STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Shares Sold by Avior Wealth Management LLC
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley knew the Eagles season rushing record could be his on Sunday with the type of stellar performance that has become the standard during his first season in Philadelphia. As for the exact moment Barkley hit the milestone, he wasn't sure — until the “MVP!” chants echoed throughout the Linc after a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter . “The records are great, they put a smile on your face,” Barkley said, “but the season is far from over.” Needing 109 yards to break LeSean McCoy's record, Barkley rushed for 124 yards and pushed his season total to 1,623 in a 22-16 victory over Carolina . Barkley needed just 13 games to pass McCoy, who rushed for 1,607 yards in 2013. He also overtook Wilbert Montgomery, who had 1,512 yards in 1978. “I never wrote the goal down to break it,” Barkley said. “You're always aware of it. That's how I train. That's how I operate in the offseason. I want to be great.” Barkley also maintained his pace to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. “That would be extremely cool to do,” Barkley said. “If it happens, it happens, and not with the mindset of, I'm scared to go try to do it. Whatever it takes to win football games.” Barkley is averaging 124.8 yards per game. At that pace and with one more game to play than Dickerson, he would become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. He averaged 6.2 yards on 20 carries against the Panthers to help the Eagles win their ninth straight game. McCoy, who was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame this season, remains the franchise’s rushing leader with 6,792 yards. Referencing his old uniform number, McCoy congratulated Barkley on social media with “a lot of love, coming from 2-5." “Being a fan of Shady's growing up, and seeing the spectacular things he was able to do with the ball in his hand, to be able to have my name mentioned with him definitely means a lot,” Barkley said. Barkley left the New York Giants in the offseason and signed a three-year deal worth $26 million guaranteed to join the Eagles, who made him the highest-paid running back in franchise history. The 27-year-old has been worth every dollar. Barkley is among the favorites for league MVP, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was the only player with better MVP odds entering Sunday. Barkley has a franchise-record nine 100-yard rushing games in a season. Although he was held out of the end zone Sunday, he began the day leading the league with four rushing touchdowns of 25-plus yards. Barkley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, topped 1,000 yards three times in his six seasons with the Giants. He finished with 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 and rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 scores as a rookie. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who had been unwilling to spend on elite running backs, pounced on Barkley and the decision was celebrated as a success in Philly from the first game of the season. Barkley rushed for two scores and caught a TD pass in the opener against Green Bay. His three touchdowns were the most by an Eagles player in his debut since Terrell Owens in 2004. Barkley only soared in production and popularity from there, his highlight reel stamped by a reverse leap over the head of a Jacksonville defender last month. He's since vaulted over every running back ahead of him on the Eagles rushing list — and has a chance at NFL history. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL Dan Gelston, The Associated Press
Van Nistelrooy has replaced Steve Cooper at the King Power Stadium and saw Jamie Vardy open the scoring after just 98 seconds. Bilal El Khannouss and Patson Daka added goals after the break to ensure the Dutchman started with three points in style. Starting with a win! 🤩 Delivered by @bcgame #LEIWHU pic.twitter.com/X90nFSbMLm — Leicester City (@LCFC) December 3, 2024 His task is to keep the Foxes in the Premier League this season and after ending a five-game winless run they moved up to 15th, four points clear of the relegation zone. West Ham’s hierarchy will have seen what impact a managerial change can have as the jury remains out on Lopetegui, with away fans making their feelings clear by chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning”. Niclas Fullkrug scored a consolation goal at the death but it counted for nothing and forthcoming games against Wolves, Bournemouth, Brighton and Southampton could determine the Spaniard’s future. When Van Nistelrooy went to bed last night, even he would not have dreamt of his side starting as well as they did as they went ahead with less than two minutes on the clock. One of the Dutchman’s first conversations following his appointment was to take Vardy to task for breaking his record for scoring in the most consecutive Premier League games nine years ago. And the veteran striker rolled back to the years as, living on the shoulder of the West Ham defence, he raced clear from El Khannouss’ through-ball and slotted into the corner. The linesman’s flag immediately went up but a lengthy VAR review ruled Vardy had timed his run perfectly and the goal stood. Vardy could have added a second from a similar move but this time Lukasz Fabianski denied him. The Dutchman quickly learned about the frailties of his side as West Ham created a raft of chances in search of an equaliser. Jarrod Bowen forced Mads Hermansen into a stretching save when he cut