The University of Virginia’s athletic department shouldn’t be dominating headlines for something like this.

UVA Athletics should be in the news like it was in 2018, when the men’s basketball team made history by becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a 16th seed in the NCAA tournament.

That’s a headline, not this.

Or, the time in 2019, when the same team that dealt with the failure, jokes, and embarrassment of losing to UMBC, came back the very next year and won the very tournament that made them the laughingstock of the sport, 388 days later.

That’s a helluva story, not this.

Due to this country’s obsession with violence and gun culture, UVA Athletics are in the news, again, for something that isn’t a sports story but is as American as a story can be. UVA football players Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler, and D’Sean Perry are dead after Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. — a former member of the football team — opened fire late Sunday night on a charter bus that was returning from a field trip, leaving three dead and two more injured.

“I cannot find the words to express the devastation and heartache that our team is feeling today after the tragic events last night that resulted in the deaths of Lavel, D’Sean and Devin, and the others who were injured,” wrote UVA head football coach Tony Elliott in a statement. “These were incredible young men with huge aspirations and extremely bright futures. Our hearts ache for their families, their classmates and their friends. These precious young men were called away too soon. We are all fortunate to have them be a part of our lives. They touched us, inspired us and worked incredibly hard as representatives of our program, university and community. Rest in peace, young men.”

Thoughts and prayers have never been the solution to stopping gun violence in America — legislation is. This is why it’s so ironic that this tragic event occurred days after a very important Election Day — as gun control has been a hotly debated topic, as Republicans continue to elect and vote for politicians who stand against doing what it takes to lessen these kinds of things from happening. They say they’re pro-life when it comes to abortion, but then turn around and support the guns that take lives.

According to Everytown Research, there have been over 300 shootings on college campuses since 2013. That staggering number doesn’t even take into consideration the copious amounts of bomb threats — at least 57 — that Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) campuses have dealt with over the last few years.

In our society, two things have always been true. The first one — college has always been something we’ve prided young people for attending, as it’s an unforgettable life-changing experience that challenges you and forces you to grow intellectually and socially. The second one — sports have always brought people together, as games have served as an escape for so many — whether it be the fans or the athletes who view the playing field as their sanctuary. College athletics tie both of them together, as the young people that we enjoy on the football fields on Saturday and the basketball courts in March — even though they aren’t being compensated — have always brought us together. Football is a religion in the south. March is an entire month dedicated to hoops.

But yet, here are we, in a moment that was so preventable with proper legislation, where the thing America runs to as an antidote, sports, has been contaminated just like the things we so badly need a break from. From the civil rights movement to racial and social issues to voter registration and women’s rights, sports have always been a change agent. And hopefully, for once, there could be some sort of silver lining in this. But, despite the hope that we might be holding out for, longing for this to be a catalyst for true change when it comes to gun violence, we must also understand that this is America, and better yet, Charlottesville.

November is the best month on the sports calendar. Baseball just ended. The NFL and college football are in full swing. The NBA is in season, and college basketball is beginning. Games are always on and escape routes are at a surplus. Here’s to the sports calendar of November 2022 and the University of Virginia’s campus not being in this same place in 2023 — vote. 

In professional sports, team executives and coaches can over-complicate a situation by attempting to outthink the room. This frequently happens in the NBA when general managers are building teams. Or they just become so blinded by certain players that they fail to see their inadequacies clearly.

The situation in Philadelphia for the 76ers reached this level when team president Daryl Morey traded for his all-time favorite player, James Harden. It was obviously time to move on from Ben Simmons. No one is blaming Morey for moving Simmons, but of course, it had to be for Harden. Morey covets Harden’s brand of dribble, dribble, dribble basketball as if he’s won titles playing that way. The bearded former MVP took Houston to two Western Conference Finals in eight years as a Rocket.

Harden is no longer the same player he was during his Rockets run, and Morey brought him in to play alongside Embiid, and thus far, results have been mixed. Harden’s style doesn’t work well with other stars, especially when playing with a big man like Embiid, who should be getting touches early in the shot clock.

Embiid got off to a slow start this season and didn’t seem too engaged on the court. His body language was terrible, and he didn’t look happy. That could be because Harden had briefly reverted to his ball-dominating ways that we didn’t always see in the second half of last season.

