No one deserves a break from the basketball court more than Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark.

Clark played her entire senior season at the University of Iowa, which included 39 games and lasted from November 6 to April 7, and then had about 10 before the 2024 WNBA Draft (where she was the No. 1 overall pick). Days Rest had about a week of rest before her first professional basketball season began. When the WNBA regular season began, Clark played an additional 42 games, beginning on May 14 and lasting until the Fever’s elimination from the playoffs on September 25.

After those crazy 11 months of basketball, no one would have blamed Clark if she didn’t even think about basketball for a long time. Still, Clark was seen on the basketball court again on Saturday — although this time she didn’t take part in the on-court activities.

The

I love watching it #DawgsOnly”.

Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) in Hinkle assisting the Butler Bulldogs at open practice

I love watching it #DawgsOnly pic.twitter.com/b9dJ2Bj9Sd

— Butler Basketball Guru (@ButlerGuru) September 28, 2024

This is the same social media account that has repeatedly asked Clark to attend Butler games this season after it was announced that her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, had been hired as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs’ men’s basketball team.

Shortly after this series of posts earlier this month, Clark admitted, “It’ll be fun to visit.” [Butler] games,” said Scott Agness. “I love college basketball…It will give me something to do in the offseason, someone to be excited about.”

Clark clearly meant business and didn’t even wait until Butler’s games started before showing her support.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles face off on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in an NFC matchup that could have postseason implications. Both teams are 2-1; Tampa Bay is 1-1 at home while Philadelphia is 1-0 on the road. The Eagles are looking to build on their 15-12 win in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, while the Bucs are looking to bounce back from their 26-7 home loss to the Denver Broncos. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (concussion) is out for Philadelphia. These teams met in the playoffs last year, with Tampa Bay winning 32-9 in the Wild Card round.

Kickoff in Tampa, Florida is at 1:00 p.m. ET. The Eagles have a 1.5-point advantage in the latest Buccaneers vs. Eagles odds, according to the SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 42.5 points. Before you make your Eagles vs. Buccaneers decision, check out the NFL predictions and betting tips from SportsLine’s proven computer simulation model.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has gained well over $7,000 on top-rated NFL picks since its launch for $100 players. The model enters Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season with an incredible 188-130 run on top-rated NFL picks dating back to the 2017 season. Since Week 7 of 2022, the top-rated NFL picks are also 42-22. The model also ranked in the top 10 in straight-line NFL picks on NFLPickWatch in four of the last six years, beating more than 94% of CBS Sports Football pick’em players four times in that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up there.

The model has Eagles vs. Buccaneers in its sights and has just set its picks and NFL predictions. You can now head over to SportsLine to see the model’s picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for the spread, moneyline and over/under in this game:

• Distribution between Buccaneers and Eagles: Eagles -1.5
• Buccaneers vs. Eagles over/under: 42.5 points
• Buccaneers vs. Eagles Money Line: Eagles -123, Bucs +103
• Buccaneers vs. Eagles picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why the Eagles can cover

Saquon Barkley was a one-man team for the Eagles as he rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 8.6 yards per carry in Week 3 against the Saints. Barkley scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to secure the win for Philadelphia. The former Penn State star was outstanding in his first three games with the Eagles, passing for 351 yards and four touchdowns and catching 10 passes for 51 yards and a score.

Jalen Hurts remains an X-factor for the Eagles. The former Alabama and Oklahoma star is one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL and constantly puts pressure on opposing defenses. In three games, Hurts has thrown for 772 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 143 yards and a score. See which team you should choose here.

Why the Buccaneers can cover

The Buccaneers suffered a tough upset loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 3. The Bucs will be back at home in this game, in a place where Todd Bowles’ team can recover well. The home underdogs have done well in the NFL so far, and Tampa Bay will be picking up points from this spot.

Aside from the loss to Denver, Baker Mayfield had been playing the best football of his career. In three games, Mayfield has thrown for 637 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed for 55 yards and a score. Tampa Bay could get a huge boost as defensive tackle Vita Vea looks set to play in Week 4. See which team you should choose here.

Here’s how to choose between Buccaneers and Eagles

The model has simulated Buccaneers vs. Eagles 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model focuses on the overall score, and it also tells you that one side of the range is the better value. You can only see the model selection at SportsLine.

