This is how generative AI will boost procurement function globallyOn Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here . Saquon Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL. There’s no better home run hitter playing football right now. Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has five runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984. Barkley’s historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favorite for the AP NFL MVP award. He’s not the betting favorite, however. Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250 followed by Barkley at plus-400. Running backs have won the award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP’s first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren’t QBs or RBs have been MVP. It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offense goes through the signal caller. Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn’t. Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Playing for a winning team matters, too. Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP. Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference. Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award? Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington. If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a game-changer such as Barkley. Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed fifth in 2022. The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognize the best all-around players on both sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognize non-QBs if they choose. Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner. The AP’s new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition. Voter submit their top five picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance. The Chiefs (10-1) and Bills (9-2) already are in position to lock up postseason berths right after Thanksgiving. Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with a win over Las Vegas on Black Friday and a loss by Miami on Thursday night, or a win plus a loss by Denver on Monday night. Buffalo can wrap up a fifth straight AFC East title with a victory over San Francisco on Sunday and a loss by the Dolphins. It’s not a given that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new head coach after this season. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on local radio that Mike McCarthy could end up getting a contract extension. “I don’t think that’s crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left,” Jones said. McCarthy led the Cowboys (4-7) to three straight 12-win seasons, but they went 1-3 in the playoffs and haven’t reached the NFC championship game since winning the Super Bowl 29 years ago. Injuries have contributed to the team’s struggles this season, but Dallas was just 3-5 before Dak Prescott was lost for the rest of the season. The Cowboys upset Washington last week and their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records. If they somehow end up 9-8 or even 8-9, Jones could make a case for keeping McCarthy. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs left his team’s game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday because of a concussion. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs left his team’s game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday because of a concussion. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs left his team’s game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday because of a concussion. Doubs’ injury came on a third-quarter play in the end zone that resulted in a pass interference penalty against San Francisco’s Renardo Green. Doubs stayed down briefly after the play, then got up slowly before heading to the sideline. He went into the injury tent before walking to the locker room. The Packers then announced Doubs was out for the rest of the game because of a concussion. He had three catches for 54 yards before leaving. San Francisco defensive tackle Jordan Elliott left in the first half of the game to get evaluated for a concussion and was ruled out at halftime. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL AdvertisementWelcome to a special festive edition of The Briefing, your one-stop shop for the big talking points from the Premier League . There were eight games played on Boxing Day, with ramifications at both ends of the table. It was a superb day for Liverpool , who moved seven points clear at the top thanks to their 3-1 win over Leicester and Chelsea’s shock home defeat to Fulham . Advertisement There was another damaging result for Manchester City at home to Everton , more woe for Manchester United and (once again) a special day for Nottingham Forest. Here, we dissect the choice moments. Liverpool are in control – who can stop them? There are weekends in the title race when probability becomes something more concrete. Boxing Day may come to be recognised as the day when Arne Slot’s Liverpool were no longer merely early frontrunners and became the team whose trophy it is to lose. Having come from behind to beat Leicester 3-1, they are now seven points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand over Chelsea . Arsenal , the only other major club