#espn outside the lines

[bengals-barnesbabe]

Pairing: Joe Burrow x Singer!FemReader

Summary: Summary: Occurs directly after the events of Operation Tiger. In which everyone gets hit with a dose with karma?

Chapter 18: Run Joey Run

#Track9 Masterlist | Main Masterlist

Warnings: 18+, language, overprotective brother, gossip.

Word Count: 3.7k

Part 2 🖤

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

‘Georgia’s so fucking predictable,’ Malik thought while flipping the last pancake onto his iHop-worthy plate of breakfast. He rolled his eyes at the hard downpour outside the kitchen window, then placed the hot pan in soapy water. 

“We’ve never been good, so I don’t know why you have to have a damn fit every time we lose a game.” He grumbles while drizzling an unhealthy amount of ‘maple’ syrup on his plate.

Once he’s satisfied with the amount of sugary goodness, he takes his plate, sits in his father’s favorite armchair, and turns on the television. A broadcast about last night’s game immediately draws his attention, Malik’s never been the biggest fan of football but he shares the same level of competitiveness as the rest of his family, so he enjoys a good game. In his opinion what happened last night was truly unfortunate to watch. It’s one thing to watch your dad try and coach his favorite team from his living room, but being there and watching them get pummeled by one of the guys he met just the day before- especially when he raved about the guy the second he left. It was a special game, to say the least.

His favorite part was just watching his favorite sibling fall harder and harder for the guy. Not that he’d ever say it to her face, but he liked Joe before he even stepped into the house. He saw them pull up from an upstairs window and it wasn’t just the level of chivalry he showed her that impressed him but the pure and beyond obvious adoration he had for her -the girl that once tortured him because he ate a chicken nugget that wasn’t his. He knew his big sister was a good judge of character, more times than not, so he was hopeful for the outcome of their love story.

“It smells like something burnt in here.”

Malik stabbed his short stack and groaned as the door slammed shut. “Why are you back? Y/n is not here, go away.” 

Riana cackles as she snatches a strip of bacon off his plate and then sits on the couch farthest away from the 21-year-old. “You should be nicer to your guests Malik. Mama Mina said I could stay as long as I wanted.” She smiles biting into his food.

“Hey! She said nothing about taking my food, this took me forever!” He scolds, and in return, she pouts and makes a crying gesture with her hands.

“Whatever.” He shakes his head, grabs the TV remote, and changes the local news to ESPN. 

“Ugh, you didn’t get enough of that last night?” Mars rounds his chair with two water bottles from the fridge and sits with the other girl.

“I’m sorry, is this not my house? Last time I checked you lived down the road.” The older girls giggle and watch the boy fidget in his seat.

“Yeah well, it would be your house if you got a job to pay for some of the bills, but last time I checked Y/n helps out more than you and she lives in Louisiana.” 

Just as Malik’s about to reply to his loc’ed-ness monster sister-like nemesis, a new story about the game perks all their attention.

“I love watching players find their footing in the league. Joe Burrow last night was phenomenal.  Sure, are the Falcons ragdolls, yes, but the Bengals ran them in the dirt like it was nothing.”

“You know he’s a showboat, right? Burrow had to show off for the pretty girls in that stadium.” 

“Hey if my model girlfriend were in the stands, I’d play my ass off as well.”

“And a beautiful one at that, Megan Claire was in his eye line the entire night. They seem like a great couple.”

“Some even caught them leaving later than usual, but that’s enough about that for now.”

Malik was the first one out of his seat with his fists clenched and a scowl burning on his face. “Who the fuck is Megan Claire and where is that stupid motherfucker at?” He turns his scowl towards the girls and watches as they scurry off the couch.

"Malik calm down. I'm sure there’s a reasonable explanation for this." Mars expresses only slightly panicked but still fumbles with getting her phone out.

The young man's breath picks up as he paces the living room. "Did I not just spend an entire weekend watching him and my sister play house?"

"What's taking so long, why isn't she picking up?" Mars groans.

"Maybe because it’s 10 am," Riana mumbles earning a glare from her.

"Fine, how about you try- since you know every fucking thing." Riana rolls her eyes and makes the call.

"Someone tell me what the fuck is going on!"

◛⑅·˚ ༘ ♡

Meanwhile at the Hilton...

After a very successful night, most of the Bengals players went out to celebrate, engaging in the city’s nightlife. Their most important player, well he spent his night a bit differently.

While Ja'Marr and Tee were having fun and getting drunk, Joe decided a quiet dinner with his special girl was more than enough fun for him. Little did they all know, that no one would be able to tell the difference in their mornings by the way they spent their nights.

Chase and Higgins were rudely awakened by intense headaches and sensitive senses, while Burrow had to listen to ridiculous shriekings from alarms- or what he thought were alarms.

Joe wanted nothing more than to shove his face in his soft pillow and catch more zzz, but the noise didn't stop. He didn't remember setting an alarm for the day since he was very content on having a well-deserved lazy morning, so when he had to stretch farther to reach the device it didn't concern him as anything that important. In an attempt to turn off the horrid noise, he answered the call and dropped the phone next to his pillow.

The quarterback began to slip back into Dreamworld until a woman's voice came blaring through the small device. "Y/N YOUR NEW BOYFRIEND IS A MANWHORE!"

Joe's soul practically jumps out of his body as he gazes at the phone realizing it was a FaceTime. What the hell.

"Ri, give me the phone. That is not how you start a conversation." A softer tone, belonging to the nicer half of the duo he had recently met, said.

Joe half-assly cleared his throat to gain their attention. "Look I don't know what is going on, but I'm not a whore."

"Don't play dumb with us Burrow." Mars' previous tone grows harsher.

"I can promise you there are no games here, just a very tired Joe, who would like to go back to bed." He yawns turning onto his back.

The video on the phone begins to jolt from person to person as someone else tugs it in their direction. "Listen here jackass."

'Huh Malik does not seem happy.'

"Who the hell is Megan Claire and why are you cheating on my sister?" Joe's face falls at the accusation from the young college boy and he faces the camera.

"Woah he even wakes up hot."

"RiRi!"

Joe chuckles, "I'm flattered but taken."

"Answer the question second string."

“After last night that comment was uncalled for. Megan’s an ex from a while back and I’m not cheating on Y/n.” He rakes his fingers through his hair and takes a glance at the figure sleeping soundly next to him. "I'd have her vouch for me, but I'm not waking her up."

“You’re lying! Every single media outlet is talking about Megan repping your jersey last night and you looking in her direction the whole game!”

Joe rolls his eyes and gives the boy a second to calm down. "Malik, who's phone did you call?"

The brown-eyed boy just shakes his head. "That has nothing to do with it! You could've snuck into the room and pretended that you'd been with her the whole night.

"Malik I don't know what else to tell you. I haven't seen Megan in over a year, I didn't know she was at the game and I was out with your sister all night." He sighed just as the figure next to him began to stir.

"Fuck what time is it?" You slowly lift your head out of the layers of pillows and comforters to see a blurred version of your boyfriend with your phone in his hand. "Babe, what's going on?"

"Tell my sister the truth!

“Oh, just your brother accusing me of cheating two days into our relationship.” You reach over your nightstand for your glasses. Once they're settled on your face, Joey pulls you closer to him.

"Malik, what the hell is going on?"

"I'll tell you what's going on. You're being played. The entire time he was trying to get in with you, he's had another bitch repping his famous ass name."

You roll your eyes and scoff at your incredibly naive little brother. "Oh yea, and what credible ass sources did you hear that bull shit from."

"It's all over social media duh." He smirks glaring at Joe.

"Malik you need a fucking media literary class if you believe every fucking thing you hear on social media. Have you seen a single picture of them attached to those damn articles? No. Has either of their media teams come out and said to leave the matter alone? No. Why? Because it’s BULLSHIT. Have I, your older sister, given you any sign that he'd done something wrong or found out some big secret of his? Hell no. Which means you need to hop off your fucking high horse and apologize for going off for some dumb ass shit."

Malik's face falls as he takes it all in. He clearly didn't do much thinking after hearing the news. "I'm sorry guys. I swear I was just trying to protect you, but I know that I took it too far too fast."

"Malik, I understand why, and it’s incredibly sweet of you to defend my honor, but you need to fact-check with the people that matter before losing your head."

He nods his head, "I promise to always check with you. As long as the model's not a problem, I won’t be either."

Joe snorts Malik and hands the phone to one of the girls. "She was definitely a problem a couple of nights ago."

"Let's not bring that up again." You groan.

"Yeahhh, let’s not talk about that." Riana dryly chuckles while biting on her nails. Your brows furrow as the phone's yanked out of her hand revealing an also nervous Mars.

"Guys, are you okay?"

The dark-skin girl lets out a sigh. "We have something to tell you, but you can't get mad."

"M, don't do it."

You lean back into your boyfriend and watch the same confused look form on his face through the camera. "Don't do what?" He inquired.

"I'm so sorry I let her rope me into this. It was supposed to be innocent, just to help speed things along. Then I saw what she wrote and we couldn't go back. It was all one big misunderstanding-

"Oh my god, Y/Bff it can not be that bad. Just calm down and say it." She pursed her lips and frantically nodded her head. "Girl, it’s okay."

"Claire wasn't the one sending those messages, we were."

You blinked at your long-time friend. "Come again?"

"Someone..." She points to Riana. "Came up with the brilliant idea to pretend to send Joe messages as his ex so you'd be jealous and act on your feelings for him."

Your jaw drops and Joey grabs the phone. “Are you fucking kidding me? You did the fucking opposite of helping. I had the whole thing planned out then your stupid messages made everything I was saying sound like utter bullshit!” You slowly stroke his unoccupied arm as a means to calm both him and yourself.

"Listen, we were only trying to help. You guys were starting to seem hopeless from our view- we didn't want you to be only friends forever." Riana began.

