The Detroit Red Wings are moving forward without Dylan Larkin, and two of the team's biggest stars have made it clear that the remaining players aren't going to let the controversy derail their season.
Following Thursday night's emotional 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, Moritz Seider and Alex DeBrincat spoke about the challenges facing Detroit after Larkin informed the organization he would no longer play while awaiting a trade.
And while neither player dismissed what Larkin has meant to the franchise, both emphasized the importance of having players who are committed to the team.
Their comments offered an interesting glimpse into a locker room suddenly facing life without its former captain.
Oct 24, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (53) against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

#larkin #wings #seider

The Detroit Red Wings have spent months answering questions about Dylan Larkin. Following Thursday night's victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, head coach Todd McLellan made it clear that he's ready to talk about something else.
Winning hockey games.
Just hours after the organization officially suspended Larkin without pay, the Red Wings delivered an impressive 4-1 victory at Little Caesars Arena.
And afterward, McLellan had a message that should tell everyone exactly where his priorities stand.
Oct 24, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan on his bench against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

#detroit #larkin #calgary

Angelique S. Chengelis, Connor Earegood, John Niyo, and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News predict the outcome of Saturday's Michigan-Rutgers game at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey (12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network/94.7 FM).
▶ Angelique S. Chengelis: Rutgers coach Greg Schiano has always been tied to defense, but the Scarlet Knights have struggled defensively this season and ranks 128th in scoring. That could make this the "get-right" game for Michigan's offense, which is sorely in need of a confidence-building performance, especially from the run game and offensive line. Michigan's No. 3-ranked defense likely won't have the challenge it was expecting now that Rutgers QB Dylan Lonergan has been ruled out. He left last week's game at Northwestern in the first quarter because of a hit to the head and backup AJ Surace has struggled with six touchdowns against five interceptions this season. Michigan's defensive backs were expected to have their hands full facing 6-foot-6 receiver KJ Duff, but he is "doubtful" for the game, according to the Big Ten availability report. Pick: Michigan, 31-10
▶ Connor Earegood: Rejoice, Jason Beck. You're going to save your job this week. This Michigan offense may be wasting one of the nation's best defenses, but it will get an important tune-up against Rutgers. You know, the Rutgers team that lost to UMass, which is 1-3 in Mid-American Conference play. Oh, Rutgahs. Its availability report suggests some key starters will not play. Its starting QB is hurt, its star receiver is doubtful. A one-read quarterback could probably pick its defense apart at full strength. That's a good opponent for a true freshman in Tommy Carr to face in his second career start, after the **** er of the unknown wore off last week and showed you that maybe, just maybe, it isn't the guy under center who's the problem but rather the guy calling his plays. If Beck takes some inspiration from the Michigan Stadium videoboard and runs the ball between the tackles from time to time, Michigan should roll to an easy win. If it's another stinker, it will make for an interesting crowd in next week's rivalry game. Pick: Michigan, 34-7
▶ John Niyo: If Rutgers can't cure Michigan's offensive woes, nothing will. Greg Schiano's days appear numbered in Piscataway, and the statistical numbers make it obvious why: Rutgers ranks 128th nationally in scoring defense and has given up 161 points in four Big Ten games thus far. Of course, that's more points than the Wolverines have scored in seven games this season. But this defense should be the cure Michigan's inefficient run game needs, and no matter who's playing quarterback, there'll be opportunities to create explosive plays in the pass game. In four Big Ten games, Rutgers already has given up 15 plays of 30-plus yards. Pick: Michigan, 34-16
▶ Bob Wojnowski: There's no such thing as a breather for the Wolverines, with six of their seven games decided on the final possession. Last week's OT loss to Indiana wa

DETROIT — There was a lot going on Thursday in Detroit.
Let's start where it ended: The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Red Wings 4-1 at Little Caesars Arena in their ugliest performance of the season.
The Hawks fell to 0-5 on the road and 4-9-0 overall and cap their two-game trip against the 9-4-1 Boston Bruins on Saturday in a Halloween matinee. It was their fifth straight game scoring two goals or fewer.
But the chaos of the day started hours earlier when Red Wings coach Todd McLellan announced that center Dylan Larkin would not play.
Larkin had told the Red Wings he no longer wanted to play for the organization and reiterated his trade demand. The team suspended him without pay Thursday, costing him $41,000 per day in salary and drawing ire from Red Wings fans who already were upset with the former captain.

