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π¨ Headlines
π CMC is back: All-Pro Christian McCaffrey is expected to make his season debut for the 49ers on Sunday after an “awesome” performance at practice this week.
π NCAA lifts ban on CHL players: Canadian Hockey League players will be eligible to compete at U.S. colleges starting next season, a decision that could reshape the landscape of Division I and major junior hockey.
π Bronny to G League: The Lakers assigned Bronny James to their G League affiliate in South Bay. He’ll play home games for them, while still being available for the Lakers when South Bay is on the road.
π All dogs go to heaven: Kirk Herbstreit’s beloved dog Ben, who had become something of a celebrity after accompanying his owner to college football and NFL games, sadly passed away. Forever a good boy.
π Gators sticking with Napier: Billy Napier’s job as Florida’s football coach is secure, according to AD Scott Stricklin. The Gators are 15-18 under Napier and his future has been a source of constant speculation this season.
π Ravens top Bengals in another thriller
The Ravens beat the Bengals, 35-34, on “Thursday Night Football” in the second epic game between the two teams this season. Baltimore won the first meeting, 41-38 (OT).
The QB battle: Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow were both phenomenal in their first meeting β and the two Heisman Trophy winners were just as good in the rematch.
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Game 1: Jackson was 26-of-42 for 348 yards and 4 TD, while Burrow was 30-of-39 for 392 yards, 5 TD and 1 INT.
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Game 2: Jackson was 23-of-33 for 290 yards and 4 TD, while Burrow was 34-of-56 for 428 yards and 4 TD.
The biggest star of all? Baltimore had no answer for Ja’Marr Chase, who compiled 21 catches and 457 yards in two games β a new NFL record for most receiving yards against a single opponent in a season.
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Game 1: 10 rec, 193 yards, 2 TD
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Game 2: 11 rec, 264 yards, 3 TD
Surely, his team must have won at least one of those games⦠Nope.
Controversial ending: Just three days after the Buccaneers played for OT against the Chiefs and lost, the Bengals went for two and the win in the final minute. They didn’t convert β but should have gotten another crack at it due to two penalties. The refs missed both.
“It was clearly defensive holding before the pass was in flight, that should have been called. And that does look like forceful contact to the head of the quarterback. That’s a personal [foul]. That’s roughing the passer and should have been called.”
β Prime Video officiating analyst (and former NFL official) Terry McAulay
The last word: “Too many games end this way,” said Al Michaels, who was also on the call for a game earlier this year that ended with a blatant facemask penalty that wasn’t called. “It’s so frustrating for the fans. So frustrating.”
β½οΈ Worst to first: The Pride’s epic turnaround
The Orlando Pride just completed the best regular season in NWSL history and are title favorites entering the playoffs β a stunning turnaround for a franchise that spent the past half-decade as a laughingstock.
By the numbers: Orlando (18-2-6) set NWSL records for wins (18), points (60), longest winning streak (8) and longest unbeaten streak (24) en route to earning the No. 1 seed in the postseason, snapping the league’s longest active playoff drought (since 2017).
Worst to first: Signs of Orlando’s turnaround began to emerge two years ago when Seb Hines was hired as head coach. Fueled by his defensive-minded style, they rattled off a seven-game unbeaten streak in 2022. And this season, with a roster similar to the one that finished just shy of the playoffs last year, everything finally clicked, notes Yahoo Sports’ Henry Bushnell.
In soccer, and throughout sports, sudden turnarounds typically feature an overhaul. Visionary leaders arrive; stars follow; together, they reverse fortunes. β¦ The Pride, on the other hand, have largely been driven by holdovers.
Over 76% of their 2024 minutes have been logged by players who also appeared in 2023, including standout performances from Marta, Barbra Banda, and Anna Moorhouse. The NWSL playoffs are set to begin with four single-elimination quarterfinals, leading up to the championship on Nov. 23 at Kansas City’s CPKC Stadium. Dempsey kicked a field goal with his flat shoe end.
Exciting News! LSU will have a live tiger on the sideline for the first time in almost ten years during their game against Alabama this weekend.
Here’s the scoop: The tiger making an appearance won’t be the usual eight-year-old Mike VII, who resides in an enclosure near the stadium and has been the school’s mascot since 2017. Instead, a one-year-old Bengal tiger named Omar Bradley will be making the trip to Baton Rouge.
Interesting fact: Omar’s owner has faced numerous complaints, including incidents of escapes due to employee errors in 2003 and 2004.
Trivia answer: Berlin and Hamburg
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sentence: “I will go to the store to buy some groceries.”
“I am going to the store to purchase groceries.”