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Charley Walters: Winless Vikings could be on the verge of a rebuild

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:56 GMT

After the Minnesota Vikings’ inglorious 0-2 start this season, some concerned rooters are describing the team’s state as one of “panic” heading into its next game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 24 in Minneapolis.PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 14: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings fumbles the ball as he is hit by Josh Sweat #94 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on September 14, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)A better, more appropriate word than “panic’ might be “resignation.”The Vikings, one keen observer reasoned, should come to terms with who they are. Should the team lose to the Chargers, the organization probably has to seriously consider a sort of rebuild, much the same as the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears have done.—The Vikings could gut the whole team, which would be painful for at least a couple years. The other option would be to trade players this season ...

Saratoga Book Festival returning in October

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:56 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Friends of the Saratoga Public Library announced they will be presenting the third annual Saratoga Book Festival. The event will run from October 12 through October 15. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Saratoga Book Festival will offer a literary marketplace, workshops, presentations and engaging conversations, all held across nine venues in Saratoga. More than 60 authors will be featured, and the festival will also include a local author showcase. “Home to Yaddo, two colleges, three bookstores and a vibrant community of passionate bookreaders and writers, Saratoga Springs is the perfect setting to celebrate reading and the powerof books to open minds and hearts,” said festival founder and co-chair Ellen Beal. “During thismoment, when community ties are strained, intolerance is on the rise, and book reading on thedecline, the Saratoga Book Festival gathers authors and readers together for ...

Colorado weather: Sunny and 75, with clear skies all day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:56 GMT

Clear skies all day will make for almost perfect weather Saturday before things heat up next week.The high is 77 degrees in Denver. Light wind of about 6 mph is possible.Dry and mostly sunny conditions are forecast Saturday with highs near or below normal. #COwx pic.twitter.com/hsIrsRxjuJ— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) September 16, 2023Up the road in Boulder, football fans can expect clear skies and a 75-degree high before the Rocky Mountain Showdown starts, then a chill 49-degree low later that night.Above-normal temperatures return Sunday, with highs in the 80s through Wednesday. Sunny weather will stick around through Tuesday when slight storm chances develop in the afternoon.Sunday night and Monday will be fairly windy, with up to 17-mph gusts.Cooler temps with high in the 70s return Thursday.Related ArticlesWeather | Denver weather: Cool, rainy, fall-like Friday before weekend warm-up Weather | Colorado weather: Rotating thunderstorm passes over Ar...

After two surgeries, San Jose Sharks prospect is again all smiles. What’s next for the 20-year-old?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:56 GMT

Defenseman Gannon Laroque could be excused for having a little extra enthusiasm this week as he and other San Jose Sharks prospects got ready for the six-team Rookie Faceoff in Las Vegas.After all, it had been about nine months since he last played a game.“My smile is probably the biggest you’ve ever seen,” Laroque said Friday after he had a goal and an assist in the Sharks team’s 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. “It was fun to be out there again.”Laroque, a fourth-round draft pick by the Sharks in 2021, is coming off a challenging 2022-2023 season in which he had two surgeries – followed by two grueling rehabs — with just four games played for the WHL’s Victoria Royals.After he was drafted, Laroque enjoyed a breakout season with the Royals with 52 points in 63 games. A right-shot defenseman, Laroque was suddenly considered one of the organization’s top prospects — certainly, he was the most improved — and the Sharks announced on June 1, 2022, that they ha...

Police: 3 arrested after attempting fraudulent $21K purchase from Tysons’ Louis Vuitton store

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:56 GMT

Three New Yorkers were arrested Thursday after allegedly attempting to use a stolen credit card for a $21,000 Louis Vuitton store purchase at the Tysons Corner Center mall, according to a news release from Fairfax County police.According to police, store employees contacted the mall’s Tysons Urban Team — a special unit assigned to cover the mall — about the attempted purchase shortly before 4 p.m.Officers surveilled the two men accused of making the purchase — later identified as 28-year-old Jamine Decambra of Brooklyn, New York and 33-year-old Darnel Eric Davis of Astoria, New York — as they left the store and entered a rental car. Inside the car was a third person, 37-year-old Marcia Jenelle Lewis of Jamaica, New York.Police conducted a traffic stop and reported findings of 36 fictitious driver’s licenses, 32 stolen credit cards, a U.S. Postal Services mail carrier uniform and arrow key, stolen articles of mail and “other evidence of theft and fraud” in the car, ...

