2. Josh Allen hit these milestones in Week 16

Josh Allen didnt finish with eye-popping numbers in the loss to the Patriots, but he did hit a couple of significant milestones with his performance.

Allen has now accounted for a touchdown in 21 consecutive games, marking a new franchise record. He surpassed Doug Fluties 20-game streak from 1998-99. Allen has also accounted for 29 total touchdowns this season. It is the second-most in a season in team history trailing only Jim Kellys 34 in 1991.

Its football. I dont really think of it any differently or where Im at, or what Ive been through, Allen said. Every game that Ive been in has been a valuable learning experience for me and to be in this one again, obviously we wanted to win it. Thats our goal each and every week. But that was some valuable experience I got to learn from and grow from today.

Allen also passed the 5,000 career passing yardage mark in his 27th game. He is now the third quarterback in NFL history with 5,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in 30 games or less joining Cam Newton (23)and Robert Griffin III (22).

Link:
Bills Today | Players are motivated to go 1-0 every week - BuffaloBills.com

Its important to strive to be the change we wish to see in this world. These 10 individuals are spearheading change in their own unique ways. Sheer will and determination have helped them overcome hurdles, and their acts of courage and selflessness have inspired others to seize the day and conquer life in their own way.

From Dimple Parmar who launched Love Heals Cancer to raise awareness about the disease after she lost her husband, to acid attack survivor Lakshmi Agarwal whose story of strength and perseverance has inspired the nation, SocialStory brings you our top 10 picks from our Monday Motivation series of 2019.

Teacher Vijay Kumar at Prime Academy.

Vijay Kumar, 49, has many a feather in his hat. He is the Chief Financial Officer at Sify Technologies, Council Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, and Member of SEBI Committee on Disclosures in Accounting.

With a natural inclination towards teaching, and an aim of giving back to the profession, Vijay believes CA has changed his life. Read how he is today helping the youth pursue their dreams by tutoring them in accounting and finance law.

Dimple Parmar and Nitesh Prajapat.

Nitesh Prajapat and Dimple Parmar got married after they discovered that he had Stage 4 colorectal cancer.

They launched Love Heals Cancer in January 2018 to provide support, information, and services to help people in their battle against cancer.

The organisation was founded with a clear objective of increasing awareness about cancer and its prevention, along with helping patients get through the journey with someone always by their side.

Niteshs last wish was to give hope to everyone around him, especially the countless people diagnosed with cancer he witnessed through his own battle with the disease.

Ruhi giving one of her students a gift for her exemplary performance.

When Ruhi Danish Ashraf learnt of the requirement for a physics teacher in the government schools of upper Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh, she promptly decided to take on the responsibility.

There were only three government schools in the district, which were understaffed most of the time, and led to a drop in academic performance among the students. This gave her the motivation to take up teaching. Today, Ruhi has taught 94 students, and helped over 80 students pass the subject.

Venkat Iyer harvesting toor dal.

It's not easy for anyone to leave a high-paying corporate job and decide to do something noble for the welfare of society. Venkat Iyer, earlier a Project Manager at International Business Management (IBM), left his job in Mumbai in 2003 to do just that.

Venkat went to Peth, a village in Palghar district of Maharashtra, to learn to farm before setting out to help other farmers. For this, he started reading books about organic farming and learning farming techniques from the Internet.

After carrying out organic farming for five years, he gained the confidence to train other farmers in the nearby district of Vikramgad. He started training four Adivasi farmers, and now the number stands at 70.

(From left to right) Mumbai based Beco's founding members Punit Batra, Aditya Ruia, Anuj Ruia, and Akshay Varma.

Punit Batra, Aditya Ruia, Anuj Ruia, and Akshay Varma used to participate in beach cleanups in Chowpatti and Juhu in Mumbai. And they were shocked to see the amount of waste accumulated on the beaches, which inspired them to come up with eco-friendly products.

In 2017, they started Beco, which uses bamboo pulp and cornstarch-derived polymers to manufacture kitchen towels, trash bags, and tissue rolls. The bamboo kitchen towel can be washed and used up to 100 times, unlike a generic microfiber cloth, which is non-biodegradable.

These cost-efficient products are produced using Moso bamboo, mainly grown in China, Maharashtra, and North East India.

Registered in 2018, the company states that it has so far contributed to removing 120 tonnes of plastic waste effectively from the garbage dumps.

Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India, talking to Manish Gurwani and others.

Manish Gurwani, 27, was just like any other lad when he was at school and college, eyes brimming with enthusiasm and heart overflowing with passion. However, an aspect that set him apart was his conviction to contribute to the welfare of society.

Born and brought up in the small town of Nohar, Rajasthan, he had big dreams. His aim of bringing about a positive change in the society led him to achieve an all-India rank of 18 in the 2017 UPSC exam.

Manish had faced many challenges along the way, including his mothers ill health and the fact that he had to learn English from scratch because he had no choice but to study in a Hindi-speaking school until Class 10. Through all that, he never gave up on his dreams.

Manish told SocialStory, Just like any other IAS aspirant, I worked really hard. I used to study for six hours every day, and then gradually scaled it up to 10. But the only thing that kept me going through all my rough patches was the faith I had in myself.

Laxmi Agarwal (before and after the acid attack)

Chhapaak, the much-anticipated Bollywood movie starring Deepika Padukone, may give Laxmi Agarwal and her cause more visibility, but her inspiring crusade has brought hope to acid attack survivors, time and again, for a while now.

The movie is inspired by 28-year-old Laxmi Agarwal, a survivor of a brutal hate crime and acid attack, which has shaped her lifes mission - to help acid attack survivors find jobs, and lead independent and dignified lives.

In a conversation with SocialStory with her, we unfold the life of Laxmi and the moments that helped her beat the odds.

Harshil Mittal, 26, started the Lets Feed Bengaluru initiative in 2015 to provide meals to the underprivileged. Today, aided by 4,000 donors and volunteers, and the support of three close friends, the initiative feeds over three lakh people across five cities with donations from over 4,000 registered donors and volunteers.

Harshil believes distributing food to those in need gives him an opportunity to serve people who are lesser privileged than him, and gives him a sense of self-satisfaction. Recognising his contribution, he was conferred with the title of Rising Star at the Namma Bengaluru Awards in 2017.

Major Devender Pal Singh.

July 26, 1999. The date shall never be forgotten. Twenty years on Kargil Vijay Diwas, India celebrates the victory and sacrifice of its armed forces who fought back bravely against Pakistan to recapture its territories.

However, this victory came with a heavy price, as the country lost a large number of soldiers during the Kargil war. And one of our brave soldiers, Indias first blade runner, former Major Devender Pal Singh, lost a leg and part of his intestines in the Kargil war.

Only 25 years old when he was hit by mortar fire on a Himalayan battlefield, Major Singh was initially declared dead by the army surgeon at the field hospital, but was later revived. He was told his infected leg had to be amputated.

He served in the Army for 10 years, joining the 7th battalion in 1997. Upon retiring after his injury, he did not give up and started playing sports to train himself. Now he is Indias first amputee marathon runner and holds multiple Limca Records. Read more about the brave heroes from the Kargil War

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh paid his last respect to the martyrs of Pulwama in Srinagar on February 15th

As India reels in the aftermath of the February 14 Pulwama attack, which claimed the lives of 44 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, citizens have come forward to help the grieving families through financial support, and assistance for the education of the martyrs children.

Organisations such a Life Insurance Corporation have processed the insurance money to the families without putting them through the hassles of paperwork, while Vistara airline has reached out to the Indian Air Force and offered travel assistance for all the family members of the martyrs.

At a time when India stands united in the face of terror, we highlight the organisations that are collecting donations and doing crowdfunding drives to assist the grieving families and help them in this tough time.

(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)

Also Read

Read the original post:
[Year in Review 2019] Top 10 Monday Motivation stories our readers enjoyed - YourStory

The unprecedented challenge that the deal between Turkey and Fayez al-Sarrajs Libyan government poses to Greece has resulted in a renewed effort to understand Turkish motivations from three different angles.

The first is the economic approach and sees Turkish actions as an attempt to acquire access to hydrocarbon deposits. Put in simplistic terms, we could sum up this argument as all wars are about oil, and it would therefore follow that a distribution of these resources would avert conflict.

The manner in which this conversation is framed in Greece tends to excite fantasies of billions of barrels of oil that would erase the public debt almost overnight. It makes sense, then, for Turkey to want a share of this energy treasure; therefore, if we manage to give it a piece of the pie through bilateral negotiations, it will leave us alone.