You just shook your head in disbelief. "Fucking bitches!"

"Y/n come on, if it wasn’t for us you wouldn't be in the same damn bed right now!"

"Oh fuck you, do you know how that shit made me feel? That was the dumbest fucking thing you've ever done to me and if I remember it was YOUR friend that caused my fear of relationships with men. I can not believe this was all your fault." She freezes as you remind her of that day, her face pales and her eyes no longer on the screen.

"I told you it was a stupid idea, but no... we were doing what's best for her. Look where we are now."

Riana didn’t acknowledge the other girl as she shook her head in shame and defeat. "Y/n, I never thought about how it could affect you in other ways. I'm so sorry that I reminded you of that night."

Your eyelids drooped and you palmed your face. "Fuck I never should've brought that up. Now I'm sorry, that was never your fault. Guys like that act on their own accord, you were trying to do something nice.”

“No, I completely understand why you would go to that. You worked so hard to get through that then even more therapy after Miles. I know you wanted to take your time and I should've respected that.” She sniffled.

“Ri, you’re my girl. I know you had the best intentions-

“Oh my fucking god.” The two of you stop as the phone is ripped out of Riana’s hands.

“Ok we get it, Ri messed up. You took it too far. We’re all fucking sorry. It’s done, stop apologizing! Damn.”  You press your lips together to suppress your laugh.

“On that note, we are done here,” Joey says taking the phone from you.

You look up at him and snort. “Babe for real?”

“Yes, say bye.”

“Wait so you forgive us for meddling right?”

“Riana please!”

“I just wanted to know-

You can’t help the belly laugh that erupts from within you as he ends the call and tosses the phone to the other side of the room. “Well, that’s a great way to wake up.”

Joe snorts. “I can list a hundred better ways right now.” Then pats your hips. You turn to face him in his lap, and hook your arms around his neck.

“And what sorts of ideas are you concocting Mr. Burrow?” Your eyes meet his blues with a certain flare to them. “Joey..” 

“Huh?” His gaze goes down to where your shirt ends and exposes the bare skin of your thighs.

“My eyes are up here.” You tap his chin, his steamy eyes following your finger.

“Yep so are your lips.” You snort at the way his pupils were so blown. 

All you did was sit there in his shirt and you had his full attention. Not even just now, last night it didn’t matter how dim the lighting was or how good the food was; all that mattered to him was you. The waiter sat you at a table next to the window, the chairs were across from each other, but he couldn’t take the distance and moved yours so you both had an amazing view. The night sky was incredible from up high, but he only had eyes for you. 

“I feel underdressed, this place is so fancy. If I’d known we’d be going out I would’ve packed a nicer outfit.” You looked down at your light blouse and dark jeans.

“You look beautiful.” His eyes sparkled with adoration. “My plan was for them to deliver to our room, but I thought this would be better. I called and asked if could just be us, they actually set the whole thing up. Suckers for romance.” He smiles and takes your hands.

“I wanted to show you how serious I am about you. I know I did the whole speech, but actions speak louder than words right?”

You blinked as a small smirk formed on your lips. “Did you just quote Jonathan Larson in Tick, Tick… Boom!” His gaze fell to your joined hands as his cheeks shifted to a deeper pink

“You put it on a few times at my place, I might’ve picked up on it.” He chuckles then brings your hand to his lips. You bite your bottom lip as your smile plumps your cheeks.

The evening was wonderful, you enjoyed your food, got a bit tipsy, and fell asleep to the ending of Iron Man 3. 

“What are you thinking about?” Joe must’ve noticed the wondrous yet blissful look in your eyes. You smiled and pecked his lips.

“About how beautiful last night was and about how much of an amazing boyfriend I have.” His cheeks pink up the same hue as last night.

“I only had to wait a few years to secure the woman of my dreams.” 

“Stop you’re gonna make my cheeks hurt.” You giggle as he pulls you in so you’re chest to chest. A groan escaped his lips as your French tips threaded through his hair before massaging his scalp.

“Never, I was told to never let that smile leave your face. So you’re stuck with me, baby.” He nips your nose making you scrunch, then captures your lips with his. His touch was searing yet so careful, bred from passion and caution. His tough fingers kneaded your plush thighs like the most delicate of doughs. His wandering tongue encouraged your soul to float away into his sea of want and open up a part of yourself that had been closed off. Your soul wanted nothing but the ability to submit to the man who had won your heart before letting it be known. Too bad the moment was interrupted by a knock on the door and the call of ‘room service.’

“Fuck I forgot about breakfast.” He panted against your head, you pecked his forehead and shuffled off his lap.

“You know if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re trying to woo me.” He shrugged as a grin curved up his fiercely pink swollen lips.

He opened the door wide enough for a cart to roll in, the smell of fresh coffee and pastries filling the room. “Oh, you can woo me all you want.” The tray covers are lifted to reveal an assortment of different fruits, muffins, and savories. Your eyes gravitate to the crispy potatoes, Joe’s one step ahead of you and places a tray on your lap. You lift its covering and practically melt at its offerings: a small bowl of melon balls, a vegetable omelet with bacon on the side, and a side of perfectly crisp potatoes with fluffy white insides. 

“So, how is it?” You look up from your potato heaven at him handing you a cup of coffee. You take a sip and moan at the taste of the Colombian coffee. I think I need to marry this guy.

“It alright,” you sigh. He looks at you puzzled. “It would be better if my quarterback was next to me.” 

He lets out a breath and smiles. “Always keeping me on my toes aren’t you?” You blow him a kiss as he brings the rest of the spread over and takes his rightful spot next to you.

As you’re enjoying your breakfast, you switch on the TV and find a broadcast about last night’s game. While Joe’s more fixated on his protein-packed meal, the rate at which your fruit makes it into your mouth halts at the headline on the screen.

You let out a loud gasp to gather your boyfriend’s attention. “Oh no, Joe Burrow and his girlfriend, Megan Claire, were seen leaving last night’s game around midnight!” Joe looks up for a moment and rolls his eyes before diving back into his eggs.

“Wait, if you left at midnight, then who did I have dinner with at 10? Who are you? Oh my god, I went on a date with an alien impersonating my boyfriend so he could go have sex with his ex under the bleachers.” You hold your heart and fake sob. “How could you do this to me?”

“You’re ridiculous.” He chuckles reaching over to his bedside for his phone. You shake your head and cover your sobs. 

“I can’t believe this is happening.” The words are muffled but clear enough for him to catch on video along with his laugh from the other side of the camera.

You whip your head up and sniffle. “I just knew that the big-time hunky quarterback would never go for a small-town girl like me. I was never meant for this life, I should’ve never put in that transfer to that Ohio clinic.” 

The phone in front of Joe’s face falls and shows his furrowed brows and curled lips. “What did you just say?”

You purse your lips to hide the smile forming on her lips. “Nothing..”

Joe moves the plates in between you and slides closer to you. “Baby, are you moving to Cincy?”

“What? I have no idea of what you’re talking about, I said nothing about Cincinnati.” You shake your head, albeit unconvincingly because before you know it, he’s on top of you with his strong hands tickling your sides. 

“Come on babe all you have to do is be honest and I’ll stop.” You thrash around full belly laughing until your core begins to burn. “Ok ok ok, I did it!”

He stops, letting you catch your breath and pulling you forward. “Now was that so hard?” You scrunch your face and lightly shove him. He just smiles and pulls you closer.

“For your information, Joseph, that’s why I got to your place so early. I had an interview with a clinic and they gave me the job- a promotion too.” You flip your imaginary ponytail since your hair is safely secured underneath your bonnet. 

“Baby that’s fucking amazing. Wait- you did this before we got together. Did you just expect me to let you move in with me?” He smirks and wiggles his brows.

“If you want, I could go to Ja’Marr’s.” You test looking at him from under your lashes.

“Nope, I’m shipping all your stuff to my place immediately.” 

You wink and peck his lips. “Good, now past the fruit please.” Joe takes a grapevine from his platter and feeds it to you like a pharaoh.

“Oh, I could get used to this.”

꘎♡━━ ۵ ━━♡꘎

꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎

A/N: Cute and sweet, my brother came up with the title lol. Chapter 19: #WalkLikeThis will be posted in a few days. Taglist: @light-yagami-l

<<< Part 1 | Next Ch. 19: WLT >>>

[smokeybrandreviews]

National Disgrace

The current discourse around Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese is the most overtly racist sh*t I've seen since the Magic/Bird nonsense from when i was a kid. LSU beat the sh*t out of Iowa on the way to their first title. Caitlin Clark was in foul trouble the entire time, which means she was outplayed the entire game. Some of that was probably fatigue but that just speaks to the athletic ability, conditioning savvy, and overall depth on that LSU team. No shade toward Caitlin, ma is bad as f*ck. Game recognize game, which is why she hasn't said a f*cking thing about Reese. Caitlin knows she f*cked up. Caitlin knows her team was outplayed. She knows that sh*t talking comes with the game. She knows it so well, in fact, she did the EXACT same thing not two days before, literally for the SAME goddamn reason! Iowa was thumping that Louisville ass!

It’s wild seeing all of these old white men get on television or the internet or in print, and bash a twenty year old black woman over a gesture because the second coming of Larry Bird but with a vagina, got embarrassed on the biggest stage. LSU absolutely dog-walked Iowa to the tune of a seventeen point win. If I'm not mistaken, when Iowa was up fifteen on Louisville, Caitlin told Hailey Van Lith to shut up. ESPN did a whole thing about Clark being the “Queen of Clapbacks.” And rightfully so. Caitlin Clark is a beast. Absolute unit. Ma was putting up historic stat lines all goddamn year. When you win as much as she does, when you dominate like she does, you talk all that sh*t. Why is it so egregious now that Reese has her spot at the top? I’ve heard it’s about sportsmanship, that Clark did the same gesture during a game and not after the W. Why does when the taunt happen, matter? Clark and Iowa got outplayed. LSU was the better team. Angel Reese was the better player. In that moment, for that game, Caitlin couldn’t see Angel and ma let her know about it. Fair is fair.