The Cleveland Browns can put the Pittsburgh Steelers in an early hole with a win on Monday night

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:56 GMT

CLEVELAND (1-0) at PITTSBURGH (0-1)Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, ABC FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NFL LINE: Browns by 2 1/2.SERIES RECORD: Steelers lead 80-62-1.LAST MEETING: Steelers beat Browns 28-14 on Jan. 8, 2023, in Pittsburgh.LAST WEEK: Browns beat Bengals 24-3; Steelers lost to 49ers 30-7.AGAINST THE SPREAD: Browns: 1-0; Steelers 0-1.BROWNS OFFENSE: OVERALL (9), RUSH (2), PASS (24), SCORING (10)BROWNS DEFENSE: OVERALL (2), RUSH (9), PASS (2), SCORING (1)STEELERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (27), RUSH (31), PASS (15), SCORING (30)STEELERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (29), RUSH (30), PASS (21), SCORING (26)TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Browns minus-2; Steelers minus-1.BROWNS PLAYER TO WATCH: Rookie T Dawand Jones. With Jack Conklin lost for the season with a knee injury suffered in the opener, the massive Jones, a fourth-round pick from Ohio State, moves into the starting lineup earlier than expected. The 6-foot-8, 375-pounder more than held his own against the Bengals, but could now find himself facing Steelers LB T.J. W...

Wales weathers energetic underdog Portugal to win 28-8 at Rugby World Cup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:56 GMT

NICE, France (AP) — Wales scored a bonus-point fourth try in the last play of the game to beat Portugal 28-8 without ever completely subduing the feisty underdog playing its first Rugby World Cup game in 16 years on Saturday.No. 8 Taulupe Faletau came off the back of the scrum and rumbled through three poor Portugal tackles for the final try in the 83rd minute, which ensured Wales came away with maximum points even if it didn’t dominate the Pool C game the way it expected.Louis Rees Zammit opened the try count for the Welsh in the ninth minute, and celebrated his kick-and-chase score on the right wing with a version of Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous siuuu! leap and land — a cheeky take on Portugal’s most famous sports star.Hooker and captain Dewi Lake drove over after taking a tap penalty but that second Wales try only came right at the end of the half.Jac Morgan, called into the team late to replace Tommy Reffell at openside flank, got Wales’ third early in the ...

Bears say RG Nate Davis doubtful for Tampa Bay game, rule out nickel back Josh Blackwell

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:56 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears listed right guard Nate Davis as doubtful and ruled out nickel back Josh Blackwell for Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay.The Bears added Davis to the status report Saturday for personal reasons, likely leaving the line without another starter. Left guard Teven Jenkins opened the season on injured reserve.Blackwell suffered a hamstring injury in a season-opening loss to Green Bay. He would have filled in for Kyler Gordon, who broke his right hand in that game.The Bears announced Friday that defensive coordinator Alan Williams will miss the game for personal reasons. Coach Matt Eberflus, a former defensive coordinator with Indianapolis, will call plays in his place.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLSource

Slipper’s versatility and resilience gets him to fourth Rugby World Cup for Australia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:56 GMT

SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — James Slipper wanted to retire from rugby at age 30.He’s 34 and set to anchor Australia’s front row in the Rugby World Cup on Sunday.“I’ve gone a bit over time,” he said.What’s happened is he’s maximizing a second chance he received in his 30th year, 2019.Back then, Slipper had suffered depression for a year while coming to grips with his mother’s terminal cancer. He tested positive for cocaine twice but Rugby Australia took them in context and was lenient with the punishment while giving him specialist mental health help. He didn’t play for the Wallabies in 2017 and 2018 and left the Queensland Reds in 2019 to try and restart his career with the ACT Brumbies.He helped the Brumbies reach the Super Rugby semifinals, and Wallabies coach Michael Cheika picked him to resume his test career against South Africa at Ellis Park just two months before the World Cup in Japan. Slipper was a mainstay in the front row again.T...

Verstappen’s winning run in F1 is in doubt after qualifying 11th in Singapore with Sainz on pole

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:56 GMT

SINGAPORE (AP) — Max Verstappen’s historic run of 10 Formula One wins in a row looks set to end after he qualified down in 11th place on Saturday for the Singapore Grand Prix.Carlos Sainz Jr. took pole for the race for Ferrari on Sunday ahead of George Russell of Mercedes and the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc as Verstappen’s Red Bull team had its worst qualifying results of the season.“It’s the best opportunity since the beginning of the season, for sure” for other teams to stop a Red Bull sweep of winning every race in 2023, Leclerc said.Verstappen, the runaway championship leader after his record-breaking 10th straight win at the Italian Grand Prix, was eliminated by .007 seconds in the second session by rookie Liam Lawson of sister team AlphaTauri. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez was 13th after a spin. The two drivers have won every race this season between them.Verstappen told his team over the radio that it was an “absolutely shocking experience.”...