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McLaren arguably have the fastest car in Formula 1 at the moment. This has enabled the Woking-based squad to topple Red Bull from the Constructors’ standings. However, the team faces a difficult situation as it tries to support Lando Norris ‘ title campaign by implementing team orders on Oscar Piastri . Now, Piastri has stated that his Manager Mark Webber is part of such discussions.
Previously, McLaren had allowed Norris and Piastri to race according to the ‘Papaya rules.’ However, the team backtracked on the stance before the Azerbaijan GP. Oscar Piastri asserted that Webber was involved in his conversations with the team about how such orders would be implemented.
He’s been involved in the discussions with me, the team. Oscar Piastri told DAZN
Piastri highlighted that the former Red Bull driver helps in defining what he would be happy to do to help Lando Norris during races and what would not be acceptable. That said, he also claimed that Webber had not given him blunt advice over any situation in particular.
What we are happy to do or what we are not happy to do and stuff like that. I guess he’s given advice but not like ‘don’t do this, don’t do that.’ Oscar Piastri added
Oscar Piastri claims Mark Webber knows how team orders ‘play out’ in F1
Mark Webber was teammates with Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull. During this period, the German driver went on to win four back-to-back world titles while Webber was forced to play second fiddle.
Oscar Piastri claimed that his situation is different than what his Manager faced. However, it was clear that the former Red Bull driver was aware of how such a dynamic plays out within a team.
I think our situation is quite different from what Mark experienced, so there’s not really been a need for any specific advice, but of course he’s been in this kind of situation before and knows how it plays out. Oscar Piastri explained
Certainly, Oscar Piastri would be receiving helpful guidance from Webber during this critical period at McLaren. The Australian driver even proved himself as a capable driver yet again after winning in Baku. As such, things might change within the British team if Piastri can continue his successful run in the next few races.
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Andy Reid’s main flaw will cost Chiefs a trip to the playoffs
The Kansas City Chiefs' postseason aspirations suffered a massive blow after losing to the Dallas Cowboys 31-28 on Thursday. The loss dropped the reigning AFC champions to 6-6 on the season, leaving them with virtually no margin for error. The officiating made numerous questionable calls that may have favored Jerry Jones' team. However, the lack of discipline and numerous penalties have been a hallmark of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid's teams for years. Chiefs' lack of discipline will cost them a playoff spot Per OPTA Stats, the Chiefs committed five pass interference penalties in the second half alone, four of them on defense. That's the most PI penalties by any NFL team in the second half of a game in the past 35 years. When asked about it, Reid said they needed to be better in that regard, something he's said at least a dozen times this season. Then, he actually stood by the way his players tried to cover wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens: "I'm not always going to agree with the calls, but the calls were made," Reid said, per Charles Goldman. "They've got some big physical receivers, and my guys were fighting. You've got to stay aggressive against those guys. That's the way you do it." Granted, some of the calls were terrible, but this has been a frequent talking point with the Chiefs. Even if he actually agrees with the defensive players' approach to covering those two guys — which clearly didn't work, as they combined for 200 yards and one score — the lack of adjustments and accountability will ultimately doom this team this season.
Jerry Jones claims Jets turned down absurd trade offer involving Micah Parsons, Quinnen Williams
Packers announce head-turning roster move one day after 2025 Lions sweep
Fresh off a Thanksgiving win on Thursday against the Detroit Lions on the road at Ford Field in Detroit, the Green Bay Packers made a notable move to reunite with kicker Lucas Havrisik. Green Bay parted ways with Havrisik just before the Lions game, but on Friday, the team announced that he’s back in the fold after getting signed to the practice squad roster. Via Green Bay’s official website: “The Green Bay Packers signed K Lucas Havrisik (HAVE-ruh-sick) to the practice squad. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Friday.” Lucas Havrisik insurance for now for the Packers It can be recalled that Havrisik saw action in three games in the 2025 NFL season for Green Bay in place of the then-injured Brandon McManus. In those games, the former Arizona Wildcats kicker went 4-for-4 on his field goals, including a franchise record-setting 61-yard make in Week 7’s 27-23 win in Glendale over the Arizona Cardinals. He was also 7-for-9 on extra-point attempts, with both misses happening in Week 11’s 27-20 victory against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. McManus is healthy and perfect in the two games since he returned to action, so there is no reason for the Packers to give his spot to someone else so Havrisik will just be insurance for now for Green Bay, which has a Week 14 date with the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.
