Batman will fly up to $ 225 million + global opening, Korea opens up to $ 1.7 million

Then on to Sony Spider-Man: No way home shaking box office records and creating a gravitational pull for cinemas with global revenues of $ 1.85 billion, Warner Bros. The Batman strives to continue this rally on the big screen.

The industry’s forecasts for Robert Pattinson’s film stand on $ 115 million – $ 125 million domestic and others $ 110 million – $ 120 million abroad for global reach of $ 225 million – $ 245 million +. The film, which has a production price of $ 200 million, is Warner Bros. return to pure theatrical editions after fulfilling HBO Max’s daily strategy for its US movie list, which began as early as Christmas 2020 with The Wonder Woman 1984.

In fact Batman the fever has already flared up: the title of DC Comics, directed by Matt Reeves, opened today in Korea, taking advantage of an official holiday and gathering a lot $ 1.7 million (with visualizations). It’s easy Warner Bros. best start day during the pandemic in the territory, the second best debut for a Batman movie since then The Black Knight: Revival, and the best industry in the country for 2022 so far. All this is before the addition of 74 more centers by Friday. This is particularly impressive, given that Covid infections have increased over the last day.

Disney, Sony, Paramount and Universal Pause films in Russia

batman e1644512177473

Warner Bros.

As for the domestic, Batman has already started with the 19:00 show at 350 Imax locations scheduled for the world premiere in New York, another set of shows at 19:00 tomorrow and previews on Thursday night at 3300 seats starting at 15:00.

Warners spotted at least $ 90 million in the domestic market at 4,217 theaters (12,500 screens), but rivals tell me that the heat of this film, though not as high as it is Spider-Man: No way home, it is still fantastically high. The movie is everywhere.

True, there is bad news in the titles and prolific DC movies like League of Justice and Joker opened up to $ 93.8 million and $ 96.2 million, respectively The Batman is a nearly three-hour film. But there is too much work for the Dark Knight: there is great news about the declining cases of Covid (-36% in cases from a week ago to 65k / day of New York Times), the comfort of moviegoers reaching near peak levels for NRG, and a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 87% Certified Fresh. At least $ 40 million in pre-sales for Thursday and Friday are already in the bank, I hear. AMC chief Adam Aron said during a profit talk this afternoon that he was charging more for Batman tickets in his chain in a variable price model. The film will be played in all plus formats such as Imax, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, Screen X, Drive-ins and motion seats.

NRG explains that the comfort of watching movies has improved dramatically this week and should reach a record high after Covid by this weekend. The percentage of respondents who are “very or somewhat comfortable” going to the cinema has improved to 80%; only a point less than the highest level for all time, established on July 11, 2021 (81%). Women over 35, which was a reluctant film screening during Covid, led to the latest increase, rising 10 points to 73%. Now they are only 2 points from their highest level of all time (75% in mid-July 2021). Men under 35 also improved by +6 points to 89%, which corresponds to their record from last July. The percentage who are “very comfortable” continues to rise, marking a point to reach a new record high of 43%, women leading these gains. Eighty-eight percent believe that going to the movies is “very or somewhat safe”, up +4 points from last week, surpassing the highest level of all time on July 11 (85%).

The Batman continues to swing abroad on Wednesday in France and a handful of others; followed by 49 markets on Thursday, including Australia, Taiwan, Germany, Italy and all of Latin America. Friday added 19 markets, in particular the United Kingdom and Spain.

According to Deadline, Russia will not be part of the initial implementation and it is clear that Warner has stopped pausing in light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine (Universal is working on the distribution of Warner Bros. titles in Russia through a joint venture). Russia may have ultimately contributed to the discovery of about $ 5 million if it was released this weekend, with the ruble hitting hard since the conflict began. Japan (March 11), China (March 18) and Hong Kong (May 19) later joined.

In the 75th market, where The Batman arrives this session, there is some change in the forecasts.

The Batman

It’s not a lie: Batman will be doing fantastic business this weekend.
Warner Bros.

The latest DC comp here is Joker which opened for $ 150.4 million overseas in likes and at today’s prices in October 2019. This film arrived with a big halo and huge media noise coming from winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival last month. It was also nearly an hour shorter The BatmanNearly three hours of work will affect the number of shows that can be programmed this weekend. Joker was rated R in the country while The Batman carries PG-13. In the United Kingdom both Joker and The Batman landed with a rating of 15, while in France, Joker was restricted to persons over 12 years of age and The Batman there is no age limit, although there is a warning that “the general atmosphere of the film, as well as some scenes of violence, may offend sensitive audiences.”

Joker there was no France in its initial package, but this market should appear in the Top 5 The Batman. A mix of the United Kingdom, Korea, Mexico, Australia and Brazil is also likely to perform. Western Australia, it should be noted, introduced some new restrictions on Covid.

