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Connected, brainy, athletic: the suspect in US insurance CEO's slayingCARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Southern Illinois quarterback Michael Lindauer's coming-out party also was a dazzling farewell. The senior graduate assistant, pressed into duty as a player again when injuries left the Salukis in need of a quarterback, made his first career start — on Senior Day, no less — and threw for a school-record seven touchdowns in a 62-0 victory over Murray State on Saturday. “This was incredible,” Lindauer said. “The guys around me — thank the guys. The receivers were making plays, the O-line's blocking. When you get on a roll like that, stuff just starts happening.” The fifth-year senior, a transfer from Cincinnati, completed 20 of 33 passes for 283 yards. Keontez Lewis caught scoring passes of 4 and 64 yards. Bradley Clark had TDs of 35 and 23 yards. Nah’shawn Hezekiah had touchdowns of 19 and 35 yards on his two catches. And Jay Jones caught one pass for 1 yard — also a touchdown. Before the game, Lindauer had attempted 27 career passes. “Now, he's in the record book,” Salukis coach Nick Hill said. “It will be a hard record to beat, seven TDs in one game. ... What he's done ... just being so selfless and coming back and being a player. The team needed it. ... It’s a testament that if you stay committed, do the right things, have a great attitude, you’re going to get rewarded at some point, and he was rewarded in a big way today.” Southern Illinois finished the season 4-8 overall and 2-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference, but “to go out like that, that's a good way to go out,” Hill said. Lindauer was named the MVC offensive player of the week for his performance in his first and last career start. He plans to return in the spring, again as a graduate assistant coach, but this time with a resume to lean on. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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Crypto Bank BVNK Expands to U.S. After Raising $50 MillionRaiders coach Antonio Pierce recently was asked what he noticed about the three teams ahead of his in the AFC West. Pierce, as blunt as they come, wasted no time answering. “Quarterback play,” he said. “Bottom line, quarterback play.” Pierce might as well have been speaking for every losing team across what has increasingly become a league of haves and have-nots. Eight NFL teams have won three or fewer games this season, including the 2-10 Raiders. The overwhelming common denominator among those teams is poor quarterback play. Six of those clubs have quarterbacks who rank in the bottom 10 in overall QB rating (QBR). Other than the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots, who are starting young quarterbacks taken in the first three picks of the past two drafts, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are contractually locked into Trevor Lawrence on a five-year, $275 million contract, each of them will look to upgrade through the draft, free agency or the trade market in the offseason. Meanwhile, if the season ended today, six of the 14 teams that would make the playoffs boast quarterbacks with top-10 ratings. Seven others have quarterbacks within the top 20 in QBR. Only C.J. Stroud, whose Houston Texans sit atop the AFC South, is out of the top 20. And his 53.2 rating is 21st. Clearly, there is a correlation between winning and good quarterback play. Yes, football is the ultimate team sport, and as the 4-8 Cincinnati Bengals have shown, having a quarterback such as Joe Burrow, who ranks third in QBR, guarantees nothing with a defense ranked 31st. But there is no doubt that winning is difficult without good quarterback play and borderline impossible in terms of competing for the Super Bowl without great quarterback play. Acknowledging that reality is the easy part. The far more elusive aspect is actually reaching into the college ranks and securing and developing a quarterback capable of ensuring even moderate success, let alone the kind necessary to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. Between the bad luck of never being able to select a high-end quarterback and a volatile return rate that produces more busts and below-average quarterbacks than successful ones, filling the most important position on a football field can be an arduous ordeal. Just ask the Raiders, who have been on a 22-year odyssey trying to find a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback. Or the New York Jets, who have nothing to show for the two quarterbacks they invested top-3 picks in the past seven drafts? “Identifying, projecting, acquiring and developing college quarterbacks into thriving NFL quarterbacks has and will more than likely always be as difficult a task as there is in the NFL,” Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead said. Why is it so hard? So many factors contribute to the difficulties of evaluating NFL-worthy college quarterbacks and developing them into viable NFL players. There are the physical traits: arm strength, accuracy, timing and mobility. But then there are the more subtle traits unavailable to the naked eye. “So much of what you have to evaluate is stuff you don’t see on tape,” an NFL personnel executive said. “Their drive, their ability to problem solve, mental toughness to overcome and deal with the criticism and the pressure of the position. The obsession with knowing the offense inside and out.” None of