Clippers Star Kawhi Leonard Declared Ineligible for Any NBA AwardsARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cam Skattebo and Arizona State are on quite a run in their Big 12 debut after being the preseason pick to finish at the bottom of the conference. Now the Sun Devils will represent their new 16-team league in the 12-team College Football Playoff after a 45-19 win over Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game Saturday. The tough-running Skattebo had 170 yards rushing, including a 28-yard gain on the first offensive snap. There were long, tackle-evading runs to open the two drives he ended with short touchdowns, and he later turned a short pass into another score. “I've got the best seat in the house,” said Sam Leavitt, the freshman quarterback who hands off to Skattebo. “Get ready for a gain of 5 or whatever, and I just see the dude kind of weaving through some traffic ... and busts loose." The Sun Devils (11-2, No. 15 CFP), with their 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham, take a six-game winning streak into the playoff. Iowa State (10-3, No. 16 CFP), which already had the first 10-win season in the program’s 133-year history, trailed 24-10 before turnovers in its own territory on its first three drives after halftime. Arizona State capitalized with Leavitt throwing touchdowns each time. “It doesn’t get that much more deflating than that,” Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said. “Their ability to take care of the football and our inability to do that in the third quarter was just paralyzing.” Skattebo struck the Heisman Trophy pose multiple times during the game, and he wore a Big 12 championship T-shirt afterward. “Nobody respects the fact that I’m the best running back in the country. And I’m going to stand on that,” he said. “I'm going to keep proving people wrong. And whatever NFL team takes me is going to get a gem.” That can wait until after Arizona State's guaranteed playoff spot as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions. The Sun Devils almost certainly will rank below Mountain West champion Boise State (12-1, No 10). That would give the Broncos a first-round bye and send the Sun Devils on the road for a first-round game, much to the dismay of Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark , who before the title game re-iterated his feelings about that. “Last year, they left a team out because of a quarterback (then-undefeated Florida State). We're 11-1 with our starting quarterback, having beat four ranked teams and we won the Big 12 championship,” Dillingham said. “We made a standard that the quarterback is that valuable ... I definitely think we should host a game.” Xavier Guillory had TD catches of 8 and 21 yards in a 71-second span after the Iowa State turnovers. Skattebo then turned a third-down swing pass into a 33-yard score for a 45-10 lead that he punctuated with one of his Heisman poses. Skattebo's 2,074 yards from scrimmage (1,568 rushing and 506 receiving) are a single-season school record. Before his 3-yard TD, Skattebo had a 47-yard run when he spun away at the line from defenders, then shrugged off others. He had a 2-yard score in the final minute of the first half after a 53-yard run, again after contact at the line before twisting and turning through chasing Cyclones. “He’s an ‘A’ player, and he played an ‘A’ game today,” Campbell said. “In these moments, you need your ‘A’ players to play ‘A’ football, and he certainly did it.” Even without injured leading receiver Jordan Tyson , the Sun Devils had plenty of big plays. Leavitt's first pass was a 22-yarder to Melquan Stovall, who later had a 63-yard catch to convert a fourth-and-1. Arizona State had six plays of more than 20 yards — all in the first half, when the longest play by Iowa State was 19 yards. The Cyclones' got a late 25-yard TD pass from Rocco Becht to Jaylin Noel, one of their two 1,000-yard receivers. Tyson, who had 624 yards receiving in five November games, injured his left arm in the second half of the regular-season finale against Arizona. Becht has thrown TD passes in 17 consecutive game. His 3-yarder to Carson Hansen on the Cyclones' opening drive gave them their only lead at 7-3. Becht completed 21 of 35 pass for 214 yards and two TDs. Arizona State has its first outright conference title since winning the Pac-10 in 1996. After going 3-9 in their final Pac-12 season, the Sun Devils' eight-win improvement is a school record — the previous was five. Arizona State and Indiana (11-1) are the only FBS schools with eight-win improvements over last year. Iowa State got into November undefeated for the first time since 1938. The Cyclones then lost back-to-back games before winning three in a row to get into their second Big 12 title game. They lost to Oklahoma in the 2020 game. Arizona State finds out Sunday who and where it will start the playoff. Iowa State waits for its bowl destination, likely either the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio or the Pop Tarts Bowl in Orlando. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

