<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/predators-news-andrew-brunette-hits-nashville-reality-check-after-loss-kraken');   ga('set', 'title', 'Andrew Brunette hits Predators with reality check after loss to Kraken');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Predators-news-Andrew-Brunette-hits-Nashville-with-reality-check-after-loss-to-Kraken.jpg"></figure><h1>Andrew Brunette hits Predators with reality check after loss to Kraken</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-16T02:11:43-07:00">October 16th, 2:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-16T02:11:43-07:00">October 16th, 2:11am</time><address><a>Michael Whitaker</a>Michael Whitaker is an experienced NHL and NFL writer and also covers local Detroit sports for Bally Sports Detroit. He has a Bachelor's Degree in journalism from Eastern Michigan University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NHL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/predators-fatal-flaw-must-be-fixed-2024-25-season">Nashville Predators were widely considered</a> one of the most improved teams heading into the 2024-25 NHL season, which makes their 0-3 start—their worst in over 15 years—all the more puzzling.</p><p>The Predators made significant moves in free agency, signing former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos to a four-year deal and bringing in Jonathan Marchessault, the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner and original Vegas Golden Knight, on a multi-year contract. Both players hit the 40-goal mark in the 2023-24 season.</p><p>Additionally, they bolstered their defense by signing reliable blueliner Brady Skjei and secured goaltender Juuse Saros with a multi-year contract extension.</p><p>But following Tuesday night’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kraken-vs-predators-prediction-odds-pick-10-15-2024">7-3 setback against the visiting Seattle Kraken, the Predators</a> are left searching for answers. And head coach Andrew Brunette <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nhl/predators/2024/10/15/predators-kraken-andrew-brunette-loss/75619278007/" rel="noopener">didn’t mince words in his assessment</a> of his team afterward, via The Tennessean.</p><p>“We deserve to be where we are at right now,” Brunette said in his postgame press conference. “We’re trying to play firewagon hockey. We’re trying to be cute. We’re trying to show how talented we are to everybody. But we’re not really playing with a purpose.</p><p>“Even if we climb ourselves back in the third period, we go right back to those kinds of mistakes,” he continued. “When we get behind in games, we get careless. Try to make the extra play, turn nothing into something. And unfortunately, it’s going the other way.”</p><p>The Predators host the Edmonton Oilers, who picked up their first win after also starting their respective season 0-3, on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena.</p><h2><b>The Predators fell 7-3 to the Kraken on Tuesday night </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Predators-coach-Andrew-Brunette-shouts-instructions-to-his-team.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The defensive woes for the Predators so far in the young season continued on Tuesday night, as at least two of the seven Kraken goals came as the result of odd-man rushes.</p><p>Meanwhile, Seattle tallied four goals in the final frame alone to pull away from Nashville, improving their own record to 2-2.</p><p>The Predators will attempt to find the win column for the first time this season when they host the Edmonton Oilers, who began the season with an 0-3 record of their own before finally winning on Tuesday night, on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Andrew Brunette hits Predators with reality check after loss to Kraken

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-hits-texas-man-lawsuit-shirt-dispute');   ga('set', 'title', 'Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama hits Texas man with lawsuit over shirt dispute');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spurs-news-Victor-Wembanyama-hits-Texas-man-with-lawsuit-over-shirt-dispute.jpg"></figure><h1>Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama hits Texas man with lawsuit over shirt dispute</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-16T01:38:44-07:00">October 16th, 1:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-16T01:39:42-07:00">October 16th, 1:39am</time><address><a>Michael Aaron Gomez</a>Michael Aaron Gomez is a creative writer and longtime NBA fan. He has been a fan of the Lakers since the three-peat but believes LeBron James is the greatest player of all time.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The San Antonio Spurs lost their preseason game versus the Miami Heat 120-117 on Tuesday. However, one of the biggest stories entering that game was Spurs star Victor Wembanyama filing a lawsuit against a Texas man for trying to profit off his name and likeness by selling “Wemby’s World” merchandise. On Tuesday, last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year filed a lawsuit against James T. Glodich for trying to. make money off his name and image.</p><p>Per <a href="https://www.ksat.com/news/ksat-investigates/2024/10/15/victor-wembanyama-sues-man-for-using-his-name-likeness-without-permission-on-clothing-lawsuit-says/" rel="noopener">reports</a>, the lawsuit accused Glodich of “filing a trademark application for ‘El Wemby’-branded sweatshirts and T-shirts,” as reported by Daniela Ibarra for KSAT.</p><p>Moreover, Victor Wembanyama’s lawsuit also accused the Texas man of “filing a trademark application for ‘Wemby’s World’-branded clothing for retail purposes.”</p><h2><b>The Spurs star files suit</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Victor-Wembanyama-dribbling.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Before the suit, the French big man’s attorneys have also sent multiple cease-and-desist letters to Glodich, but he has not responded to any of them.</p><p>They also added that “the unauthorized use of Wembanyama’s name, image, and likeness has injured the NBA star’s reputation,” also claiming that by selling branded products, Glodich “profits from Wembanyama’s popularity and misleads customers.”</p><p>Per the same report, the Spurs star’s lawyers want Glodich “to stop selling Wembanyama-themed items and compensate [him] for damages.”</p><p>It’s not difficult to understand why unscrupulous people would want to profit off the Olympian who led Team France to the gold medal game in the last Olympics, but ultimately fell to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/olympics-news-stephen-curry-leads-team-usa-bonkers-record-france">Stephen Curry’s three-point barrage.</a></p><p>He is a legitimately generational prospect, a two-way monster who can score and defend on all three levels. Moreover, the fluidity of his game reminds of a taller Kevin Durant and Hakeem Olajuwon, if “Dream” ever shot threes on a high volume.</p><p>Defensively, he can slide his feet against the opponent’s guards or wings, and he can shut down the paint, sort of like a leaner Anthony Davis.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-san-antonio-adds-backcourt-depth-following-chris-paul-signing-nba-free-agency">Spurs were wise to sign Chris Paul</a> in the summer, hoping to unlock Wembanyama’s game even further by pairing him with a point guard who can actually get him the ball.</p><h2><b>Missing pieces</b></h2><p>However, the 39-year-old Paul still wants a championship, and the young Spurs might not have enough talent around Victor Wembanyama to go on a deep playoff run. It’s not impossible for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-chris-paul-trade-buzz-has-already-begun-before-the-season-even-tips-off">Spurs to trade CP3 before next year’s deadline</a> if an upgrade at point guard becomes available.</p><p>For instance, the Hawks might finally lower their asking price and allow the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-lakers-spurs-among-trae-youngs-preferred-trade-destinations">Spurs to get Trae Young</a>, after they <a href="https://airalamo.com/posts/fascinating-trae-young-revelation-proves-san-antonio-spurs-right-all-along#:~:text=After%20months%20of%20speculation%2C%20the,Atlanta%20Hawks%20guard%20Trae%20Young." rel="noopener">stopped their pursuit</a> last September. Young is not a defender, sure, but Wemby behind him will clean up his mistakes.</p><p>Besides, Gregg Popovich might even turn Young into a respectable guard defender.</p><p>Moreover, the Hawks All-Star can pass, dribble, and shoot, drawing defenders away from Wemby. He also has significant playoff experience. Their two-man game might terrorize the league if a deal happens, but then maybe it won’t. Who knows?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama hits Texas man with lawsuit over shirt dispute

