Tag: New York Times

Packers can drastically improve playoff chances with upset win over Chiefs

The Packers don’t necessarily need a win over the Chiefs to remain playoff relevant, but an upset Sunday night would be a huge boost to their playoff odds.

A win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night at Lambeau Field might not be required for the Green Bay Packers to eventually make the postseason in the NFC, but an upset of the defending Super Bowl champions would provide a fourth win in five games, a second consecutive upset over a current playoff team and drastically increase the team’s chances of qualifying for the postseason come the end of the regular season.

According to New York Times playoff predictor, the Packers’ odds of making the playoffs sit at 55 percent entering Sunday night. Other results in the early and late afternoon time slots in Week 13 will affect the percentage by a few points here or there, but the big one is obviously “Sunday Night Football.” Per NYT, the Packers’ odds would shoot up to 72 or 73 percent if they beat the Chiefs to finish Sunday’s games.

A win would improve the Packers to 6-6 after 12 games and set up Matt LaFleur’s team incredibly well over the friendly five-game finish to the regular season.

Packers final 5 games

Week 14: at New York Giants
Week 15: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 16: at Carolina Panthers
Week 17: at Minnesota Vikings
Week 18: vs. Chicago Bears

The two teams the Packers are chasing in the NFC wildcard race are the Seahawks, who lost on Thursday night and are now 6-6, and the Vikings, who are also 6-6 and on a bye.

Again, an upset on Sunday night isn’t necessarily required for a playoff push. The Packers can lose, fall to 5-7 and still have five winnable games and a legitimate chance to get to 10-7 or 9-8. But the math and projection changes drastically if the Chiefs go down at Lambeau Field. While the NFL is a week to week league and matchups can change in an instant, the Packers — especially with a win over the Chiefs in Week 13 — would likely be favored in each of the final five games.

A big chance awaits the Packers. Can LaFleur’s team knock off one of the top seeds in the playoff race for a second straight week and establish themselves as a team to be feared down the stretch?

Bucs’ postseason odds heading into Week 12

Here’s where Tampa Bay’s playoff odds sit heading into Week 12.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) lost to the San Francisco 49ers (7-3) 27-14 Sunday and dropped one game below the NFC South division leader, the New Orleans Saints (5-5).

After the disappointing performance against the 49ers, the Bucs have just a 28% chance of making the playoffs according to the New York Times.

Tampa Bay will travel to Indiana this week and take on the Indianapolis Colts (5-5) 1 p.m. Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. According to ESPN Analytics, the Bucs have a 45% chance of winning in Week 12.

The Colts enter Sunday as winners of their last two contests. Indianapolis took down the New England Patriots 10-6 in Week 11, and defeated the Carolina Panthers 27-13 the week prior.

Sunday’s game isn’t as critical as it might seem, according to the New York Times playoff predictors, but a Bucs’ win would go a long way toward boosting Tampa Bay’s playoff odds. If the Bucs win, their playoff hopes could rise as high as 40% depending on the outcome between the Saints and Falcons. A loss by Tampa Bay drops its odds to around 20%, regardless of the outcomes of its division rivals.

As of Week 13, six of the final seven opponents the Bucs are set to face are at or below .500. The only team above .500 in the upcoming stretch of games is the Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 16).

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1364]

How likely are the Bucs to make the postseason heading into Week 9?

As it stands, the Bucs will have to pick up some wins to get back in the playoff race.

October hasn’t been kind to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a 3-1 start to the season, it seemed all doubt regarding Baker Mayfield and the Bucs was unwarranted. However, Tampa Bay has fallen back to earth and lost three games in a row.

The Bucs have a 26% chance of making the playoffs heading into Week 9 according to the New York Times.

Tampa Bay will travel to Texas this weekend and take on the Houston Texans (3-4). Led by rookie QB C.J. Stroud, ESPN Analytics predicts there’s a 50.6% chance the Texans will defeat the Bucs at home.

If Tampa Bay is defeated by Houston, its playoff hopes will drop to just 18%. But, if the Bucs can return back to the win column, they’ll have a 33% chance to make the playoffs.

As of Week 8, eight of the next 10 opponents Tampa Bay is set to face are at or below .500. The two teams above .500 are the San Francisco 49ers (Week 11) and Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 16).

Earning a win against the Texans is extremely important if the Bucs want to continue their playoff streak another year and maintain winning football in the Bay.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

This NFL playoff picture simulator doesn’t like the Saints’ chances

The New York Times’ NFL playoff picture simulator doesn’t like the New Orleans Saints’ chances:

The New York Times’ NFL playoff picture simulator doesn’t like the New Orleans Saints’ chances to go the distance. After Week 8’s games, the NYT gives the Saints a 55% shot at making the playoffs — and just a 33% chance of winning the NFC South.

That’s a little unusual given the circumstances. The Saints are tied with the Atlanta Falcons for the division lead right now with both teams limping to a 4-4 record. Atlanta just benched (but not really?) their struggling starting quarterback Desmond Ridder, and they’ve lost their best defensive lineman Grady Jarrett for the season.

