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There was no way NBA executives couldve predicted the Chicago Bulls-focused docuseries The Last Dance would become so popular, but they approached Steve Kerr about following the 2019 Golden State Warriors as they went for a three-peat.

Kerr, perhaps sensing drama was on the horizon with Kevin Durant approaching free agency, declined to have cameras all around his team for an entire season.

But he wasnt as reluctant on allowing some access for last seasons Warriors, who wound up reclaiming their spot atop the NBA throne. Gold Blooded followed the Warriors journey last season, dating back to training camp.

It debuted on the redesigned and constantly updated NBA app, which was unveiled this week.

It was much less invasive, Kerr told Yahoo Sports as the Warriors headed to Tokyo for two preseason games against the Washington Wizards. It felt fine, the way it all worked out. Its 2022, times are changing and the business sort of demands more access. Fans love it.

Kerr had final say in when and where cameras were allowed, so he had a measure of control in the process. Andre Iguodala, the 2015 Finals MVP, narrates the episodes the first, focusing on how the Warriors were built and the doubts entering the season after the fall from their dynastic days.

There was no way Kerr couldve known the season wouldve played so perfectly, so getting inside even a morsel of the teams psyche would be gold to fans, even making note of how media friendly the Warriors have traditionally been well before their title days.

Its pretty amazing to look behind, Kerr said. Behind-the-scenes stuff, it was really special for fans because they watch all the games and they feel like they get to know the players and coaches, [but] until you really see the behind-the-scenes stuff, you dont have a great idea of whats happening.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr greets fans during the championship parade on June 20, 2022, in San Francisco. (Michael Urakami/Getty Images)

The league has followed suit with other franchises in training camp so far, with the Philadelphia 76ers allowing access and catching head coach Doc Rivers and James Harden in a moment recently Rivers referencing Hardens changing role compared to his days in Houston with the two discussing Hardens read on his teammates.

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We gotta get you in what you want, Rivers told Harden. You cant just say youre a facilitator. Youre a scorer and facilitator. Its gonna take time to figure that out but when it clicks, James, were gonna be unbeatable.

Those intimate moments seem to be the norm with the NBAs look into camps, with Real Training Camp at the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, following head coach Jason Kidd and Luka Doncic.

Its all part of the NBAs refocus into the app, which will include options on betting, simulcasting of radio shows and original content such as these training camps. CrunchTime, which is similar to the NFLs popular RedZone, will zoom in and out of games at critical junctures throughout the evening so fans can get a taste of everything all at once.

And more pointedly to a large segment of fans, the league is opening its vault of archived games, which to date has 500 classic contests. Every Finals game since 2000 is available right now and more will be released as the year goes on.

Before, YouTube was a home for a lot of NBA content fans often uploaded through the years. Now, it seems the league is finally taking an active role in promoting its history.

Kerr, with nine championship rings as a player and coach, is already a huge part of that history and will have to motivate his team in a different way this season.

Its a different approach. Last year, we didnt know we could do it given all the changes our team had been through, injuries and stuff, Kerr told Yahoo Sports. But then we did it. And so now we have the confidence that we can do it again. The motivation is trying to get back-to-back [championships], which is something that is extremely rare. We did it once here, 17 and 18. But we got guys who are highly motivated. Love to win, hate to lose. And theyre excited for the season.

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How the Warriors' 2022 championship journey is a part of something new - Yahoo Sports

As you likely heard, a court in Baltimore recently set Adnan Syed free. For many of us who listened to the first season of the podcast Serial way back in 2014 and learned of the tale of Adnans odd murder conviction, it seemed like justice was finally served.

Serial was fascinating for another reason as well: The show launched podcasting into the stratosphere.

Certainly the lone advertiser at the beginning of that season, MailChimp, never expected to be part of a cultural phenomenon, but undoubtedly it washappy it was. To date, the first two seasons of Serial have been downloaded wait for it 340 million times.

And that just got things started. To say podcasts are hot now would be an understatement. Consider these stats from Edison Research:

Each week, more Americans listen to podcasts than have Netflix accounts: In 2021, 80 million Americans [were] weekly podcast listeners. There are now 10 million more weekly podcast listeners than the 69 Netflix account owners in the U.S.

