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SPX Monitoring Purposes; Long SPX 10/27/23 at 4117.37.
Gain Since 12/20/22: Over 26%.
Monitoring Purposes GOLD: Long GDX on 10/9/20 at 40.78.

There is a very good likelihood of a multi-year signal triggering for GDX in the coming months.

The above chart is on the monthly time frame. The bottom window is the GDX Cumulative Up Down Volume percent, and the next higher window is the GDX Cumulative Advance/Decline percent. These signals generate after a bottom is in, but, once they are triggered, the signal can last many months or years. Bullish signals are generated when both indicators close above mid-Bollinger bands (noted with blue lines) and bearish signals when both indicators close below mid-Bollinger bands (noted with red lines).

Both monthly indicators reached near the 2016 low (noted with pink shaded areas), noting an oversold market. The last sell signal came in early 2021 (nearly 3 years ago), and is now nearing a bullish crossover of the mid-Bollinger band, which may take another month of two. We do have evidence that a worthwhile low has formed already and a bullish mid-Bollinger band crossing of both indicators above will signal that a multi-month, if not a multi year, rally is coming.

Tim Ord,

Editor

www.ord-oracle.com. Book release “The Secret Science of Price and Volume” by Timothy Ord, buy at www.Amazon.com.

Signals are provided as general information only and are not investment recommendations. You are responsible for your own investment decisions. Past performance does not guarantee future performance. Opinions are based on historical research and data believed reliable; there is no guarantee results will be profitable. Not responsible for errors or omissions. I may invest in the vehicles mentioned above.

As Pete has said several times on the Halftime show before, the Fed will likely cut rates when the unemployment rate ticks higher. Year-to-date the unemployment rate is up 14% from its lows in January and even Christopher Waller, an economist and member of the Fed Board of Governors, mentioned the possibility of rates being cut. He’s known to be hawkish!

On this week’s edition of StockCharts TV‘s Halftime, Pete reviews the iShares 20-year Treasury ETF, the S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 indexes. He then dives into the US Dollar and Crude oil, before reviewing the top sector and sub-sector ETFs on the Chaikin system. Pete sounds the alarm on two stocks that are under-performing in a hot market – Tempur-Pedic and Charter Communications.

This video originally premiered on November 29, 2023. You can watch on our dedicated Halftime by Chaikin Analytics page on StockCharts TV, or click this link to watch on YouTube.

You can view all previously recorded episodes of Halftime by Chaikin Analytics with Pete Carmasino at this link.

Note to the reader: Over the next couple of weeks and months, I will be republishing the contents of my book, “Investing with the Trend,” in article form here on my blog. I’m calling this series “The Hoax of Modern Finance” for reasons you will learn below. Hopefully, you will find this content useful. As always, let me know what you think in the comments area below the article. – Greg Morris, Nov. 2023

CHAPTER 1: Introduction

I have learned a few things over the years and probably retained even fewer. For example, I know that when dealing with the unknown, such as it is with the analysis of the stock market, you absolutely cannot speak in absolutes. I also know that random guessing about what to do in the market is a quick path to failure. One needs a process for investing. Any process is better than no process or, even worse, a random or constantly changing process. Hopefully, with this book, you will find the path to a successful process.

The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding. — Leonardo da Vinci

How can you even begin to analyze the market if you are not using the correct tools to determine its present state? If you do not fully grasp the present state of the market, your analysis, whether real or anticipated, will be off by an amount equivalent to at least the error of your current analysis. And your error will be compounded based on the timeframe of that analysis. This highlights why most forecasts are a waste of time.

Believable Misinformation

One should remember things are quite often not what they seem. It is absolutely amazing to me how many things people believe that are not true (speaking with the voice of experience here). Below are some things that many of us learned in our formative years from our teachers and parents, most of which we just accepted as fact because we heard it from people we believed.

Myth: Water runs out of a bathtub faster as it gets toward the end.