Champions of this win-win approach see it as a negotiable option. This, however, is not the case for two basic reasons:

a) If under the threat of violence you agree to share resources with the person making the threat over something he does not own, then why should he respect the win that was only allowed by his magnanimity? He will use the same blackmailing tactic, at a time of his own choosing, to take your half, the piece you had not ceded to begin with. He will leave you with the illusion of a viable compromise that may buy you some peace of mind for a few years, but ultimately all that he will have left you is the indignity of the person who shoots himself with his own gun when others are threatening to kill him. This is how the Czechoslovakians must have felt a year after the Munich Agreement with Hitler in 1938.

b) The area outlined by Turkish demands along the Greek continental shelf between Kastellorizo, Rhodes and Lasithi on Crete is the most unexplored in terms of seismic research in Europe. There has been no exploratory drilling whatsoever, which makes sense as seismographic data has not been collected for decades there, because no one has considered this area to be of any interest. No one is conspiring to hide something because no one knows what this area could contain in terms of hydrocarbons. Therefore, Turkeys aggression cannot be explained as being motivated by energy interests when the assets at stake are unknown.

The second approach is centered on the law and has a tendency of treating Turkish aggression like a courtroom simulation. International law forms the cornerstone of Greeces foreign policy. However, if we do not have the deterrent power to defend it, we cannot protect ourselves just by invoking it for the simple reason that compliance with international law is not automatic.

The fact that the Turkey-Sarraj agreement is invalid, illegal and irrational does not mean that it doesnt entail the risk of political faits accomplis. These can be averted not just by legal arguments but mainly through our airborne deterrent strength, which would render our legal arguments much more effective. Meanwhile, our powerful alliances may be multiplying, but they are no substitute for either of the two aforementioned factors of national force. The stance of France, Egypt and Israel will be key here.

This law-centric approach calls for immediate recourse to the International Court of Justice at The Hague via an arbitration agreement and the restarting of exploratory talks in order to achieve this arbitration agreement. It fails, though, to answer a series of questions that render this option impractical, such as:

- Why would Turkey accept an arbitration agreement which it has stubbornly refused to sign since 1976, especially when the balance of power is clearly more in its favor than it was in 1976 or 1987?

- Why should exploratory talks lead to an agreement now when theyve failed to do so for the past 20 years, during which time they were a simulation of negotiations?

- Will we seek a package solution for the Aegean and the Southeastern Mediterranean or will we ask for a decision only on our differences with Turkey in the Southeastern Mediterranean, where, however, we have yet to determine the external boundaries of the Greek continental shelf which is in fact the basis of our line of negotiation as we have done in the Ionian and Libyan seas since 2011?

- With which exact measurement of territorial waters will we go to The Hague? Will we try to win Turkey over to the idea of legal recourse by accepting as the government of Costas Simitis did in 2002-04 that Greeces territorial waters are less than 6 nautical miles in parts of the Aegean?

- Could Turkey view the intention to embark on negotiations as a sign of weakness and move ahead with implementing the Sarraj accord by sending seismic research vessels into the disputed area?

The third approach, that of Thucydidean Realism, sees Turkish aggression as stemming from an imbalance in the bilateral balance of power. Observing the actions of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Thucydides would not recommend that Greece should take immediate recourse to The Hague.

He would note that Libya lies too far away for the Turkish Armed Forces and that Turkey not only has no response to the Greek Mirage jets but has the same type of F-16s as Greece, though manned by inferior crews following the purge in the wake of the 2016 coup attempt. He would remind us that Greece has a superior submarine fleet to that of Turkey, and that these vessels have clear tactical advantages in the Southeastern Mediterranean theater due to the proximity of Greek harbors.

He would advise us to form a common front with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the majority of the Arab League states that would recognize a future Libyan government under or including General Khalifa Haftar, with which we would sign our own exclusive economic zone agreement.

Lastly, he would recommend that we deepen the defense and intensify the energy parameters of our cooperation agreements with Cyprus, Egypt and Israel, delineating the external borders of our continental shelf in the Southeastern Mediterranean up to the point where Cyprus delineation begins and then after agreeing on an EEZ delimitation with Egypt take recourse to The Hague, inviting Turkey to do the same.

* Dr Theodoros Tsakiris is an associate professor of geopolitics at the University of Nicosia.

