USA Update

MICHAEL Strahan has made an outrageous claim that has left his Fox NFL Sunday colleagues in disbelief.

The 53-year-old former New York Giants defensive end was discussing the Kansas City Chiefs‘ chances after a poor start to the season.

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Michael Strahan believes that Steve Spagnuolo is the NFL’s greatest-ever defensive coordinator[/caption]

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Spagnuolo has won three Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs[/caption]

Strahan has made a bold claim about the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, 65, on Fox NFL Sunday.

“Steve Spagnuolo is the best defensive coordinator in football, possibly in the history of football,” Strahan said. “He’s won all these with Kanas City.

“The man has taken that team that was led by offense. Now, Kansas City is led by the defense. That’s all the work of Steve Spagnuolo.”

His statement left former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski, 36, stunned.

Spagnuolo joined the Chiefs in 2019 after stints across the NFL.

His previous position was as the New York Giants‘ interim head coach, having previously been their defensive coordinator.

Additionally, he has held roles with the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, St Louis Rams, New Orleans Saints, and the Baltimore Ravens.

He has since helped to create a dynasty in Kansas City.

Spagnuolo has been a key individual alongside quarterback Patrick Mahomes, 30, and head coach Andy Reid, 67.

The coach has achieved three of his four Super Bowl wins with the Chiefs.

It has been a difficult start to the 2025 season for Spagnuolo’s team.

They opened their season with a 27-21 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers.

This was followed by a 20-17 defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles in a Super Bowl LIX rematch.

The Chiefs’ poor star has been a cause for concern for many fans.

But Strahan believes that they should still be considered as Super Bowl contenders.

“A lot of people hit the panic button when they lost a few games, but this is a team,” Strahan added. “[Xavier] Worthy is now back, [Rashee] Rice will be back in Week 7. “

“They have Patrick Mahomes. Seasoned quarterback, six Super Bowls, and won three of them. I don’t think Kanas City are out of this.”

Quarterback Mahomes has battled through a right wrist injury to help turn the Chiefs’ season around.

Consecutive wins against the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens have brought their record to 2-2, although receiver Worthy remains a doubt.

The Chiefs’ defense will play a key role as they look to improve their record against the Jacksonville Jaguars tonight.

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A POPULAR Coca-Cola and PepsiCo competitor has officially fallen into Chapter 11 bankruptcy thanks to its heavy debt load.

The move to restructure Kombucha Town, an emerging player in the functional beverage space, comes as its top boss strives for a major comeback.

Kombucha Town

Kombucha Town officially filed for bankruptcy following a slew of struggles[/caption]

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Kombucha Town is a competitor to Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in the beverage sector[/caption]

Kombucha Town was climbing the ranks in the beverage sector before CEO Chris McCoy, who was inspired to create the brand by his mother’s early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis, was ultimately forced to file for Chapter 11.

Founded in 2011, the Bellingham, Washington, based company was working to make kombucha a more mainstream drink, even receiving a buyout offer in 2018 that McCoy rejected.

In February 2020, Kombucha Town was experiencing “great momentum” and plotting to launch its beverage products in 800 West Coast grocery stores, the CEO told a local outlet.

However, when the pandemic hit in March, McCoy said “everything fell apart within 90 days.”

The top boss had invested heavily to scale up his facility for greater production as the company experienced a significant revenue decline, with forced layoffs and the unexpected death of Kombucha Town’s controller also hurting the company.

While the CEO received a Paycheck Protection Program loan and qualified for a $1.5 million Economic Injury Disaster Loan, McCoy received less than 50% of that money and turned to a crowdfunding effort in late 2022 to help keep his beverage company afloat.

Two years later, the founder took out credit card loans and managed to support the struggling Kombucha Town thanks to a local angel investor. 

“I knew about bankruptcy, but ethically I felt so responsible to everyone who helped build the business,” McCoy told the local outlet.

However, the $2.6 million in debt that was “strangling” the kombucha maker forced McCoy to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late July, with the founder hopeful that the process would allow the company to successfully reorganize its finances and restructure its debt.

The founder admitted that while the bankruptcy process is “no walk in the park,” the filing could result in a “break from debt collection calls” and “an honest assessment” of what Kombucha Town can afford to do in the future. 

“I deserve the opportunity for the forgiveness bankruptcy offers,” said McCoy. “I’m doing my best to make sure it’s a great comeback story.”

BOTTOMS UP

While the beverage market has been dominated by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo for decades, what once was just a soda market has since expanded.

Energy drinks, sports drinks, seltzers, coffees, and other functional beverages have exploded in popularity in recent years.

The “functional drinks” category includes non-alcoholic beverages that provide additional health benefits beyond hydration, made with ingredients aimed at supporting specific physiological functions or improving overall well-being. 

Kombucha, a fermented tea beverage, falls into this category, with the prebiotics and antioxidants in the drink believed to promote gut health and immune function.

The kombucha industry was worth nearly $4.5 billion last year and is projected to double by 2030.

While the beverage has seen success thanks to a recent trend towards wellness and “better-for-you” beverages, many consumers have yet to jump on the bandwagon.

“Kombucha is fermented bacteria and vinegar. The stomach revolts when you force it down. Bankruptcy is ok by me,” wrote one Facebook user on a post regarding Kombucha Town’s Chapter 11 filing.

“Kombucha is nasty! No wonder it can’t compete with Coke and Pepsi,” cried another user, as a third called the fermented drink “trash in a bottle.”

As Kombucha Town files for bankruptcy, the beverage sector is seeing other big changes.

For example, Starbucks has dropped its winter menu lineup and two new favorites take center-stage.

Plus, read up on the truth behind why big chains like McDonald’s and Burger King are releasing rival drinks.

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Popular beverage brands like Pepsi-Co and Coca-Cola have faced heightened competition in the drink sector in recent years[/caption]