- As Diablo 4 hits a new wave of problems in Season 3, Blizzard says it’s monitoring early impressions and “will be discussing feedback internally” Gamesradar
- The only pal I want is my robot spider in Diablo 4’s most challenging season yet PC Gamer
- Blizzard admits Diablo 4 Season 3 “can be improved” after a bad start PCGamesN
- Diablo 4 added 5 new Uniques in Season 3, but the bad news is they’re tied to a boss that everyone hates grinding Gamesradar
- Diablo 4 players claim new Season 3 feature is “severely underwhelming” CharlieINTEL.com
Tag Archives: discussing
Inside DLSS 3.5 and Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty: discussing the future of PC graphics – Eurogamer.net
- Inside DLSS 3.5 and Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty: discussing the future of PC graphics Eurogamer.net
- I’ve tested Nvidia’s latest ray tracing magic in Cyberpunk 2077 and it’s a no-brainer: at worst it’s just better-looking, at best it’s that and a whole lot more performance PC Gamer
- Nvidia Says Native Resolution Gaming is Out, DLSS is Here to Stay Tom’s Hardware
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – Official NVIDIA DLSS 3.5 and Full Ray Tracing Overview Trailer IGN
- Big savings on this 40-series DLSS 3.5 ready graphics card on Amazon WePC – PC Tech & PC Gaming News
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Milo Ventimiglia gets emotional discussing his dad’s impact on how he played his role on This Is Us – Daily Mail
- Milo Ventimiglia gets emotional discussing his dad’s impact on how he played his role on This Is Us Daily Mail
- Milo Ventimiglia Gets Emotional On ‘The View’ Talking About His Wonderful Dad Who Was His Inspiration On ‘This Is Us’ Yahoo Entertainment
- ‘This Is Us’ Star Milo Ventimiglia Gets Emotional on ‘The View’ While Discussing His Father Just Jared
- Why One Heroes Star Nearly Quit Acting After NBC Show Ended Screen Rant
- Milo Ventimiglia recalls hard days in Hollywood: ‘I couldn’t get work but….’ Hindustan Times
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Yoon says South Korea, U.S. discussing exercises using nuclear assets
SEOUL, Jan 2 (Reuters) – South Korea and the United States are discussing possible joint planning and exercises using U.S. nuclear assets in the face of North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said in a newspaper interview.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted Yoon as saying the joint planning and exercises would be aimed at a more effective implementation of the U.S. “extended deterrence.”
The term means the ability of the U.S. military, particularly its nuclear forces, to deter attacks on U.S. allies.
“The nuclear weapons belong to the United States, but planning, information sharing, exercises and training should be jointly conducted by South Korea and the United States,” Yoon said, adding Washington is also “quite positive” about the idea.
Yoon’s remarks come a day after North Korean state media reported that its leader Kim Jong Un called for developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and an “exponential increase” of the country’s nuclear arsenal to counter U.S.-led threats amid flaring tension between the rival Koreas.
The North’s race to advance its nuclear and missile programmes has renewed debate over South Korea’s own nuclear armaments, but Yoon said maintaining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons remained important.
At a meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party last week, Kim said South Korea has now become the North’s “undoubted enemy” and rolled out new military goals, hinting at another year of intensive weapons tests and tension.
Inter-Korean ties have long been testy but have been even more frayed since Yoon took office in May.
On Sunday, North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast, in a rare late-night, New Year’s Day weapons test, following three ballistic missiles launched on Saturday, capping a year marked by a record number of missile tests.
Yoon’s comments on the nuclear exercises are the latest demonstration of his tough stance on North Korea. He urged the military to prepare for a war with “overwhelming” capability following North Korean drones crossing into the South last week.
Analysts say the tensions could worsen.
“This year could be a year of crisis with military tension on the Korean peninsula going beyond what it was like in 2017,” said Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, referring to the days of the “fire and fury” under the Trump administration.
“North Korea’s hardline stance…and aggressive weapons development when met with South Korea-U.S. joint exercises and proportional response could raise the tension in a flash, and we cannot rule out what’s similar to a regional conflict when the two sides have a misunderstanding of the situation,” Hong said.
Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
CDC is discussing using oral polio vaccine for first time in 20 years
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering using the oral polio vaccine for the first time in more than 20 years to stop an outbreak in the greater New York City metropolitan area that left an adult paralyzed over the summer.
“We are in discussions with our New York State and New York City colleagues about the use of nOPV,” said Dr. Janell Routh, the CDC’s team leader for domestic polio, referring to the novel oral polio vaccine.
“It will be a process. It’s not something that we can pull the trigger on and have it appear overnight,” Routh told CNBC on Friday. “There will be lots of thought and discussion about the reintroduction of an oral polio vaccine into the United States,” she said.
The New York State Department of Health, in a statement, said it is collaborating with the CDC on potential future options to respond to the outbreak.
U.S. drug regulators pulled the oral vaccine off shelves in 2000 because it contains a live — but weakened — strain of the virus that can, in rare circumstances, mutate into a virulent form that is contagious and potentially paralyze people who are not vaccinated.
Scientists believe this latest outbreak was caused by someone who was vaccinated with the live virus overseas and started a chain of transmission that eventually found its way to the U.S. Sewage samples in New York are linked to earlier samples in London and Jerusalem. It’s unclear where the transmission began originally.
While the oral vaccine doesn’t normally cause polio that paralyzes people, this one did because it was able to mutate into more virulent strains while spreading among people who weren’t vaccinated.
The U.S. currently uses the inactivated polio vaccine which is administered as a shot and contains chemically killed virus that cannot replicate, mutate or cause disease. While New York state health officials have launched an immunization drive with the inactivated polio shots, that vaccine hasn’t stopped this outbreak.
The CDC has set up a work group within its committee of independent vaccine advisors to develop criteria for when the novel oral polio vaccine might need to be used to stop the current outbreak in the New York City area and potential future ones. The work group met publicly for the first time on Wednesday and includes experts from New York.
“Since this outbreak occurred in New York, it was determined that we need to revisit polio. It’s really that simple,” said Dr. Oliver Brooks, the workgroup chairperson and chief medical officer at Watts Healthcare in Los Angeles.
The problem is that although the inactivated vaccine is highly effective at preventing paralysis, it does not stop transmission of the virus. The oral polio vaccine is much more effective at stopping transmission of the virus and is normally used to quash outbreaks.
The poliovirus strain currently circulating in the New York City metro area mutated from and is genetically linked to the Sabin Type 2 strain used in an older version of the oral polio vaccine.
The U.S., if needed, would use the novel oral polio vaccine which is a safer and newer version that is more stable and carries a much lower risk of mutating into a virus strain that can spread and cause disease in people who are unvaccinated, according to Routh.
The novel oral polio vaccine was developed to stop poliovirus outbreaks caused by the less stable older version of the vaccine, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. More than 450 million doses have been administered in 21 countries around the world.
Any decision to use the novel oral polio vaccine would require either an approval or emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. CNBC has reached out to FDA for comment.
Routh, during the CDC advisors’ meeting Wednesday, said the goal of the public health response is to prevent further cases of paralysis, but also to eliminate circulation of the virus in wastewater.
“As long as we have wastewater detections of this circulating virus linked back to the case patient’s virus, we know there is ongoing transmission in the community even without paralysis,” Routh said.
The World Health Organization recommends that countries using the inactivated vaccine, such as the U.S., consider deploying the novel oral polio vaccine if the inactivated shots don’t stop the outbreak.
“If we start to see this virus break out of its current geography and population, I think then we need to start thinking about other methods,” Routh said during Wednesday’s meeting.
An unvaccinated adult in Rockland County, New York was paralyzed in June after contracting poliovirus. It was the first known U.S. case in nearly a decade and the first in New York since 1990. There have been no further cases of paralysis so far, though New York state health officials have warned that unvaccinated people are at serious risk and should get up to date on their shots immediately.
The CDC considers a single case of paralytic polio a public health emergency. Most people who catch poliovirus do not show symptoms, so when someone is paralyzed it’s an indication that the virus has been spreading widely and silently.
