#there is also the additional issue of the world cup being mid season for the men which created more uncertainty

[hardtchill]

So why did the men get bigger rosters then???? FIFA figured the men were important enough to allow this but female players aren't. Why do you keep defending that?

Oh ffs, how many more times do some of you need to explained how the decision for the men came to be? You could just Google this you know....

The men's rosters were expanded because of the threat of covid outbreaks and the uncertainty surrounding that. The reasoning behind the change wasn't that teams need 26 players during a normal world cup. The decision also had to be made months prior to the world cup (june to be exact) because teams had to prepare. During the world cup Covid hasn't been an issue at all, it was a precautionary measure which turned out not to be necessary after all.

The women shouldn't have this same issue, for one because we're a year further along and so far Australia/NZ seem to have a good grasp on Covid regulations. There is also the very simple fact that for the men the roster expansion doesn't have the same consequences as for the women because the majority of men's teams have plenty of players to fill those spots.

[astormyjet]

Winter of 2018 - Summer of 2021 TIME FILES WHEN YOU’RE IN YOUR 20s!!!!

OH BOY. It’s been three years (or more) since I updated this. “Time is a weird soup!” to quote a fave. I guess I quit tumblr around the time there was a purge of content and creators and a smack down on a lot of the fandom communities. Tumblr has always been something of a crapshow though so I’ve been more productive with my time than I was in some ways, but I’ve also found other ways to waste my time. *cough twitter/netflix/youtube/MTGArena cough*.

General Life Achievements since 2018 -JLPT N3 GET in 2019! -Blackbelt GET in 2018! -TESOL 120 Hour and BE 50 Hour Cert from online provider GET in 2021 -STUDENT LOAN BANISHED (Thank you grandparents) -Survived Apartment flooding in early 2020. -Mystery anxiety related illness and chronic pain in my left leg from early 2020 - Present. -A mythical 6th and 7th year on the JET Programme. -Started posting on Instagram a lot more about my wanderings around Matsuyama/Uwajima. Mainly old buildings and stray cats. @astormyknight -Surviving so far in Japan with old rona-chan.

2018 was rough. I was given an additional school in the first semester (March to July) as we had someone find a better job. I enjoyed it, but it was a bit of a rough go especially when I was transferred that August after three fantastic years at Tsubaki JHS and ES and only a semester there. I legit went through the five stages of grief - which I think is another reason I stopped blogging. I was given my current base school along with four other schools. Going from 2(3) to 5 schools was a bit of an adjustment. I still feel a bit spread out.

That said, I keep running into teachers and students who were at the Tsubaki’s. The teachers shuffle around every April, so it's always a lottery with which new faces are going to be old friends (or enemies…). A couple of kids moved and transferred into my current schools from Tsubaki too. So I have one kid I can say I've been teaching for 6 out of the 7 years I've been here!

One of the kids who was in JHS 3rd grade when I first got here (in 2015!) hangs out around one of my favorite cafes, so I got chatting with him recently. He's in his second year of nursing school - his class nearly broke me in the first year, it was really a trial by fire with those kids. I was 22 then, and he’s 20 now, so it was interesting chatting to him about that first year of teaching. His younger sister was one of my favorite students too, she was in the group of kids that graduated in the March of 2018, the year group that went through Tsubaki JHS with me - they’re newly minted University students now!

This Thursday morning when I was cycling in to work, a kid who was 2nd year JHS when I left  (so 2nd or 3rd year JHS now) pulled up with their Mum in a van and got their mamachari out of the back to bike to school. The franticness of it all was hilarious. Their Mum legit sat on the horn until I pulled over. I was so happy to run into this kid, even at social distance and both of us late to work/school - because we both remembered each other and as they were going around the corners they were yelling each time they turned and humming the old elementary school directions chant and pelting me with questions about what I’ve been up to.

I've had so many students and schools now, that everything is kind of running into a blur. I remember flashes of kids faces and voices, random memories of in class or out of class shenanigans out of the blue. Also, I now, more than ever, have issues remembering kids' names, but I still know their faces (even with their masks), whose homeroom class they were in, who their friends were and which club they were in. I get random flashbacks to past conversations with them when I see them on the street or we run into each other. I feel bad because the first thing former students ask is ‘Do you remember my name?’ and I always have to be like, ‘Honestly, no, but I remember you did this on x day, x month in x classroom’.

Socially in 2018 -2019 - a few of our friends went home and things shook up a little. Our DnD group changed a bit - one of our players stepped into the role forever DM (THANK YOU RALPH). From memory the newbies were great - some of them just went home at the start of last month and it’s weird not seeing them around (JESS DO YOUR BEST!). I think we only have one or two people left from that rotation. There’s no 6th year ALTs, and only two 5th years.

Aug 2018 - Aug 2019 was the year of Hiura - my mountain school. Dang man, they were so cool. The students of the JHS and the ES combined barely hit 30, so each class was between 3-10 students depending on the grade. It was easier to get to know the kids, their abilities and their goals than it has been for me at other schools. I miss it so bad, being in nature once a week did my country-kid heart so good! The bugs! The frogs! The river! The mountain! The monkeys! The lizards! The dilapidated houses and hidden shrines!!!! The random crabs in the English room...I forgot that there was such a thing as freshwater crabs, and being right next to a river, the invasion wasn’t as out of place as I first thought...  

The area is so picturesque and calming. Every week up there was a small adventure (after getting over my motion sickness from the bus ride up). The kids were constantly pranking either myself or the main English teacher. There was always some new weird bug or lizard in a tank to be educated about. There were chickens on the way to the JHS that used to escape from their cardboard box prisons to run riot on the gardens. There were old people to freak out with my youth and foreignness! The kids also got to do a lot of extra classes, sumiyakai (making charcoal the traditional way), planting and maintaining rice paddies, setting up vegetable gardens, raising fireflies, conserving a special breed of fire lily (only found in this particular mountain valley) and another rare flower, wilderness training ect.

I wish I could have stayed there a lot longer but SOMEONE (read...the BoE) decided that schools had to be shuffled again(thank goodness the dude who has it now was able to keep it from the 2021 shuffle, he's the best fit for the school). I had so many good memories from there, I wish I had been more consistent in writing it down. I do have a bunch of photos and videos from there though, so that's nice. The only thing I don’t miss is the bus trip up and down - not only was it motion sickness, there was a healthy dose of fear each ride as the driver brought us perilously close to the edge of the mountain drop…

2019 - 2020 was interesting. With the school I got given instead of the Hirua’s I was roped into more demonstration lessons which was a lot of pressure because I was also involved quite heavily with the JHS observation and training lessons too. They were somewhat rewarding, the third graders are now super smart 5th graders, but the teachers  who need to embrace the new curriculum and ways of teaching really haven’t taken on anything from the lessons....

Outside of work as well, I was given the chance, thanks to an ALT buddy of mine, to join in with the local festival. It's been one of the biggest highlights of my time here, and I am gutted it’s been cancelled for the last two years, but I understand the reason…. I was able to travel to Okinawa too during that summer for an international Karate seminar with the Dojo I train with. I met the head of the style I currently practice and a bunch of people from around the world. I also got to see Shuri castle before it burned down. So that was a stroke of luck. One of the places I want to go when/if we get out of this pandemic is Okinawa. I want to see more of those Islands so bad. Just before the whole pandemic thing too - I managed to see the Rugby World Cup, a Canada vs NZ match, I even ran into Tana Umanga in Oita city!!!

2019 - 2020 was supposed to be my last year on JET, so I was frantically Job hunting. I went to the Career Fair in Osaka in early Feb/Late January 2020. I applied and got interviewed for a position in Sendai in early Jan 2020. In the end though - the Rona hit. We started hearing whispers of it around the end of 2019, then the cruise boats happened, and then Japan refused to cancel the Olympics...every holiday season there is a new wave of infections, my nurse friends in Tokyo are struggling....my teacher friends in more populous areas of Japan are struggling…

JET couldn't get new ALTs for 2020-2021, I took the extra year when it was eventually offered, as the one job I had managed to get a serious offer for was hesitating because with the rona setting in, things were uncertain. There was a lot of time spent adjusting to the new rules surrounding what we could do in class with the kids as well as textbook change. Schools shut on and off during the spring months. 

I also got a reminder of my mortality mid May with an unrelated illness which is still smacking me around a bit - stress/age, it does things to the human body it has no right to. It's only been in the last three months I’ve been able to exercise like I used to, I’ve put on a bunch of weight I can't shrug off (one part medication, another part diet) My relationship with food needs to change, and I really need a kitchen that allows me for more than one pan meals. I also need to figure out what to do with a left leg that is in constant pain from the knee down and a heart that misses beats when stressed out (mentally and physically…). 

My apartment also got flooded by the guy upstairs at one point, I spent most of late February/early March living in a hotel while my walls and floor got redone - I think this was one of the things that really stressed me out and kicked my anxiety right up a notch, it was right when things were getting REALLY bad with rona-chan in Hokkaido and schools were shutting down here as it was filtering into the prefecture and so Japan closed schools for the first time…

Classes in covid times have been weird. We’ve been wearing facemasks full time since the early stages of the pandemic (March 2020) - so I admit that I get a bit pissed off seeing both Americans and New Zealanders back home bitching about just having to start wearing them full time in public. I have asthma and have been suffering with the things on during the 30*C plus with high 90s humidity summers. Teachers were offered vaccines late July 2021, just days before the Olympics were open - and I finished my two shots in the middle of August. But the overall distribution and take up of the jab has been slow.  As mentioned above, we can't play a lot of the games we used to play with kids in classes anymore, and a lot of the activities outlined in the textbook curriculum need to be adjusted too, so we’ve had to be creative. We use hand sanitizer a lot more too. One of the things I miss the most though, is eating lunch with the kids.

Socially from summer 2020 - now 2021 we played a lot of DnD and board games, both online and in person when we could. There were no new ALTs again for the 2021-2022 JET year, and those of us who were in 6th year were offered a 7th. Four out of six of us took it. As a whole we’re down from a peak of 38 ALTs for Junior High and Elementary school to 22 for now. We hopefully will get a new person at the end of September, and 4 more in November. Which will bring us to 27. This has led to ANOTHER round of school shuffles.

Summer vacation has been weird the last two years. With rona-chan, we haven’t really been able to travel. All the summer festivals (all the Autumn and Winter ones too!) have been cancelled, so the changing of seasons just feels, wrong. I dunno. There is so much we all miss from pre-rona-chan, and so much that doesn’t happen that makes this just feel like one long long unending year of sadness, coldness, raininess, unbearable heat and repeat. I’m tired. Time is going so fast, but so.dang.slow.

I lost my favorite school (AGAIN GDI!!!) and gained the school I taught a semester at in 2019....I had my first day there on Wednesday. Schools actually started back on September 1st so there was some drama as the BoE didn’t communicate fast enough about our school changes. We legit got told on the 27th of August (on a Friday) our schools were changing effective September 1st, but somehow some of our schools found out on the Monday 30th August. In July we were told we would be changing schools at the end of September, so.a lot of ALTs and schools were left short changed, not having opportunities to say goodbye to co-workers or students/having their planning for the semester more or less thrown out the window too. I love my job. I really dislike the way the BoE treats us, the Japanese assistant language teachers and our schools.

The new school I have is used to having an ALT there twice a week, who plans all the lessons and executes them. I’m at three elementary schools. I'm only at each once a week, I want to plan, but being that I miss an entire lesson in between visits, it's going to be difficult to do so. Not impossible, but being that I'm already doing it for two other schools, who are at two different places in the textbook ah…….. From what I have talked to my new supervisor about though, it sounds like the teachers have taken on more of the lesson planning and I'll be able to contribute ideas when I'm there. I just want to and wish I could do more without being confused all the time. (This is all usually done in my second language too, not in English so extra levels of confusion and miscommunication abound).

 I feel like this at my JHS too a lot of the time. I want to contribute more, but even with constant communication with my main in school supervisor (who is a badass and pretty much on the same page about everything with me) I still feel about as useful as tits on a bull. Especially now that classes have been cancelled and or shortened, there's less time to do stuff. Any game or activity I plan is usually cut in favor of making up time in the textbook. When I'm in class, I'm back to being a tape recorder, the fun police and general nuisance.　

Also in the last week...my two of my schools were  shut due to students testing positive for the rona. This is the second time my schools have had a scare in the last 8 months. And by shut, I mean the students were all at home, but the teachers  all had to come into the office. Because why not I guess….. I mean,  the cases increasing is really not unexpected with the amount of people who were travelling over obon and the increase of cases due to the Olympics/Japan being slow on vaccinating/delta being the dominant strain/Japan's leaders doing relatively little except asking shops and restaurants to limit people coming in at one time and closing before 8pm. I know my schools weren't the only one shut either - but still High Schools were having their sports days this week. I kept on seeing groups of kids hanging in the park after, so that was a little bit nerve wracking.

It's just frustrating - we’ve been on half days to “minimize the risk of infection” for kids and teachers, as if only being at school from 8am through to 1pm is going to reduce the risk.  My schools have only just started testing out Microsoft teams and Zoom lesson equipment. Thankfully our school’s run in this time was contained real quick, the family was super good about informing us when they got their results back, and the fact they needed to be tested. The homeroom teacher and the students from the same class were the only ones tested, and they all came back clear, which was nice. But the information came back so SLOW. 

I’m a little irritated because I found out on Wednesday night what was going on, and even if I am vaccinated, I am super worried that I will end up being the covid monkey due to being at different schools three days out of five. I think other than being worried that I will catch it myself and get real sick, my biggest fear is that I will be protected from bad symptoms from the vaccine, but still be able to pass it onto some of my more vulnerable friends and students. The whole thing is a mess.  

Other than Covid and BoE drama, life is good. I’ve had a couple of other big changes - both fantastic and not so great, but yeah.  I have my health (and health insurance!) for now. I have a job, for now. I have a sense of existential dread for the next 12 months, but we’ll see where we end up. Life post JET is going to be way less cushy and I am TERRIFIED. I mean, I have a BA in Eng/Ling and no idea what to do with it…..because I am NOT suited for academia.

TLDR: Love my job. Don’t like the system. What is life? Future scary. 

[jlfmi]

2017 Charts Of The Year

As 2017 draws to a close, we again take a look back – in chart form – at the noteworthy events and conditions that defined the year in the financial markets. These charts aren’t necessarily our most popular ones. Consider these our “editor’s picks”. The charts range from those that had the most impact on the markets in 2017 to those that may have the most impact on 2018. They don’t necessarily include after-shots of the big movers of the year. However, you will see “before” shots of many of the big movers. After all, we are money managers and the objective behind these charts is to identify potentially profitable moves before they happen. Finally, there is our chart of the year for 2017. We would love to know which charts you feel should have been included so feel free to send along your feedback. We thank you again very much for your viewership this year and wish you all a very healthy and prosperous 2018!

So, without further ado, here are our 2017 Charts Of The Year (in chronological order – click on the titles to visit the respective posts):

Is Bond Market Entering A New Regime? – January 11

The early-2017 rise in bond yields lifted 10-Year Yields out of the post-2007 “extraordinarily low-rate” regime -- and back into the "regular" post-1981 falling rate environment.

Are Large-Cap Growth Stocks Set To Surge? – January 20

While the post-August stock rally has been broad-based, the first 8 months belonged solely to large-cap growth stocks. A bullish chart pattern foreshadowed the ~25% rally in the S&P Large-Cap Pure Growth segment of the market.

Global Stocks Breaking Decade-Long Resistance – January 27

It wasn't just domestic stocks breaking out this year; the Global Dow Index broke above its post-2007 downtrend on its way to a 20% gain to all-time highs.

Will Record Short VIX Position Backfire On Speculators? – January 30

No...except for very brief moments. A record low year for volatility expectations prevented VIX futures Speculators' largest net-short position in history from burning them too badly.

Indian Stocks In Position For Next Big Advance? – February 24

A bullish cup-&-handle formation propelled the Indian stock market to a new up-leg in its long-term bull market -- and a 28% gain for 2017.

Is This Country Poised To Be The Next Big Global Breakout? (PREMIUM-UNLOCKED) - March 17

If the persistent low-volatility ascent by U.S. stocks was the story of 2017, the underrated runner-up was the re-emerging emerging markets. Among a sudden glut of attractive looking global equity markets early in the year, Indonesia stood out based on a potential cup-&-handle pattern as well. The pattern would play out by the book as Indonesian stocks have jumped by 18% to close the year at all-time highs.

