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Plenty of rust to go with the shine in NFL’s Week 1. Many of the $50 million men had shaky days

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:19:02 GMT

Several NFL teams looked like they needed more preseason work. Some seemed unstoppable.It’s only one game so don’t rush to judge.Most of the NFL’s $50 million men had shaky days, though two ended up on the winning side. The Packers, Dolphins, 49ers and Rams were impressive. The Cowboys dominated despite an average offensive performance.Eight of 14 games Sunday finished under 40 points combined and 12 teams scored less than 20. Nine road teams won, including five underdogs.Joe Burrow, fresh off becoming the highest-paid player in league history, had one of his worst games as a pro. Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts, who briefly took turns owning the biggest contract, were rusty in victories. Justin Herbert, who also joined the $50 million club in the offseason, was sharp but couldn’t outplay Tua Tagovailoa.Daniel Jones, the New York Giants’ $40 million QB, had a miserable game in a 40-0 loss to Dallas.Burrow threw for a career-low 82 yards in Cincinnati’s 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Brown...

Marcus Semien is leading off every day for the Rangers, and leading the AL in hits and runs

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:19:02 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Marcus Semien is at the top of the Texas Rangers lineup every game, and always impressing the American League hitting leader who bats right after him. “Just the consistency,” said Rangers shortstop and No. 2 hitter Corey Seager, who himself has 30 home runs and a league-best .336 batting average. “He doesn’t really have bad at-bats.”Semien just became only the fourth player in the majors this season to twice have a four-hit game that included two homers. Both came in a span of four games ahead of a huge series between AL wild-card contenders that starts Monday night, when the Rangers play in Toronto against the All-Star second baseman’s former team. Going into the opener of that four-game series against the Blue Jays, Semien was among only six players in the majors to appear in every one of his team’s games — with Seattle third baseman Eugenio Suárez the only other AL player to do it. Semien was hitting .281 with 24 homers and 87 RBIs while ...

These 5 DC museums are worth visiting just for their café menus

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:19:02 GMT

Several museums on and off the National Mall in D.C. tie the focus and message of their exhibitions past the gallery halls and into dining halls and cafés. As seen and well-celebrated in the Sweet Home Café at the National Museum of African American History & Culture, food can be a pathway to translating complex histories and cultures into a digestible medium.For museums in the District that will appeal to those who crave both historical and culinary delights, find five options below. This list is not all-encompassing, but each section offers a look at the scope and mission of each museum’s dining facility and the most popular items on their menus.Sweet Home Café at the National Museum of African American History & Culture(new Image()).src = "https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384&cid=c2ffed0c-3624-46c0-b10f-97c976d290a3";cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384",mediaId: "25728989-354e-...

AP Top 25 Reality Check: Alabama’s latest slip out of the top five continues a trend for Tide.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:19:02 GMT

So much about Nick Saban’s 17 seasons at Alabama represents unprecedented success in college football football that even the slightest dip in performance is notable.For any other program, permanent residence in the top 10 of The Associated College football poll going on nine consecutive seasons would be celebrated. For the Crimson Tide, it’s a sign of slippage.No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan held their places atop the AP poll Sunday, with Florida State moving up to No. 3 and Texas vaulting into the top five at No. 4 after beating ‘Bama.The Tide slipped seven spots to No. 10, keeping its streak of consecutive appearances in the top-10 alive at 128. But look a little closer. From 2009-2020, the season of Alabama’s sixth and most recent championship under Saban, the Crimson Tide appeared in the AP poll top-five 88% of the time. Not only was that the best mark in college football over that span, next best wasn’t even close. Ohio State appeared in the top f...

After pounding the Rangers this past week, the Astros have a chance to take control in the AL West

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:19:02 GMT

The Houston Astros swept the Rangers in a Texas-sized rout, and now the question is whether the defending World Series champions will deny the AL West a thrilling division race.The Astros won three games at Texas by a combined score of 39-10 this past week, then followed that up by taking two of three at home against San Diego. Houston now leads the AL West by 2 1/2 games over Seattle and three over Texas. And there’s more bad news for those two challengers: Nine of the Astros’ next 12 games are against Oakland or Kansas City, a stretch interrupted only by three games against AL East-leading Baltimore.If the Mariners and Rangers can stay within striking distance, then this could be the division to watch at the very end of the regular season. Seattle has a series at Texas from Sept. 22-24, then hosts Houston from Sept. 25-27. Then the Mariners host Texas from Sept. 28-Oct. 1That’s quite a few head-to-head matchups that could decide the AL West champion, but right no...

Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem ventures into jai-alai ownership, aims for championship glory

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:19:02 GMT

Udonis Haslem, a revered figure in the Miami Heat organization, has ventured into a new arena, but it’s not basketball that he’s currently invested in. The Heat “lifer” and iconic player is donning a different hat as the proud owner of the Renegades, one of six teams competing in the World Jai-Alai League, a sport that holds a special place in Haslem’s heart.While his long-term aspiration is to join the Miami Heat’s front office, Haslem has embraced a new challenge, bringing his winning mentality to the fast-paced world of jai-alai. Known for its lightning-fast ball speeds, this sport has ignited Haslem’s competitive spirit once again.“There’s championship expectations here, fellas,” Haslem emphasized. “You know what I’m saying? I’m not in this just to be a figurehead. We want to win and we want to grow this league. We got a lot of guys that are from different countries. So you know, one of the guys told m...

Ukraine reclaims Black Sea oil and gas platforms from Russia, Kyiv says

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:19:02 GMT

KYIV — Ukrainian military forces said Monday they managed to regain control over four strategically important oil and gas drilling platforms located in the Black Sea near the shores of Russian-occupied Crimea. “During the operation, the special forces managed to seize valuable trophies: a stockpile of helicopter ammunition of the NAR type (unguided aerial missiles), as well as the Neva radar, which can track the movement of ships in the Black Sea,” Ukraine’s military intelligence, also known as GUR, said.They posted a video of Ukrainian soldiers posing on the platforms at the Black Sea. Ukraine has been conducting a grinding summer counteroffensive to recapture territory seized by Vladimir Putin’s invading Russian forces. POLITICO has not managed to independently verify the footage, but late last month the British Ministry of Defense reported that skirmishes were taking place between Russian and Ukrainian forces around the platforms between Crimea and Odesa.  “During...

Chicago baseball report: Cubs honor Mark Grace and Shawon Dunston — and the latest on White Sox prospect Colson Montgomery

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:19:02 GMT

The Chicago Cubs avoided a disastrous weekend, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 on Sunday to prevent a four-game sweep and stay in the second wild-card position.The writing had been on the wall for a while for the White Sox, but they were officially eliminated from playoff contention with Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers.Every Monday throughout the season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Cubs and Sox.Memorable day for Grace and DunstonShawon Dunston and Mark Grace, as they so often did during nine seasons as teammates, walked through the Cubs dugout Sunday afternoon, stopping before they reached the steps.They were fittingly honored before the series finale, earning blue blazers with their enshrinement in the Cubs Hall of Fame. Dunston, 60, spent 12 seasons (1985-95, ‘97) on the Cubs, while Grace, 59, was a staple at first base for 13 years (1988-2000).Dunston said he likes to te...

Dutch court sentences ex-Pakistani cricketer to 12 years over reward for death of far-right lawmaker

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:19:02 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch court on Monday sentenced a former Pakistani cricketer to 12 years in prison over allegations that he had offered a reward for the death of firebrand anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders.The suspect, identified by Wilders as Khalid Latif, is accused of offering a bounty of about 21,000 euros ($23,000) to anybody who killed Wilders.Latif did not appear in the high-security courtroom near Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for the trial and he was not represented by a lawyer. He is believed to be in Pakistan, which has no extradition agreement with the Netherlands.Prosecutors did not name Latif, but said in a statement that a video posted online in 2018 showed a famous Pakistan cricketer offering the money for killing Wilders. The lawmaker, who was present for the verdict, has lived under around-the-clock protection for years because of repeated threats to his life sparked by his fierce criticism of Islam.“The court has now ruled that a long-term unc...

Moscow and Pyongyang confirm North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia to meet with Putin

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:19:02 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russia and North Korea confirmed Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia in a highly anticipated meeting with President Vladimir Putin that has sparked Western concerns about a potential arms deal for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.A brief statement on the Kremlin’s website said Kim’s visit is at Putin’s invitation and would take place “in the coming days.” The visit also was reported by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, which said the leaders would meet — without specifying when and where. Associated Press journalists near the North Korea-Russia frontier saw a green train with yellow trim — similar to the train used by Kim during previous foreign trips — at a station on the North Korean side of a border river.It was unclear whether Kim was on the train, which was seen moving back and forth between the station and the approach to the bridge that connects the countries. It had not crossed the bridge as of 7 p.m. (1000 GM...