in from the right before Ings’ header crashed into the post and Max Kilman slipped at the crucial point from the rebound. Bowen, a constant threat, sent a ball across face of goal which evaded everyone before the England international was denied by a reflex save from the busy Hermansen. The Danish goalkeeper needed to be alert to tip over Mohammed Kudus’ deflected effort early in the second half before he was saved by the referee’s whistle after after his attempted punch went into his own goal, Tomas Soucek the man penalised. Leicester remained a threat on the counter-attack and that is how they doubled their lead just after the hour. Kasey McAteer was set clear down the left and his ball inside was perfect for El Khannouss to find the bottom corner from 15 yards. It was almost three as Fabianski produced an acrobatic save from Wilfred Ndidi’s header before Leicester needed a heroic piece of defending to keep their 2-0 lead intact. Crysencio Summerville bundled the ball goalwards and it was heading over the line until Conor Coady adjusted his feet and poked it clear. The Foxes, who also had a goal from substitute Bobby De Cordova-Reid chalked off by VAR, wrapped things up in the 90th minute when Daka broke clear and emphatically converted into the roof of the net. West Ham did get on the scoresheet when Fullkrug headed a corner home, but the game was already done.Three of these images are fake. Can you spot the real image? Some images generated by artificial intelligence have become so convincingly real that there is no surefire way to spot the fakes. But experts say there are still things we can try to detect fakes. "Media literacy is super awesome," said Matt Groh, assistant professor at Northwestern University. "But it needs to extend to AI literacy. Like the classic kind of things that you want to teach in media literacy, we still need to teach those same things. We just need to add the AI portion to it now." RELATED STORY | Nobel Prize in physics awarded to 2 scientists for discoveries that enabled artificial intelligence Groh's team at Northwestern released a guide on how to spot AI generated images. The full preprint paper was released in June. "So what we've done is we've articulated 5 different categories of artifacts, implausibilities," Groh said. "Ways to tell AI-generated image apart from a real photograph." The academic preprint guide offers detailed tips, tricks and examples on spotting AI-generated images. It also teaches important questions to consider when consuming media. Anatomical implausibilities The first and easiest telltale signs: anatomical implausibilities. Ask yourself: Are the fingers, eyes, and bodies off? Are there extra limbs or do they bend strangely? Are there too many teeth? Stylistic implausibilities Ask yourself: Do images seem plastic, glossy, shiny or cartoonish? Are there overly dramatic or cinematic? Functional implausibilities Ask yourself: Is text garbled? Is clothing strange? Are objects not physically correct, like how this backpack strap merges into clothing? Violation of physics Ask yourself: Are light and shadows off? Are there impossible reflections? Sociocultural implausibilities Ask yourself: Are there images that are just too unbelievable or historically inaccurate? RELATED STORY | AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone "What we're trying to do is give you a snapshot of what it looks like in 2024 and how we can help people move their attention as effectively as possible," Groh said. "Education is really the biggest thing. There's education on the tools," said Cole Whitecotton, senior professional research associate at the National Center for Media Forensics. Whitecotton encourages the public to educate themselves and try AI tools to know their capabilities and limits. "I think everybody should go out and use it. And look at how these things do what they do and understand a bit of it," he said. "Everyone should interact with ChatGPT. In some way. Everyone should interact with Midjourney. And look at how these things do what they do and understand a bit of it." Whitecotton suggests being inquisitive and curious when scrolling through social media. "If you interacted with every piece of content in that way, then there you would be a lot less likely to be duped and to be sort of sucked into that sort of stuff, right?" he said. "How do you interact with Facebook and with Twitter and all these things? How do you consume the media?" Whitecotton added. RELATED STORY | Biden's AI advisor speaks on AI policy, deepfakes, and the use of AI in war While AI-generated images and videos continue to evolve, Groh and his team offer a realistic approach to a changing technological landscape where tips and tricks may become outdated quickly. "I think a real, good, useful thing is we build this. We update this every year. Okay, some of these things work. Some of these things don't. And I think once we have a base, we're able to update it," Groh said. "I think one of the problems is we didn't have a base. And so one of the things we're really excited about is even sharing our framework, because I think our framework is going to help people just navigate that conversation." So were you able to guess which image is real? If you guessed the image of the girl in the bottom left corner, you are correct! "It sucks that there's this misinformation in the world. But it's also possible to navigate this new problem," Groh said. If you want to test yourself even more, the Northwestern University research team has released this site that gives you a series of real and AI-generated images to differentiate.
