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BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Myles Garrett didn't know he had joined a prestigious list of defensive stars last week until one of his biggest fans pointed it out to him. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Myles Garrett didn't know he had joined a prestigious list of defensive stars last week until one of his biggest fans pointed it out to him. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Myles Garrett didn’t know he had joined a prestigious list of defensive stars last week until one of his biggest fans pointed it out to him. “My dad was hyped about it,” he said. For good reason. With three sacks last week in Cleveland’s 24-19 win in prime time over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Garrett became the seventh player to reach double-digit sacks in seven straight seasons since the stat became official in 1982. The others: Lawrence Taylor (1984-90), Reggie White (1985-93), Bruce Smith (1992-98), John Randle (1992-99), DeMarcus Ware (2006-12) and Jared Allen (2007-13). All of them is in the Hall of Fame except for Allen. “Hall of Famer,” Garrett said in praising the retired Minnesota Vikings edge rusher, who is again on the doorstep of induction as a semifinalist for the fifth straight year. Garrett is on track to get his own bronze bust one day in Canton, but until then, he’s humbled to be in such elite company. “Guys I looked up to when I started my journey into this game,” said Garrett, who tries to bolster his resume on Monday night when the Browns (3-8) visit the Denver Broncos (7-5). “It’s absolutely amazing to be amongst those guys, not just looking up at them but looking side to side and standing amongst them. “So I want to continue to find myself on those lists and hopefully stand alone at the end of the day.” He’s on his way. The NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year is having another monster season but probably not getting the recognition he deserves as the Browns, upended by continuous quarterback issues, have fallen way short of expectations. Garrett used the national TV platform against the Steelers to remind any detractors of his greatness. He sacked Russell Wilson three times, forced a fumble and outplayed Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, the player to whom he is most often compared. The Garrett vs. Watt debate went to another level in February. On the day Garrett received his DPOY award, second-place finisher Watt seemed to take a shot at the Browns star by posting “Nothing I’m not used to” on social media. Those comments stuck with Garrett, who following the win over Pittsburgh — and Watt being held without a sack — didn’t hold back in declaring himself the league’s best pass rusher. “I wanted to make it known that I’m the guy, I’m the No. 1 edge defender,” Garrett said. It was an unusual boast from Garrett, who was asked why he felt he needed to express himself. “Because part of my journey of being the best player that I can be is I think I can be the best player that there is currently,” he said. ”So I have to live up to those expectations I have for myself. That’s just on the road to be the player that I want to be.” Garrett’s unrelenting drive is what sets him apart. Although he’ll enter Monday’s game with 98 1/2 sacks and can become just the fifth player to reach 100 in his first eight seasons, joining White, Ware, Allen and Watt, it’s not enough. “I still took too long,” said Garrett, who can become the first to do it before turning 29. “It’d have been tough to catch Mr. White, but hopefully this next however many number will come quicker than the first 100. So we’ll go out there and we’ll do what I do and try to take it up a notch.” Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz marvels at Garrett’s output despite double- and triple-team blocking. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. “He just continues to do stuff,” Schwartz said. “His production is so high, even though he’s a marked man, even though every game plan starts with, ‘Don’t let 95 wreck the game,’ and he still finds a way to wreck games.” Schwartz doesn’t need to see any lists to know Garrett belongs among the best to ever rush a quarterback. “Yes, he does,” Schwartz said. “I think he’s just starting to hit his prime. I think he still has a lot left in front of him. The sky is the limit as far as he goes. And when it’s all said and done, maybe you’re comparing other people to him. That should probably be a goal for him.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement AdvertisementFoot traffic rewarded