WB has also held exclusive screenings of Imax and PLF in several markets, and now that travel is less limited, talent has attended well-covered fan screenings in London and Paris.

Batman will fly up to $ 225 million + global opening, Korea opens up to $ 1.7 million Read More »

Victor Howland is among the 4 strongest figures in Bay Hill

Click the arrow to expand the odds for 2022 Arnold Palmer by Caesars

Invitation coefficients for 2022 Arnold Palmer

GolferOdds
John Ram+850
Rory McIlroy+1200
Victor Howland+1600
Scotty Scheffler+1800
Hideki Matsuyama+2500
Sungjae Im+2600
Will Zalaris+2800
Matt Fitzpatrick+3000
Mark Lishman+3000
Paul Casey+3300
Keith Mitchell+3300
Tyrell Hatton+3500
Adam Scott+3500
Jason Cocrack+4000
Billy Horschel+4000
Sam Burns+4000
Max Homa+4000
Justin Rose+4500
Sergio Garcia+5000
Tommy Fleetwood+5000
Thaler Guch+5000
Christian Besuidenhout+5000
Gary Woodland+5000
Maverick McNeilly+5000
Russell Henley+5000
Jason’s day+5500
Cameron Tringale+5500
Keegan Bradley+6000
Corey Connors+6000
Chris Kirk+6600
Luke List+6600
Cameron Young+6600
Seamus Power+6600
Eric van Royen+7000
Lanto Griffin+7000
Tom Hodge+8000
Carlos Ortiz+8000
Kevin Na+8000
Thomas Peters+8000
Si U Kim+8000
Sebastian Munoz+8000
Sep Straka+8000
Ian Poulter+10000
Lucas Glover+10000
Patrick Reed+10000
Matthew Wolfe+10000
Kevin Kisner+10000
Sahit Tegala+10000
Lee Westwood+10000
KH Lee+10000
Matt Jones+10000
Troy Merritt+12500
Sam Ryder+12500
Danny Willett+12500
Kevin Steele+12500
Andrew Putnam+12500
Ricky Fowler+12500
Danny McCarthy+12500
Brendan Todd+12500
Taylor Moore+12500
Garik Higo+12500
Martin Laird+12500
Aaron Wise+12500
Adam Swenson+12500
Aaron Paradise+15000
JJ Spaun+15000
Takumi Kanaya+15000
Taylor Pendrit+15000
Across the waterfront+15000
Lee Hodges+15000
Cam Davis+15000
Patton Kizier+15000
Dylan Frittelli+15000
Patrick Rodgers+15000
Lucas Herbert+15000
Charles Howell+15000
Alex Smolly+15000
Nikolai Hoygaard+15000
Nick Taylor+15000
Bo Hosler+15000
Pat Perez+17500
Danny Lee+20000
Brendan Steele+20000
Hudson Swaford+20000
Cameron Champ+20000
Sean O’Hare+20000
Doug Gim+20000
Min Wu Lee+20000
Michael Thompson+20000
Henrik Stenson+20000
Zack Johnson+20000
Matt Wallace+20000
Brandon Grace+20000
Scott Stallings+20000
Brand Snedecker+20000
Grayson Sig+25000
Vincent Whaley+25000
Rory Sabatini+25000
Trey Mulinax+25000
Padreig Harrington+25000
Stefan Jaeger+25000
Hayden Buckley+25000
Davis Riley+25000
Graham McDowell+30000
Nick Watney+30000
Peter Malnati+30000
Adam Long+30000
Henrik Nolander+30000
Charles Schwarzel+30000
Scott Pierce+30000
Adam Schenk+30000
Kevin Thuy+40000
Davis Thompson+40000
Jonathan Bird+50000
James Payot+50000
John Pack+50000
Anirban Lahiri+50000
Bennett himself+50000
Paul Barjon+50000
Greg Koch+100000

PGA TOUR continues its swing in Florida at Bay Hill Club & Lodge to play at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2022 this week. The event is at the heart of TOUR, appearing in the schedule every year since 1979.

Bay Hill Club & Lodge is a par 72 by 7454 yards and features Bermuda grass. Before last year, the previous five editions of Arnold Palmer Invitational gave international champions. Bay Hill can be extremely difficult to play if the wind gets stronger, but the course certainly has teeth, whether there is wind or not.

There are 120 golfers for an event that usually attracts very strong fields, but with the PLAYERS championship next week, several top players have chosen to stay without it. However, the field will still include some of the best in the world such as John Ram, Rory McIlroy, Victor Howland, Hideki Matsuyama Adam Scott, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Sungjae Im, Matt Fitzpatrick, Scotty Scheffler, Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood.

