**Kai Spears wins $9.25M — plus Alabama's overnight news** - **Alabama basketball / Kai Spears:** Jury awards ex-Tide player $9.25M after ruling New York Times defamed him with false shooting story - **Kai Spears / NYT:** Historic verdict — first defamation loss for the Times in over 50 years - **Alabama basketball / Kai Spears:** USA Today, Awful Announcing, WBRC all confirm — Spears walked away with a clean name and a massive check - **Alabama HS football:** Week 1 scores are in — check timesdaily.com for your local results - **SEC / Herb Vincent:** Longtime associate commissioner set to retire, per AL.com **Watch for:** Any NYT appeal filing and whether Spears has remaining college eligibility or pro prospects worth tracking. The lineup's set. Drop in.