LOS ANGELES -- LA Clippers guard Patrick Beverley is expected to miss a few games with a right wrist sprain, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski

The Clippers already ruled out Beverley for Tuesday afternoon's game at Sacramento due to the injury the point guard suffered Saturday during a 120-107 loss to Utah.

Beverley immediately took himself out of the game early in the third quarter after taking a spill on his right arm while attempting a driving layup against Rudy Gobert with 10:15 left in the quarter. Beverley underwent X-rays, which showed no break in his right wrist, and he returned and started the fourth quarter.

However, Clippers coach Doc Rivers said Beverley had difficulty grasping the basketball, and the point guard checked out with 8:06 left and did not return.

Rivers was concerned Beverley's injury could keep him out for more games. Beverley averages 8 points and 6 rebounds this season.

"We knew there was no break, but that doesn't mean he is going to be out or not," Rivers said Saturday after the game. "... He clearly felt like he could not even grab the ball, so that is not a good sign."

"I'm concerned a little bit about what the injury is," Rivers added.

The Clippers were also dealing with several flu-stricken players. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Montrezl Harrell were ill Saturday, with Harrell leaving the arena an hour before the game. The Clippers did not list any of the three on their injury report for Tuesday's game.

Golden State Warriors forward Marquese Chriss was fined $35,000 on Monday for shoving Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.

In the third quarter of the Mavericks' 141-121 win on Saturday, Chriss got a technical foul for shoving Doncic to the ground. As officials reviewed the play, Chriss received high-fives from Draymond Green and other teammates on the bench.

"Just physical plays," Doncic said of the exchange. "That happens in basketball a lot, so just move on."

The NBA said in a statement that the amount of the fine "was based in part on the fact that Chriss has been disciplined on several prior occasions for physical altercations on the court."

While with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chriss was suspended one game in March 2019 for his role in a fight with Toronto Raptors center Serge Ibaka.

In March 2018, Chriss was fined $25,000 while playing for the Phoenix Suns after an incident in a game against the Utah Jazz.

Chriss is averaging 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 33 games for the Warriors this season.

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – USAC’s West Coast Sprint Car division will compete in 14 points paying events during the tour’s 11th season.

The season begins March 14 for the California-based series at Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds for the series’ lone trip of the season to the Hanford, Calif., track.  On April 18, the series makes its only trip of the season to Bakersfield Speedway, followed a night later by the series debut at nearby Kern County Raceway Park, also in Bakersfield.

A doubleheader weekend in mid-May brings the USAC West Coast Sprints to Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif., for the Peter Murphy Classic on May 15.  The following night, on May 16, the series tackles Petaluma Speedway.

June marks the return for the series to Thunderbowl Raceway for the Chris & Brian Faria Memorial races on June 13.  A week later, it’s back to the beach for the first round of the Battle at the Beach at Ventura Raceway on June 20.  Meanwhile, Placerville Speedway makes its debut on the USAC West Coast Sprint schedule with a mid-summer date on July 11.

The month of August sends the series to its lone visit to Santa Maria Raceway on Aug. 1 for the Bud Stanfield Memorial.  Petaluma returns to the fold on Aug. 8, while Ventura Raceway closes out the month on Aug. 29.

Another twin-bill weekend for the series finds itself back at Kern County Raceway Park on Sept. 11 followed a night later, on Sept. 12, at Ventura Raceway.  The October 10 event at Placerville Speedway closes out the points season before two non-point nights at Ventura Raceway on Nov. 25-26 for the 80th running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix.

2020 USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series Schedule

March 14 – Keller Auto Speedway – Hanford, Calif.
April 18 – Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, Calif.
April 19 – Kern County Raceway Park – Bakersfield, Calif.
May 15 – Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, Calif.
May 16 – Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, Calif.
June 13 – Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, Calif.
June 20 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, Calif.
July 11 – Placerville Speedway – Placerville, Calif.
Aug. 1 – Santa Maria Raceway – Nipomo, Calif.
Aug. 8 – Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, Calif.
Aug. 29 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, Calif.
Sept. 11 – Kern County Raceway Park – Bakersfield, Calif.
Sept. 12 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, Calif.
Oct. 10 – Placerville Speedway – Placerville, Calif.
Nov. 25-26 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, Calif. *

* – Non-point event.

