EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — How good can Mike Macdonald be? Good enough to trick a 41-year-old, three-time NFL MVP into a game-losing mistake. The Seahawks’ rookie head coach, four years younger than the New York Jets’ star quarterback, made history for Leonard Williams Sunday. And that made the Seahawks’ cold afternoon in the Meadowlands go from disastrous to divine. Earlier this season, Macdonald dialed back his multiplicity and disguising within Seattle’s defense. That was because his Seahawks were struggling with mere basics, let alone his tricks. The team was in last place beneath the NFC West, giving up acres of yards and bushels of points. Now, with the season in its stretch run, the defensive whiz is showing off the schemes that made Seattle hire the 37-year-old away from the Baltimore Ravens last winter as the NFL’s youngest head man. And — presto! — the Seahawks (7-5) are in first place. They’ve won three straight games heading into a showdown rematch with the division-rival Arizona Cardinals (6-6) next weekend in the desert. “We talk about December football, and this is when you want to be playing your best ball,” Macdonald said after Seattle’s largely inexplicable rally 26-21 past the bad New York Jets. “I wouldn’t say this is our best game. But we won, and that’s all that matters. “So it’s about stacking those wins. And you got to play a certain brand of ball to win in December.” That brand is becoming more Macdonald’s style of confusing, disguising and moving defense. Midway through the second quarter Sunday the lowly Jets (3-9) had just recovered a fumble on a kickoff return by Seattle’s Laviska Shenault. They had the ball inside the Seahawks 10-yard line. New York already led 21-7. It was 9 yards from seizing a three-score lead, and maybe the game. On second down, Rodgers was not pressured. He had wide receiver Garret Wilson free behind cornerback Josh Jobe for a touchdown on the right side of the end zone. But Rodgers (21 for 39, 185 yards) overthrew Wilson by 2 yards incomplete. On third down, Macdonald had Williams move from defensive end to nose tackle, over Jets center Joe Tippmann. At the snap, Williams charged one step into the line. Rodgers read Williams pass rushing, so the 20-year veteran who’s seen it all read Williams was out of the coverage plan, as usual. Except he wasn’t. Macdonald’s play call this time had Williams dropping into coverage after his feigned charge. Rodgers did not expect a 6-foot-5, 310-pound nose tackle to be in the way of his throw over the middle to Wilson breaking on an in route. That’s how Macdonald fooled Rodgers on this game’s pivotal play. “That’s pretty much what that drop’s meant to be,” Williams said after Seattle’s comeback win he sparked. “Our technique is to ‘rush to touch.’ So I rush the guard. As soon as I get hands on him (the quarterback) thinks I’m coming. Then at the last second I pop out. “And the ball just happened to be in arm’s reach.” Like a volleyballer, Williams tapped the unsuspecting Rodgers’ throw from where a linebacker normally covers, straight up in the air, to himself. Williams caught the rebound at the Seahawks 8-yard line. And he took off running the other way. Took off like he never ran before. “He ran like hell,” speedy Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen said, in admiration. Williams got across the field to the Seattle sideline. His teammates were there cheering him on, as no Jet showed up to slow him down. When the defensive end they call “Big Cat” got to midfield, he needed a friend. “I didn’t expect to get that far,” Williams said, smiling. “I thought I was running fast. ...But all my teammates were hyping me out, telling me I was movin’ on the sideline. “I looked up to my left and right, and once I crossed the 50 I was actually looking to pitch it to somebody. But I saw ‘Spoon’ (cornerback Devon Witherspoon) and my whole defense, the cavalry, pretty much running down the field. They were all almost more excited for me to get that touchdown than myself.”BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona lost at home for the first time this season when the Liga leader was stunned by Las Palmas 2-1 on Saturday. Sandro Ramirez and Fábio Silva scored for the Canary Islands club on either side of Raphinha’s equalizer to give Las Palmas its first win at Barcelona in more than 50 years. Barcelona played superbly in the first three months under new coach Hansi Flick and was flying high after convincing victories over Real Madrid in the domestic competition and Bayern Munich in the Champions League. It had won all eight of its home games. But it has