Stock Leadership Being Tested - March 28

In late March, Amazon and Alphabet – 2 important generals of the market rally – underwent similar, technical tests of their uptrends. Like every other test in recent years, these 2 leaders (and others in the tech space, e.g., Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidea, etc.) would ace the test and resume their respective ascents to over $1000.

SPECIAL REPORT: Brazil Crashing (PREMIUM-UNLOCKED) - May 18

On May 18, Brazil's stock market was sent crashing with the benchmark Bovespa Index down some 10%. That brought it right down to a key support level, however, as we noted to TLS members. The Bovespa would bottom that day -- and 5 months later, it was up 25% to an all-time high.

Unlucky (Year) Number 7? - July 13

With stocks near all-time highs and hitting on (almost) all cylinders heading into the 2nd half of 2017, identifying causes for immediate concern was a challenge. One candidate, though, pertained to seasonality.  Specifically, we discovered that the 2nd half of years ending in “7″ historically exhibited the stock market’s worst semi-annual performance -- by a lot. With a median return of -9.29% and an average drawdown of over -20%, we wondered if this historical tendency might be the thing to finally derail the stock rally. Nope. Along with every other bearish data point, the stock market rolled right over this trend, rising by double digit percentage points in the 2nd half.

Breakout Barrage – Part 2 (PREMIUM) -July 21

In late July, a myriad of indices broke out to new highs. But, as the chart shows, the phenomenon has not always been a sure-fire bullish sign as several occurrences actually marked significant tops. In this case, while it did not lead to a major top, the breakouts did end up failing in the near-term, leading to some weakness prior to a successful breakout a few months later.

Off The Charts: Bitcoin (PREMIUM-UNLOCKED) - July 27

While the cryptocurrency craze will go down as one of the (if not THE) market stories of 2017, the phenomenon really meant very little to us. However, as we shared in late July, from a technical perspective, the chart of Bitcoin actually presented a potentially very attractive setup from the long side. Now, we were looking for, what we thought was, an aggressive "target" of a 100% rise from its 2500 price at the time. There was no way to know that the cryptocurrency would increase seven-fold to around 20,000 before the end of the year.

Are Investors Running Out Of Cash? - August 2

The AAII allocation survey finds the lowest investor cash position since the stock market top in 2000. At some point, this, and other longer-term "background" indicators, will have a detrimental impact on the stock market. Obviously, that point has not yet been reached.

More Cracks Showing In Rally Foundation? (PREMIUM) - August 3

By late July, one legitimate concern in the stock market was the deterioration in the market internals. Despite the new highs in many indices, the majority of stocks were not keeping up. For example, for just the 5th time ever, the Dow Jones Industrial Average unbelievably hit a new high with less than 40% advancing issues and volume on both the NYSE and Nasdaq. This would lead to a temporary retrenchment, especially among the broader market, prior to a durable run to new highs.

SPECIAL REPORT: Germany (PREMIUM-UNLOCKED) - August 10

While some softness in the U.S. stock market was just getting started, European equities had been dropping for several months. As we reported to TLS members, this presented an attractive opportunity in the German DAX as it had reached a substantial cluster of support levels on its chart. It would bounce immediately, rallying as much as 13% over the next 3 months.

Did Volatility Traders Freak Out Enough To Bottom? (PREMIUM-UNLOCKED) - August 11

During the mid-August stock market selloff, we saw a huge spike in stock volatility expectations — but was it enough for a bottom? The answer would be a resounding "yes". Following a bit more testing the following week, stocks would be back on their way to new highs once again.

Key Indicator Signals Huge Score For Bulls (PREMIUM) - September 5

While there were assorted red flags along the way in 2017, major stock market concerns were kept at bay. This includes the September new high in the NYSE Advance-Decline Line which suggested that THE top in the S&P 500 has yet to occur.

After 10-Year Wait, Global Equity Gauge Hits Record High - September 13

In the post-August rally, stock market milestones continued to register around the world, including the Global Dow Index breaking above its all-time highs set 10 years ago.

Broad Breakout For The Market Of Stocks - September 29

Among the plethora of major stock market breakouts in 2017, perhaps the biggest was the Value Line Geometric Composite, i.e., the “median stock” in the U.S. market, finally breaking above multi-decade resistance.

The Most Important Level In The Stock Market (PREMIUM-UNLOCKED) - November 9

Following its historic breakout, the Value Line Geometric Composite would return to test the vicinity of the breakout level. We deemed this level a clean and clear line in the sand delineating the business as usual “BTD” environment from one that is more vulnerable to a sharper decline. The BTD crowd would be victorious once again as the level held flawlessly, producing another impressive bounce to all-time highs.

A Sweet Setup In This Hot Emerging Market (PREMIUM) - November 21

In addition to the Value Line Composite, important tests were conducted among a swathe of emerging equity markets. This included Chile, one of our favorite markets, technically, over the past few years -- and maybe for years to come? In late November, Chile’s benchmark stock index tested a major confluence of support, including the former 2010-2011 all-time highs. It would pass the test in spectacular fashion, rallying as much as 7% in a day back to its October all-time highs.

Great (Stock) Expectations - November 28

As demonstrated by the University of Michigan’s Survey of Consumers, expectations for stock market gains have never been higher, or more assured, than they are now. This is another example of a longer-term "background" indicator that hasn't had a deleterious impact on the market -- yet.

Everyone In The (Stock Market) Pool? - December 8

Yet another longer-term concern is that the percentage households’ financial assets currently invested in stocks has jumped to levels exceeded only by the 2000 bubble. Again, 2017 could care less about these background metrics -- we'll see about 2018.

Active Managers Throw Caution To The Wind (PREMIUM-UNLOCKED) - December 15

Active investment managers also jumped aboard the rampant bullish express as demonstrated by a survey indicating their highest level of equity exposure on record. Now, to their credit, these folks have been consistently bullish for awhile. However, this recent reading suggested that, at least temporarily, there may be a few too many managers on one side of the boat.

2017: A Record Smooth Ride For Stocks - December 27

2017 will be remembered for its historic volatility readings -- specifically, its rock-bottom readings. That's because, as measured by the S&P 500 Volatility Index, a.k.a., the VIX, the market has never enjoyed a less volatile year than 2017.

The 2017 Chart Of The Year:

2017: Stocks Experience Record Little Adversity - December 28

Hand-in-hand with historically low stock market volatility is a historically low level of losses. That fits the 2017 stock market to a tee and is best illustrated by our final Chart Of The Day for 2017 -- and our Chart Of The Year. As it reveals, based on cumulative losses on all down days during the year, stocks endured less adversity in 2017 than any other year on record, going back more than 100 years. In fact, the paucity of losses in 2017 smashed all the historic records.

Will next year be another walk in the park for the bulls? Don't count on it. Though, we would not have guessed that, 8 years into a bull market, we would witness its smoothest year yet. Plus, for now, it still appears to be all systems go on the current rally. At some point down the line, however, the bears will finally emerge from hibernation. And considering the alarming array of concerning, longer-term, background indicators, the reckoning may indeed be fierce.

Thank you again to everyone for reading. Here’s to another interesting and prosperous year in 2018!

What will 2018 bring? Nobody knows. But we do know that we'll be scouring markets around the globe every day, hunting opportunities for our clients and members of our “all-access” service, The Lyons Share. Join us on the journey and find out what investments we're looking to buy and sell -- and when. Also, sign up by January 1 and save 20% off an Annual Membership during our Holiday Sale. There has never been a better time to reap the benefits of this service! Thanks for reading!

_____________

Disclaimer: JLFMI’s actual investment decisions are based on our proprietary models. The conclusions based on the study in this letter may or may not be consistent with JLFMI’s actual investment posture at any given time. Additionally, the commentary provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as a recommendation to invest in any specific securities or according to any specific methodologies. Proper due diligence should be performed before investing in any investment vehicle. There is a risk of loss involved in all investments.

[rickhorrow]

10 To Watch : Mayor’s Edition 102819

RICK HORROW’S TOP 10 SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 28 : MAYOR’S EDITION

with Jacob Aere

Under Armour and Nike announce CEO shifts on the same day. Last Tuesday, Under Armour announced that founder Kevin Plank was stepping down from his CEO role, just as Nike was letting the world know that Mark Parker, a 40-year Nike veteran, was likewise assuming a different role at the $40 billion company. While Under Armour struggled financially under Plank, Parker oversaw a profitable but controversial period for Nike. In Maryland, Plank will become Under Armour executive chairman and brand chief. The changes come as the company's North American sales are struggling. In Oregon, Parker led Nike through a period of tremendous growth but also saw his leadership challenged by a number of controversies. While Nike earnings are currently ahead of expectations, the company has also been plagued by recent scandals, including a doping accusation that saw Nike shutter its renowned track and field program, and a sexual misconduct and gender discrimination case. Plank will be replaced by COO Patrik Frisk, who will assume the CEO role on January 1. Parker will step down January 13 and be replaced by John Donahoe, CEO of ServiceNow Inc. and chairman of PayPal Holdings.

There’s no shortage of intrigue and excitement surrounding this year’s match up, as the Washington Nationals square off against the Houston Astros in the 115th World Series. As the Series enters its second week with the Astros leading the Nationals 3-2, WalletHub takes a closer look at everything that makes the Series such a special event. For starters, the number 53 marks the combined number of years of the Astros' and Nationals' World Series droughts. While the Astros won the Series in 2017, it's been 51 years since the team formerly known as the Montreal Expos won a championship. Forbes values the two teams at roughly the same number, $1.8 billion, and the two teams have roughly the same team salary allotment, in the $207-$208 million range. The projected ad revenue for FOX for each game beyond the minimum four to win the Series is $45.7 million. And finally, for the eventual winner, the "Commissioner's Trophy" crafted by Tiffany and Company has an estimated physical value of $19,000.

The San Francisco 49ers will include basic food and beverages in the cost of season tickets starting in 2020, marking a major shift in concessions strategy. According to 49ers President Al Guido, the all-inclusive approach will not extend to season tickets resold on the secondary market, or to single-game buyers. The undefeated 49ers have about 60,000 season-ticket holders in a stadium that seats 68,500. In market research, Guido said season-ticket holders “overwhelmingly” reported they are willing to pay more than what the stadium currently makes on each fan to get concessions included. The non-transferability of the food & beverage deal is possible under Ticketmaster’s mobile ticketing system that assigns unique barcodes to every user. Items that will be free include chicken tenders, beef and vegan hot dogs, hot links, nachos, fries, pretzels, popcorn, peanuts candies, water, coffee, and all Pepsi products. The 49ers and concessionaire Levy have reportedly been studying the change since Levy won Levi’s Stadium business in February, 2018. It took more than a year of research to determine whether it could be done without causing prohibitive financial or operational costs. 

The Green Bay Packers and Microsoft raised $25 million for their TitletownTech business innovation fund. The TitletownTech fund reached its goal of $25 million with the addition of a dozen Wisconsin-based investors, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette. The Packers and Microsoft each committed $5 million to the fund, which will invest in high-growth early-stage and existing businesses aligned with industries in northeastern Wisconsin. Other investors in the accelerator program include Boston Bruins alternative governor Jerry Jacobs, Jr. and New York Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, both of whom sit on the TitletownTech advisory board. TitletownTech, a technology and innovation-focused campus in the Packers' Titletown District development near Lambeau Field, includes an innovation lab, a business solutions space called a venture studio, and the venture fund's headquarters. Moving forward, its work will focus on five business silos: sports, media, and entertainment; digital health; agriculture, water, and environment; advanced manufacturing; and supply chain technology. The Packers-Microsoft partnership is just the latest example of how sports franchises are thinking way outside the mixed-use stadium district development box to benefit their communities. 

NFL Players Coalition, Meek Mill, and others host Philadelphia Town Hall event. On Monday, October 28, global music streaming and entertainment platform, TIDAL will be live streaming, for free, the NFL Players Coalition Town Hall Event in Philadelphia. The event, according to a TIDAL release, will feature rapper Meek Mill, co-founder of Players Coalition/NFL Player Malcolm Jenkins, and other influencers discussing what the city of Philadelphia wants in its next police commissioner. Players Coalition aims to make an impact on social justice and racial equality through advocacy, awareness, education, and allocation of resources. TIDAL’s support of key social justice issues has been a pillar of the streaming service’s mission since its inception, and it is committed to amplifying conversations through the platform that will lead to a better future globally. The Philadelphia town hall meeting, and others like it nationally, are testaments to the NFL’s commitment to support social justice issues important to its players, alumni, and fans. Time will tell if the Players Coalition, with the league’s support, will truly be able to influence grassroots issues in the cities in which its games are played. 

Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney and his $9.3 million annual salary have taken over the top spot in the annual USA Today coaches’ salary database. Rounding out the top five are Nick Saban ($8.9 million), Jim Harbaugh ($7.5 million), Jimbo Fisher ($7.5 million), and Kirby Smart ($6.9 million). Notably, the top 83 coaches included in the list of 130 schools earned more than $1 million annually in salary alone. Also, the average total pay for the 122 FBS coaches for whom USA TODAY Sports could obtain compensation figures is $2.67 million, up 9% compared to last season – the increase is the largest in four years. And, for the first time, there is a league in which all of the coaches are making at least $3 million. That league is the 14-school Southeastern Conference, in which the average total pay is $4.95 million. College football coaches have seen salaries sky rocket in the last 10 years, meanwhile college athlete compensation is set to kick off in California come 2023.

The NBA has confirmed that Salt Lake City will host the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. The 72nd   edition of the mid-season exhibition match, which sees teams selected by a combination of fan, player, and media voting, will be staged at Vivint Smart Home Arena, the home of the Utah Jazz, February 19 2023. The event will mark the 30th anniversary of the only previous time Utah’s capital city hosted the All-Star Game in 1993, when the Vivint Smart Home Arena was known as the Delta Center. The NBA’s 2023 All-Star festivities will kick off February 17 that year, featuring additional programming for fans at venues throughout Salt Lake City. The league also plans to run a full schedule of NBA Cares and Diversity & Inclusion events. “Along with a rich basketball tradition, Salt Lake City has proven to be a world-class destination for large-scale events and sports competitions,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. “I want to thank the Miller Family and the Utah Jazz organization for their commitment to hosting our All-Star festivities and to developing a program that will leave a lasting impact on the community.” Added Jazz owner Gail Miller, “The memory of John Stockton and Karl Malone sharing MVP honors 30 years ago remains strong.  We are excited to create new memories for this generation of NBA fans.” Next year’s All-Star Game is being held at Chicago’s United Center before heading to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in 2021.

National Women’s Soccer League inks an exclusive deal with Octagon for media rights and marketing consulting. According to Sports Video Group, Octagon will provide comprehensive media rights valuation, sales strategy services, and work directly with NWSL executives to secure and amplify new media distribution opportunities. In addition, Octagon’s Marketing division will assist the league with brand marketing, asset development, sponsorship valuation, and fan engagement insights to help generate increases in overall reach and revenue for the league and its teams. Featuring more than 200 of the world’s best professional soccer players, including U.S. Women’s National Team members and two-time World Cup Champions Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, and Alex Morgan, as well as international stars Marta, Christine Sinclair, and Sam Kerr, the NWSL is highlighted by 23 current FIFA Women’s World Cup Champions and 58 FIFA Women’s World Cup team members. Budwesier has also launched a campaign focused on finding the NWSL new sponsors as more money is being put into women’s soccer across the globe.

The sports world aims to tackle ocean plastic pollution. According to SportTechie, a research expedition embarked from the southwest coast of the U.K., on a two-year mission to sail westward around the world. The crew aboard the S.V. TravelEdge, a 73-foot floating laboratory, will travel 38,000-nautical-miles and cross all five of the world’s major ocean gyres, regions where rotating currents lead to the accumulation of floating plastic waste. The 300 women joining the all-female rotating team will investigate to find solutions to plastic pollution. The “eXXpedition Round The World” is being organized by sailor Emily Penn, who is among a growing group of athletes and people connected to the sports world that is advocating for and taking action to protect the environment. Another goal of Penn’s journey is to create a global network of ambassadors who can advocate to help solve the problem. She has been working with a larger environmental organization called 11th Hour Racing over the last few years to give talks and run workshops for other sailors to learn how they can play a role in tackling plastic pollution. By having athletes tackle environmental problems head on, they can use their social influence to be advocates for policy and lifestyle change.