But this ain’t about the game, which was amazing by the way. This is about how black athletes are perceived in the media. It’s about mask off, blatant racism. Whenever a white athlete does something like this, whenever they get into their feelings and start chirping back and forth, it’s passion. It’s love for the game. Whenever a black athlete does it, it’s disrespectful. It’s thug behavior. It’s disgraceful. White athletes are praised for their leadership, maturity, and intellect. Black athletes are praised for their athletic ability. He can throw far. She can run fast. They told Lamar Jackson to switch to Receiver. The NFL didn’t believe he could lead a team. They questioned his decision making in the pocket. Why? Cats praise Tom Brady for his passion and commitment to the game. Mans yelled at teammates, opponents, and coaches alike. That’s fine. Odell Beckham does a little dance in the end zone and he’s a diva, a primadonna, a problem. Why? What’s the difference, other than the color of his skin?

It’s f*cked up I'm sitting here making this post about some noise outside of the court because, f*ck, that was a game. The narratives around this title were brilliant. The play was inspired. The competition was wonderful. History was made. But none of that matters because a bunch of assholes decided to label a black woman disgraceful for being passionate about a game she’s played her entire f*cking life. Angel Reese beat the best player in Woman’s Collegiate Basketball, to stand on top of that pile as a National Champion. For women, that’s their NBA Finals. That’s the brightest their star will shine and, right now, LSU’s is shining brilliantly. They earned that. They get to talk all the sh*t they want. They are sitting on that throne right now. Lost in all of this ridiculous white noise is the fact that, if Iowa would have won, Caitlin would very realistically be talking the most sh*t. She is the Queen of Clapbacks after all. Bet no one would have anything to say at that point, if that situation came to pass, probably because she would have won the title, Bragging rights come hand-in-hand with victory. Well, Iowa was the one who got that ass thumped by LSU and Angel Reese. Let the National Champions talk they sh*t! They literally earned it!

[bongaboi]

TCU: 2022 Fiesta Bowl Champions

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- In the biggest upset since the advent of the College Football Playoff, third-seeded TCU rode its underdog status to a 51-45 win over undefeated and No. 2 Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday. The win continued TCU's storybook season and made the Frogs the first Big 12 team to reach the title game in the CFP era.

Highlighted by a 44-point third quarter between the two teams, the semifinal matchup was a back-and-forth affair that saw TCU nearly lose an early 18-point lead, a pair of pick-sixes, two fumbles, a 76-yard touchdown pass, eight scores in just about eight minutes, a record-setting 59-yard field goal and the highest combined score in Fiesta Bowl history.

The signs of an explosive game were there early. Starting in place of injured star running back Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards ripped off a 54-yard run on the first play of the game, yet the Wolverines walked away with zero points after a fourth-down try near the red zone was stopped.

On the next Michigan offensive drive, quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw a telegraphed pass to the outside that was picked off by sophomore safety Bud Clark and returned for a touchdown. It was the Frogs' third pick-six of the season and put them up 7-0.

The Frogs' defense was the star of the first half, as Michigan entered the TCU red zone three times and came away with only nine points by way of three field goals thanks to two huge stops and a fumble at the 1-yard line by Edwards.

TCU's offense, meanwhile, used the advantage of the Air Raid's pace and speed to get out in front. A 12-play, 76-yard drive culminated with quarterback Max Duggan rushing into the end zone from the 1-yard line to put the Frogs up 14-0 in the first quarter. Under coach Jim Harbaugh, Michigan had allowed more than 14 points in the first quarter and gone on to win just once, in 2016 against Colorado, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

While Michigan struggled to capitalize, on the other side of the ball, Duggan -- the Heisman runner-up -- was pulling out all the stops. Duggan wasn't particularly accurate through the air in the first half, but with his legs, he danced his way to first downs and kept pushing TCU downfield as the Wolverines struggled to mitigate his mobility.

No play was more indicative of that problem than when Duggan rolled out of the pocket with 4:56 left in the second quarter and avoided the Michigan blitz to find Taye Barber for 6 yards and six more points. The touchdown culminated a 10-play, 83-yard drive that gave the Frogs a commanding 21-6 halftime lead and put the Wolverines in their biggest deficit of the season.

Both teams came out of the tunnels after halftime like they were shot out of a cannon, combining for a 44-point third quarter that featured a flea-flicker touchdown from McCarthy, the second pick-six of the game from the Michigan quarterback, another pick from Duggan and three touchdown drives of under three minutes.

McCarthy and Michigan, who had two of those drives, were not going away. But just as the Wolverines were attempting to claw back, TCU kept responding. This time, it was running back Emari Demercado who broke loose for a 69-yard run that Duggan finished off with another 1-yard touchdown sneak. The Frogs finished with 41 points through three quarters. All season, the most points Michigan had given up in an entire game was 27, and going back to last season, the most the Wolverines had surrendered in a game was 37.

After Michigan cut the TCU lead to three points early in the fourth quarter, Duggan, as he has done all season, responded by making the throw of the game. While facing a blitzing defender in his face and a long third down, Duggan found a crossing Quentin Johnston in stride. Johnston sped his way to the sideline and took it 76 yards to the end zone to put the Frogs back up 10. A field goal extended that lead to 13 early in the fourth quarter.

Another methodical Michigan touchdown drive by McCarthy cut the lead once again, this time to six points with 3:18 left, setting the stage for TCU and Duggan. The Frogs needed two first downs to finish the game with the ball in their hands. They could get only one, and the Wolverines had 52 seconds to go 75 yards and make a miracle happen.

On fourth-and-10 with 35 seconds left at its own 25, Michigan fumbled the ball and recovered, but the ball did not make it past the first-down marker. As TCU assistant coaches in the upstairs box yelled and screamed, "We're going to the Natty!" all Duggan had to do was take a knee. The upset of the season -- and of the era -- was complete.

[onceuponymous]

[TRANSCRIPT]

[Reddit thread on r/redlettermedia, post by u/banananutnightmare]

Theory: Was Jack and Jill (2011) a front to rescue Katie Holmes?

My fellow hack frauds,

It's beyond speculation at this point Adam Sandler produces cheap projects to get his friends paid big money. In the Half in the Bag review of Jack and Jill, Mike observes that in 2011 Katie Holmes isn't seen much outside the tabloids anymore and thinks she was in this film because it was one that her husband Tom Cruise, notoriously controlling, would give his permission to, simply because it would be a fat paycheck.

But why did Adam Sandler choose Katie Holmes? The women who played his partners in his most recent preceding films were Jennifer Aniston and Leslie Mann (both very experienced comedy actors) and Salma Hayek (if you can pay anyone to pretend to be your wife, you cast Salma Hayek, makes sense). The couple of love interests after Katie Holmes were Drew Barrymore and Academy Award Winner Susan Sarandon (both very experienced comedy actors) and Salma Hayek again (Salma Hayek). He's also been friends with Aniston since they were kids and has hired Barrymore repeatedly since she sought him out and begged to work together. It makes sense they're on his list of loyal buddies who make it on the payroll when they want a job.

So why Katie Holmes?

We now know that Katie Holmes secretly, meticulously planned her divorce from Tom Cruise. She had to repeatedly meet with lawyers, secure a secret getaway apartment, bank account, cell phone, to ensure a quick, safe escape with full custody of their daughter. All without him, or the Church of Scientology, suspecting a thing.

As Mike repeatedly points out, Holmes was given "nothing" to do in the film. The job provided her not just money but, maybe it even more importantly provided an alibi. Maybe Jack and Jill was a cover that gave her an excuse to be out on the loose, but also gave her enough free time since she hardly had any lines or need to rehearse real acting, that she could meet with lawyers and plan her escape.

I think Adam Sandler hired Katie Holmes for this reason. This was the last project Holmes would work on before her divorce a few months later. I would even go so far as to suggest he slapped the whole film together specifically as a cover for her.

I also don't think this is the only time he's done something like this. The following year he cast sports reporter Erin Andrews in a small role as a receptionist in That's My Boy (2012).

In 2008 Andrews was stalked by a man named Michael Barrett who filmed naked videos of her through peepholes at a Marriott hotel in Nashville and again at a Radisson in Milwaukee. In 2009 he posted the Marriott video online. She filed lawsuits against Barrett, Marriott, and Radisson. Employees at the hotels told her stalker what room she was in and gave him the room next door, how he was able to film in the first place. When Adam Sandler hired her, she was simultaneously trying to get the video removed from websites, was fired from ESPN for refusing to talk about the incident on air, and was fighting Marriott's army of lawyers in court. (She eventually won her suit and $55mil years later.) A nice paycheck for an easy job would've been a big help, and I don't think there's any other logical explanation for the film to exist, other than to help Erin Andrews when she was in such a desperate situation.

What if all of Adam Sandler's terrible money laundering scheme movies are fronts he tosses together ASAP in order to provide fast help to victimized women?

Is Adam Sandler a secret hero?

[Comment  section]

undead_tortoiseX

I choose to believe this just because it would make the world just a little better.

THECapedCaper

Honestly most of hi projects are him just hanging out with his friends while they all collect a steady paycheck.  When he's dialed in as a director or actor he really shines, but if he can shit out a 3/10 movie in two weeks to help someone then hey more power to him.

undead_tortoiseX

Right, and it doesn't have to be an either/or decision.  He could be running a project just to hangout with his friends while also occasionally casting someone who could desperately need the opportunity in their situation.