A late-game rally derailed by a missed extra point and Cowboys stun Commanders 34-26
The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 rose to record closing highs on Friday following upbeat forecasts from Lululemon Athletica and other companies and as US jobs data fuelled expectations the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates this month. The Dow finished lower, as a 5.1 per cent drop in UnitedHealth Group shares weighed on the index. The S&P 500 consumer discretionary index rose 2.4 per cent to hit an all-time closing high. It led gains among sectors, boosted by Lululemon. Shares of Lululemon Athletica jumped 15.9 per cent after the sportswear maker increased full-year forecasts. Also in the consumer discretionary space, shares of cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty advanced 9.0 per cent after the company raised its annual profit forecast. The US Labor Department report showed job growth surged in November, but an increase in the unemployment rate to 4.2 per cent pointed to an easing labour market. "It does support the case for the Fed to continue to cut rates in the December meeting and into the first quarter," said Bill Northey, senior investment director at US Bank Wealth Management in Billings, Montana. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 123.19 points, or 0.28 per cent, to 44,642.52, the S&P 500 gained 15.16 points, or 0.25 per cent, to 6,090.27 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 159.05 points, or 0.81 per cent, to 19,859.77. The S&P 500 registered its 57th record closing high for 2024, while the Nasdaq Composite posted its 36th record high close for the year. For the week, the Nasdaq gained 3.3 per cent, the S&P 500 rose about 1.0 per cent and the Dow fell 0.6 per cent. Following the data, US rate futures were pricing in roughly a 90 per cent chance the Fed will lower interest rates by 25 basis points at its Dec. 17-18 policy meeting, according to LSEG calculations which previously saw just a 72 per cent chance. The Fed has lowered rates by 75 basis points since September, when it launched its easing cycle. Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said inflation risks remained, which augured caution with rate decisions. Shares of health insurance companies including UnitedHealth extended declines from the previous session, two days after Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealth's health insurance unit, was fatally shot outside a Manhattan hotel. The shooter remained at large and his motive has not been determined. The death sparked comments on social media over frustrations with the US health insurance system. Among other stock moves, shares of Facebook-owner Meta Platforms were up 2.4 per cent after a US appeals court upheld a law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest its popular short video app TikTok by early next year or face a ban. The Cboe Volatility Index, Wall Street's fear gauge, ended down 0.77 points at 12.77 in its lowest finish since mid-July. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.01-to-1 ratio on the NYSE. There were 354 new highs and 98 new lows on the NYSE. On the Nasdaq, 2,610 stocks rose and 1,678 fell as advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.56-to-1 ratio. Volume on U.S. exchanges was 12.99 billion shares, compared with the 14.5 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days.
Rumours of a new Oasis album being announced live on radio tomorrow are wide of the mark - despite a DJ claiming there was "massive news" coming. Fans of Liam and Noel Gallagher have been getting excited and rumours and social media claims have been growing all weekend after a Radio X DJ Dan O'Connell said on air something supersonic was coming out. On Friday, he said : "I got a message from very important people at Radio X. They told me to make sure I mention that on Monday morning Chris Moyles has something big for Oasis fans. If that is you there is something massive happening." Tik Tok videos and instagram posts then also claimed to have snippets of new audio from the band from a mixing desk, with others claiming a new single would even be played this week and a new album to follow ahead of their reunion tour next year. But sources close to the band say the announcement will actually only be good news to anyone still without tickets for the UK tour. The insider said: "The rumour got a life of its own and in reality you are looking at something like prizes and some kind of big Oasis giveaway or competition. It is still something to celebrate but it is not the big announcement some fans were hoping for." And now Radio X, perhaps wary of getting fans hopes up about new material, has said: "If you missed out on Oasis tickets you need to tune in tomorrow morning." This is not the first time rumours have gone into overdrive about new material. Liam himself was forced to distance himself from a new Oasis album after he made flippant comments on X, formerly twitter. In September, when one fan asked “Is it true that Oasis will have a new album???”, Liam replied: “Yep it’s already finished.” He also responded to a fan asking if a new record was “in the air”, to which he said, “It’s in the bag mate f*** the air”. But dismissing his earlier teasers, Liam said a week ago there’s “no Oasis album in the making”. Responding to a fan news account that claimed the brothers were “working intently” on a new album, Liam added: “I was f***ing joking remember them and the reason being because everyone is a little uptight these days I’m sorry if I have upset anyone but f*** me it was a laugh.” Previously Noel has also said he has new songs in demo form, which some close to the band now