this is new, of course. “It’s always been hard,” Raiders offensive coordinator Scott Turner said. “There are certain things that you look for, but there’s so many factors involved. Obviously the physical traits, but there’s so much, I don’t want to say pressure, but there’s so much that goes into playing quarterback and being under a microscope, and it’s not just what you do on the football field, and that’s a lot.” What makes it even more perplexing is that contemporary players’ knowledge and ability levels are far more advanced now than they were 20 years ago. High school quarterbacks are throwing the ball more than ever and benefit from the proliferation of spring and summer seven-on-seven games that provide them with competitive live reps on a year-round basis. At the college level, quarterbacks are throwing the ball at record rates. That’s far different from two decades ago when most college quarterbacks operated out of two-back sets and handed the ball off more than they threw it. NFL evaluators had to evaluate in a vacuum then. Information and teaching points have never been more accessible, thanks to the internet, multiple quarterback coaches and experts offering online film sessions. Peyton Manning’s film breakdowns of NFL quarterbacks on ESPN’s “Detail” have become appointment viewing for young quarterbacks. Former NFL quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan hosts the hugely popular “The QB School” on YouTube. Contemporary quarterbacks have also credited the Madden video football game with teaching them about coverage schemes and how to attack them. Technology has advanced over the years, providing young quarterbacks with tools such as virtual reality headsets and software to simulate defenses, timing and speed. It’s no surprise, then, that young quarterbacks such as Burrow, Stroud, Los Angeles Chargers star Justin Herbert, Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels and Denver Broncos rookie Bo Nix were immediate contributors. “There are plenty of examples of highly successful young quarterbacks,” one NFL personnel executive said. “You can’t overlook the wins.” Nevertheless, the hit rate for high-end quarterbacks has not improved over the years. “It’s always been difficult to evaluate this position,” an NFL front office executive said. “And those unseen traits separate the ones who can and the ones who can’t.” Flawed process, in some cases Much of what goes right or wrong for a young quarterback comes down to the same age-old principles. “It still depends on the person and the situation,” Snead said. “The situation they are leaving and coming into.” Along with new collective bargaining rules that have reduced the time players can practice and be present in their team facilities, young quarterbacks are beholden to the infrastructure of the teams that draft them. Depending on the coaching, personnel and stability of the franchise, it can set them up for success or failure. Some young quarterbacks are forced to play before they are ready out of necessity. If they don’t have adequate help around them, that often leads to struggles, impatience and stunted growth. “Quarterbacks don’t get enough time to develop,” an NFL personnel executive said. “There is pressure to play right away. College quarterbacks are taking Football 101, and everyone wants to rush them to Football 500.” The Jets moved on from Sam Darnold, whom they drafted third overall in 2017, after just three seasons. The Cleveland Browns drafted Baker Mayfield first overall in that same draft. They got rid of him within four years. Now in Minnesota, Darnold has the 10-2 Vikings in the thick of the NFC playoff race. Mayfield’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers are tied for first place in the NFC South after winning the division and a playoff game last season. Amazingly, both players were on the same Panthers roster in 2022. “A case of giving up on guys too early,” an NFL personnel executive said. At their previous stops, their teams didn’t have the patience or wherewithal to commit and execute a development plan. Darnold had two head coaches and two offensive coordinators in his three seasons with the Jets. His replacement, Zach Wilson, drafted No. 2 overall in 2021, played under two offensive coordinators during his three seasons in New York. It’s hard enough to master one NFL offensive scheme. But to abruptly switch to another makes the process even more difficult. And if success isn’t happening overnight for high draft picks such as Wilson and Darnold, it’s not long before they are shown the door. It’s completely counter intuitive but happens all the time. As opposed to Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, who developed behind Alex Smith during his rookie season of 2017. Or Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who learned behind Aaron Rodgers for two seasons before taking over in 2023. Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson waited nine games behind Joe Flacco before getting his first start as a rookie in 2018. Mahomes is a three-time Super Bowl champion. Jackson is a two-time MVP and three-time Pro Bowler. Love has the Packers on the cusp of the playoffs for the second straight season. “I think just understanding that every case is different,” Turner said. “Some guys are going to come in, and because of maybe the team around them or just how they’re wired, they’re going to catch fire. And then there are some other guys that may not be, and it takes them a little longer.”
