Angry WNBA fans have called out the league over a fake $30 fine.
The Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries choosing to stay on the court during the national anthem in Game 1 of the 2026 WNBA Finals has made bigger headlines than the matchup itself.
Many have described this as disrespectful towards the US, and fans want both teams to be punished before Game 2.
An X handle took advantage of this and claimed that the WNBA has allegedly fined the Dream and Valkyries $30 each for their actions.
The viral fake post on X was posted by 'Fever Updates.' A handle notorious for spreading fake news, and it seems succeeded in doing so this time around.

#dream #golden

The Los Angeles Rams gave away replica Super Bowl Championship rings ahead of their game against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 18.
The giveaway was meant to honor the five-year anniversary of the 2021 Super Bowl championship season, but the fake rings may have been symbolic of Sunday's game – given away by a team that was considered Super Bowl favorites before the start of the season.
The Rams fell to 2-4 on the season, with two of those losses coming in the span of the last seven days. Coach Sean McVay and the Rams dropped an NFC West game 18-16 Sunday after the Cardinals made a field goal as time expired.
While the Rams aren't deserving of the status as Super Bowl favorites anymore, the team proved that it could still hang around with a championship-quality team such as the Buffalo Bills. Los Angeles lost a close game to start the week against the Buffalo Bills, 37-34, in overtime on Monday Night Football.
Here's where things are going wrong for the Rams after the first six games:

#bowl #game #cardinals

Jessica Chastain cried on command and showed off her sinister "Other Mommy" smile on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," earning praise from the internet Thursday.
The Academy Award-winning actress taught the late-night host and his audience how she crafted the creepy smile for her upcoming horror film. She shared that the trick was to hold tension in her body while plastering on a fake smile.
Chastain shook slightly as she locked into the expression, dropping a single tear as she stared down the camera lens.
"You just spurted out that tear with no problem like that?" the late night host asked.
"I'm a trained actress, Jimmy," she replied.

#chastain

October 8, 2026 / 5:00 AM EDT / KFF Health News
The U.S. Senate candidates in Texas could hardly be more different: James Talarico, a former seminarian turned Democratic state lawmaker who speaks in calm cadences about love and empathy, and Ken Paxton, the pugnacious Republican state attorney general who speaks about a refusal to compromise.
They share an enemy, though. They dislike social media's effects on children's mental health. Talarico, who did not respond to a request for comment, has endorsed a social media ban for kids under 16, while denouncing "predatory algorithms that divide us on an hourly, daily basis." As a legislator, he co-authored a bill targeting explicit deepfakes — digital imitations of individuals that are often made or manipulated by artificial intelligence and used for harassment on social media.
Paxton has been suing Big Tech, alleging the companies hook youth on their apps or don't restrict sensitive videos from being viewed by kids. "When elected to the U.S. Senate, he will continue his proven record of advancing policies that protect children online, strengthen parental rights, and hold Big Tech accountable when it breaks the law," Paxton campaign spokesperson Madison Cercy said in a statement to KFF Health News.
Youth mental health is in decline. Even as researchers explore what's causing the problem, momentum is gathering among policymakers from both parties to crack down on social media companies. Several major companies are being sued, investigated, and, soon, potentially regulated. That they may be harming kids' mental health is a key reason.

#Social #kids #senate #Tech

Lots of investors keep coming back to dividend stocks for a pretty simple reason: While the market is often busy chasing whatever happens to be hot that week, a growing dividend is something a company actually has to earn. It has to generate the cash to keep paying investors quarter after quarter, year after year.
That makes dividends especially appealing when the market and the economy feel like they're being pulled in every direction. A company can dress up a press release, but it can't fake the cash sitting in its bank account. When it comes time to pay a dividend, the money is either there or it isn't.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ****** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
What interests me most, though, aren't necessarily the big, well-known dividend payers. I'm more interested in the companies flying under the radar that have increased their payouts for decades while also making meaningful changes to their underlying businesses today. These four companies fit that description.
Universal (NYSE: UVV) is the highest yielder here, paying out around 7.4% at recent prices, and it has raised its dividend for 56 consecutive years. This raise makes it a Dividend King, a company that has delivered 50 or more years of annual dividend increases. Universal isn't a cigarette maker, but it is the world's largest leaf tobacco exporter and importer. It supplies tobacco companies rather than selling to smokers directly, which is why it rarely shows up in articles about tobacco stocks.

