Sportsbet Magazine Fall Issue 2019

#Equality

Contents

In Every Issue 08

Sports 14 30 38 46 54 56

Letter from the Editor

10

Masthead

12

Business

Cover Story: Equality

58

Industry Insider: Sports Betting Tracker

Betting

28 Best Fantasy 72

Sports New Jersey Top Rated Sportsbook

Travel

50

European Nights at Anfield

NFL MLB NBA Horse Racing EPL Golf

62 Stock Watch

60 In Focus

16 NFL Power Rankings 42 NBA: The Battle of LA 46 Breeders Cup

Health & Fitness 61 Enhance

Recovery with Sleepletics

Manliness 60 Fall Fashion 70 Tailgate Essentials 71 Griller’s Corner

38

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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

EDITOR’S LETTER It is with a true passion that I bring to you the fall issue of SportsBet Magazine for 2019.

The American Sports Betting Market continues to grow at a rapid rate with PASPA deemed unconstitutional paving the way for a legal regulated market. There is a lot of confusion among the general public on what exactly PASPA means for Sports Betting and what the legal market looks like. We have simplified our Sports Betting Tracker in this issue, so you can easily follow the progress state by state throughout the year.

MICK MCCABE

editor-in-chief CONTACT EMAIL: MICHAEL@ SPORTSBETMAGAZINE.COM @SPORTSBETMAG @SPORTSBETMAGAZINE

Many challenges still lay ahead for a legal and regulated Sports betting market, one of which is very close to our staff at SportsBet Magazine “We must eliminate the illegal market”. In most states within the United States it is still illegal to place a Sportsbet, only 13 states are currently offering a legal regulated Sportsbook.

Eliminating the illegal market is crucial to enhancing the Sports Betting experience and industry as a whole. Through league partnerships comes better and faster data, which generates more in play features and betting options. Better data means better form analysis, after all, the more educated we are on the sport the more likely we are to win and place a bet. Ensuring the success of regulated Sports Book operators is pivotal to the growth of the industry within the United States. So next time you place a Sportsbet, it’s time to ask yourself “is this legal”?

The Sportsbet Magazine staff and editors have been dedicated to providing the Sports Betting community the service it deserves and were very proud to announce the launch of our latest Scores and Statistics feed powered by Gracenote. In partnership with Gracenote we have taken the guesswork away to provide the most Sports Betting relevant statistics for every daily Matchup. Everything in one place, at the click of a button, this is the most powerful FREE Sports Betting analytical tool on the web. With Daily Previews, Matchups & our Score prediction tool Scorecast we aim to keep you in the winning column this season!

Our Fall cover embraces the important role of Sports coverage and how powerful it can be in shaping norms and stereotypes about gender and race. Media has the ability to challenge these norms, promoting a balanced coverage of men’s and women’s sports alongside a fair portrayal of sports personalities irrespective of gender, race or sexual orientation. We are honored to celebrate those athletes that stand for #Equality and acknowledge their leadership role they play in society.

As always we have covered every major Sporting event for the month event, highlighted by the incredible form of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs quest for Super Bowl glory. Complete NBA season preview and the storyline of the season, the battle of LA. We hope you enjoy the issue and SportsBet Magazine will continue to be your ultimate resource for always coming out on top. Welcome to the issue and to SportsBet Magazine.

MASTHEAD

PUBLISHER Michael McCabe

EXECUTIVE M AN AGING EDITOR Ian Wilson

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M AN AGING EDITOR Mark Nicholas

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ART DIRECTOR Alexandrea Achacoso

MULTI- MEDI A DIGITAL DIRECTOR Shannon Dannetelle

PUBLIC REL ATIONS DIRECTOR Amy McCabe

PUBLIC REL ATIONS M AN AGER Jill Winkler

PHOTOGRAPHER

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GENDER EQUALIT Y ISSUES IN SPORT

SPORTS COVERAGE IS HUGELY POWERFUL IN SHAPING NORMS AND STEREOTYPES ABOUT GENDER AND RACE. MEDIA HAS THE ABILITY TO CHALLENGE THESE NORMS, PROMOTING A BALANCED COVERAGE OF MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SPORTS ALONGSIDE A FAIR PORTRAYAL OF SPORTS PERSONALITIES IRRESPECTIVE OF GENDER, RACE OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION. OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS WE HAVE WITNESSED MANY CHALLENGES THAT ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE IN 2019. IT IS OUR ULTIMATE GOAL TO ACT UPON THE NOTION OF CHANGE AND TAKE A FIRM STANCE FOR

#Equality

Women’s sport is gaining in recognition, sponsorship and opportunity. In February this year Australia’s leading sports organisations took a firm step towards equal pay across major sports. 17 of Australia’s sporting chief executives combined to produce and release their Pathway to Pay Equality a report looking to iron out pay differentials in sport and to try to ensure that opportunities for work are not unfairly skewed towards men. This holistic national approach can be a role model for other nations to tackle the pay differential still prevalent in many sports.

In September 2018 the World Surf League announced that it will offer equal prize money to men and women from 2019.

The decision came after the League was unable to answer the social media pressure arising from a photo of the under 18 medal winners with their prize money. The giant presentation cheques plainly showed that Rio Waida received twice as much for his victory as Zoe Steyn did for hers.

Despite progress in this field there is still a significant disparity in pay in sport.

There were no female athletes in the Forbes’ top 100 highest paid athletes in 2018 and in sports such as football, the disparity can be as high as 83%.

Earlier this year the United States women’s soccer team filed a discrimination complaint against the United States Soccer Federation claiming that they play more games (and win more of them) than the men’s team and yet receive less pay. The complaint highlights that it is not just pay which is affected but also, where they play, how they train, facilities and resources available to them and even how they travel to matches. It will be interesting to see how this litigation unfurls and the impact which it has, if any, on the prize money offered by FIFA. It is a giant leap forward and the US Women's National Soccer Team has been at the forefront of this challenge paving the way for future generations.

RACE DISCRIMIN ATION The University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport recorded 137 instances of racism in sports in 2018 up from 79 in 2017. A contributing factor to those statistics was undoubtedly the FIFA World Cup hosted in Russia. Russia were charged with fan racism in the run up to the competition in connection with "monkey chants" directed at players from the French national team.

FIFA introduced a number of new measures to enable referees to try to prevent racist chants including pausing play, suspending the match or even abandoning the match but the players themselves were prohibited from leaving the field of play with the threat of a yellow card for anyone who did so. Forcing someone to remain working in an environment where they are being subjected to racial harassment (or indeed any form of harassment) raises multiple legal and ethical issues. In the domestic context, the clubs, as "employer", have a potential liability for the

actions of the fans. Chelsea FC took action after Manchester City star Raheem Sterling was the victim of racist abuse during a game. The club suspended four supporters from attending games pending investigations from them and the police. Sports is a unique platform that brings together cultures from all across the world, this is to be celebrated and embraced. #notoracism

SEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCRIMIN ATION Tackling homophobic discrimination in sport has typically lagged behind tackling sex and race discrimination. In 2018 we saw some very public statements of support for LGBT sport, a reflection of its increased profile and the general public discourse on the subject. In November 2018 Wembley’s iconic arch was lit in every colour of the rainbow as Stonewall FC played Wilberforce Wanderers AFC at the home of football. The game was played during the annual rainbow laces campaign when players and officials are encouraged to wear rainbow laces to raise awareness and show support for LGBT supporters, athletes and staff.

While there remain very few openly gay athletes in many of the leading sports, we have seen public displays of support from role models across the world. Joe Root challenged Shannon Gabriel over his use of homosexuality as an insult – calling him out on the pitch, Root said “Don’t use it as an insult, there’s nothing wrong with being gay”.

This year Danish pro soccer player Viktor Fischer also challenged fans for chanting gay slurs against him.

In his comments to TV2 he said, “The problem for me here is that the word "gay’"was used as an insult…It

never should have been [an insult], and especially in 2019 in Denmark, it should not be anymore”. Actions of athletes, coaches and referees all help to challenge the situation and should be encouraged and supported.

Unfortunately, it appears that homophobia is not limited to the field of play. In a survey of individuals in sports media 45.2% reported witnessing or being personally subjected to anti-LGBT language or behaviour in the last two years.

There are many positives in the sporting world, stories of athlete activism and sponsors recognising new markets which help challenge stigma and tackle discrimination.

There remains, however, a very real concern about equality in sport. There are legal challenges which will unfurl this year, there are challenges not yet brought and there is the personal challenge to everyone involved in sport to call out discrimination whenever and wherever we see it.

Sport is one of the most powerful platforms in the world, one in which we must hold athletes, media and fans accountable for their words and actions. Our Fall cover celebrates those athletes that stand for #Equality and acknowledge their leadership role they play in society.

-FO R -

#Equality

JUST HOW GOOD IS

PAT RIC K MA HO ME S?

QBS USUALLY REGRESS AF TER HISTORIC SEASONS. NOT PATRICK M AHOMES. WE ARE WITNESSING GREATNESS. Patrick Mahomes had one of the NFL’s greatest quarterback seasons in his first year as a starter in 2018.

We would have expected him to falter a bit after such a season, as has been the case with other historic passing performers. But something unusual is happening through the first month of this season: He’s not only keeping the regression wolves at bay, he’s actually besting them.

Last season, Mahomes threw 50 touchdown passes, tied for the second-mostever in NFL history. He is one of only seven quarterbacks in history to exceed 5,000 passing yards in a single season. Kansas City’s 565 points scored were third-most in NFL history. You’d think there would be nowhere to go but down.

After all, no QB who has tossed even 40 touchdowns in a season has ever thrown more the following year. And the average dropoff in touchdowns has been 18.8.

But who says gravity always wins? Mahomes is on pace for 53 touchdowns and — hold onto your hats — 6,373 passing yards.

Even more impressive than Mahomes’s current TD pace are the yards. After Joe Namath first cracked the 4,000-yard barrier in 1967, it took 12 years (and adding two extra games) for anyone else to match it. Then, in 1984, Dan Marino topped 5,000 yards — a feat that would not be repeated until Drew Brees threw for 5,069 yards in 2008.

Now, Mahomes isn’t just on pace to repeat 5,000 passing yards1, but to

easily crack 6,000. No quarterback has come within 500 yards of that mark. And if Mahomes keeps his 2019 pace, history tells us that it could be decades before anyone does it again.

Mahomes has been relentless in his pursuit of all-time passing records.

He’s posted 14 consecutive games with two or more TD passes, just one shy of Peyton Manning’s record spanning the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

And he’s started the season throwing for more than 350 yards in each game, which is also just one short of the record — four games — shared by just two quarterbacks: Matthew Stafford (2011-12) and Drew Brees (2011). The Chiefs and Mahomes are at Detroit on Sunday to face Stafford and the Lions, who are ranked 22nd in passing yards allowed.

After failing to lead his college team to a winning record, few would have expected Mahomes — the 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft — to have such a historic start to his NFL career. I wrote at the time that a losing record in college is usually a bad harbinger for QB prospects.

Former NFL coach Bill Parcells told me, “If you are going to be a very good pro quarterback, not even elite, you should at least have won most of your games in college.”

Mahomes’s college stats were good, for sure, but nothing that would have guaranteed greatness as a pro.

In terms of passing efficiency, of the 1,162 qualifying quarterbackseasons of at least 300 passes from 2000 to 2016 (Mahomes’s last year in college), Mahomes’ final season at Texas Tech ranked 123rd, good for the 89th percentile. But he’s playing like a 99th percentile NFL quarterback. How? We’re seeing the perfect merger of

a quarterback with enormous arm strength (he threw the ball out of his home stadium), accuracy and a receiving corps that runs like a relay team. Sammy Watkins clocked a 4.43 40-yard dash, Mecole Hardman timed 4.33, and the injured Tyreek Hill ran a 4.26 at his pro day. Hill’s replacement, Demarcus Robinson, is slow in comparison with a 4.59 time, yet he already has three TDs and has averaged 23.9 yards per catch in his two starts replacing Hill. Have I mentioned that Mahomes is going to get Hill back soon? (He’s no longer in a sling.) And don’t forget that Travis Kelce is one of the game’s fastest tight ends, with a 40-yard dash time of 4.61.

And Mahomes has a head coach in Andy Reid who has tailored the offense to his quarterback’s strength: throwing downfield with uncanny accuracy. Consider that Mahomes this year already has 12 completions of 20 or more air yards (in 20 attempts). That’s a pace of 64 for the season, which would shatter the record since 2001 of 39 shared by the Eli Manning (2011) and Blake Bortles (2015). And it’s on pace to nearly double the Chiefs’ deep-passing completions last season (37). Put another way, Reid’s scheme has enabled Mahomes to be on pace for more than 2,700 yards just on deep passes — that would be nearly double the record of 1,446 yards set by the 2011 Packers.

The Chiefs and Mahomes are taking their trademark deep passing game to even greater heights this year, and NFL defenses have not yet been able to tap the breaks on Mahomes’s aerial exploits. Mahomes — along with his receivers — has stayed more than a couple steps ahead of them. In the process, he could be creating a new magic number for NFL quarterbacks.

NFL POWER RANKINGS RANK 1 : PATRIOTS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 1

The ill-conceived Antonio Brown experiment didn’t work out, but everything else is going to plan for the Patriots. The story of New England’s 3-0 start has been the defense, which hasn’t allowed a touchdown since last season’s AFC Championship Game. On Sunday, the Pats held a pathetic Jets offense to just 105 total yards on 2.2 yards per play; New York’s two touchdowns came on a picksix and a muffed punt. It’s a good thing the D has dominated at a historic level, because the Patriots have some issues on offense. Julian Edelman exited Sunday’s win with a rib injury, further thinning a wide receiver unit that trimmed Brown from its ranks on Friday. Depth is also a concern for the banged-up offensive line. Dante Scarnecchia’s unit will be tested in a big way this week on the road against the 3-0 Bills.

RANK 2 : CHIEFS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 2 Patrick Mahomes continues to dominate all challengers. The Chiefs quarterback was brilliant again on Sunday, lighting up the Ravens for 374 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-28 win. Mahomes needed just 10 quarters to go over 1,000 yards passing for the season, a feat accomplished on a day in which the Chiefs were missing No. 1 wide receiver Tyreek Hill, left tackle Eric Fisher and running back Damien Williams. Even with the injuries, Mahomes has plenty to work with. Demarcus Robinson (an emergent playmaker) made a beautiful, lunging touchdown grab, and Mecole Hardman reached 21.7 mph on his 83-yard touchdown catch, according to Next Gen Stats, the fastest a ball carrier has run on any touchdown this year. Mahomes’ game-icing third-down conversion

to Darrel Williams sent Arrowhead into a frenzy and wiped away any chance Lamar Jackson would steal Mahomes’ spotlight.

RANK 3 : RAMS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 3 A great performance by the Rams’ defense on Sunday night in Cleveland. The high moment came in the final minute, with L.A. leading by seven and the Browns set up with first-and-goal. Four plays, four passes, three incompletions and a game-icing interception by John Johnson. Browns superstar Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t even have a target on that final set of downs, which is both a credit to the Rams’ scheme and an indictment of Browns play-caller Freddie Kitchens. On the other side of the ball, Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp both went over 100 yards, but it was another mostly uneven performance by the Rams. Jared Goff, in particular, continues to look out of sorts. He had three turnovers in the game, including a killer fourth-quarter interception that gave the Browns life. The Rams aren’t fully clicking ... but they’re winning as they figure it out. It’s the sign of a championship-caliber team.

RANK 4 : COWBOYS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 4

The Cowboys are 3-0 for the first time since 2008, but their 31-6 win over the Dolphins wasn’t quite as easy as the final score seems to indicate. The feeble Dolphins played even with their heavily favored opponent for the game’s first two quarters. It wasn’t until Kenyan Drake fumbled inside the Dallas 10yard line late in the second quarter that momentum swung toward Big D for good. Dak Prescott continues to cruise, throwing two touchdown passes (both to Amari Cooper) and running for another score. Prescott

got hot in the third quarter, going 9 of 9 for 137 yards and a touchdown.

