The Oklahoma City Thunder will have to navigate the next couple of months without one of their key players.
Chet Holmgren is expected to miss between eight to ten weeks with a right knee injury, adding to a troubling string of injury news across the NBA early in the season. Oklahoma City was already braced to be without Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace for potentially the rest of the regular season. The Thunder said Holmgren began experiencing knee discomfort Sunday.
After discussions with multiple specialists, Holmgren underwent a biological treatment Friday for a small tear in his patellar tendon.
Wallace also had surgery Friday for a labral tear in his left shoulder. The surgery was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles with Thunder medical personnel present.
The guard will be evaluated again before the end of the regular season.
Williams sustained a broken left fibula and dislocated left ankle Sunday. The Thunder already said after his surgery he also would be evaluated again before the end of the regular season.
Earlier this week, ESPN reported that Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards was expected to undergo an arthroscopic procedure to address discomfort in his right knee. The procedure is expected to sideline the three-time All-Star for up to two months.
A championship parade comes after all the hard work is done ... or at least that's what most of us would think.
However, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy revealed that he was put through a serious endurance test during his team's victory lap through Cream City (which sounds dirty, but I promise it isn't ... though somewhere out there, it might be. Who knows?).
The Brewers' skipper hopped on stage at the end of the parade route where he took a second to talk to Brewers play-by-play man Brian Anderson.
"I had to pee as bad as anybody has had to pee," Murphy said.
Now we need to pause for a second because this is something I have never considered about championship parades: it really is an assault on one's bladder.
We all know beer makes pee, but consider the sheer volume of suds you'd consume after winning the World Series.
Now imagine the awful feeling of having to unload like Seabiscuit after a pre-race trough of water, but you're on a fire truck only halfway through the parade route.
Brutal. But Murphy got the job done ... or did he?
"Good job holding it together," Anderson said.
"I didn't say I held it together," replied Murphy.
A stroke of brilliance that makes up for not using Jacob Misiorowski to close out Game 4.
That's a great joke to endear you to the crowd that is already in the palm of your hand even more. However, if there really was an accident, it clears your conscience while everyone in the crowd just thinks you're joshing.
What a run Pat Murphy is on.
Hopefully someone pointed him in the direction of the shiniest urinal Milwaukee has to offer.
JuJu Watkins, one of the brightest young stars in women’s college basketball, is back on the court. The Southern California guard was sidelined last season while rehabbing a torn ACL.
Watkins' first two seasons with the USC Trojans saw her score an average of 25.6 points per game. Now, she returns to a talented supporting cast as the No. 3 Trojans pursue their first national championship since 1984.
"It’s on my mind every day," Watkins said. "So much anticipation has gone into this year. I want it really badly, but also in a healthy way. I just want to have fun and really enjoy this year."
Watkins added that she's already imagined what it will feel like to see her first basket go in.
"I’ve had dreams about that every night. I might shed a tear, honestly, I can’t lie," she said. "That’ll be a really amazing feeling for me."
Watkins scored 18 points in 22 minutes during USC’s recent exhibition win over California, offering an early glimpse of what her return could mean.
She will share the backcourt with Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson, who averaged 17.9 points last season. Although this will be their first season playing together, the duo began building chemistry while Watkins recovered from the injury she suffered in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. She could often be seen encouraging Davidson from the sideline.
"She saw me being hard on myself and I think she saw a little bit of her in me," Davidson said, "and so she kind of knew what it was like going through that. Being able to build the friendship that we were able to build, it’s a huge blessing."
USC’s stockpile of talent includes guard Saniyah Hall, who had 23 points, six rebounds and five steals in the Trojans’ exhibition, as well as forward Sara Okeke, one of three five-star recruits to join the roster.
"They have proven that they’re going to be really impactful players at a high level," coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.
Last season, Watkins would set up chairs in the locker room for the team talk on the road. It was one of the small ways she found to be useful without being on the court.
"I was able to take on a leadership role for sure, and I can’t say I really owned that role prior to that," she said. "Being able to do that and also see the game from a different perspective and seeing how can I help my team really helped grow my IQ and leadership skills."
Philadelphia 76ers star LeBron James' habit of swaying and appearing to practice his golf swing during the national anthem has drawn significant attention this season, with even the president of the United States weighing in.
Now, a former NBA player is making his feelings known, and let's just say he's not super fond of it.
Former point guard Jason Williams — who spent 12 seasons in the league with the Grizzlies, Kings, Heat and Magic — co-hosts Bartsool Sports' "Hoopin’ N Hollerin'" podcast. The topic of James' anthem habits came up on the most recent episode, and he didn't hold back.
"I do," Williams told his co-host Adam Ferrone when asked if he had thoughts on the issue. "I think motherf---ers should just stand the f--- still during the national anthem. That’s just my opinion."
Williams did, however, note that he didn't personally care about what LeBron was doing, but did once again note that he wished the NBA great would stand still.
"You’re supposed to stand still!" he continued. "Look, they’re all dressed the same. He’s dressed different. Guaranteed he got fined because you’re all supposed to be dressed the same. You’re supposed to be standing still. When I played, that was the rules. They could’ve changed the s--- now, but I guarantee he got fined."
This Thanksgiving, NFL fans will once again have the opportunity to enjoy three games spread across the afternoon and evening.
The Detroit Lions will open the day with their traditional early afternoon matchup, hosting the Chicago Bears. The Cowboys will follow with their long-running home game in the late-afternoon window on Fox.
