Bear markets are a normal part of investing in the stock market. **** ody knows when the next one will arrive, but it will eventually arrive with 100% certainty. The time to prepare is before you face the fear that comes with big market downturns. That's why you should consider owning companies like Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Medtronic (NYSE: MDT), Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), and Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG).
But there are two pieces to the story here. First, they all operate in economically resilient industries. Second, they all have incredible dividend track records. Here's a quick look at each one.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
To be fair, you may not be happy about paying for healthcare, since it can be expensive. But you will still pay for it because, in the most extreme cases, it can be the difference between life and death. In less extreme cases, the difference is between a better and worse quality of life, and you'll still probably pay up. The risk of not paying simply isn't worth it.
Johnson & Johnson is a good choice if you are worried about a bear market and are looking for a safe-haven investment. It is a major player in both the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, providing diversification. It is a Dividend King, having rewarded shareholders with more than 50 consecutive annual dividend increases. And while its yield isn't exactly huge at 2%, it is roughly twice what you'd collect from an S&P 500 index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) fund. J&J isn't exactly an exciting company, but it is a reliable one.

#signal

The Chicago Bears got the player they wanted. The harder question is what they gave up to get him.
Chicago acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from Tennessee on Thursday, sending the **** ans first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 and a 2027 fourth-round pick. The Bears also received a 2028 fifth-round pick. It is a huge price for a 29-year-old defender, even one capable of changing how opponents block Chicago's front.
Simmons makes the Bears better today. He had 11 sacks last season and has four through seven games this year. ESPN's **** ysis identified the need clearly: Chicago ranked 23rd in pass-rush win rate from its interior defenders before the trade, while Simmons led NFL defensive tackles in that measure. His ability to disrupt both running and passing plays gives Dennis Allen something the defense has lacked up front.
But there are two parts to this trade. One is the impact Simmons can make on Sundays. The other is how Chicago builds around him in the years ahead.
Aug 28, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee **** ans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) celebrates after a defensive stop on fourth down during the first half against the Chicago Bears at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

#Chicago #bears #defensive

Welcome to Week 8 of the fantasy football season! Below I have some players I think you should start and some I think you should sit. As usual, your mileage may vary depending on your available choices, so don't just blindly bench someone if you don't have a better option!
Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers
Prescott has been up and down this season, but he's coming off a strong Monday night game against the Eagles and now faces a bad Cardinals pass defense. Arizona has given up the most adjusted yards per attempt, the most receiving touchdowns, the second worst QB rating, and the second most yards per completion. Prescott is poised to pick up where he left off on Monday night.
If the Cardinals had better backup quarterbacks, I would be worried that Brissett might be benched during a game, but they don't. This week, as long as Brissett plays the whole game, it will be difficult for him not to accumulate fantasy points. I expect the Cowboys will be able to score on the Cardinals, while Brissett inefficiently tries to keep up through the air. Dallas, so far, has allowed the third worst completion percentage, the seventh worst average yards per attempt, and the third-worst yards per completion to opposing quarterbacks.
Murray continued to play poorly last week, but the Vikings also continued to win. Not trailing in games hurts Murray, as he doesn't need to run and throw as much to try to make up points. This week they'll face a Lions offense that should have more success against Brian Flores' top defense than any team this year. The Lions defense also remains the absolute worst at giving up fantasy points to quarterbacks. That has a lot to do with the Lions keeping teams throwing the ball from a deficit, but the results are hard to ignore.

#brissett

Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers had a rough night in ****** letown.
They have now lost two games in a row, as they followed up their Week 7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home with a 27-19 defeat at the hands of Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers in Week 8's edition of Thursday Night Football at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
Young struggled in the pocket, largely because of the relentless pressure from the home team's pass rush unit. The former Alabama Crimson Tide star signal-caller was sacked for a total of six times for a loss of 33 yards. Young finished with just 209 passing yards and a touchdown against an interception on 23/41 pass completions.
The ugly loss to Green Bay left Young with a clear message about how Green Bay dominated his team.
"They executed better," Young said after the game, via Mike Kaye of ESPN. "A lot of stuff was on film, but they just do a really good job of disguising. They're a really good defense. So, we have a lot of respect for them. They were better than us today, for sure. They deserve that win. We should have been better. We've just got to execute better — that's all it is."