Podcast listeners have grown almost 30% in the past 3 Years

Podcast listeners tune in an average of 8 shows per week

Apple releases AirPods Pro '2.': Our review: New earbuds are a perfect fit for iPhone users.

Were people eating NyQuil chicken?: Viral challenge was the latest internet lore

Bottom line: Podcasting works, is popularand is only getting more so. It gets your name, business and brand out thereand it does so in a way that is unique and memorable, which is very difficult to do in this media-saturated world.

For the small business, this is great news because podcasting is a powerful andaffordable way to attract new clients and customers. Specifically, there are two ways to use podcasts to grow your business.

Lets look at both.

There areplenty of good reasons to do so:

It builds the brand. With so many people listening to podcasts today, hosting a show can help establish you as a thought leader and thus is a great way to get you and/or your business in front of a whole new audience.

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image: Ap Maryland Serial Podcast A Usa Md

Adnan Syed, center, leaves the Elijah E. Cummings Courthouse on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, in Baltimore. A judge has ordered the release of Syed after overturning his conviction for a 1999 murder that was chronicled in the hit podcast Serial.

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It is an excellent way to network.That same Edison Research survey states that podcast listeners listen to an entire show 85% of the time. Where else do you get someones uninterrupted online attention 85% of the time? Right, nowhere. Moreover, ifyour show is one where you would interview industry expertsthen that is a powerful way to, well, meet industry experts.

Its easy and affordable.There are two ways to launch and run a podcast.You can either do it yourself, or hire someone to help you. Both are pretty easy and affordable.

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Adnan Syed, center, leaves the Elijah E. Cummings Courthouse on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, in Baltimore. A judge has ordered the release of Syed after overturning his conviction for a 1999 murder that was chronicled in the hit podcast Serial.

Lets start with the latter first. This is how I did my old podcast. I had a great podcast producer who booked guests and did all the tech stuff. We record the show and interviews in his studio, he edited itand then uploaded it to iTunes, my site, Stitcherand so on.

The other way to go is DIY. Here, you need to choose the right app that works for you, invest in some basic sound equipment (like a great mic)and start recording. Your options are:

Anchor.fm

Garage Band (on a Mac)

Adobe Audition

Audacity

I love this option too, in fact, almost more, because it is just so potent. If the good news of podcasting is that it is so popular, the bad news is that it isso popular. Launching your own show and getting noticed is doable, yes, but it takes time and effort.

In the alternative, you can simply find a show that caters to your audience and advertise there. That show has already done all the heavy lifting, and yet, because it is such a niche audience, the fees should be very reasonable.

So no, you will likely not become the next MailChimp on the next Serial, but who cares? Podcasting is the future.

Steve Strauss is a popular speaker, attorney, and the bestselling author of 18 books, including his latest, "Your Small Business Boom." Recently named by SCORE as the top small-business champion in the country, you can learn more about Steve and theStrauss Group atMrAllBiz.com, get more tips atPlanet Small Businessand connect with himon Twitter at@SteveStraussand onFacebook atPlanetSmallBusiness.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why podcasts could be the next big thing for your small business

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Why podcast marketing could be the next big thing for your small business - Yahoo Finance

Conventional clothing norms say you shouldn't wear white after Labor Day. Fashion icon Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals don't care about your conventions. When they face off against the Miami Dolphins on "Thursday Night Football," they'll be doing it in style, debuting their "White Bengal" uniforms. I'm a sucker for slick threads, but hope to be sharp tonight with these three player props I'm digging on BetMGM:

One thing the Dolphins defense has in common with actual dolphins is that neither of them have legs. Miami's D played 90 snaps against the Bills in hot, humid weather just four days ago, running around the field for two-thirds of the game as Buffalo amassed 497 total yards of offense. When the Thursday night lights come on, expect a lot of clear eyes, dead legs, can't move from a Dolphins unit giving up the second-most passing yards per game (310) and ranked 28th in QB rating allowed.

Joe Brrr has hit this prop in eight of his last nine home games, including each of his last five.

