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Thursday Pickorama

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

We’re back with another year of the Thursday Pickorama. Each week during the regular season, we will attempt to prognosticate 10 of the top games. Sometimes, it goes better than others. Last year, we fell just short of 70 percent, so the gameplan is to exceed that total.Here goes our first attempt at surpassing that.DUXBURY over Hanover: Until proven otherwise, Dragons are still the pacesetter in the Patriot League.CATHOLIC MEMORIAL over Mansfield: Knights get the call here as they extend their winning streak to 30 before heading to Florida.Bishop Fenwick over MARBLEHEAD: Crusaders open the season with a solid victory on the road.Barnstable over BROCKTON: One of the tougher games on the docket to predict.Central Catholic over SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL: John Sexton Era gets off on the right foot.Cohasset over ABINGTON: The return of Liam Appleton makes the Skippers one of the favorites in the South Shore League.LINCOLN-SUDBURY over Methuen: Warriors return a ton of players on both si...

Patriots S Kyle Dugger: No update on possible contract extension

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

In late July, Patriots safety Kyle Dugger said he would “love” to continue playing in New England.Dugger, 27, is entering a contract year as one of the best players on the team. At the start of training camp, Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh made it known the front office annually engages with players in the last years of their contracts about extending.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots eager to celebrate Tom Brady’s return ‘the right way’ New England Patriots | Patriots-Eagles injury report: DeVante Parker, Jack Jones among 5 starters limited Wednesday New England Patriots | The Patriots get great news at practice ahead of Sunday’s season opener New England Patriots | Devin McCourty believes Patriots are happy Matt Patricia ‘experiment is over’ New England Patriots | Bill Belichick Patriots to have Jack Jones vs. Eagles, won’t confirm status beyond Week 1 ...

’23 Urus Performante is Lamborghini SUV excellence

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

In 2023, the age of SUVs are all the craze. Additionally, it is no secret that EV’s and hybrids are also a part of the auto consumer conversation. While luxury and performance are at the top of consumers’ pocket books, Lamborghini has no concern delivering a slice of excellence to their fleet and enthusiasts.With a base price of more than a quarter of a million dollars, the Lamborghini Urus delivers again with its Performante package addition. Slammed with a 4.0L V8 Bi-Turbo engine, producing 657 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque and coming in with a curb weight of 4,740 lbs. Permanent 4WD with limited slip center differentiation with asymmetrical distribution and active Torque-Vectoring Rear Differential ensured spinning the tires was not an easy task.Riding on 23 inch Pirelli P-Zero tires and Shiny Pelope wheels, we noticed a great ride and smooth overall experience for riders and drivers alike. Carbon fiber abound added more than $10K in options to the total price while we...

Orioles’ ‘deep’ bench working to master the art of pinch hitting ahead of playoffs: ‘Every man on this roster is important’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

The series against the Los Angeles Angels, on paper, didn’t look too enjoyable for Ryan O’Hearn and Adam Frazier.On the docket for the Angels were left-handed starting pitchers for all three games, meaning O’Hearn and Frazier would spend most of the series on the bench.But the two veteran left-handed hitters knew their numbers would be called sometime at Angel Stadium. They were Tuesday, and they both delivered clutch hits to spark a comeback en route to a critical September win.“We’re able to do that platoon thing, which isn’t necessarily fun if you face three lefties in a row,” Frazier said. “But it’s honestly impressive how deep the bench is for us. I think that’s a big reason why we’re so good. We can swing matchups in our favor and we’ve got good players coming off the bench.”The art of pinch hitting isn’t easy. After riding the pine for most of the game, the player must quickly get loose and fa...

Boston Herald preseason divisional rankings

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

 Here is our preseason Eastern Mass. Divisional rankings as well as the Independent School League. Our 31st annual Sweet 16 rankings will come out tomorrow with many of the usual suspects occupying the top spots.   EMASS DIVISION 11. Xaverian (7-4)2. St. John’s Prep (11-2)3. Methuen (9-3)4. Lincoln-Sudbury (7-4)5. Central Catholic (9-3)6. Everett (8-2)7. Andover (10-1)8. Franklin (7-3) EMASS DIVISION 21. Catholic Memorial (12-0)2. King Philip (9-3)3. Barnstable (3-8)4. Chelmsford (8-3)5. North Andover (5-6)6. Marshfield (7-4)7. Peabody (10-1)8. Bridgewater-Raynham (5-6) EMASS DIVISION 31. Mansfield (9-2)2. Billerica (10-1)3. North Attleboro (8-3)4. Milford (10-2)5. Milton (11-1)6. Plymouth South (10-1)7. Woburn (7-4)8. Reading (9-2) EMASS DIVISION 41. Duxbury (12-0)2. Marblehead (8-2)3. Scituate (5-5)4. Tewksbury (7-4)5. Holliston (10-2)6. Middleboro (8-3)7. Melrose (6-5)8. Nauset (6-5) EMASS DIVISION 51. Shawsheen (12-1)2. Hanover (9-3)...