So who wins Buccaneers vs. Eagles in Week 4 and which side of the spread offers better value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Eagles vs. Buccaneers is further behind, all under the model that has returned well over $7,000 on top-rated NFL picks, and find out.

Recently, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, in consultation with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Qatar has been designated for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which allows visa-free entry to the United States.

“The Visa Waiver Program is one of our most successful security initiatives. Qatar’s participation in the program increases information sharing about it one of the busiest travel and transfer hubs in the worldStrengthening the security of the United States. I commend our Qatari partners for meeting the strict requirements We look forward to our continued collaboration on behalf of our respective countries,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas.

“Qatar’s compliance with the strict security requirements for joining the Visa Waiver Program will make this possible.” We are deepening our strategic partnership and improving the flow of people and trade between our two countries. “Qatar’s accession will make travel between the United States and Qatar safer, more secure and easier for both Americans and Qataris.” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken added.

Complete list of countries that do not require a visa to enter the USA

In addition to Qatar, the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries also include: United Kingdom, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland , Israel, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan .

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) cannot be used if the purpose of your trip is to complete credit studies, to find employment, to work as a foreign journalist for press, radio, film or other media, or to establish yourself as a permanent resident.

What is the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)?

Travelers who want it enter the USA for business or tourist reasonsincluding certain types of transit (B-1/B-2 visa), e.g less than 90 days Perhaps eligible to travel to the United States without a visa enter under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) if they meet certain requirements.

The Visa Waiver Program creates comprehensive security partnerships between the United States and certain countries that meet strict requirements Requirements related to counterterrorism, law enforcement, immigration control, document security and border management.

These requirements include that the country has a The nonimmigrant visa denial rate was less than 3% in the previous fiscal year and issuing secure travel documents. Join in Countries are evaluated at least every two yearsas required by law to ensure they continue to meet all program requirements.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Let’s take a look at what to do today.

Today it’s all about cheese at the Cabot Cheese and Culture Festival. The event brings together Vermont cheesemakers and other fermented food producers, including bakers and brewers. The day will also include a cheese-making demonstration and end with live music from a local band. The festival lasts from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is free for all visitors.

Try something new today at Galerie Bern’s glassblowing competition. Only people who have never blown glass before can take part in this competition. The event is free and does not require prior registration. Stop by any time between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m

Enjoy some art in the park today at Saint Gaudens National Historical Park’s Sculptural Visions event. The park houses the studios and home of the American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., artists will demonstrate various sculpting techniques, including woodworking, stone carving, metalworking and figure sculpting. There will also be artist demonstrations and live music performances. Entrance to the park is possible for today.

Celebrate the arrival of fall in Burke with the Burke Fall Festival. The day begins with a parade at 10 a.m., followed by the presentation of the Burke Citizen of the Year Award. There will also be a barbecue, wagon rides and a craft market with over 75 vendors.

Fall is in the air today at the Ticonderoga Area FallFest. In the afternoon there is a farmers market, a children’s area and wagon rides. Then enjoy an evening food feast, a whiffle ball game and live musical performances. The day ends with fireworks over Percy Thompson Bicentennial Park. The free festival runs from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m

Catch a glimpse of fall foliage today at the Historic St. Johnsbury Fall Festival. The day begins with an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, followed by demonstrations of historic crafts and an exhibition of antique gas and steam engines. There will also be a curbside book sale and a scavenger hunt through the Fairbanks Museum. The events take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m

Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.

Navy (3-0, 2-0 AAC) at UAB (1-2, 0-0 AAC)
When	Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 | 12:00 pm (ET) / 11:00 am (CT)
Location	Birmingham, Ala. | Protective Stadium
Television	ESPN2 (Roy Philpott, Sam Acho, Taylor Davis)
Live Video Stream	WatchESPN and ESPN+
Listen	Navy Football Radio Network (Pete Medhurst, Joe Miller, Keith Mills, Scott Wykoff) WBAL 1090 AM / 101.5 FM (Baltimore) | WFED 820 AM, 94.3 FM (Frederick, Md.) | WFED 1500 AM (Washington, D.C.) | WFED 104.5 FM (Western Fairfax / Loudon, Va.) | WNAV 1430 AM, 99.9 FM (Annapolis) | KWFN 97.3 FM (San Diego) | WGH 1310 AM / 100.9 FM (Norfolk, Va.) | WJGM 105.7 FM (Jacksonville, Fla.) | KIKI 990 AM (Honolulu, Hawai’i) | Satellite: Sirius Ch. 160 or 201, SXM App Ch. 963 | Apps: Audacy (WNAV and KWFN) and TuneIn (WBAL)
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	Navy | UAB | AAC
Season Statistics	Navy | UAB | AAC
Social Media	@NavyAthletics | @NavyFB | Facebook | Instagram

