A novelization of the sights and sounds from the Mavericks’ home opener

A novelization of the sights and sounds from the Mavericks’ home opener

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Few days throughout the NBA calendar are as special as day one. There is no dread of a lost season or any regret of games that got away. There is only excitement and hope, which are amplified when you experience game one in person. I have been going to games my whole life, as my dad has had season tickets for the Dallas Mavericks since 1984. I am fortunate to have experienced so much, but inherently the volume of games I have been to takes away from the allure of any single one. Despite this, the first game I go to every year is always a special feeling, and having it be the first game of the Mavericks’ season this year, I wanted to document the experience to look back on.

Before even walking in, the buzz around the stadium was clear. They rolled out the blue carpet and player cutouts on Victory Plaza, and there was not a road within two miles not being traversed by fans. The lines to get in were long well before tip and the excitement was palpable. Once you got inside, the colors and smells of the concession stands helped bring about a sense of deja vu. Public address announcer Sean Heath’s voice crept through the hallways leading to the seats like your mother calling you down for dinner. In an ever-changing world, so much of American Airlines Center was the same, which gives the returning fan a sense of home.

Seeing the players warm up is always a treat, as you gain a new appreciation for just how big they are. This was especially true on Thursday night when Victor Wembanyama towered over 20-plus NBA athletes. He truly felt larger than life. The lights went down and the National Anthem was sung and the lights came back on for a minute while the Spurs’ starting lineup was announced. The arena went dark again, and the Mavericks were ready to be recognized for the first time this year. The announcement of the players was goosebump-inducing. From the confusion of Brandon Williams’ name coming first to the roar for Klay Thompson to the ambiance of Eminence Front by The Who playing during the pregame video (which has been their hype song for as long as I can remember), there was not an aspect of the before-game antics that did not increase your readiness for the game. The only thing left before tipoff was Heath telling the fans to be “rowdy, loud, and proud” from “the opening tip to the final buzzer”. He said his peace and the game was underway.

The tradition (originating from something the Thunder do) of standing until Dallas scores continued, and the fans were able to sit down when Daniel Gafford threw in a hook shot for their first points of 2024-25. The verbal relief of sitting down paled in comparison to the cheer of the next made basket when Klay Thompson’s first field goal as a Maverick went around, up, and down just over a minute later. The rest of the first half was fairly uneventful as Dallas shot poorly and trailed by two. After waiting out the halftime bathroom lines, it was time to get seated for the second half.

The third quarter was far more reminiscent of last year’s team. Every Luka Doncic three felt familiar and exciting, and when Dereck Lively dunked the arena felt the vibrations. Their 40-point third-quarter outburst had the crowd rocking like a playoff game. The fourth quarter had a nervous anxiety to it after Dallas went up by 21 points and Jason Kidd left Luka Doncic and Lively in the game. Many people stayed to the end to hear Heath end the night with his signature “Mavs win! Mavs win!”. As the exits were flooded with happy Mavericks supporters, the drum line could be heard echoing through the concourse. It was a great feeling to be back and an even better one with a Mavericks win.


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Kentucky Football falls to Vanderbilt Commodores: Final score, 4 things to know and more

Kentucky Football falls to Vanderbilt Commodores: Final score, 4 things to know and more

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The juices don’t always get flowing when it’s the Vanderbilt Commodores standing on the other side of the field, but Saturday was different.

It was a long day waiting for the Kentucky Wildcats to kick off against a Vandy team that inexplicably upset Alabama a week ago.

Kentucky opened as double-digit favorites, but it felt like winning this game would require a focused effort.

The first half was forceful as Kentucky was plagued with untimely penalties and poor execution. They’d go into the break down 14-7.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was 9/11 and tossed two scores in the first half.

The Commodores would take advantage of Kentucky’s lack of execution and control most the second half.

UK never really had in a chance in this one simply because they couldn’t get out of their own way.

Vandy makes it two in a row in Lexington. The Cats are now 2-10 in the week following ir last 12 SEC home games.

Unacceptable.

Here are four things to know from Kentucky’s third loss of the season.

Diego Pavia can play

Following up his monster performance against Alabama, Pavia would throw for 143 yards and two scores. He led a 97-yard drive to start the game and really flexed his ability to keep the defense off-balance.

Then, he ended the second half with another brilliant stretch to give the Dores a 14-7 lead heading into the break.

After an awkward takedown in the third quarter, Pavia would leave the game and return in a knee brace. His gritty performance was impressive.

When Pavia is cooking, there’s not much opposing defense can do to stop him.

Saying that, Kentucky’s defense did enough to win this game. The offense was just woefully inefficient, and Pavia did just enough for the Dores to squeak out the win.

Dane Key continues to shine

#6 once again showed why he’s going to be playing on Sundays. Key would grab eight receptions and scored a fourth-quarter touchdown that gave the Cats some life.

It’s been solidified that Dane Key is the most consistent option for this Kentucky offense that continues to sputter.

At this pace, Key may hear his name called at some point in the 2025 NFL Draft if he opts to leave.

Undisciplined play

Kentucky couldn’t get out of its own way in the first half racking up eight penalties for 71 yards, including several in critical situations.

The second half produced much of the same.

Late in the third quarter a botched snap would cost the Cats three points. After a Dane touchdown the special teams unit failed to convert an extra point.

Special teams was a nightmare all night.

Kentucky would finish the night with 12 penalties for 106 yards.

Undisciplined play begins to mount as a concern, especially when you consider that Mark Stoops’ team is coming off a bye week. Then again, his teams have consistently been awful coming out of byes. Somehow in Year 12, he still hasn’t figured out how to perform coming out of a bye.

UK can be very frustrating to watch sometimes, and cleaning up the play has to be a primary focus moving forward.

Next week the Cats will travel to one of the loudest environments in the country when they travel to the Swamp to take on the Florida Gators.

A trip to the Swamp is up next

Kentucky will travel to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. Even though UK has had recent success, playing in the Swamp is never easy.

If the Cats can’t figure out how to execute and avoid penalties it’ll be a long night in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Florida will be chomping at the bit coming off a heartbreaking 23-17 OT loss to #8 Tennessee.

Now, let’s discuss this one.


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Kentucky Wildcats Football wins at Ole Miss: Recap, 4 takeaways and postgame cheers

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The Kentucky Wildcats entered Saturday’s matchup against the No. 5 Ole Miss Rebels needing a signature win over a quality opponent.

After being dismantled by South Carolina and just missing a victory over the top-ranked program in America, the Big Blue Nation was craving a conference win. The task would be tall as Ole Miss had spanked every team put in front of it prior to today, and the Cats entered the game as 17-.5-point dogs while down star cornerback Maxwell Hairston.

The Rebels’ scoring margin through the first four games of the season was 220-22, the highest in SEC history to begin a year.

Their offense moves at a rapid pace and can run up the scoreboard before you even know what happened. With the pregame news of Kentucky defensive star Maxwell Hairston being ruled out, the challenge for UK grew tremendously.

