Browsing: Criticized

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander powered the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 121–92 victory over Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Wednesday night.

With the win, Oklahoma City extended its winning streak to four games and improved to 12–1 on the season, while the Lakers dropped to 8–4.

Doncic paced the Lakers with 19 points, seven assists and seven rebounds, but his effort wasn’t enough to lift Los Angeles past the surging Thunder as the Lakers were criticized for their loss.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 30 points, five rebounds and nine assists, shooting an efficient 10-of-18 from the field while setting the tone on both ends. Isaiah Joe added 21 points off the bench, along with five assists and two steals, providing a key spark to keep the Thunder’s offense rolling.

The Thunder held a dominant 70-38 point lead over the Lakers at halftime, led by 18 points from Gilgeous-Alexander, while the Lakers’ Doncic entered the break with 11 points.

Oklahoma City carried a commanding 100–64 lead into the fourth quarter and, with starters resting, cruised to a decisive 29-point victory.

The Thunder will hit the road to face the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday while the Lakers will face the New Orleans Pelicans on the road on Friday.

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A second early bye week might not have been enough time for Bill Belichick to solve the problems with UNC’s offense.

The Tar Heels returned from the break only to fall behind 14-10 in Saturday’s first half against Cal.

North Carolina was outgained 163-152 through two quarters as college football fans questioned why the program’s head coach ability to recover from the early deficit.

North Carolina’s opening drive ended in lost fumble from Shanard Clower. It took Cal just four plays to run the ball in for a touchdown the other way.

UNC tied the game on an 18-yard touchdown run from Benjamin Hall later in the quarter, although Belichick’s defense was unable to stop Jacob De Jesus from putting the Golden Bears back in front with a one-handed touchdown reception.

The Tar Heels held the Golden Bears without a point in the second quarter, but had to settle for just a 41-yard field goal of their own.

Belichick’s team went into the break still trailing four total punts in the final three minutes of the half.

North Carolina is off to a 2-3 start to the season, most recently having dropped consecutive blowouts to UCF and Clemson.

Belichick’s debut season as a college coach has been further marred by off-field drama surrounding his and general manager Michael Lombardi’s management of the program.

The UNC head coach will look to get positive media attention back on the field by leading his team to a comeback victory in the second half of Saturday night’s ACC matchup.

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The WWE developmental system is under fire once again, and this time itâ€s not just about who got cut — itâ€s how and when.

Over the weekend, a batch of talent from WWEâ€s NXT and ID programs were released, including former champions and fresh prospects alike. But what really sparked outrage was the inclusion of Kylie Rae — who is reportedly pregnant.

During the October 12, 2025 episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer broke down the situation, with Meltzer not holding back his criticism. The mass cuts, which hit on Friday, October 10, included names like Wes Lee, Stevie Turner, and a wave of lesser-known ID prospects such as Jamar Hampton, BJ Ray, Hayes Jameson, and Summer Sorrell. BodySlam.net confirmed the list also included Drako Knox, Jin Tala, and Zayda Steel — the latter two having already announced their exits last week.

But the Kylie Rae release is the one that raised serious questions. Meltzer pointed out that Rae, age 33, didnâ€t seem like a natural fit for the early-stage WWE ID program — but WWEâ€s decision to cut her while sheâ€s expecting went too far. Meltzer gave it to the audience straight:

“The Kylie Rae one, from an optics standpoint, of course, looks terrible — because sheâ€s pregnant. And, you know, the thing is, itâ€s like… these contracts are very low money. I donâ€t know the exact number, but theyâ€re very, very low.â€

He continued by questioning the need to rush her out of the system given her minimal cost to the company:

“Because the cost is so low, I just felt like… you can let her give birth, give her a couple of months. Donâ€t cut a woman when sheâ€s pregnant. I just think that, you know, when youâ€re a billion-dollar company and youâ€re paying next to nothing — itâ€s just kind of like a bad… it was bad optics that arenâ€t worth it.â€

Meltzer also noted that Rae had been a strong performer in the past, but questioned why WWE signed her to ID in the first place at her age and experience level:

“Sheâ€s 33. Sheâ€s not going to get particularly better in a hurry. Sheâ€s good. Sheâ€s been good. She was good six years ago.â€