believe will not be for his High Flying Birds band but instead for a new Oasis album next year. The Oasis reunion UK tour kicks off in Cardiff on July 4, 2025, and finishes at Wembley in September. There are also dates in North America and Australia next year. The full line up for Oasis on stage is also yet to be confirmed with Gem Archer, Andy Bell and original member Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs expected to be on stage with Noel and Liam. Richard Ashcroft is the main support act. Richard said: “As a fan from day one I was buzzing for many reasons when the news of Oasis’s return was announced. I can say with no exaggeration that the songwriting talent of Noel and Liam’s pure spirit as a lead singer helped to inspire me to create some of my best work. It was the perfection of ‘Live Forever’ that forced me to try and write my own. They dared to be great, made the dreams we had real and I will always remember those days with joy. Now it’s time to create more memories and I’m ready to bring it. See you next summer. Music is power.” Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .Nio Stock: Buy, Sell, or Hold?Is Enron back? If it’s a joke, some former employees aren’t laughingThe defamation lawsuit against Rebel Wilson over claims she made about producers of her directorial debut The Deb survived a key hurdle this week after a judge denied Wilson’s motion to toss the case. The Deb producers Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron, and Vince Holden sued Wilson back in July, days after the actress posted a video on social media accusing them of embezzlement and sexual harassment. She further claimed that the producers were trying to sabotage the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. In their suit, Ghost, Cameron and Holden called Wilson “a bully who will disregard the interests of others to promote her own.” Wilson’s team had argued that the defamation case should be dismissed because Wilson’s claims were in the public interest. But in a ruling published Thursday, Judge Thomas Long rejected that argument, saying the video Wilson shared was not “protected activity.” Bryan Freedman, Wilson’s attorney, said in a statement that they would appeal Long’s decision. “The Court’s ruling defies well-established law,” Freedman said. “Posting a video addressing the highly anticipated premiere of The Deb at the Toronto International Film Festival and widespread misconduct in the entertainment industry, which are unmistakably ‘matters of public interest,’ constitutes a protected activity.’ Similarly, a demand letter addressing the same and related topics that was allegedly distributed after litigation has started is also protected activity. A Notice of Appeal will be filed today. We are more than confident that the court of appeals will rule in our favor.” Trending Stories Shaboozey Deserves More Than What the CMA Awards Gave Him — Including an Apology Kendrick Lamar's Surprise New Album 'GNX' Is Here Billy Preston Was Beloved by the Beatles and Stones. His Fall From Grace Was a Rock Tragedy Tesla Has Highest Rate of Deadly Accidents Among Car Brands, Study Finds In a statement, Ghost, Cameron and Holden’s attorney Camille Vasquez said they were “gratified” by the court’s ruling. “Defendant Rebel Wilson’s anti-SLAPP motion was a cynical attempt to stifle a valid legal claim after she launched a public attack against three hardworking professionals,” Vasquez said. “We are grateful to the court for reaching the correct legal result and allowing that claim to proceed. We look forward to seeing Ms. Wilson in court.” Along with trying to get the defamation suit dismissed, Wilson filed a countersuit against Ghost, Cameron and Holden in October . That complaint repeated many of her initial claims, while also accusing the producers of breach of contract, false imprisonment, fraudulent inducement, and inflection of emotional distress.
Brandon Ingram Injury Status – Pelicans vs. Warriors Injury Report November 22
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and these festive neighborhoods will prove it. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, or Kwanzaa, there is joy in strolling a nearby block or hopping in the car where you can blast holiday tunes. You can even explore holiday lights in some of these neighborhoods via a boat. We compiled a list of 10 Southern California destinations known for their lit holiday hoods! It wouldn’t be Southern California without some beachside holiday cheer and displays. Visitors can start their stroll at the marine or Mothers’ Beach for the best expedition. The neighborhoods surrounding Naples Island take the holidays to heart with some breathtaking Christmas light decorations that will guide Santa Claus in the dark night skies. Long Beach also puts on a beautiful Christmas tree lighting display and offers holiday light tours on a double-decker Big Red Bus that rides passengers around the best decorated private homes, the famous floating Christmas trees in Alamitos Bay, and near a Ferris Wheel. If you’re planning a more romantic festive date, Gondola Getaway Inc. provides gondola rides paired with a cup of hot chocolate for you and your sweetie. Where: Holiday Light Tours pick up is at Marni’s OC 620 Pacific Coast Hwy, Seal Beach. When: The Holiday Light tours are scheduled at 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday through Dec. 19, with the final night on Dec. 23. For tickets and reservations, call 562-852-9888 or email events@bigredbus.com. To book a Gondola ride, visit gondolagetawayinc.com . We’d be remiss, not to mention the other beautiful neighborhood nestled just steps away from Venice Beach. There is something so charming about