But Mark Stoops’ team came ready to play and rose to the occasion.

Kentucky looked like the better team in the first half, taking a 10-7 lead into the locker room. Dane Key was the offensive catalyst, scoring his first touchdown of the season and the Cats’ first touchdown in conference play.

The second half was similar to the last time Kentucky traveled to Oxford. The game came down to the final minutes and a wild play. A fumble recovery in the end zone gave the Cats a 20-16 lead with 2:25 to go.

After a hard-fought last two minutes, a missed field goal helped UK prevail 20-17 in what was Mark Stoops’s signature win.

That’s right. Your Kentucky Wildcats pulled off what’s easily among the best wins any college football team has this season, maybe even the best.

Here are four things to know from the monumental win!

Kentucky’s defense is one of the best in college football

If you didn’t already know — Brad White’s defense is legitimately one of the best units in America.

The Cats held Ole Miss to just 7 points and 129 total yards in the first half. They’ve now been the only team to throttle the Rebel offense in any capacity this season.

Holding Ole Miss to 17 points was beyond impressive, and the nation is now aware that Brad White’s group is for real.

Kentucky’s 20-17 upset was their highest-ranked road win since 1977 and will surely go down as a signature victory for Mark Stoops.

It’s time to give Brad White his roses after far too many people were calling for his job at the end of last season. It’s time for someone to give him a chance to be a head coach.

Dane Key with another breakout performance

Following up on a career-best game against Ohio, Dane Key showed why he’s one of the most lethal weapons in the SEC on Saturday against Ole Miss.

The local product would not only fill up the stat sheet but also impose his will by drawing pass-interference calls, some of which were missed.

Key would finish the game with eight grabs for 105 yards and a score.

Dane Key will play on Sundays soon and has the chance to be exceptional.

He’d finish the game with eight catches for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Controlling time of possession

Similar to the Georgia game, Kentucky aimed to control the time of possession, and they succeeded. Ole Miss only had the football for 8 minutes in the first half. Keeping the Rebels’ explosive offense off the field allowed the Cats to operate at their speed offensively and ultimately secure a lead after the first two quarters.

The second half was much of the same as UK had the ball in total nearly double that of Ole Miss. While the defense did the bulk of the work, the offense did a great job of sustaining drives and keeping the clock moving to limit the Rebels’ total possessions in this one.

It is HAPPY BYE week

The Cats will get a much-needed week off after their trip to Oxford. UK won’t take the field again until October 12th when Vandy comes to Kroger Field.

Taking on the Commodores at home should be a much easier task than playing an offensive juggernaut like the Ole Miss Rebels on the road.

Vanderbilt is 2-2 on the season and has a BYE this week. But after playing Alabama next Saturday afternoon, the Dores are very likely to be 2-3 before traveling to Lexington.

Securing a conference win is always a major plus, and there’s rarely a better opportunity than a home game against Vandy.

And with the upcoming games at Florida and vs. Auburn being very winnable, this team now has a chance to hit 8+ wins after it seemed just getting to six was a major uphill climb.

Now, we have hope for what this season will become!

Let’s celebrate!!

GO CATS!!!


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Falcons vs. Chiefs instant recap: A gritty effort comes up just short in Atlanta

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The Atlanta Falcons were always going to have a tough time knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs. Add in two injured offensive linemen and a defense that couldn’t get pressure on Patrick Mahomes and what looked rough soon became insurmountable.

To their eternal credit, the Falcons never stopped struggling and trying to make a game of it, and they were remarkably close to succeeding at times. This is a tougher, more capable Falcons team than it has been in some time, one capable of suffering losses and then continuing to not just fight but actually land punches. Zac Robinson was able to, after time and a little bit of a painful stretch, find his way to a more successful game plan despite being down two key offensive linemen. Jimmy Lake and Raheem Morris managed to get the defense clamping down in key stretches, especially late in the game.

It was, unfortunately, not quite enough. The Falcons managed to drive down the field with under two minutes to go, getting close enough to give themselves a shot, but third and fourth down short yardage carries couldn’t get the yardage and effectively ended the game. Atlanta’s decision earlier to not kick a field goal and go for the end zone on fourth down—a perfectly logical choice given the situation and opponent—will probably be scrutinized this week, given that a field goal on that final drive plus a field goal earlier would’ve potentially won the game. But you go for the knockout punch against a great team every time, and the Falcons wanted to land it. Their best late game blow just wasn’t enough to overcome Kansas City.

The Falcons have, however, beaten the Eagles on the road and come awfully close to toppling the defending Super Bowl champions in primetime in back-to-back weeks. Despite the 1-2 record, it’s impossible not to feel like this Falcons team is finally heading in a better direction, and with an NFC South run coming up and then a softer schedule following that, there’s plenty of hope their improved play and learnings from these first three games can add up to something special. I wish they had won, but for once, I’m looking forward instead of dwelling.

Here’s the full drive-by-drive recap, if you’re interested in re-living the game or missed it live.

1st Quarter

The Falcons got the ball first, and the opening kickoff was a touchback. A quick pass from a rolling Kirk Cousins to Darnell Mooney allowed the speedy receiver to pick up almost ten yards. On second down, Cousins got time in the pocket and was able to find Mooney downfield for 24 yards, with a slipping defender making it easier for the receiver to reel in his second straight grab. Bijan Robinson then lost a yard on first down before Cousins, again with plenty of time, found Ray-Ray McCloud over the middle for a first down. Robinson then picked up five yards on the ground. A screen to McCloud seemed dead on arrival but resulted in a couple of yards because he fought to earn them. A wide open Drake London then caught the touchdown from Cousins to cap off an impressively early opening drive. 7-0 Falcons.

A weak return and a holding call backed Kansas City up deep. Patrick Mahomes ran a bit and fired a low pass that Rashee Rice still almost came up with, but thankfully it fell to the turf. The second down quick pass to Xavier Worthy saw him use his speed and moves to pick up a first down, and then Worthy got it again for about six yards. Carson Steele then picked up a first down, and then Dee Alford dropped Travis Kelce for a one yard gain. A strike to Rice then got 17 yards working (where else?) over the middle. An incomplete pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster followed on first down, and then Mahomes escaped pressure to pick up nine yards on the ground. A Steele carry up the middle was spotted just shy of the first down, and the Chiefs went for it and a Rice carry that appeared to come up just short was not overturned after the Falcons challenged the first down ruling. Mahomes then took a shot to the end zone that Mike Hughes played brilliantly to break up, and then a quick pass went for only a couple of yards. A quick, low pass to Rice resulted in another first down. The Falcons then got hit with a too many men on the field penalty, and then Samaje Perine took it four yards. Steele then took it for another first down. A quick pass to Steele got just two yards, and an end zone shot from Mahomes was picked off by Justin Simmons again, adding to the safety’s league-leading Mahomes interception total. Falcons ball.

