It’s been a whirlwind week for Simone Biles.

With her Gold Over America Tour on a one-week break, Biles unveiled a partnership with Barefoot wine and was named the world’s most marketable athlete of the year by SportsPro. She attended the Los Angeles premiere of the second part of her Netflix docuseries, ‘Simone Biles: Rising.’ And on Thursday night, she donated $50,000 at a gala for Friends of Children, a nonprofit that provides mentors for kids facing adversity − including those in the foster care system, as Biles once was.

‘It’s so important to me because I can see myself in these kids and what they go through and what they grow through,’ Biles told USA TODAY Sports. ‘… Sometimes the statistics can be against you, but having someone like me advocate for these kids, and knowing I went through some of the same similar situations that these kids have gone through and come out of it on top really inspires them.’

During an interview at a luxury hotel in Santa Monica, California, Biles spoke with USA TODAY Sports’ visual journalist Sandy Hooper about her philanthropic work and a wide range of other topics.

Simone Biles on supporting kids in foster care

Biles has been open about her experience with the foster care system. She has said she spent about three years in foster care before she was 6 years old, as her biological mother, Shannon, struggled with drugs and alcohol.

‘Growing up in foster (care), the statistics are just against you and it is what it is,’ she said Thursday. ‘But coming out on top of that, rising above − obviously I had my family to help, but I am who I am today because of foster care. And so I want the kids to also cherish and remember that and that you can do anything. It doesn’t matter.’

Biles said she’s felt more strongly about the importance of speaking out about her past as she’s gotten older. She’s also tried to be available for questions from kids in foster care, she said, to act as a resource and inspiration.

‘Most of the time it’s all silly questions because they’re so young and they’re curious,’ she said when asked about her interactions with the kids. ‘How old are you? How tall are you? Do you have a boyfriend? … It usually doesn’t get too serious with the kids, except for the older ones. They want to know why I did it, what I’m passionate about, stuff like that. But they are hilarious. I love them.’

Simone Biles on her Netflix documentary

Biles said the pre-Olympic release of the docuseries didn’t bring any pressure.

‘I actually got to see the episodes beforehand and I talked with my therapist about it,’ she said. ‘And yes, the timing was a little bit risky, but I knew that I had already done all the work mentally that I was OK that it came out at the time that it did.’

Biles also filmed a docuseries ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She said the process for ‘Simone Biles: Rising’ was significantly easier, without the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it helped having the same director, Katie Walsh.

‘The team that I’ve worked with for so many years, I feel really comfortable with them. So it was really a breeze,’ Biles said.

Simone Biles on Jordan Chiles’ appeal

In an unusual twist, Biles’ Netflix documentary also led to footage that could help her teammate, Jordan Chiles, retain her bronze medal on floor exercise from the Paris Games.

Chiles recently filed an appeal with the highest court in Switzerland in hopes of resolving a dispute about whether the scoring inquiry she filed was submitted past the 60-second deadline. After the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that it was submitted late, footage from the documentary appears to show that the inquiry was on time, giving Chiles a route for an appeal.

When asked about her reaction when she found out that the footage from her documentary could help Chiles, Biles demurred.

‘This is not my topic to speak about, but we are going to support Jordan as much as we can and love her and uplift her because it’s a tough situation,’ she said.

Simone Biles on her husband’s Olympic interest

With the Olympics behind her, Biles said she is excited to have more time to pursue other interests − and cheer on her husband, Jonathan Owens, who is a safety for the Chicago Bears.

Biles has not said whether she intends to compete at the next Summer Olympics, in Los Angeles in 2028, though it’s now possible that her husband could be there. Flag football will be on the Olympic sports program in 2028 for the first time, and there are ongoing discussions about whether NFL players could or should compete for Team USA.

‘I think it’d be very interesting. I think it’d be a lot of fun,’ Biles said when asked about her husband and his Bears teammates possibly competing in 2028. ‘I know that my husband and his teammates have talked a lot about it, if they’re going to do it. But it’s a lot of sacrifice. It’s in the summer, right when they start training camp, so I know it’d be really tough on their body just because of how long their season is. But they’re very excited about it, and they’re enticed. So we’ll see.’

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @Tom_Schad.

