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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There's more than just school pride and bragging rights to all that bellyaching over who might be in and who might be out of college football 's first 12-team playoff. Try the more than $115 million that will be spread across the conferences at the end of the season, all depending on who gets in and which teams go the farthest. According to the College Football Playoff website , the 12 teams simply making the bracket earn their conferences $4 million each. Another $4 million goes to conferences whose teams get into the quarterfinals. Then, there's $6 million more for teams that make the semifinals and another $6 million for those who play for the title. Most of this bonanza comes courtesy of ESPN, which is forking over $1.3 billion a year to televise the new postseason. A lot of that money is already earmarked — more goes to the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference than the Big 12 or Atlantic Coast — but a lot is up for grabs in the 11 games that will play out between the opening round on Dec. 20 and the final on Jan. 20. In all, the teams that make the title game will bring $20 million to their conferences, all of which distribute that money, along with billions in TV revenue and other sources, in different ways. In fiscal 2022-23, the Big Ten, for instance, reported revenue of nearly $880 million and distributed about $60.5 million to most of its members. The massive stakes might help explain the unabashed lobbying coming from some corners of the football world, as the tension grows in advance of Sunday's final rankings, which will set the bracket. Earlier this week, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark lit into the selection committee, which doesn't have a single team higher than 15 in the rankings. That does two things: It positions the Big 12 as a one-bid league, and also threatens to makes its champion — either Arizona State or Iowa State — the fifth-best among conference titlists that get automatic bids. Only the top four of those get byes, which could cost the Big 12 a spot in the quarterfinals — or $4 million. “The committee continues to show time and time again that they are paying attention to logos versus resumes,” Yormark said this week, while slamming the idea of teams with two losses in his conference being ranked worse than teams with three in the SEC. The ACC is also staring at a one-bid season with only No. 8 SMU inside the cut line of this week's projected bracket. Miami's loss last week all but bumped the Hurricanes out of the playoffs, a snub that ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said left him “incredibly shocked and disappointed." “As we look ahead to the final rankings, we hope the committee will reconsider and put a deserving Miami in the field," Phillips said in a statement. The lobbying and bickering filters down to the campuses that feel the impact. And, of course, to social media. One of the most entertaining episodes came earlier this week when athletic directors at Iowa State and SMU went back and forth about whose team was more deserving. There are a few stray millions that the selection committee cannot really influence, including a $3 million payment to conferences that make the playoff. In a reminder that all these kids are going to school, after all, the conferences get $300,000 per football team that meets academic requirements to participate in the postseason. (That's basically everyone). 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-footballGeneral Motors Arlington Assembly celebrates 70 years with new documentaryAs November comes to an end with several companies floating their public offers in the month, the last month of the year, December, is expected to be yet another busy period for the primary markets. Over 10 companies are gearing up to launch their initial public offerings in the last month of 2024, while seven others will list their shares on the stock exchanges. Supermarket major Vishal Megamart, Blackstone-owned International Gemological Institute and education-focused non-banking finance company Avanse Financial Services are expected to launch their IPOs in December. Also in the list are Property Share Investment Trust REIT, Emerald Tyre Manufacturers Ltd., Nisus Finance Services Co., Rosmerta Digital Services, Sai Life Sciences, DAM Capital Advisors, Paras Healthcare, Mamata Machinery and Transrail Lighting. Apart from the new issues, several IPO listings are also scheduled in December 2024. The companies