gone three rounds of La Liga without a win. Before Las Palmas, it fell at Real Sociedad 1-0 and drew at Celta Vigo 2-2 after squandering a two-goal lead in the final minutes. The dropped points mean Madrid, despite its own troubles , especially in the Champions League, can move ahead of Barcelona in La Liga. It trails Barcelona by four points with two games in hand. “I don’t care about scoring, I care about winning,” Raphinha said after his standout performance was unable to end Barcelona's slump. “We have to take a hard look at what we are doing wrong. We have slipped in our form and are letting games get away form us. We have our next game on Tuesday (at Mallorca), and we need to turn this around so we can win the league.” Atletico Madrid was only two points behind Barcelona in second place — and with the same number of games played — after Antoine Griezmann scored a gem of a goal in a 5-0 demolition of last-placed Valladolid. Las Palmas savored its first victory at Barcelona since the 1971-72 season and just its third victory at the Catalan club overall. The other visits by the modest side that wears all yellow uniforms to Barcelona have ended in 34 defeats and three draws. “We are thrilled because we have made history,” Sandro said. “When you start the season you think that these games are usually going to end in wins for the bigger side, but if there is one thing we believe in is our capacity to work hard all week to get results like this.” Barcelona's Lamine Yamal returned from a right ankle injury that sidelined him for three weeks. Yamal appeared as a halftime substitute and Jasper Cillessen saved his best shot. The Las Palmas goalkeeper also palmed a Raphinha free kick over his bar in the final minutes. Sandro, a former Barcelona youth player, capped a fine five-pass buildup by Las Palmas from its own box as it masterfully undid Barcelona’s high pressure in the 49th minute. Raphinha had already hit the crossbar in the first half before he equalized in the 61st. The Brazil forward took a short pass from Pedri just outside the area, skirted across the edge and drilled a shot between two defenders. Story continues below video But Barcelona was caught pushing forward for a second goal when Silva controlled a ball from Javi Muñoz and sent in a shot bouncing past Iñaki Peña in the 67th. The unexpected loss dampened Barcelona’s celebration of its 125th anniversary, which included the debut of its new mascot “Cat,” a large, yellow feline wearing its team kit. Barcelona lost left back Alejandro Balde early in the game when he couldn’t continue after he crashed into Sandro at full speed. Balde appeared to hurt his upper chest or neck area when he ran into Sandro’s shoulder. He was carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Gerard Martín. Griezmann scored one of the goals of the season when the forward exchanged a quick one-two with Julián Alvarez and used a sleek touch of the inside of his boot to roll the ball with him as he spun before dinking it over the Valladolid goalkeeper. That was the visitor's fourth goal. Shortly after, Valladolid fans stood up and applauded when Griezmann was substituted. “That is what every players wants, to make people enjoy what we do. So I appreciate their warmth,” Griezmann said. Atletico also got goals from Alvarez, Clement Lenglet, Rodrigo de Paul, and Alexander Sorloth. Espanyol beat Celta 3-1 to end a streak of four losses in the league and relieve pressure on coach Manolo González. Alaves also drew with Leganes 1-1 at home. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
As Guardiola prepares to embark on a new chapter in his life, it remains to be seen what the future holds for one of football's most iconic figures. Whether he chooses to pursue other passions, take on a different role within the football industry, or retreat from the public eye entirely, one thing is certain – Pep Guardiola's impact on the beautiful game will continue to resonate long after his managerial career comes to a close.LOS ANGELES — He’d been battered for weeks, lingering on the turf in pain at various points in previous wins over Nebraska and UCLA, always game enough to return a few players later after gingerly limping off. But running back Woody Marks, long USC’s Iron Man at running back, couldn’t return after another blow Saturday against Notre Dame. After a first-quarter handoff for nine yards, Marks laid on the turf for a few beats before stumbling to his feet, appearing slightly disoriented as he entered a medical tent on USC’s sideline. He eventually returned to the sideline as redshirt freshman Quinten Joyner took his place, but walked off