The third game will be played at the new Highmark Stadium, where the Buffalo Bills will host the Kansas City Chiefs. Quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have produced several classics in recent matchups, and this year’s meeting will feature a special halftime performance.
On Friday, the Bills announced the Goo Goo Dolls will perform during halftime of their Thanksgiving night game on Nov. 26. The rock band was originally formed in Buffalo.
"The Goo Goo Dolls halftime performance will take place on the Bills Legends Deck, creating a unique concert experience that can be seen throughout the stadium," the Bills said in a statement. "Fans will also receive PixMob light-up bracelets at their seats, transforming the crowd into an interactive part of the show with synchronized lighting effects throughout Highmark Stadium."
While there has been debate over whether recent halftime performances have crossed into the political realm, fans probably should not expect the Goo Goo Dolls' Thanksgiving night show to go there.
During a September interview on "Everything Music" with producer Rick Beato, Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik said he refuses to lecture concertgoers about politics. He noted that fans from across the ideological spectrum come together for the same reason: to enjoy the show.
Rzeznik said live music remains important during politically divided times because political and religious differences take a back seat when he performs.
"I got people, fans, friends from every walk of life, every political stripe, everything," he said. "And I always stress, we got one thing in common because we're living in weird times. We got one thing in common, and that's we're all here to see a show, and I'm not going to lecture people about anything."
The Goo Goo Dolls will not be the only musical act hitting the stage on Thanksgiving. Rapper Skilla Baby will perform at halftime of the Lions-Vikings game, while country artist Miranda Lambert is scheduled to put on a show at the Cowboys-Eagles matchup later that afternoon.
Sky Daily, the widow of wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, and her son have reportedly been named in a lawsuit that claims a minor was sexually assaulted at a party for which she supplied alcohol.
Hogan's stepson, Hayden Hitt, allegedly threw a party while Daily was at a Real American wrestling event on March 28, and Daily is accused of purchasing the alcohol despite knowing minors would be in attendance, TMZ reported.
The reported lawsuit says that a minor, identified as Jane B. Doe, was raped by a minor boy, John B. Doe, after taking a sip of a Four Loko and losing consciousness.
Hitt, reportedly, is alleged to have advertised Jane B. Doe as "free p---y" and held an "auction" to have sex with her.
John B. Doe raped her for "several hours," the reported suit claims. She retrieved a used condom but says Daily got rid of the other two as well as blood-stained sheets. Jane B. Doe claims to have suffered from vaginal and anal trauma.
Jane B. Doe is reportedly suing Daily and Hitt for negligence and John B. Doe for sexual assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
A second lawsuit filed by a separate Jane Doe claims that Hitt was repeatedly violent with her while she lived with Hitt and Daily.
Alleged screenshots of messages from Doe to Daily said Hitt "shoved me all the way from the door into the clothes rack."
"I’m sorry he’s acting out. Now is not the time to talk sense. Always wait till the morning," Daily allegedly answered, according to TMZ.
The next day, Hitt allegedly texted Jane Doe asking if she was pressing charges but unsent the message. Jane Doe is suing the mother and son for emotional distress, Hitt for battery and Daily for a civil claim related to criminal practices.
A listed spokesperson for Daily did not respond to a request for comment.
According to multiple reports, Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov — the reigning Hart Memorial Trophy-winner as the NHL's MVP — has informed the team that he will not re-sign and would like a trade.
Go ahead and pick your jaw up off the floor after that one.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that Kucherov had informed the team and his teammates of his plans to sign elsewhere when his 8-year, $76 million deal ends after this season.
On top of that, Friedman reports that the two-time Hart Trophy winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion has asked the club for a trade, though Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois and Kucherov’s agent, Dan Milstein, declined to comment.
The prevailing thought was that Kucherov would almost certainly re-sign with the Lightning. He's been their centerpiece through three runs to the Stanley Cup Final and the team is still playing well. They're currently third in the Atlantic Division, just two points out of first place.
However, if Friedman's report proves to be on the money, things could get wild.
If Kucherov has indeed indicated he won’t re-sign, the Lightning will obviously look to trade him rather than let the reigning league MVP walk for nothing.
The 33-year-old Russian currently has a modified no-trade clause, which shouldn't be too limiting when it comes to getting a deal done.
The problem may be that the Lightning will want a hefty return for such a high-end player, while potential trade partners will likely want assurances that paying a high price will secure Kucherov's services beyond this season.
So far this season, Kucherov has 4 goals and 11 assists in 14 games.
Last season he had 130 points (44G, 86A), which was his fourth-straight season with over 110 points.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Friday that Russian teams can compete in next year's men's and women's world championships, overturning the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)'s decisions to exclude them from its competitions.
The IIHF has excluded Russia, which has won five IIHF world titles as an independent nation, from most international ice hockey competitions since 2022 following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia did not compete in Olympic hockey earlier this year, the first since 2014 which had NHL players, nor was it included in the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, four days after Olympic competition ended that year.
The decision was not met with a warm reception from the IIHF and several other countries, including Canada, which will host the World Junior Championships later this year.
"Canada maintains, as it has since 2022, that Russia should not be represented in international sport competitions while Russia's illegal and unjustifiable full-scale invasion against Ukraine continues," Canada's Secretary of State for sport, Adam van Koeverden, said, via The Athletic. "Canada will maintain restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes at events hosted in Canada that receive funding from the Government of Canada and explore further options to ensure that the Russian government is held accountable."