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/yankees-news-aaron-judge-reacts-guardians-bold-juan-soto-tactic');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees’ Aaron Judge reacts to Guardians’ bold Juan Soto tactic');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Yankees-news-Aaron-Judge-reacts-to-Guardians-bold-Juan-Soto-tactic-.jpg"></figure><h1>Yankees’ Aaron Judge reacts to Guardians’ bold Juan Soto tactic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-16T00:55:26-07:00">October 16th, 12:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-16T00:55:26-07:00">October 16th, 12:55am</time><address><a>Michael Aaron Gomez</a>Michael Aaron Gomez is a creative writer and longtime NBA fan. He has been a fan of the Lakers since the three-peat but believes LeBron James is the greatest player of all time.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Yankees have taken a 2-0 lead in their ALCS series versus the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, partly because <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-aaron-judge-has-fans-going-bonkers-after-first-2024-mlb-playoffs-home-run">Aaron Judge finally hit his first homer</a> of the postseason. The hitter’s two-run homer also put the finishing touches on a 6-3 win that pushed the Yankees to within two games of the World Series. Meanwhile, Aaron Judge also reacted to the Guardians’ bold tactic in Game 2 of walking Juan Soto to load up the bases before his sacrifice fly put the Yankees up 3-0.</p><p>“You want to try to get a double-play ball. You want to try to get two outs with one pitch,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/401701051" rel="noopener">via a report</a> from the Associated Press.</p><p>When he heard this comment, Judge put himself in his opponent’s shoes.</p><p>“I would probably walk him, too,” he said. During the season, Judge led the MLB with 58 homeruns and 144 RBI.</p><h2><b>ALCS Game 2: Yankees def. Guardians, Yankees lead series 2-0</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Aaron-Judge-and-Juan-Soto-celebrating-an-ALCS-win.jpg"><figcaption>© Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Throughout the postseason, Aaron Judge’s bats have gone cold, but that didn’t stop the Yankees from advancing to the ALCS, even taking a 2-0 lead over the Guardians after Game 2. Fortunately, Juan Soto and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-fans-harsh-aaron-judge-take-giancarlo-stantons-hr-vs-royals">Giancarlo Stanton have shown up</a> so far, while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-luke-weaver-completes-wild-mlb-feat-2000-mariano-rivera">Luke Weaver entered MLB history</a> in their Game 1 of the ALCS.</p><p>Still, the team knows they must play better if they want to win it all this year, and first baseman Anthony Rizzo admitted as much. For his part, Rizzo had a gutsy performance in Game 2, giving the team a pair of hits shortly after recovering from broken fingers.</p><p>“We’re not satisfied. We know the Guardians are a very, very good ball club, and being up two games means nothing to us,” he said, <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/10/15/sports/aaron-judge-finally-has-his-postseason-moment-as-yankees-in-control-of-alcs/" rel="noopener">via a report</a> from Greg Joyce for the New York Post.</p><p>Noting that they’ll play the next three (if necessary) games at Cleveland, he kept his focus on the next one. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-anthony-rizzo-returns-lineup-after-missing-alds">Rizzo had missed the ALDS</a> due to his injury.</p><p>“We need to go into [Cleveland], it’s going to be hostile, and take care of business,” he added.</p><p>Meanwhile, Aaron Judge’s 14th career home run came off a fastball from Hunter Gaddis in the seventh inning, extending the Yankees’ 4-2 lead.</p><p>“It was a big swing to kind of give us that cushion,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the likely AL MVP’s homer. “The bench was pretty pumped when that happened.”</p><h2><b>Looking ahead</b></h2><p>Both teams get a day off before heading to Cleveland for Game 3. This is also the first time the Yankees hold a 2-0 series lead in the ALCS since 2009 against the Los Angeles Angels.</p><p>Moreover, the Yankees also went on to win their 27th World Series championship that year. Can history rhyme for the Yankees, led by Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, or can the Guardians write another chapter?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees’ Aaron Judge reacts to Guardians’ bold Juan Soto tactic

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/guardians-news-stephen-vogt-fearless-take-amid-2-0-series-deficit-vs-yankees');   ga('set', 'title', 'Guardians’ Stephen Vogt issues fearless take amid 2-0 series deficit vs. Yankees');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Guardians-news-Stephen-Vogts-take-amid-2-0-series-deficit-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Guardians’ Stephen Vogt issues fearless take amid 2-0 series deficit vs. Yankees</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-16T00:48:54-07:00">October 16th, 12:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-16T00:49:22-07:00">October 16th, 12:49am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Weaknesses are often exposed in October, and that is exactly what is happening to the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-guardians-doomed-2024-mlb-playoffs">Suspect starting pitching and a thin lineup</a> are hurting them against the New York Yankees and might be what ultimately ends this standout season. What is most irksome for fans, however, is that this ballclub could actually have survived those shortcomings by simply embodying the traits that have carried it this far.</p><p>If not for two errors that directly resulted in runs (Brayan Rocchio dropped an infield pop fly and Will Brennan bobbled the baseball) and a dreadful 0-for-7 showing with runners in scoring position, the Guardians could have stolen Game 2 in Yankee Stadium. Instead, they are heading back home to Progressive Field down 2-0 in the series following a 6-3 loss on Tuesday night.</p><p>Manager Stephen Vogt knows that the outcome of Game 2 could have easily shifted in Cleveland’s favor and <a href="https://www.espn.ph/mlb/recap/_/gameId/401701051" rel="noopener">expects his team to stay in striking distance</a> going forward. The AL Central champions just need to land one or two of the blows they are whiffing on right now.</p><p>“We’re one swing of the bat away from taking the lead in that game,” Vogt said, via ESPN. “We’re one swing of the bat from being right back in it. That is who we are. We don’t quit. We just need to keep being us.”</p><h2><b>Guardians had their chances vs. Yankees in Game 2</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Cleveland-Guardians-bullpen-Stephen-Vogt.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The rookie skipper is right. Cleveland had the bases loaded multiple times and just could not deliver the huge hit that would have changed the complexion of Game 2. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole did not make it out of the fifth inning but made a critical pitch in the fourth, striking out the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-brayan-rocchio-cleveland-history-alcs-game-2-yankees">history-making Rocchio</a> with a knuckle curveball that appeared to just catch the top part of the zone. Reliever Clay Holmes then fanned Austin Hedges with the bases full again in the next inning to limit the Guardians’ damage and maintain a slim 3-2 lead for New York.</p><p>Failing to capitalize on key opportunities is a death sentence for a club that is already rife with limitations. Alex Cobb has logged only five starts in 2024, and Tanner Bibee is pitching in his first postseason. These are the two guys Vogt trusted to set the tone in the first two games of the ALCS, and they came up woefully short. Their inability to provide the Guardians with meaningful innings (Bibee was pulled in the second after allowing two runs on five hits) is forcing the AL Manager of the Year candidate to play chess much earlier than he probably prefers.</p><h2><b>Is ALCS Game 2 the wake-up call that Cleveland needs?</b></h2><p>If the starters continue to struggle and the offense squanders more chances, Stephen Vogt will have to keep employing unconventional methods, like intentionally walking Juan Soto to face Aaron Judge or going to one of his top relievers a half hour into the game. Even a seasoned skipper with a wealth of playoff experience is not going to succeed in such adverse conditions.</p><p>The Guardians have to display the resilience that Vogt and their fans have witnessed firsthand throughout 2024. But belief is not enough. They must clean up the uncharacteristic mistakes pronto and play <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/guardians-news-steven-kwan-cleveland-mlb-playoffs-alds">their brand of fundamental baseball</a>. Because, whether or not they want to admit it, this group cannot get by on talent alone. It must quickly rediscover its identity for Thursday’s Game 3.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Guardians’ Stephen Vogt issues fearless take amid 2-0 series deficit vs. Yankees