A 10-6 lead at the half was 24-6 after three quarters. Turn out the lights. Here’s a great stat: Through three games, Prescott is a perfect 22 of 22 for 384 yards and three touchdowns in the third quarter. I want to know what he’s eating in the locker room at halftime.

RANK 5 : PACKERS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 7 You can imagine Brian Gutekunst throwing out the classic Michael Jordan “I can’t believe I’m this good, either” shoulder shrug as he walked into team headquarters early Monday morning. Every move the Packers GM made to improve his team’s defense has been genius through three weeks. On Sunday, Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith combined for five sacks and a forced fumble in a 27-16 win over the Broncos. Money well spent on the pair of pass rushers who have been a huge upgrade over last year’s combo of Clay Matthews and Nick Perry. Despite a season high in points scored, the Packers’ offense remains a work in progress. It’s on head coach Matt LaFleur to make the necessary adjustments and keep Green Bay moving after working through the initial game script. The Packers have started fast and cooled off considerably in each of the past two weeks.

RANK 6 : BILLS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 12 Dawson Knox, have a day. With the Bills down three late in the fourth quarter, Buffalo’s rookie tight end hauled in a Josh Allen pass and morphed into an evolutionary Gronk. His 49-yard catch-andrun sent New Era Stadium into a frenzy and set up the Bills’ go-ahead touchdown. The seven-play, 78yard drive was a minor masterpiece by the Bills, providing the latest

evidence that Allen has taken the next step as a quarterback in Year 2. Buffalo had coughed up a 14-0 lead in this game, and a loss would have undone much of the progress of the season’s first two weeks. But Allen -- with a huge helping hand from his Baby Gronk -- wouldn’t allow that to happen. The Bills are 3-0 and welcome the 3-0 Patriots to their house on Sunday. This is the biggest Bills game in a long time.

Circle them wagons!

RANK 7 : 49ERS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 13 The 49ers are 3-0 for the first time since 1998. Sunday’s win was a minor miracle; not many teams finish a game with five turnovers -- including three inside the opponent’s 20-yard line -- and come out clean on the other side. Consider it a testament to the team’s resolve, and the continued progress of Jimmy Garoppolo, who wiped away two Steelers second-half leads with touchdown drives. Jimmy G’s final numbers were pedestrian, but both his interceptions came on passes that probably should have been caught by his intended targets.

He delivered a solid performance -- and looks more comfortable with each passing week, a very good sign. The most important statistic from the win? The 49ers’ defense held the Steelers to just six points off the 49ers’ five turnovers. Early bye weeks are never preferred, but there’s something to be said for staying undefeated for another 14 days without playing a snap.

RANK 8 : BEARS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 9 The Bears took all the drama out of Monday night, racing to a 28-0 lead in the first half before cruising to the finish line. It was another big day for Chicago’s vaunted defense, which forced Redskins quarterback Case Keenum into five turnovers, including a pick-six by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Khalil Mack led the charge in the front seven, stuffing the stat sheet with two sacks and two forced fumbles. On offense, it was a game -- a half, really -- of

progress for Mitchell Trubisky, who threw three touchdown passes and looked much more comfortable than what we saw against the Packers and Broncos. Taylor Gabriel caught all three of those Trubisky touchdown passes before leaving the game with a concussion. The next step for Trubisky is stacking some solid performances to bury the chatter of those who see him as the team’s weak link.

RANK 9 : VIKINGS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 10 Three weeks into the season, the Vikings’ offensive philosophy is apparent: This is Dalvin Cook’s team. You see it on the field and even during the pregame introductions, where Cook has bumped Kirk Cousins for top billing.

The third-year running back set a franchise record with his third consecutive 100-yard game to start the season in an easy 34-14 win over the Raiders. Minnesota is averaging 193.7 yards per game on the ground and has rolled up more yards rushing than passing during its 2-1 start. Cook is the unquestioned star of the attack, but he’s not alone. Alexander Mattison has shown excellent burst when given the opportunity; a 10-yard touchdown run was an impressive feat of athleticism by the third-round rookie. The middling Raiders provided a perfect get-right opponent for Cousins, who bounced back with a solid effort after an alarming performance last week in Green Bay.

RANK 10 : SAINTS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 16 My apologies to the Saints. Yes, they lost Drew Brees to a thumb injury in Week 2, but this team goes well beyond one star. That was apparent Sunday in Seattle, where Sean Payton’s team delivered a complete effort in a 33-27 win that was not nearly as competitive as the final score indicates. New Orleans scored on a 53-yard punt return, and a fumble recovery -kudos to the officials for not blowing the play dead prematurely, an

error that killed the Saints a week earlier. Teddy Bridgewater started slowly but came on as the game progressed, and Alvin Kamara looked like the best player on the field every time the ball was in his hands. The Saints need Drew Brees to win the Super Bowl. But they can survive -- and possibly even thrive -- without their star quarterback if they continue to put together complete efforts like we saw against the Seahawks.

RANK 11 : RAVENS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 5 John Harbaugh wasn’t messing around on Sunday. The Ravens coach was in an ultra-aggressive mood against the high-octane Chiefs, going for it on fourth-down four times (with three successful conversions) and attempting a trio of two-point conversions (all failed).

“We don’t play scared,” Harbaugh told reporters after the 33-28 loss.

Fair enough, but it feels like an instance of Harbaugh putting both too much and not enough faith in his offense. The Ravens came down to Earth a little bit in their first loss of the season, looking like a team that wasn’t quite ready to fight it out for four quarters against a conference superpower. Lamar Jackson -- despite the now requisite handful of highlight-reel plays -struggled for the majority of this game, and the Baltimore defense was no match for Patrick Mahomes, who threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns.

RANK 12 : TEXANS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 14 Deshaun Watson does at least one thing every week that truly amazes.

On Sunday, it came in the fourth quarter, near midfield, with the Texans nursing a four-point lead against the Chargers. Watson got flushed out of the pocket, stepped up, looked for a moment like he was going to run, then flicked the ball to tight end Jordan Akins, who did the rest for a 53-yard touchdown. Most quarterbacks in that situation take a sack, scramble for a few yards or toss up an ill-advised prayer.

Watson made magic. Speaking of magic, J.J. Watt has found his groove. The future Hall of Famer lived in the backfield and had two sacks. And once again, Watt received much-needed help from the revitalized Whitney Mercilus, who had a huge strip-sack of Philip Rivers and two tackles for loss. The Texans are a top-heavy team, but that top is as talented as anybody’s.

RANK 13 : COLTS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 17 Jacoby Brissett is no hold-the-fort guy. The Colts quarterback might just be a legit player for the Colts to build around. We knew Indy believed in their Andrew Luck replacement when they ripped up his contract and doled out a generous new deal on the eve of Week 1, and Brissett has made his team look smart. The 26-year-old QB completed his first 16 passes against the Falcons on Sunday and finished with 310 yards and two touchdowns. The highlight came on third-and-4 with less than two minutes to play. Instead of running the ball to take time off the clock and attempt a field goal to go up six, coach Frank Reich put his faith in Brissett, who connected with Jack Doyle on a game-icing first down.

Brissett will never be as dynamic a player as Luck, but he doesn’t need to be on this well-coached, wellbalanced team.

RANK 14 : LIONS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 20 Raise your hand if you predicted Detroit would be undefeated through three weeks. That’s what I thought. The Lions don’t have enough talent to dominate teams, but in each of the last two weeks, we’ve watched Detroit step up and close out an opponent that looked on the verge of stealing a victory. These are the type of games that separate an 8-8 also-ran from a 10-6 playoff participant. The Lions’ defense undoubtedly benefitted from a slew of Eagles mistakes Sunday, but no caveats are necessary in describing the play of Matthew Stafford, who looks more at home on offense

under new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell than he was in the difficult final season under Jim Bob Cooter. The Lions get a huge test this week when Patrick Mahomes brings the Chiefs’ air show to Ford Field. Detroit will need to be much sharper to hang with an AFC powerhouse.

RANK 15 : SEAHAWKS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 6

It was a bad day all around for Pete Carroll, who had his nose jacked up by an errant football during pregame warmups, then watched his Seahawks come out flat against a Saints team playing without Drew Brees. Fun fact: Sunday marked the first September home loss for the Seahawks in the Carroll era (15-0 entering the day).

Seattle was not sharp in any phase of the game, from special teams (giving up a 53-yard punt return for a score) to ball security (a Chris Carson fumble was scooped up by Vonn Bell for a touchdown) to clock management (Carroll mishandled the final minute of the first half).

Russell Wilson missed a wide open Tyler Lockett on fourth down with the opportunity to trim the deficit to 27-14 midway through the third quarter. Throw in seven penalties, and you have a rare letdown game at The Clink.

RANK 16 : CHARGERS

and is on pace for 155 receptions and more than 2,000 yards. That will win some fantasy leagues.

The Chargers, meanwhile, are a much better team than their record indicates. Gotta clean it up.

RANK 17 : EAGLES

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 8 The Eagles really need their starting wide receivers back in the lineup. Philadelphia had at least seven drops in Sunday’s narrow loss to the Lions, none more damaging than J.J. Arcega-Whiteside’s flub on fourth down in the final minute.

If Arcega-Whiteside holds on, the Eagles likely win, or least tie the game. Instead, it’s back-to-back losses for an injury-ravaged squad.

To make matters worse, the Iggles are on a short week, with a very difficult Thursday night matchup against the undefeated Packers at Lambeau. There is optimism that at least Alshon Jeffery (out since Week 1 with a calf injury) will be back in action for that game, but Philadelphia will be facing an uphill challenge, given their injury situation on both sides of the ball.

Give Carson Wentz credit: He hasn’t gotten much help from his teammates, but he put the Eagles in position to win in each of the past two weeks. QB1 needs others to step up their game.

RANK 18 : JAGUARS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 11

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 25

The Chargers continue to kill themselves with unforced errors. A week after a maddening loss to the Lions, Los Angeles again struggled with execution in a one-score loss to the Texans at home. The Chargers committed seven penalties, none bigger than the holding call on left tackle Trent Scott that wiped out a Philip Rivers-to-Mike Williams completion that would have put the Bolts inside the Texans’ 10 with less than 20 seconds to play. The loss shouldn’t obscure a career day by Keenan Allen, who had 13 catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns on a whopping 17 targets. Allen has at least eight catches in each of the Chargers’ first three games

“Sacksonville is back, baby!”

Those were the celebratory words of Yannick Ngakoue at the end of Thursday night’s resounding victory over the AFC South rival Titans. Calais Campbell had three of nine sacks for the Jags, who held Tennessee scoreless until the fourth quarter and generally looked the far superior team. The win quiets the noise around cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s future with the team ... for one night, at least. The Jags’ offense had an up-and-down outing, but the team has to be thrilled with the play of Gardner Minshew II. The rookie quarterback/living folk hero played smart, crisp football, and he would have ended his night

with three touchdown passes, if not for a hideous end-zone drop by Dede Westbrook. The Ramsey saga will continue to hang over this team, but Minshewmania has the fanbase excited and the Jags in the hunt.

RANK 19 : PANTHERS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 23 Kyle Allen put some much-needed wind back in the Panthers’ sails.

The backup quarterback was brilliant against the Cardinals, throwing four touchdown passes with a passer rating north of 140 in a one-sided romp on the road.

Carolina needed some good news after the struggling Cam Newton re-aggravated his foot injury in a dispiriting loss to the Bucs. On Monday, coach Ron Rivera wasted no time ruling Newton out for Week 4 and -- perhaps ominously -- attached no timetable to the former MVP’s return. NFL Network reported Tuesday that Newton is dealing with a Lisfranc injury that could keep him on the shelf awhile. On the plus side, Allen’s performance against the Cardinals has to give Carolina confidence that the former undrafted 23-year-old has some legit talent. Allen didn’t do it alone on Sunday: Christian McCaffrey ripped off a 76-yard touchdown run, and the Panthers defense sacked Kyler Murray eight times. Next week will provide a stiffer challenge on the road in Houston.

RANK 20 : FALCONS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 21 Another week, another slow start that doomed the Falcons. Atlanta has now been outscored 47-13 in the first half of its games, a major reason why Dan Quinn’s team sits at 1-2. Discipline continues to be an issue, as well: The Falcons committed 16 penalties for 128 yards in Indianapolis. The defense, which was responsible for 10 of those penalties, will go the rest of the way without hard-luck defensive back Keanu Neal, who tore his Achilles after missing nearly the entire 2018 campaign with a torn ACL. On the positive end, Matt

Ryan was a machine in the second half, completing 22 of 23 passes with three touchdowns in Atlanta’s final three possessions. Incredibly, the Falcons only had six possessions on Sunday (not counting the oneplay kneeldown at the end of the first half). The running game -which ranks 27th in the NFL -- also showed some life, with Devonta Freeman looking a lot like the guy who drove defenses mad in 2015 and ‘16.

RANK 21 : BROWNS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 15 We haven’t reached panic mode in Cleveland, but we’re not far off.

Baker Mayfield looked confused and jittery in a prime-time home loss to the Rams, and it’s on first-year coach Freddie Kitchens and the rest of the Browns staff to fix their young star. Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution, with Mayfield working behind a shoddy offensive line that has left him in danger rather than “feeling dangerous.”

Kitchens mucked things up further on Sunday with some shaky playcalling, including a fourth-and-9 draw play in the fourth quarter that will live in infamy. Speaking of bad play-calling, how does Odell Beckham not get a target on any of the Browns’ four cracks at the end zone on their final drive? Beckham was brought in to be a dynamic difference-maker -- throw the man the ball, and good things will probably happen. The Browns need a common-sense check.

RANK 22 : TITANS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 18 The Titans’ offense in the Marcus Mariota era is like Sisyphus and his rock. You can do your best to push that boulder up the mountain, but it always rolls back down to where you started. Tennessee’s doomed mission has never been more apparent than in the last two weeks -- a flat loss at home to the Colts in Week 2, followed by a virtual no-show on Thursday night against the Jaguars. Mariota isn’t solely to blame for the Titans’ struggles, but his inability to spark this team

makes you wonder how much longer head coach Mike Vrabel can stand by his man, with the capable backup quarterback Ryan Tannehill waiting in the wings. Then again, the way Tennessee’s offensive line is performing, Tannehill will fare no better. Mariota was sacked nine times and pressured a career-high 18 times by the Jags. The absence of suspended tackle Taylor Lewan is huge, but it doesn’t excuse a total collapse.

RANK 23 : GI ANTS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 31 The Danny Dimes era has arrived.

Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, the much-maligned (through no fault of his own) No. 6 overall pick, played lights out in his first career start, throwing two touchdowns passes and running for two more in rallying the Giants back from a 28-10 halftime deficit in Tampa.

And just when it looked like the kid’s effort would be wasted, the Bucs blew a chip-shot field-goal try at the gun to give Big Blue the win. Suddenly, Giants fans have a lot to be excited about in the postEli era. It wasn’t all good for New York: Saquon Barkley suffered the dreaded high ankle sprain and will be on the shelf 4-6 weeks. Barkley’s absence hurts the offense, but Jones’ debut instills hope that the Giants will find a way to stay in the hunt, even without their star running back. What a difference a week makes.

RANK 24 :BUCCANEERS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 22

Sometimes, the kicker just has to make a damn kick. It’s not an easy job, but Matt Gay’s failure to knock through a 34-yard attempt as time expired cost the Bucs the game and could permanently alter the trajectory of their season.

Gay’s miss was especially crushing in light of the fact that the Bucs had fought to reclaim the game after blowing a 28-10 halftime lead. Jameis Winston delivered what should have been one of the signature passes of his career, a 44-yard strike to Mike Evans to put

Tampa Bay in field-goal position in the final minute. But the Bucs couldn’t close. Bruce Arians made headlines after the game by telling reporters he purposely took a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty because Gay was better from a further distance.