Robinson took it four yards on first down with a little shimmy to get free, and then he bullied his way forward for a first down. Bijan then got crushed in the backfield on the next carry, and then a quick pass to Mooney went for a couple of yards. On third down, Cousins had to escape heavy pressure and deliver one in the direction of Kyle Pitts, who wasn’t able to reel it in. and a call on Jake Matthews did nothing to rescue Atlanta. Punt, and it was a Pinion boot and 11 yard return to set the Chiefs up just past the 20.

2nd Quarter

Six yards for the Chiefs and then a quick pickup for another three, setting up a 3rd and 1. Unfortunately, Mahomes then found Kelce for a first down. Steele picked up maybe three yards on first down, and then a quick pass to Rice resulted in a first down. Perine then picked up nine yards on the ground. Perine then easily got a first down and more, but a two yard gain and a near-sack on Mahomes set up a third and long. Somehow, Mahomes got loose and threw a first down pass to Justin Watson. Perine was hit quickly by Ta’Quon Graham on the next play, but offsetting penalties created a first down. Mahomes then missed Steele, and then Rice took a short pass for about seven yards. The next play was a touchdown pass to Rice, who got loose and into the end zone to tie it up, and a shorter than usual extra point because they also called roughing the passer on Lorenzo Carter. 7-7.

Touchback. A first down throw to Ray-Ray McCloud was knocked out of his hands for an incompletion. Tyler Allgeier then took it for four yards, and then Cousins took a deep shot to London that went a little too far for him to get. A roughing the passer call on Chris Jones kept the drive alive, but Kaleb McGary got hurt on the play. Bijan picked up a couple of yards. Cousins then fired one deep and got it to Kyle Pitts, who rumbled after the catch to the one yard line for a 50 yard gain, and a defensive holding call was declined. Bijan then punched it in from a yard out. 14-7, Falcons.

Steele picked up a first down up the middle, and then another before Mahomes hit a tight end for a 13 yard gain. A.J. Terrell then got Rice after about two yards, and then another pass to Rice got about seven. An ill-advised carry up the middle to Perine then lost a yard, setting up a 4th and 2. Harrison Butker came on and hit the long field goal try. 14-10, Falcons.

A couple of yards on first down for Robinson, and then Cousins got drilled from behind while throwing it into the turf, and the play was ruled a fumble (it looked like an incomplete) that Robinson appeared to deliberately kick out of bounds. That may have prevented the Chiefs from recovering it, and it resulted in a lot of down and a 10 yard penalty. Trouble with the snap on the next play was partially negated by a heads-up Bijan carry, but the drive still ended. Punt.

A quick five yard pass to Perine and then an incomplete stopped the clock at 1:18 for the Chiefs, and then Mahomes threw one to Rice that he couldn’t bring in and was nearly picked by Jessie Bates. Punt, with a solid return from Avery Williams.

A false start on Storm Norton backed Atlanta up. A quick pass to Drake London got eight yards, and then Cousins hung in tough to throw it up while being hit and tossed a duck that was intercepted. Turnover.

A quick pass to Perine went for eight yards. Pressure got home to Mahomes enough to make him scramble and throw it up, where it fell harmlessly to the turf out of the back of the end zone. Mahomes then threw it out of bounds on the next play. That was a nice stop by Atlanta, but Butker drilled the field goal. 14-13 Falcons.

The Falcons kneeled it out.

3rd Quarter

The Chiefs had the ball back, and it was a quick strike to Travis Kelce for eight yards to start things off. Rice then caught a short pass and spun out of contact for about a 15 yard pickup. Another pass to Rice picked up another first down, and then Mahomes found Kelce for another big chunk of yardage. A productive Steele carry got another first, setting up a goal line series for Kansas City, and the Falcons did stop Steele quickly on first down. Steele then lost about a yard thanks to David Onyemata. Matthew Judon then got pressure and nearly took Mahomes down, forcing an incompletion out of the back of the end zone. But then Judon was hurt on the play, and Butker drilled the field goal try. 16-14, Chiefs.

A solid return by Williams was followed up by a quick pass to Darnell Mooney from Kirk Cousins, which went for five yards. Robinson then picked up three yards on the ground, and on third down, Cousins tried to escape pressure and didn’t get very far. Punt.

A five yard gain and then a four yard pass to Rashee Rice got the Chiefs on the cusp of a first down, and then Steele took it for a first down. Then Mahomes hung in under pressure to get Rice working against Mike Hughes for a big gain downfield. Xavier Worthy then caught a quick pass and picked up a couple of yards. Mahomes then saw nobody open and ran for about 15 yards. Steele then picked up seven yards, and then the Chiefs followed a first with a good gain and an instant tackle of Rice on a short pass by Terrell, with Rice looking slow to get up. Unfortunately, that was followed by a touchdown pass from Mahomes to JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Butker missed the extra point. Chiefs 22, Falcons 14.

On first down, Cousins was able to get away and connect with Mooney for a first down, the first one the Falcons had managed in a while. Unfortunately, on the next play, Robinson went up the middle and was hit almost immediately for a two yard loss. A quick screen pass to Robinson was far more successful, though, resulting in a 13 yard gain and a first down.

4th Quarter

A three yard Tyler Allgeier pickup gave way to Cousins throwing a ball into the dirt, perhaps because he and London weren’t on the same page on where the receiver was going to be. Cousins then got Mooney again for a first down, while Robinson ran for three yards. Then Cousins had to dirt it with pressure in his face more or less immediately, and then Cousins once again was under pressure and threw it away on third down. Koo was able to drill the 54 yarder, though, tying a career long. Chiefs 22, Falcons 17.

Steele picked up six yards and then left the game looking a little injured, and Mahomes hit Perine for maybe two yards. Then he tried to hit Kelce over the middle, and Bates was able to hit him and knock it loose. Punt.

Unfortunately, the return was a nightmare for Atlanta, as Avery Williams tried to make a move and appeared to fumble…but his arm was down and the Falcons retained possession deep in their own territory. On the next play, Cousins was hit as he threw for an incompletion, but an illegal hands to the face penalty on Storm Norton made that worse. Tyler Allgeier then took it for about 10 yards and followed it up with another 10 yard carry. Allgeier then picked up maybe three yards. A quick pass to Kyle Pitts got another first down. Robinson then came in and rolled for three yards, and then Cousins was able to get the ball out before pressure got home to London, who made his way to a first down. Nick Bolton left the game for the Chiefs on the next play. Then the Falcons ran it with Ray-Ray McCloud, who got good blocking and took it about 20 yards down the sideline, with a missed (and seemingly obvious) facemask the only thing between him and paydirt. A quick pass out to Robinson then went nowhere, and then another Robinson touch picked up two yards. The Falcons tried to get the Chiefs to jump and they did on the next play, creating a neutral zone infraction that gave the Falcons a more manageable third down. A handoff to Robinson got maybe a yard, setting up a 4th and 2. Cousins then hit London over the middle for a swift first down. A pitch to Bijan went for a couple of yards, and then Allgeier picked up another couple of yards. Cousins then tried to slip one in to tight coverage to Pitts, but it was incomplete and there was no call despite heavy contact on Pitts. On fourth down, Cousins tried again for the end zone to London, but it was low and fell incomplete. Turnover on downs.

