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As COVID-19 surged through the NFL this week and forced the rescheduling of three games, multiple sources involved in talks between the league office and NFL Players Association told Yahoo Sports that three teams were on the verge of having to forfeit Week 15: The Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Football Team.

It was a staggering reality that began to sink in for the league and players union by Thursday, pushing the two sides into a rescheduling negotiation that the NFL was adamant about avoiding heading into this season. The about-face became increasingly necessary as all three teams struggled to patch together a gameday roster that could play safely, a point that became concerning enough for the Rams that players engaged in a midweek discussion about not playing. Ultimately, that concern led to the NFLPA pressing the NFL for a schedule change, arguing that the spate of uncontrolled infections occurred inside all three franchises in spite of the teams meeting vaccination standards and following proper protocols.

Hovering overhead it all was the reality that three forfeits would effectively wipe three games off the television schedule and lead to the loss of game checks for the six teams that would have faced off. That was part of the parameters laid down by the NFL this past summer, when the league notified franchises that failing to field a game would lead to the forfeiture of game checks for both teams. That means not only would players for the Browns, Rams and Washington franchise have lost their pay for this week, it also would have stripped a week of pay from the Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks.

As one source in the talks put it bluntly Friday: Both the Browns and Rams nearly forfeited their games and Washington was also in danger of it. If something hadnt been done if there were no games, the players on those six teams would not have been paid. Its that simple.

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That didnt stop a multitude of players from those teams complaining on social media about the games being rescheduled. But the continued danger of forfeits and lost money combined with the testing fatigue of the past two seasons has fueled a more drastic push among players: Ending COVID testing entirely and permanently removing all protocols from the NFL.

A swath of players have confronted the union calling for that dramatic change, which stands in direct opposition to the NFLPAs push for a return to daily testing. Those complaints and calls for drastic change in testing and protocols ramped up significantly this week. The union fielded an onslaught of calls, texts and other messages from players who were angry that the NFL forced all 32 teams into enhanced protocols through the end of Week 15. The league took that step which significantly limits contact inside facilities and locks down teams traveling this weekend in hopes of slowing down the COVID infections wave that has been spreading across teams and staffs for more than a week.

There are no plans to shut down COVID testing or protocols, but that changes to the system are under review, sources from the league and union told Yahoo Sports on Friday.

The league and union already agreed to some new testing standards this week, which aim to get players back onto the field more quickly after they have been infected with COVID.

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3 NFL teams nearly forfeited games and paychecks, leading players to clamor for end to COVID-19 testing and protocols - Yahoo Sports

Everybody who ever wondered what football would be like if they got rid of kickers could look to Carolina Sunday.

Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez injured his right quad in warmups prior to Carolina's game against Buffalo after slipping on the turf. That forced the Panthers to hold impromptu kicker tryouts just minutes before kickoff, and ... it did not go well.

Basically, the Panthers held an impromptu kicker job fair, and according to local media on the scene, multiple Panthers took a run at a new gig. Among those trying out: wide receiver Brandon Zylstra, linebacker Frankie Luvu, and running back Reggie Bonafon, as well as quarterback PJ Walker and punter Lachlan Edwards.

When the kicker gets injured, the punter can often handle kickoffs, but the punter can't necessarily handle field goals, because the punter is often the holder ... and finding a new holder isn't an easy task, either. Edwards generally handles the holding duties, and was spotted doing drop kicks prior to the game.

It didn't take long for the Panthers to realize just how much they need a kicker. Cam Newton guided Carolina down to the Buffalo 24, but the drive stalled out. On fourth-and-9, instead of kicking what would have been a 41-yard kick, Newton had to go for it ... and failed to convert.

Carolina is a 14-point underdog, so the lack of a kicker may well be moot. But it's still a challenge the already beleaguered Panthers didn't need.

_____

Jay Busbee is a writer on Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jaybusbee or contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com.

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Panthers go without a kicker after injury, removing the field goal option - Yahoo Sports

If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. And in light of that, the trends we're seeing at Dillard's' (NYSE:DDS) look very promising so lets take a look.

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. To calculate this metric for Dillard's, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.34 = US$840m (US$3.7b - US$1.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to October 2021).

So, Dillard's has an ROCE of 34%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 14% earned by companies in a similar industry.

View our latest analysis for Dillard's

roce

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Dillard's compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

Dillard's' ROCE growth is quite impressive. More specifically, while the company has kept capital employed relatively flat over the last five years, the ROCE has climbed 192% in that same time. So our take on this is that the business has increased efficiencies to generate these higher returns, all the while not needing to make any additional investments. On that front, things are looking good so it's worth exploring what management has said about growth plans going forward.

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As discussed above, Dillard's appears to be getting more proficient at generating returns since capital employed has remained flat but earnings (before interest and tax) are up. And a remarkable 332% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. With that being said, we still think the promising fundamentals mean the company deserves some further due diligence.

