For 35 years, bald eagles were part of the Dollywood experience. After a storm damaged their longtime home, the birds now have a new permanent address. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Day: September 3, 2026
McDonald’s and Long John Silver’s have two of the better fish sandwiches in the game, so you might wonder at their key differences. Wonder no longer.
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In Driver’s Eye with James Hinchcliffe, the six-time INDYCAR winner will bring you inside the mind of a racer while breaking down the nuts and bolts of the sport for fans. A round of applause, a tip of the hat, to Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing on clinching the 2026 INDYCAR title last weekend in Milwaukee. They’ve now won four championships in a row and five of the last six. Truly staggering numbers in a hyper-competitive series. The big prize is out of reach for the other 24 drivers in the field, but we still have one race to go, the season finale. And it just so happens to be at one of the most famous race tracks in the world: Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. But the championship is over, you say. What’s the point, what’s the motivation, going into a race after the title has been won? Well, let me tell you. PALOU IS INDYCAR’S CHAMP, SO WHAT’S AT STAKE NOW? Palou might be the champ, but there’s still lots to race for this weekend. Let’s start immediately behind Palou, in the battle for second in the championship. Right now, Christian Lundgaard leads the three-way battle for “best of the rest” over Kyle Kirkwood and Pato O’Ward. David Malukas is technically still there — which is wildly impressive when you consider that he hasn’t won a race yet, and the other three have each won at least two — but I’d say he’s a long shot. Only four points separate Lundgaard, Kirkwood and O’Ward, meaning that P2 is up for grabs among that trio. O’Ward is coming off of back-to-back wins at Milwaukee to get himself in this conversation. Kirkwood is still flying high after that dominating performance in Washington, D.C. two weeks ago. Lundgaard has scored more points on road courses than anyone else this season. While there are no big checks and trophies for second in the championship, there are bragging rights to being the closest to Palou at the end of it all. Plus, heading into the off-season with some momentum is a huge boost for a team. And that leads us to what else is on the line at Laguna. The end of the season also means the end of an era, with Scott Dixon leaving Chip Ganassi Racing after more than 20 years that included 58 wins (of 59 total), six titles and an Indianapolis 500 victory. Dixon also has a record of 21 consecutive seasons with a win, and I know he would love nothing more than to keep the streak alive and end his tenure at CGR the same way he lived a lot of it — from Victory Lane. Will Power is extra motivated. He entered the 2026 INDYCAR season on a redemption tour after parting ways with Team Penske — where he won two series championships and an Indy 500 — at the end of 2025. He has had speed and podiums this season but has yet to get that first win with his new Andretti Global squad. And speaking of Penske, only Josef Newgarden has won a race for the Captain so far in 2026. Malukas has come record-breakingly close, and Scott Mclaughlin has been about right there too — but he also just passed the two-year mark since his last win. A W for either would go a long way to help feel like 2026 was a success. And you can’t forget Rookie of the Year. This is a title that is near and dear to me and doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. Jumping up into INDYCAR is a big step for young drivers. There is so much to learn, and you’re on the big stage, where mistakes are very public. It’s also the only title you only get one, single shot at winning. You can come back every year and try to win the series championship or the Indy 500, but you’re only a rookie once. Dennis Hauger leads Mick Schumacher and Caio Collet by a healthy margin, but all are still within range to end the weekend as the top INDYCAR rookie. It’s a huge thing for a driver to have on their mantle as you look to secure your future ride for next season. Which brings us to the final point: Some drivers are still trying to figure out where they are racing next season. Every race is essentially an audition, so every race, every lap, counts. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FAST: LAGUNA SECA Laguna Seca is a special place to race and a special place to win. It’s one of the most famous tracks in the world, and the 11-turn, 2.238-mile course is home to one of the most famous corners in racing: the Corkscrew. I’ll be honest, it’s not my favorite corner. This track has such a beautiful, graceful flow and rhythm, and, quite frankly, it is completely interrupted by the infamous Turn 7-8 combo! The Corkscrew is a blind entry, braking while the nose of your car is aimed at the sky. Then, as you start to arc in to the left, the track falls away — to eventually what ends up being about 10 stories by the time you reach Turn 11 — and you can’t see anything. Seriously though, nothing. There are three trees that sit off the track to the left of drivers. So the golden rule in Laguna Seca’s Corkscrew is to aim for the middle tree, and as the nose of the car falls to meet the race track, you should be roughly on the line you need! It’s a track with so much history, which is always something that makes it appealing to drivers. It’s also a place