By Mike Huesmann In one of the few firings I wholeheartedly agree with so far, Temple has let Stan Drayton go. I was somewhat surprised this didn’t happen after the 2023 season. Drayton was 9-25 in three seasons leading the Owls and little promise was shown. Drayton was, and still probably is, an elite RB coach but that proved to be deficient in leading Temple. Temple has had solid luck in the last two decades hiring first time head coaches who succeeded; Al Golden, Steve Addazio, Matt Rhule, and Geoff Collins. Everyone says Temple is a tough place to win at, but the success of those four tells us that maybe not as hard as we thought. However, they have also had extreme downs with Drayton and Rod Carey. They could go in a number of directions here in a profile. Two candidates who are frequently mentioned for this job have been Syracuse coordinators, OC Jeff Nixon and DC Elijah Robinson. Both would make a lot of sense, but in a recent press conference, Fran Brown said neither were interested . Coaches have lied before but I’m taking Brown at his word here and omitting them from the list, for now. Temple has fired head coach Stan Drayton 9-25 record during his tenure This is a really hard program to win at. Not sure where they should go from here but they need someone to inject life into this program pic.twitter.com/Y3PDbXnH9y Brennan Marion UNLV, Offensive Coordinator Marion has had offensive success everywhere he’s coached at. He’s been rumored to be a candidate for a few G5 openings. Since 2018 his stops have included William & Mary, Hawaii, Pittsburgh, Texas, and now UNLV. He is as innovative as they come and his team's ability to run the ball out of the Go-Go offense is assured. The injection of an identity, fire, and offense might be what Temple needs. Brennan Marion-a very compelling OC contender: Season before Marion took over as OC for UNLV (2022): -UNLV ranked 91st in yards per play at 5.1 -UNLV ranked 85th in points per game at 24 2023 (first season as OC) rankings: -UNLV ranked 35th in yards per play at 6.0 -UNLV ranked... Glenn Thomas Nebraska, QB Coach The Temple former OC and QB coach here, he has reunited with Rhule at Nebraska this year. In addition to his time with the Owls, he brings NFL experience having coached with the Steelers and Falcons as well as FBS coordinator experience with Baylor, Arizona State, and UNLV. The 47-year-old Texas native has not held a head coaching role at any level. Glenn Thomas to #Nebraska is official. He’s listed as co-offensive coordinator & QB’s coach. Welcome, Coach Thomas! #GBR pic.twitter.com/1bnh3eEDv1 Jerry Mack Jacksonville Jaguars, RB Coach As North Carolina Central, head coach Mack won three conference titles in four at the FCS level. He is a known recruiter and has coached many stellar offensive players at Memphis, South Alabama, Rice, and Tennessee before bolting for the NFL this year. He’s taken an odd career path from being a very young and successful FCS head coach to FBS and NFL assistant, but his time as an FBS head coach will come. He could be a candidate for other jobs. Jaguars running back coach Jerry Mack said that Keilan Robinson is more than just a kickoff returner "I do think he can help us as a running back." "He is tougher than you think he is too... You know he likes to get in there and get feisty." pic.twitter.com/itBcA3VCPg Brian Bohannon Kennesaw State, recently fired HC Bohannon shouldn’t have lost his job at Kennesaw. He built the program and was in year one in the FBS. If they expected anything more, it was unrealistic. Temple may be able to take advantage of that mistake. Kennesaw started their football program in 2015, and he is the only coach they’ve known until now. He literally built them into a team who has risen from nothing to the FBS. A program builder might be what Temple needs. Dude...Brian Bohannon is still here pumping up everyone of his players despite undeservingly losing his job. This is sick and awesome to see. pic.twitter.com/t1KGO5cs2u Geoff Collins North Carolina, Defensive Coordinator As mentioned before, Collins was a solid head coach here. Why not try and repeat that if he’s interested? He struggled after Temple when he was at Georgia Tech, but that’s also a tough place to win. He is in his first year as DC for the Tar Heels and Mack Brown. Prior to taking over as head coach, after Rhule left, he was an SEC DC at Mississippi State and Florida (though he was not with Dan Mullen). If I was Temple and could get assurances that he wouldn't bolt again, I’d consider this. #UNC leads the ACC and ranks fourth nationally in sacks, prompting new do-it-yourself fashion from Geoff Collins that salutes Beau Atkinson — or ‘Sack-tkinson.’ Story with more on Atkinson’s explosion and the Tar Heels manufacturing pressures in bulk: https://t.co/WxOsC1BzSA pic.twitter.com/DLWMpGojNA