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Willy Adames agrees to $182 million, 7-year deal with the Giants, AP source says Willy Adames has agreed to a $182 million, seven-year deal with San Francisco, providing the Giants with a power-hitting shortstop in the prime of his career, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. ESPN first reported the move. The 29-year-old Adames is coming off his best offensive season in the big leagues after hitting .251 with a career-high 32 homers and 112 RBIs with the Milwaukee Brewers. Georgia QB Carson Beck knocked out by hand injury in SEC championship game against Texas ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia quarterback Carson Beck will not return after he was hit on his throwing hand on the final play of an ugly first half in the Southeastern Conference championship game against Texas. Beck was hit by outside linebacker Trey Moore, forcing a fumble recovered by Anthony Hill Jr., who then lost the ball on an errant attempt to extend the play with a lateral as time expired. Beck was one of the last players to return to the field following halftime. Backup Gunner Stockton led the offense to a touchdown on the Bulldogs’ first drive of the second half. Arizona State makes College Football Playoff with 45-19 win over Iowa State in Big 12 title game ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Big 12 newcomer Arizona State will represent the conference in the 12-team College Football Playoff. Cam Skattebo ran for 170 yards and two scores while adding a touchdown catch the 12th-ranked Sun Devils beat No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 championship game. The Sun Devils with 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham are 11-2 after being the preseason pick to finish at the bottom of their new 16-team league. They have won six games in a row. Iowa State is 10-3, already the first 10-win season in the program's 133-year history. LA Galaxy strike early, hold off New York Red Bulls 2-1 to win their record 6th MLS Cup championship CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic scored in the first half, and the LA Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes with goals from their star forwards, the Galaxy nursed a lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league’s biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable charge through the playoffs ended one win shy of the founding MLS franchise’s first Cup championship. No. 16 Iowa State falls short in Big 12 title game again, this time with CFP at stake ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The stakes were higher for Iowa State, and the outcome was the same as the first for the Cyclones in their second trip to the Big 12 championship game. And the 112-year wait for a conference title will go on. No. 16 Iowa State was playing for a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in a 45-19 loss to 12th-ranked Arizona State. Four years ago, neither Iowa State nor Oklahoma had a realistic path into the four-team tournament before the Sooners' 27-21 victory. The Cyclones haven't won a conference title since going 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1912. Big 12's Yormark brings up hard choices for fans before sparsely attended title game ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — College football fans are facing some hard choices in the expanded playoff system with some teams set to play away from home multiple times. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark raised that point No. 12 Arizona State's 45-19 victory over 16th-ranked Iowa State. The announced crowd of 55,889 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys appeared far smaller. Yormark says he remains committed to having a Big 12 title game. Besides the issues of fans, there have been suggestions that some leagues might be better off without title games as it relates to playoff hopes. Lindsey Vonn competes in a pair of downhills, another step on her comeback trail at the age of 40 COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — Lindsey Vonn finished in the middle of the pack in a pair of lower-level downhill events as she competed for the first time in nearly six years. The 40-year-old Vonn is on the comeback trail after stepping away from the sport because of injuries. Vonn wasn't concerned with times and places in the races so much as getting used to the speed again and gaining the necessary points to compete on the World Cup circuit. Vonn accomplished both, finishing 24th in the first downhill race of the day and 27th in the second. She posted on social media after the FIS races she had enough points to enter World Cup events. Justin Thomas with big drives and a few big putts takes 1-shot lead over Scheffler in the Bahamas NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Justin Thomas has a one-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Thomas is using a slightly longer driver and has been blasting away. He also was helped by two long putts on the back nine that carried him to 66 at windy Albany Golf Club. Scheffler muffed a chip on the 13th hole that cost him the lead and he never caught up. He still shot a 69 and will be in the last group with Thomas on Sunday. Tom Kim had a 62 and was two shots back. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy gets restructured deal after 3-9 season, according to reports Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy will be staying on with a restructured deal. That's according to news reports published on Saturday. The deal reportedly will shift some of his salary to revenue sharing with players. The Cowboys were among the preseason favorites in the Big 12, but a rash of injuries and problems at quarterback tanked the team, and the Cowboys went 3-9. The school's Board of Regents held a special meeting on Friday morning regarding his status, but no immediate action was taken. The fact that Gundy has 169 wins in 20 years plus a hefty buyout likely saved him from being fired outright. Norris takes pole for season-ending Abu Dhabi GP and Hamilton 18th in Mercedes farewell ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Lando Norris took pole position for the last Formula 1 race of the season alongside teammate Oscar Piastri to put McLaren on the verge of a first constructors’ title in 26 years. Norris’ last lap put him .209 of a second faster than Piastri, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. .020 further back. Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton qualified 18th for his last race with Mercedes after a bizarre incident wrecked his final qualifying lap. A plastic pole marking the inside of a corner was knocked loose by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and Hamilton drove over it.