With Miami cornerback Xavien Howard likely to shadow Ja'Marr Chase, we'll turn to Cincinnati's other dominant receiver. Higgins was concussed in the second quarter of the Bengals' season opener, but has bounced back with 17 targets over his last two games, cashing this prop in each of them. The third-year wideout has recorded at least 71 receiving yards in eight of his last 12 contests.

Defenses haven't had to chase Edmonds much, as he hasn't been on the field. After playing 63% of offensive snaps and handling 12 carries for a pedestrian 25 yards in Week 1, Edmonds has been ceding work to backfield colleague Raheem Mostert. Edmonds played on 51% of offensive snaps in Week 2 and 44% in Week 3, totaling 11 carries to Mostert's 19 totes. Miami has only run the ball on 34.7% of offensive plays this season, while Cincinnati's defense ranks seventh in yards per carry allowed (3.7) and fifth in success rate versus the run.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has passed for at least 275 yards in eight of his last nine home games. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Stats provided by Pro Football Reference, teamrankings.com, CBS Sports, and rbsdm.com.

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NFL player props: Joe Burrow is primed to cool off the Dolphins - Yahoo Sports

In order to justify the effort of selecting individual stocks, it's worth striving to beat the returns from a market index fund. But even the best stock picker will only win with some selections. At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC), since the last five years saw the share price fall 57%. Furthermore, it's down 14% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. But this could be related to the weak market, which is down 6.1% in the same period.

Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns.

View our latest analysis for Kraft Heinz

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

During five years of share price growth, Kraft Heinz moved from a loss to profitability. Most would consider that to be a good thing, so it's counter-intuitive to see the share price declining. Other metrics might give us a better handle on how its value is changing over time.

We note that the dividend has fallen in the last five years, so that may have contributed to the share price decline. The revenue decline of 0.1% per year wouldn't have helped. So the the weak dividend and revenue data could well help explain the soft share price.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

earnings-and-revenue-growth

Kraft Heinz is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. If you are thinking of buying or selling Kraft Heinz stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst consensus estimates for future profits.

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As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Kraft Heinz, it has a TSR of -46% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

While it's certainly disappointing to see that Kraft Heinz shares lost 5.2% throughout the year, that wasn't as bad as the market loss of 22%. Of far more concern is the 8% p.a. loss served to shareholders over the last five years. This sort of share price action isn't particularly encouraging, but at least the losses are slowing. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for Kraft Heinz (1 is potentially serious!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

But note: Kraft Heinz may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

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.

Join A Paid User Research SessionYoull receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here

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Shareholders in Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) are in the red if they invested five years ago - Yahoo Finance

Bill Gates called for realism in the climate change debate.Getty Images

Bill Gates said only innovation can help solve the climate crisis.

He told Bloomberg Zero it's "unrealistic" to expect people to radically change how they live.

Gates says he played a key role in the Inflation Reduction Act, which will help cut carbon emissions.

Bill Gates said the climate crisis will not be solved by expecting people to radically change their lifestyle over concerns about the environment.

"Anyone who says telling people to stop eating meat or wanting to have a nice house will basically change human desires, I think, that is too difficult," he told Bloomberg's Zero podcast. "You can make a case for it, but I don't think it's realistic for that to play a central role."

The billionaire philanthropist discussed the US climate bill in the podcast and said that climate change could not be solved without innovation.

"We're not even trying to make breakthroughs, such as inventing an economic way of making aviation fuel, cement or steel," he said. "The existing tools only apply to areas like electricity generation and don't apply to most of the emissions."

Gates has long been a supporter of climate change innovation. In 2015 he founded TerraPower, which designs nuclear reactors, and launched Breakthrough Energy, an investment vehicle that has invested in almost 100 clean-energy companies.

He has also funded a number of start-ups including Turntide, which creates energy-efficient electric motors, and lithium start-up Mangrove Lithium. Last year he published a book titled "How To Avoid A Climate Disaster" that calls for climate innovation.

The world's fifth-richest person also said in the interview that he played a key role in the Inflation Reduction Act, which has allocated almost $370 billion to help cut US carbon emissions by 40% over the next eight years.