scheduled to list their shares on the stock exchanges include Ganesh Infraworld, Suraksha Diagnostic, Agarwal Toughened Glass India Apex Ecotech, Abha Power and Steel, Rajputana Biodiesel and Rajesh Power Services. Here is a look at prominent upcoming IPOs in December. Supermart major Vishal Mega Mart Ltd. is expected to float its IPO by mid-December, though dates for the same have not been announced. The company plans to mop up nearly Rs 8,000 crore through its public issue, which is entirely an offer for sale. Promoter Samayat Services LLP is looking to offload its stake in the company, as per the updated Draft Red Herring Prospectus filed with market regulator SEBI. Since the Vishal Mega Mart IPO is an entirely offer for sale issue, the proceeds will not go to the company. US fund Blackstone-owned diamond certification company International Gemological Institute Ltd. is likely to open its IPO next month. The dates for the International Gemological Institute IPO have not been announced yet. According to its DRHP, the company is looking to raise Rs 4,000 crore through the issue. The IPO is a combination of a fresh issue worth Rs 1,250 crore and an offer for sale component of Rs 2,750 crore. The company proposes to use the proceeds of the IPO to pay for the acquisition of IGI Belgium Group and IGI Netherlands Group from its promoter. A portion of the funds will also go for general corporate purposes. The initial share sale of education-focused NBFC Avanse Financial Services is likely to open in December. Dates of the Rs 3,500-crore Avanse Financial Services IPO have not been announced yet. The IPO is a combination of a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 1,000 crore and an OFS portion of Rs 2,500 crore. The company will use the proceeds of the IPO to augment its capital base in order to meet its future capital requirements as the business grows. The IPO of Suraksha Diagnostic Ltd. is open for bidding between Nov. 29 and Dec. 3. Shares of the company are scheduled to be listed on the NSE and BSE on Dec. 6. The Rs 846.25-crore mainboard issue is an entirely offer for sale of 1.92 crore shares. Suraksha Diagnostic IPO price band has been fixed at Rs 420 to Rs 441 per share. The minimum lot size for an application is 34 shares, taking the minimum investment to Rs 14,994 for retail investors. The company will not receive any proceeds from the IPO since it is entirely offer-for-sale. Property Share Investment Trust SM REIT is set to open on Dec. 2 and close on Dec. 4. The Rs 352.91-crore IPO is an entirely fresh issue of 3,000 shares. Price band of the IPO has been fixed at Rs 10,00,000 to Rs 10,50,000 per share. The stock is expected to list on the NSE and BSE on Dec. 9. Nisus Finance Services Co. is set to open its IPO on Dec. 4, with the bidding window open till Dec. 6. The price band of the Rs 114.24-crore issue has been fixed at Rs 170 to Rs 180 per share. The shares are expected to list on BSE SME on Dec. 11. Emerald Tyre Manufacturers IPO will remain open for bidding from Dec. 5 to Dec. 9. The offer size of the IPO is Rs 49.26 crore. Price band for the issue has been fixed at Rs 90 to Rs 95 per share. Emerald Tyre Manufacturers IPO is expected to list on NSE SME on Dec. 12.
49ers' visit gives Packers a chance to damage the playoff hopes of their postseason nemesisNRG Energy Inc. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors despite daily gainsHeavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flightsThe purpose of has mystified Britons for thousands of years, but researchers think they may now know the theory behind its creation. Experts believe the stone circle was created with rocks and boulders from all corners of ancient Britain as a symbol of unity against foreign invaders. Its construction came amid an from mainland Europe – countries now known as Germany and the Netherlands in particular – and may have been a political monument to unite indigenous Britons. The theory has come about as a result of the recent revelation that the prominent altar stone was actually from , rather than Wales, as had long been believed. The stone travelled some 430 miles from Scotland’s Orcadian Basin arriving about 2,500BC. Prof Mike Parker Pearson, the study’s lead author from the University College London’s y, said its design to include stones from different places in the country makes it “unique among over 900 stone circles in Britain”. He said it suggested “the stone circle may have had a political as well as a religious purpose – as a monument of unification for the peoples of Britain, celebrating their eternal