The 2026 season might have been a struggle for the North Hunterdon High School football team, but last weekend's victory over neighborhood rival Voorhees in the 51st annual Milk Can Game is a good way to go into the offseason on a supremely positive note.
Senior Matt Esposito led the way in the 21-18 victory, which increased the Lions all-time lead in the series to 36-14-1 and gave them their first victory of the season. Esposito rushed 27 times for 193 yards and the three touchdowns, including two in the second half. He also pitched in five tackles on defense, plus an interception.
The senior finishes with 916 yards and nine scores for the season, plus a receiving touchdown, while recording 36 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble in the Lions' defensive secondary.
"Matt had a tremendous year and was an instrumental piece to the team," North Hunterdon coach CJ Robinson said. "He brings the effort, attitude, and toughness on Friday nights. His performance last week is a great reflection of the work and commitment he's put in this year. To see him play at that level and help lead our team to a win was special. We were fortunate to have had him as part of our program."
Simeon Pincus has covered NJ sports since 1997. He can be reached at SPincusGannettNJ.com. Follow him on Twitter SimeonPincus

#team #hunterdon #matt

Following his historic Ballon d'Or triumph, the conversation around Harry Kane's achievements has reached another level, with the UK Prime Minister's office being asked whether the England captain could receive one of the country's highest honors.
Per The Independent (via iMiaSanMia), a spokesperson responded with the following:
"On your question about a knighthood, I think everyone would agree, Harry Kane has given an enormous amount to English football, and this is a very special moment for him in the country, but as ever, I'm not going to pre-empt the honors process."
While there is no confirmation just yet, the response certainly recognizes the significance of Kane's achievements for English football.
From captaining England to a major international final to becoming one of the most prolific strikers of his generation, Kane has built a remarkable legacy. Now, after reaching the summit of individual football honors, could a knighthood be the next chapter?

#Football #english #ballon

Braves predicted to sign $85M ex-Cubs Gold Glove finalist with power bat after career-best season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves won the NL East last season and nearly reached 100 wins, which was a great accomplishment. However, the beginning of the season was plagued by injuries and a suspension.
The Braves signed Jurickson Profar two offseasons ago, but the move has been nothing but detrimental. In fact, he has missed 243 games due to suspensions, including a year-long suspension in 2026.
"Atlanta Braves designated hitter Jurickson Profar is facing a 162-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second time in the last year, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Profar, 33, is the sixth player to receive a 162-game ban for PED use since Major League Baseball increased the penalty for two-time offenders to a full season in 2014. He will forfeit the entirety of his $15 million salary," ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote.
Heading into the offseason, one of the biggest questions for Atlanta will be how it addresses left field.

#season #sporting

New Zealand arrive at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday with little to play for beyond their pride, as the fourth T20I against India begins with the series already out of reach. The hosts will be hoping to take the last two games and salvage something from a difficult few weeks.
India sealed the series with three convincing chases, and each one left the home bowlers searching for answers. They first reached targets of 226 and 181 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, then overhauled 199 in just 13.2 overs in Wellington, the most one-sided of the lot.
The visitors are still without Ishan Kishan, who has missed the last two matches because of a low-grade right adductor strain. According to the BCCI's latest update, he has not yet regained full match fitness, so his availability for Auckland remains in doubt.
New Zealand have their own selection issues to manage. Matt Henry has moved out of the T20I group to link up with the ODI squad, while Lockie Ferguson missed the Wellington game and is expected to be back for the final two matches of the series.
The Black Caps cannot change the result of the series any more, but wins in the remaining fixtures would at least restore some dignity. Ferguson's likely return should add pace and bounce to an attack that has been underwhelming, to say the least.

#least

Even when it was pretty, the Carolina Panthers offense kept finding ways to get ugly in Week 8.
Down 27-13 with just under 11 minutes left in Thursday night's matchup against the Green Bay Packers, the Panthers kept themselves alive. Carolina pieced together a gutsy 12-play, 70-yard drive that reached the end zone on an impressive catch-and-run by wideout Jalen **** er.
But instead of sending out kicker Ryan Fitzgerald to make it a seven-point game, head coach Dave Canales opted to go for two points. The try would fall short, as a pass from quarterback Bryce Young was tipped and unable to find its way into the hands of either receiver Tetairoa McMillan or tight end Darren Waller.
Although the failed attempt didn't ultimately matter, with the Panthers losing to that 27-19 score, Canales was asked about the questionable call afterwards.
"For me, it was about knowing what you're gonna do on the next one," he replied. "So, felt good about that one. We had a nice play that we really liked, based on what they were doing. Had an opportunity there in the back of the end zone. But unfortunately, had two guys in the same spot really going for the ball.