'Blessed': US woman sees second chance in life after pig kidney transplantGolf is an expensive sport. The clubs, gadgets and other products golfers rely on tend to drain their bank accounts. Even playing our beloved sport is costly, considering the price of tee times and golf carts. Sometimes, when scouring the internet for the best golf deals , I see one particular item that stands out as worth its time in the spotlight. Today is one of those days, as the Bushnell Pro X3+ rangefinder is currently $499 at PGA Tour Superstore . This is the rangefinder I use for my own golf rounds, and I recommend it to anyone who wants precision pinseeking technolgy. What makes this rangefinder worth such a high price? The main reason to love it is precision. Bushnell has been the name most associated with high-quality golf rangefinders for as long as I can remember. And as good as the company's more affordable devices are, you can't beat the laser accuracy offered by the Pro X3+. I started using the Bushnell Pro X3+ a few rounds ago, and it blew my mind just how good it is. My hands are not the steadiest, which has always made consistently locking in on the pin with rangefinders challenging. That wasn't the case with this one, as I locked on quickly and knew when I had the pin, thanks to the flashing red ring and the jolt vibration that lets you know you have the flag. While Bushnell is far from the only company with a magnet that locks the rangefinder to the golf cart, I found that it was more than strong enough to handle the poorly paved cart paths in Connecticut without falling off. It has an IPX7 rating for durability, which means it's fully waterproof. Your high-end Bushnell rangefinder will handle it fine if you're hardcore enough to be out on the course in the rain. If the Pro X3+ isn't for you because of the price, the beloved Tour V6 SHIFT Rangefinder is $70 off at PGA Tour Superstore , and it's much more budget-friendly.
Taking a cue from Chandigarh Police’s live demonstration showcased to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi at Punjab Engineering College (PEC), the Uttar Pradesh government plans to set up a similar replica of the demo to showcase the implementation of new criminal laws at the Kumbh Mela scheduled in February next year. The Chandigarh Police will assist the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police in creating this live demonstration, following the PM’s directive to share the model with all states. It has also been decided by the Centre that a similar demonstration will be set up at all major festivals across the country. On December 3, UT police’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) presented a one-hour live demonstration, simulating a murder crime scene investigation as per the new criminal laws to PM Modi. The demonstration, organised in eight stages, provided the PM with a live experience of how law enforcement, forensic teams, judicial authorities and prisons have become more efficient and technology-driven since the laws’ implementation. The demonstration was the brainchild of SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, who spent two months drafting the script and envisioning how the presentation would be delivered in both audio-visual and physical formats to PM Modi. Now, Chandigarh Police plans to produce two audio-visual films explaining the changes in criminal laws - one tailored for investigating officers and the other for the general public. These films will be circulated nationwide to ensure widespread understanding of the legal reforms. Chandigarh was selected as the model state for the implementation of the new laws and became the first in the country to successfully put them into practice. Over 2,300 attended live demo at PEC Over 2,367 attendees, including officials, general public, college students, and police teams, participated in the live demonstration showcasing the complete investigative and trial process under the newly implemented criminal laws at Punjab Engineering College (PEC) from December 4 to December 10. The exhibition was kept open to the public for a week after PM Modi urged UT police to showcase it across the nation. Various stakeholders, including young superintendents of police, senior police officials, vigilance teams, engineering students, delegation from New Delhi, and residents, actively participated to witness the practical implementation of the new investigative and trial mechanisms.
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