Latest news with #TheStandard
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Alabama's Kalen DeBoer faces Nick Saban pressure in Year 2
So let's begin with that cold slap in the face, and the undeniable question that follows: has Alabama lost its mojo? "We fell short at making the playoffs," said Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. "It's as simple as that." But is it? Is it as cut and dry as Alabama, if it had one more regular season win in DeBoer's first season in Tuscaloosa, would've made the College Football Playoff and all would've been well in the land of The Standard is The Standard? Alabama had a loaded team in 2024, a roster full of four- and five-star recruits and a fourth-year quarterback (Jalen Milroe) who was one of the nation's most exciting players in 2023. A team that won the SEC championship, and advanced (again) to the CFP before losing in overtime on the last play of the game to the team that won it all. So it should come as no surprise that the first question DeBoer heard on the big stage at SEC Media Days, his followup performance to the unthinkable task of replacing Saban, was living up to the standard set by the greatest coach in college football history. With the backdrop of that rumor that the Nicktator was returning to college football. "We've got to be better in the big moments," DeBoer said. "Whether it was the belief or whether it was the confidence." UNWANTED TALK: Nick Saban rumor is last thing Alabama needs SATURDAY SHRINES: SEC college football stadiums rankings This was never going to be easy for DeBoer, or anyone who decided to jump into the meatgrinder that is Alabama football and replacing Saban. There's a always transition, a buy-in from players recruited by one staff and playing for another. But not like this. Not losing to Vanderbilt, the SEC's annual tomato can. Not losing by 21 to the worst Oklahoma team in nearly four decades -- with a spot in the CFP on the line. Not falling to five-loss, one-dimensional Michigan in a bowl game that could've salvaged the season. Ten wins would've looked a whole lot better than nine. Then came the final, inglorious kick to the groin: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt's dynamic quarterback, went on a national podcast last month and called out Alabama. "I have no doubt we have the guys to do it," Pavia said of beating Alabama again. To be fair, Pavia was responding to Tide star receiver Ryan Williams, who told Jon Gruden, "We don't call them revenge games. We're going to kill an ant with a sledgehammer." I ask you, who exactly is whistling through the graveyard here? EARLY FOCUS: LSU will have no excuses in opener at Clemson Pavia and his group of overlooked overachievers, or Williams and an Alabama team that had the talent to win it all last year and didn't? An Alabama team that maybe, just maybe, took its foot off the pedal when Saban finally retired. When the coach who demanded perfection and abhorred mediocrity - the foundation of The Standard, the secret sauce of Alabama's mojo - decided he'd had enough and strolled to a comfortable seat in, of all places, the media. Saban talked endlessly about the human condition, and how many opted for doing the easy thing instead of the hard thing. The commitment it took to not only win a national title, but do it again. And again. When the guy pushing and prodding and emotionally and mentally motivating finally walked away, it's only natural to think there would be a letdown. Like a Saban team losing by three touchdowns with the CFP on the line. Like a Saban team getting physically dominated by a five-loss Michigan team with the salve of a 10th win there for the taking. The Alabama season last year, as much as anything, revolves around a 30-minute joy ride against Georgia last September, and 30 more white-knuckle minutes of holding on to beat the Bulldogs in a game that showed what could be. The good, and the bad. What Alabama can be under DeBoer when everything is clicking, and what the Tide will be when the taskmaster is away -- and The Standard isn't met. "The first year is kind of frantic with a new coach, and everybody's unsure," said Alabama tackle Kayden Proctor. "I would say (DeBoer) is more comfortable." How could he not be? He has the most talented team in the SEC, and has his right hand man (offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb) back in the fold to settle an inexperienced and uneasy quarterback room. He has huge contract with a $60 million buyout, and more important, he has a track record of winning big. Why wouldn't it happen at Alabama, even with the shadow of Saban hanging over his every move? "All disrespect will be addressed," Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson said. That's not a DeBoer thing. That's a mojo thing. Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer faces big questions, expectations in post-Nick Saban era