A quick, unproductive run by Steele was followed by a Mahomes scramble that went for about seven yards. Then Mahomes dirted it on third down and the Chiefs had to punt.

On first down, Cousins tried for Mooney on the sideline and couldn’t get it after the pass was tipped, but a penalty on the other side of the field made sure the Falcons got 10 yards and a fresh set of downs. Cousins then ripped it to London for a first down and about 12 yards, and then appeared to throw it away on a play where he noticed a pass interference call on Trent McDuffie that gave Atlanta 16 yards. On the next play, Cousins missed London a bit, resulting in an incompletion. A quick pass to Mooney went nowhere, but a horse collar on the Chiefs gave Atlanta another first down. Another quick pass out to Mooney went nowhere again, losing two yards. Then Cousins found London, who fought through contact and was able to get close to a first down. An Allgeier carry came up just short, setting up a 4th and inches for Atlanta. That fourth down carry to Robinson was dropped for a loss, ending the game, with a superlative individual effort by Nick Bolton ensuring Robinson didn’t convert.

The Chiefs then kneeled it out to win the game.


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Kentucky Football falls to Georgia Bulldogs: 4 takeaways and postgame chatter

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It was close for three quarters, but the Kentucky Wildcats eventually ran out of gas in their narrow 13-12 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, falling to 1-2 on the season and 0-2 in SEC play.

Kentucky had the lead going into the fourth quarter, but Georgia found the end zone in the opening minutes of the final period. The Wildcats answered with a field goal, but the inability to find the end zone ultimately cost Kentucky the win.

Despite the loss, Mark Stoops and his team certainly found a moral victory this week. After suffering an embarrassing loss to South Carolina last week, playing inspiring football Saturday against the nation’s No. 1 team has to be huge for Kentucky’s mindset moving forward.

Here are four things to know following the loss.

Defense Came to Play

Georgia scored just three points in the first half on Saturday night, which was their lowest first-half total of the season. The Bulldogs were also held to 63 yards — the lowest during Kirby Smart’s time as head coach. Kentucky was flying all over the field and closing in quickly to the football.

In the second half, Deone Walker and the rest of Kentucky’s defensive line continued to disrupt Georgia up front. Their open-field tackling was sensational. Georgia eventually wore down Kentucky’s front seven and found their first touchdown in the fourth quarter, but that was the only one they’d give up for the entire game. Overall, the Wildcats made a terrific effort.

Mark Stoops Bounce-back Game

Kentucky was clearly not prepared for last week’s loss to South Carolina. It was almost like they were gut-punched early on and gave up. This week, though, Kentucky came out early on playing inspiring football and with full confidence that they could compete with the nation’s No. 1 team. That all starts with coaching. Stoops and his staff answered the bell by making sure their team was prepared for the toughest opponent of the season. Kentucky may have lost, and their passing attack needs much improvement, but their performance as a team was nothing short of inspiring.

Keep Running Demie Sumo-Karngbaye

Coming into the game, the Wildcats were dealing with multiple injuries at running back. The position had been one of the pillars of Kentucky’s program for the last decade, but this team entered the season with questions surrounding who would take over the backfield. It became clear early on in Saturday night’s game that Sumo-Karngbaye has what it takes to be the leading force for the Wildcats’ rushing attack. He was able to find extra yards, and his shiftiness kept the Georgia defense on their heels, finishing with 22 carries for a career-high 98 yards.

Alex Raynor for MVP

How about Kentucky’s special teams? Raynor booted his team’s first 12 points through the uprights and didn’t do it alone, having excellent blocking upfront and good holds on each kick. His first of four kicks was a career-long and school-record 55-yarder for the game’s first score.

When it comes to accuracy, Raynor is the best kicker in the country and proved Saturday night he can also hit from long distance (kicks from 55 and 51 yards). Without him, the Wildcats would’ve been blanked on offense. Kentucky will need to find a way to score touchdowns to compete in Southeastern Conference games, but Raynor will no doubt continue to be a huge asset for their offense.

Now, let’s chat about what transpired.


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Falcons – Steelers instant recap: A season-opening embarrassment

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There was joy, there was tragedy, there was a lot of weird stuff. It was a Falcons football game, and unfortunately, that meant the joy was fleeting and the tragedy and weirdness dominated.

The Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers faced off in a game that promised to feature some rust and weirdness, as most Week 1 games do, and the game delivered. There were turnovers, dumb penalties, and missed opportunities left and right for both teams, but the combination of Chris Boswell’s stellar leg from a distance and the sheer number of mistakes from Atlanta added up to a rough day at the office for the Falcons, who found themselves down 15-10 heading into the fourth quarter. An offense with the pieces to be terrific looked anemic, and a defense predicated on a strong secondary looked lacking against George Pickens. It added up to a loss, as despite some heroic moments from the defense, Atlanta’s offense was awful throughout the second half, capped off by a Kirk Cousins interception under pressure to give Pittsburgh the chance to salt the game away.

It was a dispiriting start to the season for Atlanta, given their expectations and given that their next two games are against the Eagles and Chiefs. We know that Week 1 is a time for slow start and sloppiness, but this was a little beyond the pale for a Falcons team eager to win, and it puts them in a hole as they face the toughest stretch in their schedule early on. It goes without saying that they have to be far better very quickly to avoid going into an extremely deep hole early in the season,

Here’s the drive-by-drive recap, if you can stand it.

1st Quarter

The Falcons chose to receive. Bijan Robinson took it seven yards on first down, and on second down Bijan took it again and picked up three for a first down. Another carry for three yards up the middle came next, and then Kirk Cousins looked to pass to Robinson and it was nearly picked off. On third down, Cousins threw a fastball to Darnell Mooney, who brought it in over the middle for a first down. A defensive offsides followed, and then Tyler Allgeier rumbled for a first down and more. Bijan then got outside to pick up about six yards, and Cousins found Drake London for a first down. Bijan was hit in the backfield on the next play to lose yards. and then Cousins skipped one into the turf on the next play. That set up a third and goal, and the screen pass to Bijan picked up about six yards but was stopped by a nice tackle from a Pittsburgh defender. Younghoe Koo banged it home to make it Falcons 3, Steelers 0.

On first down, a fumbled snap was picked up by Pittsburgh for a gain of three yards. Pure damn luck. On second down, pressure got in Justin Fields’ face and he threw one off-target on the move for an incompletion. A timeout later, Fields got away from pressure and scrambled for 12 yards and a first down. Najee Harris then took it four yards on first down, and then Harris took a toss off a botched snap and picked up three yards, and then took it up the middle again for a first down. Fields then threw it to Harris, missing a little behind, and he dropped it. Pat Freiermuth then took it a few yards, and then Arthur Smith took a familiar road by having Cordarrelle Patterson take it up the middle on third down for a minimal gain. That set up a long field goal try, and the Steelers tied it up 3-3.