#market

A man who has dedicated his life to raising money for children with life-limiting conditions was left stunned when Tom Cruise walked in during a fake interview.
Lloyd Kembrey, 30, from Bristol, travelled to London believing he was filming a documentary about fundraising, only to be surprised by the actor, who congratulated him on his extreme fundraising challenges.
Cruise said at the meeting, which was staged by the One Show: "I'm here to give you one big thank you. I've done a lot of wild things and stunts, but when I heard about [his] adventure, I just thought, I gotta meet this guy."
Kembrey, who raises money for charity Jessie May, added: "I couldn't believe it. I'm just really grateful."
The trusts' former CEO Daniel Cheesman described Kembrey as a "role model to all of the children and young people that Jessie May supports".

#money #london

The Princess of Wales is always poised, elegant and professional during her royal engagements, and she kept her composure even when subtly asking the press to step backwards as she walked by amid an engagement in Norfolk.
It was in June 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions were still in place, that Kate, who was then the ***** ss of Cambridge, made her first face-to-face public engagement since lockdown began. The royal visited Fakenham Garden Centre near her country home, Anmer Hall, and she was seen holding her hands up to distance herself from the press amid the 'two-meter rule'.
Kate adhered to the two metre rule implemented by the UK government (@ Photo: Getty Images)
She could be heard saying: "Hello, how are you? This is two meters," as she moved slightly away from them and stretched out her hands. She then headed to greet employees of the centre, again at a safe distance.
During the visit, Kate shared that her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, all love visiting garden centres. She also highlighted their enthusiasm for gardening at home, revealing that George enjoys playing with Venus flytraps and that all three children were thrilled to grow tomato plants from seeds, and they grew as tall as the young royals themselves.

#prince #press

Jillian Michaels admitted "a lot of Republicans" come up to her and express how "unhappy" they are with President Donald Trump as she warned the party not to rely on MAGA loyalists in the midterms.
On her Keeping It Real podcast on Friday, Michaels, a fitness trainer who has more recently turned to political commentary, reacted to a recent Fox News interview with musician and Trump supporter Nicki Minaj, who insisted MAGA remains loyal to Trump despite his falling poll numbers — which he has dismissed as fake news.
"They talk about how MAGA is still very loyal to Trump, but MAGA is not a big percentage, a big percentage of the total voting pool, because it's not the entire Republican Party," Michaels said.
She then turned to recent polling breaking down how voters identify with parties and movements.
According to Pew Research Center data, 28% of voters identify as Republicans, 29% identify as Democrats, and 44% identify as independent or something else. Among those independents, 43% lean Republican and 47% lean towards Democrats.

#michaels #republicans #recent

Following the death of Gypsy Rose Blanchard's former fiancé Ken Urker, his sister Autumn Urker is speaking out against the media personality.
Autumn appeared distraught in a TikTok Live from the night of Thursday, October 1, published by TMZ. Ken — who is also father to Gypsy Rose's daughter, Aurora — was found dead in his Louisiana home that day, his 34th birthday.
Breaking down in tears, Autumn accused Gypsy Rose, 35, of going to TMZ to try and "paint a fake narrative that they were engaged." Added Autumn, "No, you all weren't."
While it was widely reported the two got engaged in October 2019, they later split and Gypsy Rose married Ryan Anderson. When that marriage fizzled out, she rekindled her romance with Ken in 2024, welcoming daughter Aurora in December of that same year.
Instagram

