With nine games left on the schedule, the Kansas City Chiefs face the query: Can they remain undefeated?

Here’s the answer: it doesn’t matter.

There is little question that NFL observers are considering whether the only undefeated team in the league will finish the regular season with an ideal record. But Kansas City (8-0) stays focused on pursuing an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl championship.

For the Chiefs, the regular season is just a method to an end.

As the Chiefs prepare for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos, they’ve overcome serious injuries en path to posting the best record in the league. In fact, including postseason games, the Chiefs have won 14 in a row over two seasons.

And they are usually not surprised.

“We’re a really good football team,” superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes recently told reporters. “No matter what is required that day, the guys will rise to the challenge and play. If it’s defense, if it’s offense, if it’s special teams and each individual in those situations, they will step up. None of us care about statistics, we care about victories.

“We (had) seasons where we had great numbers and didn’t win the Super Bowl. And in seasons like last year (when) you don’t necessarily have great stats, but you win the Super Bowl (and) you still feel a lot better. … No matter what, we will find a way to win the football game. It comes down to experience and the great culture we have built here.”

Last season, the Chiefs became the first team since the New England Patriots in 2004 and 2005 to win back-to-back Super Bowl championships. Trying to interrupt latest ground in the Super Bowl era, the Chiefs got off to a sensational start, sparking interest in whether or not they could grow to be the second team in NFL history to complete the season, including the playoffs, undefeated. In the 1972-73 season, the Miami Dolphins went 17-0.

In the 2007/08 season, it seemed that the New England Patriots couldn’t be stopped. They went 16-0 in the regular season, won two AFC playoff games and were heavily favored to beat the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. On at the present time, nevertheless, the Giants were higher. Despite going 18-1, the Patriots didn’t get the victory they most wanted.

The Golden State Warriors began the 2015-16 NBA season 24-0, setting a brand new record for the best start at the highest level of basketball. The Warriors’ historic begin to this season became the springboard for an additional single-season NBA accomplishment: an overall record of 73-9.

Ultimately, nevertheless, the team is best known for failing to defend the NBA title and being the only team in NBA Finals history to blow a 3-1 series. As it turned out, the Warriors’ season was meaningless due to the way it ended.

Kansas City hopes to avoid the same fate.

Nevertheless, Chiefs’ early season streak is impressive, especially given the injuries they’ve overcome. Among their starters, they lost wide receiver Hollywood Brown in the preseason, running back Isiah Pacheco in Week 2, receiver Rashee Rice in Week 4 and cornerback Jaylen Watson in Week 7.

Much to go coach Andy Reid’s delight, the Chiefs just keep playing.

“Those games were close. Many of them. So I’m happy with the guys for taking part in for 4 quarters and sticking together throughout that period,” Reid said. “We can improve in all facets, including me. We’re just working in the same direction now and it’s essential to see if we are able to improve as time goes on.

The addition of All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins helped to realize this goal.

Recently acquired in a trade from the Tennessee Titans, Hopkins quickly strengthened the receiving corps devastated by injuries. Hopkins had eight receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns in Monday’s 30-24 additional time victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

According to the Chiefs, Hopkins has slot in well.

“His hands are phenomenal,” Kansas City offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. “The experience that he has and that comes with it is trust. He played in lots of matches. He understands and has seen many various defenses. It’s precious.

“Whether it’s zone or man (coverage), he’s a superb route runner. You see it on tape. … You see his confidence and pride. That confidence can really permeate and you are feeling it with other players.

Mahomes can attest to that. He established a fast rapport with Hopkins, whom the Chiefs acquired with the ultimate goal in mind fairly than attempting to finish the regular season with an unblemished record.

“We continue to give him more and more opportunities to make plays,” Mahomes said. “We move him around and let him do what he excels at, which is catching the ball, winning one-on-ones and getting open in coverage.

“It’s just going to assist the whole offense, not only him, but it’s going to assist the other guys get open. Of course, given the big game he had last game, I’m sure they’ll be paying more attention to him this week.

When you play for the Chiefs, attracting attention comes with the job. And even when the Chiefs finish the regular season with a poor record, the highlight shall be on them at the biggest moment of the yr in the NFL.

November 6 Simone Biles, the world’s top gymnast, shared a message with President Biden on X.

Her request was easy: “straighten your back and shake some things out before you leave.”

The world-class athlete signed her message “Women in America.”

Biles’ message comes as a response to the top of a tumultuous election cycle wherein women’s rights were on the forefront of the agenda.

The Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, advocated for a girl’s right to make decisions without government interference. Her conservative opponents will not be such champions.