NEW YORK -- The host St. Louis Blues will have three players at NHL All-Star Weekend.

Captain Alex Pietrangelo, goaltender Jordan Binnington and playoff MVP Ryan O'Reilly will represent the defending Stanley Cup champion Blues for All-Star festivities Jan. 24-25. Forward David Perron was not chosen as an All-Star despite being in the middle of a career season.

St. Louis native Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames was also chosen as an All-Star. The league's hockey operations department filled out the All-Star rosters beyond the captains voted in by fans.

Washington's Alex Ovechkin was voted in by fans but opted to skip the All-Star Weekend to rest his body for the stretch drive and playoffs. Capitals teammates John Carlson and Braden Holtby will go instead.

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane is set to make his ninth All-Star appearance, which is the most among active players.

With the skills competition and 3-on-3 tournament more than three weeks away, two All-Star selections at goaltender will likely need to be replaced. Arizona's Darcy Kuemper and Columbus' Joonas Korpisalo were recently injured.

Artemi Panarin will represent the New York Rangers after putting up 51 points in his 38 games for them since signing an $81.5 million, seven-year deal last summer. The rival New York Islanders are sending forward Mathew Barzal.

Six forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders were picked from each of the four divisons: the Metropolitan, Atlantic, Central and Pacific. All 31 NHL teams needed to be represented on the initial rosters.

Incoming Georgia Tech freshman receiver Bryce Gowdy has died, the school confirmed Monday.

According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, a freight train hit Gowdy early Monday morning in his hometown of Deerfield Beach, Florida. Gowdy, 17, was taken to Broward Health North Hospital, where he died. BSO homicide detectives are investigating. The cause and manner of death will be determined by Broward County's medical examiner's office.

Gowdy signed with the Yellow Jackets earlier this month and was set to enroll in school next week. He was a four-star recruit out of Deerfield Beach and was one of the top-rated players coming in to Georgia Tech as part of the No. 25-ranked class in the country.

His final tweet Sunday expressed his excitement over joining Georgia Tech:

Family matters, can't wait to get to the ATL soon! pic.twitter.com/mCw5esPWUj

— Bryce "Simba" Gowdy (@SkayeBryce) December 30, 2019

"Our entire Georgia Tech football family is devastated by the news of Bryce's passing," Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins said in a statement. "Bryce was an outstanding young man with a very bright future. He was a great friend to many, including many of our current and incoming team members. On behalf of our coaches, players, staff and families, we offer our deepest condolences to Bryce's mother, Shibbon, and his brothers, Brisai and Brayden, as well as the rest of his family members, his teammates and coaches at Deerfield Beach High School, and his many friends. Bryce and his family will always be a part of the Georgia Tech football family."

Quarterback Jeff Sims, who also signed with Georgia Tech earlier this month, and Gowdy's high school team were among those who took to Twitter to mourn the receiver:

love you brother?? We gon do it for you? #BallFor7

— Jeff (@JeffSims_10) December 30, 2019

HEARTBROKEN? #RipSimba #BelieveIn7

— Deerfield Beach Football (@DB_BucksFB) December 30, 2019

Gowdy's death is the second tragedy for Georgia Tech this year. Defensive lineman Brandon Adams died in Atlanta in March after collapsing near campus and being taken by friends to a local hospital. He was 21.

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Derek Carr is looking forward to "some fresh air" in Las Vegas after an ugly end to his time in Oakland as Raiders quarterback, even as speculation mounts that he will not be with the team in Southern Nevada.

"Very much," Carr said Monday during locker room clean-out day, when asked if he was looking forward to the move. "It's exciting. I think it's time for some fresh air."

Carr, who signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension in the summer of 2017, was booed out of the Oakland Coliseum on Dec. 15 in an ugly scene, with fans throwing trash and food on the field following a last-minute loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Emotions were already high, as it was the last Raiders' game in Oakland before the franchise relocates.

