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.
So much for the narrative that French trans basketball player Julie Tetart couldn't make it in the WNBA. If the WNBA was true to its word that it's inclusive, a team would pull the trigger and bring in this unique player.
In a Round of 16 Coupe de France tournament showdown Wednesday night against Lyon-ASVEL Féminin, which is owned by NBA legend Tony Parker, Tetart put the doubts to rest. The 6'3 phenom put up 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds in an 81-71 loss to a team featuring 6'1 19-year-old Ainhoa Risacher, who is expected to be a top-15 pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft. Despite playing five fewer minutes, Tetart outscored and out-rebounded the big-time prospect while also shooting better from the field.
This is Angel Reese's worst nightmare - a top-level defender who can score and is built like a middle linebacker.
"If they contact me, I won't say no. But you have to be realistic: I'm old, and there are far better players than me!" Tetart told OutKick in French over Instagram direct messages in August.
Age is just a number based on how Tetart has started the 2026-27 season. Through five league games in the LF2 (France’s second division), where her team remains undefeated (5-0), Julie is averaging 13.8 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. A year ago, Tetart averaged a league-high 20.7 points and 20 rebounds a game while playing 31 minutes per game. Through five games, Julie is averaging 22 minutes of court time per game.
The loss to Tony Parker's team wasn't due to Tetart. The Monaco team shot 27% from 3 (6-of-22) while Lyon sank 11 threes. Game over.
Tetart more than held up in the paint while facing former University of South Florida rebound machine Bethy Mununga, who finished her career as one of the school's all-time best players. Tetart, who has never played outside of France and never played high-level basketball before declaring to be trans, dominated Mununga on the glass.
Could Tetart join the WNBA if a team actually practiced what it preaches about being inclusive? The WNBA isn't saying "no," at least not that we know of.
The league's current collective bargaining agreement currently doesn't include a clear legal definition of "women." WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert boldly declared that both Enes Kanter and Royce White are ineligible to play in the league because they're "both men," but she's still not giving a definition for "women."
As for this idea that Tetart is too old for the WNBA, that's nonsense. Alysha Clark just completed the 2026 season and she's 39. So is DeWanna Bonner. She averaged 10 points a game this season. A total of 14 players in the league are the same age as Tetart, or older. Brittney Griner is 35. She poured in 13 points a game for Connecticut.
Two Maine high school girls plan to ask federal officials to intervene over a transgender soccer player’s participation on an opposing team, alleging the state’s eligibility rules have denied them fair competition and hurt their teams’ results.
The player scored or assisted on roughly half of South Portland High School’s goals this season, according to a draft Title IX complaint prepared by Alliance Defending Freedom, provided to OutKick. A scoring chart supplied for the planned complaint credits the athlete with 15 goals and 10 assists.
ADF plans to submit the complaint Monday, Nov. 2, to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on behalf of Reagan Wilson, a junior at Fryeburg Academy, and Morgan Clark, a junior and varsity soccer captain at Windham High School. The draft has not yet been filed.
"Despite all their hard work and discipline, Reagan and Morgan may be denied the thrill of victory because Maine lets males with inherent biological advantages compete on girls’ teams," the draft states.
"Reagan and Morgan urge OCR to step in, stop this violation of federal law, and protect the right of women and girls to compete on a level playing field."
The complaint would target the Maine Department of Education, Maine Principals’ Association, South Portland School Department and Windham Raymond School District. It asks federal officials to investigate and require changes to eligibility policies, along with remedies for alleged past violations.
The allegations center on a freshman who identifies as female and joined South Portland’s girls’ varsity soccer team this fall.
The supplied chart credits the athlete with three goals in South Portland’s 7-0 season-opening victory over Portland, both goals in a 2-0 win over Gorham and two goals and two assists in a 9-0 victory over Biddeford.
It also lists three assists in a 6-1 win over Noble and a goal in a 4-1 victory over Falmouth.
The chart includes results through South Portland’s Oct. 27 playoff victory and lists an Oct. 30 matchup against Scarborough as upcoming. The source who supplied the document said it would be updated before Monday’s filing if the athlete scores additional playoff goals.
South Portland’s improvement has also drawn attention in local sports coverage. The Portland Press Herald reported that the team finished 2025 with a 3-9-2 record and reached 11-2-2 after winning its first regional quarterfinal in program history Oct. 27.
Wilson’s team lost to South Portland in an Aug. 29 match, according to the draft. Clark’s Windham team played South Portland to a 1-1 tie Oct. 1, a result the complaint alleges lowered Windham’s ranking.
Both girls intend to play varsity soccer next year and expect to face the athlete again, their attorneys say.
Wilson’s experience extends beyond soccer. The draft says she previously competed against a transgender runner who won the 2024 Western Maine Conference cross-country championship. It also alleges her indoor track team’s standing suffered when a transgender athlete won the girls’ pole vault at the 2025 state championships.
The attorneys describe those earlier competitions as evidence that Maine officials knew about the effects of their policies, although those events are not themselves the subject of this complaint.
At the center of the legal challenge is the Maine Principals’ Association’s gender identity participation policy.
The draft quotes that policy as allowing a transgender student to compete according to either birth sex or gender identity, "but not both." It also cites language stating that "[n]o medical records or official documents shall be requested or required to establish a student’s gender identity."
ADF argues that the policy fails to preserve equal athletic opportunities for female students.
"Under the policy, biological males can win not only in the male category but also in the female category, expanding opportunities for male athletes at the expense of female athletes," the draft states.
Maine officials have defended participation based on gender identity under the Maine Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on that basis. The association previously said it would continue following state law despite Trump’s executive order restricting transgender participation in female sports.