The New York State Department of Health has detected poliovirus in sewage dating back to April and as recently as September in several counties in the New York City area. The virus has been detected in 70 sewage samples across Rockland, Sullivan, Orange, Nassau, Kings and Queens counties.
The U.S. was declared polio free in 1979.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in September and Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett declared the spread of poliovirus an imminent threat to public health.
Internal documents show Facebook and Google discussing platform strategies
New internal documents released Tuesday detail how three of Big Tech’s most prominent companies favored their own products as a means of stamping out competition. Their release comes as lawmakers push to approve stronger antitrust legislation by the end of the year.
The documents were obtained by the House Judiciary Committee as part of its lengthy investigation into anticompetitive behavior from Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook’s parent company Meta. The investigation wrapped up in 2020, but the newly published emails, memos, and reports provide new evidence backing the committee’s calls to advance tougher competition rules for the tech industry.
“It is time for Congress to act,” Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), chair of the antitrust subcommittee, said in a Tuesday statement.
Specifically, the documents show how Amazon and Google pressured independent sellers and smartphone manufacturers to favor their own products and platforms over those of their competitors. In a January 2014 email, one Google executive raised concerns over a potential new Samsung service that could compete with the company’s “core search experience.” In email chains dating as far back as 2009, Amazon executives are shown debating whether to restrict a competitor’s ability to advertise on their site. Amazon later acquired the competitor, Diapers.com, in a deal House investigators claim helped the e-commerce giant secure its market dominance.
In another email, Google executives discuss how Amazon’s involvement changed the market for personal voice assistants. “Amazon has changed the dynamics here,” the heavily redacted email reads. “Amazon has a built-in incentive to partner with Alexa since they will pull you from their store if you don’t support it.”
Also included is a long-discussed Facebook memo called “Possible End States for the Family of Apps.” First reported by The Information in 2019, the memo describes a “tipping point” at which users would begin using other Meta-owned apps, like Instagram and WhatsApp, more than its core Facebook platform. The 2018 memo was written for CEO Mark Zuckerberg explaining the ways in which the company could mitigate Instagram and WhatsApp’s growth so as to not overtake Facebook’s dominance.
“WhatsApp and Facebook are coexisting as Broadcast Sharing Apps,” the memo reads. “It remains unclear Whether Instagram and Facebook can coexist…It seems unlikely that three Sharing Apps can coexist.”
The Tuesday documents were released alongside the committee’s final report describing the findings of its investigation and legislative solutions to the competition concerns they discovered. Lawmakers argued that the lack of competition in the tech industry has resulted in worse online products over time. No Republicans co-signed the report’s recommendations, sending a signal that it may be more difficult for Democrats to push through antitrust reform this year.
“The harm from radical antitrust legislation would put the United States at a global disadvantage and leave Americans worse off,” Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel for the tech industry group NetChoice, said in a Tuesday statement. “Its reach would extend far beyond just digital markets: to consumers of every business, in every industry, in every state.”
Still, antitrust advocates have continued to pressure lawmakers and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to support bills banning tech platforms from favoring their own products. Antitrust scholars and the Consumer Federation of America urged the Senate to pass the bipartisan American Innovation and Choice Online Act last week.
“From Amazon and Facebook to Google and Apple, there’s no question that these unregulated tech giants have become too big to care and too powerful to ever put people over profits,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said in a Tuesday statement.
Kyrie Irving trade rumors: Lakers, Nets actively discussing deal involving Russell Westbrook, per report
The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers are making progress on a trade that would swap Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook, according to Chris Haynes. Other pieces would have to be involved, but there is “palpable optimism” that the two sides can figure out a deal this summer.
Irving recently opted into the final year of his deal worth $36.4 million but is expected to be traded after his star teammate Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Nets. “If Kevin Durant is on the first train out, Kyrie Irving will be on the caboose as far as the Nets are concerned,” Brian Windhorst reported earlier this week.
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
Coming off a season in which he played just 29 games because he refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and given his previous injury history — Irving hasn’t played 70 games in a season since 2017 when he was still with the Cleveland Cavaliers — the market for the mercurial guard is understandably not as robust as the one for Durant.