Opening Kick
•    RV / RV Navy (3-0, 2-0 AAC) and UAB (1-2, 0-0) will meet on the gridiron for just the second time when the two square off on ESPN2 Saturday at 12 noon at Protective Stadium (42,351) in Birmingham, Ala. Navy is trying to start the season 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the American Athletic Conference for the first time since 2017.
•    Navy is 1-0 all-time against the Blazers, winning last year’s matchup 31-6 in Annapolis. 
•    Navy, picked 11th in the 14-team AAC preseason poll, is coming off a thrilling 56-44 victory over No. 23 Memphis (AFCA Coaches Poll). It was Navy’s first win over a ranked opponent since Nov. 19, 2022, when the Mids went to Orlando and knocked off #17/18 UCF 17-14. It was Navy’s first win at home over a ranked opponent since Nov. 23, 2019, when the Mids defeated #21/21 SMU 35-28.  
•    Navy is just 3-10 over the last two seasons when playing away from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Mids play at home just 2 more times in their final 9 regular-season games.
•    Navy has gone to a bowl game the last 5 times it started the year 3-0. The last time the Mids started 3-0 and did not go to a bowl game was in 1979 when Navy opened the year 6-0 and finished 7-4. Navy has started 3-0 just 15 times since 1943. Navy has started 4-0 just 6 times since 1960.
•    Navy has scored 143 points in its first-3 games of the season which are the most points by a Navy team in the first 3 games since 1918 when the Mids scored 150 points. The 4-game record is untouchable, as that same 1918 team hung 127 points on Ursinus in week 4.  
•    Navy’s 143 points in the first-3 games are more than the Mids scored in the first-7 games last year.
•    The 94 points Navy has scored in the first-2 conference games are the most by Navy in the first-2 games of AAC play since joining the conference in 2015.
•    Navy has scored a touchdown on the first play of a drive an incredible 5 times this season which is the most in the FBS.
•    Navy’s 56 points scored against Memphis are the most in a game since Nov. 30, 2019, when the Mids blasted Houston 56-41.
•    Navy’s 566 yards of total offense against Memphis are the 29th most in school history and the most since Nov. 1, 2019, when the Mids gained 573 yards against UConn.
•    Navy is 11-11 in the red zone this year with all 11 scores resulting in touchdowns. Last year, Navy was tied for 130th in the country in red zone offense, scoring just 14 touchdowns all year on 29 attempts.
•    Blake Horvath (Jr. / QB) had a monster day against Memphis, rushing for a career-high 211 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 12 carries, throwing for a career-high 192 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 of 12 passing and catching his first-career pass for 13 yards. His 6-combined touchdowns are the most for a Navy player since Malcolm Perry ran for 4 and passed for 2 against East Carolina in 2019. His 416 yards of total offense were just 12 yards off the school record of 428 set by Will Worth against USF in 2016 and his 90-yard touchdown run in the game tied for the 5th-longest run in school history. 
•    Eli Heidenreich (Jr. / Snipe) has 4 touchdown catches this season and 8 in his career. The school record for touchdown catches in a season is 6, while the career record is 13.
•    Colin Ramos (Sr. / LB) had a career-high 20 tackles in Navy’s win over Memphis. The 20 tackles are the most by any player in the FBS this year and the most by a Navy player since Ross Pospisil had 20 vs. Northern Illinois in 2007.
•    Rayuan Lane III (Sr. / S) made his 33rd-consecutive start at safety for the Mids against Memphis, which is the longest active streak for a safety in the FBS and second longest by a player in the secondary. His 86-yard interception returned for a touchdown with 23 seconds left in the game clinched the victory for the Mids. It is the second pick-6 of his career and the 86-yard interception return was the fifth longest in school history. Lane’s 97-yard interception return last year against UAB is the second longest in school history. Lane’s pair of pick-6’s are tied for the second most in school history. Rashad Smith (1994-97) holds the record with 3.  
•    The following players on the three-deep missed the Memphis game due to injury: Starting senior offensive tackle Trey Cummings (leg), sophomore kickoff returner / snipe Tyler Bradley (hand), starting sophomore cornerback Ira Oniha (leg), second-team raider junior Dylan Spelios (head) and third-team linebacker junior Elijah Oatsvall (knee).