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-news-jj-redick-calls-out-lakers-going-rogue-vs-warriors');   ga('set', 'title', 'JJ Redick calls out Lakers for going rogue vs. Warriors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/JJ-Redick-calls-out-LA-for-going-rogue-vs.-Warriors.jpg"></figure><h1>JJ Redick calls out Lakers for going rogue vs. Warriors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T23:48:09-07:00">October 15th, 11:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T23:48:09-07:00">October 15th, 11:48pm</time><address><a>Michael Aaron Gomez</a>Michael Aaron Gomez is a creative writer and longtime NBA fan. He has been a fan of the Lakers since the three-peat but believes LeBron James is the greatest player of all time.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Golden State Warriors 111-97 in their preseason matchup on Tuesday. Anthony Davis paced the team with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while rookie Dalton Knecht came second with 19 points, another promising showing for the rookie. However, Golden State’s shot-making proved too much for the Purple and Gold, who couldn’t make enough shots to counter. Likewise, coach JJ Redick called out the Lakers for free-styling against the Warriors.</p><p>In <a href="https://x.com/jovanbuha/status/1846409334038618207" rel="noopener">a postgame interview</a>, the coach “pointed to the Lakers’ off-ball coverages as one of their primary struggles tonight,” per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha on X, formerly Twitter. Likewise, Redick added that “when the team followed its pregame instructions, they were successful. When they didn’t, the Warriors made them pay.”</p><p>“When we made stuff up, they hurt us,” the coach said.</p><h2><b>The Lakers need to figure it out</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/JJ-Redick-coaching-a-game.jpg"><figcaption>© David Frerker-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Losing a preseason game isn’t a major cause for concern, but how the Lakers lost to the Warriors troubled JJ Redick for good reason.</p><p>For instance, making things up on offense was one of their worst habits from last season, which caused them to lose too many winnable games, many against lesser teams. Even Redick caught on to this tendency before the Lakers hired him after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-jj-redick-hired-head-coach-after-dan-hurley-fiasco">whole Dan Hurley fiasco</a>.</p><p>During an NBA Summer League broadcast, the rookie head coach talked about the team’s offensive efficiency while running sets.</p><p>“If you look at the efficiency numbers when you look at [the Lakers] playing ‘random’ vs in sets, the sets had a higher efficiency,” Redick said.</p><p>Meanwhile, his comments about the team playing “random” dovetailed with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-anthony-davis-lakers-firing-darvin-ham">Anthony Davis’ complaints about Darvin Ham</a> during their first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets last season.</p><p>It was a series where these habits bit the Lakers, who led for most of its minutes but couldn’t pull out the win because they started playing undisciplined basketball on both sides of the ball.</p><p>After the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-jamal-murrays-crazy-game-winner-completes-denvers-20-point-game-2-comeback-vs-lakers">Lakers lost Game 2 of that series</a>, Davis criticized Ham’s offensive coaching, however indirectly.</p><p>“We’ve also had stretches where <a href="https://lakersnation.com/anthony-davis-lakers-have-stretches-where-they-dont-know-what-theyre-doing/" rel="noopener">we don’t know what we’re doing</a> on both ends of the floor,” the Lakers big man said, via Ron Gutterman for Lakers Nation.</p><p>In response, the former coach downplayed his remarks, which might have finally lost him the locker room, convincing the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/los-angeles-lakers-darvin-ham-fired-lebron-james-anthony-davis-rob-pelinka">Lakers to fire Darvin Ham</a> in the offseason. While unlearning bad habits takes time, the Lakers might not have enough of it as the preseason winds down, and they start to face teams in actual competitive games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

JJ Redick calls out Lakers for going rogue vs. Warriors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-steve-kerr-reveals-dilemma-carry-2024-25-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Steve Kerr reveals Warriors’ dilemma that could carry over into the 2024-25 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Steve-Kerr-reveals-coaches-dilemma-that-could-carry-over-into-the-2024-25-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Steve Kerr reveals Warriors’ dilemma that could carry over into the 2024-25 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T23:30:35-07:00">October 15th, 11:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T23:30:35-07:00">October 15th, 11:30pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-andrew-wiggins-real-conditioning-return-illness">currently shorthanded Golden State Warriors are gearing up</a> for the 2024-25 NBA season with some young talent poised to take the place of Klay Thompson. It will be a committee job considering just how much the future Hall of Famer meant to the organization but Steve Kerr’s squad must move on. Steph Curry needs a fully focused supporting cast to make another championship run. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-uncertain-about-jonathan-kumingas-starting-role">Warriors are worried about Jonathan Kuminga</a> but some other recent draft picks have been showing promise.</p><p>Developing third-year wing Moses Moody is poised to play a crucial role in how Kerr manages the Warriors’ rotations. Moody, who has shown flashes of brilliance, is <a href="https://x.com/anthonyVslater/status/1846410406618931651" rel="noopener">expected to be a significant factor</a> going by Kerr’s recent comments to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.</p><p>“(Moody) has been great,” Kerr replied. “He has gotten so much better in so many ways.”</p><p>“We have always loved his character, his work ethic,” shared Kerr. “This is the most confidence I think he has played with. He’s gonna play a big role for us. But so are a lot of other guys. We’re sitting in that coach’s room every day saying: ‘How are we going to play all these guys’ because they all deserve to play.”</p><p>As for how will Kerr solve this math problem caused by having a deeper-than-normal bench full of young talent?</p><p>“I’ve asked all of them to just play their hardest,” Kerr admitted. “Make it difficult for us.”</p><h2><b>Warriors’ starting lineup almost decided</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Moses-Moody-guards-LeBron-James.jpg"><figcaption>Candice Ward-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Golden State is undefeated during preseason play and Moody played a big part in the most recent win. The Warriors got 21 points, five three-pointers, and five rebounds from the 22-year-old looking to make a lasting impression.</p><p>Moody might not have a spot on the court every night though. Kerr <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1844973529726583182" rel="noopener">would not commit</a> to much of anything beyond Cury and Draymond Green when pressed for answers.</p><p>“Again, we’ve got 12, 13 guys who are all really good players,” Kerr commented. “This is probably the deepest team that I’ve seen here in terms of the number of rotational guys. Moses is a rotation player. Like I said, we’ve got 12 of them. We have a lot of difficult decisions to make next week.”</p><p>“What I’ve learned in this league, you don’t really worry about it until you have to,” Kerr added. “We still have 12 days until the opener or something like that. We’ll keep working.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Steve Kerr reveals Warriors’ dilemma that could carry over into the 2024-25 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/dodgers-dave-roberts-not-keen-on-making-big-shohei-ohtani-move-in-game-3-vs-mets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Dave Roberts not keen on making big Shohei Ohtani move in Game 3 vs. Mets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Dodgers-news-Los-Angeles-not-keen-on-making-big-Shohei-Ohtani-move-in-Game-3-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Dave Roberts not keen on making big Shohei Ohtani move in Game 3 vs. Mets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T23:25:35-07:00">October 15th, 11:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T23:47:48-07:00">October 15th, 11:47pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a multifaceted writer who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After struggling mightily<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-new-mets-end-shohei-ohtani-streak-nlcs-game-1" rel="noopener"> as the Los Angeles Dodgers lead-off hitter</a> through the playoffs, recording just six hits and a single home run over his seven postseason games of the season, some fans have been banging the table to see another hitter, likely Mookie Betts, take Shohei Ohtani’s spot at the top of the order.