Carr passed for a season-high 391 yards during Sunday's 16-15 loss at Denver, which dropped the Raiders' record to 7-9, one year after a 4-12 season.

"I had some good meetings with my coaches, and I'm looking forward to Las Vegas," he said Monday.

"I had some good meetings with my coaches, and I'm looking forward to Las Vegas...we need to get more wins and I think everyone will chill out." - #Raiders QB Derek Carr, with @_willcompton reminding him of another meeting. pic.twitter.com/LUjgvT0NLI

— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) December 30, 2019

Despite a revolving door at receiver, running back and on the offensive line due to injuries, Carr had career highs in passing yards (4,054), yards per attempt (7.9) and completion percentage (70.9), and his eight interceptions were the second fewest of his career.

"I don't think it's a surprise that ... being in the same system in Year 2 is both my best years," Carr said, referring to 2016 under head coach Jack Del Rio and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, and this season under Jon Gruden and Greg Olson. "Just by far, statistically, career highs in almost everything. Except wins. We need to get more wins and I think everyone will chill out."

Still, Gruden seemed to grow frustrated with Carr's apparent reluctance to extend plays with his legs at times.

"He played good," Gruden said Monday in his season-ending media conference. "I'm not going to get into all the next-year scenarios. I'm just going to say that 7-9 is a step forward and we took a step forward. Statistically I think we took a step forward. We've got to get a lot of guys healthy and we've got a lot of things to look at and evaluate before we start making any assumptions.

"Earlier, he played more of a role as coach on the field, with all the change that we had around him. We had different receivers almost every week. Different tight ends, different backs, different linemen, and I think his patience and his ability to coach guys in practice and on the grass on gameday was a real area of improvement. He did some good things, no doubt."

Carr's 55 losses are the second most by a quarterback through his first six seasons, trailing only his brother David's 56 defeats through six years.

Playmakers did emerge for Carr, notably tight end Darren Waller (90 catches for 1,145 yards), rookie receiver Hunter Renfrow (49 catches for 605 yards and 4 TDs) and rookie running back Josh Jacobs (1,150 rushing yards and 7 TDs, despite missing three of the Raiders' last four games).

After going 3-13 in 2014, the 2015 Raiders finished 7-9 and then took off with a 12-4 season in 2016. Carr sees similarities.

"But this one feels better ... because everybody's so young and everybody's so hungry," Carr said. "We really see what could happen. We felt we should have won 10 games, looking back at it. Like, golly, there's three just off the top of my head we had."

Carr was referring to losses to the Broncos, Jaguars and Houston Texans.

"And so, we're sitting here having a different conversation, we're preparing for a playoff game, if that's the case, right?" Carr said. "That's how close this game is. But we're definitely ... excited. It's definitely very similar, but I say it's more exciting because we know who's going to be around.

"I think we all agree that we're in a better position now than we were a year ago. A year ago ... we had a lot that we needed to address. We still have some things we need to address but [we're] definitely [in] a better place."

The Raiders plan on holding their offseason program in Alameda, training camp in Napa and then making the formal move to Southern Nevada, where the team facility will be in Henderson and the $2 billion Allegiant Stadium is just off the Las Vegas Strip.

Asked if the Raiders will be preparing for a playoff game a year from now, Carr exhaled.

"I hope so," he said. "We better be. We better be."

ASHBURN, Va. -- Reporters hurried to their seats and cameras were moved into position on Oct. 7 for a news conference at which Washington Redskins president Bruce Allen announced the firing of another head coach. As the team was dismissing Jay Gruden after an 0-5 start, Allen spoke of the club's "damn good culture."

After another losing season concluded Sunday -- the second 3-13 season under Allen's leadership -- Redskins fans won't have to hear any more questionable statements from the former president of the team. Owner Dan Snyder fired his top lieutenant Monday morning.

Washington had a winning percentage of .387 since Allen's arrival in 2010 -- ahead of only Oakland, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and Cleveland.

To get the franchise back on track, Snyder is expected to make Ron Rivera his next coach as soon as Monday. Rivera, like Mike Shanahan and Joe Gibbs before him, has taken a team to the Super Bowl; his Carolina Panthers lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.

