On January 11, 2021, the Philadelphia Eagles fired Doug Pederson, ending a five-year partnership that culminated with the winning of the city’s first and only Super Bowl.

Despite the team’s poor performances, which resulted in a 4-11-1 season finish, Pederson was expected to retain his position as head coach. After a series of meetings with franchise owner Jeffery Lurie, the latter became unconvinced of Pederson’s short and long-term plans for how to address the plethora of issues facing the team.

What Prompted the Release of the Eagle’s Head Coach

During a video news conference, Lurie explained that his first allegiance is what will be best for the Philadelphia Eagles and the fans for the next few years. He divulged that his decision wasn’t based on whether Doug Pederson deserved to be let go. In fact, he admitted that the coach didn’t deserve to lose his job but that the team’s offensive regression was something that couldn’t be ignored, especially in a season during which the NFL set a record for points scored.

Lurie didn’t commit to Carson Wentz returning next season. Instead, he suggested that the new coaching team will work with the star quarterback to get him back on the right track. He also highlighted the importance of the player during his first four seasons at the Eagles while admitting that the fifth was unsatisfactory for a myriad of reasons.

Who Is Doug Pederson

Before becoming a football coach, Doug Pederson was a quarterback who played in the NFL for 13 years, mostly for the Green Bay Packers. During his pro career, he served as a backup for Dan Marino on the Miami Dolphins and Brett Favre on the Packers, winning Super Bowl XXXI. The Eagles were Pederson’s first head coaching position, a role that earned him an NFL ring, making him one of four individuals to win the Super Bowl both as a player and a coach.

While their partnership ended with a poor season, it is the winning of Super Bowl LII that the city, franchise, players, and fans will forever remember.

The International Olympics Committee announced that a team of 29 refugee athletes is going to compete in the Tokyo Olympics. During the virtual ceremony, Thomas Bach, President of the Olympic Committee, unveiled this news, further adding that he is eager to watch them contend.

A Message of Resilience, Solidarity, and Hope

Bach, in the announcement, said that the coming together of the National Olympic Committees from around the world and IOC Refugee Team would magnify the essence of hope, harmony, and strength to the world. He also added that the refugee team forms a fundamental part of the community and is welcomed “with open arms.”

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said the IOC Refugee Team symbolizes “Hopes and Aspirations” for over 80 million refugees in the world. Grandi, also Vice Chairman at Olympic Refuge Foundation, further added that thw refuge team is an extraordinary group that has the power to motivate the world. The fact that they can excel at sports after facing adverse conditions fills him with pride.

The Refugee Team of the Tokyo Olympics

On 23 July, the team will compete under the Olympic flag in the second position after Greece and play in 12 different sports.

Among the athletes is Kimia Alizadeh, the first Iranian woman to ever win an Olympic medal in 2016. She won a Bronze medal in Taekwando. Alizadeh played for Iran during the Rio Olympics and was granted refugee status in Germany when she fled her home country.

Of the 10 athletes, who played on the 2016 commencing refugee team, six will compete again at the Tokyo Olympics. Some of these players include James Nyang Chiengjiek the runner and Yusra Mardini the swimmer. The refugees competing in the Olympics belong from 11 countries: Congo, Syria, Sudan, Venezuela, South Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan, Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, and Cameroon. Out of 56 refuge athletes, 29 athletes were picked and granted scholarships to prepare for the Olympics.