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2023 NFC West preview

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:50 GMT

49ers 11-6There’s an audible creaking noise in San Francisco. Like the sound of a window closing.Brock Purdy will be QB1 in San Fran with Trey Lance going from third overall pick to third string QB — in Dallas. But with the way things went last year, the Niners might miss Lance at some point.Even with a championship-caliber defense and an anticipated Brandon Aiyuk breakout to aid a loaded offense, I don’t think Purdy is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Furthermore, the Dave Preston corollary comes into play in the major way, as the Niners play four games on the East Coast with a 1 p.m. kickoff (including a late-season tilt in Washington) and four teams coming off their bye.This is still the best team in a bad division but don’t be surprised if there’s a loud slam in the Bay Area come playoff time.Seahawks 9-8Seattle took many by surprise in 2022, and while Geno Smith and Bobby Wagner (yes, again) won’t sneak up on anybody this year, I have the Seahawks...

2023 NFC South preview

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:50 GMT

Panthers 9-8Carolina might have had the best offseason of anyone in the NFL.Former Maryland Terrapin Frank Reich is a nice addition as head coach and Ejiro Evero as defensive coordinator is the cherry on top of an experienced coaching staff.No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young is throwing to a receiving corps described as “under construction” and certainly opens the season injured, but he’s got the pedigree and coaching to help the Panthers win a bad division in Year 1 (not unlike Washington in 2020).Saints 8-9Derek Carr thinks he’s recovered from the personal and professional issues that derailed his tenure with the Raiders but the fact of the matter is, he’s only been the quarterback of a winning team twice in nine seasons. The notion that his presence automatically makes New Orleans the favorite to win even a bad division is laughable, especially when you consider his coach (Dennis Allen, who also had a bad tenure with the Raiders) did his best work (*chec...

2023 NFC North preview

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:50 GMT

Vikings 9-8Oddly, the rest of the football world seems to have a love affair with Detroit winning the North. I don’t necessarily disagree — I just have Minnesota winning it on tiebreakers.Having the Vikings fall back to earth, however, is appropriate since last year’s 11-0 record in one-score games (an NFL record) is near impossible to replicate. As much as I love the addition of Brian Flores as defensive coordinator, Minnesota’s best veteran pieces on that side of the ball (Eric Kendricks, Dalvin Tomlinson, Patrick Peterson and Za’Darius Smith) are all elsewhere. I think Flores can scheme this into being a good defense and the offense will be fine with Kirk Cousins playing catch with Justin Jefferson.Even as the Vikings’ luck levels out in 2023, they could still be good enough to eke out another division title.Lions 9-8I don’t know if it was last year’s Hard Knocks on HBO but Detroit isn’t a lovable loser anymore — they’re appar...

2023 NFC East preview

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:50 GMT

Washington 10-7You may be surprised to see Burgundy and Gold place this high — but hear me out.Basically, Washington already won its Super Bowl by getting new, nontoxic ownership. From the wave of good vibes at Commanders training camp to the revelation of Sam Howell as quarterback, expectations for the Commanders are higher than they’ve been in at least a decade.The fact is Washington has been competitive even with sheer misery at QB. No one has had more starting QBs since 2018 than Washington’s 12, and that dirty dozen amassed the NFL’s worst total QBR (37.8). New offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is ruffling the appropriate feathers and if the offense we saw in the preseason is just a watered-down version of what we’ll see in the regular season, it should be the most exciting unit we’ve seen since RGIII’s thrilling Rookie of the Year campaign.Sam Howell will play well and Washington is a sleeper team in the NFC. They will be a playoff team.— ...

2023 NFL Preview

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:50 GMT

At last, the 2023 NFL season has arrived.Longtime WTOP.com readers know the drill by now, as I’ve been doing this annual NFL preview at WTOP for over a decade. But for those new to the game: I’ll go division by division and predict win-loss records for every team and explain the logic behind each prediction.Just be aware there’s a really good chance you’ll read some things you may not like about your favorite team. If I’m wrong, enjoy your bragging rights. But if I’m right, be sure to give me my props.Before delving into the predictions, here are some of the biggest factors affecting the 2023 NFL season (and, in turn, these predictions).Can the Chiefs repeat?This is where I point out (again) that the NFL hasn’t had a repeat champion since 2004. After the 2021 Buccaneers failed to pull it off despite unprecedented continuity, it’s starting to feel like an impossible feat. But then again, Patrick Mahomes routinely does the inconceivable so there’s a decent chance thi...

