The Internet has gone into spasm over the past couple of days over an incident on Wednesday involving a couple caught cuddling on the Jumbotron at a Coldplay concert at Gillette stadium in Foxborough near Boston. Instead of leaning into their embrace when they realized they were on camera, the man and woman abruptly pulled apart. She turned her back on the camera. He ducked. The couple’s embarrassment was compounded by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin’s comment from the stage: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.”

The kiss cam clip went viral on social media, gaining millions of hits on X, TikTok, and Instagram. Sleuths soon identified the couple: He’s Andy Byron, the married CEO of New York-based software development company Astronomer; she’s Kristin Cabot, the company’s head of human resources.

Astronomer announced Friday it had put Byron on leave, replacing him with chief product officer Peter DeJoy. “Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability,” said the company in a statement on X, adding that its board of directors has initiated a formal investigation into the matter.

On Saturday, Byron resigned, according to a statement from Astronomer.

Meanwhile, the Internet became awash with responses, including fake statements from Byron and Coldplay, as well as countless memes such as one likening the couple to Muppets Fozzie Bear and Miss Piggy.

There have been IRL responses too. The Philadelphia Phillies made fun of the faux pas by screening a video during Friday night’s game on its Jumbotron of its fuzzy green mascot Phillie Phanatic in an embrace with a fuzzy green companion. People can even buy commemorative merch, such as a sweatshirt bearing the slogan – in caps – “I TOOK MY SIDEPIECE TO THE COLDPLAY CONCERT AND IT RUINED MY LIFE.”

Kiss cams: a mostly awkward history

The origins of Kiss cams are unclear. They likely originated in the 1980s with the advent of big video boards being installed at stadiums in California as a way to fill in the gaps in play in professional baseball games. They often elicit delight, such as when former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn shared a romantic moment before the cheering crowd at an Atlanta Braves game in 2015.

But it’s also true to say the wandering camera has also been the cause of scandal.

A major source of kiss cam controversy has been over the tendency of cams to focus on straight couples, as well as to demean or attack same-sex embraces.

In 2010, for example, the kiss cam at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, the former home of the St. Louis Rams, showed a kiss between two men wearing Arizona Cardinals jerseys, in an apparent homophobic jibe against the rival team.

And in 2015, the New York Mets changed their kiss cam policy after being criticized for promoting homophobia by rallying the crowd to make fun of two men appearing on the cam together.

More often though, kiss cam footage isn’t so much scandalous as awkward.

Take the time in 2012, when former president Barack Obama initially failed to respond to the cam while attending a men’s USA National Team vs. Brazil basketball game with his wife Michelle.

“As the crowd urged the couple to kiss, the president held his arm around the first lady and smiled, but didn’t kiss, prompting a wave of boos from the crowd,” reported CNN. “But fans didn’t leave entirely disappointed. Not long after the couple shied away from a PDA, reporters were brought back into the arena to watch as Obama and his wife re-appeared on the kiss cam, this time with the president going in for the smooch.”

Some celebrity couples prefer to avoid kiss cams altogether. Prince William shared this view with the BBC in 2012 while attending the Olympics in London with his wife Kate Middleton. “I was absolutely dreading they were going to come and show myself and my wife,” he said. “That would have been very embarrassing.”

Copyright 2025 NPR

College football isn’t just for the fresh-faced 19-year-olds anymore. Just ask Hawaii linebacker Logan Taylor, who’s entering his eighth year of college football, has three kids, somehow still finds time to hit people and appears in The Athletic’s All-Geezer Team, constructed by Stewart Mandel and Sam Khan Jr.

Taylor’s journey started way back in 2018. Since then, he’s played a season at junior college, bounced back from two brutal season-ending injuries, and been named a two-time team captain at Hawaii.

Oh, and in case that wasn’t enough, he and his wife just welcomed their third child this February. That’s right, while most college seniors are figuring out how to do their own laundry, Taylor’s got a full-on family of five.

He even took part in Hawaii’s senior day last fall, thinking his career was finally wrapping up. But thanks to a legal victory involving Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, Taylor earned an extra year of eligibility for that long-ago JUCO season. “I can’t believe this rule even passed,” he told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Honestly, neither can we.

Now, Taylor finds himself on The Athletic’s beloved “All-Geezer Team,” a lighthearted tribute to the oldest dudes still suiting up on Saturdays. And the standout defender fits right in.