"I am getting governments involved and this latest bill I was personally involved in a lot of what got written into it and working with the key senators in the last month to get it passed," he said.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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Bill Gates says telling people they can't eat meat or have a 'nice house' won't solve the climate crisis - Yahoo Finance

If you want to know who really controls AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 70% to be precise, is institutions. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

No shareholder likes losing money on their investments, especially institutional investors who saw their holdings drop 6.2% in value last week. However, the 28% one-year return to shareholders may have helped lessen their pain. They should, however, be mindful of further losses in the future.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about AbbVie.

Check out our latest analysis for AbbVie

ownership-breakdown

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in AbbVie. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at AbbVie's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

earnings-and-revenue-growth

Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in AbbVie. Our data shows that The Vanguard Group, Inc. is the largest shareholder with 8.7% of shares outstanding. With 7.6% and 4.4% of the shares outstanding respectively, BlackRock, Inc. and State Street Global Advisors, Inc. are the second and third largest shareholders.

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A deeper look at our ownership data shows that the top 25 shareholders collectively hold less than half of the register, suggesting a large group of small holders where no single shareholder has a majority.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of AbbVie Inc.. As it is a large company, we'd only expect insiders to own a small percentage of it. But it's worth noting that they own US$163m worth of shares. Arguably recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.

With a 30% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over AbbVie. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand AbbVie better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for AbbVie you should know about.

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

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.

Join A Paid User Research SessionYoull receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here

Originally posted here:

AbbVie Inc.'s (NYSE:ABBV) institutional investors lost 6.2% last week but have benefitted from longer-term gains - Yahoo Finance

Theres not much working well for the New Orleans Saints. Theyre 1-3 after losing to the Minnesota Vikings, and they rank among league leaders in penalties. Their offense and special teams units are two of the least effective squads around the league. The defense cant do everything on its own. Its a really frustrating spot to be in after just four weeks, but its the hole theyve dug for themselves. Lets ask and answer three key questions: what went right, what went wrong, and whats the bottom line?

What went right?

Good things continued to happen almost every time Chris Olave was targeted. The rookie wide receiver caught 4 passes for 67 yards, converting a first down or scoring a touchdown each time. He rose to the occasion in a couple of high-stakes situations and looks like someone who will soon enter the conversation surrounding the leagues best receivers. Hopefully his late-game leg injury isnt serious; he returned to play through it.

And the defense had some really bright moments. Their third down package was on point, yielding just 5 conversions on 14 tries a success rate of only 35.7% The pass rush was active throughout the afternoon, sacking Cousins 3 times and totaling 8 hits, with nearly as many knockdowns. Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport were ridiculous mismatches for the Vikings bookend tackles and controlled the line of scrimmage. Theyre heating up at the right time.

It wasnt flashy, and at times he made some serious mistakes in two-minute situations (like clutching up just before halftime and fumbling inside New Orleans territory, and later losing 12 seconds on the final drive by being slow to line up the offense pre-snap) but Dalton turned in an efficient 20-of-28 passing line for 236 yards. Maybe he uncorks more big plays with Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and Calvin Throckmorton in the lineup. We still didnt see enough to suggest he should start over Jameis Winston in the long term.

What went wrong?

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Lets start with the penalties. There were a ton of questionable fouls on the secondary late in regulation, giving Minnesota 50 yards and two first downs on a critical drive to retake the lead. A flag on Tyrann Mathieus supposed illegal use of hands didnt hold up under replay, and Adam Thielen successfully lobbied to have a pass interference foul called against Marshon Lattimore later on the same possession.

But there are dubious penalties against the Saints in every game. You cant control that. What you can control is a young, handsy defensive back like Paulson Adebo being fouled twice for holding (a problem he also had last year). You can coach a jumpy backup guard like Calvin Throckmorton out of drawing multiple false starts (which was an issue for him last season, too). You can drill reliable tackling technique and iron out procedural issues. This Saints team is sloppy and prone to mistakes and mental errors, and a week in London didnt change that. Dennis Allen and his coaching staff are failing their players and costing them games.

We saw another instance of Allens issues with Marshon Lattimore lined up against Justin Jefferson without any help; Jefferson ended the day by catching 10 passes for 147 yards and a score, dropping another would-be touchdown. Jefferson won that matchup and the Saints failed to adjust to it. I get it Allen wants to trust Lattimore to hold down his side of the field so help can be sent elsewhere. But when the chips were down in the games last minutes, he left Lattimore stranded on an island and allowed Jefferson to set up a game-winning field goal try.

