Monthly Archives: May 2021

Columbus SC lasted just one week before the organization bailed on the rebrand and brought the "Crew" name back. (AP/Jay LaPrete)

The Columbus Crews attempted rebrand did not go over well.

In fact, it lasted just one week.

The reigning Major League Soccer champions, after announcing plans last week to rebrand to Columbus SC, bailed on most of those plans Monday night. The team said in a statement that it was returning to the Columbus Crew name.

The importance of keeping the Crew as the clubs primary identifier was clear, the team said in a statement, in part. The decision that came from the discussion was that Columbus Crew will remain the teams official name moving forward.

The organization announced last week that it was dropping the word Crew from the official team name, and replacing it with SC. The rebrand was meant to come ahead of their new stadium that is set to open later this summer.

"The current direction of our Club and our city provides a natural time to examine our identity going forward," president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a statement last week, via ESPN. "Our identity and brand evolution includes a shift in our mindset to be consistent contenders on the pitch, but also includes evolving our look both in the community and across competitions ... We are proud to represent Columbus on the global stage of soccer and aspire to help elevate the city and honor it for what it has done for the Club. We are Columbus Soccer Club, we are The Crew, and we will always be the Black & Gold."

Fans, however, did not take that news well at all. The clubs independent fan group, the Nordecke, was livid. Many called for boycotts of games, purchasing new gear and even helped launch a small protest outside of the stadium, per The Columbus Dispatch.

As a founding member of Major League Soccer, the name is clearly a key part of the organization for fans. And after the #SaveTheCrew movement in 2017, when ownership attempted to relocate the team to Austin, Texas, fans became more attached. Nordecke leadership even warned the club that a name change would be catastrophic ahead of time, per the report.

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So, in a quick but wild turnaround, the team completely reversed its plans and will stick with the Columbus Crew name after all. It will keep most of the new logo intact, however, but will include a 96 in the bottom, a reference to the year the club was founded.

Tonight was 100% driven by the club and ownerships desire to be the best partners they could to the fans and to the supporters, and to not just resolve this issue, but to build in a process going forward to avoid future ones, Nordecke communications director Jeff Barger said, via The Dispatch.