Not only is he a veteran leader in the locker room, he’s also the kind of guy who can break down film while changing a diaper. Talk about multitasking.

Last season, even after the injuries and the mileage, Taylor was still making plays. He collected 52 total tackles, finishing second on the team.

So here’s to Taylor, the diaper-changing, tackle-making, eighth-year linebacker who refuses to call it quits. He might be older than some of his coaches’ assistants, but he’s still out there proving that age really is just a number, especially when you’ve got three little ones and a spouse cheering from the sidelines.

Related: Cam Newton Explains Why Deion Sanders Didn’t Push for a Salary Cap Until Now

Related: Urban Meyer Caught Off Guard by Colin Cowherd’s Bold USC Take

The 2025 Moneyball Pro-Am was back at Holt High School this week, and the Michigan State Spartans continued to shine, displaying the improvement they have all made throughout the offseason.

Whether it was incredible dunks, flashy passes or step-back 3s, the star showed out in front of packed crowds on Tuesday and Thursday night.

On top of that, freshman forward Jordan Scott made his debut on Thursday after missing time with a leg injury.

You can watch some highlights from some of your favorite Spartans below:

Michigan State senior center Carson Cooper spoke on the offseason following his showing on Tuesday. Below is a partial transcript:

On offseason workouts …

Cooper: “Pretty good so far. Right now, we’re kind of getting into the meat and potatoes of the offseason right now in July, kind of mid-July. But it’s going really well. The team chemistry is continuing to grow, and that’s the big thing that coach (Tom Izzo) obviously is harping on, especially from our team from last year.

“But yeah, right now, everything’s good. Obviously, trying to rehab all of our guys that are kind of hurt and all of that. Getting Jesse (McCulloch) back, and Jordan Scott back, and obviously, getting Kaleb (Glenn) back in rehab and getting himself going. But other than that, it’s been pretty well.”

On McCulloch …

Cooper: “Jesse’s a really mature guy that we have on our team, so he’s kind of understand — he’s kind of been through the wringer I guess, like last year, kind of traveling with us and everything, except just not playing.

“And I think first couple of games, the tempo and all of that is going to be — it might take some getting used to and all of that, but I think, overall, he’s mature enough to really lock in and understand and still be able to take in what coach is talking about during practice and stuff and just taking it in, watching our practice and being able to incorporate that into the games and into our schemes and all of that.”

On if he sees himself getting the green light to shoot from deep …

Cooper: “Yeah, I think so, for sure. Right now, I don’t think my shot was ever broke; I just think we never really saw — it was probably more of the confidence, the comfortability of how I was feeling and all of that.

“But yeah, right now, I feel really good about it, and coach is giving me confidence. He wants me to shoot it just as much as I want to. So yeah, hopefully I’ll be able to knock down one or two every once in a while.”

On having shooters on the team …

Cooper: “I think right now, it’s just finding the good medium between what a good shot and what a bad shot is. I think last year, we might have taken too many bad shots that really hurt our percentage and everything like that, so being able to get our team chemistry good and finding good shots, then we’re going to make more shots. It’s pretty simple.”

On getting newcomers incorporated …

Cooper: “It’s been really good. Obviously, coach is really particular with who he recruits, especially with the new age of basketball. But all of our guys are really — they’re wide-eyed, obviously, but they’re open to learning and they’re open to understanding our schemes and how we play and everything.”

Follow along with all of our coverage from the 2025 Moneyball Pro-Am when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and feel free to share your thoughts when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

Be sure to follow us on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.

LONDON — The British government has announced its support of London’s bid to host the 2029 athletics world championships.

London hosted the biannual premier track-and-field event in 2017 at the London Stadium, which also held the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games. The plan is to stage the 2029 worlds at the same venue.

Saturday’s announcement included the government’s support of a bid for Britain to host the 2029 World Para Athletics Championships.

“Subject to funding from partners being confirmed, the government has agreed to provide significant funding for both bids, reflecting the UK’s ambition to once again bring the world’s greatest athletes to UK shores,” it said in a statement.

The announcement came with London hosting a Diamond League event on Saturday.

This year’s athletics worlds will take place in Tokyo in September. The 2027 edition will be held in Beijing.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he’s “delighted to support the bid.”

“The event would provide a boost for UK businesses and support jobs as well as bring our communities together,” he said in a statement.

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