#gypsy #rose #october #following

Many senior staff were surprised by the directive, which happened while chief of staff Susie Wiles was out of town.
President Donald Trump takes questions from the media during a press briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on January 20, 2026. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
09/20/2026 12:22 AM GMT+9
Donald Trump reupped his battle with the “FAKE NEWS” media on Truth Social Friday, banning CNN, MSNOW and POLITICO for reporting “LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States,” with “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”

#president #briefing #susie

NEW YORK (AP) — Two major news networks were denied access to the White House on Saturday morning, with reporters from CNN and MS NOW both going live to report they'd been barred following a ban imposed by President Donald Trump.
The actions escalated Trump's long-running efforts to restrict news coverage by journalists he finds objectionable, and is the latest test of First Amendment protections in the United States. Trump said Friday he would ban both organizations and also Politico, because of their coverage — which he called "fake news."
CNN issued a statement saying it stood behind its reporters. "We will not be deflected from our duty to hold the government and other public bodies to account," it said. The statement was shown on the air before senior White House reporter Betsy Klein began to report on her ban.
MS NOW also said in a statement that it stands behind its journalists.
"The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars," the network said in a statement Saturday. "MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy."

#reporters

WASHINGTON – If recent history is the judge, President Donald Trump faces an uncertain legal landscape after his latest attempt to ban certain media outlets from covering him at the White House.
Trump announced in a Sept. 18 social media post that he is banning reporters from three major media outlets – CNN, MS NOW, and Politico – from the White House because he views their coverage as "FAKE NEWS."
Trump later said there wasn't a specific incident or story that prompted him to initiate the ban, which would not preclue the outlets from reporting on the president.
"It's really just ***** ulative stories over the last few years. You get sick of it," he said.
It's not the first time the Trump administration has taken such action against the press.

#House #washington #sept

Meta refused to remove a deepfake ad cloning Clark Howard's face to sell fraudulent insurance, telling him it meets their standards.
Meta earns nearly all of its $59 billion quarterly revenue from ads, giving automated systems little incentive to reject borderline content.
Credit cards are the only payment method offering strong fraud recovery; wire transfers, gift cards, and peer-to-peer payments are virtually unrecoverable.
Read More: Learn 7 secret wealth tips high net worth investors use that most investors miss (sponsor)
On his September 16 podcast, consumer advocate Clark Howard said an AI-generated Facebook ad cloning his face and voice is selling a fraudulent insurance product, and that the platform refuses to take it down.

#clark #face #fraudulent #insurance

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that he was barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House due to what he called unfavorable coverage and "fake news," and threatened that more such media bans could be coming — the latest salvo in the president's increasingly aggressive response to media coverage he finds unfavorable.
Like many of Trump's other confrontations with news organizations — some of which are playing out in the legal arena — this threat has potential First Amendment implications. There was no immediate indication, though, that he was following through.
Trump wrote on his social media site that effective immediately, "I am banning" CNN, MS NOW and Politico "from the White House as a result of their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS!" Minutes later, speaking at an event in the Oval Office, Trump was asked to explain his statement.
"Because they're fake news," he said. "You get so tired of reading and seeing fake news. When you look at CNN, it's just fake. That's why their ratings are no good. When you look at MS NOW … , it's fake news."
"And when you look at Politico ... the stories they wrote are fake. So there's a lot of news and there may be others to join them, and maybe they can get better," he said. "But our country has to have honest news."

#fake #look #House

Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker sets school record in upset over Oregon originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On his very first play in front of the home fans at Boone Pickens Stadium, Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker did something never before seen at the school.
Mestemaker faked a handoff, then took off for a 75-yard run on the Cowboys' first play from scrimmage in a 39-31 upset win over Oregon last Saturday. Oklahoma State sports information confirmed Monday that it was the longest run by a quarterback in school history.
Mestemaker setting the record is a bit of a shock at a school that has boasted prolific runners such as Zac Robinson, Spencer Sanders and J.W. Walsh. It's also surprising because Mestemaker is not known as a runner. In the entire previous season at North Texas, he ran for 89 yards on 57 carries.
That wasn't even his most exciting run of the day. He later scored on a 10-yard touchdown run in which he took off from the 3-yard line, hurdled a defender and was flipped upside down by another before he landed hard on his back in the end zone.