#canales #play #even #down

Steve Kerr's refusal to mortgage the Warriors' future for Stephen Curry sparked a firestorm, and DeMarcus Cousins had the sharpest rebuttal yet. Kerr's defense of the franchise's future-first approach collided with an uncomfortable reality: Curry had just dropped 44 points to beat Minnesota, proving his championship window remains wide open.
Appearing at Gil's Arena, DeMarcus Cousins argued with Gilbert Arenas over Kerr's remarks, passionately arguing that if the Warriors are unwilling to push all their chips to the center of the table while Curry is still performing at a superstar level, the team owes it to the franchise icon to trade him to a legitimate contender. His argument hinged on the logical contradiction that the Warriors cannot simultaneously claim that Curry has a championship window and refuse to invest in it.
"So why would you mention championship window with Steph if you're not willing?" Cousins, a former Warriors player himself, challenged.
When Arenas countered that Steph Curry is 38 and no longer the foundational piece to build a five-year plan around, Boogie shut down the notion.
The tension between championship windows and roster construction just reached a boiling point. Subscribe to stay on top of the NBA's biggest debates and power player clashes.

#curry

Thursday night's primetime matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers had a unplanned pause during the third quarter. With the Packers holding the ball while leading 20-10, the game was interrupted for several minutes as a result of a passing drone, according to the Amazon Prime broadcast.
The unauthorized drone had breached the edge of the stadium, leading the referees to pause the game for safety reasons. Per the broadcast, the teams were told to head back to their respective sidelines while they waited for the drone to leave, with the delay lasting several minutes.
Under Federal Aviation Admisitration (FAA) rules, drones are not allowed within three nautical miles of any stadium with more than 30,000 seats, with NFL games specifically mentioned in the guidelines; Green Bay's Lambeau Field has a capacity of 81,441. The rules for drones and model airplanes apply starting one hour before the game until one hour after.
Luckily, the Packers made sure the delay was worth it: On the very next play, quarterback Jordan Love found Josh Jacobs for a touchdown reception to give Green Bay a 27-10 lead.
This story will be updated.

#green #leading #minutes #broadcast

One compelling reason the words "Game 7" stir the sports fan's soul: It seldom happens.
Only six times in Bay Area history has a local franchise played in Game 7 with the championship at stake. And only three times has that captivating, tension-filled, winner-take-all event taken place here: Giants-Yankees in the 1962 World Series, A's-Mets in the 1973 World Series and Warriors-Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.
Now we have a fourth entry.
Saturday's Game 7 of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center, featuring the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream, counts as a milestone on multiple levels. It also will mark the first time a WNBA postseason series has reached Game 7 - the league adopted a best-of-seven Finals format last year, when Las Vegas swept Phoenix.
The previous year, in 2024, New York and Minnesota went the distance in their best-of-five Finals (the Liberty won 67-62 in Game 5). Any decisive game brings sporting theater, but Game 7s carry extra cachet - as the culmination of a long series, with sustained drama and wild momentum swings.

#series #only #year #area

Denver Broncos WR Jaylen Waddle (chest) was a limited participant in practice Thursday, Oct. 29.
SOURCE: DenverBroncos.com
Why it Matters: Waddle managed a limited practice after missing Wednesday's session, so if he continues to progress, there is a chance he could play in Week 8. That being said, Waddle has reached 50 receiving yards just once in seven games this season. It is hard to expect him to provide more than WR4 production.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jaylen Waddle a limited participant Thursday

#waddle #jaylen #thursday #participant

The Detroit Tigers nearly sent Tarik Skubal to the Milwaukee Brewers instead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and newly revealed details suggest the deal was much closer to happening than anyone realized.
In fact, Milwaukee reportedly believed it had reached an agreement in principle with Detroit before Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris ultimately went in another direction.
The proposed deal would have landed Detroit three highly regarded position-player prospects, including one of baseball's most promising young infielders.
Instead, Harris chose a package built around outfielder Zyhir Hope and two pitching prospects.
Now that the Brewers have won the 2026 World Series, the behind-the-scenes details make Detroit's decision even more fascinating.