The proposed auto-enrolment pensions plan has been labelled a "waste of resources" by a former actuary. The Department of Social Protection' retirement savings scheme for employees is set to be implemented on September 30th next year. Under auto- enrolment , all employed workers who are not already in a pension scheme will be automa tically enrolled in the new national scheme. Employees, employers and the State will all pay a certain amount into an employee's pension fund. A new public body - the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority - will oversee the administration of the new scheme. Employees can opt out of the scheme after six months if they wish. Former actuary and past president of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland Colm Fagan, however, has described the pensions plan as a "waste of resources". On The Pat Kenny Show , Mr Fagan claimed two aspects of the plan would be very costly to the State. "One is the total contributions being paid by employees, employers and the State," he said. "That would be €20 billion in the first 10 years of the scheme and then it would be €4 billion a year after that." "It’s incomprehensible that they’ve agreed to go into this without any consideration of whether they’re getting good value for money ." Mr Fagan said Ireland's auto-enrolment plan is modelled off the UK's National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) scheme. "I n the NEST scheme, there is between a quarter and a third of the people who leave every year. "If we have the same experience as the NEST scheme, of the 80 0,000 people who join, only 30,000 of them will still be there after 10 years." Mr Fagan is calling for the Economic Social Research Institute (ESRI) to assess Ireland's proposed auto-enrolment scheme before it is enacted next year. "All I'm saying is we should have the ESRI go through it with a fine-tooth comb," he said. You can listen back here: Feature image: Bank notes, coins and a calculator are laid out on a surface, Alamy.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Tulsa fired football coach Kevin Wilson on Sunday and will elevate wide receivers coach Ryan Switzer on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. The Golden Hurricane lost to South Florida 63-30 on Saturday, dropping their record to 3-8. The school's decision concludes Wilson's two-year tenure with a 7-16 record, including 3-12 in American Athletic Conference play. “With the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics, we know the importance of positioning our football program and athletic department to thrive and excel in the upcoming years,” athletic director Justin Moore said in a statement. “Our standard will be to play in bowl games every season, compete for conference titles, and build a program that everyone connected to the Golden Hurricane will be proud of." Wilson spent six years as Indiana’s head coach, going 26-47 from 2011 to 2016. He then joined Urban Meyer’s staff at Ohio State and stayed on under Meyer’s successor, Ryan Day, before taking over at Tulsa. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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History is filled with extraordinary moments that defy imagination in various ways that astonish, inspire, and perplex. While we often celebrate the monumental events that shape nations and transform civilisations, countless extraordinary tales remain hidden, their brilliance obscured by the grander narratives of time. These moments are not just anecdotes but stories of courage, ingenuity, tragedy, and sheer eccentricity—each offering a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of the human experience. From daring feats of resilience to bizarre acts of genius and tragedy, these astonishing tales of forgotten heroes, eccentric inventors, and uncanny coincidences are so remarkable that they read like fiction—but are all real. Read also: John Tinniswood: 112yrs old man who survived Titanic’s era, lived through history According to Ranker, here are 11 most jaw-dropping moments in history you probably missed. Mitchell Red Cloud Jr., a member of the Oglala Lakota, became a legendary figure in the Korean War for his extraordinary courage. In 1950, during a brutal firefight, Red Cloud stood his ground after being hit with multiple bullets. Despite his grave wounds, he ordered his men to tie him to a tree to continue firing, ensuring his unit could retreat. His actions saved lives and helped secure a defensive position. Red Cloud’s sacrifice earned him the Medal of Honor, and his story remains a symbol of selflessness and bravery under extreme conditions. Betty Robinson’s extraordinary story of survival captivated the world. As a teenager, she won Olympic gold in the 4×100 metre relay at the 1928 Olympics. However, her life took a dramatic turn when she was involved in a tragic plane crash in 1931. Initially declared dead, Robinson was later discovered to be alive in a morgue, barely clinging to life. Doctors initially doubted she’d ever walk again, but she fought through unimaginable pain and went on to win another Olympic gold medal in 1936, solidifying her place as one of history’s greatest comeback athletes. Victor Hugo, the legendary French author of Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, was not only a literary giant but also a man whose death commanded immense respect. In 1885, when Hugo passed away, his funeral became a national event. In an extraordinary show of respect, Parisian brothels—known for their open doors—closed for the day as a tribute. Rumour has it that Hugo, who had a complex relationship with love and sexuality, had been a client of the Brothels, adding an ironic twist to the story of his funeral. Read also: Samson Dauda: The Nigerian-born bodybuilder