OutKick, in a piece republished on Fox News on Sept. 16, 2026, criticized The Athletic columnist Candace Buckner for an op‑ed that condemned Arch Manning, coach Steve Sarkisian and reporters for their reaction to an AI video and a separate interaction with ESPN reporter Holly Rowe.
The Fox News/OutKick article quoted Buckner’s op‑ed headline: “Did Arch Manning, Steve Sarkisian and cackling reporters act this way? It can’t be real,” and said Buckner called both the AI clip depicting violence against a woman and the reported real‑life behavior “sordid.” The piece said Manning has apologized and Rowe said she accepted the apology.
OutKick also noted that Buckner has not written about Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, who the article said is facing a felony charge for allegedly strangling his ex‑girlfriend and was placed on the NFL Commissioner’s Exempt list. The OutKick story questioned the disparity in coverage and attributed the point to Buckner’s apparent silence on Jacobs.
The Fox News/OutKick article said it contacted The Athletic for comment and to ask if it could speak with Buckner; the outlet did not respond, the article stated.
The details in this summary are drawn from the OutKick piece republished on Fox News on Sept. 16, 2026.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