Connor McDavid made an egregious mistake with Oilers
Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid struggled to find the words to describe the team’s 8-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. The decision dropped the Oilers’ record to 10-10-5 for the season, and McDavid looked defeated during his postgame interview. The more things change, the more they stay the same for the Oilers. Why did Connor McDavid stay? The Oilers are grappling with the same issues that have plagued them since McDavid joined the NHL in the fall of 2015. Edmonton’s secondary offensive support for McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is minimal, and their goaltending remains a significant concern. Considering the Oilers have faced these problems for so long, it makes one wonder why a generational talent like McDavid chose to sign on for two more years of this, especially given the bargain he struck when he signed for just $12.5M a season. McDavid’s choice to sign with Edmonton before even considering free agency might become one of the biggest “what-ifs” in NHL history. However, McDavid opted for stability in a familiar market, with a team that has been competitive for most of his NHL career. Ultimately, McDavid decided to stay loyal to the Oilers, but the two-year term seemed like a warning shot to Edmonton. So far, that warning appears to have fallen on deaf ears. The timing of McDavid’s extension was quite unusual. The superstar had a clear route to unrestricted free agency, which could have been one of the most incredible stories in NHL history if it had come to pass. McDavid had the chance to be the highest-profile player in NHL history to reach free agency since Wayne Gretzky in 1996. He held leverage against the Oilers and could have waited out the season, sparking a bidding war for his services. This would have boosted his star power and changed what a superstar’s career could look like. Instead, McDavid chose familiarity, even though the timing of his decision wasn’t convenient. Connor McDavid's decision to re-sign could be costly McDavid’s signing has delayed his free agency by 24 months, and some people dismiss this decision by arguing that McDavid will still get paid and reach free agency after the salary cap has significantly increased. While both points have some truth, the counterargument is compelling. Instead of becoming a free agent at 29, McDavid will do so at 31. It might seem minor, but many NHLers see their skills decline after 30. Another factor is that when McDavid finally signs, the new CBA rules on contract length will apply, meaning the maximum deal with his current team will be seven years, and he’ll only be able to land six years on the open market. Although this one-year reduction isn’t a significant issue, it will likely cause McDavid to leave money on the table on his next deal. In terms of missed opportunities, McDavid would have been the first generational player in NHL free agency to test the market in the prime of his career. While it would have made great theater for the NHL, it would also have been an opportunity for McDavid to shift the league’s balance of power toward whichever team he joined, while helping reset the salary structure for superstar NHLers. McDavid is clearly not a $12.5M player, but like many top NHLers before him, he took a "hometown discount" to stay with his current team. For some NHLers, taking that discount has worked out well (Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, Nathan MacKinnon). Far more often, the savings from a reduced salary cap are wasted. Even Crosby, who traded tens of millions of dollars to play on consistently competitive teams, saw many of those seasons marred by costly mistakes on depth players with inflated cap hits (Jack Johnson, Erik Gudbranson, Nick Bjugstad). Crosby essentially subsidized poor roster decisions with his lower cap hits, and he would no doubt do so again, given the Stanley Cup championships Pittsburgh has won during his career. McDavid’s decision to re-sign essentially upholds the NHL’s long-standing tradition of superstars taking less money to stay with their team, and no doubt he did so while feeling loyalty to the Oilers fans who have endured the same heartbreaks he has. The reality is, McDavid has gone through a decade without winning the Cup, despite multiple front-office makeovers, coaching changes, cap mismanagement and an inability to surround him with real depth. And while the depth has improved over the last few years, the “we’re almost there” mentality won’t put a Stanley Cup ring on McDavid’s finger. All of this to say, McDavid probably owed it to himself to explore free agency at least to see if a team with a more precise winning blueprint could emerge, giving him a better chance at a title. July 1, 2026, would have offered a window into that, but McDavid chose not to look, and it could come back to haunt him if