Philly opened the season with back-to-back losses to Boston and Milwaukee. In those games, Embiid was a combined -11.5 in plus/minus, shot under 39 percent from the field, and scored just 15 points against the Bucks. On the other hand, Harden thrived with the ball primarily in his hands, shooting 58 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from the three-point range. Harden was great individually, but the Sixers lost both games and even dropped a third to San Antonio.

For some reason, Morey is still in love with Harden’s brand of ball, although it never produced titles. This 76ers team will only go as far as a healthy Embiid can take them. Now that Harden has missed the last few games with a foot injury, Embiid is playing out of his mind. Philly has unleashed the beast in Joel.

On Sunday night, Embiid scored a career-high 59 points in a victory over the Utah Jazz. He posted 42 points against the Atlanta Hawks the previous game, helping the Sixers win consecutive games. Embiid grabbed double-digit rebounds in both games and posted a plus/minus over 20.

Hopefully, Morey is paying attention from his suite to how much more effective Embiid is when Harden is off the floor. Harden still has a place in the association, but if Philly is to finally get over the hump and make it past the second round, it won’t happen while Harden is part of this team.

Harden and Embiid aren’t a good enough fit to make it out of the eastern conference. If the Sixers stick with Harden (which they will), it’ll be another disappointing early exit from the playoffs, no matter how many games they win during the regular season. Morey has always credited Harden for their overall success in Houston, and rightfully so.

But that was then, and now you’ve got a 7-foot monster in Embiid whom everything should revolve around for this franchise. Harden is still a good player, but he’s not what he was five years ago with the Rockets. He should never get more touches or shots than Embiid in any game. That’s a surefire recipe for disaster.

In all honesty, the Sixers would be better off without Harden. He was brought in to help them advance further than the combo of Embiid and Ben Simmons ever could. The way it looks now, that’s never going to happen. The Sixers’ ceiling was the semifinal round before Harden, and with him, it shall remain a semifinal exit at best.

Yesterday was most certainly not the most entertaining Sunday of NFL games ever played.

I believe that we’re way more critical these days of the quality of football every single week because more of us have far more access to the games in our homes than ever before. That being said, with two less teams on a bye than last week, the games were not as enjoyable to watch, outside of that thriller between the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. It may not have been the most crisply executed game, but it would make a person keep their delivery driver outside until the game went to commercial break.

What Week 10 did provide was some superstar efforts. Football is the ultimate team game, but part of what makes the viewing experience so rewarding is when among that mass of people on the field, an excellent athlete separates himself as better than the others.

The best part about yesterday’s games was watching these three players go to work:

Justin Fields may never again have to pay for beef in the Chicagoland area

Football fans of a certain age will never forget that 2002 overtime game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Atlanta Falcons. That was the day that Michael Vick treated the NFL like he did Florida State in the second-ever BCS National Championship Game. His game-winning 46-yard touchdown run gave the Falcons the victory, along with 173 yards rushing and three total trips to the end zone on the day. The next week, he had the misfortune of playing against the eventual Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl defense, but even the following week, against the 5-9 Seattle Seahawks, his performance wasn’t near his legendary effort against the Vikings.

Fields has been dazzling for a month, and these last two games have him looking like quarterback Chicago Bears fans have dreamed of at Christmas for 100 years instead of sugarplum fairies dancing in their heads. That breathtaking 61-yard touchdown run he had against the Miami Dolphins last week, he knocked the wind out of viewers again yesterday by topping it with a 67-yard scamper for a score. Two consecutive weeks of 100-plus yards rushing, accompanied by two or more passing touchdowns.

The Bears lost again, but their roster construction would lead a reasonable person to believe that the front office isn’t counting wins this season. For 2022, Fields leaping tall buildings in a single bound is just fine.

Jonathan Taylor, welcome back

What a week for the Indianapolis Colts. Jim Irsay went rogue for the second time in four weeks, and received far less pats on the back. He was praised for lashing out against Daniel Snyder. Firing his head coach and replacing him with Jeff Saturday, however, made the Colts the worst kind of trending topic.