Still, plenty of questions remain. How did the losing culture that started when Synder became owner get worse under Allen? Can Dwayne Haskins be the franchise QB? Will Rivera have a chance to succeed under Snyder, who has been hands-on in the past with personnel decisions? And who will take over Allen's role?

In interviews with more than 30 current and former league and team officials, coaches, agents and players, a portrait emerges of what has gone wrong in Washington and what is next for the storied franchise.

How did Allen get to the Redskins?

Allen was hired in December 2009. He and Shanahan, a two-time Super Bowl winner with the Broncos, brought hope of a turning point for Washington. After all, Allen had experience and a legacy. His father, George, quickly transformed the Redskins franchise in the 1970s, coaching a team that had one winning season in 15 years and turning it into a Super Bowl participant in his second season (1972). Snyder often has talked about Allen's passion for the Redskins; it was developed during this period.

And Allen, now 63, had experience when he was hired by Snyder. He served as an executive with the Oakland Raiders from 1995 through 2003, winning the George Young Executive of the Year award in 2002. He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004, lasting five seasons as the general manager alongside coach Jon Gruden.

Allen drafted 47 players as GM in Tampa Bay and only one player -- guard Davin Joseph -- made a Pro Bowl while with the Bucs. Cornerback Aqib Talib blossomed after leaving, winning a Super Bowl with the Broncos and playing in another with the Los Angeles Rams. In a results-based business, the Bucs went 38-42 under Allen, including 0-2 in the playoffs.

When the Redskins hired Allen, several league executives echoed a similar refrain, pointing to his business acumen and salary-cap knowledge. One said at the time, "I love Bruce; he'll be great ... as long as he's not in charge of personnel."

Some might ask, after his time in Tampa, should he have been in charge of the 53-man roster?

Despite Allen's struggles with personnel with the Bucs, he was Snyder's top lieutenant in all business and football operations matters. He wielded more power than all but a handful of team executives in the NFL, having strengthened his position after initially occupying a lesser role in roster construction.

The Redskins did hire Scot McCloughan to be the general manager, with control over personnel and the 53-man roster, after the 2014 season. But he was fired with cause during the 2016 offseason and Allen took all of those GM-type responsibilities back.

Was drafting Haskins a microcosm of the Redskins' issues?

The quest for a franchise quarterback wasn't new heading into the 2019 NFL draft. During Snyder's tenure, the Redskins have started 21 quarterbacks, including four first-round picks (Patrick Ramsey, Jason Campbell, Robert Griffin III and Haskins).

As for the Redskins' current starter, long before the draft there was a sense they would take Haskins with the No. 15 pick -- no matter how their board stacked up. Snyder had dropped Haskins' name throughout the year, telling people he was the best player in the country. Like Snyder, Allen liked the Heisman Trophy finalist who threw 50 touchdown passes and eight interceptions in 2018 at Ohio State.

With quarterback Alex Smith's career in jeopardy after a leg injury -- although he said Monday that "without a doubt" he wants to play next season -- the Redskins needed a replacement. But opinions varied on Haskins (some in the organization graded him as a third-rounder), with some believing it would take up to two years to develop him into a starter with Gruden on a white-hot seat.

At the time of the NFL draft last April, multiple sources said it became a foregone conclusion Snyder and Allen wanted Haskins. Snyder sat in on the interview with the Buckeyes QB at the scouting combine. As one staffer said, "There was no point arguing with the owner and the president."

Haskins recently told ESPN, "My understanding is that everyone in the building wanted me. [I have heard people say] 'other coaches wanted positions of need more than quarterback' -- that's something I can't control. The guys that made the decisions picked me and I'm here. Of course, I try the best I can to ignore that stuff."

Haskins played in nine games, starting seven. He finished 119-of-203 for 1,365 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions before sitting out Week 17 because of an injured ankle.