The draft also invokes the Supreme Court’s June ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. , which upheld state restrictions on transgender participation in girls’ and women’s sports.
The court concluded that Title IX permits eligibility rules based on biological sex. However, it expressly left unresolved the separate question of whether schools may allow transgender athletes to compete on female teams — the issue ADF’s planned complaint seeks to challenge in Maine.
The planned filing follows a dispute that thrust Maine into national attention in early 2025.
After a transgender Greely High School athlete won the girls’ state pole-vault championship, Trump confronted Democratic Gov. Janet Mills at a Feb. 21 White House event and threatened to withhold federal funding unless Maine complied with his sports executive order.
Mills said she would follow state and federal law and told Trump, "See you in court." The Justice Department subsequently sued Maine’s education department in April 2025 over transgender participation in girls’ sports.
The girls are scheduled to speak Monday at a 10 a.m. press conference at the Capitol Building’s Welcome Center in Augusta, alongside ADF, the Independent Council on Women’s Sports and organizers seeking a 2027 referendum on school sports and facilities.
The Protect Girls Sports in Maine committee says it will submit nearly 5,000 additional signatures after its earlier petition fell 532 valid signatures short of qualifying for this year’s ballot.
The announcement will come one day before Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces Democratic former state Senate President Troy Jackson in Maine’s Senate election.
Collins has supported federal restrictions on transgender participation in female sports. Jackson voted in 2023 to reject proposed state restrictions and answered "No" in an April questionnaire asking whether he supported a transgender sports ban and dismantling other Maine Human Rights Act protections.
So, you thought this would be an average coaching carousel compared to previous years?
If history is any indication, it only takes one domino to fall in college football for the chaos to begin.
After Maryland decided to fire coach Mike Locksley, we now have three openings in college football (NC State, Baylor) before a weekend slate of games that could trigger further discussions on a number of coaches that are teetering on the edge.
But, as we've all seen over the past year, the financial aspect of making moves in this current climate of college athletics will also play a pivotal role in what this carousel looks like as we head down the final stretch of the regular season.
Also, the situation in Tallahassee continues to be in flux, with the Florida State administration pleading with fans to show up for the student-athletes, with no mention of head coach Mike Norvell in their statement earlier this week.
There are a number of folks around the Seminoles program that would prefer not paying a reported $50 million buyout, and potentially allocating those funds towards piecing a competitive roster for the 2027 season.
Here are two of the more intriguing situations currently taking place across college football, that could lead to a number of dominos falling.
So, let's take a look at where we are, after speaking with multiple sources across the country.
If Lincoln Riley loses to Ohio State this weekend, the temperature will only rise
After losing to Wisconsin last weekend, with a disastrous effort on offense, folks around the USC program are starting to wonder what the future holds for the Trojans head coach that made it clear this week he wants to remain in Los Angeles.
Well sure, a lot of coaches would love to keep their jobs at schools that are described as 'premier' in the sport.
For Lincoln Riley, the ongoing chatter among those within the industry is that if USC were to lose to a backup quarterback from Ohio State on Saturday, the situation could turn very quick.
Remember, athletic director Jen Cohen did not hire Lincoln. As we previously reported on this matter, there have already been questions as to whether Riley could find himself an escape hatch that opens back up in his home state of Texas.
We all know he's a competitor, but leaving USC for a return to the Big 12 at a school like Baylor might not be the worst thing for a head coach who is hanging on by a thread at his current employer. Also, what about a school like TCU, if they were to move on from Sonny Dykes?
The reported $70 million buyout for Lincoln Riley could be mitigated if he were to take another job within college football, so that number could actually drop, though it would be interesting to see by how much.
Yes, the USC head coach can say all of the right things about how much he loves his job, and that he's had opportunities to leave Los Angeles in the past. But, there is a real possibility that if USC were to lose on Saturday night, another two losses could be on the way against Indiana and UCLA.
And, pay attention to what happens if Lincoln were to be fired in regard to who could potentially be a top candidate. There are a lot of folks wondering if Kalen DeBoer would enjoy getting the band back together with his former athletic director, Jen Cohen at USC.
It's a mess at Colorado for the athletic department regarding Deion Sanders
OK, the honeymoon period ended two years ago for Coach Prime in Boulder.
It was the 2024 season that gave Colorado fans something to savor, thanks in large part to Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, along with a group of teammates who bought into what Coach Prime was instilling within Boulder.
Then came a 3-9 season in 2025, followed by a squad that is currently 2-5 after additional collapses over the past few weeks.
Deion has spent more time getting into arguments with local media over the last two seasons than actually promoting his program. He thought things would go a different way after Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter left, with recruits and portal stars wanting to flock towards Colorado.
What we've seen since has been abysmal. Would athletic director Fernando Lovo be able to garner enough support to justify paying Deion Sanders somewhere around $25 million to go away?
We might find that part out sooner rather than later, especially if the Buffaloes were to lose again this weekend to Kansas State.
The celebrities are no longer showing up and the patience has run out in Boulder.
But, would Deion leave on his own, or force Colorado to pay his buyout while knowing it could become contentious?
There are a number of jobs around college football that could be forced open over the next month, as we enter a potential wild month of November and the end of the regular season.
Stay tuned to OutKick for the latest.
Let me know what you think. Email me your thoughts at Trey.Wallace@Outkick.com
NASHVILLE — Old Hickory Lake isn't handing out many favors this week. But apparently nobody told Matt Robertson.
The Bassmaster Elite Series pro hauled in a five-fish limit weighing an impressive 20 pounds Thursday to take the lead after Day 1 of The Champions, a historic tournament pitting 30 Bassmaster anglers against 30 Major League Fishing pros for a record $3.25 million purse and a whopping $1.25 million first-place prize.