If you'd like to know more about Dillard's, we've spotted 3 warning signs, and 1 of them doesn't sit too well with us.

If you want to search for more stocks that have been earning high returns, check out this free list of stocks with solid balance sheets that are also earning high returns on equity.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Why We Like The Returns At Dillard's (NYSE:DDS) - Yahoo Finance

Had college football recruiting services been around in 1963, scouts would have flocked to 33rd Avenue High School in Gulfport, Mississippi, to watch a gifted, mobile, do-it-all quarterback named Lem Barney.

At 6-foot and with game-breaking speed, Barney would have been a five-star recruit long before his Hall of Fame career as a defensive back/return man (and even punter) for the Detroit Lions.

He may have even been rated as high as current 18-year-old Travis Hunter, who hails from Suwanee, Georgia, but like Barney six decades prior, can play all over the field defensive back, cornerback, kick returner. Hunter is considered the No. 1 recruit nationally in the Class of 2022.

Of course, there were no scouting services back in Barneys day. There was hardly any attention paid to him at all. Gulfports schools were still segregated almost a decade after the Supreme Court ruled such a thing illegal. Such was the racist foot-dragging in Mississippi.

Barney and so many young African American men like him were largely ignored; including by the major universities of the South, which still fielded all-white teams. Alabama head coach Bear Bryant or Ole Miss coach John Vaught didnt consider a kid from 33rd Avenue High, no matter how good he was.

Travis Hunter shocked the college football world when he decided to take his talent to Jackson State over schools like Florida State. (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

So Barney went off to Jackson State, a Historically Black University located about 160 miles north of his home, where he joined a Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) that was so brimming with talent, he had to switch to defense to find playing time.

Even now at 76 years old, there are no regrets. Jackson State football, SWAC football, HBCU football, he says, forged him to the point where he was a Week 1 starter in the NFL.

I was so nervous, he said years later.

Not so nervous that it prevented him, on the first drive of that first game, from intercepting Green Bay legend Bart Starr and returning it for a touchdown. It turns out, he hadnt missed a thing by not going to those big-name schools, he says.

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Still, when word broke Wednesday that Hunter, a generations-later, Lem Barney play-a-like, had stunned the football world by signing with Jackson State despite being coveted by the powerhouses that once refused to even consider someone like him, there was no minimizing the significance.

While Jackson State fans and HBCU alums and supporters everywhere celebrated this modern day trailblazer who managed to clear his own future while honoring the past, among former Tigers greats who never dreamed such a thing could again be possible for their proud program, the news was almost overwhelming.

I said to my wife, Brenda, this is big, this is huge, said Robert Brazile, the now 68-year-old Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker who played at Jackson State from 1971-74. To see this, this is history. This is just unbelievable.

Robert Brazile and his presenter and father Robert Brazile Sr. pose for photographers beside his Hall of Fame bust during the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony in 2018. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Where once the major programs of the South wouldnt choose the regions best players, the script had flipped, at least this one time, and the regions best player didnt choose the major programs of the South.

To Travis Hunter, Jackson State was the best choice. And he did it without slighting the others, but just affirming the Tigers.

[HBCUs] have a rich history in football, Hunter said in a statement. I want to be part of that history, and more, I want to be part of that future. I am making this decision so that I can light the way for others to follow, make it a little easier for the next player to recognize that HBCUs may be everything you want and more an exciting college experience, a vital community and a life-changing place to play.

The decision wasnt easy. The big-time is still the big-time. The lifestyle of an HBCU was appealing, though Im home, Hunter said. And it brought enormous marketing potential in an era when players can financially capitalize off of such a thing. Plus, he can develop under head coach Deion Sanders, who is among the greatest ever defensive back/wide receiver talents.

Sometimes we are called to step into a bigger future than the one we imagined for ourselves, Hunter said. For me, that future is at Jackson State.

There was a time in the SWAC when talent such as this was everywhere. The SEC didnt break its football color barrier until 1967 (Nate Northington at Kentucky). Alabama and Georgia followed by 1971. Ole Miss and LSU not until a year after that. Even then, the number of slots for African Americans was often small, sometimes just a few a year.

Others could head off to schools in the Midwest and California, but that required first being discovered at often still segregated high schools (in Mississippi many were separate but unequal into the 1970s). Then you needed a willingness to go thousands of miles and seemingly a different cultural away.

For most, it was local HBCUs or bust. Tennessee State. Grambling. Alcorn State. Florida A&M. And so on.

Jackson State was so loaded that Brazile, who hailed from Mobile, Alabama, had 22 teammates eventually drafted by the NFL.

That included running back Walter Payton and offensive lineman Jackie Slater, both of whom also went on to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There are 301 players in the Hall. From 1972-74, Jackson State had three of them on the same team.

We knew we were playing with and against some of the best players in the country and coached by some of the best coaches in the country, Brazile said. By the time he got to the Houston Oilers, he said he would look around and, half-jokingly, wonder if, I had a better group on my college football team.