shimmering lights over the neighborhood’s wooden framed bridges. Inspired by Venice, Italy, these man-made canals are a cozy display of Christmas lights where residents light up their homes and even some small boats that transform the area into a holiday paradise. It’s perfect for a nice winter stroll by the water. Don’t miss the Venice Canals Christmas Boat Parade on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 4:30 p.m. The annual tradition since the ’80s is a community celebration that showcases some of the city’s best-decorated boats. Where: Right off 25th St., Venice Beach. When: Now through Dec. 29. While caroling may not be as prominent as it once was, there are still ways to enjoy those holiday jingles alongside some Christmas lights. This Orange County neighborhood allows visitors to drive-thru and tune into 89.1 FM for Christmas music. Keep up with the Lights on Symphony St Facebook page for the most up-to-date information. Where: 1816 N Symphony St., Anaheim. When: 5-10 p.m. now through Jan 1. Organized by the Upper Hastings Ranch Association (UHRA) for more than 70 years, the neighborhood often drizzles its lawns with faux snow and decked-out decorations with no shortage of Christmas lights, attracting families from near and far to experience the festivities. The organizers’ Facebook page includes videos of live bands and community shows that have occurred in past celebrations. Where: Hastings Ranch Drive and Sierra Madre Blvd, Pasadena. When: 6-11 p.m. Dec. 6 through Dec. 31. The annual holiday tradition features over 125,000 lights, holiday figurines and decorations that bring people to the Inland Empire neighborhood every year. The city of Rancho Cucamonga restricts pedestrian access at this event to ensure safety and crowd control and passed a resolution to make it drive-thru only. Where: Thoroughbred, Sapphire and Jennett Streets, Rancho Cucamonga. When: 5-11 p.m. Dec. 6 through Dec. 24. Curated by Sherman Oaks resident Mike Ziemkowski, Lights on Display returns with an impressive showcase of holiday magic. This display features a combination of computer-controlled lighting, DMX-driven intelligent lights, and synchronized animatronic characters—all set to a festive playlist. Perfect for all ages, this free experience delights visitors Wednesday through Sunday, weather permitting, from November 29 to New Year’s Day. Where : 3901 Longview Valley Rd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 When : Wednesdays-Sundays, beginning Nov. 29 through Jan. 1. Hosted at the picturesque King Gillette Ranch, the fifth annual Holiday Road transforms Calabasas into a holiday wonderland. Featuring over 1 million Christmas lights, a mile-long walking trail with over 20 immersive scenes, live Santa, carolers, and festive bars, it’s a must-see event for holiday enthusiasts. New highlights this year include cutting-edge projection mapping, innovative light technology, and exclusive Maker’s Mark and Minus One Nine Six Vodka Seltzer activations. Where : 26800 Mulholland Hwy, Calabasas, CA 91302 When : 5-10 p.m., Nov. 29 through Dec. 28. Celebrate the season in a vibrant display of lights at Sparkle DTLA, where 18 million hues illuminate the night in sync with festive music. Located at The Bloc, this event features one of the city’s largest multi-colored interactive holiday displays, making it a unique experience for all ages. The nightly light show starts at 5 p.m. and runs through December 31. Where : 700 W 7th St., Los Angeles, CA 90017 When : 5-10 p.m., nightly through Dec. 31. Bring the holiday spirit to life at 123 Farm Christmas Nights, where twinkling lights meet festive fun in a charming Christmas Village setting. Stroll the farm while savoring seasonal foods and drinks, surrounded by holiday displays perfect for a family outing. Where : 10600 Highland Springs Ave., Beaumont, CA 92223 When : 5-10 p.m., Tuesdays-Sundays through Dec. 23. Experience a mile of magic on Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena, where towering cedar trees are adorned with twinkling lights and festive music fills the air. Beginning December 7 at 6 p.m., this annual tradition transforms Santa Rosa Avenue into a glowing wonderland, perfect for a stroll or a drive. Where : Santa Rosa Ave., between Altadena Dr. & Woodbury Rd., Altadena, CA 91003 When : Nightly starting Dec. 7. Related ArticlesAfter a thrilling conference championship Saturday and a drawn-out reveal show Sunday, the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field is set. The first true tournament in FBS history has plenty to love -- and elements to loathe. What Went Right: Unique opening-round matchups Whether the first round proves to be more competitive than the four-team Playoff's often lopsided semifinal matchups remains to be seen. Until then, there is at least intrigue in the historic rarity of the four pairings. One opening-round matchup -- ACC automatic qualifier Clemson at Texas -- is a first-time encounter between two programs that combine for seven claimed national championships. Of the other three, the most recent contest occurred in 1996 when Tennessee topped Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl. The Vols and Buckeyes meet as the No. 9 and No. 8 seeds at Ohio State's Horseshoe, with the winner advancing to face top overall seed Oregon. SMU, a perhaps surprising final at-large selection given the Mustangs' dearth of high-profile wins, meets Penn State for the third time ever and first since 1978. The Nittany Lions scored a 26-21 come-from-behind win in Happy Valley, where they will again host SMU. The Penn State victory ended a 30-year stalemate after the first and only meeting in the 1948 Cotton Bowl produced a 13-13 tie. Here's