#green #really

After the United States Grand Prix, Isack Hadjar was critical of Red Bull's execution, as was Max Verstappen. Both drivers were unhappy with the strategy and, on top of that, were hampered by two problems that have been troubling the Formula 1 team for a long time: technical issues with the team radio and problematic starts.
"I have poor radio, I don't even know what's happening. And whenever I drop the clutch, it's going into a nightmare," Hadjar said in the media pen on Sunday night. "If we fix these two issues, we might already be on the podium. It seems like we can do the hardest things, but we can't do the silly things."
When asked about those comments during the media day in Mexico, Hadjar acknowledged that he is perfectly entitled to speak his mind about the team – which is, after all, exactly what Red Bull wants: drivers with character and opinions of their own – but that he perhaps could have worded certain things a little differently.
"I didn't really think," he said. "We need to be honest with ourselves as well, but there's stuff that I should have kept for myself. I know that."
Since then, Red Bull has **** ysed the race weekend in Texas in detail which revealed that the strategy could indeed have been better, something Hadjar explained further in Mexico.

#hadjar #drivers #issues #radio

Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes while the Green Bay Packers defense harassed opposing quarterback Bryce Young to beat the Carolina Panthers in primetime.
The Packers quarterback completed 30 of 41 passes for 288 yards in the 27-19 victory Thursday in Green Bay, Wis. Running back Josh Jacobs totaled 42 yards from scrimmage and two scores in the win.
"We talk about how tough these short weeks are," Love told reporters. "We've had two throughout the season so far. The way we came out and just executed today from the get-go was so much better than the last time we played a Thursday night game. That's what it's gotta be about."
The Packers, who overcame two deficits, out-gained their visitors 354-258 in total yards and held a 21-14 advantage in first downs. They scored 21 consecutive points from the start of the second quarter into the third quarter to take control of the Monday Night Football clash.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden reacts after catching a touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI

#panthers #passes

Titans head coach Robert Saleh says his team will not hold a fire sale ahead of the trade deadline. But the offer they got from the Bears for defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons was too good to pass up.
The Bears traded their next two first-round draft picks to the ****** ans for Simmons, and Saleh said that a team in the ****** ans' position couldn't realistically have passed that up.
"No one's shopping any of our guys, but like I told our guys, when you don't close out games, and you're standing here at 1-6, teams are going to start fishing," Saleh said. "And eventually a team threw a hook big enough that I don't think any of us could've said no to."
Saleh said he considers Simmons "by far" the best defensive tackle in the NFL and hates to see him go.
"It's tough. Jeff is an elite football player and he's an even better person," Saleh said. "He's an elite leader. I've been outspoken on that. It sucks. Everything about it sucks. Unfortunately, necessary."

#simmons

CLEVELAND — Jose Ramirez rescued the Guardians in the American League Division Series with a tremendous three-game run to lift Cleveland to the ALCS, but with their playoff journey coming to an end all the focus turns to an injury that hamstrung him for the second half of the season.
Ramirez underwent hamate bone surgery in mid-June and returned to the lineup July 22, but he was struggling to be as productive while playing through the left wrist/hand issue. It can often be difficult for hitters to fully return to form in the aftermath of a hamate bone surgery.
His season numbers had already been a bit down from his career averages, but after the procedure he hit just .229 with a .598 OPS over the final 53 games, a stretch that included only two home runs, as his power seemed to be sapped.
It was painfully clear Ramirez was playing while hurt and the procedure was having a negative impact. It was also unlikely he'd do further damage, and the Guardians appreciated anything the star third baseman might be able to give them. A one-handed Ramirez is still a better sight in the everyday lineup than calling someone off the bench, especially as he insisted to play every day.
"I mean, obviously, it took a toll on him," said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who also reiterated his commitment to Cleveland while some rumors about the Seattle Mariners had stated to run rampant. "He was out there giving us everything he had. He wasn't playing at 100 percent, but that never changed his demeanor or the way he went about his business. And I think that just speaks to who he is as a person and a baseball player.