The city of angels is known for its bustling streets, world-renowned arts, diverse culture, and the worst traffic on the planet. Every Los Angeles resident understands that it could take an hour to go 10 miles at times. On Friday night, that devastating bumper-to-bumper pace could slow to an absolute standstill.

With numerous venues hosting sporting events across Los Angeles tonight, the amount of cars on the road could be unlike anything locals have ever seen. To make matters even worse, there are also two concerts taking place at the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome.

It’s expected to be so bad that the Los Angeles Lakers even tweeted a reminder to fans who plan on attending their game against the Phoenix Suns.

Here is a full list of the sporting events taking place in Los Angeles tonight.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

Events in Los Angeles tonight

World Series Game 1: New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium
NBA: Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena
NCAAF: Rutgers vs. USC at the Memorial Coliseum
High School Football: 89th East L.A. Classic at SoFi Stadium
David Gilmore at the Intuit Dome
ELO at the Kia Forum

What time are each of the sporting events?

Thankfully, many of the events tonight are staggered. The World Series starts at 5:08 p.m. local time. The Lakers’ game starts two hours later and the USC game an hour after that.

That said, the Dodgers’ game is expected to end around 8 p.m. PT, which could cause a lot of problems for people trying to get to LA Memorial Coliseum for the USC game.

Tomorrow won’t be much better either, as both the Lakers and Dodgers have home games on Saturday as well.

Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw needed to be helped off the field during Minnesota’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ clash with the Los Angeles Rams, and he will be out for the season.

With 35 seconds left in the first half, the Vikings elected to call a run play from their own 3-yard line rather than taking a knee. During running back Aaron Jones’ 2-yard run, Darrisaw’s left leg got rolled up on by Rams rookie safety Jaylen McCollough, who was making the tackle.

Darrisaw fell to the turf after the play and immediately grabbed at his left knee. The Vikings’ medical personnel tended to the star tackle on the field before assisting him in a walk back to the locker room. Darrisaw appeared unable to put much weight on his left leg as he made his way off the field.

The Vikings ruled the left tackle out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury and said Friday that he would need season-ending surgery.

Christian Darrisaw injury updates

Darrisaw needed assistance from Minnesota’s medical personnel to walk back to the locker room after suffering a knee injury in the final seconds of the first half.

All things Vikings: Latest Minnesota Vikings news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The tackle took a hit to the outside of his left knee while he was engaged in a block on a run play from a Rams defender making a tackle. Offensive lineman David Quessenberry replaced Darrisaw on the final play of the first half, a quarterback kneel.

After the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed to reporters it was a left knee injury.

Friday, he provided another update.

‘I was holding out hope last night that maybe the imaging would reveal a less significant injury, but unfortunately that is not the case,’ he told reporters. ‘He did sustain a significant knee injury to his left knee and will require season-ending surgery. He will go on injured reserve today.’

This story has been updated with new information.

WASHINGTON – The simple narrative says Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has something to prove.

Even though he won his first NBA championship and second Olympics gold medal in 2024, Tatum wasn’t Finals MVP despite an outstanding series, and his playing time at the Paris Olympics evaporated, including no action against Serbia in group play and in the semifinals.

Tatum struggled with his jump shot in France – he missed every jumper outside the protected area – and though he earned a gold medal, he left puzzled but not angry and thinking about how he could learn from the experience.

He was reluctant to say his Olympic experience would provide extra motivation for this 2024-25 NBA season. Tatum is already one of the league’s best players, making first-team All-NBA the past three seasons.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have goals, like more championships to solidify his spot as one of the all-time great Celtics.

And …

“As a kid you set a lot of goals for yourself and I’ve been very fortunate enough to check off a lot of boxes of things that I wanted to accomplish, things that my favorite players accomplished and saying that MVP is important to me is not in any way taking away from the success of our team,” Tatum said after Boston’s 122-102 victory against Washington Thursday.

“Every guy that’s won MVP has been on a championship-contending team. If you’re an MVP, you’re dominating, you’re efficient, you’re playing the right way and you’re impacting winning so you can do both. Championship is the most important, but being the best version of yourself along the way is important as well.”

Tatum has been on the periphery of the MVP discussions, finishing sixth for the award in 2022 and 2024 and fourth in 2023.