links with their ancestors and the cosmos”. “ stands out in being a material and monumental microcosm of the entirety of the British Isles,” he added. ’s 43 “bluestones” were brought from the Preseli Hills in west Wales, about 140 miles away. Its larger “sarsen” stones were hauled from their sources at least 15 miles away to the north and east of the stone circle and are thought to originate in the West Woods. Prof Parker Pearson said: “We’ve known for a while that people came from many different parts of Britain with their pigs and cattle to feast at Durrington Walls, and nearly half the people buried at had lived somewhere other than Salisbury Plain. “The similarities in architecture and material culture between the area and northern Scotland now make more sense.” Prof Richard Bevins, co-author from Aberystwyth University, looked into the geology of the stones. He said: “Our research is like forensic science. We are a small team of earth scientists, each bringing their own area of expertise; it is this combination of skills that has allowed us to identify the sources of the bluestones, and now the altar stone.” It was uncovered earlier this year that the six-ton altar stone originated in Scotland and arrived at the time was remodelled from its original form. It is similar in size and placement to the large, horizontal stones in the stone circles of north-east Scotland. The altar stone has often been overlooked because it lies flat and is partly obscured by a huge fallen sarsen. It had been assumed it had also fallen, but the researchers explained that in Scotland multiple circles have stones that are purposely laid flat. “Given what we now know about where it’s from, it seems all the more likely that it was deliberately set as a recumbent stone,” Prof Parker Pearson said. He added that it was “highly likely” that the altar stone had been part of an earlier Scottish monument and that “these stones are not just plucked out of anywhere”. The Welsh bluestones are believed to have arrived for the first construction of Stonehenge, but for the second iteration there was more contact between Britain and Europe. Over the years there have been numerous theories about Stonehenge, ranging from a temple to an observatory and , but the new insight adds weight to it being a monument to unify Britons against foreign invaders. Prof Parker Pearson said. “It’s not a temple – that has been a major stumbling block for hundreds of years. It’s not a calendar, and it’s not an observatory. “I think we’ve just not been looking at Stonehenge in the right way. You really have to look at all of it to work out what they’re doing. They’re constructing a monument that is expressing the permanence of particular aspects in their world.” Ultimately, the new European arrivals brought to Britain advancements in metal working and the wheel, and would gradually replace indigenous Britons over the following four centuries to become the dominant population on the island, the researchers said. The research will be published in Archaeology International.
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CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Shane Beamer has no doubt about where his surging, 16th-ranked Gamecocks belong in the postseason — chasing a national championship. “It's hard for me to say we're not one of the 12 best teams in the country,” a giddy Beamer said Saturday after watching his team pull off another late miracle, courtesy of quarterback LaNorris Sellers, to defeat No. 12 Clemson 17-14. Sellers scored his second touchdown , this one from 20 yards out with 1:08 to play, for South Carolina's sixth straight victory, four of them in that run coming over ranked opponents. Are you paying attention, College Football Playoff selectors? “If the committee's job is to pick the 12 best teams, you tell me,” Beamer said. It would be hard to pick against the Gamecocks (9-3, 5-3 SEC; No. 15 CFP) with Sellers, a confident, poised freshman, playing as well as he is. He finished with 166 yards rushing and 164 yards passing. Two games ago, he set career bests with 353 yards passing and five TD throws in twice rallying the Gamecocks from fourth-quarter deficits to defeat Missouri 34-30. This time, Sellers shrugged off his interception near Clemson's goal with less than 11 minutes left to lead his team to a field goal and then his game winner. Sellers spun away from defender Peter Woods in the backfield, broke through the line and cut left to reach the end zone. Sellers hears defenders get angry when they get their hands on but can't bring down the speedy, 