And on a lake that's been downright stingy for much of the field, Robertson made it look almost easy.
"It was a pretty good day. A little rough, but once we got to where we wanted to go, it happened pretty quick," Robertson told OutKick OutDoors after Thursday's weigh-in.
"Caught two real quick, and then I started wanting to run around, but I just made myself sit there and grind it out. And yeah, we caught us a little bag today."
A little bag, indeed.
Robertson's 20-pound haul put him 4 pounds, 9 ounces ahead of second-place Fisher Anaya, who finished Thursday with 15 pounds, 7 ounces. MLF's Michael Neal sits third at 13-09, followed by Bob Downey (13-07) and Bryant Smith (13-03).
Anaya, meanwhile, had to work for his five-fish limit.
"Oh, it was tough, but it was fun," the Bassmaster rookie told OutKick OutDoors. "We caught three big ones, got two babies, but I think it's enough to kind of settle me in for tomorrow, so I ain't got to catch much."
But as the anglers hit the water again Friday morning, Thursday's leaderboard offers no guarantees.
LiveScope could shake up the leaderboard
One of the biggest wild cards heading into Day 2 is the tournament's restriction on forward-facing sonar, commonly known as LiveScope.
Anglers can use the technology on either Thursday or Friday, but not both. That means competitors who relied on their electronics to locate fish on Day 1 must go without them Friday, while those who saved their sonar day could have an advantage.
"It's going to make it tougher," Anaya acknowledged.
But with the field narrowing to 15 anglers for Championship Saturday, he's more concerned about catching enough weight to survive the cut.
"I think I'm going to need about anywhere from 5 to 7 pounds to make the cut," he said. "So that's what we're going to swing for. Hopefully, we catch them better than that. But we'll see."
Robertson, on the other hand, caught his tournament-leading bag without forward-facing sonar. That means he still has the option to use it Friday.
Not that he's particularly interested.
"We didn't use no LiveScope today. We'll have it tomorrow, but not really planning on using it," Robertson said. "So try to catch us one or two tomorrow and call her good."
And Robertson's successful Thursday has apparently attracted some attention. After traveling through a navigation lock to fish beyond Old Hickory Dam on Day 1, Robertson headed back in that direction Friday morning — this time with several other anglers following him toward the lock.
So yeah, the secret is out about that little honey hole.
The pressure is on to survive Friday's cut
The stakes extend well beyond the two anglers at the top.
Only the top 15 competitors after Friday's weigh-in will advance to Championship Saturday, when weights reset to zero and the remaining anglers battle for the $1.25 million grand prize.
And with much of the field struggling to find quality bites on Old Hickory, there's very little room for error.
After Thursday's competition, Team Stars (Bassmaster) held eight of the top 15 positions, while Team Stripes (MLF) claimed seven. That advantage could easily change Friday as anglers adjust to the sonar restrictions and the difficult conditions.
Reigning Bassmaster Angler of the Year Trey McKinney is among those facing a particularly tense second day. He finished Thursday in 16th place with 11 pounds, 1 ounce — just a single ounce behind Takahiro Omori, who currently occupies the final qualifying position.
And while Robertson has built himself a comfortable cushion, the race to make Saturday's final is considerably tighter.
Friday's weigh-in begins at 4 p.m. CT at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville, where the Champions Cup team winner will be determined and the final 15 anglers will punch their tickets to Saturday's championship round.
OutKick OutDoors is on the ground at Old Hickory Lake, bringing readers exclusive interviews, tournament updates and behind-the-scenes coverage of the richest competition in professional bass fishing.
Follow OutKick OutDoors on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for exclusive interviews, video highlights and coverage of The Champions all weekend long.
Dockworkers in more than 20 countries are withholding their labor at 113 ports across 22 countries to demand an end to Israel's assault on Gaza and protest the role of commercial ports in fueling militarism.
Welcome to Screencaps, "America's Best Daily Column," as named by the readers. Screencaps, which publishes seven-days-a-week, is a mix of sports, pop culture, and emails from sane readers from around the world. This column isn't for the coastal elites. Give us a week to steal your heart. Our track record is pretty good. Let's have some fun.
Welcome to one of the greatest times of the year for Screencaps
It's like shooting fish in a barrel right now for this column. I was telling Mrs. Screencaps this week that there are days of the year I don't like to take off work because the content is just so good. Those days include the holidays and Halloween.
Why wouldn't I take off the holidays? 1. It's my column. I don't feel like it's fair to SeanJo to tell him to work the holidays when I started this column. 2. The content is always great. July 4? Are you kidding me? The content is off the charts. Christmas? Instagram models dump out all sorts of content. New Years? Having to work in the morning tends to prevent me from going too nuts the night before. Thanksgiving morning is one of the easiest editions of Screencaps to produce. People are in a good mood. They want to show me what they're cooking.
And they're dialed into the content because they're not at work.
As for Halloween, I literally get paid to report on Halloween costumes. After being told this week by some idiot emailer that I should retire, my resolve is stronger than ever. No, I won't retire. I built this column into the greatest job on the Internet. You'd have to yank it out of my cold dead hands.
Thank you to retired tennis star Genie Bouchard for kicking off the weekend with a Brit Brit tribute. Well done.
– Jayson asks:A buddy of mine writes a mailbag column for a website. He said that occasionally, he will get emails from "psychos" who flip on him for not reading their questions. Have you ever received that kind of junk since starting Screencaps? If you do, do you answer them back, or simply ignore them?
Kinsey: I've never had emailers turn heel because I wouldn't publish their emails, but I've had guys who claimed to be fans and loyal readers who turned out to be total scumbags, especially after I left Busted Coverage and joined Clay Travis here at OutKick. There have been guys who felt like I should've given them freebies that brands used to send to me.