President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance are more conservative of their beliefs. Vance proudly spoke out against childless women and devalued their contributions to society. She also believes that the one goal of postmenopausal women needs to be to care for kids of their prolonged families.

Biles is rightly concerned about what comes next for American women. The American gymnast is using her voice to support women like her.

This is not the primary time an athlete has spoken out about serious problems.

Biles’ departure from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics sparked a debate about mental health issues amongst top athletes. With enormous pressure to represent the United StatesBiles decided to care for herself. In 2021 she spoke to Down spread knowledge about mental health help.

“I’m going to therapy and I also know that it doesn’t help with stress, anxiety and depression, but there is nothing to be ashamed of that you simply are going through something similar. I’m here with you and you may care for yourself,” she said.

In 2018, Biles got here forward to break her silence concerning the abuse and harassment she experienced by the hands of Larry Nassar, the US gymnastics team doctor.

“For too long I asked myself, ‘Was I too naive?’ “Was it my fault?” I already know the answers to these questions. NO. No, it wasn’t my fault. No, I is not going to and mustn’t bear the guilt of Larry Nassar, USAG and others.

Biles turned to Congress to make clear Nassar’s abuses. She also condemned the system that allowed his actions to proceed for over a decade.

“Without a doubt, I consider that the circumstances that led to my harassment and allowed it to proceed are a direct results of the incontrovertible fact that the organizations created by Congress to oversee and protect me as an athlete, USA Gymnastics on the United States Paralympic Committee, she failed to fulfill her obligations.”

As Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics attended the 2024 NBA Championship ring ceremony and banner raising on October 22, the Illawarra Hawks head coach took an apparent break from his team’s training in Australia to observe the sport on his cell phone.

Yes, Justin Tatum was on the opposite side of the world holding back his completely happy emotions, nevertheless it was essential to him to see his son and the Celtics – who play the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET) – have fun in real time .

“I couldn’t miss this moment if my life depended on it,” Justin Tatum told Andscape. “My team and the organization understood that. I felt nothing but happiness and it was a sign of success that I used to be completely happy to see my son and his teammates succeed. I hope he has the chance to experience this over and over during his NBA career. I used to be just so completely happy for him.

Justin Tatum is attempting to win a championship as head coach of the Illawarra Hawks. He got here to the Illawarra after serving as probably the most successful highschool basketball coaches in Missouri, winning three state championships and 10 conference titles in 16 seasons at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis and Soldan High. His biggest highschool basketball challenge was coaching against his son — Justin Tatum went 1-9 against Jayson’s Chaminade High School.

Following a successful career as CBC Head Coach, Justin Tatum left on February 28, 2023 to grow to be a North American Scout and Special Advisor for Basketball Operations on the Illawarra. Illawarra Hawks majority owner Jared Novelly is from St. Louis, who like Justin Tatum also attended CBC and St. Louis University.

However, what began as a front office position evolved into an assistant coaching position on the Hawks staff under head coach Jacob Jackomas.

“If I wanted to challenge myself, this was my opportunity,” said Justin Tatum, 45. “I desired to be certain every little thing was OK with the pinnacle coach first. I didn’t want them to throw me out and say, “Hey, you’ve got to take this man.” We talked about it with the pinnacle coach and we felt that it might be a good opportunity for me to be here because I can be a mediator for the American players.

The Hawks parted ways with Jackomas after starting last season 2-7 and replaced him with Tatum. Under Tatum’s leadership, the Hawks finished the regular season with a 12-7 record, moving as much as fourth place in the NBL standings and securing a playoff spot. Last season, the Hawks had the 4th best offensive stats (118.0 offensive) and 2nd best defense (109.6 defensive). The Hawks advanced to the semi-finals of the 2024 NBL Playoffs before losing a three-game series to Melbourne United in late March.

“They released (Jackomas) in mid-November. I was the only person on our staff who had head coaching and playing experience,” said Tatum, who played professionally in the Netherlands. “It’s not that I used to be going to vary every little thing, but I used to be going to take a higher take a look at it then…

“I learned the league on the fly. When I got here, I did my homework. But when I found myself in a difficult situation, I had two solid assistant coaches who had coached in the league for a while. I spent nights with them, learning the names of the referees, other teams’ players, and what they ran. I had to learn the FIBA ​​rules.”

Said Jayson Tatum proudly: “They tagged him on interim and he went on a crazy run, making it to the playoffs and what would have been sort of our conference finals.”