The Lakers, though, have very little to lose. Irving represents their best chance to add talent this summer, and he has a previous relationship with LeBron James. Both players will be hitting free agency next season, and the Lakers are trying to squeeze one more title out of the LeBron and Anthony Davis pairing. Irving has his fair share of negatives, but on the court he would be a much better fit than Westbrook, and would greatly increase the Lakers’ title odds.
Of course, trading Westbrook is much easier said than done; the Lakers have been trying to do so since the middle of last season, just months after they originally acquired him. He recently opted into the final year of his contract, which is worth $47 million, which makes a trade tricky from a logistical perspective. Plus, there’s the fact that he’s well past his prime, but still needs the ball in his hands the majority of the time to be effective at all.
There really aren’t any basketball situations that make sense, but the Nets are in a bad spot after the Durant trade request, and might be willing to take Westbrook on as an expiring contract if they can move Irving and coax some concessions out of the Lakers. In particular, the Nets will be eager to acquire some draft picks given how many they owe the Houston Rockets in the coming years via the James Harden trade.
Per Haynes, draft compensation is currently one of the biggest sticking points in completing a trade. The Lakers are also out a bunch of future draft picks via the Anthony Davis deal, and were previously unwilling to attach future first-round picks to move Westbrook. If they can get Irving, though, it may be worth the price. Furthermore, the teams apparently don’t agree on the other players to be involved. Most notably, the Nets want to move Joe Harris, who has two years and $38.6 million remaining on his contract and is coming off ankle surgery, while the Lakers are pushing to get Seth Curry instead.
It does not appear that a deal is imminent at this point, but if the two sides are this far along in discussions it may not be long before Irving is reunited with LeBron and wearing the purple and gold.
require.config({"baseUrl":"https://sportsfly.cbsistatic.com/fly-0270/bundles/sportsmediajs/js-build","config":{"version":{"fly/components/accordion":"1.0","fly/components/alert":"1.0","fly/components/base":"1.0","fly/components/carousel":"1.0","fly/components/dropdown":"1.0","fly/components/fixate":"1.0","fly/components/form-validate":"1.0","fly/components/image-gallery":"1.0","fly/components/iframe-messenger":"1.0","fly/components/load-more":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-article":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-scroll":"1.0","fly/components/loading":"1.0","fly/components/modal":"1.0","fly/components/modal-iframe":"1.0","fly/components/network-bar":"1.0","fly/components/poll":"1.0","fly/components/search-player":"1.0","fly/components/social-button":"1.0","fly/components/social-counts":"1.0","fly/components/social-links":"1.0","fly/components/tabs":"1.0","fly/components/video":"1.0","fly/libs/easy-xdm":"2.4.17.1","fly/libs/jquery.cookie":"1.2","fly/libs/jquery.throttle-debounce":"1.1","fly/libs/jquery.widget":"1.9.2","fly/libs/omniture.s-code":"1.0","fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init":"1.0","fly/libs/jquery.mobile":"1.3.2","fly/libs/backbone":"1.0.0","fly/libs/underscore":"1.5.1","fly/libs/jquery.easing":"1.3","fly/managers/ad":"2.0","fly/managers/components":"1.0","fly/managers/cookie":"1.0","fly/managers/debug":"1.0","fly/managers/geo":"1.0","fly/managers/gpt":"4.3","fly/managers/history":"2.0","fly/managers/madison":"1.0","fly/managers/social-authentication":"1.0","fly/utils/data-prefix":"1.0","fly/utils/data-selector":"1.0","fly/utils/function-natives":"1.0","fly/utils/guid":"1.0","fly/utils/log":"1.0","fly/utils/object-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-vars":"1.0","fly/utils/url-helper":"1.0","libs/jshashtable":"2.1","libs/select2":"3.5.1","libs/jsonp":"2.4.0","libs/jquery/mobile":"1.4.5","libs/modernizr.custom":"2.6.2","libs/velocity":"1.2.2","libs/dataTables":"1.10.6","libs/dataTables.fixedColumns":"3.0.4","libs/dataTables.fixedHeader":"2.1.2","libs/dateformat":"1.0.3","libs/waypoints/infinite":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/inview":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/jquery.waypoints":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/sticky":"3.1.1","libs/jquery/dotdotdot":"1.6.1","libs/jquery/flexslider":"2.1","libs/jquery/lazyload":"1.9.3","libs/jquery/maskedinput":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/marquee":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/numberformatter":"1.2.3","libs/jquery/placeholder":"0.2.4","libs/jquery/scrollbar":"0.1.6","libs/jquery/tablesorter":"2.0.5","libs/jquery/touchswipe":"1.6.18","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.draggable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.mouse":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.position":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