If alterations are made, if 12 is suddenly 16 teams or even more, if how the College Football Playoff is constructed becomes different from how we know it, John Saccenti is convinced his game will be ready. That the Las Vegas Bowl could play a central part in the advancement of it all. “If they want to change the format at all, I like the position we’re in,” said Saccenti, the game’s executive director. “If they keep it as is, there’s no Vegas as part of that group. But if they decide to expand, we’re a West Coast game in a $2 billion state-of-the-art stadium and in a destination everyone wants to be in.” The latest Las Vegas Bowl played out Friday night when USC tangled with Texas A&M at Allegiant Stadium. The 12-team playoff will be in place through next season, after which those running things will examine it based on a two-year sample size. Saccenti is right. Should the powers that be decide things can be improved by adding teams — and essentially more games — the Las Vegas Bowl should be a primary candidate for inclusion. It has too much going for it. Not if, but when It’s much like the praise heaped upon Las Vegas by the NFL after the Super Bowl. How smoothly things ran. How the infrastructure was in place, the hotels were in place, the meeting space was in place. All points, be it on a smaller scale, a CFP game would be interested in. “When the (CFP) makes a decision on the next couple of sites and destinations, I think we’re fooling ourselves just to say, ‘If they come to Vegas,’” Saccenti said. “It’s ‘when they come to Vegas.’ They’ll see exactly how we do things, and nobody does it better.” One of Saccenti’s main concerns is how teams are selected for the bowl game now. He wants the process looked at more closely. He wants more flexibility instead of being locked into a specific pick from a conference. He doesn’t like merely being slotted into, say, a predetermined choice from the Big Ten. “I think we ought to be able to dip into a bigger pool,” he said. “We should be able to slide a little bit. The matchup has to work with the destination. That’s going to be my goal going forward with the next cycle. At the end of the day, I want the best matchup for our game and for TV.” His job changes every year, and it’s no different now with the CFP. Perhaps his most difficult challenge is discovering a way to keep fans engaged during bowl season. What he doesn’t want, what no non-CFP bowl game wants, is for fans to be so disappointed their team didn’t make the playoff that it keeps them and a community from being interested. The Kickoff Classic between USC and LSU in September set attendance records at Allegiant Stadium and offered a thrilling finish that saw the Trojans prevail 27-20. It was the type of springboard Saccenti hopes can fuel another game each year. “We have to make sure the bowl is also a marquee event that locals want to go to and be part of, but also that the fan bases we are inviting are excited and engaged,” Saccenti said. “(Las Vegas) now hosts almost every massive major event in the world. We’ve been a little spoiled in that sense. The Las Vegas Bowl has to be a top-tier event much like what you saw with LSU-USC.” A small window The Las Vegas Bowl was created to draw tourism before Christmas. But the CFP now schedules games on that Saturday, making things complicated for Saccenti’s bowl. The town wants it over before New Year’s Eve, and availability of the stadium must be coordinated with the Raiders. There is only a small window of opportunity. He’s not overly concerned, though. “We’re always going to be in good shape, and we’re always going to be a place people want to come,” Saccenti said. “I will put our bowl week events up against anyone in the country. Nobody does events like this. Nobody does gifting to players like we do. That’s what it’s all about — to make sure we take care of these teams.” Who knows — one day soon they might be taking care of those in a CFP game.This business could pay a lot of cash flow in the coming years. Got $10,000? Buy this ASX dividend stock for $3,173 in total passive income You're reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool's Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources , and more. Learn More The ASX dividend stock Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL) is an exciting option for long-term passive income. I believe the business could pay really impressive dividends in the coming years with a $10,000 investment. I'm not about to suggest that Soul Patts currently has a dividend yield of more than 30%, but I do want to show how the power of compounding can help grow a decent dividend yield into a huge payment in time. As Albert Einstein once supposedly said: Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it, he who... Tristan Harrison
ATLANTA (AP) — Quarterback Carson Beck's status for No. 2 Georgia's Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal is uncertain after he suffered an elbow injury in Saturday's Southeastern Conference championship game win over Texas. Georgia announced Monday there is no timetable on Beck's return as he and his family explore treatment options. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Sunday the team was awaiting results of tests. The school did not announce details of the injury in Monday's announcement. Beck was injured on the final play of the first half in the Bulldogs' 22-19 overtime win over Texas on Saturday. Beck made a dramatic return to the field for the handoff on the game-winning play. Beck was needed after backup Gunner Stockton had his helmet knocked off, forcing him to leave the game for one play. Beck's injury was to his right (throwing) arm. Even though he was able to take the snap and hand off to Trevor Etienne for the running back’s decisive 4-yard touchdown run, Beck was unable to raise his right arm. Smart said Sunday that Beck attended the team meeting for the CFP draw announcement. “He was pretty somber,” Smart said. “It was a tough deal for him in terms of not being able to go out there and finish in the second half.” Georgia announced punter Brett Thorson will need season-ending surgery after injuring his non-kicking leg against Texas. “Carson and Brett are both fierce competitors and extremely hard workers,” Smart said in a statement released by the school. “I’m confident they will attack their rehab with the same determination they exhibit in their daily habits. We will be here to support them every step of the way.” Stockton would be the likely starter if Beck can't return for the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl. Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with one interception against Texas. 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