Tatum also finished second in this season’s NBL Coach of the Year voting, just a few votes behind Melbourne United’s Dean Vickerman. Tatum was rewarded with a three-year contract with Illawarra before the beginning of the playoffs.

“He has earned the respect of his team, coaching staff and fans in a relatively short period of time, so I look forward to seeing what he is able to accomplish in the long term,” Hawks general manager Mat Campbell said in a statement regarding Tatum.

While away from the States, Justin Tatum at all times keeps an eye fixed on his son and the Celtics.

The Hawks are headquartered in Wollongong, a city of roughly 300,000 people positioned in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, roughly 50 miles south of Sydney. From St. Louis flight to Sydney and before departure to Wollongong takes roughly 21-28 hours and takes roughly 21-28 hours.

In Australia, Celtics games normally start at 11:00. On training days, Justin Tatum will watch the primary half at work and the second half at home. Time allows him to observe most Celtics games.

However, it’s much harder for Jayson Tatum to observe his father’s games as a result of the time difference.

“If we play at 2pm on a Sunday, on the East Coast where he is, it’ll be around 11am or midnight. It’s rolling the dice. But he’s at all times supportive. If he wakes up and sees that we won, he’ll re-tag or post that the Hawks won or dad was successful. He’ll watch the highlights and he knows we’re doing well,” Justin Tatum said.

After the top of the Hawks season, Justin Tatum was capable of see firsthand how his son “gets the monkey off his back” because the Celtics win a “well-deserved” NBA championship. Weeks after winning the NBA title, Jayson Tatum signed a five-year contract extension price as much as $315 million. However, Jayson Tatum also played sparingly for Team USA Basketball when it won the gold medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics and missed two contests.

Justin Tatum was in Paris for the Olympics and was confused by his son’s lack of playing time.

“It didn’t trouble me, if that made sense. If it made sense to not play it like a matchup,” Justin Tatum said. “But should you cannot make time for him or something, (US head coach) said Steve Kerr. This doesn’t make much sense. (Jayson) had a long season and a long summer, and I just desired to be certain he was healthy. I just desired to be certain that at the top of the day you already know that you simply are still among the finest players in the world. So whatever the coach’s decision or whether or not they determine they do not need you, as coaches we should not at all times right. We hope you are taking this as a sign of motivation, not disrespect. You are certainly one of the five best players. Keep your head up.

“He wasn’t good at not playing. But he wasn’t in the room sulking or throwing chairs, or it wasn’t a topic of dinner conversation. He said he could have stayed along with his family, stayed home or done what was true. But he was completely happy to win gold and never actually played with LeBron (James), Steph (Curry) or KD (Kevin Durant). Being around these guys was a great experience and a very powerful thing we talked about.

Justin Tatum says he misses his three children, two grandchildren and the straightforward things that family and residential offer.

“I definitely miss barbecues and home-cooked meals,” Tatum said. “Besides my family, I miss being lively doing something day by day. After training, if the weather is nice, I’ll play some golf, a quick nine holes. The remainder of the time there is downtime. There is not much to do. The food is great here. I do not really miss anything from home-cooked food except Pizza Hut.

“I’m in a good position going from the top of winter into spring. And then I come home and the top of spring turns into summer. So I actually have spring and summer all yr round. I only wear shorts and a sweatshirt here and there. My family comes here periodically. My daughter comes in December. Jayson cannot come because he’s playing at the identical time. But life is good here.

Said Jayson Tatum: “I talk to him every few days. He likes it there very much.”

Justin Tatum said there are “high-level talented guys” in the NBL. Former NBA players in the NBL include Montrezl Harrell, Ian Clark, Matthew Dellavedova, Matthew Hurt, Rob Edwards, Bryce Cotton and Derrick Walton Jr. NBL alumni in the NBA include Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng, Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Johnson and Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr. Moreover, 17-year-old New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez is a candidate for the 2026 NBA draft.

“And I’m not just talking about the former, current or wannabe NBA players that are here,” Justin Tatum said. “Australian players are unbelievably good. It’s very physical. There are a lot of things you’ll be able to’t avoid in the States, but here they let you might have fun.

Jastrzębie entered on Wednesday with the second-best record in the 10-team NBL league at 6-3, averaging 98.5 points per game. Justin Tatum said Illawarra’s offense and camaraderie were key to the Illawarra’s early success this season.

Justin Tatum dreams of sooner or later becoming an NBA coach. But now his biggest goal is for the Hawks to win their first title since 2001 after they were the Wollongong Hawks.

“He wants to educate in the NBA sooner or later as an assistant or at some level. It’s a stepping stone to the goal he was trying to achieve,” Jayson Tatum said.