</p><p>On paper, it makes sense; <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-the-hole-shohei-ohtani-game-new-york-exploit-padres">while Ohtani is a certified weapon on base</a>, he’s rarely getting there, and as a result, the Dodgers are often starting off the game down and out before Betts goes up to bat.</p><p>Discussing this concept ahead of Game 3 of the NLCS with reporters, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the suggestion but let it be known that he <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41817702/dodgers-keeping-ohtani-leadoff-nlcs-game-3-vs-mets" rel="noopener">doesn’t plan to make a move any time soon</a>.</p><p>“It’s just funny how things change, where there was a lot of concern about Shohei not being able to get hits with the runners in scoring position — and now we’re all trying to find ways… to get guys on base so he can hit, right?” Roberts said. “I kind of find that comical, a little bit.”</p><p>Asked if he thinks Ohtani can get his game back on track ahead of an incredibly important Game 3, Roberts asserted that he believes the star DH’s issues are “isolated” and that he will eventually get back on track… from the lead-off position.</p><p>“I think it’s isolated. There have been times that he has to reset, as all hitters do. Sometimes certain pitchers sort of kind of trigger bad habits,” Roberts explained. “And you’ve got to identify that to then reset… But to think that I’m going to move Shohei to the 4 or the 3, that’s just not going to happen.”</p><p>Could the Dodgers benefit from placing Ohtani at the three or the four spot? Sure, maybe the MVP would attack the ball differently with players on base instead of hoping that he makes contact from the dugout. But considering Ohtani is the highest-paid player in baseball, if he wants to be a lead-off hitter, it’s hard to justify moving the MVP to a different spot, especially with the season on the line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Dave Roberts not keen on making big Shohei Ohtani move in Game 3 vs. Mets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-news-rich-paul-dives-development-lebron-james-relationship');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rich Paul dives into development of LeBron James relationship');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Rich-Paul-dives-into-development-of-LeBron-James-relationship.jpg"></figure><h1>Rich Paul dives into development of LeBron James relationship</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T23:11:37-07:00">October 15th, 11:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T23:11:37-07:00">October 15th, 11:11pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Hoops fans following the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-response-joining-steph-curry-kevin-durant-team-usa"> greatness of LeBron James</a> cannot tell the full story without including the partnership with Rich Paul. The pair of industry power brokers have known each other for over two decades. The journey that started with the Cleveland Cavaliers and brought a couple of titles to the Miami Heat is still going. Thankfully, the family dream came true with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-bronny-james-grabs-attention-off-the-court-move">Bronny James Jr. and the attention-grabbing Los Angeles Lakers.</a></p><p>LeBron’s legacy is more than just wins, losses, and points scored. Paul reflected on what <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDiPchkXoPY&amp;t=860s" rel="noopener">made the partnership work</a> while on Carmelo Anthony and Kid Mero’s  “7 PM In Brooklyn” show.</p><p>“Anyways, the partnership. We’ve all grown as men. We were kids and we’ve grown,” Paul began. “And I told him [LeBron] 20 years ago, we can’t let the industry do what I know they like to do to us, right? That shit is corny. (There should be) no beef in sports among millionaires playing a game.”</p><p>Paul emphasized the importance of avoiding unnecessary conflicts in sports, especially among millionaires trying to build a brand worth million-dollar collaborations.</p><p>“They love to play and make you believe that their value is more than it actually is. They’re going to drive a wedge amongst competition so guys don’t communicate,” explained Paul. “So that way you don’t collaborate and then you don’t compound together for their benefit.”</p><p>The James-Paul relationship has evolved significantly over the years. Paul recalled a well-known story about how he was positioned to be a leading voice in LeBron Enterprises.</p><p>“Our relationship has evolved a ton from someone who gave me an opportunity just in general, to someone who believed that I actually could represent them,” recalled Paul. “I didn’t start representing him [LeBron] until his ninth year in the league, to business partners.”</p><h2><b>LeBron James, JJ Redick leading Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LeBron-James-and-Rich-Paul-watch-a-game.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>LeBron’s coaches know what Paul found out. Sometimes that meant having difficult conversations.</p><p>“He supported me in everything I do, and think about it, I’ve gone against the grain in certain things, but the support is still there because he knows the entrepreneur at heart,” Paul said. “They trust me and they trust my business acumen and they trust that I’m also going to give it the real no matter what, if it’s got to be the hard conversation, it’s going to be the hard conversation.”</p><p>“With LJ [LeBron James] we brothers, we don’t have the same moms, but we might as well at this point,” continued Paul. “People try to tell you or try to show you that you should be thankful for the opportunity that was given by shortchanging you for your added value, for your expertise. We don’t play those games with each other. All we’ve ever tried to do was lead by example and we’ll continue to do that. The people that pick up, they pick up those that don’t, they get left behind. That’s just how it works.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rich Paul dives into development of LeBron James relationship

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-bronny-james-shares-life-changing-admission-after-health-scare');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers’ Bronny James shares life-changing admission after health scare');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Lakers-news-Bronny-Jame-shares-life-changing-admission-after-health-scare.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers’ Bronny James shares life-changing admission after health scare</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T23:11:29-07:00">October 15th, 11:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T23:11:29-07:00">October 15th, 11:11pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The worst-kept secret of the NBA Draft was that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-bronny-james-grabs-attention-off-the-court-move">Los Angeles Lakers would select the attention-grabbing LeBron ‘Bronny’ James Jr.</a> after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-new-contract-gets-major-update">LeBron James signed a contract extension</a>. Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario was hard to ignore after James Jr. fell out during a college practice. A cardiac arrest emergency was eventually diagnosed as a treatable heart defect but the episode had everyone worried about the young man’s life, not his next basketball game.</p><p>The world-famous 20-year-old admitted <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a62490236/bronny-james-interview/" rel="noopener">things have not been the same</a> in an interview with Hanif Abdurraqib of Men’s Health magazine.</p><p>“My days aren’t normal anymore,” James Jr. revealed. “I still feel like I’m getting back, I’m getting back to where I was.”</p><p>As for what helps?</p><p>“I got my heart pillow,” shared James Jr. “When I coughed, it used to hurt a little bit, but you get this pillow, and when you cough you just hold it so it doesn’t hurt.”</p><h2><b>Bronny James Jr. built for Lakers’ leap</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bronny-James-Jr.-and-LeBron-James-joke-around.jpg"><figcaption>Michael McLoone-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The leap from the PAC-12’s USC Trojans to the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers was always going to be a challenge for any second-round pick. Being the son of a future Hall of Famer who just got a podcast partner hired as head coach is a totally different set of adjustments.</p><p>Bronny Jr. is learning quickly that those driveway drives against Dad are not the same as those in the Lakers’ practice facility. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-bronny-james-reveals-confidence-fix-preseason-scoring-drought">James Jr. has not been phased</a> despite some unspectacular performances this preseason.</p><p>“Everything I’ve been through over the years has prepared me for this,” Bronny Jr. stated. “I really think it just ties back to me experiencing so much negativity and pushing through all of that. I feel like it built me to where any situation that is trying to hold me back or I’m not fighting through at the time, I can sustain my comfortability and belief in myself to keep going.”</p><p>“I mean, there might be a couple of times that I look at something and it makes me mad,” James Jr. added. “I go out and play better but most of the time it’s in through one, out the other.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers’ Bronny James shares life-changing admission after health scare