Yet once the big SEC and ACC schools integrated their rosters, the talent dried up. Players were understandably drawn to the big stadiums, big campuses and big television exposure. The SEC in particular morphed into the nations best league.

Every so often a top recruit would list an HBCU in his final few schools, but in the end, theyd always select the major program. HBCUs dont even compete at the top (FBS) division. Even at the next tier FCS level, they dont enter the playoffs.

Walter and I used to talk about what we could do to bring it back or better our school, said Brazile, of conversations with Payton, who died in 1999 after becoming the NFLs all-time leading rusher and arguably greatest player during a legendary Super Bowl career with the Chicago Bears. But there was only so much we could do.

Jackson State needed to get lucky with another Hall of Famer, he said.

That would be Sanders, who played at Florida State in the 1990s before a megastar career in the NFL (14 seasons) and Major League Baseball (nine) where he became one of the most famous and dynamic athletes in America.

Fifteen months ago, after a run as a broadcaster, Sanders decided to become head coach at Jackson State, promising to use his talents, work ethic and flair for promotion to shock the world with what is possible at an HBCU.

This fall, Jackson State went 11-1 and will play Saturday in the Celebration Bowl against South Carolina State. Then on Wednesday, Hunter came on board, flipping from Sanders alma mater, FSU. Coach Prime says he isnt done, with more elite high school talent in the months and seasons to come. There's no reason to doubt him.

Heres the thing, I have a gold jacket, Brazile said of the iconic blazer given to Hall of Famers. Walter has a gold jacket. But Deion has a different gold jacket. Deion opens doors. What Deion said he was going to do, he has done.

Now these kids get all this attention on Jackson State, on the SWAC, on HBCUs and get to play for him and under him, Brazile continued. He could be anywhere, but he is at Jackson State. Its just huge. I never thought Id see this.

No one did, except perhaps Deion. Im walking in my purpose, Sanders said. Barney, meanwhile, is excited one Hall of Famer to the next.

Four of Jackson States home games last year attracted crowds of over 45,000. Next year, it will push the 60,000-seat capacity of Veterans Memorial Stadium. Itll be the same on the road.

In a region of the country where the ties to HBCUs, and the memories of a seemingly bygone era and why that era ever existed in the first place remain strong, this single, unexpected football recruit at this single, unexpected school is a boost for the future and a needed, cathartic, celebratory nod to that past.

Jackson State. Great then. Great still.

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Jackson State legends beam over Travis Hunter's trailblazing choice, a decision they never had in segregated South - Yahoo Sports

Utah State football coach Blake Anderson apologized on Friday after he was caught on a recording telling his players earlier this year that it has never been more glamorized to be the victim of sexual assault.

The university launched an investigation into the comments on Thursday, which surfaced after a recording published by the Salt Lake Tribune and mentioned in a Title IX lawsuit filed against the school by a student.

In the course of that conversation, I used a phrase regarding victims of wrongdoing to magnify that message to our team, but after reading my comments in the transcript that was released, I realize my choice of words was hurtful, Anderson said in a statement through the school. I regret the words I used, and I apologize to anyone who has bravely come forward with allegations of wrongdoing. We have to do everything we can to encourage and protect anybody who has been the victim of a wrong, or whose personal rights have been violated. Anyone who knows me knows how strongly I feel about this. Giving victims a safe platform to address wrongs theyve suffered is always the right thing to do, and something Ill always stand for.

Andersons comments came from a team meeting during fall camp. According to the Tribune, Anderson warned players that they are way more at risk of being accused of sexual assault because they are athletes, and said that being a victim of sexual assault has never been more talked about in the news [than] right now.

And so you dont need to put yourself in a position that you can create a victim, he said, via the Tribune. And it doesnt take a whole lot. So it scares the s*** out of me.

After telling his players to be really, really smart, he told them that it has never been more glamorized to be a victim.

Utah State University police chief Earl Morris warned players at that meeting that they should beware having sex with women who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, too, as he believes theyll tell their bishop that it was not consensual.

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And if youre not used to a Mormon community, folks, Im here to tell you, the Latter-day Saints community young ladies, they may have sex with you, but then they're going to go talk to their minister, their bishop, priest, whatever you want to call it, Morris told the team, via The Salt Lake Tribune.

Morris was placed on administrative leave, and then resigned on Thursday.

The comments came after student Kaytriauna Flint filed a Title IX lawsuit against the school alleging that it systemically protects football players from sexual assault claims.

Flint said in the lawsuit that she was raped by a football player in 2019, and saw a doctor the following day. An initial investigation found that it was more likely than not that she was raped by the football player, but that investigation was then dismissed last month.

A three-year investigation by the Department of Justice said that the school mishandled or failed to investigate sexual assault cases on campus, and that of the more than 200 reports it received from 2013-18, less than 25 went through proper Title IX procedures.

Anderson is wrapping up his first season at Utah State, and is set to take on Oregon State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl on Saturday.