within chasing distance, are two points further back and face a must-win game against Ipswich on Friday. Liverpool have been ahead in the title race at this point in previous years but the big difference is that they do not have Manchester City breathing down their necks. Pep Guardiola’s team gave them no margin for error in 2018-19 and 2021-22 when even 97 and 92 points were not enough to be champions. They are no longer competing and so the floor has been opened up for another team to set the pace for the first time since 2019-20, when Liverpool won their first title in 30 years by 18 points. They opened up such a wide gap early on that they did not have to experience the usual relentless pressure of a title race that sees momentum shift throughout. A similar pattern is emerging this season with just nine points dropped in a season where every major club is regularly shedding points to non-‘Big Six’ clubs. Liverpool are on course for a 94-point season and are the only team performing at the level City have set as the benchmark. Arsenal are 11 points behind the pace they set two seasons ago and six points behind last season’s. They are still in the mix and they have the experience of the last two seasons to call upon in the new year but Liverpool have a margin for error that Arsenal did not enjoy in the last two seasons. Advertisement And Chelsea? Enzo Maresca had been at pains to state that his young team are not ready to be considered title contenders but that is what all managers say until they are in so deep that they can no longer deny reality. The inability to see out the Fulham game was perhaps an indication that he was right. In contrast, Liverpool did not panic when they went behind. They look like a team who believe they have the firepower to bail themselves out of any situation. It is a confidence that is setting them apart from the rest. Why do Manchester United keep conceding ‘olimpicos’? The lexicon of Manchester United fans across the world gained an unwanted addition this week: ‘olimpico’ — a goal scored directly from a corner. First coined in 1924 when Cesareo Onzari scored for Argentina against Uruguay , the reigning Olympic champions, it is an exclusive club that David Beckham, Christian Pulisic , Thierry Henry and Megan Rapinoe (twice) and are all members of. For the best part of a century it has remained a rarity but United are good at finding new ways to suffer and so they conceded the exact same goal twice in the same week, with two different goalkeepers. Altay Bayindir was first to be caught out in the 4-3 Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham : Son Heung-min ’s cross looping into the net after he struck the ball facing 90 degrees away from the target, almost like a golfer playing a sand wedge, to create spin on the ball. Matheus Cunha ’s technique was virtually identical on Thursday, helping to condemn United to a fourth Premier League loss in five games. The cross was planted on top of Andre Onana , who was sandwiched between Matt Doherty and Santiago Bueno . The Cameroonian did not do enough to untangle himself and, as he jumped to punch the ball, he lost its flight which saw the ball sail into the net. Very few players, bar Onana, protested. UK readers watch here: A man down, and now a goal down! Matheus Cunha's corner swings STRAIGHT IN and Wolves lead Man Utd 😱 #PLonPrime #WOLMUN pic.twitter.com/H0T3LvhzxG — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2024 U.S. readers watch here: A MATHEUS CUNHA OLIMPICO GIVES WOLVES THE LEAD OVER MAN UNITED. 😲 📺 USA Network | #WOLMUN pic.twitter.com/qAH9yMv7PT — NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 26, 2024 Ruben Amorim has major problems to contend with and Onana’s suitability in goal is one of them. He has a tendency to deliver drama when none is needed (in the first half Harry Maguire was frustrated that he theatrically tipped over a bouncing header he could have caught) and he failed to command his penalty area, with Cunha’s olimpico being the end result. More teams are likely to copy the blueprint in 2025. How a pulled face exposed Haaland’s fragility There was a time when Jordan Pickford pulling faces at a penalty would have provoked nothing more than a wry smile from Erling Haaland before he blasted the ball home. But the Manchester City striker finds himself in a strangely human place. With the score balanced at 1-1, Haaland confronted Pickford, who responded by widening his eyes and sticking out his tongue as if performing a Haka, the pre-match Maori war dance performed by New Zealand’s rugby union team. Haaland, inhaling deeply before puffing out his cheeks, played it cool but it did not work. His tame penalty was easily parried by Pickford and while he did convert when the ball got played backed to him, it was ruled out for offside. It was his seventh penalty miss from 54 career attempts and his second in the last two months, but more significantly it meant that City’s slump now extends to one win in 13 games. Advertisement Since the start of November, they have earned the joint-fewest points (5) of any team in the Premier League, alongside bottom club Southampton . Haaland, meanwhile, has only scored three goals in his last 12 starts. The Norwegian had just 22 touches