#detroit #thursday #play

DETROIT (AP) — Viktor Arvidsson scored his sixth career hat trick and added an ***** ist as the Detroit Red Wings overcame the suspension of former captain Dylan Larkin with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
The third four-point game of Arvidsson's career gave Detroit a 5-1-1 record over its last seven games. Lucas Raymond added a power-play goal and Alex DeBrincat had two ***** ists. John Gibson made 18 saves, including one on Frank Nazar's second-period penalty shot.
Connor Bedard scored for the Blackhawks, who are 0-5 on the road this season. Spencer Knight stopped 25 shots.
The Red Wings suspended Larkin without pay prior to the game. Larkin, who requested a trade during the offseason, through his agent said would no longer play for the organization. Larkin has two goals and six ***** ists in 10 games this season, including the tying goal during a shootout victory at Edmonton on Monday.
Bedard scored at 5:59 of the first period, backhanding a rebound of Wyatt Kaiser's shot. After the Red Wings wasted three power plays, they scored at even strength to tie it. Arvidsson deflected William Wallinder's shot from the point past Knight at 7:31 of the second period.

#shot #arvidsson #bedard

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Pontus Holmberg set a career high with four points on a goal and three ******* ists, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and two ******* ists, and the Tampa Bay Lightning remain unbeaten at home with a 6-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
Brayden Point, John Carlson and Conor Geekie all scored for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 shots.
The Lightning improved to 6-0 at home to tie a franchise record to start a season.
Neil Pionk, playing his 600th game, scored twice. Kyle Connor and Dylan Samberg also scored for the Jets and Mark Scheilffele had three ******* ists.
Stuart Skinner allowed five goals on 21 shots before being replaced by Nico Daws to start the third period. Daws finished with nine saves in his Winnipeg debut.

#daws #goal

Detroit Red Wings star Dylan Larkin, frustrated with the lack of progress on his trade request, is taking the Connor **** ebuyck playbook.
Larkin reported to training camp while waiting for the Red Wings to pull off a deal. **** ebuyck didn't show up and was suspended by the Winnipeg Jets.
The award-winning goalie and fellow U.S. Olympian was the first of the two to be traded, heading to the New Jersey Devils for a big haul. Now Larkin says he won't play.
"All I can say is that Dylan's had enough of the situation," Larkin's agent, Pat Brisson, told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Thursday.
The "disappointed" Red Wings have suspended Larkin without pay, interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said.

#wings #suspended #winnipeg

One ESPN ****** yst claims to have some insight on the biggest story surrounding the Detroit Red Wings.
In an episode of the Frankly Hockey podcast featuring NHL ****** ysts John Buccigross and Frank Seravalli published on Friday, Oct. 16, Buccigross said he had information that indicated the Red Wings will soon be making a blockbuster deal.
"I think there's going to be a trade within seven to 10 days in Detroit," he said.
Seravalli then asked Buccigross to confirm that he was talking about disgruntled star Dylan Larkin, to which Buccigross said yes, "that's coming."
Larkin's trade request became public knowledge on June 4, with the native Michigander having played a big role on the Red Wings since his rookie season in 2015-16. About a month after the news broke, the Red Wings parted ways with longtime general manager Steve Yzerman and named Shawn Horcoff the interim GM on Sept. 15.

