Kelly Stafford weighed in on the Sydney Sweeney controversy this week, and she did it without naming Sweeney at all.
The wife of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford reshared an Instagram video from fitness influencer Daniel Hong, whose message focused on the way young girls are taught to equate attention with value. Hong said, “My girls are going to grow up in a world where they’re going to learn really quick that attention has value, especially for girls,” and added, “Appearance can get you attention: likes, comments, followers, money, opportunities. All of that is very real.”
He then drew the line he hopes his own daughters understand early. “What I want them to understand is that attention and value are not the same thing,” he said.
Stafford made her reaction clear with a caption that read “THIS THIS THIS THIS,” according to US Magazine.
Her post landed in the middle of the backlash surrounding Sweeney’s new ad campaign with sports prediction platform Novig. The “Just Sports” spot has drawn criticism from female athletes after Sweeney used strategically placed equipment to cover herself throughout the minute-long ad. Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus called it infuriating, and other competitors responded by sharing their own training photos as a direct contrast.
Stafford’s response also carried extra weight because she and Matthew Stafford have four daughters together. Hong’s comments about raising girls in a world shaped by attention and image clearly hit home, especially given that Stafford has spoken before about concerns tied to her daughters growing up in the public eye.
It’s also not the first time Stafford has found herself in the middle of public debate. She recently drew criticism over her behavior at one of her daughters’ birthday parties, and she has kept talking candidly about family life on her podcast this year, including recent remarks about her husband’s football future.
Sweeney, for her part, has answered the criticism by posting old ESPN magazine covers showing other athletes who posed nude for past editions, though she has not responded directly to Stafford.
In Other News...
Deion Sanders Leaving Colorado Would Take More Than Florida State Interest
Deion Sanders has Colorado off to a 2-0 start in 2026, a sharp follow-up to last seasons 3-9 finish, and that alone says plenty about why any conversation around Florida State has to start with what he has built in Boulder. He has more freedom there than most coaches ever get, and the Buffaloes early-season momentum only strengthens the case that he is operating from a position of control, not urgency.
Florida States interest may be real, especially with the Seminoles looking at a possible coaching change after recent administrative shifts, but interest alone does not move this kind of decision. Sanders would have to navigate a hefty buyout, a previous rejection from FSU, his comfort level at Colorado and the financial side of any move, all while weighing whether leaving a job he currently owns makes sense at all. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Weighed In On A Realignment Bill That Matters
Florida State University stepped into the conversation this week with a statement thanking Florida senators Ashley Moody and Rick Scott for taking up one of the most sensitive parts of the Protect College Sports Act. The bills revised language would ease the independence requirement for schools looking to change conferences, trimming it from five years to three and then phasing it out entirely after six years, a change that could reshape how programs move in the next wave of realignment.
The legislation has already cleared two procedural votes in the Senate, with a final vote expected soon, even as Moody and Scott opposed it and drew criticism from former President Donald Trump. For Florida State, the issue is more than a Washington talking point, since conference structure has become one of the sports defining pressure points and any shift in the rules could have long-term consequences for schools trying to protect their place in a changing landscape. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Still Has 2 Weak Spots Florida State Will Target
Alabama heads into its matchup with Florida State carrying plenty of optimism around Kalen DeBoers early run and the fresh security of a contract extension, but the attention around Tuscaloosa is still tied to whether this team has truly smoothed out its rough edges from recent seasons. The Crimson Tide have shown enough to keep expectations high, yet there are still questions about how quickly a new-look offense can settle in and whether the supporting cast around Keelon Russell is fully ready for a real test.
Florida State will get that chance soon enough, and it has a few openings to exploit if Alabamas early-season strengths prove fragile. Russells first stretch has been encouraging in spots, and the offensive line has had moments of stability, but both remain areas the Seminoles can force into a longer, harder afternoon. For a Florida State team looking to measure itself against one of the sports standard-bearers, those are exactly the kind of pressure points worth attacking. [Read more 🡒]