.slider":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.sortable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.touch-punch":"0.2.3","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.autocomplete":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.accordion":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.menu":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.dialog":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.resizable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.button":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tooltip":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.effects":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker":"1.11.4"}},"shim":{"liveconnection/managers/connection":{"deps":["liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4"]},"liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4":{"exports":"SockJS"},"libs/setValueFromArray":{"exports":"set"},"libs/getValueFromArray":{"exports":"get"},"fly/libs/jquery.mobile-1.3.2":["version!fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init"],"libs/backbone.marionette":{"deps":["jquery","version!fly/libs/underscore","version!fly/libs/backbone"],"exports":"Marionette"},"fly/libs/underscore-1.5.1":{"exports":"_"},"fly/libs/backbone-1.0.0":{"deps":["version!fly/libs/underscore","jquery"],"exports":"Backbone"},"libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs-1.11.4":["jquery","version!libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core","version!fly/libs/jquery.widget"],"libs/jquery/flexslider-2.1":["jquery"],"libs/dataTables.fixedColumns-3.0.4":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"libs/dataTables.fixedHeader-2.1.2":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js":["https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"]},"map":{"*":{"adobe-pass":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js","facebook":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js","facebook-debug":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all/debug.js","google":"https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js","google-platform":"https://apis.google.com/js/client:platform.js","google-csa":"https://www.google.com/adsense/search/async-ads.js","google-javascript-api":"https://www.google.com/jsapi","google-client-api":"https://apis.google.com/js/api:client.js","gpt":"https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js","hlsjs":"https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/hls.js/1.0.7/hls.js","newsroom":"https://c2.taboola.com/nr/cbsinteractive-cbssports/newsroom.js","recaptcha":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=loadRecaptcha&render=explicit","recaptcha_ajax":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/js/recaptcha_ajax.js","supreme-golf":"https://sgapps-staging.supremegolf.com/search/assets/js/bundle.js","taboola":"https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/cbsinteractive-cbssports/loader.js","twitter":"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js","video-avia":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.4.0/player/avia.min.js","video-avia-ui":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.4.0/plugins/ui/avia.ui.min.js","video-avia-gam":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.4.0/plugins/gam/avia.gam.min.js","video-avia-hls":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.4.0/plugins/hls/avia.hls.min.js","video-avia-playlist":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.4.0/plugins/playlist/avia.playlist.min.js","video-ima3":"https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/sdkloader/ima3.js","video-ima3-dai":"https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/sdkloader/ima3_dai.js","video-utils":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js","video-vast-tracking":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/sb55/vast-js/vtg-vast-client.js"}},"waitSeconds":300});
Dejounte Murray trade rumors: Hawks, Spurs discussing deal for All-Star point guard, per reports
The Atlanta Hawks and San Antonio Spurs are discussing a trade centered around All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray, according to Zach Klein of ABC Atlanta and Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Interestingly, the proposed deal would not involve former rumored Spurs target John Collins. Instead, it would be based on the partially guaranteed contract of Danilo Gallinari and multiple draft picks. Reports had previously suggested that landing Murray would cost at least three first-round picks.
The logic of such a trade for Atlanta is obvious. Murray is one of the NBA’s best defensive point guards, so pairing him with Trae Young would balance out their backcourt significantly while giving Atlanta another reliable ball-handler for Young’s always precarious bench minutes. Having another point guard in the starting lineup, especially one who struggles as much as a shooter as Murray does, might force Young to focus on moving off of the ball more, which his game probably needs.