Past winners in Bay Hill

  • 2021: Bryson DeChambo (-11)
  • 2020: Tyrell Hatton (-4)
  • 2019: Francesco Molinari (-12)
  • 2018: Rory McIlroy (-18)
  • 2017: Mark Lishman (-11)
  • 2016: Jason’s Day (-17)

5 key statistics for Bay Hill

Let’s take a look at five key Bay Hill metrics to determine which golfers have the highest scores in each category in the last 24 rounds.

1. Impacts received: approach

The approach is often the most important statistic and this week will be no different. This is a difficult golf course and players will be penalized for missing greens in the regulation.

General SG: approach over the last 24 rounds

  1. Will Zalaris (+24.8) (+2500)
  2. Victor Howland (+22.0) (+1800)
  3. Tom Hodge (+22.0) (+10000)
  4. Paul Casey (+21.3) (+4000)
  5. Hudson Swaford (+18.7) (+25000)

StrokesGained

2. Blows received: Outside of these

To compete in Bay Hill, golfers will need excellent off-course performance. Distance is important because of the length of the route and its layout, but accuracy is just as important.

We’ve seen recent events where golfers can get away with bad shots, but Bay Hill is not one of those courses. The rough hit is extremely thick and punitive, so saving after a bad hit with it is unlikely.

SG: OTT in the last 24 rounds

  1. John Ram (+26.8) (+750)
  2. Rory McIlroy (+19.2) (+1000)
  3. Cameron Young (+19.1) (+9000)
  4. Keith Mitchell (+18.9) (+4500)
  5. Sergio Garcia (+17.6) (+5000)

3. Shots received: launch (Bermuda shorts and lightning)

The main reason Bay Hill plays as one of the toughest pitches in TOUR is the incredibly fast greens. The surfaces of Bermuda played lightning fast in every round of 2017.

SG: Placement (Bermuda and Lightning) in the last 24 rounds:

  1. Zack Johnson (+26.7) (+25000)
  2. Danny McCarthy (+24.0) (+13000)
  3. Brendan Todd (+22.9) (+15000)
  4. Bo Hosler (+21.6) (+20000)
  5. Christian Besuidenhout (+19.6) (+5000)

4. Received shots: Ball hit

While hitting the ball is partly beyond those and the approach, I want the whole tee to green package to be built into the model this week, as it will take a well-rounded tee to green effort to do so at Bay Hill.

SG: BS in the last 24 rounds

  1. John Ram (+41.2) (+750)
  2. Will Zalaris (+34.9) (+2800)
  3. Luke List (+33.9) (+7000)
  4. Victor Howland (+32.8) (+1800)
  5. Paul Casey (+25.6) (+4000)

5. Blows received: Par. 5

With four par 5 on the court it will be important to take advantage of these holes. Although I do not expect the winning result to be as inspiring as last year, it will certainly not be a bird festival.

The one who makes the most of a par with a chance to score may have the best shot to win.

SG: Par 5 in the last 24 rounds

  1. Matt Fitzpatrick (+19.5) (+2200)
  2. Aaron Paradise (+16.7) (+25000)
  3. Seamus Power (+14.3) (+6000)
  4. Max Homa (+13.4) (+4500)
  5. Hideki Matsuyama (+13.0) (+2500)

GettyImages k mitchell


Ranking of models with invitations for Arnold Palmer

Below, I compiled an overall ranking of the model using a combination of the five key statistical categories discussed above – SG: approach (27%), SG: Off the Tee (23%), SG: Bermuda / flash placement (18%) ), SG: Ball hit (17%) and SG: Par 5 (15%).

  1. John Ram (+750)
  2. Sungjae Im (+2200)
  3. Matt Fitzpatrick (+2200)
  4. Russell Henley (+4000)
  5. Luke List (+7000)
  6. Lanto Griffin (+7500)
  7. Seamus Power (+6000)
  8. Mark Lishman (+2800)
  9. Victor Howland (+1800)
  10. Will Zalaris (+2800)

2022 Arnold Palmer Call for Choices

Victor Howland (+1800) in DraftKings

Howland comes this week with hot irons, which is the most important aspect of taming Bay Hill. In his last start on the Riviera, the 24-year-old received 6.1 strokes on approach. The performance lags only behind Tony Finau and the winner Joaquin Niemann in the category, leading Howland to fourth place.

Howland was also very good on the Riviera last season. He amassed 4.1 strokes in the approach (fifth place finish) and improved his hot form the following week. His next start came at the WGC Concession, where he finished second with 8.7 shots on approach, the best result of his career. Howland is heading to Florida again after a strong performance on the Riviera and I expect another performance on the ceiling.

The world’s No. 4 golfer recently won the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour (January 2022). Despite worldwide success, Hovland is still looking for a remarkable victory in the PGA TOUR. Bay Hill would be a logical place for that to happen.