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Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- The worlds top exporter of liquefied natural gas is ramping up production dramatically and undercutting competitors in a bid to squeeze them out of the market.Qatar is dropping prices and pushing ahead with a $29 billion project to boost its exports of the fuel by more than 50%, stymieing the prospects of new plants elsewhere. Its also established a trading team to compete in the nascent spot market and pushing into Asia more aggressively, according to people familiar with the matter.The strategy marks a shift for Qatar, which has barely raised production in the past five years and traditionally prioritized prices over market share. Increased competition, especially from the U.S. and Australia, has forced the Persian Gulf state to become more nimble and attract buyers in Asia, a hot spot for gas demand.The global transition to renewable energy is adding to the countrys sense of urgency. While LNG was until recently touted as a bridge from coal and oil to the likes of solar and wind power, its falling out of favor with some governments as they step up efforts to slow climate change.Qatars expansion plan is so huge that there are questions on the need for other supply options, said Julien Hoarau, head of EnergyScan, the analytics unit of the French utility Engie SA. Its still the number one, but the U.S. has never been so close, so Qatar needed to move if it wanted to keep its leading position.The U.S. came close to overtaking Qatars monthly exports for the first time in April, while Australia has been neck-in-neck with the Middle Eastern nation for the last year, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. As Gulf Coast projects develop, the U.S. is slated to briefly become the worlds top supplier by 2024, before Qatar regains that status later in the decade, according to data from BloombergNEF.Several factors are playing into Qatars hands. China, one of the fastest growing LNG markets, has been reluctant to import more from the U.S. or Australia due to trade and geopolitical tensions.But Qatars main advantage is that it has the worlds lowest production costs thanks to an abundance of easy-to-extract gas, most of it contained in the giant North Field that extends into Iran.Bonds ComingQatars state energy company, which may soon sell up to $10 billion of bonds to fund the gas expansion, said the project will be viable even with oil at $20 a barrel, 70% less than current levels. LNG contracts are typically linked to oil.Thats enabling Qatar Petroleum to set pricing below what other exporters can manage, according to traders. The firm has sold LNG in recent months at around 10% of Brent crude prices, including to China and Pakistan, whereas it used to set the level at 15%.Nobody can compete with Qatari costs, said Jonathan Stern, a senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies. They can do whatever they like and everybody will have to respond the way they can. And, especially when the market is in surplus and prices are low, that will impact the competitions profits.QP executives have jetted across Asia over the past few months to ink export deals. Their efforts led in March to a 10-year contract with Beijing-based Sinopec, signed at 10%-10.19% of Brent.Qatars Ministry of Energy and QP didnt respond to requests for comment.A few years ago, demand for LNG was projected to rise steeply over the coming decades. Gas emits less carbon dioxide than most other fossil fuels when its burned, while renewable-energy projects were still too expensive to power electricity grids, factories and transport on a mass scale.But solar and wind technology is improving faster than expected, helped in part by massive government green-spending programs triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.Were Not AfraidEven as Qatar seeks to make the most of its assets, there are obstacles to it reaching total domination. Many buyers want a diverse group of suppliers. Russias Yamal LNG project and the planned Arctic LNG 2 plant, led by Novatek PJSC, are among those that will remain competitive as Qatar ramps up exports, according to analysts at Citigroup Inc.The biggest U.S. LNG exporter, Cheniere Energy Inc., said its unperturbed by Qatars moves. Some importers are attracted by American firms offering more flexible delivery terms and pricing thats not tied to oil, which has soared almost 30% this year.Were not afraid, Chenieres Chief Commercial Officer Anatol Feygin told investors this month. Were part of a sort of diversification of the supply and contracting structure along with Qatar Petroleum and our friends at Novatek.Yet U.S. projects are among those most likely to struggle. At least 10, five of them in Texas and four in Louisiana, probably wont secure enough financing to be completed, according to analysis from BloombergNEF.Feedstock costs are part of the problem. American companies have to buy gas at around $2.50 per million British thermal units, way above Qatars wellhead prices of $0.30 or lower.New suppliers in the U.S. need spot LNG prices to be at least $7.80 per million Btu in Asia and $6.80 in Europe, said David Thomas, an independent adviser and former head of LNG at Vitol, the worlds largest independent oil trader. For comparison, Asian rates have averaged about $6.80 over the last five years. The economics for producers in Australia and Africa are similar, Thomas said.The Qatari strategy appears to be maintaining its global market share and also maximizing sales, before the gas market starts to shrink, OIESs Stern said. It is a competitive and strategic rush. They recognize LNG demand will eventually decline as the world moves forward in the energy transition.(Updates with export forecast in sixth paragraph.)More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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US STOCKS SNAPSHOT-Wall St opens lower on inflation worries ahead of Fed minutes - Yahoo Finance

Welcome to Monaco Grand Prix weekend. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Monaco is back.

The historic grand prix was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was the first time since 1954 that the race hadn't been held.

And this year, it's on a weekend that may be unfamiliar to many American race fans. The Monaco Grand Prix typically kicks off 1,262 miles of racing with the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 to follow on Memorial Day weekend. But with May having five Sundays and Memorial Day falling on the 31st, Monaco precedes the two big American races by a week. It instead leads into the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin a track where Formula 1 has raced since 2012.

If you're looking to bet Monaco this weekend and you aren't a huge F1 fan, make sure you pay close attention to qualifying. Passing is incredibly tough on the narrow street circuit and drivers don't have many chances to move forward. Saturday's qualifying session is just as important as Sunday's race.

How so? The driver on pole has odds of -550 to lead the first lap of the race at BetMGM. It's a near-guarantee that whoever starts first will be first at the end of the first lap.

Here's a look at some plays to consider for Sunday's race via BetMGM.

Hamilton is the favorite and is looking for his fourth Monaco win. But you should also wait to bet Hamilton until you see some times from practice on Friday and Saturday before qualifying. If Max Verstappen is faster than Hamilton and especially if he gets the pole bet Verstappen instead of Hamilton. The race could very easily be won on Saturday ... unless Mercedes can pull another strategy trick on Red Bull.

This one seems like it could easily have lower odds. Sergio Perez hasn't been as fast as Verstappen in the other Red Bull car and Verstappen and the two Mercedes drivers have shown the most pace so far. If these three drivers qualify 1-2-3 in whatever order then this will look tantalizing. And the odds will probably decrease before the race begins.

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17 or more cars have been running at the finish of three of the last five Monaco Grand Prix races and 19 cars have been classified in each of the last two F1 races of 2021. Reliability doesn't seem to be an issue for teams so far this season. Let's see if that continues.