6-foot-3 passer in his first year since taking over for Spencer Rattler. How does he do it? “I don't really know,” Sellers said. Beamer had an answer to that one, too. “He's a competitor, he's a warrior,” Beamer said. “He doesn't get too high or too low. He's out there having fun.” The Gamecocks hope to have more fun in a week so, confident they'll hear their name called among the expanded field of 12 that will play for a national crown. They know, too, they'll have Sellers leading the way. “He's a magician, man,” Gamecocks linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. said. “LeMagic, LeComeback, whatever you want to call him.” Clemson (9-3, 7-1 ACC, No. 12) had a final chance and drove to the South Carolina 18 with 16 seconds left — well within reach of a tying field goal — when Cade Klubnik was intercepted by Knight to end things. The Gamecocks were 3-3 after losing at Alabama in mid-October and then pulled off their longest winning streak since 2012. The Tigers also were hoping to play their way into the CFP's 12-team field. But their offense had too many costly mistakes and their defense could not corral Sellers. “He's a great player and made great players,” Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter said. Still, there could be postseason hope for Clemson, which will cross its fingers and pray Syracuse can pull off an upset over No. 8 Miami later Saturday that would get the Tigers into the Atlantic Coast Conference title game next week against SMU. Both teams came in on highs, the Tigers having won three straight and the Gamecocks five in a row, including three consecutive over ranked opponents Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Missouri. But neither team found its offensive rhythm in the opening half. Sellers was sacked by T.J. Parker and turned the ball over as Parker recovered with South Carolina inside the Clemson 20. The Tigers drove to the South Carolina 11 and turned down a chip-shot field goal to go for it on fourth-and-1. But Mafah was stopped way short by Jalon Kilgore and Knight. Klubnik had scoring runs of 13 and 18 yards for the Tigers. South Carolina: What a run by the Gamecocks, who before the season were picked 13th in the SEC and now may find themselves part of the national championship playoff field. Clemson: The Tigers lost to both ranked SEC opponents they faced this season, first to No. 1 Georgia to start the year and then to rival South Carolina. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney was proud of his team's regular season but knew the loss might leave it short of getting back to the playoff. “We could've had a great year,” he said. "We got better this season, a lot of positives to build on. “But this one is tough. It's tough. It hurts,” he continued. Shane Beamer knew what a big week it was when he got a voicemail from his old boss, former South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier. “Beamer, you're doing great,” said Spurrier, who coached the Gamecocks from 2005-2014. “This might be the biggest game in the history of South Carolina.” South Carolina and Clemson both await their postseason games. 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
DALLAS , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE: NREF) (the "Company") today announced a dividend for its 8.50% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (NYSE: NREF PRA) of $0.53125 per share. The dividend will be payable on January 27, 2025 , to stockholders of record at the close of business on January 15, 2025 . About NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc. NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc., is a publicly traded REIT, with its common stock and Series A Preferred Stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NREF" and "NREF PRA," respectively, primarily focused on originating, structuring and investing in first-lien mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, preferred equity, convertible notes, multifamily properties and common equity investments, as well as multifamily and single-family rental commercial mortgage-backed securities securitizations, promissory notes and mortgage-backed securities. More information about the Company is available at nref.nexpoint.com . CONTACTS Investor Relations Kristen Griffith IR@nexpoint.com Media Relations Prosek Partners for NexPoint pro-nexpoint@prosek.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nexpoint-real-estate-finance-inc-announces-series-a-preferred-stock-dividend-302339003.html SOURCE NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc.