Blake Anderson and former Utah State University police chief Earl Morris both made controversial comments at the fall meeting. (Sam Wasson/Getty Images)

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Utah State coach apologizes after telling team it's 'never been more glamorized' to be victim of sexual assault - Yahoo Sports

The NHL as we know it today certainly looks a lot different than the league that was in operation some 50 years ago.

Since the "Original 6 Era" of 1942 through 1967, the NHL has added 26 new franchises that are currently still part of the league, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks.

But what if the NHL never expanded?

It's a question that gets the brain thinking and only creates more questions, with the main one being which current NHL players would still be in the league today?

Luckily for you, six members of the Yahoo Sports Canada team: Thomas Williams, Arun Srinivasan, Kyle Cantlon, Michael Hoad, Justin Cuthbert, and I acted as owners and general managers of teams and drafted squads to determine which current NHLers would make the cut of the Original 6 if it still existed today.

The rules set out for the draft were as follows:

1. Snake draft type with Team 1 possessing the first pick in all odd-numbered rounds and Team 6 owning the first pick in all even-numbered rounds.

2. All teams must draft 12 forwards, six defensemen, and two goalies.

3. Any player currently belonging to an NHL roster (including injured reserve) is part of the player pool.

4. The approach or strategy for each team's build was open-ended. Owners could decide whether they wanted to build for the future, or if they wanted to try and win right now.

The chart below shows the results of our draft and each team's roster.

For reference:

Team 1 belongs to Thomas Williams.

Team 2 belongs to Arun Srinivasan.

Team 3 belongs to Kyle Cantlon.

Team 4 belongs to Michael Hoad.

Team 5 belongs to Justin Cuthbert.

Team 6 belongs to Steven Psihogios.

Panarin-McDavid-Pastrnak

Pacioretty-Barzal-Nylander

Robertson-Couturier-Tarasenko

Hintz-Eriksson Ek-Teravainen

Josi-Ellis

Chabot-Seider

Brodin-Petry

Saros

Hart

My thoughts: Thomas built the scariest first line in the league. McDavid with anybody is simply terrifying, let alone with Panarin and Pastrnak on his wings. He definitely snagged some solid value by taking Josi as his first defenseman in Round 5, as he's arguably the best blueliner in the game. I would have gone with Shesterkin over Saros between the pipes, but it's hard to argue with the pick given how dominant Saros has been since midway through last season. I'm not in love with his middle-six forwards, but that fourth line is absolutely dangerous. Eriksson Ek in the role of a shutdown centre is a problem for the rest of the league.

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Raymond-Matthews-Bergeron

Palat-Point-Stamkos

Hyman-Tavares-Kyrou

Mangiapane-Kadri-Wheeler

Toews-Fox

Slavin-Heiskanen

McAvoy-Spurgeon

Shesterkin

Fleury

My thoughts: I love how deep Arun's team is down the middle of the ice. You know it's stacked at centre when Patrice Bergeron is posted up on the wing! I think his middle-six forwards have a nice balance of skill and toughness, and it's a deep enough forward group that likely won't have to rely on just one line. I like how mobile his defense corps is, and having McAvoy on a third defense pairing is just downright unfair. Considering I took Vasilevskiy in Round 1, he got great value on Shesterkin seven rounds later and as the fifth goalie off the board.

Connor-Zibanejad-Draisaitl

Zegras-Giroux-Kaprizov

Horvat-J. Hughes-Forsberg

M. Foligno-Getzlaf-Wilson

Hedman-Pietrangelo

Q. Hughes-Weegar

Hanifin-Trouba

Gibson

Demko

My thoughts: I can't start talking about Kyle's team without staring directly at that fourth line. Foligno, Getzlaf, and Wilson are going to be a problem in this league and the thought of that trio's forecheck is terrifying. Good luck trying to stop that. The creativity that we'd see from a line that features both Zegras and Kaprizov is mouth-watering, and it makes me sad knowing that we'll likely never see that tandem together. The Hughes-Weegar defense pairing seems like a great mix, as Hughes will be able to freely roam the offensive zone while Weegar has him covered on the back end. The all-American goaltending tandem is nice, too, and this would definitely be the best defense Gibson has ever played in front of.

Rantanen-MacKinnon-Ovechkin

Svechnikov-Crosby-Kane

Kuznetsov-Malkin-M.Tkachuk

Terry-Kopitar-Meier

Carlson-Nurse

Letang-Dumba

Krug-Bouchard

Hellebuyck

Markstrom

My thoughts: It's hard to imagine upgrading the Avalanche's first line, but subbing in Ovechkin for Landeskog is certainly a way to do it. Having Malkin and M. Tkachuk on the same line is a nightmare for opponents, as those two will certainly find ways to agitate and get involved physically. Kopitar is the strongest fourth-line centre in the league, and that unit will be able to match up against almost any line in the league. His defense is a little thin, specifically that third pairing, but Bouchard should only continue to get better. Hellebuyck and Markstrom provide some really nice stability between the pipes.

