It was an image that won’t soon be forgotten, an injured NFL star and future Hall of Famer carted away, his leg fractured and his middle finger pointed to the sky. The gesture, aimed at his team’s sideline, spoke more than just the two words it suggested.

Before his leg broke on the field in Arizona, ending his Seahawks tenure, Earl Thomas was the best safety in the NFL and one of the best to ever play the position. He wanted either to be paid as such, with a long-term extension, or be traded. Seattle refused on both accounts. So with his contract set to expire in the offseason, Thomas skipped training camp and then waged protest by attending practice, but refusing to contribute.

Still, eventually, he chose to play, as almost every player does. To lose game checks, each worth around $500,000, wasn’t worth it, Thomas decided. In his first game back, he intercepted a pass. Two weeks later, he snagged two more picks. All the while, he continued to sit out practice, in hopes of proving a point. “If they were invested in me,” Thomas said, “I would be out there.”

But all that was proven in the end was that the playing field for NFL players at the negotiating table is anything but level. As Thomas was carted off the field, his long-term future in doubt, all of the league’s labor unrest was encapsulated in that one flip of the bird.

A few days later, in Pittsburgh, Le’Veon Bell told ESPN that he expects to return to the Steelers at the end of this month. For the past three years, the two-time All-Pro had feuded with the team over his contract, which he (rightfully) felt should reset the running back market. But unlike Thomas, Bell had, for months, refused to report at all. The Steelers, who reportedly offered him a contract with only $20 million guarantees, even made him available for a trade, but nothing materialized.

Now, Bell will return. If, like Thomas, Bell were to suffer a serious injury, sometime in the season’s second half, he’ll have no long-term security. He’d be paid the rest of his $14 million franchise tag, before kindly – or not so kindly – being asked to leave.

This sort of cold, calculated conclusion is inherent to the NFL’s current system. While players are risking serious physical harm, teams are rewarded for being as shrewd as possible with their players’ pay. They use the franchise tag to its fullest extent. They fill out deals with per-game bonuses which shift the risk to players, in lieu of paying them guaranteed money. And when players do exercise their leverage, they’re criticized by fans.

More than ever, teams are building rosters loaded primarily with rookie contracts, which – thanks to the league’s rookie-wage scale – assures that good, young players play out their deals for wildly-below-market salaries. Last month, ESPN floated the hypothetical notion of the Rams trading Jared Goff before the end of his rookie deal, in favor of developing another young quarterback, early in his own rookie deal. This is how far we’ve swung away from the labor side of the spectrum.

For two straight offseasons, Aaron Donald held out for his own long-term deal. Donald had little leverage, other than to sit out and forfeit game checks. The Rams had little incentive to negotiate, other than to keep the defending Defensive Player of the Year happy. They could have franchise tagged him for three straight seasons, saving tens of millions. They signed him long-term, instead, rewarding one of the NFL’s best players.

The Seahawks could have signed Thomas to a long-term extension, one that would’ve kept him in Seattle for the rest of his career. The last remaining member of the Legion of Boom, Thomas was still performing at an All-Pro level. He deserved a long-term deal somewhere.

He may never get it now. And while Thomas may blame the Seahawks and Bell may blame the Steelers, it’s the system that’s screwing the both of them which truly deserves its own middle-finger salute.

BEST BET OF WEEK 4

Rams (-7) over Seahawks. On their way to becoming the NFL’s hottest team, the Rams beat their first four opponents by 20, 34, 12, and 7 points, respectively. As Jared Goff has emerged as one of the league’s best quarterbacks, the Rams offense is averaging 35 points per game. The Seahawks rank 24th in the league in points per game and 28th in yards per game. Unless the Rams unexpectedly fall apart on the road, the Seahawks, who nearly lost to the lowly Cardinals last week, simply won’t be able to keep up.

Season record: 3-1Last week: Texans (+1.5) over Colts — WIN

FANTASY PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Juju Smith-Schuster, WR, Steelers. Antonio Brown is still the top option in the Steelers offense, but Smith-Schuster, at just 21 years old, is gaining fast. He has at least five catches and 116 yards in each of his last three games, and this week, he’ll face a Falcons secondary that’s been picked apart by Andy Dalton in Drew Brees in consecutive weeks. With the Falcons’ focus on Brown, Smith-Schuster could be in for a huge game.

DID YOU KNOW … ?

As Drew Brees prepares to break the career passing yards record this weekend, the NFL record for most passing yards in a single game has stood for 67 years.

Rams quarterback Norm Van Brocklin threw for 554 yards on the opening night of the 1951 season, as the Rams trounced the New York Yanks, 54-14. Even as passing offenses have grown far more prolific, no one has surpassed Van Brocklin’s mark. Weird.