#surgery

Matchday 8 of the Bundesliga serves up it's showpiece event, from which Bulinews.com will be reporting live, as Bayern Munich welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Allianz Arena. Kick-off in the Topspiel game is scheduled for 18:30 CET.
Aside from injuries and Vincent Kompany's absence, things could hardly be much better for Bayern right now. They arrive into this fixture off the back of a 6-1 thrashing of 1.FC Magdeburg, with several key names rested.
One of which was their newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner, Harry Kane. Averaging a goal a game against BVB in six games to date, he will be hoping to add to that. The returning Kimmich and Pavlovic will likely help towards that.
The German record champions' recent record on home soil against the Westphalians also bodes well. Eight wins, one draw and a single loss to the Black and Yellows in their last 10 Bundesliga meetings at the Allianz Arena.
Team news:

#bayern #allianz #record

Real Madrid have played better in the past three games than they have all season, and it comes as no surprise as the side looks far more threatening in attack and has a sense of unity.
It simply cannot be ignored that Real Madrid's best level came after Vinicius Jr.'s suspension and it seems to be more causation than correlation between his absence and the team's improved displays.
Needless to say, the Brazilian star stands as the biggest loser from Los Blancos' current situation as his starting spot in the team is now under serious threat. At this point, there is no guarantee he will remain a starter after he returns from suspension.
Vini is under serious pressure. (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)
As confirmed by El Chiringuito in a recent report, the Brazilian star is currently working very hard to turn his situation around and is holding double training sessions every single day.

#suspension #blancos

Where to watch 76ers vs. Knicks today: Channel, live stream, time, TV schedule for Friday NBA Cup game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On Opening Night, the Philadelphia 76ers spoiled the New York Knicks' ring ceremony. Now, the Knicks have a chance to return the favor.
For the second time in two weeks to open the NBA regular season, the Knicks and 76ers will meet. This time, though, the game moves to Philadelphia as LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey welcome the defending champions to Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Knicks' ******* le defense is off to a slow start, as they've dropped a bunch of close games to begin the campaign, whil the 76ers are off to a much better beginning to the James' era. Still, the Knicks represent the team to beat in the NBA, so the 76ers will surely not take them lightly.
This game also marks the first NBA Cup game for both of these teams in the 2026-27 season. New York won the NBA Cup last year and hopes to defend that crown as well.

#knicks #time

The Chargers returned from their Week 7 bye with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel addressing the media Thursday, giving a look at the work to get the offense on track ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Rams.
McDaniel did extensive film work with quarterback Justin Herbert. He said they watched "probably 4 hours" of tape together and called it "a very healthy experience." He stressed their strong relationship and a constructive approach to the struggles.
"There's a healthy way to be accountable, so you're not misdirecting blame to yourself when things aren't working," McDaniel said.
The Chargers remain the NFL's only winless team at 0-6, with the offense ranking last in points per game (15.0) after a season-low six points in the Week 6 loss to the Chiefs. Harbaugh confirmed Wednesday that McDaniel would keep the call sheet, stating, "We're very confident in Mike and his talent, his work ethic and his ability. We continue to be."
Herbert also recently backed his coordinator. On Wednesday, he said the issues are "not his fault, it's our fault as an offense," adding that "the guys are open" and "plays are being made," while stressing the need for better execution.