Matt Fitzpatrick (+3000) at bet365

It’s no secret that Fitzpatrick loves Bay Hill very much. Fitz finished in the top 10 in his last three starts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with his best final (second) coming in 2019.

Although he obviously has a history of the course on his part, the Englishman is also judged perfectly for Bay Hill. In the field, Fitzpatrick ranks first with a score of 5, sixth in the shots gained: Putting lightning green Bermuda shorts, and 12th in shots received: Off the Tee. With a game created for this course, it is no surprise that he has excelled here throughout his career.

The 27-year-old scored 4.2 shots in his last start at the WM Phoenix Open and 7.2 shots from tee to green. His game is rounded out at the right time to finally win his first PGA TOUR victory.

Bermuda Championship 2021-odds-selection-first round leader-review
Jose Manuel Alvarez / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images. Pictured: Matt Fitzpatrick

Paul Casey (+4000) in DraftKings

Among Casey’s three victories in the PGA TOUR, two came to the state of Florida at the 2018 Walspar Championships and 2019. Like Copperhead, Bay Hill is a great course suitable for Casey, given the difficult conditions and potentially higher than normal. winning result.

Looking at the history of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, one of the first things worth mentioning is the number of elite European players who have had success at Bay Hill. Prior to Bryson Deschamps’ dominant victory last season, the last three winners were Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari and Tyrell Hatton. Casey is a European with a similar model, who has a lot of experience in the Ryder Cup (like the other three) and does well in difficult conditions.

In addition to the perfect fit on the course, the 44-year-old plays excellent golf. At the Genesis Invitational, Casey received 5.6 strokes in the approach and finished 15th. With four par 3s on the 200+ yard move, Casey should have the advantage, as he receives an average of 2.4 shots on the pitch per par 3 event of this length.

With two top 10 rankings in his last three Bay Hill attempts, Casey has proven he has what it takes to fight on the field.

Danny Willett (+20,000) at DraftKings

Willett offers net capital for profit. You won’t find many golfers in the mid-30s with nine professional wins in the three-digit odds on this week’s odds, but that’s where we find Willett.

Given that he won recently in October (Alfred Dunhill Links Championship) in a relatively strong field, it is safe to say that his game is in good shape. He stressed that last week the Honda Classic, although not very high in the rankings. He was stable statistically and won 5.6 shots from tee to green during the week.

Willett’s problems came with the blow, where he lost a terrible 4.4 blows. He has shown that he is capable of dealing with hard and fast greens in the past, as he won The Masters in Augusta National. Although the surface is different, the speed of the greens in Bay Hill is one of the few that can rival Augusta.

Willett has a solid history of the course, finishing 18th and 31st in his last two trips to Bay Hill. If this week is difficult, the 34-year-old Englishman has the grind mentality to fight Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Victor Howland is among the 4 strongest figures in Bay Hill Read More »

The war in Ukraine is entering a more destructive phase: a retired army officer

Members of the Ukrainian Civil Protection Unit handed over new rifles on the opposite side of an explosive bridge on the northern front of Kyiv on March 1, 2022.

Aris Messinis AFP | Getty Images

The next phases of the war in Ukraine are likely to be hugely costly for big cities as Russia turns to larger, more indiscriminate weapons and prepares for brutal urban battles.

Despite fierce Ukrainian resistance, cities are surrounded and Russian forces are already using weapons such as artillery to bomb them, retired US Army Colonel Jack Jacobs told CNBC’s Squawk Box Asia.

“The Russians will step up their indirect fire on the settlements, especially in Kyiv,” Jacobs said. Indirect fire refers to weapons that are aimed not at a single target but at an area, such as a city. Weapons such as artillery are used in large quantities and destroy large areas.

I think it will be difficult for Putin to bring this back. He will continue until he finishes it … at a great price.

Jack Jacobs

Retired colonel in the United States Army

“And in doing so, they’re going to do something … they didn’t want to do because they wanted to take the city intact,” Jacobs said. “They will use … the possibility of firing missiles, artillery, missiles and other indirect fire to conquer the Ukrainians in the city. And then try to move.

At this point, the war is moving from one that plays on the Russian military to one that plays on the strengths of the Ukrainians. But it will also be a much more destructive war, because it will be fought up close in urban areas.

Russia’s military culture focuses training on open field operations, Jacobs said, while Ukrainians – including many of its civilians – have long been preparing for a door-to-door battle in the cities themselves.

“Ukrainians knew from the beginning that this could ultimately be reduced to their ability to destroy Russian forces in built-up areas,” said Jacobs, who survived the city battles as an officer in the Vietnam War.

“Huge costs”

Unfortunately, this scenario will cost a terrible price for the cities of Ukraine, which are still full of civilians, although many have fled.