TOP 4 … MOST IMPACTFUL PLAYERS THROUGH FOUR WEEKS

4. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints. We expected regression, after Kamara’s historic all-purpose rookie season. But it hasn’t happened. Kamara has 60 more all-purpose yards than Ezekiel Elliott, who has

3. Jared Goff, QB, Rams. Amid all the bluster that he might be a “system quarterback”, Goff has quietly been the best signal caller in his conference. At the helm of Sean McVay’s offense, the NFL’s best by a wide margin, Goff has made his share of absurd throws.

2. Khalil Mack, DE, Bears. His presence has immediately turned the Bears into a defensive juggernaut. His name is being mentioned in the MVP race. The next guy on this list is the only one who’s even close.

1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs. Mahomes’ first month was nothing short of extraordinary. He’s currently on pace to throw 56 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He hasn’t lost yet as a starter. He’s a superstar.

LAS VEGAS — After starring at safety for Hesperia High and Stony Brook University, Dominick Reyes found no takers for his skills in the NFL.

Reyes chose to channel his energy and frustrations into fighting. Now he lays the wood on different opponents.

On Saturday at UFC 229, Reyes will pit his undefeated record against another former football player in former University of Tennessee defensive end Ovince Saint Preux inside T-Mobile Arena.

“He’s tough, he’s a veteran. He’s got the tools, man, but I feel like I’m just better,” Reyes said of the 35-year-old Saint Preux (22-11), who has gone 11-6 in more than five years in the UFC.

“I believe I’m more fluid, I got more speed, I’m a little quicker. Maybe a little smarter too. We’ll see.”

Saint Preux knows he has the experience advantage over Reyes, 28, who has been fighting for only five years and will be making just his fourth trip into the Octagon in 16 months.

But the former interim light heavyweight title challenger, who lost a unanimous decision to Jon Jones in April 2016, isn’t deterred by Reyes finishing eight of his nine wins. Saint Preux feels he has the edge everywhere.

“His striking is pretty good, but I think my striking is just as good too. Same thing. I’ve knocked people out with my hands, knocked people out with my feet. It’s no biggie to me,” the seventh-ranked Saint Preux said. “I want it to go on the ground. A lot of people don’t know what’s gonna happen once they get on the ground.”

A little gridiron positional rivalry has also come into play. Saint Preux says, as a former defensive end, he was doing the hard work in the trenches.

Reyes counters by pointing to his fluidity, speed, quickness and intellect.

“I made all the calls. I made all the checks. I was making calls on the fly,” said the 6-foot-4 Reyes, a two-time All-CIF pick at Hesperia and two-time all-conference player and four-year starter at Stony Brook. “I had to check the linebackers, the D-line and the cornerbacks and the other safeties.

“I was considered the quarterback of the defense. I take pride in that.”

The biggest similarity between football and MMA, according to the 12th-ranked Reyes, is how it feels when it’s game time.

“It’s that butterfly feeling, that anxiety, excitement, everything at once and you just hone in on it,” Reyes, who fights out of Victor Valley. “You understand the preparation you’ve done is enough and then you let go and you ball out.”

One difference is obviously the numbers – relying on your 10 teammates on defense, as well as the other 11 on the other side of the ball, to work together and perform as a unit.

Reyes does have coaches and trainers – Joe Stevenson at Cobra Kai, along with Team Quest in Temecula and Team Elevation in Colorado – but it’s often his burden to shoulder alone.

“It’s up to me to prepare. It’s up to me to not eat this, it’s up to me to sacrifice that or run these miles when nobody’s looking or getting up early,” said Reyes, who graduated from Stony Brook with a degree in Information Systems.

“I know what I gotta do for myself. Nobody is holding my hand. I’m not getting a whistle blown at me. It’s all on my own. If I don’t, the chances of me being unconscious on fight night go up drastically.”

When that Octagon door closes, it’s just Reyes, his opponent and the referee.

And the biggest difference between football and MMA becomes a cold, hard truth.

“It’s just you. Just you,” Reyes said. “In football, you’ve gotta do your job. I understand that. In this, it’s just you. Your margin for error is much smaller. And you mess up in this, you’re asleep. You mess up in football, they score a touchdown and you’re OK.”

Instead, it’s been Reyes rendering opponents unconscious in the cage.

His breakthrough moment came June 2, 2017, at LFA 13 at the Los Angeles-Burbank Marriott Convention Center in Burbank. After cracking Jordan Powell with some punches, Powell dared to laugh off Reyes’ strikes and showboat a bit.