It was a head-spinning comment for a Bucs fan base already passed out on the floor.

RANK 25 : RAIDERS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 24 There’s no use roasting the Raiders for their showing against the Vikings on Sunday. This remains a team under construction, and Oakland simply isn’t ready to hang against a quality opponent on the road. The goal is improvement, and there’s plenty of room for that.

Since jumping out to a 10-0 lead last week against the Chiefs, the Raiders have been outscored 62-14 by a pair of Super Bowl contenders.

And now, a friendly reminder not to trust your box score implicitly: The stats (79.4 percent completion rate, 242 yards, two TDs, a 103.7 passer rating) tell you Derek Carr played a strong game on Sunday. In reality, Carr was a dink-and-dunk machine who got happy feet on a key secondquarter interception and did most of his compiling long after the game was decided. Again, this is a developmental year for the Raiders.

We know Jon Gruden, in the second year of a 10-year deal, is staying put beyond 2019. Will Carr? Thirteen games remain on his audition.

RANK 26 : STEELERS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 19 It sounds crazy to put a loss on a defense that created five turnovers, but the failure by the Steelers’ D to step up in crunch time helps explain this team’s 0-3 record. Twice against the 49ers on Sunday, Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph put Pittsburgh ahead with touchdown passes in the second half, and twice, a Steelers defense loaded with premium draft picks failed to keep Jimmy Garoppolo from leading the 49ers back to the end zone. Steelers brass showed they were still all in on 2019 by acquiring defensive back

Minkah Fitzpatrick in exchange for a first-round pick last week, but that selection -- now the property of the Miami Dolphins -- could turn into a top-10 premium slot if the Steelers keep losing. Rudolph was a mixed bag in his first NFL start, but as the rest of this Ben Roethlisberger-less season wears on, the second-year pro will need more help from running back James Conner, who had a killer fumble that led to San Fran’s go-ahead score and is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry through three games.

RANK 27 : BENGALS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 26 We’ll give the Bengals some credit: They were badly outplayed in the first half against the Bills and were fortunate to be down just 14-0 at the break. But instead of packing it in, Cincinnati battled back in a tough road environment, reeling off 17 unanswered points to take the lead with five minutes to play.

That’s when Zac Taylor’s defense needed to understand the gravity of the moment and lock down a vital first victory. Said gravity was not sensed. The unit allowed Bills QB Josh Allen to march down the field 78 yards on seven plays for the goahead touchdown. On the ensuing possession, Andy Dalton fired high with his team in striking distance, the deflected pass intercepted by Buffalo’s Tre’Davious White to seal the loss. The Bengals didn’t execute when it mattered most, and their season is slipping away because of it.

RANK 28 : BRONCOS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 27 Emmanuel Sanders summed it up nicely after the Broncos fell to 0-3.

“We’re trying to get it right, right now we’re 0-3, living in a world of suck.” Sanders had a quiet game against the Packers, which made him pretty much like everyone not named Phillip Lindsay on the Denver offense. Moving the ball downfield is hard work with 2019 Joe Flacco at the controls. Chunk plays are virtually non-existent, and every yard is earned during marathon marches that often lead

nowhere. A flat offense is only part of the problem, however: Almost impossibly, a Broncos defense led

by Von Miller and Bradley Chubb is still looking for its first sack through three weeks. The unit did a nice job to hold Aaron Rodgers and Co. to just 312 yards, but mere competence is not enough. This is a team built to win games by scores like 17-13, but right now, the D is simply not up to the challenge.

RANK 29 : CARDINALS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 28

Three games in, it’s become apparent that Kyler Murray will not be taking the NFL by storm in 2019. That felt like a possibility, depending on who you listened to, in the weeks and months after Murray went No. 1 to the Cardinals in the 2019 NFL Draft. But the transition to the pro game has been bumpy for the former Oklahoma star.

On Sunday against the Panthers, Murray threw for 173 yards on 30 completions. According to ESPN Stats & Information, that is the lowest yardage total in a game for a QB with at least 30 completions in the Super Bowl era. Only seven of Murray’s 43 passes traveled beyond 10 air yards. Only one of those was completed. It’s on rookie coach Kliff Kingsbury to find ways to open up the Arizona attack to help his young passer. Getting some better protection would be a start: Murray was sacked eight times on Sunday.

RANK 30 : REDSKINS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 29 The Dwayne Haskins Watch is on. Consider these facts as a case for turning to the first-round pick: 1) The Redskins fell to 0-3 with a lopsided Monday night home loss to the Bears. 2) Their veteran quarterback, Case Keenum, accounted for five turnovers in the defeat. 3) A large percentage of fans at FedExField were rooting for the visiting team. Yep, the Redskins badly need a shot in the arm, and Haskins represents the most logical source. Of course, there is the question of whether Haskins has shown enough to warrant such a promotion, but coach Jay Gruden

has reached Hail Mary territory for both the 2019 season and his own job security. And, wouldn’t you know it, on Sunday the Redskins meet the New York Giants, who just saw their season take a turn for the relevant by promoting Daniel Jones.

I know what Gruden said postgame about the need for continuity at QB, but seriously: What do you have to lose, Jay?

RANK 31 : JETS (0-3)

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 30 The Jets are comically inept on offense right now. Adam Gase’s “attack” managed 105 total yards and nary a point against the Patriots, falling to 0-3 in the process. The offense has now scored a grand total of three points in the Jets’ last nine quarters, outscored 14-11 by the defense this season.

The continued absence of Sam Darnold (mono) is obviously the biggest factor, but it’s unfair to put all this dysfunction at the feet of poor Luke Falk, the team’s third starting quarterback in as many weeks. Falk hasn’t looked like an NFL passer, but the Jets’ offensive line as presently constituted is non-competitive in a way that would doom 1988 Joe Montana.

Compounding matters has been Gase’s stale and unimaginative play-calling. The only reason for optimism is the possibility that Darnold returns following the Week 4 bye. Perhaps then Gang Green can get back to the business of being a competitive football team.

RANK 32 : DOLPHINS

PREVIOUS RANK: NO. 32

Week 3 brought modest progress.

After a pair of humiliating home losses to open the season, the Dolphins actually hung tough against the Cowboys at Jerrah World, entering halftime trailing by just four points. Miami could have actually had the lead, had DeVante Parker not dropped a slant pass inside the 10-yard line that would have gone for a touchdown with less than a minute to play. After a defensive holding penalty on Dallas set the Dolphins up with a first-and-

goal with 31 seconds left, Kenyan Drake coughed up the football for a back-breaking turnover. The Fish were cooked after that. Josh Rosen made his first start in Miami and provided an early spark, taking the offense inside Dallas territory on four different drives in the first half.

Unfortunately, any signs of progress dried up in the second half, as the Dolphins managed just 65 yards of total offense and zero points. If your organization chooses to jump into the tank, just know that you’re going to get wet.

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KEY QUARTERBACK INJURIES H AVE RESH APED THE TOP OF THE NFL JUST WEEKS INTO THE 2019 SEASON A slew of quarterback injuries has changed the landscape of the NFL just two weeks into the season. The Saints, Steelers, Jets, and Jaguars are all attempting to weather the storm without their starter, relying on backups to hold the fort. This has completely transformed the landscape of the league as both perennial contenders and up-andcoming teams have been bitten by the injury bug at the most important position in the sport, leaving franchises to scramble to form new game plans built around backup quarterbacks and hope they can weather the storm until their starter returns. Below we break down the biggest quarterback injuries from across the league and how their teams are responding to their new reality.

BEN ROE THLISBERGER, PIT TSBURGH STEELERS Injury: Ben Roethlisberger suffered an elbow injury during the Steelers game against the Seahawks in Week 2, requiring surgery that will end his season.

of production to be filled, and it’s not clear if Rudolph is up to the task of throwing 40+ times a game.

With the AFC North loaded, head coach Mike Tomlin will have to pull off something special if the team is going to bounce back.

DREW BREES, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS Injury: Drew Brees was knocked out of the Saints Week 2 matchup against the Rams after defensive tackle Aaron Donald smacked his throwing hand while attempting to block a pass. He’ll have surgery and is estimated to be around six weeks away from game action.

Backup status: Mason Rudolph subbed for Roethlisberger and played admirably, completing 12 of 19 passes for two scores and one interception on debut. Still, the second-year quarterback out of Washington State will have to get up to speed with the starting role quickly if the Steelers hope to make a run.

Backup status: Teddy Bridgewater got under center for the Saints in Brees’ absence. While he has experience as a starter, Bridgewater is limited throwing the ball deep down the field much like Brees and the Saints game plan. Taysom Hill will likely also get in a few plays at quarterback to provide some variety in the Saints game plan, but he’s also proved a valuable pass-catcher so far this season.

What it means for the team: Roethlisberger led the league in passing last year with 5,129 yards.

His absence leaves a huge amount

What it means for the team: The Saints were considered one of the favorites to represent the NFC

heading into the 2019 season.

Should Brees’ recovery go smoothly, they could still be in the running for a playoff spot once he returns.

New Orleans will have to weather quite a storm until their starting quarterback is back in action.

NICK FOLES, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Injury: Nick Foles suffered a broken left collarbone in his Week 1 debut with the Jacksonville Jaguars just moments after throwing his first touchdown as the team’s starter. He underwent surgery and was placed on the team’s injured reserve list, and will be eligible to return in Week 11 should he be fully recovered.

Backup status: Rookie Gardner Minshew took over quarterbacking duties after Foles’ injury and impressed the Jacksonville faithful so far. He put the team in position to win in Week 2, but a failed two-

point conversion sunk Jacksonville to 0-2 to start the year before having a stellar performance in week 3.

What it means for the team: Minshew has outplayed expectations through three starts with the team. However, the Jaguars will need to put together something special if they’re going to bounce back from a 1-2 start and still be in a position to contend once Foles returns.

SAM DARNOLD, NEW YORK JE TS Injury: Sam Darnold is out for a few weeks dealing with a case of mononucleosis, and is hoping to be back by Week 5 when the Jets travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles.

Backup status: Trevor Siemian was Sam Darnold’s replacement to start the team’s Week 2 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, but suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the first half of the game. Rookie Luke Falk stepped in under center but was unable to mount a comeback and looks very limited. The Jets have a week 4 bye and desperate to see the return of Sam Darnold.

What it means for the team: The

Jets are likely thankful that they have an early bye week this season.

They have been awful without Darnold and praying his return is sooner rather than later.

ANDREW LUCK, INDI AN APOLIS COLTS Injury: Just before the start of the season, Andrew Luck announced his shocking decision to retire from the NFL. While the Colts opted to pay out Luck’s entire bonus — a move that seemed to keep the door open for a potential return to the NFL should Luck decide he’s not finished with football for good — it left Indianapolis with a much bleaker outlook on the season than initially expected.

Backup status: Jacoby Brissett had already been taking No. 1 reps with the Colts through the preseason, so stepping into the role after Luck’s announcement wasn’t as jarring a transition as it might have been under different circumstances. He’s played well so far, helping Indianapolis to a decent start to the year.

What it means for the team: The Colts still have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, and could very well make a run at the AFC South title should the cards fall right for the team. Still, their status as a potential challenger to the Chiefs and the Patriots at the top of the conference took a tough blow with Luck’s departure.

Antonio Brown

Financial Suicide & Time line of Disaster Star Wide Receiver Antonio Brown has been cut by the New England Patriots after being released by the Oakland Raiders just weeks ago. Here is a timeline of what has transpired since Brown was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers in March:

teammates alike in OTAs and says coach Jon Gruden has challenged him. "It's never a dull day with Coach," Brown says.

"Always challenging, always high energy and always detailed and fundamental in regards to our assignment."

training camp but is later in the day put on the non-football injury list.

JULY 28

Brown is activated from the nonfootball injury list and participates in pre-practice walk-through.

JULY 30

M ARCH 13

JULY 25

Brown is introduced in Oakland after being acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for a third- and a fifth-round draft pick, and given a three-year, $30.125 million extension.

"I bring accountability," Brown says.

"I bring actions. Not what I say, what I do. How I approach things."

Brown shows up to Napa, California, for training camp with frostbite on the bottom of both feet due to a cryotherapy mishap earlier in the month in France due to Brown not wearing the proper footwear.

Brown participates in the first half of practice and puts on a show before shutting it down and leaving the field and facility early. He will not return for two weeks as he seeks treatment for his feet and in protest of the NFL banning his 10-year-old Schutt Air Advantage helmet for safety reasons.

M AY 28

JULY 26

AUGUST 13

Brown takes a hot air balloon ride at dawn over wine country to kick off

Brown returns to Napa, saying it was good to hear of general manager

Brown is impressing coaches and

Mike Mayock and coach Jon Gruden supporting him in his absence.

AUGUST 15 Brown and QB Derek Carr put on a show in pregame warm-ups in Arizona, though Brown does not play in the game.

AUGUST 18 In the wake of losing his first grievance to wear his preferred helmet, Brown takes off from Napa again and is fined $40,000 by Mayock for the unexcused absence.

Mayock later tells reporters that it is time for Brown to either be "allin, or all-out."

AUGUST 19 Brown returns to Napa as the Raiders break camp and head to the team facility in Alameda.

AUGUST 22 Brown and Carr put on another show in pregame warm-ups in Winnipeg, Canada, and ask Gruden if they can run one play in the game against the Green Bay Packers, a go-ball.

Gruden quickly declines as neither plays in the game, which was held on an 80-yard field. Brown skips a mandatory pre game walk-through.

AUGUST 25 Brown loses his second grievance to wear his old helmet, but agent Drew Rosenhaus insists the receiver will find a new helmet, get an endorsement deal, and play on.

SEPTEMBER 4 Brown, who once shared on Facebook Live a post game Steelers meeting with coach Mike Tomlin, posts to Instagram the letter sent to him from Mayock detailing his fines from Aug. 18 ($40,000) and Aug. 22 ($13,950). Brown tags the Raiders in his response, which reads, in part, "When your own team want to hate."

An agitated Brown, who usually

stretches on his own during team stretch, skips the period entirely before emerging for individual drills.

He goes through them halfheartedly, taking some plays off, barks at a strength and conditioning coach and fires a football into a fence after catching a pass from Carr and jogging to the end zone. Later, Brown reportedly gets into a confrontation with Mayock on the practice field.

In the locker room, Brown tells two reporters he will speak on Thursday.

Later, Brown announces he has reached a deal with Xenith to wear its helmet, posting, "Most calculated move by far."

SEPTEMBER 5 Reports break that the Raiders will suspend Brown for conduct detrimental to the team, setting the stage for a potential battle over his guaranteed money and putting into question whether Brown will ever play for the team.

"Antonio Brown's not in the building today; he won't be practicing," Mayock said. "I don't have any more information for you right now, and when I have some and it becomes appropriate, you guys all get it. I promise you. But that's it for today."

SEPTEMBER 6 Brown is back in the building. The wide receiver issues "an emotional apology" at a team meeting Friday morning. Gruden issues a statement later in the day, saying in part: "Antonio is back today. We're excited about that. Ready to move on."

Gruden says "the plan" is to have Brown in the lineup for the season opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday night. Later in the day, Brown posts a YouTube video featuring a phone call involving Brown and Gruden.

SEPTEMBER 7 The Raiders fine Brown more than $215,000 for conduct detrimental to the team. By fining Brown, the Raiders void the $29.125 million worth of guaranteed money in his deal, sources say. Brown says there is "no way" he plays after losing guarantees. Brown asks for his release via Instagram. At noon ET, the Raiders release Brown.

After the move becomes official with the league just past 4:01 p.m. ET, Brown comes to an agreement in New England. The one-year deal is worth up to $15 million, it includes a $9 million signing bonus, $1 million guaranteed and $5 million in incentives.

SEPTEMBER 9 The Patriots sign Brown to a oneyear deal that includes a $9 million signing bonus -- to be paid in two installments ($5 million on Sept. 23 and $4 million on Jan. 15).

