CVS (CVS) stock fell more than 6% after news that the pharmacy chain will replace its CEO Karen Lynch with another company executive, David Joyner.

Shares have fallen nearly 20% this year as the company has been under pressure from Glenview Capital Management, a hedge fund that has been pushing for change, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news of Joyner’s appointment. CVS is reportedly exploring strategic options that could include a separation.

David Joyner, EVP of CVS Health and president of the chain’s pharmacy health services business, CVS Caremark, replaced Lynch on Thursday, CVS said. Lynch has been CEO since 2021. In an interview with the Journal, Joyner said the company would move forward unscathed.

CVS said in a news release Friday that it expects third-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.05 to $1.10, below Wall Street analysts’ forecast of 1.70, according to Bloomberg consensus estimates US dollars. CVS said investors should no longer rely on its previous full-year 2024 profit forecast – which has already been cut several times – given “ongoing elevated medical cost pressures in the health benefits segment.”

“Meet me at the disco-go-go-go…” beckons Kylie on her 17th album. Tension II. Although she did say that these 13 tracks are mostly leftovers from last year TensionThere’s no loss of quality as pop’s flirtiest little glitter fairy continues to bring joy to the dance floor. In fact, this is one of those moments where the sequel occasionally surpasses the original: Tension II feels bolder, tougher and more imaginative than its predecessor, but still exudes the same fun and sparkling vibe. Kylie sounds like a woman who completely takes her place in the middle of the dance floor just before the party begins, ushering a boisterous guest list of producers and duet partners from their seats to put her in the spotlight.

Next year Minogue will be touring for the first time since 2019, so we shouldn’t be surprised if she builds up to a boogie. Tension II begins with a banger of a show opener: “Lights Camera, Action” springs from an expectant little synth riff as the 56-year-old teases, “I’m right around the corner/I’m two seconds away/Hold on tight, I am right there…” Her shimmering voice is utterly assured as she provides a soundtrack to anyone getting dressed for a big night out: “I look great tonight / My armor is by Gaultier…we’re turning sinful tonight.” .”

Interviewed by NME Last month, Minogue chose the song “Taboo” as one of her favorites from the record, describing it as a “distant cousin to Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’.” Retro disco strings rise from a submerged spot in the mix (like those on Madonna’s “Hung Up”) to carry the drama. Violins that could have stepped in (shirtless and in platform shoes) from an early ’80s Boney M recording session float and sway through an EDM pulse as Minogue breathes: “A drink? I know I shouldn’t do it, but I just can’t help it… un, deux, trois.”

The woman whose renaissance in the 2000s was fueled by a song where she simply pouted “laaa-laa-laa” (“Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” 2001) launched herself into a whole new one Generation with more nonsense syllables at the end new “Padam Padam” of the year – they continue the trick here. Their love is not just “taboo” but “taboo-do-doo, do-dooo.” Nobody is more blasé. Over a synthesizer hook that could have been the theme song to a late-’70s police show, in “Diamond” she pays tribute to a lover who’s a “star-ah-ah-ah, no matter where you are-ah-ah-.” . Ah.” Meanwhile, “Good as Gone” bounces off a punch as hard as a squash ball; “Someone for Me” plays with an Ibizan flair; “Dance to the Music” features a Dua Lipa-style bass line.

Things are a little slower in the ninth track, in which Minogue does a wonderfully heartbreaking slow dance with “Shoulda Left Ya”. You can practically hear the wind machine blowing her curls as she laments, “Every time I hear the music, I’m back in the room.” But Tension II Things pick up again at the end with a series of collaborations that seem like an energetic encore. There’s the thumping ’90s sound of “Edge of Saturday Night” (featuring The Blessed Madonna); the more memorable “My Oh My” (featuring Bebe Rexha and Tove Lo) and the castanets-flecked cowboy camp of “Midnight Ride” (featuring Orville Peck and Diplo), where Peck’s rich baritone provides a great contrast.

She closes the album with “Dance Alone” (featuring Sia). The two Australian pop queens – both survivors in different ways – dive into a pool of experimentally bizarre vocoders before diving into some 4/4 shapes under the mirror ball: “I’m not afraid/I know I’m fine.” will go/ there’s nothing you can say.” Minogue sounds incredibly cool and confident – happy in her natural habitat of sequins and flashes. Tension 2025 should be a great tour.

PERRY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation will update its investigation into the shooting at Perry High School during a press conference Friday morning.

You can watch the press conference live in the player above or below. The start is scheduled for Friday at 10:00 a.m.

17-year-old Dylan Butler opened fire at the high school on Jan. 4, killing 11-year-old Ahmir Joliff and wounding six others before taking his own life. Principal Dan Marburger was one of the wounded and died of these wounds ten days later.

On Thursday, the Dallas District Attorney announced that he would not file further criminal charges in connection with the shooting. The investigation determined that Butler acted alone in the shooting.

In September, the Dallas district attorney initially refused to provide details about the investigation into the shooting. That sparked criticism from open records advocates and others who questioned how the 17-year-old kept the gun at bay and whether anyone else could have acted sooner to prevent the shooting.

Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.

A 10-year-old girl who helped her grandmother discover a potentially fatal gas leak after learning about it at school has been praised for her “heroic” intervention.

Connie learned about the dangers of carbon monoxide at her school in Eccles and alerted Pauline after class.

Two days later, the appliance went off and it turned out there was a gas leak from the 79-year-old’s stove.

Pauline said her granddaughter’s actions “literally saved my life.”

Connie, now 11, attended a Crucial Crew workshop with St Mary’s RC Primary School in Eccles in March.

She was given a carbon monoxide (CO) detector to take with her, but as Connie already had two in her home, she gave it to grandmother Pauline, who lives in Cadishead.

Pauline had suffered “vertigo” attacks before the alarm was raised and the faulty cooker was removed by gas company Cadent.

She said the Cadent man told her if she hadn’t had the alarm she probably would have fallen asleep.