Marchand-Aho-Kucherov

Guentzel-Pettersson-Marner

Stone-O'Reilly-B. Tkachuk

Miller-Cirelli-Rust

Rielly-Makar

Theodore-Doughty

Karlsson-Sergachev

Price

Campbell

My thoughts: My team would've turned out a lot better if Justin didn't snipe me several times in our draft! I use that as a compliment because I really like how his team turned out. His third line is one of my favourites from any team and would be downright dominant to go up against in a seven-game series. Nabbing Theodore in the 14th round was one of the best values in the draft, and despite waiting on goalie until the final two rounds, he ended up with a pretty solid tandem. I do worry about Karlsson defending against some of these forward lines, though.

Huberdeau-Barkov-Scheifele

Landeskog-Lindholm-Ehlers

Gaudreau-Eichel-DeBrincat

Lafreniere-Suzuki-Larkin

Ekblad-Hamilton

Werenski-Jones

Chychrun-Pionk

Vasilevskiy

Sorokin

My thoughts: It's my team, so you know I'm gonna love it.

Thomas: Maybe it's recency bias talking, but I'm surprised Sam Reinhart didn't at least get a nod for a fourth-line role. He was able to escape Buffalo and move to a much better situation playing for the Panthers. At just 26 years old, he still has some future ahead of him if some people were aiming for longevity in this exercise and has consistently shot above 12 percent, creating offense on very, very bad teams. And for all the nerds out there, he has had an on-ice shot attempt share of over 55 percent for the last seven seasons.

In the end, he's a top-line player on a championship contender and probably a top-72 forward in the NHL.

Arun: Samuel Girard! Hockey Canada may not be considering the Avalanche's third, dynamic defenseman but I certainly would. Girard performed admirably when Cale Makar missed time due to injury, he's a wizard at the blue line with shifty improvisational ability, he rarely makes mistakes and in a league that ought to prioritize skill more than the current NHL, Girard ought to shine. Maybe I should've taken him after all, in hindsight.

Kyle: Jonathan Toews, being a "top 100" player of all-time and all!

Michael: Patrik Laine. Last season wasn't kind to Laine as he moved from Winnipeg to Columbus and saw his production fall off a cliff. But he's still only 23 years old and already has three 30-goal seasons to his name, including a 44-goal outburst in his sophomore campaign. I'm surprised a GM didn't take a late-round flier on him for his incredible scoring potential in the bottom six of a roster.

Justin: Phil Danault. It's strange that the best shutdown centre in the league wasn't chosen when it will be exclusively superstars competing.

Steven: Pierre-Luc Dubois. The 2017 third-overall pick has been excellent to begin the 2021-22 season with 13 goals and 23 points, but didn't get the recognition among the six of us. He brings a nice blend of skill and physicality and would fit perfectly in any squad's bottom six. I would've taken him if I had the opportunity to draft a 13th forward. He's still only 23 years old.

Thomas: I am certainly biased, but I would have to say mine. It's not hard when you immediately get to start with the best player on the planet in McDavid, but being able to flank him with Pastrnak and Panarin? That is bonkers. Add in the next two lines that could be top lines on any championship contender, and the punishing defensive ability of Eriksson Ek and Hintz teaming up and you have some well-balanced stew.

Even on the blue line, the right side is a little shallow, but the transition game would be immaculate. And then you have two very young goaltenders that should be competing for the Vezina in the next few years. I'm biased, but I'll pat myself on the back.

Honourable mention to Arun's team though.

Arun: Slight edge to Michael Hoad over Justin Cuthbert. Hoad's forwards corps particularly his top three lines are a veritable nightmare and his entire defense can move the puck while imposing their physicality on the game. And on any given day, Connor Hellebuyck is the second-best goalie alive, behind Andrei Vasilevskiy. That could very well be the difference in a league where the margins should be infinitesimal.

Justin: [Michael] Hoad's team. The forwards are insanely deep, All-Star Game level. The ultimate win-now team.

Kyle: Hoad's forward-heavy squad.

Michael: There's a lot to like about the way Steven put his roster together. There's instant chemistry on the first line with Barkov and Huberdeau, and his forward depth is impressive. The defense corps is rock-solid and he finishes things off with the best goalie in the league. This team is a force to be reckoned with.

Steven: I'm going to say Arun's team. I love what he did down the middle of the ice with Matthews, Point, Tavares, and Kadri, while his defense is absolutely loaded! Top it off with Shesterkin between the pipes, and you've got a tall task come the postseason.

More from Yahoo Sports

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Which players would be in the NHL if it still only had 6 teams? - Yahoo Sports

The first drive of Thursday night's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers ended with a terrifying moment.