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One Day You're Young And Carefree...And The Next You're Ordering The 34 Products From This List
Don Lindich | Tribune News Service Home entertainment holiday specials: These offers are readily available, not a “limited quantity doorbuster.” I do not know how long the various promotions run, but the industry buzz is we will see repeats between now and Christmas so if you miss the deal first time around, keep checking. There is a good chance you will see it offered again. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, $32.99: Normally $59.99, this streaming device is practically an entire entertainment system. In addition to streaming apps, it has an AI art mode that generates unique art by voice command. It also supports Xbox Live, so you can play Xbox games without buying an expensive console. Just add an Xbox controller, subscribe to the service and enjoy. amazon.com Apple 10.2-inch iPad, $199: The ninth-generation iPad is older but still works well. It is reduced from the $329 MSRP. apple.com Cambridge Audio AXN10/MXN10 Network Players, $399: A network player connects directly to the internet to play music and internet radio from streaming sources. They are a must-have for anyone with a component audio system, and these two players from Cambridge are best-in-class with their exquisite construction, fine sound quality and easy-to-use, comprehensive StreamMagic app. Reduced from the introductory price of $599. cambridgeaudio.com Related Articles Technology | Are you tracking your health with a device? Here’s what could happen with the data Technology | California could offer electric vehicle rebates if Trump eliminates tax credit, Newsom says Technology | How to get started with Bluesky Technology | US gathers allies to talk AI safety. Trump’s vow to undo Biden’s AI policy overshadows their work Technology | Trump team is seeking to ease US Rules for self-driving cars Klipsch RP-600M II bookshelf speakers, $499/pair: You will not find a better speaker under $500. You will probably not find a better speaker for the $649 list price, either. The RP-600M II has received great praise from Stereophile magazine, a high-end audiophile publication that routinely tests audio products selling for $100,000 or more. After hearing the RP-600M II, I can understand why. They don’t require much power and the sound is transparent, rich, forward, lively, engaging and dynamic without coming across as over-boosted or unnatural. They dig solidly into the bass registers without a subwoofer and vividly bring any kind of music to life. Available online and in stores. klipsch.com Nebula Cosmos 4K SE projector, $999: A few weeks ago I praised this new 4K Google TV smart projector with a dual Laser-LED light source. It can throw a beautiful 4K image that rivals what you see in a good movie theater, is easy to use and the $1,299 price is a breakthrough. At $999 a lot more people should get a projector and experience how life-changing it can be for movies, sports, television and gaming. seenebula.com Samsung Q80D QLED televisions, $749-$1,749: The Q80D sale makes it possible to get a truly stunning high-end TV for little more than the cost of something ordinary. The 85-inch for $1,749 is a particular standout, a savings of $1,550. samsung.com ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLCChurch & Dwight Co. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors10-man Botafogo wins its first Copa Libertadores title
SCBA supports extension to Constitutional Bench Atta says, "We reiterate our full support and confidence in the esteemed members of the JCP" SCBA President Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta is seen in this image. — Facebook@Mian Rauf Atta/File ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBA) President Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta has strongly condemned the statement issued by representatives of the All Pakistan Lawyers Action Committee and refuted its allegations regarding the meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) that took place on December 21, 2024. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); In a written statement issued here on Thursday, he said the SCBA commends and appreciates the JCP proceedings which lasted over eight hours and included extensive discussions that resulted in the extension of Constitutional Benches for an additional six months. “We reiterate our full support and confidence in the esteemed members of the JCP, its chairman, and the head of the Constitutional Bench.” The JCP comprises equal representation from key stakeholders, including the judiciary and the legislature. Thus, to doubt their expertise without substantial evidence for petty political gain is unacceptable, he said, adding: “We emphasise that the introduction of the 26th Constitutional Amendment has secured the independence of the judiciary, and the formation of Constitutional Benches has significantly