#john

CLEVELAND — A pivotal ALCS Game 5 that looked on paper like a premium pitchers' duel dissolved into something much different on Sunday, as the Tampa Bay Rays took down the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 at Progressive Field to move within one win of a World Series berth. While the final score suggests a closely contested ballgame, the tale of the two starting pitchers tells otherwise.
When the AL Cy Young Award is announced next month, it's a safe bet that Yankees ace Cam Schlittler will take home the honor. Toronto's Dylan Cease appears to be the likeliest runner-up. Beyond that, both Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen and Guardians rookie lefty Parker Messick have a strong case to be the third finalist, based on their fantastic regular seasons. Rasmussen ranked third in fWAR (5.0) and fourth in ERA (2.67) behind Schlittler and Cease; Messick ranked fourth in fWAR (4.9) and third in ERA (2.56).
These were the starting pitchers for Game 5 on Sunday. Rasmussen had tossed six innings of two-run ball in Game 1 — but in a Rays loss. Messick covered five innings and allowed three runs in Game 2 — but in a Guardians loss. With the series tied at two games apiece, Sunday's contest gave each frontline arm the tantalizing chance to push his club closer to the American League pennant.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Basketball league for the 2026-27 NBA season
For neutral observers hoping for maximum October drama, the blueprint for a best-case clash could be found in July, when Rasmussen and Messick traded blows in a 1-0 Rays victory at Tropicana Field. In that one, Messick allowed the lone run across 7 ⅔ innings while Rasmussen yielded just one hit across seven shutout frames. If a similar game were on tap Sunday — this time with supremely elevated stakes — that would mean a timely hit or two would be required to seize a narrow victory. But such visions of a repeat nailbiter enforced by these elite starters were quashed in a hurry.

#messick #rays #Guardians

Catherine Zeta-Jones just wants to put her feet up at home, and her husband's memoir can wait!
The Hollywood star revealed that she is yet to read Michael Douglas' recently released memoir, ****** led "One ****** uva Ride." She said her demanding, tight work schedule is the main reason she hasn't read the book.
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas first crossed paths in 1998 at the Deauville Film Festival. They got married at New York's Plaza Hotel in 2000. Their 25-year marriage brought them two children, Dylan and Carys.
Fred Duval/MEGA
The Welsh actress opened up about her schedule during the Thursday, October 8, 2026, episode of Today with host Willie Geist. The 57-year-old star revealed she recently finished filming "Wednesday" season 3 after spending seven months shooting in Dublin.

#douglas #revealed

Michael Douglas says he never gave up hope that he and Catherine Zeta-Jones would reconcile during their 2013 separation.
The actor revisits the break in One ******* uva Ride, released October 6th by Grand Central Publishing.
"She's my wife, my best friend, and my life partner. I could never lose her," Douglas writes in a passage published by Entertainment Weekly.
He describes the decision to spend time apart as one they made together while still loving each other. They wanted to work out whether remaining married was the best choice for their whole family.
After returning from a vacation and having a heart-to-heart with Zeta-Jones, Douglas moved out of the family home. He rented another place nearby so he could remain close to their children, Dylan and Carys.

#douglas

Hollywood star Michael Douglas says his marriage to Welsh actor Catherine Zeta-Jones is "in good shape", as he reflects on their nearly 30-year relationship.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Douglas recalled meeting Zeta-Jones, when he was 53 and she was 28, at the 1998 Deauville film festival, and telling her: "I'm going to be the father of your children."
The Oscar-winning couple were married at a star-studded ceremony at the Plaza Hotel in New York in 2000 and share two children, Dylan, now 26, and Carys, 23.
They separated briefly in 2013, but Douglas, star of hit 1980s films such as Wall Street and Fatal Attraction, claimed he "never gave up hope that we would reconcile".
"Marriage is a lot of work, you know," the 82-year-old told the Sunday Times.