-

Kabe59

He single handedly keeps Rob Schneider fed and well

AsaltGrain

He only does it single-handedly because Schneider bit the other one clean off.

-

chupathingy99

With all the horrible product placement, you'd need a swarm of lawyers to be on set at all times.

One of them could've been a divorce lawyer.  You might be on to something.

-

JohnnySodapop

I reject reality and substitute this.

bubbasawyer3

I reject your hypothesis!

-

BlackSpinedPlinketto

I really like this, it's very sweet.

I've been judging him on the content of his movies which was disgusting and sexist.  Instead you can tell he's a smart guy who has worked out a formula for success, and used it to furnish his friends with money and nice location jobs.

-

Jungies

I firmly believe that the only reason Richard "Jaws" Kiel was in Happy Gilmore is because he was old, and in ill-health; and Sandler knew giving him a couple of lines in his movie would re-up his Screen Actor's Guild health insurance.

TL,DR: Adam Sandler's a bastard.

Numitor453

Angela Lansbury did the same thing with Murder, She Wrote

badluckartist

That woman was a fucking angel.  Rest in power, you murderous queen.

I choose to incorporate this into my worldview.

[ear-worthy]

Jemele Hill Debuts A New Race, Sports, and Politics Podcast - “SPOLITICS”

When I read that a new podcast claims to be "an intersection of sports, race, gender, sexuality and politics," I roll my eyes and take my ears somewhere else. Typically, that marketing phrase means the podcast host will talk about anything they damn well please.

Yet, there is an exception to every rule. When I read that phrase when iHeart was promoting its new podcast, SPOLITICS, with Jemele Hill, I was intrigued.

Why? Because of Jemele Hill. 

An Emmy Award-winning journalist, Jemele Hill is the Co-founder of Lodge Freeway Media and a contributing writer for The Atlantic.

Hill’s 20-plus year journalism career has included stops at the biggest sports media network and several reputable newspapers. She originally joined ESPN in 2006 as a national columnist for espn.com.  Her profile gradually rose as she began to make appearances on television, including SportsCenter, First Take, Around the Horn, The Sports Reporters and Outside the Lines. She also spent a season as a sideline reporter for ESPN college football games. 

When iHeartPodcasts and Jemele Hill announced SPOLITICS, I was intrigued. Her new series aims to spark important political and cultural conversations that challenge the narratives surrounding these critical issues in the world of sports.

According to Hill, “SPOLITICS” will feature sharp commentary, in-depth discussions and pressing conversations with athletes, prominent sports figures and politicians including sports personality Dan Le Batard, Former NFL player Lesean McCoy, Michigan Lt. Gov Garlin Gilchrist, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian and more. Each week, Hill will tackle topics such as immigration, reproductive rights, affordable housing and gender equity.

In episode one, Hill will sit down with Dan Le Batard to discuss his career as a sports media personality, his life growing up as the child of Cuban exiles and how it shaped his perspective on politics. Hil will also be joined by Bill Rhoden, author of “Forty Million Dollar Slaves,” to discuss the history of sports and politics dating back to George Washington’s presidency in the 1700s. 

 "I’m very excited to join iHeartPodcasts during this critical time in American politics," says Hill. "Sports and politics have always been connected and on this podcast, I’ll be exploring that deep connection with important newsmakers and smart people. The goal is to use the unifying element of sports as a lens to make people better understand that politics touches every corner of our lives.”

I first spotted Hill as a reporter on ESPN's legacy show, The Sports Reporters, which was a Sunday morning show reviewing the week's sports news. With the steady hand of host John Saunders (who died suddenly in 2016) at the helm, the show found an intersection between sports and racial injustice, and Saunders changed the tone and the color of the panelists with Hill being joined more and more by well-respected and eloquent black sports reporters such as Howard Bryant, Bryan Burwell, Roy Johnson, and Jason Whitlock.

 The August 28, 2016, episode of the show made history with an all-female edition of The Sports Reporters, with Hill as the moderator and fellow ESPN reporters Sarah Spain, Kate Fagan, and Jane McManus on the panel. It was a refreshing and overdue change for two reasons. First, it proved that sports discussions are not the sole province of men such as Mike Lupica, whose opinions and voice sounded like a dental drill. Second, women can offer incisive sports commentary that is often different from that of their male counterparts and, at times, more insightful.

 Hill is also stretching her muscles behind the camera. She is executive producer of former NFL quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick’s documentary, which will air on ESPN and is directed by legendary filmmaker Spike Lee. She also is currently developing a comedy series with acclaimed actress Gabrielle Union.

SPOLITICS premieres on October 17. New episodes will publish on Thursdays. Check out the show. Jemele Hill is one of those hosts / journalists worthy of your ear time. She's thoughtful yet opinionated, fearless yet mindful, and incisive yet impulsive.

[ailogomakerr]

Crafting Intuition: The Subtle Art of ESPN Logo Design

Have you ever designed a logo that immediately resonates? Like the arches of McDonalds bringing back memories of childhood birthdays and happy meals.. Perhaps the graceful swoosh of Nike hinting at promises of excellence and top performance. Simply put some logos become timeless symbols.

Exceptional logos have this ability to connect with our mind establishing an instant bond, with the brand they represent. This is the skill behind ESPN logo design — using intuition to create a symbol that speaks volumes without saying a word.

Going Beyond Looks; The Impact of Emotions in Logo Design

Logos go beyond aesthetics. They are instruments that evoke emotions and associations. A successful logo doesn’t just convey information; it motivates it stirs emotions. Think about the colors and playful fonts of a childrens toy store logo compared to the lines and subtle shades of a high end financial institution. Each design communicates, in its way targeting audiences and eliciting the intended emotional response.

This emotional bond is what distinguishes a logo from a brand defining icon. That “eureka!” moment happens when a logo really connects with your audience showing that it understands their wants and needs on a level.. How can we make sure our ESPN logo design hits the mark?

Welcome to the Era of AI; Enhancing Your Creative Process, with ESPN

Traditionally crafting logos was mainly done by designers using complex software. Nowadays a new era has dawned; AI powered logo creators and generators. These online tools empower everyone regardless of background to explore their creativity and create logos that evoke that emotional connection.

Lets explore how AI driven logo design can assist you with your ESPN project;

Unleashing Creativity; Starting with a canvas can be intimidating. AI logo generators act as a launching pad, for your journey. By entering keywords and design preferences you can generate logo options that may spark ideas you hadn’t considered before. Picture designing a logo inspired by the strength and security of a mountaintop or the playful spirit of a childs imagination.

Understanding Your Target Audience; Many AI logo tools allow you to focus on demographics or industries. This feature helps the AI provide suggestions tailored to the triggers and design elements to resonate with your intended audience. For a technology startup the AI could create logos that reflect innovation and advanced technology. In contrast a local bakery would focus on themes of warmth coziness and a hint of nostalgia.

Trial and Error; Experimentation is crucial when it comes to designing logos. Using AI tools allows you to quickly and easily try out colors, fonts and layouts. This iterative process helps refine your design and pinpoint the logo that truly captures your brands essence. Imagine experimenting with color schemes to find the one that best conveys luxury for your upscale jewelry brand.

The Human Element; Enhancing Your Logo with Intuition

While AI plays a role it’s essential to remember that exceptional logo design often requires a touch. The final choice should resonate with your intuition. Here’s how you can enhance your AI generated logo with your touch;

The Gut Instinct Test; Take a look, at your logo options. Which one immediately catches your eye? Which one elicits the emotions you want associated with your brand? Trust your instincts; sometimes the perfect design is the one that simply feels “right” intuitively. Does a specific logo, inspire trust and dependability or perhaps excitement and adventure? Getting Feedback; Share your AI generated logo drafts, with friends, family or potential customers. Collect their thoughts on how the logo makes them feel. If it fits well with your brand image. This outside perspective can be very helpful in refining your design and making sure it resonates with your target audience.

Consulting Experts; Think about reaching out to a designer for some final touches. An experienced designer can help enhance your AI generated logo making sure it’s technically solid and visually striking. They can also provide advice on aspects like scalability (how the logo appears in sizes) and brand coherence (how it integrates into your branding).

Remember your AI created logo is the stage of establishing a strong brand identity. Here are tips on utilizing your ESPN inspired design to forge a connection;

Maintain Brand Uniformity; Keep using your logo across all platforms — website, social media, marketing materials and even physical goods — to establish a unified and recognizable branding identity. The frequently people encounter your logo, the their emotional attachment grows. Picture showcasing your logo on everything, from business cards to social media profile pictures to ensure brand recognition across all touchpoints. Using Design to Tell Stories; A crafted logo has the power to narrate a story. The choice of colors, shapes and even the use of space all play a role, in conveying the narrative you wish to express about your brand. Consider a logo for a group that features a tree symbol subtly hinting at ideas of sustainability and progress.

Building Emotional Bonds; It’s crucial to establish a connection with your target audience. View your logo as a link that fosters trust, loyalty and a bond that surpasses transactions. For instance a logo for a neighborhood cafe could incorporate tones and visuals that evoke feelings of community and coziness inviting patrons to enter and feel at home.

The Evolution of Logo Design; A Collaborative Process

With the advancements in AI technology we can anticipate sophisticated tools for creating logos. Picture AI seamlessly integrating into existing platforms enabling you to design a logo on your store or social media profile. The future landscape of logo design might revolve around collaboration — with AI acting as a catalyst for creativity while humans apply their instincts to refine and polish the design.

So take a moment to breathe trust your instincts and embark on your journey, in logo design. Whether you’re a business owner or an aspiring artist using AI tools, for creating logos can help you unleash your creativity. Keep in mind that the perfect logo is waiting to be found. Have confidence in your instincts harness the capabilities of AI and design a logo that will represent your brand in a way. In the realm of branding, a logo that captures attention can be the catalyst, for achieving brand recognition forging connections and ultimately achieving success.