And that’s when Reyes quickly crushed Powell with the head kick seen around the world. The knockout went viral, garnering millions of views online.

When Reyes walked into a bar with his family and friends after the fight, his knockout was already playing on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

Five days later, the UFC called and asked if he wanted to fight in 10 days.

“I was like, man, I’m on this wave. Might as well, and here I am,” Reyes said. “It’s been a whirlwind.”

In the ensuing 11 months in the UFC, Reyes delivered first-round finishes over Joachim Christensen (TKO via punches), Jeremy Kimball (submission via rear-naked choke) and Jared Cannonier (TKO via punches).

Being on the UFC 229 main card – just two fights before lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defends his belt against Conor McGregor in the biggest fight in UFC history – is a far cry from his days immediately out of college doing construction and later working as a Technical Support Specialist at Oak Hills High.

Gone are the “What if?” thoughts about the NFL. Now he’s all about “What’s next?” in the UFC.

“I love playing sports. I love competing. I’ve been doing it my whole life and I still do it,” Reyes said. “And now I get to get paid for it, have a lifestyle where I don’t have a boss. I don’t have to answer to anyone and it’s such a blessing and I’ll literally fight for it.”

FATHER TO SON: Arje Griegst forged a unique path as a jeweler and sculptor, since founding his eponymous label in the Sixties, and now a whole new generation has the chance to own — and wear — his work.
Two years after his father’s death, Noam Griegst is setting out to honor his legacy and bring pieces from his archive alive. They’re currently on display — and for sale — outside Copenhagen for the first time at Dover Street Market in London. The store is debuting 10 reissued designs by the late jeweler during the Frieze Art Fair, which runs until Sunday.
Griegst’s commitment to craftsmanship was unrivaled: He made his first piece of cutlery at age 10, received a De Beers Prize at 19 and went on to create a world of his own inside his Copenhagen studio, designing sculpted pieces in gold and precious stones and often receiving commissions from the Danish Royal Family.
“A single ring could take two years to make. He would cast it in wax, again and again, until it was perfected, and in the meantime we were all starving at home and my mum would go completely crazy,” Noam said in an interview. “I’ve been working

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Skip flying cars altogether and jump on one of HoverSurf’s electric hoverbikes.

A total of 81,000 fans and 2,000 cars came together at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to celebrate Porsche.

A lucky few bourbon aficionados will taste the expressions at a private event at Polo Ralph Lauren’s New York flagship.

In these days of high school football teams that seem more like college football programs, Valencia is like a rotary telephone.

Old fashioned.

It is a community football team. Valencia’s players grew up together. They’ve never thought about transferring.

Year after year, and decade after decade, really, Valencia plays the same tough, gritty style. The Tigers run the ball a lot, they have a hard-hitting defense, they throw the ball just to spice it up, and they win.

Valencia’s 27-7 win over Tustin in an Empire League game Friday was typical Tigers ball. Valencia rushed for 253 yards, scored all four of its touchdowns on running plays, completed 4 of 7 passes for 57 yards and the Tigers defense suffocated Tustin’s offense, holding the Tillers to 148 yards of total offense as they improved to 2-0 in league in their pursuit of a fifth straight league championship.

And it was done by a bunch of neighborhood kids.

“We’ve all known each other since middle school,” said senior running back Nathan Sandoval who rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns Friday. “For some of us it goes back to preschool.”

Eight of the 12 coaches in the Valencia football program are Valencia alums, including head coach Jason Gray.

“We just have to coach whoever shows up here,” Gray said. “Sometimes guys are going to be starters only a year or two here. They work their way into a role and they get to have fun playing football.”

Luis Garcia was one of those players who found his role as a safety and kicker at Valencia in the 1990s. He now is the Tigers defensive coordinator.

“I started coming to Valencia games when I was a kid,” Garcia said. “I’d tell myself, ‘One day, I’m going to be a Tiger.’ ”

“It’s family around here,” said junior defensive lineman Carson Elmasry. “Our motto is ‘Pride, Tradition, Excellence.’ We tend to stick by that.”

Valencia’s football community was created and maintained by Mike Marrujo. He coached the Tigers for 35 years before resigning after the 2015 season.

“Valencia’s always been a very community-oriented school,” Marrujo said. “Many kids go there because their parents went there.”

Tustin coach Myron Miller was impressed by Valencia on Friday. Again.

“Nothing’s changed,” said Miller, 75, who has coached against Valencia for many years. “They’re the same gritty, tough kids who’ll never give in. Twenty-five years I’ve played them and 25 years I’ve known what to expect.”

It’s a mixture of kids in Valencia football. The surrounding area has upper-middle class and lower-middle class and everything in between. The roster has long been one of ethnic diversity.

