Latest news with #Slayton
Los Angeles Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
A visit to Frank del Olmo Elementary on Career Day
Last February, I wrote about my visit to Frank del Olmo Elementary, located on the outskirts of Historic Filipinotown northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The occasion was the 20th anniversary of the death of its namesake, the legendary Times columnist and masthead editor whom this paper and city swore we would never forget when he tragically passed away of a heart attack at just 55 — and then we mostly did. That columna ended with an invitation from Frank del Olmo Elementary's assistant principal to return on their career day later that spring to speak to students about my predecessor and my own career. I gladly accepted. I love speaking before crowds, but especially to elementary school students, many who have the same story as me at their age: a child of working class immigrants with dreams as huge as Clifford the Big Red Dog. My talks to two classes last year must've gone well, because I returned to the school's career day last Wednesday. The office staff remembered me when I signed in, and school principal Rania Nahle greeted me in a rec room while other guest speakers arrived. Some grabbed breakfast burritos and cookies that the school brought in as a gracias for spending our morning with their young scholars. 'We celebrated Frank's birthday last week!' Nahle excitedly told me, mentioning how students learned about who he was, and some classes even did projects to honor him. She gave us guest speakers — accountants, police officers, nurses — some encouraging words, then off we went to our half-hour lectures. My first stop: the first-grade class of Ms. Slayton. I started my chat by asking if anyone knew who Frank del Olmo was, and I'm happy to report that not only did they nod their heads yes, they also got the big points about him right. A writer. A dad. A hero. Looking on from behind Ms. Slayton's desk were paper cutouts the students had made of Del Olmo, complete with his trademark thick-framed glasses, full mustache and proud smile. The class passed around my copy of an anthology of Del Olmo's best columns as I talked about who Frank was and how I try to follow in his footsteps by writing about more than just Latinos. Although covering the city's biggest ethnic group — one that almost every student before me belonged to — is especially important, of course, a writer is more than just the group they belong to, I told them. When I speak, I usually zip through my thoughts and leave the last 10 minutes or so to audience questions. That wasn't going to happen with this group. Their hands were raised from start to finish, and they were unsparing in their queries. What did I want to be when I was their age? (Something that involved a lot of reading.) How much did I make? (A trillion-billion dollars.) Am I scared when I do my job? (Who isn't?) Hey, Times bosses: We need to hire these first-graders for our politics team. The students at Ms. Blanc's fifth-grade class were initially more muted, befitting that awkward year when boys and girls are too busy taking the first psychological and physiological steps toward adulthood to fully express themselves before a stranger. But they paid attention to every word I said, and the question-and-answer session was smart, gravitating more to how I do my job (on call 24/7, like a firefighter) and what do I hope to do with it (comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable). Really, the biggest difference between the two classes was what animated them the most: the first-graders were especially excited when I mentioned I wanted to write about the new 'Lilo and & Stitch' movie, while the fifth-graders were ecstatic that I have written about Dodger superstar Shohei Ohtani. I would have loved to speak to more classes, but I had my own columnas to chase. Like I told Principal Nahle and the staffer who escorted me back to the school's entrance though, I'm available to speak to Frank del Olmo Elementary for career day every year they'll have me. I'm sure Frank would proud of us all. Barbara says, 'Mill Valley.'Tami says, 'San Diego.' Email us at essentialcalifornia@ and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. Today's great photo is from Times photographer Carlin Stiehl at the Port of Los Angeles during a Fleet Week event that featured tours of active-duty military ships as well as aircraft flyovers and military displays and demonstrations of equipment. Gustavo Arellano, metro columnistKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorAndrew Campa, Sunday writerKarim Doumar, head of newsletters How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on
USA Today
24-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
New York Giants' Darius Slayton named NFL's most underrated wide receiver
New York Giants' Darius Slayton named NFL's most underrated wide receiver Entering the 2025 offseason, the New York Giants were expected to part ways with free agent wide receiver Darius Slayton after six seasons. The 2019 fifth-round pick was looking at a rich receiver market, while the team appeared poised to move on. "Definitely, winning and being in an advantageous situation are probably two things that are really important for me right now," Slayton told the New York Daily News before free agency. "Obviously, five out of my six years with the Giants we weren't competitive. We didn't make the playoffs. We weren't really close to making the playoffs. "I have learned over my career that I do want to go off and I do want to get paid. But it weighs on me so heavy just losing. Every. Single. Week. I can't take [it]. Like, there's no money that's gonna make me just go home and be like -- I'm obviously gonna be a little more happy