Back to the offense. They experienced the same slow, sloppy start as weve seen with Winston under center and only managed 7 points in the first half. Dalton threw several risky passes that should have been intercepted by the Vikings defense. Again, maybe things run more smoothly with more hands on deck, but this was proof of what weve been saying about the Saints having two mediocre quarterbacks rather than any upgrades behind a struggling starter.

And what's the bottom line?

The Saints are a seriously flawed football team. Their coaching staff lacks an eye for detail and its led to too many penalties in too many critical situations. Theyre asking too many guys on the wrong side of 30 to do too much and make up for a poor draft strategy over the last few years. And there isnt a light at the end of the tunnel: their 2023 first round pick is going to the Philadelphia Eagles after an aggressive trade earlier this year. They went all in on 2022 and are getting burned for it.

Thats not to say things cant turn around. The NFC South is still a competitive division, and its a long season. They sat Kamara and Thomas and Winston this week to protect their health and rest them up for the long haul. Weve seen New Orleans hit its stride and win six, seven, eight games in a row before. Its not impossible.

But that happened with Sean Payton on top of the organization. We can say pretty definitively by now that Allen isnt Payton. And he doesnt have to be he can absolutely lead this team to success in his own way. But too often this year weve heard that drumbeat that the Saints want to maintain continuity and do things Paytons way. If things dont change soon, were closer to deciding Allen was the wrong guy for the job rather than someone who might be able to turn it all around.

Story originally appeared on Saints Wire

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Instant analysis from the Saints 28-25 loss to the Vikings - Yahoo Sports

The Cleveland Browns officially ruled out defensive end Myles Garrett for Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons, the team announced Saturday morning. He was originally listed as questionable four days after he was involved in a one-car accident on Monday afternoon. Garrett suffered a shoulder sprain, biceps strains as well as minor lacerations, bumps and bruises from the crash.

Garrett spoke for the first time since the accident on Friday, where he described the incident as "a hell of an event" and that he was "grateful to be here."

Police issued Garrett a citation for speeding and failing to control his vehicle after reports say Garrett drove his Porsche off the west side of an Ohio roadway Monday afternoon, hit a ditch and a fire hydrant and flipped the car before coming to a stop.

He was reportedly driving 65 miles-per-hour in a 45-mph zone. Garrett said he swerved to avoid an animal and then "overcorrected" on a wet road that caused the car to flip. He and a female passenger who reportedly sustained non-life-threatening injuries were taken to a local hospital before they were both released Monday night.

The Browns confirmed most of this news on Tuesday.

This was not the first time Garrett was cited for speeding. Garrett has been issued five speeding tickets over the past four years, according to cleveland.com, and eight since 2017. This includes a citation for driving 120 mph in a 70-mph zone and 99 mph in a 70-mph zone over a two-day period in 2021.

Garrett did say Friday that he should slow down more when driving.

"I gotta be smart overall with driving," Garrett added. "Don't take it for granted. Be grateful that I'm able to still be here."

Garrett has tallied three sacks, four tackles for a loss, five quarterback hits and a forced fumble in three games this season for the Browns. He was drafted No. 1 overall by Cleveland in 2017 out of Texas A&M.

Myles Garrett might play just four days after crashing his car. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

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Myles Garrett ruled out for Week 4 after scary car crash, says he's 'grateful' to be alive - Yahoo Sports

Washington and UCLA headline a hefty Friday slate to start Week 5 of the 2022 college football season.

The No. 15 Huskies visit the Bruins as 3-point favorites. While Washington is the only team ranked, both are undefeated ahead of what could be a pivotal Pac-12 matchup (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Washington already has as many wins in 2022 as it did a season ago. The 2021 season was a mess for the Huskies and new coach Kalen DeBoer brought in former Indiana QB Michael Penix to run the offense. Penix has been one of the best quarterbacks in college football so far this season as Washington has scored at least 39 points in all of its games.