#chargers #week

UW and Nebraska face off in Lincoln this weekend for the first time as conference foes. The long and storied history between the two teams stretches exactly 101 years and two weeks to the day between the very first match up in 1925 and this Saturday's game. That shared history primarily revolves around the four games played during the 1990s when both programs were at their peak. The 1991 game featured a furious second half comeback in Lincoln that built the momentum towards UW's eventual national championship. The Cornhuskers' return trip to Seattle in 1992 set the stage for the loudest recorded home crowd in college football history. Five years later, Nebraska returned to Montlake to get their revenge for the previous two games while on their way to their own national championship in 1997 in Tom Osborne's final season.
For these two programs, the current stakes of this weekend's game are much lower, although not entirely without significance. Both Washington and Nebraska enter Saturday night's matchup at a crossroads in their seasons. Nebraska sits at 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play, but the Cornhuskers are coming off consecutive close losses to Indiana and Oregon. Despite those defeats, Matt Rhule's team has established itself as one of the league's most physical and statistically dominant defenses, keeping every game within reach through disciplined play, strong linebacker action, and excellent situational defense.
Washington, meanwhile, is 4-3 overall and 1-3 in conference play. The Huskies snapped a three-game losing streak with a 38-26 victory over Purdue before their bye week and arrive in Lincoln needing momentum to salvage their Big Ten campaign. Jedd Fisch's offense remains heavily dependent on its passing attack, ranking among the conference's better aerial units, but questions at quarterback and a struggling rushing offense persist.
Over Matt Rhule's four years at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers have embraced a physical and gritty, defensive-oriented identity as a program. Under first-year defensive coordinator, Rob Aurich, Nebraska has maintained the aggressive, fundamentally sound identity Nebraska built under Rhule. The Cornhuskers rank 14th nationally in scoring defense, 9th in total defense, and are holding opponents to just 171 passing yards and 99 rushing yards per game on average. Their suffocating rushing defense on early downs often position them in 3rd & long passing situations where they pressure packages and blanketing secondary can create plays. This formula is what has allowed Nebraska to lead the FBS in defensive 3rd down conversion percentage at just 19%. To put that statistic into perspective, Nebraska's defense has allowed just eight third down conversions in their four Big Ten conference games this season, including games with just one allowed against Maryland and Indiana.
Nebraska typically operates from a multiple-front structure, mixing even-front and odd-front looks while emphasizing gap discipline and disgui

Manchester United. More a high-volume content farm than a football club these days.
Michael Carrick's starring role in what has become one of the nation's favourite soap operas has been extended for at least another week, with the 45-year-old set to be in charge for Saturday's visit to Chelsea.
Good news - you'd think - for Carrick. But even better news for Amazon's All or Nothing camera crews, who have been given "unprecedented" access to document the behind-the-scenes goings-on at Old Trafford this season.
United fans will presumably be relieved when the football resumes on Saturday, if only to break up the constant stream of opinion for 90 minutes.
But while the wall-to-wall reporting of one of the world's biggest football clubs is hardly new, the unrelenting coverage from former players is a growing phenomenon.

#michael #trafford

UFC 324 kicked off the promotion's Paramount era with an absolute thriller, as Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett went to war for five rounds. Gaethje eventually came out on top, securing the interim lightweight ****** le, but the fight wasn't without its controversies.
Several eye pokes and a low blow suffered by Pimblett had fans questioning the referee's decision not to take a point away, especially after two judges scored the contest 49-46. Beyond the officiating debate, another talking point was Pimblett's decision to trade strikes with one of the division's most dangerous punchers instead of making better use of his grappling.
Given his Brazilian jiu-jitsu credentials, many felt he left a major weapon unused. The Liverpudlian has since admitted that he could have approached things differently. Now, with Gaethje having become the undisputed 155lbs champion after beating Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250, Pimblett has opened up about what he would change if the two ever crossed paths inside the Octagon again.
In a recent interview with How U Livin J Piven, Pimblett admitted that he would take a completely different approach if he ever got another shot at Gaethje. "Yeah, if I fought him again, I'd shoot in within 10 seconds. I'd love to get that rematch. If I fought him again, I'd shoot in the first 10 seconds, put him on his back, and choke his ****** out."
That would arguably be a much smarter game plan for the Liverpudlian, who reminded everyone of his grappling prowess with a spectacular comeback at UFC 329.

