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LOS ANGELES — As the Dodgers officially welcomed their latest gazillionaire pitcher to a remodeling Dodger Stadium last week, the churning of the bulldozers in the infield was momentarily drowned out by the whining around the baseball world. Boo-hoo! The Dodgers are buying another championship! For shame! The Dodgers have an unfair advantage! It’s not right! The Dodgers are ruining baseball! On and on the tears flowed, from Pittsburgh to Minnesota, from Northern California to South Florida, with many blubbering that signing two-time Cy Young Award-winning Blake Snell to a $182-million contract officially makes the defending World Series champions bad for the game. Stop it. Just stop it. Far from being a blight on the major-league landscape, right now the Dodgers’ front office is everything that is good about the game. They are smart, savvy and fearless. They base decisions not only on analytics but also attitude. They spend a lot of money, but only because they make a lot of money, and since when is reinvesting revenue into your fans a bad thing? Many think the Dodgers should be grateful to win the World Series this year and humbly behave like other recent defending champions by cutting corners and reducing costs and receding back into the pack. Forget that. These Dodgers are intent on running it back, going even harder for an encore, sparing no expense in an attempt to become baseball’s first back-to-back champions in a quarter-century. Deal with it. Endure it. Maybe even learn from it? The Dodgers need not apologize to anyone for doubling down on a Commissioner’s Trophy, because they have created a championship the right away. They’ve built it, not bought it. Andrew Friedman spent nearly a decade creating the sort of smart culture that strengthened the clubhouse and stocked the farm system. Stan Kasten spent that same time running a Guggenheim business model that restored the fan experience at baseball’s largest stadium, selling record numbers of tickets while enduring much justified criticism to score big TV money. Finally, with the infrastructure in place and the new money flowing, the Dodgers then opened their fatted wallet for the players that created the championship. Players didn’t want to come here only for the big money, they wanted to come for the winning baseball, which is something that could have happened with any team that was lucky enough and brainy enough and focused enough. “Winning is hard. There are teams that have a lot of resources that have trouble winning,” Friedman said. “Winning is hard. It goes way beyond money. It gets to culture, the type of people you have around.” Everyone talks about the nearly $2 billion in committed money, the more than $1 billion owed in deferred payments from 2028 to 2046, and a current annual payroll that will exceed $350 million, more than triple some of baseball’s cheaper operations. But did you know that for the first five years of his reign, Friedman did not sign a player for more than $100 million? He used that time to build an atmosphere where players wanted to be and, soon enough, the superstars essentially began signing themselves. Listen to Snell, who signed so early in the offseason that the stove was not yet even hot. “It was really easy,” he said of his choice. “... You look at the team, you look at what they’ve built, what they’re doing, it’s just something you want to be a part of.” Over the last couple of years, one has heard the same thing over and over. Mookie Betts was traded here, liked what he saw and signed his giant contract four months later. Freddie Freeman wanted to stay in Atlanta, didn’t feel the love and quickly moved into the Dodgers’ embrace. Shohei Ohtani moved up the road from pleasant Anaheim because he desperately coveted a championship. Money was a major factor in all three signings, for sure, but the offers were maximized by the atmosphere. Players saw how other players got better here. They saw the Dodgers rescue the careers of Max Muncy and Chris Taylor. They saw how young Walker Buehler grew into a lights-out pressure pitcher here. They saw Will Smith go from ordinary catcher to a $140-million man. The final piece to the complicated economic puzzle occurred last winter with a simple handshake. Ohtani agreed to defer all but $2 million annually of his $700-million contract if it would help the Dodgers pursue championship players. The Dodgers agreed, living up to their promise by signing the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Teoscar Hernández. It is no coincidence that Snell agreed to defer $66 million of his contract. The Ohtani agreement grows stronger and deeper. “The pledge that we made when we met with him about how aggressive we were going to be to try to win, we feel some responsibility and obligation to fulfill that,” Friedman said of Ohtani. “I think no matter what, our mindset was, ‘Let’s be aggressive to add to the core that we had.’” So they recently added Snell, and tacked on a $74-million extension for National League Championship Series most valuable player Tommy Edman, and here’s guessing they’re not done yet. “What’s really difficult is to win; what’s even harder to do is repeat,” Friedman said. “And to a man, all the guys that we talked to, our players, coaching staff, everyone was of the mind, ‘Let’s run it back. Let’s do everything we can to be in a position to win.’ We feel like we’ve got a really talented team in place. So everything for us was centered around, ‘What can we do? What can we add to put ourselves in the best position to do that?’” And to all of you who are complaining about the Dodgers’ passion, does your team have the same basic commitment? A chart called “The Scrooge Index” compiled by Travis Sawchik of the Score would indicate it does not. According to the index, the Dodgers ranked second in baseball last season by investing 67% of their total revenue into payroll. The Tampa Bay Rays were last at 32%. The Dodgers spend more than half of their big money on talent as part of an unspoken pact with fans that Kasten, the Dodgers’ chief executive who arrived with Guggenheim in 2012, refers to as their virtuous cycle. “This is our investment in our fans, and our fans keep investing in us,” Kasten said. “The first day I got here, we said we think this market would support us if we do the right things, and our fans have supported us, and this is us supporting them, so they can support us, and on and on.” Come spring training, there actually may appear a Dodgers story in this newspaper that doesn’t contain a dollar sign. But for now, sit back and enjoy the spending while understanding that the nurturing of this dynasty is about something much richer. Get local news delivered to your inbox!None

Our Experts A pressure washer is one of the best ways to deep clean super dirty home areas or hard to reach places. Most commonly, people use pressure washers to clean the deck, driveway, house siding, roof, gutters, fences, or cars. They can even remove mold and mildew from items such as lawn furniture. Since gas-powered pressure washers tend to be more powerful and produce a higher PSI than electric ones, a gas-powered model will work best. But they can be more expensive. CNET tested, evaluated and curated this list of pressure washers for differing needs including best electric, best gas-powered, best portable and even a budget pick. Our Picks Best pressure washers This Westinghouse model -- an affordable option among the variety of gas-powered pressure washers -- has great specs and performance, but it's also so devoid of overwhelmingly positive or negative features that it's easy to overlook. Here are the highlights: lowest price tag, largest engine, detergent tank and all five interchangeable nozzles included. Everything else about this residential pressure washer cleaning unit is entirely middle-of-the-road. $135 is a fairly low buy-in for the pressure washer game. If you're looking for a nongas unit on the cheap, this might be what you're looking for. As far as numbers go, this one has a 1,850 psi rating, which is the lowest of the standard body type electric-powered pressure washers, but when you're using it, it feels like it gives as much as any of the other units. This unit doesn't have any outstanding features, but it does have a fair amount of power packed into a small package. It sports a suitcase-style retracting handle and is overall compact enough to be stowed away on a shelf somewhere. Although you can clean some tough grime from concrete, this wouldn't be my first pick for that task unless it was a very small area. Otherwise, this Black & Decker model can handle most other common pressure washer jobs. If you have the need to move from location to location with your pressure washer often, and you don't necessarily need the higher cleaning power of a gas unit, the DeWalt DWPW2100 is a great option. This thing folds up like a suitcase, retractable handle and all, stores all accessories and cords/cables onboard and you're off, wheeling your way to your next destination. Its performance is on par with other similar-spec units, but I feel like the biggest win here is portability. I do also like that the storage for the different nozzles is attached to the wand itself. The price tag is a little high, but if you need this kind of mobility with your pressure washer, chances are the few extra bucks are worth it. I do enjoy the idea of adding a pressure washer option to cordless tool ecosystems. You already have the batteries and tool storage options, and having a readily available pressure washer (just add a hose from a tap or to a bucket you've gathered water in) is great for quick cleanup jobs. The main drawback with this form of pressure washer would be its overall power. Containing everything in the palm of your hand does have its trade-offs, so don't expect to de-grime your concrete patio or driveway with these tools. They are great for worksites where you accumulate lots of associated debris, or maybe light yard waste. Again, the fact that you can carry a water container with you to a remote area where water is otherwise unavailable will undoubtedly appeal to some people. Don't worry about your batteries. These cordless tool versions have a built-in housing to protect that sensitive electronics area from direct water exposure. All things considered, this guy ticked enough of the right boxes to come out on top as the best pressure washer. The assembly is easy enough out of the box, and the power washer itself is heavier (no plastic frame pieces) and sits low to the ground, giving it a solid feel. Of all the units I tested, this one felt the most balanced to me as I moved it around. Enough of the others felt unbalanced or wobbly for this to be a determining factor. It's priced just below the overall average price of all units I tested, and that says something since its water pressure output and engine size are among the top specs overall. The spray wand is nothing special, but tool storage is fine, and it ships with all five standard spray gun tips (not all of them do). There is also an attached detergent tank, which I think is great, even though I don't often use detergent with my gas washer. This specific model is no longer available at Tacklife, but one with what may be the same