Tatum is off to a spectacular start to his 2024-25 season, posting consecutive double-doubles: 37 points, 10 assists, rebounds, one block and one steal in a 132-109 rout of New York in the opener and 25 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and one steal against the Wizards.

He’s not seeking redemption or trying to prove a point. But his play to start the season is an unmistakable reminder that Tatum is one of the game’s absolute best players.

Tatum left Paris happy with a gold medal and telling reporters he planned to use it as an experience from which to learn and grow.

Among the lessons: He won’t be defined by one event. “In life you can learn from any situation – how to handle that, how to come out of that, how do you get over that mentally?” Celtics and Olympics teammate Jrue Holiday said.

Tatum is wise, and with more years in the NBA, he’s more comfortable revealing what he wants and who he is, such as shedding a tear when his son Deuce let him know his dad would be on the cover of NBA 2K25.

After the Olympics, Tatum took time off from basketball. Then, he returned to work, fine-tuning his jump shot with assistance from regarded skills coach Drew Hanlen.

‘I think I had a really, really good training camp as an individual working on my body, working on my conditioning, and as a teammate, I feel like we had a really great training camp, preseason games and then those practice days,’ Tatum said.

Though this is eighth season, he’s just 26 years old – just entering his prime as a player. What does Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla want to see from Tatum?

“I would say dominating all facets of the game,” Mazzulla said. “I think just his ability to do what he’s doing as far as his shot making and finding the shots that he wants to take that are best for him (and) that are best for our team. Rebounding at a high level on both ends of the floor. Defending at a high level and playmaking.

“And he has the ability to impact the game like that in different ways and that should be the norm and that’s a standard that he set for himself and he’s working towards that.”

Among the biggest moves in the leadup was the Boston Bruins and No. 1 goalie Jeremy Swayman reaching an eight-year, $66 million contract agreement a day earlier and ending an impasse that looked like it could stretch into the season.

Transactions are continuing during the regular season as teams build toward a Stanley Cup or make moves for their long-term future. There are key dates to watch: the holiday roster freeze in December, the league’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and the trade deadline in early March.

Follow along here this season for signings, trades, transactions and other news from the NHL:

Oct. 25: Rangers’ Alexis Lafreniere gets seven-year extension

The New York Rangers and Alexis Lafreniere have agreed to a seven-year extension as he builds on last season’s breakthrough. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick will average $7.45 million in the deal, according to lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. That’s up from this year’s $2.325 million cap hit. Lafreniere, 23, broke through with 28 goals and 57 points last season and added eight goals and 14 points in the playoffs. He is averaging a point a game this season through seven games and scored his fourth goal of the season on Thursday. He is signed through 2031-32.

Also: The Rangers have sent fan favorite Matt Rempe to the American Hockey League to get him more playing time. The 6-7 forward made a name for himself last season with his epic fights and big hits, one that led to a four-game suspension. But he has played only two games this season.

Oct. 24: Golden Knights’ Shea Theodore signs for seven years

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore will average $7.425 million in the extension, which kicks in next season and runs through 2031-32. Getting him signed now is important after the Golden Knights lost Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson and others from their 2023 Stanley Cup team to free agency during the summer.

Theodore, 29, is the franchise’s top-scoring defenseman with 296 points and has opened this season with seven points in six games. Vegas’ top three defensemen (also Alex Pietrangelo and Noah Hanifin) are signed through at least 2026-27.

Oct. 24: Devils’ Brett Pesce, Luke Hughes returning from injury

The New Jersey Devils will get two players back on their defense when Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes make their season debuts Thursday at the Detroit Red Wings.

Pesce, signed as a free agent, has recovered from surgery for a broken leg. Hughes hurt his shoulder in September. He was a finalist for the Calder Trophy last season, leading all rookies with 21 power-play assists and 25 power-play points.

Their return comes at a good time because the Devils have yielded 14 goals over their last two games.

Also: New York Islanders forward Anthony Duclair (lower body) will miss four to six weeks, a blow to the 2023-24 playoff team that ranks 30th in scoring this season. … The Los Angeles activated goalie Darcy Kuemper from the injured list. Pheonix Copley was loaned to the AHL’s Ontario Reign. … The Colorado Avalanche loaned goalie Kaapo Kahkonen to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles on a conditioning assignment. He was claimed off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets earlier this season.