Seven NFL dads partner with Pampers to install changing tables in their local communities. According to Business Wire, Pampers’ commitment to install 5,000 changing tables across North America by 2021 secured the help of seven hands-on NFL dads today. In honor of October 26’s National Make a Difference Day, Pampers is leading the installation of changing tables in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, Detroit and Charlotte so all parents can #LoveTheChange in public places. The seven players include Sterling Shepard of the New York Giants, Tevin Coleman of the San Francisco 49ers, Marvin Jones Jr. of the Detroit Lions, Brian Westbrook of the Philadelphia Eagles, Derek Wolfe of the Denver Broncos, Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears, and Dontari Poe of the Carolina Panthers. The changing tables help to address the changing table inequality for men who care for babies and by using seven NFL dads the topic will gain more limelight.

[elizabethcariasa]

July 15 is new 2020 tax filing and payment deadline

The Senate also addresses this year's tax filing and payment deadline, as well as those for 2020 estimated tax payments, in its coronavirus relief bill.

2019 tax year returns and any due payments now will be due on July 15, 2020, according to a Treasury Department announcement this morning. And yes, I drew that sloppy circle and scribbled the info on my own calendar. I should have had a cup of coffee before doing so!

That noise you hear are the hallelujahs being shouted nationwide by tax professionals. They've been clamoring to have the usual April 15 tax-filing deadline delayed since coronavirus precautions have disrupted the tax world along with the wider world.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin this morning heeded those pleas.

He announced, via Twitter (of course), that "we are moving Tax Day from April 15 to July 15. All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties."

Exactly one minute later, Mnuchin also encouraged all who are able to file (and pay) before then to do so

I encourage all taxpayers who may have tax refunds to file now to get your money.

— Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) March 20, 2020

Tweaking of earlier tax deadline change: The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service earlier this week (Wednesday, March 18) issued official word about the prior delay until July 15 of tax payments only.

That date change also covered the first estimated tax payment for 2020 usually due on April 15.

But even though they adjusted the payment timetable, Uncle Sam's financial officials left the 2019 tax year Form 1040 filing deadline of April 15 in place.

Tax pros unite for conformity: Tax season is confusing in the best of times. These are not the best of times.

Tax professionals and their representative associations immediately lambasted Treasury and the IRS for splitting the filing and payment dates.

Such dual deadlines, they argued, would wreak further havoc on a filing season that's already forced everyone, taxpayers and tax preparers alike, to make dramatic changes in their personal, business and tax lives.

Mnuchin's social media announcement of the now combined July 15 filing and payment due date solves that problem.

Most states that have income taxes use the federal tax filing and payment deadlines, too. That's because those state returns tend to use information from your federal 1040.

So it's likely that state tax officials will follow this IRS move and push back their due date. But check with your state tax department to make sure.

Estimated taxes still not aligned: However, it did not mention any further estimated tax payment action.

When IRS issued Notice 2020-17 two days ago, it noted that the April 15 deadline for the year's first quarter 1040-ES payment also would move to July 15.

Many in the tax world, however, pointed out that would mean that the first estimated payment would come after the second one due by June 15.

It's probably safe to say that the estimated tax payment confusion will be addressed in an upcoming official IRS notice. And I suspect that all estimated tax payments coming up in the next few months also will shifted to the July deadline, too. Or maybe later.

Senate would adjust all filing, paying dates: I'm basing my predictions and "later" hedging on the language in the Senate's just-introduced Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or as it's being called the CARES bill. That measure would change various tax filing and payment due dates. 

You can read my reading of the CARES deadline changes in this Twitter exchange earlier this morning. Yes, I was up earlier than usual because the ray that is now is messing with my sleep patterns more than usual. I am not alone.

Basically, the Senate looks to be taking the tax pros' suggestions that the filing and payment deadlines for 2019 returns be aligned on July 15. That gives folks three months to get their taxes done and paid without any penalty or interest charges.

The CARES bill also addresses the usual mid-April estimated tax due date, as well as all the other 1040-ES payments for the 2020 tax year and that are due this calendar year, specifically the dates in bold red type below:

 Payment #  Due Date*  For income received in  1  April 15  Jan. 1 through March 31  2  June 15  April 1 through May 31  3  Sept. 15  June 1 through Aug. 31  4  Jan. 15 of the next year  Sept. 1 through Dec. 31

*If the 15th is on weekend or federal holiday, the estimated payment is due the next business day.  

Under the Senate proposal, the April, June and September estimated tax payments for the 2020 tax year wouldn't be due until Oct. 15. That's the regular deadline for folks who get an extension to file their annual tax return. CARES says "all such installments shall be treated as one installment due on such date."

More time to come up with money: Mnuchin's proposal and the sort-of concurring Senate bill, which is still in early legislative stages, give taxpayers who owe a 2019 tax bill three months to file that return and pay their taxes. That's good, since many of them are now without jobs thanks to COVID-19 closings and social/physical distancing.

Similarly, the Senate's suggested postponement of 2020 estimated tax payments also would allow filers to keep more of their cash longer. Hopefully, by October things will be better, tax and general life wise.

I'm sure the IRS will be issuing an official notice detailing Mnuchin's Twitter announcement about the new July 15 tax filing and payment deadline. It should, I hope, clear up things and also address the estimated tax deadline(s). Yeah, I know. I'm hoping for a lot, tax and otherwise, nowadays.

Also, keep an eye on the Senate CARES measure. I will, too, and let you know what happens there when it finally happens.

And, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, Meanwhile, hang in there and take care. Your and your families' health is much more important than any tax considerations.

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[gravitascivics]

THE CURRENCY, POWER

[Note:  If the reader has taken up reading this blog with this posting, he/she is helped by knowing that this posting is the next one in a series of postings.  The series begins with the posting, “The Natural Rights’ View of Morality” (February 25, 2020, https://gravitascivics.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-natural-rights-view-of-morality.html).  Overall, the series addresses how the study of political science has affected the civics curriculum of the nation’s secondary schools.]

 To this point, this blog has reviewed what the political world looks like through the natural rights perspective.  As far as a theoretical view, the political systems model was central for political scientists during the decades of the mid twentieth century.    Shortly, this blog proceeds with an overview of the methodology this approach promoted and how those methods reflected the general adoption of an approach known as behaviorism.[1]  

This bias has further influenced the portrayal of government in American civics courses.  That is, it reflects the market orientation of how Americans have come to see governance and politics.  As described so far, the political system has multiple parts which interact in order to provide governmental services.  These services are distributed through a competitive process.

Those who gain the benefits derived from those services do so because they can exert more power than others. Educators who instruct students about this process, therefore, are teaching their students about the exercises of power.  Unfortunately, this effect does not extend to highlight this currency; it is assumed without giving its proper due.

So, the language they use might not be so blunt, but that is what they are teaching.  One can ask, what is power in this social sense?  The definition used here is:  power is the ability of a person or a group, A, to get a person or a group, B, to do something B would not do otherwise.[2]  

For example, if one, in an agitated way, walks into a room, sees another person sitting comfortably on a lounge chair and yells, “Get up,” and that person stands, that is an incident of power if one assumption is true.  The assumption is that the other person was not about to stand up on his/her own accord to, say, get a cup of coffee.  That is, that B was content to continue his/her rest.  

This silly example is important because it illustrates how potentially difficult it is to measure power – only the lounging person knows what is going on in his/her mind and what he/she wants to do or is about to do. At its base then, this business of analyzing politics has a bit indetermination to it, but that does not seem to humble those who conduct much of what is called behavioral studies – more on this below.

With a definition in hand, a further step in conceptualizing power is to look at a categorizing scheme that identifies types of power.  John R. P. French and Bertram H. Raven identify five types based on the motivation that someone would have to do something he or she would not want to do otherwise – that is, the mental states that would lead one to yield to the wishes of someone else.  

This is bit ironic since behavioral studies claims to stand clear of such mental content – after all, they claim what is studied is what people do, not what they think and feel.  But when one wants to wield power, costs are involved and if certain strategies are geared to take advantage of what people are apt to acquiesce to, then one has to speculate as to motivations on the part of the governed or ruled.

So, there are mental perceptions or expectations of coercion, reward, legitimacy, expertise, or reference (known, in turn, as coercive power, reward power, legitimacy power, expert power, and referent power).[3]  This conceptualization is not only applicable to behavioral studies, but equally apply to either federal theory based-studies or the studies based on other constructs – power is that central to politics and political behavior.  It is the currency of politics.

For purposes here, this account reduces power to three types: avoidance of punishment, seeking reward, and a sense of duty.  One should consider, when utilizing the systems model, there are winners and losers and this, in turn, creates issues.  No matter how small in dimension a political engagement happens to be, those who are engaged in it are participating in a process of competition.  They conduct these competitive activities in the context of a system, a conglomeration of parts and actors that to some large degree, is organized and is intra-active.

There are actors who are in positions to make distributive decisions and there are actors who are vying for sought after gains in the form of policies, waivers, or payouts.  In the vying for gains (desired outputs), the engaged actors can very well hold and promote competing political values and aims in the form of the preferred policies they are seeking.  

Often, these actors, whether in positions of authority or not (some might enjoy highly influential positions without holding formal government office), hold a position of a relative level of power to influence or to make decisions that revolve around the differences between competing values and preferences.  This exercise in power usually reflects negotiating among the various interests the “players” in a competition might have.  The decision can be not to decide, to decide in favor of one or a combination of interests, or to compromise on a policy.  

The exercise of power determines which way it goes.  In the natural rights view, each participant is only concerned with extending that participant’s interest to the greatest extent possible at the least cost possible.  For better or worse, this is how the system formulates “consensus” and arrives at a policy decision.  

Players are apt to exercise power in all three forms.  It metes out rewards and punishments and it also solicits a sense of duty and obligation.  Therefore, central to this whole process are the authoritative decisions that determine whose values will be honored – catered to – and whose will not.

In addition, a study of this process (be it by decision-makers, competitors, or academics) entertains questions about how legitimacy is maintained even among the “losers” of a political competition.  After all, there is always tomorrow, and the system needs to maintain its players playing by the rules – rules that need to be of benefit to all.  

While this whole process refers to the organizational workings of groups and government, the systems approach focuses on the behavior of individuals within that structure who act from motivations of self-interest. Obviously, irrespective of the systems model emphasis on the individual – basic unit of analysis – any study of politics must account for collectives such as groups, associations, organizations of varying formalities, and governing processes.  

But the political systems model, as it has already been emphasized, accommodates political analysis of these collectives under the demands of individual participants behaving in such a way as to advance each actor’s own individual interests.[4]  

One should remember that how a person defines his/her self-interest can vary from person to person.  A person can want monetary benefits or reputational accolades or artistic recognition or athletic prowess, etc.  But however, one defines it, the systems approach – much in line with Machiavelli thinking[5] – sees this as the determining motivator in how he or she behaves politically.

A vivid example at this point helps.  That would be New York City's legendary Robert Moses, who was the central official determining the winners of New York’s political scene from the 1930s into the 1960s.  An extended quote from an interview with Moses' biographer, Robert Caro, gives one a taste of what is being described:

[For a highway, bridge, tunnel, park, etc.] Moses gave the contracts, the legal fees, the insurance premiums, the underwriting fees, and the jobs to the individuals, corporations, and unions who had the most political influence.  So they all had a vested interest in seeing that his project was built.  Therefore, if the people of a neighborhood, or their assemblyman or congressman, or a mayor or governor, tried to stop one of his projects, they would find themselves confronted by immense pressure from the very system they were a part of.  A huge public work – a bridge or a tunnel or a great highway – is a source of raw power, if it is used right, and no one ever used power with such ingenuity, and such ruthlessness, as Robert Moses.[6]

Power is not limited to government.  Power is potentially exercised in any social institution – businesses, churches, schools, medical facilities, legal firms, etc. – or any individual.  Given this fact, one can begin to understand that politics is ubiquitous.  The former popular TV show, The Good Wife,[7] dedicates a lot of its story lines to the political power plays within a legal firm upon which the series is based.  But examples can also be seen in everyday life.

During a recent Christmas season, the postal service ran an ad which depicted a husband and wife trying to decide who was going to tackle which holiday chore.  The wife says she will go to the mall if the husband takes care of mailing the gifts.  The husband immediately says that he will go to the mall because dealing with postage and the post office is a nightmare.  

He grabs the keys and runs to the car for his trip to the mall.  Just then the postman walks up and explains to the wife that sending packages is easy.  She responds with a wink, “I know.”  The postman says, “Oh, you're good.”  Power comes in many different guises and being the recipient or the victim might often go unnoticed.

What the last various postings try to communicate is not how civics is taught.  Future postings will address that.  What they to do try is to communicate a view of politics that has served as an overall understanding of politics that civics educators, including textbook authors, have brought to the task of planning and implementing their curricular ideas.  How these images have been interpreted needs to be reviewed and will serve as topics of future postings.

[1] This writer has also seen this term referred to as behavioralism.  Apparently, the term behaviorism refers to the analysis of behavior in psychology, while behavioralism is a term used in political science designating the study of political behavior.  Both terms are used here interchangeably.

[2] Andre Munro, “Robert A. Dahl: American Political Scientist and Educator,” Encyclopaedia  Britannica, February 1, 2020, accessed February 12, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-A-Dahl .

[3] Coercive power occurs when a person does something to avoid a punishment; reward power occurs when a person does something to gain a reward; legitimacy power occurs when a person does something out of a sense of duty; expert power occurs when a person does something because he/she is told to by a person who he or she believes to have some expertise, such as a doctor or lawyer; and referent power occurs when someone does something to be associated with someone, group and/or something.

[4] To be clear, a lot of the analysis might very well study group dynamics.  The point is that even with this level of analysis, the basic assumption is that each participating actor will strive to advance his/her self-interest.

[5] See posting, “Foundations of the Natural Rights View,” March 10, 2020, accessed March 19, 2020, https://gravitascivics.blogspot.com/2020/03/foundations-of-natural-rights-view.html .

[6] Ric Burns and James Sanders, New York: An Illustrated History (New York, NY:  Alfred A. Knopf, 1999), 462.

[7] Robert King and Michell King (creators and producers), The Good Wife, CBS (a television series), 2009.

[thisdaynews]

Eden Hazard: Real Madrid sign Chelsea forward on a five-year deal

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/eden-hazard-real-madrid-sign-chelsea-forward-on-a-five-year-deal/

Eden Hazard: Real Madrid sign Chelsea forward on a five-year deal

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Watch: Eden Hazard’s top five goals for Chelsea

Real Madrid have agreed a deal to sign forward Eden Hazard from Chelsea for a fee that could exceed £150m.

Hazard has agreed a five-year contract and will be presented as a Real player on 13 June, subject to a medical.

The Belgian scored 110 goals in 352 games for Chelsea after joining from Lille in 2012, and scored twice as they won the Europa League final last week.

“The memories he leaves us with will not fade,” said Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia.

“He provided all who watched Chelsea play with great entertainment and many match-winning contributions, and for that we thank Eden enormously.

“He has been a model professional throughout his time at the club, a wonderful individual to have around and a joy to work with.”

In seven seasons at Chelsea, Hazard won the Premier League and Europa League twice, the FA Cup and League Cup.

He was also named Chelsea’s Player of the Year on four occasions.

“Although it is with sadness we say goodbye to Eden and we made it absolutely clear to him the club wished him to stay, we respect the decision he has made to take on a new challenge in a different country and follow his childhood dream of playing for Real Madrid,” Granovskaia added.

Chelsea have been placed under a transfer ban by Fifa, meaning they will not be able to sign a replacement for Hazard.

The Blues are banned from signing players during the next two transfer windows until the end of January 2020. They failed with their first appeal to football’s world governing body, and have taken their second to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Hazard’s Stamford Bridge journey

Eden Hazard won two Premier League trophies with Chelsea, with the most recent coming in the 2016-17 season

When the then 21-year-old Hazard made his highly anticipated move to England in June 2012, the Blues had just been crowned champions of Europe for the first time under manager Roberto di Matteo.

The Belgian, who had also been wanted by Manchester United, hit the ground running with two assists on his league debut and went on to register 13 goals and 23 assists in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

A promising debut season was capped by a first trophy, though an injured Hazard had to watch from the sidelines as interim boss Rafael Benitez – Di Matteo’s mid-season replacement – guided Chelsea to victory in the Europa League.

Hazard won back-to-back player of the season awards following Jose Mourinho’s return to the club in June 2013 – an award he went on to win four times in six campaigns.

An improved 17 goals and 10 assists in 2013-14 was eclipsed by the Belgian’s joint-most prolific season for Chelsea the following year, scoring 19 times in all competitions and being crowned Premier League player of the season as Chelsea won a league and League Cup double.