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts defense started this season struggling. It couldn't stop the run, couldn't keep teams out of the end zone, couldn't get off the field. Now the script has flipped. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's group is playing stouter, holding teams — even the high-scoring Detroit Lions — largely in check long enough to give Indy a chance to win, and it's the Colts offense that has struggled. “They are playing their tails off. You don’t want them on the field a bunch and as an offense you want to be able to play complementary football,” running back Jonathan Taylor said after Sunday's 24-6 loss. “I would say specifically on offense, it sucks when you can’t help your defense out when they are fighting their tails off all game.” Indy's defense held up its end of the bargain by limiting the Lions (10-1) to 14 first-half points and allowing just 24, matching Detroit's lowest output since Week 3. The problem: Even when the Colts (5-7) did get Detroit off the field, they couldn't sustain drives or score touchdowns. Again. Anthony Richardson provided the bulk of the ground game by rushing 10 times for 61 yards, mostly early. Taylor managed just 35 yards on 11 carries and a season-high 10 penalties constantly forced the Colts to dig out from deep deficits. Part of that was by design. “We knew Jonathan Taylor was going to be the guy we needed to shut down,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We did that. The quarterback runs. It got us on a couple but overall, we did what we needed to do, and we kept them out of that game." Part of it could be because of an injury-battered offensive line that has started three rookies each of the past two weeks and finished the previous game with the same three rookies. Whatever the fix, Indy needs a good solution. There is good news for Indy is that its schedule now gets substantially more manageable. After losing four of five, all to teams in playoff position and three to division leaders, Indy faces only one team with a winning record in its final five games. The most recent time the Colts played a team with a losing mark, Richardson rallied them past the New York Jets 28-27. But Colts coach Shane Steichen knows that's not the answer. The Colts must get this offense righted now. “We’ve got to get that figured out. We’ve got to get him going on the ground,” Steichen said when asked about Taylor, who has 92 yards on his past 35 carries. “We’ll look at the offensive line. We’ll look at everything." What’s working Pass rush. Pro Bowl DT DeForest Buckner's presence certainly has been felt since he returned from a sprained ankle Oct. 27. In those past five games, the Colts have had 14 sacks, including three of Jared Goff on Sunday. What needs work Penalties. The Colts have had one of the cleanest operations in the league most of this season. Sunday was an anomaly, but one that can't merely be written off. Stock up WR Michael Pittman Jr. The five-year veteran is one of the league's toughest guys, but playing through a back injury appeared to take its toll on Pittman's productivity. Since sitting out in Week 10, Pittman has 11 receptions for 142 yards including six for 96 yards, his second-highest total of the season, Sunday. Stock down Tight ends. Each week the Colts want their tight ends to make an impact. And each week, they seem to fail. It happened again Sunday when Drew Ogletree dropped a TD pass that would have given Indy a 10-7 lead. Instead, Indy settled for a field goal and a 7-6 deficit. Through 12 games, Indy's tight ends have a total of 26 catches, 299 yards and two TDs. That's just not good enough in a league where versatile, productive tight ends increasingly signal success. Injuries Pittman and WR Josh Downs both returned to the game after leaving briefly with shoulder injuries. WR Ashton Dulin did not return after hurting his foot in the second half. But the bigger questions come on the offensive line. LT Bernhard Raimann (knee) was inactive Sunday, and rookie center Tanor Bortolini entered the concussion protocol Monday. Bortolini was one of three rookie starters the past two weeks, replacing Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly who is on injured reserve. Key number 55.88 — Indy has scored touchdowns on 55.88% of its red zone trips this season. While it puts it near the middle of the NFL, it's cost the Colts multiple wins. Next steps Richardson needs to rebound from this latest 11 of 28 performance and show he can lead the Colts to victories week after week. He'll get plenty of chances over the season's final month, starting with next week's game at the New England Patriots. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Michael Marot, The Associated Press

Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges

Credit Acceptance Announces Increase and Extension of Revolving Secured Warehouse Facility

House rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics reportJuan Soto could decide on his next team before or during baseball's winter meetingsChildren of asylum seekers on 'trajectories of risk'

Inflation is predicted to average 2.5% this year and 2.6% next year, according to forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility. The British Medical Association said the Government showed a “poor grasp” of unresolved issues from two years of industrial action, and the Royal College of Nursing called the pay recommendation “deeply offensive”. The National Education Union’s chief said teachers were “putting the Government on notice” that the proposed increase “won’t do”. The pay recommendations came after Chancellor Rachel Reeves called for every Government department to cut costs by 5%, as she started work on a sweeping multi-year spending review to be published in 2025. Independent pay review bodies will consider the proposals for pay rises for teachers, NHS workers and senior civil servants. The Department of Health said it viewed 2.8% as a “reasonable amount” to set aside, in its recommendations to the NHS Pay Review Body and the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration Board remit groups. A 2.8% pay rise for teachers in 2025/26 would “maintain the competitiveness of teachers’ pay despite the challenging financial backdrop the Government is facing”, the Department for Education said. The Cabinet Office also suggested pay increases for senior civil servants should be kept to no more than 2.8%. Paul Johnson, director of the influential economics think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), said it was “not a bad ballpark figure” and feels “just about affordable” given the Government’s public spending plans. The downside, he said, is that public sector workers have lost out since 2010 and unions will be upset that this is not making up the gap, he told Sky News’ Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge. “But given the constraints facing the Chancellor I think it’s pretty hard to argue for more for public sector pay when public sector services ... are under real strain,” he said. Unions expressed their disappointment in the recommendations, with some hinting they could be willing to launch industrial action. The Royal College of Nursing general secretary and chief executive called for “open direct talks now” to avoid “further escalation to disputes and ballots”. Professor Nicola Ranger said: “The Government has today told nursing staff they are worth as little as £2 extra a day, less than the price of a coffee. “Nursing is in crisis – there are fewer joining and too many experienced professionals leaving. This is deeply offensive to nursing staff, detrimental to their patients and contradictory to hopes of rebuilding the NHS. “The public understands the value of nursing and they know that meaningful reform of the NHS requires addressing the crisis in nursing. “We pulled out of the Pay Review Body process, alongside other unions, because it is not the route to address the current crisis. “That has been demonstrated today. “Fair pay must be matched by structural reform. Let’s open direct talks now and avoid further escalation to disputes and ballots – I have said that directly to government today.” Professor Philip Banfield, chairman of the British Medical Association’s council, urged the sector’s pay review body to “show it is now truly independent”. “For this Government to give evidence to the doctors’ and dentists’ pay review body (DDRB) believing a 2.8% pay rise is enough, indicates a poor grasp of the unresolved issues from two years of industrial action,” he said. He said the proposal is far below the current rate of inflation and that the Government was “under no illusion” when doctors accepted pay offers in the summer that there was a “very real risk of further industrial action” if “pay erosion” was not addressed in future pay rounds. “This sub-inflationary suggestion from the current Government serves as a test to the DDRB. “The BMA expects it to take this opportunity to show it is now truly independent, to take an objective view of the evidence it receives from all parties, not just the Government, and to make an offer that reflects the value of doctors’ skills and expertise in a global market, and that moves them visibly further along the path to full pay restoration.” The