Fact: Assuming the tub’s sides are cylindrical, the pressure is constant; it only appears to drain faster because you can observe it starting to swirl toward the end, something you could not observe when the tub was full. The swirling action deceives one into thinking it is draining faster.

Myth: George Washington cut down a cherry tree.

Fact: George Washington did not cut down a cherry tree. That was a story told so that adults could teach their children that it was bad to tell lies—not even our founding fathers told lies. Parson Mason Locke Weems, the author who wrote about it shortly after Washington’s death, was trying to humanize Washington.

Myth: Washington threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River.

Fact: The Potomac River is almost a mile wide at Mount Vernon, and silver dollars did not exist at that time.

Myth: The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought at Bunker Hill.

Fact: It was fought at Breed’s Hill in Charleston, Massachusetts.

Myth: Dogs sweat through their tongues.

Fact: Guess what? Dogs don’t sweat. Their tongues have large salivary glands that keep them wet.

Okay, the following two examples of believable misinformation are only for the hardy who have found this section interesting. The rest should skip them. They are only for nerds like me.

Myth: December 21 in the northern hemisphere is the shortest day of the year.

Fact: Most people probably believe this. However, it is actually the longest astronomical day based on Kepler’s Second Law of Planetary Motion (planets, in their elliptical orbits, sweep out equal areas in equal time). When the Earth is closest to the sun, the northern hemisphere is tilted away, and a much greater arc is swept in a day’s travel than when the Earth is the furthest distance from the sun. If the question were posed as “What is the day with the shortest period of daylight?” then it would be correct.

See Figure 1.1 for an illustration of Kepler’s Second Law of Planetary Motion.

An additional observation on the tilt of the Earth is that summers in the southern hemisphere are generally warmer than the summers in the northern hemisphere. This can be influenced by the fact that there is significantly more ocean in the southern hemisphere, but also, the southern hemisphere is tilted more towards the sun when the sun is closest to the Earth.

Figure 1.1 Kepler’s Second Law of Planetary Motion

Myth: Bath water drains counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere.

Fact: Another example of how people have believed things that are simply not true is that, in the northern hemisphere, many will say that water, when draining from a tub, will swirl counterclockwise. Although it very well may do so, it is not for the reason they think it will. This is an example of a little bit of scientific knowledge totally misapplied. The Coriolis Effect (see Figure 1.2) is caused by the earth’s rotation and generally applies to large, almost frictionless bodies, such as weather systems. This is why, in the northern hemisphere, hurricanes rotate counterclockwise, and in the southern hemisphere, they rotate clockwise. The rotational effect is measured in arc seconds (a unit of angular measure equal to 1/60 of an arc minute or 1/3600 of a degree), which is an extremely small measurement of angular rotation. Applying this principle to the rotation of water draining from a tub is totally incorrect. High-pressure and low-pressure weather patterns are also reversed—I would love to see a weather reporter from Dallas move to Santiago and adapt to that.

Hopefully, you are getting my point. In the past few years, the Internet has been the source and exploitation of much hype and false information. How many times have you received an e-mail from a friend (who probably did not originate it) and believed it to be true but did not bother to check it out and forwarded it anyhow? You should start verifying them because many of them are hoaxes. Believable misinformation flourishes.

Figure 1.2 Coriolis Effect

If you enjoy this type of information, I would recommend a book by Samuel Arbesman, The Half-Life of Facts: Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration Date. Arbesman is an expert in scientometrics, which looks at how facts are made and remade in the modern world. People often cling to selected “facts” as a way to justify their beliefs about how things work. Arbesman notes, “We persist in only adding facts to our personal store of knowledge that jibe with what we already know, rather than assimilate new facts irrespective of how they fit into our views.” (B4). This is known as confirmation bias, which is dealt with in Chapter 6.

A general theme throughout this book is one of separating fact from fiction. Fiction, in this case, is often a well-accepted theory on finance, economics, or the market in general. If you were caught believing some of the things mentioned in the previous paragraphs, then how much from the world of investing do you believe? Just maybe you have accepted as fact some things that simply are not true. I certainly know that I did.

