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Wales is leading global movement to become more age-friendlyDunk The Halls: ESPN Refine Animated Altcast Tech and Ops with a Helping Hand From Mickey and Minnie On Christmas Day, for the second time in just 15 days, ESPN will produce a fully animated alternate broadcast when it brings Mickey, Minnie and rest of Disney’s core cast of characters to the NBA hardcourt. Coming on the heels of on Dec. 9, the altcast of the San Antonio Spurs – New York Knicks game marks the first animated presentation of an NBA game and the first NBA game to stream on Disney+ (the game can also be seen on ESPN2 and ESPN+) “The NBA specifically is an awesome opportunity for us...and opens up really wonderful visual opportunities,” says . “It’s actually the first event that we’ve done that truly sees faces on the participants playing in the game to a much greater degree than obviously we do with football and hockey. So, I think that’s going to be a really magnetic, magical experience just to see the characters that have been created for that.” The two primary driving forces behind are once again ESPN Creative Studio, which designs the look and brings the characters to life, and Beyond Sports, which provides the data processing and real-time–visualization technology. Each Spurs and Knicks player will appear as a motion-enabled, animated player for the special Christmas matchup. Through the real-time visualization technology enabled by Sony’s Beyond Sports, combined with Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations’ optical tracking, fans watching will see every three-pointer, dunk, layup, pass, and more from the real-life Spurs vs. Knicks game at Madison Square Garden in New York as it happens. The virtual, live re-creation of the Spurs vs. Knicks game will be set on iconic “Main Street, USA” in Magic Kingdom Park as the teams play while Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Goofy, and Chip and Dale cheer them on. Shots of “Main Street, USA” and other famous landmarks within Magic Kingdom Park will be regularly shown, including Cinderella’s Castle. As was the case for , the entire live animated game production will be handled out of ESPN’s Bristol, CT campus, including all crew and talent. Gaming PCs in Bristol will receive optical tracking data from the Hawkeye system installed at Madison Square Garden and Beyond Sports will use this data to render the real time game animation. However, unlike the and productions, there is no Next-Gen Stats data from the NFL being used so all tracking will be optical. Behind the scenes in Bristol, more than 40 people will contribute to the production, including Graphics, Production, Studio Directing, Resource Coordinators, Technical Operators, Edit team, Media Replay, Talent, and Beyond Sports support staff. Several ESPN team members are operating inside the Beyond Sports system, watching the game unfold in a 360-degree animated space with access to over 30 different programmed camera angles to choose from. The live show will be driven by and with support from , and , and , and . Bristol operations are managed by , while technical Operations are led by and . Media support is provided by , and . “While this is my first time directing an animated alt-cast, I had the opportunity to observe production process,” says Ward. “As with other live productions, especially one of this nature, collaboration is key to success. With numerous moving parts and multiple departments working together, teamwork is essential to making it all happen.” “Watching our team discover which angle is best for each play is part of the fun of working with new technology,” adds McMeekin. “You have to approach this position as if you are playing a first-person video game and are exploring the environment around you.” For the first time in ESPN’s five Altcasts, Beyond Sports will not have a censor-based tracking system (like NFL Next-Gen Stats or NHL Edge) to serve as a backup. Instead, Beyond Sports will be relying wholly on Hawk Eye Innovations’ 29-point limb-tracking system. While that provides a new challenge for the technology, adds that the indoor environment will simplify things for his team (since wind, rain, and snow will not be a factor). And, while the massive size of NBA players also makes them easier to track, the mix of small animated characters with these tower figures will be challenging. “Our algorithms have to do a lot to overcome problems for a small character actually jumping really high,” he says. “With altcast, we had to make sure it ended up in their hands, but now we actually need to, in a believable way, make a small mouse get all the way up to the rim to make a dunk. That is truly unique.” “I think a lot of people know Beyond Sports for the visual side of things we’re doing,” he adds. “But I think this is time to highlight the other 50% of our company that only works on the data, only seeing data points day in and day out to make these kinds of things work for us to experience, all the way up to the short turns, the quick dribbles, and the pick and rolls. It’s so truly believable to the eye.” Orlins points out that the Disney characters range from a little over 3 feet tall to over 6 feet tall and it is up to Beyond Sports to blend these animated rigs with data real-time from the players ranging from Chris Paul (6 feet) and Jalen Brunson (6-foot-2) to Victor Wenbanyama (7-foot-3) and Karl Anthony Towns (7 feet). “I feel like Goofy looks like a solid 7-footer,” he says. “It’s really amazing, when you stop and think about it, the tracking and the fact that these Disney characters can be on the court working off the data of 6-1/2 or 7-foot NBA player, and yet the dribbles and the jumping and the dunks and all that looks so authentic and real for an animated character.” “And this happening in real time,” he continues. “This is taking data that is placing the ball where a 7-footer jumps to dunk that has to be recreated so Donald Duck with webbed feet can make the same movement. It’s really a magical thing they do.” and are also on hand in Bristol, calling the action out of voice-over via Meta Quest Pro headsets. Carter and McNutt – who will be joined by Daisy Duck as the sideline reporter – will