Podcasts, articles, pregame shows, all panned the Colts for hiring a head coach with no college coaching experience, much less professional. Jeff Saturday was a consultant for the Colts, but was spending much of his time on ESPN.

Irsay gave him the job, and now the Colts are 4-5-1 on the season. Surely he and Saturday feel great about the win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but it was Jonathan Taylor who made it happen.

A 2021 First-Team All-Pro performer, had struggled this season. He has also missed some time at various points, but he returned from his Week 9 absence with a vengeance. That 66-yard touchdown run in the third quarter didn’t salt the game away for the Colts, but it was their longest play of the day by far and did give them the lead. The longest run of Matt Ryan’s career was helpful, but it was the 147 from Taylor that have taken the Colts from disaster to playoff hopeful in just a few days.

Justin Jefferson won the whole day

Sam Fels has you covered for analysis about the play that I am going to knight “The Snatch.” But for as great as that 4th and 18 play was, Jefferson contributed much more for the Minnesota Vikings in their 33-30 win against the Buffalo Bills.

The Vikings would eventually turn the ball over on downs after his spectacular play, even after he caught two more passes on the drive. That final one was originally ruled a touchdown but after review Jefferson was ruled short of the end zone.

A fever dream sequence followed and the Bills and Vikings would go to overtime. During the Vikings’ offensive possession that resulted in a field goal, Jefferson tallied two more receptions and drew a defensive pass interference penalty.

He played like was he made of velcro and the football stuck to him like it was purchased at Toys-R-Us. Jefferson totaled 193 yards receiving on the day, and every play was necessary for the Vikings to leave western New York with a victory. There are many reasons to question whether or not the Vikings are Super Bowl contenders. However, what should never be questioned is Jefferson. His performance was as dominant as any quarterback’s has been this season.

For the fair-weather soccer fan, and let’s be real, that’s 99 percent or more of American sports fans, the World Cup is the one event taking place over multiple weeks where general interest is at a high. The United States men’s national team didn’t make the world’s best 32 in 2018, and a huge chunk of American fans skipped the extravaganza. But the Yanks are back in 2022. Let me tell you, a lot has changed in eight years. And some things haven’t changed one iota.

This year’s World Cup will be a gut check for some of the globe’s best players and serve as an introduction to Earth for the next slew of major stars. Due to 270 minutes determining the trajectory of the world’s best programs, some bigger names will also have their international careers shortened at the event (looking at you Uruguay). Here’s a list of 15 players you need to know competing in the World Cup for varying reasons, especially for American fans tuning into soccer for the first time since 2014.

Josh McDonald’s, er, McDaniels should be fired.

And, truth be told, the freudian slip actually fits, because McDaniels has turned the Las Vegas Raiders into a clown show. The case against McDaniels, in his first year at the helm with the Raiders, is both long and convincing.

On Sunday, the Raiders, in a must-win game to save their season, lost to the Indianapolis Colts at home. The Colts have been so bad that they fired their head coach a few days ago and hired Jeff Saturday.

Saturday — who was working for ESPN as an analyst — had no previous coaching experience in college or pro. He coached high school, if that counts.

This was supposed to be the lock of the season. It seemed nearly impossible that McDaniels, the smartest guy in the room — or so we are told — would lose an important game to a novice. The Colts jumped out to a 10-0 lead and won, 25-20.

There’s more. The Raiders are 2-7 on the season. Season over. It’s been a bad dream the whole way, to say the least. This season alone, McDaniels’ Raiders have blown three leads of 17 points or more and lost all three games.

McDaniels, the former New England Patriots offensive coordinator, has now lost 24 of his last 31 games as a head coach.

In his career, McDaniels — who also coached the Denver Broncos — is 13-24. It’s a bad record when you remember that he started his head coaching career winning his first six games with the Broncos.

And let’s not forget that he was also caught cheating, videotaping an opponent’s signals. He was fined by the NFL and eventually fired by Denver.

Somehow, he was forgiven by the decision-makers because he keeps getting offered jobs around the league.

Still, this is unforgivable. We get it, The Raiders have some injuries. They should have won this game.

