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MARTEN TRANSPORT DECLARES QUARTERLY DIVIDENDA turnover trashcan foreshadowed a coaching search best described as a dumpster fire that wound up costing both a coach and athletic director their jobs. A revolving door to the coaching office. NCAA investigations and scholarship reductions. Don’t forget the mustard bottle thrown onto the Neyland Stadium field or the golf ball that came perilously close to Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin — whose one-year stint made him the first of seven coaches, counting two interims, at Tennessee after Philip Fulmer’s firing after the 2008 season. No. 6 Ohio State is very accustomed to the playoff stage with the Buckeyes chasing their first national championship since 2014 and first title game berth since 2020. Seventh-ranked Tennessee has its own championship pedigree, though its last national title came in 1998. The Volunteers had been the butt of too many jokes for too many painful years. That officially ends Dec. 21 when ninth-seeded Tennessee visits No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2, No. 6 CFP) in the first round of the newly expanded College Football Playoff with the winner traveling to the Rose Bowl to face top-ranked Oregon. “We’ve done our job and gotten this place back to back to where it needs to be and where it’s supposed to be,” said center Cooper Mays, who played high school ball in Knoxville and knows what this game means. “We’re out here in the in the thick of things going into December, going into the playoffs. And that’s kind of all you can ask for at this point in the season.” Plenty of credit goes to coach Josh Heupel who has the Vols (10-2, No. 9 CFP) here in his fourth season on Rocky Top. A quick revival for a program that went 3-7 in 2020 with a season capped by the chancellor firing then-coach Jeremy Pruitt and nine others over what she called “shocking” NCAA violations. Tennessee took its medicine to ease NCAA sanctions by cutting scholarships, leaving Heupel with 65 his first season. University officials refused to self-impose a bowl ban on top of that. That probe ended in the summer of 2023 with the NCAA’s scathing report detailing more than 200 infractions — including 18 Level I violations and approximately $60,000 paid out to athletes and families in recruiting infractions under Pruitt. Yet Heupel, who called potential NCAA punishment a “mere speed bump” when hired in January 2021, has managed something none of his recent predecessors could. He has led Tennessee to 30 victories since 2022 — matching the Vols’ winningest three-year stretch since 1998 through 2000. To Heupel, the playoffs is simply the next step. “You earn the right to be in a game like this,” Heupel said. “Proud of what we’ve done throughout the course of the regular season. The new season starts here. There was an expectation inside of our program to earn the right to play in a game like this in the postseason. So, a lot of excitement in here but also understand we’re getting ready to go play a great team and we’ve got to be at our best.” Heupel initially was seen as a quick fix. New athletic director Danny White, who was lured away from Central Florida to rebuild the athletic program, brought Heupel with him to Knoxville a week after his own hiring. Now Heupel is the third coach in Tennessee history with multiple 10-win regular seasons with two in three years. He joins Fulmer (five in 17 years) and Gen. Robert Neyland (five in 21 including the 1951 national championship season). Neyland Stadium is full again. The waiting list for season tickets now tops 20,000, even with an announced ticket hike for 2025 to help the Vols pay and keep top talent. “Vol Nation proves again why y’all are the best fan base in all of sports!” White wrote on social media. When the NCAA came at Tennessee again over name, image and likeness compensation to athletes, the same chancellor who made sure everyone cooperated in the last investigation didn’t hold back. Donde Plowman called the NCAA a “failing” organization in a letter in January pursuing “factually untrue and procedurally flawed” allegations. She had the backing of the attorneys general of both Tennessee and Virginia who sued the NCAA, and a federal judge granted their injunction request in February keeping the organization from enforcing NIL rules for recruits. The winning has been contagious at Tennessee: — Coach Rick Barnes won the regular season Southeastern Conference men’s basketball title in March and now has the nation’s top-ranked team. — Coach Tony Vitello won the Vols’ first national baseball title in June. — New Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell has the women’s basketball team back in the AP Top 25 after White fired Kellie Harper, who won national titles for the late Pat Summitt as her point guard. Yet, football really just means more in the SEC. Those devoted Vols’ fans, who stopped the hiring of then-Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano before Tennessee could even announce a news conference in 2017, had hoped Tennessee would host a game. Road losses to Arkansas and Georgia are why Tennessee is hitting the road. This game seemed a distant hope for Tennessee after too many beatdowns by Alabama, Georgia and Florida — and yes even Vanderbilt. Not to Heupel, who was the quarterback who led Oklahoma to the 2000 national championship. And not for Tennessee, not now.