ATLANTA — It's all just noise and nonsense, mental stimulation to avoid the reality of what's really playing out. While we get distracted by the chum rumors of Nick Saban returning to college football, let's not forget that the Vanderbilt quarterback called out the Alabama football team earlier this summer. So let's begin with that cold slap in the face, and the undeniable question that follows: has Alabama lost its mojo? 'We fell short at making the playoffs,' said Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer. 'It's as simple as that.' But is it? Is it as cut and dry as Alabama, if it had one more regular season win in DeBoer's first season in Tuscaloosa, would've made the College Football Playoff and all would've been well in the land of The Standard is The Standard? Alabama had a loaded team in 2024, a roster full of four- and five-star recruits and a fourth-year quarterback (Jalen Milroe) who was one of the nation's most exciting players in 2023. A team that won the SEC championship, and advanced (again) to the CFP before losing in overtime on the last play of the game to the team that won it all. So it should come as no surprise that the first question DeBoer heard on the big stage at SEC Media Days, his followup performance to the unthinkable task of replacing Saban, was living up to the standard set by the greatest coach in college football history. With the backdrop of that rumor that the Nicktator was returning to college football. 'We've got to be better in the big moments,' DeBoer said. 'Whether it was the belief or whether it was the confidence.' UNWANTED TALK: Nick Saban rumor is last thing Alabama needs SATURDAY SHRINES: SEC college football stadiums rankings This was never going to be easy for DeBoer, or anyone who decided to jump into the meatgrinder that is Alabama football and replacing Saban. There's a always transition, a buy-in from players recruited by one staff and playing for another. But not like this. Not losing to Vanderbilt, the SEC's annual tomato can. Not losing by 21 to the worst Oklahoma team in nearly four decades — with a spot in the CFP on the line. Not falling to five-loss, one-dimensional Michigan in a bowl game that could've salvaged the season. Ten wins would've looked a whole lot better than nine. Then came the final, inglorious kick to the groin: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt's dynamic quarterback, went on a national podcast last month and called out Alabama. 'I have no doubt we have the guys to do it,' Pavia said of beating Alabama again. To be fair, Pavia was responding to Tide star receiver Ryan Williams, who told Jon Gruden, 'We don't call them revenge games. We're going to kill an ant with a sledgehammer.' I ask you, who exactly is whistling through the graveyard here? EARLY FOCUS: LSU will have no excuses in opener at Clemson Pavia and his group of overlooked overachievers, or Williams and an Alabama team that had the talent to win it all last year and didn't? An Alabama team that maybe, just maybe, took its foot off the pedal when Saban finally retired. When the coach who demanded perfection and abhorred mediocrity – the foundation of The Standard, the secret sauce of Alabama's mojo – decided he'd had enough and strolled to a comfortable seat in, of all places, the media. Saban talked endlessly about the human condition, and how many opted for doing the easy thing instead of the hard thing. The commitment it took to not only win a national title, but do it again. And again. When the guy pushing and prodding and emotionally and mentally motivating finally walked away, it's only natural to think there would be a letdown. Like a Saban team losing by three touchdowns with the CFP on the line. Like a Saban team getting physically dominated by a five-loss Michigan team with the salve of a 10th win there for the taking. The Alabama season last year, as much as anything, revolves around a 30-minute joy ride against Georgia last September, and 30 more white-knuckle minutes of holding on to beat the Bulldogs in a game that showed what could be. The good, and the bad. What Alabama can be under DeBoer when everything is clicking, and what the Tide will be when the taskmaster is away — and The Standard isn't met. 'The first year is kind of frantic with a new coach, and everybody's unsure,' said Alabama tackle Kayden Proctor. 'I would say (DeBoer) is more comfortable.' How could he not be? He has the most talented team in the SEC, and has his right hand man (offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb) back in the fold to settle an inexperienced and uneasy quarterback room. He has huge contract with a $60 million buyout, and more important, he has a track record of winning big. Why wouldn't it happen at Alabama, even with the shadow of Saban hanging over his every move? 'All disrespect will be addressed,' Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson said. That's not a DeBoer thing. That's a mojo thing. Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Kenyan president makes u-turn on police violence stance as protests escalate