#sunday

Gypsy Rose Blanchard's partner, Ken Urker, has died at the age of 34, a Louisiana sheriff said.
An investigation into his death is underway. Capt. Brennan Matherne of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office told CBS News that there are no signs of foul play. TMZ was first to report the news.
According to police records, Gypsy Rose Blanchard's half-brother and his wife, Dylan and Anita Blanchard, went to Urker's home and attempted to gain access to it. After failing to do so, Anita called the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office and requested a wellness check. She said that Urker was in a "dark place," owned a gun and had threatened suicide, according to the records. Officers were dispatched to the home around 6:15 p.m. on Thursday.
Anita told police that Dylan had knocked at the home's door for an hour with no response. Police said Dylan and another person, Justin Daigle, were eventually able to enter the home through an unlocked bedroom window. Daigle said that he touched Urker's body and realized he was cold and not breathing.
When police arrived on the scene, they found Urker dead in his bed. He "appeared to have been there for an extended period of time," police noted, with the report mentioning his face and arms had turned blue.

#urker #home

Ken Urker, who dated the controversial figure Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, has died, the Lafourche Sheriff's Office confirmed Thursday evening. He was 34.
In a statement to media, the sheriff's office shared that officers "responded to a residence at 107 Double H Drive, Lot 4, in Raceland today after receiving a call at 6:15 p.m.," adding, "Kenan Urker, 34, was found dead upon arrival. At this time, we are continuing the death investigation."
A cause of death was not immediately shared. However, it has been reported that Urker died on his birthday. Blanchard had reportedly reached out to Urker on Thursday to send a "happy birthday" message, but did not hear back. It's said Blanchard's brother, Dylan, and his wife found an unresponsive Urker, as they planned to go out to dinner together.
Blanchard, who was portrayed by actress Joey King in Hulu's miniseries "The Act," issued the following statement to TMZ on Urker's death: "Ken was an amazing father and a man who was deeply loved. [He] will forever be my soulmate and my red string, a connection that time, distance, and even death can never erase."
As Blanchard went on, she noted that Urker faced an "unimaginable level of public scrutiny" and "relentless cyberbullying" online. "The cruelty directed toward him was something no human being should have to endure," she added.

#office

Ken Urker, ex-fiancée of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, died on Thursday, Oct. 1. He was 33 years old.
Urker was found unresponsive on Thursday in his Louisiana home, where Blanchard's brother, Dylan, found him before contacting authorities, TMZ reported.
A cause of death has not been confirmed. Urker died on the day of his 33rd birthday.
According to TMZ, Blanchard texted Urker the day he died, wishing him a "Happy Birthday." Sources told the outlet Blanchard didn't receive a response. Sources also told TMZ that Blanchard and Urker's family are in shock over his death.
Urker and Blanchard share one daughter, Aurora Raina Urker, whom they welcomed in December 2024. The former couple quietly engaged in October 2018 while Blanchard was incarcerated for the second-degree murder of her mom, Clauddine "DeeDee" Blanchard, Us Weekly reported.

#died

Catherine Zeta-Jones described what a perfect day off looks like for her and husband Michael Douglas in a new interview
Zeta-Jones and Douglas met in 1998 and married in 2000; they share son Dylan, 26, and daughter Carys, 23
Zeta-Jones will next appear on the big screen in December's The Gallerist, on top of her new AMC+ series Kill Jackie
Catherine Zeta-Jones is sharing what her ideal day with her husband of nearly 26 years, Michael Douglas, looks like.
"Well, we always say we should get out more. We've been historic homebodies," Zeta-Jones, 57, told AARP Movies for Grownups in a new interview published Wednesday, Sept. 30, when asked what an ideal date night for her and Douglas, 82, looks like. "We're big sports fans. So if there's a game on, we're watching it. I mean, every sport. I only follow baseball when the World Series starts to get going. I get really into it."