Robinson took it outside again to start the next drive, picking up nine yards. Then Kirk Cousins threw an ill-advised, off-target throw over the middle that was intercepted, swiftly ending the drive.

On first down, George Pickens got backed up a full five yards by a heads-up Falcons defense. Fields then tried to scramble up the middle, got hit, and only got a couple of yards. PIckens then caught a nice ball from Fields on third down and picked up a first down. A nothing play lost a yard, and then Najee Harris took it eight yards before both teams got into it a bit, with Harris taking exception to what certainly looked like a Jessie Bates facemask that the officiating crew missed. Pickens got it again on the sideline, but Mike Hughes made a nice stop but after the first down marker.

2nd Quarter

On the next play, the Steelers tried a reverse to Pickens, but he lost nearly ten yards on a disastrous play. The Steelers then got a yard on a run, and then Patterson picked up about four yards to set up a field goal try. Chris Boswell hit it from 50-plus to make it Steelers 6, Falcons 3.

Ray-Ray McCloud took the return to the 28 yard line. Drake London caught the first down pass over the middle for about seven yards, and then an unusually tentative Robinson run picked up a first down. Bijan then took it three yards on first down, and then caught another screen pass for eight yards and a first down. Unfortunately, Chris Lindstrom exited the game with an injury. Cousins then fired a little high to Charlie Woerner for an incompletion, and Robinson cut inside to pick up very little. Cousins then took a shot to Mooney, but it was a little bit behind him and he couldn’t bring it in. Punt.

After a nice return, pressure on Fields forced a quick throw to Harris, who slipped but still got about nine yards. Harris then picked up a first down after a couple of yards and grabbed five yards on the next play, and Patterson fell forward for about four yards. Fields then carried it for a couple yards and a first down. Pickens then juggled an off-target ball and didn’t catch it, and the next play was a confused mess that would have lost yardage even if the Steelers didn’t have a false start. A quick pass to Jaylen Warren was stopped quickly by Justin Simmons and Kaden Elliss. Fields then hit Pickens for a 36 yard gain downfield, but it was erased by offensive pass interference. Warren then caught it again on 3rd and 19 for a little bit, but obviously Pittsburgh had to punt.

Cousins threw a quick one to Ray-Ray McCloud on first down, which picked up nine thanks to a little after the catch work from McCloud. Robinson then picked up three yards again for a first down. Then Cousins was hit as he threw and arced one in the victinity of McCloud, who made an excellent grab for a big gain. Cousins then hit Kyle Pitts for about five yards, and Robinson picked up a yard as the blocking lane closed up real fast. A quick pass under pressure from Cousins to Robinson resulted in a first down by sheer force of will by Bijan. Another short throw to Robinson resulted in another first down thanks to his speed. Cousins hung in tough and hit McCloud again over the middle for a big first down. Cousins was sacked and fumbled on the next play, but a false start on Pittsburgh wiped out the play, blessedly. On the very next one, Cousins rolled out and fired it to a wide open Kyle Pitts for a touchdown. Falcons 10, Steelers 6.

Calvin Austin caught one for six yards as the clock ticked down, and then Pat Freiermuth caught one for a first down. Then Justin Fields launched one down the sideline to George Pickens, who stepped out of bounds with three seconds on the clock to set up a field goal try. Falcons 10, Steelers 9 at the half.

3rd Quarter

A quick five yards for Najee Harris kicked things off for the Steelers after the half, and then a toss play went nowhere. On third down, Fields kept moving backwards to try to get away from Grady Jarrett, but couldn’t do so as the veteran took him down for a sack and I almost spilled my beer yelling. Avery Williams then took the punt return nearly to midfield.

Bijan Robinson kicked things off with a four yard carry, and then got another three yards on second down, and then a yard to come up just short on third down. They went for it on fourth down, and the end-around to Robinson picked up a first down and then some. Unfortunately, on the next play the snap hit Ross Dwelley as he crossed the formation and T.J. Watt pounced on the fumble. Steelers ball.

MyCole Pruitt caught the pass for about nine yards, and then Fields went for Pickens and missed. Fields then went up the middle for a sneak and got a first down. Harris got about four yards on first down, and then a couple of yards on second down before an Eddie Goldman defensive holding gave the Steelers a free first down. Fields then tried Pruitt and missed. Cordarrelle Patterson got a yard, and then Justin Simmons came flying in to break up the pass on third down. Boswell then hit the long field goal to make it 12-10 Steelers.

Tyler Allgeier got the ball to kick off the next drive, picking up seven yards on first down. Allgeier picked up a yard or two on second down. Then Cousins hit Pitts for a first down and a lot more, but an illegal use of hands to the face on Jake Matthews brought it back. Then on the next play, T.J. Watt got a strip sack but a penalty on the Pittsburgh secondary erased that and gave Atlanta first down, which the Falcons followed up with a two yard run from Robinson. Then Cousins got crushed with no hope as the Falcons offensive line crumbled on second down, and Charlie Woerner caught it for about seven yards. Punt.

Fields took a long shot to Pickens and got it, getting the Steelers inside the 20. A false start after a five yard Najee Harris run backed Pittsburgh up, and then Fields got five back on a scramble. Then Fields under pressure found MyCole Pruitt, but an illegal shift on Pittsburgh back it up again. Another shot to Pat Freiermuth didn’t go very far, setting up yet another field goal try. Boswell hit it. 15-10, Steelers.

Robinson took the first carry for about five yards, and that took us to the fourth quarter.

4th Quarter

Robinson then took it for a first down, but a holding call backed them up. Then Cousins got hit by T.J. Watt and was just able to throw it away. On 3rd and 15, Cousins fired low and the coverage was tight on McCloud and he no real shot at it. Punt.

Fields took it seven yards on a first down run, and then Najee Harris took it 20 yards for a first down and a lot more. Then Harris was hit after a yard, and Freiermuth got a first down. Harris got four yards, and Jaylen Warren got a first down from there. Fields picked up about five yards on a scramble, and then Darnell Washington got four yards. Another first down for Fields brought the Steelers within scoring range. Harris then took it a couple of yards, with competing penalties on the Falcons and Steelers cancelling one another out. Van Jefferson caught it and Jessie Bates then stopped him short of the first down. On fourth and short, the Falcons somehow got the stop, with Nate Landman leaping over the pile to ensure Fields was down. Turnover on downs.

Robinson picked up a few yards on first down, and then a productive pass went nowhere because Kyle Pitts was not on the line of scrimmage and the Falcons were called for an illegal formation. Then Cousins had his pass tipped. Cousins was able to hit Pitts for about eight yards, but that brought up 4th and 4. Punt.