#pimblett #admitted

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 25: Bam Knight #20 of the Arizona Cardinals drops a pass under pressure from Alex Singleton #49 of the Denver Broncos during the second quarter of the game at State Farm Stadium on October 25, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) Getty
Denver Broncos inside linebacker Alex Singleton. Getty
The Denver Broncos had a great week from their entire team against the Arizona Cardinals with multiple standout performers, but none better than inside linebacker Alex Singleton.
Singleton finished the game with an unreal 19 total tackles, including a sack, and was all over the field making plays for the Broncos defense.
That's the most tackles in a game by any player this season and most tackles by a player in a non-overtime game since 2023. Singleton continues to dominate and not only is he the leader in tackles this season, but he has 15 more than the next highest player, All-Pro Fred Warner.

#arizona #Broncos #alex #player

LSU's Lane Kiffin staunchly defends 24-team CFP while taking dig at other conferences appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Lane Kiffin can play coy sometimes, as many trolls choose to do, but the LSU head coach is making it perfectly clear where he stands on the proposed 24-team College Football Playoff.
Kiffin is not just in favor of this expected format change. He believes it is essential, particularly for an SEC that is brimming with parity and deeply passionate fan bases.
"I think it had to happen," Kiffin said, per On3's Jonathan Wagner. "You could say 12 is better, but not when you take into account the way college football is set up now. The conferences are so different, the four conferences. They are. They're different stadiums, they're different environments, they're different middle to bottom of them. So you're not playing equal schedules, they're not even close."
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#lane

Mizzou Basketball lost their exhibition game against UNLV on Thursday night. The game didn't count, so as much as I'm not going to talk up their win over Kansas State, I'm not going to talk down this loss to UNLV. Winning always feel better than losing, regardless of whether the game counts or not. But it looked like Dennis Gates was willing to make a few concessions with his lineups early. Also, Jamier Jones, CJ Gunn, and Jaylen Carey were all sidelined and not dressed out.
Anyway, here's the box score screen cap from Statbroadcast:
There are 13 players listed as having played, but I don't remember Luke Northweather seeing the floor. But there was a lot to think about, so let me try to parse through things quickly, since the 9pm tip means I'm starting this out well after 11.
My biggest takeaway was that one team played a lot harder than the other. The Tigers didn't have their full foster of players, but neither did UNLV. But you could see early the Rebels were focused on crashing the glass and being incredibly physical.
Jason Crowe played 36 minutes, Toni Bryant played 28, Aidan Chronister played 15. Those three players were able to overwhelm K-State, a team who is very focused on skill. Against UNLV the three freshmen, and not just those three but the whole roster, just got bodied by the effort of the Rebels. Lindenwood transfer Dontrez Williams, a Sikeston native, was only 1-5 from the floor and scored just 4 points, but he was +21. Mainly because he was out there playing his ****** off.

#three #didn 't #talk

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson acknowledged he "never wanted to go" to the hospital after being injured during his team's Week 8 "Thursday Night Football" win over the Carolina Panthers.
Watson noted that having to leave the stadium via ambulance was difficult during a postgame interview with Amazon Prime Video's sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung.
"It was tough. Honestly, I never wanted to go," Watson said. "I was hoping that they would let me off. I said I was kinda feeling better once I kinda caught my breath. But I mean they said there was a couple of signs that made them have to take me over there."
"It is what it is," he added. "I was just praying that it was good enough to where I could come back out here. Obviously, thankfully it was and I was able to get back out."
Watson was originally injured after catching a 53-yard deep pass from Jordan Love in the second quarter of the game. He landed hard on the ball as he came to the ground and remained down, rolling onto his back before being tended to by Green Bay's training staff.