Broadcast Coverage

•    ESPN2 will carry Saturday’s game with Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Sam Acho (color) and Taylor Davis (sidelines) on the call.

•    The Navy Football Pregame Show with Pete Medhurst, Joe Miller, Keith Mills, Scott Wykoff and special commentary from John Feinstein will get underway at 11:30 am on the Navy Radio Network, followed by game action beginning at 12 noon with Medhurst, Miller and Mills on the call.

•    Following the contest, Medhurst, Miller, Mills and Wykoff will recap the day’s events in a 30-minute postgame show.

Better Get Used to the Road

•    Navy started the year with 3-straight home games, but now will have to play away from home in 7 of its final-9 games (5 road, 2 neutral site).

•    Navy is the only FBS team in the country that has just 2 true home games in the final 9 contests.

Horvath Off to a Blistering Start

•    Blake Horvath (Jr.) won the starting quarterback job in the spring over Braxton Woodson (So. / QB) in a close contest.

•    Horvath made his first-career start last October against North Texas and ran for 88 yards on 18 carries in the first half before leaving with a season-ending thumb injury late in the 2nd quarter.

•    He finished his sophomore campaign completing 6 of his 12 passes (50.0) for 84 yards and 2 touchdowns, while carrying the ball 37 times for 183 yards (4.9 yds/carry, 45.8 yds/gm). 

•    Horvath had some bright moments last year in his limited playing time, completing 4 of his 6 pass attempts for a career-high 83 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushing for 52 yards on 10 carries against USF. He entered the Memphis game with 10:47 remaining in the contest and rushed for 49 yards on 7 carries.

•    Horvath made his second-career start in the 2024 opener against Bucknell where he completed 7 of his 12 passes for 108 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for 33 yards on 7 carries. He left in the third quarter due to cramps.

•    Horvath was sensational against Temple, rushing for a career-high 122 yards and 3 touchdowns on 15 carries, while completing 5 of his 9 pass attempts for a career-high 112 yards and a touchdown.  

•    According to ESPN Stats and Information, Horvath is the first Navy player to throw 3 touchdown passes in the first 2 games of the season.    

•    He was even better against No. 23 Memphis, rushing for a career-high 211 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 12 carries, while throwing for a career-high 192 yards and 2 TDs on 9 of 12 passing. Additionally, he caught his first-career pass for 13 yards.  

•    His 6-combined touchdowns against the Tigers are the most by a Navy player since Malcolm Perry had 6 (4 rush / 2 pass) against East Carolina in 2019.  

•    His 416 yards of total offense were just 12 yards off the school record of 428 set by Will Worth in 2016.        

•    He is the first Navy quarterback to throw for over 200 yards and rush for over 100 yards since Zach Abey did it against Florida Atlantic in 2017.

•    He is the first Navy quarterback to rush for more than 100 yards and throw for more than 100 yards in consecutive games since Zach Abey did it 3 times at the end of the 2016 season and beginning of the 2017 season.

•    His 90-yard touchdown run against Memphis is tied for the fifth-longest run in school history and the second longest in the FBS this year.

•    His 211 rushing yards against Memphis are the most by a Navy player since Malcolm Perry ran for 213 yards in Navy’s Liberty Bowl victory over Kansas State in 2019.     

•    On the year, Horvath has rushed for 366 yards (122.0 yds/gm, 7th in the FBS) and 7 touchdowns (6th nationally) on 34 carries (10.8 yds/carry, 1st nationally) and completed 21 of his 33 pass attempts for 412 yards with 5 TDs and an interception.   

•    As a team, Navy is averaging 19.6 yards per completion, which ranks 1st nationally and 4th in team passing efficiency (195.1).

•    Horvath has been responsible for 76 points this season. His 25.3 points responsible for per game is 2nd in the country, while his 14.0 points per game is 4th.

•    He is averaging 126.3 all-purpose yards per game which ranks 25th nationally.