reduced the backlog in the Supreme Court, facilitating faster and more effective justice for the public. “The statement from the representatives of the so-called committee deserves strong condemnation, as it is both unfounded and reprehensible. Their actions are nothing less than a motivated political campaign aimed to sabotage and politicise the fair and transparent proceedings of the JCP and a failed effort to discredit its esteemed members and the honourable chairman. “Such factions have a history of tarnishing their institutions. Their attempts to bring disrepute to our own prestigious institutions related to the judiciary, along with hindering the public's access to efficient justice, are deplorable. This divisive behaviour within the legal fraternity is unacceptable. “We call on the Pakistan Bar Council to take serious notice of the statements issued by these unelected representatives and enforce strict disciplinary action against them. Let it be clear that attempts to undermine our institutions, especially those related to the judiciary, will not be tolerated. “Such actions for petty political gains must be addressed decisively to prevent further division. We want to make it abundantly clear that the authority to initiate any campaign from any forum of the legal fraternity rests with the elected representatives, not with unelected person(s). “We fully support the supremacy of the Parliament, with the 26th Constitutional Amendment as an integral part of the Constitution, along with all lawful and constitutional developments that follow,” concluded the statement. Earlier, the All-Pakistan Lawyers Action Committee for the Restoration of Constitutional Rule and the Independence of the Judiciary criticised the extension and composition of the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court, what it termed, orchestrated by the executive-dominated JCP. In a statement issued here, Coordinator of the Committee Sardar Shahbaz Ali Khosa advocate said that the extension and composition of the Constitutional Bench by the JCP had undermined judicial independence, jeopardising the sanctity of the judiciary and the rule of law. The committee, however, commended Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail for aligning with Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, and Justice Munib Akhtar in emphasising that all judges of the Supreme Court should be part of the Constitutional Bench. The committee expected Chief Justice Yahya Afridi would ensure that petitions challenging the 26th Amendment are heard by a Full Court comprising all Supreme Court judges adding that this step is critical to preserving the institution’s credibility and independence. The committee also demanded the suspension of proceedings before the current Constitutional Bench until the legality and constitutionality of the 26th Amendment are adjudicated by a Full Court. Senior lawyers and SCBA former presidents, including Hmaid Khan, Qazi Muhammad Anwar, Abid S Zubairi, Ali Ahmed Kurd, Munir A Malik and Amanullah Kanrani, endorsed the statement of the committee.Jammu and Kashmir Constable Recruitment: Over 5.59 Lakh Aspirants Apply for 4,002 Police Constable Posts in ValleyThiruvananthapuram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate Huddle Global 2024 , the country's flagship startup festival organized by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), at Kovalam on Thursday. Prior to the inaugural session, CM will interact with founders of startups and investors attending the event. The three-day event at Hotel Leela Raviz, Kovalam, packed with deliberations, presentations, and engaging conversations, aims to impart greater scale and speed to Kerala's fast-growing startup ecosystem , besides showcasing the eventful journey of the ecosystem. IPL 2025 mega auction IPL Auction 2025: Who went where and for how much IPL 2025: Complete list of players of each franchise Cutting-edge solutions from deep tech and R&D startups will be the spotlight of the expo at the event, which will have engaging conversations touching upon a wide spectrum of topics ranging from leveraging new technologies to attracting funds and mentorship for the ecosystem to make further strides, KSUM CEO Anoop Ambika said at a press conference on Monday. Three roundtables focusing on agriculture, space defence, and industry sectors will be held on the sidelines of Huddle Global 2024. Industries minister P Rajeeve will lead the roundtable on industry and speak about the services for industry and corporate entities who want to set up business in Kerala. Finance minister K N Balagopal will lead a roundtable with investors, fund-of-fund programme beneficiaries, and other stakeholders on Saturday. In the visionary talk segment, higher education minister R Bindu will speak on education and nurturing deep tech talent. Around 300 women entrepreneurs will attend the event, which will feature an exclusive Women Zone to support women-led startups.