Read the original here:
The motivations behind Turkey's behavior | Comment - http://www.ekathimerini.com

You are solely responsible for your comments and by using TribLive.com you agree to our Terms of Service.

We moderate comments. Our goal is to provide substantive commentary for a general readership. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information.

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can. Because of the volume of reader comments, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers.

We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments either by the same reader or different readers

We follow the same standards for taste as the daily newspaper. A few things we won't tolerate: personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence, proselytizing and SHOUTING. Don't include URLs to Web sites.

We do not edit comments. They are either approved or deleted. We reserve the right to edit a comment that is quoted or excerpted in an article. In this case, we may fix spelling and punctuation.

We welcome strong opinions and criticism of our work, but we don't want comments to become bogged down with discussions of our policies and we will moderate accordingly.

We appreciate it when readers and people quoted in articles or blog posts point out errors of fact or emphasis and will investigate all assertions. But these suggestions should be sent via e-mail. To avoid distracting other readers, we won't publish comments that suggest a correction. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or in an article.

Read the original post:
Tim Benz: What Steelers QB 'Duck' Hodges actually said that motivated the Bills - TribLIVE

The odds have never been steeper.

Browns players know that, and its a major reason why theyre not really dwelling on it heading into their home finale Sunday against the AFC North champion Ravens.

Regardless, the motivation to play at their top level -- kind of like how they did months ago against the same Ravens -- trumps anything involving the postseason.

We have to have a lot of help, but we are playing to get better, Browns QB Baker Mayfield said. We have to. We are playing to finish this thing out the right way and the way the people that have worked so long for this season it has been a long grueling season but people around here deserve for us to finish the right way.

What needs to happen for the Browns to make the playoffs? Its pretty simple, but its also a lot.

On top of winning out, the Browns need the Steelers (at Jets, at Ravens) and Titans (vs. Saints, at Texans) to lose their final two games. Additionally, the Colts (vs. Panthers, at Jaguars) need to win their final two games. That would set up a four-way tie at 8-8 that would favor the Browns. A three-way tie without the Colts would not.

The Browns are most focused on the first part of that equation, knowing a loss Sunday puts an end to to their hopes before they even have a chance to check the scores from around the league.

For now, we are focused on Baltimore, WR Odell Beckham Jr. said. There is still an opportunity there as crazy as it is. A lot of things have to happen, we have to rely on X, Y and Z, but the only thing we can focus on is beating Baltimore and worry about whatever happens after.

-- The Browns were without offensive linemen JC Tretter and Kendall Lamm during Wednesdays practice. Both players are dealing with knee injuries.

DT Sheldon Richardson (back) was also sidelined.

Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said Lamms injury is different than the one that kept him out for the first half of the season. Tretter, meanwhile, has missed a number of practices over the past couple of weeks but hasnt missed any snaps in games.

DE Olivier Vernon, who has missed five of the past six games with a knee injury, was limited Wednesday.

I think he is close. I do not know if he will get there or not, Kitchens said. We will see at the end of the week.

Originally posted here:
hanging on to slim playoff hopes but remain motivated to 'finish the right way' - News & Notes - clevelandbrowns.com

Journal: The Knights can become one of a handful of programs to total 35 wins over the past three seasons.

Published Dec. 21

Updated Yesterday

TAMPA For the first time in three years, they have no New Years Six bowl much less national title to motivate them, which isnt to suggest the UCF Knights enter the Gasparilla Bowl with no incentive.

Turns out, the stakes have only mildly diminished for the Knights (9-3), who can reach rarefied air with a victory Monday against Marshall (8-4) at Raymond James Stadium.

A triumph not only would give UCF three consecutive seasons of at least 10 wins for the first time in the programs 41-year history, it would make the Knights one of only six Division I-A teams to win at least 35 games over the past three seasons.

The others (entering bowl season): Clemson (40), Ohio State (38), Alabama (37), Oklahoma (36) and Georgia (35).

Thats elite company that we have an opportunity to be a part of, Knights second-year coach Josh Heupel said.

Defensive tackle Anthony Montalvo, a Sickles High alumnus, said a 10th win would signify even more.

Just to show that were still here, he said. Obviously we wanted to go 13-0, it didnt happen, but we have next year to try to go 13-0. That 10th win will show that were still here, were still ready to play.