“I thought if this was a Friday night, no one would know or think about it until Monday, and then you’d be dead.” [Connie] literally saved my life.

“Silent Killer”

Pauline felt better almost immediately and the pair now want to raise awareness of the potential dangers of CO leaks because without the alarm, Pauline said she might not be here today.

“If she hadn’t gone to the Crucial Crew workshop, gotten the alarm and given it to me, who knows?” Pauline said.

Crucial Crew is an event run by emergency services across Greater Manchester to provide children with safety advice.

CO is a toxic gas that poses a serious health hazard when exposed and cannot be detected by smell, taste or sight.

According to Cadent, there are around 40 deaths from CO poisoning each year in England and Wales.

Pauline urged everyone, particularly those who are elderly or live alone, to ensure they have alarms and to monitor any unusual symptoms.

She said: “I know they say it’s the silent killer… but people don’t tend to think about carbon monoxide.”

“If you get dizzy spells from people my age, don’t just assume it’s old age.”

When asked how Connie felt after “saving her Nanna’s life,” she said “heroic” and “incredible.”

She added: “Don’t expect it not to happen to you, because it can.”

Listen to the best BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and keep following BBC Manchester Facebook, XAnd Instagram. You can also send story ideas to [email protected] and via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

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Sure, center James Hagens hasn’t technically been selected yet. But he’s a prospect worth keeping an eye on, so he ticks both boxes.

Hagens is currently the player most likely to go first overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, but whether he maintains that status throughout the season remains to be seen. (Current top prospects: Porter Martone and Roger McQueen, both CHL players.) It depends a lot on who goes first overall, but one thing we know: Hagens is in a class of his own when it comes to what he can do with it Puck.

He has two games and two assists in his first season at Boston College, so it’s a little early to judge this season’s play. However, last season he broke the 100-point mark with the NTDP (36G/63A) and set the individual tournament record with 22 at this year’s U18. From what we’ve seen so far, Hagens is an outstanding playmaker with elite skating and puck skills. He combines these skills with vision and poise to make life difficult for the opposing team every time he is on the ice. We don’t expect that to change in the college environment. Expect to see him with Team USA at the 2025 World Junior Championships as well.

Tempers heated up in Tuscaloosa when many residents spoke out against the development of the Sports Illustrated resort at the City Council on Tuesday night.

“This is a brand new concept. I heard them say flagship, I say guinea pig. Other than one place in the Dominican Republic where there is gambling, this concept does not exist,” said a Tuscaloosa resident.

The nine-story hotel resort would also consist of restaurants, shopping centers and timeshares, a concept that raises many questions.

“I am very uncertain about this partnership between Travel Leisure and Sports Illustrated. I’m very unclear who will own it, who will run it and what the rules will be,” said Janet Crowder of Tuscaloosa.

“How will this impact ambulance response times at this location based on crowd occupancy and events,” one Tuscaloosa resident said.

Developers of the company addressed the City Council’s questions at the public hearing. One of them was an explanation of how the company plans to sell a hotel throughout the year.

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“Some of our owners will be inclined to use these hotel rooms as they operate outside of their points with the options they have within the timeshare,” the Sports Illustrated representative said.

With much uncertainty surrounding developers’ plans for traffic and safety on the North Tuscaloosa resort site, some residents feel the idea doesn’t fit.

“I don’t want the Sports Illustrated concept here at all, they have Margaritaville, it sounds a bit like Roll Tide Ville to me, I think we can do better,” Crowder said.

In a statement to ABC 3340, the company hoped for a positive vote to move the project forward.

“Putting people to work and providing the community with a new, family-friendly resort that will bring new income to the local community.”

Previously the project passed unanimously through the city’s Planning and Zoning Board, now developers must return and re-argue their case in hopes of building in Tuscaloosa.

Earl Ehrhart says he only encountered Kirby Smart once, in March 2016, before Smart had coached a football game at Georgia. Perhaps then it should have been obvious the signs were already there that this Georgia football coach would play defense better than any Bulldogs coach before him. 

At the time, Ehrhart was the longest-tenured Republican in the Georgia House of Representatives. Smart had visited the capitol with university athletics department officials and been asked the differences between Georgia and other programs he was at previously. His answer convinced Ehrhart to introduce an 11th-hour amendment that changed the state’s open-records laws to conform with others in the SEC, most notably Alabama – where Smart had just worked under Nick Saban for nine seasons. 

Smart was strategic and calculated, “from the very beginning” of his tenure, said former Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity, who was in the room. This particular meeting wound up providing Georgia’s athletics department and other public colleges in the state up to 90 business days to respond to open-records requests instead of three days.

Smart, when asked at the time, did not elaborate on how the amendment would help Georgia’s football program. Ehrhart said it was meant to protect the identities of prospects the Bulldogs were recruiting. McGarity said it helped his overwhelmed staff, which handled open records requests made to the athletics department.

“I hope it brings us a national championship,” then-Lieutenant Gov. Casey Cagle declared on the House floor. Several media reports declared it “Kirby’s Law.” Smart bristled at the nickname, calling it “ridiculous.”

Smart “talked about that competitive advantage. It wasn’t about a lack of transparency. It was a competitive disadvantage across the board against all the other SEC schools,” Ehrhart recalled to USA TODAY Sports last month.

Eight years and two national titles later, the notion of Georgia taking a backseat to anybody in college football is almost laughable. Few operate quite like Smart and Georgia right now, with Alabama about the only team consistently standing in the Bulldogs’ way anymore.

Smart has moved into Saban’s spot as the highest-paid college football coach in the country this year, according to USA TODAY Sports’ annual analysis of coaches’ compensation released Wednesday. He is the first coach to earn more than $13 million in annual pay from a school after Georgia announced in May that it had extended his contract through 2033. It is about $2.5 million more than Smart made from the school in 2023 and is about $2 million more than what Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is set to make as the second-highest paid coach in the country (just over $11 million). It is the largest gap between the nation’s two highest-paid coaches in terms of recurring annual compensation since USA TODAY Sports began its salary database in 2006.