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Balenciaga is celebrating the world of Formula 1 with a series of artworks that blend land and sea. Created in collaboration with artist Showichi Kaneda, the fashion house will debut the creative’s latest additions to his Human’s Own sculpture series at Balenciaga’s Wynn Plaza store in Sin City made just for this year’s Las Vegas Gran Prix , priced at $70,000. The series consists of Formula 1 racing cars that have morphed to mirror the streamlined bodies of hammerhead sharks, a species that must continue swimming forward to survive, Highsnobiety reports . The project is designed as a commentary on speed, progress, survival, and desire in the context of fashion and technology. The making of the works reflects the marriage between handcraft and the latest computer-based tech preferred by the artist. Measuring 42 x 15 x 16 inches, each sculpture was 3-D printed in parts before being refined by hand and used to form a silicone mold to achieve the final shape. Every iteration is peppered with Balenciaga logos, with their placement inspired by sportswear branding and rendered in the same paints and clear top coat applied to actual race cars. The high-gloss polish used as the final touch on each sculpture not only evokes the finish of automotive surfaces but also traditional Japanese lacquerware crafts. The project fits squarely within Kaneda’s wheelhouse . The artist has extensively explored the use of lacquer, varnish, car paint, fiber-reinforced plastic, and resin in both his paintings and sculptures. Kaneda’s Human’s Own series was initially inspired by the “shark fin” engine covers found on F1 automobiles, an observation that compelled him to consider the animal-like qualities found in human beings through his artwork. The sculptures are just one element of Balenciaga’s new Racing Series that draws from the upper echelon of the automotive world. The brand is also launching a capsule collection of apparel—including a racer jacket, a T-shirt, and a zip-up hoodie—all emblazoned with Balenciaga’s Unity Sports logo inspired by sports iconography.Apple and Google instructed by House committee to prepare to dump TikTok next month
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Tyler Technologies executive chair sells shares worth $3.8 millionThe end is nigh for the Staten Island vampire roommates Nandor ( Kayvan Novak ), Nadja ( Natasia Demetriou ), Laszlo ( Matt Berry ), and Colin Robinson ( Mark Proskch ) and their human pal Guillermo ( Harvey Guillén ) as FX ‘s What We Do in the Shadows prepares to present its series finale episode on Monday, December 16th. In anticipation of the show’s ending, TV Insider caught up with stars Novak, Guillén, Berry, and Proksch alongside creatives Paul Simms , Sarah Naftalis, and Sam Johnson in our studio at New York Comic Con to discuss the final season. So, do they stick the landing? It’s a question that looms over the show as we anticipate the finale episode, but according to Proksch, they do indeed. @Mattdoylephoto “I think it’s hard on a comedy, based on history, to stick the landing,” Proksch says in the video interview, above. “But I feel like we accomplish that.” It’s definitely something to consider as series executive producer Taika Waititi , who co-wrote and co-directed the 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows as well as starred as Viago in both the film and show, tells TV Insider, “It’s time for it to end... If there was another season, there’d be vampires jumping sharks.” While he couldn’t say anything about the finale itself, there’s plenty of love for the series on Waititi’s end as he notes, “I can’t believe this five-minute idea of vampire flatmates has lasted this many years. And I’m really... I’m proud of it.” 'What We Do in the Shadows': Doug Jones on Baron Afanas' Award & Alexander Skarsgård Guest Appearance (Exclusive) As Simms points out, Season 6 has been filled with so many funny plotlines, “there’s nothing really sad about it.” When it comes to fans facing the finale he adds, “They’ll love it. They won’t realize till the very end that it’s that there’s any reason to be [sad].” While Johnson jokes that “I pushed for self-importance,” within the final season, Novak jokes, “I pushed for Season 7.” See what else the team had to share about Season 6’s funnier storylines including Guillermo’s gig in the corporate business industry as well as Laszlo’s scientific experiments in the full video interview, above, and let us know what you hope to see in the series finale of What We Do in the Shadows before it airs on FX. What We Do in the Shadows , Series Finale, Monday, December 16th, 10/9c, FX More Headlines: ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Stars & Creatives Tease Series Finale ‘Sticks the Landing’ (VIDEO) New Year’s Eve: How to Ring in 2025 With Your Favorite TV Hosts Christian Slater Reacts to That ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ Death & Creator Explains New Intro College Football Playoff & Bowl Game TV Schedule 2024 How Will ‘Blue Bloods’ End for Each Character? Our Theories
