Daily Archives: March 17, 2022

With the NCAA men's tournament tipping off in earnest with a full slate of games on Thursday, we pulled together a roundtable to answer burning questions that'll help you fill out your Tourney Pick'em bracket. Here are our Cinderellas, dark horses, first No. 1s to fall, best first-round bets and Final Four/champion picks.

Frank Schwab: I somehow picked four SEC teams for our "Yahoo Bracket Now" show this week, and I might as well stick with it: Kentucky, Arkansas, Auburn and Tennessee, with Auburn and future top-three NBA draft pick Jabari Smith carrying Auburn to the title over Kentucky.

Nick Bromberg: It just means more to Frank and I am meeting him halfway. Kentucky and Auburn are making the Final Four and will be joined by Gonzaga and Arizona. The latter two teams win their semifinal games and Gonzaga takes down Arizona in a close national championship game.

Sam Cooper: Ive got Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky and Texas Tech in the Final Four. Kentucky beats Texas Tech and Arizona takes care of Kansas in the Final Four. From there, Ive got Kentucky taking down Arizona in the title game. I like the way John Calipari has assembled this roster. After so many years of teams that rely on mainly freshmen, hes got just one in the starting lineup this year, TyTy Washington. Washington and Oscar Tshiebwe get the job done for BBN.

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Greg Brainos: Gonzaga, Kentucky, Tennessee and Kansas. In the final, Kansas falls to Kentucky in a battle of Midwest versus fake Midwest, Ashley Judd hires a brass band to march everyone from the Superdome to Bourbon Street, and the night ends with John Calipari and Drake singing karaoke in a dive bar.

Pete Truszkowski: Gonzaga, UCLA, Kansas and Tennessee. I think this is the year Gonzaga finally gets it done. UCLA returns a lot of the team that went on that run last year and they had a double-digit lead over Arizona in the second half of the Pac-12 championship game. The Midwest region features a bunch of teams who could be described as frauds such as Providence and Wisconsin, so Kansas has a good path there. As for Tennessee, they might be the hottest team in the country right now.

Mark Drumheller: Gonzaga, Kentucky, Houston and Iowa make up my Final Four. Ultimately, Kentucky cuts down the nets. TyTy Washington, Kellan Grady and Oscar Tshiebwe give Kentucky the offensive versatility to score several different ways. That makes all the difference when trying to win six straight games against the best teams in the nation. They stumbled down the stretch, but with it will come together with their point guard healthy.

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - NOVEMBER 22: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to Oscar Tshiebwe #4 and Sahvir Wheeler #2 during the game against the Albany Great Danes at Rupp Arena on November 22, 2021 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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March Madness: Which teams will make the Final Four and who will win it all? - Yahoo Sports

As Japan begins to open its borders to foreign travel following a three-month restriction in response to the Omicron variant, Pacific airline companies are preparing to reap the benefits of increased travel activity to and from the East Asian nation.

We're gearing up in anticipation of the Japanese market, which is the most important international market for Hawaii opening up over the next couple of months, Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram told Yahoo Finance Live in a recent interview. We're really monitoring that situation very closely. And that's going to dictate a big part of how our schedules look for the summer.

Travelers from Japan typically are the largest tourism group in Hawaii, according to Hawaii Public Radio. In 2019, Hawaii welcomed 1.5 million arrivals from Japan, The Hawaii Tourism Authority reported.

A surf board concession stand is closed on Waikiki Beach due to the business downturn caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. April 28, 2020. Picture taken April 28, 2020. REUTERS/Marco Garcia

The Japanese government announced that it would increase the limit on new arrivals from 5,000 to 7,000 each day and, beginning April 1, will raise the figure to 10,000. The worlds eleventh-most populous country has been a bit of an outlier in regards to international travel restrictions in the past few months, taking a more aggressive approach to limit potential coronavirus outbreaks.

I think there's the same potential for [increased demand] on the international side, as policy changes are put in place in places like Australia, which we've already seen, and then Japan and Korea, which are starting to relax some of their restrictions for transborder travel, Ingram said. And that positions us pretty well.