hoping the third part of a 76-year trilogy is as closely contested as the initial two. Meanwhile, the matchup with the most previous installments is the closest in proximity -- less than 200 miles separate in-state counterparts Indiana and Notre Dame -- and the most lopsided. The Fighting Irish and Hoosiers last played in 1991, with Notre Dame's 49-27 win marking its sixth straight victory by multiple scores. Indiana's last win in the series came in 1950, a 20-7 Hoosiers victory in Bloomington. What Went Right: Boise State's big opportunity Although not the first outsider to reach or win a Bowl Championship Series game, Boise State's 2007 Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma was arguably the most pivotal moment in building support for outsiders to compete for the national championship. The Broncos spent two decades knocking on the door, beginning with their perfect 2004 regular season, extending through two Fiesta Bowl wins, and withstanding the heartbreak of late-season losses in 2010 and 2011. The celebration in response to Boise State being part of the bracket -- and not just in, but as the No. 3 seed with a bye into the quarterfinals -- marked a culmination of generations of effort for just this opportunity. What Went Right: ‘Football weather' comes to the postseason From the birth of the bowl system with the first-ever Rose Bowl Game, college football's postseason has resided primarily in warm-weather destinations. This makes sense for the original purpose of bowl games as showcases and celebrations of a team's regular-season performance, but less so for the goal of crowning a national champion. After decades of playing what often amounted to road games in the postseason, northern teams get their opportunity to host. Three of the four first-round contests are in such climates -- though Indiana won't be particularly disadvantaged by weather when playing Notre Dame in South Bend. With average December highs in Pennsylvania in the 30s, SMU will need its heaters on the sideline at Penn State's Beaver Stadium. The more intriguing trip, however, is Tennessee's to Ohio State. Longtime college football fans know the arguments about SEC teams playing in Big Ten country late in the year. Pitting two high-quality teams from the two leagues head-to-head in such conditions is a highlight of this new postseason system. And, given Tennessee and Ohio State have two of the nation's best defenses, expect a style of play befitting what is often described as football weather. What Went Wrong: More teams means more politicking When Mack Brown seemingly spent as much time on TV campaigning in 2004 as that year's presidential candidates, George W. Bush and John Kerry, his Texas Longhorns were among a small collection of teams vying for BCS bids. With the 12-team Playoff opening the top postseason opportunities to as many as 20 teams realistically, the political campaign ads that mercilessly ended in early November were replaced by the politicking of college football figures. Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard spent last week taking shots at SMU and other programs over strength of schedule -- a point neglecting that the Cyclones' losses came to unranked Texas Tech and sub-.500 Kansas. Arizona State's thorough dismantling of Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game solved that debate at the proverbial ballot box. However, brace yourself for an offseason of recount demands coming out of the SEC. Alabama's exclusion at 9-3, while 11-2 SMU landed the final at-large spot, is sure to play into the same controversy that South Carolina coach Shane Beamer leaned into last week. Beamer told The State (Columbia, S.C.) last week that his program may consider changing its nonconference scheduling in response to its seemingly inevitable Playoff snub. It's an odd position, given South Carolina's three losses all came in-conference, and the Gamecocks' nonleague slate included sub-.500 teams Old Dominion, Akron and FCS Wofford. But then again, how often are political campaign pitches rooted in logic? What Went Wrong: Quantity over quality? A more salient position in Beamer's case for South Carolina is that the Gamecocks scored quality wins during a season-ending, six-game streak. With its Rivalry Week defeat of Clemson, South Carolina added a victory over a Playoff qualifier to complement victories over Texas A&M and Missouri. Alabama, meanwhile, boasts wins over No. 2 overall seed Georgia and that same South Carolina team in contention. SMU's resume might be the most likely to draw ire, given the Mustangs received the last at-large berth. However, SMU beat nine- and eight-win Duke and Louisville, with two losses by a combined six points. Indiana should be the more contentious at-large choice, with the Hoosiers beating only one team that finished above .500: 7-5 Michigan. Indiana's only other matchup with an above-.500 opponent was a 38-15 blowout at Ohio State. That's something Alabama and South Carolina have in common with Indiana, as all three teams lost in routs. Alabama dropped a 24-3 decision late in the season at Oklahoma that presumably doomed the Crimson Tide's chances, while South Carolina lost to Ole Miss 27-3. To that end, there are arguments to be made for and against every team that was on the bubble. No system will ever appease all parties. What Went Wrong: Seeding conundrum Much of the Playoff's very existence flies in the face of college football tradition. One facet of how the field was set that upholds tradition in its own small way is rewarding teams for winning their conferences by reserving the four first-round byes for league champions. When this format was implemented, however, the committee