The architects of Australia’s $230 billion Future Fund have skewered Labor’s changes to its investment mandate, warning the “disgraceful” shift could mean it “falls into despair”. Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Thursday made changes to the fund which would direct money into renewable energy, housing and infrastructure to strengthen Australia’s long-term economic resilience and address pressing national challenges. He stressed the fund, which was established in 2006 by the Howard government, would still adhere to its commercial focus while “maximising its role in delivering for Australians in the future”. The move has drawn intense criticism with Peter Costello, the treasurer when the Future Fund was established and its former chair, saying the fund was “never set up to be a political slush fund” while deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley said the mandate directed money to Labor’s “pet projects”. David Murray, the Future Fund’s inaugural chairman, said the government’s shift veered away from the original intention and “undoes all the work” which had been put into it since its inception. “It was never the subject of politicisation of its investments,” Mr Murray told Sky News on Thursday. “It allows the government to invest in its own public projects off the budget and that’s not a good thing for the transparency of the Future Fund. “It’s not a good thing for their long-term returns. It undoes all the work that we’ve put in since 2006 to get this set up with a fantastic international reputation.” Mr Murray said the government’s mandate was destined to result in lower returns for the fund as it tinkers with its dynamic asset allocation policy, which determines where the fund invests. “This (change) will distort the asset allocation and therefore must distort the returns,” he said. “So if you ask the Future Fund to do this but not change the return target – (it) just does not make sense.” Mr Murray continued to lament of the government’s intervention into the fund, which he claimed undermined its independence. “Once you start tinkering with (the Future Fund), the whole notion of its independence, of its performance falls into disrepair,” he said. Alongside Mr Murray, Howard-era foreign minister Alexander Downer drew a comparison between the government’s move and the high spending of the Whitlam government. “I think it's absolutely disgraceful,” Mr Downer said. “This is precisely the sort of mindset that the Whitlam government had all those decades ago, which came very close to destroying the Australian economy.” He argued Mr Chalmers’ move would mean the government was shifting its investments into assets which typically do not make such a profitable return. “We'll all pay the price for it,” Mr Downer said. “If these projects were profitable, then the private sector would already be investing in them.” Mr Downer echoed Mr Costello’s criticism of the mandate, even claiming the shift could mean the fund starts to lose value. “It's clearly a political slush fund because their plan is to divert resources away from areas which will generate high returns into areas that are not so profitable or would generate negative returns," he said. "The consequence of this is that gradually they'll start running down the Future Fund. “It is completely contrary to the vision of the Howard government where money had been saved.” Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce also set his sights on Mr Chalmers’ mandate, claiming it could leave many struggling Aussies worse off. “Sooner or later the epiphany has to have happened to all Australians, led by what’s happening in (Parliament House), to realise that we are destroying our economy, losing our savings, smashing our land, (and) driving pensioners into poverty for the sake of intermittent power and overseas multinationals and billionaires,” Mr Joyce told Andrew Bolt on Thursday. Many critics also questioned the Future Fund’s current chairman, Greg Combet, who was the climate change minister during Julia Gillard’s government and former chair of the Net Zero Economy Agency. Sky News business editor Ross Greenwood questioned whether the ex-Labor minister would push back against the mandate. “When (Mr Combet) comes out and says, ‘look, we think this is all absolutely fine’, what do you reckon he's talking about?” Greenwood said. “This is where a government agency that is supposed to be independent and is all of a sudden being pushed around by the government of the day.” Others pointed out Labor’s Future Fund overhaul was likely to be a key election issue as both parties look to earn public favour as voters prepare to hit the polls in 2025. Columnist Patrick Carlyon predicted the mandate would be “a massive election issue” on which the Coalition would capitalise in the lead up to the next election. “It fits into (the Coalition’s) narrative that Labor wants to take your money and wants to spend it badly and... spend a lot of it as well,” Mr Carolyn told Credlin on Thursday. The Future Fund was originally established to cover unfunded superannuation liabilities for federal employees. It aims for an annual return of at least 4-5 per cent above inflation “with an acceptable but not excessive level of risk”, its website states. Mr Chalmers on Thursday attempted to reassure the public this level of return would not be compromised, insisting it will “provide the same strong returns to the government’s balance sheet while supporting national priorities where it can”. The Future Fund’s assets are expected to grow to $380 billion by 2032-33, with no drawdowns from the Fund until at least that time.