With Hamilton and Verstappen so close and the chances of a tire strategy game playing out at Monaco being extremely slim this feels like the right play here. It's hard for drivers to escape from each other at Monaco and traffic will likely play a role in slowing the leader down.

Vettel is extremely good at Monaco and his luck has to turn around, right? This feels more like a gut play than anything else, but we can't find a good reason to not make a slightly irrational bet like this.

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Formula 1 Monaco betting preview: The most glamorous race on the circuit is back - Yahoo Sports

The Utah Jazz made the most of a pledge to award a college scholarship for each of their wins during the preseason and regular season.

On Sunday, they wrapped up their season with victory over the Sacramento Kings to secure the NBA's best record at 52-20. Add three preseason wins to the tally, and that works up to 55 college scholarships for Utah high school students.

Team owner Ryan Smith announced the scholarship fund in January. By the time he'd worked out the details in March, 30 scholarships had been pledged. Jazz head coach Quin Snyder told the Deseret News in March that players were excited to play a role and he appreciated any extra incentive to pick up wins.

It was something that the players were really excited about when they heard about it, Snyder said. Obviously, any extra motivation is welcome.

On Wednesday, the Jazz shared video of players surprising the recipients of the first 30 scholarships.

Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, Joe Ingles and Rudy Gobert were among the players to share the good news.

According to the Jazz, all of the recipients demonstrated financial need and 90% will be first-generation college students. All of the recipients will attend one of six in-state schools, including the University of Utah, BYU and Utah State.

The scholarships are set up to serve underrepresented communities. Applicants were required to graduate from a Utah high school and to be a person of color to be considered. The scholarships will cover four years of tuition, books, fees and room and board.

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Jazz players surprise recipients of scholarships awarded for each of their victories this season - Yahoo Sports

Baseball is a grind and the fantasy version of the game is no different. And because it's a grind, baseball features streaks. Hitters can get hot at the plate, seemingly seeing beach balls thrown at them. Pitchers can get hot on the mound, too. And of course, both can get freezing cold.

In this space, we'll take a weekly look at who's hot and who's not and whether you should believe in the streak.

(Editor's note: All stats derived before game action on Sunday, May 16)

Waiver-wire heroes emerge every season it's nothing new in fantasy sports. What is cool, however, is when that waiver-wire hero seemingly comes out of nowhere not only just in fantasy, but in reality too.

Adolis Garcia has splashed onto the scene with the new-look Rangers and has been one of the hottest hitters in fantasy the past two weeks. Garcia is 19-for-his-last-49 (included in there is a nine-game win streak with four home runs), giving him a season slash line of .297/.339/.585 and an OPS of .923.

Beast.

And yes, as stated above, while it might seem like Garcia has come out of nowhere, he's actually been in the game. He was a star playing professionally in his native Cuba, and after a stop in Japan, he defected and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was then moved to the Rangers, and after some uneventful big-league at-bats, an injury to Ronald Guzman this season has thrust Garcia into the Rangers spotlight and he's taken full advantage of the opportunity.

It's a great story, but unfortunately, a lot of underlying numbers show that this could just be a hot streak for the 28-year-old, as opposed to a small preview of his rest-of-season outlook.

For one, Garcia is striking out at a heavy clip, and he's not offsetting that with walks (he's taking a free pass just 5.5% of the time). So, where's this .297 average and .585 slugging coming from? A .352 BABIP certainly helps, as does a 16% Barrel percentage. Luck has certainly been influencing things the moment the ball has met his bat.

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It's not all bad, however. Garcia has shown real power before when he was in the Cardinals system. He will, however, be expected to be a drain on OBP; his career mark is just .305.

All that said, even when regression hits Garcia, do not be so quick to say, "OK, it was fun while it lasted." Remember, before this season, Garcia had just 24 total major-league plate appearances to his name.

While prognostications err on the less-impressive side of things, there's still a chance the Garcia could defy expectations.

Talk about turning back the clock.

Through his first three starts of the 2021 season, it looked like MadBum was heading towards an ugly year, one that showed Father Time winning his battle against the former Giant.

That whole narrative has been completely wiped out.

Working with an extra two MPH worth of velocity, MadBum has turned his season around since, allowing just three total runs in his last five starts (he allowed 17 in his first three) while compiling 34 strikeouts. He has four wins and one no-decision in those starts. He's been able to reverse his misfortunes, and his ERA now stands at a respectable 4.12 with a sterling 1.01 WHIP.