After the game, RaiderNation was chanting Fire McDaniels and threw beer on the field.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was emotional at the press conference and fought back tears, probably in an attempt not to laugh at what his team has become since McDaniels arrived. With as poorly as the Raiders have looked this season, most have probably forgotten that they actually made the playoffs last season. After the Jon Gruden mess — which forced him to resign as coach — Las Vegas rallied behind interim coach Rich Bisaccia. Owner Mark Davis wanted a big name, a guy who came with an impressive coaching pedigree.

The only issue is that Bill Belichick’s coaching tree hasn’t grown much fruit. Few have had real success on their own as a head coach.

McDaniels might be Exhibit A.

In losing to the Colts, think about all this. Not only was this Jeff Saturday’s first game coaching. He also had a newly promoted play-caller who got the gig mid-week. And against McDaniels, that duo put up 415 total yards and 6.9 yards per rush.

A year ago, the Raiders were 7-2 in one-score games. This season with McDaniels at the helm, they are 0-6. McDaniels’ fingerprints are all over this mess. There’s no denying it.

Often, some of the best coaching jobs are when a coach alters his style to match the talent he has to work with. In this case, it feels like McDaniels wants the players to play his style whether their talents are suited for it or not. All-Pro receiver Davante Adams is proof positive. He came over from Green Bay in a huge blockbuster trade and got paid handsomely. But too many times, he’s been an afterthought in the offense.

A few weeks ago against the Saints, Adams had one catch for three yards. Seems nearly impossible. But it happened.

It was also fitting that it was the Colts who delivered the nightmare loss to McDaniels. Don’t forget that he left the Colts at the altar in 2018, backing out of a deal to become their coach at the last minute.

In the end, the only things missing from this truly job-losing debacle were a big red nose and floppy shoes. This isn’t funny anymore. McDaniels’ act should be done for good.

The Jimmy Garoppolo experience, a ride with far less thrills than the Michael Vick one from the Nike commercial. Riding with Jimmy Garoppolo has gotten the San Francisco 49ers to the doorstep of the franchises’ sixth Super Bowl Championship, but he hasn’t been able to get them inside the building.

They defeated the shorthanded Los Angeles Chargers, at home, on Sunday night. Following the game, NBC showed a stat that sums up what it has been like for those who have a vested interest in the 49ers’ success, in the years since Garoppolo has been the franchise’s’ starting quarterback.

The 49ers are 10-2 with Garoppolo as their starting quarterback in games in which he doesn’t throw a touchdown pass. In the modern-day NFL, where 30 touchdown passes in 2021 would’ve only been the ninth-most, the 49ers have an .833 winning percentage in games when their starter since Nov. 2017 fails at completing a pass that goes into the end zone.

Garoppolo went 19-28 on Sunday night for 240 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The 49ers dominated the shorthanded Chargers in the second half but never pulled away on the scoreboard, winning the game 22-16.

However, even though he didn’t light up the boxscore, Garoppolo made some of the most important plays of the day for the 49ers. Not only were they 9-17 on third down, they also were 5-8 on 3rd and long situations. This helped the 49ers control time of possession battle, keeping the Chargers’ best player — Justin Herbert — on the sideline.

It was Garoppolo’s arm that extended those 49ers drives. There was the 3rd and 12 pass to George Kittle, deep in their own territory, in the second quarter. Garoppolo completed three more passes in a row to get the offense in a goal-to-go situation that would result in him scoring their first touchdown of the night on a quarterback sneak.

In the fourth quarter, on the touchdown drive that gave the 49ers the lead for the first time in the game, Garoppolo’s arm was golden on a 3rd and 8, and a few plays later on a 3rd and 10. That first conversion was a pass to Juwan Jennings in space that allowed him to power his way to a first down, but second one to Brandon Aiyuk — who dropped a touchdown pass earlier — was a dart that went well past the marker.

If a person had never watched Garoppolo before, this game was a pretty good synopsis of how he plays. There were a handful of strong throws, some great play designs from the coaching to get pass catchers open in space, and also some missed opportunities. For example, Garoppolo missed a throw outside the numbers on the second touchdown drive.