#harris #instead #details #deal

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

It's the final week of the regular season, as Alabama high school football has reached Week 10.
The 2026 AHSAA football playoffs, for the most part, are set with a lingering regional game left to be played here and there due to rescheduling issues in the wake of Hurricane Isaias.
Teams that play in Week 10 are mainly using the games as tune-up opportunities against competitive teams before postseason play begins. Others will enjoy playing their last game of the 2026 season.
Below are live scoring updates of Week 10 AHSAA football scores across the state.

#teams #play #alabama

The Big 12 loves its basketball.
According to conference commissioner Brett Yormark, the only better league for the sport is the NBA.
Eight Big 12 teams reached the NCAA Tournament last March, with six winning at least one game in the Big Dance and Arizona reaching the Final Four.
With the start of the 2026-27 regular season quickly approaching, the conference has released its preseason media poll. It will serve as our first installment of this year's Big 12 basketball power rankings, which will be updated weekly upon the start of league play in January.
Here's where media members covering the Big 12, including myself, picked the conference's 16 teams to finish this season.

#Basketball #conference #according

Phoebe Dynevor became internationally famous through Bridgerton, and that sudden success also brought increased attention to her personal life. The British actress has experienced everything from relatively private relationships to a highly publicized romance followed by photographers and tabloids. Over time, however, Dynevor has become increasingly careful about separating her career from her relationships. Her romantic history has included actors and figures outside the entertainment spotlight, but her relationship with Cameron Fuller ultimately became the most significant chapter. After beginning their romance in 2023, the couple became engaged and later married.
Before Bridgerton transformed her public profile, Dynevor was linked to several men, including British actor Sean Teale and executive Simon Merrill. These relationships attracted comparatively limited attention, partly because they occurred before she became internationally recognizable as Daphne Bridgerton. The success of the Netflix period drama dramatically changed the amount of interest surrounding her life away from the screen.
That became especially clear in 2021, when Dynevor dated American comedian Pete Davidson. Their relationship generated intense media attention as the pair were photographed together and followed by celebrity publications. Dynevor later reflected on the experience of suddenly having strangers interested in something she considered an ordinary part of being a young woman. The relationship ended after several months, with their demanding schedules and distance widely reported as challenges.
A quieter chapter began when Dynevor was linked to actor and producer Cameron Fuller in 2023. The pair initially kept much of their relationship away from public attention, although they gradually began appearing together at events. Fuller comes from an entertainment industry family and has worked both in front of and behind the camera.
Their relationship reached another milestone in 2024. Dynevor attended the Met Gala wearing a pale pink Victoria Beckham gown and revealed a diamond ring on her left hand, bringing widespread attention to their engagement. Fuller and Dynevor largely continued their low key approach afterward rather than turning their wedding preparations into a constant public storyline.

#fuller #relationships

LONDON (AP) — Sarina Wiegman has signed a contract extension to stay as head coach of the England's women team through the 2029 European Championship, the FA said on Monday.
The Dutch coach, who will turn 57 later this month, led the Lionesses to a second straight Euros ****** le last year, having also steered the team to the World Cup final in 2023.
"I am so happy to be able to carry on with this squad and cannot think of a better job in football," she said. "Of course, anyone who knows me will understand that my main concern right now is absolutely the World Cup, and helping this squad realize their potential in the years to come."
Wiegman's previous deal was due to expire after the 2027 women's World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Brazil next June. England will qualify for the tournament if it defeats Ukraine in a two-leg playoff, with the return game at Wembley Stadium on Dec. 5.
Wiegman, who was appointed as England coach in 2021, has reached five successive major tournament finals, having already claimed the European crown with the Netherlands in 2017.

#wiegman #european #tournament #london

Welcome to the Final Four!
No, this is not the March Madness tournament where everyone's bracket has pretty much been busted by this round. This contest is shooting to crown the best high school cheer team in Rhode Island, and more 65,000 votes were cast toward that end last week in the Round of 8!
After all these rounds, three of the top four seeds in our tournament – West Warwick, La Salle and East Providence – have reached the Round of 4, along with No. 7 seed North Providence. So which two cheer squads will face off in next week's championship round? That's up to you.
The polls are open through Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11:59 p.m. There's no limit as to how many times you can vote, so feel free to recruit your friends, classmates, relatives and anyone else with access to providencejournal.com.
But you can only vote in this online poll. No emails or phone calls will be accepted.