in my Hellcat than in a Camry -- but like my spirit, the core of me cannot take that." Then came a surprise. On the first day of the legal tampering period, the Giants re-signed Slayton to a three-year deal worth $36 million. They obviously sold him on their vision and the two turned away from divorce and instead chose to renew their vows. That may turn out to benefit the Giants, who will look to throw downfield more in 2025. And that's good news as the always-consistent Slayton was recently named the NFL's most underrated wide receiver by Aaron Schatz of NFL Media. Slayton wasn't supposed to be anything special as a fifth-round pick in 2019, but he started nine games and caught eight touchdown passes in his rookie season. Sure, he hasn't come anywhere close to that end zone production since then. But the Giants played Slayton alongside Malik Nabers last season, and you need at least two starting wide receivers to survive in the modern NFL. Slayton caught 39 passes for 573 yards, which was convincing enough for the Giants to bring him back on a three-year, $36 million contract. Advanced metrics support the move since Slayton has had a positive receiving DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) for three straight seasons. And it's not like he has done that while working with any of the NFL's best quarterbacks. With Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and/or Jaxson Dart under center in 2025, Slayton should continue to work as a deep threat opposite Nabers. He'll probably put up another quietly productive and surprisingly efficient season. Slayton is a selfless team-first player who produces at a consistent clip despite the inconsistencies around him. With a more stable and talented quarterback situation in 2025, he could even be headed for a breakout season.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Darius Slayton stats, game log, news, injury status
Darius Slayton stats, game log, news, injury status The New York Giants' Darius Slayton will be ready to go when his team begins the 2025 season against the Washington Commanders, on Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. ET. Slayton caught 39 passes on 71 targets for 573 yards and two touchdowns last season, averaging 35.8 yards per game. Get Giants tickets on StubHub! Darius Slayton injury news Slayton is not on the injury list this week. No other receiver is listed on the injury report for the Giants. Darius Slayton stats (2024) Targets: 71 71 Receptions: 39 39 Receiving yards: 573 573 Receiving YAC: 124 124 Receiving TDs: 2 Slayton game log (2024) Week 1 vs. Vikings: 4 TAR, 3 REC, 26 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 4 TAR, 3 REC, 26 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 2 at Commanders: 4 TAR, 3 REC, 33 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 4 TAR, 3 REC, 33 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 3 at Browns: 2 TAR, 1 REC, 7 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 2 TAR, 1 REC, 7 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 4 vs. Cowboys: 5 TAR, 3 REC, 56 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 5 TAR, 3 REC, 56 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 5 at Seahawks: 11 TAR, 8 REC, 122 REC YDS, 1 REC TD 11 TAR, 8 REC, 122 REC YDS, 1 REC TD Week 6 vs. Bengals: 11 TAR, 6 REC, 57 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 11 TAR, 6 REC, 57 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 7 vs. Eagles: 3 TAR, 1 REC, 11 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 3 TAR, 1 REC, 11 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 8 at Steelers: 7 TAR, 4 REC, 108 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 7 TAR, 4 REC, 108 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 9 vs. Commanders: 3 TAR, 3 REC, 49 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 3 TAR, 3 REC, 49 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 12 vs. Buccaneers: 2 TAR, 0 REC, 0 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 2 TAR, 0 REC, 0 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 13 at Cowboys: 6 TAR, 2 REC, 8 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 6 TAR, 2 REC, 8 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 14 vs. Saints: 6 TAR, 2 REC, 27 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 6 TAR, 2 REC, 27 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 15 vs. Ravens: 1 TAR, 1 REC, 16 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 1 TAR, 1 REC, 16 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 16 at Falcons: 2 TAR, 1 REC, 21 REC YDS, 0 REC TD 2 TAR, 1 REC, 21 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Week 17 vs. Colts: 3 TAR, 1 REC, 32 REC YDS, 1 REC TD 3 TAR, 1 REC, 32 REC YDS, 1 REC TD Week 18 at Eagles: 1 TAR, 0 REC, 0 REC YDS, 0 REC TD Darius Slayton fantasy insights (2024) Ranked 215th overall in the league and 72nd at his position, Slayton accumulated 71.0 fantasy points (4.4 per game) in 2024. In his best game of the season, Slayton finished with 18.2 fantasy points -- eight receptions, 122 yards and one touchdown. That was in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks. In his second-best fantasy performance last season, Slayton finished with 10.8 fantasy points -- four receptions, 108 yards (in Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers). Next game: Darius Slayton vs. the Washington Commanders Slayton's New York Giants (0-0) face the Commanders (0-0) in their next game. How to watch Darius Slayton and the Giants Matchup: New York Giants at Washington Commanders New York Giants at Washington Commanders Time: 1 p.m. ET 1 p.m. ET Date: September 7, 2025 September 7, 2025 TV: FOX FOX Live stream: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply) Watch Giants vs. Commanders on Fubo!