But the NYT likes the Falcons better. Atlanta has a 71% chance at reaching the postseason and a 54% shot at winning the division. How they arrived at these conclusions is a mystery wrapped within a knot of advanced stats and various rating systems (which you can read more about here).

And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still in the mix, trailing the 4-4 Saints and Falcons with their 3-4 record. The NYT playoff picture simulator gives the Bucs a 29% shot at making the playoffs but just 13% odds of winning the NFC South. At the end of the day it’s too soon predict anything definitively. We’ll just have to let the games play out and see where everyone stands once the dust settles.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Connections, the really fun new word game from the New York Times, explained

This new game is so good.

The New York Times has plenty of word games to choose from: Obviously, there’s Wordle still, along with the crosswords, Spelling Bee and a lot more.

Now? Say hello to Connections, which is a new one that you might see the results of on social media when your friends share their score as little colored boxes.

The concept: You get 16 words in front of you. The goal is to find the common threads between them and make four groups of four. For example, there’s: Espresso, Latte, Americano and Cappuccino. You’d click on those four and submit it, and if you get it right (types of coffee drinks!) you’d move on to the next group. You have four mistakes before your puzzle ends.

It’s in beta, so we’ll see what happens with it:

New York Times moves for all documents to be unsealed in PGA Tour, LIV Golf lawsuits

The Times is arguing it is enforcing the public’s First Amendment and common law rights to public records.

[connatix div_id=”3f8b015acdd24c648befc5d5dac47469″ player_id=”b5b22055-8c69-4186-8375-d8426b37ec56″ cid=”7cbcea0d-4ce2-4c75-9a8d-fbe02a192c24″]

On Friday the New York Times asked a judge in the U.S. Northern District of California to unseal documents “in their entirety” relating to the ongoing legal battle between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.

Amid recent news of a deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s financial backer, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the Times claims the reasons that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf gave for sealing documents in their case warrant reconsideration. Citing past cases, the Times argues that unless either the Tour or LIV can present countervailing factors that overcome the public’s First Amendment and common law rights to public records, all case documents should become unsealed.

Lawyers from both the Tour and LIV have used “competitive harm” in the past as reasons to seal documents or redact information, but the Times claims the strength of “substantial and legitimate public interest” in the case calls into question whether the depth of documents that have been sealed is justified. The Times suggested Friday that, even if parts of the documents are still deemed confidential, those portions could be redacted while the rest of the documents are unsealed.

The Times requested that the judge schedule a hearing on Aug. 3, or soon thereafter, to consider its motion.

Noting how the purpose of antitrust laws is to protect the public, the main point of contention in LIV Golf’s legal dispute is whether or not the PGA Tour acted as a monopoly in its defense against LIV. On the flip side, the PGA Tour’s countersuit against LIV claims a foreign state’s sovereign investment fund interfered with the business of an American enterprise.

From the filing:

“Only adding to these interests are President Trump and members of his former administration’s close business ties to LIV Golf and PIF and the political and diplomatic impact of Saudi Arabia’s involvement. These are precisely the kinds of public concerns—allegations of harm to the public, affecting an international sport, implicating a sovereign state and the court’s jurisdiction—that weigh heavily in favor of disclosure.”

Two weeks ago the bombshell news broke that the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – the backers of LIV Golf – were partnering to create a new, for-profit global golf entity. The proposed deal is just another point for the Times’ argument to unseal, seeing as it would end all pending litigation between the two sides.

There is not only precedent in U.S. courts that states settlement does not moot the public’s right of access, but lawyers for the Times argue it would only elevate the public interest even more.

The U.S. Department of Justice was already investing the Tour for antitrust behavior, but earlier this week it was reported the Justice Department is also reviewing the proposed deal between the Tour and PIF, same with the U.S. Senate.

[pickup_prop id=”33882″]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1375]

New York Times feature on Anthony Kim confirms he still plays golf, shares LIV Golf thoughts

A New York Times feature on Kim’s quick rise and quiet exit included some great tidbits on the former star.

Anthony Kim left golf fans wanting more.

Known for his swagger and social life, Kim won three times on the PGA Tour from 2008-2010 and was a star at the 2008 Ryder Cup before injuries to his hand and surgery to his left Achilles tendon stalled his career. The last time we saw Kim on the course was when he withdrew from the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship.

So why are we talking about him today, more than ten years after his last PGA Tour appearance? A New York Times feature on Kim’s quick rise and quiet exit included some great tidbits on the former star, including his thoughts on LIV Golf.

In the feature, longtime swing coach Adam Schriber confirmed Kim still has “the same swing you remember” and that he still plays on occasion. Over the last two years, Schriber said he’s played with Kim twice.

Kim’s caddie from 2008-2009, Eric Larson, told the Times about how he once went to a public driving range in Los Angeles with Kim and none other than Cheech and Chong’s Tommy Chong, whom Larson met in federal prison. He also mentioned a recent phone call with Kim where he asked about his interest in LIV Golf.