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/usc-football-news-eric-gentry-reveals-season-ending-decision-ahead-maryland-clash');   ga('set', 'title', 'USC’s Eric Gentry reveals season-ending decision ahead of Maryland clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/USC-linebacker-Eric-Gentry-reacts-.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>USC’s Eric Gentry reveals season-ending decision ahead of Maryland clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T23:10:14-07:00">October 15th, 11:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T23:10:52-07:00">October 15th, 11:10pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NCAA Football</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The USC football Trojans should be 6-0 this season. That statement will makes countless eyes roll, but it is difficult to dispute. Blown leads, puzzling mental lapses and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/usc-football-news-fans-flame-lincoln-riley-clock-management-penn-state">questionable clock management</a> have cost this squad three wins in the last month. Although Lincoln Riley and company might be in a different conference, the program is perpetuating the same narrative that plagued it in the Pac-12– USC gets swallowed up by the big moment.</p><p>It will be much harder for the team to shed this label and break its bad habits without one of its best defensive players. Senior linebacker Eric Gentry <a href="https://x.com/mzenitz/status/1846365838292492379" rel="noopener">is going to redshirt</a> the remainder of the 2024 campaign due to a series of concussions, per Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports and CBS Sports. A defense that ranks in the bottom half of most defesnive rankings in the Big Ten could now be painfully exposed for the final six games of the regular season.</p><p>Gentry was in the midst of a career year, posting two sacks, seven tackles for loss, 30 combined tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in four games. His absence was felt in last Saturday’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/usc-trojans-most-blame-collapse-vs-penn-state">33-30 overtime loss to Penn State</a> and should present more challenges going forward.</p><p>The 6-foot-6 athlete focused on bulking up in the offseason and morphed into a truly imposing force for USC. He obviously wants to build on his momentum and make a case for the NFL, but the signs cannot be ignored. <a href="https://x.com/IamEricGentry/status/1846364295937884395" rel="noopener">Health is taking precedence</a> in 2024.</p><h2><b>Eric Gentry sends heartfelt message to USC football community</b></h2><p>“This decision has not been easy, but after thoughtful consideration and discussions with my family and the coaching staff, I know it’s the right choice for my well-being and long-term health,” Gentry posted on social media. “I want to make it clear that this decision has absolutely nothing to do with my playing time or NIL opportunities. My love for this team, this program, and all of you is unwavering.”</p><p>Eric Gentry plans to return to USC football for the 2025 season and hopes to finish his college career on a high note. In the meantime, Trojans defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn must figure out how to press forward. Edge rusher Anthony Lucas is also done for the year after suffering a lower-extremity injury against Penn State.</p><p>USC’s defensive depth will immediately be challenged when the team visits the Maryland Terrapins (3-3) on Saturday. Containing a Billy Edwards Jr.-led offense that averages more than 300 passing yards per game will require plenty of creativity and grit. It is time to dig deep.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

USC’s Eric Gentry reveals season-ending decision ahead of Maryland clash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rams-news-sean-mcvay-makes-major-revelation-about-tredavious-whites-play-in-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rams’ Sean McVay makes major revelation about Tre’Davious White’s play in 2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Rams-news-Sean-McVay-makes-major-revelation-about-TreDavious-Whites-play-in-2024.jpg"></figure><h1>Rams’ Sean McVay makes major revelation about Tre’Davious White’s play in 2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T22:52:54-07:00">October 15th, 10:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T22:52:54-07:00">October 15th, 10:52pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a multifaceted writer who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In 2024,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sean-mcvay-explains-rams-decision-to-bench-tredavious-white-in-week-5" rel="noopener"> Tre’Davious White’s play for the Los Angeles Rams</a> has been a disappointment.</p><p>Long considered one of the better man-press cornerbacks in the NFL, White has been beaten at crucial spots on the outside against receivers elite and middle-of-the-road and simply hasn’t displayed the deep speed needed to catch up if his technique isn’t perfect. Factor in the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rams-news-sean-mcvay-provides-fans-with-encouraging-update-on-injured-starter" rel="noopener"> return of Darious Williams</a> and the concerted effort to make Cobie Durant into a premier talent for the Rams, and White was a healthy scratch in Week 5 and may not play for the team much anymore.</p><p>Is White cooked? Maybe yes, maybe no, but things might actually be a bit more complicated than fans might have initially expected, as, according to Sean McVay in his first press conference after the bye, White<a href="https://rams.1rmg.com/quotes/rams-transcripts-monday-october-14-mcvay/" rel="noopener"> hasn’t been playing at close to 100 percent</a>.</p><p>“Oh yeah, it did. Yeah, first things first, when you talk about Tre White, what an impressive human being, A pro’s pro. A guy that has continuously responded and shown the work capacity [and] the character capacity to be able to handle a lot of different situations,” McVay told reporters.</p><p>“I think you always have plans. A lot of the plans that we had relative to this team or as it relates to what you’re asking about were very different from what’s unfolded. That’s our reality. Because we were so injury prone at that spot, defensively in particular [and] some other spots offensively, that did accelerate the amount of snaps that he was going to play. He did a great job of being ready to go and he’s a competitor. Ultimately, [I] can’t say enough good things about him and we’re really looking at it alright, what’s the best thing for the Rams? Tre White’s a pro in every sense of the word. It did unfold a little bit differently as a result of those injuries to answer your question.”</p><p>Wait, could this absence from the starting lineup actually lead to some time for White to get his body right over the next few weeks and potentially play at a high level before the end of the season? Well, if the Rams can go at least a few weeks without an injury at the position, then who knows? Maybe the LSU product could surprise people down the line, assuming White isn’t released or traded over the next few weeks.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/TreDavious-White-on-the-practice-field-for-the-Ram.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h2><b>Sean McVay hints at more changes for the Rams moving forward</b></h2><p>Asked about the decision to move Williams into the starting lineup in place of White in Week 5, McVay noted that he plans to keep things the same way moving forward, with the former Jaguar on one side and Durant on the other, assuming health.</p><p>“I do. I would say some of those things specific to different personnel groupings were specific to the Packers [and] exactly how we approached the Raiders,” McVay noted. “In terms of getting Darious [Williams] back, having some of those things with Cobie Durant at the outside corner, those guys did a nice job. We’ll move forward with that.”</p><p>While Williams and Durant will likely get the initial nods in Week 7, that doesn’t mean the Rams don’t have some other ideas moving forward, as McVay would like to see a few more personnel changes on defense to really get Chris Shula’s defense humming.</p><p>“There’ll be some. I’ll talk to you guys about that. There’ll be some different things that we’ll look at. I do think where it’s available, competition brings out the best in guys,” McVay said. “[It] might be some different things you see offensively that we will explore to see guys compete and then defensively it’s the same sort of thing [or] looking at ways to get guys involved. Those are definitely things that you’ll see.”