Hazard featured in all 38 games that season, but 2015-16 proved difficult as Mourinho’s second term at Chelsea fell apart. He scored just six goals, enduring a 28-game goalless run for the Blues stretching from August until the end of January.

Antonio Conte’s subsequent arrival brought a second Premier League title, with Hazard returning to form with a record 16 league goals – a figure he matched in his final season at the club under Maurizio Sarri.

A consistent match-winner for the Blues, Hazard scored the only goal to seal an FA Cup final victory against Manchester United last season and starred in their second Europa League triumph in May.

Hazard makes ‘dream’ move

Hazard had made no secret of his interest in a move to Real during his latter years with Chelsea, describing a move to the Bernabeu as a “dream”.

In June 2017, the Belgian said he would “listen” if Real Madrid offered him a deal, before admitting “it might be time to discover something different” after six “wonderful years” at Stamford Bridge following the 2018 World Cup.

Later that year, Hazard admitted he was torn between signing a new deal at Stamford Bridge and heading to Madrid, and believed Real to be “the best club in the world”.

“It is my dream since I was a kid. I was dreaming about this club,” he said when asked about a potential move.

Following victory in the Europa League final against Arsenal last month, Hazard said: “I think it’s goodbye”.

Meanwhile, returning Real boss Zinedine Zidane refused to remain quiet too, telling the media at a press conference in April that he had “always appreciated” Hazard as a “fantastic” player.

The rumours rumbled on and Sarri seemed resigned to losing Hazard following the club’s final Premier League game of the season, insisting the club must “respect” the player’s final decision.

Hazard revealed then that he had informed the club of his decision “a couple of weeks ago”, eager for his future to be resolved as early as possible.

He is Real’s third signing after the arrivals of striker Luka Jovic from Eintracht Frankfurt for a fee reported to be in excess of £50m and defender Eder Militao from Porto for 50m euros (£42.7m).

Real finished third last season in the league, 19 points behind champions Barcelona, and having won the Champions League for three successive seasons, they were knocked out by Ajax in the last 16.

What are Chelsea losing?

Chelsea’s transfer ban leaves the club unable to sign players until January 2020. And even if they could, they would face an enormous task filling the void that the Belgian will leave.

In addition to his 110 goals, he also made 91 assists for Chelsea. Eighty-five of those goals and 54 of the assists came in the Premier League – only Frank Lampard (147 goals, 90 assists) and Didier Drogba (104 goals, 55 assists) have been involved in more Blues goals in the English top flight.

Hazard was involved in almost half of all Chelsea’s league goals during the 2018-19 season – 49.2% – scoring 16 times and making 15 assists as the Blues achieved their goal of a top-four finish.

His 16 goals accounted for 25.4% of Chelsea’s total in the competition, while he also finished top of the league’s assist chart.

‘One of Chelsea’s all-time top Premier League players’ – analysis

BBC Sport’s Simon Stone

This time last year, amid murmurings about a move to Real Madrid, Chelsea were convinced they could persuade Eden Hazard to stay at Stamford Bridge.

However, as the season went on, it became clear the Belgian was determined to pursue his dream move to the Spanish capital.

Once it became obvious Hazard wanted out, senior executives at Chelsea determined they would work with the player to facilitate his move.

Unlike the acrimony that accompanied Diego Costa’s departure 12 months ago, Hazard has never caused the club any issues.

His two-goal contribution in the Europa League final victory against Arsenal – in what turned out to be his final Chelsea game – cemented his status as one of the club’s all-time top Premier League players.

Read More

[thrashermaxey]

Capped: Holiday Shopping for the East – January 3

  Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best for the new year, and that the things you want to change, change for the better.

On this end of things though, not much is changing. You can still get all of your fantasy need-to-know right here. Dobber’s mid-season guide is almost here! Arrives January 11th.

  Closing in on the mid-way point of the season, here are some holiday shopping needs or new year’s resolutions for every NHL team.  

  If I can share a hope for all of you over the next week, it is that you continue to watch and enjoy the World Juniors even though some of the favourites in Canada and Sweden have been eliminated. There are still four excellent teams left.

  Boston Bruins

Really the Bruins just need to be healthy. In more words though, they could use another depth forward, especially one with a scoring touch. Guess who played with the Bruins last season, is still a free-agent, and has three 40-goal seasons to his credit? Rick Nash. Should he come back from his time off dealing with his last concussion, he would fit at the top of the Bruins’ wish list.

  Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo has turned a corner this year, but they need to learn from some breakouts in recent years by New Jersey, Colorado, and Edmonton. They need to keep their foot on the gas, and they do that best by re-signing Jeff Skinner. The former Carolina Hurricane has never been in a better situation, and the only way his value stays this high is if he re-signs in Buffalo. The Sabres are deploying him in more offensive situations, and he has grown into some real chemistry with Jack Eichel

  Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina has the lowest cap hit in the league this season, and my bold move prediction from two months ago was that the Hurricanes would acquire both Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin in a big deadline swing. Carolina needs consistency and goal scorers for Christmas. However, they may have to weaponize that cap space in other ways, as their playoff hopes are slipping away. Keep an eye on the youngsters, because if this season keeps slipping away, they will be given room to grow, and score.

  Columbus Blue Jackets

As mentioned right above, Columbus needs to figure out what they are doing with Panarin and Bobrovsky. They can’t afford to let both walk, and they probably can’t afford to keep both on new contracts, so they will have to pick one, and focus their efforts there. Panarin is set to discuss his future over the all-star break, so for now, Columbus should be focusing on Bobrovsky. In the meantime, backup Joonas Korpisalo may be in line to pick up a lot more starts after the trade deadline, or next year. Even if the Blue Jackets lose their two stars, they should be able to compete for a playoff spot in 2019-2020.

  Detroit Red Wings

The best thing for Detroit would probably be to have a few extra compliance buyouts to reset their defence. Filip Hronek, Nick Jensen, Joe Hicketts, and especially Dennis Cholowski are ready to take on more responsibility, but there are too many aging vets in the way. Some of the forwards are showing what they can do with the added responsibility, and with another high draft pick, this team is looing ready to turn the corner soon.

  With the youth they are stockpiling, Detroit could be priming up for another 20+ year playoff streak, and would likely be a cheap place to get some undervalued depth into your prospect cupboard. 

  Florida Panthers

The Panthers have all of their core players locked up on team-friendly deals, and a solid set of prospects coming up through the system. Their biggest hole on the depth chart is in net. Roberto Luongo and James Reimer are serviceable, however at their price tags, they don’t provide the quality the team needs right now. Unfortunately, both are signed to contracts taking them through at least to the summer of 2021. Management here is probably going to have to get creative to sort out an upgrade if they really want to contend. That, or Luongo needs to stay healthy for long enough for the Panthers to win something.

  Montreal Canadiens

That Max Domi for Alex Galchenyuk swap looks like it’s working well for Montreal. It seems to have rejuvenated Jonathan Drouin as well. The trio is forming a top line with Philip Danault, and no one has been asking about a new first line centre for the Canadiens. With the return of Shea Weber, they’re looking a lot more solid on defence. It is in net where the question marks lie. Carey Price has been average this year, and with only Antti Niemi and Michael McNiven to back him up, there isn’t much support. Most concerning is that Price’s quality start percentage is the lowest it has ever been. However, since Weber’s return, there has been a bit of a rebound. In those 13 games, Price has been back to his all-star form, sporting a stellar 2.39 GAA and a solid 0.916 sv%.

      His quality start percentage is still low, but the 8-4 record is a good sign. With some more support around him, Montreal fans, players, and fantasy owners alike have reasons to hope that the Canadiens’ netminder is on the rebound (at least once he returns from injury anyways). Maybe the media can make it their New Year’s resolution not to put future blame solely on him.

  New Jersey Devils

A healthy set of key players would be a big boon to a struggling team. Taylor Hall is currently out, Kyle Palmieri has been a band-aid-boy through recent seasons, and Cory Schneider still isn’t himself after hip surgery. Elliott Friedman went over some good news for Schneider owners though, where he provided some hope for a rebound next year. Roberto Luongo, Pekka Rinne, and others, have gone through similar procedures, it has taken them at least a full season for them to get their mojo back. This season is Keith Kinkaid’s in the Devils’ net. With Schneider’s contract and improving health, expect a better showing next season.  

  New York Islanders

A new contract for Anders Lee. The Islanders have survived losing their captain from last year, but they would be in very rough shape if they had to deal with that again. Lee could command upwards of $7 million on the open market, so the Islanders are going to have to open their cheque-books.

  New York Rangers

The Rangers need to make their resolution to stick to the building plan. It is well in place now, but some of their best pieces won’t arrive for another two or three years. As a result, despite being only two spots away from a playoff berth, selling off UFAs, Kevin Hayes, Adam McQuaid, and possibly even Mats Zuccarello should be the first priority. Hayes and Zuccarello on new teams would likely both see reduced roles, and a hit to their production.

However, I do like the fit of Kevin Hayes in Winnipeg, playing the role that Paul Stastny did last season.

  Ottawa Senators

After a hot start to the season, the Senators have fallen back to the spot in the standings that most expected entering the year – the bottom. Their Christmas wish has to be some lucky bounces with the lottery balls, so that the decision to draft Tkachuk last year doesn’t look so ludicrous. The following New Year’s resolution should include not making a mess of the Mark Stone and Matt Duchene contract negotiations. Pretty simple, but not necessarily straightforward. Expect both to get decent raises one way or another.

  Philadelphia Flyers

After spending big last summer, the Flyers might be best off filling some of their depth from the minor leagues, and bringing in a better mentor for Carter Hart. A veteran like Mike Smith could be a great addition in the offseason to timeshare with Hart for a year or two. In the meantime, between Brian Elliott and Michael Neuvirth, it seems they may be stuck with too many mediocre options, and no better trade partners available (Sergei Bobrovsky would be the closest, but I don’t see the Flyers bringing him back for just a few months).

  Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins took care of some business last Thursday inking Jake Guentzel to a five-year extension with a $6-million AAV. The Penguins probably didn’t get the time on it that they were hoping for, as Guentzel will now hit UFA status before he turns 30. The AAV is also a little higher than my model would suggest, so kudos to Gentzel’s agent for the player friendly deal.

  With the signing, it appears that the Penguins may not be able to retain the services of UFAs Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, and Casey DeSmith. As usual, the depth spots will be filled with cheap contracts from later in free-agency, and through the farm system. Though at this point, there is not much room for future additions, or even a deadline push if Justin Schultz comes back before the end of the year.

  Tampa Bay Lightning

Getting Brayden Point a contract has to be at the top of the Christmas wish list. Managing to keep the AAV a little lower in order to not have to sacrifice some talent on defence to fill the roster spots would be a bonus. My contract model now has him at an AAV just shy of $8 million, which would likely be too pricy for the Lightning to keep with all of their current obligations. Clearing out Ryan Callahan’s $5.8 million AAV for the next two years would go a long way to solving their cap problems. Maybe that should then be the real top-of-the-wish-list item.

  Toronto Maple Leafs

Resolutions:

Do not mess around with Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews like they did with William Nylander.

Do not let them get to the point of being given an offer-sheet.

Let players like Justin Holl play.

  Washington Capitals

With no largely pressing contract issues, minimal deadline cap space, and the title of “Defending Stanley Cup Champs”, life is pretty simple. Go out and win some games, make it to the playoffs, and do it all over again. These guys are going to be gunning for the back-to-back like Pittsburgh had. Make no mistake, one cup is not enough.

My New Year’s resolution will be to not forget this, and try not to bet against them too much come playoff time.

  ****

If you read the whole article, cheers! If you just skimmed some and skipped to your favourite team, that’s fine too. Let me know in the comments if you agree with what was said about them, or if you think there was something missed.

  ****

Previous Capped articles:

Doing Some Holiday Shopping

Sell-High Candidates

  ****

All cap related info is courtesy of Capfriendly. All player data was pulled from FrozenTools.

  That caps off this week’s record article, thanks for reading. As always, you can find me on twitter @alexdmaclean.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/capped/capped-holiday-shopping-for-the-east-january-3/

[dinakaplan]

5 Easy Food Swaps for Healthier Holiday Eating

Holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas, aren’t known for being healthy. But these healthy food swaps will help you make your holiday gatherings more healthful without sacrificing taste.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

Unless you’re trying to be healthy.

For many people, the holiday season kicks off three months of unlimited candy and cookies. And it also means eating until you feel more stuffed than a Thanksgiving turkey or a Christmas goose.

In fact, the Calorie Control Council estimated that the average Thanksgiving dinner contains 4,500 calories.

A 2016 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Germans gained an average of 1.7 pounds during the Christmas and New Year’s season, and Americans gained an average of 1.3 pounds. Unfortunately, those who do gain weight over the holidays never lose it — contributing to an ever-expanding obesity epidemic.

If you think it’s impossible to eat healthy during the holidays, here’s the good news: You don’t have to sacrifice your health this holiday season!

Read on for some excellent healthy holiday food swaps that will help you feel great after any holiday meal.

Healthy Food Swap #1: Trade Turkey for Mains Made Out of Whole, Plant Foods

Dating as far back as the mid-19th century, turkey has been the official centerpiece of Thanksgiving.

And with more than 730 million pounds of turkey consumed in the U.S. during Thanksgiving in 2016, it’s no wonder so many people call it “Turkey Day!”

But, you don’t have to eat a turkey to give thanks.

Compared to other meats — such as red meat or processed meats (which the World Health Organization deemed to be “probably carcinogenic” and “carcinogenic” in a 2015 report) — many people think turkey is healthier or better for them.

But, the risks of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and mortality all rise with the level of meat intake — and turkey is not exempt.

Plus, most turkeys are raised on factory farms and confined to crowded grow houses. Unless the farm is certified organic, turkey feed often contains antibiotics. This practice has led to the rapid development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, sometimes called “superbugs.” And these superbugs are no longer treatable by any known antibiotic.

Grown in filthy conditions, modern turkeys are a leading source of food poisoning. Two types of bacteria, Campylobacter and Salmonella, are commonly found in the guts and feathers of these birds — up to half of whom could be contaminated.

So if you don’t have a turkey at Thanksgiving or Christmas, what can you eat?

Rest assured you can still have a fabulous holiday dinner without a turkey.

Thanks to the global rise in plant-based eating, a variety of turkey-free alternatives are available in supermarkets today. While we can all agree that eating less meat is better for your health and the planet, many of these substitutes contain heavily processed ingredients (many of which you can’t even pronounce). They also contain lots of sodium and unhealthy fats. In other words, they’re not that healthy.

If you’re looking for a healthier, meat-free main, here are some healthy food swaps you can try. First, there’s this Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf from Susan Voisin of FatFree Vegan. Between the mix of whole foods and fall flavors, you won’t even miss the turkey — or feel the need to take a nap!

Stuffed acorn or butternut squash, such as this Stuffed Acorn Squash: With a Quinoa, Hazelnut, Apple Stuffing from Plants-Rule, is another main dish option. When hollowed out and filled with whole grains, greens, and nuts, these winter squashes (which are both in season during the fall) will leave your guests saying “Oh my gourd!”

One more idea: Don’t worry about a main dish or centerpiece! You can enjoy an abundant and satisfying holiday meal made from just “sides” — many of which can hold their own as fabulous star players.

Healthy Food Swap #2: Whip Mashed Potatoes Without Butter or Cream

Who doesn’t love piling a mound of warm and creamy mashed potatoes on their plate?

Most mashed potato recipes call for a combination of milk or heavy cream and butter (and sometimes all the above). While potatoes in their whole form can be healthy, mashing them with milk and multiple sticks of butter is not.

A strong link exists between dairy consumption and digestive issues. And it may also be connected to an increased risk of certain types of cancers, including prostate and breast cancer.

But here’s the good news: You can have your mashed potatoes at the holidays (or any time!) and be healthy, too!

Instead of using milk or cream, try swapping it out for plant-based milk, like this recipe for Smashed Potatoes from Plants-Rule.

Healthy Food Swap #3: Bathe Your Mashed Potatoes in Plant-Based Gravy

You can easily give your gravy a healthy upgrade by using whole, plant-based ingredients. Vegetable broth or non-dairy milk are two healthy food swaps that work really well.

With only six ingredients, this gravy recipe from Nora Cooks is easy to make and ready in just a few minutes. Mushrooms are also a great addition to gravy, as shown here in this Port Mushroom Gravy recipe from Plants-Rule.

Healthy Food Swap #4: Lighten Up Your Cranberry Sauce with Natural Sweeteners

Cranberry sauce is synonymous with the holidays. Although cranberries have lots of antioxidants, and they provide incredible health benefits, ranging from supporting your immune system to preventing and fighting cancer, there’s a downside.