Dont expect UCF top receiver Gabe Davis or No. 2 rusher Adrian Killins, both of whom will enter the NFL draft, to play Monday.

Heupel, presumably engaging in some bowl-week gamesmanship, still hasnt addressed eithers status for the game. Davis (72 catches, 1,241 yards, 12 TDs), a junior, announced his decision to bypass his senior season via Twitter on Dec. 4. Killins (87 carries, 629 yards, seven TDs), a senior, announced on Thursday he would be moving on and transitioning to the next chapter of my life.

Marshall safety Micah Abraham, recently selected to the Conference USA all-freshman team, will become the third member of his family to roam the Raymond James Stadium turf Monday.

His dad, Donnie, was a Bucs cornerback from 1996-2001, and older brother Devin made 37 career starts at safety for USF from 2014-17. Micah, who chose Marshall over USF and Boston College, has started the past five games and enters the Gasparilla Bowl with 33 tackles and three pass breakups.

Coming in, I knew I was gonna have to compete, said Micah Abraham, an East Lake High alumnus who will be making his RayJay debut.

I didnt know I was gonna get this much playing time, but as long as I keep working hard and keep doing what I know I can do and just keep grinding on a daily basis, I should be fine.

Not surprisingly, the most prolific runner in Conference USA (Marshall tailback Brendan Knox) has operated behind its most seasoned offensive line.

Three Thundering Herd linemen center Levi Brown (49), right tackle Tarik Adams (36) and left tackle Will Ulmer (34) have at least 34 career starts. Left guard Alex Mollette and right guard Cain Madden have 22 and 21, respectively.

All are redshirt juniors except Brown, whos a redshirt senior. The unit has remained intact for 11 of Marshalls 12 games this season, during which Knox (the C-USA MVP) has run for 1,284 yards.

All of them have plus-30 starts, Montalvo said. Theyve all been playing with each other, so they all have that connection, so I think that helps em.

Marshall enters Mondays game with seven consecutive bowl victories, the longest active streak in college football. UCF receiver Marlon Williams, when asked if it feels strange playing a bowl game in the home stadium of his rival (USF): Yeah, it is weird, but this is our town so its okay. Though UCF offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby has departed for the same job at Ole Miss, dont expect a significant effect on game day; Heupel calls the plays.

UCF (9-3, AAC) vs. Marshall (8-4, C-USA)

2:30 p.m. Monday, Raymond James Stadium

TV: ESPN

Find tickets here

Continued here:
Gasparilla Bowl: Even with no national title in sight, UCF still motivated for Monday - Tampa Bay Times

Inclusive study on 3D Printed Wearables Market to Attractive Growth by Strategic Industry Evolutionary Analysis 2029| Segmentation, Future Scope, Development Strategies, Competitive Breakdown, and Regional Forecast. The market is expected to remain prominent in the Asia Pacific, Center East, and Africa, North America, South America, and Europe regions as companies are intensifying business operations and focusing on increasing market share.

Explosive Growth In 3D Printed Wearables Market size in terms of revenue (USD MN) is calculated for the study along with the aspects of the factors affecting the market growth (drivers and restraints). The market for 3d printed wearables has been categorized into various segments, for analysis, on the basis of the type, application area, and region. Detailed analysis of 3d printed wearables market Predicted to grow by 2029 with competitive Analysis identifying the key mutual trends and major players of the market and business guidelines till 2029. This strong growth outlook of the 3D Printed Wearables market has been attributed to the advancements in computing capacity for 3D Printed Wearables-based research and applications.

Furthermore, the report offers an in-depth understanding of 3d printed wearables market-particular drivers, constraints and major micro markets. The report highlights many significant points and trends of the industry which are helpful for our esteemed clients. In this research study, the manufacturing base, productivity, manufacturers, strengths, recent trends, features are identified in detailed.