Oct. 23: Utah’s Sean Durzi, John Marino out long-term after surgery

The Utah Hockey Club, who beefed up their defense in the offseason, will be without two key blueliners long-term after they had surgery.

Sean Durzi, who was injured in an Oct. 15 game, will miss four to six months after shoulder surgery. John Marino, who has yet to play this season, is out three to four months after back surgery.

Utah added defensemen Mikhail Sergachev, Marino and Ian Cole in the offseason. Durzi, acquired last season when the team was in Arizona, signed a four-year, $24 million contract during the summer.

In other injury news, St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas has a fractured ankle and will be evaluated in six weeks.

Oct. 22: Panthers give coach Paul Maurice contract extension

Maurice, who joined the Panthers in 2022-23, went to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season and won it last year. His 29 playoff wins are a franchise record.

He has 98 regular-season wins with Florida and his 873 career wins rank fourth all time in NHL history.

Also: The Blues signed forward Jake Neighbours to a two-year, $7.5 million contract extension.

Oct. 17: Stars’ Jake Oettinger signs eight-year contract extension

The Dallas Stars signed goalie Jake Oettinger to an eight-year, $66 million contract extension that kicks in next season. The $8.25 million cap hit matches the deals recently signed by the Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman and Senators’ Linus Ullmark.

Oettinger has led the Stars to the Western Conference final the past two seasons.

Oct. 14: Matthew Tkachuk’s illness to keep him out a week

Already down one star, the Panthers will be without another one.

Coach Paul Maurice said Matthew Tkachuk’s illness will keep him out more than a week. The team is targeting an Oct. 22 return.

Tkachuk missed Saturday’s game. So did captain Aleksander Barkov, who injured his leg in the second game of the season and is expected to miss two to three weeks.

Oct. 12: Aleksander Barkov, Macklin Celebrini are injured

The NHL season is young, but two prominent players are already out with injuries.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will miss two to three weeks after crashing leg first into the boards while trying to prevent an empty net goal on Thursday. His stick had broken but he couldn’t stop Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle from scoring. The time frame should allow Barkov to participate in the two Global Series games against the Dallas Stars in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 1-2. Barkov is the first Finnish NHL captain to win the Stanley Cup. He won the Selke Trophy last season for the second time as top defensive forward.

Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks placed No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Coach Ryan Warsofsky said Celebrini is week-to-week. He had been dealing with an injury in training camp but played in this week’s season opener, scoring a goal and an assist.

Oct. 11: Avalanche claim goalie Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers

In a busy day for goalie transactions, the Colorado Avalanche claimed Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets. Colorado lost 8-4 in the opener, with Alexandar Georgiev giving up five goals and backup Justus Annunen giving up two goals on four shots. The Avalanche are Kahkonen’s fourth team in a year. He split time last season between the San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils.

In other moves, the Minnesota Wild called up Jesper Wallstedt, their goalie of future, who will join Game 1 winner Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury. The Nashville Predators sent down Matt Murray, who backed up Scott Wedgewood on Thursday with injured No. 1 goalie Juuse Saros unable to play.

Oct. 10: Hurricanes-Lightning game postponed because of Milton

Saturday’s game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning has been postponed as the Tampa Bay area recovers from Hurricane Milton. The league said a makeup date would be announced as soon as it can be confirmed.

The Lightning are playing their season opener in Carolina on Friday. Saturday’s game was to be the start of a three-game homestand (also Tuesday and Thursday).

Amalie Arena got through the storm fine, though Tropicana Field, home of MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida, suffered major damage to its roof.

Oct. 10: Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner has surgery

Jenner had shoulder surgery to repair an injury he suffered during training camp and could miss up to six months.

‘Our hope is he can return before the end of the season,’ said Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Waddell. ‘His loss will be felt by our club, but we have a strong leadership group in place and players will be given an opportunity to take on greater roles on and off the ice.’

Boone, who finished second on the Blue Jackets last season with 22 goals and is the franchise leader in games played, has been the team’s captain since 2021-22.