"The IIHF disagrees with this aspect of the ruling and maintains that its decisions were necessary to protect the safety and security of all participants and safeguard the integrity of its competitions," the federation said.
In a brief statement, CAS cited a lack of sufficient evidence to support the IIHF’s security concerns. Russia's sports minister, Mikhail Degtyarev, told state television channel Vesti that "discrimination in hockey has been brought to an end," and "this place rightfully belongs to us."
Ukraine's ice hockey federation denounced the ruling while respecting the authority of the CAS.
"We wish to express deep outrage at this decision, taken amid a full-scale war. The threats that were the reason for suspending Russian teams in 2022 have not disappeared. On the contrary, they have only intensified," the federation said on its website.
"We believe that the safety of participants and the integrity of international sport cannot be considered separately from the realities of the war that Russia continues to wage against Ukraine."
Other countries to oppose the decision include Germany, Finland, Czechia, Sweden and Austria.
The first tournament to be affected by the change will be the World Juniors, and Germany will host the World Championships next year.
If you are having a bad day, just remember that you could always be a beer in the state of Wisconsin.
To say the Milwaukee Brewers had a good time at their World Series parade on Friday would be an understatement. Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick made one of the boldest declarations of the year at the rally.
"I’m going to have a beer for every single person here, I’m having 100,000 beers! Let’s go!" Frelick screamed into the microphone.
It’s been an incredible 24 hours for the 26-year-old, as he performed the Lambeau Leap when the Brewers brought the Commissioner’s Trophy onto the field during the Green Bay Packers game Thursday night. During his speech Friday, he made sure to let the raucous crowd know that captain Christian Yelich couldn't tackle him like a football player, either.
During Frelick’s speech, he said his best friends are all on the team and that they hang out with each other around the clock off the field. The Brewers displayed the power of friendship when they convinced the event organizers to bring hitting coach Daniel Vogelbach onstage to deliver a speech.
Now, to say Vogelbach may have had a few beers might also be an understatement. The Brewers players didn't just want Vogelbach to give a speech; they wanted him to sing karaoke.
Vogelbach, who surely won’t be on "American Idol" or "The Voice" anytime soon, then began singing a couple of verses from Fountains of Wayne’s hit. Despite Vogelbach’s less-than-ideal singing voice, the crowd and players were jubilant, dancing and singing along with the hitting coach.
Safe to say, the vibes were incredibly high in Milwaukee.
It is almost certainly over for Troy Aikman and Joe Buck as ESPN’s lead NFL broadcast team.
Reports that the ongoing drama is part of a leverage strategy now appear increasingly implausible. No one with knowledge of the situation expects Aikman to remain with ESPN beyond the end of this season.
In fact, there is more industry discussion about whether Aikman and Buck can work together through ESPN’s Super Bowl broadcast in February than about whether Aikman will re-sign with the network.
According to sources in and around ESPN, the prevailing expectation is that Aikman will leave, and the network will sign Greg Olsen to replace him in March.
Several outlets have reported on a confrontation between Buck and Aikman earlier this month before a Monday Night Football match up. Buck reportedly confronted Aikman for ignoring him, while Aikman accused Buck of sabotaging his contract negotiations by signing his own deal first.
Although the confrontation generated attention, it did not drive ESPN’s decision. The network decided this summer to move on from Aikman after re-signing Buck to a six-year, $108 million extension without offering Aikman a new contract.
It remains somewhat unclear why ESPN chose not to negotiate with Aikman, beyond his growing tensions with Buck in recent years. The best explanation is that ESPN viewed their relationship as irreparable and Buck as the more valuable asset.
If forced to choose, ESPN’s preference for Buck over Aikman is understandable.
For one, Buck and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro share an interest in ESPN potentially acquiring the World Series after the 2029 season. If ESPN secures the event, sources say Pitaro wants Buck to call it, as he did for years at Fox.
ESPN also has more options to replace Aikman than it would have to replace Buck. The pool of potential replacements for the color analyst role extends beyond Olsen. In theory, Drew Brees, Jason Kelce, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner and Dan Orlovsky are also suitable options.
Further, Hall of Fame players and coaches retire every year, and many show interest in broadcasting. Several networks have already expressed interest in Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford if they eventually move into television.
No such farm system exists for elite play-by-play announcers. On paper, the gap between Buck and the rest of the field remains significant. Granted, Dave Pasch, who calls college football and NBA games, has impressed on ESPN’s NFL International broadcasts this season.
So, we understand why ESPN would choose Buck over Aikman. The point of contention is that the network could mend the fences and retain them both.
Even 25 years later, Buck and Aikman are still often recognized as the best duo in sports broadcasting. Whether Buck and Olsen, assuming Olsen is the replacement, can develop comparable chemistry is a question mark.
After years of disappointing rotations, ESPN finally established a top-level booth in Buck and Aikman. Breaking them up feels like an unnecessary risk.
We understand that relationships are difficult, especially work relationships that span more than two decades. But at $18 million to $20 million per year each, ESPN should have been able to make the partnership work if it believed they were still the best duo for the position.
Well, Miami Heat fans, you actually got a fixed-up Dwyane Wade statue before "Grand Theft Auto VI."
Just barely, and note that before "GTA VI" started taking over your arena, but still...