be animated in the style of the telecast and experience the game from “Main Street, USA” thanks to Meta Quest Pro VR technology and Sony’s Beyond Sports’ Virtual Commentator Technology. “For , we’re hoping to fine-tune the talent motion capture standup process,” says Nelson. “The animated PXP and color analysts are such a dynamic and fun part of the broadcast, we’d like to put them on camera a little more than we did with broadcast.” One major modification will be new talent cues in the VO booths. Carter and McNutt will now get a visual notification via remote light switches when they’re about to be on “virtual camera” to cut down on IFB traffic. Menard credits Senior Technical Operations Manager Erik Barone – a VR technology champion and aficionado – with the idea for implementing these visual cues for talent. “We are hoping both of these stay consistent to a degree, but we have modified some workflows for the talent cues in the VO booths,” says Menard. “We learned that with so much IFB communication happening, we needed a better way to let them know what’s coming. Although many of the workflows will stay the same as they did on broadcast, this is the first league coverage (NBA) where the players aren’t wearing helmets. Because of this, the animated players on the Spurs and Knicks had to be more detailed in their body structure, including height, hair type, and so on. “We worked incredibly tightly with the NBA to create players [to make sure] that everybody was happy with it,” says . “The NBA is a very player forward league, and we wanted to represent the players, not only their scale, but also just their faces and their hairstyles. So, this is a level of detail that we’ve never done on any other broadcast.” The Creative Studio team built out 34 unique players, as well as alternative options in case a trade takes place or a new player is added to the team. “It was an incredible endeavor that we worked really, really hard in partnership with the NBA on, and I think they turned out amazing,” he adds. “It just adds to the magical nature of this broadcast. I have to say that of all of the Alt Casts that I’ve worked on, this one is just beautiful.” The storyline behind the presentation begins with Mickey’s Christmas wish to Santa Claus to bring the NBA players to “Main Street, USA” at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort to play the first animated NBA game on Christmas Day. “We worked with the Disney Parks to get accurate 3D models of all of the storefronts that are there,” says Spargrove. “We worked very closely with them to make sure that that area was represented well. About 80-85% of the broadcast will be live-game action, but Spargrove and his team have also created a cavalcade of kid-friendly preproduced segments that will be scattered throughout the broadcast. For example, at halftime of the Spurs vs. Knicks game, the Disney characters, led by Mickey Mouse, will compete in a special slam dunk contest. In addition, Santa’s Elves will operate the cameras for the game while Santa himself will operate ESPN’s “SkyCam” during the game. The Disney characters will also deliver pregame and halftime speeches to the players and decorate a large Christmas tree during the game. Lastly, fans will also get to find out if it will snow on “Main Street, USA” and see how many churros Goofy can eat. Nelson says that every time ESPN produces another animated broadcast, the production teams find new areas to improve upon whether it be timing, camera angles, tracking, communication, music, storylines, or other elements. From an ops perspective, the ultra-short timeline being so close to and actually made some aspects were made easier because the operations team could leave the same setups in place in Bristol. However, back-to-back productions also meant there wasn’t as much time to implement the handful of necessary adjustments. Nonetheless, Menard and her team got the job done, tweaking some existing workflows and adding new ones. Among the key changes for Wednesday compared to show will be the visual talent cues as well as providing remote access to the different gaming machines around campus, which will allow Beyond Sports to work more efficiently. “These might sound like small changes but, little by little, it becomes a lot,” say Menard. “We learn something every time [we do an animated altcast].” In addition to backend operations, ESPN’s production team will need to adjust its creative and storytelling strategy in transitioning from Atoms Stadium in Springfield to Main Street, USA in Walt Disney World – especially when it comes to the pacing and cadence of the broadcast. “Delivering a production with Bart and Homer experiencing a football game will be different than Mickey and friends watching an NBA game,” says McMeekin. “From a sports perspective we have to be mindful of pace of play. With an NFL game we have time between each play to deliver a replay or creative content, in the NBA as soon as a basket is made both teams are down the court continuing with play. We will have to prioritize content and be strategic with what we want to show during a clock stoppage.” is the fifth chapter in Disney and ESPN’s real-time animated-broadcast effort, following in the footsteps of , and editions of the and . also continues ESPN and the NBA’s history of alt-cast executions using IP from The Walt Disney Co. , ESPN and the NBA teamed up with Marvel for , an alt-cast of an NBA regular-season game. It’s always incredible to see a new production like this come to fruition especially when you look back and see how much planning and prep got us to the game day moment,” McMeekin. “ESPN has a long history of being on the forefront of innovative production ideas and adds to that lineage as the first real-time animated NBA game. Being a part of any ‘ESPN first’ is an awesome opportunity and memorable experience for our team especially when you factor in the creative latitude this production introduces.” Ward adds “I’m incredibly excited and proud to work with our team to bring this experience to our viewers. The countless hours spent preparing for and broadcasts, and executing them back-to-back successfully, are a testament to this group’s skill, passion, and commitment to innovation.”

