Sports
Shohei Ohtani has sweeping Dodgers dreaming of a different October
This wasn’t October. This can’t be confused with October. This has nothing to do with October.
Yet make no mistake, the Dodgers’ weekend sweep of the Atlanta Braves at a rollicking Dodger Stadium was a fair predictor of an entirely different sort of October.
An October with Shohei Ohtani.
Goodness, the imagination soars, like a 464-foot blast into the lunging grasps of the pavilion partiers.
My, the possibilities seem endless, like a 412-foot rocket that disappears over the center-field fence.
Ohtani authored both moments during Sunday’s 5-1 sweeping victory, once again leaving witnesses searching for adjectives.
“He just keeps doing things that we haven’t seen before,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Leading this team to its first full-season title in 36 years would qualify as something else few have seen before, wouldn’t it?
Heavens, the potential is enormous.
Ohtani, who was elsewhere while the Dodgers were failing in 10 of their previous 11 postseasons, filled his first playoff atmosphere here with ohhs and ahhs and oh yeahs.
Ohh, he wrecked the pitching staff of the team with baseball’s best record for eight hits in 12 at-bats with three home runs and six RBIs in the three games.
Ahh, he had a game-tying single in extra innings on Friday, a tone-setting homer on Saturday, and two homers among his four hits on Sunday.
Oh yeah, he signed with the Dodgers this winter because he wanted to experience the sort of playoff setting that eluded him during six years in Anaheim, so it only figures he would soak it all in.
I asked him after Sunday’s game if he could feel the big-game atmosphere.
“Yeah, very much so,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton.
Shohei Ohtani greets Dodgers teammate Teoscar Hernández after hitting a home run in the eighth inning Sunday.
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
He was asked what it feels like to hit a ball 464 feet, the longest Dodgers homer this season, a leadoff shot in the eighth inning that landed deep in the left-center field seats.
“Slug is part of my game,” Ohtani said. “So being able to express that in a game situation like that … is important as well.”
That first part belongs on a T-shirt, no?
Slug Is Part Of My Game.
“That’s deep, people don’t hit the ball out there,” said Roberts when asked about those traveling 464 feet.
Equally as deep is a Dodgers roster dotted with key new players who do not bear the dark stain of postseasons past.
This Dodger team has a new pitcher, James Paxson, who is now 4-0 with a 3.06 ERA after throwing five strong innings Sunday.
Paxson has a 3.46 postseason ERA in three starts for the New York Yankees, so he understands the importance of this weekend’s furor.
“We played really well,” he said. “We showed how well we can play against a really good team.”
This Dodgers team also has a new outfielder, Teoscar Hernández , who hit his eighth homer Sunday and has equaled Ohtani’s 25 RBIs.
Hernández has two homers in four postseason games, so he also seems suited for the big stage.
“With our offense, every game is winnable,” Roberts said.
With Ohtani in the middle of it all, every game this weekend felt like a victory from the first pitch to Randy Newman. The Dodgers outscored the Braves 20-6 and trailed for only brief spells in what amounted to a three-day fiesta capped by Sunday’s Cinco de Mayo roars.
“I saw signs of postseason … it was good to see our guys play to the level and energy that the fans had this series,” Roberts said.
Ohtani said the feeling was contagious.
“I just feel like we’re overall playing really well, so that’s really helping me have quality at-bats and just feeling good overall,” he said.
The scary part for opponents is that both of his Sunday home runs were essentially opposite-field hits, which means his bat has discovered its mojo.
“When I feel confident that I can hit in that direction, then I know I can cover other pitches really well,” Ohtani said.
Paxson explained that in human terms.
“He’s awesome,” the pitcher said with a gasp. “So much power.”
The Dodgers could have used that power last October when they were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a series in which they never led.
Shohei Ohtani runs past Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel after hitting a home run in the first inning Sunday.
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
The Dodgers could have used that slug two postseasons ago when they couldn’t score in a four-game loss to the San Diego Padres.
And, yes, certainly, they will need every bit of Ohtani this fall if they once again meet the Braves. They are 3-1 against Atlanta during their postseason run, but it is the Braves who delivered the most recent blow with a four-games-to-two triumph in the 2021 National League Championship Series.
It’s far too early to be forecasting a rematch. It’s way too reckless to be celebrating a May sweep.
Yet as this weekend proved, it’s not too early to start believing.
For the last 11 years, the Dodgers didn’t have anyone like Shohei Ohtani.
Now they do, and anything is possible.
Sports
Russell Wilson not thinking about retirement, plans to play in 2026: ‘I know what I’m capable of’
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Russell Wilson went from starting quarterback of the New York Giants to third string just a few weeks into the 2025 season, leaving many to question if the 10-time Pro Bowler decides to play next season.
Wilson, 37, doesn’t sound like he’s mulling over his decision. He wants to play in 2026.
“I’m not blinking,” Wilson said, per SNY. “I know [what] I’m capable of. I think I showed that in Dallas, and I want to be able to do that again, you know, and just be ready to rock and roll, and be as healthy as possible and be ready to play ball.”
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New York Giants’ Russell Wilson attempts to escape a sack by Dallas Cowboys defensive end James Houston (53) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)
Wilson signed a one-year, veteran minimum deal with the Giants this past offseason worth $10.5 million, which had tons of incentives if he were to play the entire season.
That same offseason, the Giants traded back into the first round to select Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss, and he proved during training camp to have NFL-ready chops under center.
GIANTS STICK WITH GM JOE SCHOEN DESPITE ANOTHER LOSING SEASON, CITING NEED FOR ‘CONTINUITY AND STABILITY’
Still, then-head coach Brian Daboll was steadfast in his decision to start Wilson despite Dart’s success. But, after just three games, where the Giants went 0-3, a change was made.