Snyder has fondness for Haskins. In Week 16, Haskins caused some consternation for the organization when he said Snyder told him not to return to the game against the Giants after suffering the ankle injury. A Redskins spokesman later said Snyder told Haskins to listen to the medical team's advice, which -- per a statement from Dr. Robin West -- was not to return. Another source said Snyder often goes to the locker room when a player gets injured and removed on a cart.

"He did come down from the box. He was concerned. That meant a lot to me," Haskins said.

The situation was another example of what Haskins still needs to learn. During the Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears, a Washington Post photograph showed offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell going over plays with then-starter Case Keenum. Inactive backup Colt McCoy looked over their shoulders. Haskins sat several feet away, looking disengaged.

Haskins takes losing hard. During a news conference after a Week 8 loss in Minnesota, when he relieved an injured Keenum, Haskins' shoulders were slumped and he was difficult to hear, even from 5 feet away.

"He's just young," said one player.

During the Week 11 game against the New York Jets, a video from NBC Channel 4 showed Haskins pleading with teammates, "What do I have to do to help you?" Most of the linemen looked disinterested.

The following week, Haskins thought a Redskins interception had ended a win against Detroit, prompting him to take a selfie with fans behind the bench. Meanwhile, the Redskins needed to take one more snap and, because they couldn't find Haskins, sent Keenum onto the field.

By all accounts, Haskins has matured over the course of the season, altering his work approach since being pressed into service. One team source said Haskins discovered after back-to-back wins against the Lions and Panthers that the extra work pays off on the field.

How Haskins will develop is yet to be seen, especially with a complete regime change at the top.

What problems will the new president/GM/coach face? Tight quarters and loose lips.

Former defensive back Will Blackmon played for Green Bay, Seattle and the New York Giants, in addition to the Redskins (2015 and 2016). While he was with the Packers, Blackmon said he never saw the executive offices. In Seattle, he said execs worked on a higher floor than where players practice and train. And Blackmon said he doesn't even know where the Giants' executive offices are located.

At Redskins Park, Blackmon knew where to find the executives. That's because, unlike many other teams, the Redskins are housed in a mom-and-pop-type shop, a 27-year-old facility packed with offices where secrets rarely remain so.

The executive and coaches offices are on the same floor, separated by a lobby area. The players are often in that area -- going in and out of meetings -- because of the tight layout. Redskins Park predates Snyder's ownership, but ownership renovated the facility in 2013 -- thanks to a $4 million grant from the state of Virginia -- and added numerous offices and employees.

While that renovation made it newer inside, it has also cramped the main level.

The office and training facilities at Redskins Park comprise 121,000 square feet, according to Redskins.com. By comparison, the new Minnesota Vikings' state-of-the-art TCO Performance Center has 277,000 square feet for offices and training facilities, per Vikings.com. For comparison, the Vikings' previous facility, Winter Park, had 138,000 square feet -- still larger than a renovated Redskins Park.

"[Redskins Park] is so small quarters that you run into everybody all the time. It was tough because everything always got out," said Blackmon, who added he had no issues with Allen. "There were always rumors and so many stories and it's exhausting. It's like we're on Capitol Hill when it comes to politics."

Too many issues reach the locker room. There are plenty of stories describing a divide between the coaches and the front office or a coach sharing his thoughts on a player to his teammate.

Former Redskins tight end Chris Cooley even hosted his radio show from the facility for several years; at the time, Snyder owned ESPN 980. Cooley's on-air film evaluations led to occasional flare-ups from players.

Issues about the culture within the building also arose when McCloughan was fired. An anonymous quote from a Redskins official to The Washington Post about McCloughan's alcohol problem led to players being asked about what they had seen or heard. There were also questions for two years about quarterback Kirk Cousins and his contract. And about Griffin's benching -- and just about anything else RG III-related.

Then there was safety Su'a Cravens, who retired suddenly before the 2017 season. He wanted to return to the team weeks later, but the Redskins placed him on the reserve/left squad list, ending his season. That situation led to more speculation and questions about yet another issue regarding how the franchise handled player relations.

Allen held multiple meetings after rumors about personnel spread and tried to determine the source. But the culture and facilities combine to foster an environment conducive to leaks.