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Arkansas WR Andrew Armstrong declares for NFL draft, skipping bowlMITCHELL — As a new season gets underway for the Mitchell High School boys basketball program, many elements from last year remain the same. The roster is largely intact, having graduated just one regular rotation player. Head coach Ryker Kreutzfeldt is still on the sideline, his fourth season guiding the program. In Class AA, the core schedule hardly ever changes. ADVERTISEMENT But as the reigning Class AA state champions, that familiar territory has taken on a new feeling for the Kernels. “You have to have a different mentality coming into this one; it's not the same,” Kreutzfeldt said. “That's something we're going to have to work through early. If we can stay focused on everyday things, we'll end up being all right, but there's an adjustment period, and we're probably going to go through that for a couple weeks, at least.” As Kreutzfeldt explains, last year’s Kernels had several unknowns and went into the season believing it would have to battle all season long to be in position to make the state tournament. Instead, they were the No. 1 seed, compiled a 23-1 record and won the program’s first state championship in nearly two decades. “This year, everyone would expect us to just be in the state championship again. It's not that easy,” Kreutzfeldt said. “How do you deal with that early? When everybody else is thinking about March, you've got to be thinking about December 2 (the Kernels’ opening day of practice).” That’s not to say the Kernels aren’t chomping at the bit to prove they’re the team to beat. This year, the first allowable practice date didn't come until the calendar flipped over to December, while a year ago, Mitchell played its first game on Dec. 8. That bit of extra waiting only added to the anticipation, as the Kernels hope to turn 2024-25 into another special campaign. “We were all just counting down the days and getting ready,” said senior Gavin Hinker. “We're all excited, and we're all ready to work hard. We know that everybody's going to give us their best shot.” ADVERTISEMENT Even with the roster continuity and the amount of time invested during the offseason, the official tip-off to a new season is hardly ever easy, according to Kreutzfeldt. No matter the circumstances, it takes time to settle back in and find a practice flow that works best for everyone. On top of that, paramount for this year’s MHS roster is finding a new vocal leader. Last season, then-senior Gavin Soukup stepped into that role and helped guide the Kernels to a title while also providing a level of on-court production that earned second-team all-state honors. “I think we're probably ahead of last year because everyone's got some varsity experience, and we kind of know what to expect,” said senior Markus Talley. “But without (Soukup), he was a big part of the team last year, so we need guys to step up and be leaders.” Mitchell has more than two full weeks of practice before opening its 2024-25 schedule at Watertown on Tuesday, Dec. 17. The first week of game action also includes the West River weekend trek to face Rapids City Stevens and Rapid City Central on Dec. 20 and 21. The Kernels host their first home games as part of the Hoop City Classic, welcoming Orono (Minn.) on Dec. 28 and Orlando Christian Prep (Fla.) on Dec. 30. While there’s plenty to be settled in the Kernels’ camp between now and then, Kreutzfeldt is confident that Mitchell can hit the ground running. “I have no doubts that, come opening night, these guys will be ready to go,” Kreutzfeldt said. “We've got a long way to go until then — two weeks and a day — so that's our challenge right now. We’ve got to fall back in love with the basics.”

