Five storylines to watch as Canada, USA battle for gold at women’s worlds - Sportsnet.ca

For the 19th time in tournament history, Canada and the United States will go head-to-head with a gold medal on the line at the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary.

Tuesday’s matchup marks the first time since the 2018 Olympic Games that we get to see this legendary rivalry hit the ice for gold.

Here are five storylines to watch heading into the game:

Canada looking to halt America’s decade-long momentum

A Canadian victory means halting the Americans’ worlds gold streak at five. The last time Canada won gold was in 2012, and it’s been even longer since it won on home ice (2007).

Canada had the upper-hand early in the tournament’s history, winning eight straight golds between 1990 and 2004, but there’s been a notable momentum shift ever since as it’s had to watch Team USA claim nine of the last 11 championships. Many players on this roster are still reeling from missing the gold-medal game altogether in 2019 — the first time Canada did not appear in the championship final after losing to Finland in the semis. An American win will be its tenth gold overall, tying Canada’s all-time tournament record.

Looking at this year’s tournament, the momentum belongs to Canada. It closed out the preliminary round with a dominant 5-1 win over its southern foes (its first perfect 4-0 round-robin record since 2013) before barrelling through the quarter and semifinals with a pair of shutouts.

A rivalry driven by its depth

Typically, we see a team’s depth ultimately determine the difference between opponents. In this case, depth is what defines and unites these national programs — and what makes this cross-border rivalry so good.

Team Canada has seen 18 of its 22 skaters who’ve appeared in this tournament tally at least one point, while 14 have scored at least one goal. Meanwhile, all 21 American skaters have registered a point — including 13 different players with goals.

With a matchup like this one, it’s going to come down to chemistry…

Daoust’s dominance Canada’s biggest difference-maker

When Canada announced its top three players of the tournament following Monday night’s win over Switzerland, no one was surprised by the first name called: Melodie Daoust.

Daoust, 29, has been the most dominant player in Calgary this August, leading the tournament in goals (6), assists (6) and points (12). She’s got a point in all six of Canada’s games so far, and has four multi-point games.

The second name called for Canada’s top trio of the tournament? That was no surprise, either: Daoust’s linemate, fellow veteran Natalie Spooner. She, too, has been a revelation at these worlds, her best attributes — fast, physical, tough to play against — represent exactly what this edition of Team Canada has been harnessing at this tournament. Spooner’s four goals and nine points — including her 100th career point with the national team — at these worlds have her sitting second in tournament scoring.

Youth surge in the works

Daoust and Spooner’s linemate may not be as prevalent on the stat sheet this year, but it’s clear that Canada has a bona fide star in Sarah Fillier.

Fillier, 21, models her game after captain Marie-Philip Poulin’s — and it shows in her do-it-all skillset and elite hockey IQ. It’s those qualities that have made her the perfect linemate for the duo of Daoust and Spooner at these worlds, and the likely next leader of Canadian women’s hockey on the world stage.

Back in 2019, Poulin herself shared her thoughts on the young then-up-and-comer with Sportsnet‘s Kristina Rutherford:

“Sarah is amazing,” Poulin said. “She’s so fast, she’s so poised with the puck, honestly. Sarah is going to be the future, for sure.”

Well, the future has arrived.

Fillier is far from the only first-year player making her impact in Calgary — both Canada and the U.S. are seeing a bit of a youth surge happening. In fact, between the two teams, there are a combined 18 players making their first worlds appearances. State-side, it’s third-liner Grace Zumwinkle who’s making waves. Her four goals and point-per-game scoring pace has her tied with Hilary Knight for the team’s scoring lead.

This rivalry is in very capable hands.

History tells us to expect overtime

Thursday’s preliminary-round meeting between these two Group A foes was a lopsided win for Canada, but that’s no indication that Tuesday will boast more of the same.

Of their last six gold-medal meetings at the worlds, four have required extra time to settle the score. Buckle up!

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Hillary Clinton's 'deplorables' speech shocked voters five years ago — but some feel it was prescient - The Washington Post

Let’s start with the obvious: “Basket of deplorables” is a weird turn of phrase. There are baskets and there are deplorable people, but pairing the two is the oddest of linguistic odd couples.

Hillary Clinton said those three words in the final months of her 2016 presidential campaign, making rhetorical and political history. There were two kinds of Donald Trump supporters, she explained: Voters who feel abandoned and desperate, who she placed in one metaphorical basket, and those she called “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic and Islamophobic” — her “basket of deplorables.”

Trump — the same man who announced his candidacy by calling Mexican immigrants “rapists” — clutched his proverbial pearls, aghast that his opponent had uttered such a shocking slander. His campaign turned that insult into an asset; supporters wore hats and shirts proudly declaring themselves deplorable. Pundits seized on the phrase, debating who does and doesn’t deserve to be called that. Five years later, many believe “deplorables” — figuratively and literally — are here to stay.

This is not a cautionary tale: Clinton probably didn’t lose the White House because of a figure of speech. But it’s a lesson in how politicians make unforced errors. And, in a nation where half the country thinks the other half is wrong and possibly even deplorable, it’s about how we talk about each other.

"To just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the 'basket of deplorables,'" Hillary Clinton said. (Video: The Washington Post / Photo: AP)

On Sept. 9, 2016, Clinton was the opening act for Barbra Streisand at a glitzy fundraiser in New York City. A group of LGBTQ supporters were gathered at Cipriani restaurant, and the Democratic candidate had one job: to fire up her donors.

“I am all that stands between you and the apocalypse,” Clinton told the cheering crowd. She launched into all the things she found “deplorable” about Trump: He threatened marriage equality, cozied up to white supremacists, made racist and sexist remarks — all things she found “so personally offensive.”

She warned there were two months left in the race and no one should assume he wouldn’t be elected anyway. “Just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right?” There was laughter and applause.

The people in this basket, emboldened by Trump’s tweets, were “irredeemable,” she said. But there was another basket: Trump supporters who just felt the government had let them down and wanted change — and Democrats had to empathize to win these voters.

“Basket of deplorables” was not in Clinton’s prepared remarks. She often improvised in speeches. Reporters jumped on it, as did the Trump campaign, which immediately slammed Clinton for not running “a positive campaign.”

Clinton apologized the next day in a very Clintonesque manner: “I regret saying ‘half’ — that was wrong,” she said in a statement. What was the magic number? She didn’t say. She did, however, double down on calling out Trump’s bigotry and racism.