Gone, and now forgotten, is the Miami Dolphins’ three-game winning streak against losing teams. Throw it and the accompanying swagger away with the Thanksgiving cranberries. Here’s the way it still works against good teams for the Dolphins: It doesn’t. A muffed punt. An offense that can’t close. A defense that forgets how to tackle. A full team that played down to its emotional concerns. “We played soft,’’ linebacker Jordyn Brooks said, citing the elements and the moment after the Dolphins’ 30-17 loss at Green Bay on Thursday night. Competitiveness? They fell behind 27-3 before showing a pulse when the train was five miles down the track. Fundamentals? They were back to the team that couldn’t get out of its own way, even getting two delay-of-game penalties. Toughness? The Dolphins couldn’t score on three plays from the 1-yard line, trying to pass twice, with a chance to pull themselves back into the game in the fourth quarter. “The operation wasn’t our style of football,’’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. So, the odometer rolls over again on these nattering nabobs of narratives: 3-16 against playoff teams in the Mike McDaniel era; 0-12 on the road against playoff teams the past three years; and 0-12 against teams since 2017 in weather below 39 degrees. “That’s the thing with narratives,’’ McDaniel said. “There’s one way to change them and so my expectation would be those who, the naysayers, you prove them right, they’ll be louder. That’s part of the territory. You carry that until you do something about it, and unfortunately, we didn’t tonight.” They are who we feared they are. That’s the epitaph being chiseled about these Dolphins. A good team against bad teams. A good offense against bad defenses. A bully that can run up a winning streak against losing teams in the Rams, Raiders and Patriots, but then can’t find its way against a good team like the Packers. This was the second time the Dolphins defense played a top-10 scoring offense. Buffalo, the first, came away with 30 and 24 points. It wasn’t the Packers points this night as much as the tone-setting efficiency of 102 rushing yards in the first half and the poor tackling by the Dolphins. This was the second time the Dolphins offense played a top-10 scoring defense after Buffalo, too. The Packers are tied for 10th. You can look at Tagovailoa completing 37 of 46 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns and say he did his job. But no one did their job right. This offense put up three points in the first half. It couldn’t answer the Packers’ strong start. It can dink-and-dunk down the field all day against bad defenses, especially before friendly crowds at home. But try to do that every drive on the road against a good defense in unpleasant weather and breakdowns are likely to happen. Five sacks. Thirty-nine yards rushing. Two pre-snap penalties on their opening, seven-play drive. Those kinds of breakdowns. “Bad offensive lines don’t travel,’’ is a line inside the NFL. The Dolphins don’t have a bad line. But its value has been overstated on its best days this season. Thursday was perhaps its worst day. The Packers, like even the bad defenses, have figured how to shut down one of the league’s best home-run threats in Tyreek Hill. He had three catches for 16 yards in the first three quarters when the night was decided. He finished with six catches for 83 yards after some borderline garbage time at the end. Bottom-line: The Dolphins met a good opponent in the cold of Green Bay and it sent a shiver of reality up the spine of a Dolphins fans base starved for good news. It wasn’t just the fans who put a lot of stock into this game, either. The Dolphins players and coaches saw this as a measuring-stick game and statement-to-be of who they really were. “I’m excited to kill some narratives,’’ Tagovailoa said leading into the game. No narratives were killed. The Dolphins season wasn’t, either. It’s on oxygen and mathematical formulas. Some feelgood of another bad team at home is coming next week in the New York Jets. But until further notice, it’s less narrative than fact about these Dolphins: They’re good against bad teams. They’re bad against good teams. They’re still the team everyone feared they are. ©2024 South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Visit sun-sentinel.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Most people are divided into one of two groups: those who rise with the sun and those who stay up well past it. They are often called “chickens” and “night owls.” The chickens are the early risers, the ones who were up with the rooster, ready to start the day at the crack of dawn. The night owls, on the other hand, come to life once the stars come out, often working, socializing, or winding down long after the chickens have gone to bed. This division isn’t just a quirky way to describe people; it’s a lifestyle. Each of these types has a biological clock that ticks in its own way. Chickens are morning people. They’re the ones who’ve had their coffee, fed the livestock, and maybe even read the morning paper before most people even hit the snooze button for the first time. The night owls, however, don’t get started until most of us are winding down. They’re the ones who’d rather stay up late with a good book, binge a TV show, or keep working until the moon’s high in the sky. But then, twice a year, a little thing called daylight saving time comes along and messes