The new contract was a reward for all the wins, and all the revenue generated, during a run Georgia president Jere Morehead called “the definition of excellence for all of college football,” in a statement announcing the deal.

Smart’s compensation now dwarfs that of Kansas’ Bill Self and Arkansas’ John Calipari, who are the highest-paid men’s basketball coaches in the country at $8.65 million and $8 million from their respective schools for the upcoming season. Smart would rank among the top 15 highest-paid CEOs in the state of Georgia, according to AFL-CIO figures from 2023. There were only six coaches in American professional sports in 2023 earning more than Smart will this season, Sportico reported last year.

But the optics — and rationale — have been complicated by a rash of traffic-related incidents of varying significance involving Georgia football players that continued into this season; recent graduation rates that are among the worst in the country; and the underlying question of what responsibility lies with a man who’s likely now the highest-paid public employee in the country. 

Kirby Smart and ‘the cost of leadership’ at Georgia

Smart has spoken about “the costs of leadership” before, and he mentioned the concept again when answering questions about the arrest of another Bulldogs football player earlier this month.

Junior wide receiver Colbie Young had been charged with battery and assault of an unborn child on Oct. 8 following an alleged altercation with Young’s ex-girlfriend at his apartment. Smart announced the next day that Young would be indefinitely suspended until the legal matter was resolved. It came just two months after Smart dismissed wide receiver Rodarius “Rara” Thomas from the team after a second arrest for charges involving family violence.

Smart referred to potential domestic violence situations as, “the hardest thing you deal with when you deal with players and some of the decisions.” But eventually it seemed as if he wasn’t speaking about just one type of incident.

“When you have 130 17- to 23-year-olds, that’s, you’re going to have issues. It’s not going to be perfect and I certainly recognize we’ve got to do a better job,” Smart said. “But it’s hard, it’s hard on our staff, because we got really good kids. We got really good people, man.

“You just want them to make better decisions as men off the field, and I take a lot of responsibility in that,” he continued. “It’s tough, but that’s the cost of leadership. You’re going to be judged by the people you lead, and you got to stand up and face it, and do right by the kids and keep trying to find a better way.

“We’re constantly trying to find a better way to make a difference, and that’s in everything we do in our organization. That’s evaluation of the kids. That’s in the football side of it, becoming a man, the graduation, it’s all wrapped into one, and we’ve got to keep working on that.”

The price for Smart has never cost more.

Georgia put it right at the top of the news release in May. School officials wanted it known they were paying Smart more than anyone in college football. The designation, however, has only added to scrutiny on Smart as off-field headlines pile up. 

Georgia has had at least 30 arrests or citations for speeding, reckless driving or racing since a Jan. 15, 2023, crash that killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy, according to the Athens Banner-Herald, a member of the USA TODAY Network. Police said LeCroy and former Georgia star Jalen Carter were racing at about 104 miles per hour. Victoria Bowles, a former Georgia recruiting staffer who was in the backseat of LeCroy’s rented SUV, has since reached a settlement with the University of Georgia Athletic Association in which neither side was assigned blame. But a lawsuit against Carter from Bowles is still active. Carter was selected ninth overall in the June 2023 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Smart described the immediate aftermath of the incident at the emergency room as “probably one of the toughest moments I’ve ever experienced as a coach and a leader,” when he first spoke to reporters about the crash in March 2023. Smart also insisted then that the program’s culture was not a problem.

“Do kids make mistakes? Yes. Young student-athletes make mistakes. They do. It happens all across the country, it happens here,” Smart said. “There’s no lack of control for our program. I think our kids will tell you across the board, we have an incredible culture here.”

In addition, the Georgia football team’s latest NCAA Graduation Success Rate from last December was among the bottom 15 of about 5,800 Division I teams in any sport, according to NCAA data. It was the second-worst among the division’s 260 football teams and the worst, by far, among the 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. The figures stem from six-year graduation rates that include players entering school between 2013 and 2016, which encompassed Mark Richt’s final three years as coach and Smart’s first year on the job.

The team’s most recent figure is a new low point in three consecutive years of decline. And it came at a time when an athletics department staff list – obtained this summer by the USA TODAY Network – shows 21 employees in its Student Services unit, 17 of whom have the word “academic” or “learning” in their title. Georgia’s most recent overall athletics Graduation Success Rate was more than double the football team’s.

The dynamic, with Smart given two lucrative contract extensions since 2022, is fueling a perception that Georgia isn’t concerned about what’s happening behind the scenes so long as Smart is winning football games. 

“I think there’s a systematic problem there because we’ve seen so many of these incidents that are the exact same in nature. Why is it that there can’t be some sort of message or punishment from above that indicates to these players that this type of behavior is completely and totally unacceptable?” said Mark Nagel, the associate director of the College Sports Research Institute and a sports management professor at the University of South Carolina, which along with Georgia is a member of the Southeastern Conference.

“At a certain point, the benefits and the danger kind of conflict,” he added, “but that’s the leeway when you win and you win at a very high level. We look the other way.” 

The Georgia athletics department would not make Smart or athletic director Josh Brooks available for an interview with USA TODAY Sports for this story. Morehead, the university president, also declined a USA TODAY Sports interview request through a spokesperson. Multiple university faculty members with roles involving Georgia athletics also declined to speak about Smart and his program when reached by USA TODAY Sports.

Smart had to defend Georgia football’s culture and disciplinary tactics for the second consecutive year at SEC Media Days in July, admitting the behavior by players was “disappointing” while insisting, “we do as much or more education than anybody in the country.” 

Smart said previously that the program has brought in numerous guests, including police officers from the UGA Police Department and Athens-Clarke County Police Department, to speak with players about the dangers of street racing. Georgia has also instituted what Smart termed “proactive” education for players, like defensive driving courses.