“It’s very hard to say you have a message of civility and then turn around and talk about how essentially a quarter of the country is, in your view, a basket of deplorables,” said Jonathan Allen, author of “Shattered,” a study of Clinton’s 2016 campaign. “That is a screeching conflict of her overall message, which is we have a civilized country and we need to be stronger together — that this should be a kinder, gentler, unified country.”

It’s easy to get careless at fundraisers: The crowd is pumped up, the mood hopeful. In April 2008, Barack Obama told a San Francisco donor audience that working-class voters in the Rust Belt “cling to guns or religion” as a way to express their frustrations. (Clinton, in the last days of her failed bid for the Democratic nomination, said she was “taken aback by the demeaning remarks Senator Obama made about people in small-town America. His remarks are elitist and out of touch.”)

Mitt Romney got into trouble for his “47 percent” slip, which was secretly taped during a 2012 fundraiser that was closed to the media. The Republican nominee explained to wealthy donors that almost half of American voters would pick Obama because they were dependent on government handouts. “I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives,” he told the crowd.

Clinton made the classic campaign mistake of playing pundit by explaining strategy to donors. She wasn’t writing off all Trump supporters; those who were scared and jobless might be won over. It was a delicate rhetorical dance: Have compassion for some, be afraid of others.

Trump repeatedly mocked Clinton voters, but his fans never worried it would hurt him. In fact, they loved him for it, as well as his attacks on the media, the candidates in his own party, John McCain’s war record and the judge in one of his lawsuits. “The more offensive and insulting he could be, the happier he was with it,” Allen said.

That was Trump being Trump. Clinton’s deplorables comment, Allen said, seemed to reveal a private thought that she had never dared state in public. In that way, it “ended up being symbolic of one of the things that her critics said they hated about her, which is that they believed that she’s inauthentic. And oddly, I think that was a pretty authentic moment.”

When asked about “deplorables,” Nick Merrill, Clinton’s spokesman, said she was never afraid to denounce racism — just two weeks earlier, she gave a significant speech deconstructing the alt-right and the “quest to preserve white maleness” in America. “The deplorable comment may have been politically less than ideal, but it has been proven right again and again over the last five years.”

More sophisticated than “disgusting,” more biting than “unforgivable,” “deplorable” carries judgment with a side of self-righteousness. It comes from Latin, then reemerged in 17th-century France, where throwing shade is a national sport.

Clinton would use “deplorable” in statements when she was secretary of state, but as an adjective, not a noun. Washington jargon traditionally puts things in “buckets,” Clinton shifted that to “baskets” in the month leading up to the Sept. 9 fundraiser.

She used “deplorables” the day before her speech, in an interview with Israeli TV: “You can take Trump supporters and put them in two big baskets. There are what I would call the deplorables — you know, the racists and the haters.”

“It’s worth remembering that when Hillary Clinton comes up with a phrase she likes, she tends to repeat it a lot and she can be very biting and she can be quippy,” Allen said. “It would have been different if she had said, ‘Half the Trump voters are behaving deplorably.’ It’s a small thing, but it’s a big thing.”

In Slate, linguist Ben Zimmer speculated that “baskets of deplorables” was inspired by a “parade of horribles” — a legal term that Clinton would be familiar with, referring to the negative consequences of a judicial decision. Several weeks later, Clinton joked about it at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner: “I just want to put you all in a basket of adorables.”

But the damage was done.

“I knew the first time I heard that phrase that she was very, very stupid for using it,” Republican strategist Frank Luntz said. “It is as insulting as any word in the English language. To be deplorable means you have no excuse as a human being. If you’re a deplorable person, it is saying that there is no redeeming quality to you whatsoever.”

Luntz knew it would be an opportunity for Trump to galvanize his base. “I thought she had committed a potentially fatal error: Insult your opponent, attack your opponent, criticize your opponent, even condemn your opponent, but never, ever, ever condemn your opponent’s supporters because you need their votes.”

Luntz tested “deplorable” in focus groups and found that it didn’t make voters more pro-Trump. “But it hardened opposition to her instantly as someone who had no heart, who was too ideological and dismissive of people who disagreed with her.”

A consultant to Clinton’s campaign agreed. Writing in the Boston Globe shortly after the election, Diane Hessan said that she tracked undecided voters and their reaction to “deplorable” was stronger than the controversy over Clinton’s emails or FBI Director James B. Comey’s comments about them. “There was one moment when I saw more undecided voters shift to Trump than any other, when it all changed, when voters began to speak differently about their choice,” she wrote.

In “What Happened,” Clinton’s memoir of the campaign, she acknowledged that generalizing was almost always unwise and wrote that she regretted handing Trump “a political gift” by insulting well-intentioned people. “But too many of Trump’s core supporters do hold views that I find — there’s no other word for it — deplorable.”

Of course, voters are notoriously harder on female politicians, regardless of what they say. As Rebecca Traister stated in a 2017 New York magazine profile of Clinton, “A competent woman losing a job to an incompetent man is not an anomalous Election Day surprise; it is Tuesday in America. To acknowledge the role sexism played in 2016 is not to make excuses for the very real failings of Clinton and her campaign; it is to try to paint a more complete picture.”

In hindsight, how did “deplorables” play into all this? “It is impossible to say, ‘People reacted this way because of sexism,’ ” Traister said this week. “That’s not how it works. But you also cannot take sexism out of the equation whenever you’re talking about Hillary Clinton.”

Donald Trump says Hillary Clinton “talks about people like they are objects, not human beings.” (The Washington Post)

And Trump? The Republican nominee, always looking for an applause line, said he was offended on behalf of all his supporters. “While my opponent slanders you as deplorable and irredeemable, I call you hard-working American patriots who love your country,” he told his audience at an Iowa rally. The campaign rushed out an ad in battleground states: “You know what’s deplorable? Hillary Clinton viciously demonizing hard working people like you.”

Mike Pence jumped into the fray: “For Hillary Clinton to express such disdain for millions of Americans is one more reason that disqualifies her to serve in the highest office,” he told reporters. During an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Pence condemned Clinton but, when pressed, declined to call any Trump supporter deplorable, even, say, former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke, who endorsed Trump. “No,” answered Pence. “I am not in the name-calling business, Wolf.”