Visitors wearing protective face masks walk under decorations for the New Year at Nakamise street leading to Senso-ji temple at Asakusa district, a popular sightseeing spot, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Tokyo, Japan, December 24, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato

In November, Japan shut its border to non-Japanese travelers in response to the outbreak of the Omicron variant. Even now, access to Japan from the U.S. is extremely limited. Travel for tourism is still not allowed in Japan.

We've seen a great recovery in terms of demand for domestic leisure travel and demand domestically for travel into Hawaii, Ingram said. [The recovery] was upset a little bit in the back part of the year with the Delta surge and then the Omicron surge at the end of the year. But as we've entered 2022, and we've come down from that peak in Omicron cases, demand is very strong and shaping up to be a good summer domestically.

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Ihsaan Fanusie is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @IFanusie.

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Hawaiian Airlines 'gearing up in anticipation of the Japanese market: CEO - Yahoo Finance

In this article, we will discuss some of the notable stocks getting crushed today. To take a look at some more stocks that are moving down, go to Why These 5 Stocks Are Getting Crushed on Wednesday.

Despite the S&P 500 Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) Index, and the NASDAQ Composite Index all trading in the green, numerous notable stocks such as Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY), and Yamana Gold Inc. (NYSE:AUY) are among the top decliners for the day.

Lets look at the reasons for the decline and how hedge funds are positioned in these stocks.

stock market, short, low, crash

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10. NortonLifeLock Inc. (NASDAQ:NLOK) is down more than 10% as of 10:17 AM ET following updates that the Tempe, Arizona-based cybersecurity providers $8.6 billion acquisition of Avast has hit a roadblock. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced that it will take a deeper look into the proposed merger of the two entities before making a final decision. The CMA claims that the merger would reduce competition and would result in British consumers getting a worse deal for cybersecurity solutions. NortonLifeLock Inc. (NASDAQ:NLOK) has announced that it expects the deal to be completed by mid to end of this year, instead of the April 4 deadline shared previously. Of the 924 hedge funds in Insider Monkey's database, 36 funds reported owning a stake in NortonLifeLock Inc. (NASDAQ:NLOK) at the of Q4 2021, up from 34 in the preceding quarter.

9. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) has declined 6.5% as of 10:49 AM ET following the announcement by the Pentagon that it will request to buy 61 F-35s as opposed to the previously planned number of acquiring 94 Lockheed Martin Corporations (NYSE:LMT) stealth jets. Six F-35s are currently in action in the Eastern European region following the start of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. They are performing an air policing mission between Estonia and Romania. The F-35s are facing issues during flight following a hardware and software upgrade that has cost $14 billion. According to data compiled by Insider Monkey, 42 hedge funds have a holding in Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) as of Q4 2021, with a cumulative value of $976.1 million. D E Shaw is one of the leading investors in Lockheed Martin Corporations (NYSE:LMT) as of Q4 2021.

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8. Baker Hughes Company (NYSE:BKR) has tumbled over 4% as of 10:50 AM ET after crude oil prices continue to fall following the report by the Energy Information Agency (EIA), reflecting a build-up in crude oil reserves by 4.3 million barrels. Meanwhile, the American Petroleum Institute (API) had estimated the inventory to grow by 1.87 million barrels during the same period. Crude oil prices have retracted significantly after reaching multi-year highs earlier this month as fresh concerns related to demand came out of China following an increase in COVID-19 cases and broader restrictions. Overall, 35 hedge funds held a stake in Baker Hughes Company (NYSE:BKR) at the end of Q4 2021.

7. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is down more than 4.9% as of 10:55 AM ET, following renewed hope for a breakthrough in peace talks. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that negotiations are becoming more realistic. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has shared that there is some hope for compromise. As of Q4 2021, 33 hedge funds held a position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) with a combined stake value of $561.4 million. Yacktman Asset Management is long over 400,000 shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) as of Q4 2021.

6. Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) has crashed by more than 7.3% as of 11:11 AM ET. The coal price is giving back some of its gains after the recent rise following the start of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Russia is the third-largest exporter of coal in the world. Coal prices and the stock prices of coal-producing companies have risen significantly due to supply constraints. Australia was facing floods, which hampered its ability to export coal, while the Indonesian government also implemented an export ban in the recent past. However, the outlook of coal looks grim in the future due to its adverse impact on the environment. The front-month future of coal is trading at $303.35 per ton, down $32.80 per metric ton for the day. Of the 924 hedge funds in Insider Monkeys database, 28 held a stake in Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) at the end of Q4 2021.