</p><p>Translation: the Rams are still looking for the right recipe to get their defense on track, as they clearly feel as though they have the talent in place to be better than 1-4.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rams’ Sean McVay makes major revelation about Tre’Davious White’s play in 2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-trae-young-impressed-reaction-buddy-hield-warriors-fit');   ga('set', 'title', 'Trae Young’s utterly impressed reaction to Buddy Hield’s Warriors fit');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Trae-Young-utterly-impressed-reaction-to-Buddy-Hields-Golden-State-fit.jpg"></figure><h1>Trae Young’s utterly impressed reaction to Buddy Hield’s Warriors fit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T22:39:51-07:00">October 15th, 10:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T22:39:51-07:00">October 15th, 10:39pm</time><address><a>Michael Aaron Gomez</a>Michael Aaron Gomez is a creative writer and longtime NBA fan. He has been a fan of the Lakers since the three-peat but believes LeBron James is the greatest player of all time.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Golden State Warriors are 6-0 in the preseason after dispatching the Los Angeles Lakers 111-97 on Tuesday. Moses Moody paced the team with 21 points, while Stephen Curry had 16 points. Meanwhile, Draymond Green put up a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds. However, while watching the game, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young noticed Buddy Hield’s seamless fit as the sixth-man for the Warriors.</p><p>“Buddy fits perfectly with the warriors!” the Hawks guard <a href="https://x.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1846379042519257497" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X, formerly Twitter.</p><h2><b>The Warriors are cruising</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Trae-Young-trying-to-get-around-Buddy-Hield.jpg"><figcaption>© Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While it’s still preseason, the Warriors seem to be in a good place. They <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-dallas-completes-klay-thompson-acquisition-in-historic-6-team-trade">lost Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-warriors-trade-plans-after-lauri-markkanen-failure-emerges">whiffed on Lauri Markkanen</a>, but Stephen Curry did sign a one-year extension.</p><p>They also filled the gaps by leaning even harder on their jump-shooting.</p><p>This renewed focus on shooting and playmaking <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-complete-buddy-hield-sign-and-trade-with-76ers">netted the Warriors Buddy Hield</a> and Kyle Anderson. Moreover, they also signed De’Anthony Melton to spell Curry and provide some defense on the backcourt.</p><p>Moreover, in terms of shooting, Hield is a capable replacement for Thompson, and he may even be a better shooter at this stage of their careers. Thompson hasn’t defended at a high level since his Achilles and ACL injuries, and the Warriors didn’t sign Hield for his defense to begin with.</p><p>Hield is also a reliable decoy while Stephen Curry navigates through screens to look for an open spot behind the line. The defense will have to pick between Hield and Curry shooting, and most teams will let Hield shoot rather than the greatest three-point shooter of all time.</p><p>As a sixth man, Hield can also take on a heavier shooting load when Curry sits. However, without Curry, any competent NBA-level defense will load up on him, meaning his teammates like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-steve-kerr-issues-andrew-wiggins-demand-klay-thompson-gone">Andrew Wiggins must also shoot more</a> to distribute the workload evenly.</p><p>This reliance on shooting will also require the Warriors to speed their game up, and they hope Melton, Anderson, and Draymond Green should provide enough defense to get them consistent stops to spark fast-breaks.</p><p>Likewise, they’ll have to rely on their center rotation of Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney to gobble up defensive rebounds and start the offense.</p><h2><b>Possible problems</b></h2><p>The only problem with this approach might surface in the playoffs, or even before then. For instance, the Warriors might have to win shootouts with other teams, since they might <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/golden-state-warriors-2024-25-season-preview-is-steph-currys-supporting-cast-good-enough-142816317.html" rel="noopener">not have enough two-way guys</a> to wreak havoc on defense.</p><p>As constructed, the Warriors remain a dangerous team who can shoot the lights out and run other teams off the floor.</p><p>However, when the game slows down in the postseason and the shooting drops off, the lack of a difference-making player like a Markkanen or a Paul George might rear its ugly head.</p><p>Trae Young might be right about Buddy Hield’s fit with the Warriors, but is it enough to put them over contenders like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, or Oklahoma City Thunder?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Trae Young’s utterly impressed reaction to Buddy Hield’s Warriors fit

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/steelers-news-justin-fields-social-media-post-losing-spot-russell-wilson');   ga('set', 'title', 'Justin Fields’ social media post after likely losing spot to Russell Wilson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Steelers-news-Justin-Fields-social-media-post-after-likely-losing-spot-to-Russell-Wilson.jpg"></figure><h1>Justin Fields’ social media post after likely losing spot to Russell Wilson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T22:26:58-07:00">October 15th, 10:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T22:26:58-07:00">October 15th, 10:26pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-justin-fields-steelers-loss-cowboys-proves-time-turn-russell-wilson">ugly loss to the Dallas Cowboys</a> in Week 5, Justin Fields and the Pittsburgh Steelers got back on track with a big win against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6. Fields got the job done with a 32-13 victory over the Raiders. The fourth-year quarterback has led the Steelers to a 4-2 record through the first six weeks of the season as Pittsburgh is tied with the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North.</p><p>Despite his success, Fields could soon find himself on the bench. Veteran QB <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-news-russell-wilson-full-participant-practice-amid-calf-injury-rehab">Russell Wilson returned to practice</a> last week. Now a quarterback change could be coming as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-news-russell-wilson-week-7-start-jets">Wilson is trending towards starting Week 7</a> for the Steelers.</p><p>With his role on the team in jeopardy, Fields is keeping things in perspective. In the midst of all the noise over who should be under center for the Steelers when they take on the New York Jets Sunday night, Fields posted a simple but <a href="https://x.com/PortersBurgh/status/1846304684866183222" rel="noopener">meaningful message</a> to his Instagram story. “Your ‘normal’ day is someone’s dream, so be thankful everyday,” the post read, per Portersburgh on X.</p><p>The Steelers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-russell-wilson-contract-steelers">landed Wilson for the veterans’ minimum</a> after the Denver Broncos released him prior to the 2024 season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-news-russell-wilson-starting-quarterback-justin-fields">Wilson was named the team’s starting quarterback</a> during the preseason but a calf injury has kept him sidelined through the first six weeks.</p><h2><b>Justin Fields has become a leader with the Steelers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Justin-Fields_1b88a3.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Fields has, for the most part, played well in his place. And in Week 6 he demonstrated his ability to lead the team and bounce back from adversity. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-news-fans-want-russell-wilson-justin-fields-struggles-cowboys">Fans were calling for Wilson</a> to replace Fields after the Steelers’ lackluster loss to the Cowboys. The following week, the 25-year-old signal caller helmed a dominant win over Las Vegas. Fields was more effective as a runner than a passer in the Week 6 rout. He was 14/24 for 145 yards through the air while carrying the ball 11 times for 59 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over.</p><p>When Wilson recovered from his calf ailment and returned to practice, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-not-ready-to-replace-justin-fields">Steelers didn’t appear ready to move on from Fields</a>. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith gushed about the young quarterback, calling him “<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-news-arthur-smith-raves-extremely-coachable-justin-fields">extremely coachable</a>.”