krblokhin When we think of value stocks, a high-flying restaurant chain that has seen its share price triple year-to-date hardly comes to mind. And yet at the same time, I believe Sweetgreen ( NYSE: SG ) to be undervalued. To me, the concept Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of SG either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Notre Dame vs. USC score: Live game updates, college football scores, NCAA top 25 highlights today - CBS Sports
When Christ Church Santa Fe needed someone to lead its youth programs, Joni Brenneisen applied because she was convinced no one was better qualified for this high-energy, full-time role. It mattered little to Joni that she had zero seminary training. And with all due respect to Mark Twain’s mind over matter musings, let’s just say Joni didn’t fit the target audience demographic. The pastors at Christ Church gently said no. It might be the only time that Joni has been denied. Instead, they released Joni into the Santa Fe community. They gave her the title of faithful presence coordinator. The job description probably is one sentence and reads: GO BE JONI. There are many wonderful, go-getters in our community. But you’ll find few as positively pushy and relentlessly resourceful as Joni. More importantly, she teaches everyone to get involved personally with problems that may never go away. Backpacks in bright colors smothered the floor. Gallon-sized, plastic food bags formed a makeshift mound on a tiny table. In another corner were shoe boxes, neatly stacked on metal shelves. “Take a shoe box. Take two,” she says. I didn’t respond, instead pivoting to the question of why we were standing in a small, stuff-filled fire station no longer in use. “So, what do you need? Why are we here?” I recall saying. Joni wore a vintage Mickey Mouse cap. One of the backpacks filled with kid goodies had a smiling Minnie Mouse. But this wasn’t a Disney moment. My questions perplexed Joni in the way we all get when searching for the right words. The Santa Fe New Mexican wrote about Joni nearly two years ago in a story entitled “Faithful presence coordinator’s tireless cheer and work brighten days for some in Santa Fe.” Former reporter Michael Tashji’s opening paragraphs explains how a retired business owner who sold Hallmark cards became the caretaker of a nondescript, one-garage fire station: Then-Santa Fe Fire Department Chief Paul Babcock walked into Christ Church Santa Fe one day (in the summer of 2021), rattled a set of keys and told Joni Brenneisen she could have them. “He gave me Fire Station No. 6,” said Brenneisen, who organizes community aid programs from the decommissioned station — including food and clothes for the needy, sleeping bags for the homeless, running shoes to Native American children and backpacks full of school supplies to students. Such a smart move by city leaders. From this neighborhood bureau affectionately known as Joni's Fire Station No. 6, first responders and community connectors drop by to pick up food or other items for those who can’t get immediate help anywhere else. Clothes and shoes for women hang out in one room, suits for men in another, and backpacks and toys for children spread everywhere. And there are those shoe boxes. This column isn’t necessarily about Joni, although she makes a compelling storyline. So many good folks step up daily to help neighbors in need. Spend time with The New Mexican’s 10 Who Make a Difference section and be humbled by the extraordinary volunteerism in our communities. Or perhaps you witnessed the smiles on Saturday when La Fonda Foundation held a family resource summit for hospitality workers in need, offering food, immunizations, connections to assistance programs, and a visit from Santa Claus. Or notice how the Empty Stocking Fund grows daily with contributions meant to help individuals living within 50 miles of Santa Fe with rent payments, bills, and other vital needs. ( The New Mexican has been a longtime supporter of the Empty Stocking Fund and publishes a list of donors throughout December.) Joni asked again. Would I take a shoe box? That’s when I realized the problem wasn’t Joni being persistent. Writing a check? Yeah, that’s easy. Reaching out to someone needing help? That takes a personal commitment. I took a shoe box. Inside was a large jar of soup, a package of cooked rice and other personal items. On the short drive from Fire Station No. 6 to the office, my strategically spinning mind wondered what to do next. Within minutes of parking, I found someone who recognized the importance of the shoe box. There was no ceremony. No staff photographer or even a selfie to capture my sudden burst of humanity. Just a quick exchange and a slight nod. Maybe the lesson here is we all can GO BE JONI. Maybe Joni’s well-worn cap is a motif and message. How, by getting out of our comfort zone, we can make it a small world after all.Manmohan Singh, India’s reluctant prime minister, dies aged 92
VW, Goldman and pension funds: Who has most on the line in Northvolt bankruptcy?SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — A late rally wasn’t enough as the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds (5-3-0) men’s hockey team fell to the Lake Forest College Foresters (3-5-1), 5-4, Saturday afternoon at the Saratoga City Rink, in the opening game of the Skidmore Thanksgiving Invitational. The Foresters struck first in the first frame. Foresters junior forward Colin Bella scored off a Connor Sullivan feed to make it 1-0 at the 8:53 mark. After a tripping penalty was called on Thoroughbreds forward Brandon Spaulding, the Foresters doubled the lead with the extra attacker. At the 11:09 mark, Foresters junior forward Justin Ross cashed [...]