into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum tunnel at the two-minute mark of the first half as the CBS broadcast reported he’d be out for the rest of the afternoon . It was a massive loss for USC’s offense, and could’ve served as the end of Marks’ time in a Trojans jersey depending on his bowl-game decision. If so, what a run it has been for the Mississippi State transfer: finishing with 1,133 yards on the ground in 12 games, putting together one of the more complete seasons by any USC running back in recent memory. They came marching one by one down the barrel of the Coliseum, adorned with wreaths of honor, USC’s Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and Jaylin Smith and Woody Marks all exchanging hugs with Lincoln Riley as an early crowd erupted in claps for its program pillars. It was a moment of levity, USC honoring beloved seniors Saturday afternoon on the final day of its regular season. It was also, however, a sobering reality. With Mascarenas-Arnold, Smith and Marks went 138 combined tackles and four interceptions and 1,421 yards from scrimmage; with left guard Emmanuel Pregnon and center Jonah Monheim went two crucial pieces of a much-improved Trojans offensive line. Walking out from the tunnel on Senior Day, certainly, doesn’t provide an end-all, be-all on players’ futures. But it gave a hint, certainly, that several names who still carried eligibility – Mascarenas-Arnold, Smith, wide receiver Kyron Hudson – could be moving on come the winter. “We’ll have a few guys, obviously, who will have some decisions to make on if they go pro or if they stay and play another year,” Riley said Tuesday, when asked how he might adjust USC’s offensive personnel in the offseason. “Not a ton, but we’ve got a couple guys that have those decisions. We’ll just see. We’re going to try to get the right talent in here.” USC will be hard-pressed to add that talent, certainly, as eyes turn ahead to a bowl-game slot and the 2025 season. If every player honored on USC’s announced Senior Day graphic moves on , either via the NFL draft or the transfer portal, USC stands to lose 17 players from its offense, defense and special teams who started Saturday against Notre Dame. Here’s the breakdown: Offense: WR Kyle Ford, TE Lake McRee, RB Woody Marks, C Jonah Monheim, LG Emmanuel Pregnon, RT Mason Murphy, WR Kyron Hudson Defense: S Akili Arnold, LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, LB Mason Cobb, CB Jacobe Covington, DT Nate Clifton, DT Gavin Meyer, CB Jaylin Smith, CB Greedy Vance Jr. Special teams: P Eddie Czaplicki, K Michael Lantz It’s still probable, as Riley mentioned, that a few of those names elect to stay at USC for another season. McRee, Murphy and Hudson, in particular, are redshirt juniors and would likely see their draft stock elevated by a return for a prominent senior year at USC. Still, the Trojans will have major work to do in the transfer portal and with depth development this offseason, particularly at center, replacing Monheim, and cornerback. Not a day after the NFL’s Chicago Bears canned head coach Matt Eberflus following a 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions , former star quarterback and No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams was back at the Coliseum on for his USC jersey-retirement ceremony in a palate cleanser of a Saturday afternoon. Williams, the Heisman Trophy winner who conquered opposing defenses and NIL riches in his time at USC, took a moment to thank the Coliseum crowd upon leading the Trojans out of the tunnel Saturday. “Number 13 is back,” Williams announced over the PA, speaking in a microphone to wide cheers. “And not only – is in the rafters now, because of all of you.”Donald Trump has yet to move back into the White House and already fissures are opening in his coalition, amid squabbling between Elon Musk and his Silicon Valley “tech bros” and his hardcore Republican backers. At the heart of the internecine sniping is Trump’s central election issue – immigration – and the H-1B visas that allow companies to bring foreigners with specific qualifications to the US. The permits are widely used in Silicon Valley, and Musk – who himself came to the United States from South Africa on an H-1B – is a fervent advocate. The altercation was set off earlier this week by far-right activists who criticised Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian American venture capitalist, to be an adviser on artificial intelligence (AI), saying that he would have influence on the Trump administration’s immigration policies. On Friday, Steve Bannon, a long-time Trump confidante, critiqued “big tech