Penix has thrown for 1,388 yards and is completing 64% of his passes while tossing 12 TDs to just one interception so far this season. RB Wayne Taulapapa is averaging over six yards a carry and Washingtons top three receivers are all averaging over 16 yards a catch. This is a far cry from the Washington offense we saw plod around the field last season.

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is pictured during an NCAA football game against Kent State on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Seattle. Washington won 45-20. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

UCLA, meanwhile, is also putting up points. The Bruins have rushed for 882 yards over the first four games of the season and are averaging nearly six yards a carry as a team. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson has thrown for nearly 500 fewer yards than Penix but is completing 75% of his passes and has thrown eight touchdowns.

The offensive success of each team so far is why the over/under is currently 64.5. Short road favorites are a dangerous play; UCLA had a scare against South Alabama in Week 3 but appears to be a solid team. Washington, meanwhile, could be one of the best teams in the Pac-12. Wed lean to betting the under in this game and dont have a real read on the spread. It should be a phenomenal matchup if you can stay up for it.

Tulane and Houston get the festivities started Friday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) and the Cougars are 2.5-point favorites. Houston is 3-1 after escaping with a win over Rice in Week 4 while Tulane followed its big win over Kansas State in Week 3 with a loss to Southern Miss in Week 4. Over 55 feels like the right play here. While Houstons pass rush has its moments, the defense overall isnt very good.

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UTSA is a 4.5-point favorite at Middle Tennessee State (7:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN). UTSA is 2-2 with losses to Texas and Houston while MTSU is coming off a 14-point win at Miami. Both teams are averaging and giving up over 30 points per game, though UTSA has played a slightly tougher schedule. Well take UTSA to cover in this one.

Boise State is a 6.5-point favorite at home against San Diego State (8 p.m. ET, FS1) as Taylen Green is set to make the start at QB. Starting QB Hank Bachmeier is transferring away from the Broncos after getting benched and the team made a change at offensive coordinator after a 17-point loss to UTEP in Week 4.

Boise States offense has been awful so far this season. Bachmeier and Green have combined to throw for just 652 yards on 122 pass attempts and the team has rushed for fewer than 500 yards at just over 3.5 yards a carry. It says a lot about San Diego State that the Aztecs are TD underdogs to the Broncos and its pretty clear why the over/under for this game is just 39. We re leaning toward the over, however. Boise State has to get it figured out at some point on offense and a coordinator change may be the spark it needs.

The nightcap features New Mexico and a revitalized UNLV (11 p.m. ET, CBSSN). The Rebels are 3-1 and beat Utah State by 10 points and North Texas by 31. UNLV is a 14-point favorite over New Mexico after the Lobos lost 38-0 to LSU in Week 4 and also have lost by 17 to Boise State. Watch for UNLV QB Doug Brumfield in this one. Hes completing 70% of his passes and has 12 total touchdowns through the first four games of the season.

The American League playoff field can officially be set on Friday night with wins by the Rays and Mariners. The Mariners are 5.5 games up on the Orioles with seven games to play and the Rays are five games up with six to play. If the Orioles lose to the Yankees on Friday night and the Mariners and Rays win, the latter two teams will secure the final two Wild Cards spots.

The Orioles are +155 to win at the Yankees while New York is -190.

The National League has a serious fight for the final Wild Card spot. The Phillies are now just a half game ahead of the Brewers with seven games to play while Milwaukee has six games left. Philadelphia starts a series against the last-place Washington Nationals on Friday and is -175 to beat the Nationals. The Brewers, meanwhile, are playing the Miami Marlins and are -175 to win.

After watching Tua Tagovailoa get stretchered off the field in the second half it feels callous to congratulate those who won money on the Bengals victory over the Dolphins. Cincinnati won 27-15. The total was 49 and Cincinnati was a 4-point favorite.

Excerpt from:

The Daily Sweat: Washington and UCLA headline a Friday feast of football - Yahoo Sports

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis broadcast his national ambitions this week by taking credit for a flight that sent undocumented immigrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, making him the latest conservative lawmaker to protest the rise in illegal immigration by shipping border crossers to a liberal state.

The governor's stunt may have broken the law, and spurred locals to assist the migrants. Its nonetheless likely to strengthen his position as former president Donald Trumps most formidable rival in 2024 among Republican primary voters. DeSantis has attracted national attention for championing his state's so-called don't say gay law and for downplaying the risks of COVID-19.