NEU’s general secretary, Daniel Kebede, said teachers’ pay had been cut by more than one-fifth in real terms since 2010. “Along with sky-high workload, the pay cuts have resulted in a devastating recruitment and retention crisis. Teacher shortages across the school system hit pupils and parents too. “A 2.8% increase is likely to be below inflation and behind wage increases in the wider economy. This will only deepen the crisis in education.” In a hint that there could be a return to industrial action he added: “NEU members fought to win the pay increases of 2023 and 2024. “We are putting the Government on notice. Our members care deeply about education and feel the depth of the crisis. This won’t do.” The offer for teachers is the “exact opposite of fixing the foundations” and will result in bigger class sizes and more cuts to the curriculum, Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The inadequacy of the proposed pay award is compounded by the Government’s intention that schools should foot the bill out of their existing allocations. “Given that per-pupil funding will increase on average by less than 1% next year, and the Government’s proposal is for an unfunded 2.8% pay award, it is obvious that this is in fact an announcement of further school cuts.” Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: This recommendation falls far short of what is needed to restore the competitiveness of the teaching profession, to enable it to retain experienced professionals and attract new talent. Unison head of health Helga Pile said: “The Government has inherited a financial mess from its predecessors, but this is not what NHS workers wanted to hear. “Staff are crucial in turning around the fortunes of the NHS. Improving performance is a key Government pledge, but the pay rise proposed is barely above the cost of living.”Efforts are on to reduce minorities, especially Muslims, to second-grade citizens, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Friday and called for a caste census during the landmark debate on 75 years of the Constitution in the Lok Sabha. Yadav also said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is fostering inequality and failing to uphold the constitutional rights of marginalised communities. “This Constitution is our armour, our security. It provides us strength whenever needed. The Constitution is the true guardian of the rights of the oppressed, neglected, suppressed, and deprived. For people like us and the weak in the country, especially for PDA (Pichde or backward, Dalit and Alpsankhyak or minorities), saving the Constitution is a matter of life and death,” he said, largely echoing what Congress lawmaker Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in her first speech in the Lower House. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister accused the government of neglecting minorities, and said their rights and properties were being systematically eroded. “More than 20 crore people, especially Muslims, are being reduced to second-grade citizens. Atrocities against them are increasing daily. Their properties are being looted, homes demolished, and places of worship seized with administrative help,” Yadav alleged. The SP chief reiterated his call for a caste census, stating that it was vital for bridging social gaps and achieving justice. “Whenever we get the opportunity, we will conduct a caste census. It will not deepen caste divisions but reduce them, ensuring rights and equality for those who have been deprived for long. Reservation was the most significant tool for social justice, but it has been diluted with outsourcing and contract-based jobs,” Yadav added. He also criticised the government for its handling of border issues with neighbouring countries, alleging that India’s territorial integrity was under threat.”Protecting the nation’s borders is the primary duty of any government. Yet, we see intrusions...In Ladakh, our troops have withdrawn from our (own) territory, and it won’t be long before we are denied access to sacred sites like Kailash Mansarovar,” Yadav said. TMC member Kalyan Banerjee said every provision of the Constitution must be broadly interpreted and extended to every poor person of India. “Our Constitution worked well and our country is a glorious country in this world because all the machinery of the state worked well, except some arenas.” Attacking the BJP over the Sambhal violence, Banerjee said, “Why is the PM silent over Manipur and Sambhal? When you became the PM of India, it is our duty to save them. You can not confine yourself to your political party’s agenda.” Dravida Munnetra Kazhaga’s TR Baalu said that the government was allergic to socialism and secularism.