Why not create one for yourself? Visit Ailogomakerr.com today!This blog is from Ailogomakerr.com

[eliskey]

Tài khoản ESPN+ Xem thể thao đỉnh cao 12 Tháng

Tài khoản ESPN+ là gì?

Tài khoản ESPN+ là dịch vụ streaming trực tuyến của ESPN, cung cấp quyền truy cập vào các sự kiện thể thao trực tiếp và nội dung độc quyền. Tài khoản ESPN+ có thể được đăng ký với mức phí hàng tháng hoặc hàng năm. Nhiều trang web cũng cung cấp các gói tài khoản ESPN+ với giá ưu đãi .

Tóm lại, tài khoản ESPN+ là một lựa chọn tuyệt vời cho những người yêu thích thể thao, cung cấp quyền truy cập vào các sự kiện trực tiếp và nội dung độc quyền.

Tính năng mà tài khoản ESPN+ cung cấp

Tài khoản ESPN+ cung cấp các tính năng chính sau:

Truyền trực tiếp các sự kiện thể thao: ESPN+ cho phép người dùng xem trực tiếp hàng nghìn trận đấu thể thao từ nhiều giải đấu khác nhau như MLB, NHL, MLS, UFC, v.v. 

Nội dung gốc độc quyền: Ngoài c��c trận đấu trực tiếp, ESPN+ còn sở hữu kho nội dung gốc phong phú, bao gồm phim tài liệu thể thao, talk show, phỏng vấn chuyên gia, giúp người dùng khám phá nhiều góc cạnh thú vị của thể thao. 

Tin tức và phân tích chuyên sâu: ESPN+ cung cấp các bài báo, tin tức và phân tích chuyên sâu về thể thao từ đội ngũ chuyên gia hàng đầu. 

Khả năng xem lại các trận đấu: Người dùng có thể dễ dàng xem lại các trận đấu yêu thích bất kỳ lúc nào. 

Tương thích đa thiết bị: ESPN+ hỗ trợ truy cập trên nhiều nền tảng như điện thoại, máy tính bảng, Smart TV, v.v., giúp người dùng có thể xem thể thao mọi lúc mọi nơi. 

Tóm lại, tài khoản ESPN+ cung cấp quyền truy cập toàn diện vào các sự kiện thể thao trực tiếp, nội dung độc quyền và nhiều tính năng tiện ích khác, đáp ứng nhu cầu của những người hâm mộ thể thao.

Ưu điểm và nhược điểm của ESPN+

Dưới đây là những ưu điểm và nhược điểm chính của ESPN+:

Ưu điểm của ESPN+

Truyền trực tiếp các sự kiện thể thao: ESPN+ cho phép người dùng xem trực tiếp hàng nghìn trận đấu từ nhiều giải đấu thể thao như MLB, NHL, MLS, UFC, v.v. .

Nội dung độc quyền: ESPN+ cung cấp các chương trình thể thao độc quyền, bao gồm loạt phim tài liệu 30 for 30 nổi tiếng và các nội dung hấp dẫn từ các tên tuổi lớn trong làng thể thao như Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning và Abby Wambach.

Phân tích và tin tức chuyên sâu: ESPN+ cung cấp các bài báo, tin tức và phân tích chuyên sâu về thể thao từ đội ngũ chuyên gia hàng đầu.

Khả năng xem lại các trận đấu: Người dùng có thể dễ dàng xem lại các trận đấu yêu thích bất kỳ lúc nào.

Tương thích đa thiết bị: ESPN+ hỗ trợ truy cập trên nhiều nền tảng như điện thoại, máy tính bảng, Smart TV, v.v., giúp người dùng có thể xem thể thao mọi lúc mọi nơi.

Gói dịch vụ đa dạng và giá cả hợp lý: ESPN+ cung cấp các gói dịch vụ với giá cả hợp lý, bao gồm cả gói 12 tháng không giới hạn.

Không yêu cầu đăng ký TV cáp: ESPN+ không yêu cầu người dùng phải c�� đăng ký TV cáp để truy cập, làm cho nó trở thành một lựa chọn linh hoạt hơn.

Bảo hành và hỗ trợ khách hàng: ESPN+ cung cấp hỗ trợ khách hàng qua điện thoại, chat trực tuyến và email, giúp người dùng giải quyết các vấn đề hoặc câu hỏi một cách dễ dàng.

Nhược điểm của ESPN+

Không có quyền phát trực tiếp các trận đấu NFL và NBA: ESPN+ không có quyền phát trực tiếp các trận đấu NFL và NBA, người dùng cần đăng ký TV cáp để xem các trận đấu này.

Không có một số chương trình ESPN: ESPN+ không phát sóng một số chương trình ESPN như First Take, NFL Live, Outside the Lines, v.v. .

Chi phí: ESPN+ có chi phí hàng tháng hoặc hàng năm, có thể là một nhiều cho những người không thường xuyên xem thể thao.

Không có quyền phát trực tiếp các chương trình ESPN: ESPN+ không có quyền phát trực tiếp các chương trình ESPN, người dùng cần đăng ký TV cáp để xem các chương trình này.

Tóm lại, ESPN+ là một dịch vụ streaming thể thao tuyệt vời với nhiều ưu điểm, nhưng cũng có một số nhược điểm cần lưu ý.

Nguồn: https://eliskey.com/tai-khoan-espn/ 

[vantagevu]

Heat Up Your Winter With ESPN

ESPN Unveils A Hot Line Up Of Sports To Enjoy This Winter On DSTV On a rather cloudy Saturday morning, ESPN hosted friends, family, media and lovers of sports in Sandton, South Africa as they unveiled a jam packed line up of sports to keep us glued to the screens and away from the cold winter outside. With an array of what we can simply say are interesting sports today, ESPN has you covered…

[fact-files-blog]

Biography of Sports Reporter Jen Lada

Jen Lada is an Emmy award winning sports journalist serving as an ESPN reporter and host for ESPN’s college football coverage. She hosts the Jen, Gabe, and Chewy show for ESPN Radio in Milwaukee which airs Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET. In addition, she is a contributor to ESPN’s in-depth storytelling shows, such as SC Featured, Outside the Lines, and E:60.

#JenLada#ESPNReporter#ESPNRadio#Milwaukee#FemaleSportsReporter#ESPNFemaleSportsReporter

[all-about-tents]

University of Utah's Double Standard on Overnight Camping Raises Questions of Free Speech

Discrepancies in the University's Treatment of Overnight Camping for Sports Events and Protests Spark Controversy

Protesters rallying in support of Palestine at the University of Utah were met with forceful dispersal and arrests after the university declared their encampment violated state law and university policy. However, the university's decision has raised eyebrows due to its previous endorsement and encouragement of overnight camping on campus during sports events, such as ESPN's College Gameday. The contrasting treatment of these two situations has sparked a debate about free speech and the university's commitment to equal treatment of all student groups.

University's Approval of Overnight Camping for College Gameday

In October, the University of Utah's athletics department issued a news release inviting students to camp overnight on campus ahead of ESPN's College Gameday event. The university even provided information on renting camping gear through Campus Recreation Services. The camping was limited to students only, and the university had strict guidelines in place, including the removal of all tents and equipment before the event began.

University police and security personnel were present to ensure a safe environment.

Pro-Palestine Protesters Denied the Same Privilege

In contrast to the approval of overnight camping for College Gameday, the university declared the pro-Palestine protesters' encampment as a violation of state law and university free speech policy. The university cited Utah Administrative Code, which prohibits overnight camping on university property without specific permission. The university spokesperson stated that the pro-Palestine group did not apply for a permit, unlike the College Gameday event, which was university-sanctioned and planned well in advance.

Exceptions and Restrictions on Overnight Camping

The Utah Administrative Code does allow for two exceptions to the overnight camping prohibition: tailgating before sporting events and waiting in line for event tickets. The university's free speech policy also permits the erection of structures for expression, such as signs and tables, but with restrictions on location and duration. A permit from the scheduling division is required, and structures must not impede normal university functions or pose safety hazards.

Conflicting Jurisdiction and Arrests

The university spokesperson mentioned a Salt Lake City ordinance that bans camping, but Andrew Wittenberg, spokesperson for Mayor Erin Mendenhall, clarified that the university is not under the city's jurisdiction. The encampment was set up outside the university's administration building. It remains unclear what charges the 19 arrested protesters may face.

University's Stance and Student Response

University of Utah President Taylor Randall affirmed the school's commitment to enforcing the rule of law while respecting free speech rights. He stated that setting up structures or camping overnight on university property is unlawful. However, students have planned another protest in support of Palestine, scheduled for Tuesday evening.

The University of Utah's handling of overnight camping for sports events compared to the recent pro-Palestine protest has raised concerns about the university's commitment to free speech and equal treatment of student groups. The contrasting treatment has led to questions about the university's policies and whether they are being consistently applied. As the debate continues, the university must navigate the delicate balance between upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of its students to express their opinions.