“We get kids from all walks of life,” Garcia said. “It’s a big mix of kids. They take pride in that.”

Some of the players come from Placentia’s more affluent streets. Others have jobs to contribute to their family’s finances.

“You see kids walking in here from all over the place, from different neighborhoods,” Gray said. “It doesn’t matter where they come from, they all have things they need to work through. It doesn’t matter what neighborhood you’re from.”

Valencia senior defensive end Anthony Moran, who had three sacks Friday, understands. That’s why he never considered transferring to another school.

“Everybody here respects each other,” Moran said. “I would never want to leave that.”

THAT WAS CLOSE

If Mission Viejo was going to find a way to beat Capistrano Valley on Friday night, it would be up to Akili Arnold to find it. He has made big plays for the Diablos all season and did so again in Mission Viejo’s 31-24 win over the Cougars.

Arnold, a senior receiver/defensive back, had an interception in the fourth quarter to set up the winning touchdown, Joey Yellen’s 11-yard scoring pass to tight end TJ Roelen. Arnold also had 164 receiving yards on seven receptions.

Mater Dei linebacker/receiver Bru McCoy might be Orange County’s best two-way player. Arnold is not far behind in that category.

CAN HE COACH, TOO?

In San Juan Hills’ 38-0 win over Aliso Niguel, junior Joey Hobert scored a touchdown on a shovel pass, blocked a field-goal attempt and picked up the ball to return it 57 yards for another touchdown, kicked a field goal and had 78 receiving yards on seven receptions.

GARBERS’GAME

Corona del Mar quarterback Ethan Garbers threw for school records of 472 yards and six touchdowns in a 49-21 win over Fountain Valley.

Corona del Mar’s next opponent is Los Alamitos on Friday, Oct. 12 at Cerritos College. Both teams are 2-0 in the Sunset League.

That will be a good challenge for Garbers and the Sea Kings. Los Alamitos has defeated its two league opponents by a combined score of 111-7.

IT’S ON

Mater Dei and St. John Bosco are the only 2-0 teams in the Trinity League. In the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 and CalHiSports.com state rankings Mater Dei is No. 1 and Bosco is No. 2.

They play each other Friday, Oct. 12 at Santa Ana Stadium. The game will be televised live by Prime Ticket.

So was the Mater Dei-IMG Academy game at Santa Ana Stadium a couple of weeks ago, and everyone who was at Mater Dei-IMG is glad they were there instead of at home watching it on TV.

LA HABRA, STILL

La Habra went into Freeway League play with a 1-4 record. People who looked at 1-4 and thought La Habra would not continue to rule the league were very wrong.

La Habra beat the league’s second-best team, Sunny Hills, 56-14 on Friday. The Highlanders are going to go 5-0 again in league to take another league championship. They have won nine Freeway titles in the past 10 years.

The Orange County high school sports schedule for Saturday, Oct. 6.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

TOURNAMENTS

Laguna Beach at SoCal Invitational, San Diego

BOYS WATER POLO

TOURNAMENTS

S&R SPORT INVITATIONAL

At Woollett Aquatic Center, Irvine

Huntington Beach, Foothill, Irvine, Dana Hills, Corona del Mar, Los Alamitos

NEWPORT SHOWCASE

At Newport Harbor High

Mater Dei vs. Oaks Christian, 2 p.m., Santa Margarita vs. Righetti, 3:10 p.m., Loyola vs. Cathedral Catholic, 4:20 p.m, Harvard Westlake at Newport Harbor, 5:30 p.m.

NONLEAGUE

Laguna Beach at San Clemente

LA HABRA – The La Habra football team boasts a talented pair of juniors that few schools can match up with.

While Clark Phillips III was his usual brilliant self in a 56-14 win over Sunny Hills on Friday night, Ryan Zanelli was every bit as important to the Highlanders’ success in the Freeway League contest.

The junior quarterback threw for 319 and five touchdowns to help snap Sunny Hills’ five-game win streak.

La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta complimented his quarterback’s performance while keeping him humble all in the same breath.

“He played really well, but I think sometimes he gets a little bit too aggressive down field,” Mazzotta said. “He might have a crossing route underneath and he’s going to try and squeeze that ball in there and he usually does, so you gotta hand it to him.

“I want him to be aggressive, but there’s times where you take what you get, dump it off and let one of our (playmakers) catch it and run for a first down or big score.”

Zanelli put the ball in the hands of his playmakers early and often as Phillips caught a 46-yard score and La Habra (3-4, 2-0) jumped out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter.