“This has got to be just one of the most frustrating things he’s ever had to deal with,” said McGarity, who was Georgia’s athletics director when Smart was hired and who retired in 2020. “There’s no excuse for it. There’s no justification for it. But even when I was there at Georgia … you had some sexual issues to deal with, you had guns and you had moving violations on these mopeds. It was like, c’mon. And the worst things were ones that rose to the level of felonies, or guns. It always seems like it’s something, and the severity of this is serious because of the tragedy.”

Smart hasn’t been willing to discuss specific discipline, fearing it would “shame kids,” but Georgia running back Trevor Etienne did not play in the season opener against Clemson after a DUI arrest this summer in which he later pleaded no contest to reckless driving and guilty to charges of underage possession of alcohol, failure to maintain a lane and a window-tint violation. Smart has also mentioned fines to players levied by the school’s name, image and likeness collective.

Since the season started, though, cornerback Daniel Harris became the latest player to be arrested for reckless driving, on Sept. 12. Harris was allegedly driving 106 miles per hour in a 65-mph area. He did not play in Georgia’s next game at Kentucky, though he did travel with the team.

“We continue to have guys make poor decisions,” Smart told reporters last month in the aftermath of Harris’ incident. “I know that our staff, myself, continue to drive home the sensitive nature of it. It’s certainly a deadly speed when you talk about the speed that he was traveling at. You want kids to grow up, you want to treat kids like your own kids, you want them to grow up and make good decisions and learn from their own mistakes. We had guys share, and we obviously continue to talk to them. But it hasn’t stopped it. So we’ve got to find a way to do it.”

Former Wyoming and North Dakota State football coach Craig Bohl, who now works as the executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, pointed out that Smart is currently the co-chair of the NCAA Football Rules Committee and “cares about our game.” But he would only talk in general terms about how well Smart is or isn’t handling the issues Georgia football is confronting beyond gameday. 

“It was important for me to recognize that you had young men you’re working with, and young men are still in a maturing process, and some are faster than others,” Bohl said. “And so as a [former] coach, I’m always supportive of all the coaches’ decisions that they’re making and for doing what’s best for that young man and their program. As each coach sits in that chair, no one knows the challenges, no one understands the culture better than that coach.”

How coaches salaries and the NIL bill affects college football

Dan Wolken breaks down the annual college football coaches compensation package to discuss salaries and how the NIL bill affects them.

Sports Pulse

Why Kirby Smart is worth so much to Georgia

In so many ways, Smart is a Georgia football fairy tale. 

He’s the son of a Georgia high school football coach who then became an all-SEC defensive back and captain for the Bulldogs. He moved up the coaching ladder until he was essentially Saban’s deputy at Alabama, with his pick of head-coaching jobs. He waited until his alma mater came calling, immediately became Alabama’s top challenger in the SEC and eventually won back-to-back national championships.

The biggest impact, however, is that Smart “really transcended athletics at Georgia in a financial way,” according to McGarity. The former athletics director pointed to recent improvements to the university’s track and field, soccer and baseball facilities that have been executed or planned as proof of what Smart’s success means. The school was able to fund those projects, as well as nearly $150 million in construction on the new football indoor practice facility and improvements to Sanford Stadium, because of how much money Smart brought in as a fundraiser through his big wins and his level of engagement with boosters.

“His level of success, the way he talked about his vision of success, and being a home-grown Georgia person, I think if you add all those things together, football kind of exploded,” McGarity said. “All these facilities now are getting the attention that football just consumed, all that space during my time there. Because you had to get football going. Football had to be successful because, if it wasn’t, then all these other things probably aren’t happening due to financial concerns.”

Now, the university is doing everything it can to make sure Smart would never want to leave – or want for anything, really.   

Georgia was one of nine power conference schools to exceed what the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, a college sports watchdog organization, dubbed the “crossover point” in a 2022 study. The threshold is applied to schools that are spending more on the salaries of their football head coach and 11 full-time assistant coaches than on athlete scholarships, medical expenses and financial aid for the entire athletics department. 

And that was before Smart became the nation’s highest-paid coach this spring. 

“So much about value now is tied to brand, and winning is so critically important to your brand value in athletics, and your athletics are so important to the overall brand of the university,” Nagel said, “that schools in many cases feel like, well, even if we haven’t done an exact mathematical equation and know exactly what Kirby Smart does for Georgia versus (what) another prominent coach might do for Georgia, the concern is why would we stop the train moving in a great direction on the field … There’s this huge worry of slipping from being a top-five or top-10 program, and that worry is driving a lot of this as well.”

The numbers can be staggering. 

Georgia, for instance, boasts 70 staff members designated as “Athletics-Football” or “Athletics-Football Nutrition“ this season on the staff listing obtained by the USA TODAY Network, up from 59 in 2023.

All told, Georgia is paying more than $29 million for just its football staff and, not adjusting for inflation, spent $20 million more on its football program in fiscal year 2023 than it did in fiscal year 2020, according to financial disclosure documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports. There were 106 Division I public schools that reported less than $29 million in total athletics operating expenses last year. Northern Illinois — the Mid-American Conference school that shocked Notre Dame in football this season — had $26.4 million in total operating expenses for its entire athletics department during fiscal year 2023.

Georgia, though, saw tremendous revenue growth from football under Smart. In former coach Richt’s final season (2015), not adjusting for inflation, Georgia earned about $123.8 million in total operating revenue, including more than $28 million in ticket sales and $33 million in contributions. According to the most recent revenue filings obtained by USA TODAY Sports, Georgia had more than $210 million in total operating revenue, including more than $37 million in ticket sales and nearly $76 million in contributions.

“His salary is a reflection of his competency and his effort level, and where that sets – if he’s the highest-paid guy – so be it,” Bohl said about Smart. “But I believe he’s earning every nickel that he’s getting.” 