[ledenews]

BRICK by BRICK: Burkle Building WLU Baseball into A Contender

Outside the temperature is below freezing, sometimes approaching the teens or single digits with a wind chill in negative numbers. Looking out the window of his office, Eric Burkle sees a campus covered in snow. But today, any day – even winter days with extreme cold, blustery winds and snow – is a baseball day for Burkle. Once the 2024 season commences, Burkle will be in his 12th season as the head coach of the West Liberty University baseball team. For most, baseball is a spring season thing, with greening grass, flower and tree buds, warming temperatures. Not for Burkle; for him, baseball is a calendar thing, running the full 365. “We’re 12 months a year now,” Burkle said. “The game. . . if you go to The Highlands (sports complex) this time of year, there’s little kids. We just played in a winter league for my little one (his young son). Wheeling University is in the Highlands complex. We’re in our indoor facility. We’re 12 months a year now. “Baseball is that sport, for one, you can’t stop hitting. Pitchers will take a little bit of a break for some arm care stuff. But if a kid wants to play at this level now, he’s 12 months a year constant. It’s constantly swinging a bat.” The game of baseball has been in Burkle's life since he was a young player in South Wheeling. How then, in West Liberty, W.Va., is baseball (and softball) a year-round sport? How can players work out or practice knowing that not only water but skin, ears, fingers, etc., will freeze? It’s an inside thing. His Hilltoppers can go inside the Belmont Savings Bank Indoor Facility on the south end of campus, immediately turning a warm-weather, outdoor sport into a dead-of-winter opportunity to work. The first annual Leadoff Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 10, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the event beginning at 6:30 p.m. The location? Of course, inside the BSB indoor facility. It’s a chance to show off the facility. The event includes a catered meal, a meet-the-team video and a Night at the Races fundraiser. ESPN lead college baseball analyst Mike Rooney will serve as the keynote speaker. Tickets are $75 per person, and you can direct questions to Burkle at 304 639-5989. Burkle sums up what guests will experience entering the facility in one word: Wow! “We’re going to showcase our practice facility. When you walk in that practice facility it’s a wow factor. You walk in you don’t see football lines; you just see baseline lines on that turf. You’re like, ‘this is just for baseball!’ It’s excellent, it’s a wow factor where we can go live,” Burkle said. Because practices in Blatnik Hall were starting to in Burkle’s words, “clog up some student life time,” he and former women’s softball head coach Herb Minch were given a budget from then-university President Stephen Greiner to pursue an alternative. They formed a committee, worked with President Greiner and attracted Belmont Savings Bank as a lead donor. Other entities joined the force, and they completed the task, taking about three years. “There’s D1 schools that don’t have what we have here on campus. Our facilities are excellent. I can’t quit saying it, that thing is such a godsend for us. I can hit ground balls and I don’t have to worry about being on the basketball floor. I can hit ground balls, we can go live, our outfielders get work. It’s deep enough in the center that we can throw fly balls, catchers pop-ups. We can get done everything we need to get done.” Burkle is known to be tough but fair with his ballplayers at West Liberty. Wanted: Tough Kids Burkle’s roster has many players from schools in the Ohio Valley, but with time, persistence, improved facilities and administration assistance he in recent years chipped away at the barrier that is the Pennsylvania border. Now the head coach finds he is getting more substantive discussions, considerations and commitments from Western Pennsylvania-based players. It helps improve the roster for the baseball team and continues to expand the student base from a coveted nearby area. “Yes, we do have some local kids. We’re expanding into the Pittsburgh market a good bit. It’s always been a tough market for us with Seton Hill, Slippery Rock, Cal (Pa). But now we’re sneaking in there and we’re trying to convince some of those kids that, hey, West Lib’s a pretty good place to go play baseball,” Burkle said. “Working with our new administration here, we’re trying to find ways to make those kids in this region come back to West Lib. So that’s a big thing, working with Dr. (Tim) Borchers (newly appointed school president who began July 1, 2023) has been a lot of fun. He knows that regionally Pennsylvania and Ohio obviously are going to have more athletes. So, he’s trying to keep us in those markets, trying to make it affordable for those kids to come here. “The kid we’re looking for could be anywhere from the marginal student up to the 4.4 high school GPA. But we’re looking for that tough kid. That tough kid that will still shovel the sidewalk, run a hammer. The kid that when he comes in, he’s willing to do what he needs to do to work.” Burkle developed an old-school, work-hard philosophy from playing for Gary Zelinski at Wheeling Park High School and coaching with Jim Wodusky at Wheeling Central Catholic High School. He left high school coaching to join legendary coach Bo McConnaughy’s West Liberty staff as an assistant in 2008, serving five years in that role before taking over as head coach. He’s been able to meld old school with new age to remain true to his experience while relating well to the current player. “What I’ve done, I’ve kind of gone in the middle. I’ve learned to adapt to the new-age kid, and I can still be me. I can still be tough, and I can still be hard on them, and I can still be sarcastic at times. I’m a little bit of both (old and new school). I think we’ve done a good job here,” Burkle said. “We don’t lose kids to the portal here. We’ve had two kids go in the portal, one because he was from Florida and went back home. The other one was going to go D1 and decided to come back, so we’ve lost one kid to the portal. So, our retention rate here, they like what we’re doing here. Over the years I think we’ve put a good mixture of old school, new school and blended it.” The Hilltoppers' head coach has learned how to blend his old-school style with more modern coaching methods during his career. Leave It on the Field The mixture seems to be working. Burkle has compiled a 221-281 (.440) record, ranking him second in school history in career wins. His resume also includes: eight 20+ win seasons; six consecutive 20+ win seasons from 2013-18; and eight conference tournament appearances, one WVIAC (2013) and seven MEC (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023). The build has Burkle excited for the upcoming season; he sees great potential for the 2024 Hilltoppers. “For one, I think we’re going to be pretty good,” Burkle admitted. “I return every starter but one. I’ve got experience at every position. We’ve got experience on the mound. We’ve got what I think is the best closer in the MEC in Trevor Thomas. There hasn’t been many seasons where I felt like, man this could be the one. My take on our team is, ‘Hey, listen boys, this is it. This is the one.’ “(The players are) going to see a pre-season poll where we’re not first. They’re going to think that Charleston is the best team in the MEC. My pitching coach told them, ‘Writers don’t get to pick who wins the MEC. That’s on you.’ “So, we put it on them. We turned it around on them and said, ‘Hey, listen, Charleston doesn’t decide who wins the MEC. You decide. You have a say in that. You have a vote.’ So, we put it on them. And I think right now, being six weeks away, we play February 24, so they’re chomping at the bit.” Actually, the Hilltoppers open with doubleheaders at Malone College in Mason, Ohio, on back-to-back days February 23 & 24. Until then, most people will be thinking about the difficulties winter and its weather present on a daily basis. For Burkle, his thoughts and his efforts will focus on baseball, a lot of baseball. Read the full article

[fahrni]

Saturday Morning Coffee

Good morning from Charlottesville, Virginia! ☕️

I’ve been really busy at work lately but it’s felt really good overall. Sure I’m feeling a little pressure and I’m a bit stressed but that’s par for the course.

A random aside. There was a time when I did a Movie Line of the Week post on this here blog. It’s been seen from time to time but I thought I’d throw one in here this week.

When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: “Have ya paid your dues, Jack?” “Yessir, the check is in the mail.”

I love this film. It’s a great action comedy.

I hope you enjoy the links.

ESPN

Dick Butkus, arguably the fiercest Monster of the Midway, has died at age 80, the Chicago Bears announced Thursday.

This man was an animal on the football field. I for one loved that style of play. I know it’s not great but I can’t help it. When I played football I always wanted to make folks remember I hit them. Problem was, I was a beanpole and was the one getting hammered! 🤣

RIP Mr. Butkus. 🪦

Matt Mullenweg

This month, Automattic had the privilege of working with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society (BKC) to migrate their early 2000s blogging platform over to our Pressable infrastructure.

I’m really happy to see WordPress do this. There was a time when it seemed the Berkman content would just disappear.

Thank you Matt and WordPress! ❤️

Dr Katie Mack • BBC Science Focus

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured images of ancient galaxies that shouldn’t exist. A cosmologist explains what could be going on.

I love science. That about sums it up for me. We’ve now explored further than ever before and are finding new and interesting things to understand! 🔭

Sharon Adarlo • Futurism

Microsoft’s data centers in West Des Moines, Iowa guzzled massive amounts of water last year, the Associated Press reported earlier this month, to keep cool while training OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4, the Microsoft-backed company’s most advanced publicly available large language model.

It’s time for someone to work on a new cooling system for these data centers or stop doing what they’re doing.

Just burn the world down in the name of shareholder value! 🔥

Joseph Foley • Creative Bloq

Bad news for anyone using Unreal Engine for VFX or animation. Epic Games has confirmed that it will begin charging industries outside gaming to use of the 3D graphics engine next year. Fees will be charged on a per-seat basis.

I wonder how Hollywood is going to react to this news?

Also, isn’t Unreal Engine amazing? 🎥

The Register

In a sane world, such massive, sustained incompetence coupled with warning signs a mole rat could see from Mars would have killed Twitter by now, with Musk’s rep as a hands-on CEO on a par with Uri Geller’s as a metalworker.

Yeah, a Space Karen appearance. I have so darned many pieces stashed in Pocket about the man I need to do another Musk Files post.

Can someone please convince the man to sell the twitter.com domain to them and fire up a Mastodon instance? 🐘

By Trisha Thadani,  Rachel Lerman,  Imogen Piper,  Faiz Siddiqui and  Irfan Uraizee • The Washington Post

Teslas guided by Autopilot have slammed on the brakes at high speeds without clear cause, accelerated or lurched from the road without warning and crashed into parked emergency vehicles displaying flashing lights, according to investigation and police reports obtained by The Post.

It’s time to remove “self-driving” and “assisted driving” technologies from cars until they’re proven to work.

Yeah, I’m a curmudgeon. 👴🏼

Jonathan Prynn • Evening Standard

First look inside Apple’s spectacular offices at Battersea Power Station

Now this is a cool looking office. It’s nice to see Apple renovate something instead of doing a new new build. More companies should do this. 👍🏼

John Yoon and Orlando Mayorquin • The New York Times

The authorities in Baltimore on Wednesday said they had not located any suspects or made any arrests after five people, including four students, were shot and injured on the Morgan State University campus on Tuesday night.

The fun epidemic in America continues. 😔

HILARY HOWARD and PATRICK McGEEHAN • The New York Times

The limit on the capacity of the city’s network of drains, pipes and water-treatment plants is the main reason New Yorkers across all five boroughs suffered through flooding. And this probably will not be the city’s last bout with heavy flooding as it plays catch-up with the pace of climate change, experts said.

