October 2022

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CHICAGO (AP) — Dan Coyne makes an annual trip from his Pennsylvania home to watch the Chicago Bears with his brother, Dave, who has season tickets. The brothers got something to eat a couple hours before the game. Dave Coyne, 47, normally stays away from the concessions at Soldier Field, but “I only had to pay for myself tonight,” he said. “I didn’t have a kid or my wife with me.” That’s the calculus in play as fans balance their favorite sporting events — the games theymisseddesperately at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic — with persistently high inflation and gas prices that loom over everything these days.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The timing of the Kansas City Chiefs’ bye this week couldn’t have come at a better time for Patrick Mahomes. And not just because the bumps and bruises from the first seven games of the NFL season will have a chance to heal.

Bill Fennelly has been Iowa State’s coach longer than the Big 12 has existed, and the last time he was this excited going into a season was more than two decades ago. Fennelly has preseason AP All-America forward Ashley Joens back for a fifth season, along Big 12 defensive player of the year Lexi Donarski and conference assists leader Emily Ryan returning after a school-record 28 wins and NCAA Sweet 16 appearance last season. Iowa State is eighth in the preseason AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll and was tabbed by Big 12 coaches as a slight favorite over thirdranked Texas. “Seriously reminds me of a team we had back around 2000, same kind of mentality, same kind of belief,” said Fennelly, going into his 28th season at Iowa State — one more than the Big 12’s history. “I love this group, and I’m just excited to see where we go.” Texas won the Big 12 Tournament last season and made it to the Elite Eight with standout freshman guard Rori Harmon (11.4 points, 4.4 assists and 5.0 assists per game). The Longhorns have a young and talented roster bolstered by two grad transfers: WCC player of the year Shaylee Gonzales from BYU and DePaul leading scorer Sonya Morris.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — They are iconic moments in college football: Fans rushing the field to celebrate landmark victories, almost all with joyous intentions of honoring their team’s success.

MANHATTAN (AP) — Kansas State hopes to know late in the week whether it will have Adrian Martinez under center when the No. 22 Wildcats play ninthranked Oklahoma State in a game that could help decide who plays in the Big 12 championship game.