In addition to Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU), stocks such as Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY), and Yamana Gold Inc. (NYSE:AUY) also reported a decline today.

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Why These 10 Stocks Are Getting Crushed on Wednesday - Yahoo Finance

The pandemic wreaked havoc on Hollywood's production pipeline but its lights, camera, action for moviemakers as COVID-19 restrictions ease and projects ramp back up again.

"We're back at pre-pandemic levels and going stronger and greater [than pre-COVID]," Hal Rosenbluth, president and CEO of Kaufman Astoria Studios, told Yahoo Finance during a recent interview.

Kaufman Astoria, which has produced high-profile films and television series from "The Irishman" to "Orange is the New Black" is an industry staple in New York City.

Rosenbluth said the company is currently "running upwards of 60 projects."

"We believe that the unions are at capacity, and we are constantly trying to grow facilities, as well as manpower," the executive added.

As other economic sectors, such as the restaurant industry, struggle to lure back workers amid the ongoing labor shortage, Rosenbluth doesn't believe that the film industry has lost a significant amount of its workforce due, in large part, to its fast-thinking pandemic response efforts.

"This was an industry that figured out a way to handle the pandemic in as positive of a fashion as possible [and took] the steps necessary to keep everybody safe."

"And it's proved, at least for New York, that we were one of the pillars of the economy as we were back in business. To do our business, you have to be here you're not doing it remotely, so we've seen everybody come back up, the union's go back up and running and I'm pretty sure they're all at pre-pandemic levels," he revealed.

New York, NY, USA - July 12, 2016: Kaufman Astoria Studios: The Kaufman Astoria Studios is a historic movie production studio located in the Astoria section of the New York City borough of Queens.

With productions now in overdrive aided by the streaming boom the availability of soundstages has been a primary concern as competition for viable filming spaces heats up.

Rosenbluth explained that New York City's desirable filming location has helped Kaufman Astoria, and other neighboring production studios, become "the flavor of the month" as investments pour into the space.

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"For our area in New York, it is a very positive thing to have a good balance of supply and demand, so most of the shows that what really want to be here in the New York metropolitan area have been able to find a home," he continued.

Hollywood's recent pivot to streaming has also helped "fill the [production] void" in between big blockbuster hits, Rosenbluth explained.

"For years, we were a very big mix of television shows and feature films. Over the last several years, we have been almost 100% television production, either for streaming or for network," he said.

Alexandra is a Senior Entertainment and Food Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193

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Film, TV production 'back at pre-pandemic levels,' aided by streaming: Studio CEO - Yahoo Finance

Several members of the University of the Southwest golf team, including the head coach, were killed on Tuesday night when a pickup truck collided with the team van on its way back from a competition in Texas.

Nine people eight members of the men's and women's golf team and their head coach Tyler James were aboard a passenger van traveling back to the USW campus in Hobbs, New Mexico, on Tuesday night. According to a preliminary report from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the van was driving northbound on a two-lane road in Andrews County when a Dodge 2500 pickup driving southbound veered into the other lane and collided with the van head on. Both vehicles eventually caught fire.

Six students and James were killed in the crash, according to Texas DPS, while two students were airlifted to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, and are in critical condition. The driver and passenger of the pickup truck were also killed.

USW released a statement about the crash on Wednesday morning.

The USW campus community is shocked and saddened today as we mourn the loss of members of our university family. Last night, the mens and womens golf teams were traveling back to campus from competition in Midland, Texas, when their bus was struck by oncoming traffic. Nine passengers, including the coach, were on the university bus involved in the fatal accident. While the accident investigation is still underway, reports indicate that seven passengers aboard the bus were killed in the crash. Two of the passengers are in critical condition undergoing medical treatment in Lubbock, Texas. USW is coordinating with Texas DPS to assist with the investigation and public information efforts. University administration is communicating with families of the students and coaching staff to provide more information as it becomes available.

USW counseling staff and the worship team will be available on campus today to provide support for students, faculty, and staff. Please keep the families of students, coaching staff, and the USW community in your prayers as we come together to support one another during this difficult time."

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Midland College athletic director Forrest Allen told KWES-TV that the Midland Golf Tournament, which the USW golf team had attended Tuesday, has been canceled.