</p><p>Now head coach Mike Tomlin has a difficult decision to make. Former defensive back <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-news-richard-sherman-gets-real-about-russell-wilson">Richard Sherman</a>, current Steelers wideout <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-news-george-pickens-russell-wilson-vs-justin-fields-debate">George Pickens</a> and even Phoenix Suns forward <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-news-kevin-durant-justin-fields-russell-wilson-quarterback-debate">Kevin Durant</a> have all shared their thoughts on who should start for Pittsburgh moving forward. But the decision will come down to one man. Given Tomlin’s exemplary track record as a head coach, it’s likely he’ll make the right decision for the team. If Fields does take a back seat to Wilson, he’s probably shown enough to get a starting opportunity elsewhere in 2025.</p><p>The Steelers take on the 2-4 New York Jets at home in Week 7. The Sunday night game will showcase <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jets-news-davante-adams-reunites-aaron-rodgers-trade-raiders">new Jets receiver Davante Adams</a> who has reunited with quarterback Aaron Rodgers after being traded by the Raiders. The Steelers starting quarterback will also be featured in prime time. Whether that’s Wilson or Fields remains to be seen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Justin Fields’ social media post after likely losing spot to Russell Wilson

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-max-strus-sam-merrill-get-cautious-injury-updates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Max Strus, Sam Merrill get ‘cautious’ injury updates');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Max-Strus-Sam-Merrill-get-cautious-injury-updates.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Max Strus, Sam Merrill get ‘cautious’ injury updates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T22:20:09-07:00">October 15th, 10:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T22:20:09-07:00">October 15th, 10:20pm</time><address><a>Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers are yet to win a game in preseason as they head into their Wednesday night clash against the Detroit Pistons. Nevertheless, the Cavs know that what’s important for them is to enter the regular season with a clean bill of health as they <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-bold-championship-take-ahead-2024-25-season" rel="noopener">prepare for the bloodbath</a> that lies ahead of them in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>The good news is that the Cavs, for the first time in preseason, will be having their core four of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen active when they take on the Pistons. But at the moment, the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-the-silver-lining-to-max-strus-preseason-injury" rel="noopener">Cavs are still dealing with some injury concerns</a> to sharpshooters Max Strus and Sam Merrill, both of whom missed their previous preseason game (a 129-117 loss to the Indiana Pacers) due to a hip and wrist injury, respectively.</p><p>Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem as if the injuries to Strus and Merrill are anything serious. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson revealed that they have simply been <a href="https://hoopswire.com/cavaliers-cavs-pistons-jb-bickerstaff-nba-news/" rel="noopener">erring on the side of caution</a> so as to not re-aggravate the injuries they’re dealing with.</p><p>“Just being extra cautious with both of them,” Atkinson said, per Sam Amico of Hoops Wire.</p><p>With the games not counting yet during preseason, this is the best route for the Cavs to take. Last year, they dealt with plenty of injury problems, and they will not want to run the risk of going through the same predicament again.</p><p>The Cavs have plenty of depth anyway to weather an absence from both Strus and Merrill, at least for the time being.</p><h2><b>Cavs’ battle for wing minutes continues</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Cavs-forward-Isaac-Okoro.jpg"></figure><p>Both Max Strus and Sam Merrill are expected to play a role for the Cavs, thanks in large part to their ability to command defensive attention from the perimeter thanks to their relentless off-ball movement and ability to make threes off screens and on the move.</p><p>The Cavs’ other options on the wing don’t provide the luxury Strus and Merrill do. Dean Wade is a solid catch-and-shoot option, but he doesn’t have the movement both Strus and Merrill do on offense. Caris LeVert is a shot creator who functions as a de facto point guard when he’s on the floor. Isaac Okoro is a defensively-inclined wing who has troubles creating his own shots.</p><p>Regardless, having players who can bring different dimensions to the team is important, enabling the Cavs to depend on matchups for their minutes allocation,</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Max Strus, Sam Merrill get ‘cautious’ injury updates

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/aew-star-reveals-wwe-rescinded-a-contract-offer-before-untimely-retirement');   ga('set', 'title', 'AEW star reveals WWE rescinded a contract offer before untimely retirement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/AEW-star-reveals-WWE-rescinded-a-contract-offer-before-untimely-retirement.jpg"></figure><h1>AEW star reveals WWE rescinded a contract offer before untimely retirement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T22:15:41-07:00">October 15th, 10:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T22:15:41-07:00">October 15th, 10:15pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a multifaceted writer who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">AEW</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Between making his big return at <i>AEW All In</i>, then having his first singles match in a decade <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nigel-mcguinness-opens-up-about-his-future-after-aew-grand-slam" rel="noopener">with Bryan Danielson at <i>Grand Slam</i></a>, and his commentary work on <i>Collision</i>, Nigel McGuinness is having a major resurgence in the professional wrestling world since being released from WWE last year.</p><p>Fans love his efforts, the unique spin he puts on matches from the booth, and his weird little feuds with the likes of Bryan Danielson, even if that effort ultimately ended in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/aew-news-bryan-danielsons-wrestledream-ends-with-blackpool-brutalization">brutal tragedy at <i>WrestleDream</i></a> that even McGuinness couldn’t have imagined.</p><p>Discussing why he took a decade away from the ring in an appearance on <i>Talk is Jericho</i> with Chris Jericho, McGuinness broke down why he stepped away, which had more to do with WWE rescinding a contract offer than his <a href="https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/nigel-mcguinness-says-wwe-rescinded-contract-offer-2009-due-arm-injury-happened-few-years" rel="noopener">inability to operate in the ring at a high level</a>.</p><p>“No, it’s a little convoluted, but I’ll give you the condensed version,” McGuinness noted via Fightful. “I got signed by WWE, they decided to rescind the contract because of an arm injury, even though my doctor said it was perfectly healed and I had wrestled with it for two years. But that was it, that was their doctor’s [decision].”</p><p>Wait, that can’t be the whole story, right? Fortunately, Jericho had that question too and was able to get much more out of McGuinness that really paints WWE in an ugly light for how dirty they did him at the time.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><h2><b>Nigel McGuinness was left with no option but to retire after WWE’s exit</b></h2><p>Discussing the matter further after Jericho understandably asked for more context, McGuinness broke it down, revealing that he was left with little choice but to leave WWE and then wrestling as a whole.</p><p>“After I passed the physical, he said, ‘Just in passing, you’ve never had any other injuries, have you?’ Being honest, I said, ‘Well, I partially tore my bicep a couple of years ago but it’s perfectly healed.’ He said, ‘Just let me see the MRI.’ So I sent him the MRI, he took a look at it and said, ‘Oh no, you need surgery.’ What was I gonna do?” McGuinness asked.</p><p>“At that point, I had only ever wrestled in Ring Of Honor. My best year in wrestling as an active competitor was for Ring Of Honor believe it or not and I made $46,000 with no health insurance. So, at the end of the year, I didn’t have any savings. So, was I going to pay out of pocket, because I didn’t have insurance, to have a bicep surgery that I didn’t think I really needed. My doctor, who was a renowned orthopedic surgeon in Tampa, he agreed as well. On the off chance that they might be interested, and we all know how that goes as well. They didn’t even say, ‘Get the surgery and we’ll be interested.’ They just said, ‘Nope, that’s not going.'”</p><p>Fortunately for McGuinness, he was able to find a second life as a commentator and has since become one of the premier talents on the color side of the booth. While it would have been nice to see him work matches over the last decade, he now has a chance to make up for lost time against folks like the “American Dragon.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