"You loved being there, loved the relationships you had there, but outside the friendships and relationships, you see that, man, it's a toxic place," said former Redskins linebacker Will Compton, who played in Washington from 2013 through 2017. "It's hard to be successful with what goes on and what's allowed. A lot more goes into it than just being a solid team. You've got to endure a lot of s--- at Redskins Park."

All of this is why Allen raised eyebrows when he said, "The culture is actually damn good," at the Gruden news conference in October. Later, Allen clarified, saying the comment wasn't about the overall atmosphere at Redskins Park.

"What I'm talking about is our players are working hard," he said during an October phone interview with ESPN. "Have we made mistakes on the field? Yes, we obviously have, and too many to win. But the work ethic, the camaraderie, the way they respond to each other and the way they support each other [is indicative of a good culture]. There hasn't been finger-pointing at a player, which I think is the environment conducive to winning."

Obviously, a positive culture alone won't result in Super Bowl championships. Blackmon points to Jacksonville's good culture during his two seasons with the Jaguars, who "got their asses kicked" while compiling a 7-25 record. He said the Redskins had a good locker room culture in 2015, with veteran players organizing extra meetings away from the facility and reaching across position groups to create a tighter bond. It was the season Cousins emerged. Those factors helped the Redskins finish 9-7 and win the NFC East.

What's going to happen with the Redskins' best player, Trent Williams?

A rift formed with Williams -- who's also popular in the locker room -- after the Pro Bowl offensive tackle held out to start the season because of a medical issue. He reported to the team on Oct. 29, only to be placed on reserve/non-football injury list in early November. The Redskins elected not to pay his remaining $5.1 million base salary for the 2019 season at the time.

Williams, 31, has spoken multiple times about his displeasure with Allen and the medical staff since he reported. A mess has ensued, featuring leaks about what Williams did -- or didn't do -- throughout this medical situation, which he described as a cancerous growth on his scalp.

"I don't see that anywhere else, organizations biting their own nose off," Williams said. "You just don't see that in a lot of places. I thought it was counterproductive to leak stuff about your own organization."

Williams said he would have been quiet had the Redskins traded him. The Redskins were always reluctant to do so unless they received a big haul in return. They thought fines combined with missing his weekly paychecks during the season would prompt him to return. Team sources said other franchises weren't offering enough; but sources with other teams told ESPN's Dan Graziano they never got to the point where they'd make an offer.

Williams said he believes Allen didn't trade him out of vindictiveness. He also said the Redskins treated him more like a dog.

"Where you can beat the s--- out of a dog and they come back to you the next day with their tail wagging like nothing happened," he said. "It's hard for a human with emotions to reconcile stuff when you've been slapped in the face and then come back with your tail wagging."

Earlier this month, Williams told ESPN he couldn't say for certain "it would be a no" to return to the team. He has a year remaining on his deal.

"As of now it would be hard to see that as far as how far both sides were apart," said Williams, who did not immediately respond to a text message Monday morning to see if this stance was the same. "It would be hard to see that. But at the end of the day, I'm still on the Redskins' roster. They still have my rights. Obviously you can't force your way out of anywhere."

Who's to blame for the Redskins' current culture?

An increasingly frustrated fan base had come to see Allen as the face of the team's continued struggles under Snyder. The team was 62-97-1 during Allen's tenure, and his positive outlook had been poorly received.

Chap Petersen, a Democratic state senator from northern Virginia, a Redskins fan and Allen's friend, is quick to point out that Allen -- not Snyder -- was out front, taking the shots for the team's dismal on-field efforts.

"He is the public face of the ownership, and ownership is not popular because of the team's performance," Petersen said of Allen. "There's the perception, which is rapidly becoming reality, that the franchise -- which was one of the three or four landmark franchises -- is in a free fall. I'm at every home game. I see all the other [teams'] fans in the stands. It's painful."

On and off the field, the Redskins were what Allen made them. On social media, #firebruceallen had become popular with Redskins fans. One fan even spent $1,600 to have a plane fly over the stadium with a banner that read "Help Skins Fans. Fire Bruce Allen" when Washington played at Miami in October, the first game after Gruden's firing.