As for a--hole emailers, I like when people write and snap on me. It's great content. Typically, when I reply to their emails, the people disappear.
This is a career-low and she's playing COLLEGE golf
A quick Google search reveals that Elizabethtown College was having revenue trouble in 2024 when the school cut 13 faculty members. You know what they didn't cut? Women's golf, where members of the team are really killing it out on the links.
Do you let weirdos pick your groceries and dump them into your car?
• Legacy reader Jess in Alabama, who has been emailing longer than pretty much any other OutKick reader, says it's just convenient: The guy who wrote in that only the elderly or disabled should get delivery groceries is forgetting the time in his life with babies. I can get off my lazy ass, but y’all don’t want to see that diaper blowout spill on the aisle next to your shoe or hear the tantrum that happens 1 out of 4 trips. I’ll let the grocery guy pick out a bag of potatoes or mustard or random stuff I grab off the shelf. Then I’ll find time to stock my own meat and fruit when I get a chance. And I am not complaining about my life. I’m very grateful. And very grateful not to ruin your pleasant experience at the grocery store.
• Louie in Savannah pushes back on Chris A.'s email: I have been following along with the grocery pick up debate the last few days and have to weigh in, especially after the comment about those that do it are lazy and park in the fire lane.
We use it every week. We are quite able-bodied, just busy as hell.
My wife is the "Food and Beverage Coordinator" in our home and we have been using the Kroger "Click list" just about every week since it became an option years ago. I imagine every store in different parts of the country have varying experiences but there are so many benefits for us to ordering online and picking it up. My wife just submitted ours and I'm picking it up on the way home from work tomorrow. I'll be in the parking lot for no more that 15 minutes total. It's very convenient and actually saves money. There is no impulse buying when you pick it up, only what you ordered. We also aren't bringing our teen and pre-teen sons into the store who are suddenly starving (as always) and now want to throw everything they see into the cart and grab a sushi roll to devour while walking around. As an added bonus, once every two months or so, the store accidentally loads someone else's partial order into the car and there is no way to tell until you get home. It is like a bonus mystery box. We always call to let them know but they always say to keep the items.
Sure, there are issues with produce or other things sometimes but the customer service personnel are always nice and they will throw a $20 coupon into the next order for the inconvenience. Also, beer and wine purchases are allowed as well so that is one fewer stop while running errands.
With as busy as we are in my house with jobs, school and sports, grocery pick up saves a ton of time!
Everywhere is different I am sure but it's a huge benefit for our house.
• Voiceover Mike writes:To be honest, my wife will put in a weekly Target order, something of a holdover from Covid days, and I'm usually the one on pick-up duty. Do I feel a little emasculated, sitting next to soccer moms in their SUVs and Teslas waiting for their orders? Maybe a little. Will I let the Target order picker select produce for me? Nope. I hit the grocery store for that.
If it were my choice, I'd wander the aisles, list in hand, and pick everything myself, but I've been relegated to pick-up duty. Keep up the great work, and never underestimate the importance of what you do for us.
• Tom T. is fired up: Nice fall weather hare in VA. It’s a good day to shake my old man fist at the clouds.
Chris A. really nailed it! Get off your lazy butt and go get your own damn groceries! Also, if you are under 40 and would like to one day own a home, get off your lazy butt and go get your own damn groceries, and then COOK your own damn food. I just do not get the allure of Door Dash, unless you have been drinking beer all day, because nobody should be drinking and driving in this day and age. Also, make your own damn coffee in the morning.
I also LOVE the entitled losers who park in the fire lane while their spouse "runs" into the grocery store "for one thing". I always give ‘em the hairy eyeball as I walk into the grocery store.
• Bob in Cincy says: Our strategy for groceries is to leverage the Kroger pickup for staples such as canned good, frozen items and the like. No veggies or fruits. For those we go to Dorthy Lane or Fresh Thyme which are more expensive in general. The online shopping is convenient I’ll admit, and less expensive than DL or FT. It works well for us.
Resealable cereal bags were finally invented
• Joe in E. Tennessee checks in:What am I going to do with the twenty or so chip clips that are currently keeping my cereal fresh!?!? I'll run out of room on my refrigerator!!!
Kinsey: The Big Chip Clip lobbyists will not stand for these resealable bags. Just wait. Congress will intervene.
• Darren in NE ATL shares: Had almost forgotten a fall golf memory. Late fall in the 90's, with my dad, north of Dover, DE. Probably low 40's. Pushed a drive near a lake into clumped grass. Got there and a slow moving, big ass snake was right at my ball. Seeing as my one true phobia is snakes, I took a stroke penalty for a lost ball, and ran the he'll away.
That is it this morning. What a morning it has been. Mrs. Screencaps, whose birthday is Sunday, has been sick on and off all week and she's dealing with a sore back. It takes a village around here, that's for sure. But, we made it through another week of life.
Let's go have a great Halloween, if you celebrate. I have one more morning to go. Tomorrow morning will be 13 straight editions of Screencaps before I get to turn off the alarm Sunday morning. Let's finish strong.
Bayern Munich are to open Nairobi's new Raila Odinga International Stadium against Ajax as Kenya prepares for AFCON 2027. The match highlights Africa's growing sports ambitions — and questions over cost and legacy.
The sports court's ruling means that Russia will be able to participate in a sweep of forthcoming ice hockey tournaments in Canada, Czechia, the U.S., and Germany.