#mestemaker #yard #oregon #upset

Michigan State beat Eastern Michigan 35-7 on Saturday, but the Spartans went into halftime leading only 14-7 after giving up a 13-play, 78-yard touchdown drive to the Eagles in the second quarter. Pat Fitzgerald did not hide his frustration with it afterward, as he mentioned in a Michigan State Spartans press conference video.
"We've got to be better fundamentally in the second quarter. We weren't doing a great job of block destruction, we weren't fitting gaps right," Fitzgerald said. "The play they scored on we practiced. You know, there was a lot of not very happy people on our defensive headphones and defensive staff when we went in at halftime. Should have never happened."
The run defense is mostly to blame for the touchdown drive. Of the Eagles' 78 yards, 67 came on the ground. The touchdown came when Noah Kim faked the handoff to his running back and took it in himself from four yards out without being touched by a defender.
"I thought, you know, Nick (Sheridan) and Joe (Rossi) and LeVar (Woods) were right on at halftime," Fitzgerald said. "By the time I even got up in the locker room after doing a couple interviews on the field, they had already had the things that I expected I was going to say."
Once the Spartans got to halftime, the coaching staff quickly addressed the effort and made sure the players didn't make the easy mistakes that had left the field open for the Eagles. The defense locked in after the break, allowing under 70 yards across Eastern Michigan's four second-half possessions.

#halftime #second

Orioles 3 Jays 7
That was a much better game.
The Jays went up 2-zip in the first. Brett Bateman started the game with a walk, and scored on Vladimir Guerrero's double off the wall. Then Alejandro Kirk singled Vlad home.
And we got three more in the third. Bateman started this inning with a home run. George Springer singled and, an out later, Kirk homered. 5-0 and we could coast.
We got one in the sixth: Josh Smith was hit by pitch and Andrés Giménez doubled him home. We should have scored more that inning, but on a single Giménez rounded third, and, after Orioles third baseman faked a throw to first, tossed to SS Christian Encarnacion-Strand (covering third) and Giménez was tagged out. Not good baserunning, but that seems to be a theme lately.

#game

Megyn Kelly took shots at Sandra Bullock on Thursday for being afraid for her kids' safety because they're Black.
The "Megyn Kelly Show" host went after the "Practical Magic 2" star for comments made during the film's press tour. The actress said she was "uber paranoid" for the safety of her two children – who are both Black – in America right now. Kelly was quick to take issue with that, saying Bullock is feeding into the real problem.
"She has two children, both adopted, I think, from Louisiana. She wants you to believe, just like LeBron James said that Black men are being hunted in the streets of America… that they're being hunted in the streets of America," Kelly said. "She is a low-information voter, obviously, who has bought the lies about police, the false narrative that has besmirched them, defamed them and gotten Black Americans killed, thousands of them. Thousands killed because of fake narratives about the police that caused the police to pull back, especially in underserved communities."
"Minorities wind up dying. Low-income minorities, in particular, wind up dying because crime is unleashed on them by effectively woke white liberals like Sandra Bullock, who pushes false narratives that make her feel better about herself," she continued. "She's going to score points with Hoda [Kotb], but she doesn't give a s–t what happens to the people in Harlem or Downtown Chicago. And trust me when I tell you, her children are not in danger."
Earlier this week, Kotb got teary eyed with Bullock and her co-star Nicole Kidman when she said the star's choice to adopt her children Louis and Laila pushed the "Today" host to make the same decision.