Alvarez made it clear this wasnâ€t a money-saving move either. According to him, WWEâ€s cuts are all about performance and fast-tracking potential:

“WWE cuts were not budget related. They have over 130 people in developmental and hire more regularly. If youâ€re not progressing fast enough or they feel you donâ€t have what it takes for main roster, youâ€re out to make room for someone new.â€

Wes Leeâ€s exit was another shocking name on the list. After a standout run in MSK and holding the NXT North American Championship for 269 days — the longest reign in that titleâ€s history — he was let go after nearly a year off with a back injury. Stevie Turner, once pegged as a future leader of WWEâ€s EVOLVE brand, was also cut despite her growing onscreen role.

This entire round of cuts signals WWEâ€s new cutthroat approach to developmental: you either rise fast or get replaced. But in the case of Kylie Rae, many are asking if this “out with the old†policy went too far — and if WWE may be facing a storm of criticism that could have easily been avoided.

WWE hasnâ€t issued a public statement on the situation yet.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.

What do you think about WWE releasing Kylie Rae while she’s pregnant? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

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Shota Imanaga and the Chicago Cubs pitching staff struggled in a 7-3 loss Monday to the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers, falling to 2-0 in the National League Division Series.

The Cubs jumped out to a 3-0 lead early, thanks to a Seiya Suzuki homer with two on, but their offense quickly stalled, and the pitching staff couldn’t contain the Brewers.

Ace Shota Imanaga lasted 2.2 innings, giving up five hits and four earned runs while striking out three, ending with an 8.10 ERA over 46 pitches. Reliever Daniel Palencia followed in the third, allowing two hits and three earned runs in one inning, posting a 6.72 ERA on 18 pitches.

Down 7-3 in the bottom of the fourth, Drew Pomeranz entered and closed out the inning on a pop out, but the Cubs’ pitching troubles persisted. Colin Rea finished the outing, allowing four hits over 3.1 innings.

Fans took to social media to react to the Cubs’ continued pitching woes, highlighting the challenges Chicago faces as it tries to turn around the series.

The winner between the No. 4 Cubs and No. 1 Brewers will face the victor of the series between the No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers and No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers currently hold a 2-0 lead.

The series shifts to Chicago on Wednesday for Game 3.

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After all of the noise surrounding them throughout the week, the Philadelphia Eagles fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 21-17 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

The defeat marks Philadelphia’s first loss since Week 16 last season. This is the first loss in a game that Jalen Hurts didn’t leave early due to injury in more than a year when the Eagles were defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 29, 2024.

Hurts actually had his best passing game of the season by yardage. The reigning Super Bowl MVP lost this game despite Hurts having his best passing game of the season. He finished 23-of-38 for 280yards and two touchdowns.

Hurts’ longest throw of the day was a 52-yard strike to DeVonta Smith, who finished with a season-high 114yards on eight catches. He also had a 47-yard touchdown pass to Saquon Barkley.

A.J. Brown, who was at the center of much of last week’s discussion, once again had minimal impact on a game with five catches for 43 yards.

The Eagles, who have mastered the art of running out the clock with a late lead, saw their 14-point advantage in the fourth quarter evaporate quickly.

The Broncos scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions in the final period, then converted a two-point conversion after the second one to take an 18-17 lead with 7:36 remaining. They added a field goal with just over one minute left to play to force the Eagles to get a touchdown to win.

Philadelphia looked like it was going to immediately respond on its ensuing possession, but an illegal shift penalty on fourth-and-4 negated a 30-yard catch by Smith. Nick Sirianni elected to punt the ball back to the Broncos with just over five minutes left to play.

The Eagles came really close to getting the game-winning touchdown on the final play when Hurts’ pass hit Smith in the hands before getting knocked away.

Eagles Lose 1st Game 😱

The officials didn’t help matters by appearing to miss a pass interference call on Dallas Goedert on the final drive that would have put the ball around the 10-yard line with nine seconds to play.

Fans were once again not pleased with what they saw from the Eagles offense.

All of the handwringing about Hurts and the passing game is ignoring how much the rushing attack is struggling in Philadelphia right now. Barkley had more receiving yardage on his touchdown catch than he did rushing yards in the entire game (30 on six carries).