In this chapter, a lot of basic information is provided to assist you in understanding the remainder of this book. There are definitions, mathematical formulae, explanations of anomalies, historical events that affect the data, differing methods of calculation, and a host of other important information normally found in an appendix. It is of such importance to understand this material that it belongs prior to the discussion and not in the appendix, as is usually the custom.

Thanks for reading this far. I intend to publish one article in this series every week. Can’t wait? The book is for sale here. Next up: A helpful list of indicators and terminology that you need to know, followed by a frank discussion about financial data sources and their accuracy.

In their first year of eligibility, Antonio Gates and Julius Peppers head this year’s list of 25 modern-era semifinalists for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Gates – a longtime Chargers tight end – and Peppers – who starred as a defensive end for the Panthers, Bears and Packers – make their initial appearances on the ballot, which also includes 18 players who were semifinalists a year ago.

The players who made the initial cut from a group of 173 original nominees were revealed Tuesday.

The 25 semifinalists will be reduced to 15 finalists before final voting for the Class of 2024 takes place early next year.

Who are the semifinalists for the Class of 2024?

Here are the 25 modern-era players who have been named semifinalists for the Hall of Fame’s upcoming class. The list includes two first-time eligible nominees and one other first-time semifinalist, former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Eric Allen, CB – 1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland RaidersJared Allen, DE – 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina PanthersWillie Anderson, T – 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore RavensTiki Barber, RB – 1997-2006 New York GiantsAnquan Boldin, WR – 2003-09 Arizona Cardinals, 2010-12 Baltimore Ravens, 2013-15 San Francisco 49ers, 2016 Detroit LionsJahri Evans, G – 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay PackersLondon Fletcher, LB – 1998-2001 St. Louis Rams, 2002-06 Buffalo Bills, 2007-2013 Washington RedskinsDwight Freeney, DE – 2002-2012 Indianapolis Colts, 2013-14 San Diego Chargers, 2015 Arizona Cardinals, 2016 Atlanta Falcons, 2017 Seattle Seahawks, 2017 Detroit LionsAntonio Gates, TE – 2003-2018 San Diego/Los Angeles ChargersEddie George, RB – 1996-2003 Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans, 2004 Dallas CowboysJames Harrison, LB – 2002-2012, 2014-17 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2013 Cincinnati Bengals, 2017 New England PatriotsRodney Harrison, S – 1994-2002 San Diego Chargers, 2003-08 New England PatriotsDevin Hester, PR/KR/WR – 2006-2013 Chicago Bears, 2014-15 Atlanta Falcons, 2016 Baltimore RavensTorry Holt, WR – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville JaguarsAndre Johnson, WR – 2003-2014 Houston Texans, 2015 Indianapolis Colts, 2016 Tennessee TitansRobert Mathis, DE/LB – 2003-2016 Indianapolis ColtsJulius Peppers, DE – 2002-09, 2017-18 Carolina Panthers, 2010-13 Chicago Bears, 2014-15 Green Bay PackersSteve Smith Sr., WR – 2001-2013 Carolina Panthers, 2014-16 Baltimore RavensFred Taylor, RB – 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England PatriotsHines Ward, WR – 1998-2011 Pittsburgh SteelersRicky Watters, RB – 1992-94 San Francisco 49ers, 1995-97 Philadelphia Eagles, 1998-2001 Seattle SeahawksReggie Wayne, WR – 2001-2014 Indianapolis ColtsVince Wilfork, DT – 2004-2014 New England Patriots, 2015-16 Houston TexansPatrick Willis, LB – 2007-2014 San Francisco 49ersDarren Woodson, S – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys

Who else is up for Hall of Fame consideration in 2024?

The Hall of Fame selection committee will also consider one finalist nominated by the Hall’s Coach/Contributor Committee – Buddy Parker – and three from the Seniors Committee – Randy Gradishar, Steve McMichael and Art Powell.