and two shots against Everton . It is not uncommon, or necessarily a bad thing, for Haaland to be on the periphery of the game. His superpower is his finishing but his big chance conversion has dropped from 46.9 per cent and 41.1 per cent in his first two seasons, to 34 per cent this season. The sense of inevitability is gone and so has the fear in their opponents, as Everton’s late counter attacks (when they really should have scored a winner) underlined. City’s dominance left some people cold but their decline has given their characters a new sense of humanity. Haaland was tantamount to a goalscoring robot for two years but since the Norwegian told Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to “stay humble” after City snatched a last-gasp draw from them in September, it is as if that show of emotion has made him ‘normal’. City need Haaland to return to his old levels fast, or they could slip further to mid-table mediocrity. Goodbye Amazon – you’ll be missed So farewell to Amazon Prime in the Premier League, we hardly knew ye. Friday marks the final two games the part-time broadcaster will show before its Premier League deal expires at the end of the season. Sky Sports and TNT Sports will be the only two UK live broadcasters next season under a £6.7billion deal from 2025 to 2029. That deal was too rich for Amazon’s blood , who have decided to focus on delivering the odd Champions League game instead. Will Amazon be missed? Did it bring anything particularly good/different to our television party? Well, yes, the coverage was generally of a high standard, especially considering that was just dropping in twice a season, roping in freelance presenters/pundits/commentators. Advertisement Showing all 10 games in a matchday thing was pretty novel and worked especially well on Boxing Day, when eight matches were played. When Amazon first started showing Premier League games in 2019 there was a pretty annoying delay on its stream, meaning you couldn’t look at Twitter/X without avoiding spoilers, but hey, cutting down on social media use was probably no bad thing. Other than that, there weren’t many gripes to be had; Amazon kept to a pretty similar model to Sky Sports and clearly took note of the preferences of viewers when it came to selecting who they had on screen, like Jeff Stelling and Chris Kamara who were reunited on Boxing Day, while it was a pleasure to watch reliable old hand Jim Rosenthal in action at the City Ground alongside knowledgeable pundits Martin O’Neill and Les Ferdinand. Chris Kamara back and reporting live from the City Ground! 🙌 #PLonPrime #NFOTOT pic.twitter.com/WNCKKAdVTc — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2024 If only TNT Sports would take note of such frivolous things as what the viewer wants. Amazon’s penultimate day was actually quite hard to watch, not through any watery-eyed sadness for its impending departure, but because of the soupy fog which descended on the country. In Nottingham the mist was literally rolling in from the Trent (someone should write a song about that). As Lucy Ward said during the Wolves vs Manchester United game, trying to get the ball off Matheus Cunha was like trying to tackle fog. Anyway, Amazon’s exit won’t make much difference to the Premier League broadcasting landscape because it only had 20 games a season. But it did show up one of its competitors as to how football should be presented to us. Forest fire is good for football It was hard not to be swept up in the giddy euphoria that reverberated around the City Ground after Tottenham Hotspur became the latest victims of Nottingham Forest ’s Nuno-lution. Players were hoisted aloft, there were fist-bumping choruses of the crowd and dancing to Freed from Desire. Forest are third in the Premier League and this is no statistical anomaly; Nuno’s team have earned their lofty position through a cocktail of relentless organisation, a fully-committed buy-in from the players and vibrancy in attack. Advertisement Against Spurs, it was less about the creativity of Morgan Gibbs-White (although he did set up the winner with a perfect through ball) or the goals of Chris Wood , and more about their steely determination. Their defensive rigidity has earned them seven clean sheets already and if that continues, they can be in the top four to stay, especially with Spurs and the two Manchester clubs floundering. Can Forest actually see this through? There aren’t many reasons to suggest why not. Until recently with Newcastle and Aston Villa , the Champions League places have been a closed shop, but the unusual league table this year hints at a new world order, temporary or otherwise. For fans all over the country, competing with the biggest and richest clubs in England now feels possible again. That’s a very good thing. What’s coming next? Today Sunday Monday