Madison Bumgarner has turned back the clock. (AP Photo/Matt York)

A lot of Bumgarner's early season struggles can be attributed to walks he was averaging over 2.5 free passes in those three starts. He's averaged less than half a walk ever since.

Whether it's the improved walk rate or the higher velocity, the fact remains: Bumgarner doesn't look like he's done yet. In fact, his expected ERA is now 3.42! So, while you still should consider sitting him when the D-backs visit Coors, MadBum looks like he'll be a season-long fantasy viable starter.

"Not today, Father Time, not today."

Oh, and full disclosure: He earned that no-hitter back on April 25. Seven innings, nine innings, who cares. He finished the game, he shut the other team out, and he didn't allow a hit. Madison Bumgarner has a no-no on his career resume in my book.

Doesn't it feel like Alvarez is just toying with opposing pitchers at this point?

When a player is on a 22-for-his-last-54 binge with five home runs you kind of feel that way.

Especially when that player is just 23-years-old, 6'5" and 225lbs, and hits in the heart of the order of one of the best teams in baseball.

So, yeah Alvarez is having a pretty good time right now.

After an excellent start to the season following a ton of fantasy articles proclaiming him a sleeper Dylan Bundy has stumbled of late.

And that's putting it nicely.

Bundy has allowed 22 earned runs in his last five starts combined, and the trouble hasn't come just via the long ball, either. He's given up a whopping 28 hits in those starts. All told, his once-pristine numbers have now ballooned to a 6.02 ERA. He's still searching for his first win of the season.

But I'm here to tell you ... don't panic. Bundy should turn it around, and he should turn it around soon. In three of those rough starts, the Angels starter suffered some horrific batted-ball luck. He also isn't giving free passes out, as, even with his inflated ERA, his WHIP stands at a respectable 1.22. Like the incomparable Scott Pianowski says, when the ERA and WHIP numbers don't match up, trust the WHIP.

His advanced numbers show just how unlucky he's been, too. While his ERA stands at 6.02, his expected ERA is 3.53.

Bundy probably won't be the breakout ace pitcher fantasy managers were hoping for, but he's not what his last couple of starts has shown either. Expect him to return to strong form at some point soon.

There are some players who defy all projections, who laugh in the face of any quantifiable, stat-based narratives placed upon them.

Through the first couple weeks of the season, Akil Badoo looked like one of those players. Badoo was taking the league by storm and became one of the most popular waiver-wire adds in fantasy leagues.

All that seems like it was 100 years ago.

Badoo had an explosive start, showcasing a penchant for heroics (remember, he wasn't a regular starter to start the season) while going 10-for-his-first 27 with 11 RBI. He looked like he was going to shatter all initial expectations and reveal himself as a fantasy diamond in the rough.

Sadly, that has not come to pass, and if prognostications are correct, it won't come to pass this season. Since that hot start, Badoo is striking out at an ugly 38.1% clip. His current .221 average is on the bright side of things; his XBA is actually .195.

Baddoo's start was fun while it lasted, but he should remain on waivers in all but the very deepest of fantasy leagues.

Speaking of high strikeout percentages, Sano's issues with swinging and missing have yet again reared their ugly heads. His current 38.4% rate is the third-highest of his career, and while batting averages are down league-wide, Sano's .127 mark is particularly painful.

Fantasy managers who drafted Sano in the 17th round knew that the strikeouts would be plentiful, but figured it was probably worth it when you consider the power and RBI potential the Twins first baseman possesses. Unfortunately, that promise doesn't look like it's coming to pass.

Sano has just three homers on the year. To make matters worse, his average exit velocity through the early season is 88 the lowest it's been in his entire career.

In Sano's defense, he's suffering from some really bad luck his BABIP is currently .171, while his career mark stands at .333 and he has shown signs of life of late with six hits in his last nine games. That said, unless his power levels out (his hard-hit percentage is a measly 31.6%), fantasy managers could be left wanting.

If you have Sano on your team and you're doing well in homers, you could stash him and wait for his luck to turn and enjoy the spoils when it does. But if you're finding yourself desperate for immediate power, you may have to look elsewhere.

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Fantasy Baseball Sustainable Streaks: Adolis Garcia has arrived but is he here to stay? - Yahoo Sports