"All of the players and their coaches from the participating schools met together early this morning, Allen said. We were all shocked to learn of this tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with USW as they grieve this terrible loss. I have talked with USWs Athletic Director Steve Appel to let him know that all Midland College athletic team players and coaches are ready to help in any way during this time.

Midland College president, Dr. Steve Thomas, also released a statement.

We extend our condolences to the USW family, Thomas said via CBS7. This is a devastating loss to that school, and words cannot express how deeply hurt we feel for their loss. I have ordered the MC flag to fly at half-staff through Friday to honor the memories of Coach Tyler James and his team.

Six members of the Univeristy of the Southwest golf team, as well as their coach, died in a head-on collision on Tuesday night. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)

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Multiple members of University of the Southwest golf team killed in head-on collision - Yahoo Sports

The NCAA men's tournament is stacked with future NBA talent, with the draft's top three prospects Auburn's Jabari Smith, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren and Duke's Paulo Banchero all playing for title contenders.

But not every impact player in the tournament is slated for the NBA lottery this year. There's a good chance more than one player from the list below makes headlines in the first weekend of tournament play and beyond. They could certainly improve their NBA draft prospects in the process.

A 6-9 junior forward who dominated the SEC, Oscar Tshiebwe has emerged from solid role player to Wooden Award favorite after transferring from West Virginia this season. He's the primary reason No. 2 seed Kentucky has better odds to win the national championship ahead of East region No. 1 seed Baylor.

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Tshiebwe gets the job done on both ends of the floor, averaging 17 points, 15.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 60.2% from the floor. He doesn't shoot from outside, which contributes to his projection as a late first-round pick. But his game could certainly anchor a national championship run for the Wildcats. It was good enough to win SEC Player of the Year.

Oscar Tshiebwe, right, and Walker Kessler are both poised to make an impact on the NCAA tournament. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Freshman center Holmgren gets most of the hype of Gonzaga. And rightfully so he's a 7-footer who shoots 41.2% from 3-point distance and blocks 3.6 shots per game. But it's 6-foot-10 junior forward Drew Timme who earned WCC Player of the Year honors.

Timme was the leading scorer on last season's team that featured Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert and advanced to the national championship. With Suggs and Kispert gone to the NBA, Timme returned as the anchor for the Bulldogs. He's once again Gonzaga's scoring leader while averaging 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. If Gonzaga wins its first national title, Timme will be a primary reason why.

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Another high-profile transfer, Walker Kessler has lived up to his five-star status since arriving at Auburn from North Carolina. Kessler flashed his two-way ability when given the chance in 8.8 minutes per game in a crowded UNC frontcourt last season. With a starting role at Auburn as a sophomore, Kessler was named first-team All SEC and a member of the league's All-Defensive team.

A 7-1 forward, Kessler averaged 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and an astonishing 4.5 blocks per game. His 20.4% 3-point rate leaves plenty to be desired and helps to keep him out of the NBA lottery conversation. But paired with Smith, he's a big reason the Tigers enter the tournament as a No. 2 seed and legitimate title contenders.

A full-time starter since arriving in Chapel Hill in 2019, Bacot was a big reason Kessler struggled to find playing time as a freshman. As a junior, Bacot was named First-team All ACC and finished second in Player of the Year voting to Banchero.

Can Armando Bacot lead North Carolina to the NCAA tournament's second weekend? (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

A 6-10 junior center, Bacot averaged 16.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks for the Tar Heels. Lack of an outside game hurts his NBA prospects like other players on this list. But he's North Carolina's best and most consistent player. He came up big in the regular-season finale win over Duke, tallying 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field. If UNC advances to the second weekend as a No. 8 seed, Bacot will surely be a big reason why.

Johnny Juzang emerged as an unexpected star of last year's NCAA tournament run that saw No. 11 seed UCLA advance to the Final Four. He's not catching anyone by surprise this year. A 6-foot-6 junior guard, Juzang earned All-Pac 12 honors for a second straight season for a Bruins team that enters NCAA play as a No. 4 seed.

Juzang averages 16 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 36.2% on 4.3 3-point attempts per game. He's proven himself under NCAA tournament pressure before. There's no reason to think Juzang can't make an impact on the tournament for a second straight season.