SEPTEMBER 10 Britney Taylor, Brown's former trainer, files a civil suit in U.S. District Court in Miami, accusing Brown of three incidents of sexual assault or rape in 2017 and 2018, in Pennsylvania and Miami.

SEPTEMBER 13 The helmet manufacturer Xenith ends its relationship with Brown.

"We look forward to seeing the Xenith Shadow worn by football athletes at all levels of play this fall," the company says.

SEPTEMBER 15 Brown plays his first and only game with the Patriots, finishing with four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.

SEPTEMBER 16 Taylor meets with the NFL. A source previously had reported

that there are "more interviews and information-gathering being conducted now beyond Taylor."

In addition to the Taylor lawsuit, Brown faces another allegation of sexual misconduct by a female artist who was working at his Western Pennsylvania home in 2017. That allegation was part of a Sports Illustrated report published Monday that detailed domestic incidents involving Brown, a charity auction theft and multiple unpaid debts.

SEPTEMBER 19 Brown no longer represents Nike.

"Antonio Brown is not a Nike athlete," a company spokesperson told the newspaper, which also reports the spokesperson declined to comment on why or the timing of the decision.

That same day, the lawyer for the artist reaches out to the NFL after Brown apparently sent what were described as threatening text messages to her client. The sides speak Friday morning, with the woman's attorneys said in a statement that the league "pledged to conduct a thorough investigation under its Personal Conduct Policy."

According to that statement, the league also contacts the Patriots, who then direct Brown to have no further contact with the woman.

SEPTEMBER 20 The Patriots release Brown, less than two weeks after signing him.

"We appreciate the hard work of many people over the past 11 days, but we feel that it is best to move in a different direction at this time," the team said in a statement.

SEPTEMBER 22 Brown says he won't play in the NFL anymore and takes shots at New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Pittsburgh Steelers

quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in a series of tweets.

SEPTEMBER 23 Brown announces on social media that he has reenrolled at Central Michigan University.

FIN ANCI AL SUICIDE Antonio Brown, because of his recent conduct, just said goodbye too close to $40 million dollars.

That’s right — $40,000,000!!! That amount includes $29.125 million in guaranteed money from the Oakland Raiders and a $9 million signing bonus from the Patriots, both have been rescinded.

The Raiders' guaranteed money was voided after the team fined him for detrimental conduct before his release on Sept. 7th. In light of his recent outburst on Twitter, which ridiculed, among others, Robert Kraft, his new boss and owner of

the Patriots, that team also said goodbye to any payments agreed to between AB and the team.

Antonio Brown is now set to make $150,000 for the season in match payments from his one strat with the New England Patriots. After losing all sponsors, dumped by 3 NFL franchises it's hard to see Brown ever even been afforded the opportunity to play in the NFL again. XFL 2020?

NFL DA ILY

Fantasy Football ROOKIE H ANDBOOK IF YOUR SEASON LONG FANTASY TEAM HAS BEEN HIT BY INJURIES OR YOU WEREN'T AT YOUR BEST ON DRAFT NIGHT, IT'S TIME TO CHECK OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE GROUP MESSAGES AND SLIDE INTO SOME DAILY FANTASY FOOTBALL. HERE’S SOME QUICK TIPS AND A GUIDE OF THE DO'S AND DON'TS TO GET YOU STARTED.

DO NOT STACK IN FOOTBALL If you were playing baseball this year and you were somewhat successful then odds are that you at one point in the year you loaded up on half to all of one team’s roster.

While this is a great strategy for baseball and hockey, it is counter productive in football. Why? Unlike those sports, teammates in football do not benefit from each others success. In fact, they suffer from it.

There are only so many points to go around so if a team’s running back is running for a TD then obviously their QB can not be throwing for one, the WRs can not be catching one, nor can the place kicker be kicking a field goal. To win GPPs, you need to pretty much ace every position so you need the players that you take to account for a large part of their team’s success. It is impossible to accomplish this with

teammates because even when one player has a great day that means the other had a bad one or they both simply had an average day while someone else at that position from another team went beast mode on the stat sheet. It is okay to handcuff a WR and QB but taking any other combination of same team guys is going to keep you from placing in GPPs. There are times, of course, when you might be able to bend this rule but for now simply avoid taking teammates until you have a better grasp of how daily fantasy works.

DO NOT TAKE OFFENSIVE PL AYERS TH AT ARE GOING AGAINST YOUR DEFENSE You need your DEF like any other position to get you massive points so you need them to completely shut down their opponent. If they are creating turnovers and preventing

the other team from scoring then obviously your offensive player is getting blanked as well. Daily fantasy is different than season long because you are not just playing one opponent but a field of entries.

Think of the best score you have ever put up in season long. That is the type of showing you are going to need on a week to week bases just to make money. You can not afford to give up points. Every player has to be productive so if you take players opposing your defense then you have already lost, one way are the other.

Yes, sometimes there will be times in which this rule does not apply but they are the extreme rare occasion.

DO NOT GAMBLE ON QUESTION ABLE GUYS This is another way that daily fantasy differs from season long.

If you have an injured star player

in your season long league and the team says he is going to give it a try then you have to play him because you most likely do not have a better option to choose from.

However, in daily fantasy you have every player on every team to choose from. Why take a gamble on a guy who is carrying a high price tag who might not even make it out of the first quarter? Even if he plays well, it will probably be in a limited capacity and if his team gets way ahead or behind then he is most likely gone for the day. The allure of taking a guy that very few people will have is enticing and very beneficial but this is a bad gamble.

Furthermore, do not take his backup unless you are sure he will not see the field so if you are playing a Thursday start GPP or the player in question is going sunday or monday night and you are still unsure about things then just find another player. Even if the player starts, he might not produce and he might not start. The best way to squeak out a profit is to avoid throwing away entries. Gambling on these situations is going to lose 9 to every 1 it wins.

ACCEPT HEAD TO HEADS. DO NOT OPEN THEM! The better H2H players feed on fish.

As soon as an H2H is listed, it will be swallowed. At the start of the MLB season, Fanduel’s homepage was like a river full of piranhas and you had to be fast to catch the fish as they swam in. H2Hs lasted mere seconds on the board. The last thing you want to do is to be learning to play against the guys that play H2Hs like this. The best thing for you to do is to accept H2Hs yourself.

That way you can get some easier action while you learn. That being said, if you see a guy who has 25 entries sitting out there then you might want to avoid him. There is probably a good reason why the other sharks are avoiding the bate.

PLAY FOR FREE WHILE YOU LEARN I do not care how good you are at season long fantasy football. This success has nothing to do with daily fantasy. There is no shame in running a few free H2Hs for a couple of weeks while you learn what kinds of rosters can be profitable. Use this time to experiment. See what rosters get you

the highest scores. See what types of rosters get you the most consistent scores. An NFL team would not take the field without practicing and neither should you. I know it is not the most exciting thing but learning while not taking a beating is probably the best way to go.

SE T A BENCHM ARK AND STAY IN CONTROL Daily fantasy is a grind. You are going to have your good weeks and your bad weeks. At the start of this season have a determined figure that you are willing to lose and what games you are going to lose it in. Try your best to win but be prepared to lose. If you are okay with gambling away one hundred bucks a weekend, pick which contest each week you are going to play and stay consistent, like play one $50 GPP and one $50 H2H. If you have a good week, do not jump up to significantly more action. Play at your same pace at least for this year. If things go well over time then move up and take a more serious approach. But it's worth remembering just how much available time your opponent may have, that you don't!

MLB PLAYOFF RANKINGS: BREAKING DOWN THE BULLPENS

Drew Pomeranz and Shane Greene changed teams. So did Mark Melancon, Nick Anderson and Sergio Romo. Other relievers did, too, as the Braves and Nationals overhauled their bullpens and virtually every contender -- the Rays, Brewers, Dodgers, Twins -either added someone or attempted to. One manager recently described bullpens as volatile stocks, with the best general managers aggressively looking to upgrade or tear down and rebuild.

Bullpens have never been more important than they are right now, and that’s especially true of postseason baseball, when some managers -- the smartest ones -- play matchups almost from the beginning. Relievers accounted for 47 percent of the postseason innings for the Red Sox on their way to winning the World Series last season. In 2017, Astros manager

A.J. Hinch used all but one of his starters in relief at least once. And maybe that’s why we saw so many contenders focus on acquiring bullpen help as the July 31 Trade Deadline approached. Every team would prefer dominant starting pitchers, but find relievers easier to acquire and cheaper.

The Astros will begin the postseason favored to win their second World Series in three seasons, in part, because they have arguably baseball’s two best starting pitchers in Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, and a potentially dominant No. 3 in Zack Greinke.

Still, bullpens are going to decide plenty. Here’s how they stack up for 11 teams in the postseason mix: 1. RAYS Numbers: 3.25 bullpen ERA since the Trade Deadline is the best in

MLB. Also first in FIP (3.59), tied for first in WHIP (1.20) and first in OPS (.651) during that time.

Bottom line: The Rays have depth and velocity, especially with the addition of Anderson from the Marlins. According to Baseball Savant, Tampa Bay has six of baseball’s top 37 pitchers -- including Emilio Pagan in first (min. 100 plate appearances) -- as ranked by xwOBA, a number that factors exit velocity, launch angle and other data to arrive at an expected on-base average.

2. YANKEES Numbers: 3.81 ERA this month, 11th best in MLB. Also first in strikeouts per nine innings (12.0), tied for 18th in OPS (.740) and tied for 13th in WHIP (1.25) during September.

Bottom line: Closer Aroldis Chapman has upped his slider

usage and regained some of his old dominance with a 0.63 ERA and .122 batting average against since Aug. 1. With Chad Green, Adam Ottavino and Zack Britton lined up in front of him, the Yankees could hardly be in better shape despite a mediocre month of September.

3. BREWERS Numbers: 2.58 ERA in September, second lowest in MLB. Also second overall this month in FIP (3.31), WHIP (1.00) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.7).

Bottom line: The veteran lefty Pomeranz, acquired from the Giants, has morphed into a dominant reliever and added depth to a bullpen that was already plenty deep. Lefty starter Brent Suter, back from Tommy John surgery, has been excellent in a relief role.

Josh Hader is still baseball’s most dominant closer.

4. A’S Numbers: 3.24 ERA this month is second in AL. Also second in the AL in batting average (.199), second in WHIP (1.07), fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.9) and second in FIP (3.84) during September.

Bottom line: New closer Liam Hendriks is third in MLB in xwOBA (.224), and rookies A.J. Puk and Jesus Luzardo have joined veteran Yusmeiro Petit to transform a shaky bullpen into one of the best.

5. ASTROS Numbers: 3.82 ERA this month is fourth lowest among 11 contenders, .226 batting average is fifth and 1.19 WHIP is sixth.

Bottom line: This one is a projection.

Roberto Osuna, Ryan Pressly and Will Harris have at times this season comprised a back three as good as any, and have allowed one earned run in 19 1/3 innings this month.

That’s what the Astros are hoping for after a second half in which Osuna

struggled at times and Pressly underwent knee surgery. The good news is that Pressly is yet to allow a run (while fanning five) in two appearances since coming off the IL. 6. DODGERS Numbers: .192 batting average against this month is the lowest among the contenders, and 3.38 ERA is fourth lowest. Only Rays and Brewers have a lower WHIP than the Dodgers (1.02) this month.

Bottom line: The Dodgers have all the innings in front of the ninth pretty much locked down, but they’re not going to feel good about their bullpen at a time when closer Kenley Jansen has five blown saves and a 4.94 ERA since July 16. Pedro Baez, Kenta Maeda and Adam Kolarek are closer options if Jansen’s troubles continue.

7. CARDIN ALS Numbers: 4.58 ERA and .242 batting average this month are both 10th among 11 contenders.

Bottom line: This bullpen could be as good as any in the National League. Closer Carlos Martinez has the stuff to be a dominant closer, and they have a deep group of arms in front of him, led by Giovanny Gallegos, who has quietly been one of the best relievers in the game.

The big issue for them is the lack of a dominant lefty, as Andrew Miller (3.86 ERA, 5.20 FIP) is not the force he once was with Cleveland.

8. T WINS Numbers: 3.95 ERA this month ranks eighth among contenders; .238 batting average is tied for eighth; 1.22 WHIP and .724 OPS are both seventh.

Bottom line: This group is probably a bit better than those numbers suggest. Taylor Rogers has converted 13 straight save chances, and Tyler Duffey has 26 straight scoreless appearances. Romo,

acquired at the Trade Deadline, Trevor May and Zack Littell give manager Rocco Baldelli a bunch of solid options.

9. INDI ANS Numbers: 4.37 ERA this month is ninth among contenders, .227 batting average is sixth, and 1.25 WHIP is tied for eighth.

Bottom line: Closer Brad Hand’s return from a tired arm, and Carlos Carrasco’s relief role have given manager Terry Francona two potential impact arms to go with an assortment of other reliable lateinning options.

10. BRAVES Numbers: 3.36 FIP this month is the third lowest in MLB; 3.74 ERA and 1.14 WHIP are both fifth among contenders.

Bottom line: No team underwent a bigger in-season bullpen overhaul than the Braves. Trade Deadline additions of Melancon, Greene and Chris Martin haven’t all worked out, but they’ve combined with Sean Newcomb, Jerry Blevins and Darren O’Day to upgrade Atlanta’s biggest problem area.

11. N ATION ALS Numbers: 4.99 ERA and 1.46 WHIP this month are both sixth highest in MLB, and .259 batting average is the second highest.

Bottom line: The Nationals have used 24 relievers to find a combination that works. They hope they’ve found it with Sean Doolittle, Daniel Hudson, Hunter Strickland and Tanner Rainey pitching the late innings. Doolittle hasn’t looked like himself this year, and he recently spent time on the IL with right knee tendinitis. Manager Dave Martinez will likely ask for more from his starters than any other manager this October, and perhaps even use his fourth starter, Anibal Sanchez, in a relief role.

Dollars or Sense?

WHAT WENT WRONG FOR THE PHILLIES, ANGELS, AND PADRES?

TOGETHER THEY COMMITTED 1 BILLION DOLLARS IN RECORD CONTRACTS TO 3 PLAYERS, YET THEY GO HOME IN SEPTEMBER.

by noah strang

As another MLB season comes to a close, several teams get ready for the exciting prospect of October baseball while many more have their seasons end prematurely.

For some missing the playoffs was expected as they embark on a rebuild, but for others this was a stark wakeup call and there will have to be tough decisions made this offseason. After making large financial investments before this year, the Phillies, Angels, and Padres all can look forward to a long offseason where they face the disappointing reality of not having seen the results they expected. By taking a closer look at their seasons we can get a better idea of where they went wrong and if they have hope for the future.

The Phillies won the biggest prize of last offseason when they inked Las Vegas native Bryce Harper to a 13-year $330 million-dollar contract. The contract was the largest ever signed at the time, later broken by Mike Trout’s mega 12-year $430 million-dollar behemoth, and Harper came to Philadelphia looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011. However, Harper was not the only big addition to this team as Philadelphia threw a lot of money at center fielder Andrew McCutchen.

The Phillies were expected to make the playoffs, projected to be tied for second in the NL in wins by PECOTA (Baseball Prospectus’ system for player projections) with 89. Harper and McCutchen were added to a lineup that already featured Rhys Hoskins and was filled with new additions such as Jean Segura, and J.T. Realmuto.

After a 2018 where the Phillies had no batters with a WAR above 2.0, there was hope that a muchimproved lineup would lead to some more explosive offense and a few more wins. There was a buzz

around the team that hadn’t been there in almost a decade entering the season, but the on-field product would not live up to the hype.

The Phillies only climbed five spots in runs scored between 2018 and 2019, not nearly as drastic a jump as those around the team predicted and wished for. The Phillies stayed at 22nd in the league in batting average, and actually fell a place in home runs as they dropped to 23rd.