that celebrates its history, with many parts named after the greats. Andretti Hairpin, Rahal Straight. And, as of this weekend, the Zanardi Corkscrew, in honor of the late, great Italian INDYCAR champion, Alex Zanardi, who executed one of the most famous (and controversial) passes in modern racing at that very spot. 1 FOR THE ROAD Only one driver can win INDYCAR’s last race, but many can have good weekends and carry that feeling into the offseason. I mentioned earlier how momentum into the winter can be a big boost, and it’s true. Even if you’ve had a rough season, a strong final act sits with you and keeps motivation high over an offseason that can sometimes feel like it drags on forever. The driver, the team, the sponsors — everyone feels it when you leave the finale with the sweet taste of success. Conversely, a bad day can have that bitter taste fester until the season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg. You’re only as good as your last race, the saying goes. So despite the championship being settled, all 25 drivers will be looking to make sure they go into the offseason being remembered as a winner.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
In the star-studded NFL, which players will shine the brightest this season? With All-22 coaches’ tape and the stat sheet serving as my primary evaluation tools, here is my preseason All-Pro team based on track record and projections for the 2026 campaign. The reigning MVP could write a storybook ending to a Hall of Fame career by guiding a super team to another title in its home stadium. Although Stafford already accomplished this feat when the Rams won Super Bowl LVI, the future gold jacket recipient has a chance to run the table through the regular season and playoffs with a squad that is loaded with All-Pro playmakers around him. With Sean McVay carefully scripting “winners” that should produce easy scores for the veteran, Stafford could top off an unbeaten season with a collection of individual honors that reflect his work as a pinpoint passer and scoring machine. The playmaking dynamo is nearly impossible to defend out of the backfield. Robinson’s hybrid RB1/WR2 skill set will enable new coach Kevin Stefanski to get him 120-plus yards a game in multiple ways. Coming off a campaign in which he led the league with 2,298 scrimmage yards, the 5-foot-11, 215-pounder should cement his spot as the NFL’s undisputed RB1 with a spectacular season that could result in a 1,000 rushing and receiving yards apiece. As a former receiving triple crown winner, Chase is a problem for opponents who are unable to deal with his physicality, toughness and big-play potential as a “catch-and-run” specialist. The 6-foot, 205-pounder is a quasi-running back on the perimeter, breaking tackles in the open field after snagging passes on in-breaking routes. The veteran is just as dangerous downfield, wrestling “50-50 balls” away from defenders down the boundary. With Joe Burrow operating with a “Super Bowl or bust” mentality, the feisty pass-catcher should bounce back as an All-Pro in 2026. Despite a dip in production due to shoddy quarterback play, the seventh-year pro notched his sixth-straight 1,000-yard season and continued to remind defensive backs that he is nearly impossible to defend when he is on the same page as his QB1. With Kyler Murray now on board and with the arm talent to force opponents to defend the entire field, the perennial All-Pro wideout should reclaim his spot on the list of the league’s A-plus playmakers. The numbers do not lie when it comes to sheer dominance on the perimeter. Nacua has been an unstoppable force as the No. 1 option in the Rams’ passing game, showing strong hands and superb ball skills while consistently coming down with contested grabs. As Matthew Stafford’s go-to guy, the All-Pro is likely to post the third 100-catch season of his career before breaking the bank as the premier wide receiver on the open market. After watching Klint Kubiak transform Jaxon Smith-Njigba into a playmaking machine as the feature pass-catcher in his scheme, Bowers could revolutionize the tight end position with a creative play designer building an offensive plan around his mercurial talents. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound target terrorized opponents as an unstoppable force on the perimeter during his record-breaking rookie season, showing a skill set that makes him tough for safeties and linebackers to cover in space. Given Kubiak’s experience and success showcasing No. 1 options, Bowers could resume his assault on the NFL record book as the Raiders’ leading pass-catcher in an offense built to elevate playmakers. The versatile frontline blocker has earned All-Pro honors at right tackle and left tackle by unmercifully pummeling defenders into the ground with his heavy hands and violent punches. The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder is a rare find as an athletic edge blocker with an alpha dog personality that allows him to dominate using finesse or force at the point of attack. The three-time All-Pro has regained his status as a five-star player after a couple of subpar seasons by his lofty standards. Nelson is back to mashing defenders onto the turf with his nasty disposition, setting the tone for the rest of the line. With the Colts’ running game popping behind No. 56’s efforts, the veteran guard should re-emerge as a first-team All-Pro member this season. The talented technician makes life easy for Patrick Mahomes by getting the frontline into the proper checks and