President Ruto, once a vocal critic of police brutality, now supports violent suppression of protests, raising fears of a return to autocratic rule in Kenya. A young woman reacts as young activists, friends and family members surround the coffin of Boniface Kariuki, a street hawker who died from gunshot wounds days after being shot by Kenyan police during nationwide protests against police violence and government policies, during his funeral in a village near Kangema on July 11, 2025. Picture: Luis Tato / AFP When Kenyan President William Ruto took office in 2022, he pledged to end police brutality. Three years on, he has instructed officers to shoot violent protesters 'in the leg'. Over the past year, the east African country has been grappling with waves of demonstrations, initially over economic stagnation and corruption but later broadening out to police violence, a long-standing issue in the country of 55 million. The protests have been met with increasingly fierce repression, rights groups say, leaving dozens dead. Kenyan authorities have justified their heavy-handed response by pointing to violence and looting during the demonstrations, while rights groups allege that some of this unrest is the work of paid thugs acting alongside officers to stir mayhem. A more belligerent tone In 2023, a year after disbanding a notorious police squad, Ruto said: 'I made a promise during my campaign trail that I would stop extrajudicial killings.' 'No mother, no Kenyan will die under circumstances that the government of Kenya cannot explain,' he added. Such comments seem a long way away now, as the president has struck a more belligerent tone, condemning the rallies and systematically backing police officers. More than 100 people have died since anti-government demonstrations broke out in June of last year, according to rights groups, with 38 dying in the latest rally on July 7. Ruto has alleged those behind the protests are attempting 'to overthrow the government' and that any attack on a police officer or station is a 'declaration of war'. Two days after the July 7 demonstration, he said violent protesters should be 'shot in the leg'. ALSO READ: Kenya's president warns against bid to 'overthrow' govt by protests 'Losing it' Ruto's comments have been met with shock and anger by parts of the population. 'The president is losing it,' wrote Kenyan newspaper The Standard in an editorial, with another frontpage that read: 'Kenya sliding into tyranny'. 'Whether he's instructing police to shoot in the leg or wherever… let us just take it for what it is,' said Otsieno Namwaya, a researcher with Human Rights Watch. 'It is a shoot-to-kill order,' he added. Karuti Kanyinga, a political researcher at the University of Nairobi, said the government's heavy-handed response to protests reminded him of the 1990s, when Kenya suffered years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi. Ruto himself has said he is a 'student' of the former leader, cutting his political teeth in the youth league of Moi's party. 'We are on a cliff and the possibility of going to a very violent period, like the post-election violence period of 2007, is very high,' said Kanyinga. 'I think he's preparing to move into a tougher, repressive phase in his regime,' he said of Ruto. Cases of abductions — a prominent feature of the Moi era — have risen sharply since the protests began, according to several rights groups, which estimate more than 80 abductions have occurred over the past year, with dozens still missing. Ruto initially said there had been no abductions. He later promised to end disappearances and ensured that all abducted individuals had been 'returned to their families'. ALSO READ: Kenyan cop faces possible murder charge for rally bystander's death But some of these families are still searching for their loved ones. 'Cannot be held hostage' The rhetoric from those around the president has also intensified. 'We have told the police that anyone who comes near a police station: shoot them,' interior minister Kipchumba Murkomen told a crowd on June 26. He later claimed the remarks, caught on camera, had been taken out of context. The government's defence committee chairman was also filmed calling for 'shoot-to-kill' during rallies. Also backing Ruto is Christopher Aseka, a lawmaker who over the weekend rejected suggestions that the president had endorsed such orders. 'He is simply saying, if you are caught burning a police station or destroying public infrastructure, you will be immobilised,' Aseka told a crowd. Parts of Nairobi's outskirts saw looting and vandalism during the June and July protests, with the interior ministry saying hundreds of officers were injured. 'This country cannot be held hostage by a few rogue individuals,' Aseka added. ALSO READ: Eight killed as deadly clashes erupt in Kenya on protest anniversary 'Dictatorship 101' Pro-democracy protests last week to mark Saba Saba day — the anniversary of the bloody 1990 uprising that demanded a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule — were met by a heavy police presence and violence. Rights groups reported at least 38 deaths among protesters, while the government says only 17 people died. 'Saba Saba was the deadliest single day since the beginning of the demos' a year ago, said Africa Hussein Khalid, head of rights group Vocal. Protests also erupted in June over the death of teacher Albert Ojwang, who died in custody, with people marching in Nairobi against police brutality. The United Nations has condemned the use of force by Kenyan authorities. Contacted by AFP, a government spokesperson pointed to Ruto's full remarks last week to 'understand the context', without answering further questions. But for many rights defenders, Saba Saba marked a new low. 'Ruto defended the police without saying a single word for the victims,' Khalid, from Vocal, said. 'The force is used to silence dissent,' he said. 'It is dictatorship 101.' NOW READ: Motorbike-riding 'goons' attack Kenya protesters