Chargers tight end Donald Parham appeared to fall unconscious upon impact with the ground in the end zone after reeling in what would have been a touchdown pass from Justin Herbert on fourth-and-goal. Parham had the ball in his hands, but then his helmet snapped back and made hard contact with the turf.

Parham was taken to the hospital during the game. He was diagnosed with a concussion, and "will likely be discharged from the hospital" Friday, according to the Chargers.

Parham's arms immediately jolted up toward his helmet before his body went motionless on the ground. A close-up of his face showed his eyes closed.

Donald Parham exited the field in a stretcher after a hard fall. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Parham remained down for several minutes, with Fox going to a commercial break, returning, then going to another break as Chargers athletic trainers attended to him. He was eventually wheeled out while strapped down on a stretcher with his arms visibly shaking.

On Thursday, the team announced Parham was in stable condition and being evaluated for a head injury at the UCLA Harbor Medical Center.

The 24-year-old Parham is in his second season with the Chargers after joining the team in April 2020 following the collapse of the XFL. Through nine games this season, he had 20 catches, 190 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 26 targets.

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Chargers TE Donald Parham expected to be released from hospital Friday after terrifying head injury - Yahoo Sports

Six football seasons ago, Brandon Staley was the defensive coordinator at John Carroll University, a small, non-scholarship, Division III program in Ohio. That was 2016.

This is 2021, and Staley is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, locked Thursday night in a critical game against AFC West rival Kansas City.

The 39-year-old is on a meteoric rise (he coached linebackers in Chicago for two seasons, then Denver for one, then became the defensive coordinator in L.A. for the Rams before landing the Chargers' top job). As such, it shouldnt surprise that he is unafraid of betting on big things happening even if their happening would defy the long held conventional wisdom of how big things happen.

Three times against Kansas City, Staleys Chargers faced fourth down within field-goal range. One was from the Chiefs' 5-yard line. Another, on the last play of the first half, from the 1. In the third quarter, there was a fourth-and-2 from the 28.

All three times Staley went for it rather than taking the likely field goal. All three times the Chargers were stopped once on a scary play where tight end Donald Parham wound up hospitalized after hitting his head on the turf and two others on incomplete/batted down passes.

Thats nine likely points the Chargers left on the field.

Considering the Chiefs were able to come back and courtesy of two, 75-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown drives force overtime where they delivered another 75-yard touchdown drive to win, 34-28, those nine points mattered. A lot.

Not just in the final score, but in how the game was played along the way. If the Chargers kick, the Chargers probably win. They didnt and didnt.

Chargers coach Brandon Staley said his three failed fourth-down attempts Thursday were the right decisions. "That is how we are going to do things around here." (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Perhaps most interesting about the postgame fallout was that Staley didnt just lean on analytics for his decision-making. He didnt just point to some chart and explain that these decisions are made via cold calculations while ignoring any feel for the game. He didnt snap at anyone questioning his choices.

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Id love to answer that, Staley said. Its life in the NFL and decision-making like that. Where my mindset is, I know the quickest way to win the game is to score touchdowns not field goals, especially considering who is on the other side.

To me, when you think you are in an advantage-situation, when you dont think it is a gamble, this is an advantage for you, then that is going to be your mindset, he continued. I don't think any decision we made tonight, I made tonight, was a gamble. We felt like it was an advantage-situation for us and thats why we did it. If we didnt feel like that was the case, we would have kicked the field goal.

That is how we are going to do things around here, Staley said. And I know our team embraces that mindset and we are going to continue to do it in every game going forward.

So this was as much attitude as it was analytics. Or thats how it sounds. Calculations probably played a role, but not the conclusion.

Young coach, young quarterback in Justin Herbert, essentially a new franchise in a fresh city with almost no fans and even fewer media. The Chargers are going to play all in to win because why not?

Its an intriguing answer. Had it just been about the numbers, then there could be obvious criticism. How do these NFL formulas calculate for things like momentum and confidence, let alone COVID-depleted rosters and opponent mindsets?

Football is, and always will be, an emotional game. Its physicality demands it. And so things such as a score (even a field goal) as everyone heads to the locker room can have an impact beyond the actual points. Same with succumbing to a goal-line stand.

What Staley was saying, however, is that the culture hes trying to build in L.A. is part math but mostly mindset. Hell, yeah, we are going for it. Every time, probably.

The fact he is a rookie head coach with limited NFL experience who looks about 27 years old doesnt rattle his confidence into conservatism. If anything, it apparently does the opposite.

Thats going to be the mindset no matter who we play, Staley said. ... Thats the way we are going to play around here. When we have a quarterback like ours and an offense like ours that's how we are going to play.

And that is how we are going to become the team we are ultimately capable of being, is by playing that way.

On Thursday it cost them the game. But even with the loss, L.A. is 8-6 and still very much in the playoff chase. The Chiefs are two games up for the division, but Staley seemed pleased that his guys went toe-to-toe with the divisions bully and didnt back down.

We just quite didnt get it done, he said.

The players said they loved the strategy and their coach having faith in them.