You may recall that two years ago, the Heat unveiled a statue honoring franchise legend Dwyane Wade. It quickly went viral, and not because it belongs in the Louvre.
At what point in human history did we stop making good statues? How did some dude with a chisel during the Renaissance make a perfect sculpture of a Greek god, but nailing the visage of an athlete — who we can all picture or you can physically look at a picture — is now hard?
We've seen it happen to Cristiano Ronaldo; Allen Iverson got one so small you could use it as a paperweight, and of course, there's Wade's.
By "enhancements," they mean it looks more like Wade than it used to, which it didn't feel like at all.
What an improvement, although, truthfully, a kid with a box of Crayolas (64-count, with the sharpener; the good one) could have made some improvements on that original one.
It's good they got that fixed, but it's not like everyone's mind is going to be wiped "Men in Black"-style so they forget the first abomination.
And, honestly, I think people are going to miss the original statue that was allegedly of Dwyane Wade.
Now, there's nothing remarkable, good or bad, about it, and I think in a few years, people will be clamoring for that statue that looks as if D-Wade stumbled into the "Backrooms."
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs said that his touchdown celebration was not intended to make light of his offseason arrest but was instead inspired by a gospel song.
After scoring his first touchdown of the game in the team's 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, Jacobs put his hands behind his back in celebration. Thursday's game was Jacobs' second since coming off the commissioner's exempt list, which he had been on since August following a May altercation with his then-girlfriend, who said he threw her to the ground.
Jacobs pleaded no contest last month to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property. He insisted the celebration had nothing to do with his arrest as speculation spread on social media that the gesture referenced his off-field issues.
"They didn't even get the whole celebration. Um, s---, it was f------ one second that (the broadcast) just showed me," Jacobs told reporters after the game.
"But anyways, me and (wide receiver Savion Williams) came up with a celebration. They would have seen the whole celebration. Basically, last week we said the first celebration when I scored, I was going to thank God. That's what I did last week. The second was going to be break every chain. It's a gospel song. That was going to be the next celebration. It's just a correlation, but like I said, the media going to run with it. They going to make it that it wouldn't. But it is what it is."
After Jacobs scored his first touchdown last weekend in the team's loss to the Detroit Lions, he dropped to his knees and raised his arms. "Break Every Chain" is a gospel song written by Will Reagan in 2009 and popularized by a live recording by Tasha Cobbs Leonard in 2013.
Jacobs had not been allowed to play or practice while on the commissioner’s exempt list. He was removed from the list last week, allowing him to play again even though the NFL's investigation into his conduct remains ongoing.
In his two games since returning to the 5-3 Packers, Jacobs has rushed 32 times for 75 yards and a touchdown, averaging just 2.3 yards per carry. The three-time Pro Bowler has been more productive as a receiver, catching 11 passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday-Friday on OutKick.com.
Happy Halloween Eve to all who celebrate! Big day. Big Friday. Big weekend in front of us.
Like I said earlier this week ... this is our last big push until the holiday season suffocates us starting Sunday morning. Everything will flip in the blink of an eye.
You'll go to bed with the Halloween theme song in your heads, and wake up to jingle bells. Whether you like it or not, it's coming. There is no stopping it.
I can already see Mariah Carey's stupid "All I Want for Christmas" social media post now. It's coming. There's nothing we can do about it. We're cornered.
That's a Sunday problem, though. For now, we respect the fall. We respect Halloween.
Let's roll.
Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where poor Billy Napier joined Mike Norvell in making some embarrassing history last night at James Madison.
What else? I've got Maggie Sajak looking like a million bucks for Halloween, Angel Reese giving us one more highlight reel before this WNBA season mercifully ends, and can we quit complaining about "injury protection" in sports gambling?
I'm admittedly at fault, too, but enough is enough already. You know what? Society went DECADES gambling on sports with no such thing as "injury protection," and it worked pretty well. And now every sports book is supposed to issue refunds if a player gets hurt?
Why?
Grab you your favorite Michael Myers mask (I'm partial to Rob Zombie's "Halloween" mask), and settle in for a Friday 'Cap!
Billy Napier's JMU tenure is going well!
I don't know how many "Halloween"buffs we have in class today, but those of you who have been around here long enough know it's my favorite movie franchise of all time.
I did the Mount Rushmore of Halloween movies a few weeks ago, so I won't rehash that today. BUT, I did find out this morning while doing the award-winning OutKick newsletter that the original "Halloween" mask from 1978 was ... a Captain Kirk mask?
Seriously:
The more you know ...
Anyway, I will be watching the original "Halloween" (1978) tomorrow night, as per usual. I save that one for Halloween night, like any sane person would do.
It's the only way to close out October. Sad. Winter is coming.
OK, let's get class started by checking in on someone who is very much looking forward to flipping the calendar ...
Billy Napier!
Angel Reese wasn't her best last night
Amazing stat.
James Madison joined Florida State last night as teams to lose back-to-back games as double-digit favorites. Incredible.
Do we have any Dukes fans in class today? I'd imagine so. I come from a James Madison family. My grandma went there way back when it was simply called "Madison." My dad went there. I toured the campus as a high school senior and loved it.
That town deserves way better than Billy Napier, and I'm speaking now as a Florida fan. I'm so sorry, JMU fans. We've been there before. I promise. We spent the last four years feeling exactly how you've felt the last two weeks.