•    Horvath ranks 1st in the country in ESPN’s QBR Rating.

Scoring Quickly

•    Navy has 3 of the 9-fastest touchdown drives in the country, scoring in 8, 9 and 10 seconds.

Quick Strikes

•    Navy has scored a touchdown on the first play of a drive 5 times in its 3 games this season.  

•    Daba Fofana (Sr. / FB) scored on a 49-yard run against Bucknell, while Brandon Chatman (Jr. / Snipe) scored on a 42-yard screen pass from Blake Horvath (Jr. / QB). 

•    Horvath and Alex Tecza (Jr. / FB) scored on back-to-back runs of 62 and 65 yards against Temple. 

•    Horvath did it again against Memphis, going 90 yards on a keeper. 

•    The 5 touchdown scores on the first play of a drive are the most in the FBS.

Dominating in the Red Zone

•    Navy is No.1 in the country in red zone offense going 11-11, with all 11 scores resulting in touchdowns.  Last year, Navy was tied for 130th in the country in red zone offense, scoring just 14 touchdowns on 29 attempts.

•    Navy and Ohio State are the only two teams in the country that are perfect in the red zone with all the scores resulting in touchdowns. Like Navy, Ohio State is 11 for 11.

•    The Navy defense has given up just 7 scores in 11 opportunities, with just 5 resulting in touchdowns. The Mids rank 11th in the country in red zone defense.

Piling Up the Points

•    Navy is averaging 47.7 points per game, which is the 10th-best scoring average in the country. 

•    Navy has scored 143 points in its 3 games this season, which are the most points in the first-3 games by a Navy team since 1918 when the Mids scored 150 points. The four-game record is untouchable, however, as that same 1918 team hung 127 points on Ursinus in week 4.  

•    Navy’s 143 points in its 3 games are more than the Mids scored in the first 7 games last year.

•    The 94 points Navy has scored in the first-2 conference games are the most by Navy in the first-2 games of AAC play since joining the conference in 2015.

•    A big reason for Navy’s scoring outburst is the play of the offensive line. Navy is 1st in the country in tackles for loss allowed (2.0).

•    Navy is averaging 470.7 yards per game which ranks 21st nationally.

Winning the Turnover Battle

•    Navy has recovered 3 fumbles this fall which are the 20th most in the country. Navy is forcing 1.67 fumbles per game which is tied for the 5th-best average in the country.

•    Navy is 10th nationally in turnover margin at +1.33.

•    The Navy offense is one of 20 teams that has yet to lose a fumble this year and the Mids’ 2 total turnovers are tied for the 9th fewest in the country.

•    Navy’s defense came up with 2 turnovers in the 2024 opener against Bucknell, both on forced fumbles, and then forced 3 turnovers against Temple (1 fumble, 2 INTs) and 1 against Memphis (INT).    

 

NASA launched its Crew-9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida today, September 28, 2024, at 10:46 pm IST.

The goal of this mission is to rescue astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 6, 2024 due to complications with their original spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner.

SPACEX LAUNCHES CREW 9 MISSION TO SAVE SUNITA WILLIAMS

The Crew 9 mission will transport NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the ISS.

What is unique is that only two crew members are used on this flight instead of the usual four, as the remaining seats are reserved for the return journey of Williams and Wilmore. The Crew Dragon spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS on September 29th.

Williams and Wilmore’s extended stay aboard the ISS was due to technical problems with their Starliner capsule, which experienced multiple helium leaks and engine failures during the docking process.

After careful consideration, NASA deemed it too risky to return the astronauts on the Starliner and opted for an unmanned return of the spacecraft on September 6th.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program was pivotal in facilitating crew rotation to the ISS. The Crew-9 mission marks the ninth operational flight for SpaceX under this program since its launch in 2020.

After returning to Earth, Williams and Wilmore are expected to reunite with Hague and Gorbunov for a five-month science mission aboard the ISS.

In the event of an emergency prior to Crew-9’s arrival, a contingency plan is in place that allows Williams and Wilmore to use the Crew-8 Dragon capsule, currently docked with the ISS, for a rapid evacuation.

Ken Bowersox, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations, acknowledged the challenges the astronauts faced during this extended mission but expressed confidence in their ability to adapt and thrive in space.