"It's awful. For everyone, it's awful. Losing sucks," Allen told ESPN in October. "But it is the motivation to win. We've got to do better in order to win."

Plane flying banner over @Redskins @MiamiDolphins game "Help Skins Fans Fire #BruceAllen #NFL pic.twitter.com/7xthcTJrD9

— Evan Golden (@Golden_TV) October 13, 2019

Now the fans will get what they wanted: new leadership.

Redskins cornerback Josh Norman said that if Rivera -- his former coach with the Panthers -- is hired, there will be a "night and day" difference in the culture and he'd be excited to be part of it. Norman has one year remaining on the five-year, $75 million deal he signed in 2016.

Is there any indication Snyder's role in personnel will change?

There are indications Snyder has changed, but sources who have worked for him anticipate he will still be involved.

One source said Snyder's input often came through "backdoor ways," funneled through others in charge, such as Allen. It wasn't just about drafting Haskins -- the Redskins knew they had to take a quarterback. It was about making decisions on which free agents to pay and who the team would let leave.

"Critical decisions," the source said.

It has also been Snyder's desire to return to a 4-3 base defense after using a 3-4 for the past decade. Rivera's base has been a 4-3, so that won't be an issue. But the new leadership will need to make personnel additions to make it work.

Numerous sources say Snyder would stay away from roster decisions more than in the past -- he was on his personal yacht for most of the month before the 2019 draft. But Snyder still made it known he wanted Haskins.

Rivera is expected to have more roster control than Gruden, something similar to what Shanahan had during his four seasons. That could help. It also could help to have more cohesion between the front office and coaching staff because it would lessen the divisions and leaks. That's why it would make sense for Rivera to be paired with someone he has worked with in the past, such as Marty Hurney, who is currently the general manager of the Panthers. Hurney got his start in the Washington market as a Redskins beat writer for the Washington Times, and also worked for Redskins public relations for two years.

The Redskins could also promote senior vice president of football operations Eric Schaffer, who has been with the organization for 17 seasons. He has been the team's main negotiator and cap analyst. Schaffer has worked quietly behind the scenes with different regimes. The director of college scouting, Kyle Smith, is another possibility.

The Redskins have also expressed interest in ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick, who worked in Washington's front office from 2001 through 2007. He remains a possibility and, while he has never worked with Rivera, he would share a similar mindset when it comes to staying united and squashing leaks.

Two other names to watch: former Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith and former Redskins director of player personnel Morocco Brown. The latter is currently in charge of the Indianapolis Colts' college scouting.

Regardless of who gets the job, they need to be in sync with Rivera and learn how to massage Snyder's football desires. One source said framing ideas to make it appear as if it was Snyder's to begin with is the best approach. If Rivera and his boss can do that, perhaps they can do what others here failed at for two decades under Snyder: put together a consistent winner.

Rhys Webb will return to Wales at the end of the season after Toulon agreed to release him from the final year of his contract "for family reasons".

The scrum-half, 31, left Ospreys in 2018 to join the French club on a three-year deal, ruling him out of Test selection for Wales.

Former side Ospreys, plus Cardiff Blues, Scarlets and Dragons are the possible destinations for his return.

"It was difficult to be away from my family and young children," Webb said.

"Now I'm determined to give my best for Toulon until the end of the season and I hope we get the wins the club deserves.

"I would like to thank the club for the hospitality and support it has given me since I joined last season. It has been and remains an honour to play for this great club."

Ospreys backs coach Matt Sherratt, speaking earlier on Monday before Toulon's announcement, said he had "no idea" if Webb would return to the Liberty Stadium.

"We have got Aled [Davies], Shaun [Venter] and three really good nines. There will always be speculation about boys coming back to Wales.

"It's only natural that he will be linked with us. Rhys is a former Osprey and he is a world-class player. But I have not been privy to any recruitment in terms of bringing Rhys back."

Dragons director of rugby Dean Ryan also confirmed the Rodney Parade region are not in talks with Webb.

Webb - who has won 31 Wales caps - was the highest profile casualty in a change in WRU selection rules in 2017, which meant players taking up a new deal with a team outside of Wales must have won 60 caps to be able to continue playing for the national side.

