Day 618

• It appears as if the Chinese Communist Party has at least partially "disappeared" WTA tennis star Peng Shuai, and the WTA is not happy about it in the least.  A statement purported to Shuai regarding concerns of her welfare was actually found to be made by state media, and that's got a lot of people asking a lot of questions.
• An Afghani youth women's sports group has been flown to safety and asylum in London with the assistance of a number of celebrities and other dignitaries.
• Koray Aldemir has won the 2021 World Series of Poker Texas Hold 'Em World Championship, and about $8,000,000 for the honor of the main event title.  George Holmes was the runner up -- and, though it was a hefty final showdown, he still takes home slightly more than half of that.
• In the continuing effort by the NCAA to make the Women's Basketball Tournament even partially relevant, they also will have a "First Four" and make the field 68...
• The William Hill sportsbook is about to lose over a million dollars today -- according to David Purdum of ESPN Chalk, a bettor laid a $30,000 bet on Shohei Ohtani winning the American League MVP award at 30-1 -- a $900,000 payoff.  The only question appears to be whether Ohtani wins the award unanimously for both his pitching and hitting prowess over the completed season.
• Break out the checkbook.  Ohtani -- unanimous.
• I mentioned a day or two ago about a German newspaper talking about soccer player collapses...  An Israeli paper is sounding the alarm that pro sports, as we've known them, may be soon impossible:  In the last 12 months, 183 athletes and coaches have collapsed in professional matches, with 107 dying.  This is a 500% (or six-fold) increase year over year.
• Pavarisa Yoktuan of Thailand has toiled on the women's world golf tours for some time.  Hasn't won a tournament since an LPGA tournament in her homeland in 2015.  Her career earnings are less than $300,000.  So, at least for the next two years, she'll be able to drive in style:  For holing out an ace on the 12th hole in the second round of the Pelican Women's Championship last weekend, she won a 2-year lease on a Lamborghini!
• And Su Oh of China joined Yokutan on Sunday.  It was the first tee shot on that hole for the day, and Oh, who would like to drive a Lamborghini, has a two-year lease on one.  Career earnings?  $2.4 million.
• And a third LPGA golfer won one in the Monday Pro-Am previous to the event...
• NBA general managers are forming an association to aid in defense funds and resources for embattled GM's.
• Though the United States is, at present, considered that they will have their athletes attend the Beijing Winter Olympics next year, a very real possibility exists that the normal diplomatic corps which usually joins them will factually boycott.
• This is what happens when you make enough enemies, you have no business having an NFL career -- or really still being on the outside!!  Antonio Brown's former chef now is reported to allege Brown has acquired and is using a fake vaccine card!!
• SI Sportsperson of the Year to be announced December 7th at the new SI Awards at the Hard Rock.
• Time Person of the Year announced the next day.
• Rory Sabbatini has been tossed from the RSM Classic for an illegal aid, in the form of a reflective sticker, on one of his fairway woods.
• In another move which will probably mean the end of the "free press" as you know it once QAnon and Trump get back in power:  MSNBC has been thrown out of the Rittenhouse trial because they tried to follow the jury bus last night.  CAN YOU BE THAT FUCKING STUPID, MSNBC????    
• The good news...  The Muppets have announced their first Asian-American Muppet.
• So the pissants have to get involved... The Conservative Political Action Committee...  has called for the defunding of PBS as a result.  I promised certain readers of this blog that I would do nothing to further compromise this blog...  *grimaces in great pain*   
• The NFL has sent a directive to teams that players should now just turn away from their opponents after plays, that degree of taunting will be added to the Points of Emphasis for the rest of this season.
• Welcome to Week Eleven in the NFL and no one in Atlanta cares.  I swear that stadium isn't even 1/3 full.