#kelly

Comedian and former professional football player Lou Young is giving his two cents on the fiasco around fake NFL player Daejon Labrayae Love. After Love's arrest for defrauding dozens of women out of over $1 million dollars, social media users flooded platforms with jokes and memes about their "careers" in the football league. In a recent interview with VIBE, Young shared his thoughts on the wild story and how it's made him question his own career choice.
"To actually develop in your mind a lie and say that you're really playing on the team and swindle over a one-point-something million, that's more money than I ever made in the league," he said candidly. "Honestly, I might have been in the wrong profession. I got on the wrong boat. ******* !
"I worked my whole life to put that NFL shield on, and get all the issue gear and ******* . That was like armor. You felt like somebody when you got yours. He just ordered his ******* offline and put it on."
Young also addressed how dozens of women fell for his facade and failed to use common sense before sending money to Love.
"Who's raising [y'all]? We're losing recipes. That's why, as a girl dad," he said. "I'm leading by example. If my daughter ever got swindled by a ******* like Daejon Love, it's going to be ******* to pay for a lot of people because I worked too hard to show her that that is a fraud.

#young #million

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) -- It's time again for the Top 5 Plays Of The Week featuring U-High, Normal West, Normal Community, Central Catholic, and East Peoria.
5. U-High took on Glenwood in football and despite taking the loss Isaiah Jones connected with Daniel Kovalaske on an acrabatic catch.
4. In flag football Normal West quarterback Karina Brown faked a handoff and then passed to Trinity Wynn who scored on an 86 yard catch and run.
3. In volleyball Normal Community took on Moline. In the first set Olivia Gerrietts made a fantastic dig that led to an immediate kill from Evie Mounts. The Iron would win the match in straight sets.
2. Back to the gridiron where Michigan State commit Matthew Brady connected with Crayton Schnierle on an incredible touchdown catch.

#peoria #high #connected

Surprised the Seahawks' top rookie didn't play at all this preseason?
Taken aback that the 22-year-old first-round draft pick the Super Bowl champions are entrusting to replace departed Kenneth Walker as lead running back hasn't played a game since last November, for Notre Dame?
So is Jadarian Price.
He said he expected to play in at least one of the Seahawks' three preseason games last month.
"I was a little bit surprised, yeah," Price said Saturday, before the first practice of his first NFL game week — of any kind, fake season or real.

#first #preseason #game

It wasn't always sunshine for Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams since entering the NFL. Coming off an electric final collegiate season where Williams would tear his ACL in the National Championship game, his professional career in Detroit got off to a slower start than most anticipated. And if you are reading this, you are likely aware of the ****** ps in the road over the course of Williams' first few years in the league.
However, that all feels like a distant memory now. After consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2024 and 2025, Williams had himself one heck of a training camp. Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News wrote a great story on Williams, his ability to spread joy, and how Lions coach Dan Campbell never stopped believing.
"He loves ball, and you can't hide that," said Campbell of his electric wide receiver. "I mean, that's not fake. You don't fake that. I mean, it's just unbridled enthusiasm."
When you watch Williams around the game, whether it's under the bright lights of Ford Field, or in front of a few thousand fans at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, his joy for the game always is on display.
"He always wants the best for me," said Williams of his coach. "Even in my worst situations, he's been there for me, by my side, and never gave up on me." You can read the entire story from Bianchi right here.

#electric

The Gophers did what they were supposed to do against an overmatched FCS opponent on Thursday night, thrashing Eastern Illinois 59-7 at Huntington Bank Stadium to kick off a new season.
Quarterback Drake Lindsey also did what he was supposed to do, completing 19 of 24 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown before exiting the game in the third quarter with a very comfortable lead. With the caveat that it's hard to learn much against an FCS foe, Lindsey's 2026 debut lived up to the NFL buzz he's been getting all offseason.
The Gophers' pro-style offense under Greg Harbaugh Jr. presents a lot of opportunities for Lindsey to make plays that are easy to see translating against much tougher defenses, both in college football and at the next level. What stands out about Lindsey, beyond his obvious size and arm strength, is how smooth he looks when operating from under center and in play action. The ball gets out of his hands in rhythm and zips to his intended target. Most of his completions came at the top of a short drop; Lindsey's average time to throw was just under 2.5 seconds, per PFF.
Perhaps the best example came late in the first quarter, with the Gophers already up 14. Lindsey took the snap, gave a slight play-action fake to draw in the linebackers, and then fired the ball to new wide receiver Noah Jennings in a big void of ****** e over the middle of the field. It was an easy 28-yard gain.
Eastern Illinois caveat, but Drake Lindsey has had a good start to the season. Several strong under center plays. https://t.co/anP2ZiunD8