John Spencer, an expert on urban warfare at the Institute of Contemporary Warfare at the U.S. Military Academy, told NBC News that once Russian troops are in the cities in large numbers, “it will be really ugly.”

“The Russians will not be able to take Kyiv just by bombing it,” Spencer told NBC. “They’ll have to get soldiers there.”

Other major cities in Ukraine are probably already surrounded by Russian forces, according to a Update from the UK Department of Defense released on Tuesday.

“Ukrainian forces continue to hold the cities of Kharkiv, Kherson and Mariupol, but now all three cities are probably surrounded by Russian forces,” the ministry said.

The Ukrainian government said on Tuesday that Kharkiv, the second largest city, was the target of heavy shelling by Russian forces, NBC News reported. This city is home to about 1.5 million people.

At least 10 people were killed and 35 wounded on Tuesday by Russian missiles in central Kharkov, Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said in a social media post.

Stopping the convoy

The war in Ukraine is entering a more destructive phase: a retired army officer Read More »

The White House is targeting shipping alliances for antitrust enforcement

Get the Insider app

Custom feed, summary mode and ad-free experience.

Download the application

Close icon Two crossed lines that form an “X”. Specifies how to close an interaction or reject a notification.

  • Most international shipping is controlled by only three cooperative alliances.
  • The White House says consolidation has led to higher freight tariffs that boost inflation.
  • A new federal initiative will use antitrust laws to promote competition in shipping.

Expensive shipping costs are the target of a new initiative announced by the White House on Monday, which ordered the Justice Department to use antitrust laws to make the largest companies in the industry more competitive with each other.

Approximately 80% of all global shipping capacity – and 95% of east-west trade – is controlled by three alliances that allow freight companies to coordinate tariffs and schedules.

This consolidation largely went under the main radar until the pandemic completely disrupted the global supply chain. Ocean carriers have responded to increased demand and reduced supply by raising tariffs on freight between Asia and the United States by more than 1,000 percent.

As transportation costs rise, consumer prices are also rising, and White House experts estimate that shipping will add a full percentage point to inflation next year.

And it’s not just consumers who remain paying more – exporters are complaining that large companies are not shipping American products to foreign markets.

Some carriers apparently find it more cost-effective to ship empty containers back to Asia for refueling instead of transporting US agricultural goods to other ports.

These rising prices were good for shipping companies’ profit margins, rising to 56% in the third quarter of 2021, from 3.7% in 2019.

For President Biden, such hefty profits in such a low-margin historical business are evidence of anti-competitive practices. He plans to address the issue during a speech on the state of the Union on Tuesday night.

Under the new initiative, a regulatory agency known as the Federal Maritime Commission will coordinate with the Department of Justice to identify and prosecute violations under the Shipping and Basic Antitrust Act, the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act.

“Competition in the maritime industry is an integral part of lowering prices, improving the quality of services and strengthening the sustainability of the supply chain,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “Violators of the law need to know that the Ministry of Justice will provide the Federal Maritime Commission with all the necessary support for litigation, as it is pursuing its mission to promote competition in ocean shipping.

This increased control of the shipping industry follows weeks of political announcements accusing corporate greed of worsening inflation. Other sectors that fall under the microscope include beef producers and oil companies.

The White House is targeting shipping alliances for antitrust enforcement Read More »

Actress Joey King is engaged to boyfriend Stephen Pitt

Actress Joey King is engaged to her boyfriend Stephen Pitt after almost two and a half years of dating.

“I never knew that happiness can be so strong that it can take the air out of your lungs, conquering every part of you, that you can not help but feel your eyes well from the undeniable joy,” wrote the 22-year-old actress. a series of engagement photos on Instagram on Tuesday.

“I never knew that a person’s presence and heart could feel like a real home. I never knew that love could be so undeniably beautiful. I never knew you. “

Joey King
King shared this photo on his engagement ring on Instagram.
Instagram / Joey King

King reportedly began dating the 30-year-old producer / director in September 2019 after meeting on the set of Hulu’s miniseries “The Act.”

“The date was 2/2/22, when she asked me to marry you and made me the happiest lady alive,” she revealed. “I love you more than an Instagram post could do justice. To hang out with you forever sounds like a dream come true, so let’s do it. ”

Joey King and Stephen Pete kiss.
Before, Piet King met with his colleague from “Kissing Booth” Jacob Elordi
Instagram / Joey King

Piet also posted photos of their engagement, writing: “The weather was not perfect. Stud. Windy. Completely imperfect to ask my best friend to spend a lifetime together. A lifetime of incredibly safe and vulnerable conversations. Holding hands on the silent taxi, exhausted from great food and red wine. And oh, the laughter. Uncontrollable laughter.

