Speaking on his “Ross and Rizzo Unfiltered” podcast, Rizzo did not hold back, describing the Yankees as “the definition of insanity” while questioning the franchise’s approach and ability to compete against elite opposition. His comments have added further pressure on a team facing difficult questions about its future.

The Yankees Muse X account posted that Rizzo “ripped apart” his former team.

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Former Yankee Anthony Rizzo ripped apart the Yankees organization on his @RossAndRizzo podcast. “…It’s the same thing every single year. If you talk to people there, they almost think it’s insanity. That’s the definition of insanity, if you think it’s going to change.” “They don’t win. They can’t beat the good teams. That’s how it’s been year after year. We got to the World Series in 2024 and stabbed ourselves in the gut multiple times.” He also said the Yankees should acquire a contact-oriented bat, said that Jazz Chisholm Jr’s postgame comments make him look lost as a player, that the Yankees don’t earn the right to say World Series or bust, and agreed with David Ross that, “change can be a good thing.”

— YankeesMuse (@YankeesMuse) October 9, 2026

Rizzo questions Yankees’ direction after historic elimination

Rizzo’s criticism centered on what he sees as a repeated pattern of failure in New York, with the organization seemingly unwilling to make the changes necessary to achieve better results.

“They don’t win. They can’t beat good teams,” Rizzo said, expressing his frustration with the franchise’s continued struggles. He also emphasized that “change can be a good thing,” suggesting that a significant shake-up could be necessary to get the Yankees back on track.

The 2026 ALDS defeat marked the first time in franchise history that the Yankees had been swept in a division series, making the elimination particularly painful for the organization and its supporters.

Rizzo spent the final three-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Yankees after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs in July 2021. A respected veteran, he brought an impressive résumé to New York, including four Gold Glove awards, a Silver Slugger award in 2016 and the Roberto Clemente Award in 2017.

Across his career, Rizzo recorded a .261 batting average and 303 home runs. He also played a key role in helping the Cubs capture the 2016 World Series title, ending Chicago’s historic championship drought.

MORE: Jazz Chisholm ‘confused’ by Yankees’ fans reaction

Aaron Judge opens up about painful Yankees exit

Rizzo was not the only prominent figure expressing disappointment following the Yankees’ postseason collapse. Superstar Aaron Judge, who was absent from the playoff roster while dealing with an injury, shared his frustration with another elimination on home field.

The defeat marked the third consecutive year the Yankees saw their postseason hopes end at home, a trend that has intensified scrutiny of the team’s performance when it matters most.

“Just hating every single moment of it,” Judge said. “Just hating every single moment so I don’t forget.”

With Rizzo publicly questioning the organization’s direction and Judge expressing the emotional toll of another disappointing finish, the Yankees face mounting pressure to make meaningful changes before the next MLB season.

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Ja’Marr Chase, Saquon Barkley, Lamar Jackson, Justin Jefferson and Breece Hall were among the biggest names still dealing with concerns Thursday, while others such as Brock Bowers, Jayden Daniels and Tony Pollard received encouraging practice updates.

MORE: Fantasy Football quarterback rankings for Week 5

Biggest injury updates heading into Week 5

Ja’Marr Chase remains in concussion protocol but practiced Thursday, giving the Cincinnati Bengals some reason for optimism.

Saquon Barkley sat out a second straight practice with his hamstring injury, while Ashton Jeanty moved from full participation to limited due to ankle/foot issues.

Brock Bowers was upgraded to a full participant, while Chris Olave joined the injury report with a foot issue. Justin Jefferson remained limited for another day, and Malik Nabers improved from no practice to limited.

Lamar Jackson remained sidelined Thursday with his ankle injury, creating significant uncertainty heading into Baltimore’s Week 5 matchup.

Jayden Daniels, however, is reportedly a “full go” for Washington, while D’Andre Swift improved from no practice to limited.

Kyle Monangai is dealing with turf toe but plans to try to play through it. DJ Moore couldn’t practice, while Mike Evans sat out Thursday but was able to run on the sideline.

DeVonta Smith ran Thursday but remained officially listed as a DNP.

Ladd McConkey missed another practice, Zay Flowers remained limited, and Jeremiyah Love was limited again.

Breece Hall was also held out for another session, while Tee Higgins worked out but did not practice.

MORE: Fantasy Football studs & duds for Week 5 of 2026 NFL season

More fantasy football injury updates

Terry McLaurin remains sidelined, while Carnell Tate sustained a back injury Thursday.

