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Justin Herbert, Kimani Vidal lead Chargers in commanding win over Vikings

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Justin Herbert, Kimani Vidal lead Chargers in commanding win over Vikings


INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 37-10 on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium.

Four days ago, the Chargers played their worst game of the season. They were embarrassed and beaten down by the Indianapolis Colts in a 38-24 loss at home.

“We looked like s—,” a dejected Derwin James Jr. said after that game.

Even before, the Chargers had appeared out of sync. They had lost three of their past four, and their sole win, a 29-27 victory over the lifeless 1-6 Miami Dolphins, didn’t sit right with the team.

“We supposed to blow them out,” a frustrated James said then.

Ultimately, the Chargers had looked nothing like the team that began the season 3-0 by sweeping the AFC West.

But the paradigm shifted in a significant way Thursday. The Chargers played one of their best games of the season in a pummeling of Minnesota.

Playing in their first full game with tackle Joe Alt since Week 3, the Chargers did whatever they wanted on offense, and their defense shut down the Vikings to avoid their second two-game losing skid this season.

It was a much-needed win for a Chargers team spiraling into irrelevance. The win gives them a chance them to reclaim first place in the AFC West if the Denver Broncos lose on Sunday.

Trend to watch: Justin Herbert‘s interceptions.

Herbert’s ability to hit throws that few other quarterbacks in the NFL can replicate is what makes him great, but this season he has also put the ball in harm’s way. He threw his seventh interception of the year Thursday. Herbert was backed up against the Chargers’ goal line, rolling to his left, and tried to hit a smothered Ladd McConkey with a pass that was tipped and intercepted. The Vikings scored their first touchdown on the next drive. In this game, where the Chargers dominated, it was a meaningless turnover, but Herbert’s poor decision-making in recent weeks could hurt the Chargers if it continues.

Most surprising performance: Kimani Vidal.

The Chargers’ sixth-round pick in 2024, who was released after the team cut the roster to 53 players, racked up 117 yards on 23 carries and scored his first career rushing touchdown.

Vidal also had a standout performance against the Dolphins in Week 5, with 124 rushing yards against the league’s worst run defense, but until Thursday, that game seemed like an anomaly. By dashing a defense that held the Philadelphia EaglesSaquon Barkley to just 44 yards and 2.4 rushing yards per carry just last week, Thursday proved Vidal can be a consistent impact player.

Stat to know: Oronde Gadsden II is the first rookie tight end since Mike Ditka in 1961 with 240 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a two-game span.

Gadsden, who finished with five catches for 77 yards and a touchdown, has emerged as one of Herbert’s favorite targets and one of the Chargers’ best receiving tight ends in recent memory. A fifth-round rookie, Gadsden had the most receiving yards by a Chargers tight end since Antonio Gates in 2009 in last week’s game, when he finished with seven catches for 164 yards and a score. He appears to be headed toward having a significant role in the passing offense this season.

Next game: at Tennessee Titans (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 2)


There is no sugarcoating it. The Vikings played one of their worst games in the four-year Kevin O’Connell era Thursday night, and it left them at a crossroads in a season that is rapidly deteriorating.

It was the second-worst loss in the O’Connell era by point differential. The worst was a 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in 2022.

The Vikings are now 3-4 and squarely positioned in last place of the NFC North, with the NFL’s most difficult remaining schedule ahead of them. The Chargers, losers in three of their previous four games, dominated them in every phase. The Vikings are ravaged by injuries, which continued to pile up Thursday as tight end Josh Oliver (foot) and cornerback Jeff Okudah (concussion) were added to the list, and the team is now facing a massive competitive decision.

Will the Vikings deem quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) ready to return for their next game, Nov. 2 at the Detroit Lions? And if so, will they stick with him no matter how he plays — knowing their playoff hopes are in the balance?

The Vikings committed to a cash payroll this season of more than $350 million, hoping they could compete for a deep playoff run while developing McCarthy in real time. It doesn’t look good for the former, and now it might be time to find out about the latter.