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shapiro touts PA SITES grant for Bedford
BEDFORD – Gov. Josh Shapiro stood in a windswept field of dirt, brush and grass Tuesday and envisioned how the location in Bedford Township is expected to someday soon be home to a new shovel-ready industrial park. He came to the spot, located along Country Ridge Road, to announce the first round of funding for the new Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites program. The state is allocating $64 million in grants for 11 combined projects, including $2.8 million for Bedford County Development Association to transform 151 acres of unused land into Bedford County Business Park III. The plan is to grade parcels, extend water and sewage lines, and build roads to make the property ready for use by businesses. There will be nine lots ranging from one acre to 20.9 acres. 'Here in Bedford County we are literally turning dirt into jobs,' said Shapiro, a Democrat. 'This is real freedom. 'This is real opportunity. And it is really happening in Bedford County thanks to the great leaders up here and the commitment from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.' Shapiro continued: 'We see this dirt, and we see opportunity. A business might see this dirt and kinda worry that there's too much risk for them. We want to de-risk that and give them a chance to succeed.' BCDA President and CEO Bette Slayton said opportunities have been missed because the county's other industrial parks are almost entirely sold out. 'Now, now, thanks to this investment, we're back in the game,' Slayton said. No businesses have been lined up yet, but 'I'm sure that once we're able to announce that it's coming, we will have a lot of interest,' according to Slayton. A timeline for the project is not set, but the next steps will be to do engineering work and bid out the construction contracts. Once completed, the park is expected to be home to multiple businesses that will employ people from Bedford and neighboring counties, while increasing the tax base. Slayton described getting the grant to develop the project as 'a game-changer for Bedford County.' 'It gives us the ability to develop and to proactively market new shovel-ready sites and that's something that's absolutely critical in recruiting and attracting new employers,' Slayton said. 'You need to have the sites.' Bedford County Commissioner Chairman Mike Stiles, a Republican, said moving the PA SITES-funded initiative forward is a 'shot in the arm for BCDA and Bedford County.' Projects in Berks, Bucks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Fayette, Franklin, Luzerne, Philadelphia, Washington and Westmoreland counties are also being funded in the first round from among 66 applications that were submitted. 'Importantly – and this is different from how it's been done in the past – we focus our investment in every corner of this commonwealth – rural, urban and suburban,' Shapiro said. 'I see promise in fields like this, just as I see promise in our high rises in downtown Philadelphia and in our suburban office parks that dot our communities across Pennsylvania. 'We've got to stop picking and choosing between one or the other and start investing in all of them. And that's exactly what we're doing with our plan.' Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger spoke about the importance of such sites by saying 'literally strategy one in our economic development strategy is that we've got to have the product to compete.' 'We've got to have pad-ready industrial sites,' Siger said. 'Without that inventory across Pennsylvania, businesses just don't have options to locate here, and they'll go somewhere else. And that's just not an acceptable outcome for me and it's not an acceptable outcome for the governor, and it's not acceptable for our people. We've got to be able to compete for expansions of existing businesses and new businesses coming to Pennsylvania.' DCED plans to accept applications and award grants on a rolling basis. PA SITES was funded with $400 million in the 2024-25 state budget. Dave Sutor is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5056. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Sutor.
NBC Sports
06-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Players debate Shedeur Sanders's habit of patting the ball
Typically, pre-draft debates start with anonymous sources and end with talking heads shouting each other down. On Saturday, a back-and-forth originated not from those paid to talk about football but those paid to play it. The topic? The impact of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders's habit of patting the ball before the throws it. It was on display during his Pro Day workout on Friday. Jets safety Andre Cisco tweeted that Shedeur 'better stop patting that ball, we breakin onnat earlyyyy.' Giants receiver Darius Slayton disagreed with Cisco's message. Said Slayton on Twitter: 'I promise he can pat the ball and be just fine if DB's was so good at breaking on ball pats they'd all have 8+ picks a year. Same guys that fall for a 2 man dagger concept and give up the dig on 3rd&long every season all season long talkin bout a ball pat what a joke.' Cisco brushed off the response by suggesting that Slayton was sucking up in advance to the guy who could be his quarterback in 2025. Then, possibly to the dismay of current or former teammates, Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons got involved. First, he retweeted Cisco's reply to Slayton. Then, Parsons said this while reposting Slayton's tweet: 'You realize [a pat] on the ball can be difference between a sack or a throw away/completion?' Slayton had a rebuttal. 'Tom Brady literally the king of getting the ball out fast patted the ball when he threw. So actually no patting the ball is not the difference,' Slayton said. Then came Parsons, with a subtle shifting of the the goalposts on the subject from whether patting the ball is a problem: 'Comparing the greatest quarterback ever to sanders is why I'll never entertain a football conversation with you!! Like what are we doing here??' Slayton had the last word, posting a video of various quarterbacks (Brady and others) patting the ball. Parsons has yet to respond. So is patting the ball an issue for Shedeur? I'll defer to our in-house quarterback; Chris Simms and I will discuss the issue on Monday's PFT Live. Tune in at 7:00 a.m. ET on Peacock, SiriusXM 85, or the free and easy to use NBC Sports NOW. And we won't be shouting each other down. Unless we legitimately disagree on something. The last thing you'll see on our show is a contrived effort to have one person take one side and the other make the counter argument.