MAGA fans could buy official “deplorable” merchandise from Team Trump — and they did happily. The term was “so mean that the only way for them to respond was to actually embrace it,” Luntz said. “And that’s how I realized she was in real trouble: If your strongest attack against your opponent is embraced by your opponents, that removes the sting.”

Five years later, you can purchase hats, T-shirts, hoodies and other gifts for the deplorables in your life. Patriot Depot, one of several online stores selling to Trump fans, offers a “Deplorables Club — Lifetime Member” cap for $19.95, The sales blurb explains: “Being a Deplorable is now a mark of pride among God-fearing, gun-loving, hard-working Americans.”

Clinton’s unusual turn of phrase foreshadowed an increasingly polarized America. We’re not just divided along ideological lines — we don’t even like each other very much.

The Pew Research Center found that from December 2016 to September 2019, the shares of both parties that viewed members of the other “somewhat” coldly or “very” coldly increased, as did the percentage that viewed them as “immoral.”

Those assessments were undoubtedly influenced by the 2017 Charlottesville rally and have been hardened by pandemic restrictions, Black Lives Matter protests and the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol.

“I’m proud that Secretary Clinton called out racism and bigotry in 2016, especially when that wasn’t the politically safe thing to do,” campaign speechwriter Dan Schwerin said.

Now, many of her fans believe she was prescient about “half” of Trump’s base.

“After four years of President Trump,” Allen said. “I think that there are a lot of Democrats and some Republicans who would say that was an undercount.”

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Hillary Clinton's 'deplorables' speech shocked voters five years ago — but some feel it was prescient - The Washington Post
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‘It’s not cutesy’: the art show co-curated by a five-year-old - The Guardian

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‘It’s not cutesy’: the art show co-curated by a five-year-old  The Guardian
‘It’s not cutesy’: the art show co-curated by a five-year-old - The Guardian
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Polaroid's Now+ connected camera comes with five clip-on lens filters - Engadget

Polaroid is adding to its line-up of products that mix retro looks with modern smarts. The new Polaroid Now+ is an analog camera with Bluetooth connectivity and five physical lens filters. It's the first time the company has included the latter out of the box. You can clip the filters on to the camera's lens to saturate or deepen the contrast of your photos, or add new effects like starburst, red vignette, and orange, blue and yellow colors.

The new camera, which is out today for $150, is essentially an updated version of last year's Polaroid Now. This time, there's a new Blue Gray colorway (alongside white and black) that ditches the company's rainbow-colored strip for a more muted look. Polaroid also integrated the camera’s light sensor into the lens stage to accommodate the different filters. On top of the core autofocus, dynamic flash, and self-timer functions, the snapper now comes with a tripod mount.

What's more, Polaroid has made way for improvements on the software side. The Polaroid Originals app now boasts a new, streamlined design with new features including aperture priority and tripod mode, designed to offer more control over depth of field and long exposures. You can also swipe between light painting, double exposure and manual mode. The Polaroid Now+ camera is available online exclusively through Polaroid.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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US Open: Andy Murray loses out to Stefanos Tsitsipas in five-set marathon on Arthur Ashe Stadium - Sky Sports

Andy Murray gives world No 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas a five-set workout in brutally humid conditions at Flushing Meadows in New York; the 2012 champion recaptures some of his old vintage form to prove he can still mix it with the very best in men's tennis

By Raz Mirza

Last Updated: 31/08/21 8:33am

Andy Murray went out of the US Open despite a Herculean effort against Stefanos Tsitsipas

Andy Murray rolled back the years to thrill spectators at the US Open once again, but despite an heroic effort, it was third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas who claimed a thrilling five-set, near five-hour epic on the opening day.

Murray, currently ranked 112 in the world as he continues to battle back from the hip surgery he underwent more than two years ago, got the sort of draw many would have feared against Tsitsipas - a player who reached the French Open final earlier this year.

The tournament may have kicked off without several of the sport's biggest names, but the 2012 champion in New York turned back the clock to give the Greek third seed a serious first-round scare in sweltering conditions, eventually falling to a 2-6 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 6-3 6-4 defeat.

The Scot served exceptionally well to sweep through the opening set and give spectators on Arthur Ashe Stadium, who missed out last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, something to cheer.

Things could have got even better for the 34-year-old former world No 1 had he taken two set-point chances in the second set tie-break.

Tsitsipas rallied to level the match, leaving Murray, whose socks and trainers were soaked due to the intense humidity, to dredge his way back to the locker rooms for a complete outfit change.

Murray is such a legend. However, this turns out, the fact that he’s going after the number 3 player in the world after all of it is insane. He literally has a metal hip ….. respect

— andyroddick (@andyroddick) August 30, 2021

Murray headed into this Grand Slam with "low expectations" blaming a lack of consistency. He had made early exits in Cincinnati and the Winston-Salem Open, but his form against Tsitsipas had come completely out of the blue.

He rebounded in brilliant fashion at the start of the third set, playing instinctively to move one set away from his first win over a top-three player since the 2016 ATP Finals. However, the Greek made sure there was more to come as we headed into a deciding set shootout after he clinched the fourth.

The three-time Grand Slam champion had the New York crowd firmly on his side as the underdog, but it was the 23-year-old who broke Murray's brave resistance.

Murray fumes at Tsitsipas toilet break

Afterwards, Murray said he had lost respect for Tsitsipas after bowing out tournament.

The 34-year-old Scot was livid at the lengthy bathroom breaks Tsitsipas was taking between sets and demanded more should be done to clamp down on the "nonsense".

Murray said: "It's not so much leaving the court. It's the amount of time.

"It's just disappointing because I feel it influenced the outcome of the match. I'm not saying I necessarily win that match, for sure, but it had influence on what was happening after those breaks.

"I rate him a lot. I think he's a brilliant player. I think he's great for the game. But I have zero time for that stuff at all, and I lost respect for him.

"That's what I feel. But if everyone else feels like that's totally cool and there's no issue with it, then maybe I'm the one being unreasonable. But I think it's nonsense. And he knows it, as well."

That is why we love this game so much ! Two brave great Champions. @usopen

— Patrick Mouratoglou (@pmouratoglou) August 31, 2021

Tsitsipas denied bending the rules with his bathroom breaks, saying: "I played by the guidelines, how everything is. I don't know how my opponent feels when I'm out there playing the match. It's not really my priority.

"As far as I'm playing by the rules and sticking to what the ATP says is fair, then the rest is fine. I have nothing against him. Absolutely nothing."