with it all. Whether you’re a chicken or a night owl, that switch from Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time throws off your internal clock and forces everyone to adjust—sometimes grumpily, sometimes reluctantly, but always in the same way. For us chickens, the morning light is a treasure. There’s something peaceful about it—everything seems quieter before the world gets moving. It’s the best time to get things done without distractions. You’ve got a few hours in the morning to yourself before the busyness of the day kicks in. The sun comes up early, the air is crisp, and you feel like you’ve got the whole world ahead of you. For people like me, the first cup of coffee tastes better when the world’s still asleep, and there’s time to think, plan, or even get ahead at work. I’ve always been this way – I can still hear my dad saying on an early Saturday morning, “Can you not sleep later at least one day?” My wife would agree— even on vacation, I’m up and ready to go early – though I won’t say to her, “We’re burning daylight!” But daylight saving time changes make that peaceful early morning feel a bit less peaceful. But here’s the thing about my internal clock: it doesn’t really change. I still wake up around the same time, about 4:00 a.m., give or take a few minutes. Hmmm, or maybe that’s 5:00 a.m.? Even though the clocks say it’s later, my body is still in that old rhythm, the one I’ve followed for years. My eyes open, and I’m wide awake—ready to start the day. And that throws everything off. In the spring, usually in March, clocks are set forward by one hour—Spring Forward. This means the day technically starts an hour later, but people get more daylight in the evening. Because I’ve gotten up early based on my internal clock and now have a few extra hours of daylight, it feels like I should keep working longer into the day, almost as if the sun is giving me permission to stretch the day out. The light lasts longer, so why not keep going? Before I know it, I’m working until dusk, maybe later. It’s not that I have to, but it just feels natural. I’m taking advantage of the longer days and the extra sunlight, even if it means getting less sleep. And I do—until the sun sets, and then I wonder why I’m so tired the next day. But then, in the fall, when Fall Back happens, we set the clocks back by one hour. For the chickens like me, it feels like a little victory—an extra hour of sleep that the body craves after the longer days of spring and summer. The sun comes up earlier, which means our internal clocks are a little more aligned with the actual daylight hours. However, it’s not all smooth sailing. The days start to get shorter, and soon, that extra hour of sleep is overshadowed by the earlier sunsets. Even though we get up earlier in the day, the daylight seems to vanish too soon. The sense of productivity and energy I feel in the mornings starts to fade faster as the evening sets in earlier. But the adjustment for night owls is a different story. While they may appreciate the idea of getting an extra hour of sleep at first, they’re soon dealing with the flip side of Fall Back—the loss of those long, light-filled evenings. The sun sets an hour earlier, and the natural light they depend on to fuel their evening activities starts to shrink. For night owls, this shift can throw off their rhythm, making it harder to stay active or stay up as late as they’d like. On the flip side, you’ve got the night owls—my wife’s one of ‘em. While the chickens are settling in for the night, the night owls are just getting fired up. For a lot of them, whether they’re out hitting a few balls on the golf course, doing late-night cleaning, or just sittin’ around with friends—that extra daylight in the evening is a real blessing. They don’t mind burning the midnight oil; they thrive on it. For folks like that, daylight saving time is a gift. While I’m nodding off in my chair, my wife’s deciding it’s the perfect time to crank up the vacuum. But as much as the extra daylight seems like a blessing to night owls, daylight saving time messes with their sleep schedule just as much as it does the chickens. The clocks don’t just change once—they change twice a year, every year, like some kind of cruel joke. It’s easy to get caught up in the back-and-forth of it all—the changing of the clocks, the constant battle with our own sleep rhythms. The truth is the real time doesn’t change at all. The only thing that shifts is the way we’re told to set the clocks. The actual position of the sun doesn’t adjust to fit daylight savings. Adjusting to daylight saving time isn’t just about flipping a switch and resetting the clocks. It’s a mental and physical process that takes time. Our bodies don’t just instantly accept the change. There’s a whole period of grogginess, a kind of mental fog that sets in when you’re trying to adjust to the new rhythm. Your body knows it’s supposed to be doing something—getting up, going to bed, being alert—but the clock tells you otherwise. That’s why we all end up dragging ourselves through the first few days of daylight saving time, trying to adjust to a new rhythm that’s dictated not by the sun or the moon, but by the arbitrary movement of the hands on a clock. Whether you’re up with the sun or bustling after dark, daylight saving time messes with everyone. It’s proof we’re all just trying to keep up with the clock—and maybe why some hit the snooze a little too often.