The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes play the Michigan State Spartans in a college football game tonight. The matchup begins at 6:30 p.m. CT on Peacock. Fans can watch this game online by taking out a Peacock subscription.

Ohio State comes into this matchup with a 3-0 record and the team earned a commanding 49-14 win against Marshall. During the win, Ohio State accumulated 569 total yards. Notably, the team ran for 280 yards.

Running back Quinshon Judkins led Ohio State’s rushing attack, finishing the game with 173 yards and two touchdowns. The junior has already rushed for 336 yards and five touchdowns this season, so he will look to continue his success tonight.

The Buckeyes have also played well defensively this year, allowing just 20 points total. If their defense continues to play at a high level, Ohio State should remain undefeated tonight.

Michigan State enters this matchup with a record of 3-1 and the team suffered a narrow 23-19 defeat against Boston College. The Spartans struggled offensively in the loss, as they finished the game with four turnovers. Of note, the team’s starting quarterback, Aidan Chiles, threw three interceptions, so he will look to come back with a better performance tonight.

Fans can watch this game online by taking out a Peacock subscription.

We’ve been together too long to hide this:

My desire is to produce an NFL pregame show that is radically different from all the others because it is, get this, interesting, entertaining, thoughtful, and leaves viewers with something worth knowing and remembering.

I assume that decades of wasted hours and millions of dollars would be easily recouped.

Crazy, I know.

I’d start by filling it with good stuff, like the one seen for a few seconds during a Fox broadcast earlier this month. It was a home video of Cowboys center Cooper Beebe, barely a breakout lock but now the team’s starter — a position he had never played before — snapping footballs to his mother in the backyard.

I sat them down and chatted with them to present them with something that was both cost-effective and worthy of attention and lasting memory.

I would send a team to follow veteran NFL referee Carl Paganelli, a federal parole officer. Wouldn’t you watch this instead of six guys talking about where the Bears are compared to the Week 2 run and then threatening/warning us, “We’ll be back at halftime”?

How about a weekly special to identify and interview the most humble, team-oriented and polite young gentleman on each team for the future and to pique the interests of civilized viewers who don’t have much gambling interest in games?

Once the games begin, the broadcaster can refocus its attention, live and in replays, on those most keen to degrade their sport through post-game indecency in order to attract the kind of attention that television now guarantees for a certain amount of sustained mindlessness.

And at the end of every show was “The Most Ridiculous Celebration of the Week.” Highlighted on Sunday was the Browns’ defense last week against the Giants, which gathered in the end zone for a rehearsed celebration – which is what today’s pros now practice during practice – after a TD that was called for a penalty against the same defense was recalled.

And I’d like to close it with a graphic showing the final result: The 0-2 Giants defeated the favored Browns 21-15 in Cleveland.

Hey, so many players now so eager to embarrass their sport? Throw back a little. What could be the worst thing about it? Who knows, maybe it will even stop the networks from giving up their habit of hiring the worst newly retired NFL misanthropes to stop making their cable shows as insufferable as their pregame shows.

As for the obviously forced, desk-thumping laughter that has become de rigueur on pregame shows for 20 years, I’d try targeted cattle prods. And who wouldn’t bother to watch it?

880 AM has become a hype machine for ESPN

Predictably, ESPN Radio NY’s move to 880 AM, formerly known as News Radio 880, gave out a lot of ESPN promos – sales – as content.

Of course, the obedient Michael “Don’t Call Me a Shill” Kay, with his fragile psyche, was further demoted as a shill by binding his selectively outspoken, insecure co-hosts Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg to a copy of the plan.

On Thursday I happened to try it out and watched the Kay Show before Cowboys-Giants to see if the Kay and Bad Company guest had an ESPN attachment. Bingo! The guest was former Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck. Not a bad idea, until Kay revealed the reason for Tuck’s presence for business reasons:

Tuck also hosts an ESPN show. No ESPN, no Tuck. Bingo!

On the other hand, we now know the result: it’s all fraud. But don’t call Kay a decoy!

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Do advertisers really think viewers will be tricked into buying anything Deion Sanders advocates when it might have the opposite effect? Most people wouldn’t trust Coach Slime with an empty envelope by now.

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I still can’t fathom why NFL players, who are lost weekly and too often forever to concussions, continue to toast their teammates by punching them or head-butting them in the helmet.

If I were a color analyst and many viewers couldn’t understand this either, I would at least address it.