Harris lost a couple of yards on first down. Fields had to throw it away with Mike Hughes offering a blistering blitz off the edge on second down. On third down, Grady Jarrett and Matthew Judon combined for a sack, forcing Pittsburgh to punt. A holding call on Pittsburgh backed them up another ten yards, and the punter was injured on the play.

Bijan took the first snap from the 40 and picked up about 12 yards, earning a first down and getting Atlanta across midfield. On second down, though, Cousins was under pressure and hit while he threw and made the terrible decision to throw it, and it was another interception that was returned deep into Atlanta territory.

Harris got a yard on first down, and the Fields took off and got about five yards on the scramble. Then Fields ran for a first down, and Harris got a yard on first down, following it up with a small loss on second down. Fields then kept it on a fake handoff and lost a yard. With the clock at 31 seconds, the Steelers kicked a field goal and it was Pittsburgh 18, Atlanta 10.

The Falcons threw it to McCloud on the sideline, but he was tackled before he could get out of bounds. They burned a down spiking it, and then Cousins was sacked by T.J. Watt on third down. That was the ballgame.


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Notre Dame Football 2024: Week 1 Review VS Texas A&M Aggies

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Don’t miss the forest for the trees. Don’t miss the forest for the trees.

It’s something I’ve had to repeat to myself since Notre Dame’s opening drive of the 2024 season.

Notre Dame did a very big thing Saturday night in their 23-13 win over Texas A&M.

The Irish were able to beat the boogeyman that’s been haunting them for at least the last decade: winning big games. Remove all of the recent buzz topics (i.e. the “environment”, the heat, roster questions) and focus on the larger context. They pulled off a marquee win against a solid team in a manner that even the most pessimistic of observers can’t fault (for a week 1 team).

It wasn’t the prettiest win and for those who’ve been following the program closely in recent seasons, there were a lot of triggering moments/patterns. But I ask of you all, and myself, to resist those intrusive thoughts and really appreciate a really promising start to the season for a Notre Dame football team that can do great things.

Let’s see if the data analytics will help us bolster those defenses.

Scoring Overview

It was a slog early on for both teams. Neither offense looked particularly potent during their early drives and the defenses weren’t well defined. In the moment it felt like Notre Dame was struggling more to get things together. On both sides of the ball, bot more-so offensively.

And the penalties didn’t help either. But positive thoughts.

While there were signs in the 2nd quarter that ND was getting comfortable, the squad really found its stride in the game’s second half. The Irish scored the first touchdown of the game and shut out the Aggies in the 3rd quarter and went on to outscore them 10-7 in the 4th quarter. It was a slow start, something we’ve gotten used to, but over the stretech it didn’t seem quite as ominous as in recent seasons.

Scoring Detail

While special teams, in particular the field goal units, played pivotal roles in Saturday’s game the rushing stables were the deciding factors. Notre Dame was able to outscore Texas A&M 3-2 in field goals made and 2-1 in rushing touchdowns. Neither program should walk away feeling spectacular about passing performance, at least when it came to actual scoring.

Drive Details

Long drives, in terms of yards, weren’t really a thing. The Irish succeeded when it counted by capping off their longest drives with touchdowns and avoiding forced turnovers. Turnovers on downs and two interceptions really doomed the Aggie performance. Fortunately for ND fans, a lot of those misfires were forced by the Irish defense and not A&M’s inflicted wounds.

High-Level Offensive Benchmarking: 2023 Season

Data from the first game of the season doesn’t really provide us with a lot of room for big comparisons, but let’s try any way. In most categories, Notre Dame was below its 2023, per-game benchmarks.

The team had 356 yards of total offense against A&M, compared with 432 yards per game for the 2023 season. The biggest offensive deficit and/or tradeoff came in the passing game. Riley Leonard threw for 158 yards, compared with 246 passing yards per game for Sam Hartman last season. The team was slightly above its 2023 benchmark for rushing yards, coming in at 198-185.

The passing accuracy also wasn’t quite where it was, but the squad beat last season’s rushing efficiency benchmark. This methodology can be pretty misleading, though, especially considering how 2023’s offensive decline is hidden by averages.

Riley Leonard Spotlight

For most of the game I was punching the air about some of the passing ”struggles” but Riley Leaonard’s skillset is unlike most of our recent quarterbacks He’s demonstrated that he’s capable of making up for passing deficiencies by adding to the already deep running back room. And while I was/still am looking for something a little different it worked against Texas A&M and if it keeps working I won’t be complaining.

Rushing Details

Three Notre Dame players dominated the team’s rushing attack and Riley Leonard contributed in a very real way. Jeremiyah Love led the way with 14 carries for 91 yards and 46% of the Irish’s total yards on the ground. Leonard fell into the #2 spot with 63 rushing yards and 31.8% of the team’s collective production. Jadarian Price contributed 44 yards on 8 carries. Love and Price walked away from the game with a rushing touchdown a piece. The rushing strategy delivered, but there were some costs and tradeoffs. Texas A&M’s defense tallied up seven tackles for loss, spread across eight players.

Receiving Details

The offensive line got a lot of attention going into this season but I was the most concerned about the wide receiver/tight end groups. We still didn’t get all of the answers we would’ve liked about the two position groups, but the ceiling is high in my opinion. Clemson transfer Beaux Collins led the team with five receptions for 62 yards. And he looked very good. Outside of Jaden Greathouse there, weren’t any other significant individual standouts but the depth/talent is absolutely there.

Things started to open up through the air as the game progressed and I imagine as the offensive line gets more comfortable and we play less “formidable” defenses, the Irish receivers and tight ends will be really fun to watch. And it’s been a long time since I’ve even remotely felt that way.

Defensive High Lights

Up Front

Once the defensive line and linebacker group settled in, the Notre Dame defense excelled. Aggie quarterback Weigman never really found a groove. Although Texas A&M put up 146 total rushing yards, they weren’t able to run consistently against the Irish and they only averaged 3.8 yards per carry. Howard Cross III accounted for the team’s single sack as well as one of three tackles for loss. Fellow defensive lineman Jordan Bothelo finished with six total tackles, three of which were solo. Linebackers Jack Kiser and Jaylon Sneed stood out. Kiser had eight tackles (4 solo) and sneed tallied up five tackles (four solo) and a tackle for loss.

Secondary

The Notre Dame secondary reminded us why they make this team’s defense one of the most exciting to watch in all of college football. Safeties Adon Shuler and Xavier Watts both pulled in interceptions and defensive backs Benjamin Morrison and Christian Gray had three, collective pass deflections.

The numbers don’t do the ND defense justice at this stage of the season.

Final Thoughts

Let’s enjoy this folks.

We knew that while there is a lot of continuity that Marcus Freeman brings to the program in his third season, major personnel changes on the staff and player rosters meant that we couldn’t be certain about how this team would win. But the potential to win was there.