adjustments against challenging looks. Humphrey’s outstanding football IQ and superb communication skills, combined with flawless footwork and fundamentals, enable him to stymie explosive defenders at the line. Given the importance of keeping the Chiefs’ QB1 upright in the pocket, Humphrey’s impressive work as a “traffic cop” makes him an easy choice on this All-22 team. The small school standout has developed into one of the best in the business as a mauler at the point of attack. Meinerz bullies defenders with his strength and power, but has also developed into a high-level technician who can shadowbox with agile defenders. The combination of physical dominance and technical savvy has helped him stand out as one of the elite blockers in the game. After watching the third-year pro put on a clinic against a collection of elite defenders on both edges, the football world should prepare to see a new name atop this season’s list of star offensive linemen. Alt plays with textbook technique and an All-Pro’s temperament, controlling defenders at the point of attack on perimeter runs and drop-back passes. The 6-foot-8, 322-pounder masterfully utilizes his length. The single-season sack record holder is the centerpiece of a superteam in Los Angeles that could put the league in a choke hold in 2026. Garrett’s destructive potential as a freakishly athletic pass-rusher will make it hard for opponents to send extra blockers toward Aaron Donald to keep the three-time Defensive Player of the Year from taking over games fresh out of retirement. With Garrett seemingly on a mission to shatter the NFL’s career sack record while winning an elusive Super Bowl ring, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year could add even more hardware to the trophy case by season’s end. The fourth-year pro has quickly joined the conversation as arguably the best defensive tackle in football after dismantling interior blockers with his violent hands and superhero strength. Carter’s disruptive presence sets the table for the rest of the defense, while creating countless headaches for offensive coordinators trying to come up with plans to limit his impact at the point of attack. The twitchy defensive tackle overwhelms opponents with his quickness and explosion at the line. Murphy’s activity and aggression force interior defenders to pay close attention to his whereabouts, particularly on pivotal downs where the Seahawks are known to crank up the pressure. As an emerging standout coming off a season with seven sacks and 13 quarterback hits, the 6-foot-0, 306-pounder is ready to take his game up a notch as an All-Pro-caliber defender at the line. The relentless edge rusher is a one-man wrecking crew with a diverse collection of maneuvers that keeps offensive tackles guessing for four quarters. Anderson’s speed, quickness and burst, combined with his physicality and violence, overwhelm blockers left in isolation without a running back to help in protection. With the Texans’ defense expected to extend its dominance into 2026, the All-Pro pass-rusher should add more accolades to his résumé by season’s end. After missing most of the 2025 campaign with an injury, the ninth-year pro is ready to attack the league with a vengeance as a sideline-to-sideline playmaker again. Warner’s instincts and ball skills have generated eye-popping turnover production (10 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries) as the featured playmaker in the Niners’ scheme. Although new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris will put his own spin on the system that has helped Warner play at a gold jacket level, the four-time All-Pro’s knack for producing big plays will keep him in the conversation as the top linebacker in the game. As one of three players with at least two sacks, two interceptions and 10 tackles for loss last season, the 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year is a disruptive force who specializes in producing splash plays all over the field. Schwesinger’s impeccable instincts, awareness and anticipation, combined with his violent approach, could make him the new gold standard at the position by the end of 2026. The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year should bounce back from an injury-plagued season to reclaim his spot as the NFL’s CB1. Surtain’s airtight coverage and flawless technique make him a coach’s dream, and the top choice to man the island as the league’s premier cover corner. The sticky-fingered ball magnet has terrorized quarterbacks on the perimeter with 15 interceptions and 51 passes defensed over 54 career games. Stingley’s turnover obsession and takeaway prowess force opponents to think twice before targeting receivers in his area. Playing behind a ferocious front that regularly causes errant throws, the All-Pro corner has emerged as the Texans’ designated playmaker in their “see ball, get ball” scheme. The NFL’s highest-paid corner is worth every penny of his new four-year, $132 million contract as a dynamic defender with Swiss Army knife versatility on the perimeter. Witherspoon’s ability to blitz, run and cover from out wide or in the slot makes life miserable for quarterbacks and offensive playcallers. With the 6-foot-0, 185-pound DB capable of making plays in the backfield off corner blitzes and slot pressures just as well as he shuts down WR1s, Witherspoon is the ultimate weapon for Mike Macdonald to deploy from the second level. Offensive coordinators are facing sleepless nights with Jesse Minter poised to unleash the three-time All-Pro as a multidimensional playmaker near the box. Hamilton is perfectly suited for the role: a safety with linebacker size, speed and diagnostic skills, plus cornerback-like playmaking ability between the hashes. Inserting the ultra-versatile DB into a scheme that showcases his talents as a “hit, run, and cover” specialist near the line of scrimmage should help the Ravens’ defense get back to its dominating ways. The perennial Pro Bowler has emerged as the new prototype at his position: a super-sized defender who can play anywhere within the defensive triangle (strong safety, free safety, and nickel defender) based on matchups. James’ versatility and playmaking potential flourished under former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, but the big plays should continue with the Chargers under new DC Chris O’Leary.