The Knight Commission’s study¹, conducted by financial services firm CliftonLarsonAllen, predicted that by 2032, nearly half of the 68 power-conference schools would reach the crossover point thanks to the increase in revenue tied to media rights, and in particular the additional money coming due to the expansion of the College Football Playoff over the next decade.

Knight Commission CEO Amy Privette Perko said these increased revenues have disproportionately benefited college football coaches and called the crossover point “a sign of a financially dysfunctional system.”

Former MLB CFO Jonathan Mariner, who also serves as a board member and co-chair of the finance committee at the Knight Commission, wondered aloud if at some point, as the NCAA continues to seek antitrust legislation from Congress in order to regulate NIL benefits, “perhaps there’s some notion that if you want to pay a college coach the way professionals are paid, you no longer get the benefit of a not-for-profit exemption for the organization.”

The annual splurges on salaries and buyouts are par for the course at this point, even with the introduction of NIL benefits that have effectively allowed college athletes to be paid. The increase in coaches’ salaries isn’t slowing down, particularly at the highest levels of college football.

This year, based on USA TODAY Sports’ analysis, there are 12 coaches making $9 million or more, up from six in 2022. In 2020, only one coach in the country made more than $9 million. Smart, meanwhile, has seen his salary grow from $3.75 million when he was first hired by Georgia in December 2015 to $13.28 million in just nine years.

Georgia, including this season, will have paid Smart more than $68 million in basic annual compensation since he took over the program, in addition to the $4.1 million buyout it had to give Richt. That’s actually less money than SEC cohorts Alabama, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M and Florida are committed to pay in head-coach salaries and buyouts for those seasons.

“You may not like paying it, but in order to be fair to him, you want to be proactive. I think what Josh (Brooks) has done, the president, they’ve been proactive,” said McGarity. “And so they see these numbers coming out, they appreciate what he’s done, and I promise you it’s not Kirby coming in there whining or something. That’s not the way he’s wired … but you never want to take him for granted. You never want to take the attitude of, ‘Well, he’ll never leave. He never says anything about his salary.’ You want to treat him as a commodity, as someone there who is treasured, and has done remarkable work.”

‘Kirby Smart is to Georgia what Nick Saban was to Alabama’

Just don’t try to compare Smart to his old boss. Not to his face, anyway. 

Smart has been asked numerous times since Saban announced his retirement from coaching in January whether he considers himself Saban’s replacement as the face of the sport, and Smart can’t sidestep the question fast enough. That’s a title he doesn’t want, at least right now.

“I don’t think that’s some kind of a spot that’s inherited or given to anybody. You earn that. He earned that through time. I’m not where he was,” Smart told CBS Sports in March.Saban finished his 28-year career as a head coach with 292 wins and seven national championships, including six won over 17 seasons at Alabama.

Georgia football, however, is humming in a manner that makes the comparisons inevitable. The program has never won like it has under Smart, even during Vince Dooley’s legendary run. Smart’s .853 winning percentage is better than any of his predecessors. It’s better than Saban and just about any other FBS coach from this century other than Urban Meyer. About the only blemish is a 1-6 record against Alabama.

“Kirby’s surpassed about, well, everybody,” said Ehrhart, the former member of the Georgia House of Representatives. “Kirby Smart is to Georgia what Nick Saban was to Alabama. He’s taken a great program and taken it to a level that’s stratospheric.”

All these years later, Ehrhart hasn’t encountered Smart again other than seeing him patrolling the sideline at a game. McGarity noted the Smart who met with legislators nine seasons ago “in no way went in there with an iron fist. At that point in time, it wasn’t like he was the national championship coach.”

“He has never utilized his bully pulpit, his fame and fortune and all that to press the legislature on anything other than one little thing 15 years ago,” Ehrhart emphasized. “I’d say that’s pretty good.”

But there is a bully pulpit to use when needed, and the mere acknowledgment of it is a nod to the power Smart wields, be it changing laws that could affect his program or changing the narrative forming around it.

So when the 2024 college football season began, once Georgia had confirmed its status as a top national championship contender again by blowing out Clemson, Smart was asked once more about the culture he’d molded at Georgia. He turned the question into a warning for those seeking to discredit what he’s built. 

“What you know on the inside is a lot more than what people can paint pictures of on the outside,” Smart said. “People use it in negative recruiting and throw it out there, and it comes back to bite them, too.”

The highest-paid college football coach in the country was standing behind a podium playing defense yet again.

¹Beginning with the 2023 fiscal year, data were collected by the Knight Commission in partnership with Jodi Upton, Knight Chair in Data and Explanatory Journalism at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Between fiscal years 2016 and 2022, USA TODAY contributed to the data collection. Data prior to fiscal year 2016 were collected by Jodi Upton, then at USA TODAY Sports. Data are used with permission from USA TODAY. 

Contributing: Athens Banner-Herald reporter Marc Weiszer; John Heasly

Follow Mark Giannotto on social media @mgiannotto and email him at [email protected]. Follow Steve Berkowitz @ByBerkowitz and email him at [email protected].

This story was updated to add new information and update a graphic.

When the NBA season begins Tuesday, there will be three Jewish players on the court – the same trio that played in the league last year.

Two of these players – Deni Avdija And Amari Bailey – changed uniforms during All-Star Domantas Sabonis is entering his fourth season with the Sacramento Kings.

In the meantime, Ryan Turellwho played in the Minor G League last season, and Abby Meyerswho appeared in nine WNBA games in 2023, are both playing professionally in Israel this season.

Read on to learn more about the Jewish NBA players to watch as the season begins next week.

Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers forward

After a career year with the Washington Wizards, 23 years old Deni Avdija is entering his fifth season in the NBA and his first with the Portland Trail Blazers. Avdija, the only Israeli in the league, was transferred to Portland in the summer. Before last season, he signed a four-year, $55 million contract extension with the Wizards.

Avdija, a native of Beit Zera in northern Israel, was drafted No. 9 overall by the Wizards in 2020, the earliest an Israeli has been selected in the NBA draft. Avdija averaged 14.7 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and a 51% field goal percentage last season, all career highs. Avdija, who started 75 games for the Wizards, finished sixth in the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.