Patriots know they need more than Malik Cunningham to prepare for Jalen Hurts

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

FOXBORO — A relatively highly-paid offseason addition allowed the Patriots’ defense to prepare for one of the most dangerous players in their Week 1 slate slightly early this summer.Quarterback/wide receiver Malik Cunningham, who earned a team-record $200,000 in total guarantees as part of his rookie free-agent contract, was taking reps under center against the Patriots’ starting defense as far back as Aug. 13.In those snaps, the Patriots were primarily calling designed runs — read option and otherwise — with Cunningham under center. One theory for why Cunningham, who’s now on the practice squad, was seeing those reps was to prepare the defense for when the Patriots played quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles in the season opener on Sunday.Head coach Bill Belichick didn’t want to get too carried away with the value of Cunningham showing the Patriots looks similar to the ones Hurts might give them, however.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Pa...

Mexico ends its federal ban on abortion, but a patchwork of state restrictions remains

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A Mexican Supreme Court decision to end the federal ban on abortion extended a regional trend of increasing access to the procedure, but left in place a patchwork of varying state restrictions.The high court on Wednesday threw out all federal criminal penalties for abortion, in a ruling that will require the federal public health service to offer the procedure to anyone who requests it.That will mean access for millions of Mexicans since the social security service and other federal institutions provide health care to most people who work in the formal economy. Some 20 Mexican states, however, still criminalize abortion. Those laws were not affected by the Supreme Court ruling, but abortion rights advocates will likely ask state judges to follow its logic. Abortions are not widely prosecuted as a crime in Mexico, but many doctors refuse to provide them, citing the law.Celebration of the ruling soon spilled out onto social media.“Today is a day of victory and justi...

Australian police allege a man killed a work colleague before shooting himself

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

PERTH, Australia (AP) — A man who allegedly killed a colleague at an Australian grain silo Thursday was in a critical condition after turning the gun on himself, police said.The 25-year-old allegedly shot a man in his 40s at the silo in the town of Kellerberrin at about 8.40 a.m. and then fled the area, the Western Australia Police Force said.The police force issued an active shooter alert to warn members of the public to remain indoors as a search for the suspect got under way.The gunman was believed to be armed, dressed in camouflage clothing and on the move north of the town, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) east of Perth, the Western Australia state capital, police said. A suspect was eventually located in a farm paddock about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Kellerberrin, Western Australian Police Regional Commander Rod Wilde said. He was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries, Wilde said.“Police were negotiating. There … had been talking to him for several hours,” th...

Presidential centers from Hoover to Bush and Obama unite to warn of fragile state of US democracy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Concern for U.S. democracy amid deep national polarization has prompted the entities supporting 13 presidential libraries dating back to Herbert Hoover to call for a recommitment to the country’s bedrock principles, including the rule of law and respecting a diversity of beliefs.The statement released Thursday, the first time the libraries have joined to make such a public declaration, said Americans have a strong interest in supporting democratic movements and human rights around the world because “free societies elsewhere contribute to our own security and prosperity here at home.”“But that interest,” it said, “is undermined when others see our own house in disarray.”The joint message from presidential centers, foundations and institutes emphasized the need for compassion, tolerance and pluralism while urging Americans to respect democratic institutions and uphold secure and accessible elections.The statement noted that “debate and disagreement”...

Michigan Democrats are lining up to replace Republican Rep. John James in his battleground district

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A battleground House race in Michigan that national Democrats are keying in on to help them flip the chamber in 2024 is growing increasingly crowded with an announcement Thursday by Carl Marlinga that he’ll again challenge Republican U.S. Rep. John James for the seat. Marlinga’s 2024 campaign in Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, which was announced in a news release provided to The Associated Press, comes after the Democrat lost last year by half a percentage point to James, who had a significant fundraising advantage. In seeking the rematch with James in the suburban district north of Detroit, Marlinga is hoping to extend his party’s recent winning streak in Michigan. Democrats have taken control of the governor’s office and both chambers of the Legislature for the first time in decades, though they fell 1,600 votes short of claiming the 10th District in 2022.National Democrats have already said they will target the GOP-held...