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Five years after saying “I do,” Dog the Bounty Hunter is looking back on the love he and Francie Frane found after both experienced devastating loss. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Missouri’s Supreme Court suspended a congressional map that state Republicans drew last year that would have netted the GOP an additional House seat, likely keeping the seat in Democratic hands this November.
The court ruled unanimously on Thursday that a referendum petition organized by Democrats to put the new congressional maps to a vote was incorrectly deemed insufficient by Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, and ordered that the gerrymandered map be put to a vote in the fall.
Voters will ultimately decide the fate of the new lines in November. But in the meantime, it cannot be in place for the midterms, meaning Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s original Kansas City-based district will likely stay in Democrats’ hands this fall.
“The congressional districts the General Assembly established in 2022 remain in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election, and HB 1 will not take effect unless and until approved by the voters at the November 2026 general election,” Judge Ginger K. Gooch wrote in the court’s 7-0 opinion.
The surprising decision creates an unprecedented set of electoral circumstances for Missouri voters and election administrators. The state’s primaries took place under the new lines while Hoskins delayed a decision on the referendum, but the general election will now rely on the previous maps.
President Donald Trump was quick to condemn the decision, which could help determine whether Democrats can take control of the House in the midterms and put a check on his agenda.
“The Election Process, as usual, is being disturbed in America! ” he wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Missouri must be able to use the map that was in effect just a couple of months ago, in the Primary. This is a Dark Day for “Justice” in Missouri!”
For months, Missouri Republicans had signaled their intention to delay a ruling on Democrats’ referendum petition as long as possible while implementing the new maps in the primaries. Hoskins waited to declare the referendum insufficient on the day of the primaries last month. Republicans argued during hearings this week that changing the congressional lines months before an election could cause chaos.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said in a social media post she will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the decision.
Republicans across the country kicked off an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting gambit in 2025, starting with Texas, that has seen 10 states enact new maps. The Supreme Court’s decision gutting the Voting Rights Act, coupled with the Virginia Supreme Court striking down Democrats’ voter-approved gerrymander there, gave Republicans an edge of up to 10 seats.
But as Americans continue to sour on Trump and Republicans, it’s unlikely the GOP will notch as many wins as they first hoped, though they still have an overall advantage from the redistricting.
November’s referendum marks an early frontier in the looming 2028 redistricting battle, as leaders in both parties have signaled their intent to press for new lines to be drawn in favorable states. Both parties have already poured millions into Missouri’s redistricting fight.
People Not Politicians, the Democratic group organizing the referendum, celebrated the court’s decision.
“This is what democracy looks like, the people of Missouri demanded a voice, and the court just confirmed what we’ve been saying all along. People, not politicians, will have the final say,” Richard von Glahn, executive director of the group, said in a statement. “This victory reaches beyond Missouri. In a year when map-drawing has become a national weapon, courts across the country are watching what happens here.”
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Blue Bunny makes a variety of ice cream flavors (or, to be more accurate, frozen dairy desserts), but which one reigns supreme? We tried 19 to find out.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Former President Donald Trump prepares to speak in front of a crowd at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage on Saturday, July 9, 2022. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
President Donald Trump said Wednesday in Washington, D.C., that he will travel to Alaska to campaign on behalf of incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, who appears to be facing a close race against Democratic challenger Mary Peltola.