Since entering the league, the small forward has been one of the most vocal Jewish athletes in all of American professional sports. During an earlier bout of violence in Israel, Avdija wrote “Am Yisrael Chai” (“The Jewish people are alive”) and painted Stars of David on his sneakers. He also celebrated Hanukkah with his teammates and spoke to the team Jewish Heritage Night.

As his Trail Blazers prepared for the season opener this month, Avdija decided to sit out the game because it fell on Yom Kippur. He attributed the decision to a change in his attitude last year after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

“Tomorrow, on the eve of Yom Kippur, the first preparatory game of the season will take place. When management informed me of this, I knew immediately that I would not be taking part. I believe that the best way to start the season is to honor Jewish tradition and be united with my fellow Jewish brothers in Israel and around the world,” Avdija wrote in an Instagram Story.

“Basketball has been a central part of my life for as long as I can remember and has always been my top priority. But after last year, I realized that there are more important things than basketball,” Avdija added. “Am Yisrael Chai. I wish everyone good labeling and sealing.”

Amari Bailey, Brooklyn Nets point guard

The 20-year-old guard made his NBA debut last season with the Charlotte Hornets Amari Bailey signed a contract with the Brooklyn Nets this season.

Bailey was drafted 41st overall by the Hornets last year and played 10 games for the team, spending most of the season with Charlotte’s G League affiliate. Bailey is now competing for a spot on the Nets’ roster and could spend more time in the minors this season.

Bailey was born in New Orleans and grew up in Chicago. He moved to California to play basketball at Sierra Canyon High School, a prestigious private school in Los Angeles. He was then recruited to play at the venerable University of California, Los Angeles, where he was named to the Pac-12’s All-Freshman team.

Bailey’s mother, an influencer known to her 319,000 Instagram followers as Johanna Leia (surname Edelberg), is Jewish. Bailey personally identifies as Jewish, his agent Bernie Lee confirmed to the Forward.

Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings center

At the start of his ninth NBA season Domantas Sabonisa center and power forward, has established himself as one of the best players in the league. The 28-year-old, who stands at over 6-foot-3, is a three-time All-Star who finished in the top 10 in MVP voting and was named to the All-NBA Third Team in each of the last two Squadrons.

Sabonis, a recent convert to Judaism, averaged 19.4 points and 13.7 rebounds per game last season, leading the league. Sabonis ranked sixth in the NBA with 8.2 assists per game and his field goal percentage of 59% ranked ninth. He played all 82 games for the Kings.

Sabonis, who was born in Portland to Lithuanian parents, studied with Rabbi Erez Sherman of Los Angeles and was involved in the local chapter of the Chabad Hasidic movement in Sacramento. Sabonis also keeps kosher and celebrates Shabbat, Passover and other Jewish holidays.

“He loves [Judaism] and really want to be a part of it,” Sabonis’ wife Shashana Sabonis (née Rosen) said last year. Shashana grew up in Los Angeles, where she attended Jewish day schools. The couple was married by a Reform rabbi in August 2021.

Das Kommende Die Fantastischen Vier: Erste Schritte wird die neueste Inkarnation der Live-Action-Kostüme der Fantastischen Vier präsentieren und sich dabei einer harten Konkurrenz stellen. Als Marvels führende Superheldenfamilie wurden die Fantastischen Vier im Laufe der Jahre mit einem hohen Maß an Variation in ihren Filmoutfits präsentiert. Mit der Begeisterung für die bekannten Details von Die Fantastischen Vier: Erste Schritte Es kommt die Erkenntnis, dass die neuesten Looks für „Die Fantastischen Vier“ bald weltweit in die Kinos kommen werden.

Meistens handelt es sich bei den Kostümen der Fantastischen Vier eher um zusammenhängende Uniformen als um eine Reihe individueller Outfits, die die einzigartige Identität jedes Helden zur Geltung bringen. Sie haben in den Original-Marvel-Comics viele verschiedene Looks erlebt, wobei die eigenständigen Fantastic Four-Filme in der Darstellung der offiziellen Kostüme des Teams ebenso vielfältig waren. Weitere Cameo-Auftritte in Multiversum-hüpfenden Marvel Cinematic Universe-Filmen haben die Qualitätslücke in der Gesamtgarderobe des Teams nur noch vergrößert.

9 Jamie Bells The Thing

Fantastische Vier (2015)

Die neueste Version von „Die Fantastischen Vier“ ging mit ihren Superheldenkostümen in eine ganz andere Richtung und individualisierte das Outfit jedes Mitglieds weitaus stärker als je zuvor. Bedauerlicherweise wurde Jamie Bells „The Thing“ nicht mit solchen Maßen ausgestattet und war gezwungen, herumzustolpern, ohne überhaupt irgendwelche Kleidung zu tragen. Anscheinend war er nicht einmal in der Lage, eine Hose in XXXL-Größe zu finden, um seinen massiven, steinigen Körper zu betonen, den Auftritt von The Thing im Jahr 2015 Fantastische Vier ist geradezu erbärmlich.

Abgesehen davon, dass er überhaupt keine Kleidung trägt, ist das, was Jamie Bells „The Thing“ auf den Grund der Fantastischen Vier-Fassung schickt, sein unhandliches Design im Vergleich zur Comic-getreuen Version von 2005. Seine harten Vorsprünge sind unbeholfen und asymmetrisch, was ihm einen wackeligen Charakter verleiht, der den Eindruck erweckt, als würde jeden Moment alles zusammenbrechen. Ganz zu schweigen von seinem bedauerlichen Mangel an privaten Bereichen, die es wert wären, abgedeckt zu werden, was einige besorgniserregende Fragen bezüglich Benjamin Grimms Verwandlung aufwirft.