could not have envisioned that two of the top five conference champions would not be ranked in the top 10. Because three-loss Clemson survived a furious SMU comeback in the ACC championship game, and Arizona State caught fire after underwhelming losses to Texas Tech and Cincinnati to win a weak Big 12, the committee was in the unusual position of having to slot a non-power conference champion and double-digit-ranked team in a top-four spot. This first edition of the Playoff seems likely to be the last to use this format, even if this scenario seems like an outlier. --Kyle Kensing, Field Level MediaWhat's On Tap in Chicago Bulls news ? Welcome to the 52nd edition of "Tasting Flight," a daily newsletter to keep fans updated on all the latest news in Bulls Nation. Bulls Set for 1st 2024 NBA Cup Home Game The Bulls return home Friday to host the Atlanta Hawks in their second 2024 NBA Cup group-play game. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. CT and the game will air on Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) . Cup Night action at the UC! ⏰: 7:00 pm CT : https://t.co/dLgvAjfc2T : @670TheScore @MotorolaUS | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/1wYi1L11eL As Friday marks the first Bulls home game of the 2024 NBA Cup, the United Center will feature a new court design. The stage is set! @MotorolaUS | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/z3n7MvuhI1 Stacey King Gives Josh Giddey Defensive Advice Bulls television broadcast analyst and three-time NBA champion Stacey King spoke at length about what Josh Giddey should do to improve his defense. Delivered via his "Gimmer the Hot Sauce" podcast, King's advice covered nuanced fundamental details such as angles, help defense, and more. On Today’s Episode... Stacey King gives a message to Josh Giddey Talks about Billy’s lineup rotations and the impact of Torrey Craig And his thoughts on the new All Star Game setup⭐️ OUT NOW: https://t.co/QnHxOv8Eln pic.twitter.com/VJysZ5krTA Torrey Craig , Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic Appear in Latest NBA Trade Rumors Brett Siegel of Clutch Points published notes on the Golden State Warriors' trade options with guard De'Anthony Melton out for the season. Siegel suggests the Warriors are looking for a "home-run" talent in a trade, but Zach LaVine and Brandon Ingram are the only big names currently on the market. Additionally, Siegel states teams like the Warriors might proceed with caution at the trade deadline and instead seek salary-cap-friendly talent, such as Nikola Vucevic. While LaVine and Vucevic are the Bulls' most frequent subjects of trade rumors, Torrey Craig is reportedly drawing interest from the Milwaukee Bucks. Siegel notes the Bucks have made MarJon Beauchamp and Pat Connaughton available in discussions as they search for wing help. With De'Anthony Melton out for the year, he now becomes a possible trade chip for the Warriors to utilize. New on @ClutchPoints - Breaking down the Dubs' options on the trade market with intel and rumors from around the NBA: https://t.co/Iq3xFKF98T Ayo Dosunmu Speaks on NBA Cup Stakes Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu discussed the NBA Cup with K.C. Johnson of CHSN before Friday's game against the Hawks . Dosunmu specifically touched on the $500,000 reward each player gets if they win the tournament and how it incentivizes players to perform with more effort. Asked Ayo Dosunmu if players talk about NBA Cup games: “Yeah, for sure. That’s $500,000. [share for players on winning team] Everybody in top 4 gets money. You’re getting paid on top of getting paid so that’s fun. I think it brings more competitiveness.” Gotta love the honesty This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.
After a thrilling conference championship Saturday and a drawn-out reveal show Sunday, the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field is set. The first true tournament in FBS history has plenty to love -- and elements to loathe. What Went Right: Unique opening-round matchups Whether the first round proves to be more competitive than the four-team Playoff's often lopsided semifinal matchups remains to be seen. Until then, there is at least intrigue in the historic rarity of the four pairings. One opening-round matchup -- ACC automatic qualifier Clemson at Texas -- is a first-time encounter between two programs that combine for seven claimed national championships. Of the other three, the most recent contest occurred in 1996 when Tennessee topped Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl. The Vols and Buckeyes meet as the No. 9 and No. 8 seeds at Ohio State's Horseshoe, with the winner advancing to face top overall seed Oregon. SMU, a perhaps surprising final at-large selection given the Mustangs' dearth of high-profile wins, meets Penn State for the third time ever and first since 1978. The Nittany Lions scored a 26-21 come-from-behind win in Happy Valley, where they will again host SMU. The Penn State victory ended a 30-year stalemate after the first and only meeting in the 1948 Cotton Bowl produced a 13-13 tie. Here's hoping the third part of a 76-year trilogy is as closely contested as the initial two. Meanwhile, the matchup with the most previous installments is the closest in proximity -- less than 200 miles separate in-state counterparts Indiana and Notre Dame -- and the most lopsided. The Fighting Irish and Hoosiers last played in 1991, with Notre Dame's 49-27 win marking its sixth straight victory by multiple scores. Indiana's last win in the series came in 1950, a 20-7 Hoosiers victory in Bloomington. What Went Right: Boise State's big opportunity Although not the first outsider to reach or win a Bowl