What kind of play call was that on fourth down in overtime? Just awful. But, that's Billy Ball for you.
Embarrassing.
Speaking of ... let's check in with Angel Reese after yesterday's big Game 6 win!
Maggie, sports betting & election szn is almost over!
Lordy.
Look, it was a tough game for Angel Reese. No sugarcoating it. No hiding it. Just to show you how truly bad everyone else was, Reese somehow finished with a +/- of +10, which is stunning given she turned the ball over six times and made just 27% of her shots.
Feels like that shouldn't equate to positive play on the court, but what do I know?
Anyway, this will be my final non-Sophie Cunningham WNBA story for seven months. The season, mercifully, ends tomorrow night. It feels like it's dragged on FOREVER. It just won't end!
But at 8 p.m. tomorrow night — a COLLEGE FOOTBALL SATURDAY — we'll get a Game 7. Who's watching?!
Show of hands ...
Anyone?
Bueller?
Okeedokee! Moving on ...
Let's rapid-fire this Friday class into a big Halloween weekend, and start it off by celebrating the end of something else: Election season.
Four more days, folks. We're almost there.
That's one of the funnier pictures I've seen in a long time. Just amazing stuff. Well done to whoever took it.
Are you guys getting inundated with calls and texts right now? Lord knows I am. Hand to God, I got a text last night from James Talarico asking for money.
James Talarico! I live in Florida. These people are NUTS. They're just unrelenting. Freaking Byron Donalds texts me 14 times a day making sure I'm gonna vote.
Byron, you got my vote, pal. I promise. You're good. I'd prefer we just stick with DeSantis, but I realize that's not possible, so you're next in line.
For the love of God, please leave me alone. I'm begging you.
Next? Let's quickly check in with Christian Watson after last night's game in which he left in an ambulance, and then returned like nothing happened:
So, there's a big debate over on Elon's app right now about injury protection, which is a fairly new thing sports books have come up with over the past few years. Basically, they'll void straight bets and parlay lines if the player you bet on gets hurt and doesn't return to the game.
It sounds great on paper, right? Again, it's bailed me out a few times.
But now everyone is in an UPROAR because Watson looked to be voided last night, only for him to miraculously return to the game.
I think it's hogwash. About a month ago, I was complaining to my dad about a player getting injured and tanking one of my bets, and I mentioned injury protection.
"Huh?" he responded. "Why would the books refund you? You lost. Tough nuts."
He was right. The bellyaching over injury protection is insane to me. Frankly, I don't think any book should do it. I'm glad they do, but it seems like a lose-lose for them, no?
While the NFL Draft isn't until next April, that never stops general managers, scouts and even fans from opining on what their teams will do in the spring.
It's the main reason why mock drafts exist and are created nearly a year in advance, because everyone is dying to know who their favorite team is going to select with their first round pick.
Of course, because it's the most important position on the field, the quarterback draws the most amount of eyes when it comes to the first round of the draft, and the 2027 edition is no exception.
There are several draft-eligible signal callers who are generating plenty of buzz, but one expert thinks this might be the year to skip out on the position altogether if a team holds a top pick.
Brooks Austin has made a living studying college football film, so much so that he's earned the moniker "The Film Guy."
His YouTube channel, "The Film Guy Network," has over 135,000 subscribers, and he's recently parlayed that into a partnership with the college football media giant On3.
Suffice to say, Austin knows ball, so when I sat down with him to talk about the college game, and more specifically, the quarterback class for the 2027 NFL Draft, he gave a surprising assessment.
"Can I punt on the entire class," he asked, half jokingly.
As Austin points out, there are some solid quarterbacks in this class, but none are the "can't miss" prospects that would necessitate a top-five pick like in years past.
Most experts figured Oregon's Dante Moore would be the first QB off the board in '27, given he was already projected to go high last year before deciding to return to Eugene.
An injury might have derailed that for Moore, but as Austin points out, the injured Duck wasn't without some limitations of his own even before exiting for the season.
"Dante Moore is a really good football player," he explains. "But (he) gets stuck on reads and makes his mind up pre-snap, and that scares me. He's also a little up and down, like from a fundamental standpoint, from a mechanics standpoint, he just kinda gets away with a lot of it in college football."
Moore wasn't the only one giving Austin some pause.
Ole Miss's Trinidad Chambliss, one of the preseason Heisman favorites, has had a fine season statistically, but his build makes Austin nervous about him at the next level.
"I love him, but there are some physical questions about that one as well, like, is he gonna work at his stature when we get to the league?"
Other quarterbacks like Texas' Arch Manning and LSU's Sam Leavitt get mentioned as well, with Austin stating question marks about their decision making and turnover problems.
The prospect who Austin believes should go number one overall shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who watches football on Saturday.
"If I had the number one overall pick, I'd draft Jeremiah Smith," Austin admits. "And then next year I try to find a quarterback."
Austin explains that Smith, the Ohio State wide receiver, is a "guarantee" and one of the only truly generational prospects we've seen in the game since Andrew Luck in 2012.
"I would draft Smith, and I'd be like, 'I've got the best prospect and most known prospect that's come out of college football... since maybe like Andrew Luck,'" Austin claims. "I would just draft him if I was bad enough to be the number one overall pick."
The start of the NBA season has actually been a lot of fun. The teams have looked good; they are enjoyable, and the betting has gone very well for me. I have a major move tonight in the Hornets-Wizards game, and I'm looking to score more in another early-season matchup. We've already seen this one play out this season, but I have a lot of excitement for the game between the Lakers and Warriors that takes place tonight at Golden State.