Cam Skattebo shed his no-contact jersey but remained limited, and Rhamondre Stevenson once again had his practice reps capped.

Tony Pollard was upgraded to a full participant, while Rico Dowdle logged another limited session. Tyler Shough also moved to full participation.

Michael Pittman Jr. is expected to miss several weeks, creating another major concern for fantasy managers. Jordan Addison resumed practicing, but Dontayvion Wicks suffered a hamstring injury Thursday.

Stefon Diggs worked out Thursday but remained a non-participant, while Jacory Croskey-Merritt stayed limited. Alvin Kamara provided some positive news by moving to limited participation.

With so many key players dealing with injuries, Friday’s practice reports will be critical before official Week 5 game statuses are announced. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring the situations involving Jackson, Chase, Barkley, Jefferson, Hall, and the other high-impact players before finalizing lineups.

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Saban was asked about “Roll Tide” in “Saban,” the six-part ESPN Original series that premiered Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN, and he answered without hedging: “I don’t know. I really don’t. I honestly don’t know.”

MORE: Lane Kiffin rips potential SEC transfer rule change as league weighs major decision

When did Saban admit he didn’t know ‘Roll Tide’ meaning?

The admission comes from the documentary, not a press conference or a College GameDay segment. Russell Dinallo directed the series for Words + Pictures, and all six episodes launched on the ESPN App. The remaining five episodes air on ESPN through October and early November, and bundled subscribers can also stream the series on Disney+ via ESPN.

The production leaned heavily on its subject. Dinallo told Awful Announcing that his crew interviewed Saban seven times, and more than 70 people appear on camera, including Bill Belichick, Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, Kirby Smart, Tim Tebow, Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa.

Saban and his wife, Terry Saban, attended the premiere in Tuscaloosa on Thursday night, where he described the project as a chance to set the record straight.

“We tried to be open and honest,” Saban said. “You know, a lot of things have been written about me. We wanted to do this to kind of get it straight, for everybody.”

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Where does ‘Roll Tide’ come from?

Alabama can’t say with certainty where the phrase came from either. The university credits Birmingham Age-Herald sports editor Hugh Roberts with coining “Crimson Tide” after Alabama fought heavily favored Auburn to a 6-6 tie in Birmingham in 1907, a game played in red mud that stained the team’s white jerseys.

Zipp Newman of the Birmingham News later did more than any other writer to spread the nickname. But even that story has holes, because the Roberts recap of the 1907 game printed in The Tuscaloosa News doesn’t contain the words “crimson” or “tide.” The “roll” is even harder to pin down.

Some trace it to fans watching the Tide roll over opponents, while others point to the fight song “Yea Alabama!” The song’s original sheet music included the line “Go! Roll to vic-try!” and its modern version closes with “Roll Tide! Roll Tide!”

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How does the series portray Saban?

Reviewers have singled out the “Roll Tide” moment as evidence of how little the sport’s culture registered with him. Sean Keeley of Awful Announcing wrote that Saban appears detached from the tradition, rivalry and fan culture that define college football and that he seems confused by how much LSU fans resent him for eventually landing at Alabama.

The series also digs into the coach’s upbringing. The third episode, “Black Diamonds,” examines his relationship with his father, Nick Sr., who pushed him hard during youth football. Sports psychiatrist Dr. Lionel “Lonny” Rosen, who met Saban at Michigan State and helped shape “The Process,” compares the West Virginia native to a predator driven by instinct rather than wins.

The docuseries arrives as Alabama prepares to face Georgia. College football analyst Josh Pate argued this week that the Crimson Tide may be the best team in the country, with quarterback Keelon Russell leading an improved roster.

MORE: College football Week 6 best bets: Texas, Wake Forest, UCF, JMU, Duke, Memphis, Air Force

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After Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and threw a touchdown pass, he and teammate Vita Vea joined the TNF crew to talk about the game. Host Charissa Thompson wasted no time bringing up Daniels’ mother, Starkey “Star” Daniels, who was standing nearby. The crew invited her onto the set. She was understandably beaming, as shown in a Sports on Prime YouTube video.

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‘Indescribable’ moment for Daniels family

“It is indescribable,” said Daniels’ mom. “This moment is so big. I’m speechless. I’m so proud of you. I am SO proud of you. This is amazing.”