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
The bigger question here is why San Antonio, coming off of a play-in berth, is so eager to move off of a 25-year-old All-Star. The answer, in all likelihood, is two words: Victor Wembanyama. The French center is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and is one of the best prospects to enter the NBA in years. A 7-2 center with a steady 3-point shot, ball skills, Rudy Gobert-esque length and impressive mobility, Wembanyama is the sort of player teams frequently sacrifice seasons to draft. Moving Murray would push the Spurs towards a season in the tank, and after landing Tim Duncan in 1997, they know well how valuable such a season can be in the long run.
The Hawks control all of their own first-round picks, so sending San Antonio a pick-centric package should be easy enough. The major question is how much value those picks would actually have. A team built around Young and Murray should be quite good, so the Hawks would have to give up quite a bit to entice the Spurs into sacrificing Murray.
require.config({"baseUrl":"https://sportsfly.cbsistatic.com/fly-0264/bundles/sportsmediajs/js-build","config":{"version":{"fly/components/accordion":"1.0","fly/components/alert":"1.0","fly/components/base":"1.0","fly/components/carousel":"1.0","fly/components/dropdown":"1.0","fly/components/fixate":"1.0","fly/components/form-validate":"1.0","fly/components/image-gallery":"1.0","fly/components/iframe-messenger":"1.0","fly/components/load-more":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-article":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-scroll":"1.0","fly/components/loading":"1.0","fly/components/modal":"1.0","fly/components/modal-iframe":"1.0","fly/components/network-bar":"1.0","fly/components/poll":"1.0","fly/components/search-player":"1.0","fly/components/social-button":"1.0","fly/components/social-counts":"1.0","fly/components/social-links":"1.0","fly/components/tabs":"1.0","fly/components/video":"1.0","fly/libs/easy-xdm":"2.4.17.1","fly/libs/jquery.cookie":"1.2","fly/libs/jquery.throttle-debounce":"1.1","fly/libs/jquery.widget":"1.9.2","fly/libs/omniture.s-code":"1.0","fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init":"1.0","fly/libs/jquery.mobile":"1.3.2","fly/libs/backbone":"1.0.0","fly/libs/underscore":"1.5.1","fly/libs/jquery.easing":"1.3","fly/managers/ad":"2.0","fly/managers/components":"1.0","fly/managers/cookie":"1.0","fly/managers/debug":"1.0","fly/managers/geo":"1.0","fly/managers/gpt":"4.3","fly/managers/history":"2.0","fly/managers/madison":"1.0","fly/managers/social-authentication":"1.0","fly/utils/data-prefix":"1.0","fly/utils/data-selector":"1.0","fly/utils/function-natives":"1.0","fly/utils/guid":"1.0","fly/utils/log":"1.0","fly/utils/object-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-vars":"1.0","fly/utils/url-helper":"1.0","libs/jshashtable":"2.1","libs/select2":"3.5.1","libs/jsonp":"2.4.0","libs/jquery/mobile":"1.4.5","libs/modernizr.custom":"2.6.2","libs/velocity":"1.2.2","libs/dataTables":"1.10.6","libs/dataTables.fixedColumns":"3.0.4","libs/dataTables.fixedHeader":"2.1.2","libs/dateformat":"1.0.3","libs/waypoints/infinite":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/inview":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/jquery.waypoints":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/sticky":"3.1.1","libs/jquery/dotdotdot":"1.6.1","libs/jquery/flexslider":"2.1","libs/jquery/lazyload":"1.9.3","libs/jquery/maskedinput":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/marquee":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/numberformatter":"1.2.3","libs/jquery/placeholder":"0.2.4","libs/jquery/scrollbar":"0.1.6","libs/jquery/tablesorter":"2.0.5","libs/jquery/touchswipe":"1.6.18","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.draggable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.mouse":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.position":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.slider":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.sortable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.touch-punch":"0.2.3","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.autocomplete":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.accordion":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.menu":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.dialog":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.resizable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.button":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tooltip":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.effects":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker":"1.11.4"}},"shim":{"liveconnection/managers/connection":{"deps":["liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4"]},"liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4":{"exports":"SockJS"},"libs/setValueFromArray":{"exports":"set"},"libs/getValueFromArray":{"exports":"get"},"fly/libs/jquery.mobile-1.3.2":["version!fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init"],"libs/backbone.marionette":{"deps":["jquery","version