who made history at Mr. Olympia 2024 James Jameson, heir to the Jameson whiskey fortune, was a man of many contradictions. In 1887, while on an expedition in the Congo, he reportedly paid to witness the cannibalization of a young girl by a tribal group. Jameson, a passionate and controversial figure, later denied his involvement, claiming he was merely a witness. However, the disturbing sketches he made of the event and his participation in documenting the horrific scene left a stain on his legacy, raising questions about his motivations and the ethics of colonial exploration during that era. The Greek philosopher Pythagoras is perhaps best known for the theorem that bears his name – the Pythagorean Theorem. While the sixth-century BCE Ionian lives on with the geometric statement about triangles, Pythagoras is also known for his works on the soul. Pythagoras was also a vegetarian, although how strictly he avoided meat remains unclear. Regardless, Pythagoras had thoughts about food, especially fava beans. Pythagoras didn’t eat beans and forbade his followers from eating them as well. Beans were not allowed because they caused internal distress – gas – and could make it difficult to focus. Farting aside, there were also beliefs in the ancient world that beans were associated with Hades and contained reincarnated souls of the dead. Beans were also associated with poverty because poor people ate them. Another interpretation is that Pythagoras really meant politics when he said beans because voting in ancient Greece was done with beans. But stories about beans essentially causing Pythagoras’s demise contradict this explanation: When Pythagoras was chased by an angry mob, the philosopher refused to cross a field of beans to escape. He either saw them as sacred or simply feared them, but either way, he was slain as a result. The word “boycott” has its origins in 19th-century Ireland, specifically in the context of the Land War. Charles Cunningham Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland, was notoriously harsh in his dealings with tenants. In 1880, a group of Irish farmers, led by local activist Michael Davitt, began a campaign of social banishment against Boycott. They refused to work for him or provide services, effectively isolating him from the community. The term “boycott” was coined as a result, forever linking his name to the idea of collective action against unjust individuals or systems. Read also: Forced migration: Facing the largest global displacement crisis in history Anita Ekberg, the Swedish actress who captured hearts in La Dolce Vita, was not just a beauty icon but also a woman of striking courage. In 1964, she was embroiled in an altercation with a persistent paparazzo outside her home. As he tried to snap pictures of her, Ekberg grabbed a bow and arrow and aimed it at the photographer. Though the arrow missed, the incident added to her reputation as a woman who fiercely defended her privacy. Her boldness only intensified her mystique in the world of film and fashion. John Joseph Merlin, a talented inventor and mechanical engineer, created one of the first roller skates, but his debut of the invention in 1783 ended in disaster. Merlin, known for his eccentric personality, appeared at a London masquerade ball wearing his roller skates while playing the violin. However, his attempt at a graceful performance went horribly wrong when he lost control, crashing into a mirror and injuring himself. While his invention would eventually become the history and foundation for modern roller skating, Merlin’s public mishap remains one of the most memorable moments in the history of the sport. The phrase “computer bug” is often credited to Grace Hopper, a pioneering computer scientist in the 1940s. While working on the Mark II computer at Harvard University in 1947, her team discovered that the machine was malfunctioning due to a moth trapped in one of its circuits. The team carefully removed the insect, and Hopper humorously documented it in her logbook, writing: “First actual case of bug being found.” This moment, though trivial at the time, marked the beginning of the term “computer bug,” which is still used today to refer to technical glitches. Read also: 11 key moments of 2021 Lady Meux, an eccentric and wealthy Victorian woman, became a well-known figure in London’s social scene for her bizarre and extravagant lifestyle. One of her more unusual traits was her fondness for zebras, which she had trained to pull her chariot around London. As a wealthy widow with a passion for the exotic, she owned a private zoo and often hosted lavish events at her residence, where she entertained guests with her collection of wild animals. Her bizarre use of zebras was a public spectacle that cemented her as a symbol of Victorian opulence and eccentricity. In 1835, President Andrew Jackson was presented with a 1,400-pound block of cheddar cheese, a gift from a group of supporters in New York. Rather than let the cheese go to waste, Jackson decided to throw a grand public party at the White House, inviting crowds to sample the massive block. The event quickly descended into chaos, with thousands of visitors swarming the White House, pushing, shoving, and indulging in the cheese. It was a bizarre scene, but it shifted national attention away from a political scandal, cementing Jackson’s reputation as an unconventional president.

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