“You have unlocked a dimension of love in me that I never knew existed.”

Proposed by Stephen Pitt and Joey Kind
Piet announced that he proposed marriage on a cold and windy day.
Instagram / stevenpiet

Earlier, King met with his colleague from “Kissing Booth” Jacob Elordi for about a year before parting in 2018. King previously talked about their very public separation and her desire to eventually find her “happy ending” .

“Everyone in this world wants to know your business and what you do,” King told Entertainment Tonight in 2020. “And I think it’s very interesting when you go through things and people feel like they owe them an explanation, but I I understand. “

Joey King, Stephen Pete.
The couple met during the set of the mini-series Hulu “The Act”.
Instagram / stevenpiet

“For me, I’ve been through some things in public, I’ve been through some things in private, it’s all about finding your balance, finding what makes you feel comfortable,” she added. “And it can be brutal, but you know that a happy ending comes to those who are patient.

Actress Joey King is engaged to boyfriend Stephen Pitt Read More »

MLB Lockout: Manfred’s offer is designed to be rejected

Rob Manfred boasted last month as chief negotiator, boasting impeccable experience in collective bargaining: four labor deals and no missed games since his hiring at Major League Baseball in 1998. If anyone has a problem with him now, Manfred has strongly suggested : was on them.

He still believes it. On Tuesday in Jupiter, Florida, Manfred, the MLB commissioner, announced that he had canceled the first two series of the regular season, a victim of the lockout that began three months ago. Manfred insisted last month that the cancellation of the games would be a “catastrophic result” for the sport, but he would not be the owner of the disaster – or regretted failing to win the trust of players as complaints grew and tensions rose. smoldering.

“Look, what I would say is that we struck a chord in some early negotiations over the five-year period,” Manfred said. “There was a lot of rhetoric about dissatisfaction with the deal they made. Much of the rhetoric was negative about the clubs, the commissioner’s office, me. This environment was created by someone else. And this is an environment where bridges are difficult to build. “

If you can’t build them, burn them.

With rising league revenues, wages have fallen. The Union has given up too much space in past deals, and sharp front offices have found ways to use the system. For almost every team, the luxury tax threshold has served as a salary cap. And for all the extras that Manfred and the owners provided in their final offer on Tuesday, they needed to know he was dead on arrival.

The league’s insistence on raising the luxury tax threshold by just $ 10 million to $ 220 million and keeping it at that level for three years said it all. Opposing the salary ceiling is the first commandment for all true believers in the orthodoxy of players. The offer was designed to be rejected by the union and its CEO, former player Tony Clark.

“Look, we have a problem with wage mismatches,” Manfred explained. “And the weakening of the only mechanism in the agreement, which is designed to promote a kind of competitive balance, is just something I don’t think the club is ready to do right now.

Ownership worries about the competitive balance in every labor negotiation, but it becomes a difficult sale. Over the past ten seasons, the Missouri teams have combined to win more World Series (2) than the Los Angeles Dodgers and Yankees (1). Meanwhile, the Yankees and Dodgers have teamed up to spend more than $ 2 billion on the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals.

Obviously, it’s easier to win with a bigger budget. But some small market teams deserve to be mats because of bad decisions. No one has forced the Pittsburgh Pirates to exchange three dynamic young players in Tampa Bay for Chris Archer. No one has forced the Baltimore Orioles to gut their international talent budget so they can build around Chris Davis.

The union wanted luxury tax thresholds to start at $ 238 million in 2022 and rise to $ 263 million by 2026. With rising franchises and lucrative cable and streaming contracts, this hardly seems like a scandalous request. Still, the league’s offer peaked at $ 230 million in 2026. Even close.

Manfred is tasked with directing the 30 club owners, each with their own agenda, to a common vision. Then he has to build a relationship with the union, which aims to get more money from his bosses. If he is too comfortable with the players, he loses his influence with the owners.

Think Faye Vincent, the last commissioner to lead a lockout in March, who came in 1990. Vincent realizes that the union doesn’t trust his office for a good reason – the owners conspired illegally against the players to suppress the free agency in the 1980s. those years. Vincent needed a deputy who could work effectively with the union’s executive director, Donal Fer, and he hired Steve Greenberg, whom Fer respected deeply.

“The only person on the part of the owners, including me, who trusted Don Fer was Steve Greenberg,” Vincent, 83, recalled by phone Tuesday at his home in Vero Beach, Florida. “So they went into a small room next to my office on Park Avenue. They were gone for about an hour, and they came back and said, “We shook hands on these issues. Let’s explain what they are and hopefully both sides agree.