The Lakers are now the Luka Lakers. There is no more LeBron, and the keys have been handed over to one of the top assets in the entire league. How has that worked out for Los Angeles through the early portion of the season? The team is 4-1, with the lone loss coming against a surprisingly good Portland team. To start the season, they've beaten the Warriors by 22, the Clippers by eight, the Jazz by nine, and the Clippers by 16. None of those three teams will be playoff contenders.
They now take on the Warriors for the second time in the early season as part of the NBA Cup Group Play. This is the third game in four nights for the Lakers, but not a back-to-back. Still, legs could be a bit tired. However, this is almost certainly a game that Luka circled on the calendar. On Opening Night, Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg was yapping at Luka for much of the game, and then doubled-down with comments about him in the media. Luka does not back down, and Luka does not forget.
In fairness to Lendeborg he was quite effective when guarding Luka directly. However, the Lakers crushed the Warriors and moved on. Now the Warriors get a chance to return the favor. It hasn't been a great season for Golden State so far with two wins and three losses. However, the Warriors did win back-to-back games on the road with very good performances against the Nuggets and the Timberwolves. Lendeborg was the leading scorer in the win over the Nuggets, and Stephen Curry went ballistic in Minnesota.
The Warriors are not really in a rebuild, but they are in something much worse. They don't seem to really understand what they are trying to do with the roster. They still have Steph playing at an elite level. However, the rest of the roster is filled out with guys who would be better at filling roles than filling holes. Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis are both on the wrong side of 30 and have injury issues. If they do come back and play well, maybe the Warriors can compete, but until then, the team will have to lean on Lendeborg.
Tonight will be a challenge for the Warriors, but I'm excited to see what they do against Luka. I think the Warriors will try to back Lendeborg and not let Luka kill them, but it probably doesn't matter. Luka is playing in an NBA Cup game, he is playing on ESPN at primetime, and he has extra trash talk motivation. I'm taking Luka over 34.5 points for tonight, and I'll do a Luka Ladder. One full unit on 35+ points, .5u on 40+ points .2u on 45+, .2u on 50+, and .1u on 60+.
Bo Bichette is staying in New York, hoping to one day become the King of Queens.
While no one can take that title away from Doug Heffernan, if Bichette helps lead the New York Mets to a World Series title, there will certainly be a debate. The Mets third baseman exercised his $42 million player option to remain with the team on Thursday, according to multiple reports.
Last season, Bichette signed a three-year, $126 million contract with the Mets that included player opt-outs after each season. The 28-year-old decided to remain with the Mets after an uneven season.
Bichette, who had been a shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays, switched positions to become the Mets' third baseman. The beginning of the season was a struggle, as he started at third base but then moved back to shortstop after Francisco Lindor got hurt.
While he was juggling positions, Bichette got off to a dismal start at the plate. Through June 10, Bichette had a .227 batting average with five home runs, 32 RBI and a paltry .597 OPS.
After that, the two-time All-Star finally turned it on and looked like the hitter baseball fans had become accustomed to seeing. From June 11 through the end of the season, Bichette hit .285 with 13 home runs, 46 RBI and a .779 OPS. For the season, Bichette played in 152 games and hit .260 with 18 home runs, 76 RBI and a .702 OPS, which was well below his career OPS of .788.
After his rocky season, Bichette would have been unlikely to find a free-agent contract worth more than the $42 million he is set to earn in 2027. Regardless, his return is a good thing for the Mets, who will have some continuity on the left side of their infield with Bichette and Lindor.
That continuity is especially valuable because the team's right side of the infield is not nearly as certain. Marcus Semien struggled last year and will likely compete with Brett Baty and prospects for the second-base job, while first base remains wide open after the team struggled to replace Pete Alonso.
Costco really has it all. From bulk groceries and electronics to household goods, specialty services and even LeBron James’ game-worn shoes.
Yes, you read that correctly. Costco is selling an autographed pair of James’ game-worn shoes from March 22, 2024, for $69,999.99. For anyone who happens to have an extra $70,000 lying around, the shoes are hand-signed by the NBA legend himself and inscribed with "Prime Year 21."
According to Costco’s website, the shoes are authenticated with FanSecure Technology and come with a letter from sports investors showing a photo-match.
On March 22, 2024, James and Anthony Davis led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers with a fourth-quarter surge. James scored 20 points with eight rebounds and six assists in the win.
However, if you don’t have $70,000 in your back pocket for James’ game-worn sneakers, have no fear. Costco also has Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game-worn sneakers available for purchase for just $9,999.99.
Antetokounmpo wore the shoes as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks on Aug. 31, 2020, when the NBA was playing in the bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic. The shoes are autographed by Antetokounmpo and have "2019-20 GAME WORN, THE BUBBLE" inscribed on them.
Now, if you don’t have an extra $10,000 lying around and you were desperately hoping to purchase game-worn shoes from NBA stars on Costco’s website, you are out of luck. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum’s game-worn sneakers were also available for $3,199.99, but someone already swooped in and ordered them.
Tatum wore the sneakers on March 28, 2023, and signed them. The sneakers also featured his son’s name, Deuce, on the back of each shoe, accompanied by a heart.
Costco provides quality goods and services, with a splash of game-worn shoes from NBA stars thrown into the mix.