Blakley's 28 lead Le Moyne over SUNY Delhi 106-51MALAGA, Spain (AP) — The last man to face — and beat — Rafael Nadal in professional tennis, 80th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp , converted his 10th match point Friday to finally close out a 6-4, 6-7 (12), 6-3 victory over Daniel Altmaier and help the Netherlands reach its first Davis Cup final by sweeping Germany. Tallon Griekspoor, who is ranked 40th, sealed the 2-0 win for the Dutch in the best-of-three-match semifinal by hitting 25 aces and coming back to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4. When it ended, appropriately, on an ace, Griekspoor shut his eyes, dropped to his knees and spread his arms wide. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Some quotations from Jimmy Carter: We have a tendency to exalt ourselves and to dwell on the weaknesses and mistakes of others. I have come to realize that in every person there is something fine and pure and noble, along with a desire for self-fulfillment. Political and religious leaders must attempt to provide a society within which these human attributes can be nurtured and enhanced. — from 1975 book “Why Not the Best?” Our government can express the highest common ideals of human beings — if we demand of government true standards of excellence. At this Bicentennial time of introspection and concern, we must demand such standards. — “Why Not the Best?” I am a Southerner and an American, I am a farmer, an engineer, a father and husband, a Christian, a politician and former governor, a planner, a businessman, a nuclear physicist, a naval officer, a canoeist, and among other things a lover of Bob Dylan’s songs and Dylan Thomas’s poetry. — “Why Not the Best?” Christ said, “I tell you that anyone who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery.” I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times. This is something that God recognizes I will do — and I have done it — and God forgives me for it. But that doesn’t mean that I condemn someone who not only looks on a woman with lust but who leaves his wife and shacks up with somebody out of wedlock. — Interview, November 1976 Playboy. This inauguration ceremony marks a new beginning, a new dedication within our Government, and a new spirit among us all. A President may sense and proclaim that new spirit, but only a people can provide it. — Inaugural address, January 1977. It’s clear that the true problems of our nation are much deeper — deeper than gasoline lines or energy shortages, deeper even than inflation and recession. ... All the legislation in the world can’t fix what’s wrong with America. ... It is a crisis of confidence. — So-called “malaise” speech, July 1979. But we know that democracy is always an unfinished creation. Each generation must renew its foundations. Each generation must rediscover the meaning of this hallowed vision in the light of its own modern challenges. For this generation, ours, life is nuclear survival; liberty is human rights; the pursuit of happiness is a planet whose resources are devoted to the physical and spiritual nourishment of its inhabitants. — Farewell Address, January 1981. We appreciate the past. We are grateful for the present and we’re looking forward to the future with great anticipation and commitment. — October 1986, at the dedication of the Carter Presidential Library and Museum. War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other’s children. — December 2002, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. Fundamentalists have become increasingly influential in both religion and government, and have managed to change the nuances and subtleties of historic debate into black-and-white rigidities and the personal derogation of those who dare to disagree. ... The influence of these various trends poses a threat to many of our nation’s historic customs and moral commitments, both in government and in houses of worship. — From 2005 book “Our Endangered Values.” I think that this breakthrough by Barack Obama has been remarkable. When he made his speech (on race) a few months ago in Philadelphia, I wept. I sat in front of the television and cried, because I saw that as the most enlightening and transforming analysis of racism and a potential end of it that I ever saw in my life. — August 2008, commenting on then-Sen. Barack Obama’s candidacy. I think it’s based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president. ... No matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect. — September 2009, reacting to Rep. Joe Wilson’s shout of “You lie!” during a speech to Congress by President Barack Obama. I’m still determined to outlive the last guinea worm. — 2010, on The Carter Center’s work to eradicate guinea worm disease. You know how much I raised to run against Gerald Ford? Zero. You know how much I raised to run against Ronald Reagan? Zero. You know how much will be raised this year by all presidential, Senate and House campaigns? $6 billion. That’s 6,000 millions. — September 2012, reacting to the 2010 “Citizens United” U.S. Supreme Court decision permitting unlimited third-party political spending. I have become convinced that the most serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge is the deprivation and abuse of women and girls, largely caused by a false interpretation of carefully selected religious texts and a growing tolerance of violence and warfare, unfortunately following the example set during my lifetime by the United States. — From 2014 book “A Call to Action.” I don’t think there’s any doubt now that the NSA or other agencies monitor or record almost every telephone call made in the United States, including cellphones, and I presume email as well. We’ve gone a long way down the road of violating Americans’ basic civil rights, as far as privacy is concerned. — March 2014, commenting on U.S. intelligence monitoring after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks We accept self-congratulations about the wonderful 50th anniversary – which is wonderful – but we feel like Lyndon Johnson did it and we don’t have to do anything anymore. — April 2014, commenting on racial inequality during a celebration of the Civil Rights Act’s 40th anniversary. I had a very challenging question at Emory (University) the other night: “How would you describe the United States of America today in one word?” And I didn’t know what to say for a few moments, but I finally said, “Searching.” I think the country in which we live is still searching for what it ought to be, and what it can be, and I’m not sure we’re making much progress right at this moment. — October 2014 during a celebration of his 90th birthday. The life we have now is the best of all. We have an expanding and harmonious family, a rich life in our church and the Plains community, and a diversity of projects at The Carter Center that is adventurous and exciting. Rosalynn and I have visited more than 145 countries, and both of us are as active as we have ever been. We are blessed with good health and look to the future with eagerness and confidence, but are prepared for inevitable adversity when it comes. — From 2015 book, “A Full Life.”Optex Systems Announces $6.5 Million Order for Laser Protected Periscopes

Major stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The S&P 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners than gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company's big gain helped cushion the market's broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market's other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street's rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve's last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year . The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank's 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed's policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.