“Some of the owners disagreed; they wanted to stay and fight, but calmer heads prevailed. And my lesson from this, after all, is that these negotiations come down to one or two people on each side who decide to bury the issue of morality – who’s right, who’s wrong – and look at it, just ruthlessly, financially, and say “We can” don’t go on, because if we do, we’ll get hurt. We ruin our own lunch and our own dinner, and that never makes sense. ”

The parties came together, moved the regular season back a week and played a full schedule of 162 games in 1990. But the owners never forgave Vincent, replacing him two years later and replacing him with one of their own, Bud Selig, then owner. of Milwaukee Brewers.

If the deal didn’t work, the owners thought, they could ruin the union by pushing for a wage ceiling in 1994. The players held firm with a strike that canceled this year’s World Series, and the owners used substitutes for next spring’s training session. An order from a federal judge in New York’s Southern District – Sonia Sotomayor, the future judge of the United States Supreme Court – was needed to stop this farce and start the sport again.

It’s the kind of shadowy story that players struggle with, and for all his confidence, Manfred hasn’t convinced players that the owners really see them as partners. This was a failure of the leadership and put an end to the Commissioner’s winning streak.

Now that the league and union are taking a break from nine days of failed negotiations, Vincent says fans should too.

“As Ukraine is, it may be a good time to put baseball in the shadows,” he said. “The rest of the country needs to focus on real things. And baseball is fun. This is a game. I mean, it’s really not life-threatening. “

MLB Lockout: Manfred’s offer is designed to be rejected Read More »

The father of two children in Chicago was shot and killed during a violent attack on the road in broad daylight on a busy highway

A father of two was fatally shot in broad daylight Chicago after getting involved in “traffic” with another driver, after a rage attack on the road.

The shooting took place Sunday in Streamwood, a northwestern suburb of Windy City, just before 5:20 p.m. in the Bartlett and Oltendorf roads.

The Dashcam footage showed 46-year-old Scott Mattison driving a blue Ford pickup truck on Bartlett Road, getting out of his truck and approaching a white Ford sedan.

He was seen arguing with the driver of the sedan and reaching into the open window of the car when he was shot.

A few minutes later, he is seen taking a few steps back after realizing he has been hit.

Mathison of Glendale Height was rushed to AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

Scott Mattison, 46, stopped and got out of his blue Ford pickup truck on Chicago's Bartlett Road on Sunday to resolve a heated argument with the driver of a white Ford sedan before being shot several times.

Scott Mattison, 46, stopped and got out of his blue Ford pickup truck on Chicago’s Bartlett Road on Sunday to resolve a heated argument with the driver of a white Ford sedan before being shot several times.

Mattison had gotten out of his blue pickup truck to talk to the other driver after they both pulled off the side of the road after a road rage accident. The father of two can be seen putting his hand in the driver's window before falling back, seemingly wounded by several shots

Scott Mathison (left and right), 46, tried to talk to the other driver he was involved in a dispute with before being shot several times, according to Streamwood police

Mattison (right) worked as an installer for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) before his death over the weekend.

Mattison (right) worked as an installer for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) before his death over the weekend.

The driver of the white Ford, whose name has not yet been released by police, was arrested on Monday.

No charges “pending further investigation” were issued as of Tuesday night, according to Streamwood police.

Authorities also declined to provide more details on the nature of the traffic.

Those closest to Mathison said their friend did not deserve to be shot suddenly and killed on a busy road, no matter what the two men were arguing about.

‘He didn’t deserve to die; to be shot as he was, “said Kevin Polka, who was Mattison’s boss and one of his closest friends. CBS Chicago. “He has always been for his daughters,” he added.

The two worked together in Polka’s small business called Paragon Mechanic Inc. Mattison worked as an installer for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).

Asked if he was stunned by Mattison’s involvement in the brawl, Polka said:

“I don’t know if it surprised me if I just knew that if he didn’t, he would be here today. Scott made mistakes, he did. He was by no means perfect.

Police declined to give details of the nature of the dispute.  Pictured: Mattison with his girlfriend Jennifer Roa

Police declined to give details of the nature of the dispute. Pictured: Mattison with his girlfriend Jennifer Roa

The 46-year-old is abandoning both his daughters, while friends and family are shocked by the sudden news of his death.  Pictured: Mattison with one of his daughters

The 46-year-old is abandoning both his daughters, while friends and family are shocked by the sudden news of his death. Pictured: Mattison with one of his daughters

Arik Lopez, who was walking nearby with his dogs during the incident, recorded parts of it on his mobile phone.

“I heard a few shots,” Lopez said. “There was controversy, one thing led to another, and the consequences came.”

The dispute now leaves two young girls without a father – and a friend with many unanswered questions.

“If every time someone fucks, if that’s the consequence, where are we?” Polka said. “What do we have left?”

After his death, Mathison’s colleagues organized a fundraiser GoFundMe to help his daughters and cover funeral expenses.