Molinaro: Quantity of victories, not quality, epitomizes Chiefs
Will Cain is joined by Senator Markwayne Mullin to discuss the internal workings of the confirmation process for President-elect Trump's cabinet picks. Also, Will breaks down Caitlin Clark giving into "Woke," and Mark Lucas defends Pete Hegseth. Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson spoke out against Time magazine for naming Caitlin Clark "Athlete of the Year" in an interview with CNN Sport on Friday, suggesting that the publication should have given the award to the entire WNBA. Johnson even suggested the decision to give Clark the honor would incite feelings of "racism" within the league. "Why couldn’t they have put the WNBA on that cover and say, ‘The WNBA is the league of the year,’ because of all the talent that we have," Johnson said. "When you single out one player, it creates hard feelings, so now you’re starting to hear stories of racism within the WNBA, and I don’t want to hear that." Johnson went so far as to claim that Clark’s attention and the minting of the term "the Caitlin Clark effect," which has been associated with the attention she has brought to the league, is because of race. "It’s the way media plays out race," Johnson said. "I feel really bad, because I’ve seen so many players of color that are equally as talented, and they never got the recognition they should have." CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, left, looks to pass the ball against Louisville guard Morgan Jones, center, and forward Olivia Cochran during the first half of an Elite 8 college basketball game of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 26, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear) The owner also griped about the fact that Clark got a $28 million endorsement deal with Nike in April, which was the richest sponsorship contract for a women's basketball player. "They would like to get the same kind of recognition. It all started with the whole Nike sponsorship that Caitlin got," Johnson said. "There are other players saying, ‘What about us?’" Johnson is the Vice Chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals. Her Mystics directly capitalized on Clark's popularity to net historic ticket sales at the end of the regular season this year. The Mystics' season finale against Clark's Indiana Fever was moved from the Mystics' home venue, the Entertainment and Sports Arena with just 4,200 seats, to the Wizards' venue, the Capital One Arena, which has a maximum capacity of 20,356 for basketball games. As a result, the Sept. 19 game between the Fever and Mystics was the most-attended WNBA regular season game in history, with 20,711 fans in attendance. The Las Vegas Aces pulled off a similar move when they hosted the Fever at the larger T-Mobile Arena for a July 2 game instead of playing in the relatively smaller Michelob ULTRA Arena. For that game, 20,366 fans showed up, representing the highest regular-season single-game attendance since 1999. Still, Johnson opted to publicly denigrate and undermine the attention that Clark gets in the CNN interview. Johnson also suggested that the WNBA's increase in popularity was also because of other WNBA rookies from the 2024 season, including Chicago Sky star Angel Reese. WNBA STAR CAITLIN CLARK NAMED TIME ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AFTER HISTORIC SEASON: ‘JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE’ Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Connecticut Sun forward DeWanna Bonner (24) exchange words during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round WNBA basketball playoff series, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) "It has taken the WNBA almost 28 to get to the point where we are now, and this year something clicked with the WNBA, and it's because of the draft of the players that came in, it's not just Caitlin Clark, it's Reese," Johnson said. "We have so much talent out there that's so unrecognized, and I don't think we can just pin it on one player." Johnson's Mystics did actually play a game against Reese's Sky at Capital One Arena this year as well, on June 6. However, that game only fetched 10,000 attendees – fewer than half the number at the game that featured Clark at the end of the season. Johnson, the first Black woman to have a stake in three professional sports teams, is just one of many figures in sports and media to cite race for Clark's popularity in a negative light. WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson has said Clark being White was a "huge thing" when it came to the rookie's popularity In May, "The View" host Sunny Hostins said during an episode of that show that Clark's popularity was due, in part, to "white privilege." Journalist Jemele Hill insisted it was "naive" to say that Clark's race as a White person, and sexuality as a straight woman, did not play into her popularity in the WNBA, where the vast majority of players are Black and many are lesbian, during an interview with the Los Angeles Times in May. Hill also insisted that Clark's popularity with those attributes is "problematic." Former FS1 and ESPN host Skip Bayless, who was one of Clark's harshest critics leading up the start of her WNBA career, admitted that he pretended not to be impressed by her skill out of "guilt," and not wanting to stir racial division . He went so far as to suggest that Clark had become a "right-wing symbol" due to the fact that she is a White player excelling at the game of basketball. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP June 30, 2024; Phoenix, Ariz.: Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) is fouled by Phoenix Mercury guard Sug Sutton (1) during the fourth quarter at Footprint Center. (Michael Chow-Arizona Republic) Clark has been forced to answer questions about her race and alleged racism by her fans multiple times since coming into WNBA this year, including in the Time magazine profile that Johnson criticized. "I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege," Clark told Time. "A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them." Johnson says she doesn't believe that Clark had to make the statement, but that she "applauds" the phenom for doing so. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.
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