Sunny Hills (5-2, 1-1) crawled back into the game by taking advantage of three second-quarter turnovers by the Highlanders and numerous penalties.

After La Habra muffed a punt deep in its own territory, the Lancers recovered at the 16 and Jun Ahn scored from the 3 to make it 14-6.

Jamiel Henning gave the Highlanders excellent field position on the ensuing kickoff return and one play later Kalani Washington scored on a 46-yard TD pass from Zanelli to make it 21-6.

After Sunny Hills went three-and-out on their next possession, Zanelli made his first mistake of the game when he was picked off by Wilson Cal.

Luke Duxbury found Railan Peace on the next play for a 23-yard reception and then Ahn scored again, this time from the 8, to make it 21-14 after a two-point conversion.

La Habra turned the ball over on its next drive when Jaylon Medina stripped Zanelli and recovered the loose ball.

After Medina’s strip sack, Sunny Hills coach Pete Karavedas was looking for his team to tie the score.

“It’s 21-14 we have the ball and then Clark Phillips took over a little bit,” Karavedas said.

Phillips made sure Sunny Hills would not get closer as his interception and 46-yard return after the pick stopped the Lancers’ opportunity to tie the game.

Henning went on to score a touchdown on a spectacular diving catch just before halftime as Zanelli lobbed a pass to the back of the end zone to make it 28-14.

The second half was all La Habra as it outscored Sunny Hills 28-0.

La Habra’s defense shut down the Lancers ground game, as Ahn was held to a total of 53 yards.

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Since Huntington Beach’s move to the Sunset league in 2010, Edison has had its way with the Oilers – to the tune of an 8-1 record. Huntington’s lone victory came in the 2013 semifinals on the way to its only CIF-SS championship.

The Chargers’ regular season dominance continued Friday night as Edison used a stout defense and rushed for 243 yards en route to a 20-14 Sunset league win over Huntington Beach.

Edison running back Kobe Lopez led the charge. The senior ran for 178 yards on 25 carries.

“He carried the load for us tonight,” Edison coach Jeff Grady said. “He wanted the ball tonight. … His performance is a testament to what we did up front, the offensive line was moving people.”

Edison’s Kobe Lopez talks about his big night in Edison’s 20-14 Sunset League win over Huntington Beach. Lopez finished with 178 yards on 25 carries. @ocvarsity @EdisonSportsNet @EdisonFootball_ @hbhs_football pic.twitter.com/Yk5A01GCvi

— Tony Serna Arduino (@TonySerna15) October 6, 2018

The Chargers defense was no slouch as it held Huntington to 20 total rushing yards on the night.

“Our defense played tough,” Grady said. “We made a few mistakes, but we were fortunate to win the football game. … Hats off to Huntington, they made a lot of plays on defense as well.”

The Edison faithful didn’t have much to cheer for early on as the Chargers’ first three drives ended in punts.

Huntington Beach, ranked No. 20 in Orange County, took advantage of a short field on its opening possession and scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Cannella to Christian Moore. A 2-point conversion gave the Oilers an 8-0 lead.

A fumble recovery on a punt early in the second quarter by Edison’s Mateo Liau led to a 6-yard Mike Walters touchdown run. A failed extra point made it 8-6.

After an Oilers three-and-out, Walters scored his second touchdown of the night on a fourth-and-2 play. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound running back lined up in the wildcat and rumbled 41 yards up the middle to put Edison up 13-8 with 6:52 left in the half.

“We lined up in the wildcat and I faked the ball to Isaiah (Palmer),” Walters said. “I saw a huge hole so I cut back and took it.”

Edison (3-4, 1-1), ranked No. 14 in Orange County, started the second half with three consecutive turnovers. Interceptions by Huntington’s James Stevens and Jeremiah Flanagan ended Chargers drives.

Flanagan’s interception halfway through the third quarter led to his own 35-yard TD catch from Cannella. The score gave the Oilers a 14-13 lead.

Edison looked to regain control with 1:54 left in the third quarter, as it drove to the Oilers 1-yard line. On the fourth-and-goal play, the Oilers defense stood firm and forced Walters to lose a yard and end the threat.

Huntington Beach then failed to move the ball on its ensuing possession, and two penalties and a sack led to a punt. A bad snap recovered by Walters on the Oilers 18 re-energized the Edison sideline.

Four plays later, Palmer took a sweep to the left and scored from 6 yards out, giving Edison the lead for good at 20-14.

Cannella finished 10 of 22 for 167 yards and two TDs, and Isaac Bryant added four catches for 73 yards for the Oilers.

“We gotta stay focused and stop committing penalties,” Lopez said of his team moving forward. “We have to keep grinding.”