The 49ers are currently loaded with talent on offense. Last year’s leading rusher, Elijah Mitchell, has returned from injury and he is sharing the backfield load with Christian McCaffery — a first-team All-Pro performer the last season that he was healthy. At wide receiver the 49ers have possibly the best non-quarterback offensive player in the NFL — Deebo Samuel — as well as Aiyuk who continues to improve, Jennings, and another all-pro performer in George Kittle. On the offensive line, the player protecting Garoppolo’s blind side is Trent Williams, who looks like a fire engine in the 49er red when compared to the players he is assigned to block.

For those who have thought that Garoppolo has played on a loaded team before, the talent level on this one far exceeds both the 2019 and 2021 teams. Which leads to the 49ers’ biggest problem, him behind center.

There is a reason that teams weren’t climbing all over themselves to trade for him this past offseason. His unspectacular play, and that dud of a performance he put on in the NFC Championship Game, left little reason for a team with a need at quarterback to give up assets for him.

His own team didn’t even want him. When the 49ers weren’t able to find a trade worthwhile, they restructured the final year of Garoppolo’s contract, and didn’t even have him practicing on the same field as his teammates during training camp. Then Trey Lance broke his ankle in Week 2, and the 49ers and Garoppolo have had to at least act like they’re all still friends.

This season is probably Garoppolo’s last chance to earn himself another payday as an NFL starter. If he shows out, and the 49ers win the Super Bowl, he may have some suitors on the open market. That Lombardi glow has made many players look better when it comes time for a new contract.

For Garoppolo to bask in that light, his performance needs to parallel what it was against the Chargers. Be steady, and when a big play is needed, drive the ball where it needs to go and let his playmakers work their magic.

If that requires no touchdowns and his performance to be more Dumbo the Flying Elephant than a thrilling roller coaster, then so be it.

The Washington Commanders’ strongest unit is their defensive line. Even without Chase Young, the group is big, athletic, and dependable. On Monday Night Football tonight they will be going up against a team with one of the strongest offenses in the NFL — the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles.

In their Week 3 matchup, injuries cut into the Commanders’ defensive line depth with three players out, including current sack leader Daron Payne. Tack on two starting defensive backs also inactive for that game, and the Eagles KO’d the Commanders by halftime. They didn’t run the ball well, but Jalen Hurts was outstanding as a passer, throwing for 340 yards and three touchdowns. Carson Wentz was the opposite. He averaged 4.9 yards per pass attempt and threw for no touchdowns despite his team being down 24-0 at halftime.

That ugly 24-8 defeat was part of a four-game losing streak to give the Commanders a 1-5 start to the season, but they’ve been much better of late. They have won three of their last four games, and last week became one of the many teams left scratching their heads after a one-score loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

What has sparked this turnaround is their defense. Per DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), they have the 12th-best defense in the NFL and are No. 2 against the run. They are also one of only two teams in the NFL to have five players with three or more total sacks on the season.

That pass rush was all over Cousins in Week 9 against the Vikings. If the Commanders don’t get called for an illegal contact on a long snapper penalty late in the fourth quarter, they get the ball back, at home, with just under two minutes remaining, and only down three points.

The Commanders’ defense has not given up more than 20 points since a 21-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 5. A ferocious performance in Week 6 in Chicago forced the Bears to re-evaluate their entire offensive scheme after a 12-7 loss, and turn into one of the most explosive units in the NFL.

Since the Eagles’ big Sunday Night Football win against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, they have faced the Houston Texans, the Pittsburgh Steelers (without T.J. Watt), and had their BYE week. The fact that they are the only undefeated team left in the NFL is impressive, but they haven’t played elite competition since before the NBA regular season tipped off. Now the Eagles have to go up against a division rival that has seen them once, and is a much healthier team than they were back in September.

Of course the Eagles have a tremendous advantage on offense, with much better quarterback play and a strong rushing attack. The Commanders haven’t been able to consistently run the ball all season and their starting quarterback is currently Taylor Heinicke.

But the Commanders do share one commonality on offense with the Eagles. They also have two dynamic playmakers at wide receiver with Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel Jr. If the Commanders defensive line shuts down the run like it did against the Eagles in Week 3, and is able to do a better job of containing Hurts with more healthy bodies to throw at him, this could be the week that Eagles finally catch an L in the loss column.