*******Super Discount!! Grab Maximum up-to 25% off On Our Market Research Reports [Single User | Multi User| Corporate Users] Valid Till 31st December 2019.*******

To get all-inclusive information on forecast analysis of the market, request a Free PDF brochure here: https://market.us/report/3d-printed-wearables-market/request-sample/

[Note: Our Free Complimentary Sample Report Accommodate a Brief Introduction To The Synopsis, TOC, List of Tables and Figures, Competitive Landscape and Geographic Segmentation, Innovation and Future Developments Based on Research Methodology]

About 3D Printed Wearables Industry

As per the findings of a new Market.us report titled,Global 3D Printed Wearables Market By Type (Textiles, Sports Equipment, Smart Watches, Fitness Trackers),By Application (Online Retail, Offline Retail) and by Region Global Forecast to 2029.This offers a holistic view of the 3d printed wearables market through systematic segmentation that covers every aspect of the target market. The study provides valued information on key competition trends and the most preferred developmental strategies of leading market brands. The analysis covers 3d printed wearables market and its advancements across different industry verticals as well as regions. It targets estimating the current market size and growth potential of the 3d printed wearables industry across sections such as also application and representatives.

Additionally, the analysis also has a comprehensive review of the crucial players on the 3d printed wearables market together side their company profiles, SWOT analysis, latest advancements, and business plans.

Get a customized report here: https://market.us/report/3d-printed-wearables-market/#inquiry

For the 3D Printed Wearables Market research study, the following years have been considered to estimate the market size:

Historic Year:2012 to 2018

Estimated Year:2019

Forecast Year:2020 to 2029

The 3D Printed Wearables Market report serves as a vital guide in portraying present and forecast industry statistics

-The supply/ demand situation, gross margin view and competitive profile of top 3D Printed Wearables players (Nike, Adidas, Under Armour) are presented.

-The 3D Printed Wearables market breakdown by product, type, application and regions will provide sophisticated and precise analysis. Recent developments in 3D Printed Wearables industry, growth opportunities, constraints are studied completely.

-The revenue estimates of 3D Printed Wearables market based on top industry players, their product type, applications and regions is studied.

-In the next segment, the SWOT analysis of players, cost structures, traders, distributors and dealers are listed.

-The forecast study on 3D Printed Wearables industry will be useful for business plans and growth analysis.

-This document is a helpful source of guidance for anyone interested in investing in the Brazing Materials Sale, Insights industry. We welcome requests for any special requirements or customizations from our clients.

To Get Immediate Access, Invest On Report Here: https://market.us/purchase-report/?report_id=67337

Explore More Trending Research Reports Here:

Global Ediscovery Market Growth Driven By The Increasing Use Of The Electronic Medium

Zinc Battery Market Insight 2020 : Booming Demand, Trends, Size, Share and Growth Forecast 2029

This content has been distributed via WiredRelease press release distribution service. For press release service enquiry, please reach us at [emailprotected].

WiredRelease

Visit WiredRelease's Website

See more here:
Outlines of 3D Printed Wearables Market Demand Assures Motivated Revenue Share during 2020-2029 - GuruFocus.com

Credit:

USA Today Sports. Pictured: Patrick Mahomes

Dec 23, 2019, 07:05 PM EST

Odds as of Saturday evening and via DraftKings, where Action Network users get a risk-free bet up to $500.

The Chiefs hopes of securing a first-round bye are all but lost with the Patriots win on Saturday. (More on that later.) But with the lowered stakes in mind, how should you bet this spread?

Our experts preview the Sunday Night Football matchup, analyzing whether theres any value on buying or fading Kansas City as a 6-point road favorite.

Which team is healthier? Chiefs

The Chiefs will be without cornerback Morris Claiborne (shoulder) and offensive lineman Andrew Wylie (ankle/shoulder). Some good news: Theyll get Damien Williams (ribs) back, and Mecole Hardman (glute) is good to go after popping up on Thursdays injury report.

The Bears have already ruled out offensive lineman Bobby Massie (ankle) and Taylor Gabriel (concussion), and they have two noteworthy players listed as questionable: Cornerback Prince Amukamara (hamstring) and defensive lineman Akiem Hicks (elbow). Hicks practiced in full on Friday, so he should be trending toward playing. Amukamara got in limited practices on Thursday and Friday. His injury is slightly more concerning because he missed Week 14 with this hamstring issue. Justin Bailey

Bears Running Backs vs. Chiefs Defense

Thanks to their 30th-ranking in Football Outsiders run defense DVOA, teams have prioritized ball control against the Chiefs, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs as a result.

Read the rest of this article for FREE in our app

Or EDGE subscribers can enjoy all articles anytime, anywhere

Already an EDGE member? Sign In

View original post here:
Chiefs vs. Bears Betting Odds & Pick: How to Factor In Kansas Citys Motivation on SNF - The Action Network

Down, but not out.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight contender, Colby Covington, could be sidelined for up to six months or longer after suffering a broken jaw against Kamaru Usman in the UFC 245 pay-per-view (PPV) main event last weekend in Las Vegas.