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Five players poised to make an impact on the NCAA men's tournament - Yahoo Sports

On Sunday, March 15, 2020, I carefully crafted a post for Facebook and for a sign to print on the door of our business.

"In the interest of being the best neighbors possible..." it began, and I wrote that given the news and the virus that was rapidly spreading across the country which had forced the suspension of the NBA season a few days earlier, among other things we'd be closing for the next two weeks.

We never re-opened.

As I write this, the United States is creeping toward 1 million COVID-19 deaths, a staggering number that it seems we've all grown numb to, particularly given that about 23 months ago even 100,000 was frightening and unacceptable.

My immediate family has thankfully been good in terms of health, though a loved one lost his father and other friends and associates were sick from the disease.

There's certainly no comparison to loss of life, yet all of us have lost something, often more than one thing. Students lost multiple athletics seasons or a chance at prom or a traditional graduation. Maybe your favorite takeout place couldn't survive or your wedding had to be seriously pared down or you had to give birth in a hospital without your significant other to comfort you.

Maybe you lost your business, like my husband Marcus and I lost ours. Though in a weird way, it might have been for the best for us.

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Let's back up a bit. In 2019 I'd grown restless with my work. I loved working at Yahoo Sports, as it provided me a decent income when I decided to leave the Boston Globe after the birth of our third daughter a few years earlier. I'd grown weary of the grind of being a New England Patriots beat writer after almost a decade, and when our second and third girls came in less than 18 months, I left.

Fortunately for me, I wasn't without a job for long, as Yahoo hired me as an NFL blogger. It allowed me to work from home with our little ones and the flexibility to watch my older daughter's school events.

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But by the time our youngest was preparing to start school, spending most of my work hours aggregating the latest roster transactions had gotten boring. Surveying the sports journalism landscape wasn't encouraging; I had no interest of returning to beat reporting again nor uprooting our oldest midway through high school or having my husband leave a job he enjoys, and there didn't seem to be many other options.

So I settled on an idea: The younger girls had loved visiting an indoor playground about 30 minutes from our house, but there was only one within Boston city limits, meaning there was certainly room for a second. It seemed like a foolproof business idea given the weather situation eight months out of the year here. And when I discovered that the one in Boston was for sale, it just seemed like kismet.

I emptied my seriously modest 401(k) to buy Kids Fun Stop, which had been operating for about 15 years, and after a couple of weeks for a new paint job and some other minor fixes, we opened as new owners on Sept. 4, 2019. It was a roughly 4,000-square foot space with play structures you'd usually find at your local park, but inside was featured a tall spiral slide, a fire truck on massive springs for pretend play and a climbing cave. It also had a huge playhouse, big enough that even at almost 5-foot-10 I could stand upright.

Open play was available every day for a modest fee, but the business was really sustained off private birthday parties, when families could rent out the whole facility for two hours.

The truth is, I thought I was going to leave journalism entirely. Even though it was the only thing I'd ever done, I couldn't see a path to stay in the business and stay where my family was geographically. But my husband and I struck a deal: I had to keep writing for Yahoo for a year, until we got a sense of how much money I'd be able to pay myself and if it would be enough that it wouldn't hurt us financially.

That's what I did for those first months. I packed my laptop every day and wrote from the old metal desk that had been left behind, writing blog posts in between fielding phone calls and emails and tending to the needs of kids and caregivers who were visiting for some play time. I was at KFS almost 10 hours a day, six days a week, and Marcus was there on Sundays because I had to be home for to write on NFL game day.

As any small business owners can attest, it was hard. Working seven days a week, even when it's for yourself, isn't easy. And even if writing isn't physically strenuous, I was working two full-time jobs.

Our family business, a kids' indoor playground, had to shut its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But it might have ended up being for the best. (Getty Images)

We were doing pretty well financially, bringing in more than the previous owner had, in part because word got out among local nannies that we had bought new toys and were serious about keeping everything clean. Little people like to put their mouths on everything.

I couldn't quite figure out if I loved KFS. Parts of it I really did pulling up in the mornings and unlocking the door to our business offered a thrill, and getting to know families that became regulars was enjoyable. One family had young twins and I'd see them as much as three times a week, with their nanny on weekdays and their parents on weekends. I watched them quickly go from hesitant walkers to runners in a matter of months. I had a mini-dance party with one child during his first visit, so therefore we had to have one every time he came.