What are the next steps in the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting process?

The list of 25 modern-era semifinalists still needs to be cut to 15 finalists before the names can be presented to the Hall of Fame’s 50-person selection committee for final voting.

In advance of Super Bowl 58, the committee will meet in Las Vegas to trim the list of finalists from 15 to 10, and then from 10 to five.

The remaining five finalists – along with the four additional nominees from the other committees – will then be voted on individually. Individuals who receive at least 80% of the vote will become part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2024, with induction ceremonies set for next August in Canton, Ohio.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023

This past year, nine people were elected to the Hall of Fame – five modern-era players, one coach and three Seniors Committee selections.

Offensive tackle Joe ThomasLinebacker Zach ThomasLinebacker DeMarcus WareCornerback Darrelle RevisCornerback Rondé BarberCoach Don Coryell (coach/contributor)Linebacker Chuck Howley (senior)Defensive lineman Joe Klecko (senior)Cornerback Ken Riley (senior)

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The Philadelphia Eagles (10-1) can be the first NFL team to clinch a playoff berth for the 2023 season.

However, it will be quite a challenge to do so this week, given the Eagles face the San Francisco 49ers (8-3) in Sunday’s highly anticipated NFC championship game rematch.

The Eagles are riding a five-game winning streak, which has included an impressive stretch of wins the previous three weeks over the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.

The 49ers have won three in a row after entering their Week 9 bye on a three-game losing streak.

According to BetMGM NFL odds, the 49ers are favorites (-3) in the game, which will be held at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX).

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Eagles clinch playoff berth with:

Win and Rams loss or tieWin and Lions loss and Packers loss or tieTie and Rams loss and Packers loss or tie and Falcons loss or tieTie and Rams loss and Packers loss or tie and Saints loss or tie

The NFL playoffs open with the wild-card round starting on Saturday, Jan. 13. Super Bowl 58 will be held on Sunday, Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

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NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: If the season ended today, which teams would be in?

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NFL power rankings entering Week 13 of the 2023 season (previous rank in parentheses):

1. Eagles (1): Go ahead and slot them for Super Bowl 58. Now 10-1 for the sixth time in franchise history – and the fourth team ever to start that well in consecutive seasons – Philly’s previous iterations produced two titles (1949 NFL championship, Super Bowl 52 win) and three losses on Super Sunday. Beating San Francisco in Sunday’s NFC championship game rematch won’t clinch a second straight No. 1 seed for Philadelphia … but pretty darn close.

2. 49ers (3): They’ve won 10 in a row against NFC West foes during the regular season, pretty much putting the division on lockdown. If they can run their regular-season heater against NFC East teams to five this Sunday, then the race for the bye and home-field advantage in the conference gets a lot more interesting.

3. Chiefs (2): Momentous Sunday, Andy Reid overtaking Hank Stram as the franchise’s all-time leader with 125 regular-season wins. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce became the fastest tight end in league history (154 games) to hit 11,000 career receiving yards. And Kansas City actually scored in the second half. Of the reigning AFC champs’ six remaining opponents, only Buffalo is as good as .500.

4. Ravens (4): Sunday night’s win against the Chargers is Baltimore’s only game in a 23-day window as the AFC North leaders hit their off week. Better rest up, fellas. You’re likely to fall out of the AFC’s top spot during your break – and then it’s onward and into a rough five-week sprint to the tape.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

5. Cowboys (5): Look who’s overtaken Miami as the league’s top scoring team at 31.5 points per game. Dallas has won a league-best 13 in a row at home and by an average of 29 points in this season’s five games at AT&T Stadium. But if ‘America’s Team’ wants to play more than three more in North Texas, lot of work to do – starting with their next two guests, Seattle and Philadelphia.