But it's his fundraising prowess that perhaps cements his standing as the primary Trump alternative. After years of diligently gathering checks, the Florida governor is now on the cusp of a major milestone. He is set to soon take the mantle of having raised the most money of any candidate for governor ever.

Thats according to data from OpenSecrets.org that goes back decades.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks after the primary election for the midterms during a rally in Tampa in August. (REUTERS/Octavio Jones)

The DeSantis story is more about a politician who's using his state campaign to be a test site for a potential presidential run," Sarah Bryner, the director of research and strategy at OpenSecrets, told Yahoo Finance on Friday.

DeSantis has structured his fundraising in a new way, directing donors both to his campaign committee and his political action committee. The PAC has been successful, Bryner notes, because it has no contribution limits.

Plenty of wealthy donors have taken full advantage of that quirk in campaign finance laws.

A key donor is Citadel CEO Ken Griffin. The hedge funder has backed DeSantis for years, giving $5 million for his current campaign on top of contributing $5.75 million in 2018.

Griffin declined to list DeSantis as his favorite candidate during a May appearance at the Milken Institute Global Conference. However, he conceded that DeSantis has done a lot of things right when it comes to preparing for 2024.

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Griffin also said at that appearance that he didnt appreciate the governor's recent campaign against the The Walt Disney Company (DIS) over his opposition to the state's anti-gay law. It can be portrayed or feel or look like retaliation, Griffin said.

Citadel CEO Ken Griffin speaks at the 2022 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California in May. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

According to the latest data, DeSantis has raised over $174 million since he took office. That's much more than he is likely to need to hold his seat, where he enjoys a polling edge against Democratic rival, Charlie Crist. While this money is ostensibly being raised for the upcoming governor's race, it's clearly aimed at 2024 and whatever DeSantis doesn't spend can be saved for the future.

The biggest contributor on record is Robert Bigelow. The owner of the Budget Suites hotel chain has written exactly one check so far this election cycle: $10 million to the DeSantis PAC. Bigelow has bestowed his fortune on a range of unlikely causes, from UFO-hunting to "consciousness studies" to inflatable space habitats, according to Forbes.

Another mega-donor is Richard Uihlein and his wife, who have chipped in $1.2 million. Uihlein, worth an estimated $3.9 billion, gave Trump money during the 2020 contest, according to Federal Election Commission data, but hasn't given to the former president since then. Still, he's backed an array of Trump-aligned candidates such as Herschel Walker in Georgia and Blake Masters in Arizona this year.

Plenty of other big names grace the DeSantis donor database. Notable financial figures include Charles B. Johnson of Franklin Resources ($594,919 since 2019); Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus ($500,000), hedge funder Paul Tudor Jones ($400,000), and more.

Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus during a ribbon cutting ceremony in 2005. (Barry Williams/Getty Images)

DeSantis has already set the fundraising record among non-self-financing governors and willI likely soon surpass the totals achieved by Meg Whitman in California and Jay Pritzker in Illinois in recent years. Those two billionaires spent millions of their own money on their respective campaigns

The Florida governor has also gotten notice, but not yet any money, from another key GOP bankroller. Billionaire Peter Thiel, the key Trump donor in 2016 who sat out the 2020 presidential race, said at a recent conservatism conference that DeSantis is probably the best of the governors in terms of offering a real alternative to California, Insider reports.

Neither Trump nor DeSantis has yet declared plans to run for president in 2024, though Bryner notes they're both building their campaign war chests and may end up competing for donors in 2023.

Then-President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis participate in a "COVID-19 Response and Storm Preparedness" event in Belleair, Florida in 2020. (REUTERS/Tom Brenner)

Trump is handily beating DeSantis in nearly every poll, which can be far from a reliable indicator this far ahead of an election. The former president has maintained his usual bravado in the face of the possible challenge.

Asked about potential competition from DeSantis, Trump told Yahoo Finance in an interview last year: I'd beat him like I would beat everyone else.

Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

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Florida's Ron DeSantis is on the cusp of raising more than any governor ever - Yahoo Finance