Barkley has now been held under 100 rushing yards in each of the first five games this season, matching his total from all of 2024 in 16 games. His six carries on Sunday were his fewest in a game as a member of the Eagles.

Even accounting for the strength of Denver’s defense, it’s odd that the Eagles abandoned the run to this extent. They only had a total of 11 carries in the game, compared to 38 pass attempts for Hurts.

It’s too early to say that this season is going in the same direction as 2023 when everything collapsed after a 10-1 start—there’s little chance of the defense being as bad as that group from two years ago—but there seem to be some parallel vibes right now.

The Eagles have a short week before they take on the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Thursday. If their struggles continue in that game against a division opponent with a rookie quarterback, the panic meter will hit off-the-charts levels for the defending Super Bowl champs.

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A double-overtime interception sealed the deal for the No. 6 Oregon Ducks who silenced a white-out crowd at Beaver Stadium, knocking off No. 3 Penn State, 30-24, on Saturday to improve to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in Big Ten play.

Penn State senior quarterback Drew Allar threw for 137 yards on 14-of-25 passing with two touchdowns and the costly double overtime interception that sealed the Nittany Lions fate.

Running back Kaytron Allen ran in a touchdown and Allar connected with Devonte Ross for both of his passing touchdowns while Ross added 48 yards.

The Big Ten battle marked Oregon’s second straight conference win, following a victory over Northwestern last week. Penn State fell to 3-1 (0-1 Big Ten) with the loss.

Ducks sophomore quarterback Dante Moore completed 29-of-39 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with Gary Bryant Jr. who finished with 55 yards and a touchdown. Dierre Hill Jr. and Jamari Johnnson also hauled in scores, while Jordon Davison added a rushing touchdown.

Fans reacted to Allar’s costly overtime interception, which ended Penn State’s near-miraculous comeback bid against Oregon.

Oregon and Penn State entered halftime tied at 3-3 after both defenses held firm and kept the offenses out of the end zone through the first 30 minutes.

The Nittany Lions opened the scoring with a 49-yard field goal from Ryan Barker, but Oregon’s Atticus Sappington answered with a 42-yarder before the break, redeeming himself after an earlier miss from 47 yards.

Following a near-fumble that was overturned in Oregon’s favor, the Ducks capitalized on their opening drive of the second half. Moore connected with Hill Jr. to give Oregon a 10-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

On their first possession of the final frame, Davison punched in an 8-yard rushing touchdown, extending the Ducks’ lead to two scores. But Penn State answered quickly, marching down the field in just four plays and capping the drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Allar to Ross. The Nittany Lions trailed 17-10 with 10:30 remaining in regulation.

Allar and the Nittany Lions marched down the field on a 15-play, near-seven-minute drive, capping it with a touchdown pass to Ross to tie the game at 17 with 30 seconds remaining to send it into overtime.

Allen and Penn State found the end zone in overtime, putting pressure on Oregon to respond with one of their own. The Ducks answered as Moore connected with Johnson on a 2-yard touchdown pass to force a second overtime.

Oregon struck quickly in the second overtime, as Moore connected with Bryant Jr. for a touchdown on the first play. On Penn State’s ensuing possession, Dillon Thieneman intercepted Allar to seal the win for the Ducks.

Oregon will enter a bye week before hosting No. 11 Indiana on Oct. 11.

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Two overtimes wasn’t enough for Mike Norvell and No. 8 Florida State to find a way to beat unranked UVA.

Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris’s four-yard touchdown run in double overtime ended up making the difference in a 46-38 upset of visiting FSU.

College football fans criticized Norvell for the continuation of Florida State’s struggles against ACC teams.

The Seminoles have gone 1-8 in games against ACC opponents dating back to the start of the 2024 season.

That marked the worst in-conference record in program history, beating out the 2-6 ACC record the Seminoles recorded during Norvell’s first season with the program in 2020.

The loss drops Florida State’s ACC record to 20-21 in parts of six seasons under Norvell.

Florida State came within one point of tying Virginia with 36 seconds left in regulation, after Tommy Castellanos found Randy Pittman Jr. in the end zone on a 4th-and-goal from the UVA 11-yard line.