6. Dolphins (7): WR Tyreek Hill’s 1,324 receiving yards are the most through 11 games since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, putting him on pace for a single-season record 2,046. And Miami’s top-ranked passing offense might have to gear up in order to offset the loss of LB Jaelan Phillips to a torn Achilles.

7. Lions (6): They’ve surrendered nearly 100 points and more than 1,100 yards in the three games since their Week 9 bye. Hopefully Detroit’s D found the necessary adjustments in the post-Thanksgiving mini-bye as the team prepares to hit the road four of the next five weeks.

8. Jaguars (9): Renewed signs Calvin Ridley might be a No. 1 receiver (12 catches for 192 yards and 3 TDs over last two weeks) for a Jacksonville squad that’s now decidedly No. 1 in the AFC South. But the next three weeks will show how good the Jags would be in the AFC North with a trio of dates against that rugged division.

9. Texans (8): They were literally a few bad bounces from moving into first place. But they are No. 1 in one curious way, the NFL flexing their key Week 13 date with Denver to 1 p.m. ET – meaning all 17 of Houston’s regular-season games are scheduled to occur in that time slot … though we’d love to see QB C.J. Stroud flexed into prime time once during his stellar rookie campaign.

10. Steelers (12): Sunday’s offensive – can we call it a breakthrough? – included QB Kenny Pickett, who hadn’t cracked 240 passing yards all season, putting up 278. Lesson learned? Never play Canadian-style football in Blitzburgh.

11. Bills (11): Before Bills Mafia gets apoplectic, let’s remember Buffalo has lost at least six games in five of HC Sean McDermott’s seven seasons. And despite Sunday’s close shave at Philly, the offense is pretty much humming now – QB Josh Allen tying Hall of Famer Steve Young for the most career games (8) with at least 300 yards passing and 50 yards rushing.

12. Rams (13): Don’t sleep on them. Despite a challenging schedule, they’ve been in every game this season save two, the ones where QB Matthew Stafford was hurt. He looked fully healthy Sunday, as did rejuvenated RB Kyren Williams. If LA, which is 4-1 in NFC West games, can get WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua cranking again, this team could easily crack the playoff field.

13. Broncos (15): With two rushing TDs in Sunday’s win over Cleveland, Denver tripled its season total. Now, the AFC’s hottest team (5 straight wins) embarks on a three-game road trip to Houston, at the Chargers and Detroit – which could well be its defining stretch of the regular season.

14. Browns (10): They could be without several key players Sunday against the Rams and may have to start recently signed QB Joe Flacco. Remember, this team had QB Josh Dobbs on the roster in August.

15. Colts (16): Neither QB Anthony Richardson nor LB Shaquille Leonard are on the 53-man roster, but both were in Lucas Oil Stadium for Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay. They watched Indianapolis climb into the projected playoff field, motivation for the rehabbing rookie and classy former All-Pro as Leonard looks to continue his career elsewhere – maybe in Dallas or Philadelphia.

16. Packers (25): How’s Jordan Love doing? Through his first 11 games since taking over as QB1, he’s gone 5-6 with 2,599 passing yards while being responsible for 21 TDs (pass/rush). Compare that to Aaron Rodgers’ first 11 starts in 2008 after replacing Brett Favre … and the numbers are exactly the same. Wild. (Rodgers’ 12th game was a loss to Carolina … but the Panthers were better then).

17. Seahawks (14): Despite what we’ve seen all month, here’s a guarantee they’re going to look awesome Thursday night at Dallas … because, throwbacks. Beyond that? No promises given the way this defense, in particular, is struggling.

18. Vikings (18): And you thought Dobbs couldn’t replace Kirk Cousins. The ‘Passtronaut’ made his ‘Monday Night Football’ debut … and threw four INTs in a 12-10 loss to Chicago. Dobbs is now 0-4 in prime time. But it will be fine – Minnesota’s next three games are Sunday afternoon kickoffs.

19. Titans (23): They’re unbeatable at home. Literally. Tennessee is now 4-0 this season at Nissan Stadium, though did lose a designated home game in London – meaning the Titans are 0-7 outside of Nashville in 2023.