he never wins a championship. McDavid had all the leverage, which makes his decision baffling, because exploring free agency didn’t require him to leave Edmonton. He could have casually explored his options, had discussions with teams, listened to their pitches and then re-signed with Edmonton—something that might have pushed the Oilers to step up their game and get creative with their roster. But the Oilers didn’t need to worry about losing McDavid, and it seems this has led to some apathy across the organization, as they don’t seem to be a group hungry to win. Generational players across all leagues have frequently tested free agency. NBA superstar LeBron James famously took his talents from Cleveland to Miami nearly 15 years ago, and MLB superstar pitcher Paul Skenes will likely follow suit one day. It’s common, and not all players do it because they’re leaving; they do it for a variety of reasons. They can because the process gives them power, and it’s one of the few times they get to fully control their own destiny. McDavid could have taken a different route, but he didn’t. While he’s given the team a short leash to build a winner around him, he could have kept that leash even tighter, which might have pushed the Oilers to solve their roster issues more quickly. It could also have generated a story that might have become a sensation across all platforms — a broader narrative focusing on a star-driven tale on a smaller scale than MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani’s. The buzz would have been enormous and arguably the biggest NHL story since the Oilers traded Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings. Moving on could have been a great branding opportunity for McDavid to become even more mainstream, but he chose the safe, comfortable route in Edmonton. It’s a loyalty decision, and it’s completely understandable given that the Oilers have been close to a title in the last two years and he has built a bond with his teammates. For his legacy, though, he might need to chase greatness in a different city in the next two-and-a-half years.
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Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady Slams Lakers Roster for Major Shortcoming
At 13-4, the Luka Doncic/Austin Reaves/LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers are off to a robust start on the young 2025-26 NBA season. LA has won its last five straight games and currently occupies the No. 2 seed in the competitive Western Conference. The mighty Oklahoma City Thunder have won lost just one game this season, and at 18-1 are the top seed in the West so far — without their second-best player, All-NBA small forward Jalen Williams, available for a second of game time yet. The Denver Nuggets, the conference's third seed, also sport a 13-4 record. The 12-4 Houston Rockets and the 12-5 San Antonio Spurs round out the West's top five. Former seven-time All-NBA small forward Tracy McGrady, for one, is skeptical that the current Lakers roster can compete for the West crown in the playoffs. Now an analyst for NBC/Peacock along with his fellow Hall of Famer and step second cousin once removed Vince Carter, McGrady projected the Lakers' playoff ceiling and called them out for their biggest roster issue after the club's 135-118 defeat of the LA Clippers. The postgame panel also included Maria Taylor and former Boston Celtics champion bench power forward Brian Scalabrine. McGrady seemed pessimistic about the ability of the Lakers' roster depth to help the club successfully battle the Oklahoma City Thunder or Denver Nuggets, the two other top teams in the Western Conference by record. Depth Questions "I don't think this team [as] presently constructed can survive OKC or a Denver team that has depth, has size, speed. I don't think they can sustain that," McGrady opined. "If you look at this roster constructed, what did you see on this bench that can give you consistency in a seven-game series against OKC or Denver?" The Lakers' 51 percent field goal rate ranks first in the league, and the Lakers rank seventh in offensive rating (118.4). LA is fairly middle-of-the-road in point differential (14th at +3.4), defensive rating (114.9, good for just 17th among 30 teams). Surprisingly, despite their offensive efficacy, the Lakers also rank 24th in 3-point percentage (33.9 percent) and 26th in 3-point attempts (32.5). So why has LA been so good at all? Its two-man backcourt tandem of Doncic and Reaves has been absolutely lethal as scorers and distributors. With James back, questions abound about the Lakers' ability to balance the trio's lackluster defense, but it's clear that Los Angeles still packs a punch on the other end. The Lakers have managed to improve their depth by bringing in free agent summer additions Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia.
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