#four

Freshman libero Gabi Rodriguez added another milestone to her impressive first season as No. 19 Texas A&M defeated Auburn on Sunday.
Rodriguez recorded 16 digs and a career-high 10 **** ists, marking her first double-double in college. Her performance helped the Aggies defeat the Tigers in four sets and end a three-match losing streak.
Texas A&M needed stability in the back row after losses to Oklahoma, Arkansas and Florida. Rodriguez provided it again while becoming more involved in setting up the offense. Her 10 **** ists ranked second on the team behind Kirra Musgrove, who finished with 41.
Rodriguez has reached double-digit digs in 17 of the Aggies' 19 matches and now has 254 this season. She previously became the fastest freshman in program history to reach 200 career digs, doing it in just 16 matches.
She followed that performance by setting a career high with 21 digs against Arkansas.

#rodriguez #double

England women's head coach Sarina Wiegman has signed a two-year contract extension taking her through until the end of the 2029 women's European Championship, the Football **** ociation announced Monday.
Wiegman has led England to tournament triumphs at both the 2022 and 2025 Euros, as well as a first World Cup final in 2023, since taking charge in September 2021.
The 56-year-old Dutchwoman has reached five successive major tournament finals, also winning Euro 2017 with her native Netherlands.
"I am so happy to be able to carry on with this squad and cannot think of a better job in football," Wiegman said Monday.
England, beaten by Spain in the 2023 World Cup final in Australia, will face Ukraine over a two-legged play-off in November and December for a place in next year's tournament in Brazil.

#england #year #taking #sarina

The final week of the 2026 Ohio high school football regular season has arrived, and the battles for league championships and playoff berths and positioning have reached their final stage.
Akron-area teams will play in 22 games this weekend, with 19 games Friday, Oct. 23, and three City Series games Saturday, Oct. 24. Friday's top Week 10 games include Highland (8-1, 6-0) playing at Hudson (7-2, 4-2) with a chance to clinch the Suburban League National Conference **** le; Wadsworth (8-1, 5-1), coming off its first regular-season loss in 19 games, hosting Nordonia (8-1, 5-1) and needing a win to earn a first-round playoff bye; Manchester (5-4, 4-1) playing at Northwest (7-2, 3-2) with a chance to clinch a playoff spot and wrap up at least a tie for the Principals Athletic Conference crown; and Revere (6-3) playing at Brecksville (5-4) with a chance to earn a playoff berth.
We'll have complete coverage of Week 10 throughout the week. Here's a look at this week's games (all kick off at 7 p.m. unless noted):
Watch Ohio High School Football Live on the NFHS Network all season
Cle. Benedictine at St. Vincent-St. Mary

#week #playoff #playing #high

Welcome back to the Monday Tennis Briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories from the past week on court.
This week, a debut **** le that will help a player for the next year, possible changes on the ATP Tour and the indoor version of Carlos Alcaraz.
If you'd like to follow our fantastic tennis coverage, click here.
The structure of tennis means that fairy-tale runs and surprise **** le wins can come back to loom over a player down the line. For Poland's Maja Chwalińska, who reached the French Open final as a qualifier earlier this year, the latter now means that the former is off her back.
Chwalińska's 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Britain's Sonay Kartal on Sunday at the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open in China was not just her first tour **** le. It was not just a remarkable feat for a 25-year-old who had played just 10 tour-level main-draw matches before 2026. It was also insurance for her future self.

#year #player

Maja Chwalinska and Sonay Kartal have both been rewarded for their runs to the Wuhan Open final.
Chwalinska beat Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win her first ever WTA **** le at the Wuhan Open, which is a 1000 level tournament.
This is another huge result in a breakout season for Chwalinska, who reached the Roland Garros final after coming through qualifying earlier this year.
While Kartal was unable to capture the **** le in Wuhan, both she and Chwalinska have now both made major moves in the latest update of the WTA rankings.
Chwalinska was the world number 22 coming into the Wuhan Open, having begun the season as the world number 146, and after beating the likes of Iga Swiatek, Iva Jovic and then Kartal in the final has taken it even further.

#kartal #wuhan #final

Babar Azam reached another milestone in his international career on Sunday, becoming the fifth Pakistan batter to score 16,000 international runs during the first ODI of the tri-series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi.

Babar entered the match with 15,993 runs and needed seven more to reach the 16,000-run mark. He achieved the feat in the fourth over of the day, having come out to bat after Saim Ayub was dismissed by Dilshan Madushanka. Babar needed just six deliveries to complete the milestone, getting there with a three off Asitha Fernando.