In an era of Auto-Tune, artificial intelligence and endless opportunities to make music sound perfect, Terri Clark decided to leave well enough alone.
The country music legend released a new live album Friday, Oct. 30, capturing her long-awaited headlining debut at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. But rather than return to the studio to clean up the performance, Clark was determined to preserve the night exactly as it happened — imperfections and all.
"We didn't even have the proper audience mics," Clark told OutKick OutDoors in an exclusive interview. "The audience was twice as loud as it sounds on this recording."
That's because the August 2024 performance wasn't originally intended to become a live album. In fact, it wasn't until roughly a year later that Clark and her team decided to piece together recordings captured by her concert engineers.
But she wasn't interested in making the show sound like something it wasn't.
"I decided that I didn't want to replace any vocals. I didn't want to replay anything," Clark said. "In a world of AI and tracks and Auto-Tune and all of the things that people do to sound perfect, I let the recording lie the way it was and stay exactly as it went down that night."
She concluded: "It's passion over perfection."
A ‘full-circle moment’ for Terri Clark
On Aug. 29, 2024, Clark finally checked off a lifelong bucket-list item when she headlined the Ryman Auditorium for the first time.
For the singer who once performed for tips at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, just across the alley from the iconic venue, it was a particularly meaningful milestone.
"This was a full-circle moment," she said.
And even with more than three decades of performing under her belt, Clark wasn't prepared for the reception she received that evening.
"They came from all over the place, all corners of the world, and Canada, and fans from out west in the United States," she recalled.
"It was a room full of so much love, and we shared just a moment that I almost never want to headline the Ryman again because it'll never come close to that show, if that makes any sense."
The 17-track album, Terri Clark: Live From The Ryman, includes performances of her hits "Better Things to Do," "Girls Lie Too" and "I Wanna Do It All," along with appearances by Ashley McBryde and Trisha Yearwood. McBryde joined Clark for "Better Things to Do," while Yearwood performed "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me."
Clark said the evening's excitement is exactly why she refused to go back and polish the recording.
"I don't think I could duplicate the energy and excitement in my voice that night if I went in and redid anything," she said.
The frustrated parents of female athletes at Dakota Ridge High School are speaking out over an escalating locker room dispute, demanding answers after district officials placed a transgender player on the girls' junior varsity volleyball roster.
Four Dakota Ridge parents spoke with OutKick this week as tension in the gym turned into open opposition. Following the public outcry sparked by parents like Tanna Donalson, whose daughter and seven other juniors were cut from the volleyball program, outspoken fathers are now stepping forward alongside mothers to challenge state policies that elevate gender identity over female athletics.
Families are pressing Jefferson County Public Schools (Jeffco) for accountability, refusing to back down despite reported retaliation from school and district staff against those who question the policy.
The conflict centers on district leadership invoking state non-discrimination guidelines to open female locker rooms to the player, even as coaching staff cut more than 35 female athletes from the program, as OutKick previously reported.
OutKick observed the fallout firsthand during matches against Standley Lake on Monday and Littleton on Wednesday.
Colorado parents challenge Jeffco's leadership
Jefferson County Public Schools, Colorado's second-largest school district, has offered only one formal remedy for female athletes who object to sharing facilities: directing them to seek private changing spaces elsewhere in the building.
"The girls' locker room is a sacred space. What’s happening at Dakota Ridge is a slow burn to that sacred space," said Josh, a Dakota Ridge father in attendance at Wednesday's match who went on the record regarding the ongoing issue.
"The Jeffco School Interim Superintendent said that they need to respect the privacy of all students. I guess 'all students' aren’t the 50-plus girls on the volleyball teams that use the girls' locker room. Dakota Ridge said they will make accommodations for girls who are uncomfortable in the locker room. That should be the other way around."
Internal emails obtained by OutKick show district leadership anticipated the dispute, quietly preparing weeks in advance while leaving parents and players blindsided when the athlete was placed on the roster without warning.
In an Oct. 6 email to district leadership, Dakota Ridge Athletic Director Jeff Legault warned: "I heard that meetings were held weeks ago to discuss a plan for this scenario, which is unfolding exactly the way it was predicted."
With the JV season ending, parent concerns deepened after coaching staff threatened to bench players overheard discussing the freshman athlete.
"DR staff and the district knew about this issue and kept it a secret. It’s still the elephant in the room," Josh said, noting that a former coach whose daughters played for Dakota Ridge subsequently stepped away from the program.
Josh estimated varsity parents are fractured into three camps: "25% don’t care or somehow think this is a fight against Trump, 50% just want this to go away, and 25% are fighting."
Beyond locker room access, parents report a pervasive fear of retaliation.
Matters escalated when head coach Matthew Zeman allegedly threatened two players with benching after they were overheard discussing the situation in a school parking lot. Carey, the mother of one of the varsity athletes, sent a statement to OutKick, confirming details of the confrontation.
"A few weeks ago, my daughter and one of her teammates were told they couldn’t play in a volleyball game, nor could they attend the game after having a private conversation in the parking lot with a few other volleyball teammates about a transgender player they had heard of on the JV team," Carey said.
"After the other parent and I met with the coach and the athletic director, they reversed this, and they allowed them to play in the game, even though they didn’t even have any idea what the girls had said."
Carey said that the threat followed her daughter's earlier concerns regarding locker room arrangements.