oligarchs” for supporting the H-1B programme and cast immigration as a threat to Western civilisation. Musk, the world’s richest man who bankrolled Trump’s election campaign and has become a close adviser, posted on X on Thursday that welcoming elite engineering talent from abroad was “essential for America to keep winning”. Vivek Ramaswamy, appointed by Trump as Musk’s co-chair on a new advisory board on government efficiency, suggested that companies prefer foreign workers because they lack an “American culture”, which he said venerates mediocrity. “A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers,” he posted, warning that, without a change in attitude, “we’ll have our asses handed to us by China”. Musk has vowed to go to “war” to defend the H-1B visa programme. In a post on social media platform X, Musk said: “The reason I’m in America, along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong, is because of H1B.” “I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend,” he added. Musk, a naturalised US citizen born in South Africa, has held an H-1B visa, and his electric-car company Tesla obtained 724 of the visas this year. H-1B visas are typically for three-year periods, though holders can extend them or apply for green cards. Scepticism over the benefits of immigration is a hallmark of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement and the billionaires’ remarks angered immigration hawks who accused them of ignoring US achievements in technological innovation. Incoming White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted a 2020 speech in which Trump marvelled at the American “culture” that had “harnessed electricity, split the atom, and gave the world the telephone and the Internet”. The post appeared calculated to remind critics that Trump won November’s election on a platform of getting tough on immigration and boosting American manufacturing. However, it was Michael Faraday, an English scientist, who discovered that an electric current could be produced by passing a magnet through a copper wire and Ernest Rutherford, a New Zealander, who first split the atom. And Alexander Graham Bell may have died a US citizen but he was a British subject in Canada when he invented the telephone. Trump voiced opposition to H-1B visas during his successful first run for the White House in 2016, calling them “unfair for our workers” while acknowledging that he used foreign labour in his own businesses. The Republican placed restrictions on the system when he took office, but the curbs were lifted by President Joe Biden. Trump is known for enjoying the gladiatorial spectacle when conflict breaks out in his inner circle. He has been conspicuously silent during the hostilities that Politico characterised as “Musk vs MAGA”. Many MAGA figures have been agitating for a complete closure of America’s borders while the problem of illegal entries is tackled, and hoping for a steer from Trump that would reassure them that he remains firm in his “America First” stance. It remains to be seen whether these cracks can be smoothed out or if they are a portent of further strife, but critics point to the chaos in Trump’s first term as a potential indicator. “Looking forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and Big Tech,” said far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, a MAGA figure with so much influence that she had a seat on Trump’s plane during the campaign. “We have to protect President Trump from the technocrats.” She has subsequently complained of censorship after she was stripped of her paying subscribers on X, which is owned by Musk. “Full censorship of my account simply because I called out H1B visas,” she posted. “This is anti-American behaviour by tech oligarchs. What happened to free speech?” Page 9 Related Story Qatar joins Global Coalition for Digital Safety QCS chief appointed co-chair of global board
The incident serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of air travel and the importance of being prepared to handle emergencies effectively. It also highlights the crucial role played by airlines, airports, and emergency response teams in ensuring the safety and well-being of passengers during flights.While statistics may not reflect Tillman's true impact on the pitch, his potential and talent are undeniable. At just 19 years old, he has a long career ahead of him to continue growing and developing into a top-class player. With the guidance of experienced teammates and the support of the coaching staff at Bayern Munich, Tillman has the perfect environment to flourish and make a name for himself in the football world.None