Oct. 9: Linus Ullmark, Joey Daccord get contract extensions

Ullmark, who won the Vezina Trophy with the Bruins in 2022-03, was traded to the Ottawa Senators this offseason so Boston had the room to re-sign Swayman. Ullmark will get four years, $33 million from the Senators and have the same $8.25 million cap as Swayman.

Meanwhile, Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord received a five-year, $25 million extension. He filled in for Philipp Grubauer after that goalie’s injury last season and got the NHL’s first shutout in the Winter Classic. Both contracts will take effect next season.

Oct. 8: Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin turns down extension offer

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes posted on social media Tuesday that the New York Rangers offered Shesterkin an eight-year, $88 million contract, with an $11 million average annual value that would have eclipsed Carey Price’s high-water mark of $10.5 million. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed those numbers to lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network.

It’s not a huge surprise that the 28-year-old Russian would reject it on the eve of New York’s season-opener in Pittsburgh. Another person familiar with the situation recently indicated the two sides have been far apart in negotiations, and that the chances of striking a deal before the start of the new season weren’t looking very promising. That could always change if Rangers team president Chris Drury decides to up the ante, but Shesterkin seems content to bet on himself and wait it out. – Vincent Z. Mercogliano, lohud.com

Also: The defending champion Florida Panthers announced after their opening victory that forward Carter Verhaeghe had agreed to an eight-year extension. It’s worth a reported $56 million.

LOS ANGELES — The moment the New York Yankees’ plane landed Wednesday, manager Aaron Boone fired off a Yankee emoji to Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Roberts saw it, laughed, and quickly tried to think of a clever response in return.

“You know what, there was another emoji I thought about sending him,’ Roberts said. “With one finger.

“But I didn’t.

“I just gave him a laughing emoji back.’

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

Who would blame Roberts – and Boone too – for shooting off a one-fingered message to all of the keyboard warriors and talk-show hosts before Friday’s opening game of the 120th World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers.

These two guys were crushed all season on talk shows and social media.

They weren’t even supposed to be employed by now, run out of town by their overzealous fanbases, looking for the next manager who could lead them to their righteous place as World Series champions.

Well, a funny thing happened on their way to the unemployment line.

Dave Roberts, 52, for the fourth time in the last eight years, has led the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series.

Aaron Boone, 51, after missing the postseason last year, has led the New York Yankees to their first World Series since 2009.

DODGERS VS. YANKEES: LA-NY matchup is holy grail for Fox, MLB
JUAN SOTO: Contract comes after World Series for Yankees’ superstar

These two former players who each had heroic postseason moments, and once were collegiate rivals, not only survived the season and fended off the speculation they could be fired with early postseason exits, but now are in line for lucrative contract extensions.

Roberts, who is earning $3.5 million and $4 million in 2025, is expected to command a contract extension north of Alex Cora’s three-year, $21.75 million deal with the Boston Red Sox but less than Craig Counsell’s five-year, $40 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Boone, who earns about $4 million with a club option in 2025, certainly should be earning more in his next contract extension this winter.

There’s no reason they shouldn’t be two of the highest-earning managers in baseball for simply combat pay, managing in America’s two largest markets where anything less than a World Series championship is considered a disaster.

This World Series features surreal star power with Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, who should unanimously win the MVP awards in November – along with four other MVPs and future Hall of Famers. But without Roberts and Boone, their players will tell you, they wouldn’t be here.

It’s their calming influence, their communication skills – they know not only the players’ families, but their dog’s names – and their willingness to take all the heat.

“In the past 10, 11 years,’ Dodgers All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman said, “I’ve got to play with Dave Roberts and Brian Snitker [in Atlanta], two people that care about the person almost more than the player. That’s what so special about Doc. He’s intentional in his time with you. He cares about you. I don’t know how many times it’s more about [wife] Chelsea and [kids] Charlie, Brandon and Max that he’s talking to me about. That’s what makes him special.

“It’s the person that makes you want to play even harder for someone that actually cares about you. I’ve been very, very lucky to have him as a manager.’

Mookie Betts, who was supposed to be the Dodgers leadoff hitter and starting shortstop this season, only to be moved to second base, and back to right field, dropped to second in the batting order instead of first, can’t stop raving about Roberts.