But failing to back up months of pre-fight trash talk has not deterred Chaos from believing hes still the best in the world, which is why his coach, Dan Lambert, expects Covington to make his Octagon return at some point in 2020 as confident as ever.

He came back to Florida to go see an oral surgeon here to figure out what he wanted to do, Lambert told MMA Fighting. He wants to get right back in. He wants to get right back into training. He wants to get back into training as soon as hes ready health-wise. He wants to get back and prove that hes the best. Hes 1,000 percent positive, 1,000 percent motivated. Hes ready to go. He didnt lose one piece of confidence in himself.

Sorry, Rosie.

Depending on his timeline for return, Covington (15-2) could be paired off against one of many bitter rivals in the form of ex-welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who like Chaos, came up short against Usman earlier this year in Las Vegas.

Its also not unreasonable to think hes not far off from a championship rematch, based on his Fight of the Night performance against Usman, though Covington may have to take a number behind fellow contenders Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards.

You can hate the guy, you can want to see him get merked but after putting on a performance like that and going to war the way he went to war and knowing he broke his jaw early in the fight, how can you not have respect for that? Lambert said.

Ask Rocky.

Read the original here:
Coach: Motivated Colby Covington planning UFC comeback to prove hes the best - MMA Mania

It's finally happened: CBS and Viacom are now one company again. ViacomCBS (VIAC) (VIACA) will be more powerful as one entity than as two separate media concerns. That's because Hollywood currently favors scale of content and platform in the streaming era. It's also because Viacom has been coming off several years of fundamental underperformance with its theatrical slates, subpar management and challenging cable environments (i.e.: think consumers ditching linear for broadband-driven subscription services).

With CBS now attached, the company can arguably look ahead now to the future. CEO Robert Bakish is tasked with getting the stock into growth-mode. With Disney (DIS) and Netflix (NFLX) the dominant players in streaming, Bakish's challenge will be to develop great content as well as design (or sell to) the best platforms to deliver that content. This will require acquisitions as well as careful re-investment of incoming cash flows. I believe this is a stock that is a long-term buy, but because it is basically a new idea post the re-merger, I will call it by necessity a speculative consideration.

One of the prime reasons why the stock is of interest is because one might naturally assume that this new era in the company's history represents what is essentially an inflection point. Such a transitional period could mean that the management team is now incentivized to aggressively pursue new avenues of growth.

And this will mean that new ideas will be incubated and executed. There will be failures, of course, but I doubt shareholders will revisit the doldrums inflicted upon them during the Philippe Dauman regime.

At a recent conference, Bakish talked about his vision for the company. The word synergy has made a comeback of sorts for the CEO; in fact, his comments remind me of another time in media, when linear ruled the roost and repurposing content via cable channels was a popular method of amortizing investment costs.

His comments also come with the context of the stock being cheap, in his mind. As the article points out, the stock is indeed trading in the mid single-digit P/E range. Bakish certainly wants to make a big splash, and he may have an easy time of it propelling the stock to a higher premium, at least initially. That's because he will be looking to make an impression quickly.

Being incentivized means, in part, searching for ways to maximize the financial position of the company. I like two things that were mentioned: asset monetization and a stock buyback.

Of the two, asset monetization is the more highly valued, in my opinion. Deadline reported on the move Bakish made regarding the company headquarters, and while such a real estate transaction is a valid approach, I'm hoping to see other kinds of sales that will target assets linked to previous investments. For instance, Simon & Schuster might make for a reasonable sell idea. Awesomeness TV isn't necessarily a core concern at the moment and also could be considered (I do like this asset for certain reasons, but perhaps ViacomCBS would find too much overlap with it). I foresee a full review of the portfolio with an eye toward selling some significant parts. I also would see potential for some creative selling. As an example, the Indiana Jones library could be sold off in full to Disney (DIS). The company might also search for other parts of its library that could be let go.

A stock buyback also would make the shares attractive as it would show management's confidence in the future, but it could of course come with risks. The company should concentrate on producing content and promoting its platforms first and foremost. Nevertheless, returning value to shareholders is a perennial goal for most companies, and given the aforementioned P/E ratio, it arguably isn't a bad time to take back some of the float.