"My daughter had also expressed concern about being uncomfortable in the locker room with this player. She was told that they could make accommodations for her, not the other player," Carey said.
"Now, as a parent, my number one concern is safety. Feeling safe and comfortable in a locker room is critical. Not only that, there’s fairness in female sports, and there’s the ability to speak up and talk about your concerns without feeling punished."
Carey, a Dakota Ridge mother who has worked with disabled individuals for over 30 years, emphasized that her concerns stem from basic fairness.
"I know all about inclusion, respect, fairness, and making things work. This situation has become out of hand, and I feel like we have to start asking better questions. We have to start coming up with better solutions while respecting everybody involved," Carey added.
"This isn’t about disrespecting anyone. This is about making it fair for everybody involved: primarily, safety in a girls’ locker room, fairness in sports, and making sure our girls are able to speak up and feel respected."
Josh backed up that account, noting that Zeman accused the players of "bullying" simply for talking amongst themselves, yet failed to cite a single broken rule.
"When the couple of girls were talking about it in the parking lot, the coach found out about that and immediately pulled two of the girls out and was gonna bench them because they were talking, [calling it] bullying," Josh said. "And they asked, 'What did we do wrong?' And he couldn't name anything. And I feel like they were actually bullied by the coach for that. They're just talking amongst friends, as kids do in a parking lot with their varsity teammates."
Both Zeman and Jeffco Public Schools ignored repeated requests for comment. Approached directly inside the gym on Wednesday, Zeman refused to comment on the parents' frustrations.
Following a road match at Standley Lake on Monday, the team returned home Wednesday to face Littleton under heightened security, including an armed guard inside the gym. Parents reported seeing up to three security personnel at recent games.
The cold shoulder from district leadership was unquestioned. Josh watched the interim superintendent visit warmly with the trans athlete's family, then walk straight past the parents of the female players without uttering a word.
"He was there for them," Josh said.
Aaron, a Dakota Ridge parent who spoke on the record about the ongoing dispute, criticized the district's lack of transparency from the start.
"I think it's a little ridiculous how Jeffco is handling the situation. There should not be biological males in the girls' locker rooms. At any school in Jefferson County, Colorado, or the state of Colorado, for that matter," Aaron said. "And for them not to disclose this earlier in the season, it's very disappointing. They waited so long to disclose this information, you know, they put these girls in a very hard situation with not knowing."
When parents pressed for answers through formal channels, Aaron said district attorneys shut down the conversation entirely.
"The school really hasn't been communicating very well at all. They've been leaving almost like they're trying to sweep it under the rug," Aaron added. "We had a meeting with Jeffco Legal and they kind of said that they would answer questions and didn't answer any questions at all, didn't give us any time. And they said they'd get back to us and we haven't heard anything since."
Zachary, a Jeffco father of three with a daughter in the district, didn't hold back when texting OutKick about the administration's backward priorities.
"The absurdity of trans girls (boys, in real life) playing on girls' teams is beyond lunacy," Zachary texted. "How did we get here? Why is Jeffco and these other districts so tied up in this fad? We have a mental health crisis and these school districts are manipulating and grooming these children without parental consent."
"What about women’s rights?" he added. "No boys in girls' sports unless they’re co-ed. Period. The government needs to step in and right this ship, ASAP."
And volleyball may be just the start for trans inclusion in Dakota Ridge girls' athletics.
"From what I hear, they are trying out for the basketball team this upcoming season," Aaron said. "I don't know if the coach has handled this yet or not, but from what I hear there are girls that aren't going to play or try out because of it."
With district administrators digging in, parents are taking their case directly to the November ballot. Grassroots momentum has coalesced around Proposition 134 to keep male athletes off female sports rosters, alongside Proposition 135, which would prohibit gender-affirming surgeries on minors.
It has been an uphill climb from the start, but parents say silence is no longer an option. Regardless of what policies future administrations roll out, these families are speaking up now. By exposing Jeffco’s failure to stand up for female students, they hope to fix a broken system and save girls' sports for their daughters.
The Carolina Panthers have made the first coordinator firing of the NFL season.
After the team's 27-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night at Lambeau Field, the Panthers announced Friday that they had fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley. The loss was the Panthers' second straight and dropped them to 3-4.
The Panthers named defensive line coach Todd Wash their interim defensive coordinator and play-caller.
Evero, 45, had been head coach Dave Canales' defensive coordinator since 2024. In his first season, the Panthers' defense allowed 31.4 points per game, which was last in the NFL, but the unit improved in 2025. Last season, the defense allowed 23 points per game, which ranked 16th in the NFL.
However, the unit has regressed this season, as its points allowed have climbed to 27.6 per game, which ranks 27th in the NFL. Unfortunately for Evero, his unit has been decimated by injuries.
The Panthers have played the last few games without starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. Backup cornerback Akayleb Evans joined them on injured reserve earlier this week. In addition, linebackers Nic Scourton (ACL) and Thomas Incoom (calf injury) and defensive tackle Cam Jackson (shoulder injury) are also on IR.
Despite being 3-4, the Panthers are still atop the lowly NFC South, and Canales is hoping Wash can spark the defense as they seek their second straight division title.
Wash joined Carolina’s staff in 2023 and has 31 years of coaching experience, including 20 in the NFL. He spent five seasons serving as the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars had the second-ranked defense in the league in 2017 under Wash and advanced to the AFC Championship game.
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