We believe in each other, Herbert said. I think that is a statement of trusting everyone on the field. We love to be put in those situations. Unfortunately we didn't convert as many as we would have liked to have today but we are going to ride with each other and be right back.

This was about building an identity, Staley said. No apologies. No regrets. Nine points and a likely victory over the Chiefs left to flutter away and no one was blaming anyone, hiding behind analytics or even grumbling that anyone was asking about it.

Staley was proud of it, proud of how his team fought and even how L.A. lost. Give him this much, its a new day for the Chargers.

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Brandon Staley and the Chargers went for it, over and over, and lost to the Chiefs. They have no regrets - Yahoo Sports

Each week during the 2021-22 NBA season, we will take a deeper dive into some of the leagues biggest storylines in an attempt to determine whether the trends are based more in fact or fiction moving forward.

[ Last week: Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and the puzzling value of NBA centers ]

Dirk Nowitzki changed the NBA in a 21-year NBA career that nearly touched four decades. Not only did the Dallas Mavericks legend raise our expectations for international prospects, he was the first player 6-foot-11 or taller to make 100 3-pointers in a single season in the 1999-2000 campaign, a feat he repeated another eight times before his 2019 retirement. As Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry broke the 3-point record on Tuesday, Nowitzki's 1,982 career threes make him the only player taller than 6-9 to crack the top 20.

Ahead of his jersey retirement ceremony on Jan. 5, Nowitzki was asked on a conference call this week who has the greatest potential to similarly change the NBA's style of play. His answer probably won't shock you.

"Luka [Doncic], of course, is the guy who's on top of my list, because he's only 22 years old," Nowitzki said of his successor in Dallas. "He still has so much upside and stuff to learn, and I basically get to see him every other night. His creativity, the way he reads the game, the way he spreads the ball, the way he can score from the post all the way out to half court, there are no holes in his game. That at 22 is unbelievable.

"To me, he, of course, has the biggest upside. But if you look at [Denver Nuggets center Nikola] Joki, who's got an MVP season already, and [Milwaukee Bucks forward] Giannis [Antetokounmpo], who has back-to-back MVPs and a championship, there is great, great international talent in this league," added Nowitzki, the NBA's MVP in 2007. "But for me, if we talk upside, I think Luka has the best out of those at age 22."

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Nowitzki may be biased, but Doncic clearly held that mantle at the end of last regular season, when he had established himself as a First Team All-NBA player and bona fide MVP candidate for a second straight year.

In the seven months since, Jokic received 91 of 100 possible league MVP votes and returned better this season, Antetokounmpo submitted an all-time Finals effort en route to his first title, Zion Williamson still has not taken the floor, a new generation has emerged, and Doncic reported to training camp out of shape.

Suddenly, it is not so obvious that Doncic is the NBA's highest-upside young star, even if he is on his way to becoming one of the greatest offensive players ever. With a ring in hand and a repeat within arm's length, Antetokounmpo at age 27 is now setting the pace for greatness reserved only for top-10 players in history.

Luka Doncic was a rookie during Dirk Nowitzki's final season on the Dallas Mavericks. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Doncic can absolutely reach those heights. He is averaging a 26-8-8 through his first four seasons. With more accuracy from distance and a better supporting cast, it is easy to envision a scenario in which he averages a 35-point triple-double for an offensive juggernaut of a contender. The sky is the limit from there.

But that wasn't the question asked of Nowitzki. It was not "Who has the highest upside?" but "Who has the highest ceiling in terms of altering the NBA's style of play?" like how Nowitzki opened the floor for bigs. Curry would be the easy answer, if his high-volume marksmanship hadn't already revolutionized the game.

Doncic is following the playbook James Harden employed as a one-man offense for the Houston Rockets, using 40% of his team's offensive possessions, primarily in isolation or as the pick-and-roll ball-handler at the top of the key. They treat the half court as their canvas, painting a shot chart with a mix of step-backs, prodding drives to the basket, kick-outs and, when all else fails, flailing attempts to get a referee's whistle.

It is not a revolutionary style of play. LeBron James has made a playoff career out of that same strategy.

Jokic, the league's first true point center, is much closer to a true unicorn. The 26-year-old's orbit is an advanced statistician's fantasy. His 26.6 points (59/38/75 shooting splits), 13.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game are translating to the highest single-season mark ever in multiple all-encompassing analytics.

The list of young NBA game-changers may actually be limited to one. Ja Morant is Russell Westbrook with a jumper. LaMelo Ball is skinny 6-7 Jason Kidd. Evan Mobley may be evolutionary Bill Russell. I don't know if any of them will make us rethink the game the way, say, Julius Erving popularized playing above the rim.

It is more likely Jokic spawns a new style of play than, say, Antetokounmpo. Good luck carving out a cross between Shaquille O'Neal and Magic Johnson in the body of an Adonis. The same can be said of LeBron or Zion or any other physical anomaly. Teams can't just replicate a 6-6, 317-pound dude with a 45-inch vertical leap, and the latest on Williamson's injury is perhaps reason for scouts not to go looking for one.