Just a few weeks ago this moment probably seemed impossible. Daniels beat the odds to make the team, but he was backing up a guy who just signed a $165 million contract. On top of the big contract, Mayfield hadn’t missed a game in his time with the Buccaneers. An injury was the only way Daniels was getting on the field. Now people are actually wondering if he should remain the starter.

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That seems unlikely. Mayfield now has a long week to get better before the Bucs play the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Oct. 18. Daniels will eventually return to the bench, but he made the most of his opportunity. The Bucs and their fans should feel comfortable knowing they have a legitimate backup going forward.

That’s plenty of reason to be proud.

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Detroit’s scoring distribution points toward one back collecting the finishes while its passing game does the transporting. Atlanta’s front presents a much less welcoming situation for a visiting star. And Monday night offers a runner whose expanding receiving work could make defending him a two-department problem for Buffalo all evening.

Here’s where the arguments end up.

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Jahmyr Gibbs scores 4+ rushing or receiving touchdowns against the Cardinals

Detroit has scored five rushing touchdowns this season. Gibbs owns every one. Add his two receiving scores, and he has supplied half the Lions’ 14 offensive touchdowns. That’s an offense with plenty of talented mouths to feed, repeatedly handing the dessert menu to the same guy.

Against the Cardinals, the route to four scores starts with Jared Goff moving the chains through the air, then letting Gibbs finish possessions. His 22 receptions also give Detroit a way to deliver the ball to him beyond the congestion between the tackles.

Arizona’s front deserves respect. Its coverage offers the better opening. When the Cardinals fail to generate pressure, their zone defense has struggled to hold up, giving Detroit a path to repeated scoring opportunities. Gibbs already combined two rushing touchdowns with a receiving score against the Jets.

With the Lions’ own defense struggling to get stops, there could be reason to keep feeding their most versatile finisher deep into Sunday’s game. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta can help move the offense downfield. Gibbs gets an unusually large share of the celebrations this week. 

Derrick Henry finishes with fewer than 40 rushing yards against the Falcons

Atlanta is making running backs do their work before they can build momentum. Through four games, opponents have managed 193 rushing yards on 71 attempts – 2.7 yards per carry. That’s the entire opposing rushing attack, quarterbacks included.

Henry presents a different challenge with his power and substantial workload, but the Falcons’ path is clear – meet him early, prevent the clean acceleration into the second level, and make Baltimore repeatedly earn its way out of difficult down-and-distance situations. The prediction is that those stalled runs pile up Sunday night.

Baltimore’s Wednesday report adds uncertainty around the blocking and backfield threat.  Lamar Jackson missed practice with an ankle injury, while Ronnie Stanley and Andrew Vorhees also sat and John Simpson was limited. Jackson needn’t be ruled out for this matchup to trouble Henry.

Atlanta has concerns of its own, including Za’Darius Smith and Cameron Thomas on its estimated report, so this isn’t a pristine defensive setup.  Still, Henry’s 89 carries establish opportunity, not immunity. He can remain the Ravens’ featured runner and spend the evening searching for a runway that never opens.

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Kyren Williams records 100+ rushing yards and 100+ receiving yards against the Bills

Thirteen targets change the conversation about a running back.  Williams caught ten of them against the Eagles, and those throws weren’t disconnected from his rushing responsibilities. He also carried 16 times and finished the comeback with two rushing touchdowns. 

A week earlier, he paired 88 rushing yards with 70 receiving yards against the Broncos. Sean McVay has been keeping Williams involved as the offense changes gears. On Monday night, that flexibility gives the Rams a way to keep finding him whether Matthew Stafford is handing off or looking for a quick outlet.

Buffalo’s edge pressure makes those outlets particularly interesting.  Greg Rousseau already has six sacks, so getting the ball to Williams underneath can turn an urgent throw into an opportunity after the catch.  The rushing half requires Los Angeles to maintain its balance against a front allowing roughly four yards per carry. 

This doesn’t depend on Ed Oliver missing the game or Blake Corum disappearing from the rotation. It requires Williams to stretch his recent receiving production with a longer gain while continuing to find room on the ground. Buffalo gets him out of the backfield and still can’t get him out of the play.

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Dallas squandered an opportunity get over .500 on Thursday night against a Baker Mayfield-less Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad. Dak Prescott’s offense, which had been humming along nicely, reverted back to the mean and allowed the Bucs to build up a late 24-10 lead. America’s Team saw their comeback campaign ended when Jake Ferguson could not reel in a pass, resulting in the second tipped-ball interception of the night.