This lack of offense proved to be a large part of the team’s undoing, but the pitching did them no favours as well. Only Aaron Nola was able to keep his ERA under 4.00 out of all the starters, eventually forcing the Phillies to trade for Jason Vargas and Drew Smyly midway through the year. The Phillies will finish the year fourth in the NL East, only ahead of the lowly 100-loss Marlins, and at the time of publication the Phillies are on track to finish this season with a negative plus/minus.

This year can be classified as a major disappointment.

While the team did not perform, there are other reasons that must be considered for the lack of success.

The NL East was one of the best

divisions in all of baseball, and playing these teams often gave the Phillies a tough schedule. The Braves exceeded expectations, as Ronald Acuna Jr. led them to the division crown behind a monster season. The Nationals, Harper’s former team, finished second in the division and the New York Mets finished third behind Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso’s 50 home run season. These are all strong teams, and the Phillies struggled against them. Even against the rebuilding Marlins, the Phillies only managed to go 7-9 (with three games remaining).

A losing record against a 100-loss team in your division is not the recipe for postseason success. It is ironic that the Phillies would be officially eliminated from playoff contention by the Nationals, a division rival and the team that Bryce played his first seven years in the majors with.

Putting a team together through free agency takes time as we have seen across all sports. The players need time to gel and get a feel for each other and sometimes things look much better after a year of trial and error. The hitting core will be

allowed more time together before the situation gets blown up, but the same cannot be said for the pitching staff. The Phillies do have space under the luxury tax for one more large contract this offseason and expect it to go towards a premier arm. The Phillies large amount of money invested into their bats did not result in much this season, but with time comes chemistry and potentially a chance to have a big season next year in 2020.

The Angels got to witness another outstanding season by Mike Trout, but it was squandered once again as the team finished fourth in the AL West. Trout was magnificent once again, bashing 45 home runs while only playing 134 games before shutting his season down with a toe injury. Trout has played 8 amazing seasons in a row and is one of the greatest ball players to ever take the field. The Angels made a large financial investment before this season, handing Trout a 12-year $430 million-dollar contract. This is the largest contract ever given in American sports, and Trout is the rare athlete who almost everyone agrees deserves it. With Trout committed for the next 12 years the Angels need to start assembling a better roster around him, and they need to do it soon.

and worth any risk. The question then comes to how to best build around Trout, and to do that we must look at what went wrong for the Angels.

Albert Pujols is a legend in the MLB, and a player who is destined for the Hall of Fame. When Pujols played for the Cardinals he was one of the best players in the league, yet his $250 million-dollar contract has handicapped the Angels in their quest to build a roster that can support Trout and help lift the team to the playoffs. Is there a chance that Trout’s contract turns into a similar handicap? Of course, but the value of having the best player of this era is immense to the Angels

The Angels just managed to rank in the top half of runs scored, scoring the 14th most runs in the MLB. Trout helped immensely in this category, but he received help from outfielder Kole Calhoun (33 Home Runs) and two-way player Shohei Otani (18 Home Runs in 106 games). The Angels succeeded on offense by in large part keeping their strikeouts down. The team struck out the third least of any team in the league but to take the next step they will need to do

more. The Angels real struggles came on the other side of the ball, where their pitching staff was very weak. With a team ERA of 5.14, the Angels ranked 25th in the MLB. To give Trout any chance of making the playoffs the whole rotation will need to be overhauled. The Angels ranked dead last in the league in Quality Starts, with 12 less than any other team.

Last offseason the Angels gave many players one-year deals, trying to build something competitive without making too much of a commitment. The experiment was a massive failure, and now they need to restart and look at the problem from a new angle. There were some

in Manny Machado. San Diego is still a young team, yet Machado did not perform up to the lofty expectations that you might expect a $330 million dollar player.

San Diego finished fourth last in total runs and Machado hit just .252. Machado was not even been the best player on San Diego, as Fernando Tatis Jr. finished with a higher WAR (4.2 to 3.0) even while appearing in about half the games.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, as having more impact players can only be good for a team.

bright spots, as David Fletcher had a solid season and the minor league system seems to be getting to a place where it can produce regulars for the Angels, but overall the terrible pitching combined with average hitting left the Angels on the outside looking in once again.

The Angels have prospects coming such as OF Jo Adell, RHP Griffin Canning, and OF Brandon Marsh.

The maturation of their system combined with smart moves from the front office could have the Angels competing sooner than many expect.

The Padres are another team that made a huge offseason acquisition

San Diego was not projected to make the playoffs this season and their timeline continues on schedule. This 2019 season was seen as one that would conclude the rebuild and mark a transition between eras. Keeping this in mind the season was a success, as we got to see glimpses of what appears to be a bright future ahead. Fernando Tatis Jr. exceeded his already skyhigh expectations, and the young pitching staff showed enough to give fans hope. Chris Paddack is a young starting pitcher that will be a part of the Padres plans for the foreseeable future after a strong season. Overall the youth on the team should have Padres fans excited.

Committing $300 million to a player who had an OPS+ of 106 (100 is considered average) is a little scary, especially as the Padres start to consider how they are going to pay all their young players. However, Machado is not the only large contract on San Diego’s books. Eric Hosmer and Will Myers both are going to be owed over $20 million dollars in 2020, and the production is not always there to match. Myers took a step backwards this year, hitting only .238 and more will be expected from him as he enters the first year

of his extension. Hosmer is not much better and if these contracts are going to make it hard for the Padres to retain their core in the future than they must be moved.

Midway through the season the Padres received Taylor Trammell in a three-way trade with the Reds and Indians. Trammell is one of baseball’s most exciting young prospects and adds a left handed bat to the vision for this young team. In addition to Trammell, the Padres have a wonderful pitching prospect in LHP Mackenzie Gore.

Gore could make some noise on the team late in 2020, or at the latest in the 2021 season.

The Padres have a bright future and having a player like Manny Machado on your team is never a bad thing. However, his down year this season is slightly worrisome, but becomes a whole lot more worrisome when looking at the production of the other big contracts on the roster. The Padres have a plethora of young talent ready to make the jump in the upcoming years and they continue to look for more. Managing their contracts is going to be key for a team not in one of the premier markets, as it would be a shame to not be able to keep this core together for a long time.

All three of these teams made large financial investments last season that did not turn into results this season. With that being said, this is not a reason to give up hope and restart, as giving the big money to the star player is just the first step in these team’s journey to a World Series.

Building around these stars and finding players who can contribute will be what these front offices need to do to take the next step.

NBA PRE VIE W & PRE DICTIO NS

NBA BETTING HAS BEEN A ONE WAY STREET IN WHAT CAN ONLY BE CONSIDERED THE GOLDEN ERA OF BASKETBALL. WITH THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS AND THE “SUPER TEAM” DOMINATING BASKETBALL GOING TO THE NBA FINALS IN FIVE STRAIGHT YEARS. A wild NBA free agency period included Kawhi Leonard and Paul George forming a new superteam in Los Angeles, Jimmy Butler moving to Miami and Kyrie Irving heading to Brooklyn. Steph Curry no longer has Kevin Durant in Golden State.

LeBron James is still with the Lakers, and now he has all star Anthony Davis. While league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is still in Milwaukee. As a result, 2019-20 NBA odds to win the title next year have dramatically changed since the Toronto Raptors downed the Golden State Warriors to win the NBA championship. The Clippers are the favorite at 3-1 NBA title odds for 2019-20. The Bucks are next at 9-2 NBA championship odds, while the Lakers are 5-1 and the Philadelphia 76ers are 8-1. The Warriors, Rockets, Jazz and Nuggets are all 16-1 or lower as well. With a crazy off season of movers and shakers we are in for a season of turbulence that promises to be the most exciting in a decade. Before you lock in any 2020 NBA title picks, we have briefly previewed every team, including our enhanced win/loss simulation which has been run over 10,000 times. We have injected every possible outlet of statistical data to run our Scorecast model to project the total wins for each franchise. As anticipated with an off season of moves their is plenty of attractive value.

AT L A N T I C D I V I S I O N P R E V I E W, O D D S & WIN PREDICTION PHIL ADELPHI A 76ERS +110 sportsbook over/under: 53.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 52

eliminated by Kawhi. The 76ers were a bounce away from heading to the finals last season and with the subtraction of Jimmy Butler and the addition of Al Horford look to be the team to be in the Eastern Conference.

PREDICTION: PHIL ADELPHI A 76ERS

BOSTON CELTICS +275 sportsbook over/under: 48.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 48

BROOKLYN NE TS +450 sportsbook over/under: 44.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 44

TORONTO RAPTORS +450 sportsbook over/under: 46.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 48

NEW YORK KNICKS +10000 sportsbook over/under: 26.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 26 Last year, the Celtics were favored to win the Atlantic Division with the return of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. That didn’t exactly go as planned. This year, the Sixers are the NBA betting favorites to win the Atlantic Division and the Celtics are second while the Nets are third.

I mentioned those three teams because Al Horford is now with Philadelphia and Kyrie Irving is now with Brooklyn. The Celtics have added all star point guard Kemba Walker. Meanwhile, Toronto has lost Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers. These are all significant key player movements which affect the outcome and projection of each franchise. Now which team got better during the offseason? No question it’s Philadelphia who lost Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick but added Horford and Josh Richardson from Miami. We saw how emotional Joel Embiid was after getting

CENTRAL DIVISION P R E V I E W, O D D S & WIN PREDICTION MILWAUKEE BUCKS -400 - sportsbook over/under: 57.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 54

INDI AN A PACERS +350 - sportsbook over/under: 46.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 51

DE TROIT PISTONS +1600 - sportsbook over/under: 36.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 40

CHICAGO BULLS +5000 - sportsbook over/under: 31.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 25

CLEVEL AND CAVALIERS +16000 - sportsbook over/under: 23.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 24 The Bucks have the shortest odds among the favorites to win their respective conferences. I mean this is a team that has the 2019 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and they will be bringing back virtually the same team which won 60 games last season. Malcolm Brogdon is the notable absence in Milwaukee and he is going to Indiana who also added T.J. McConnell and Jeremy Lamb to bolster their backcourt while waiting for Oladipo’s return. The Pistons look the same except for Derrick Rose while the Bulls and the Cavs are still in rebuilding mode and trying to look for their respective identities.

PREDICTION: MILWAUKEE BUCKS

NORTHWEST D I V I S I O N P R E V I E W, ODDS & WIN PREDICTION DENVER NUGGE TS +175 sportsbook over/under: 52.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 50

PORTL AND TRAIL BL AZERS +600 - sportsbook over/under: 46.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 48

UTAH JAZZ +100 sportsbook over/under: 54.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 46

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES +1400 - sportsbook over/under: 35.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 27

OKL AHOM A CIT Y THUNDER +2000 - sportsbook over/under: 32.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 35 The top three teams in this decision are stacked. However I’m a little surprised about the Northwest Division because while the Jazz has Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic and Emannuel Mudiay on their roster, the Nuggets have the core of the team that took them deep in the playoffs last season. The Blazers are a dark horse pick here with veterans Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum leading the way in their backcourt plus the addition of Hassan Whiteside as their starting center. Minnesota has their usual duo of Karl Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins leading them again but they don’t look like a playoff team without veteran leadership. The OKC Thunder just cleaned out the closet and maybe a couple of years away from contending again. I like the Denver Nuggets here despite the hype surrounding the Jazz. There is also a lot to like from a betting value

with Portland at +600. This is a team that will definitely contend for a playoff spot and for the first time in the Damian Lillard era, they will have a starting big man who can really compliment their backcourt.

PREDICTION: DENVER NUGGE TS

PA C I F I C D I V I S I O N P R E V I E W, O D D S & WIN PREDICTION LOS ANGELES L AKERS +225 - sportsbook over/under: 51.5, Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 54

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS -150 - sportsbook over/under: 54.5, Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 53

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

+450 - sportsbook over/under: 47.5, Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 50

SACRAMENTO KINGS +5000 - sportsbook over/under: 36.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 35

PHOENI X SUNS +25000 - sportsbook over/under: 27.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 25 Cleary this is the most interesting division in the league right now.

The Warriors are likely out of the equation because of Kevin Durant’s departure and Klay Thompson’s injury. Sure, Steph Curry and Draymond Green will be aided by D’Angelo Russell but I don’t think those three will be enough against the Los Angeles teams. The Clippers are led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

They will be joined by old faces Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Ivica Zubac. Opposite them are LeBron James and Anthony Davis who will be helped by Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley, Danny Green, Quinn Cook, and Jared Dudley. On paper, I think the duo of the Clippers is better but overall, the Lakers have more depth and experience. Ultimately having two NBA franchises battle out the title for LA is a win for Basketball, we can only hope both teams keep their stars on the floor and the

battle goes deep into the playoffs.

Don’t count out the Warriors Finals chances, with a healthy return of Klay Thompson they are still one of the best rosters in all of basketball.

PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES L AKERS

SOUTHEAST D I V I S I O N P R E V I E W, ODDS & WIN PREDICTION MI AMI HEAT -125 - sportsbook: over/under 42.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 43

ORL ANDO M AGIC +200 - sportsbook over/under: 40.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 39

ATL ANTA H AWKS +700 - sportsbook over/under: 33.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 33

WASHINGTON WIZ ARDS +1600 - sportsbook: over/under 27.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 31

CH ARLOT TE HORNE TS

DALL AS M AVERICKS

+2500 sportsbook over/under: 24 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 24

+700 - sportsbook over/under: 40.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 39

There is no dominant team in this division, but that’s more than likely because majority of these franchises have a young roster.

That said, when you take a look at the teams in the Southeast, the Miami Heat have the biggest star in Jimmy Butler. The Orlando Magic are bringing back their 2019 playoff team and could be bolstered by the return of Markelle Fultz.

The Hawks have Trey Young and John Collins but I don’t see them making the playoffs. Washington will be without John Wall so they are also out of the equation, especially with constant trade rumors surrounding Bradley Beal.

The Hornets just lost Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb and I’m not sure how Terry Rozier becomes the star there. Going back, Miami has the trio of Butler, Goran Dragic, and Justise Winslow.

Miami Heat have also been in discussion with acquiring all star point guard Chris Paul. They would inherit an outrageous contract, but add a max talent. Don’t blink on rookie Tyler Herro who could be the steal of the 2019 NBA Draft.

PREDICTION: MI AMI HEAT

SOUTHWEST D I V I S I O N P R E V I E W, ODDS & WIN PREDICTION HOUSTON ROCKE TS -250 - sportsbook over/under: 53.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 50

SAN ANTONIO SPURS +400 - sportsbook over/under: 46.5, Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 46

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS +1400 - sportsbook over/under: 39.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 38

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES +10000 - sportsbook over/under: 26.5 Sportsbet Magazine Simulation: 33 So the Rockets ended the CP3 experiment and traded Chris Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook. They somehow managed to offload the worst contract in the NBA. Russ and Beard on the same team? I’m not sure how that works, really. Well unless you have two balls at the same time. Westbrook and Harden are recent former MVPs and there is no question that they are a very talented pair. The question is if they can complement each other?

The Spurs will still have DeMar DeRozan and the same starting unit. Demarre Carroll should be a good addition off the bench. They also have high hopes for Derrick White to be more consistent this year. Dallas has Luka Doncic and Kristaps Portzingis plus Tim Hardaway Jr. but I don’t think this will be their year. The Pelicans have Zion and the Lakers’ young core of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart. Unfortunately for Memphis fans this year is a non event. I like the Spurs here because of their continuity and of course because of Popovich to have an improved season and be a lot more challenging than a 50/1 NBA finals hope suggests. However the Rockets are winning the division on talent, how deep that takes them in the postseason is yet to be determined.

PREDICTION: HOUSTON ROCKE TS

THE BAT TLE FOR LA

Talking about earthquakes and Los Angeles in the same sentence is generally a very bad idea. Yet the only way to describe the dizzying opening of free agency in the NBA was the equivalent of a tectonic shift. Nearly 40% of the league’s players hit free agency, and some of the biggest names in the game changed zip codes. The impact reshaped an NBA landscape that is coming into focus now. Sure, Chris Paul and Andre Iguodala could still be on the move in the coming days and weeks, and there’s still a number of free agents yet to sign.