build (and same specs) is available through The Home Depot as a Simpson PowerShot-branded model. Other units we've tested Here is a list of the other washers I've tested to date, in no particular order: How we test pressure washers Testing pressure washers isn't an exact science. Mostly I sprayed stuff. A lot of stuff. The evaluation started when I opened each box. A couple of the pressure washers were packed so well you'd think they were solid gold, and for a couple of others, I'm surprised there weren't more broken pieces than I ended up with (which was just a couple of small plastic covers). I then had to assemble each washer from the pressure hose to the wand nozzle tip. I like to assemble things so that part of the process wasn't so bad. There aren't too many surprises when it comes to pressure washer builds. It's either going to be an upright gas-powered pressure washer cart or a low and wide (and usually heavier) type of model. For the electric models, assembly was generally more complete out of the box. Usually just a couple of plastic covers or handles to attach. I like the integrated hose reel on this unit. As well, I'm a fan of the spray wand dock with the additional tip support at the bottom of the unit. All but a couple of the units made good use of current efficiencies in the assembly process, such as spring-loaded pins or other geometrically snapping pieces. The outlier, from the lesser-known brand Teande, still relied on bolts and lock nuts for everything. It came with a screwdriver and wrenches, but I still spent as long assembling that one washer as I did all the others combined. The Rock&Rocker electric unit also relied largely on physical screws for assembly. My favorite thing about this unit is its ability to effectively store and transport all of its pieces. Shown here are the spray nozzle tips with integrated storage on the spray nozzle handle. The next thing I looked for was how they handled the different pressure nozzle tip types. A big contention point for me is when a manufacturer decides to offer less than the five standard nozzle tips. It's often the yellow 15-degree tip that gets bumped, and for me, that's the money tip. I have lots of concrete outside of my house and using anything other than a yellow tip would take me forever to finish. The yellow tip is probably the one I use the most overall, not just for concrete. Yes, I'm aware you can buy one for a few bucks, but they probably only cost a few cents to make. A major note on this topic: For electric pressure washers, the standard seems to be offering the turbo tip and two to three other tips, almost always excluding the red tip. This is likely due to the normally lower-than-gas-models' psi range, but I still like the options, even at the lower pressure ranges. I was excited when I reached this point with the Ryobi gas-powered pressure washer and its five-in-one nozzle design. Imagine all five tips being available at all times. My excitement faded when I realized that Ryobi, like so many others, had neglected the 15-degree tip and in its place had a second soap and detergent surface cleaner nozzle. Plus one bonus point for a five-in-one. It lost one point for no 15-degree option, plus it lost 10 points for getting my hopes up. The Craftsman CMCPW250D1 comes with a five-in-one tip that includes the 0, 15, 25, 40 and soap tips. Speaking of surface cleaner soap and detergents, they've gotta go somewhere, and the best place is an onboard reservoir. I don't often use detergents with my pressure washer. When I do, and when I need to move, it's annoying to deal with the hose (even when the washer has a hose reel), the spray nozzle wand, the bucket of detergent and the high-pressure washer itself. With an onboard reservoir, you can just move the gas pressure washer while still holding the wand, letting the pressure washer hose drag behind you. I love the simple efficiency of it. The Teande was on my bad side after the assembly process, but I did like that it tried including two detergent reservoirs, each separately controlled. The Teande's double reservoir. Having two separate reservoirs allows you to load two different types of detergent simultaneously. This is handy if you have varied hard surfaces you're trying to clean, and need to switch back and forth. Otherwise, with a single reservoir, you'd be forced to deplete the first detergent entirely before loading the second. The rest is really just an inventory game. All the models have power washer hoses and spray wands. As previously mentioned, only the DeWalt stood out in those categories. They all have wheels, varying engine sizes, extra parts, oil and so on. The Craftsman did have one unique feature that I liked: a rope guide for the engine pull cord that moved the resting spot for the pull handle up above the engine on the frame closer to you if you were standing behind it. After so many hours of dealing with pressure washers, I was happy not to have to bend over quite as far to start this one. Performance With each washer, I used multiple nozzle tip varieties for each activity. I started with a section of concrete driveway. The green tips were often too light to get the surface as clean as it could be. The red tips, although effective, only clean a small area at a time. Enter the yellow tip, which provides a great balance of focused pressure and spray width. Although there's only a difference of a few hundred psi between most of these washers, there were occasionally noticeable differences between them when I used the same tip. My best guess is there's a difference in the manufacturing of the tips themselves. The most consistent tip is the 0-degree red