caulfield12

So they would both have to qualify as Wild Cards, somehow with NONE from the AL East/Central (that seems highly unlikely), then the Angels behind Ohtani beating them in sudden death? Also, weird thing going on recently as well as all the "hot" money is flowing towards Ohtani as a darkhorse MVP candidate in the AL a 20-1 odds. Seems the last week some were consigning his pitching career to the garbage bin...might have been a bit premature on that call.

Already saw this story with Iowa during the regular season. And Iowa had that done to them by Oregon in the tourney, then USC ran all over Oregon, etc. The Michigan/UCLA game SHOULD be either a really close one or a Michigan fairly easy win. Which means that UCLA will clearly blow out the Wolverines hanging in there without their best player. How many chances are the Wolverines going to get here at the end...? Unless UCLA can shock Gonzaga, we're left waiting for Gonzaga/Baylor, as it has seemed all season long to be destiny (minus the Michigan and Illinois runs).

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-2021-season-predictions-expert-picks-for-division-winners-world-series-champ/

Jimenez...Cordero....Engel.

Severino? Andujar?

Penn National has the ability to pay an additional $62 million in three years to bring its stake up to 50%. After the initial deal closed, The Chernin Group's 60% stake had been reduced to 36%, matching Penn National's stake. The remaining 28% is still owned by Portnoy and a few key executives like CEO Erika Nardini. As of right now, Penn National is worth $17 billion. That Penn stock of Portnoy’s has risen in value from $28 million to roughly $75 million right now ($37 to $100ish). WYOMISSING, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PENN: Nasdaq) (“Penn National” or the “Company”) today completed its previously announced acquisition of a 36% interest in Barstool Sports, Inc. (“Barstool Sports”) for total consideration of approximately $163 million, comprised of approximately $135 million in cash and $28 million in non-voting convertible preferred stock. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200220005183/en/Penn-National-Gaming-Completes-Acquisition-of-36-Interest-in-Barstool-Sports-for-163-Million

This apparently happened in October... The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Diamond Sports, Sinclair’s regional sports network subsidiary, was seeking to restructure an estimated $8 billion debt load. The group’s business has been rocked this year by reduction of games because of the pandemic and the loss of some carriage deals with pay-TV distributors. One bright spot for Sinclair was the July agreement it struck with Comcast to carry Marquee, its other regional sports networks, the Tennis Channel and 78 local TV stations. The Journal reported that in a subsequent earnings call Sinclair Chief Executive Chris Ripley told analysts that 85% of Sinclair’s RSN subscribers were locked in at least the next two years. For disgruntled Xfinity subscribers, the only way to get out of paying for Marquee, short of dropping Xfinity altogether, would be to reduce their service to the basic tier. Seeing as that would eliminate not just Marquee but NBC Sports Chicago and Big Ten Network as well, it may not be a satisfactory resolution. https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cubs/ct-chicago-cubs-hulu-drops-marquee-sinclair-rsns-20201022-gnkqclhsuvbrroqs3adfp2kzda-story.html This new channel is expected to bring the Cubs an additional $30M of revenue compared to other stations, excluding any advertising and the aforementioned regional sports fee. This fee will be subsidized not just by Cubs fans, but by all TV subscribers with any cable package that exceeds basic cable, who will pay this regional sports fee regardless of whether or not the cubs are playing games. This regional sports fee is a fee being charged to all in-network TV subscribers against their will. The Marquee Sports Network should be removed from standard sports lineup and only be offered as a premium channel to those willing to pay extra.

But at the same time, this entire sport is about entertaining the fans. That is the reason it exists! Is being cold and calculating in an effort to maximize wins at the most efficient price tag part of that? Sure. We like to watch wins, and we like to watch wins over a long period of time. But we also like to watch players we enjoy. Players we feel connected to. That also has value. And also? Taking care of the face of your franchise has value that goes beyond fan service or even his performance on the field. You gonna tell me this Rizzo situation doesn’t mean anything at all to future players who consider extensions? To future free agents who are pitched the idea that this is a players-first organization? If the reporting here is accurate, the Cubs need to step up and revise their offer. Period. Five years and $70 million at this moment in time for Rizzo is an unacceptable offer. Maybe it won’t take much of a bump up to get Rizzo’s camp talking again, but it needs to happen. If Rizzo winds up walking and this was the best offer the Cubs made, it will not be hard to see how fans will never forget this one, regardless of how things actually play out for his next contract and his next half-decade of performance. That’s the nature of fans. https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2021/03/29/cubs-initial-offer-to-anthony-rizzo-was-reportedly-just-70-million-over-five-years/ Feels similar to the time Reinsdorf pushed out Buehrle, although not quite so insulting as the Cubs are being

Marcus Semien says hi!

Better to just gratefully listen to what Hahn tells us through Sox friendly media than to dare question him...he has only once admitted being wrong, on a certain transaction with the Padres.