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto appears on a timetable to decide on where to sign either before or during baseball's winter meetings in Dallas, which run from Dec. 8-12. Soto met with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the negotiations said last week, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details were not announced. Soto's agent, Scott Boras, asked teams to submit initial offers by Thanksgiving, a second person familiar with the talks said, also on condition of anonymity because it was not announced. Soto is the top player available among this year's free agents . A four-time All-Star, Soto finished third in AL MVP voting after hitting .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks. He has a .285 career average with 201 homers, 592 RBIs and 769 walks over seven major league seasons. Soto turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer from Washington in 2022, prompting the Nationals to trade him to San Diego, which then dealt him to the Yankees last December. Soto then combined with Aaron Judge to lead New York to the World Series, where the Yankees lost to the Dodgers . In his pitch to teams, Boras highlighted that Soto joined Mickey Mantle as the only players with seven RBIs in a World Series at age 21 or younger when he was with Washington, and at 20 became the youngest player with five postseason homers. Soto's .906 postseason OPS through age 25 topped Mantle (.900) and Derek Jeter (.852). Soto is likely to seek a record contract, topping Shohei Ohtani's $700 million, 10-year agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. That might not mean Soto gets more than $700 million, though. Because Ohtani's deal included $680 million in deferred money payable through 2043, it can be valued by different methods. For instance, Ohtani's contract is valued at $46.1 million per season ($461 million total) under MLB's luxury tax system, which used a 4.43% discount rate. The players' association uses a 5% rate, which puts Ohtani's contract at $43.8 million per year. For MLB's regular payroll calculations, a 10% discount rates values Ohtani's deal at just $28.2 million. Which means if Soto gets even $462 million without deferred payments, there's an argument that his deal is the most valuable in MLB history. By average annual value, pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are tied for second in baseball history at $43.33 million as part of contracts they signed with the New York Mets, deals that expired at the end of the 2024 season. In terms of total value, Ohtani surpassed outfielder Mike Trout’s $426.5 million, 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels through 2030. MLB’s longest contract is outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 14-year deal with the San Diego Padres through 2034. Story continues below video The Mets, Yankees, Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies all are likely to enter 2025 having paid luxury tax for three straight years, putting them at the highest rate: a 50% surcharge on payroll between $241 million and $261 million, 62% from $261 million to $281 million, 95% from $281 million to $301 million and 110% for each dollar above $301 million. Toronto may have dropped below the initial tax threshold this year, pending final figures next month. If the Blue Jays did fall under, their rates next year would reset to 20%, 32%, 62.5% and 80% for the four thresholds. If Soto reaches or announces an agreement at the winter meetings in Dallas' Hilton Anatole, it would be a familiar location for a big Boras deal. Alex Rodriguez's record $252 million, 10-year contract with the Texas Rangers was announced in December 2000 at what then was called the Wyndham Anatole Hotel. A-Rod's deal more than doubled MLB's previous high, a $121 million, eight-year contract between pitcher Mike Hampton and Colorado that was announced just two days earlier. “In two days, we’ve doubled a new highest salary,′′ said Sandy Alderson, then an executive vice president in the commissioner’s office. ”I don’t like the exponentiality of that." Rodriguez was 25 at the time of the agreement with Texas, a free agent before entering his likely prime, like Soto. Third baseman Alex Bregman, first basemen Pete Alonso and Christian Walker, and outfielders Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernández are among the significant bats available to pursue and likely would interest some of the teams who fail to sign Soto. Bregman and Alonso, like Soto, are represented by Boras. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info John McGinn admits the stories about his botched transfer to Celtic in 2018 really annoy him - but hasn't ruled out pulling on the colours of his boyhood club further down the line. The Scotland star was reportedly on the brink of sealing a £3.5million switch to Parkhead from Hibs in the summer of 2018, only to end up joining current club Aston Villa after Celtic stalled with their offer. The 30-year-old has since gone onto establish himself as one of the top midfielders in the Premier League and helped Unai Emery's Villa qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 42 years with a fourth place finish last season. But appearing on the Premier Sports Scottish Football Social Club , McGinn reveals he still harbours ambitions of wearing the green-and-white one day. He said: "The stories about that whole saga have grown arms and legs over the years and it winds me up. You never say never. "When I was young all I ever dreamed about was playing for Celtic and didn't ever see myself playing for Aston Villa. But I have got two-and-a-half years left at Villa, whether that sees me off or if I've still got something left in the tank we will see. You never know." McGinn has also told Celtic three key men to watch out for when Brendan Rodgers' side host Club Brugge at Parkhead on match day five of the Champions League on Wednesday night. The Villa skipper was in the Clarets team that went 1-0 down to the Belgian side in Brugge earlier this month and has given an insight into the players that impressed him the most. "It was a tough game", he added. "They had the left winger (Christos) Tzolis who used to be at Norwich who caused us a lot of problems. They had a striker (Ferran Jutgla) who was really old-fashioned, robust and had his shorts tucked up right to his chest. He actually looked like a juniors striker but he was one of the best players on the park. "They were organised and we couldn't really break them down. They let us have a lot of the ball and then they broke fast. They had a really good young right-sided Ecuadorian centre back, (Joel Ordonez) he was excellent. "But I think at home, Celtic will be too strong for them. I watched the game against Leipzig and if they play anywhere near as good as that then I'm sure that they won't have any issues." Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football.