The other stuff? It was a mixed bag. Birthday parties could be fun but some parents were pills, and it was a fight to get some people to follow our basic rules. Everyone had to take their shoes off, and no food on the play floor. Trying to scrub cake frosting out of those floor tiles was close to impossible. It felt like I was always buying something, whether more snacks to sell or boxes of toilet paper or a big expense like new chairs for the party rooms.

Remember, I thought I had one foot out the door when it came to my media career. And yet, when I got a call on Christmas Eve that year telling me that because of a new California law, AB5, going into effect in the new year and my status as a full-time freelancer I'd likely be losing my job with Yahoo, something in me said nope.

It wasn't time to leave journalism, not yet.

Armed with a little bit of knowledge namely, that the few columns I had written to that point were well-received by the higher-ups I summoned all of my courage and emailed Yahoo Sports' editor-in-chief and asked if he'd let me try being a columnist. I laid out myriad reasons why I thought I was perfect for the role, not the least of which was at that time there wasn't another Black woman in North America who was a daily sports columnist and that just couldn't be.

He said yes.

Three weeks before I put that yellow sign on the door at Kids Fun Stop announcing we'd be closing for a little bit until this virus died down, I wrote my first column with my new title.

I loved it. I still love it.

Marcus and I ultimately decided to close KFS for good in July 2020 because there were too many unknowns. The city of Boston was nowhere close to letting businesses in the category we were in open again. And when it did give the green light, we didn't know when or if families would feel comfortable returning; many of the caregivers we saw during the week were grandparents and therefore squarely in the population at highest risk if they got COVID, and they might never return. Back then, obsessively cleaning surfaces was thought to be necessary, and that was timely and expensive. We were months from a vaccine.

It was heartbreaking to close, but comforting knowing it wasn't because of anything we did. It wasn't our failure, it was a once-in-a-century pandemic.

We were out a not-small amount of money since we'd invested my retirement account, but it certainly could have been worse. So many have lost so much more.

Yet in the midst of all of it, I found my true passion as a journalist. It only took 20-plus years and almost losing my job, but I got there.

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I lost my business due to COVID 2 years ago and then found my sports journalism passion - Yahoo Sports

Randy Gregory won't be the only NFL free agent to pull out of a previously reported deal this offseason.

Free agent running back J.D. McKissic, formerly of the Washington Commanders, was reported on Tuesday to be signing a two-year, $7 million deal with the Buffalo Bills. The move seemingly made sense for both sides, with Buffalo adding a versatile pass-catching running back on a cheap deal and McKissic making the move to a contender, which the Commanders obviously are not.

One day later, however, McKissic was reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter to have changed his mind. He will reportedly return to Washington for a contract with the same terms.

The reversal comes just a day after a similar story played out with Washington's rival. The Dallas Cowboys were reported to be re-signing prized pass-rusher Randy Gregory to a five-year, $70 million deal, only to have the player rescind the agreement and agree to a contract with the Denver Broncos.

The reason for the two changes of heart were reportedly very different though. In Gregory's case, he was incensed that the Cowboys tried introducing language into his contract he had not agreed to, while McKissic backed out because Washington offered him a deal only after he agreed to terms with the Bills.

So Washington's chicanery helped it keep a player, while Dallas' drove its target away.

McKissic's move is odd considering it's not every day you see a player go to significant lengths to stay in Washington, where the team sees regular intra-organization feuds, hasn't won a playoff game since 2005 and is inundated with scandals, whereas the Bills are widely expected to compete for the Super Bowl next year.

McKissic has clearly enjoyed his two seasons with the Commanders, in which he has posted 986 receiving yards, 577 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He'll be working with a new quarterback this upcoming season after the team acquired Carson Wentz from the Indianapolis Colts.

J.D. McKissic wants to stay in Washington. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

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J.D. McKissic backs out of two-year, $7 million Bills deal to re-sign with Commanders - Yahoo Sports

Generally, casual bettors like betting favorites. And March Madness brings in as many casual bettors as any event.

Given that, this won't surprise you much: For just about every game in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the point spreads at BetMGM have been inflated a bit toward the favorite.

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Just about any college basketball fan by now understands that KenPom.com is a valuable resource and oddsmakers have taken to checking out the site too before posting lines. KenPom is the most popular projection site there is.