Their vaccines are not based on much different mRNA platform but traditional ones...if you think there’s no appreciable difference, you’re free to volunteer to fly here and get one yourself. I have no choice, as my job (and family) depends on my getting it. This is not an all vaccines being equal question. The genetic information for Covid vs. mMRA sequencing are two entirely distinct issues. Ahead of talks at the WTO on patents on COVID-19 tools, a small number of countries continue to block a waiver that would open up access to these tools during the pandemic. Should the waiver be agreed, countries could produce COVID-19 vaccines and drugs on a larger scale, at lower prices. MSF urges these countries to immediately stop blocking the proposal to allow lives to be saved. https://www.msf.org/countries-obstructing-covid-19-patent-waiver-must-allow-negotiations Governments around the world are taking steps to make sure that private corporations don’t use the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to make unjustified monopoly profits. They’re doing that by ensuring that governments can override patents and issue compulsory licenses for COVID-19 related treatments, vaccines, and tools. Canada’s recent COVID-19 bill authorizes the government to make and use patented inventions as needed in fighting the pandemic. Governments in Chile, Ecuador, Germany, and Israel have taken similar steps. But in the U.S., lobbyists and lawyers for patent owners are pushing our government to move in the exact opposite direction. And they may succeed. Last week, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) introduced a bill that gives 10 extra years of patent rights (on top of the usual 20 years) to any “new or existing pharmaceutical, medical device, or other process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter.” The patent rights grab, included in a bill that’s ostensibly about limiting medical lawsuits, also applies to improvements on existing technology. Sasse’s bill does prevent issued patents that relate to COVID-19 from taking effect until after the current national emergency declaration ends. But that reasonable limitation is coupled with an unnecessary and damaging giveaway of 10 extra years of patent exclusivity. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/04/lengthening-patent-terms-10-years-exactly-wrong-response-covid-19

Nobody wants marginal veterans, but what else can one expect looking at FA moves under Hahn? I don’t think anyone realistically expected Bauer, Springer or Ozuna...but was Joc Pederson too much of an ask, too? TLR won’t be tested until the first controversial situation with Tim Anderson, a losing streak, or something completely unpredictable as it usually the case. We can’t draw any conclusion on Collins, Merceds or Vaughn until June 1st. Same with Rodon, and likely Cease, Kopech and Crochet’s health/performance as well.

https://www.mlb.com/news/2021-world-series-predictions After Jimenez injury, still 71 votes for first in Central, Yankees picked roughly 2/1 for AL pennant.

What is the incentive for American pharmaceutical companies to innovate...if they're just going to give the results away without any patent protection and then lose almost ALL of the profits to cheaper manufacturing countries like India, China, etc? What do you tell Pfizer and Moderna and J&J shareholders, that American exceptionalism exists, but we are just going to give up any advantages we have for the "good of the world" when nobody else is doing the same thing other than China? Let's not forget the debacle brewing with AstroZeneca shipments even leaving the UK at this time...every country in the EU is pretty much at each other's necks, with the northern countries like Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Germany once again pitted against Greece/Italy/Spain/Portugal, etc., in a re-run of 2008-2010. If China does do this (start copying the US vaccines), it would be a huge political loss of face, because they've already spent so much time and money/resources promoting their five homegrown vaccines through "vaccine diplomacy" to the rest of the world. Just don't see it happening at this point. Nevertheless, there are only roughly 40 democracies standing in their (China's) way at this point. Plus, China has a SURPLUS of homegrown vaccines right now, it's just that the majority of the general population doesn't quite trust them at this point. We're only at 3% roughly of the entire population vaccinated. By the time that happens, variants and booster shots will be the buzzword, as it will be late 2022 to reach 70% of the population. Philosophically, the faster the world reaches herd immunity (and not just individual countries), the better off everyone will be...but there are certainly philosophical differences about how to achieve that. But the vaccine coalition (Novavax or whatever it's called) for the 2nd and 3rd world is woefully underfunded, and there's only so much the WHO can do on its own.

Oregon State almost completed the comeback from way down against Houston but ran out of gas in the attempt. Looks like Baylor is already threatening to blow ARK out of the gym. Can't wait for USC/Gonzaga, Michigan (hopefully) vs. Baylor and whoever's left to play Gonzaga in the championship game. Would be insane if Michigan makes it without Livers. At any rate, Juwan Howard definitely deserves to be Coach of the Year, if it's not Few, Drew or Underwood.

How easy it going to be for India/China/Russia to create their own vaccines with this information...? Obviously, they'd need the sub-zero storage conditions. By the way, Florida, SHOCKINGLY, going in the reverse direction and creating another "super-spreader" event with their Spring Break shenanigans. https://www.yahoo.com/news/cases-florida-national-covid-bellwether-115340644.html

They must have seen something in that playoff series against the A's...

Mendick wasn't a SS anyway. Leury's the primary back-up there, so Mendick backing up 2B is the only advantage vs. Lamb. TLR loves his veterans, right? Hamilton and Lamb. That said, Yermin/Collins over Lucroy doesn't actually fit this way of thinking. And Nick Williams might have hit better, but they'd clearly rather err on the side of speed and defense with both Hamilton AND Engel...believing they have enough offense to cover until you get to the late-inning defensive replacements.