#watson

In five games played since he emerged from a two-year retirement, Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has yet to record a sack. During his weekly press conference on Thursday, Donald was asked whether that bothers him.
"No. I didn't come back for individual stats," Donald told reporters. "I would love to have some stats, but I'm here to just play the game. When the plays present themselves, take advantage of it, try to get my plays, but my main focus is trying to find ways to help this team win. That's the goal. I didn't come back to try to earn individual accolades or anything. I did that, accomplished that. It doesn't excite me. The only thing that excites me is winning so I'm just playing a football game, trying to do what I can to help this team. As long as we win, I can build off everything else and get myself better off that."
The Rams have won only three of seven games, and Donald has yet to play with Myles Garrett. Even though it was the trade that brought Garrett to the Rams that lit the fuse to get Donald to return.
Against the Raiders in Week 7, Donald was on the field for 74 percent of the Rams' defensive snaps. It was his highest rate of the season, and the more he's on the field, the more likely he'll be to get some of those stats he'd love to have — even if winning continues to be the focus.
The Rams should get their fourth win of the season on Sunday, against the 0-6 Chargers. If they don't, the Rams will be 3-5 through eight games and dangerously close to having too many losses to play beyond Week 18.

#games #garrett #week #defensive

NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets are just four games into their 2026-27 NBA season that they hope will be better than what they put forth during the 2025-26 campaign record-wise. Brooklyn has been trying to correct enough of their issues to hopefully win their first game of the season sooner than later, but the Nets made sure to take care of business with some of their youngest players.
The Nets announced on Thursday that they exercised the third-year team options for their entire 2025 NBA Draft class heading into Friday's NBA Cup game against the visiting Detroit Pistons. Brooklyn selected five players in the 2025 draft: guard Egor Demin, guard Nolan Traore, forward Drake Powell, guard Ben Saraf, and forward Danny Wolf and now, the quintet is under contract for the 2027-28 season.
"We brought them in for a reason. Obviously, picking up options is part of the management, but [it's] the belief on development and the type of people that we bring in," Fernandez said after Thursday's practice about the franchise's announcement. Brooklyn exercising the team options on the entire class was interesting given that only Demin and Traore have been seeing regular rotation minutes at this point in the season.
"We've been together for a little over a year and we believe that every single one of them has a future in this league. Everybody's got different paths to get there and that's okay. But, so far, I think that just proves that we believe in the process," Fernandez continued. While Demin and Traore have proven enough to see NBA minutes on a daily basis, Powell, Saraf, and Wolf will have to continue doing the work in the G League and in practice.
Demin will be out of action for the next week while he rehabs from a right leg bone bruise that he suffered in Tuesday's 125-124 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics, but Traore could just be hitting his stride. Traore entered the starting lineup for Tuesday's matchup against the Celtics and if he continues to produce, he and Demin could be starting together once the former BYU Cougar returns. With that being said, the entire "Flatbush Five" will be in Brooklyn next season.

#options #guard

Seattle Seahawks RB Jadarian Price (chest) was a limited participant in practice Thursday, Oct. 29.
SOURCE: Seahawks.com
Why it Matters: Price has a chance to return to action Monday night, but with Zach Charbonnet (knee) potentially making his debut and Emanuel Wilson and George Holani also in the mix, it is going to be hard to know which Seattle back to trust. Fantasy owners with more reliable options should probably shy away from the Seattle backfield until a pecking order becomes better established.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jadarian Price remains limited Thursday