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Prescott struggled to link up with his targets for 60 minutes and ended up going only 24-for-42. There was some bad luck and bounces of the ball in there but at the end of the day far below the standard at which he needs to play.

Now at 2-3 and further behind in the NFC East, the Cowboys must get it together if they want to make a serious push for the playoffs. This morning every content creator is beaming in the knowledge they have plenty of material for both the A and B blocks.

Dallas Cowboys struggles

Prescott’s bad night did not end after the final whistle. He was the target of some pointed criticism about the team’s play while walking in what is supposed to be safe space. Watch below as a someone in the tunnel informs the quarterback that the result was “embarrassing.”

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott got cat-called by someone in the tunnel. Someone called out “embarrassing!” Prescott heard it, said something back, and then pointed the person out to a Cowboys employee. https://t.co/5qImPdjT1s

— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) October 9, 2026

Now, one can understand why Prescott didn’t want to hear this and why it got a strong reaction. The quarterback quickly pointed out the offending party and someone on the Cowboys staff went about the business of confronting whomever said that.

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Some may say it’s soft but Prescott is well within his rights to be perturbed. There’s a time and place for feedback and deep in the bowels of a stadium with restricted access is not the place. While someone is walking to the locker room is not the time. It’s just a terrible precedent to allow the peanut gallery access to that space to insult players. Every organization in every sport is going to do everything it can to prevent such confrontations for happening.

That said, the unnamed party does sort of have a point. Losing to Tampa Bay like that is slightly embarrassing.

Dallas clearly has the offensive firepower to hang with any team in the NFL. The disastrous moments came on balls not intended for George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb. Perhaps the answer is just throwing that duo the ball every time.

Indiana missed Haliburton, to say the least. Without their star guard, the Pacers struggled, finishing 19-63 and missing the playoffs.

However, Haliburton is finally back. He returned Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring seven points and adding six assists in 16 minutes. His return gives the Pacers a chance to climb back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

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Indiana could return to contender status

Before Haliburton’s injury, Indiana shocked the NBA by reaching the NBA Finals in 2025. Haliburton was a key component of the championship run, leading a fast-paced offense that thrived on ball movement and creating opportunities for teammates.

His return should help Indiana rediscover the offensive identity it struggled to display last season. Haliburton’s floor-general skills have been a major catalyst for his teammates’ success, creating easier scoring opportunities for players like Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith.

The Pacers lost several key players from their championship run over the past year but have added new pieces to fill those gaps. They traded for Ivica Zubac while signing Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. If those additions fit alongside Haliburton and Siakam, Indiana could have the depth to make another serious push for an NBA championship.

The Eastern Conference is getting tougher

There’s one major problem: The Eastern Conference is more competitive than it was two years ago.

The defending champion New York Knicks remain among the top teams in the East, while the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers will also look to compete near the top of the conference. The Philadelphia 76ers enter the season with a new-look roster featuring LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, making them another team to watch in the Eastern Conference race.

What Haliburton’s return means for the East

Haliburton’s return raises Indiana’s ceiling, giving the team an opportunity to post a far better record than last season. If he can return to All-Star form, Indiana could move from the bottom of the standings back into playoff contention.

The Eastern Conference has several legitimate contenders, and Indiana still has many questions to answer. But with Haliburton back running the offense, the Pacers should not be overlooked.

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Given that you can give them basically any item in the game, it’s no easy task to work out, so we’ll help you out by explaining what treat they want the most and where you can get your hands on the right item.

The best treat for Freki – DD2 Dark Arisen

As you give the wolves random items, their handler will slowly remember some of the things they like to help you narrow down the search, and in the end will task you with talking to her father, who will remember what they loved: Snowdeer Bones. That’s the treat you need to hunt down and hand over to the direwolves.

But that’s not quite as straightforward as it seems.

How to get Snowdeer Bones – DD2 Dark Arisen

You may have seen some deer running around the forests near the village and think those are the prey you need to hunt, but no, these are not Snowdeer. Instead, you need to head into the far north of Norgan to find them. The northwest region is where we had the most success finding Snowdeer. You only need to slay one to get the bones though; then you can come back to the village and hand them to Freki.

SEC presidents are scheduled to meet next week to consider a proposal that would make athletes who transfer from one league school to another sit out a season. Kiffin ripped the idea on his weekly coaches show Thursday evening, and he’s right to do so. Taking away rights from college athletes doesn’t help the sport. It’s a blatant attempt to “correct” the actions taken in recent years to empower players.