Most surprising performance: The Chargers gashed the Vikings’ defense in every way imaginable. Some opponents have managed to accumulate yards against them this season, but before Thursday night, the Vikings had at least been able to limit scoring.

They entered the game tied for No. 10 in the NFL with an average of 20 offensive points allowed per game. But they had no answers Thursday for Justin Herbert, who weaved through their blitzes to rush for 62 yards and throw three touchdowns. The Chargers faced little resistance in amassing a total of 419 yards and 29 first downs.

What to make of Wentz’s performance: In what might have been his last start for a while, Carson Wentz was clearly in pain throughout the game — largely because of a left shoulder injury suffered Oct. 5 that is still requiring a harness. He also appeared to hit his throwing hand on Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack‘s helmet in the first half.

It’s admirable that Wentz kept pushing through, but at times it was tough to watch. Rookie Max Brosmer would have been next in, and the Vikings likely didn’t want to expose him to the mess Wentz was experiencing.

Trend to watch: The Vikings played almost the entire game without their starting tackles, Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, even though both had played every snap in Week 7.

O’Neill (right knee) was inactive and Darrisaw (left knee) left after nine snaps and did not return. That left the Vikings to go most of the way with backup Justin Skule at left tackle and third-string tackle Walter Rouse on the right side. It wasn’t a recipe for creating running lanes or protecting the quarterback, and it showed. The Vikings finished with 34 rushing yards and took five sacks.

Next game: at Detroit Lions (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 2)



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Jays’ Bichette, Dodgers’ Kershaw on WS rosters

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Jays’ Bichette, Dodgers’ Kershaw on WS rosters


TORONTO — Bo Bichette, who has not played since spraining his left knee in early September, was added to the Toronto Blue Jays‘ roster for the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Blue Jays also included first baseman Ty France on their roster for the first time this postseason. Outfielder Joey Loperfido and right-handed reliever Yariel Rodriguez, who were on the American League Championship Series roster, were not included.

The question is how limited is Bichette.

A two-time All-Star shortstop, Bichette has not played in a game since injuring his knee in a collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells on Sept. 6. He attempted to return in time for the AL Championship Series but could not run the bases without significant pain the day before the Blue Jays had to submit their roster.

Bichette worked out at second base and faced live pitching Wednesday and Thursday. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Bichette could play second base, shortstop or serve as the team’s designated hitter. If he is the DH, George Springer would likely move to right field.

A free agent this winter, Bichette had a rebound season after posting a .598 OPS in 81 games in an injury-plagued 2024 campaign. The homegrown star, 27, finished second in the majors with a .311 batting average and hit 18 home runs with 94 RBI and an .840 OPS.

Without him, the Blue Jays have played Andres Gimenez, their regular second baseman, at shortstop in the postseason with Isiah Kiner-Falefa getting most of the starts at second base.

Los Angeles added right-handers Edgardo Henriquez and Will Klein while dropping lefty Alex Vesia and righty Ben Casparius. The Dodgers said Thursday that Vesia was not with the team in Toronto because of a family matter.

Former closer Tanner Scott was not added. The left-hander was dropped from the National League Division Series roster following surgery on Oct. 8 to remove of an abscess from an infection on his lower body.

Clayton Kershaw, who was left off the Dodgers’ wild-card series roster and did not pitch in the NL Championship Series, is on the World Series roster. Kershaw has said he plans to retire after this season.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.



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Grateful Ducks: Oregon’s Grateful Dead uniforms top best Week 9 threads in college football

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Grateful Ducks: Oregon’s Grateful Dead uniforms top best Week 9 threads in college football


Oregon brings the heat with its uniforms every week, but few of its many combinations have a backstory like the threads it’ll be wearing in Week 9 against Wisconsin.

On Sunday, Oregon unveiled its “Grateful Ducks” uniforms, a tribute to the famed band the Grateful Dead.

The Grateful Dead have a deep connection to the Ducks’ home city of Eugene — the band played at Autzen Stadium 10 times between 1974 and 1994. Over the summer, Oregon announced that the stadium theme — a “tie-dye out” — for the school’s Week 9 game against the Badgers would honor the band.