Since making his international debut for Pakistan in 2015, Babar has established himself across formats. The match against Sri Lanka was his 355th in international cricket. However, he fell short of a half-century, getting out for 45 to Pavan Rathnayake off Eshan Malinga.

Before Babar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Javed Miandad were the four Pakistan batters to cross 16,000 international runs.

Inzamam leads Pakistan's run-scorers in international cricket with 20,541 runs in 495 matches across formats between 1991 and 2007. Younis is next with 17,790 runs, followed by Yousuf, who scored 17,134 runs in 374 matches.

Miandad, who represented Pakistan in Tests and ODIs from 1975 to 1996, finished his career with 16,213 runs in 357 matches.

India's Sachin Tendulkar holds the world record for the most runs in international cricket. He scored 34,357 runs during his career, which spanned from 1989 to 2013.

Virat Kohli is second on the list with 28,527 international runs.

#international #Pakistan #Career #inzamam

Six months ago, Sonay Kartal could not stand up and brush her teeth without "being in agony".
The pain caused by a stress fracture in her back eventually subsided, but the 24-year-old Briton still had a long road to full recovery, which needed to be navigated with patience and hard work.
Kartal did not make her return to competitive action until little under a month ago.
But on Monday, she became the new British number one after an extraordinary week at the Wuhan Open, where she reached the biggest final of her career in just her third tournament back.
"In the first month or so, I was at home in bed - sometimes I had good days but there were also bad days where I wasn't really able to walk without some form of pain," Kartal said.

#pain #month #sonay

Blackburn Rovers FC v Nottingham Forest FC- Pre-Season match, Nora Stadium, Portugal. ALBUFEIRA, PORTUGAL – JULY 22. 22 Balazs Toth of Blackburn Rovers seen at the Blackburn Rovers FC vs Nottingham Forest FC football match for the Friendly Match. Photo: Nuno Pires Veloso – Morse Images/IMAGO
The Hungarian international, 29, was a target for the Hoops during the summer as the club looked to strengthen their limited goalkeeping options, however no agreement was reached and the hoops brought in former England international Sam Johnstone from Wolves on a one year loan deal instead.
11 times capped Toth has an extension offer from the EFL Championship club, with Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray hoping to persuade him to stay on at Ewood Park.
Journalist Alan Nixon has reported that Toth, who signed for Rovers in a Hungarian side Fehervar for a fee of around £1million, is not currently willing to sign the proposed agreement, and Celtic are keeping a close eye on the situation.
West Bromwich Albion v Blackburn Rovers – English Championship Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Balazs Toth in action at The Hawthorns on October 17, 2026. Photo MI News IMAGO

#toth

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott completed 34 of 54 passes for 258 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a Week 6 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Prescott also ran twice for seven yards.
SOURCE: USA TODAY
Why It Matters: Dallas' high-powered offense has sputtered the last two weeks, and Prescott has now gone four straight games with just one touchdown pass. It was also his second straight outing with multiple INTs. As bad as it was, you could argue it should've been worse -- a third interception was wiped away on a dubious roughing-the-passer penalty, and his only TD pass on the night came in the closing minute down 16 points (following another skaky roughing call). A matchup with the sputtering Eagles is on deck. We'll see if Prescott can rebound against a division rival. While he remains a QB1 based on talent, his production has reached a point where you should be looking at your other quarterback's matchups before plugging Prescott in.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tough night for Dak Prescott in loss at Lambeau

#loss

A handshake agreement. That's the term I saw all weekend regarding the College Football Playoff expanding from 12 teams to 24 beginning next year, with ESPN remaining the sole rights holder. There are positives and negatives to the reported deal, and it was refreshing to hear discourse on both sides of the argument across ESPN's networks this weekend. That's something college football fans didn't get with the network's coverage of the Protect College Sports Act.
However, in the end, ESPN owns all the goods. Again. The network has been the exclusive rights holder since the playoff began just 12 years ago. Fans can debate whether expanding the playoff to 24 teams will diminish the weekly must-win stakes of college football or lead to the elimination of conference championship games for major conferences. One thing remains clear: ESPN controls the entire package. That raises a question: If the sport wants to expand on the field, why can't it expand how those games are broadcast?
The old saying goes, "Follow the money." After signing a six-year, $7.8 billion exclusive extension in 2024, ESPN received an exclusive 30-day window to negotiate with the College Football Playoff over expansion. That window expired, but a handshake agreement was reportedly reached in the days that followed.
As a result, FOX Sports, CBS Sports/TNT Sports/Skydance, NBC Sports, and others never had an opportunity to compete for the expanded package during that window. Has ESPN dominated college football coverage for generations? Of course. Is watching College GameDay part of the average fan's Saturday routine during the fall? Absolutely.
But imagine if the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL handled their biggest events the same way. Imagine if Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady were left out of the NFL's biggest games. What if Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk never got the opportunity to call the Stanley Cup Final?