“It’s been amazing,’ Betts said. “It’s more than I could even ask for. I love Doc since the day I’ve gotten here. My love for him has gotten anything but stronger and deeper. I think he loves every player that puts on a Dodger uniform, no matter how long they’re here. I don’t have enough good words to say about him.

‘Anyone who thinks they can do better than that …’

It’s still mind-boggling that nine years ago the Dodgers were set to hire Gabe Kapler as their manager to replace Don Mattingly – until veteran players voiced their concerns to the front office and ownership.

And it’s even more stunning that the San Diego Padres didn’t even interview him for their managerial opening when he was already on their coaching staff.

Roberts has the greatest winning percentage (.627, 851-507) of any manager in MLB history, with the sixth-most postseason victories in history, and only Hall of Famers Bobby Cox and Joe McCarthy have compiled more 100-victory seasons.

‘The only ones who question him, I think, are you guys,” Dodgers owner Mark Walter said in the pennant-clinching celebration. “He’s won four pennants in eight years. Anyone who thinks they can do better than that…’

Yet, when you have a massive payroll, a team full of stars, and the greatest player in the game in Ohtani, no one in Los Angeles wants to hear about their 12 pitchers on the injured list. Or that the team played without Betts for two months and Muncy for three months, and has only three healthy starting pitchers in the World Series. Roberts has called this the most challenging season of his managerial career.

“I’ve learned to have thicker skin,’ said Roberts, who produced the most famous stolen base in Red Sox history in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees. “I try to appreciate the fact that there’s always going to be criticism. Maybe more jaded at times. But it is a results business. And I get that. I understand the job.’

If the Dodgers don’t win the World Series, he’ll be blamed. If a reliever he summons from the bullpen fails, he’ll be blamed.

“Everyone wants to always criticize, but I can’t say enough good things about him,’ Muncy said. “I don’t think he gets enough credit. There’s a lot of things that he does great, but one of the things he does best is he takes all of the heat from the fans, even though it’s not warranted on him.

“There’s a lot of times he makes decisions because there’s something going on behind the scenes. Maybe he didn’t bring in this pitcher. Or he didn’t pinch-hit this guy. Or maybe he didn’t start this guy. He’ll never put it out there, and protect us, but because of that, he ends up just wearing the heat, and he has no problem with that.

“That’s what makes him so special is that he’s so in tune with everyone in the clubhouse.’

You want to know why the Dodgers have a fresh bullpen that has dominated the postseason, look no further than Roberts’ decisions throughout the season to keep them fresh.

“I appreciate just how well he took care of the bullpen all year,’ reliever Evan Phillips said. “He always has our health at the forefront, and our futures at the forefront. He had this moment in mind when he took care of us all year, making sure we’re ready for the World Series.’

‘He takes the brunt’

The Yankees, well aware that Boone could have been dismissed if they didn’t reach the playoffs, share the same respect. Boone is a player’s manager. You won’t hear him publicly criticize a player. He doesn’t ridicule decisions made by the front office.

He was a player himself, playing 12 years where he was an All-Star third baseman, and hit one of the most famous home runs in Yankee history with his walk-off in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox.

Yankees players swear you’ll never see him sweat. He instead will be in the clubhouse, cracking jokes, having fun, and talking smack on behalf his alma mater, USC.

When Boone was reminded about the collegiate rivalry – that he and Roberts had when he played for the Trojans and Roberts played for the UCLA Bruins – he cracked at his press conference:

“You’re a Trojan for life, you’re a Bruin for four years. That’s probably the case with Doc. He’s probably like indifferent. I get pissed off when the Trojans lose. They’re like, eh, whatever.’

So, if you think Boone is stressing about managing in his first World Series, sorry, you’ve got the wrong guy.

“He’s always been great,’ Yankee starter Clarke Schmidt said, “but he also seems a lot more calm in these stressful moments. Obviously, these postseason games bring a lot of stress, and might force you to make a decision quicker than you typically may. But he seems to be very calm, and obviously making the right decisions this year.

“That’s fun to have a manager that’s calm. Everything reflects from the top to the bottom. If you have a guy at the helm who’s calm and cool, and someone you can trust to be calm in those big situations, it carries itself in the locker room as well.’