#catherine #michael #series

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas gave their children a candid introduction to Hollywood before Dylan and Carys pursued careers in entertainment. The actress says they shared the industry's "horror stories" to see whether their children's enthusiasm would hold up against its less glamorous realities. But theater camps, college productions and auditions kept calling. Now, Zeta-Jones is watching both children pursue the work they love, while finding a stronger voice of her own at 57.
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA
In an interview with AARP Movies for Grownups, Zeta-Jones explained how she and Douglas approached their children's interest in following them into show business. "We told them all the [Hollywood] horror stories to see if their passion for the art and the craft was genuine," she said.
Zeta-Jones also acknowledged how challenging it can be to build a sustainable career in entertainment. "It's a very small percentage of our business that can really make a living out of doing what we love. But they certainly do love it," the actress said.
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA

#love

As you may have heard, Pete Alonso returned with his new team to Citi Field tonight, and the Mets lost to the Orioles 2-1. Although Jonah Tong pitched admirably, the Mets could not capitalize on their six hits and left nine runners on base.
After Jonah Tong struck out Dylan Beavers to lead off the first inning, Alonso stepped up to thunderous applause, cheers, and chants of his name. He flied out to Carson Benge in right field, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd. Tong then retired Gunnar Henderson as well for a 1-2-3 start to his day. In the bottom of the inning, Francisco Lindor walked to lead off, but Juan Soto popped out, and Bo Bichette grounded into a double play for the second and third outs to end the inning.
At the top of the second inning, Jackson Holliday looped a one-out single into right field. He reached second on a passed ball by Francisco Alvarez, which had popped out of Alvarez's glove. It proved costly when Heston Kjerstad drilled a double into right field past Brett Baty. The ball made a weird hop past Baty, and Holliday scored the first run of the game. When the Mets came to bat in the second, they loaded the bases with two outs. Marcus Semien drilled a single down the left-field line, and then A.J. Ewing and Baty walked. Unfortunately, they were all stranded when Alvarez struck out on a foul tip for the third out, and the second inning ended with the score Orioles 1, Mets 0.
Alonso drew a two-out walk in the third inning, but was stranded there when Tong struck out Henderson. At the bottom of the third, Juan Soto smacked a one-out single into right field. Benge sneaked a single past third base, but both runners were again stranded when Jared Young grounded out for the third out. At the top of the fourth inning, Holliday hit a ground ball straight to Semien, but Semien could not get it out of his glove in a timely manner, and Holliday made it to first base safely. He was stranded as well, though. At the bottom of the inning, Ewing drilled a home run into right field. Alvarez smacked a ground ball to third base that Coby Mayo initially fielded but bobbled, allowing Alvarez to reach base safely on an infield hit. However, he was also stranded when Lindor struck out, leaving the score Mets 1, Orioles 1, at the end of the fourth inning.
To lead off the fifth inning, Colton Cowser hit a single that Semien knocked down but couldn't get to first base in time. The next three batters went down in order. Soto walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth and, with two outs, stole second base. Young also drew a walk, but Semien grounded out to end the rally attempt there. Tong came back out for the top of the sixth inning and only needed six pitches to retire the three batters he saw. Josh Walker replaced Brandon Young for the Orioles at the bottom of the sixth, and he also worked a 1-2-3 inning. The score remained 1-1.

#field

The Montreal Canadiens still have one major problem if they want to pursue Dylan Larkin: the Detroit Red Wings center has not approved Montreal as a trade destination.
That has not stopped an intriguing Canadiens prospect from entering the conversation.
TVA Sports reporter Nicolas Cloutier recently pointed to Michael Hage, Montreal's 2024 first-round pick, as a player Detroit knows particularly well and would have interest in. Hage plays at the University of Michigan, putting him directly in the Red Wings' scouting backyard. He also has an unusual connection to Detroit's front office through Michigan teammate Will Horcoff, the son of Red Wings executive Shawn Horcoff.
Cloutier said he is convinced Detroit knows Hage well and believes the Red Wings would be interested in him, according to a report relaying his comments on BPM Sports.
That does not mean Hage has been offered for Larkin or that the teams are actively negotiating.