AEW star reveals WWE rescinded a contract offer before untimely retirement

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bears-news-caleb-williams-postgame-attire-london-win-mocked');   ga('set', 'title', 'Caleb Williams’ postgame attire in London win mercilessly mocked');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bears-news-Caleb-Williams-postgame-attire-London-win-mercilessly-mocked.jpg"></figure><h1>Caleb Williams’ postgame attire in London win mercilessly mocked</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-13T12:35:40-07:00">October 13th, 12:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-14T09:51:01-07:00">October 14th, 9:51am</time><address><a>Matt De Lima</a>Matt De Lima is an Associate Editor for NFL and college football at ClutchPoints. He has been covering sports for over 12 years at sites like Sports Illustrated, The Game Day, and countless others. Born and raised in California, he is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a diehard Hokies fan who now resides in southern Maryland.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The internet couldn’t stop roasting Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams for his postgame attire after their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-bears-overreactions-blowout-win-over-lowly-jaguars">dominant 35-16 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars</a>. Taking questions from the media, Williams wore a poorly fitted light brown pinstripe suit with oversized lapels. The folks with the 79th &amp; Halas Podcast did a great job crowdsourcing <a href="https://x.com/79thAndHalas" rel="noopener">the funniest replies</a> teasing Williams.</p><p>But first, we have to see the suit in question.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">QB Caleb Williams is up <a href="https://t.co/Nwg3g1gALR">pic.twitter.com/Nwg3g1gALR</a></p><p>— 79th &amp; Halas Podcast (@79thAndHalas) <a href="https://twitter.com/79thAndHalas/status/1845513297870610867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>With that out of the way, on with the jokes.</p><p>“we really lost to somebody public defender smh” – <a href="https://x.com/OGTatum_/status/1845523255529988436" rel="noopener">@OGTatum_</a></p><p>“stole that suite out of lori lightfoots closet” – <a href="https://x.com/mitch__cumstien/status/1845520457056862390" rel="noopener">@mitch__cumstien</a></p><p>Lori Lightfoot is the former mayor of Chicago, known for wearing poorly-fitted suits.</p><p>“Pulled up in a Steve Harvey fit that’s my QB1” – <a href="https://x.com/DillonCaraballo/status/1845516697282699618" rel="noopener">@DillonCaraballo</a></p><p>“I feel like he’s about to pull a giant machine gun out of that jacket.” – <a href="https://x.com/LeeRoyDiggler/status/1845524180030083543">@LeeRoyDiggler</a></p><h2><b>Bears’ Caleb Williams finding his rhythm</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Bears-Caleb-Williams-throwing-the-ball-against-the-Jaguars.jpg"><figcaption>© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With his best game as a pro, Williams completed 23-of-29 for 226 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. He also added 56 yards on the ground. The rookie started the season a bit slow, only passing for 267 yards and two interceptions in his first two contests. Since then, he has averaged 260 pass yards and 2.2 TDs per game over his last four games.</p><p>Meanwhile, the floundering Jacksonville Jaguars can’t stop the bleeding. Now 1-5, they are among the league-worst with a -65 point differential. Jacksonville can’t get their ground game going as D’Ernest Johnson (six carries for 28 yards) and Tank Bigsby (seven carries for 24 yards) couldn’t get many opportunities with the game script against their favor. RB Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) doesn’t look 100 percent and was limited to negative-one rushing yards.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bears-news-caleb-williams-makes-rookie-history-london-blowout-over-jaguars">Williams made Bears history</a> in the big win, becoming the first Bears rookie QB to throw <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1845502771564314737" rel="noopener">four or more touchdowns</a> in a single game. Cole Kmet caught five passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Keenan Allen caught five passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns. D’Andre Swift added 91 yards and a score on 17 carries plus another four catches for 28 yards.</p><p>There’s a lot of positive news trending in the Bears’ favor with the possibility of a new stadium in the works and possibly hosting the Super Bowl afterward, per Bears president Kevin Warren said, via the Associated Press.</p><p>“The status is we’re continuing to make progress. We stay focused still to be able to be in the ground, start construction sometime in 2025,” Warren said. “We’re having regular meetings with key business leaders, key politicians, just staying focused and on course.</p><p>“This is a long journey. This takes time. I’ve been there before. We’re exactly where I thought we would be at this point in time.”</p><p>The 4-2 Bears travel to Washington D.C. after a Week 7 bye to face No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels and the Commanders on Sunday, October 27 at 1:00 p.m. EST.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Caleb Williams’ postgame attire in London win mercilessly mocked

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/timberwolves-news-anthony-edwards-nsfw-trash-talk-mikal-bridges');   ga('set', 'title', 'Anthony Edwards’ leaked NSFW trash talk to Mikal Bridges goes viral');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Anthony-Edwards-leaked-NSFW-trash-talk-to-Mikal-Bridges-goes-viral.jpg"></figure><h1>Anthony Edwards’ leaked NSFW trash talk to Mikal Bridges goes viral</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-14T10:39:38-07:00">October 14th, 10:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T11:27:46-07:00">October 15th, 11:27am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Anthony <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/timberwovles-news-anthony-edwards-blasts-jayson-tatum-netflix-show-yall-trippin">Edwards is getting recognition as a trash-talker</a>, and he’s starting early in the preseason. In the Minnesota Timberwolves game against the New York Knicks, Edwards was caught talking to Mikal Bridges while he was <a href="https://twitter.com/legendz_nba/status/1845680058586849345" rel="noopener">shooting his free throws</a>.</p><p>“That n—- done changed his shot, man…. D—,” Edwards is heard saying.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LEAKED Audio Of Anthony Edwards Trash Talking Mikal Bridges👀:</p><p>“That n**** done changed his shot, man…. Damn!” <a href="https://t.co/Aieczd0SPv">pic.twitter.com/Aieczd0SPv</a></p><p>— LegendZ (@legendz_nba) <a href="https://twitter.com/legendz_nba/status/1845680058586849345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It does look like Bridges has tweaked his shot just a bit, but Edwards being the one to mention it made the moment hilarious. There’s no doubt that during the season, there will be more moments of Edwards talking trash to other players around the league.</p><h2>Anthony Edwards is becoming one of NBA’s best trash-talkers</h2><p>Anthony Edwards was most recently seen talking trash on Netflix’s Starting 5. During one of the segments, the Timberwolves had just beaten the Boston Celtics in overtime, and Edwards did his best on trying to contain Jayson Tatum.</p><p>After the game, the cameras heard him talking about Tatum and his status in the league.</p><p>“You seen Tatum trying to get me on the switch, locked his a– up 2 times,” Edwards said. “He started talking s—. Tatum was talking crazy, saying, ‘Yeah, I’m here,’ then I said, ‘I’m coming again.’ Talking ‘bout best player in the league, y’all trippin’.”</p><p>Edwards was also seen talking trash to Kevin Durant in the playoffs last season, and there have been many more moments where the Timberwolves star has gotten the best of his opponents. Nobody gets a pass with Edwards, not even the older generation of NBA players. A few months ago, he was asked how he thought <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/timberwolves-news-anthony-edwards-claims-michael-jordan-was-only-older-generation-player-with-skill">basketball is different now compared</a> to back in the day</p><p>“I didn’t watch it back in the day so I can’t speak on it,” Edwards said. “They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then. [Michael Jordan] was the only one that really had skill, you know what I mean? So that’s why when they saw Kobe [Bryant], they were like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But now everybody has skill.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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