“I will go to Alaska to help Dan Sullivan get elected. … Dan Sullivan’s a great senator,” Trump said.
Because most U.S. Senate seats are in states controlled firmly by Republicans or Democrats, control of the U.S. Senate as a whole will be decided by a relative handful of races nationally, including the one this year in Alaska.
A spokesperson for Sullivan’s campaign did not immediately return an email seeking comment on Thursday.
In the just-completed August primary election, Peltola had 49.5% of the vote; Sullivan had 41.4% of the vote.
Despite that performance, a recent poll of voters likely to participate in November indicates a race that’s in a virtual dead heat. That poll is similar to others conducted earlier this year.
On Wednesday at the Oval Office, one reporter asked Trump why the race is so close.
“I don’t know. Well, it’s close for one reason that they have a phony Dan Sullivan,” Trump said. “This guy’s a phony and he was put up by the Democrats and they don’t admit it, but it’s been so proven.”
The third person in Alaska’s four-way race for U.S. Senate is Dan J. Sullivan, a Republican from Petersburg who earned 2.5% of the vote in the August primary.
Many of Dan J. Sullivan’s votes in the primary came from Democratic-leaning districts, and both he and people representing Peltola’s campaign have said that there has been no coordination between the two.
Despite that, the president, the incumbent and other Republicans have accused Dan Sullivan of nefarious actions without providing evidence.
On Wednesday, Dan J. Sullivan told Alaska Public Media that he was out picking mushrooms and hadn’t heard the president’s remarks.
When reached by the Alaska Beacon on Thursday, he declined comment.
Trump incorrectly said Dan J. Sullivan had never voted.
“He hasn’t voted for years. A totally pretty nonpolitical person, I guess, but never had any thought of running,” Trump said.
State records show Dan J. Sullivan is a “supervoter” who has cast ballots in 17 state and local elections since 2017.
“That guy got two and a half percent in the recent primary. And that’s — two and a half percent is a lot when it comes to winning elections. And it’s a disgrace,” Trump said.
Trump also criticized Alaska’s ranked choice general election system, saying it amounted to picking a name out of a hat.
Under the Alaska system, voters are asked to rank the four candidates (and any write-ins) in order of preference. If one candidate receives more than half of the first-preference votes, they win.
If no one has more than half the votes, the lowest finisher is eliminated, and their votes go to voters’ second choices. The process repeats until only two candidates are left, and the person with the most votes wins.
It isn’t clear how much Trump’s influence would help the incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Alaska has voted for Trump each time he has run for president. In 2024, 54.5% of participating voters picked Trump for president, putting him 13 percentage points ahead of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
“It’s a long trip. I love Alaska. You know, I won Alaska by a landslide,” Trump told reporters attending a gathering of travel industry officials.
But since that election, Alaskans’ opinion of Trump appears to have soured. Public opinion polling conducted in August found that more than 56% of Alaskans have a negative view of Trump.
In 2022, Trump visited the Alaska Airlines Center at the University of Alaska Anchorage to boost the campaigns of U.S. Sen. candidate Kelly Tshibaka, U.S. House candidate Sarah Palin and governor candidate Mike Dunleavy.
Tshibaka and Palin lost their races that year; Dunleavy won his.
As of Thursday, no one representing the president had booked the Alaska Airlines Center, a UAA official said.
Trump also visited Anchorage last year to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Though highly promoted as an opportunity to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the event resulted in little more than a photo opportunity.
Sullivan has been a mostly reliable vote in the Senate for Trump’s agenda since the president was re-elected in 2024. In 2025, Sullivan voted along with Trump on every major topic before Congress. This year, Sullivan has only occasionally voted against Trump’s goals, including once against the President’s plans to distribute $1.8 billion in public funds to supporters, including those convicted of participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump said he is in regular contact with Sullivan.
“He would call me all the time because I think — no, I definitely know — nobody has helped Alaska like Donald Trump. We’ve invested billions and billions of dollars and created trillions of dollars in value,” Trump said, exaggerating trends on the ground in the state.
According to Federal Reserve data, Alaska’s gross domestic product rose by about $3.5 billion between 2024 and 2025, continuing a trend that started in 2020.