Norvell had Jake Weinberg go for the extra point rather than attempt a potential game-winning two-point conversion.

FSU’s inability to respond to Virginia’s second-overtime touchdown left fans questioning Norvell’s decision not to go for two points on that final drive of regulation.

Norvell begin his Friday night press conference by telling reporters he was “extremely disappointed with the outcome tonight,” per Field Level Media’s Curt Weiler.

Losing the ACC season opener dulled some of the excitement Florida State picked up after opening the season with an upset of No. 8 Alabama.

FSU then climbed to No. 8 in the AP poll after defeating non-major East Texas A&M and non-major Kent State.

A loss to Virginia will hurt that ranking and call into question whether Norvell and his program have fully turned things around from last season’s 2-10 campaign, after which the head coach agreed to a one-year restructured contract.

The pressure will be on Norvell to lead the Seminoles to a bounce-back victory when conference play continues for Florida State next Saturday with a home game against No. 2 Miami.

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The Kansas City Chiefs played the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football, but neither team offered a particularly primetime experience.

The Chiefs survived an offensive slog, winning 22-9 behind Patrick Mahomes’ 224 passing yards and a touchdown.

Those numbers may not jump off the page, but they were downright brilliant compared to Russell Wilson’s moonball-or-bust approach in the loss, as the veteran quarterback threw for just 160 yards, two interceptions and took two sacks.

The most exciting player on the night may have been New York’s rookie running back, Cam Skattebo, who had 10 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown and added six catches for 61 yards. He was basically the team’s entire offense, as the Chiefs largely took star receiver Malik Nabers (two catches for 13 yards on seven targets) out of the game.

So in the end, the Chiefs came away with the win, but it was a rather laborious watch. NFL fans were particularly unimpressed with Wilson, with Giants fans calling for rookie Jaxson Dart mid-game:

The Giants have featured Dart on a few plays here and there during the season but have stuck with Wilson as the starter thus far. That didn’t look like the worst decision in a thrilling overtime loss a week ago against a terrible Dallas Cowboys defense, but he looked pretty rough against the Chiefs.

Everybody knows that Wilson is essentially keeping the seat warm for Dart as the Giants choose to bring him along slowly. At some point, however, keeping Wilson on the field will be hard to justify if he strings together more poor performances.

New York fans, certainly, have seen enough.

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Drake Maye and the New England Patriots fell to Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-14, on Saturday at home after a turnover-filled offensive performance.

Maye struggled throughout the night, completing 28-of-37 passes for 268 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and a lost fumble, while taking five sacks. Both of Maye’s touchdown passes went to tight end Hunter Henry, who finished with eight catches for 90 yards.

Turnovers proved costly, as three different Patriots coughed up the ball in the loss. Maye turned it over twice, Rhamondre Stevenson lost two fumbles and Antonio Gibson added another in what was a sloppy outing for New England, which dropped to 1-2 on the season.

The Steelers, meanwhile, improved to 2-1 behind Rodgers, who had an uneven performance but did enough to secure the win. Rodgers completed 16-of-23 passes for 139 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, connecting with DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III for the scores.

Maye and the offense were called out by NFL fans after struggling to protect the football, committing five turnovers in a shaky performance.

New England opened the game with a fumble, followed by an interception in the second quarter. Despite the early miscues, the Patriots trailed just 14-7 at halftime.

Things didn’t improve after the break. The Patriots fumbled on both of their third-quarter possessions, but the defense held strong, somehow keeping the Steelers off the scoreboard.

New England tied the game at 14 early in the fourth quarter, but the turnover woes continued. With 7:41 left, quarterback Maye scrambled on a broken play, only to be sacked and stripped for the team’s fifth turnover of the night.

This time, the Patriots were not so lucky, the Steelers charged down the field and Rodgers connected with Calvin Austin III for a touchdown to a 21-14 advantage with just over two minutes remaining.Â

The Steelers came up big with a fourth-and-one stop to seal the win — a play on which DeMario Douglas initially had a chance but ran backward, losing ground — as the turnovers ultimately proved too costly for New England.

The Patriots will face the Carolina Panthers at home next Sunday.Â

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw a late fourth quarter interception in his team’s 31-21 road loss to the Buffalo…