#lindsey #season

INDIANAPOLIS — Ball State's new starting quarterback, 5-10, 250-pound Keldric ****** er, has gained national attention for his size, but on Tuesday, online betting platform Polymarket posted what the football program says was a photoshopped image of ****** er, which majorly bloated his appearance.
The fake photo of ****** er on X resulted in backlash with people calling out Polymarket for the deception. Polymarket has since deleted the post. IndyStar reached out to the company, which describes itself as "the world's largest prediction market platform for real-time global events," but did not receive a response.
This is the company that ON3 got in bed with Fyi pic.twitter.com/Or3dAXzBJp
While ****** er and the Ball State football program declined to comment on the photo, Kevin Messenger, Ball State's ****** istant athletic director of communications, didn't mince words on social media.
"PolymarketBlitz your photoshop is a degrading, false, bullsh** representation of college football. Meet the real Keldric ****** er."

#luster #program

Alix Earle addressed her feud with Alex Cooper and threw some shade over her "canceled" show while attending the premiere of her upcoming Netflix series, Earle Meets World, on Sept. 2
Their public feud dates back to April 13, when Cooper called out Earle for starting "fake drama" and creating a "fake narrative" after the Dancing with the Stars finalist reposted a video of another creator bashing Cooper
The Call Her Daddy host took to social media again on April 15, debunking rumors that the feud was a "PR stunt"
Alix Earle and Alex Cooper's feud continues.
On Wednesday, Sept. 1, Earle, 25, made a pointed comment when asked about her long-running rift with the 32-year-old media personality at the premiere of her new reality series, Earle Meets World.

#earle #feud #sept #april

Farrah Abraham was not bluffing when she announced her run for city council in Austin, Texas. The former Teen Mom star was spotted attending her first meeting ahead of the November election.
"I'm Farrah Abraham running for District 5. So please support. I appreciate your vote and I am an advocacy for action," Abraham, 35, can be heard saying in the video from the meeting, which she shared via Instagram on Tuesday, September 1. "So I look forward to hearing everyone's concerns, figuring out the best touch point pipeline in getting that done. Thank you."
The 16 and Pregnant alum captioned her post, "It's true, I'm here. Farrah Abraham running for City Council District 5 is officially on my 2026 bingo card. Here we are, it just got reality star real and transparent against the fake news reports and other upset candidates."
Instagram/Farrah Abraham
Abraham — who first moved to the Texas capital in 2013 — added, "Who knew I was born for this with my mom taking me to city council meetings since age 5 and her being president of the historical preservation alliance, it has helped me see the reality of how aligned I am for city council or any position I'm blessed by God to be in Austin, Texas for."

#texas #Instagram

Jarrett Patterson didn't join the San Francisco 49ers via trade until Monday. But last week, within the locker room of his former team, Patterson's future team was already a topic of discussion.
Not because they knew Patterson - whom the Houston Texans traded to the 49ers for a seventh-round pick - would soon be boarding a flight to San Francisco. They were simply discussing the story that has taken the NFL world by storm over the past week.
Related: How a fake 49er allegedly scammed women out of more than $1 million
Daejon Love, who was arrested Aug. 24, allegedly scammed 26 women out of more than $1.3 million dollars by, in large part, posing as a former 49ers wide receiver. The four-plus year scam impacted victims financially and emotionally, with one woman telling the Chronicle: "I let my guard down." Love used dating apps like Tinder, **** ble and Hinge as well as Facebook to connect with women whom he would eventually reel in by convincing them of his lavish lifestyle, headlined by extravagant cars and an NFL paycheck.
So, how did the real 49ers react when they learned about the fake, wannabe 49er?