You can find canned cranberry sauce at the grocery store that contains a few of the ruby-hued berries and a lot of sugar. In fact, many of the canned varieties feature high-fructose corn syrup, which usually comes from GMO corn.

Homemade versions often aren’t much better. If you search for recipes online, some call for at least one cup of sugar — or 700 added sugar calories!

If cranberry sauce is a must-have on your family’s table this holiday season, you can give your recipe a healthy makeover by using fewer and better sweeteners.

For example, this recipe from Lauren at Wicked Spatula uses dates. Or this recipe from Cookie + Kate uses honey or maple syrup.

If you do opt to sweeten your cranberry sauce, go light on the sweeteners and feature the flavor of cranberries. For extra flavor, add a healthy dash of citrus.

Healthy Food Swap #5: Go Dairy-Free with Your Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is a popular dessert around the holidays. In 2012, an estimated 50 million pumpkin pies were served for Thanksgiving.

Native to North America, pumpkins have long been used by the Aztecs and Mayans as medicine and for survival. The autumnal squash also has many proven health benefits ranging from cleansing the liver to having a positive effect on blood pressure.

Pumpkin pie as we know it today can be traced back to 1796 with the first cookbook written by an American and published in America: Amelia Simmons’ American Cookery.

Nearly 225 years later, the custard-like filling remains relatively the same: pumpkin, sugar, cream or milk (today many recipes call for evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk), and a mix of spices.

I think we can all agree that pie made with these ingredients is not exactly health food. However, there are healthy food swaps you can choose when making pumpkin pies at home.

Avoid canned pumpkin pie mixes, which contain large amounts of added sugar and sweeteners. If you’re going to make a pie from scratch, make one with canned pumpkin puree. It usually has just one ingredient: pumpkin. You can also make your own pumpkin puree.

If a recipe calls for evaporated milk, substitute plant-based milk instead. Some recipes may call for sweetened condensed milk. If you’re looking for a dairy-free alternative, try sweetened condensed coconut milk. While it’s still sweetened, it doesn’t come with all the problems associated with dairy consumption. Or better yet, go with unsweetened, canned coconut milk or coconut cream for a less sweet yet still rich flavor.

This Maple Pumpkin Pie recipe from Garden Fresh Foodie is a lighter pumpkin pie (and it’s also dairy, egg, and gluten-free).

For a more naturally sweetened pumpkin pie dessert, try these Pumpkin Pie Squares from Cathy Fisher.

Don’t Forget: The Holidays Aren’t Just About Food

It’s true that food is often the center of our holiday gatherings. But having a healthy holiday is more than what you do (or don’t) put on your plate.

With all the holiday hustle and bustle, it’s easy to forget the reason for the season. And that reason is to give thanks and express your gratitude!

Abundant research now shows that gratitude is good for your physical, emotional, and mental health. People who express more gratitude have fewer aches and pains, better sleep, and stronger mental clarity. Gratitude doesn’t only make things feel better — it also makes them get better.

Before you enjoy your healthy and nutritious holiday meal, make time to give thanks. And invite your loved ones to join in, too. Few things are better at bonding a family than a Thanksgiving circle around the table.

Tell us in the comments:

How do you maintain a healthy diet during the holidays?

Do you have any healthy holiday tips you want to share?

What healthy food swaps do you make in your holiday recipes?

Read Next:

How you can have a healthy and happy plant-powered holiday + 10 healthy, delicious recipes

[Read More ...] https://foodrevolution.org/blog/healthy-holiday-food-swaps/

[lexxikitty-blog1]

Defensive Mindset by Wendy Temple Read: April 2017 Rating: 4 Stars

*I received this book from the publisher, in return for a fair review.* This is the second full length novel that I’ve read by this author. A strange sentence, I’m sure, to anyone who happened to glance at the author’s page on GoodReads before reading my review (or, you know, ever looked at it . . . or something). Listed is this book here and a short story collection with many different authors included in it. So, second full length novel that I’ve read? Well, the other one I read was a book about an undercover police officer in Scotland that got released sometime around 2009, or thereabouts, titled Innocent Catch, and released under the author byline of ‘Weebod’. Mind you, I did not know of the connection between this author and that author until I reached the very last page of this book and saw that ‘contact the author at’ and then an email address. This is the same email address for Weebod. Interesting little jolt of recognition to hit me unexpectedly. Don’t usually read something by a brand new to me author only to suddenly realize I’d read them before. Right, so, this specific novel itself. This novel stars two football/soccer players in Edinburgh. One is the straitlaced, ‘doesn’t like to drink’ rule follower type, who just loves – passionately loves – football, that’d be Jessie Grainger. The other is the exact opposite – Fran Doherty (so glad that the author didn’t go with a first name of Shannon there) dislikes rules, loves drinking/drugs/breaking rules, or at least that was Fran. She’s been clean and sober for 2 years now, ever since getting out of jail, but there’s a very strong draw to fall back into her addictions – because that is what she suffers – massive addictions. Oh, and to further the ‘opposites’ part – unlike Jessie, Fran plays football for the paycheck, not out of love for the game. I know I’ve read others who have had issues with this book. Not sure yet what they were since I’ve attempted to not read any reviews before I read the book and wrote my own review, but I did happen to notice a few negative ratings. Hmm . . . since I don’t know specifically what the negatives they saw were, I can’t say whether or not I saw them too or . . well, mmphs, this is a stupid paragraph here. Right, so. Book opens with Jessie playing in the final games of a football season, meaningless games because her team is already out of the running for the league title, though they are currently in second place. On the opposite side of the pitch, playing for the other team is Fran – and they meet constantly during the game, literally, physically. With a bunch of sliding tackles, close touches, and outright groping (yes, literally, while lined up for a penalty kick, Fran had her hands on Jessie’s breasts and basically groped her – which is apparently okay in football). Well, naturally, Jessie being such a rule follower . . . had enough of it and slapped Fran in the face, hard. Got a red card for that – will start the next season missing three matches. Story then skips forward to the next season (which, apparently, wassomething like a week or 8 weeks after the end of the last season – that’s one of my problems with this book, I really had no idea of the time scale here, it really seemed like things occurred right after each other, and, in fairness, for all I know they do. I do not know enough about football to know if it is odd for one season to start something like 3 weeks after the last one ended; only thing I do know is that they don’t play in the summer . . . apparently. Maybe they only have three weeks of summer in Scotland). Jessie is excited to start a new year, annoyed that she’s benched for three matches, but excited. The coach, Tom, keeps bouncing in and out of the room. Teammates are getting ready for training. Tom bounces in and out again. Finally he announces the new additions to the team which includes a player to help with some defensive liabilities – one Fran Doherty. Naturally Jessie’s kind of annoyed by this issue. And so, before I recap the entire book in my review, I move on. Two Point of Views – Fran Doherty – ‘burnt-out barmaid with a past as messed up as her attitude’ (as the book description puts it – she’s not a barmaid though, she’s the person running the property for her grandfather Harry who had a stroke – hotel and bar, though she’s only operating the bar until, well – not going to spoil everything); and Jessie Grainger . . . who doesn’t have a good little description I can lift from the book description. Well, as noted, Jessie is a star footballer (played for the UK in the Olympics, and for Scotland in . . . um, book didn’t say, assume it’s something like World Cup or something), and, because female football players aren’t exactly paid massive wads of cash, she is also a ‘businesswoman’ (something to do with real estate, I believe, handling the Edinburgh office for her father’s company (which had been founded by that father’s father)). Fran and Jessie clash. Action on and off the pitch occurs. Questions are raised and never answered, well some (like, well maybe it got answered and I missed it, but I’ve no real idea how old the people in this book are. I know the coach is something like 30, he was injured at 28, began coaching, and it’s two years later; Nikki, Fran’s godmother, ‘looks like she’s in her mid-fifties’, as one character put it – and if I followed the clues: 1) Fran’s mother had Fran when she was 18, dead at 22; 2) Nikki was friends of the mother and conceivably roughly the same age as the mother; 3) Nikki, recall, looks mid-fifties; 4) 55-18=37, Fran can be no younger than 37 (or she's, you know, 32). Jessie? No idea. Not even anything like ‘she’s the same age as Fran; younger; older; etc.’ except for the part where she had played at the highest level at the Olympics for UK, and for something for Scotland, and my limited understanding is that youngsters don’t normally compete at that level, and that was in the past so . . . um . . still no clue to Jessie’s age (26)). I rather liked the characterization level given here. And I lied, I do know one of the negatives at least one person saw – Fran plain doesn’t talk . . . much at all. And I can see that. Personally I was looking at it the other way around – Jessie doesn’t shut up. She’s always babbling, can’t stand silence. Babble. Babble. Babble. Personally I’m much more like Fran communication wise (too much information and all that – it sometimes literally physically pains me to get words out). And no, I do not actually see myself as Fran. For many reasons. But I’m probably a lot more like her than Jessie, though that’s mostly due to communication since, while I have an addictive kind of personality, I always knew that so I didn’t fall into the same traps Fran did. While reading I was thinking of some things I could mention. I thought of ‘so much angst that the puppy has drowned and the kitten is in trouble’, but that’s kind of gross. Lots of angst though. From both sides, Jessie has issues of her own though has mostly had a ‘perfect’ kind of life. Oh, another thought I had while reading – I kind of dislike many of the players on Jessie’s team, which, in its way, indicates that they had enough ‘there’ for me to dislike them. There are certain clichés, tropes, etc., that pop up in romances (and yes, this is a romance) – one of which involves attempts to come together, remain together, splitting apart, etc. Well, this one certainly had a unique twist on a part of that dynamic. Ah, this book. Jessie was kind of like a hyperactive kitten that occasionally had people toss water onto, every once in a while got tied up and um . . no, let’s not go this direction as it’s misleading (no bondage occurs in this book. While Fran’s off to the side like a wounded three legged pit-bull who has been through the fights and barely grunts any longer. And for some reason both, the kitten and the pit-bull, are weirdly drawn to the other. The lust is huge. The power imbalance is also noticeably massive. Overall a satisfying and occasionally riveting look into a Scottish . . . um . . . scene/romance/sport. Side note: two characters in this book previously appeared as main characters in another book - Iicit Cusp (and a third side character in this book appeared as a side character in that book). Rating: 4.00 April 6 2017 & April 10 201

[hellomissdior-blog]

As the Vancouver Canucks

TEHRAN， Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran Volleyball Federation appointed Igor Kolakovic as the new head coach for the Iranian national team， Tehran Times reported on Monday.

"The federation of Iran contacted me on Dec. 30 with an official e-mail to start negotiation. They asked me to send them a short plan for a four-year period which I did，" Kolakovic told Tehran Times.

Kolakovic signed a two-year contract with option to extend an additional two years. The financial aspect of the contract has not been disclosed.

The 51-year-old Montenegrin Kolakovic was the coach of Serbia over the past years， and won two silver medals in World League and one bronze， one gold and one silver at the European championship.

JAPANESE athletes at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing this month have been told not to wear their official tracksuits around town due to “safety fears nike air force 1 mid womens black ,” according to Japanese media reports.

Delegation chief Yosuke Fujiwara has told Japan’s 78 athletes to wear regular clothes outside the Games venues during the August 16-28 event to avoid any attack, with China-Japan relations at their lowest level in years.

The teenagers will also be encouraged to don facemasks to protect themselves from air pollution.

“When they are outside we want them to be aware that it might not be totally safe,” Fujiwara told Kyodo news agency.

“In the athletes’ village we want them to wear the official Japan tracksuit, but in the city normal clothes are fine.”

In an apparent attempt to avoid upsetting the Chinese nike air force 1 mid womens , Fujiwara added: “You can get random attacks on the street in Japan too.”

Anti-Japanese resentment runs particularly high in Nanjing, where 300,000 Chinese were killed in 1937 as invading Japanese troops rampaged through the city in what became known as the Nanjing Massacre.

The massacre was the Japanese military’s worst atrocity and remains a bitter stain on the two countries’ relationship.

Fujiwara’s comments came at a time of heightened political tension between Japan and China, which are at odds over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea and historical grievances tied to Japan’s wartime aggression.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent decision to relax strict rules governing the country’s military has further antagonized China nike air force 1 high royal blue , prompting Fujiwara to issue the warning.

But the contestants would still be free to explore the city, he said.

“We think it’s better for the athletes to feel the atmosphere in the city from their own perspective,” Fujiwara said.

Japanese sports teams and the country’s national anthem are sometimes booed in China, most notably at the 2004 Asian Cup football final between China and Japan in Beijing which ended in a full-scale riot after a Japanese victory.

Japan’s delegation arrives in Nanjing tomorrow. It features girls’ badminton junior world champion Akane Yamaguchi and Yuto Muramatsu nike air force 1 high white mens , who won bronze in the men’s singles at the Japan Open table tennis earlier this year.

Agencies

PARIS, July 6 (Xinhua) -- French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen has officially confirmed Monday to complete the ownership transfer of Ligue 2 club Sochaux to a Chinese company Ledus.

"This is the culmination of a process begun almost a year ago," said the second division club's president Denis Worbe at the club's Bonal stadium.

It makes Sochaux the first soccer club in Europe under the full control of a Chinese investor, and the third in France with a foreign ownership following Ligue 1 clubs Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain.

"We do not want to change anything in the club nike air force 1 high red ," said Li Wing Sang, chairman of Ledus' holding company, the Tech Pro Technology Development, who accompanied Worbe at a press conference on Monday.

"The goal is to keep its culture and to make its history continue nike air force 1 high black suede ," Li said, ensuring to "be there for the long term". "We are not traders," he said.

Ledus, a Hong Kong listed electrical components manufacturer specializing in the production of LED-based lighting systems nike air force 1 high sale , had contacted the club's previous owners Peugeot in February to propose a "credible project for the club" for "all the issued share capital and voting rights".

Seven weeks ago, Ledus reached an agreement with the French automotive giant of buying 100% of Sochaux's shares for seven million euros.

"We hope to return to Ligue 1 in the shortest possible time," added Li on Monday. With that intent, the new owners of the club promised to allocate a higher budget than last season.

"FCSM make an international brand reach many markets nike air force 1 low pink womens ," he explained.

Sochaux is one of the oldest club in French soccer leagues, founded by the Peugeot family in 1928 for its workers. It had spent a record 66 seasons in the top flight before being relegated in 2014.

The club won two Ligue 1 champions in 1935 and 1938 as well as the French Cup holders in 1937 and 2007.

With the 2015-2016 season of Ligue 2 scheduled to kick off late this month, the club's first team and technique staff are focused on the summer preparation before traveling to Clermont on July 31 for their opening match.

PSA Peugeot Citroen, who has in recent times focused on motor racing and tennis nike air force 1 low grey womens , announced last year that it wanted to sell the football club and concentrate on auto racing, while Tech Pro and its Ledus subsidiary, which specializes in making LED products, wants to use Sochaux to promote its expansion in Europe.

WASHINGTON， Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama called himself a feminist in an essay published on Thursday in Glamour magazine， urging all men to keep fighting against gender stereotypes and double standards.

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[365footballorg-blog]

#MLSisBack! Here's your complete 2018 season preview

February 26, 201812:00PM EST

#MLSisBack and the 2018 season will kickoff on Saturday in Toronto. Given that, we asked our experts for their quick take on each of the 23 teams heading into the season. You can also find a link to your teams unofficial depth chart based on our own evaluations and preseason matches. In addition, there’s my prediction for where every team will finish in their conference.