Yet as the dust clears, so do the storylines for the upcoming season.

And somehow it feels safe to predict the lead drama we will be talking about above all others: Los Angeles. Namely, the battle for its basketball soul.

The fight for supremacy between the Lakers and Clippers is something that we are not going to be able to take our eyes off of. The fluctuations of the offseason cycle have landed four of the top 10 players in the world under the same roof, just a few steps down the corridor and each with designs to not only dominate the city, but the entire league.

“The battle for L.A. is by far the most compelling storyline entering next season, with reigning champion Kawhi Leonard joining the Clippers, is LeBron James still the best player in his own arena, let alone the world? The Clippers and Lakers have the best duo and the best teams in the league. Which one comes out on top will have the basketball world on the edge of its seat from October through June.

If you took an ultra-long nap about six weeks ago and are just emerging from your slumber, here is an ultra-quick primer on how this all

happened. First, Anthony Davis preempted free agency by managing to push through his trade from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Lakers. At that point, the balance of power was tinted heavily with purple-and-gold.

But then Clipper-time arrived, spectacularly so, as the window of free-agent madness opened up. Amid a slew of blockbuster moves the Clippers pulled off the granddaddy of them all, tempting not only Leonard, but also pairing him with Paul George to instantly manufacture a team of terrifying defensive prowess and an instant title contender.

Sportsbooks instantly installed the Clippers as championship favorites, with the Lakers nipping at their heels.

“Now that we have these incredible stars on both teams, it just makes the rivalry bigger and better,” Sportsbet Media basketball editor Michael McCabe said.

The Lakers-Clippers slugfest contains plenty of subplots to carry through the season. As noted, the Leonard v. James tussle alone will offer near constant fodder for debate. Which is a breath of fresh air to the Lebron James/Michael Jordan video game type debate we have had blowing up our news feeds over the past 5 years.

Leonard’s efforts in winning the Finals MVP and taking the Toronto Raptors to their first crown indicate a player at the very peak of his powers. James’ caliber is up there with the all-time greats, but circumstance and injury prevented him from showing it to the maximum level last season.

But the side questions are neverending. Will Davis emerge as the

next great Lakers big man? Will he or George be the better No. 2 piece?

Or wait, are they even the No. 2 guys at all? Can a new coach in Frank Vogel outsmart Doc Rivers, a decade into his Clippers tenure? Who did better summer business? Forget the regular season, who is better set come playoff time? And if a true Staples Center rivalry kicks off, will it provide impetus or a distraction?

Had Leonard joined the Lakers, they would have been overwhelming title favorites and it perhaps would have thrust the Clippers back into the franchise’s dark ages.”

Don’t think for a moment that these teams don’t pay much attention to each other. How could they not? The Lakers hang 16 championship banners in Staples Center, but those are obscured when the arena transforms as the Clippers home court.

Naturally, there are storylines aplenty around the league. The James Harden/Russell Westbrook arranged marriage in Houston.

Kevin Durant’s partnership with Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets. Golden State in the aftermath of Durant’s exit, Klay Thompson’s injury and the arrival of DeAngelo Russell.

Sportsbet Media reported that a key part of the Clippers’ push for Leonard and George was because of fears that Leonard would otherwise join the Lakers, and that he, James and Davis could combine to bring about a new era of dominance.

“The Clippers became the last line of defense for the balance of power in the NBA,” McCabe wrote. “Never mind the franchise’s own future.

That’s why Lakers fans are bitter.

And the simmering tension between the franchises, actually enhanced by their varied histories, makes this all the more special.

Yet while those tales all have appeal, the story in L.A. shapes up as an all-action blockbuster.

Fireworks lit up the NBA during free agency, now they are showering down upon Staples Center. The season is on the doorstep and this is a showdown we are already talking about. And we may not stop, all the way to next summer.

INTRODUCTION TO THE PHENOMENON THAT IS ZION WILLIAMSON

Zion Williamson is one of the most unique athletes to come through the college ranks in recent history and had the freshman season to match, emerging as one of the nation’s most efficient scorers and electric two-way players. Amassing a huge following early in his prep career with his peerless explosiveness, Williamson earned a spot in the McDonald’s All-American game and was named South Carolina’s Mr. Basketball as a senior. Considered a consensus top-5 recruit in the high school class of 2018 coming out of Spartanburg Day School, Williamson nonetheless managed to outperform expectations under Mike Krzyzewski teaming with RJ Barrett to guide Duke to a 32-win season. Stuffing the stat sheet averaging 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game, the Salisbury, North Carolina native steadily impacted games in a variety of ways to capture Consensus National College Player of the Year honors.

SCOUT REPORT Possesses unprecedented explosiveness, an excellent first step, and rare closing speed for a player of any size, let alone one listed at 6’7 and 285 pounds.

May lack a degree of height in a conventional sense, but plays with his head at rim level as often as any player in recent memory, has a remarkably quick second jump, and is every bit as strong as his dimensions would suggest.

Proved to be far more than just an athlete in his sole collegiate season flashing impressive instincts on both ends of the floor, a knack for creating offense, good vision as a passer, and great versatility carving out a role as Duke’s most important player sliding between the power forward and center positions.

Ended the season ranked among the most efficient volume scorers in modern college basketball history despite possessing significant room to grow as a three-point and free throw shooter and missing several games late in the year with a leg injury.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS NO 1 NBA Draft Pick - Selected by the New Orleans Pelicans 2018-19 NCAA Player of the Year by Naismith, Wooden, NABC, USBWA, AP and The Sporting News.

Only the third Freshman to receive the AP honor in its 58-year history, joining Kentucky’s Anthony Davis and Texas’ Kevin Durant.

No. 1 overall selection by the New Orleans Pelicans and oddsmakers have him as the odds-on favorite to make the biggest impact next season and win Rookie of the Year.

Online sportsbooks have Williamson at -135 odds to take home the hardware and he is the most hyped rookie to come into the NBA since LeBron James. Following him on the oddsboard are Ja Morant (+300), RJ Barrett (+550), Darius Garland (+1600) and Coby White (+1800) to round out the top five candidates.

ZION WILLI AMSON -135

Recipient of the Karl Malone Award, honoring the top power forward in college basketball.

JA MORANT +300

Selected as the national Freshman of the Year by both the NABC and USBWA.

RJ BARRE T T +550

Consensus All-America First Team selection.

DARIUS GARL AND +1600

STRENGTHS Freakish combination of power, explosiveness, dexterity, coordination and body control.

Has a terrific feel for the game.

Solid ball handler and passer.

Has superior defensive tools and instincts.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR ODDS The 2019 NBA Draft has come and gone and the next batch of NBA players will be looking to make a statement for the 2019-20 season.

Zion Williamson was taken with the

MICHAEL PORTER JR. +1800 COBY WHITE +1800 DEANDRE HUNTER +2500 JARRE T T CULVER +2500 RUI H ACHIMURA +2500

BREEDERS CUP THE BEST RETURN WEST The Breeders’ Cup World Championship is one of the most prestigious horse racing events in the world, it serves as the year-end championship for North American Thoroughbred racing, and top racehorses from all over the world travel to the United States to compete. The event goes on for two days where spectators bet approximately 150 million dollars. The competition occurs once per year, it travels to different tracks throughout the United States each year — the 2019 World Championship will return to the legendary Santa Anita Park which currently holds the record for hosting the most Breeders’ Cups in history.

SANTA ANITA PARK Santa Anita Park, built in 1934, was California’s first racetrack.

It is immediately recognizable for its iconic design, a combination of Colonial Revival and Streamline Moderne architectural styles; rows of tall palm trees and the San Gabriel Mountains in the background.

FROM THE BEGINNING In 1982 a group of prominent thoroughbred breeders from central Kentucky, led by the visionary John Gaines, hatched a plan. Their idea was to create a year-end, culminating championship for their sport. An event where horses from across the world could meet to settle the age old question, who is the best. An event that celebrates the best of horse racing. Put it on a national platform and helped to build the market for racing and breeding. Their vision - The Breeders' Cup.

HOW TO QUALIFY Before the best can race, we need to determine who the best are.

There are a few ways for a horse to qualify for a Breeders’ Cup race.

The first is by winning the Breeders' Cup Challenge race. The second is based on a points system, where horses are ranked based on their performance in major races during the year. Points are awarded based on the following scale:

RACE QUALITY

WIN

PLACE

SHOW

GRADE 1

10

6

4

GRADE 2

6

4

2

GRADE 3

4

2

1

The third way to gain entry is to be selected by a panel of experts. For each race, there are a maximum of 14 horses selected for each Breeders’ Cup Championship race. Seven who come from the Challenge races and points system and seven who have been selected by the experts.

This ensures the highest quality of competition.

PRIZEMONEY The Breeders’ Cup is the richest two days in sports, with $30 million paid out in purses and awards over the entire weekend. Winnings are paid out to owners, stallion nominators, and foal nominators. Owners share their winnings with their trainer and jockey on their own terms.

PL ACES TO STAY The dusitD2 Hotel Constance and

the Langham Huntington Hotel are featured favorites for visitors. The Langham Huntington Pasadena captures the grace and elegance of classic Southern California, it is an iconic hotel located at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. dusitD2 brings a fresh approach to the former Constance Hotel built in 1926. The colorful, contemporary interiors are weaved with the building’s beautifully restored historic elements to feature the best of old and new.

RESTAURANTS NEARBY Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District, and the South Lake Avenue District are downtown entertainment districts with several restaurants, watering holes, and shopping options.

ALL TOO EARLY SELECTIONS & HORSES TO FOLLOW SATURDAY, NOV 2, 2019 CL ASSIC

PICK: CODE OF HONOR Code of Honor looked especially strong at the 1 1/4-mile distance in the Travers Stakes (G1).

LONGINES TURF

PICK: EN ABLE If she comes back to the Breeders’ Cup this year, then there is no question that she is the easy pick to win. She has been an absolute world beater once again this season, proving that she is the best horse in the world. Let’s all hope her connections decide to make the trip over to defend her title.

LONGINES DISTAFF

PICK: MIDNIGHT BISOU It’s going to be hard to play against this filly who has become a monster at age 4. Her perfect 2019 record speaks for itself; she has defeated

the top horses in her division several times. A win here would cap off a season for the ages.

a close eye on the next two weeks, when hopefully a new contender will emerge.

T VG MILE

TURF SPRINT

PICK: VALID POINT This could be the most wide-open division of the Breeders’ Cup at this point. The Woodbine Mile (G1) didn’t give us much help; the horses in this division seem to be trading wins. For now, I’ll put the Chad Brown-trained Valid Point on top after an impressive win in the Secretariat Stakes (G1) at Arlington Park. He could be improving at the right time if they decide to point him towards this race.

SPRINT

PICK: MITOLE The beast returned to form in a major way to dominate the Forego Stakes (G1) last time out at Saratoga. When he’s at his best, he cannot be defeated, but this is a very deep division. He’ll need to show up with a huge effort to get the job done, but a victory here could make him the Horse of the Year.

M AKER’S M ARK FILLY & M ARE TURF

PICK: SISTERCH ARLIE The defending champ will look to make it two in a row. This year, she seems to be running better than ever, simply dominating her competition in her first two starts of the year. Look for her to get one more prep race before shipping out west for the big one.

BIG ASS FANS DIRT MILE

PICK: GI ANT EXPECTATIONS At this point, it is hard to pick a horse for this race. Improbable can’t get out of his own way, and Catalina Cruiser is hard to trust after last year’s Breeders’ Cup performance. For now, we’ll go with Giant Expectations with the hope of picking a price. We’ll keep

PICK: EDDIE H ASKELL For now, this is the pick because several of the top contenders have major question marks. Two-time defending champion Stormy Liberal hasn’t looked great this year, and injury troubles have put World of Trouble in jeopardy of missing the rest of the season. That leaves us with Eddie Haskell, a consistent sprinter on the west coast all season long.

FILLY & M ARE SPRINT PICK: COVFEFE Even though Come Dancing won last weekend at Belmont Park, Covfefe was magnificent in her final prep for the Breeders’ Cup dominating the Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs by 8 lengths. This filly has developed very nicely over the course of her 3-year-old season and could be set up for the best performance of her career in the biggest spot.

FUTURE STARS FRIDAY, NOV 1, 2019 T VG JUVENILE

PICK: DENNIS’ MOMENT All of horse racing is buzzing about his performance in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. The flashy colt backed up his blowout maiden victory with another easy win in that race. However, it will still be interesting to see what unfolds in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park, where Eight Rings is scheduled to run. The Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) winner Green Light Go‘s next start is also going to be one to watch.

Those are the only challengers to Dennis’ Moment right now.

JUVENILE TURF

PICK: DECORATED INVADER An impressive win in the Summer Stakes (G1) at Woodbine lands this horse as our top choice. Even though he broke poorly, he was able to rally for an easy win, showing a solid turn of foot. European shippers always have a say in this race, and we won’t know who is shipping in until a bit closer to the event, but for now, this is the pick.

JUVENILE FILLIES

PICK: BAST The Del Mar Debutante (G1) was her coming-out party. After losing on debut, she came back to break her maiden against stakes company with an impressive performance. Going around two turns will be her next test, but her breeding suggests that

she will have success going longer.

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF

PICK: CRYSTALLE

A big win in the P. G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga earned this filly a spot as our pick for now. The European shippers will have their say in things, though, and there are still many question marks around this division on this side of the pond.

Last Sunday’s Natalma Stakes (G1) at Woodbine didn’t help.

JUVENILE TURF SPRINT

PICK: OLD CHESTNUT His victory in the Ontario Racing Stakes makes him the early favorite for this event. We still don’t have a clear picture of who will race in this spot, but it will become clearer in the weeks ahead. For now, Old Chestnut is the clear standout.

TRAVEL

A EUROPEAN NIGHT AT ANFIELD

LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB is synonymous with European football. European nights at Anfield are cherished and supply the most intoxicating atmosphere in all of sports, superheroes in Red embrace a mystical place where the unlikely joins hands with insanity.

Strangers embrace like lifelong friends. You stand and stare at the referee, then the liner, then back at the referee.

On European nights there is a train of thought that you need to be into Anfield early, to be there to stir the embers of the atmosphere to come.

These are the scene-setters, these are the people who make the impossible possible.

While the Kop waves its flags, holds up its banners and sings its songs, there will often be a mild lull in the Main Stand and over the opposite side on the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand. These

individuals are facilitators, conduits. With a punch of the air and a lung-busting solo rendition of whatever song the Kop is booming out, they will get half a dozen or so spectators joining in around them.

This then blossoms and before you know it the whole stadium is electrified, not just the heartbeat of the Kop. Before all this comes the welcoming of the team coach. Noise, plumes of red pyro smoke.

In England, but not of England.

Car alarms going off all over Stanley Park car park due to the ferocity of the noise that was erupting within the adjacent football ground. None of this can be replicated in another football ground.

Liverpool are unique, something very special that cannot be replicated or matched in any tradition of sport.

When you go to Anfield Road to see Liverpool Football Club you will truly understand why

THIS MEANS MORE.

TICKE TS The easiest and best Anfield experience is to pre purchase a hospitality ticket.

You can check liverpoolfc.com for regular updates and schedules as well as last minute availability. Be sure to get in early though, as Liverpool fans flock in from all across the globe to see the mighty Reds on a european night.

Stubhub International - You can purchase tickets through Stubhub International not Stubhub UK, to receive your ticket you will directed to the owner of the seat who will meet you before the match with his membership card.