!fly/libs/underscore","version!fly/libs/backbone"],"exports":"Marionette"},"fly/libs/underscore-1.5.1":{"exports":"_"},"fly/libs/backbone-1.0.0":{"deps":["version!fly/libs/underscore","jquery"],"exports":"Backbone"},"libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs-1.11.4":["jquery","version!libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core","version!fly/libs/jquery.widget"],"libs/jquery/flexslider-2.1":["jquery"],"libs/dataTables.fixedColumns-3.0.4":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"libs/dataTables.fixedHeader-2.1.2":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js":["https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"]},"map":{"*":{"adobe-pass":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js","facebook":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js","facebook-debug":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all/debug.js","google":"https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js","google-platform":"https://apis.google.com/js/client:platform.js","google-csa":"https://www.google.com/adsense/search/async-ads.js","google-javascript-api":"https://www.google.com/jsapi","google-client-api":"https://apis.google.com/js/api:client.js","gpt":"https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js","hlsjs":"https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/hls.js/1.0.7/hls.js","newsroom":"https://c2.taboola.com/nr/cbsinteractive-cbssports/newsroom.js","recaptcha":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=loadRecaptcha&render=explicit","recaptcha_ajax":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/js/recaptcha_ajax.js","supreme-golf":"https://sgapps-staging.supremegolf.com/search/assets/js/bundle.js","taboola":"https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/cbsinteractive-cbssports/loader.js","twitter":"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js","video-avia":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.4.0/player/avia.min.js","video-avia-ui":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.4.0/plugins/ui/avia.ui.min.js","video-avia-gam":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.4.0/plugins/gam/avia.gam.min.js","video-avia-hls":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.4.0/plugins/hls/avia.hls.min.js","video-avia-playlist":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/avia-js/2.4.0/plugins/playlist/avia.playlist.min.js","video-ima3":"https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/sdkloader/ima3.js","video-ima3-dai":"https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/sdkloader/ima3_dai.js","video-utils":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js","video-vast-tracking":"https://vidtech.cbsinteractive.com/sb55/vast-js/vtg-vast-client.js"}},"waitSeconds":300});
NFL is discussing ways to “improve” the Pro Bowl, including possibly eliminating it
From time to time, the NFL develops angst and frustration over the inherently non-competitive Pro Bowl.
The game stinks. It should stink. It should not be full-contact football, with Sean Taylor blowing up Brian Moorman while the Bills punter ran a fake. (That said, it was awesome.) Players who are healthy in early February need to stay that way. They don’t need to undermine their shot at free agency by getting injured. They don’t need to be rehabbing injuries in the offseason.
But the game, even as two-hand touch in full pads, generates sufficient ratings to justify continuing it. The question becomes whether there’s an alternative that would do as well, or close to it.
Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the league (whose owners are meeting in Atlanta) is “discussing the Pro Bowl and ways to improve it,” including the possibility of getting rid of it. That day could instead be used to “showcase the players in it.”
They can talk about it all they want. The Commissioner at one point huffed and puffed and threatened to blow the Pro Bowl’s house down. In recent years, the complaining has stopped. It stopped because it’s impossible to reconcile player health and safety with expecting them to beat the crap out of each other in an exhibition game.
If the league gets rid of the Pro Bowl game, it needs to replace it with something else that will be as profitable. Unless the league is willing to give up the revenue it generates in exchange for avoiding a day or two of people complaining about the Pro Bowl being the joke that it should be, because players should not be blocking and tackling and hitting that late in the season.
For more on the Pro Bowl, including some quotes from Brian Moorman about the hit he took from Sean Taylor and more, check out (you guessed it) Playmakers.
Padres, Mets Discussing Trade Scenarios
8:50 AM: A potential deal between the two sides would be a little more complex than initially presumed. Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter), the Padres would unsurprisingly need to eat a fair amount of the money owed to Hosmer in order to make this deal work. Specifically, the Padres would cover roughly $30MM or more of Hosmer’s deal, bringing Hosmer’s per annum down to $6-7MM per year, per Sherman.