Evans wins; Norrie, Watson & Dart knocked out

Dan Evans defeated Brazil's Thiago Monteiro in four sets to reach the second round at Flushing Meadows

British No 1 Dan Evans won his first-round match in four sets against Brazil's Thiago Monteiro.

Evans came through 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 6-1 as he safely progressed to the second round in New York.

"I was playing better than I had been, but physically I wasn't feeling great. I had a pretty bad headache - that's something that I've never had before," said Evans.

"I think the lack of matches in my legs played a big part and made me feel tired - at least that's what I hope it is.

"Usually I enjoy playing in hot and humid conditions and I feel that I am pretty good in those conditions, but today I wasn't. I don't know if it is because I haven't played a lot and I am not very fit at the minute or if it is the lasting effects.

"I got through and did a good job and I would probably say I was the better player."

Evans will play world No 64 Marcos Giron in the next round after the American knocked out France's Antoine Hoang 6-3 6-4 7-5.

Cameron Norrie was blasted off the court by the brilliant Carlos Alcaraz

British No 2 Cameron Norrie found Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz too hot to handle as he tumbled out.

Norrie has enjoyed such a successful 2021 that he was seeded 26 at Flushing Meadows.

But he was beaten in straight sets by US Open debutant Alcaraz 6-4 6-4 6-3.

Heather Watson's tournament is over after she suffered a straight-sets defeat in the first round, losing 6-1 6-4 to Kaja Juvan.

Two early breaks saw the Slovenian take control straight away in a one-sided opening set.

The second set was much more of a contest, but the Briton lost her serve in the seventh game and it proved decisive.

Harriet Dart went down in three sets to world No 62 Caroline Garcia (Pete Staples/USTA)

Harriet Dart is also out after losing 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-2 to France's Caroline Garcia.

The match seemed to turn on a medical time out following the seventh game of the second set. Garcia broke serve to lead 4-3 before Dart left the court to receive some attention.

She returned with her left thigh heavily strapped and her opponent went on to level up the match. Garcia then raced into a 4-0 lead in the decider before serving out the match.

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US Open: Andy Murray loses out to Stefanos Tsitsipas in five-set marathon on Arthur Ashe Stadium - Sky Sports
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Murray calls Tsitsipas breaks 'nonsense' after five-set loss to the Greek at U.S. Open - The Globe and Mail

Andy Murray of Great Britain reacts after a fifth set loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece on Day 1 of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie King National Tennis Center on Aug. 30, 2021.

Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters

Andy Murray is aware that Stefanos Tsitsipas has a growing reputation for pushing the boundaries when it comes to taking breaks during a match. Murray expected that to be an issue during their first-round match at the U.S. Open – and, when it was, that didn’t sit well. Not at all.

Murray figures there was enough for him to deal with in Monday’s high heat and humidity: He’s 34. He’s got an artificial hip. He’s ranked 112th after a series of health issues. At one point, he tumbled to the ground, losing his balance in sweat-soaked shoes and leaving splotches on the blue court from his soggy clothing.

So as the contest stretched to almost five hours, Murray did not appreciate that Tsitsipas took a medical timeout after the third set and made a lengthy visit to the locker-room after the fourth. Following an entertaining, back-and-forth 2-6, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss to Tsitsipas, Murray complained about what he considered unfair gamesmanship by the French Open runner-up and announced: “I lost respect for him.”

“It’s nonsense. And he knows it, as well,” said Murray, who is nearly a decade – and a pair of hip operations – removed from a U.S. Open championship.

Told of Murray’s displeasure, the just-turned-23 Tsitsipas said: “If there’s something that he has to tell me, we should speak, the two of us, to kind of understand what went wrong. I don’t think I broke any rules.”

The whole thing lent some intrigue to the proceedings as the year’s last Grand Slam tournament got under way with fans in the stands at full capacity – the combined attendance for the day and night sessions was 53,783 – a year after all spectators were banned because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“When we didn’t have a crowd,” reigning champion Naomi Osaka said after beating Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-1 at night, “I know it felt quite lonely for me.”

That was Osaka’s first Grand Slam match since she pulled out of the French Open in late May for a mental health break. She played rather well, compiling a 34-10 edge in total winners and saving all eight break points Bouzkova earned.

With exits for Murray and 2014 champion Marin Cilic, who stopped playing because of an injury in the fifth set against Philipp Kohlschreiber, the only man left in the draw after Day One with even one Grand Slam title is No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

He will debut Tuesday night as he tries to break a tie for the men’s mark of 20 majors with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam.

Monday’s last match in Ashe featured No. 2 Daniil Medevev, a two-time major finalist, against Richard Gasquet.

Earlier Monday, there were victories for 2017 champion Sloane Stephens, who edged Madison Keys 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7) in a rematch of their final four years ago; multiple Grand Slam title winners and former No. 1s Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza; 2020 runner-up Victoria Azarenka and 17-year-old American Coco Gauff.

“I just remember, like, last year, not necessarily being bored, but it was just so quiet for the U.S. Open,” the 21st-seeded Gauff said after advancing to face Stephens with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 comeback against Magda Linette. “I definitely missed the buzz.”

Some spectators griped about delays getting in, which the U.S. Tennis Association said were largely caused by the time it took to inspect bags at the entry gates.

The USTA added that checking for proof of vaccination required to attend the event this year went smoothly and did not contribute in a significant way to long lines.

Those lucky enough to be in Ashe rose and roared in unison when Murray smacked a forehand winner to claim the third set. He raised his right hand overhead and leaned forward as he shouted, “I’m not ... done! Let’s go!”

But it was Tsitsipas who wasn’t finished. He got treatment from a trainer on his left foot after that set, then headed off court again a set later for several minutes.

After he got broken right away and fell behind 2-0 in the fifth, Murray offered this observation on court: “It’s never taken me that long to go to the toilet. Ever.”

Murray explained later he thought the interruptions played a role.

“It’s just disappointing, because I feel it influenced the outcome of the match. I’m not saying I necessarily win that match, for sure, but it had influence on what was happening after those breaks,” he said. “You could argue that I shouldn’t let that affect me. But genuinely it is difficult, like, when you’re playing such a brutal match in those conditions to have those breaks. Physically you can’t stop that from affecting you. Mentally, yes, but physically you can’t.”