20. Falcons (24): You can’t count on much from this team week to week. But you know LT Jake Matthews will be in the lineup after he broke former QB Matt Ryan’s team mark with his 155th consecutive start. Also, Younghoe Koo overtook Justin Tucker on Sunday as the most accurate field-goal kicker (90%) in NFL history. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you build a first-place outfit.

21. Chargers (17): Sunday night, OLB Khalil Mack joined late Hall of Famer Kevin Greene as the only players to record at least a dozen sacks in a season for three different teams.

22. Raiders (19): Would you have guessed RB Josh Jacobs is once again leading the league in touches with 255 through Sunday? He’s averaging more than 1 yard fewer per compared to 2022 but has now eclipsed 1,000 yards from scrimmage – joining Marcus Allen as the only Raiders to do it in their first five NFL seasons.

23. Buccaneers (21): How can you not love Pro Bowl WR Mike Evans … especially if you’re those two Tampa Bay fans who ventured into Lucas Oil Stadium and came out with souvenir TD footballs?

24. Saints (22): Just about time to ride or die, especially with their next three in the Superdome – though, oddly, New Orleans hasn’t finished with a winning record at home since 2020.

25. Bears (28): Don’t look now, y’all, but they’re 4-4 over their past eight games and could be a legitimate playoff spoiler on the other side of their Week 13 bye. They didn’t even need a touchdown to beat Minnesota on Monday night. (And congratulations to second-year HC Matt Eberflus, who finally notched his first NFC North victory.)

26. Bengals (26): They’ve lost 14 straight prime-time contests on the road – not including Super Bowl 56 and last season’s AFC title game. Next up? They’ll be under the lights at Jacksonville on Monday night.

27. Jets (27): We’re really not going to give QB4 Trevor Siemian his shot? Seriously?

28. Giants (30): Seems like barely five minutes ago when they would barely let Tommy DeVito throw. All of a sudden, he’s the first undrafted rookie in the common-draft era (since 1967) to have a passer rating of at least 100.0 in consecutive starts. Certainly didn’t hurt that fellow frosh WR Jalin Hyatt got his most targets (6) of the season.

29. Cardinals (20): Didn’t expect the Kyler Murray booster to wear off after only three weeks. May not be long before the Caleb Williams debate moves back to the front burner.

30. Commanders (31): That’s a league-high 55 sacks taken by QB Sam Howell – meaning he’s on pace for 78 over the course of a full season, which would be a single-season record. Seems like that’s probably ousted DC Jack Del Rio’s fault.

31. Patriots (29): The last time they drafted in the top five was 1994, that choice bringing USC LB Willie McGinest. Could they possibly be picking another Trojan up top next spring?

32. Panthers (32): Under new management, revamped Carolina starts a three-week round robin through the NFC South. Be interesting to see if QB Bryce Young can reset and stir a little playoff havoc among clubs in the divisional hunt.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Chicago Blackhawks are seeking to terminate the contract of veteran forward Corey Perry for violating club policies.

The move comes after Perry ‘stepped away’ from the team last week ‘to attend to personal matters,’ according to his agent.

However, the Blackhawks said in a statement on Tuesday that Perry would not be returning to the roster after determining he ‘engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments. As such, Corey Perry has been placed on unconditional waivers. In the event Mr. Perry clears waivers, we intend to terminate his contract effective immediately.’

The team has not given any indication as to what Perry did to warrant being sent home last week without explanation. 

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson addressed the media on Tuesday about the situation, but did not provide further information as to what led to the suspension.

‘As this is an individual personnel matter, I will not be able to disclose any details related to the initial reporting, investigation or the findings,’ Davidson said. ‘However, I do want to be very clear on this one point: This does not involve any players or their families, and anything that suggests otherwise, or anyone that suggests otherwise, is wildly inaccurate, and frankly, it’s disgusting.