#college #exclusive

Bears' Caleb Williams reached out to 'John Wick' for motivation before Falcons clash appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago Bears bounced back from a loss to the Packers in Week 5 with a win over Atlanta that has fans thinking NFC North ******* le again. Caleb Williams broke a franchise record held by Mitch Trubisky and did it after a surprising celebrity call-out that went well for the former USC Trojans and current Bears star.
Williams revealed that he watched the violent action flick John Wick to prepare for his comeback game against Atlanta and had a chance to speak with lead actor Keanu Reeves, according to Jordan Schultz.
"I was watching John Wick for this week. One of my people reached out to him and he was a fan…I'm inevitable. That's always my mentality," Williams said.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#wick #reached

Cason Wallace and the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to a five-year, $139 million extension to his rookie contract, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
The two sides beat Monday' deadline for players from the 2023 draft class to sign rookie scale extensions. Had they not reached a deal before the deadline, Wallace would have played the final year of his rookie contract on a team option, then entered the 2026-27 offseason as a restricted free agent.
With the deal, the Thunder secure a defensive anchor of their core as they seek to win a second NBA championship in three seasons.
This story will be updated.

#wallace #deadline

Meghan Markle is reportedly facing fresh tensions with her US team after a promotional image for her As Ever brand drew criticism over its cooking setup. The reported fallout comes as the ******* ss of Sussex seeks to hire senior British staff. However, an insider claims her history of staff turnover could make it harder for her to attract experienced candidates.
According to sources cited by Naughty But Nice, Meghan Markle has grown frustrated with her US team after critics questioned an As Ever promotional cooking photo. The image appeared to show a gas stove that was switched off, leading critics to question the cooking setup. However, the photo alone does not confirm whether Meghan was actually cooking or whether she used the stove at another time.
An insider claimed Meghan expected her team to catch potential problems before the image reached the public. "She exploded," the source said. "It was, 'How did ******* ody catch this?' Meghan expects her team to protect her from exactly this kind of ridicule." However, her reaction may be making it harder for her to hire new staff. "She blames the American team when things go wrong, while prospective British employees are watching," the source explains. "Nobody wants to become the next person blamed — or the next departure that makes headlines."
Meghan is reportedly looking to strengthen her team in the UK, including by hiring an executive ******* istant. However, the insider claims that attracting experienced British candidates has become difficult because of the attention surrounding staff departures over the years. The source argued that a prestigious ******* le and the opportunity to work closely with Meghan may not be enough to convince top candidates to accept a role.
"Meghan can offer a glamorous ******* le, but the best people aren't biting," the insider told Naughty But Nice. "Her reputation gets there before the job offer does." The source added that prospective employees may wonder whether they would have a different experience from previous staff members. "People see the turnover and think, 'Why would it be different for me?'" the insider claimed.

#however

Jennifer Lawrence has addressed her comments about Kourtney Kardashian. The actress previously called Kourtney "more annoying than ever" during a Vanity Fair lie detector test. Kourtney later shared details about Lawrence's apology on the Season 8 premiere of The Kardashians.
During the Vanity Fair segment, Lawrence discussed her favorite Kardashian sisters. She picked Khloé Kardashian before criticizing Kourtney for announcing personal lifestyle choices. "She drives me nuts," Lawrence said, adding that Kourtney should "just shh!"
Kourtney addressed the comments while talking to her friend Simon Huck on the reality series. She explained that the remarks affected her more because she was having a "really sensitive week." She said, "I felt like our show was airing and everybody was ganging up on me." However, when Kourtney later watched the full clip, she admitted, "Oh, it's not that bad actually."
Lawrence addressed the situation privately rather than continuing the exchange publicly. She reached out through Kim to get Kourtney's email and sent her a message explaining how she felt about the Kardashian family. Kourtney said the actress wrote, "I just feel like I'm one of your sisters."
She appreciated the gesture, but did not reply as she had only seen the message late the previous night. While discussing it with Huck, Kourtney said, "She asked Kim for my email, and then she sent me that email, which is so nice." However, Kardashian joked about sending Lawrence a fun response, "Do I say something funny?"

#vanity