The humidity at 70% and the temperature in the low-80s Fahrenheit (high 20s Celsius) required a bit more than Murray could give. He is a former No. 1 who won Wimbledon twice in addition to his 2012 title in New York, but his body has not held up.

Given his age and health history, it was remarkable that Murray was out there at all, let alone coming close to becoming, at No. 112 this week, the lowest-ranked man to upset an opponent in the top three at the U.S. Open since the computerized ATP rankings began in 1973.

After a third-round exit at Wimbledon early last month, Murray sounded rather glum about his future, frustrated that that he couldn’t practice as much as he’d like to be properly competitive. On Saturday, Murray opined that taking on Tsitsipas would be “a good, good test for me to see kind of where my game’s at.”

He seemed to pass that test. He much rather would have won.

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Five rockets targeted at Kabul airport Monday as U.S. rushes final stages of evacuation - National Post

Having failed to anticipate that the quick Taliban takeover, Washington and its NATO allies were forced into a hasty evacuation, leaving behind thousands of Afghans who helped Western countries

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US soldiers stand on the tarmac as an US Air Force aircraft (L) prepares for take off from the airport in Kabul on August 30, 2021. Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP

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U.S. anti-missile defenses intercepted rockets fired at Kabul’s airport early on Monday, as the United States flew its core diplomats out of Afghanistan in the final hours of its chaotic withdrawal.

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The last U.S. troops are due to pull out of Kabul by Tuesday, after they and their allies mounted the biggest air evacuation in history, bringing out 114,000 of their own citizens and Afghans who helped them over 20 years of war.

Two U.S. officials said the “core” diplomatic staff had withdrawn by Monday morning. They did not say whether this included top envoy Ross Wilson, expected to be among the last to leave before the final troops themselves.

A U.S. official said initial reports did not indicate any U.S. casualties from as many as five missiles fired on the airport. Islamic State – enemies of both the West and the Taliban – claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks.

The rockets followed a massive Islamic State suicide bombing outside the teeming airport gates on Thursday, which killed scores of Afghans and 13 U.S. troops.

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In recent days Washington has warned of more attacks, while carrying out two air strikes. It said both hit Islamic State targets, including one on Sunday it said thwarted an attempted suicide bombing by blowing up a car packed with explosives in Kabul, but which Afghans said had struck civilians.

People gather around remnants of flames from cars where rockets towards Kabul’s international airport were fired from but were intercepted by a missile defense system, in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 30, 2021 in this still image taken from video provided on social media. Photo by Reuters

Tuesday’s deadline for all troops to leave was ordered by President Joe Biden, fulfilling an agreement reached with the Taliban by his predecessor Donald Trump to end Washington’s longest war.

But having failed to anticipate that the Taliban would so quickly conquer the country, Washington and its NATO allies were forced into a hasty evacuation. They will leave behind thousands of Afghans who helped Western countries and might have qualified for evacuation but did not make it out in time.

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The Taliban, who carried out public executions and banned girls and women from school or work when last in power 20 years ago, have said they will safeguard rights and not pursue vendettas. They say once the Americans leave, the country will at last be at peace for the first time in more than 40 years.

But countless Afghans, especially in the cities, fear for their futures. And the United Nations said the entire country now faces a dire humanitarian crisis, cut off from foreign aid amid a drought, mass displacement and COVID-19.

“The evacuation effort has undoubtedly saved tens of thousands of lives, and these efforts are praiseworthy,” said UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi.

“But when the airlift and the media frenzy are over, the overwhelming majority of Afghans, some 39 million, will remain inside Afghanistan. They need us – governments, humanitarians, ordinary citizens – to stay with them and stay the course.”

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1. 

   "Maybe they will hang me": Fearing death, stranded former employees of Canada desperate for another way out of Afghanistan

2. 

   Taliban must pacify these warlords, spies and presidents to avoid Afghan civil war

A Pakistani plane flew 12.5 tonnes of World Health Organization medical supplies on Monday to the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, the global health body’s first shipment to reach Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. The emergency and trauma kits would be distributed to hospitals across the country, said the WHO, which had warned on Friday that Afghanistan‘s medical supplies would run out within days.

Outside the airport in Kabul, people described themselves as foresaken by the departing foreign troops.

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“We are in danger,” said one woman. “They must show us a way to be saved. We must leave Afghanistan or they must provide a safe place for us.”

TERRIFIED

Afghan media said Monday’s rocket attack was launched from the back of a vehicle. The Pajhwok news agency said several rockets struck different parts of the Afghan capital.

“People are terrified and worried about the future, worried that the rocket launching might continue,” said Farogh Danish, a Kabul resident near the wreckage of the car from which the rockets were launched.

On Sunday, Pentagon officials said a U.S. drone strike killed an Islamic State suicide car bomber preparing to attack the airport. The Taliban condemned the strike and said seven people died. The New York Times quoted family members as saying it killed 10 people, including seven children, an aid worker for an American charity and a contractor with the U.S. military.

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They need us – governments, humanitarians, ordinary citizens – to stay with them and stay the course

U.S. Central Command said it was investigating reports that civilians were killed.

“We know there were substantial and powerful subsequent explosions resulting from the destruction of the vehicle, indicating a large amount of explosive material inside that may have caused additional casualties,” it said.

Two U.S. officials told Reuters evacuations would continue on Monday, prioritizing people deemed at extreme risk. Other countries have also put in last-minute requests to bring out people in that category, the officials said.

The Taliban will take full control of Kabul airport after the American withdrawal on Tuesday, Qatar’s Al Jazeera television network cited an unidentified Taliban source as saying.

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PRESIDENT MOURNS U.S. DEAD

Biden attended a ceremony on Sunday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to honor members of the U.S. military killed in Thursday’s suicide bombing, the deadliest incident for U.S. troops in Afghanistan in more than a decade.

As the flag-draped transfer caskets carrying the remains emerged from a military plane, the president, who has vowed to avenge the Islamic State attack, shut his eyes and tilted his head back.

Five of the fallen service members were just 20, as old as the war itself.

The departure of the last troops will end the U.S.-led military intervention in Afghanistan that began in late 2001, after the al Qaeda Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

U.S.-backed forces ousted a Taliban government that had provided safe haven for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and have engaged in a counter-insurgency war against the Islamist militants for the past two decades.