En una semana se rompió el idilio del Barcelona con la temporada. Y fue justo en el momento más delicado, la semana del PSG en la Champions y del Madrid en la Liga. Después de 11 victorias consecutivas, el Barça de Flick cayó en París ante el equipo de Luis Enrique y perdió el Clásico en el Camp Nou. El técnico alemán habló de falta de frescura. Es octubre. Este sábado, ante el Alavés y de nuevo en casa, el Barcelona buscará recuperar la autoestima. “Es lo que he dicho siempre: esto es un camino muy largo. No hay nada irreversible. Hemos perdido contra el Real Madrid y a nadie le gusta, pero tenemos que gestionarlo. Como decía antes, creo que era posible ganar ese partido y tuvimos oportunidades. Pero tenemos que asumir la derrota y aprender de ella”, dijo Hansi Flick.
Here's the bad news: The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday to force a Game 7.
The good news? Regardless of what happens on Saturday, there will be no more WNBA until next May. That's right. Our long, national nightmare of trans debates and Sophie Cunningham slander and national anthem nonsense will go into hibernation for seven glorious months.
And, frankly, we've earned it. It's exhausting. This whole season has been exhausting. It's also been the longest season in the history of sports. It just won't end!
Now, don't get me wrong — I enjoyed the content during the summer months. It kept the lights on around here when there was no football. We needed a spark, and Sophie Cunningham gave us one because she's a patriot.
Everyone else, though? I'm out on them. Thank goodness that league is on the doorstep of the offseason. It can't get here fast enough.
Before we go, though, I do have one final collection of Angel Reese highlights that are currently going mega-viral on social media in the wake of yesterday's win.
Reese ... did not have her best game:
Angel Reese has had a solid season, but Game 6 was a struggle
Thoughts? First impressions?
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?
Sometimes, you just have a tough day at the office. That's what Angel experienced yesterday afternoon in a potential close-out WNBA Finals game.
And yes — there was an actual WNBA Finals game played at noon yesterday. Amazing. That's another story in itself, and one I don't care much about.
What I do care about is Angel Reese. She was solid early on in these finals, but the last few games have been a struggle. Perhaps she's getting tired of having to field questions from OutKick's Dan Zaksheske every other night when the league actually grants us a question?
Will Angel rise to the moment? Will both teams disrespect our great national anthem for the 400th time? Will some gaslighting coach wear a "Trans Kids Lives Matters" shirt on the sideline? Better yet, will Angel wear another "Protect Black Women" shirt in 2026?
Most importantly, will anyone watch since it's at 8 p.m. on a college football Saturday night and it's also Halloween night?
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled that Russian teams must be allowed to take part in international ice hockey tournaments. The IIHF had banned Russia following the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Alexander Zverev secured his place as the next world No. 1 by beating Tallon Griekspoor (6-4, 7-5) at the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna. The 29-year-old German will top the ATP rankings on Monday, November 2, replacing Jannik Sinner. He will become the first German world No. 1 since Boris Becker in 1991, and the 30th player in history to reach the top spot.
Rob Gronkowski is calling for the NFL to institute referee punishments amid a slew of questionable officiating decisions this season. The New England Patriots legend also revealed he is skeptical of his long-time team's chances at getting back to the Super Bowl, and suggested they made it last year due to a weak schedule.
Gronkowki shared his bevy of strong takes, revealed some newly-unearthed secrets about Bill Belichick's strangest rules, and revealed a new technology he is using to heal his body from the wear and tear of football in an interview with OutKick.
'Put the referees on a pedestal'
Gronkowski believes officials should face consequences just as the players and coaches whose games they help decide do.
"So yeah, I think, you know, it would be fair and square to, you know, put the referees on a pedestal as well and — and have punishment just like any coach or any NFL player can be punished just like that," Gronkowski said.
Asked whether the NFL needs more accountability for officials, Gronkowski pointed to how quickly a player’s fortunes can change.
"I think so, actually, because players are accountable. Players can be cut the very next day and you’ve seen players cut," he continued.
Gronkowski’s comments followed Tom Brady’s criticism of several calls during the Detroit Lions’ 20-17 win over the Green Bay Packers during Sunday's NFL on FOX broadcast. Brady and FOX rules analyst Dean Blandino disputed multiple decisions, including roughing-the-passer penalties and an intentional grounding call.
Gronkowski agreed with his former quarterback’s broader concerns.
"I don’t think the referees are doing that great of a job. I think they can definitely improve," he said.
He identified pass interference and roughing-the-passer calls as areas that need improvement before the postseason, warning that incorrect flags could determine games.
"We want it to be fair and square. That’s what fans want to see," he said. "Yes, you call it when it’s appropriate, but when it’s not appropriate, you know, it doesn’t need to be called and affects the game in all ways."
The NFL already grades officials on every play, according to its Football Operations website. Those evaluations help determine postseason assignments.
Gronkowski also recalled his own frustration with offensive pass interference penalties when defenders collided with him.
"It was just me running and I was just a bigger body. So the guy would bounce off of me, you know, even though he ran into me and then I would get the flag. It just didn’t make any sense," he said.
Patriots have work to do before another Super Bowl run
The Patriots enter Week 8 at 4-3 after a 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears, and have shown signs of regression after reaching the Super Bowl last year.
"Their schedule definitely was pretty, pretty simple last year. They’re playing tougher opponents this year, tougher defenses. I think that has more to play with it," Gronkowski said of the Patriots. "I definitely think the schedule plays a part in it for sure. It really does."
Gronkowski sees a playoff team in New England. He is less convinced he sees a championship team.
"The Patriots, I think, are a pretty solid, you know, football team. And I think they’re going to make the playoffs. They definitely have a chance at winning their division. They just got to pick it up," he said.
"I just don’t see enough right now for them to be a potential, you know, Super Bowl candidate."