And in almost every single case for Thursday and Friday games at the NCAA tournament, the odds have been shaded toward the favorite. That means if you bet favorites, you'll be laying at least an extra half point in just about every bet, if you trust KenPom's projections.

There are 28 first-round games with a point spread. There are no lines yet for the games that involve a First Four opponent. Let's eliminate the four games in which the KenPom favorite and the betting favorite differ (for the record, the four teams that are favored by KenPom but not at BetMGM: Boise State, Michigan, San Francisco, Loyola Chicago).

That leaves 24 games. And when comparing the KenPom projection and the BetMGM odds, the line was moved toward the favorite 23 times. The only game in which the line moved toward the underdog is San Diego State vs. Creighton. San Diego State is favored by 3 points at KenPom and just 2.5 points at BetMGM.

Among the other 23 games, the line only moved a half-point toward the favorite nine times. That might seem insignificant, but you've seen the NCAA tournament before. It's not that crazy to see a game finish within a half-point of the spread. It only takes one half-point loss on a big bet to understand how important the difference can be.

There are 14 games in which the betting line is shaded by more than a point, compared to KenPom. For one example, Duke is projected to beat Cal State Fullerton 79-65 at KenPom. But at BetMGM, Duke is favored by 18.5 points, not 14 like KenPom projects. Duke, of course, is a brand name and easy for casual bettors to take in the first round. They'll pay a tax for it.

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The public likes betting favorites like the Duke Blue Devils in March Madness. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

For most bettors who might just bet big events like the Super Bowl and March Madness, the difference in half points doesn't really matter. Regular bettors can obsess over those small edges.

KenPom isn't a betting site, but one that calculates efficiency per possession and comes up with a projected score for any matchup. There's more to analyzing games than following a strict mathematical equation. But this trend from oddsmakers is a bit telling.

What does it mean that oddsmakers have made the decision to shade 23 of 24 games toward the favorite? The most logical conclusion is that March Madness is a huge betting event, the public likes favorites, and maybe those extra half points mean some extra wins for the house. More than $3 billion is expected to be bet on the NCAA tournament this year, and even a few half-point wins has a huge impact on a sportsbook's bottom line. Over the last 10 tournaments the better seed (which is usually the favored team) is 145-167-7 (46.5%) against the spread in the first round, according to Matt Eisenberg's tournament guide. Underdogs usually do pretty well covering spreads in the first round of the tournament. One reason is the spreads are often shaded a bit against them. It adds up.

That information might not stop anyone from betting Duke if he or she believes the Blue Devils are about to blow out Cal State Fullerton, or taking any other favorite. Just understand you're likely laying a little bit extra on that favorite you like.

Excerpt from:

March Madness betting: Beware that if you bet favorites, the spreads are inflated - Yahoo Sports

Steph Curry missed the second half of Golden State's defeat against Boston after suffering a left foot injury in a collision with the Celtics' Marcus Smart.

Curry underwent an MRI exam after hobbling off the court and the results weren't announced Thursday evening. The Warriors' Draymond Green told reporters postgame that he didn't expect Curry to be in the lineup Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr took issue with Smart over the play, where in a scramble for a loose ball, Smart rolled on Curry's leg.

Kerr had a discussion with Smart on the court, expressing his displeasure over the play. After the 110-88 home loss, Kerr said, via ESPN, "I thought it was a dangerous play. I thought Marcus dove into Steph, and that's what I was upset about. A lot of respect for Marcus. He's a hell of a player, a gamer, a competitor. I coached him in the World Cup a few summers ago. We talked after the game and we're good. But I thought it was a dangerous play."

Green saw it differently.

"I'd expect Marcus Smart to make that play," Green said. "He plays hard. I can't call that a dirty play."

Smart didn't sound like the discussion he had with Kerr was going to elevate into a big issue. "He's doing what any coach, any player, any person would do, and that's backing up his guy," Smart told MassLiveNews. ... At the end of the conversation, he told me, 'You're one of the guys I want on my team.'"

Now the Warriors (47-23) await the test results of Curry's sore foot.

Original post:

Steph Curry suffers foot injury and Steve Kerr isn't happy about the reason why a collision with Marcus Smart - Yahoo Sports