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Reader Joe Shepherd to Nike representative Rob Manfred: “Nothing says Red Sox like a Clarabell the Clown costume in yellow and blue.” And that’s what they are: costumes, not uniforms.”

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UNC paid James Madison 500 grand to beat them at home for bowl eligibility, but then lost 70-50 in a blood-pressure finale last week.

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Where can all the eco-friendly college students protest when they have a concrete, demonstrable, and support-worthy issue?

Because money can move continents, California’s Stanford University is now a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The current schedule includes home and away games at Clemson, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. There is also a game against Louisville, now an ACC college.

The amount of money and fuel needed to stage football games is enormous. The same goes for the silence of environmentally sensitive student protesters. Well, yes.

Analysts aren’t worth all that money

Now that Week 4 has arrived, one would think that there is someone at the top of Fox who regrets signing Tom Brady for $375 million. If he’s a draw – and he would be first in history as opposed to the game, but he’s no such thing – he’s for those drawn to fleeting and insight-hungry commentary.

Of course, few to no television network sports production executives would be able to tell the bad from the worse.

CBS’s Tony Romo, who in my opinion still isn’t doing all that bad – he even makes me laugh occasionally and occasionally sees and tells me exactly what’s coming – is still getting an obscene $180 million while CBS/Paramount is in the middle there are layoffs in the crisis.

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I can’t wait to pick up Venus Williams’ new self-help book about personal integrity, credibility, and health.

I’m sure there’s a chapter about Doug Adler, who suffered a heart attack and lost his career and reputation after he was absurdly accused on ESPN of calling Williams “a gorilla.”

Williams was given the opportunity to defend Adler and correct the misunderstanding. Instead, she dismissed the matter as unimportant, allowing an innocent person to be destroyed by a lie.

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Question of the Week: ESPN sideline reporter Laura Rutledge asked Buffalo QB Josh Allen after the Bills 47 and Jags 10 on Monday: “How would you describe the offensive performance tonight?”

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How much better would Kirk Herbstreit be if he chose silence over empty clichés? On Thursday night, during the Cowboys-Giants, he obliterated space and time with “not on the same page,” “I’ve got a play to call here,” and the need to “run downhill” nonsense.

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Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson, CBS’ premier college football duo, are good enough, and should be good enough by now, to call out players, many of whom are now no longer pros, for counterproductive, all-about-me postgame misconduct to condemn.

Again, modern sports media avoids insulting the most offensive and therefore chooses to insult its audience.

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As seen on YES, the Yankees’ Austin Wells was named Man of the Week in less than three hours on Thursday. He took such a beating behind the plate that a referee stopped the fight. And considering that at 20 times Wells’ $750,000 per player, MLB players can’t be bothered to go first.

Welcome back to our queer film retrospective “A Gay Old Time.” In this week’s column, we take another look at the 1982 crime thriller Death trapin which above all a, well… *Spoiler alert*

Crime and mystery novels tend to have a particularly queer appeal. The worlds of Agatha Christie, Jessica Fletcher or Benoit Blanc are always full of larger-than-life characters hiding secrets from each other, exotic far-flung places, fabulous women in outlandish clothes and drama hiding in every corner.

The genre revels in the archetypes and narratives we are drawn to, either because of its camp feel and heightened reality, or because themes such as hiding one’s true identity and finding meaning in a chaotic world are reflections of our own experiences.

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The canon of crime stories in film is broad and extensive, and while they always manage to find a queer audience, open queer representation in them is surprisingly quite low. Films like 1975 The last of Sheila1976s Murder by death (which we have already covered in this column) and more recently the Knife out There were queer characters in films of varying degrees of prominence. However, it was rare for a character’s queerness to serve as a central plot point or motivation in the story.

This week to celebrate the recent release of the biographical documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeves StoryLet’s take a look at a crime film that made a cultural statement by adding a queer layer to its source material, exposing the themes that otherwise simmered quietly beneath.

The structure

The 1982 film Death trap The film stars Michael Caine as Sidney Bruhl, a once-famous thriller playwright who now faces critical and financial decline in his career. Stuck in a creative rut after the failure of his latest play, Sidney is surprised to receive a manuscript one night from a former student, Clifford Anderson (Christopher Reeve).