Gronkowski also pointed offensive injuries and the need for more playmakers. He said New England’s offense had been clicking more consistently last season.
"They’re just having some problems right now, a couple injuries, injuries all across the offensive line. They’re depleted there. So I think the injuries, you know, to the offensive unit is playing a crucial part as well," he said.
"And once they get everyone back and AJ Brown gets fully healthy, I think they can start clicking at a high level then."
Asked what he would bring to the current locker room, Gronkowski emphasized experience and a belief that the team can win regardless of the circumstances.
"I would say just a mentality of bringing it at practice and also having just a winning mentality that, hey, no matter the situation, we’re going to come, we’re going to find a way to win this game," he said.
Gronkowski’s health after football, and what Brady and Belichick taught him for life
Gronkowski’s memories of the Patriots include Bill Belichick’s rules for what players could do away from the field — including a ban on burning incense in hotel rooms.
"He said, not even incense are allowed to be burned in your hotel room," Gronkowski recalled, explaining that Belichick wanted to leave no room for interpretation about burning anything.
But the rule that bothered him most involved where veteran players had to sleep during training camp.
"I would just say the most wildest one, though, was having veteran players stay at the hotel, even though their homes are closer to the facility than the hotel throughout training camp," he said.
"That definitely drove a couple of veteran players like myself crazy."
Still, Gronkowski said he understood the reasoning behind Belichick’s strict approach. He credited Belichick and Brady with shaping his habits, calling them "the two biggest leaders of my life."
Brady’s approach to food and preparation, in particular, offered a lesson Gronkowski could carry beyond football.
"He didn’t force it down anyone, but you just watch him. That’s what it’s all about is leading by example," Gronkowski said.
Now, Gronkowski’s own priorities include staying active and managing the physical toll of his playing career.
"If you have your health, you know, you have everything," he said.
He continues to work out and incorporates hot yoga, saunas and float tanks into his routine. He also discussed his partnership with DNA Vibe, whose Jazz Band wearable he credits with helping him manage aches and pains.
"You got to ask someone that truly knows the science behind red light therapy, but, you know, I just like to do it because I’ve tried it, you know, through my own experiences and it works," he said.
DNA Vibe founder and CEO Perry Kamel said the device combines red and infrared light, micro-vibration and magnetic pulses, which the company markets as supporting the body’s natural recovery processes.
"One of the things that I love about being at DNA Vibe is that the mission of the company is to help every single person live at their peak potential no matter who you are,"
Gronkowski is also promoting a 30‑Day free tryout for the product.
What JJ McCarthy shares with Tom Brady
Gronkowski sees a connection between McCarthy and Brady, but it has more to do with their response to adversity than their playing styles.
"They’re totally different quarterbacks, they really really are," he said. "The only similarities is that you’ve got to go through adversity to be great."
Both quarterbacks played in big games for Michigan, and then didn't have the smoothest starts to their NFL careers.
Brady was famously a sixth-round draft pick who had to spend a year climbing the New England depth chart just to reach the backup role at the start of year two. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in 2024, had to work his way back into a starting role after losing his job in Minnesota and getting traded to the Giants.
The Vikings traded McCarthy to the Giants on Sept. 28 for a 2027 fifth-round pick. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 252 yards in his first Giants start, a 27-21 overtime win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Gronkowski said McCarthy had shown he was prepared when another opportunity arrived, drawing a comparison to Brady’s readiness when he moved from backup to starter.
"That’s also very similar as well is when your number is called and you’re ready to go," he said.
He believes McCarthy can help take New York to the postseason.
"I really do think he has what it takes to take the Giants team to the playoffs," Gronkowski said. "He has a resurgence, he has vengeance within his eyes and that’s what I saw."
The NFL’s growing celebrity couple culture
Gronkowski also defended the attention surrounding NFL players’ celebrity relationships, particularly Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
"I think it boosted it to a whole other level. I think it got more eyeballs on the game. I think it was great for the NFL to expand its broadcasts to expand to its fan base," he said of their relationship.
"Overall I just see that it was very positive and it helped out tremendously because NFL wants to grow. It wants to grow in the US. It wants to grow overseas and it couldn’t have been a better situation with those two."
Asked whether the focus on celebrity couples could annoy fans, Gronkowski rejected the idea that broadcasts have gone too far.
"I think it’s great for visibility and I don’t think it’s overexposed at all. It’s not like they’re sitting down doing interviews with them. They’re just showing their partner cheering for them and that’s just like any other relationship in life," he said.
"Every partner’s cheering for their partner and that’s what life is all about. I think it’s great and it’s not overexposed at all either and it’s just perfect where it’s at."
Gronkowski expects Jay-Z to ‘bring the heat’
Gronkowski is also optimistic about the entertainment planned for the NFL’s biggest stage.
Jay-Z was announced Monday as the Super Bowl LXI halftime performer. The game is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. His company, Roc Nation, has partnered with the NFL on the halftime show since 2019.
Asked about Jay-Z choosing himself for the performance, Gronkowski suggested that would be a reason to expect something special.
"You know, I can tell you this, if Jay Z is in control of picking the halftime show and he picks himself, I can tell you this, expect a hell of a show because I’m not picking myself unless if I know I’m going to bring the heat," he said.
To say that expectations were high at USC heading into the 2026 college football season would be an understatement.
The Trojans, especially head coach Lincoln Riley, were adamant that this year would be different than the recent disappointments. SC finished 9-3 in 2025, brought in the number one recruiting class in the country, added some talent at key positions in the transfer portal, and returned starting quarterback Jayden Maiava after a strong 2025. They hired former TCU head coach Gary Patterson to run the defense. In theory, the elements had finally come together to return the program to prominence. And they said as much.
