Latest news with #2001
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
College football's sneakiest favorite, plus a quick history of CFB in Germany
Until Saturday Newsletter 🏈 | This is The Athletic's college football newsletter. Sign up here to receive Until Saturday directly in your inbox. Today in college football news, 'Expedition 33' is my favorite 'Final Fantasy' game ever. To be clear, it is not a 'Final Fantasy' game. If you polled 100 college football fans on which FBS teams are expected to win each conference this year, I'm sure most could name the betting favorites in the ACC (Clemson), Big Ten (Ohio State), Mountain West (Boise State) and SEC (Texas), plus probably CUSA (Liberty) and the Sun Belt (JMU). Maybe the MAC too, where I assume Toledo will again be the favorite in 2099. Advertisement But what about the Big 12? After Arizona State's playoff run, arguably Iowa State's best season ever and a half-year of Texas Tech transfer talk? Plus the usual Colorado rubbernecking? And maybe some assumptions that Oklahoma State or Utah will bounce back, just like TCU did last year? The Big 12's favorite — according to BetMGM, FPI, SP+ and whatever else — is Kansas State, followed by a giant bottleneck. Oh right, Kansas State! Wait, the team that went 5-4 in conference last year, finishing eighth in a 16-team league? At first glance, picking K-State kinda feels like a shrug. (A shrug by the computers? Yes, computers can decline to answer. Haven't you seen '2001'?) But for more, I asked Kellis Robinett, beat writer for the Wichita Eagle/Kansas City Star: Why do you think this under-the-radar team is so widely favored? 'Kansas State is always a safe bet in the Big 12, because the Wildcats have such a high floor. Chris Klieman has averaged nine wins over the past four seasons, and he won a conference title in 2022. Even though K-State lost some high-end talent during the offseason, it brings back big stars at quarterback (Avery Johnson), running back (Dylan Edwards), and wide receiver (Jayce Brown). Austin Romaine also seems poised for a breakout season on defense. Arizona State is the defending champ, and Texas Tech is the biggest spender in the league, but K-State has proven to be consistently better than both.' Honestly, I'm nearly sold on K-State just by Klieman's consistency. Why not pick the team that has been most immune to the Big 12's feared Random Results Generator? (On top of that, picking a team that just finished in the middle is probably a safe bet. As has been frequently noted, last year's Big 12 preseason picks were nearly the opposite of the final standings. Avoid the bookends.) Before we leave the Big 12, yes, I asked David Ubben the obligatory Colorado question (more on Deion Sanders in a sec): Wtf will this team be now that Heisman winner Travis Hunter and school-record-smashing QB Shedeur Sanders are gone? 'The short version is: better than people who aren't paying attention think. Colorado had two of the five most famous players in the country last year, who were also stellar talents. This year, they start with little to no star power, but Sanders and his staff have quietly improved the roster on both sides of the ball, which raises the floor for this team quite a bit. They won't be as explosive in the passing game without Sanders, Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr., but they'll be good enough, and the running game should improve. I'm not sure I see a contender for the Big 12 title in this roster, but I do see a bowl team.' More Big 12: 🙏 'Deion Sanders had his bladder removed in May after doctors discovered an aggressive cancerous tumor, the Colorado football coach announced at a Monday news conference.' He's back at work now. Many more details here. 🏈 Stewart Mandel on the Week 1 games that will actually impact the CFP. (As in, Texas-Ohio State might not end up meaning much if they both make it anyway.) 👀 That 15-year storyline about the Big Ten and SEC potentially dueling over North Carolina in realignment? Heating back up. 📰 News: 🌀 A tale of two QBs: 📺 Media days, where the big leagues wrapped up last week: 🎤 Take The Athletic's survey on everything you love and hate about CFB right now. (Like me, you should vote to replace the entire CFP with the one true format: a plus-one title game at the Rose Bowl, with its participants to be selected after bowl season.) International college football has been a thing since almost literally the very beginning. (For one thing, the sport was so directly modeled on a version of English rugby, it's actually kinda hard to pinpoint when it actually became American football. For another, Montreal's McGill University was among the Canadian pioneers of the sport in the 1870s.) Since then, American colleges have sent football teams to bowls in the Bahamas, Canada, Cuba and Japan; FBS neutral-siters in Australia and Ireland; and lower-level games in Bermuda, China, Italy, Mexico, Tanzania and the UK, plus (per NCAA records) collegiate-adjacent games among American military installations in Algeria, Iran, New Guinea, the Philippines, Suriname and some Pacific islands. So when you hear Michigan and Western Michigan are planning to open 2026 in Frankfurt as the first FBS teams to play in Germany, know it's not just Modern College Football Chasing Trends And Trying To Be The NFL. It's also College Football Just Being Itself. OK, that's all for today. Email me at untilsaturday@ to tell me which country should host a CFB game next. Last week's most-clicked: Obviously, it was 'Ranking every Power 4 team by how much they'd sell for.' 💰 📫 Love Until Saturday? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters, too.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
40 days till the Arizona Cardinals' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No. 40?