Bangkok Post
5 days ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Hyatt Launches Dining Rewards Campaign in Asia
Hyatt Asia Pacific has launched a new food and beverage campaign, 'Be More Foodie. Be More Fulfilled.', inviting guests in Singapore and Thailand to embark on a culinary journey while enjoying exclusive savings and rewards. Running from 21 July to 9 November 2025, the campaign spans 75 restaurants and bars across 16 Hyatt hotels and resorts, offering two distinct phases of benefits: Be More Savvy (21 July – 14 September 2025): All diners, including non-members, in-house guests, and the general public, can enjoy up to 25% savings at over 50 participating venues in Thailand and up to 20% discounts at 10 outlets in Singapore. Be More Rewarded (15 September – 9 November 2025): Registered World of Hyatt members will earn double points on eligible food and beverage spending, applicable to dine-in and takeaway orders. Pre-registration opens on 1 September 2025. Tammy Ng, Vice President of Marketing, Asia Pacific, Hyatt, said: 'With our 'Be More Foodie. Be More Fulfilled.' campaign, we invite diners to travel through their tastebuds while enjoying the added benefits of our loyalty programme. We're proud to offer memorable, diverse, and thoughtfully sourced culinary experiences.' Social Media Contest: Throughout the 16-week campaign, World of Hyatt members based in Singapore and Thailand who dine at Hyatt restaurants in their home countries and share their experiences on social media will stand a weekly chance to win 80,000 bonus points. Winners can redeem at least two nights at most Hyatt hotels worldwide — including Park Hyatt Sydney, Alila Villas Uluwatu, Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills, and Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme — or up to 16 nights at Category 1 properties such as Hyatt Centric City Centre Kuala Lumpur and Hyatt Place Bangkok Sukhumvit 24. Culinary Highlights in Singapore: Guests can savour elevated Italian fare at Le Pristine Singapore at Grand Hyatt Singapore, refined Cantonese dishes at 5 ON 25 at Andaz Singapore, or contemporary izakaya-style plates at Kaya at The Standard, Singapore. Dining Experiences in Thailand: Enjoy skyline views and modern Mexican cuisine at OJO at The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon; fresh seafood with Italian flair at Embassy Room La Marina at Park Hyatt Bangkok; French classics at Gaston at Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok; and vibrant Latin flavours at Casa Boho at Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort. Members can earn up to 5 Base Points per eligible US dollar spent (approximately SGD1.3 or THB33), which count toward free stays, room upgrades, and elite status qualification in the World of Hyatt programme.
Fashion Network
6 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Jeweller Stephen Webster adds spice to London's Burlington Arcade
High-end alternative jeweller Stephen Webster has opened a signature store in the London's equally high-end Burlington Arcade. After 17 years based in an upstairs studio and salon in nearby Mount Street, Webster, who founded his brand in 1989, told The Standard the move reflects 'everything this arcade stands for — craftsmanship, made in England — we've got all that… but I do think we bring a bit more of a rock'n'roll vibe.' Within the store, glass cases feature special collection designs which reflect Webster's quirky signature style. There are Hammerhead Shark bangles, some featuring rows of individually cut diamonds, priced £118,000. Another case houses a series of seven rings called The ReBelles, each a limited design inspired by 'exceptional women', including pioneering mathematician Katherine Johnson and LGBTQ+ rights trailblazer Marsha P Johnson. The ground floor space includes bestselling collections such as Crystal Haze where quartz caps are laid on stones to create an illuminated effect. The highlight is the Fly By Night bat-moth ring in electric blue, priced £5,750. Downstairs, there's the martini lounge — a maintained tribute the store's previous James Bond installation, but completely revamped by Webster. 'I got my liquor licence, passed the exam — it's a licensed premises now,' he notes. Along with mini martinis (priced £21), there's its 'fastest-growing category', men's jewellery, as well as knives with Damascus steel blades and bronze handles shaped to resemble beasts, including a boar, bull and ram (a set of six is priced £29,700). 'If you've got everything, you probably don't have a set like this,' he notes. Above them is a case of brighter, Pop Art-esque rings named after the 'eighth deadly sin... gossip,' which Webster made in collaboration with rapper Machine Gun Kelly. The pair struck up a relationship after Kelly commissioned Webster to make the now infamous 'Toi et Moi' ring with which he proposed to Megan Fox in 2022. 'That engagement ring became such a moment. It was talked about everywhere,' Webster recalls. 'It kicked off a bit of a revolution, even in America. We thought we'd get a lot more business from it … but people just copied it left and right... [but] imitation is the highest form of flattery.'