Atlanta United

The Five Stripes are everyone’s hot pick to take a big step forward in 2018, and that’s understandable. They spent big to bring in 18-year-old Argentinean DPEzequiel Barco, and splashed out TAM + GAM to pry Darlington Nagbe from the Timbers. That’s a lot of flair and off-the-dribble skill. The problem might be that they’re unbalanced now, as lynchpin midfielder Carlos Carmona headed back to Chile and, as yet, there’s no replacement for his midfield steel. —Matt Doyle

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Ezequiel Barco

KEY LOSS:Carlos Carmona

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 3rd in East

Chicago Fire

Chicago brought back their biggest star this winter in Bastian Schweinsteiger but lost one of their most productive players when they traded winger David Accam to Philadelphia on draft day. The Fire signed a promising Accam replacement in Serbian attacker Aleksandar Katai, but still need some help in a few spots – center back and No. 10 being two – if they want to build on last year’s third-place Supporters’ Shield finish. —Sam Stejskal

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Aleksandar Katai

KEY LOSS:David Accam

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 7th in East

Colorado Rapids

It’s a new era in Colorado, with new head coach Anthony Hudson and the front office overhauling the Rapids roster hoping to wash away 2017. The additions are plentiful, with many coming from England and New Zealand, and Hudson will be hoping his 3-5-2 can provide enough in the attack for a team that has struggled to score goals. —Ben Baer

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Jack Price

KEY LOSS:Mohammed Saeid

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 11th in West

Columbus Crew SC

Crew SC almost upset the best team in MLS history in the Eastern Conference Championship, but getting to that point again will be a tall task for Gregg Berhalter’s team. Star attackers Justin Meram and Ola Kamara were traded away in the offseason, with only maligned striker Gyasi Zardes brought in to replace their star production (so far). Columbus will likely be relying on an intact defense and a rising star in between the pipes to get them back to the playoffs. —Ben Baer

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Milton Valenzuela

KEY LOSS:Ola Kamara

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 6th in East

D.C. United

The level of optimism around D.C. depends on how you see the half-filled glass. On the positive side, D.C. upgraded in multiple positions, including the acquisitions of Ulises Segura, Junior Moreno, Frederic Brillant and Yamil Asad. The lineup could be both sturdy and electric, all to go with a brand new stadium. On the downside, they have a crazy schedule, front-loaded with road games and then extra congested on the backend. —Bobby Warshaw

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Yamil Asad

KEY LOSS:Bill Hamid

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 9th in East

Last year we were talking about Dallas pushing for MLS Cup. Then they had the worst collapses in MLS history. Now we are wondering if they are even a playoff team. From Point A to Point B, they have almost exactly the same team. They struggled to replace Fabian Castillo in 2017, but this winter they got Colombian attacker Santiago Mosquera. If they can sort through their late-2017 issues, Dallas should be pushing for trophies again. —Bobby Warshaw

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Santiago Mosquera

KEY LOSS:Walker Zimmerman

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 4th in West

Houston Dynamo

Was 2017 a playoff mirage or did the Dynamo re-establish themselves among MLS’s upper echelon? We’re about to find out. Houston sold their leading scorer (Erick “Cubo’” Torres) in the offseason, and that might be a good thing since it opens a spot for Mauro Manotas, one of four young attackers Wilmer Cabrera will set free on the counter. Speed kills, but the rest of the league knows what’s coming. Can the Dynamo find another gear? —Andrew Wiebe

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Alejandro Fuenmayor

KEY LOSS:Erick Torres

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 10th in West

They say one should temper expectations with expansion teams – even Atlanta in 2017 finished 4th – but that’s not the mentality manager Bob Bradley is taking into the season. He’s gone to the world market for top-end talent in Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi and blended it with proven MLS contributors like Benny Feilhaber, Walker Zimmerman, Laurent Ciman and Steven Beitashour. The first 13 on the roster looks like it could compete with anyone. Like most expansion clubs who need to build from scratch, if Bradley needs to dig deeper, he could be in trouble. —Bobby Warshaw

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:N/A

KEY LOSS: N/A

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 9th in West

They were the worst team in the league last year, so by definition nobody had more work to do. And so work they did, pulling in international defenders, a fringe USMNT defensive midfielder and goalkeeper, and one of MLS’s most consistent goalscorers. There’s a lot to like about this group, but there’s no guarantee all of the above will be enough if Gio and Jona dos Santos don’t start playing like the stars they’re supposed to be. —Matt Doyle

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Ola Kamara

KEY LOSS:Gyasi Zardes

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 5th in West

Minnesota United FC

This really is gonna be a slow build, eh? While most of the rest of the league was pulling in TAM or DP-caliber players from overseas, the Loons pretty much stood pat (except for adding three more wingers, because of course they did). The prize signing of their offseason at this point looks to be 35-year-old journeyman right back Tyrone Mears, and it remains unclear who’s gonna be the playmaker. It looks like they’ll need serious improvement from within. —Matt Doyle

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Tyrone Mears

KEY LOSS:Johan Venegas

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 12th in West

Montreal Impact

The Impact have yo-yoed in and out of the playoffs during their six seasons in MLS. In former Lyon boss Remi Garde, Montreal hope they’ve found a head coach who can foster more consistency and tap into the talent coming through the academy. Garde wasted no time turning over the roster and getting younger. Losing Blerim Dzemaili hurt, but Saphir Taider arrived in return. If all else fails, just give the ball to Ignacio Piatti. —Andrew Wiebe

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Saphir Taider

KEY LOSS:Ezequiel Barco

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 8th in East

New York City FC

NYCFC are clearly one of the top contenders for MLS Cup entering the season, even after selling Jack Harrison to Manchester City. David Villa will be hunting for a trophy in what could be his last season in the Big Apple and reinforcements have been added all across the field. The midfield trio should be one of the best in the league, with young star Yangel Herrera likely getting more playing time after a breakout year. —Ben Baer

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Jesus Medina

KEY LOSS:Jack Harrison

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 1st in East

New York Red Bulls

The Red Bulls traded their captain (again), but did so with a purpose. The red side of New York is going all-in on the press, and that requires young legs, which arrived via DPKaku, the Kljestan trade and a cadre of Homegrown and Red Bulls II graduates. Tyler Adams should take another big step, this time in central midfield, but the old heads will still be expected to lead the charge. —Andrew Wiebe

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Alejandro Romero Gamarra

KEY LOSS:Sacha Kljestan

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 5th in East

Orlando City SC

Has anyone in MLS history had as active (and, frankly, impressive) an offseason as the Lions? They added the two-time reigning assist king, a Best XI-caliber winger, a high-priced young DP playmaker, an in-his-prime MLS Cup champion d-mid, a Bundesliga starter at CB, the best college midfielder, the college assist king, and the NASL MVP/Golden Boot winner. This team is deep and LOADED, and now Jason Kreis has to make the pieces fit. No excuses in 2018. —Matt Doyle

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Josue Colman

KEY LOSS:Cyle Larin

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 4th in East

Philadelphia Union

Union fans seemed ready to riot in December, then the club spent big to acquire David Accam. Accam has the ability to turn any game and immediately lifts any team to the next level. Is it a playoff level? It could come down to how well their No. 10’s perform in creating goals and if any of the young center backs on the team — Jake Elliott, Josh Yaro, Auston Trusty or Richie Marquez — can become consistent performers. —Bobby Warshaw

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:David Accam

KEY LOSS:Chris Pontius

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 11th in East

San Jose Earthquakes

A new year, a new era in San Jose. The Quakes took a European turn this winter, with Swiss GM Jesse Fioranelli hiring Swede Mikael Stahre as the club’s new head coach and signing Swedish striker Magnus Eriksson to a Designated Player deal. How the two Swedes adapt to MLS will do a lot to determine if San Jose can improve on a 2017 in which they made the playoffs but had a negative-21 goal differential. —Sam Stejskal

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION(S):Magnus Eriksson

KEY LOSS:Victor Bernardez

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 7th in West

Seattle Sounders

Continuity is the buzzword on the Puget Sound heading into the season. Seattle, who had significant turnover after winning MLS Cup 2016, are bringing back almost everyone from the team that fell short in the final in Toronto in December. Will that core be enough after an offseason that saw most of the other Cup contenders make big moves? The Sounders are betting on it. —Sam Stejskal

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION(S):Magnus Wolff Eikrem

KEY LOSS:Joevin Jones

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: First in your heart, but last in the East

Sporting KC

If defense wins championships, how come Sporting KC can’t seem to get past the Knockout Round? Another year of playoff disappointment prompted Peter Vermes to break out the TAM and DP slots to replace the traded Benny Feilhaber, augment the league’s best backline and keep pace with the rest of the league. What Vermes hasn’t done (yet) is land the forward #SKCnation yearns for. Are Khiry Shelton and Diego Rubio enough to make KC a top contender? —Andrew Wiebe

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION(S):Felipe Gutierrez

KEY LOSS:Benny Feilhaber

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 3rd in West

Toronto FC

Could Toronto do the quadruple? It’s certainly possible after the best team in MLS history had few changes over the short offseason. Already off to a good start in the CONCACAF Champions League, the Reds could make a run in the continental tourney before setting their sights on retaining their three other trophies. Keep an eye on Greg Vanney’s lineups though, as he will not want to wear out his team before the stretch run. —Ben Baer

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Gregory van der Wiel

KEY LOSS:Steven Beitashour

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 2nd in East

Vancouver Whitecaps

The Whitecaps favorite ride is the Forward Carousel, and Kei Kamara is the latest to climb aboard. With Kamara and Kendall Waston attacking dead balls, Vancouver ought to dominate on set pieces … but can they step out of their direct shell and go toe-to-toe with the league’s best? The answer in the playoffs was a resounding no, and the likes of Yordy Reyna, Efrain Juarez and Alphonso Davies will have to prove this version of the ‘Caps is different. —Andrew Wiebe

2018 DEPTH CHART

KEY ADDITION:Efrain Juarez

KEY LOSS:Fredy Montero

BEN BAER’S 2018 PREDICTION: 8th in West

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#MLSisBack! Here's your complete 2018 season preview was originally published on 365 Football

[rickhorrow]

15+5+5 To Watch 72919

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 29 with Jacob Aere

Forbes named the most valuable franchises in sports, led by the Dallas Cowboys, who for the fourth consecutive year landed atop the list. The study values the Cowboys at $5 billion, with the Yankees second on the list at $4.6 billion, and Spain’s Real Madrid in third with a valuation of $4.24 billion. Rounding out the top ten are Barcelona ($4.02 billion), the Knicks ($4 billion), Manchester United ($3.81 billion), the Patriots ($3.8 billion), the Lakers ($3.7 billion), the Golden State Warriors ($3.5 billion), the New York Giants ($3.3 billion), and the Dodgers ($3.3 billion). The NFL dominates the overall list with 26 teams in the top 50. A major contributor was the league’s lucrative media rights deals with CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and DirecTV, which saw each team receive more than $260 million last year. Way behind the NFL was the NBA, which had nine teams on the list. Eight European soccer clubs made the list, as did seven MLB franchises. Cowboys owner and Sport Business Handbook contributor Jerry Jones has been credited with driving up the franchise’s value since purchasing it for $150 million in 1989.

The cost of the Raiders' new Vegas stadium has risen to $1.9 billion. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal (LVRJ), the Las Vegas Stadium Authority has reportedly approved $40 million worth of additions to the build, including 20 more suites and a field-level club area near the venue’s north end zone. The LVRJ report added that close to $1 billion has so far been spent on the construction of the 65,000-seat stadium. The new venue is expected to be ready for the 2020 season, when the Raiders are scheduled to relocate from Oakland to Las Vegas. The construction project, of which $750 million is being funded by taxpayers, has now passed the halfway stage, with the next major task being the installation of the cable steel roofing system that will support the stadium’s translucent roof. The latest update comes a month after the franchise appointed AEG Facilities to operate the new stadium. Right now, the Raiders are reluctantly in the spotlight as HBO’s “Hard Knocks” documents their every move during NFL preseason camp.

As NFL teams settle into training camp, Patriots legend Tom Brady sits at No. 1 on the NFLPA Top 50 players sales list, while new Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is the highest rookie on the list at No. 21. The first list of the 2019 season, according to the NFLPA, is based on total sales of all officially-licensed NFL player merchandise, tracking year-to-date preseason results from March 1 to May 31. The NFLPA list is the only verified ranking of all officially licensed, NFL player-branded merchandise sold from online and traditional retail outlets as reported by more than 75 NFLPA licensees. Additionally, Fox Business noted the Browns’ Odell Beckham Jr., who ranked second in sales overall, was the NFL's "top-selling player in terms of jerseys manufactured by Nike, the league's official uniform supplier." Brady "ranked third in that category.” Also high on the list – Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Lovers of the made-for-TV Skins Games of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, rejoice. According to ESPN.com, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, and Hideki Matsuyama are rekindling the series, with the first event taking place before the inaugural Zozo Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Japan on October 21. The Zozo Championship was Woods’ first official commitment following his historic Masters victory in April. The one-day Skins competition will reportedly offer “lucrative prize money.” The event, which will be run and sanctioned by the PGA Tour, harkens back to The Skins Game series that ran 1983-2005. The upcoming event is also reportedly part of Woods’ content agreement with GolfTV; negotiations are currently taking place to televise the event in the U.S. The Zozo Championship is the second leg of a three-tournament Asia swing on the 2019-2020 PGA Tour schedule that includes CJ Cup in South Korea and the WGC HSBC Champions in China. The Zozo Championship features a 78-player field, no cut, and a $9.75 million purse. 

It’s official – Colombia has its first official Tour de France win. Columbian Egan Bernal left his mark on the Tour de France in the mountains and in the record books, at 22 becoming the youngest Tour winner since the World War II. NBC Sports also clocked some firsts – throughout this year’s event, NBC Sports Group provided U.S. cycling fans with a deeper look at the action than ever before. The Peacock deployed several new production tools for its coverage of the 21-day race, including, for the first time, live feeds from POV cameras mounted on several competitors’ bicycles. NBC Sports’ studio production had another new tech toy in its arsenal this year: an augmented-reality graphics and telestrator system developed by Israel-based Morpheus, which produces virtual cyclist graphics. Live Tour de France coverage on NBCSN averaged 307,000 viewers through last Sunday’s Stage 15 – the highest since 2015, and up 11% from last year at this point in the competition. In two years, the Tour will have a fresh look as well, as in 2021 it will begin in bicycle-mad Copenhagen for the first time in its 100+ year history.

World Cup star Alex Morgan looking to launch female-focused media venture. Morgan, co-captain of the USWNT and World Cup champion, is planning to launch her own media venture focused on storytelling, specifically content for girls created by female athletes. The unnamed project is one of many off-field pursuits for the 30-year-old, recently named one of TIME's 100 most influential people. Morgan has written a series of children’s books about soccer called “The Kicks,” and last year acted in her first movie, a sports comedy called “Alex & Me.” Her sponsors include Nike Inc., Coca-Cola Co., AT&T, and Secret, a deodorant brand owned by Procter & Gamble. Morgan reportedly isn’t planning to launch it in partnership with any major media companies – rather, it’s part of a larger push by women on the team to advocate for gender equality in sports and beyond. “We’re authentic to who we are and what we stand for, and we’re becoming more brave and comfortable in our own skin,” Morgan said. This latest venture shows how the women of the USWNT can continue to use their championship platform to speak up about important issues. 

Although he didn’t prevail, racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was still a win for IndyCar driver Zach Veach. Stockdale, Ohio native Zach Veach is still searching for that elusive first IndyCar win. But as the Mansfield News Journal pointed out, Veach, “in his second full season behind the wheel of an IndyCar, racing for Andretti Autosport…is still looking for the checkered flag, but there is plenty of time left in what looks to be a very long career behind the wheel.” Veach’s work off the track makes him a compelling public figure. In 2010, when he was 16, he made CNN's list of most intriguing people for his role as national spokesperson for FocusDriven, an initiative to fight distracted driving. His newest venture is with EverFi, an education initiative to help kids learn life lessons through sports. Veach also “has a ton of success over his career at Mid-Ohio.” During his three-year Indy Lights Series run, Veach had five Top 5 finishes at the track. While that didn’t come to pass this weekend, the confident, talented young driver considers the event a win for his family, his friends, and primary sponsors Group1001 and Gainbridge.

James Harden has joined the ownership group of MLS club Houston Dynamo. According to Front Office Sports, Harden has acquired a 5% stake in the Dynamo, which carries an overall valuation of more than $475 million. Harden, who in 2017 signed a then-NBA record $228 million dollar contract extension with the Houston Rockets through the 2022-2023 season, becomes the fifth member of the ownership group, which also owns the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) Houston Dash and BBVA Stadium. The group is led by Mexican businessman Gabriel Brener, who acquired control from AEG in 2015. The other members of the group are Ben Guill, Jake Silverstein, and former boxing world champion Oscar De La Hoya, all of whom are expected to continue their involvement after the basketball player’s investment. Harden said, “Houston is my home now, and I saw this as a way to invest in my city and expand my business interests at the same time.” On the pitch, the Dynamo sit two points behind the playoff positions in MLS’s Western Conference, while the Dash are five points off the pace for a spot in the NWSL’s final series.