Climate change is coming home to roost. I suppose it has been for a while now but it gets a lot of attention when a major American city gets hit.

I feel pretty gloomy about our future as a species. ⛈️

George Carden • The Argus

Shock as yew tree which ‘predates the Battle of Hastings’ felled

Two ancient trees felled in a weeks time. What is wrong with people?

Don’t they know we need more trees, not fewer? 🌳

[frontproofmedia]

Press Conference Notes: "El Venado" Lopez and Joet Gonzalez Set to Kick Off Mexican Independence Day Weekend

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Published: September 13, 2023

Lopez-Gonzalez headlines a televised tripleheader live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ FRIDAY at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Sept. 13, 2023) — Luis Alberto "El Venado" Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) is ready to kick-start Mexican Independence Day weekend with the second defense of his world title. Lopez will put his IBF featherweight world title on the line against two-time world title challenger Joet Gonzalez (26-3, 15 KOs) this Friday at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.  In the 10-round junior middleweight co-feature, rising Puerto Rican sensation Xander Zayas (16-0, 10 KOs) faces Mexico’s Roberto Valenzuela Jr. (21-4, 20 KOs). In the six-round lightweight ESPN-televised opener, Emiliano Fernando Vargas (6-0, 5 KOs) steps up versus Spain's Alejandro Guardado (5-0, 1 KO). Lopez-Gonzalez, Zayas-Valenzuela, and Vargas-Guardado will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT The ESPN+-streamed undercard (6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT) features Mexican standouts Omar Aguilar (25-1, 24 KOs) and Julio Luna (20-1-2, 11 KOs) in an eight-round welterweight tilt. Corpus Christi native John Rincon (7-0, 2 KOs) takes on Puerto Rico's Bryan Ismael Rodriguez Rivera (4-1-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round welterweight clash, and Jamaine Ortiz (16-1-1, 8 KOs) fights Antonio Moran (29-5-1, 20 KOs) in his first fight since last year's valiant effort against Vasiliy Lomachenko. Former world title challenger Ruben Villa (20-1, 7 KOs) will look to notch his second win of the year in an eight-round featherweight battle against Brandon Valdes (15-3, 7 KOs), while U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (9-0, 5 KOs) makes his third appearance of 2023 in an eight-round junior welterweight fight against Ricardo Quiroz (13-2, 7 KOs). Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $30 are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com. At Wednesday's press conference, this is what the fighters had to say. Luis Alberto Lopez   “I am happy to fight on an important date for Mexico where Joet Gonzalez and I will be representing our country. We are going to present a real war that night.”   “I respect him because he has had great fights. He has done a great job in his career. But you know that when we get in the ring there is no respect. I am going to take this belt home for my family and for Mexico.”   “It’s going to be a total war. When there are two hungry Mexicans in the ring, they always go at it with everything. We know that Joet Gonzalez is tough. And my goal, as I’ve said, is to knock him out.”   “We are ready as always. I am a fighter who knows how to give exciting fights. I am a warrior who goes forward. They know that when ‘El Venado’ gets in the ring, there will be a great show.”   Joet Gonzalez   “This is my third {world title} opportunity. I’m truly grateful. I’ve worked really hard every single time. And every time I step into the ring, I give it my all. I’ve got to win.”   “I’ve always trained hard. I’ve never taken any shortcuts. I’ve always put in the hard work in the gym. But sometimes it’s not your night. It is what it is. But I’m still here, and I’m going to give it my all every time.”   “I’m expecting a great fight. It’s a big day for Mexico. All I have to do is win and become the new IBF world champion. Plain and simple. I can’t go home empty-handed. I’m bringing that belt back home.”   Xander Zayas   “It’s been a great journey. I’m 16 fights in. I’ve been growing. I’ve been learning. I’ve been getting better in and outside of the ring. And I’m excited to put on a show this Saturday night.”   "We’ve been training for the last three or four fights for a ten-rounder. Now I get the opportunity, and I’m going to take advantage of it. I’m facing a Mexican warrior who is ready to put on a show." "He has a lot of things behind him. Mexican Independence Day is the day after. His family is here with him. He’s probably going to have the crowd behind him. But I’m excited to put on a show and win over the crowd.”   Roberto Valenzuela Jr.   “It is a very important date for me and for Mexico. So, we will do our best to get a good result. This is my opportunity to let everyone know who Roberto Valenzuela is.”   “We have been studying him. He is a great boxer. He actually doesn't have many flaws. But I believe that my hunger to win and move forward in my career is going to be the difference. I know that if I win this fight, we will be on the path to very big fights;.”   Omar Aguilar   “I feel very excited and happy. It is a great date for Mexico and for boxing. So I feel honored to fight on these dates, and what better way to do it than with these people around me? I'm going to give my best in the ring."   “I learned a lot against Lindolfo Delgado. I matured with that fight. It was a very interesting fight. I hope to take all the experience that I’ve gained and apply in this fight. We are ready."   Julio Luna   “I've come very well prepared, whether it lasts eight rounds or if it ends before. If it ends earlier, even better. But I’ve come prepared either way. Whenever two Mexicans get into the same ring, it is a guaranteed war. I think this will not be the exception.”   "The fight with Giovani Santillán gave me a lot of experience. And now I'm trying to get rid of that thorn in my side. I was not happy with that decision, and now I am grateful for this second opportunity.”   Emiliano Fernando Vargas   “It’s a blessing to be here. It’s a great opportunity for me to bring that excitement back to Corpus Christi. It’s definitely something special for me and my father. He fought here, and now I’m fighting here almost 20 years later. It’s very special for us.”   “I’m insanely excited to make my ESPN debut. This is definitely a step up with the opponent I have. It’s only going to make it more of a show. The best comes out of me when I’m facing better opposition. At the end of the day, to get to that world championship level where I know I can compete at and dominate, I’ve got to get through the Spaniard come Friday.”   John Rincon   “I’ve been dreaming for a moment like this since I was a kid. I’m finally here. The hard work is done. Friday night I’m going to put on a great show. I’ll see you all then.”

Friday, September 15 ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)

Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez, 12 rounds, Lopez's IBF Featherweight World Title  Xander Zayas vs. Roberto Valenzuela Jr., 10 rounds, Zayas' NABO/NABF Junior Middleweight Titles Emiliano Fernando Vargas vs. Alejandro Guardado, 6 rounds, Lightweights

ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)   

Omar Aguilar vs. Julio Luna, 8 rounds, Vacant WBC USA Welterweight Title   

John Rincon vs. Bryan Ismael Rodriguez Rivera, 6 rounds, Welterweights  Jamaine Ortiz vs. Antonio Moran, 10 Rounds, Junior Welterweights Ruben Villa vs. Brandon Valdes, 8 rounds, Featherweights  Tiger Johnson vs. Ricardo Quiroz, 8 rounds, Junior Welterweights 

(Featured Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images)

[bongaboi]

How Long Beach State prepared for Bronny James' debut and won

Sunday, December 10, 2023 8:14PM

Long Beach State tried to stay cool.

The Beach were about to play the biggest college basketball game of the weekend, thanks to Bronny James, who was set to make his Division I debut for USC five months after suffering cardiac arrest during a workout in July.

The lines outside Galen Center -- where the school announced a sellout on Friday once the freshman star's debut was announced -- snaked down the street. Tickets on the secondary market had sold for hundreds -- and in some cases, thousands -- of dollars. LeBron James, Bronny's dad, was rumored to be attending. Still, the Beach believed they had settled down by the time tipoff approached.

As the national anthem echoed through the speakers in the arena, however, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar entered the building, and the entire roster turned their heads.

"LeBron is about 6-foot-9, 240 pounds. … Of course we all noticed him," LBSU junior Jadon Jones, who finished with 18 points and eight rebounds after LBSU upset USC 84-79, told ESPN. "The crowd erupted as soon as his face was on the jumbotron. We saw Rich Paul there."

When Bronny entered Sunday's game early in the first half, the crowd cheered. The USC fans rose to their feet whenever he touched the ball. And they roared after his chase-down block on Jones. He followed the play with an assist to Vincent Iwuchukwu, his USC teammate who had also suffered cardiac arrest in 2022 during a team workout.

And just like that, the Trojans fed off the energy and entered halftime with a double-digit lead.

Facing Bronny & Co. in that building was going to be more difficult than Long Beach State had imagined.

"We just didn't fight early in the game," said longtime LBSU head coach Dan Monson.

Nearly 72 hours earlier, Monson forgot he was in a room full of Gen Z kids. He told his players that they weren't "the Washington Generals."

He was, of course, referring to the old nemesis of the Harlem Globetrotters, the flashy assembly known for its trick shots and dribbling maneuvers in the 1960s and 1970s. The Generals rarely won when the two teams played. Monson's point was that Long Beach State had a chance against the Trojans.

There was just one problem.

"None of them knew what I was talking about," Monson said.

But he also reminded them that Sunday's game could be memorable.

"There are a lot of games that come and go and you're not going to remember them," he said he told his team. "This is one of those games, for good or bad, you're going to remember the rest of your life because of the circumstances. You have to play with emotion, but you can't be emotional."

When he tried to revive the Washington Generals metaphor again at halftime, his team finally seemed to get it, and returned for the second half with renewed energy. Then Bronny made his first shot: a 3-pointer from the wing with 13:10 to go in the game.

All the talk about staying focused and poised seemed to disappear with the crowd on fire.

As the Beach looked around the arena and heard the noise, they realized they had entered an environment unlike anything they had seen in the past.

"I had to call a timeout," Monson said. "I had to settle that down a little bit. When he hit that 3-pointer, the crowd was at a decibel level few arenas will get to this year."