He also exaggerated the importance of Alaskan oil internationally.
“You have Japan, you have South Korea, you have all of these people now going to Alaska to load up with fuel, load up with oil, build pipelines, everything else,” Trump said.
Only about 5% of Alaska North Slope crude has been exported internationally this year.
Trump said his trip to Alaska will be one of several that he intends to take before Election Day on Nov. 3.
“I will be going to Alaska. I’m going to be going the last 30 days before the election. I’ll be making a lot of stops,” Trump said.
“I’m going to be campaigning for numerous people, both Congressmen — a few governors, I love the governors — but we’re interested in the Senate, and we’re interested in the House. So I’ll be campaigning for the House members and I’ll be campaigning for senators,” he said.
Indiana hasn’t lost a football game since December 2024. Next, consider this: The Hoosiers had the worst all-time record of any Power Four program in the country until the middle of the 2025 season. Even now, Indiana ranks 126th among programs that have played multiple FBS seasons, with 521 wins and 715 losses. To date, Akron — yes, Akron! — still has a better all-time winning percentage (.468) than Indiana (.424). But since the arrival of head coach Curt Cignetti, the facts on the ground in Bloomington have changed. And I refuse to ignore them. With the Hoosiers set to kick off their 2026 national title defense with a visit from North Texas on Saturday (noon ET, FOX), it’s important to revisit the reasoning why I ranked Indiana No. 1 in my Ultimate 138 College Football Rankings. 1. Curt Cignetti is still the head coach. 2. The best record in the sport over the last two seasons (27-2) belongs to Indiana. 3. The Hoosiers are the reigning national champions and the first team since 1894 to finish 16-0. Those are the reasons to believe in Indiana. The more important question is whether the Hoosiers still have the players to back it up. Transfer quarterback Josh Hoover is a big reason why the Hoosiers remain as formidable in 2026 as they were during last year’s title run. The nation’s leading returning passer has thrown for 9,629 yards in just 36 career games. With wideouts Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh catching passes, Indiana has the firepower to make another run at the top of the sport. This weekend, in front of what should be a packed house at Memorial Stadium, we’ll get a glimpse of just how good Hoover is, now playing with what Cignetti describes as his “two new best friends:” a good rushing attack and a great defense. If Indiana can run the ball and play defense this year like it did last year, Hoover isn’t likely to turn the ball over nearly as much as he did at TCU, if only because he won’t be asked to do nearly as much. There’s precedent for that in Bloomington. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana’s quarterback last season and the 2025 Heisman winner, averaged 35 pass attempts per game in his final season at Cal. That number dropped to 24 in his first season with the Hoosiers. Hoover averaged 34 attempts last year at TCU, and I expect Indiana’s offense to bring that number down, too. But that’s only if the Hoosiers can run the ball for more than 200 yards at better than five yards per carry in 2026. Against a rebuilding North Texas team, that shouldn’t be a problem. If it is, perhaps the Hoosiers really can revert to their pre-2024 ways. That would shock me. But so did Indiana becoming the best program in the sport in just two short years.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
We all have our own routines and superstitions when it comes to traveling, and that’s apparent when you look at the way the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams planned their upcoming trips to Melbourne, Australia. While Rams head coach Sean McVay’s team landed in Melbourne on Thursday morning, the day before the game set to start on Friday at 10:35 a.m. local time (8:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 10). The Rams are only expected to spend one night in Melbourne, which is 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles, before flying home after the game. “They have a loose idea of what we’re doing, but I do still think it is appropriate in terms of the trajectory,” McVay told reporters late in training camp, when asked if he’s told players the schedule. “I want to be able to talk to them about it, but we’re leaving later than most people would probably expect.” That’s no surprise. McVay took a similar approach last year, when the Rams stayed in Baltimore for a week after his team’s victory over the Ravens in Week 6, flying to London from there for a Sunday game, a 35-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. In all, the Rams spent a little over 30 hours in London for what McVay referred to as a business trip. The 49ers are on the other end of the spectrum. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan and his team traveled to Australia last Thursday and arrived last week on Friday — a week before the game — to get better acclimated to their new surroundings in Melbourne, holding practices there in the lead-up to the game. “It’s a big adjustment on the body,” Shanahan told reporters before the trip. “So, the recommendation for everybody has been to tell us when to go, and it’s made a lot of sense. And I know how our players feel also. I was a little bit on the fence. Science wasn’t, and what I was told. And our players weren’t at all. So that helped me get off the fence.” San Francisco edge rusher Keion White said he would try to sleep the entire 16-hour flight. “I don’t know if you can OD on melatonin, but I’m going to try,” White joked. So, which team will be best prepared to perform? I asked that question to Dr. Cheri Mah, a sleep expert based at Stanford University who specializes in the connections between sleep, performance, recovery and injury prevention. Mah helped establish a sleep curriculum with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks for the past four years and worked with the Philadelphia Eagles during that team’s Super Bowl season in 2017. Most recently, Mah helped prepare new Memphis head coach Charles Huff for his team’s late kickoff in Las Vegas against UNLV, a 27-21 victory for the Tigers over the Rebels. Mah says sleep is one of the most important things for an athlete’s recovery. Athletes should view sleep as an investment, with a good night’s sleep as the start of the day. Mah said she always looks at trips and breaks them down into preflight strategies, in-flight strategies and post-flight strategies. “That’s what my biggest challenge is for the athletes and teams I work with,” Mah told me. “Making that small but powerful shift in how you invest in your sleep in what you do in the day, how your evening routine is structured and really setting up a sleep system for yourself, starting in the offseason.” Mah explained the advantages of both approaches for the two teams, considering factors such as the direction and location of travel, how long they will be there, and what they need to do to get ready for the following game. Mah has not consulted with either the Rams or 49ers for this trip. “For the Rams, the advantage of not changing the body clock — if that is what they’re trying to do by jetting in and jetting out — is their body clock when they’re playing in Australia would be at approximately 5 p.m. PT,” Mah said. “4 to 8 p.m. approximately in the afternoon/early evening is when performance is enhanced. Athletes perform physically the best during this period in the 24-hour day. So, that works to their advantage, given that game time will be right in that sweet spot. That works in the Rams’ favor from a body clock perspective. “And then, when they come back, they’re not trying to adjust to jet lag because if they jet in and jet out, they try to keep their clocks on Pacific Time, and they don’t have to spend many days trying to then try get back on Pacific Time, like the 49ers will, when they are returning and trying to get ready for the following week.” And the disadvantages for the Rams? “It’s a long flight,” Mah said. “Even though they are trying not to change body clocks and sleep, they will still experience travel fatigue. And that is a lot of travel fatigue in a very short amount of time — both going there and coming back. And then trying to be fresh enough and ready enough to play the following day. I just think that’s incredibly challenging physiologically, especially when you’re on that long flight. You’re cramped. There’s dehydration and there’s still going to be some time when the players need to sleep and take naps. “Trying to do that without any cushion between landing and playing definitely can be challenging for them.” The Rams are also traveling westward instead of eastward and across many more time zones (London is eight hours ahead of Los Angeles, while Melbourne is 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles) than London last year, which could impact their approach. Mah said the rule of thumb is that for every time zone you cross, it takes your body about a day to acclimate. Usually, on domestic flights, travelers deal with a maximum of three time zone changes, and so it will take three days to adjust if you do nothing ahead of the flight to shift your body clock, according to Mah. So, the 49ers have taken what some sleep experts would consider a more traditional approach to dealing with jet lag by traveling a week early. “There’s pros and cons to what the 49ers are doing as well, right?” Mah said. “They are trying to shift their body clock, but even in a week they’re probably not going to be completely shifted physiologically to Australia time. The benefit is they have a couple of days to train closer to game time at 10 a.m. … Aligning their practice time gives them an opportunity to synchronize it with kickoff time. “They have a couple of days to get rehydrated and better acclimated to the Australian Time Zone, get their eating habits and treatments better resynchronized, so they have a better cushion when it comes to game time.” Mah acknowledged that, culturally, things can be different for teams. In working with teams traveling to London, some teams chose to arrive just a few days before kickoff while others got there a week in advance. For some teams, being in a different country and dealing with changes like food provides a challenge for players. And players will have a say in how teams decide to proceed. “There’s no perfect solution,” Mah said. “There’s clearly advantages and disadvantages to what both teams are trying to do. But I do think being thoughtful about how they’ve chosen to do this and being mindful of sleep and the impact of travel is a huge win.”Latest Sports News from FOX Sports