Boone refuses to suffocate anyone’s personality, or force them to conform to Yankee standards. OK, you still can’t have a beard or wear your hair down to your shoulders, but if you want to strut, if you want to bat flip, feel free.

“It’s been great playing for Boone, man,’ said infielder Jazz Chisholm, who was traded to the Yankees in July from the Miami Marlins. “He’s a great manager. He’s here for the players. Everybody trusts him. The No. 1 thing to do is that you’ve got to trust your manager, and that’s how everything starts.

“He loves everything I do.’

Says rookie catcher Austin Wells: “He’s definitely had to stick his neck out for me a few times this year. I appreciate what he does. He’s allowed the personalities what the yneed to be to have success. I know he’s bene a big help to my success.’

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton was never criticized by Boone during his injury-riddled seasons. He was never called out for his slumps. He never brought up his contract.

Boone stuck with him, and there was Stanton becoming the MVP of the ALCS, hitting four homers with seven RBI.

“It’s unreal,’ Stanton said. “He’s the perfect players’ manager. He’s very communicative. You know what’s on his mind. He doesn’t mind having that conversation. And that’s what you want.

“You’re not always going to agree with things here and there, but to be able to have the conversation and understand where both sides are coming from, I think everybody appreciates that.’

Certainly, Stanton has heard his share of boos at Yankee Stadium. Even Aaron Judge has. Really, no Yankee player has been immune.

Yet, only one man has the fanbase calling for his job every time the Yankees lose.

“He takes the brunt of a lot,’ Stanton said, “especially when it’s based on our performance. That’s what makes us all family, and we love him.’

In this next week or so, Boone and Roberts will again hear the biting criticism again every time they lose a game. They’ll have fans calling for their jobs. And whoever loses the World Series will have their fan base screaming at them all winter.

It’s the beauty of managing the two most iconic franchises in baseball, and, of course, the curse of it, too.

“He’s just someone I have a lot of respect for,’ Boone said of Roberts, “and certainly somebody that you relate to what you go through in this job. In a lot of ways, our jobs and our markets are similar.’

Boone won’t win the World Series by himself. Roberts won’t either.

These star-studded rosters will determine the ultimate outcome.

“The game, it’s bigger than all of us,’ Roberts said, “and I don’t hesitate in letting the players know that.’

Win the World Series, and Boone or Roberts will be absolutely adored.

Lose the World Series, get called an idiot.

“It’s the life we chose,’ Roberts said.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Caleb Williams left Washington, D.C. for Oklahoma, then Southern California, then the Chicago Bears. In the five years since, he’s returned to the “DMV” (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) area just a time or two, Williams said this week.  

That will make the rookie quarterback’s trip home Sunday as the Bears face the Washington Commanders all the more special, he said. He’s already used up the entirety of his ticket allotment and was figuring out how to fill the outstanding requests.  

“Going to be great. Going to be fun,” Williams said Wednesday. “Coming out with a win is most important.”

The game is a confluence of storylines for Williams: a homecoming, a reunion and a faceoff between the 2024 draft’s top two picks that will likely have to wait until another day.  

The homecoming 

Williams was born in Maryland and lived the early parts of his life in the towns of Bowie and Upper Marlboro. He moved to D.C. for high school at Gonzaga and lived on the same block as the school in the city’s northeast neighborhood. 

All things Commanders: Latest Washington Commanders news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Williams called the area one of the best places to grow up. 

“You have all different kinds of diversity, whether it’s people and where they’re from, whether it’s some of the schools and things like that, whether it’s food, and so much more,” the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner said.  

The nearby monuments and access to United States history appealed to Williams during his youth. 

“Growing up in the area provides a lot of information, provides a lot of growth,” he said. “I think it did that for me.” 

Williams led Gonzaga to the 2018 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship by throwing a game-winning Hail Mary as the clock expired in the title game. Although his senior season was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he emerged as the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback in his class and joined Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma before following him to more success at USC. 

Asked if he put much thought into the homecoming aspect of the game against Washington, Williams replied: ‘No. My job is to go win games on Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays. So, that’s it.’