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Five rockets targeted at Kabul airport Monday as U.S. rushes final stages of evacuation - National Post
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Five LaLiga players to watch during the September international break - TSN

As LaLiga Santander players meet up with their national teams to play World Cup qualifiers, here are five with particularly interesting storylines.

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Sergiño Dest – FC Barcelona and USA

The USA famously missed out on a place at the 2018 World Cup, so making it to Qatar in 2022 is a priority for the USMNT and the country’s fans hope that young talents like Sergiño Dest can lead them there. The FC Barcelona right-back is in Gregg Berhalter’s squad for the September qualifiers against El Salvador, Canada and Honduras and he’ll be looking to impress for his national team. Dest also meets up with his country aware that strong performances will help him in his club battle with summer signing Emerson for minutes on the right of Barça’s defence.

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Karim Benzema – Real Madrid and France

Following a six-year absence from international duty, Karim Benzema returned to the France national team set-up for Euro 2020 and the Real Madrid No.9 was excellent, scoring four goals in four games. Now, fans will be able to see the striker in blue again this September, as he looks to fire France towards the 2022 World Cup. This break, they play qualifiers against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine and Finland.

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Takefusa Kubo – RCD Mallorca and Japan

Takefusa Kubo was exceptional at the Olympic Games, leading Japan to three wins from three in the group stage by scoring in every game, before helping them reach the semi-finals. Ultimately, the host nation lost the bronze medal match, even though Kubo added an assist in that defeat to Mexico. Now, the 20-year-old, who is on loan at RCD Mallorca from Real Madrid this season, will look to make a similar impact with the senior Japan national team as they face Oman and China in World Cup qualifying.

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Brais Méndez – RC Celta and Spain

Brais Méndez has played one match and scored one goal for Spain, netting the only strike of a 1-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2018. The RC Celta playmaker hasn’t played for his country again since then, but is back on the squad list for La Roja’s September qualifiers against Sweden, Georgia and Kosovo. Luis Enrique explained that he has been impressed by the 24-year-old’s performances in LaLiga Santander and that he deserves to be back in contention for national team minutes.

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Alexander Sørloth – Real Sociedad and Norway

The transfer of Alexander Sørloth from RB Leipzig to Real Sociedad stands out as one of the most intriguing of the summer. Big things are expected of the big striker and fans of La Real and Spanish football in general will be able to see exactly what Sørloth can do in Norway’s matches against Netherlands, Latvia and Gibraltar, after catching a glimpse of him when he played just over five minutes in his debut against Levante UD in Matchday 3. The striker has 11 goals in 32 caps and will be looking to add to that this September.

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Five Things to Know: East Lake Golf Club - pgatour.com

Hal Sutton was the first player to win a TOUR Championship at East Lake when he took out Vijay Singh in a playoff. Woods was 20th that year in his first TOUR start at the course. 

Two years later, Woods already had nine wins in the 2000 season when he came to East Lake. So, when he shared the 54-hole lead with Singh, Woods was the hot favorite to win. But rival Phil Mickelson had other ideas and a final-round 66 helped him overtake Woods.

Two years later, Woods had the chance to be a final-round conqueror, but a Sunday 70 left him in seventh spot behind Singh. His East Lake woes did not stop there. In 2004, when the TOUR Championship returned again, Woods again seized the 54-hole lead, tied with Jay Haas and four clear of the rest of the field. Surely this time … Nope. His 72 on Sunday relegated him to second behind Retief Goosen.

A year later, Woods sat third with a round to go, one back of Goosen and four back of surprise leader Bart Bryant. Alas, Bryant continued his hot week and won by six shots.

And so it came to 2007, the opening season of the FedExCup and the new $10 million bonus for the season-long champion. Woods led the regular-season points and still held the top spot when he arrived in Atlanta. Woods was determined to put his past East Lake issues behind him. An opening 64 had him in third place, but he backed it up with a 63 to take control. He turned a three-shot buffer through 54 holes into a dominant eight-shot win to exorcise any demons.

In 2009, Woods shot a final-round 70 to finish second to Mickelson’s 65, but Woods still claimed his second FedExCup. He and Rory McIlroy are the only two-time winners of the season-long championship.

Which brings us to 2018. Who could forget Woods coming down the 18th hole on Sunday? The crowds burst through the ropes to create one of the greatest scenes sport has ever witnessed. It was Woods’ 80th PGA TOUR title and came more than five years after his last victory. It was one that certainly helped erase any previous pain at the course.

4. It is part of the successful East Lake Foundation. 

East Lake Golf Club has played a central role in the remarkable transformation of the East Lake community. With the motto “Golf with a Purpose,” it joins organizations like the Charlie Yates Golf Course, The First Tee of East Lake, the Charles R. Drew Charter School, the YMCA and of course the PGA TOUR and its TOUR Championship in contributing to the success of the project in a different way.

The East Lake Foundation was formed to revitalize a suffering inner-city neighborhood and turn it into a vibrant community where all residents can thrive. Over the last two decades, the Foundation has proven that working with residents and public and private partners, while providing the right combination of comprehensive programs and services, is transformative for the community.

The East Lake Foundation works with many partners to deliver and support a wide range of programs, including early childhood education; supplemental enrichment at Drew Charter School; college and career readiness and scholarships; entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy training for adults; golf and life skills instruction; and healthcare access and education.

5. It has played host to some incredible shots.

Every shot matters for a winner, but there were two moments at East Lake in the FedExCup era that will make highlight reels for the rest of time. In 2016, Rory McIlroy needed something to happen fast. Three shots behind with three holes to play at the TOUR Championship, McIlroy holed a pitching wedge from 137 yards for eagle that gave him the spark he needed to close with a 6-under 64 and join a three-way playoff with the FedExCup title riding on the outcome.

He drilled a 15-foot putt on the same hole to win it all.

In 2011, Bill Haas and Hunter Mahan needed a playoff to decide the FedExCup champion. On the second playoff hole, Haas pulled his approach into the water. A dry summer left the water level lower than usual, allowing Haas to still see part of his ball. His recovery shot from the hazard spun to within a few feet of the hole. A par on the next hole was enough to hand Haas the title. "You play it like a bunker shot, for those of you that want to know, if there's a little bit of water, if you don't mind getting your feet dirty, and then blast it out of there. It came out perfect. Lucky,” Haas said.

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Five U.S. state mask bans face federal civil rights inquiries - Toronto Star

The Education Department on Monday opened civil rights investigations into five Republican-led states that have banned or limited mask requirements in schools, saying the policies could amount to discrimination against students with disabilities or health conditions.