#seahawks #thursday #zach

The Kansas City Royals made their first big offseason move on Thursday by cutting ties with closer Carlos Estévez. The team declined his $13 million club option, which means he hits the open market. Instead of paying that high price, Kansas City will hand him a $2 million buyout. This decision clears the books but leaves a huge hole in the bullpen after he led the league with 42 saves in 2025.
At the same time, the club exercised a $2.5 million option on right-hander Tony Gonsolin. Per MLB.com Royals, this move keeps a former All-Star under contract for 2027 despite his recent injury struggles. It is a low-cost gamble for a pitcher who once went 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 2022. After ending last season with a 5.07 bullpen ERA that ranked 29th in the majors, the Royals must acquire all available pitching help.
Letting Estévez walk feels risky, but the math makes sense for a small-market team. He signed a two-year, $22.2 million deal before 2025 and delivered a 2.45 ERA that year. However, his 2026 season was a disaster filled with injuries and blown saves. He was limited to just one appearance before a comebacker hit his foot and a rotator cuff strain ended his year. According to Yardbarker, his strikeout rate dropped while his walk rate climbed in 2025, showing he was already losing a step.
Paying $13 million for a pitcher who might not even throw a pitch in 2027 is hard to justify. The Royals are better off taking the $2 million buyout and trying to find a cheaper replacement. They need to fix a relief corps that allowed too many runs and lost too many games. The 69-93 record from last year proves the bullpen was a major problem that this move attempts to address.
Bringing back Gonsolin is a different kind of bet, one based on potential rather than recent results. He joined the team on August 13 while recovering from elbow surgery he had in August 2025. In just one major league outing this year against the White Sox, the 32-year-old surrendered five runs across 2 2/3 innings. Per Royals Keep, the $2.5 million price tag is very affordable for a starter with his career stats of 37 wins and 13 losses.

#year #kansas #city

As the Mountain West game between New Mexico and North Dakota State picked up steam on Saturday and Scottre Humphrey got his first carry for the Lobos, I thought:
That's another thing Montana State has done better than just about everyone else.
I don't know if any FCS team has been hit harder by the transfer portal through the years than the defending national champion Bobcats. But it certainly feels like the Cats absorb these losses better than most.
To date Montana State is 7-1, one win better than the 6-1 FBS Lobos who saw Humphrey — he rushed for 1,386 yards for the 2024 Bobcats and leads UNM with 453 this season — pick up 31 yards on 10 carries against the Bison. He scored a touchdown in the Lobos' 21-16 victory.
Earlier in the day the Bobcat tandem of Adam Jones and Jared White — the latter spelling Colson ***** , who was injured — tore off scoring runs of 27 and 57 yards in MSU's come-from-behind 38-33 win over Weber State.

#lobos #yards #humphrey

We have hit the last week of the Tennessee high school football regular season. And like recent years, the TSSAA has split high school games to Thursday and Friday. So about half the state will play their Week 11 games on Thursday. The rest will play on Friday.
It's a chance to give teams better officials each day. But it also gives us a chance to see the TSSAA football playoff picture become clearer before the brackets are released Friday, Oct. 30.
Note: Games with asterisks are region games. Most games this week will be region games. And almost all games play at least a small part in determining playoff order.
Here are the TSSAA football scores for Week 11.
Bradley Central 35, Bearden 21 (Thu) *

#week #tssaa #school #chance

Even with 12 straight victories and an 11-0 start in the Horizon League, there's always room for improvement for the Wright State Raiders volleyball team.
"What we've been able to accomplish has been very special," coach Travers Green said on Thursday, Oct. 29, "but you're trying to look further than that. How good can we be? What are our aspirations? It takes a certain level of commitment to win championships, but if you want to go further than that, it requires more.
"We've been pretty good, but we aren't the finished product that we want to be at this point of the year. We want to keep getting better and keep improving, keep growing, and keep looking for the things that can add more value."
Consistency from set to set, cleaner and more disciplined play, and a more relentless defensive effort — with the mindset that the ball should never hit the floor — are all on Green's mind as the Raiders enter the final two weeks of the regular season.
Wright State won 3-0 at Purdue Fort Wayne on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and returns to action at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, against Youngstown State at C.J. McLin Gymnasium in Fairborn.