With 40 days till the Cardinals open the season against the Saints, we look at the players who have worn No. 40. We are counting down to the start of the 2025 regular season for the Arizona Cardinals, and we are less than six weeks away. They will open the season on the road against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 7. That is 40 days away. As we count down the remaining days of the offseason, let's look at who has worn that number uniform over the years for the Cardinals. Who has worn No. 40? Cardinals players to wear No. 40 No. 40 has been retired for years. It was retired for Pat Tillman, who died in the line of duty in Afghanistan. The former Arizona State star was drafted by the Cardinals and then, after the September 11, 2001 attacks, he decided to enlist as an Army Ranger. No one will wear No. 40 for the Cardinals again. Tillman is the most remembered No. 40. The best one was Bobby Joe Conrad, who was a great early receiver in Cardinals history. He led the NFL in receptions one year and was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro once. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Commission confirms abuse in medical visa scandal
PETALING JAYA: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has confirmed a case of power abuse in the Immigration Department linked to the 'counter setting' scandal involving corrupt practices and visa irregularities for medical tourists. In a statement, the EAIC said its special task force – established under Section 17 of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission Act 2009 (Act 700) and chaired by Commissioner Datuk Seri Dr Razali Ab Malik – had completed its investigation into the scandal. 'It was found that there had been abuse of power by Immigration officers who approved medical visas for foreign nationals from several countries, despite knowing the application documents were incomplete and failed to meet the requirements set out in the Malaysian Immigration Circular No. 10/2001,' the statement said. The commission has decided to refer the investigation findings to the Attorney General's Chambers. 'This is in line with Paragraph 30(1)(c) of Act 700, with a recommendation that criminal charges be brought against the Immigration officers involved – under provisions of Act 574 of the Penal Code, Act 155 of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and/or Act 150 of the Passport Act 1966.' The 'counter setting' operation at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has been under scrutiny since late last year, focusing on claims that foreign nationals were granted medical treatment visas without complying with standard procedures. theSun had earlier reported concerns from healthcare industry experts about loopholes in the medical tourist visa process, alleging that some visa holders never sought treatment at the approved medical centres. In October last year, investigators seized 156 social visit pass application files (under the Medical Treatment Pass category), linked to a syndicate involving officers from the Immigration Department's Visa, Pass and Permit Division in Putrajaya.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
EAIC: Immigration officers abused power in medical visa approvals
KUALA LUMPUR: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has found that Immigration officers abused their power by approving medical visas for foreigners from several countries. In a statement, the EAIC said its Special Task Force, led by Commissioner Datuk Seri Dr Razali Ab Malik, will refer the findings of its investigation to the Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC). "The Special Task Force found that Immigration officers had approved medical visas for foreign nationals from several countries, despite knowing that the submitted application documents were incomplete and failed to meet the requirements outlined in Immigration Circular No. 10/2001. "As a result, the EAIC has decided to refer the investigation's findings to the A-GC under Paragraph 30(1)(c) of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission Act 2009, with a recommendation for criminal charges to be brought against the officers involved, under provisions of the Penal Code, the Immigration Act 1959/63, and the Passport Act 1966," it said. The EAIC said Razali noted that the Special Task Force had reviewed violations in the medical visa approval process. This included assessments of procedural compliance, witness interviews, document seizures, and the preparation of recommendations for further action. Previously, the EAIC was reported to have formed the Special Task Force under Subsection 17(1) of the EAIC Act 2009 to investigate misconduct involving the issuance of medical visas to foreigners. Based on preliminary findings presented at a commission meeting on Oct 15 last year, it was decided that a full investigation would be conducted into suspicious activities believed to be linked to a syndicate, using the seized documents. On Oct 8, 2024, the EAIC reportedly visited the Immigration Department's Visa, Pass, and Permit Division in Putrajaya, where it seized 156 application files for Social Visit Passes (Treatment Pass category). The seizure followed complaints alleging that Immigration officers had issued these passes without following proper procedures.
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Court action urged against Immigration officers in visa syndicate
PETALING JAYA: Immigration officers found to be involved in the illegal distribution of long-term visas for medical purposes ought to be charged in court, says the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC). EAIC commissioner Datuk Seri Dr Razali Ab Malik said an investigation was launched against members of the Immigration Department after it was alleged that the visas were issued to foreigners without going through the proper process. Razali, who led the investigation, said that a special task force had identified elements of misuse of powers. 'The taskforce identified several misuse of powers by the immigration officers who approved the medical visa for foreigners without realising that the documents given were not completed and had not met the criteria under the Malaysian Immigration Circular No. 10/2001,' he said in a statement issued yesterday. The EAIC added that it has referred the investigations to the Attorney-General's Chambers with recommendations to charge the suspects, including under the Immigration Act and Passport Act. In February, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that around 22 Immigration officers were summoned by the EAIC to assist investigations into a medical visa syndicate. In October last year, the EAIC seized 156 social visa passes issued under the medical treatment category, which were believed to be linked to a syndicate involving immigration officers.