FROM Tencent Holdings to Alibaba Group Holding, China’s tech leaders delivered underwhelming numbers for a quarter beset by economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Whether or not they can win back investors may increasingly hinge on Beijing’s actions. In call after call with investors, China’s Internet pioneers described how the uneven economy was undermining their business and clouding the future. Most offered cautious optimism for how the unprecedented government stimulus unleashed late in the summer would help grease the wheels and pleaded for patience. But the group that once defied Silicon Valley and defined the country’s private economy was short on new ideas and ambitious goals. Just over the past week, the five biggest tech firms erased US$41 billion in market value, while a gauge of sector stocks listed in Hong Kong has fallen into bear market territory. On Friday (Nov 22), a sell-off in Chinese stocks deepened as concerns over Donald Trump’s imminent return mingled with growing frustration over the pace of Beijing’s fiscal stimulus rollout. For investors that were looking to major tech earnings to revive market euphoria, this season now looks like a flop. The business environment “is not only much worse than five years ago, it’s worse than even when China started the Covid Zero policy in 2022”, said Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Natixis. “This sector is obviously supported by China’s industrial policies and intent on winning the tech race with the US, but at the same time, it’s a problematic sector.” PDD Holdings executives boasted about their cheap hairy crabs instead of offering reassurance for disappointing earnings. Tencent went through its usual pitch about building and sustaining “evergreen” games, without promising any imminent new blockbusters. Alibaba executives spent their time justifying elevated spending to ward off intense competition. Even Baidu, the frontrunner in artificial intelligence development, failed to wow with any exciting new projects. “We have not observed a notable improvement in advertisers’ spending patterns, and consumer spending remains subdued,” Baidu’s head of mobile ecosystem Luo Rong told analysts on a call on Thursday, dulling expectations for the current quarter. “Having said that, we are particularly encouraged by the strength and timeliness of recent stimulus policies which continue to be rolled out.” Pressure is building for Beijing to offer further measures, as late September’s market rally on the stimulus campaign fizzles. The parade of ho-hum numbers, vague comments about fiscal policy and warnings contrasted sharply with the pre-Covid era, when Alibaba and Tencent each approached US$1 trillion in market value and analysts talked about the threat they posed to US rivals. Alibaba once fought directly with Amazon.com’s AWS for cloud customers around the world, as it and JD.com talked openly about carving up international markets. Tencent once sketched out ambitions of marrying content with social media and online finance in an unparalleled fintech and Internet empire. That swagger has vanished since Beijing’s 2020 crackdown on a sector it deemed too powerful. Having once commanded enviable growth rates off the back of China’s burgeoning economy, these companies now face prolonged consumer malaise at home, a lack of obvious growth engines and costly ventures to expand overseas. “October retail sales were boosted by earlier Singles’ Day promotions, so it’s not indicative of the real consumption environment – which companies I spoke to are still cautious about,” said Xin-Yao Ng, investment manager for Asian equities at abrdn. “Generally, I hear of a weaker November.” PDD’s US-listed stock plunged 11 per cent after the company gave a downbeat outlook due to intensifying competition in China. The stock, once an investor darling, now trades at 7.7 times forward earnings, about a third of its three-year average. Along with Alibaba, which eked out just 1 per cent growth in domestic commerce, PDD is fighting a defensive action against upstarts like closely held ByteDance. “I don’t think they will drop back to the pre-rally levels in September, more of trading sideways due to a lack of catalysts,” Ng said. There are some bright spots. PDD’s Temu shopping platform has proven to be a hit in the US and other overseas markets. Alibaba’s international e-commerce division delivered strong growth rates for several quarters in a row, prompting the company to unify all online retail operations under the leadership of that division’s chief, Jiang Fan. Meituan – which is next on the slate of companies whose earnings will be studied for signs of domestic consumer appetites – is following the trend and bringing its takeout service to the Middle East. In the realm of games, Tencent and NetEase enjoyed a string of hit releases over the summer that revived domestic sales. Tencent-backed Black Myth: Wukong was an unexpected smash hit on PCs, tapping Chinese history and folklore and potentially opening more opportunities for similarly ambitious titles. But that growth spurt may already be petering out. “The sector is no longer considered as driving structural growth like it once did, which means that it is a lot more cyclical than before,” said Daiwa Capital Markets Hong Kong analyst John Choi. “Policy stimulus will likely play an important role for these companies to see some level of growth acceleration. I am not sure if investors will lose patience, but I do see that the fundamentals are improving going forward.” There remain questions about the full extent and timing of China’s support, which is rolling out in stages, leaving the macroeconomic outlook uncertain. One of the sharper comments this earnings season came from PDD co-chief executive officer Jiazhen Zhao on Thursday. Disillusioned with the competition, the executive appeared to find fault within his own ranks. “Our team of staff is now limited by their past experience and suffers from a lack of certain capabilities,” Zhao told analysts. BLOOMBERG

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