America is great already. America can be even better, it can certainly improve. Two credible viewpoints with no simplistic resolution in sight. Both sides believe wholeheartedly in their viewpoints...those convictions won't easily change or waver. But I think the analogy stands up fairly well...especially the argument about "you don't love your country, so you should just leave." We hear the equivalent on the baseball side of things all the time. That's also quite similar to this current litmus test thing we have going on about what constitutes being a great White Sox fan. That we should be content or praise more what we already have just doesn't sit well to many long-suffering White Sox fans watching the team make a mint the last 5 years while asking for our continuing patience.

Except there's no way to state clearly the impact having one of our three best offensive contributors will have on the rest of the line-up. It's not as easy as plugging Danny Mendick in there and saying he should be a 2ish fWAR contributor out in LF, and couldn't be worse than Jimenez or Vaughn defensively. Line-up "protection" is debated to death around here, but it remains to be seen what the overall impact is on guys like Abreu and Grandal. Who knows, maybe Robert rises to the challenge and asserts himself as a 4-6 hitter instead of a #7 with reduced pressure on him to produce...?

The Ricketts are going to be crucified if Kyle Hendricks is the only identifiable player on the roster in the 2nd half.

And yet MANY of the fans crowing about how good our team will jump off the bandwagon and disappear from Game Threads if the season doesn't go as expected or predicted. Now there's a number of reasons to avoid a GT, but if you look at 2017-2019, there were a number of games that barely had 2-3 pages.

This enjoy the ballpark/ambience thing only works for Cubs' fans pre-2016, PTAC and maybe Texsox. The rest of us are desperate for another extended playoff run. Not to mention the fans who have been around a long time remember 1994, the White Flag trade...the scars are less of a problem than confronting a similar environment with Covid-19 spending depressed, then the looming CBA showdown, then the potential losses of Giolito/Anderson. Right now, the window is only "clearly open" through these three seasons, and we're already taking a significant hit to the offense with Jimenez down. Perhaps, in the end, opening up that opportunity for Vaughn/Collins will prove to have been worth it...and Jimenez will come back with a totally different mindset about how he approaches the game, but that's not usually what has happened if you look at White Sox history.

Just the fact that we're talking about crazy shit like playing Lamb at 3B and moving Moncada to LF shows how vulnerable this team is right now. We're not even considering if Collins/Vaughn don't hit (Collins is getting close to "expendable" now, regardless) and the psychological implications of running a player out there for a World Series contender who couldn't be more ill-suited for the position (who's supposed to be a generational bat)...and three other key players all likely overcompensating to cover for him, and the likelihood of another injury occurring. Scott Merkin can tout a six deep rotation (which includes Kopech somehow), but they're incredibly vulnerable if one of the top 3 pitchers goes down. While that's true for nearly any other team in baseball, the big spending teams won't hesitate to go out and make a move or take on additional payroll to fix the hole. Whereas we tend to "half ass" it to the trade deadline when oftentimes pennants can be lost in the first 1/3rd or 1/2 of a season. It's embarrassing with all the money coming in with the NBCSportsChicago (well, whatever it's now called)...at the very least, we're a Top 8-12 team in MLB local broadcasting rights (Fangraphs put us at #3 with $120 million per season or $750k per game) rights and this is the best we can. Losing Jimenez, Engel and Cordero isn't going to kill this team...but we're on a precarious slope. The irony is that the White Sox have a better chance of winning their division than the Padres do, despite SD doing everything possible to win, the Dodgers have just been THAT good. Meanwhile, the White Sox kind of meander along with their middling/mediocre approach...a middling/mediocre farm system again, and just kinda hope for the best.

Perfect example, Goldman doesn't trust Hwang back to his time with Tiger but can't resist missing out on all the deals finally pulls trigger. A disciple of hedge-fund legend Julian Robertson, Sung Kook “Bill” Hwang shuttered Tiger Asia Management and Tiger Asia Partners after settling an SEC civil lawsuit in 2012 accusing them of insider trading and manipulating Chinese banks stocks. Hwang and the firms paid $44 million, and he agreed to be barred from the investment advisory industry. He soon opened Archegos -- Greek for “one who leads the way” -- and structured it as a family office. Family offices that exclusively manage one fortune are generally exempt from registering as investment advisers with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. So they don’t have to disclose their owners, executives or how much they manage -- rules designed to protect outsiders who invest in a fund. That approach makes sense for small family offices, but if they swell to the size of a hedge fund whale they can still pose risks, this time to outsiders in the broader market. “This does raise questions about the regulation of family offices once again,” said Tyler Gellasch, a former SEC aide who now runs the Healthy Markets trade group. “The question is if it’s just friends and family why do we care? The answer is that they can have significant market impacts, and the SEC’s regulatory regime even after Dodd-Frank doesn’t clearly reflect that.” ... One reason is that Hwang never filed a 13F report of his holdings, which every investment manager holding more than $100 million in U.S. equities must fill out at the end of each quarter. That’s because he appears to have structured his trades using total return swaps, essentially putting the positions on the banks’ balance sheets. Swaps also enable investors to add a lot of leverage to a portfolio. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/one-world-greatest-hidden-fortunes-002617417.html