From the feature:

“He goes, ‘I don’t know. I really don’t know.’” Larson said. “I said, ‘Come on, man, get the old clubs out. Go out there and have some fun.’ And he starts laughing at me. He goes, ‘That’s what everybody wants me to do!’”

A decade later and Kim still knows what the fans want.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01f5k5vfbhv59szck1 image=]

Updating the Saints playoff odds after sweeping the Falcons

Believe it or not, the Saints still have a path to the playoffs. Various projections updated their chances after sweeping the Falcons amid a floundering NFC South:

Believe it or not, the New Orleans Saints still have a path to the playoffs. They’ll need a lot of help from other teams, and they need to help themselves by winning more games, but they have a better chance now than they did a week ago.

Various projections updated the Saints’ playoff chances after they swept the  Atlanta Falcons amid a floundering NFC South. On a Sunday in which every team but New Orleans went home with a loss, the Saints kept their playoff window open ever so slightly. Their fortunes hinge on winning the division rather than claiming a wild-card spot.

Now, they’re far from favored to reach the postseason. We’re just saying there’s a chance. See for yourself where the Saints stack up against the other NFC South teams, and the r:

Seahawks now have a 27% chance of making the playoffs

Seattle’s other problem is that the Lions are now one of the hottest teams in the league.

The Seahawks are truly up against it heading into Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season. With three games left to play, their chances of making the playoffs have dwindled to a long-shot. According to the New York Times’ playoff simulator, Seattle only has a 27% chance of making the postseason.

Thursday night’s loss to the 49ers made the path a difficult one. That failure clinched the division for San Francisco, forcing the Seahawks to scrap for one of the NFC’s two wild card spots. At the moment, they are occupied by the 8-5-1 Giants and the 7-6-1 Commanders. They hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Giants but it’s unlikely that’ll matter. They have to hope Washington falls apart down the stretch.

Seattle’s other problem is that the Lions are now one of the hottest teams in the league. Detroit has won six of its last seven games and now has a 7-7 record, tied with the Seahawks. Thanks to their Week 4 victory Seattle is technically still in front, but the Lions have better odds (35% per NYT) to make the playoffs now.

As for their remaining opponents, the Seahawks are rightfully double-digit underdogs for Saturday’s game against the Chiefs. Then they have to face the Jets, who have a top-five defense this year. Their last game is against the Rams – who they beat a few weeks ago but the arrival of Baker Mayfield has given them some life. Given the way they’ve been playing lately, right now it’s conceivable the Seahawks could lose all three games.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbycpfe4qgv9nf6 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

[listicle id=98247]

Report: LIV Golf planned for all-star board members such as Michael Jordan, Condoleezza Rice and top-level business executives

The New York Times report analyzed hundreds of confidential documents from a proposal conducted for the PIF.

LIV Golf doesn’t just want big names on the course.

According to a New York Times report, the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit “considered assembling an all-star board of business, sports, legal and political titans” including the likes of NBA legend Michael Jordan, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as well as business executives Ginni Rometty (former IBM chief executive), Randall Stephenson (former AT&T chairman) and Mark Parker (Nike executive chairman).

“I didn’t know I was on the list, and I have never been approached,” Stephenson said to the Times. A board member for the PGA Tour, Stephenson said he’d decline if LIV asked, noting that “it would be a quick conversation.”

A player handbook said a LIV board would include 10 members, but the Times reported nine of those identified as targets had never been approached.

The findings came from a larger Times article that analyzed hundreds of confidential documents from Project Wedge, a proposal conducted for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The PIF is governed by Yasir al-Rumayyan, who also serves as chairman of the Saudi Arabian Golf Federation, English Premier League team Newcastle United and Saudi Aramco, the state-owned petroleum company which serves as a sponsor for the Ladies European Tour.

With the PIF as its monetary backer, LIV Golf has long been criticized as a way for the Kingdom to sportswash its human rights record. Saudi Arabia has been accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. Not to mention, members of the royal family and Saudi government were accused of involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist.

Experts told the Times that Saudi Arabia’s $2 billion investment shows the Kingdom “has aspirations beyond the financial.”

“The margins might be thin, but that doesn’t really matter,” Simon Chadwick, a professor of sport and geopolitical economy at Skema Business School in Paris, said to the Times. “Because subsequently you’re establishing the legitimacy of Saudi Arabia — not just as an event host or a sporting powerhouse, but legitimate in the eyes of decision makers and governments around the world.”

McKinsey & Company, a longtime Saudi adviser dating back to the 1970s, analyzed the finances of a new golf league and deemed LIV to be “a high-risk high-reward endeavor.” The Times also reported a McKinsey document that detailed 12 top players targeted by LIV. Only four – Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson – have signed so far.

A day after Tiger Woods unloaded on LIV’s leadership and called for CEO Greg Norman to lose his job, LIV recently announced part of its schedule for 2023, where 12 teams and 48 individuals will compete for a total of $405 million in prize purses. Rosters for the new season, the first as the re-branded LIV Golf League, have yet to be finalized.

[listicle id=778304877]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01f5k5vfbhv59szck1 image=]