#wings #canadiens #sports #horcoff

SPRINGFIELD — Missouri State secured its first win of the season with a 48-14 drubbing over FCS Lindenwood on Saturday, Sept. 12. In the win, the Bears still suffered some key injuries.
During head coach Casey Woods' press conference, he gave an update on the health of his roster on Monday, Sept. 14.
Linebacker Dylan Dixson is set to undergo neck surgery and will miss the season. Dixson did not feature against Lindenwood. His injury did not stem from one particular play, according to Woods.
"I hate that for him and it's something that we will have to fight through," Woods said. "Dylan has had kind of a lingering issue. We did some more research on it and felt like this was the time to correct it."
Missouri State football: Bears retire Dennis Heim's No. 71: 'It blows my mind'

#sept #bears #dylan #springfield

Catherine Zeta-Jones spoke out against the "nepo baby" label, calling it "horrific" and saying her children "didn't ask to be born into this." The actress has two children, Dylan Douglas, 26, and Carys Zeta Douglas, 23, with her husband, Michael Douglas, who are pursuing their own acting careers.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, the 56-year-old Welsh actress said, "They're plugging away," adding, "My daughter wanted to be Amal Clooney for a while. But you have to go with your dreams, your passion."
The actress, known for her roles in The Mask of Zorro and Chicago, said, "It's hard for them to forge a way forward on their own. This horrific phrase 'nepo baby' is horrible because these kids didn't ask to be born into this; they're finding their own way in life. But they love it, and they're good. Otherwise, Michael and I would be the first to go, 'You know what? Maybe law school looks really good.'"
Catherine got her first major break in 1987 when she joined the West End production of 42nd Street. She went on to achieve widespread recognition in the UK after joining the cast of The Darling Buds of May in 1991.
The actress told the outlet, "Until I had my own kids, I didn't realise the pressure, how big that was for a young adult – well, a teenager." She added, "I had a sniff of the joy of being in the theatre so young. I went, 'I want to do this. I can't imagine going through school and A-levels in Swansea.'"

#didn 't #michael

Catherine Zeta-Jones is not a fan of the term "nepo baby"
The Wednesday actress chatted with The Sunday Times about everything from her new thriller Kill Jackie and her career to her family life and decades-long marriage with Michael Douglas
Elsewhere in the conversation, she shares her feelings on the phrase "nepo baby," calling it "horrible"
Catherine Zeta-Jones is not a fan of the term "nepo baby."
The Wednesday actress, 56, chatted with The Sunday Times about everything from her new thriller Kill Jackie and her career to her family life and decades-long marriage to Michael Douglas. During the conversation, she opened up about how her two now-adult kids, Carys, 22, and Dylan, 25, are "plugging away" as they work in the family business.

#zeta #sunday

Catherine Zeta-Jones is not a fan of the label "nepo baby." In fact, she loathes it.
The Oscar-winning actress branded the term "horrific" in an interview with The Times of Britain, saying that her children Dylan, 26, and Carys, 23 – whom she shares with husband Michael Douglas – are working hard to carve out their own paths in the entertainment industry, despite having globally famous parents.
"It's hard for them to forge a way forward on their own," the 56-year-old told the newspaper, as she attempted to defend their respective acting careers, noting that they were both "plugging away."
"This horrific phrase 'nepo baby' is horrible because these kids didn't ask to be born into this, they're finding their own way in life," she said. Son Dylan is pursuing a career in acting, while daughter Carys is an aspiring director.
The buzzword "nepo baby" is short for nepotism, the practice of favoring friends and family members for job roles. The label has long sparked debate in Hollywood and beyond, with some angrily calling out the offspring of famous celebrities, claiming they have been handed their careers on a platter and that they are undeserving of fame and fortune.