Fittingly, the Ducks’ uniforms this week will draw upon similar themes. At first glance, the Grateful Ducks threads look like a simple enough black-and-green Oregon combination. But the details are both plentiful and aesthetically excellent.

Most notably, the green numbers and the trademark “O” logos on the helmet contain tie-dye patterns. The jersey shoulders contain distinct patches that mix the school’s colors with the band’s “Steal Your Face” motif. Inside the collar and on the back of the helmet is a line of the Grateful Dead’s “dancing bears” — swapping in ducks for the bears.

Oregon isn’t the only school bringing out memorable threads this week, though. Here are the top uniforms from around the college football world in Week 9:

A great uniform can be elevated to another level with a memorable reveal, with New Mexico achieving such a feat this week.

The Lobos’ Week 9 throwback uniforms are aesthetically incredible — turquoise jerseys coupled with gray helmets featuring a simple red Zia emblem, which is found on the state flag of New Mexico.

But New Mexico’s reveal video was every bit as good as the uniforms themselves. Lobos coach Jason Eck and several players drove around Albuquerque in their riff of the movie “Gone in 60 seconds.”

Miami will ditch its usual color scheme of orange, green and white against Stanford for a new look: camouflage.

The Hurricanes’ “Honor and Support” threads mark a tribute to those who have served in the military. Details include a camouflage pattern on the jersey and an American flag patch on the sleeves, with pale green pants. A black helmet also features the school’s classic “U” logo in camouflage coloring.

It’s homecoming weekend for Mississippi State, and it is pulling out a slick uniform combination for the occasion.

The highlight comes on the helmets, which feature the school’s interlocking “MSU” motif on a maroon background for the first time this season. The lids will be paired with a traditional combination of jersey and pants — a maroon jersey and gray pants, with white accenting throughout.

They didn’t bring Florida International any good luck in a 45-26 loss to the Kennesaw State on Tuesday, but the Panthers’ Week 9 threads were still extremely slick.

FIU pulled out its Vice uniforms for the matchup with the Owls, a look that adds a number of bold neon highlights to a black base. The uniform’s helmets include neon pink face masks, a neon blue and pink panther logo on the helmet and a 305 area code on the front of the helmet, with the “0” represented by a panther.





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Alleged mob ties in NBA scandal recall La Cosa Nostra’s long shadow over sports

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Alleged mob ties in NBA scandal recall La Cosa Nostra’s long shadow over sports


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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the arrest of 34 individuals, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA guard and coach Damon Jones, as part of a widespread investigation into an illegal gambling scheme.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed at a news conference in New York on Thursday that the investigation was tied to a probe involving members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families focused on an illegal gambling operation and sports-rigging operations that “spanned the course of years.”

“Not only did we crack into the fraud that these perpetrators committed on the grand stage of the NBA, but we also entered and executed a system of justice against La Cosa Nostra to include the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime families.”

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“It takes courageous prosecutors to stand before you and say, we will not allow this kind of illicit activity to happen, not only at the national sporting level, but also where it hides in La Cosa Nostra,” Patel added. “And when these two collided together, they perpetrated a fraud that is historic in terms of not just money, but the scheme and the deceit that they utilize to steal and swindle people from money to include crypto fraud.”

NBA coach Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested on Thursday for alleged involvement in illegal gambling. Billups, a former Detroit Pistons star and member of the NBA Hall of Fame, was arrested in connection with rigged illegal poker games tied to the Mafia, FBI Director Kash Patel said. Rozier and a former NBA player, Damon Jones, were arrested in a sports betting case, Patel said at a press conference in New York.  (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella clarified that two indictments were announced Thursday, both involving fraud. The first focused on sports betting, and the second involved illegal gambling connected to “rigged poker games.”

“These defendants, which include former professional athletes, used high-tech cheating technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games that were secretly fixed,” Nocella said. “The games in the New York area were backed by the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families of La Cosa Nostra.”