YourUpdateTV Speaks with Mia Syn, MS, Registered Dietician Nutritionist, about the Many Ways to ...The Golden State Warriors' dance team took center stage on Christmas Day, delivering a dazzling holiday performance to the Dub Nation, alongside the San Francisco Ballet and Club Fugazi. Backstage, the excitement was palpable as dancers prepared for what would be a memorable and magical show. "It's the perfect start to Christmas," said team director Sabrina Ellison, reflecting on the festive spirit that filled the arena as the dancers made their way to the court. The performance, which blended ballet, gymnastics and hip-hop, was a true team effort. The dancers had rehearsed tirelessly in the days leading up to the event, collaborating with the San Francisco Ballet and Club Fugazi to bring an energetic, holiday-themed show to life. "We just had a magical performance with San Francisco Ballet. Their team has been so wonderful to work with. Their performers were just magical," Ellison added, beaming with pride after the dancers returned through the tunnel. The collaboration was not just about precision and artistry, but also about the joy of coming together as a team to celebrate the season. Fans enjoyed a mix of ballet grace and classic hip-hop moves, showcasing the multi-generational talent of the Warriors' dancers. Even the Grinch made a special appearance, spreading some Christmas cheer despite the Golden State Warriors' narrow loss to the Los Angeles Lakers . Senior squad dancer Tamala Thornton echoed the team's resilient spirit, offering words of encouragement. "Be strong. And we'll get through everything together," Thornton said, her optimism shining through after the nail-biting game. The Christmas Day performance highlighted the power of creative synergy, with dancers from different art forms and ages coming together to create something truly special. "What a beautiful collaboration with my amazing dancers. I'm so excited to be here on Warriors ground," said Ellison, noting the significance of the event for the team. In a season that included both triumphs and challenges, the holiday show was a reminder of the one constant: family. Thornton believes, win or lose, the Warriors' dancers, and the broader community, will always remain united.North Carolina has interviewed former New England Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick for its head coaching position, two people with knowledge of the situation said Thursday. Both people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the school isn't commenting publicly on its search. Belichick's interview, first reported by Inside Carolina, comes a week after the school fired its winningest coach in College Football Hall of Famer Mack Brown. The school announced Nov. 26 that Brown wouldn't return for a seventh season in his second stint at the school, with Brown staying on to coach last weekend's rivalry loss to N.C. State. Former Cleveland Browns coach Freddie Kitchens is working as the interim coach for an upcoming bowl game as UNC conducts it search. Moving on from the 73-year-old Brown to hire the 72-year-old Belichick would mean UNC is turning to a coach who has never worked at the college level, yet had incredible NFL success alongside quarterback Tom Brady throughout most of his 24-year tenure with the Patriots that ended last season . In the time since, he had been linked to NFL jobs , notably the Atlanta Falcons in January. UNC’s opening comes at a time of rapid changes in college athletics with free player movement through the transfer portal and players able to cash in on their athletic fame with endorsement opportunities. There’s also the impending arrival of revenue sharing, part of a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement proposal that gained preliminary approval by a judge in October. “I think it's a great time for me to get out,” Brown said after Saturday's loss to the Wolfpack. “This isn't the game that I signed up for. It's changed so much.” In an UNC-produced podcast earlier this week, athletic director Bubba Cunningham said all the coaches the school is talking with about its job “are playing,” with college football having reached its conference title games before unveiling the 12-team College Football Playoff and bowl assignments. Cunningham said then that “fit” was the most important thing in finding Brown’s successor. “There's a certain person that’s best suited at the right time, at the right place,” he said. “And right now, that’s we’re looking for: Where are we today, who can lead us in the next three, five, 10 years?” 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
Legacy of a Statesman: Manmohan Singh's Dual LegacyDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ndewedo Newbury scored 21 points as San Francisco beat Fordham 85-64 on Tuesday. Newbury shot 7 of 12 from the field, including 3 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 5 from the line for the Dons (5-2). Marcus Williams scored 19 points while going 8 of 12 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and added five assists. Junjie Wang shot 3 of 4 from the field, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 4 from the line to finish with 11 points. Jackie Johnson III finished with 17 points for the Rams (3-5). Fordham also got 11 points and two steals from Jahmere Tripp. Josh Rivera finished with 10 points. San Francisco led 45-29 at halftime, with Newbury racking up 12 points. San Francisco extended its lead to 60-36 during the second half, fueled by a 12-1 scoring run. Williams scored a team-high 12 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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