#good #even

Arizona Cardinals RB Jeremiyah Love (ankle) was a limited participant in practice Thursday, Oct. 29.
SOURCE: AZCardinals.com
Why it Matters: With Love remaining limited, his status for the Week 8 contest remains in question. Friday's injury report will be a better indicator, but if Love is able to return to action, he can be a RB2 against the Cowboys.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeremiyah Love remains limited

#arizona #azcardinals

ATHENS — Concord University esports will host a Dead by Daylight tournament on Oct. 30 in an effort to bring students and members of the surrounding community together for a Halloween-themed competition.
Nathan Lockhart, ****** istant director of Concord esports, said the program began planning the tournament over the summer as a way to celebrate Halloween while giving people another reason to visit campus.
"We figured, what would be a better way to celebrate Halloween on a weekday than having a game about horror?" Lockhart said.
Dead by Daylight is a multiplayer horror game in which four players act as survivors while another takes on the role of the killer. The survivors attempt to escape while the killer tries to eliminate them.
Lockhart said several members of Concord's esports program already play the game regularly, which makes it a natural choice for the event.

#dead #members

I reached out to the folks at Black Shoe Diaries to talk about this weekend's game between their Nittany Lions and our Purdue Boilermakers. They were kind enough to respond with some informative answers to my questions. Make sure to go check them out.
Penn State has not won a Big Ten game yet this year. The schedule to start the year has turned out to be a lot tougher than most people probably thought going in. Given the turnover at the top, what was expected of Penn State by fans coming into this season?
I predicted a 9-3 season. Some others on our site were at least mentioning the word playoff in the offseason. Personally, I thought Penn State would have enough experience with Matt Campbell's system considering that there would be so much continuity with so many players making the move from Iowa State. A lot of that optimism was tied to the schedule. Unlike 2025 where Penn State jumped right into the deep end with a showdown against Oregon in conference play, this year seemed like it would give some runway for the Lions to work things out before a Whiteout matchup against USC. That seemed to be the plan until halftime of the Wisconsin game. From that 17-0 lead against the Badgers, the Lions have struggled mightily.
Three of the four Big Ten losses have come by 8 or fewer points. Is this a situation where Penn State may be 0-4 but they could very easily be 3-1? I guess the crux of my question is, is Penn State better than their record reflects?
I think it should be at least 1-3. The Wisconsin loss was egregious. Penn State led from the start. They could never quite put away the Badgers, had to settle for field goals, committed a brutal turnover, and then allowed a couple of long conversions in the loss. This team isn't as talented as last year's Penn State team, but there are some similarities. They've had second half leads in three of the four losses, just as last year's Penn State team lost fourth quarter/overtime leads to Oregon, Indiana, Iowa, and Northwestern.

#game #team #iowa #oregon

This really shouldn't be that surprising. The Tigers have one of the better core groups in baseball now, and while their rotation has question marks due to injury and inexperience, it's certainly a pretty talented group with Framber Valdez as the veteran, and Jackson Jobe, Troy Melton, Keider Montero, River Ryan, and Reese Olson lined up behind the veteran lefty. Obviously they need to build a much better bullpen, but this shouldn't really be that hard. We'll see how hard the front office decides to make it.
The Tigers were 14th in run scoring, and 11th in team wRC+ in 2026, despite getting gutted for a good six weeks by a huge wave of injuries from mid-April through May. Max Clark has only just arrived, while Hao-Yu Lee and Eduardo Valencia broke out with the bats in the second half. They still have plenty of young hitting talent coming behind them as well. They were also 6th best in team ERA and 10th best in team fielding independent pitching (FIP). The defense got better as Clark and other young outfielders were added to the mix. It would really help that cause if John Peck can insert himself into the mix next year.
The Brewers are number one on the power rankings, as you'd expect. The Dodgers and Yankees check in second and third. The Rays, Red Sox, and Braves round out the 4-6 slots, with the Tigers in seventh.
Here is ESPN's argument for the Tigers in 2027.
1. Their plus-71 run differential was fourth in the AL, not that far behind the Rays (plus-86) or Red Sox (plus-78), and that's a positive indicator for the following season.

#rays #veteran