Trip.com: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:50 GMT

SHANGHAI (AP) — SHANGHAI (AP) — Trip.com Group Limited (TCOM) on Monday reported second-quarter profit of $89 million.On a per-share basis, the Shanghai-based company said it had profit of 13 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and stock option expense, came to 70 cents per share.The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 50 cents per share.The travel services company posted revenue of $1.55 billion in the period, also beating Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.51 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on TCOM at https://www.zacks.com/ap/TCOMSource

E-bike battery explosion injury in DC has officials urging caution about safe ownership

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:50 GMT

A man was critically injured after an electric bicycle explosion at a home in Northwest D.C. last Thursday.The battery caught fire at a home in the 700 block of Irving Street near Georgia Avenue.Now, D.C. Fire and EMS is out with a warning.D.C. Fire spokesman Vito Maggiolo said the e-bike’s battery was likely overcharged or charged with the wrong charger.He said these kinds of fires have happened before but this one is different.“[This is the] first injury that our fire investigators can recollect that was directly caused by a fire that originated with an e-bike,” Maggiolo said.The man was seriously burned, but is now out of the hospital.“If you are going to charge them, if you can, avoid having them inside the house,” said Maggiolo.Maggiolo added if that’s not possible, at least make sure to never have the bike near the front door of your home or any other escape route in the case they catch fire and block your route out.Thermal runaway of lithiu...

F1 drivers Sainz and Norris team up with soccer stars to back and advise $54M investment fund

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:50 GMT

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Formula One drivers have teamed up with world and European champion soccer players investing in a 50 million euros ($54 million) fund launched Tuesday that will use their advice to seek sports-related targets.F1 drivers Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris are headline investors in the Elite Performance Fund that aims to specialize in sports technology and media, fan engagement and nutrition.Manchester United defender Raphaël Varane, a 2018 World Cup winner with France, and João Mário from Portugal’s 2016 European Championship title team are also investors with Lisbon-based fund manager APEX.“I have been investing in startups for some time now,” Varane said in a statement, adding he aims to “share my investment experiences with other athletes and learn from theirs.”Tom Brady joined the trend for athlete investment in the wider sports industry last month. The NFL great was announced as having a minority stake in English second-tier soccer club Birmingham by partnerin...

Belgian champion Antwerp brings in Wijndal to bolster defense ahead of Champions League campaign

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:50 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian champion Antwerp has brought in Netherlands left back Owen Wijndal on loan until the end of the season ahead of its Champions League campaign.Antwerp defeated Greek club AEK Athens last month in a playoff to reach he group stage for the first time. The club has been placed in Group H alongside Barcelona, Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk.Wijndal joined from Ajax, where he played 28 games last season but was not part of new coach Maurice Steijn’s plans.The 23-year-old left-footed defender has made 11 appearances with the Dutch national team. His contract with Ajax runs until June 30, 2027.Antwerp won its first Belgian league title since 1957 in June on a dramatic final day of the season. Antwerp also won the Belgian Cup last season, making it the fifth club in the history of Belgian soccer to secure the double.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerSource

Inicia éxodo masivo de los asistentes al Burning Man tras un fin de semana dramático que dejó a miles de personas atrapadas en el desierto de Nevada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:50 GMT

(CNN) — Miles de asistentes al Burning Man emprendieron finalmente el éxodo masivo después de que las intensas lluvias que cayeron el fin de semana inundaran los campings y los llenaran de un barro espeso que les llegaba hasta los tobillos, dejando varados a más de 70.000 asistentes de espíritu libre mientras esperaban a que se secara la ciudad desértica de Nevada.No fue sino hasta este lunes por la tarde cuando los organizadores anunciaron oficialmente que se había levantado la prohibición de circular impuesta debido a las fuertes lluvias del viernes y que los asistentes podían abandonar Black Rock City, la improvisada ciudad que se levanta cada año para el evento. “Las operaciones de éxodo comenzaron oficialmente”, anunciaron los organizadores.Los organizadores advirtieron que la zona seguía llena de barro y algunas partes eran difíciles de transitar. Instaron a los asistentes al festival a posponer su salida hasta este martes para evitar crear atascos masivos.Or...