The Oklahoma City Thunder partnered with the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum to unveil their new City Edition uniforms, a "charcoal and gold Nike uniform [that] pays respect to those affected" by the 1995 bombing there. The Oklahoman reported that it has "long been a Thunder tradition to bring each player to the memorial when he joins the team," but now the team will "put its own imprint on the museum." The team "plans to underwrite a permanent exhibit that will focus on the 'Oklahoma Standard.'" The "three values associated with that standard -- service, honor and kindness -- are also printed above the City jersey’s tag." In addition, a time stamp "appears under each: 9:01, the minute before the bombing, and 9:03, the minute after." The "survivor tree, a 90-year old elm that withstood the blast, appears on the waist band of the shorts." The Thunder also "pledged to fund free admission to the museum once a month" during 2020. The jerseys – a touching way for basketball fans to honor those lost in the tragedy almost 25 years ago – will be available to purchase at a later date.

A new report by MVPindex shows the NBA’s latest season brought notable increases in the league’s social media footprint and brand value. The report shows a 132% increase in the NBA’s collective social media footprint during the 2018-2019 campaign, with league and team accounts collectively generating more than $1.1 billion of value for brand partners, up 20% from $921 million 2017-2018. By comparison, the NFL last season generated $343 million in brand value, the second-highest social media value among the top leagues. Among the various social media platforms, Instagram proved most valuable to brands, generating about 90% of the total brand value while accounting for only 10% of the NBA's total social media content. The NBA patch program is also driving activations, with seven team patch partners among the top 25 of the league’s top social media activations. “The smart teams are activating around moments along with scores and highlights,” said MVPindex co-Founder and CMO Kyle Nelson, also a Sport Business Handbook contributor. The team with the most social media engagement was the Warriors with 291 million social media engagements, followed by the Lakers with 147 million.

Williamson signs landmark deal with Jordan Brands. Pelicans forward Zion Williamson's deal with Jordan Brand is for seven years and $75 million, according to a source cited by Forbes. In DC, The Washington Post notes for "comparison purposes," LeBron James signed a seven-year, $87 million deal with Nike in 2003. Williamson "arrives in the league as arguably the most-hyped prospect since James." Rockets guard Russell Westbrook and Thunder guard Chris Paul "have signature lines with Jordan Brand, but as an ascendant superstar, Williamson can quickly become the face of the brand." ESPN reported Williamson "ultimately turned down a higher offer from Puma" and as much as $15 million annually from Chinese brands Li-Ning and Anta "in order to wear Michael Jordan's brand." Williamson could see also his already impressive social media following expand after signing the Jordan Brand deal. Jordan has 33.1 million total followers, with 55% of those on Instagram. Williamson became a social media juggernaut due to his high school and college exploits, amassing almost four million Instagram followers and 390,000 on Twitter. Clearly, this sneaker lace up is a win-win for Williamson and the Jordan Brand.

Women’s Wear Daily reported Vineyard Vines has signed a deal with the Premier Lacrosse League to become its "official style partner." Vineyard Vines will "create exclusive product that will be available for purchase" during the current 2019 season as well as the 2020 season. It will "consist of PLL T-shirts and Shep shirts for men, women, and children that will be sold on the league’s web site." The deal "includes Vineyard Vines activations in each of the league’s 13 major-market cities that will include branded signs, on-field half-time entertainment for fans and T-shirt giveaways.” Vineyard Vines, which recently wrapped up a massive collaboration with Target that is thought to have helped revive the classic but aging brand, previously partnered with Peyton Manning, Manning’s Nationwide ad campaigns, and has outfitted golf announcing legend Jim Nantz. The PLL deal seems to be right in line with Vineyard Vines’ preppy image, albeit for a younger sports generation. 

Outland Trophy finds presenting sponsors again. The Outland Trophy - awarded to college football’s top interior lineman - will have presenting sponsors again, in 2019. The Football Writers Association of America and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases announced that they plan to partner on a public awareness campaign bringing attention to the importance of flu prevention. Selected by FWAA, the trophy is awarded annually to the top interior lineman in college football. As part of the public awareness campaign, the Outland Trophy presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases will use the hashtag #FightFlu on all advertising, marketing, social media, and public relations materials. The 2019 Outland Trophy presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases will be awarded during ESPN’s The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 12. While this may seem like an odd alliance for a football award, it exemplifies the power of sports as a vehicle for widespread messaging and the commitment of collegiate and pro sports alike toward public service campaigns.

Nasdaq makes a bet on sports gambling. The New York-based stock-exchange group announced a deal with UK betting platform Football Index to help build its trading platform using tools similar to those Nasdaq uses on traditional stock exchanges. The four-year-old, privately held Football Index launched a virtual “stock market” in 2014 in which participants buy shares in star players like Lionel Messi or Harry Kane. The site provides a mix of fantasy sports and regular sports betting with elements of stock market speculation. The Football Index deal will be the first in which the Nasdaq brand will be visible to gambling customers. Nasdaq has other sports-betting clients including the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which has a monopoly on the Chinese territoryʼs sports-betting market. It also has an agreement to provide betting technology for the horse racing unit of Australiaʼs Tabcorp, a lottery and gambling giant. In both those cases, Nasdaq has supplied back-end technology but its logo and branding did not appear on any consumer-facing products. Football Index says the ultimate goal is to create “recreational markets for retail traders in something they understand a lot better than” traditional financial instruments, such as currencies.

Nike, Nickelodeon join forces in a pineapple under the sea. Nike and Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products have launched the Kyrie x SpongeBob SquarePants collection, available August 10. The collection features five shoes inspired by the signature characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, as well as apparel and accessories including T-shirts, a hoodie, socks, and backpacks. According to the official release, NBA superstar Kyrie Irving’s latest collection “is suited for on-court competition and off-court jellyfishing.” The sneakers in the collection showcase the signature Kyrie 5 silhouette in bright yellow for SpongeBob, pink and green tones for Patrick, and turquoise accents for Squidward. The low-cut silhouette of the Kyrie Low 2 pays homage to the currency-crazy crustacean, Mr. Krabs, as well as a Sandy Cheeks version with colors inspired by the squirrel’s space suit. SpongeBob SquarePants, one of the most iconic TV series ever created, has impacted pop culture with its universe of beloved characters. The title character has also influenced the worlds of fashion and streetwear with recent collaborations, including Moschino, Lisa Frank, Marlou Breuls, and Chinatown Market. This year marks SpongeBob’s 20th anniversary, off the court and on.

Top Five Tech

The PGA Tour adds DraftKings as its daily fantasy sports (DFS) partner in a multi-year partnership. According to Golf Channel, DraftKings offers a DFS golf game where contestants in most U.S. states can wager real money to compete for cash prizes. The typical game setup requires participants to submit an entry fee and choose a fantasy roster of six players for each tournament while staying within the guidelines of a designated salary cap. The new partnership began during the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, with PGA Tour-related prizes to be added to the cash offerings available to top finishers. The Tour will also make available real-time video highlights of rostered players for DraftKings participants among other specific content offerings, similar to video offerings now available around other fantasy leagues. By moving golf into the DFS format with DraftKings, the sport may be able to pick up new and younger fans who wager on live tournaments.  

Odell Beckham, Jr. is launching a production company and YouTube Channel. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the NFL superstar is changing up more than just his longtime New York Giants outfit this offseason. The new Cleveland Browns wide receiver has launched his own media outfit, ITN Productions, as part of a pact with Wheelhouse Entertainment. To start his new productions, Beckham will launched his YouTube channel to offer an off-the-field look into his life. The new YouTube platform will add to the wide receiver’s hefty social media presence with 13.4 million Instagram followers and another four million on Twitter. Looking to current NBA superstars with production companies like LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment and Stephen Curry's Unanimous Media, it looks like OBJ is on the right track to set himself up for long term success.

The Fortnite World Cup has appointed IMG to manage distribution and media production. The Epic Games event was hosted July 26-28 at the 23,000 capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. According to Esports Insider, the tournament featured several separate events including the Creative championship, solos and duos finals, as well as the Celebrity Pro-Am.  The total prize pool for the tournament was $30 million, with the winners of both the solos and duos competitions taking home the top prize of $3 million each. IMG delivered all content via an encoded stream from its IMG Studios production facility in the UK and The Finals was broadcast live on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and within the game itself (via the Watch Live button when you log into Fortnite). Sport 24 Extra, IMG’s in-flight sports channel, also presented the Fortnite World Cup live during international flights on select airlines. Bringing IMG Media on-board is a smart move from Epic Games, as it will continually allow them to reach a multitude of worldwide audiences on social media and even up in the sky.

NASCAR, NBC, and iRacing team up to deliver eNASCAR on NBCSN. According to Sports Video Group, this is the first ever eNASCAR live event on television. The world’s best NASCAR iRacers will compete in the event on TV as part of “NASCAR America” and will later return to “NASCAR America” on NBCSN on the last Thursday of each month in a four-race series. In the online simulation racing game, competitors race head-to-head from around the world. More information on the three future iRacing events on NBCSN will be revealed in the coming weeks. In addition to the eNASCAR iRacing All-Star events being broadcast on NBCSN, iRacing and NASCAR also have a professional esports series known as the eNASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series, where global drivers compete for more than $100,000 in prize money in a year-long championship. NASCAR’s aging audience may get a younger boost with a heavy dose of esports while real life racers have transitioned to notable esports team owners including NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. and other racing stars Clint Bowyer and Austin Dillon. 

MLS’ Los Angeles Football Club is using tech for food and drink orders at home matches. According to the Los Angeles Times, LAFC and Satisfi Labs have partnered up to expand their virtual assistant platform, Olly, with Apple Business Chat to offer a new system for fans to communicate directly with food and beverage vendors at their home venue, Banc of California Stadium. Fans will be able to order food and drinks from their seats and pick them up at their convenience using the Messages app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac – but not Android. To start an Apple Business Chat to order ahead, fans open the camera on their Apple device to scan a QR code found around the stadium. A conversation with Olly will open immediately in the Messages app, and then the user can respond in their own time frame for a pickup location and finalize the purchase with Apple Pay. The food and drink options will always be changing depending on what LAFC wants to experiment with and what fans are demanding – allowing for a more pleasurable, convenient fan experience.

Power of Sports Five

MLS WORKS showcases the soccer league’s philanthropy during 2019 All-Star Week. According to Orlando City FC, MLS’ philanthropic group is rolling out a slate of community-focused initiatives and events in the Orlando area for the MLS All-Star Game on July 31. MLS will offset a portion of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with All-Star Week festivities by purchasing 2,600 carbon offsets from a clean cookstove project in Africa. Supporting the Orlando City Foundation’s commitment to urban agriculture, MLS will invest in a community garden as part of the MLS WORKS + Target All-Star Community Day. And in partnership with Fleet Farming and their Edible Landscape service, a garden will be installed at Neptune Middle School. MLS will also provide funding for South Street Urban Farm’s education program in the Parramore area of downtown Orlando. The charity arm of MLS will also team up to combat hunger and support the Special Olympics as the MLS All-Stars take on La Liga’s Atletico Madrid.

Wasserman Media Group launches The Collective with $1 million for women in sports. According to Philanthropy Women, Wasserman unveiled its new program July 13 and the Collective will offer resources for female-focused initiatives, utilizing the full reach of Wasserman entities to support business and client campaigns. Among the Foundation’s grant recipients are Women in Sports and Events (WISE) and the City of Los Angeles’s Evolve Entertainment Fund. Currently, Wasserman represents 56% of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, 26 WNBA players, and “a number of women Olympians who have won a total of 37 gold medals since 2010.” Representing some of the top women in sports such as Megan Rapinoe, Abby Wambach, Mia Hamm, and Katie Ledecky, Wasserman Media Group has furthered its commitment to increasing the prominence of top female athletes.

LA Galaxy and Chevrolet team up to launch the Chevrolet Charity Challenge. According to LA Galaxy, The LA Galaxy Foundation, Chevrolet, and players from the club have teamed up to launch a competition to raise awareness and donations for local Community Partners. Eight LA Galaxy players will compete and be rewarded for completing designated tasks at upcoming games and their earnings will go to charity. For every pass completed, tackle, duel won, meter covered, clearance made, and cross completed, the LA Galaxy Foundation will donate up to $1,000 to a local Community Partner. The eight community partners include Garden School Foundation, Playworks, Make-A-Wish: Greater Los Angeles, The Mission Continues: Reporting for Duty in Your Community, SurfRider Foundation: Los Angeles, Gift of Life, Special Olympics Southern California, and Positive Coaching Alliance: Los Angeles. Fans of the game were also encouraged to support community partners by making their own donation to the partner of their choice during the club’s July 24 home match. 

Kevin Durant helps to send kids from Prince George, Maryland to college. The newly-signed Brooklyn Net has opened the Durant Center, an educational facility in his hometown. According to BET, the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation has committed $10 million over the next decade in a partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools and College Track to help minority low-income high school students earn a college degree. The Durant Center is the first College Track center on the East Coast, with the inaugural class of the Prince George’s county program totaling 69 students of color. Enrolled students attend the center after school for tutoring and advising where they are taught life skills, including time and stress management. Last year, Durant donated $3 million to University of Texas Austin, in addition to supporting organizations like the Tulsa Dream Center, Larkin Street Youth Services, and Black Girls Code in San Francisco, and was named ESPN’s 2018 Humanitarian of the Year. This only builds on his philanthropy track record.

The Tom Hatcher charity golf tournament raises nearly $100,000. Six years ago, Tom Hatcher had no idea what he was starting when he decided to organize a charity golf tournament. According to The Daily Times, Hatcher is the circuit court clerk for Blount County, Tennessee and was moved to action by his father, who was in the midst of a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. At this year’s tournament, more than 300 golfers competed for two causes close to Hatcher’s heart. The sixth-annual event raised roughly $100,000, which will be split up and donated to Alzheimer’s Tennessee, Inc. and the Blount County Boys & Girls Club. The total donations have increased every year, with Hatcher’s inaugural tournament raising $23,000 in 2014. This one’s total bested last year’s by roughly $20,000. By mixing politics, sports, and charity, Hatcher continues to see growing success in raising funds and awareness for the Boys & Girls club as well as Alzheimer’s Tennessee.

[robertkstone]

Mercedes-AMG GT4 First Drive: AMG’s Gentleman Racer

As I stepped around the corner of the customer lounge at the pristine modernist HWA/Team AMG headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany, there they were on a wall-sized photo collage of AMG history, the founders, Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher. That one photo captures what defines the AMG brand and product.

It’s the early ’70s, and these two hard-core Euro hot-rodders are watching over their Frankenstein creation, about to score a stunning upset victory at the 24 Hours of Spa. It’s a big, unlikely Mercedes sedan with an enormous, rumbling V-8 and giant flares. So creative, so unique, and more than a little crazy.

Their eyes glint with the passion for performance and motorsports that I share with so many of you, dear readers. So much is written in their faces: determination, enjoyment, intelligence, and mischief.

Nearly a half century later, that passion is very much alive in AMG’s latest GT creation.

Mercedes-AMG automobiles are represented by their hearts—the engines. Always modified and muscled-up Mercedes-Benz powerplants, with an aggressive growl from the racy exhaust tips and an instantly accessible flow of torque over a wide range of revs. One man (or woman, I learned) is responsible for one engine, all the way down the assembly line.

Mounted low and well behind the front axle line of the AMG GT, this V-8 is one of my most favorites for its delicious thrust and the basso profundo that accompanies it. The importance of an engine’s sonic glory cannot be overestimated in the sporting automobile, and AMG has understood and capitalized on this aspect since the very beginning.

The thundering beast before me today at Circuit Paul Ricard—site of the French Grand Prix again next year—is the AMG GT4. It’s designed for the international FIA GT4 class, more street-oriented and less pricey than the GT3 versions we‘ve been seeing in IMSA and Pirelli World Challenge. Even at $239,000, it’s roughly half the price of the GT3 mode and about $100,000 more than the street versions.

But where does that money go? Is AMG just charging more for less? I mean, in the GT4, don’t they simply use the original car with a lot of expensive interior appointments removed?

Well, safety is a high priority. The GT4 incorporates all those features found on the GT3, including the rooftop port for better stabilized driver extraction and a seat molded right into the chassis, with pedals and steering that move, instead. The latter arrangement is far stronger than using sliders to both mount and adjust position, and the seat is the foundation of the restraint system.

Another value add is the motorsport gearbox with wheel-mounted shift paddles—again similar to the GT3. The main object here is reliability. Between this purpose-built transmission and the near-stock engine, the AMG GT4 can race for many hours before rebuilds. Pay more up front, pay far less long term, and finish your races. This machine is intended for endurance events, the longer the better. As on the road cars, it’s a rear-mounted transaxle for improved weight and mass distribution attached to the front-mid V-8 with the OEM carbon torque tube.