As play continued, though, he also noticed a strange change come over his team's opponent.

In the first half, the Bronny hype had driven the Trojans and fueled an emotional charge. In the second half, however, they began to show signs of fatigue. Maybe the pregame pageantry had been a lot for USC, too, he wondered.

Just like that, the game started swinging in LBSU's favor, and regulation ended with USC -- a 13.5-point favorite entering the game -- heading to overtime with the Beach, a stunning reversal.

"Our first thing was just to stay calm," Jones said about his team's comeback.

The Beach understood the crowd would be large and the atmosphere would reflect the moment. At the same time, they weren't really worried about Bronny, who finished the game with 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists and 1 block in 17 minutes off the bench. The Beach figured it would take time for him to adjust in his first college game. Veteran Boogie Ellis and freshman Isaiah Collier, the projected No. 1 pick in ESPN's latest NBA mock draft, were the bigger threats.

"To be honest, Bronny wasn't our biggest priority in the scout," Jones said. "He's a good young player. But he's still a freshman in his first game."

Ellis and Collier tried to carry their team through overtime, but the game ended with Long Beach State pulling off the upset and winning its first game at USC since 1987.

Monson didn't focus on the result as he went through the handshake line. The game, he said, was a celebration of Bronny's recovery more than anything else.

"I told Bronny after the game, 'Congratulations,'" he said. "What he's been through is way bigger than this game. To see him back out there and his proud dad there and his mom, that's way more important than anything else."

Once they finished celebrating the victory, the Beach showered, got dressed and hopped onto their team bus for the 40-minute ride back to campus, thinking about the way they had played spoiler on Bronny's big night, and how they could use the win to fuel success the rest of the season.

"They got ahead of us quickly," Jones said. "But we were able to calm the storm."

[defensefilms]

Sports TV's Shake-Up Is Still Growing On Me

The movement in sports television talk shows has been interesting to watch and has resulted in the two staple shows of the genre recieving fresh new coats of paint, with some new wrinkles.

Over at ESPN, your guy Stephen A Smith, pulled the move of the year by getting Shannon Sharpe as a co-host on First Take

More interestingly is the fact that Shannpn's podcast "Club Shay-Shay", will be movign to Colin Cowherd's network, The Volume.

I don't know how that works, or if there's any conflict of interes there, being that Cowherd is still very much with Fox, and as are most of the podcaster featured on The Volume.

Skip Bayless may have had to sweat a little, but the crew that he's assembled a super team of sports analysts, made up of mostly former NFL players, and while that first episode was a mess, I have to assume the line-up will change somewhat to feature former NBA players in February, as we head into the NBA playoffs.

Along with Keyshawn Johnson, Richard Sherman and Michael Irvin, Skip now has Rachel Nichols, to help with NBA segments.

Say what you want about Skip, but he knows how to bounce back.

ESPN's recent talent exodus has been the catalyst for most of this movement, and the most interesting analyst on this topic are those outside of the television broadcast industry, like Dan LeBatard and Marcellus Wiley, who are more free to spek thier mind, and whose insight in to the production of these shows give thier anaysis a bit more punch.

Dan LeBatard recently confronted Stephen Smith on the LeBatard Show, and told him that he thought that Stephen A and Skip Bayless were reponsible for the death of nuance in sports media.

It's an awesome interaction, click here to see it, and since then the two have gone back and forth on either's podcasts, as recently as a week ago, and they are truly the most engaging conversations happening in sports talk.

Remember, when it comes to on-screen talent, it's about chemistry, and in the cases of both First Take and Undisputed, it's going to take a year and some change for them to really hit thier stride.

Still for the first time in a long time, I feel like I actually have a reason to watch either show.

[xtruss]

Kicking Up A $10Billion Sporting Storm! Inside Saudi Arabia’s Plan To Dominate Football’s Premier League, PGA Tour Golf and More

— Image: Kryzsztof Nowak | August 10th, 2023 | Leaders | The Business of Sport

Sports fans have seen plenty of surprises this summer. Carlos Alcaraz won Wimbledon, ending years of domination of tennis by the trio of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. In golf the victors of the us Open and Britain’s Open were outsiders who were given odds of winning of 1% or less. On August 6th the all-conquering us women’s football team crashed out of the World Cup after Sweden scored a winning penalty. The ball crossed the goal line by only a few millimetres.

Yet the biggest shock has been off the field, as Saudi Arabia has barged into the sports industry. Pumped up on petrodollars and desperate to reinvent itself under Muhammad bin Salman (mbs), its 37-year-old de facto ruler, it has spent $10bn on players, teams and leagues, upending golf and football. That has upset Western fans, activists and politicians, who see it as “sportswashing” human-rights abuses, and complain about the desecration of the hallowed trophies of sport.

The Economist is no cheerleader for MBS (Oh well! F*** Yourself), but this sports-venting does not bear scrutiny. The West trades widely with Saudi Arabia, the deals will not make its bad human-rights record worse, and it is not clear that the country could or would monopolise and destroy any global sport. In a turbulent world many fans see their teams as a source of pride and stability. But many forget that sport is also a business that is being disrupted. It needs to be open to new capital and fresh ideas.

Sport has long seen investment splurges, whether by media tycoons or Russian oligarchs. Even by those standards the Saudi effort is big. In football it is paying for some of the world’s top players, including Karim Benzema, to play in a revamped domestic league. It controls Newcastle United, an English club, and may bid for the World Cup in 2030. In golf a Saudi-bankrolled tournament is merging with the pga Tour, America’s men’s circuit. The kingdom sponsors Formula 1, has deals in wrestling and boxing and is eyeing winter sports and e-sports.

Do not imagine that this is a modern version of Arab royals buying racehorses that catch their eye. Saudi Arabia’s plan is state-backed and more systematic than that. The kingdom views sport as a way to reinvest oil revenues and catalyse reform at home by creating a bigger services industry and boosting tourism. mbs is a volatile strongman, but he is also overseeing some liberalisation, including of women’s rights. The spread of a globalised, consumerist, sporting culture may help Saudi Arabia shift social norms away from austere religious conservatism.

The Saudi spree mirrors a surge in institutional capital flows into sport. Since early 2020 over $100bn of private-equity cash has been deployed. America’s baseball, basketball, hockey and football leagues contain brands with reliable cashflows (partly because these are self-regulating cartels). Europe’s soccer teams, which may be relegated, are riskier but sometimes undervalued given their big fan bases. Other sovereign buyers are active. Qatar, which hosted last year’s World Cup, has Paris St Germain, a French club, and a stake in the Washington Wizards, a basketball team. Bloomberg reckons 17 of Europe’s top 98 soccer clubs are now backed by sovereigns or institutional capital.

Many of these new investors see digital disruption as an opportunity. Revenues are in jeopardy, as viewers abandon traditional television, and in America “cut the cord” on cable packages that bundle sports. For old media firms this is a nightmare: Disney is looking for an investor to take a stake in espn, its huge, declining sports network. For nimble owners of teams and brands, digital disruption holds the promise of reaching audiences directly, with a more immersive, interactive experience.

Fans often fear change will ruin something that they love. However, sport is not just a competition between players, but also for an audience—and rival forms of entertainment do not stand still. Italy’s Serie A football league is a warning of what happens if reform is too slow. Its revenues are falling, its teams are underperforming and they are mostly lossmaking. European football costs over $7bn a year to run, excluding players’ wages, and does not break even. It can benefit from fresh money.

Besides, disruption can lead to improvements that bring in new fans. England’s Premier League broke off from the rest of the game in 1991 and is now one of the world’s most successful tournaments. India’s Premier League, launched in 2008, drew millions to Indian cricket. Formula 1 has found a younger audience in the Netflix show, “Drive to Survive” and direct-to-consumer streaming. Who knows what will come from Apple’s $2.5bn investment in streaming mls, America’s soccer league; or Qatar’s backing of Padel, a rival to tennis, with 25m players.

The case for disruption, then, is clear. However, Saudi Arabia faces two other objections. The first is that it is a state actor that is not motivated by profits and has vast resources. Sport requires a competitive balance, so if an owner buys all the best players their team can in theory win all the time and the game suffers. This risk needs to be watched. However, despite decades of crazy money, no team has managed to dominate football. Saudi Arabia’s spending on players is worth only 6% of European football’s annual operating costs. Its rebel league shook up golf.

Big Fan

The second objection is Saudi Arabia’s rotten record on human rights (Bullshit & Hypocrisy. West has a worst records of human rights as compare to Saudi Arabia), including the murder of Jamal Khashoggi (He was a Washington’s Puppet and a traitor who spewed filth against Saudi Arabia), a journalist (He was a Yellow Journalist). Foes of the West like Russia (Not true and big fat lie. What a Hypocrisy?) face sanctions (Nothing happened to Russia. Still alive and very much thriving. Read UN report.), which include sport. Yet the kingdom is not in this category. America and Europe did $140bn of trade with Saudi Arabia in 2022, including in oil and weapons—both more strategically sensitive than putting. And although some club owners gain influence, controlling sports assets does not seem to blind the Western public or their governments. Even Roman Abramovich, an oligarch who bought Chelsea to court Britain’s elite, has not escaped sanctions. As Qatar found with gay and labour rights (Qatar is a sovereign country and they have their own laws and regulations. That’s why they didn’t give a fuck to the World’s hypocrites. They managed the World’s elite event very successfully. Critics needs an immediate Psychiatric evaluation, tons of pills and a long bed rest not to wake-up again.) in the 2022 World Cup, sponsorship can sometimes bring more scrutiny.

An ever-expanding list of activities are restricted around the world on grounds of national security, well-being or morality: think of semiconductors, social media, and energy and arms. Adding sport to the list is an own goal. ■

— This Article appeared in the Leaders Section of the print edition under the headline "Kicking up a Storm"