The company will undoubtedly look to make some purchases. Although Bakish seems reticent to discuss any strategy regarding this part of the thesis, I still believe that Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF.A) (LGF.B) remains essentially on the table. Purchasing that studio would scale up ViacomCBS's library content quickly.

The company also is examining investing in the Miramax library. I'd prefer a total purchase as opposed to an equity stake, but the point here is that Bakish clearly wants access to as much branded content as possible. Depending on the dynamic of the rights held within this library - and you can bet they are complicated and ambiguous at points - ViacomCBS can create reboots and prequels and sequels to all kinds of stories and characters. This will in turn help to drive other parts of the newly-merged conglomerate.

If the company can scale up a bit, then it also might make itself attractive to a potential bigger media concern in the future. That also must be taken into account when considering an investment in this new stock. Some ideas of potential purchases in my mind are some of the smaller studios/libraries such as A24 and comic-book entity Archie Comics. Hasbro (HAS) of course has already purchased eOne, but these concepts represent the type of smaller-scale buys that could interest management down the road.

ViacomCBS has several linear and non-linear platforms that deliver content.

Showtime is a well-known cable channel that is also trying its hand at the OTT paradigm. The service has over 27 million subscribers. Content such as Homeland and Ray Donovan have played well with viewers. The hope is for the OTT version to continue to expand, as well as total subscriptions overall. With all the different services out there, this will be tough, especially given CBS's All Access product existing as a potential cannibalizing factor. Access is a total direct-to-consumer play that is powered by the Star Trek and Twilight Zone brands. According to this Variety article, the OTT version of Showtime, combined with Access, counts 8 million subscribers. That's a small number, but it also implies a growth opportunity.

The company also owns Pluto TV. This is an ad-supported service that has a plethora of dedicated channels (e.g., a channel that shows only Doctor Who episodes, as well as channels that show only certain reality shows, etc.). The asset was purchased for $340 million by Viacom about a year ago. Bakish said at the aforementioned conference event that the service is worth much more today based on viewing levels and active-subscriber counts (and, one would presume, additions to the lineup). The linked article mentioned 20 million active viewers in a given month. This also represents a growth opportunity, as well as an opportunity to create another subscription-based offering. And just as Disney is bundling its streaming services, ViacomCBS could indeed grow the OTT business via bundling strategies.

The company also owns MTV Networks, which is driven by MTV and Nickelodeon, and the Paramount Network. Obviously linear is under siege to some extent, and Wall Street prefers hearing about non-linear stories, but this part of the conglomerate nevertheless can help to drive value long-term. The cable nets aren't going away, and content pipelines that start on MTV can end up on Access or Pluto, and vice versa. In addition, I hope management sees fit to try day-and-dating some Paramount movie projects with its streaming components (that would even include Showtime), or near day/dating them (i.e, bring a new movie release to Access/et cetera perhaps in less than a month's time while still keeping it in theaters).

As I've stated, the stock seems to be inexpensive. Looking at many metric indicators in the SA quote system, such as P/E, P/sales, enterprise value metrics, et cetera, the shares come away attractive. However, overall, SA gives the stock an average rating because of cash-flow concerns (which is important to consider).

The company declared a dividend recently of $0.24 per share according to SA. Right now, that would put the yield at over 2%. That won't place the stock on the radar of income investors, but for a media concern, that isn't too bad.

Right now, I think it is difficult to consider the company on a total quantitative basis since we haven't gotten any quarterly reports yet since the merger. Obviously we're going on past history and analyst predictions, which is fair enough.

However, I'm leaning toward the qualitative side of this story. Viacom and CBS will prosper together as a cohesive unit; I am bullish on the synergy scenario as laid out by Bakish. The CEO should have something to prove, so like I've argued, his future legacy is linked to how well he manages the company for shareholder value.

ViacomCBS obviously is not a disruptive IPO, but this is a new beginning. Put this stock on a watch list at the very least; buying it on a somewhat speculative basis (given that we haven't seen quarterly data yet) with a long-term frame of mind is also something to consider.

Disclosure: I am/we are long DIS, LGF.A, LGF.B. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Go here to see the original:
ViacomCBS Is A Buy Based On Content, Valuation And Motivated Management - Seeking Alpha