WHERE TO STAY DOUBLE TREE BY HILTON, HOTEL AND SPA LIVERPOOL LIVERPOOL, UK www.hilton.com/Hotels/Liverpool It’s inescapable. Any visit to the historic city of Liverpool reveals the extreme passion for football and local pride in the Liverpool Football Club. The new LFC Stadium Tour has become a popular draw for locals and tourists alike. Beyond the fanatic fans and the abundant souvenirs and fluttering club colors, the city is a renowned center of world class tourist attractions.

Located in Northwest England, the ancient port city was founded where the

Mersey River flows into the Irish Sea. Once a significant maritime center and industrial port city, it is now known for its beaches, popular waterfront, lively city tours, exemplary architecture, museums and art galleries. Famed home of The Beatles, it is a pilgrimage center from the immortal Ferry across the Mersey to the actual Penny Lane, the Beatles tours attracting music lovers from across the world.

brand. It retains its historic statue in the Business District, its distinctive character revealed at the entrance in the restored marble Corinthian columns and heritage stained glass windows with maritime designs from Liverpool’s past. Beyond the historic cigar room and its original fireplace boasting the motto, “Fear God, Honour the King”, the contemporary vibe of boutique luxury welcomes guests to the city.

The Doubletree by Hilton is a distinctive addition to the Hilton family of hotels and Liverpool’s tourist center. The original 19th Century Victorian building has been restored and refurbished from its beginnings as the Liverpool Conservative Club into the upscale hotel and spa envisioned by the

The Doubletree Hotel features the eforea Spa, sauna and pool, fitness center, the Koukash Bar and Restaurant, Afternoon Tea and champagne in the historic Library Lounge, and easy access to Liverpool One, the extensive center of shopping, eateries, leisure complex, and popular

attractions including the Liverpool Conference Centre and Echo Stadium.

Accommodations are chic and modern with quality boutique luxury, amenities and comforts including Sweet Dream beds, luxe bathrooms with bathtub and shower or walk-in shower, mini-refrig, 42 inch flatscreen TV, complimentary WiFi, espresso machine, and a work desk. Options range from twin singles, double queen and deluxe king. Generous suites offer additional seating space, sofa bed, and amenities for a romantic getaway or spacious workspace.

Hilton hospitality welcomes guests to their home away from home. The friendly staff invites tourists to discover Liverpool’s top attractions with enthusiastic concierge services. The eforea Day Spa offers a wide range of massage and body treatments in the tranquility of a modern retreat with Elemis products to rejuvenate and revive the weary traveler. The Koukash Bar and Restaurant is casual dining at its finest with British classics and international favorites, roasted meats, flavorful fresh fish, and vegetarian options in a vibrant atmosphere.

Enjoy all the city of Liverpool offers from the comfort and luxury of the Doubletree by Hilton.

THINGS TO DO

PRICES: Adult £20 Student/Senior £15 Child (under 16) £12 - must be accompanied by a paying adult

LFC STADIUM TOUR Not just for Liverpool fans but Football fans alike, a tour of the most historic and majestic stadiums in sport. The Stadium Tour features many iconic highlights.

See where your heroes prepare for the big game in the state-of-the-art Home Team Dressing Room. Sit in your favourite player’s seat and watch exclusive videos about each player using your handset. Discover which former player and LFC Legend reveals his best opposition team when you visit the Away Team Dressing Room.

Take part in a lively and interactive press conference with your tour guide in the Press Room.

Touch the This is Anfield sign before walking down the Player’s Tunnel to the sound of the Anfield roar. Take your seat in the Manager’s Dugout and then finish your tour in The Kop.

Your ticket includes entry to the Club’s interactive museum, The Liverpool FC Story, The Steven Gerrard Collection exhibition and all six European cups.

THE CAVERN CLUB THE MOST FAMOUS CLUB IN THE WORLD The Cavern Club is the cradle of British pop music, the place where the Beatles musical identity was formed.

Today’s Cavern is a thriving live music destination and one of Liverpool’s top places to visit. The three venues - the Cavern Club, Cavern Live Lounge and the Cavern Pub - showcase not only the incredible legacy of The Beatles, but also new up and coming bands and established artists. Discover for yourself the evocative spirit of this legendary venue and experience the unique and powerful Cavern sound performed live on stage every afternoon until late in the evening.

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: HOW MANY POINTS IS ENOUGH?

LIVERPOOL OR MANCHESTER CITY Calculating how many points Liverpool realistically need to win the Premier League title is all but impossible. Jurgen Klopp claims his side cannot afford to lose a single game in order to triumph over Man City but they may not have to be so clinical.

Liverpool's win over Chelsea was their 15th Premier League victory in a row which helped maintain a five point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table. The Reds have set a blistering pace as they seek a first top flight title in 30 years and it is one their manager Jurgen Klopp believes they must keep up if they are to overthrow the defending champions.

"The only chance in the league for us is to win all the games because our opponents are too strong,� the German said after the 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.

While their form has undoubtedly been impressive so far, a 100 percent record throughout the entire season is far beyond even the wildest dreams of Liverpool's most ardent supporters.

So how many points do they realistically need - or how many can they afford to drop - in order to win the league?

HERE ARE OUR CALCUL ATIONS: M AN CIT Y'S M AXIMUM: 109 City have already dropped five points through their draw against

Spurs and defeat to newly-promoted Norwich leaving them on a total of 13 points after six games.

If Pep Guardiola's side can turn around that minor blip and somehow go on to win every remaining game (32) from hereon in, they can amass 109 points (96 points plus their existing 13), surpassing their own record total of 100 points in 2017-18.

That scenario would see Liverpool needing to match City's total (91 more points on top of their existing 18) and have a superior goal difference or to surpass them (92+ more points). That means at least 30 wins from the remaining 32 matches for Klopp's side - but that would of course be impossible because Liverpool still have to play City twice and we are assuming City will win every game.

In short: if City win every game for the rest of the season they are guaranteed to win the title.

City vs Liverpool head-to-heads With margins so fine between these two excellent teams, the two matches between them have a key part to play in the title race.

• Liverpool vs Man City (11 Nov) • Man City vs Liverpool (4 April) If Liverpool can get the better of City in both matches, that would reduce City's maximum possible points total to 103.

Liverpool would therefore only need a further 86 points on top of their existing 18 to be top of the table outright on 104. That means the Reds could afford to drop four points elsewhere (one draw and a defeat, or two draws) from their 30 other matches.

CIT Y'S PRECEDENT: 100/98 In the past two seasons, City have

set remarkable points totals of 100 and 98. Liverpool fell agonisingly short last year on 97 but were a full 25 adrift the season before that.

To break City's record points total and hit 101, Liverpool need another 83 points (27 wins and two draws) from their remaining 32 matches, meaning they could afford to lose three and hope City drop more points elsewhere to keep them further back.

WILL CIT Y REVERT TO THE NORM? City still face plenty of difficult fixtures including Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United home and away plus Tottenham, who they drew against at the Etihad, away.

Given City's slightly shaky start to the season plus the injury to key defender Aymeric Laporte, we can perhaps expect them to fall short of the enormous totals they have set in the past two seasons. Looking back over the past 24 seasons in which the Premier League has been competed over 38 matches, the average points total for the champions is 86.91. The lowest points total to win the league in a 38-game season was Manchester United's 75 in 1996-97.

In an average season, therefore, Liverpool could expect to win the league with 87 points. That total would have won them the league in 10 of the previous 24 seasons and seen them joint top in three more.

In order for that to happen City would have to drop another 28 points, leaving Liverpool needing just 23 wins from their remaining 32 games to win the title.

That, however, seems highly unlikely in the current era. Since City won their first title in 2011-12 the average champions' total has jumped to 90.38, leaving Liverpool needing 91 points (a further 73 on

top of their current 18) to come out on top.

While City's average in that time has been 84.25 - owing to some poor seasons, particularly 2015-16 - that has jumped to 92 since Pep Guardiola took charge.

So perhaps 93 points, a total Liverpool have only achieved once before, is closer to what they will need to win the title this year.

HOW M ANY POINTS DO LIVERPOOL NEED? • 114: total available points in a Premier League season • 109: maximum points City can now get • 103: maximum City can get if Liverpool beat them twice • 100: City's record points total in 2017-18 • 92: City's average points total under Guardiola • 86.91: Premier League champions' average in 38-game season • 84.25: City's average since first title in 2011-12 CAN LIVERPOOL LIF T THE TROPHY? Absolutely. Injuries aside both of these teams have incredible depth, its sounds crazy to say but the Premier League Title will come down to the two head to head games Liverpool Vs Manchester City. If one side is to take the points or even 4 from the two matchups, it will go a long way to becoming champions.

BE T TING - OUTRIGHT WINNER ODDS Manchester City -137 Liverpool +111 Tottenham +6600 Arsenal +6600 Chelsea +12500 Manchester United +20000 Leicester +20000 West Ham +25000

GOLF

DUSTIN JOHNSON PLANS HERO WORLD CHALLENGE RETURN, WILL PLAY PRESIDENTS CUP Dustin Johnson has revealed he plans to return to competitive play at the Hero World Challenge in December before taking his place in the U.S. Presidents Cup team.

The 20-time PGA TOUR winner underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage damage on his left knee earlier this month but says he’s on track to return in time to head to Royal Melbourne for the Dec. 12-15 teams event.

“Rehab’s going really well. Doing that every day. Going to get back hopefully swinging the club here in a few weeks,” Johnson told The Starter on PGA TOUR Radio.

“I’ll be ready to go by the time the Hero comes around.”

The Hero World Challenge will be played at Albany in the Bahamas from Dec. 4-7 after which tournament host and U.S. Team captain Tiger Woods will fly with his team to Melbourne to take on the Internationals.

“It was just normal wear and tear for an athlete. It wasn’t an injury.

Just something I needed. I was

losing some strength, losing a little bit of mobility. So something I needed to have done,” Johnson said.

“There’s no good time to do it but this was the best time for me to do it. I’m only missing one tournament I was scheduled to play, which was China. So I’ll be back for Tiger and then play the Presidents Cup.” Johnson said he’s been stuck on the couch watching plenty of college football during his rehab. He also spent time debriefing his 2018-19 season where he won the World Golf Championships – Mexico Championship and was runner up in two majors, but otherwise struggled.

In his last eight starts, Johnson failed to produce a top-10 finish – the longest non-top-10 stretch in a single season on TOUR since his rookie year of 2008. In his most recent start, he tied for last in the 30-man field at the TOUR Championship, recording four rounds over par for the first time since the 2013 BMW Championship.

“After I had it done and had time to

sit there and reflect on the season and everything that was going on, especially in my swing, because I was struggling a little with my swing this year, most of my issues were from favoring my right side,” Johnson continued.

“All of my issues were coming from hanging back on the ball… so (the surgery) was something I needed to do and I feel like it will help me improve and hopefully I’ll come out strong next year.

“I’m trying to keep up with all the young kids coming out that bomb it.

I need to be at full strength and at 100 percent to compete with these guys that are playing now.

“I need to be on my A game if I am to compete.”

PRESIDENTS CUP OUTRIGHT WINNER ODDS USA-135 INTERNATIONALS +300 TIE +550

INDUSTRY INSIDER

LEGAL SPORTS BETTING IN AMERICA The following map shows the states where sports betting is currently legal, where sports betting has been approved but is not yet operational, where bills have been introduced to legalize sports betting and are under consideration and where legislative efforts to legalize sports betting in 2019 have died.

Live Spor

Autho but N (5 sta

Activ Legis Lt. Blue

Dead Legis

No S 2019

Live Legal Single Game Sports Betting (13 states) Authorized Sports Betting, but Not Yet Operational (5 states + DC) Active 2019 Sports Betting Legislation/Ballot (6 states) Lt. Blue

Dead Sports Betting Legislation in 2019 (18 states) No Sports Betting Bills in 2019 (8 states)

FALL FASHION: THE ULTIMATE LEATHER JACKET FROM BODA SKINS DESIGN & ST YLE The Boda Skins Kay Michaels Leather Jackets have based their design on the classic biker style, something which is seemingly timeless. Ever since biker jackets were first created they have gained legions of fans throughout each passing decade. The Boda Skins team are no fools, adopting this same classic look for their flagship piece, yet adding their own unique additions and details. The most easily noticeable feature is the heavily padded upper arm sleeves, this is what easily sets them apart from rival brands and also what makes Boda Skins jackets instantly recognisable and so attractive to look at! The black leather looks deliciously expensive, almost a matte colour rather then the deep and dark (and sometimes shiny!) leathers usually on offer.

LEATHER & DE TAILS As mentioned, the leather looks high end, but upon touching, it feels expensive too! Incredibly soft and supple, particularly the iconic arm padding and the overall feel of the fabric. Fortunately the leather doesn’t have the side effect of being

delicate, worrying about damaging your newly acquired jacket can play havoc with your outfit choices!

The jacket is covered in little details, Boda Skins logo branded studs, quality zippers with made to last pullers, an internal iPhone pocket, and the unobtrusive English flag patch on one of the arms. These little subtleties are what reassures you that you are witness to a quality product!

COMFORT AND WEARABILIT Y Biker leather jackets are an iconic style, one of the few types of clothing which complements almost anything in your wardrobe, the Boda Skins Kay Michaels is no different. Paired dressed down with distressed skinny jeans and sneakers and a crisp white T Shirt or slung over the top of your smart shirt and tie, creating an eye catching combo. Thankfully when it comes to regular wear, this jacket pretty much nails it. With its internal soft padding and buttery feeling leather, you won’t ever feel uncomfortable. It’s a jacket that I can happily wear all day and not feel too restricted.

PRICE & VALUE FOR MONEY The price of the Boda Skins jackets are very close to stepping into the designer brand price bracket, with yearly increases (just like all brands), this gap will only get smaller. However, despite its admittedly big price tag of £459, I strongly believe this jacket is worth every penny. Smashing past its similarly priced competitors as it’s made to last and comes with a 100 year guarantee.

HEALTH is your

WEALTH ENHANCE RECOVERY WITH SLEEPLETICS SHEETS Celliant technology is the new way to sleep. Sleep is supposed to recharge your battery, but sometimes we’re only left at 50%. With Celliant Technology sheets by Sleepletics, your battery can reach its full 100% potential, after just one night. The unique infrared, mineral-infused sheets, penetrate the muscles and skin to increase blood flow and circulation that is needed throughout your body to recover and heal.

The best part is, you can never tell it’s there. Celliant technology threads are woven into the Sleepletics sheets and create a soft, silky feel, just like any other sheets would. Except your other sheets, can’t cure your every aching need.

SLEEPLE TICS SHEE TS BENEFITS

Celliant technology performance sheets are an FDA- determined medical device and general wellness product. You might find restful sleep with any celliant technology sheets. But with Sleepletics, you get five-star comfort and revolutionary technology to get more restful sleep and a healthier you. Sleep is all

about recovery; recovery from the day before and preparedness for the day ahead.

Sleepletics Celliant Technology performance sheets help you achieve both, better sleep and faster recovery. Whether you’ve simply had a tiresome day, or face muscle, joint, or other aches and pains, the Celliant technology penetrates the skin to improve blood flow and circulation to heal your body faster.

Sleepletics Celliant technology performance sheet sets has a design that: • Promote restful sleep • Increase energy • Increase stamina • Improve strength • Patented and clinically tested • Plus, with Celliant technology, it can even help your body regulate its temperature so that you stay cool all night long.

CELLI ANT TECHNOLOGY

So what is Celliant exactly and why is it in your sheets? The idea behind Celliant is to harness and reuse your body’s natural energy.

And then use it to increase blood flow and circulation. This creates benefits for a healthy and active lifestyle. They are able to use your bodies energy with infrared technology.

By infusing the yarn with a mineral that absorbs the body’s excess heat.

It is then converted into infrared light. Than reflected back into the body safely and naturally to use for cell repair and regeneration. Studies show that Celliant can penetrate into muscle and tissue to increase blood flow and circulation.

This process creates a more restful sleep experience, increases energy and stamina, and improves strength and healing for fast recovery from physical activity. Whether you’re an athlete, recovering from an injury, or just want to keep living a healthy active lifestyle, Celliant technology is exactly what your sheets need.