‘This has been a tough situation and I understand you wanted answers. It was important that we took all the necessary steps before sharing more. I hope you can understand that I may not be able to answer everything today, but I am going to be as open and honest as I can be given the situation and out of respect for those involved.’

Perry, 38, was acquired by the Blackhawks in June from the Tampa Bay Lightning to give the team, featuring No. 1 overall draft pick Connor Bedard, some veteran leadership. He is currently tied for fourth on the team in scoring this season with four goals and five assists.

The 18-year veteran won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007, and later reached the Cup Finals three consecutive seasons with three different teams (Dallas, Montreal and Tampa Bay from 2020-22), before losing each year.

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Travis Kelce has joined his pop-superstar-significant-other Taylor Swift at the top of the Billboard charts.

‘The guy on the Chiefs” collaboration track with brother Jason Kelce, ‘Fairytale Of Philadelphia,’ has risen to #1 on the Rock Digital Song Sales and Holiday Digital Song Sales charts two weeks after its debut, Billboard reported Tuesday.

The duet single, in which the brothers reworked the lyrics of The Pogues’ song from the ’80s, ‘Fairytale of New York,’ is featured on a forthcoming charity Christmas album by Eagles offensive linemen Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. It’s ‘a tale of two brothers whose love for each other withstands the test of time,’ according to the album’s Instagram account.

‘That song was fun. That song was actually pretty sweet, man. I enjoyed doing it. The guys, the team, came out and hung out with me in Kansas City for a few hours and we knocked it out,’ Travis said on the Oct. 25 episode of the brothers’ ‘New Heights’ podcast.

He added, ‘(I’m) not saying it was good by any means. I’m just saying they made it sound extremely better than what I felt like I left that studio thinking. I was like, ‘They’re gonna not use this at all; I don’t know.”

Jason and Travis Kelce thanked Swifties for the success of ‘Fairytale of Philadelphia’

Fortunately for the NFL stars, the day after the song’s debut, it topped the iTunes charts.

‘We are rockstars,’ Jason joked on the podcast.

‘We owe a big thanks to one group in particular besides the 92 percenters,’ he added, referencing fans of the podcast. ‘And that’s the Swifties. ‘Cause the Swifties came out. I sent out one tweet when it got to eight, and I got, like, 85 tweets from Swifties across the world saying, ‘Oh, you think eight’s good? We’re taking this to #1!’ And they did. It’s a powerful group.’

‘One thousand percent,’ Travis agreed. ‘Thanks, Taylor. Appreciate you. And thank you to the Swifties.’

Meanwhile, Swift is reigning at #1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart.

‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ is currently #2 on the Billboard 200, which tracks the week’s most popular albums, and her single ‘Cruel Summer’ recently dropped to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 as Jack Harlow’s ‘Lovin On Me’ took the top spot.

Proceeds from the Eagles players’ ‘A Philly Special Christmas Special’ will go toward the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The first album from the Eagles linemen, ‘A Philly Special Christmas,’ raised $1.25 million for charity last year.

It will be available on all digital platforms starting Friday, Dec. 1. 

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What was once old is new again, with Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman hoping a redemption story can pull the Razorbacks football program out of its offensive tailspin.

In a stunning turn of events, Bobby Petrino is returning to Fayetteville, this time to serve as the Razorbacks’ offensive coordinator, according to ESPN’s Chris Low, who first reported the deal being finalized. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported earlier Tuesday that Arkansas was ‘vetting’ Petrino.

Petrino was the Arkansas head coach from 2008-11, posting a 34-17 record and stringing together a two-season stretch better than any other this century. Arkansas won 10 games in his final two seasons with the program, culminating with a Cotton Bowl victory over Kansas State.

But Petrino was fired by Arkansas on April 10, 2012, after a strange series of events.

On April 1, he was involved in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in northwest Arkansas. He initially told university officials he was alone on the motorcycle, but it eventually came out that he had a passenger — then-25-year-old Jessica Dorrell.

