DENVER (AP) — So you're the most valuable player of that annual Thanksgiving Day backyard flag football game. Or played tackle football on any level. Or ran track. Or dabbled in basketball. Or toyed with any sport, really. Well, this may be just for you: USA Football is holding talent identification camps all over the country to find that next flag football star. It's “America’s Got Talent” meets “American Idol,” with the stage being the field and the grand prize a chance to compete for a spot on a national team. Because it’s never too early to start planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Summer Games debut. Know this, though — it's not an easy team to make. The men's and women's national team rosters are at “Dream Team” status given the men’s side has captured six of the last seven world championships and the women three in a row. To remain on top, the sport's national governing body is scouring every football field, park, track, basketball court and gym to find hidden talent to cultivate. USA Football has organized camps and tryouts from coast to coast for anyone ages 11 to 23. There are more than a dozen sites set up so far, ranging from Dallas (Sunday) to Chicago (Dec. 14) to Tampa (March 29) to Los Angeles (TBD) and the Boston area (April 27), where it will be held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The organization has already partnered with the NFL on flag football initiatives and programs. The numbers have been through the roof, with engagement on social media platforms increasing by 86% since flag football was announced as an Olympic invitational sport in October 2023 . The participation of boys and girls ages 6 to 17 in flag football last year peaked at more than 1.6 million, according to USA Football research. “We pride ourselves on elevating the gold standard across the sport,” said Eric Mayes, the managing director of the high performance and national teams for USA Football. “We want to be the best in the world — and stay the best in the world.” Flag football was one of five new sports added to the LA28 program. The already soaring profile of American football only figures to be enhanced by an Olympic appearance. Imagine, say, a few familiar faces take the field, too. Perhaps even NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, maybe even past pro football greats donning a flag belt for a country to which they may have ties. Soon after flag football's inclusion, there was chatter of NFL players possibly joining in on the fun. Of course, there are logistical issues to tackle before their inclusion at the LA Olympics, which open July 14, 2028. Among them, training camp, because the Olympics will be right in the middle of it. The big question is this: Will owners permit high-priced players to duck out for a gold-medal pursuit? No decisions have yet been made on the status of NFL players for the Olympics. For now, it's simply about growing the game. There are currently 13 states that sanction girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Just recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles helped pave the way to get it adopted in Pennsylvania. Around the world, it's catching on, too. The women's team from Japan took third at the recent word championships, while one of the best players on the planet is Mexico quarterback Diana Flores . “Could flag football globally become the new soccer? That’s something to aspire to," said Stephanie Kwok , the NFL's vice president of flag football. This type of flag football though, isn't your Thanksgiving Day game with family and friends. There's a learning curve. And given the small roster sizes, versatility is essential. Most national team members need to be a version of Colorado’s two-way standout and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter. Forget bump-and-run coverage, too, because there's no contact. None. That took some adjusting for Mike Daniels, a defensive back out of West Virginia who earned a rookie minicamp invitation with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. “If a receiver is running around, I’m thinking, ‘OK, I can kind of bump him here and there and nudge him,’” Daniels explained. “They’re like, ‘No, you can’t.’ I’m just like, ‘So I’m supposed to let this guy just run?!’ I really rebelled at the idea at first. But you learn.” The competition for an Olympic roster spot is going to be fierce because only 10 players are expected to make a squad. The best 10 will earn it, too, as credentials such as college All-American or NFL All-Pro take a backseat. “I would actually love" seeing NFL players try out, said Daniels, who's also a personal trainer in Miami. “I’m not going to let you just waltz in here, thinking, ‘I played NFL football for five years. I’m popular. I have a huge name.’ I’m still better than you and I'm going to prove it — until you prove otherwise.” Around the house, Bruce Mapp constantly swivels his hips when turning a hallway corner or if his daughter tries to reach for a hug. It’s his way of working on avoiding a “defender” trying to snare the flag. That approach has earned the receiver out of Coastal Carolina four gold medals with USA Football. The 31-year-old fully plans on going for more gold in Los Angeles. “You grow up watching Usain Bolt (win gold) and the ‘Redeem Team’ led by Kobe Bryant win a gold medal, you're always thinking, ‘That's insane.' Obviously, you couldn't do it in your sport, because I played football," said Mapp, who owns a food truck in the Dallas area. "With the Olympics approaching, that (gold medal) is what my mind is set on." It's a common thought, which is why everything — including talent camps — starts now. “Everybody thinks, ‘Yeah, the U.S. just wins,’” Daniels said. “But we work hard all the time. We don’t just walk in. We don’t just get off the bus thinking, ‘We’re going to beat people.’” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFLMIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – , Mike McDaniel and the may be peaking at the right time. Just in time to make the Thanksgiving night game entertaining later this week. Tagovailoa threw three of his four touchdown passes in the first half, and the at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. After beginning this season losing 6 of 8 games, Miami is riding a three-game winning streak. The are now 5-6 and staring down .500, heading into their primetime Thanksgiving Day matchup at the on Thursday night. Can Tagovailoa and the Dolphins win a cold-weather game? The Hawaiian native surely has that knock again him during his five-year career. And the temperature could be in the teens by primetime. Can the Dolphins beat a team with a winning record? They were close against the and , losing by three points or less, before they rattled off this recent win streak. The Dolphins are 2-14 in their last 16 games against opponents with a .500 record or better. The Packers were 7-3 in this season ahead of Sunday's game against the . “I’m excited to kill narratives, so let’s go,” Tagovailoa said after the game. “Bring it on.” The will do the heavy lifting against in the 12:30 p.m. game. The tryptophan from Thanksgiving lunch should settle in by time the lowly and just-as-lowly kick off at 4:30 p.m. But, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins bring enough intrigue against the Packers to save the NFL’s holiday tripleheader from an entertainment standpoint. “Our record now is 5-6, and the Packers aren’t going to care about our three-game win streak,” McDaniel said. “The Packers are going to want to make us the team that can’t win in the cold or beat a good team. And we’ll have an opportunity on Thursday to either prove them right or wrong, as well as everybody else, in front of a bunch of families that are digesting and judgmental.” Could Miami upset Green Bay on Thursday? They’ll need to capitalize on what’s made them successful in their recent streak if they hope to make the playoffs in the final six weeks of the season. Tagovailoa finished 29 of 40 for 317 yards against New England, improving to 7-0 all-time against his AFC East rivals from Foxborough. Tagovailoa is 82 of 105 (78%) with eight touchdown passes in his last three games during Miami’s winning streak. Overall, he’s completed 130 of 170 passes (76.4%) since his return in Week 8. The Dolphins have converted 18 of their 34 third-down attempts (52.9%) in the last three games – before Tagovailoa was pulled with 11:01 left in the fourth quarter Sunday. Tagovailoa threw his first touchdown pass to tight end Jonnu Smith, and his second of two touchdowns to running back De’Von Achane on third down against the . “We’re still below the .500 threshold and it’s a long way to where we want to get to,” Tagovailoa said. “We’ll enjoy this win, but this next one is going to be big for us.” McDaniel has also identified a third receiving target to open the passing game. Teams are focusing on Dolphins receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, leaving windows open for others. It’s become Smith, the former Titans tight end who has three touchdowns in the last two weeks. At times, it’s also Odell Beckham Jr., who draws the attention of secondary defenders despite missing all three of his targets against the . Smith finished with nine catches for 87 yards against the Patriots, one week after he had six catches for 101 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders. His performance Sunday opened the window for Waddle’s best game of the season with eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown against New England. Achane had 48 total yards, and two touchdown catches in the victory. Hill finished with five catches for 48 yards. “When you have a lot of playmakers on the team, it’s hard to stop us,” Achane said. Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Hooper, and New England’s Christian Gonzalez returned a fumble 63 yards for another score within a 3:33 stretch early in the fourth quarter. The Dolphins did their work early in this one. Now, they have three days of rest before their holiday game this week. “We have a tough task ahead of us. Short week, on the road, night game, cold weather. All that stuff is really going to test our mental toughness,” Dolphins edge rusher Calais Campbell said. “We’re going to see what kind of team we are.” Added Tagovailoa: “We’re excited to go down to Green Bay and show everybody on primetime what we can do.”10jili okada casino 。

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This actress won the prestigious Miss India crown and appeared in over 25 films, gracing the covers of 108 magazines. Despite her success, she never had a solo hit. Can you guess this actress? Published: November 24, 2024 9:57 PM IST By Edited by This actress rose to fame in the 2000s, starring in several blockbuster films alongside Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn. She was also crowned Miss India and was the runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant. The actress is currently celebrating her 43rd birthday in Australia. Can you guess which actress are we talking about? Meet actress who quit Bollywood forever after becoming... Her name is none other than Celina Jaitley. She starred in superhit films like No Entry and Golmaal Returns. Her last appearance was in the 2011 film Thank You, featuring Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol. She also made a cameo in the Kannada film Shrimathi in the same year. In 2012, Celina gave birth to twin boys and took a step back from the industry. Although Celina Jaitley has distanced herself from films, she remains active on social media, often sharing throwback photos, videos, and stories related to her film career. She also frequently posts pictures and videos with her children. Birthday Reflections On her birthday, Celina Jaitley shared a heartfelt post on Instagram, reflecting on her achievements and challenges. She posted a picture of herself striking a pose on the floor. Celina wrote, “Birthday Girl (hashtag). As I stand at another milestone, I can’t help but reflect on the incredible journey that has brought me here. From winning the Miss India crown to being the runner-up at Miss Universe...” She continued, “25 films, 36 brand endorsements, 108 top magazine covers, the blessing of twin boys, a Filmfare Award, the Harvey Milk Foundation’s Leela Watson Award, United Nations Ambassadorship, and countless unforgettable moments... I am here.” What does Celina do for a living? Celina shared how each achievement, experience, and challenge has shaped the woman she is today. “A woman who is grateful for the past and excited for what’s to come. Today is not just another birthday; it’s a day of transformation, rejuvenation, and watching myself grow. Stay with me, because so much more is to come!” For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and . Read more on Latest on . Topics

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