8 Kate Maras „Die unsichtbare Frau“.

Fantastische Vier (2015)

In einer seltsamen Entscheidung entschied sich Regisseur Josh Trank mit seinem Horrorfilm für fast körperbetonte Horrorfilme Fantastische Vier, Betonung der grotesken Natur der Transformationen des Teams. Dieser Schwerpunkt wurde durch einige sehr individuelle Kostüme ergänzt, die mit ihren einzigartigen neuen Fähigkeiten harmonieren sollten. Unglücklicherweise bietet die Unsichtbarkeit im Fall von Kate Maras Sue Storm in dieser Hinsicht nicht viel, womit man arbeiten kann.

Das Endergebnis ist ein schmerzlich schlichter dunkler Body, der keine besondere Beziehung zu den Kräften der unsichtbaren Frau, dem Schauplatz von 2015, hat Fantastische Vier viel zu geerdet, um irgendwelche Science-Fiction-Materialien zuzulassen, die bei ihr durchscheinend werden könnten. Das Beste, was der Anzug der Unsichtbaren an Funktionalität bringt, ist die Möglichkeit, die Ärmel hochzukrempeln, was es ihr zumindest ermöglicht, Bösewichte mit einem Paar unsichtbarer Unterarme zu täuschen. Die Tatsache, dass sie in diesem Outfit auch Handschuhe trägt, macht sogar das überflüssig.

7 Miles Tellers Mr. Fantastic

Fantastische Vier (2015)

Endlich 2015 Fantastische Vier kommt zu einem Charakter, für den seine seltsame, individualistische Herangehensweise an die Kleidung der Mitglieder des Titelteams einigermaßen funktioniert. Miles Tellers Anzug als Mr. Fantastic besteht aus Bündeln elastischer Kabel, Teleskopgelenken und ausgedehnten Stoffbahnen, die es ihm möglicherweise ermöglichen könnten, seine Gliedmaßen zu strecken, ohne die Deckung zu verlieren. Diese Lösung bietet eine realistische Möglichkeit, dass sich Mr. Fantastics Anzug mit ihm verändern kann, ohne dass Spezialmaterialien eingeführt werden müssen, die es in der realen Welt nicht gibt.

So groß das Bekenntnis zum Realismus auch ist, so groß ist auch die Ästhetik von Mr. Fantastic Fantastische Vier wird dadurch nicht geholfen. Meistens sieht Miles Teller einfach so aus, als wäre er das unglückliche Opfer eines Missgeschicks beim Klettern oder Bungee-Jumping gewesen, wobei seine Bewegungen auf urkomische Weise durch baumelnde Kabel und Schnüre nachgezeichnet werden. Zumindest das Kostüm ist unvergesslich, was mehr ist, als man von „The Invisible Woman“ sagen kann.

6 Michael B. Jordans menschliche Fackel

Fantastische Vier (2015)

Mit Abstand der größte Garderobensieger des Jahres 2015 Fantastische Vier ist Michael B. Jordans The Human Torch. Bevor er als Erik Killmonger zu einem der besten MCU-Bösewichte wurde, war Michael B. Jordan mit Sicherheit einer der besten Teile des neuesten Fantastic Four-Films. Hier besteht sein Kostüm aus einem Body, der mit Panzerplatten bedeckt ist, die gleichzeitig als Heizkörper dienen und die Welt um ihn herum vor der intensiven Hitze schützen, die er als menschliche Fackel ausstrahlt.

Auch wenn es technisch praktisch ist, passt Michael B. Jordans Human Torch dazu Fantastische Vier ist der einzige, der tatsächlich wie etwas aus einem Comic aussieht. Eine nette Geste sind auch die vier kleinen Kühlerrohre, die auf seiner Brust ausgerichtet sind und eine freche Anspielung auf die klassischen „4“-Insignien bilden, die normalerweise auf den Anzügen der Gruppe zu finden sind. Dennoch kratzt der Anzug von The Human Torch im Vergleich zu anderen filmischen Variationen nur an der Oberfläche des modischen Comic-Looks.

5 John Krasinskis Mr. Fantastic

Doctor Strange im Multiversum des Wahnsinns (2022)

Lange Zeit war John Krasinski einer der Lieblingsbesetzungen der Fans für Reed Richards im Marvel Cinematic Universe. Während er die Rolle letztendlich an Pedro Pascal verlor, erhielt Krasinski zumindest seine Pflichten als kurzer Cameo-Auftritt und fungierte in einer alternativen Dimension als Version von Mr. Fantastic Doctor Strange im Multiversum des Wahnsinns. Hier fungiert Richards als Kernmitglied der Illuminati, einer geheimnisvollen Superheldengruppe, die ihre Fänge viel weiter in die Gesellschaft hinein ausdehnt, als es die Avengers jemals taten.

Krasinskis „Mr. Fantastic“-Anzug ist ein Stück mit hohem Produktionswert, das im Gegensatz zum vorherigen Hauptfilm „Fantastic Four“ nicht vor den leuchtenden Blautönen und dem klassischen „4“-Logo der Comics zurückschreckt. Was das Kostüm versagt, ist die unnötige Hinzufügung von sich kreuzenden Linien, Schichten ähnlicher Farben und 135-Grad-Winkeln, für die das MCU mit seinem Kostümdesign berüchtigt ist. Krasinskis Anzug sieht aus der Ferne großartig aus, bei näherer Betrachtung ist er ein Hinweis auf eine geschäftige Designphilosophie, die wohl bereits zu viele MCU-Kostüme ruiniert hat.

4 Die Standardanzüge von 2005 (Reed, Sue und Johnny)

Fantastische Vier (2005)

Mit den schlichten, klaren Anzügen des Originals von 2005 begeben wir uns in ikonischeres Terrain Fantastische Vier sind schwer zu toppen. Aufgrund des Gespürs des Teams für eine zusammenhängende Identität als einzigartige Einheit kann man sich über diese austauschbaren Kostüme kaum beschweren. Eine Version genau dieses Anzugs wird von Johnny Storm von Chris Evans, The Invisible Woman von Jessica Alba und Reed Richards von Ioan Gruffudd getragen. Diese schlichten Kostüme integrieren ein einfaches „4“-Emblem in einen blauen Body mit schwarzen Akzenten und gipfeln in einem auffälligen schwarzen Chevron mittig auf der Brust des Trägers.