The GT4 also uses the same hot-V twin-turbo as the street cars and, in this application, likely will be producing less power than them, as well, depending on the race series’ Balance of Performance (BoP) setting. This means the powerplant will be quite understressed and stay competitive by racing engine standards nearly forever. Strangely, many race cars these days are restricted and actually generate less power than those on our public highways. This is an ongoing trend in FIA and sportscar racing, probably good for the sport long term.

AMG has wisely chosen to go with a motorsport engine management, as well, because street systems are a compromise in the racing environment. This also factors into the price and will be another long-term payoff. More and more these days, it is difficult to nearly impossible to take stock electronics from the road to road racing. Computers tuned for the street get confused and go into limp modes, and stability controls keep rearing their overbearing heads.

Like many of the primary components of the AMG GT4, the chassis is also taken from the road car, a sophisticated and lightweight aluminum space frame with strong torsional rigidity, including the control arms and suspension geometry. The shocks are pure racing components by KW, adjustable for compression and rebound, and the track-specific anti-roll bars are adjustable, as well, to tune to driver preference. On a related note, the GT4 also is equipped with traction control, a large yellow knob front and center on the carbon center console. Although it is my advice to turn that off while you tune shock and bar settings, a little TC in competition makes a great power-oversteer safety net, saves tires, and can genuinely save your Nomex-wrapped behind in the rain.

And it was appropriately damp (and chilly) when I first rolled out of pit lane at Ricard, too. I tested that traction control immediately, set by our AMG hosts to a please-don’t-crash Level 2, and it clamped down like a toddler’s mom near Niagara Falls. Yet combined with the also-tunable racing ABS, the car was an easy drive in the slimy conditions. From the very start, the GT4 felt brawny, sophisticated, and impressive, but it slewed around a lot on the treaded Pirelli rains as the surface began to dry.

To my great fortune, I was granted an extra shot just before lunch break, on slicks and a dry track. The AMG delivered neck-straining g’s in all directions of the horizontal plane. Fingertip shifts were as quick as thoughts and imperceptible to the seamless thundering flow of power. Going down gears was even better, with perfect roaring rev-matches. A good modern shifter such as this saves many engines and crashes by denying requests made too early, thus preventing over-revs and missed gears.

I could read the suspension tuning—a combination of Euro pro driver snappy turn-in and journalist-safe heavy front anti-roll bar. Steering response was instantaneous. Once the chassis took a set, considerable understeer showed up in the middle of the corner. Our GT4 was happiest in the fast sweeper on the back side of Ricard, where the sizable wing and splitter shoved tires to pavement in a balanced and effective way. In Ricard’s many slow corners, there was that strong but safe understeer and rewarding, relentless no-lag thrust on the way out. The brake pedal was a good leg-press workout, and the pedal could go numb (perhaps from ABS) but encouraged an aggressive attack on the entry to the corners, cranking up my adrenaline and cranking out smiles.

In true AMG fashion, the car was refined, elegant, and brutal, all at the same time. The package translates readily to the racetrack, and this piece makes an excellent choice for the gentleman or -woman racer, with its safety, quality, and performance. And it has a downright arresting stance on pit lane.

From the south of France, we jetted to Stuttgart, Germany, and the home of AMG, where I encountered that striking photograph of Herren Aufrecht and Melcher. We witnessed the one builder/one engine philosophy at work, and I successfully located the badge of the technician that built the V-8 in the AMG E63 S we tested the week before for MT. Computers track the tool usage, working in concert with the highly trained and respected engine builders. AMG seeks out Germany’s best technicians “that want to build engines.” Every engine is cold-dyno tested (turned to 3,000 rpm without running), and at random intervals some get selected for actual firing on the hot dyno.

The AMG line is, “We cannot make Mercedes engines better, only change them.” To a performance addict like me, more power is for the better, but best to keep the boss happy. The precision and dedication of the process is admirable.

Next, we stalked the race car assembly area, a true race shop, and I left impressed by the degree to which the GT4 is stripped down and prepared from the bottom up for competition. This is quite the complete package.

After a test drive and tour of the production facilities, what could be next? How about a visit to the next battle test of these new racers, the Euro-based Creventic 24H race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas?

I found myself embedded with the Windward Racing/HTP Motorsport team of owner Bryce and lead driver Russell Ward. The team will be running the IMSA Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge Series GS class next season with a couple new AMG GT4s and was selected to run a test car, along with the Black Falcon squad, in another. Russell was joined by pro Damien Faulkner, a friend I met while coaching in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup series, and Euro-pros Indy Dontje and DTM hotshot Maxie Gotz. And I was really thrilled to run into a favorite race engineer of mine from Alex Job Racing days, Greg Fordahl. It was a strong lineup.

All four drivers gave glowing reports on the raceability of the GT4, and it showed on track as I watched, nomadically working my around the CoTA circuit. Traffic was heavy, with the GT4s flirting with the top 10 of the 50-plus starters, so passing situations were constant. There were even a couple near-stock Honda Civics and a Peugeot RCZ that looked like a knockoff Audi TT.

The GT4 entries appeared strong in the brake zones and were often passing two wide around the outside, implying the kind of strong aero grip and stability that encourages aggressive moves. The live in-car video feed showed steady hands on the wheel and no evidence of the skittish corrections of a dicey chassis setup.

The Windward/HTP team led the class for most of the first day (as did its AMG GT3 brother, vying with a 911R for the overall)—the only setback being a tendency to toss off its alternator belt, an issue that only showed up this race with the addition of air conditioning. (Yes, modern FIA GT rules require this for driver safety … it’s hot in there.) Still in the hunt for the class lead 11 hours into the event, both GT4s dropped back when misfires appeared and grew serious, eventually diagnosed by Windward/ HTP as a cranky crank sensor. The team pulled the transaxle and got back in the fight, on the pace, right to the end. At Black Falcon they decided to park the GT4 and focus on the GT3 for the overall.

When the checkered flag fell on Russ Ward in the GT4 after 24 grueling, flat-out hours, Windward/HTP had clawed its way back to midpack, and the Black Falcon GT3 came home a strong second overall to the Porsche.

The AMG GT4 proved itself a gorgeous, imposing racetrack presence with speed and durability to match under tough marathon conditions. One of my favorite road cars has translated into a formidable and enduring competitor, and frankly, I expected nothing less from the company built by those two AMG men in the old photograph, with that racer’s gleam in their eyes.

IFTTT

[junker-town]

Orlando Pride finally break into playoff spots with Alex Morgan at the top of her game

Alex Morgan’s only been back in Orlando for seven games, but the Pride’s marquee player is having one of the best seasons of her NWSL career and forming an incredible partnership with Marta.

In 2011, the Western NY Flash drafted a young striker out of California named Alex Morgan. The Flash, Women’s Professional Soccer’s newest expansion team, took Morgan with the first overall pick. By then, Morgan had already started to establish herself as the USWNT’s next big thing, the heir to the throne that Abby Wambach would, surely, soon be vacating.

By the time the Flash scooped up Morgan in January of 2011, she’d already scored two massive goals for the USWNT.

The first, in October of 2010, was an 83rd minute strike to salvage a draw with China in what should have been a meaningless friendly ahead of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. Morgan’s goal was significant for two reasons. First, it was only Morgan’s third cap with the senior team, and her first international goal. Second, the U.S. hadn’t played well, and down 1-0, the sparsely filled PPL Park had already started to buzz with the possibility that this would be the night the U.S.’s then 47 game home unbeaten streak would be snapped by the time Morgan entered the game in the 71st minute. Her very late goal not only salvaged the draw and kept the streak alive — it would be, coincidentally, broken by China in 2015, at 105 games — it also announced Morgan to the world.

The second goal came little more than a month, and halfway around the world, later. The U.S. had, embarrassingly, crashed out of World Cup qualifying, a loss to Mexico forcing the team to into a two-leg playoff with Italy to determine who’d grab the final World Cup berth. In the first leg, in Padova, Italy, the two teams played 94 minutes of scoreless soccer before Morgan, who’d entered the game in the 86th, found the winner. There was, of course, still another game to play, but returning stateside with a lead was a huge advantage for the U.S., and the goal — the original Alex Morgan stoppage time miracle — instantly became a thing of WoSo legend.

It also made Morgan, still only 21, a superstar overnight. And now she was joining a Flash team that, thanks to WPS’s ever, uh, evolving, roster of teams, also boasted the likes of Marta and Christine Sinclair, who’d both landed in Rochester after their previous team, FC Gold Pride, had closed up shop after winning the 2010 WPS championship.

With a front line of Morgan, Marta and Sinclair, the Flash hardly looked like an expansion team, and predictably, didn’t play like one either. Instead, Western NY’s first year as a fully professional team ended with them lifting a trophy as WPS champions. Sinclair and Marta scored ten goals each that season, and Morgan, who made only 14 appearances due to the World Cup, added four of her own.

A year later, WPS was gone. Marta went Europe, Sinclair returned to Canada and Morgan went to Seattle. Eventually, Sinclair and Morgan would face off on opposite sides in one of the greatest games ever played, the U.S.’s 4-3 win over Canada in the 2012 Olympic semifinal.

In 2013, as the NSWL started, Marta remained in Sweden, but Morgan and Sinclair put the rivalry that Olympic semi had stoked aside, and became teammates again, this time in Portland. Without a major tournament to get in the way of league play, the Thorns, packed with stars, were automatic contenders, and it was Morgan and Sinclair that were expected to lead the way.

Mostly, that’s exactly how things worked out. The Thorns finished the regular season in third, but beat Western NY in the final to the claim the league’s inaugural title. Morgan and Sinclair each scored eight goals on the season, and Portland, with two of the league’s greatest goal scorers, was officially the team to beat.

Neither the Thorns, or Morgan, was able to recapture that magic though. Over the next two seasons, because of a series of bizarre choices from new head coach Paul Riley, who’d taken over for Cindy Parlow Cone following the 2013 season, preparations for the World Cup, and some injury issues, Morgan never was as effective as she’d been her first season in Portland, and the once-dynamic duo of her and Sinclair spent whatever time they were on the field together now looking mostly disconnected.

By the following season, it was all over. Riley went to Western NY, and Morgan, perhaps trying to recreate 2011, headed for another expansion team, this time the Orlando Pride.

Morgan’s first season in Orlando went about as well as her last one in Portland had though, and with only 4 goals in 15 appearances, it was starting to look like the Alex Morgan era might be wrapping up way earlier than anyone expected.

By the time this season started, Morgan had, along with several other high profile USWNT players, left the NWSL. Morgan, like Carli Lloyd, Crystal Dunn and Heather O’Reilly, went to Europe, though unlike Lloyd, who was on loan to Manchester City, Dunn and HAO, who all went to England to play in the FAWSL, Morgan went to France, joining Olympique Lyon. With OL, Morgan won both a Champions League title and the Feminine Division 1.

Morgan did eventually return to the U.S., rejoining the Pride in late June. But the team she returned to was one still struggling to find its way in an increasingly competitive league.

With Morgan in Europe and Ashlyn Harris injured, the Pride spent the early part of this season struggling to do anything any better than they had as an expansion team. Through the first few weeks, Orlando looked, at times, straight up dysfunctional. And then the Pride made the one big move they hoped would change everything. In mid-April, Orlando signed Marta.

Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

At first, the Pride didn't look good, even with one of the world's best players now donning purple. Marta was surely an improvement, but offense was hardly Orlando's biggest problem, and with a disjointed midfield and shaky defense behind her, things initially looked like they weren't going to get much better.

Slowly though, that started to change. Probably, it’s in part because that's just what happens as a season goes on, a team starts to jell, things come together. Some of it though was that the addition of Marta made everyone around her somehow play better, too.

Still, even as Orlando started to slowly climb the table, there was a feeling that one other big piece was still missing, and that was Morgan.

There was a chance that combining Marta and Morgan would send the Pride's offense back down into some strange too many cooks scoring drought the way combining Sinclair and Morgan had in Portland, but there was also a chance that things would go the other way, too, like they had back in Western NY.

After missing two games due to injury, Morgan made her 2017 NWSL debut on July 1st, coming in as a second half sub in a 1-0 loss to Chicago. While the Red Stars may have spoiled Morgan’s return, since then, Orlando’s become one of the league's hottest teams, Tom Sermanni indeed capturing only the good parts of combining two star strikers. With Morgan, Orlando finally looks like a complete team, neither relying too much on Marta or Morgan, but also more comfortable with the knowledge that yeah, these are some pretty good offensive options.

Since returning to Orlando, Morgan, individually, has looked more like her old self too. She's registered 5 goals and 2 assists in seven games, including a brace on Saturday in the Pride's 5-0 win over Sky Blue (Marta also scored twice and Dani Weatherholt scored the other). Morgan (and Marta) also scored in the Pride’s 3-0 win over Washington on Tuesday.

Orlando hasn’t been perfect since Morgan returned, but in the seven games she’s appeared in so far this season, they’ve lost only twice, once in her first of the season and the other, also to Chicago, on July 22nd. Still, it’s a huge improvement from the early part of the season, when the Pride spent a lot of time hanging out near the bottom of the table, with just five wins in the 14 games pre-Morgan’s return.

On Saturday, Morgan’s first goal, which came just four minutes in, was the epitome of what happens when you’ve got two star strikers who are playing well, together. It was Marta, with a ball over the top, to Morgan, who took a touch around Christie Pearce before sliding a shot past Kailen Sheridan. Morgan’s second goal, though not officially assisted by Marta, was only possible because of the work the Pride’s No. 10 did to maintain possession earlier in the sequence.

4' - @ORLPride's Marta finds @alexmorgan13 over the top, who brings it down and makes a clinical finish with her left to go up 1-0. #ORLvNJ http://pic.twitter.com/iOjIUW0vBy

— NWSL (@NWSL) August 13, 2017

Later, in the 58th minute, with the Pride already up 4-0, Morgan returned the favor, playing a long through ball to Marta, who was able to calmly put the ball past Sheridan.

58' - @ORLPride's Marta adds her second goal of the night with beautiful assist from @alexmorgan13. #ORLvNJ 5 - 0 http://pic.twitter.com/yku6LRc9rS

— NWSL (@NWSL) August 13, 2017

Saturday's win was huge for Orlando for a bunch of reasons. Putting up five against — and shutting out — one of the league’s best teams is a big deal. The Pride got to give the retiring Maddy Evans a proper sendoff in her final game for the club. Ashlyn Harris returned after missing 11 games due to injury, making three saves to earn the clean sheet. Biggest of all though was that the win put Orlando, for the first time probably since everyone had zero points, into the top four.

Orlando now has six games remaining, but with a two point lead on fifth place Seattle, a schedule that includes two games against Boston and one against FC Kansas City, and the best version of Alex Morgan that we’ve seen in a long time, that shaky start to the season has, finally, given way to the playoffs being a real possibility.

One of the coolest things about the NWSL is that largely the star players aren’t who you’d expect. The names we know as impact players here mostly aren’t the USWNT’s biggest stars, or if they are, it is from some breakout stuff they did in the league first that got them there. The names we most often find ourselves repeating here are ones like McCall Zerboni, who’s never been with the USWNT, or those of Lynn Williams, Jess McDonald and now Taylor Smith, all ending up on Jill Ellis’ radar after doing some solid work for their club teams. Sometimes, they’re not American, and thus weren’t as recognizable to most of us and our USWNT-centric brains before. Now though, we all know Sam Kerr, Nahomi Kawasumi, Jess Fishlock and Kim Little.

How McDonald spent so much time on so many teams before finding a home with Paul Riley and Courage. How Fishlock instantly became a fan favorite on an otherwise very bad Seattle team. How Kerr gave Sky Blue fans, finally, something to have hope in. These are all fun stories to tell, and in a season where there's no major tournament and USWNT is around full-time, it’s nice that it’s still the unexpected players who are making some of the biggest impacts.

Sometimes though, it is exactly the player you expect, the story about a star that’s truly doing the thing that lives up to the reputation the name on the back of their shirt carries. Orlando, and maybe all of us, have been waiting a long time for Alex Morgan to be that player again, and though it’s only been seven games, her presence has, once again, become hard to ignore.

Scores

Tuesday

Orlando Pride 3 - 0 Washington Spirit

Thursday

FC Kansas City 0 - 1 North Carolina Courage

Saturday

Washington Spirit 2 - 2 Boston Breakers

Orlando Pride 5 - 0 Sky Blue FC

Chicago Red Stars 2 - 3 Portland Thorns FC

Sunday

Houston Dash 0 - 1 FC Kansas City

Seattle Reign FC 1 - 2 North Carolina Courage