In this first gamer the offense didn’t look like what we’ve seen from Notre Dame during the late Kelly years and even from Freemans’ squad last season, but they won. And won in a way that we can foresee continuing to be successful. That’s pretty exciting, when you factor in the defensive strengths. Plus, this win means that I don’t have to pack up my bags and leave Texas because I really do like living here now.

Cheers and Go Irish!!


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US Open 2024: Coco Gauff starts title defense with easy win

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NEW YORK (AP) — The chant rang out in cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday at the U.S. Open before Coco Gauff’s first service game of her first match of her first Grand Slam tournament as a defending champion: “Here we go, Coco! Here we go!”

Coming to Flushing Meadows off a series of early exits at other events, Gauff already was down 1-0 to Varvara Gracheva, having dropped the match’s initial game at love by making four groundstroke errors. What followed was a tough, tight game, featuring 14 points across eight minutes and three break chances for Gracheva.

The important part, of course, was that Gauff saved all of those break points, claimed that game, and suddenly was in complete control on the way to a 6-2, 6-0 victory that not only put the 20-year-old American in the second round but also told her — and everyone else — that her game is in better shape than it appeared lately.

“The last couple of weeks were tough, and I was like, ‘I have to do this and do that, but I don’t have to prove anything to anyone except myself.’ So … (these) two weeks are just about proving all the expectations that I have on myself,” the No. 3-seeded Gauff said. “I have many more years coming back here and I’m not going to win every year. Just that perspective and just having the belief that I can — but not the expectation that I should.”

Day 1 at the year’s last Grand Slam tournament went about as well as possible for Gauff and another young American featured in Ashe, 13th-seeded Ben Shelton, a semifinalist a year ago who beat 2020 champion Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. It was the last U.S. Open match for Thiem, who turns 31 next week and is retiring after this season.

“Obviously she plays with a lot of passion,” Shelton, 21, said about Gauff. “You could tell that she cares out there. She’s into it every time that she’s on the court. I think that’s something that the people love.”

Gauff was not the only past U.S. Open champ on Monday’s schedule: The night session in Ashe began with 2017 winner Sloane Stephens blowing a huge lead against Clara Burel and losing 0-6, 7-5, 7-5 after taking the first nine games, followed by Novak Djokovic — whose collection of 24 Slam titles includes last year’s in New York — getting past Radu Albot 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

Seeded women’s winners included No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time Australian Open champion who was the runner-up to Gauff a year ago in New York; No. 7 Zheng Qinwen, the women’s gold medalist at the Paris Olympics earlier this month; No. 24 Donna Vekic, the silver medalist; No. 12 Daria Kasatkina; and No. 14 Madison Keys.

No. 9 Maria Sakkari stopped playing after one set because of an injured right shoulder. The highest-seeded man out of the bracket during the day session was No. 15 Holger Rune, who was eliminated by Brandon Nakashima of the U.S. 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.

Among the men’s seeds advancing were No. 4 Alexander Zverev, the runner-up to Thiem four years ago; No. 6 Andrey Rublev; No. 8 Casper Ruud, the 2022 runner-up at Flushing Meadows; No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov; and No. 12 Taylor Fritz.

Zheng is enjoying a breakthrough season that began with a run to the final at the Australian Open in January and reached a peak when she claimed China’s first Summer Games singles gold. Monday was difficult at the outset against 2019 French Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova, but Zheng eventually came back to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

“Everything starts at zero. You are not anymore the Olympic champion,” Zheng said. “Just be humble and try to work, fight every single match, because if you don’t fight, you have a big chance to lose.”

That mirrors Gauff’s approach as she returns to the site of her greatest triumph so far.

If she was trying to start from scratch after early exits in three events at the Paris Games — not that she wants to forget about that trip to France; Gauff wore a necklace with the Olympic rings during Monday’s match — followed by a two-match skid on North American hard courts, Gauff did a good job of it.

This wasn’t surprising to Gauff. Not at all. She knew she didn’t play great in Toronto or Cincinnati in recent weeks. But she also could tell she was hitting balls well in practice.

“Usually that first round for me can sometimes set the tone for a tournament, whether you’re playing well or not. … I had a good mentality. Is this going to say I’m going to play great the next couple matches? Yes or no,” Gauff said. “But I think the mentality I have going into this week will be there, and hopefully the execution stays there.”

She only needed 66 minutes to win Monday, using some of her 10 aces to help erase all eight break points Gracheva accumulated, and compiling a 16-5 edge in winners.

“From the start, we kind of all knew that Coco was going to be an amazing player, and she’s incredibly mature and carries herself in a way that I wish that I carried myself when I was her age,” said Keys, 29, who lost to Stephens in the U.S. Open final seven years ago. “It’s also very impressive how she’s been able … through all of the pressure and all of the expectation that’s been put on her, continue to do as well as she has.”

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis




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Meet the members of VP Kamala Harris’ family: Election 2024

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CHICAGO (AP) — Kamala Harris has a husband, Doug Emhoff, who could make history as America’s first gentleman spouse. Two stepchildren who call her “Momala.” A politically connected sister who is a top adviser and sounding board. A brother-in-law who temporarily stepped away from a top private sector gig to help elect her. A niece who is the mother of two daughters that Harris dotes on. There’s also her husband’s ex-wife, who defends Harris and Emhoff and their blended family.

They’ve been popping up around Chicago and on social media this week during the Democratic National Convention, where Harris will formally accept the party’s presidential nomination.

It’s Day 4 of the DNC. Here’s what to know:

A look at members of Harris’ blended family:

Doug Emhoff: Husband

He would become America’s first first gentleman if his wife is elected president.


FILE – Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff speaks at the Democratic National Conventiony, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Emhoff, 59, is already the first second gentleman of the U.S. and the first Jewish spouse of a U.S. president or vice president. He has been a leader of the Biden administration’s efforts against antisemitism. Emhoff gave up a lucrative career as an entertainment and intellectual property lawyer in California to avoid conflicts of interest and support his wife after she became vice president.

In a speech to the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night, Emhoff told the story of how he and Harris met on a blind date in 2013; she was California’s attorney general at the time. They wed in 2014, her first marriage and his second. Emhoff has two adult children, Ella and Cole, from a previous marriage and they call Harris “Momala.”

Ella Emhoff: Stepdaughter

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Ella Emhoff appears at a rally for her stepmother Sen. Kamala Harris in Oakland, Calif., Jan. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)

Ella, 25, is the daughter of Emhoff and his first wife, Kerstin.

Ella is an artist, model and fashion designer who lives in New York. Her parents named her after jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. She’s a 2021 graduate of The New School’s Parsons School of Design in New York. She made her debut at the annual Met Gala in 2021 in a red mesh bodysuit and matching pants by Stella McCartney. After her dad’s convention speech, she flashed a heart figure made with her hands. Ella recently drew criticism after posting on a personal social media account a fundraising link to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.

Cole Emhoff: Stepson

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Cole Emhoff introduces his father second gentleman Douglas Emhoff during the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

Cole, 29, is the son of Emhoff and his former wife.