SYDNEY, Nov 22 (Reuters) - U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X, has criticised Australia's proposed law to ban social media for children under 16 and fine social media platforms of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for companies for systemic breaches. Australia's centre-left government on Thursday introduced the bill in parliament. It plans to try an age-verification system to enforce a social media age cut-off, some of the toughest controls imposed by any country to date. "Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians," Musk, who views himself as a champion of free speech, said in a reply late on Thursday to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's post on X about the bill. Several countries have already vowed to curb social media use by children through legislation, but Australia's policy could become one of the most stringent with no exemption for parental consent and pre-existing accounts. France last year proposed a ban on social media for those under 15 but allowed parental consent, while the U.S. has for decades required technology companies to seek parental consent to access the data of children under 13. Musk has previously clashed with Australia's centre-left Labor government over its social media policies and had called it "fascists" over its misinformation law. In April, X went to an Australian court to challenge a cyber regulator's order for the removal of some posts about the stabbing of a bishop in Sydney, prompting Albanese to call Musk an "arrogant billionaire" . ($1 = 1.5359 Australian dollars) Sign up here. Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by David Gregorio Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tabOcugen Inc. stock falls Thursday, underperforms marketSUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Spencer Knight made 20 saves, Mackie Samoskevich scored with less than a second left in the second period, and the Florida Panthers got four goals in the third to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-0 on Saturday and complete a two-day sweep. Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Evan Rodrigues and Adam Boqvist also scored for Florida, which won 6-3 at Carolina on Friday. The Panthers have won three straight — that streak following a stretch of six losses in seven games for the Stanley Cup champions. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Indrani Mukerjea NEW DELHI: SC on Monday agreed to hear a plea of Indrani Mukerjea , an accused in her daughter Sheena Bora's murder case, seeking its permission to travel abroad and issued notice to CBI . A bench of justices M M Sundresh and Aravind Kumar sought response from the agency on Mukerjea's plea to allow her to visit Britain and Spain to activate her bank account there and also to change her will after divorce. Mukerjea, a British citizen, alleged that her bank account in Spain had been deactivated and her biometric was needed to get it activated. She approached SC through her advocate Sana Raees Khan after Bombay HC quashed the trial court order allowing her to go abroad. She said she needed to get a new Euro Bank account to enable her to pay all her pending taxes and bills in Spain and she was also required to change her will and power of attorney after her divorce. Giving details of work she needed to undertake during her visit, she said she needed 10 days for repairs and maintenance of immovable property and appointing a real estate agent for renting premises for personal income. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .
We are living through a period of unprecedented species extinction due to human-induced changes to the planet's ecosystems . This is not the first time human activities radically changed relationships between land and life. Illustrated by a famous photograph of remains, the extermination of bison from the North American West in the 19th century is one key example of catastrophic species loss. As a visual studies researcher, I use photographs to analyze the impacts of colonization on human and non-human lives. Images of bison bones provide a window into the cultural and ecological relations that tie animal and human lives together . Through photographs, we can also think about bison extermination as part of a history of relationships . An iconic image The most famous photograph of bison extermination is a grisly image of a mountain of bison skulls. It was taken outside of Michigan Carbon Works in Rougeville, Mich., in 1892. This photo from 1892 shows two men with an enormous pile of American bison (buffalo) skulls. Originally numbering 30-60 million, commercial hunting and government campaigns aimed at destroying the Indian way of life ultimately reduced the total bison population to