Not only to provide you with the best night’s sleep ever, but the best day too.

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BUSINESS

GAMING STOCK TO WATCH TSG SPORTSBE T MEDI A STOCK VALUE $28 - CURRENTLY TRADES $13 TO $15 THE STARS GROUP The Stars Group is a provider of technology-based product offerings in the global gaming and interactive entertainment industries. Its brands have millions of registered customers globally and collectively are leaders in online and mobile betting, poker, casino and other gaming-related offerings. The Stars Group owns or licenses gaming and related consumer businesses and brands, including PokerStars, PokerStars Casino, BetStars, Full Tilt, FOX Bet, BetEasy, Sky Bet, Sky Vegas, Sky Casino, Sky Bingo, and Sky Poker, as well as live poker tour and event brands, including the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold'em Championship, European Poker Tour, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Latin American Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, PokerStars Festival and PokerStars MEGASTACK. The Stars Group is one of the world's most licensed online gaming operators with its subsidiaries collectively holding licenses or approvals in 21 jurisdictions throughout the world, including in Europe, Australia, and the Americas. The Stars Group's vision is to become the world's favorite iGaming destination and its mission is to provide its customers

with winning moments.

The Stars Group Inc. (TSG) (TSGI. TO) recently announced that over the last two weeks it has successfully executed on initial stages of its U.S. strategy, with the launch of FOX Bet in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and FOX Sports Super 6 nationwide.

The FOX Bet products in New Jersey and Pennsylvania offer fans the opportunity to legally and responsibly place realmoney wagers on the outcome of a wide range of live sports and special events, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, motor sports, golf, tennis and soccer.

FOX Sports Super 6, a free-to-play sports prediction game that offers players the chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash each week, also launched nationwide on September 7. With the FOX Sports Super 6 App, fans can enter multiple contests each week, with jackpot prizes up to $250,000. To play, users simply choose who they think the winning team will be and the margin of victory or answer six multiple-choice questions. Even if no jackpot is won, players are guaranteed to split thousands in consolation cash prizes, and $65,000 has already been awarded.

In the nine days since launch, the

FOX Sports Super 6 App has been downloaded more than 280,000 times, with more than 425,000 total contest entries. As of September 16, the FOX Sports Super 6 App is ranked in the top 20 in the games tab of the Apple App Store and in the top 10 in the sports section of the games tab of the Apple App Store.

In addition to the online and mobile offerings, The Stars Group and Mount Airy Casino Resort opened their land-based, retail sportsbook at Mount Airy in the Poconos on September 9, 2019.

"In just four months since announcing our historic U.S. media and sports wagering relationship, we successfully launched our FOX Bet products in two states and our nationwide free-to-play games. The pace of progress and the dedication and execution of our team and the FOX Sports team is extraordinary," said Robin Chhabra, Chief Executive Officer of FOX Bet. "Together with FOX Sports, an icon in sports programming, we believe we've built a platform that is like nothing U.S. sports fans have ever seen. We're bringing those fans closer to the games they love by making our platform more fun and engaging than any other out there."

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THE 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR

REMOVABLE TOP. REMOVABLE DOORS. FOLDING WINDSHIELD. A SENSATION OF FREEDOM MADE FOR THE OFF ROAD SPORTS ENTHUSIAST. OVERVIEW The 2020 Jeep Gladiator picks up where the brand's last cargo-bedcarrying model—the Comanche— left off in the early '90s. Based on the legendary Wrangler, the truck version pairs a four-door cab with a five-foot box and an obligatory batch of serious off-road equipment.

The latter includes large off-road tires, a sturdy suspension, and advanced all-wheel-drive systems.

While a diesel-powered V-6 will arrive eventually, only a gasoline version will be available when this truck-ute goes on sale. Still, the 2020 Gladiator represents a unique entry among mid-size pickup trucks.

Its unmistakably rugged exterior and removable body panels make it an extremely stylish and versatile mode of transportation.

WH AT'S NEW FOR 2020?

After years of anticipation and speculation, the all-new Gladiator finally emerges from the shadows as the first Jeep pickup truck in nearly 30 years. Its official debut at

the Los Angeles auto show revealed a host of information about the company's long-awaited model that was rumored to be called everything from Scrambler (a moniker briefly used from 1981 to 1985) to simply "Wrangler Pickup." Although it won't be in showrooms for several months, Jeep's latest offering will ultimately compete head-to-head with popular off-road rivals such as the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, Toyota Tacoma TRD models, and Ford Ranger Raptor.

PRICING AND WHICH ONE TO BUY Sport: $35,040 Sport S: $38,240 Overland: $41,890 Rubicon: $45,040 The 2020 Gladiator lineup starts at just over $35,000, and costs $2000 more than a base four-door Jeep Wrangler. We think the extra coin is worth the added practicality of its truck bed and another 4150 pounds of towing capacity. We'd

recommend the Gladiator Sport S and stick with the standard sixspeed manual transmission. We'd add the anti-spin rear differential (which requires the knobbier allterrain tires) for improved off-road ability along with the Trailer Tow package to unlock maximum towing capability. The 7.0-inch Radio Group adds a larger touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, and the Cold Weather package adds a heated steering wheel and heated front seats. Our Gladiator would have the optional three-piece hardtop instead of the standard soft-top. The Sport S also offers numerous other desirable options that are otherwise unavailable on the base Gladiator.

ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, PERFORM ANCE, AND TOWING Likes: Legitimate off-road equipment is standard, diesel engine has incredible torque, 7650-pound towing capacity.

Dislikes: Diesel engine not av ailable at launch.

The 2020 Gladiator will arrive in dealerships with a 3.6-liter V-6 that produces 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque routed through a standard six-speed manual transmission or an optional eightspeed automatic. We tested an Overland model with the automatic, which needed 7.2 seconds to scoot from zero to 60 mph. In other words, it's slightly slower than most mid-size pickup truck rivals. The Gladiator will eventually add a diesel 3.0-liter V-6 that develops 260 horses and a mighty 442 lb-ft of twist, but that won't arrive until 2020. Choose the Max Towing package and it can tow up to 7650 pounds and carry 1600 in the cargo bed, which both closely align with the diesel-powered Canyon and Colorado.

Compared with the regular Jeep Wrangler, the Gladiator is 31 inches longer overall and has an extra 19.4 inches between the front and rear wheels. Not only does this increase interior passenger space, Jeep says it improves the ride and handling when carrying cargo. We've driven one and can confirm, well, that it drives much like the Wrangler.

This means that the steering isn't extremely precise and the ride can be busy on uneven surfaces. Still, these characteristics are part of the formula that make the Gladiator both a legitimate pickup truck and a trail-ready tool. Most enthusiasts care about the truck's off-road equipment anyways, which includes everything from copious skid plates to rock-crawling axle ratios to the ability to ford up to 30 inches of water. Generous ground clearance and approach/departure angles further help the Gladiator conquer parts unknown.

FUEL ECONOMY AND REAL-WORLD MPG Since Jeep has not released any EPA estimates for the Gladiator,

and obviously we have not tested one our 200-mile fuel loop, its fuel economy and real-world MPG remain a mystery for now. However, every model will have an engine stop/start system to help save fuel.

We also expect the diesel engine will be thriftier than its gas counterpart even though it will likely cost more out of the gate.

INTERIOR, INFOTAINMENT, AND CARGO Likes: Convertible soft and hard tops, excellent infotainment system, a Jeep with a truck bed!

Dislikes: Removable exterior pieces limit noise isolation, only one cab and bed size—for now.

Inside, the Gladiator has an upright dashboard that imitates the Wrangler's and supports userfriendly controls. Durable details include a waterproof push-button start, and there are optional convenience features such as a heated steering wheel and heated front seats. Jeep says the truck's stretched wheelbase improves backseat legroom versus the four-door Wrangler. The Gladiator also has body and roof panels that can be easily removed to create an open-air cabin.

Every model has a standard touchscreen, but only the larger 7.0- and 8.4-inch displays come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The stereo system can also be upgraded with an optional subwoofer and portable wireless speaker behind the back seat. Frontseat passengers will be privy to several power points, which include two USBs and a USB-C port; a 115volt outlet is also available.

Along with its five-foot cargo bed, the Gladiator is filled with ingenious interior storage options.

Its cabin has a handful of spots to stick a smartphone and a handy compartment hidden under the back seat. The seats themselves can be stowed in multiple ways and then securely locked in place for when the trail turns treacherous.

SAFE T Y AND DRIVERASSISTANCE FEATURES The Gladiator has yet to be crashtested by either the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Otherwise, the Jeep pickup will be available with a handful of driverassistance features. The Rubicon model has a useful front-facing camera that will come in handy when blazing trails or crawling over rocks. Key safety features include: Available adaptive cruise control Available rear cross-traffic alert Available blind-spot monitor

WARRANT Y AND M AINTEN ANCE COVERAGE We expect the Gladiator to share a warranty that is similar to the rest of the Jeep lineup, which includes competitive limited and powertrain coverages. It will likely include the company's Wave ownership program that provides two complimentary oil-change and tire-rotation services from the dealer per year for the first two years.

• Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles • Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles • Two years of complimentary scheduled maintenance is covered

BET WITH CONFIDENCE WWW.SPORTSBETMAGAZINE.COM ENHANCED FEATURES The Sportsbet Magazine staff and editors have been dedicated to providing the Sports Betting community the service it deserves and were very proud to announce the launch our latest Scores and Statistics feed powered by Gracenote. Sourcing the most relevant data and analytics can have Sports Bettors crawling the web for hours on end or paying absurd monthly fees for irrelvant data. In partnership with Gracenote we have taken the guesswork away to provide the most Sports Betting relevant statistics for every NBA, NFL, MLB & NCAAB Matchup. Everything in one place, at the click of a button, this is the most powerful FREE Sports Betting analytical tool on the web. With Daily Previews, Matchups & our Score prediction tool Scorecast we aim to keep you in the winning column this season!

NEW JERSEY SPORTS BAR GUIDE HOBOKEN With the introduction of online and mobile betting in New Jersey, there's no longer any need for long SportsBook lines and standing room only for live betting action. We can finally legally place a bet from anywhere in the State and that means finding the best Sports Bars to enjoy our favorite events! We start in Hoboken.

THE DUBLINER {96 RIVER STREE T} FOR AN OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE The third level of The Dubliner is an outdoor roof deck with a huge screen, thus creating the essential downtown spot for football observance. Add some Corona buckets and soak up the autumn sun — and you’ll be in Sunday Funday heaven.

TOP SPORTS BARS HOBOKEN

THE BRASS RAIL {135 WASHINGTON STREE T} FOR A PL ACE TO ENJOY WINE {ON TAP!} AND FOOTBALL Yep, this pretty much seals the deal. Wine on tap > beer on tap.

THE SHEPHERD AND THE KNUCKLEHEAD {1313 WILLOW AVENUE} FOR CRAF T BEER UPTOWN Voted by NJ.COM #1 CRAFT BEER BAR IN NEW JERSEY The craft beer list at The Shep is extensive and impressive which goes hand in hand with a giant layout of TVs, everywhere. This uptown spot is quickly going to become a staple on football Sundays.

BL ACK BEAR BAR & GRILL {205 WASHINGTON STREE T} FOR A WALL OF TELEVISIONS Great bar food and any sports fan’s dream — their giant wall of televisions is sure to keep you satisfied {even if you’re trying to watch several games at once}. No need to bring your phone to watch the second one, Black Bear is playing every. single. game. {PS: Another fave wing spot!}

And Brass Rail actually has both — plus a kickass menu {that currently includes lobster mac and cheese}.

Mic drop.

WICKED WOLF {120 SIN ATRA DRIVE} FOR A PART Y ATMOSPHERE Not into commercials during the games? The Wolf knows, and hires a DJ to spin beats whenever there’s a break in the action. That plus a few brews on tap, and it’s pretty much a party. It’s usually packed — creating a Sunday Funday to the max.

TOP RATED NEW JERSEY SPORTSBOOKS 1. BET MGM

2. WILLIAM HILL

3. POINTSBET

4. FANDUEL

5. PLAYSUGAR

TAILGATE PARTY ESSENTIALS TAILGATE SEASON IS UPON US, WHICH CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING: IT’S FOOTBALL TIME! WHE THER YOU’RE PL ANNING A SM ALL, OLD SCHOOL SE T-UP FROM THE BACK OF YOUR TRUNK OR AN ALL-DAY PARKING LOT EXTRAVAGANZ A WITH A BIG GROUP, YOU’LL NEED THE GOODS TO M AKE SURE YOUR PREGAME PART Y RUNS SMOOTHLY. BELOW, WE’VE ROUNDED UP THE NEWEST TOOLS AND GADGE TS FOR TAILGATING YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED. IT’S TIME TO FOR YOUR TAILGATE TO TURN IT UP!

CLEVERM ADE

JAVASOK

Clevermade’s collapsible cooler keeps beverages cold for 36 hours and holds up to 50 cans + ice!

Clevermade also snaps flat, making it easy to store anywhere you go.

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Keep drinks cold and hands dry with JavaSok! This sleeve works well with all kinds of cold and frozen drinks as well.

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PRIMO Grill the best grub at the tailgate with Primo! With its one of a kind design, Primo grill outperforms all others.

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GL ASSTIC

Stay hydrated with Glasstic!

Glasstic's special design allows you to enjoy the perks of a glass water bottle without the worry of shattering or breaking it.

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SPORTICULTURE Spruce up your Tailgate party with flower arrangements, customizable to support your favorite NFL team!

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TAILGATER T WO-PERSON FOLDING ALUMINUM CH AIR Don’t fight over the one chair at your tailgate bash. This folding chair is designed for two adults and has two drink holders in the armrest, plus a shoulder strap for easy carrying.

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SMELLY PROOF Bring all your favorite Superbowl snacks to the tailgate in Smelly Proof’s ultra sturdy bags!

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GRILLERS' Corner GAME DAY GRILLING TIPS

Grab your team’s jersey and fire up the grill—it’s football season, and no game day is complete without a full spread of grilled meat and vegetables.

Whether you’re rusty on your grill skills or looking to impress your buddies with some new tricks, our grill hacks will punch up your game day experience by saving you time and effort while punching up the flavor of your favorite game day foods.

HOT DOGS

Spiral cut your hot dogs using a skewer and a knife so that they grill evenly throughout. And rather than have a slew of condiments scattered across your tailgate table, use a muffin tin to separate and place condiments. Bonus – this also cuts down on the number of dishes you have to clean and the amount of waste from your tailgate. Got an empty six-pack? (Sure you do) Use this to hold and carry condiment bottles, napkins, and other essentials.

Don’t forget the bottle opener.

RIBS

Turn your grill into a smoker by placing a tin foil pouch filled with wood chips on top of one of your burners.

Spraying apple juice on your meat as it grills or smokes

will enhance the flavor appearance, and tenderness of the finished product.

BURGERS

For those of you who don’t use pre-formed patties for burger, A) good for you, and B) hiding a single ice cube in the patty is a great way to ensure that the inside of the burger stays moist while cooking. This trick works best if you are forming the patties immediately before placing them on the grill—that way, the ice cube doesn’t melt and soak the whole burger. To retain that moisture as well as heat, allow the meat to rest for ten minutes under a loose tent of aluminum foil.

POST-GAME CLEANUP

While your grill is still hot, scrub it with the cut side of a freshly halved onion. Not only will the oils in the onion get rid of most of the residue left over on the grill, but they’ll also season the grill and add flavor for the next time it’s used.

Using these grill hacks, your tailgate or game-viewing party will crush the opposition and be a success— whether or not your team actually wins you’ll still be talk of the town.

SCORECAST SPORTSBET EXCLUSIVE! GE T DAILY SCORE SIMUL ATIONS FROM OUR EXPERTS SENT TO YOUR INBOX DAILY FREE TO SIGN UP WWW.SPORTSBE TM AGAZINE.COM

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