#whom

Silicon Valley billionaire Douglas Leone challenged himself to the ultimate test of pain by purposely undergoing a root canal without Novocain.
The Sequoia Capital chairman, 69, opened up about the experience during an interview with podcaster David Senra over the weekend, where he went into detail about the difficult dental work.
Leone shared that he had to get the dental work done before heading to a meeting and ordered his dentist to skip the anesthetic.
"My whole life I wanted to see if I was a [expletive] or not," the exec said on Senra's Founders podcast. "In other words, I'm a fake [expletive] that has this envelope ****** ody could tell, or am I really a [expletive] on the inside?"
"Drill without any Novocain," Leone recalled telling the dentist, who said the venture capitalist was "out of [his] mind" for passing on the pain medication.

#leone #expletive #silicon

Hello and welcome to another edition of Free Agent! Jason has been placed on the PUP (physically unable to publish) list this week, so I've been called up for a spot start.
Real football doesn't start for another week (and "week zero" of college football is mostly nonsense), which means this is still baseball season, baby. Watching America's pastime has actually never been more affordable, despite those $15 beers at Nationals Park. Sharpen your pencils and grab your scorebooks.
As I said, real football starts next week—and you can join the fun by signing up for the one and only official Reason survivor pool. Don't be lame, do it.
Federal prosecutors have accused Daejon Labrayae Love of posing as a fake player for the San Francisco 49ers as part of a scam that defrauded more than two dozen women out of more than $1.3 million. Love allegedly "had romantic relationships with many of the victims and told them he wanted to build wealth and a future together," before asking them to take out personal loans to invest in "nonexistent investment vehicles." Getting deeply invested in a scenario that ultimately fails to reward you? Every 49ers fan under 35 can relate.
Novak Djokovic was upset in the first round of the U.S. Open by Mariano Navone in a match that lasted more than four and a half hours and included at least one puke break for the 24-time major champion, who said afterward that "I didn't enjoy myself." Checks out.

#real

Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal has criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to release seven players from the squad midway through the England Test series, arguing that the move could have a damaging impact on the remaining members of the team.

The PCB confirmed on Monday evening that Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and Imam-ul-Haq were among the seven players sent back to Pakistan after the team's disappointing results in the first two Tests against England.

The board also announced seven replacements ahead of the third and final Test in Birmingham. In another major shake-up, Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were released from their roles, with white-ball coaches Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke taking over.

Akmal questioned the need to send senior players home when they could simply have been left out of the playing XI.

"There was one more Test left. You could have had both Agha and Rizwan in the squad. You could have dropped them from the playing XI. You should have kept them in the squad. They are your senior players. They have been captains. Sending them back is not a good message for the remaining players," Akmal said on the 'Game Plan' show.

The former wicketkeeper-batter believes the decision could increase the pressure on those still in the squad, particularly with Pakistan already struggling during the series.

"This will result in more pressure for the remainder of the team. It is not a good decision; if you are sending them back, then the chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, needs to rejig the entire system. Make a new team. This decision to send back players is not good for our country, and it doesn't send a good message to the rest of the world," he added.

Agha's situation has also raised questions over the timing of the decision. He captained Pakistan in the opening Test at Headingley in Babar Azam's absence but was subsequently dropped when the regular captain returned for the Lord's Test.

Rizwan, meanwhile, endured a difficult series with the bat. He managed only 61 runs across his four innings against England and was also criticised for his shot selection and lack of game awareness.

Imam's situation was different. After struggling in the opening Test, the opener picked up a calf injury while fielding on the first day of the second Test. He did not come out to bat afterwards, leading to questions over the seriousness of the injury. The controversy intensified when a former Pakistan selector later alleged that Imam had previously faked injuries.

#Pakistan #players