The reunion 

As the Commanders tumbled under former coach Ron Rivera on the way to a 4-13 mark in 2023, the possibility of Williams returning to the DMV never became viable. The Carolina Panthers had the league’s worst record and, in accordance with the terms of their trade with the Bears the previous offseason, their eventual No. 1 pick would belong to Chicago. 

As the formality of Williams being the No. 1 pick played out before the draft, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus interviewed prospective offensive coordinators. One candidate? Kliff Kingsbury, the former Texas Tech and Arizona Cardinals head coach who spent 2023 on USC’s coaching staff. 

“We kept in touch. Didn’t think much of it,” Williams said of that period of time. “Because at that time I didn’t know I was going to be a Bear for sure. Just knew that it was an option for me, option for him.”

Eberflus brought in Shane Waldron to run the offense. 

Kingsbury wound up as Dan Quinn’s offensive coordinator with the Commanders. On Thursday, he declined to discuss his interview experience with the Bears after Eberflus said “it was very informative to both parties.” 

‘Freaky talent,” Kingsbury said of Williams. “Watching the stuff he’d do in practice and in the games, his ability, his feel – really, really special. He’s going to be one of the top guys in the league for a lot of years, so that was cool to get to spend time with him last year.’

The rules of Kingsbury’s official title – senior offensive analyst – prevented him from doing on-field work with the Trojans. Williams fired off questions to Kingsbury about being a pro quarterback knowing the coach had molded Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech and Kyler Murray with the Cardinals. Essentially, preparing Williams for the NFL was a significant part of Kingsbury’s job responsibilities. 

“I think it’s helped me for these moments now,” Williams said.

Quinn said the Commanders did their due diligence on Williams ahead of the draft to account for the miniscule chance the Bears didn’t take him first. Having Kingsbury as part of that evaluation provided the team with valuable first-hand insight. 

“(Williams has) got a great report about him from everywhere he’d been, from being here locally, to Oklahoma, to (U)SC,” Quinn said. “It traveled with him. The work ethic, the play-making ability. It was pretty consistent wherever he went. And I’ve probably had a sense he would’ve done fantastic just about anywhere.” 

The way Williams competed and could make off-platform throws will always stand out to Kingsbury. 

‘He would want the ball in his hands in the biggest moments – almost to a fault sometimes,” Kingsbury said, “where he’d kind of pass up maybe an easy checkdown and be like, ‘Hey, I can make a bigger play’ or ‘I’m going to get out and do this’ because he’s that big of a competitor. And it reminded me of the guy I had at Texas Tech because (he did) some of the same stuff early on in his career.’

The (unlikely) faceoff 

With Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels seemingly likely to miss the game with a rib injury, the showdown between the top two picks in the 2024 draft will have to come another time. The No. 2 pick in the draft returned to practice Friday.

Daniels’ hot start to his pro career gave him Rookie of the Month honors for September.

“It’s been pretty cool watching his progress from obviously Arizona State to LSU to now in the pros balling out,” Williams said of his counterpart. “He’s been playing great over there with Kliff and all the guys they have over there. Like I said, happy for him – and glad to see him balling out.” 

Obviously, Williams wants Daniels to play that day. But it’s not like Daniels is attempting to sack him or pick off one of his passes. 

“I’m not reliant off of that matchup,” Williams said. 

While Daniels had the meteoric beginning of his career, Williams’ beginnings were more sluggish. But he improved his completion percentage by nearly 15 points in Weeks 4-6 compared to the first three games of the year and his EPA (expected points added) per dropback jumped from -0.27 (28th in the NFL) to 0.33 (third). His EPA against the blitz also improved from 29th to seventh. 

Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. noted Williams’ ability to throw the ball from multiple arm angles and his movement in and around the pocket. He added that the offensive concepts changed following the second or third game of the Bears’ season. 

Williams said he wants to be better at throwing the deep ball and have the offense put up more points in the first quarter. 

Williams credited the adjustments to multiple meetings between Bears offensive players and Waldron to discuss what worked and what didn’t. What Williams liked and what he thought should not be called. What “flow” in the play calling and execution should look like. 

“I think he’s learned to do a really good job in the noise to work through those things,” Eberflus said. “Also just the basic operation of good quarterbacking. You can see that the way he’s executed the last few weeks.”