"The time is now," the marketing campaign went. Riley gave interviews in the spring, including one to On3, where he said the administration got "serious" about competing at the highest levels of college football.
"USC had to get really serious about being great in the sport again," he explained. " I give the school administration — everybody — credit. They have.
"Taking this over, you knew you had to go fight like hell just to try to get this window opened," Riley said. "And we’re at a point right now where there’s a lot to be excited about and a lot in front of us. It’s been a lot of work for a lot of people, a lot of commitment from a lot of people to get there, and it should be a lot of fun these next few years."
"We came here to win championships," he continued. " A lot of us have been fortunate enough to be a part of a lot of championships. We certainly didn’t come here for anything less. We’ve got to go buckle down and improve and really come together, but there’s the makings of a championship-level football team in that building right now."
Fast-forward to late-October, and they're anything but. After an inexcusable loss to Wisconsin this past weekend, USC is now 6-2 and unranked in the AP Poll. While they had a nice win over Penn State in a hostile "White Out" environment in Happy Valley, the Trojans lost at home to a very mediocre Oregon Ducks team playing a backup quarterback.
The seven points they scored against the Badgers on the road, after a bye week no less, represented the lowest point total of any Lincoln Riley-coached team. With a senior quarterback in his third season in the program and a very highly-paid offensive line. Naturally, the defense wasn't good enough to keep the game close. It never is.
The performance, the record, the mediocrity, the consistent underachievement ... all of it has led to rampant, and growingly serious, speculation that Riley's job is contingent on a strong finish to the season. Perfect timing to host Ohio State and go on the road to face Indiana.
Part of the speculation is the assumption, or the observation, that Riley doesn't seem fully connected to the USC program. That he's ready to move on as much as the SC fanbase is ready to move on from him.
He addressed those questions and opinions at a news conference this week, saying that he's fully committed to staying in LA and that SC is where he belongs.
"Listen, if I didn't want to be at this place, I wouldn't have come here in the first place. I've had plenty of opportunities to leave," Riley explained Tuesday afternoon. "This is where I want to be. This is the right place for me. I'm the right person to be here. And that's as honest and transparent as I can be with you guys.
"I love it here. I mean like I told you guys a lot of times — there's not many people in college football history that gave up what I gave up to come here," Riley said. "I don't care if it's 15 years down the line, that never should be taken lightly. It's certainly not taken lightly by me. I came here because I believe in this place and none of that has changed whatsoever."
That's an interesting way to put it, because it's not exactly clear what Riley "gave up" to come to SC. He got a huge raise in salary. He locked in a massive buyout, ensuring generational wealth no matter how well he coached. He went from living in Norman, Oklahoma, to a palatial $35 million mansion on top of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, acquired for him by USC. What was the big sacrifice he made? Theoretically losing favor with Oklahoma fans, but uh, you know, $100+ million can make up for some mean comments by anonymous message board accounts.
Riley said that he has a great relationship with USC's Athletic Director Jen Cohen, and said she's been a "huge part of the progress that we've made."
Though again, it's not clear what progress he's referring to. USC went 11-1 in the regular season in his first year in LA, thanks in large part to Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. They haven't won 10 games since, and have to win while playing three top-10 teams to do so in 2026.
As for his demeanor, which can sometimes give off the impression he doesn't care, Riley addressed that too.
"When you're a head coach of a blue-blood school, you have to be ready to weather the storms, the overly positive or the overly negative," he said. "Typically, what I've learned from doing this for a few years, I haven't learned it all, but the truth typically lies somewhere in the middle. And that's typically where it's at even if you know that it's going to sensationalize. And so my job is to stay steady."
Well, that's all true. And all well and good. But when your team comes out lifeless for road game after road game, loses games it should win to programs like Minnesota, Maryland and Wisconsin, and struggles against Oregon or Notre Dame, it's reasonable to question. Watching what Curt Cignetti has done at Indiana, or even Bob Chesney in his first year at UCLA, it's easy to see why there's such disappointment in Riley's work at SC. There's little toughness, discipline, or consistency on the roster. And always another special teams mistake.
Riley might be committed to USC, but that's a two-way street. And Saturday's game, Ohio State playing with potentially a true freshman backup quarterback on the road, might be enough to end the Trojans' commitment to him. Baylor anyone?
There is a reason that Megan Rapinoe only does interviews with people she knows won't challenge her. It's the only way the former soccer star won't end up red-faced or storming off in a fit of rage.
Her answers leave her too vulnerable. Her comments sit on the summit of Mindless Mountain.
Her recent sit-down with comedian W. Kamau Bell proved as much.
Bell: "There's a lot of talk about how damaging trans women are to sports, so I give you credit for not being afraid to stand with trans people of all types, but also trans women in sports."
Rapinoe: "I am appalled, I think at just, like, the lack of basic humanity and empathy that people are showing and just the amount of fear and hate, and I just think the silence of athletes is a lot."
Basic humanity and empathy? Fear and hate? One could just as easily argue — or better yet, more convincingly argue — that she lacks empathy toward the women and girls who are losing competitions or sharing locker rooms with biological males. Last week, I saw a girl forfeit her cross country season because she chose not to race against a boy. She wasn't giddy about this. She broke down in tears while hugging her mother. Does Rapinoe feel empathy for her?
As for athletes being silent? Megan might want to take that as a sign. It's probably not that they're afraid to stand with her on this issue — it's that they likely disagree with her, as do most Americans. And unlike Rapinoe, who can't lose a spot to a male, these athletes are still active and under that threat.
The interview continued.
Bell: "Why aren't you afraid of trans women in sports? Because that's the big fear is that it's like, suddenly it's LeBron James with a wig on, blah blah blah."