Daboll went with Dart in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers at home, and the rookie defeated Justin Herbert and company to not only get his first career win, but cement himself as the team’s starter moving forward.
Even then, Wilson remained positive, saying in interviews after practice that he understands the direction of the team and wanted to help Dart develop and grow in his new role.
New York Giants’ Russell Wilson, left, and Jaxson Dart, right, talk on the bench in the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)
In his three starts for the Giants, Wilson threw for 831 yards with three touchdowns to three interceptions, though all of those touchdowns came in a Week 2 overtime heartbreaker for New York. Over half of Wilson’s passing yards also came in that game, throwing for 450 in the 40-37 loss.
Wilson also said that he tore his hamstring during that game against the Cowboys.
“I played that game, you know, I tore my hamstring on Friday in practice – the last play of practice. And I had a Grade 2 (tear). I couldn’t tell anybody. I had to go and play on it just because I knew the circumstance, I had to play on it, no matter what,” Wilson explained.
“I actually ended up going to the Dallas Mavericks’ facility, training. And you know, just kept it quiet, just trying to get treatment on it and just knowing that I probably couldn’t run from the goal line to the 10-yard line if I wanted to, but I feel like… I got to play this game.”
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scans the field at the line against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. (Rich Barnes/Imagn Images)
It will be interesting to see if Wilson will land anywhere, and better yet, if a team is willing to try him out as a starter again.
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Sports
Can Ravens’ Tyler Loop rebound from missed kick better than Scott Norwood or Mike Vanderjagt?
Those who snub Father Time like to say that 50 is the new 30. A different Father — Benedictine priest Maximilian Maxwell— sprinkled holy water in the end zone before his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday with the AFC North title on the line.
Fifty is the new 30 also applies to field goals. More than 70% of kicks over 50 yards are successful these days, a dramatic increase in accuracy from only five years ago. Excuse Maxwell for thinking divine intervention might be necessary should a last-second missed kick determine the outcome.
A 44-yarder is a chip shot for most NFL kickers, including Ravens rookie Tyler Loop, who had made 90% of his attempts — including eight of eight from 40-49 yards — when the ball was snapped with three seconds to play and Baltimore trailing 26-24.
Two words coined when Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard attempt that cost the Buffalo Bills Super Bowl XXV in 1991 once again were screamed on a television broadcast: “Wide right!”
Another memorable miss came from a kicker regarded as the best in the NFL 20-some years ago. Brash, outspoken Mike Vanderjagt of the Indianapolis Colts led the league in scoring in 1999 and four years later became the first kicker in history to make every kick in a full season: 83 of 83 on field goals and extra points.
Yet he botched a boot with 21 seconds to play during a playoff game in 2006, enabling the Steelers to upset the Colts. Pittsburgh went on to win the Super Bowl and Vanderjagt was replaced by Adam Vinatieri. He never regained his form.
Here’s hoping Loop rebounds better than Vanderjagt or Norwood, who was released a year after the historic miss and never played again. Loop was All Pac-12 in 2023 at Arizona, where he holds records for longest field goal (62 yards) and success rate (83.75%). He was the Wildcats’ GOAT before becoming the Ravens’ goat.
Loop, 24, didn’t duck the media, leaving the impression that he won’t let this failure define him.
“Just want to say I’m super grateful to Baltimore, the organization and the city, just how they embraced me this year has been incredible,” he said. “Just for it to end like that, sucks, and I want to do better.
“Unfortunately, the nature of the job is you have makes, and those are awesome, and unfortunately, you have misses, and for that to happen tonight sucks.”
The specialized nature of kickers can place them on the periphery of team bonding, but Loop’s teammates and coaches were supportive in the aftermath of the season-ending loss.
Coach John Harbaugh walked alongside Loop from the field to the locker room, with his arm around his back comforting him. Quarterback Lamar Jackson downplayed the impact, telling reporters, “He’s a rookie, you know. It’s all good. Just leave it in the past.”
Only time will tell whether Loop can do just that.
Sports
Raiders dismiss longtime NFL head coach Pete Carroll after one season
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Longtime NFL head coach and Super Bowl champion Pete Carroll was fired after just one season with the Las Vegas Raiders, the team announced Monday.
The 74-year-old coach said after Sunday’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs that he “of course” would want to return for another season. But owner Mark Davis had different plans for the former Seattle Seahawks coach.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll jogs on the field during a timeout in the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)
“The Las Vegas Raiders have relieved Pete Carroll of his duties as head coach. We appreciate and wish him and his family all the best,” Davis said in a statement provided by the team.
“Moving forward, General Manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach. Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals.”
The move marks a period of instability for the Raiders organization as they begin their third straight year on the hunt for a new coach.
Carroll, who won the Super Bowl with then-Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in 2014, was brought in with the hopes of bringing that same playoff magic to the Raiders after the team dismissed Antonio Pierce.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll watches his team warm up before an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)
BROWNS FIRE HEAD COACH KEVIN STEFANSKI AFTER SIX SEASONS
Pierce was also fired after just one season – he served as the interim head coach in 2023, after Josh McDaniels was fired midseason.
But Carroll wasn’t able to live up to those expectations.
The Raiders went on a 10-game losing streak, Geno Smith finished with a league-high 17 interceptions and for the second season, the Raiders finished at the bottom of the AFC West with a 3-14 record.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The game was played in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Carroll was animated after the team closed out the season with a 14-12 win over the Chiefs, but was immediately met in his postgame presser with questions about wanting to come back the following season and reports of retirement.
“Nobody’s talking to me about that,” he dismissed at the time.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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