tip. With so little room for variance, the red tip felt the most consistent between units overall. Every washer was an appropriate surface cleaner for the concrete, but it was most difficult for the ones that left out a 15-degree tip (so you then had to rely on the red tip). Here you can see the width of the fan made by the yellow 15-degree tip versus the 0-degree red tip. After the driveway test, I ran each washer through a gauntlet: where the large concrete slabs meet each other to form my driveway, I've let the happy little weeds grow in anticipation of this day. No weed was a match for any pressure washer with a red tip until you get to the electric units. Their lower psi means they will struggle with some of the tougher weeds. I had a couple of wood options to try out. The first was a hardwood-based plywood. The second was a section of 1x12 construction-grade lumber (mostly pine around these parts, I believe). One thing I can tell you: Never use a red tip on wood. The jet spray rips through it like a tiny tornado. Once I backed down to the yellow tip, it was interesting to see how the water could bring back a fresh-cut appearance. Even the yellow tip will begin to skin these boards if you hold it in place for longer than a second or two. Most other tips are appropriate for wood applications. The bigger surprise for me came with vinyl siding. I staged a small wall with some basic (read: cheap) vinyl siding. I was excited for the carnage to come, but it never did. I tried to damage that siding -- 4,200 psi with a red tip at point-blank, the best I had -- but there wasn't a scratch. Pressure washers are wonderful options for cleaning vinyl siding; they are so much faster and more efficient than any manual method. I'd always worried about accidentally chewing through the siding if I got too close or chose the wrong tip, but my concern was misplaced. I still wouldn't recommend going after your siding with a red tip, but most anything else should be fine if you follow the manufacturer's guidelines. Pressure washer FAQs The answer partially depends on what level of cleaning you're looking for. If you have maybe yard clippings or other loose dirt and/or particles that you're looking to remove, almost any pressure washer will do the trick. If you're looking to revitalize your concrete and brighten the color by removing that baked-in grime, you want to look for something over 2,000 psi. You can get the job done at or just below that number, but it will take a bit longer. 2K+ will speed the process up. Look into using a turbo rather than a standard tip, or even an aftermarket concrete cleaner attachment for pressure washers to make it go even faster. A pressure washer uses water at ground temperature. A power washer uses a heating element to heat the water before spraying it out. Because of the heat, power washers are more suited to removing stains containing living bacteria, like mold. Most residential washers are pressure washers and not power washers. For a gas pressure washer, add a fuel stabilizer following the instructions in your manual. Also, follow the manual for instructions on how to clear any detergent. Finally, run a pressure washer pump saver through your washer by connecting it to the hose inlet. The engine doesn't need to run during this step, nor does the spray wand or high-pressure hose need to be connected. Once you see the white foam coming from the high-pressure hose connection, you're done. For an electric pressure washer, you can omit the fuel stabilizer step. You can use almost any type of liquid soap or detergent with a pressure washer, although there are pressure washer-specific detergents for jobs of all types. Your pressure washer will have a siphon hose or basin of some type, which you fill with the desired soap. Make sure any detergent cutoff valves are on, and then you can run the pressure washer as you normally would. If you're planning on using a pressure washer regularly, here are a few tips. Know what your target uses will be. Plan your purchase around those. For me, that includes looking at aftermarket tips. There are a lot of options out there to make your life easier. Detergents can help. If in doubt, start with the white 40-degree tip and work your way up. Wear protective gear. Consider other upgrades if you'll be spending lots of time behind the spray, such as a new wand or high-pressure hose. Also, if you're new to the game, check out my beginner's guide to pressure washing .Firmable Hits 1500 Users, Gaining Momentum in the Australian Market49ers QB Brock Purdy, DE Nick Bosa out, Brandon Allen to start at Green Bay

British teenager who had holiday romance in Dubai reveals ‘shock’ after being jailed for a yearThe Indiana vs. Notre Dame matchup in the first round of the College Football Playoff is the most expensive ticket on StubHub, but it's Tennessee vs. Ohio State that's selling the fastest. StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli said Monday that the game being hosted in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 21 has sold 34% more tickets than the game in South Bend, Indiana, on Dec. 20. “The expanded college football playoffs are seeing early high demand, especially as we see new teams enter the competition for the first time,” Budelli said. StubHub lists tickets for sale from official event organizers, but most of its offerings are from the resale market. Here's the ticket marketplace's average CFP first-round prices as of Monday evening: 1. Indiana at Notre Dame — $733 2. Clemson at Texas — $518 3. Tennessee at Ohio State — $413 4. SMU at Penn State — $271 Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football