#label #horrific #hard #acting

Regular readers know that I've followed one of the great Cy Young horse races in recent memory, with Cam Schlittler going great start-for-great start with the Blue Jays' Dylan Cease. We got a little bit of separation this week, as the Athletics touched up Cease for four runs in five innings on Monday, and then Schlittler allowed just a solo shot in seven frames against the Rockies on Tuesday. Cam has crept just ahead by fWAR, enjoys a considerable lead in bWAR, and right now I think would end up at the top of most voters' ballots.
But something struck me in the aftermath of Cam's night against Colorado, the same night that Aaron Judge returned to the lineup. Cam Schlittler isn't just the Cy Young favorite, but he's built himself an MVP case. No pitcher has won the award since Clayton Kershaw for the 2014 Dodgers, and the last AL winner was 2011 Justin Verlander. Yordan Alvarez is in the hunt for the first Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera, Bobby Witt Jr. is probably the best overall player in the league, and if Junior Caminero tops the AL in home runs and plays on the Junior Circuit's best team, he probably gets his share of votes too.
And yet here's the thing: Cam stacks up fairly against all three of them!
Let's take Yordan, who I think has the inside track on the award right now. Schlittler's 0.1 fWAR back, a difference that is literally negligible, and more than three-quarters of a win better by bWAR. Alvarez's candidacy is based around the Triple Crown, probably being the best hitter in baseball, and dragging what we thought was a finally-deflated Houston Astros team to a division ****** le. ****** py AL West or not, that is exactly the blueprint for an MVP, if one for a slightly older voter.
Should Alvarez not win the Triple Crown, he loses a bit of his case, though he's likely still the best hitter in the game on a division winner, one who will have played in the neighborhood of 155 games. That's the big thing both undercutting Witt's MVP claim while bolstering his position as best all-around player — the Kansas City shortstop has only played 128 games at time of writing, yet leads the league in fWAR and bWAR among position players. With a solid-but-not-spectacular 18 homers and 124 wRC+, the parts of his game beyond hitting are doing the heavy lifting there as well. All that and the fact that the Royals are so bad work against him when it comes to end of season awards though, and Bobby seems cursed to be the Dave Stieb of shortstops.

#schlittler #young #cease

In two weeks, USC faces Oregon in the Trojans' game of the year, the one which will shape the rest of their season. Oregon's outlook after the Boise State game is marked by concern and optimism. The concern comes from how poorly the Ducks played. The optimism comes from being able to win in spite of the below-par performance. Ducks Wire noted the good and bad performers from the game. Here are one of each:
Ducks Wire liked what it saw from linebacker Dylan Williams:
"The biggest riser on the defense in my mind was linebacker Dylan Williams, who played a huge role in this game, stepping up alongside Jerry Mixon and Devon Jackson in that linebacker room. While his stats don't jump off the page, Williams was flying around the field and had a huge impact on this game, earning some high praise from Dan Lanning when all was said and done. Expect to see a lot more of Williams this year."
Ducks Wire did not like what kick returner Evan Stewart brought to the table:
"As a wide receiver, Evan Stewart was great on Saturday, with eight catches for 72 yards. As a punt returner, though, Stewart left a bit to be desired. He had a trio of mistakes: a fair catch at the 3-yard line and two ****** ed punts, one of which was recovered by Boise State. In the end, Oregon was still able to get the win, and Lanning expressed support of Stewart after the game, but it's clear that this operation needs to clean up going forward for the Ducks, or we may see someone else back there in the return game."

#game #stewart #oregon #dylan

Orioles 7 Jays 4
This one couldn't have gone much worse.
Dylan Beavers homered on the second pitch of the game.
Then, in the bottom of the first, the Jays had two on and one out, and Vladimir Guerrero was picked off first—just bad baseball. With a runner on second, he wasn't going anywhere. It looked like the Orioles put a play on: pitch low and outside to the right-handed-hitting Alejandro Kirk and catch Samuel Basallo throws straight to first. Vlad was out, and it wasn't close.
The second inning was even worse. The Orioles started the inning with four straight singles (2-0). Then a double (4-0). And another single (6-0). After that, Max Scherzer got the next 12 outs without giving up a hit. Barn doors and horse.