TULSA, Okla. – Team Ripper Racing has added Austin Langenstein to its roster for the upcoming Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals, Jan. 13-18 inside the River Spirit Expo Center.

Langenstein is a part-time racer and full-time safety advocate and salesman within the motorsports realm, working out of the Mooresville, N.C., branch of Massachusetts-based HMS Motorsport.

The 23-year-old made his Chili Bowl debut with Tucker-Boat Motorsports in 2018, cracking the A-main on his preliminary night and finishing in the E-main during the Saturday finale.

After a year’s layoff from what he calls one of his “absolute favorite events,” Langenstein is eager to return to Oklahoma in two weeks’ time for his second appearance at the Super Bowl of Midget Racing.

“My Chili Bowl debut in 2018 was a dream come true, and it’s hard to believe I’ll be able to relive it in a few weeks,” Langenstein said. “This deal actually started with a conversation between myself, Tom Meyers of Schroth Racing and Joe Marko, my boss at HMS. We’ll have a booth at the Chili Bowl trade show again this year so that when I’m not racing, I can be pushing safety again when I’m not in the car.

“Once we got the little details worked out as to how all that would work together with me being back in a Chili Bowl ride, I reached out to Flea (Ruzic, Team Ripper’s crew chief) to ask if he had a ride available still and can’t thank him and (car owner) Steve Reynolds enough for accommodating me.”

Though he’s been focused mostly on his business duties for the past two years, Langenstein has found his way back into a race car when time allows, including a dirt modified appearance at the World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in November of 2018.

He hasn’t been in a midget recently, but Langenstein confirmed he’s been undertaking every preparation he can to get ready for his return to the high-powered dirt open wheel cars.

“I’ve been watching a ton of film and studying the videos from last year’s Chili Bowl, just doing whatever I can to gain knowledge and get ready for next month,” Langenstein explained. “Honestly, I feel like I’ve never been more prepared to get back behind the wheel than I am right now and I’m looking forward to making the most of this opportunity.

“I know Flea and the guys will give me a fast No. 21k Schroth Racing midget, so it’s up to me to do all I can with it when we get down to Tulsa and get on the race track.”

Ruzic is looking forward to working with Langenstein and noted that the Scranton, Pa., native is the type of driver he enjoys being able to give an opportunity to.

“I’d heard about Austin, but I’d never really met him until recently, and when I finally got to meet Austin, it’s funny because I thought he was European,” Ruzic recalled. “He had a real heavy, like an English accent, so I asked him where he was from … expecting maybe Britain or something, and when he said he was from the Northeast, up near Pennsylvania and New York, I was a bit surprised.

“But I think the fact that he actually hops into a little bit of everything, between modifieds and go-karts, all that stuff … and how he worked up through the ranks will help him with us,” Ruzic added. “He’s used to adapting to his equipment and he showed well at the Chili Bowl a couple years ago, so when he came to me and said he wanted to try it again, I had a car for him and figured let’s make dreams come true.”

Despite his relative inexperience compared to others at the Chili Bowl, Langenstein plans to lean on his past racing history and believes he’ll have a shot at big things during the week-long affair.

“Last time I raced at the Chili Bowl, I had never even sat in a midget until the Monday practice night,” Langenstein said. “And even in spite of that, we made the E-main, which is way further up than I thought I’d be in my first start there, if I’m being honest. My goals this year are to improve on that, make the feature on my preliminary night and ultimately to have a realistic shot of making the big show on Saturday.

“Driving the modifieds and I-mods back in the day in the Northeast really prepared me well, I think, for the power-to-weight ratio of the midgets and I feel right at home in them,” he added. “Hopefully it serves us and we can go out and leave our mark in Tulsa. I’m really looking forward to this.”

SPEED SPORT’s Chili Bowl coverage is presented by MyRacePass, the official timing and scoring app of the 2020 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. Fans can download the MyRacePass app on their phones to follow all the action during the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. For more information on MyRacePass, visit www.myracepass.com and use the hashtag #GetTheApp on Twitter!