The department’s Office for Civil Rights announced the investigations in letters to education chiefs in Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah. Those states have issued varying prohibitions on universal mask requirements, which the office says could prevent some students from safely attending school.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona accused the states of “putting politics over the health and education of the students they took an oath to serve.”

“The department will fight to protect every student’s right to access in-person learning safely,” he said in a statement.

It marks a sharp escalation in the Biden administration’s battle with Republican states that say mask-wearing should be a personal choice. President Joe Biden last week asked Cardona to explore possible legal action, prompting the department to examine whether the policies could amount to civil rights violations.

The states under investigation have adopted a range of policies that outlaw or curb mask mandates. A state law in Iowa forbids school boards and other local officials from mandating mask wearing. In Tennessee, mask mandates are permitted, but a recent executive order from Gov. Bill Lee allows families to opt out of school mask requirements.

Those policies conflict with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends universal mask wearing for students and teachers in the classroom. The CDC issued the guidance in light of the rapid spread of the highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19.

In announcing the investigations, the department said it will examine whether mask-mandate bans violate a federal law protecting students with disabilities. Under that law, students with disabilities must be given access to a “free appropriate public education” alongside their peers without disabilities.

States that forbid mask mandates could be preventing schools from taking necessary steps to protect students with disabilities or underlying health conditions, the department said.

In its letters, the department said it’s concerned that the states “may be preventing schools from making individualized assessments about mask use so that students with disabilities can attend school and participate in school activities in person.“

Education Department investigations often end with voluntary agreements that remedy the alleged violation. But if the inquiries determine that states violated civil rights laws, the agency could issue sanctions as severe as a loss of federal education funding.

The inquiries were launched at the department’s discretion and not in response to complaints from parents. But Cardona said he has heard from families who are concerned that state mask policies could put their children at risk.

Some governors quickly denounced the investigations.

“Until every American citizen is safely out of Afghanistan, President Biden shouldn’t spend a single second harassing states like Oklahoma for protecting parents’ rights to make health decisions for their kids,“ said Carly Atchison, a spokesperson for Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt.

But Oklahoma’s education chief, who has said mask mandates should be an option, appeared to share the Education Department’s concerns. In a statement, State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said the state “is preventing schools from fulfilling their legal duty to protect and provide all students the opportunity to learn more safely in-person.”

In South Carolina, the state’s top education official has similarly clashed with the governor over mask policies. Superintendent Molly Spearman has “repeatedly implored” lawmakers to reconsider their ban on mask mandates, according to a Monday statement from the state education agency.

The agency said it is “particularly sensitive to the law’s effect on South Carolina’s most vulnerable students and is acutely aware of the difficult decisions many families are facing concerning a return to in-person instruction.”

Some other states previously outlawed mask mandates, but the policies were overturned by courts or are not being enforced, including in Florida, Texas, Arkansas and Arizona. The Education Department has not opened investigations in those states but said it is watching closely and is prepared to take action.

Masks have emerged as a major source of contention as the nation’s schools start a new school year during a surge in COVID-19 cases. Although most states let schools decide their own policies, some have taken firm stances for or against mandates.

States including California, New York and Louisiana have issued statewide mask requirements inside schools, while Texas, Florida and others moved to prevent schools from requiring masks.

In Florida, which had taken one of the toughest stances against mask mandates, a judge ruled Friday that schools are legally allowed to require masks. The judge overturned an order from Gov. Ron DeSantis that had barred such mandates, ruling that it was unconstitutional and cannot be enforced.

Other states opposing mask mandates face similar legal challenges. In South Carolina, the American Civil Liberties Union last week filed a federal lawsuit over the state’s policy forbidding mask mandates. The suit, filed on behalf of parents and disability rights groups, argues that the ban excludes vulnerable students from public schools.

In Iowa, a mother of twin boys recently sued the state over its ban on school mask requirements. In her suit, Frances Parr said her children were set to start first grade this year, but she is now teaching them at home over fears about their safety.

In the Des Moines school district, which has opposed the state’s policy against mask mandates, officials were encouraged by the support from the federal government. The district is encouraging mask-wearing but is forbidden from requiring it.

“If our state government doesn’t change its position as the pandemic continues then hopefully the federal government will find a legal path that allows us to do more to keep our students and staff safe,” district spokesperson Phil Roeder said in a statement.

___

Associated Press writers Scott McFetridge and Ken Miller contributed to this story

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Five U.S. state mask bans face federal civil rights inquiries - Toronto Star
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Alex Salmond inquiry upheld five sexual harassment complaints - The Guardian

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Alex Salmond inquiry upheld five sexual harassment complaints  The Guardian
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Five most important games for Rutgers football in 2021 - On The Banks

With the 2021 season now just days away, Rutgers fans are even more than excited about the potential for Greg Schiano’s program as he begins his second season back in Piscataway. With this in mind, here are the five most important games on the schedule if the Scarlet Knights want to build upon the success of last season and possibly include their name in postseason football:

5. October 30th at Illinois

A running theme you will see across this article is that Rutgers has to beat the teams they are capable of beating in Big Ten play, and the October 30th game at Illinois is one of those such games.

Coming off a season where the program finished 2-6 and last in the Big Ten West division, new head coach Bret Bielema and the Fighting Illini are widely picked to finish at the bottom of the conference yet again. However, Bielema has a history of creating winning programs in the Big Ten. Bielema coached Wisconsin from 2006-2012 and won three straight Big Ten titles from 2010-2012. In addition to the coaching change, the Fighting Illini have talent to work with at quarterback including former Scarlet Knight Artur Sitkowski, who stepped in for injured starter Brandon Peters to lead the team to a win against Nebraska. Despite losing star offensive lineman Kendrick Green to the NFL, Illinois also welcomes back a veteran group of offensive linemen and a defensive line full of veteran experience.

If the Scarlet Knights want to have a chance of competing for a bowl game, this is one of the games that the program should have circled on their calendar as a must-win. Last season, Illinois defeated Rutgers on a game-winning field goal and have won four of the last five meetings, so by no means am I calling this a give-me game for Rutgers. However, taking a look at the Scarlet Knights’ Big Ten schedule, this game is by far the easiest it will get on the road. While reading articles from Illinois’ point-of-view on this matchup in Champaign, they have the same conclusion; whoever wins on October 30th gives themselves a good chance to compete for bowl play.