Championship Series game, Boise State's 2007 Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma was arguably the most pivotal moment in building support for outsiders to compete for the national championship. The Broncos spent two decades knocking on the door, beginning with their perfect 2004 regular season, extending through two Fiesta Bowl wins, and withstanding the heartbreak of late-season losses in 2010 and 2011. The celebration in response to Boise State being part of the bracket -- and not just in, but as the No. 3 seed with a bye into the quarterfinals -- marked a culmination of generations of effort for just this opportunity. What Went Right: ‘Football weather' comes to the postseason From the birth of the bowl system with the first-ever Rose Bowl Game, college football's postseason has resided primarily in warm-weather destinations. This makes sense for the original purpose of bowl games as showcases and celebrations of a team's regular-season performance, but less so for the goal of crowning a national champion. After decades of playing what often amounted to road games in the postseason, northern teams get their opportunity to host. Three of the four first-round contests are in such climates -- though Indiana won't be particularly disadvantaged by weather when playing Notre Dame in South Bend. With average December highs in Pennsylvania in the 30s, SMU will need its heaters on the sideline at Penn State's Beaver Stadium. The more intriguing trip, however, is Tennessee's to Ohio State. Longtime college football fans know the arguments about SEC teams playing in Big Ten country late in the year. Pitting two high-quality teams from the two leagues head-to-head in such conditions is a highlight of this new postseason system. And, given Tennessee and Ohio State have two of the nation's best defenses, expect a style of play befitting what is often described as football weather. What Went Wrong: More teams means more politicking When Mack Brown seemingly spent as much time on TV campaigning in 2004 as that year's presidential candidates, George W. Bush and John Kerry, his Texas Longhorns were among a small collection of teams vying for BCS bids. With the 12-team Playoff opening the top postseason opportunities to as many as 20 teams realistically, the political campaign ads that mercilessly ended in early November were replaced by the politicking of college football figures. Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard spent last week taking shots at SMU and other programs over strength of schedule -- a point neglecting that the Cyclones' losses came to unranked Texas Tech and sub-.500 Kansas. Arizona State's thorough dismantling of Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game solved that debate at the proverbial ballot box. However, brace yourself for an offseason of recount demands coming out of the SEC. Alabama's exclusion at 9-3, while 11-2 SMU landed the final at-large spot, is sure to play into the same controversy that South Carolina coach Shane Beamer leaned into last week. Beamer told The State (Columbia, S.C.) last week that his program may consider changing its nonconference scheduling in response to its seemingly inevitable Playoff snub. It's an odd position, given South Carolina's three losses all came in-conference, and the Gamecocks' nonleague slate included sub-.500 teams Old Dominion, Akron and FCS Wofford. But then again, how often are political campaign pitches rooted in logic? What Went Wrong: Quantity over quality? A more salient position in Beamer's case for South Carolina is that the Gamecocks scored quality wins during a season-ending, six-game streak. With its Rivalry Week defeat of Clemson, South Carolina added a victory over a Playoff qualifier to complement victories over Texas A&M and Missouri. Alabama, meanwhile, boasts wins over No. 2 overall seed Georgia and that same South Carolina team in contention. SMU's resume might be the most likely to draw ire, given the Mustangs received the last at-large berth. However, SMU beat nine- and eight-win Duke and Louisville, with two losses by a combined six points. Indiana should be the more contentious at-large choice, with the Hoosiers beating only one team that finished above .500: 7-5 Michigan. Indiana's only other matchup with an above-.500 opponent was a 38-15 blowout at Ohio State. That's something Alabama and South Carolina have in common with Indiana, as all three teams lost in routs. Alabama dropped a 24-3 decision late in the season at Oklahoma that presumably doomed the Crimson Tide's chances, while South Carolina lost to Ole Miss 27-3. To that end, there are arguments to be made for and against every team that was on the bubble. No system will ever appease all parties. What Went Wrong: Seeding conundrum Much of the Playoff's very existence flies in the face of college football tradition. One facet of how the field was set that upholds tradition in its own small way is rewarding teams for winning their conferences by reserving the four first-round byes for league champions. When this format was implemented, however, the committee could not have envisioned that two of the top five conference champions would not be ranked in the top 10. Because three-loss Clemson survived a furious SMU comeback in the ACC championship game, and Arizona State caught fire after underwhelming losses to Texas Tech and Cincinnati to win a weak Big 12, the committee was in the unusual position of having to slot a non-power conference champion and double-digit-ranked team in a top-four spot. This first edition of the Playoff seems likely to be the last to use this format, even if this scenario seems like an outlier. --Kyle Kensing, Field Level Media