni Braxton, an 80-person choir and Edward James Olmos as the show’s narrator.

Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars made Super Bowl history at 28 years old when he headlined the halftime show at Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. Mars became the youngest artist to solo-headline the Super Bowl halftime show. He was accompanied by the eight members of his band, The Hooligans, which also includes his older brother Eric “E-Panda” Hernandez on drums. The group members were outfitted in matching Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane suits. Mars’ six-song set also featured a special guest appearance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, culminating in a joint performance of “Give It Away.” Two years later, Mars was a special guest at the Super Bowl 50 halftime show, where he performed “Uptown Funk” and joined Beyoncé and Coldplay during the show.

Gustavo Dudamel and the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles

LA Philharmonic music director Gustavo Dudamel and the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) were special guests during Coldplay’s halftime performance at Super Bowl 50. The Venezuelan conductor directed YOLA members in performances of “Viva La Vida” and “Paradise “alongside the band at Levi’s Stadium. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin asked Dudamel to join the halftime show, which was watched by 115.5 million viewers.

Fergie and Taboo of The Black Eyed Peas

Two members of the Black Eyed Peas trace their roots to Hispanic lineage. Taboo Nawasha, born Jaime Luis Gomez, has Mexican and Native American roots. Fergie, the group’s lead singer at the time, shares Mexican ancestry through her great-grandmother, who was from Guanajuato, Mexico. Their eight-song halftime set at Super Bowl XLV included hits “I Gotta Feeling” and “Let’s Get It Started.” The halftime show also featured guest performances by Usher and Guns N’ Roses guitarist, Slash, attracting a total audience of 110.2 million viewers in 2011.

Shakira

Shakira and Jennifer Lopez were the first Hispanic duo to co-headline a Super Bowl halftime show in 2020. On the same day Shakira turned 43, she opened the show with “She Wolf,” “Empire,” and “Ojos Así.” As the show drew to a close, the native Colombian star teamed up with Lopez for the grand finale of “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” during which Shakira showcased the Afro-Colombian dance champeta. The Super Bowl LIV halftime show drew an estimated 103 million viewers.

Jennifer Lopez

In a performance that celebrated Latin culture and Latina empowerment, Jennifer Lopez co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV halftime show alongside Shakira. Lopez’s seven-minute portion of the set included hits such as “Jenny from the Block” and “Ain’t it Funny.” Her then-11-year-old daughter, Emme Maribel Muñiz, performed “Let’s Get Loud,” which carried a powerful message about immigration policies. Lopez wore a double-sided feather cape with both the American and Puerto Rican flags as her daughter sang “Born in the U.S.A.” The entire 14-minute production won an Emmy and received four nominations.

J Balvin

The Colombian icon known as “Reggaeton’s Global Ambassador” energized the Super Bowl LIV stage alongside Jennifer Lopez during the mash-up of “Qué Calor” and “Mi Gente.” During the performance, the Spanish-language artist wore his Air Jordan 1 collaboration. The debut of this shoe during the halftime show marked the first partnership between a Latin artist and the Jordan Brand.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny appeared as a surprise guest during Shakira’s cover of “I Like It” during the Super Bowl halftime show in Miami. The Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton music performed his verse from Cardi B’s 2018 hit, which blends Spanish lyrics into the mix. The pair then followed up with a collaboration on Shakira’s popular Spanish track, “Chantaje.” Bad Bunny will be the first Latin American male artist to headline a Super Bowl halftime show in 2026.

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Patriots’ Stefon Diggs answers Cardi B proposal question ahead of Super Bowl LX

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Patriots’ Stefon Diggs answers Cardi B proposal question ahead of Super Bowl LX


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A celebrity power couple is present in Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX, as New England Patriots star receiver Stefon Diggs and rapper Cardi B are hoping Sunday night is filled with celebration at Levi’s Stadium.

Diggs and Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, have been enjoying this playoff run, as the veteran receiver finally got a shot at winning a Super Bowl ring in his 11th NFL season.

But that’s the only ring that matters right now, as he was asked a specific question about his relationship during Super Bowl media availability on Monday night.

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Stefon Diggs of the New England Patriots looks on during Super Bowl LX Opening Night at San Jose McEnery Convention Center on Feb. 2, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

“After you get a ring, is Cardi getting her ring?” a media member questioned Diggs at the podium.

With a laugh, Diggs gave his response.

“It’s on the agenda maybe, right? Right?” he said. “I gotta get mine first, though.”

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Cardi B has been a true fan of the Patriots, especially after their Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans. She saw that ESPN panelists all chose the Texans to beat the Patriots in Foxborough at Gillette Stadium, and she let them hear it with a social media video after the game.

“THEY DIDN’T BELIEVE IN US!!! I LIKE US!!!!! WE ALL WE GOT!!!!! WE ALL WE NEED !!!! #PATSNATION,” she captioned her video on X.

Cardi B at a November Patriots game

Rapper Cardi B acknowledges the crowd during the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 2, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Cardi B confirmed she was dating Diggs in September, and she’s been spotted at Gillette Stadium several times with the other wives and girlfriends of Patriots players as well as team owner Robert Kraft. They also had a child together in November.

Cardi B is expected to be at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, cheering on Diggs this Sunday, and he will be a focal point for the Patriots.

Diggs has had modest production this postseason, tallying just 73 yards on 11 receptions with one touchdown across three games.

Stefon Diggs looks on during media availability

Stefon Diggs of the New England Patriots speaks to the media during Super Bowl LX Opening Night at San Jose McEnery Convention Center on Feb. 2, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

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But he was the team’s leader in receiving yards this regular season, building quick chemistry with Maye and earning 1,013 yards on a team-high 85 receptions with four touchdowns.

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