The play proves to be one of the most brilliant works he has ever read, and his very supportive wife Myra (a spirited Dyan Cannon) persuades him to invite the young writer to discuss collaboration. But Sidney has other plans: he intends to murder Clifford and secure credit for the play in order to revive his own career.

*From now on, this article will be quite spoiler-heavy. So if you haven’t seen it yet Death trap and enjoy the film’s many twists and turns, do so and come back!*

After a cat-and-mouse chase throughout the evening, Sidney successfully murders Clifford. But to his wife’s great surprise, he comes back to life in the middle of the night and tries to take revenge. This is too much for Myra’s poor heart and she dies of a heart attack. But then Sidney and Clifford look at each other and smile: their plan worked. They successfully killed his wife and can now enjoy their fortune together. And they share a kiss.

The rest of the film follows the distrust that the two men develop towards each other as Clifford attempts to write a play based on the crime committed by the two (it is a film full of complex narrative themes and techniques).

Related*

Making the crime thriller queer in the truest sense of the word

It’s a very cleverly plotted, fast-paced and gripping meta-crime with three funny performances at its center. Cannon stands out as the unsuspecting victim, with Reeve effectively weaponizing his boyish charm and Michael Caine comfortably falling into an archetype he’s done before (the film has many similarities to 1972). detectivewhere he played alongside Laurence Olivier).

Death trap The film is directed by Sidney Lumet, returning to the genre after directing the star-studded 1975 film Murder on the Orient Expressand effectively translates the “stageiness” of the source material into a dynamic and claustrophobic cinematic experience.

The film is based on Ira Levin’s 1978 play of the same name, which at the time had the honor of being the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway. Although the play suggests that there is a romantic and sexual relationship between the two leads, the film made this clear by including the kissing scene, which caused great controversy at the time. The film was booed by audiences in previews, and since the discourse it generated apparently revealed a major twist in the film’s plot, the studio assumed it would have cost millions of dollars in ticket sales.

A crime of passion

However, the kiss, and therefore the romantic nature of the central relationship, is a key element of the story and what sets it apart from other entries in the genre. Unlike other films where a character’s sexuality can be used as information against them (see The last of Sheila or just a touch of personality and backstory that never comes into play, the attraction and bond between Sidney and Clifford is what sets the entire plot in motion.

They kill because they want to be together, and the tension that grows between them after the murder is heightened by their feelings for each other. The professional jealousy at the core of the theme makes more sense and is felt more strongly between two lovers than if they were just colleagues.

Interestingly, and rather disappointingly, there have been attempts at revivals of the play that have unsuccessfully attempted to deepen this romantic relationship even further. In 2012, a Los Angeles LGBT Center production staged the post-murder conversations as a post-coital nude scene and had to cancel performances when the production was canceled by Ira Levin’s estate. But it’s not as if this creates a dynamic that isn’t already present in the text.

A twist of fate

Death trap is a worthy entry into the canon of both crime adaptations and queer films. Although it is significantly longer than it needs to be, and its stage origins are sometimes too obvious, it is full of surprises, twists and gore to both embarrass and captivate the reader.

The fact that it centers on a queer couple feels both groundbreaking and surprisingly familiar; It’s a genre we’ve felt at home with for so long that it feels somewhat natural to see ourselves portrayed openly.

Deathtrap is currently streaming on Hoopla, Plex and Tubi. It can be rented digitally or purchased via Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

Related*

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Hurricane Helene has left its mark on North Carolina and many residents are trying to make sense of the devastation it left in its wake.

Helene brought heavy rains, strong winds, damaging debris and flooding to the state. Power outages and life-threatening flash floods were reported in the western part of the state.

In many areas of North Carolina, such as Chimney Rock and Asheville, residents saw more than a foot of rain. The highest rainfall reported was 29.5 inches in Busick Raws, Yancey County, North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper’s office said.

The heavy rains prompted Rutherford County Emergency Management to issue an immediate evacuation notice to residents near Lake Lure Dam on Friday morning.

On Friday evening, the county government office provided an update on the dam’s water level.

“The water level in Lake Lure has stopped rising and is beginning to decline,” the county government office wrote in a Facebook post. “Emergency personnel rescued over 25 people through rapid water rescue, EMS, fire and law enforcement.”

Emergency personnel provided an update around 9:00 p.m. local time that the storm had knocked out many phone lines across the county, particularly in Lake Lure.