#second #straight #inning

3 burning Senators questions entering 2026-27 NHL season appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Ottawa Senators had a lot of change happen this offseason. It seemed as if things would operate as normal until a few days before the NHL Draft. Then, the Senators traded Brady Tkachuk in a stunning blockbuster deal with the Florida Panthers.
Tkachuk trade rumors weren't anything new, to be fair. There was once a midseason report about a trade to the New York Rangers that had to be shot down, for instance. What was different here was that there was no real speculation. It wasn't like the Dylan Larkin situation, where a trade was requested publicly.
But a trade was requested behind the scenes, and things were kept quiet until the trade went down. The Senators moved on from their captain and are officially entering a new era of their franchise. What that looks like remains to be seen for now.
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#senators #clutchpoints

The Oregon Ducks' defense hasn't received much kudos this week after allowing the Boise State Broncos to score 27 points on them in Week 1, including multiple 70-plus yard scoring drives. While the standard wasn't met as a collective with blue-chippers lining every position, defensive tackle Bear Alexander's performance was a different story.
Facing an underrated Broncos rushing attack headed by Dylan Riley (1,125 yards, 10 touchdowns in 2025) and Sire Gaines (811 yards, eight touchdowns), the Ducks were going to be tested up front to begin the season. And, especially in the second half, there were moments where the Boise State run game was successful in churning out positive gains. But by game's end, they'd ran for just 93 yards on 26 carries, good for just 2.6 yards per pop.
Alexander answered the call, totaling eight tackles including a sack of quarterback Maddux Madsen. There were moments of the second-year Oregon starter simply discarding Boise State's center and guards before swallowing up Riley or Gaines near the line of scrimmage.
The performance of Alexander caught the eye of The Athletic NFL draft ***** yst Dane Brugler, who dove into the Week 1 tape and made a strong claim about the defensive tackle's draft stock.
"At 6-3 and 311 pounds with 34-inch arms and 10 1/8-inch hands, Alexander is a physical presence in the trenches who can shred blocks or hold his ground versus double teams," Brugler wrote. "A former top recruit, he had stops at Georgia and USC before transferring to Oregon, where he is realizing his potential. With his size and ability, Alexander started his senior season as a top-100 prospect and is competing to be in the top-50 conversation."

#boise #week #riley

We are coming down to the end of this thing. The Orioles still have a remote possibility of doing something fun, a decent possibility of doing something moderately interesting, and also a decent possibility of the wheels just coming off the wagon, like you tried to ford that shallow river in Oregon Trail and all that happened is you got stuck in the muddy water so you lost who knows how many days of travel while you tried to fix things, and winter is coming and you're running out of food, and the next person who plays the game is going to find your tombstone.
Sorry, where was I? There are 15 games left in the 2026 Orioles season. They probably need to go 12-3 over those 15 games. Maybe, if they're lucky, they can get away with 11-4. Which is to say that they have fewer than one hand's fingers worth of games that they can lose for the remainder of the season. Six of those games will be played against the Blue Jays, starting with this three-game series that begins tonight.
That's part of what gives the Orioles some slim hope, because that gives them the opportunity to pull back games directly against one of the three teams that they need to pass to get into the last AL wild card spot. If they are able to go 4-2 against Toronto, they take back the two games deficit to the Jays and they get the head-to-head tiebreaker. That might not be good enough; there's still the Guardians and Rangers to consider. Maybe they need 5-1, in which case, if they lose tonight, they're really screwed and needing to run the table here.
It's improbable! It's not impossible. All they have to do is play as good as they have played for short amounts of this season, and then do that for two and a half weeks instead of doing it for three games before taking a trip back to Stinkville.
Dylan Beavers – LF

#possibility #need #back

The Nats have been a chore to watch the last month and a half. We really saw that on display during an 0-6 west coast trip. Many of the games were close, but the Nats consistently found ways to lose. That is just what they have been doing lately. Hopefully that can change at home against the Angels.
With a lefty on the mound, Daylen Lile is actually out of the lineup. The outfield will be Dylan Crews, Jacob Young and James Wood. Andres Chaparro will get the DH duties, with Yohandy Morales at first base. With Nasim Nunez on the bereavement list, CJ Abrams will be at shortstop. Harry Ford will do the catching in this one. Nats ace Cade Cavalli will look to snap the losing streak.
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