As of Tuesday night, nearly $ 13,000 had been raised from a $ 30,000 target.

The father of two children in Chicago was shot and killed during a violent attack on the road in broad daylight on a busy highway Read More »

The United States is closing its airspace to Russia as Ukrainian cities prepare for attacks

  • Biden closed US airspace to Russian aircraft
  • Apple suspends iPhone sales in Russia
  • Russia shows no signs of stopping its attack
  • The Ukrainians put up fierce resistance

WASHINGTON / Kyiv, March 2 – The United States closed its airspace to Russian planes as the Russian military tried to encircle and conquer Ukrainian cities with heavy bombing on Wednesday, seven days after an invasion that sparked massive international sanctions.

Already avoided by the West, Russia has shown no signs of halting an attack involving strikes on Kyiv and rocket attacks in the second city of Kharkiv. Dozens were killed.

Russia has failed to capture a single city since its full-scale invasion nearly a week ago, and Western analysts say Moscow has backed down from a tactic that requires devastating shelling of built-up areas before entering them.

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fled the fighting as a millimeter-long Russian military convoy north of Kyiv prepared to march on the city. West of Kyiv, in the city of Zhytomyr, four people, including a child, were killed on Tuesday by a Russian cruise missile, a Ukrainian official said. Read more

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has called on Russia to stop civilian bombings and resume talks.

“We need to at least stop bombing people, just stop the bombing and then sit down at the negotiating table,” he told Reuters and CNN in a joint interview at a heavily guarded government complex in Kyiv.

US President Joe Biden has promised Russian President Vladimir Putin to pay a high price for his decision to invade Ukraine, a 44 million West-oriented democracy.

“He has no idea what lies ahead,” he said in a statement on the state of the Union in the House of Representatives.

“Let each of us, if he is able to stand, stand up and send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and the world.”

Lawmakers stood, applauding and roaring, many waving Ukrainian flags and wearing blue and yellow colors of the country. Read more

Biden has announced a further tightening of sanctions against Moscow, joining the European Union and Canada in banning Russian aircraft from US airspace. He also said the justice ministry would seek to confiscate yachts, luxury apartments and private planes of wealthy Russians linked to Putin.

The Russian leader ordered a “special military operation” last Thursday in a bid to disarm Ukraine, capture the “neo-Nazis” he says rule the country, and shatter its hopes for closer ties with the West.

‘FREEZES AND SEIZURE’

Ukraine, a non-NATO member, has called on the US-led military alliance to establish a no-fly zone, a request rejected by Washington, which fears direct conflict between the world’s two largest nuclear powers.

Instead, Washington and its allies sent weapons to Kyiv, and Finance Minister Janet Yellen said the United States had agreed with its partners to convene a working group “to freeze and confiscate the assets of key Russian elites.”

The move “will inflict financial pain on influential figures around Putin and show that no one is beyond our collective reach,” Yellen said in a statement after Tuesday’s conversation with Group of Seven officials.

The West is excluding the Russian economy from the global financial system, forcing international companies to suspend sales, sever ties and dump tens of billions of dollars in investment.

Exxon Mobil has joined other major Western energy companies, including Britain’s BP PLC and Shell, in announcing it will leave oil-rich Russia over the invasion. Read more

Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has stopped selling iPhones and other products in Russia and made changes to its Maps app to protect civilians in Ukraine. Google’s Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) expelled Russian state publishers from its news, and Ford Motor suspended operations in the country. Read more

Russia on Tuesday imposed temporary restrictions on foreigners wishing to exit Russian assets, meaning billions of dollars in securities held by foreigners are at risk of falling into the trap. Read more

KILL CIVILIANS

Russia’s military move against Kyiv is stalled as its forces fight food and fuel shortages, and some units appear to have low morale, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday. Read more

The heaviest Russian bombing so far appears to be around Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, near the border with Russia. Dozens of residents, including children, were killed when a Russian strategic bomber fired 16 guided missiles at a residential area on Monday, Ukraine’s defense ministry said.

In the predominantly Russian-speaking Ukrainian city of Donetsk, in territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists, authorities said three civilians had been killed in Ukrainian shelling.

Reuters was unable to confirm any of the incidents with reports of casualties. The United Nations says at least 136 civilians were killed in the invasion, but the actual number is likely much higher. Read more

Ukraine’s air force has continued to oppose expectations that Russia will achieve rapid dominance in the air.

“Airspace is being actively challenged every day,” said a senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Read more

Report by Alexander Vasovich in Kyiv, Kevin Liffey in London and other Reuters offices, including Moscow; Writing by Stephen Coates; edited by Lincoln Feast & Simon Cameron-Moore

Our standards: ‘ principles of trust.

The United States is closing its airspace to Russia as Ukrainian cities prepare for attacks Read More »