Nowitzki opened our eyes to 7-footers shooting threes. Since he sunk 116 triples in his second season, 17 more players 6-11 or taller have made more than 100 in a season. Curry carved a path for Trae Young shooting double-digit threes a night at age 21. Every team wants a version of Draymond Green, an undersized center who can switch across all five positions and steward the offense. They really did change the game.

In that sense, Jokic might be the better answer to Nowitzki's question. You can envision teams trading for Domantas Sabonis or Ben Simmons and running the offense through either at center because they've seen it work in Denver. Both would be more attractive on the trade market if they could shoot like Jokic, who is doing a Nowitzki impression over the past two seasons on top of his playmaking duties. Top draft prospect Chet Holmgren will be given free rein of whatever offense he joins next year because Jokic paved the way.

Determination: Fiction

Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach

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NBA Fact or Fiction: Dirk Nowitzki, Luka Doncic and what it means to be a true game-changer - Yahoo Sports

This article first appeared in the Morning Brief. Get the Morning Brief sent directly to your inbox every Monday to Friday by 6:30 a.m. ET. Subscribe

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Inflation hawks rejoice: the Federal Reserve has officially (and quite dramatically, it should be noted) executed a pivot on monetary policy, bowing to Wall Streets demands that it get serious about soaring prices.

On Wednesday, the central bank came out with its inflation-fighting guns blazing. In addition to a unanimous decision to step up the pace of its pullback on massive bond-buying, the Fed telegraphed that it stands prepared to hike interest rates as many as three times in 2022 a development that surprised many analysts.

Traders voted with their buy buttons, which pushed major benchmarks sharply higher, a sign that the Feds hawkish turn hasnt entirely spooked investors yet.

The policy moves underscore the extent to which the Fed has been caught flat-footed by relentless COVID-19 era demand, and even more relentless inflation perched at its highest in decades. Soaring prices are partly an outgrowth of rising pay, even as they eat away at consumer purchasing power.

The Fed has been totally taken by surprise over the last six to nine months, Dartmouth College economics professor Andrew Levin told Yahoo Finance Live on Wednesday. The problem now is consumers are expecting inflation next year to be in the range of 6-8%, and those are feeding into the wage negotiations.

And like the proverbial bolt out of the blue, Wednesdays hawkish decision represented a clarifying moment for U.S. monetary policy evolution, according to Rick Rieder, BlackRocks CIO of global fixed income.

Indeed, the Fed previously described how it would be willing to overshoot its inflation target and it did that. Yet we think now the central bank has also come to recognize that it may have gotten more than it bargained for, particularly given that some of this inflation has been driven by supply shortages and an explosive demand for goods that hasnt been seen in years, on the backside of a population forced to work from home for an extended period of time, Rieder added.

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As the Fed embarks on what is certain to be a carefully calibrated dance between growth and inflation, there are two things that should encourage policymakers.

The first is retail spending, which has been on a tear as consumers spend, spend and spend some more. If Novembers softer-than-expected figures are to be believed, demand appears to be moderating. While supportive of the economy, a slowdown in voracious consumption may help blunt surging inflation, which also could mean the Fed may not have to move as aggressively on rates.

The second and arguably more important aspect of the next 1-2 year time frame is bond yields, which have been all over the place in 2021 but remain firmly below 2% and well below the double-digits bond vigilantes once impelled them during the U.Ss last bout with spiking prices.

Yields tend to fall when the Fed initially starts a rate hike campaign, before they jump -- then fall again.

As weve explained previously at the Morning Brief, Treasury yields are a key avatar of inflation expectations. In years past, upward pressure was enough to bring policymakers to heel on government spending and inflation.

But this time around, rates which have moved higher, are at levels that suggest bond vigilantes remain in hibernation, cowed by massive central bank buying.

The Treasury curve is currently pivoting more than it is rising. Since the end of the second quarter, less-than-10 year Treasury maturities have sold off while greater-than-10-year Treasury maturities have rallied, noted Jake Remley, senior portfolio manager at Income Research + Management, with nearly $97 billion in assets under management

With key segments of the government bond market still skeptical about how aggressive the Fed will be next year, we have yet to see anything even remotely resembling the bond vigilantes of the late-1970s. The markets appetite for duration, even at these low yield levels, continues to be very strong, Remley suggested.

So does that mean the central bank has endless time to get its act together? Not quite.

Last month, Bloombergs Brian Chappatta wrote that if prices dont normalize by the middle of 2022, bond traders might yet try and bully the Fed into hiking rates faster, even if it militates against goals for full employment.

Bond vigilantes, please call your office.

By Javier E. David, editor at Yahoo Finance. Follow him at @Teflongeek

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What the Fed has going for it as inflation surges, tightening looms: Morning Brief - Yahoo Finance