Rapinoe: "Yeah, and that example isn't happening, and I don't think it's ever going to happen. I think there's a lot that trans people have to go through. If you're a trans person in sports to even play, it's like you couldn't just say, one day, 'I'm a woman' and go play. That's not how it works."
Excuse me, but ... HAHAHA. That is exactly what happened with the high school cross country runner in Camas, Washington. He started the year on the boys team, finishing 76th in a junior varsity race. Then he switched to the girls team, where he's won one varsity race and finished second in three others. And not that it should matter, but he hasn't seemed to do anything to try and present himself as a girl. Not even a name change. So, yeah, Megan — it's happening.
Rapinoe continued with the pièce de résistance: "And for me, one of the biggest things is God forbid somebody be good at sports and have some sort of advantage — and, by the way, sports is not fair in any sort of way ever. Right?"
Bell (clapping his hands): "Yeah, it's not meant to be fair."
Rapinoe: "Yeah, what's fair?"
Bell: "I always point to [the 7-foot-4 Spurs center] Victor Wembanyama. Is that fair?"
Rapinoe: "What does that mean, even? It's already not fair, and also, just like, it isn't the most important thing in the world over someone's human rights or getting to play or being cruel to people. I don't know. I've won everything at every level, and played, you know in sort of every competition, and I'm just kind of like, I'm the one who could speak to it. Like, I'm okay if God forbid a trans person play sports and they're halfway decent at it."
Yes, Rapinoe has won at everything at every level and played in every sort of competition. But do you know what one of those competitions was? Her U.S. National team playing a group of 15-year-old boys from Dallas and losing 5-2. So, in that sense, she is uniquely qualified to speak to boys playing in girls sports. She knows they'll kick girls' behinds.
But even more asinine is the notion that sports aren't meant to be fair — along with Bell's attempt to equate Wembanyama's natural advantages with those of a transgender athlete.
If sports weren't meant to be fair, there wouldn't be rules or referees. There wouldn't be punishments for performing enhancing drug use, weight classes in boxing or age limits in Little League. There is always going to be someone who's the best — whether it be Usain Bolt, Michael Jordan or Michael Phelps. But exhibiting athletic supremacy isn't unfair. Allowing men in women's sports, on the other hand, defies the very reason we separate the sexes. Simply put: If there was no separation, women's sports wouldn't exist.
Personally, I don't think Rapinoe actually believes what she's saying. She saw firsthand what those 15-year-olds did to the best women's international soccer team in the world.
Gotham FC lead owner Carolyn Tisch Blodgett said she sets an example for players and staff by bringing her family to the big games, where everyone's kids rush the field afterward.
Carl Timpone/ BFA
Carolyn Tisch Blodgett said she sets an example for the brand by integrating her family and work.
She said bringing her children to big games helps encourage working parents "to be their full selves."
Blodgett spoke to Deputy Editor Nathan McAlone at Business Insider's The Long Play.
Attend a Gotham FC game, and you can expect to see Olympic gold medalists like Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnet, and Tierna Davidson in the spotlight.
What you may not expect is children taking over the pitch by 10 pm after each game.
"It's kind of like a Gotham daycare on the field," said the club's lead owner and governor, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, whose three kids are part of the crowd.
Under Blodgett's leadership, the club has become the reigning champion of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and one of the hottest brands in the rising tide of women's sports.
Bringing family to work is a key part of the brand's success, she said at Business Insider's "The Long Play" event on Thursday.
Blodgett is also the CEO and founder of Next 3 Ventures, a New York-based investment firm focused on sports, tech, and media. She is a member of the NWSL board and serves as chair of the executive committee.
Integrating work and family can help working parents "show up as their full selves," she told Deputy Editor Nathan McAlone.
That's why her husband and three children show up to all the big games — she said her six-year-old is obsessed with the team's goalie, and ran onto the field to celebrate when the team won the NSWL championship last year.
"You need to walk the walk. If I showed up to every game and pretended that my kids didn't exist, and no children were around, I think players might not feel as comfortable," she said.
The end goal is not only to build a winning team but to shape a brand that fans can connect with, increasing attendance, engagement, and ultimately, revenue.
Blodgett, formerly the global head of marketing at Peloton, said she takes a page straight from the Peloton playbook by focusing on players' personalities to cultivate fan loyalty.
"So much of people's relationship through their favorite sports team is through the players," she said.
For instance, one of the biggest stars in women's soccer, Alex Morgan — Olympian, World Cup Champ, and a mom — has more than 9 million Instagram followers. The San Diego Wave, her most recent club before retiring in 2025, has fewer than 1 million followers.
Morgan has also been outspoken about the challenges of being a working parent, advocating for more systemic support for athletes who become moms.
Balancing a career with parenthood isn't only a problem for athletes — it's also increasingly a point of friction for women in leadership roles across industries, including finance and tech.
But athletes can face specific challenges, such as navigating long seasons of travel and training at sports facilities that haven't historically offered childcare benefits.
Blodgett's bet is that everyone wins, from the players to brand leadership, if you build a culture of normalizing parenthood at work.
In July, the Gotham FC made history by playing before a sold-out Citi Field crowd of more than 40,000, a record-high attendance for a women's sporting event in New York City.
For Blodgett, business (and sports) has long been a family affair: her family has helped run the NY Giants since 1991. For most of that time, the vast majority of investment has gone toward male athletes, she said.
Her hope is to eventually bridge the gap until enthusiasm for women's sports becomes so pervasive that it won't be interesting to talk about.
"I think you'll have less panels like this saying, 'wow, let's talk about the future of women's sports' because women's sports will just be another chapter in all of sports," Blodgett said.
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