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What did Lane Kiffin say?

“That would be terrible. I can’t imagine a worse decision to be made,” Kiffin said, per NOLA.

“So we would just be handing away a lot of players every year and limiting them so they can’t go to the other 15 SEC schools that they’ve grown up fans of, or maybe in the same area where they’re from, and they’d be forced to go to other conferences and play against us and play for other conferences,” Kiffin said.

MORE: College football Week 6 best bets: Texas, Wake Forest, UCF, JMU, Duke, Memphis, Air Force

SEC sit-out rule targets players

The proposal would punish athletes for a move coaches make freely. Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU in November 2025 and faced no waiting period in Baton Rouge, and several of his former players followed him.

Edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen tied for third in the SEC with nine sacks at Ole Miss last season before transferring to LSU. Linebacker TJ Dottery and receiver Winston Watkins Jr. made the same trip.

The Tigers also built their 2026 roster with contributors from four other SEC programs, including receiver Eugene Wilson III from Florida, edge rusher Jordan Ross and offensive lineman William Satterwhite from Tennessee, defensive tackle Malik Blocton from Auburn and kicker Scott Starzyk from Arkansas. Under the proposed rule, each would have sat out 2026 or left the conference.

The NCAA dropped its sit-out requirement for multi-time transfers in 2024 after a federal injunction in West Virginia. Seven state attorneys general challenged that rule in court in December 2023, arguing it violated federal antitrust law, and an SEC rule built on the same restriction could face the same challenge.

MORE: Week 6 CFB DFS picks: Jamal Roberts, Michael Hawkins Jr. top DraftKings, FanDuel plays

Who benefits from an SEC sit-out?

The Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 would land the SEC players who want a new school but won’t give up a year of playing time.

“I joked today, the other conferences would celebrate that rule,” Kiffin said. “It would be like in the AFC, there’s gonna be free agency coming up, but all AFC free agents, the other AFC teams can’t take when they become free agents. And they’d all go to the NFC.”

The Protect College Sports Act, which passed the Senate last month and awaits a House vote, would still give athletes one transfer without sitting out, so the SEC proposal is stricter than the federal bill.

The college football transfer portal opens Jan. 4 for a 10-day window, and SEC players deciding whether to stay would weigh a season on the bench against an immediate starting job in another conference.

MORE: College fantasy football Week 6 rankings: Jeremiah Smith, Jahiem White lead

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Lamb came down with a quadriceps injury in the fourth quarter while the Cowboys were trying to scratch and claw their way back into the game.

He initially attempted to get back into the contest, but he simply was unable to stay on the field and ultimately exited for good.

On Friday morning, we received a positive update on Lamb that has the Cowboys breathing a sigh of relief.

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CeeDee Lamb injury update

Thankfully for the Cowboys, it appears they’ve dodged a bullet.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Lamb is dealing with a quadriceps bruise, and it is not considered to be anything long term.

“My understanding is that it is a quad bruise. Not considered to be serious, but something that he has had before,” Rapoport said. “So, essentially got hit in the same spot in his quad and was not able to (return).”

MORE: Bucs’ Todd Bowles addresses health concern after Cowboys game

“Do not expect this to be a long-term injury,” Rapoport said.

When it comes to Lamb’s Week 6 status, he is fortunate the Cowboys have a mini-bye week with 10 days before their next contest, so he has extra time to get right.

We’ll have a clearer picture of Lamb’s situation on Wednesday, when the Cowboys drop their first Week 6 injury report.

CeeDee Lamb’s hot start to 2026

Thursday night not withstanding — Lamb had just two catches for nine yards — he is having a fantastic start to this season.

Entering Week 5, Lamb led the NFL with his 498 receiving yards on 37 catches, and he has found pay dirt four times.

Prior to his stinker against the Bucs, Lamb had three consecutive 100-yard performances, including a legendary 17-catch, 189-yard, one-touchdown showing in Week 4.

MORE: CeeDee Lamb rocks custom Nike cowboy fit for Bucs game

Lamb is on pace to shatter what he did last season, assuming he can stay healthy, which was his biggest issue during the 2025 campaign.

There was some debate about the Cowboys’ No. 1 wide receiver going into the season after George Pickens had a career year, but Lamb has shut that down quickly.

Dallas returns to action on the road against the Green Bay Packers at 8:20 p.m. ET Oct. 18.

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