Cole is a film assistant and producer at Plan B Entertainment, a production company in Los Angeles that was co-founded by Brad Pitt. His parents named him after saxophonist John Coltrane. He introduced his father to the convention on Tuesday night as “the glue that keeps this family together.” Cole graduated from Colorado College in 2017 with a degree in psychology. Harris officiated in October 2023 when Cole married longtime girlfriend Greenley Littlejohn.

Maya Harris: Sister

Maya, 57, is the vice president’s younger sister and her only sibling. She talked about her sister’s “fighting spirit” and instinct to protect the people she’s close to in a brief video shown during the convention. Maya is a lawyer, policy advocate, speaker and writer who chaired her sister’s 2020 presidential campaign. She then became a national surrogate for the Biden-Harris ticket after her sister became Joe Biden’s running mate. In 2016, she was a senior adviser for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Maya lives in California and New York with her husband, Tony West.

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Maya Harris, right, and husband Tony West arrive at an event, Dec. 18, 2021, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

Tony West: Brother-in-law

West, 59, recently went on leave from his job as Uber’s chief legal officer to work on Harris’ campaign. West spoke about his sister-in-law at the convention on Wednesday night, telling delegates that she is motivated “by a belief in equal opportunity.” He has advised Harris’ campaigns since her race for San Francisco district attorney in 2003, and has accompanied her on some recent trips. A graduate of Stanford University law school, West was general counsel of PepsiCo before he joined Uber in 2017. He served in the Justice Department under Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. West and Maya Harris met at Stanford and married in 1998.

Meena Harris, Alexander Hudlin, Jasper Emhoff, Arden Emhoff: Nieces and Nephews

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Alexander Hudlin, from left, Jasper Emhoff and Arden Emhoff wave after speaking during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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FILE – Meena Harris arrives at the Baby2Baby Gala, Nov. 13, 2021, in West Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Meena, 39, is Maya Harris’ daughter from a previous relationship. She is the founder and CEO of Phenomenal, a consumer and media company. Meena is also a lawyer, author and theater producer who worked on her aunt’s 2020 presidential campaign. She lives in the California Bay Area with her husband, Nikolas Ajagu, and their daughters Amara, 8, and Leela, 6. The vice president likes to dote on her young nieces and recently took them for ice cream at model Tyra Banks’ new shop in Washington, D.C. Meena and the vice president share an Oct. 20 birthday.

What to know about the 2024 Election

Hudlin and Jasper Emhoff and Arden Emhoff spoke about their “auntie” at the convention on Wednesday night. Hudlin called her a “baller” and said “she’ll lift us up.” Jasper Emhoff said Kamala Harris will make time “for what matters” even though “no one is busier than my auntie.” Arden Emhoff said Harris will treat everyone with respect because, “even as a kid, auntie made me feel that I was seen, that my words are important, that I am important and loved.”

Kerstin Emhoff: Doug’s former wife, Ella and Cole’s mother

Kerstin, 57, is a film producer and co-founder and CEO of a commercial production company and a creative studio in California. She is attending the Democratic convention and produced a short introductory film about her former husband that was shown before he spoke at the convention on Tuesday night, according to her social media posts. Kerstin and Doug married in 1992 and split in 2009, but remain on good terms. Ella, their daughter, has described the Emhoffs and Harris as a “three-headed parenting machine.” Kerstin has stood up for their blended family and recently defended Harris after Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance’s previous comments resurfaced about “childless cat ladies” who run the U.S. government. She also defended Doug after he acknowledged an extramarital affair that he said contributed to the breakup of their marriage.

Shyamala Gopalan and Donald Harris: Kamala’s and Maya’s parents

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FILE – San Francisco’s new district attorney, Kamala Harris, right, with her mother Dr. Shyamala Gopalan holding a copy of The Bill of Rights, receives the oath of office from California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald M. George, left, during inauguration ceremonies, Jan. 8, 2004, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/George Nikitin, File)

Gopalan was a renowned breast cancer scientist who came to the United States from India at 19. She earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1964. She and Donald Harris, who was born in Jamaica, met there as graduate students who participated in the civil rights movement. They got married in 1963 and had two daughters, but had divorced by the time Kamala Harris was 7. Gopalan died of cancer in 2009 at age 70.

Donald Harris, 85, became a prominent economist. He was an economics professor at Stanford University from 1972 to 1998, and currently is a professor emeritus. He also was an economic consultant to the government of Jamaica and several of its prime ministers.

Republicans have tried to tie Donald Harris’ writings on Marxist theories to their own false claims that the vice president is a communist. But his academic work also had a more pragmatic bent about options for achieving growth.

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Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.




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Who is Mike Lynch? The British tech giant missing from a sunken yacht

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Tech tycoon Mike Lynch, one of six people missing from a sunken yacht off Sicily, had been trying to move past a Silicon Valley debacle that had tarnished his legacy as an icon of British ingenuity.

Lynch, 59, struck gold when he sold Autonomy, a software maker he founded in 1996, to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011. But the deal quickly turned into an albatross for him after he was accused of cooking the books to make the sale and fired by HP’s then-CEO Meg Whitman.

He was cleared of criminal charges in the U.S. in June, but still faced a potentially huge bill stemming from a civil case in London.

A decade-long legal battle had resulted in his extradition from the U.K. to face criminal charges of engineering a massive fraud against HP, a company that helped shape Silicon Valley’s zeitgeist after starting in a Palo Alto, California, garage in 1939.

Lynch steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, asserting that he was being made a scapegoat for HP’s own bungling — a position he maintained while testifying before a jury during a 2 1/2 month trial in San Francisco earlier this year. U.S. Justice Department prosecutors called more than 30 witnesses in an attempt to prove allegations that Lynch engaged in accounting duplicity that bilked billions of dollars from HP.

The trial ended up vindicating Lynch and he pledged to return to the U.K. and explore new ways to innovate.

Although he avoided a possible prison sentence, Lynch still faced the civil case in London that HP mostly won during 2022. Damages haven’t been determined in that case, but HP is seeking $4 billion. Lynch made more than $800 million from the Autonomy sale.

Before becoming entangled with HP, Lynch was widely hailed as a visionary who inspired descriptions casting him as the British version of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Lynch, a Cambridge-educated mathematician, made his mark running Autonomy, which made a search engine that could pore through emails and other internal business documents to help companies find vital information more quickly. Autonomy’s steady growth during its first decade resulted in Lynch being awarded one of the U.K’s highest honors, the Office of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2006.

In the months leading up to the deal that would go awry, HP valued Autonomy at $46 billion, according to evidence presented at Lynch’s trial.

The trial also presented contrasting portraits of Lynch. Prosecutors painted him as an iron-fisted boss obsessed with hitting revenue targets, even if it meant resorting to duplicity. But his lawyers cast him as entrepreneur with integrity and a prototypical tech nerd who enjoyed eating cold pizza late at night while pondering new ways to innovate.




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