4. September 18th vs. Delaware

One thing that I believe will be key to the success of Rutgers this season is their ability to handle their business in the early-quarter of their schedule. The Scarlet Knights’ first three games of the season are all winnable games against non-conference opponents and serve as a great chance for the program to start off the season on a good note. That does not mean the games will be easy however, as Rutgers will welcome perhaps its stiffest non-conference opponent, Delaware, to Piscataway on September 18th.

While the Blue Hens are not a Power five team, they are vying to be one in the near future. This past spring, Delaware was crowned the champions of Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and was a FCS semifinalist. This season, the Blue Hens are back and have the most players selected to the CAA’s preseason all-conference team. There is no doubt in my mind that Delaware will come to SHI Stadium on September 18th looking for a statement win.

The success of the Blue Hens in FCS play should serve as a reminder to the Scarlet Knights that no team should be taken lightly on their schedule, Big Ten or not. Should Rutgers walk out of non-conference play undefeated, the program will be in excellent position to qualify for bowl play. Three wins is what the program reached in conference play in 2020, three wins would be the mark Rutgers would have to reach to become bowl-eligible if it were to win their first three games.

Here are highlights from Delaware’s 34-14 win over Delaware State this past spring:

3. September 11th at Syracuse

Running with the theme of the importance of non-conference play in 2021, Rutgers’ first road game of the season comes in Week 2 when the program visits Syracuse. The September 11th game will also be the first Power Five opponent the Scarlet Knights will face in the 2021 campaign.

The Scarlet Knights’ trip to the Carrier Dome serves as another winnable non-conference game against a struggling program. Making the game more important is the fact that this will be the first game against a hostile crowd for Rutgers in nearly two years. The last time Rutgers played in front of fans on the road was a 27-6 loss on November 30, 2019 against Penn State. With a win in this game, the Scarlet Knights can inch closer to the six win mark.

As for the opponent, after finishing 1-10 in last season’s campaign, the Orange are projected to finish at the bottom of the ACC’s Atlantic Division. Articles and team previews on Syracuse consistently talk about how poor the offensive line has performed over the past couple seasons, surrendering 38 sacks in 11 games last season and 50 in 2019. That unit is set to improve this year, and leading rusher Sean Tucker returns alongside 2020 opt-outs Abdul Adams and Jarveon Howard. On defense, Syracuse has lost several players to the NFL but returns a talented linebacking duo in Mikel Jones and Geoff Cantin-Arku and a defensive line full of super-seniors. While this game may be more difficult due to its circumstances and the improvement of the Orange, it is still a game Rutgers can and should win.

One last note: I came across an article ranking the Orange’s opponents for the 2021 campaign from easiest to hardest. This article had the Scarlet Knights checked in as the second easiest game on Syracuse’s schedule, only in front of UAlbany. I beg to disagree but proves Rutgers still has work to do in order to change the perception of the program..

2. October 9th vs. Michigan State

Michigan State will get its shot at revenge against Rutgers when they face off on October 9th.

In the opening game of last season, Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights shocked the Spartans by forcing a season-high seven turnovers en route to a 38-27 win. To say the least, this was a significant win for Rutgers. Winning at Michigan State not only snapped the program’s 21 game losing streak in the Big Ten, but the timing of the win gave Scarlet Knights fans significant belief in Schiano’s ability to turn the ship around. As for the for Spartans, the loss was part of a frustrating 2-5 season that couldn’t have ended sooner.

Shifting our attention to this season’s matchup, the Spartans’ trip to Piscataway on October 9th is the best chance the Scarlet Knights have to pick up a win in Big Ten play. Michigan State is picked to finish last in the Big Ten East division in the preseason poll and has questions surrounding their roster. Most notably, the program has not settled on its starting quarterback for this season. Redshirt sophomore Payton Thorne and Temple transfer Anthony Russo are the two battling for the starting job, and many publications dedicated to covering Spartans football are having their own debates on who should start under center.

The questions do not stop at quarterback. Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal points out that depth can be a major issue for Michigan State this year. For example, Couch mentions wide receiver. At wideout, the Spartans have an ultra-talented combo of Jalen Nailor and Jayden Reed, but if one of those two were to go down due to injury, the Spartans offense could be relying on several unproven and young wideouts to pick up the slack. This is the case for several positions on the program’s roster.

While some of these issues may be resolved by the time October 9th rolls around, Rutgers should see this Michigan State game as a huge opportunity to pick up a conference win. Victories in the Big Ten are hard to come by, but a win versus the Spartans would improve the Scarlet Knights’ postseason outlook tremendously.

If you need a reminder of the win at Michigan State last season, here are some highlights:

1. November 27th vs. Maryland

The season finale against Maryland will likely be the most important game for Rutgers this season. It’s impossible to predict how a season will go due to so many variables (the big one being injuries), but if fortunes turn the right way this year, this end of the year matchup against the Terrapins could be the deciding factor for if the Scarlet Knights earn a bowl bid or not.

Taking a look at the team opposite of Rutgers on November 27th, Maryland is picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten East standings in the preseason poll, just one spot ahead of the Scarlet Knights. The Terrapins are led on offense by quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, younger brother of Miami Dolphins signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa. By all indications, the younger Tagovailoa is poised to have a breakout season, as he is the Testudo Times’ overwhelming pick for offensive MVP after a sophomore season where he threw for 1,011 yards and seven touchdowns. Rutgers was lucky to not have to face him last season. To help him, Tagovailoa is accompanied by fellow returnees at receiver Dontay Demus Jr. and Rakim Jarrett. On defense, Maryland returns notable names such as defensive back Nick Cross and defensive lineman Mosiah Nasili-Kite, both of whom were honorable mention all-Big Ten selections last season. Head coach Mike Locksley and the Terrapins also welcome 2021 five-star linebacker Terrence Lewis to the team.

Looking past the potential bowl implications on November 27th, this matchup is bound to have major implications in the conference standings. With both programs looking at roughly the same win totals this season, even if the game ends up not being relevant bowl-wise, a late-season win can propel the Scarlet Knights up the Big Ten standings and go into the offseason with momentum. A rivalry win to end the season could do wonders for the confidence of Schiano’s program ending year two. The Rutgers and Maryland rivalry goes back to 1920, with the Scarlet Knights winning the last matchup last season 27-24 in overtime.

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