The games were alleged to have taken place in the Hamptons, Las Vegas, Miami, and Manhattan. Nocella alleged that Billups and Jones were used as “face cards” to draw in targeted victims, known as “fish,” looking to play alongside former professional athletes.

NBA PLAYER TERRY ROZIER’S LAWYER SLAMS FBI AFTER ARREST

“What the victims, the fish, didn’t know is that everybody else at the poker game, from the dealer to the players, including the face cards, were in on the scam.”

Nocella said the crime families became involved as a result of having “preexisting control over non-rigged illegal poker games” in New York. Of the 34 defendants, 13 are alleged members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese crime families, including high-ranking “capos and soldiers from these families.”

La Cosa Nostra

According to the FBI, the La Cosa Nostra (LCN) crime families evolved from the Sicilian Mafia and are a New York-based network consisting of five “families”: Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese. Its prevalence in the United States dates back to the 1920s.

Other cities with active LCN ties include Philadelphia, Detroit, and Chicago, and the New England area.

Among the alleged crimes these organizations are said to be involved in, several notable cases have involved major sports scandals. In the United States, there is a long history of sports betting and match-fixing crimes that have been tied to organized crime, both directly and indirectly. 

Boxing 1950s-1960s

Boxing manager Frank Carbo

American gangster and boxing manager Frank Carbo leaving the Beach Street police station in New York after receiving a 10-point indictment over irregularities in his professional boxing affairs on Aug. 7, 1959.    (Neal Boenzi/New York Times Co./Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Frank “Frankie” Carbo, a known Lucchese soldier, and his longtime partner Frank “Blinky” Palermo were convicted in 1961 of extortion and conspiracy after using threats and intimidation to control world welterweight champion Don Jordan. The case exposed the mob’s control over the sport at the time, highlighted by Carbo and Palermo’s influence over fighters and promotions. The convictions were later upheld, and the case exposed deep corruption that, decades later, helped spur reform movements culminating in the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 and the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000.

HEAT’S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI SPORTS BETTING PROBE

1951 college basketball point-shaving scandal

Al Roth and Ed Warner walked by detectives

Two city college basketball stars, Al Roth (foreground) and Ed Warner (with hat) are escorted by detectives into the Elizabeth Street Station House for booking on charges of bribery. Police said that the two Beaver stars, along with teammate Ed Roman and three other men, had confessed their parts in a new basketball fix scandal, involving the “throwing” of several city games this season.  (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York uncovered a widespread point-shaving scheme involving players from several major programs, including City College of New York (CCNY) and Long Island University (LIU), who accepted bribes connected to organized crime gambling syndicates in New York. The investigation resulted in more than 30 indictments and led to prison time for key figures and lifetime bans from the NBA for players involved. No specific crime family was ever formally charged in the case, but one of the main fixers, Salvatore T. Sollazzo, was reported to have known ties to New York’s underworld gambling network.

Boston College men’s basketball point-shaving scandal

Rick Kuhn Boston College

Rick Kuhn (#35) during Boston College men’s basketball’s 1978-1979 season.  (Joe Dennehy/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

One of the clearest examples of La Cosa Nostra’s reach in sports was the 1978-79 scandal involving Boston College and two associates of the Lucchese crime family. The two associates, Henry Hill and James “Jimmy the Gent” Burke, paid players thousands of dollars to manipulate game scores for betting profits during that season with the help of Pittsburgh bookmaker Paul Mazzei. The FBI’s investigation and federal prosecution led to multiple convictions, including Boston College player Rick Kuhn, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Burke was sentenced to 12 years, but Hill avoided direct prosecution for the scandal in exchange for his cooperation with authorities.

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Several other illegal sports betting and gambling operations linked to crime families in New York have been prosecuted over the years. This year, five members and associates of the Lucchese crime family pleaded guilty to running an illegal online betting operation that collected an estimated $1 million annually over several years of operation. In 2024, 17 individuals tied to the Gambino family were indicted for a sports gambling operation that handled over $22 million in illegal bets, the Office of the New York State Attorney General announced at the time.

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