The Mets would also get reliever Emilio Pagan in the deal. Pagan has at times looked like a premier bullpen arm during his five seasons in the bigs with the Mariners, Rays, A’s, and Padres. The 30-year-old is an option to close games if he stays in San Diego, whereas in New York he would slot into a fairly deep collection of right-handed setup arms that includes Adam Ottavino, Drew Smith, Miguel Castro, Trevor May, and Seth Lugo.
7:55 AM: The Mets have spent the offseason pushing full-bore towards fielding a competitive squad, but the fragility of an offseason win became clear yesterday with the news of ace Jacob deGrom being shut down for the next four weeks. The panic alarm has sounded, but the Mets are not without solutions.
In fact, they just so happen to have been in conversation with the Padres for the past couple of weeks about different trade scenarios, at least one of which could bring another arm to New York to help plug the leak. Per The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, Ken Rosenthal, and others, a potential deal could center around Eric Hosmer and Chris Paddack heading to the Mets, while Dominic Smith would go to San Diego.
The Padres have been trying to move off of Hosmer’s money for quite some time now, and the freewheeling Mets may now have a big enough need in the rotation to consider taking him back. There’s some urgency for the Padres here, as Hosmer’s partial no-trade clause turns into full 10-and-5 rights at the end of this season. Of course, if he is traded, Hosmer’s contract has a clause that says he cannot be traded twice without his consent, so he will essentially get his no-trade clause by the end of the 2022 campaign regardless for whom he plays.
With $59MM over four years left on his deal, Hosmer does not have positive trade value – not after fWAR totals of 0.0, 0.9, -0.3, and -0.1 over the past four seasons. Entering his age-32 season, one doesn’t expect Hosmer to flourish overnight. Furthermore, the Mets absolutely have no need for him, not with Pete Alonso on the roster.
Acquiring Hosmer would mean pushing the Mets deeper into luxury tax territory with a payroll nearing $300MM, notes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Mets might be willing to take him if they can reinforce their rotation at the same time, however.
Enter Paddack. The 26-year-old has three years of team control remaining and significant upside. He’s far from a sure thing, however. His numbers declined for the third consecutive season last year when he finished with a 5.07 ERA across 108 1/3 innings. A slightly torn UCL might be the cause of the decline, but that’s not necessarily a situation that has totally resolved itself. Paddack would, therefore, be an option to slide into deGrom’s rotation spot, but he’s far from a panacea for the Mets’ long-term concerns.
In the short term, he might not even be an upgrade over Tylor Megill, the presumptive fifth starter in deGrom’s absence. Megill posted a 4.52 ERA/4.69 FIP over 18 starts covering 89 2/3 innings in 2021 – his first taste of big league action. The Mets could certainly begin the season with Megill in the rotation and see how things go from there.
For the Padres part, their motivation would mostly be to shed Hosmer’s contract. They have enough rotation depth, theoretically, to weather the loss of Paddack, and in Smith, they’d be getting back a comparable bat that’s cheaper, more versatile, and with more theoretical upside than Hosmer. He’s also under team control for two more seasons beyond 2022, though those seasons aren’t guaranteed, should he continue to struggle at the dish.
For the first part of his career, the story on Smith was that he needed at-bats, but his natural position of first base was spoken for, so his ceiling was no more than that of a bit player. Then the designated hitter came to the NL in 2020, Smith starting taking flyballs in left field, and the offensive promise came to fruition with a .316/.377/.616 line over 199 plate appearances during the shortened campaign.
He again saw fairly stable playing time in 2021, but the numbers cratered to an 86 wRC+ by way of a .244/.304/.363 line across 494 plate appearances , more than doubling his previous career-high in that regard. The Padres do need a left fielder, and Smith could step right in at first base were this deal to go down. Still, for San Diego, this deal is mostly about moving off of Hosmer. There are options out there for left field – including former Met Michael Conforto – but Smith would certainly be worth rostering if acquiring him meant removing Hosmer from the payroll.