Das einzige kleine Problem dieser Anzüge ist ihr unangenehmer Hauch von Sexappeal, wobei der anschmiegsame Stoff wenig Raum für Fantasie lässt. Besonders auffällig ist dies im Fall von Jessica Alba, wo der Ausschnitt ihres Anzugs in bestimmten Einstellungen ohne guten Grund langsam nach unten gezogen wird. Unter Berücksichtigung der Bedingungen der Menge von Fantastic Four: Aufstieg des Silver Surfer Das hätte Jessica Alba fast dazu gebracht, mit der Schauspielerei aufzuhören. Im Nachhinein sind diese Anzüge ein bisschen ein heimliches Vergnügen.

3 Chris Evans‘ postapokalyptisches Outfit

Deadpool und Wolverine (2024)

Einer der unerwartetsten Cameo-Auftritte überhaupt Deadpool und Wolverine passiert, als Chris Evans, der zunächst für Captain America gehalten wurde, brüllt:Flamme an!„Er entpuppt sich als derselbe Johnny Storm, den er vor Jahren gespielt hat und der jetzt in der Leere des MCU gefangen ist. Bei einer erneuten Untersuchung wird deutlich, dass es sich bei seinem Kostüm um eine Variation der klassischen Uniformanzüge handelt, die erstmals 2005 vorgestellt wurden Fantastische Vier. Es ist eine Schande, dass er durch die hinterhältigen telekinetischen Hände von Cassandra Nova diese neuen Fäden verliert, ganz zu schweigen von seiner Haut.

Diese Version des Outfits der menschlichen Fackel funktioniert gut für das, was es ist. Ein locker drapierter Schal über der einfachen blauen Uniform trägt dazu bei, Chris Evans so weit zu verkleiden, dass der Fake-Gag landet, und die Bündel an Beuteln, praktischen Stiefeln und anderen nützlichen Accessoires machen für die postapokalyptische Welt von The Void Sinn . Obwohl es für den in den Fantastischen Vier ansässigen Hitzkopf vielleicht alles andere als ein traditioneller Look ist, erfüllt es den Zweck, für den es gedacht war, hervorragend.

2 Die Fantastischen Vier: Anzüge für die ersten Schritte

Die Fantastischen Vier: Erste Schritte (2025)

Zum Zeitpunkt des Verfassens dieses Artikels gab es nur wenige kurze Einblicke in die neuen Anzüge für die kommende Saison Die Fantastischen Vier: Erste Schritte. Die Anzüge wurden erstmals in einem Weihnachtskunstwerk mit den Fantastischen Vier in illustrierter Form gezeigt, obwohl das Endprodukt offenbar einige wichtige Änderungen gegenüber dem Teaserbild vorgenommen hat. Bei D23 wurde endlich ein Live-Action-Blick auf die Kostüme der Fantastischen Vier enthüllt, mit Joseph Quinns menschlicher Fackel in einem wunderschönen neuen Kostüm im Vordergrund.

Erinnert an den historischen Charakter von Die Fantastischen Vier: Erste Schritte, Diese Kostüme scheinen eine Reminiszenz an den breiigen 80er-Jahre-Science-Fiction-Look der Gruppe aus den Comics zu sein. Die Uniformen scheinen eher die Textur eines Zopfstrickpullovers zu haben als den typischen Superhelden-Bodysuit-Look aus Kohlefaser und weisen kräftige weiße Spritzer auf, die einen Kontrast zu einer blasseren, himmelblaueren Basis bilden. Natürlich scheut man sich hier nicht vor dem Abzeichen „4“, und die ikonischen Elemente der weiß-blauen Anzüge der Fantastischen Vier scheinen in ihrem nächsten kommenden Film gut dargestellt worden zu sein.

1 Michael Chiklis’ The Thing

Fantastische Vier (2005)

Es ist erstaunlich, zuzugeben, wie gut Michael Chiklis‘ Make-up als „The Thing“ im Jahr 2005 war Fantastische Vier hat sich auch nach modernen Maßstäben gehalten. Im Vergleich zu den meisten Marvel-Comics-Charakteren hatte The Thing schon immer ein etwas cartoonartiges Design, mit seiner markanten felsigen Stirnkante und den vier Fingern an jeder Hand. Doch die unglaublichen praktischen Effekte des Films von 2005 haben es geschafft, Chiklis in eine Version der Figur zu verwandeln, die aussieht, als wäre er direkt aus den Seiten des Ausgangsmaterials hervorgegangen, ohne einen Takt auszulassen.

Das Design hinter Benjamin Grimms Körper im Originalfilm ist ein Kunstwerk, das Risse aus zähem orangefarbenem Stein formt, die eine erkennbare menschliche Muskulatur bilden, ohne bei der Anzahl der einzelnen Steine, aus denen seine Form besteht, zu weit zu gehen. Auch seine eigentliche Kleidung ist eine nette Geste, mit eleganten blauen und schwarzen Hosen, die die Kleidung, die er trägt, an die Anzüge seiner Teamkollegen anpassen. Für das wahrscheinliche CGI-Ding des MCU wird es schwierig werden Der Fantastic Four: Erste Schritte diesen Triumph des Make-up- und Kostümdesigns jemals zu übertreffen.

Kommende MCU-Filme

The live stream of Ipswich Town vs Everton feels like a game you can’t lose, especially for the Tractor Boys – and You can watch it from anywhere with a VPN.

Ipswich are still looking for their first win since promotion to the EPL – and this is a game they felt was entirely winnable. The Tractor Boys have drawn four of their last five league games, so they aren’t too far away. Liverpool are the only team to have won at Portman Road so far.