BOBBY PETRINO MOTORCYCLE SCANDAL: Why former Arkansas football coach was fired in 2012

It was eventually revealed that Petrino had an affair with Dorrell and had hired the former Arkansas volleyball player to work in the athletics department after giving her a $20,000 gift. He had not previously disclosed his relationship to university officials.

Arkansas fired Petrino with cause, as then-athletics director Jeff Long told reporters Petrino had ‘engaged in a pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior’ before and after the motorcycle crash.

Since then, Petrino has been the head coach at Western Kentucky, Louisville and Missouri State. His career record as a head coach is 137-71. Petrino nearly led Missouri State to a win over Arkansas in 2022.

Petrino left the head-coaching ranks after the 2022 season and became the offensive coordinator for Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M. The Aggies ranked 54th in total offense and 26th in scoring (34.2 ppg) in 2023. Fisher was fired earlier this month, and Texas A&M recently announced it had hired Mike Elko away from Duke.

On the surface, this fit both makes sense and feels out-of-sorts. Pittman has spoken about wanting an offensive coordinator and coaches with ties to Arkansas. Petrino obviously has that, and he has first-hand experience with winning big in Fayetteville.

But this will be the third offensive coordinator in three years for the Razorbacks, and Petrino’s offenses are closer to Dan Enos than Kendall Briles. Pittman said in his final press conference that Arkansas needed a coordinator who knew how to run the football, and Texas A&M ranked just 89th in the country with 141.4 yards per game.

However, this move will certainly energize a fan base that had become increasingly frustrated with Pittman, and specifically athletic director Hunter Yurachek’s decision to retain the embattled head coach.

Coincidentally — or perhaps perfectly planned — Arkansas announced its new NIL collective Tuesday morning, which allows fans to donate money directly to the program.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Emma Hayes, the new United States women’s national team soccer coach, joined the team for the first time Tuesday ahead of two matches against China.

Hayes will not officially begin her new gig until May, so won’t be coaching or instrumental in the team’s training sessions. Instead, she is present for a “three-day meet and greet” with the players and coaches, a USWNT spokesman told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday.

Hayes was not seen by media during the first 15 minutes of Tuesday’s training session, and is not expected to attend Saturday’s 3 p.m. ET match at DRV PNK Stadium — home to Lionel Messi and Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami — or the match Tuesday in Frisco, Texas.

Interim coach Twila Kilgore is still in charge, but Hayes’ presence is a welcome one for the U.S. women as their road to next year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup and Paris Olympics is underway.

Hayes’ role with the USWNT is simple: Help the Americans return to golden glory after their early exit in the 2023 World Cup in August.

“Everyone is really excited. We feel like we have our direction. We know what we’re building towards now, and it’s all very clear,” defender Naomi Girma, a two-time NWSL defender of the year with the San Diego Wave, said of Hayes.

“I think overall we’re just excited to hit the ground running with her.”

Hayes, who is from London but began her coaching career with multiple stints in the U.S., is considered one of the best soccer coaches in the game. She’s a six-time WSL manager of the year and was FIFA’s coach of the year in 2021. She’s also led Chelsea since 2012, winning six Super League titles (including the last four) and five FA Cups. She also led Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2021 and the semifinals last year.

Chelsea’s current season ends in May, which is why Hayes will not officially assume her role as USWNT coach until then.

“Obviously, her resume speaks for itself,” Girma said. “Just that winning mentality, that shift and new perspective on our team and our players. Me, personally, I’m excited to learn from her and excited about what she’s going to bring to our group.”

USWNT captain Lindsey Horan plays for French club Lyon and regularly competes against Chelsea in tournaments. She spoke with excitement, for herself and the team, about Hayes taking over.

“The team and myself, we’re so very happy and honored to have Emma as our coach,” Horan said. “There’s so many great things that she’s done in the course of her career and with Chelsea as well – even though they’re a main competitor of mine as well. We don’t get her full time until May, but I think Twila is great with the team as well.”

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