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NIESR prediction saw the FTSE 100 lose its earlier momentum on Tuesday. Photo: Getty

European stock markets were mixed on Tuesday as conversations and worries over inflation and the rising cost of living linger.

The FTSE 100 (^FTSE) lost its earlier gains, closing 0.2% lower after gaining 0.6% on opening.

Economist launched a scathing attack on the Bank of England (BoE) on Tuesday for "creating" the UK's inflation crisis that could see the country dragged into recession.

Paul Mortimer-Lee at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said the BoE "got behind the curve by at least six or probably nine months" when it came to rate rises.

He forecast inflation to soar to 7% in April this year. This is in line with BoE estimate of 7% by Spring 2022.

"While BP earnings provided an initial bounce for the FTSE 100 that has faded throughout the day and a sense of caution prevails as the index returns to 7600 and its January highs," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG.

"Other indices continue to struggle, and if fears about a slowdown in growth gather pace then the FTSE 100 may end up moving back down to join other indices like the Dax rather than them playing catch-up with the UK index."

Meanwhile, Ocado (OCDO.L) proved to be the main drag on London's bluechip index, as shares fell 11.6% after the online retailer posted steep losses for last year, with pre-tax losses widening from 52.3m to 176.9m in the year to the end of November 2021.

Read more: UK inflation to peak at 7% in April as household inequalities widen

"The FTSE 100 has emerged from the recent turbulence in global stock markets to hit its highest since the pandemic. The lack of exposure to speculative tech names like Ocado has been a positive for the UK market as the great unwind from this bloated corner of the market takes place in the US," Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at markets.com said. "The FTSE 100 has outperformed in 2022, rising over 3% whilst the DAX (3.5%), Dow Jones (-3.5%) and S&P 500 (6%) have all fallen."

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BP (BP.L) earlier lifted the FTSE with shares soaring over 2% as the company cashed in on the energy price hike. The company posted a surge in profits to 10bn ($12.8bn) in 2021 its highest in eight years. The oil stalwarts quarterly results were supported by higher gas and oil prices and production which was partly offset by weaker oil trading results. It had crashed to a $20.3bn full-year loss in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets said: "BPs biggest problem in the longer term, is that all its profits come from its oil and gas operation and productions businesses, which is great news while prices remain high, but may not be so sustainable beyond 2030."

Read more: Why the energy price cap is going up when oil firms are making billions in profit

Elsewhere in Europe, Frances CAC (^FCHI) and the DAX (^GDAXI) closed up over 0.2%.

It comes as European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde struck a less hawkish tone on Monday after attempting to calm market jitters about rates rises. She said there were no signs that measurable monetary policy tightening would be required.

Read more: Will the BP share price keep rising?

Across the Atlantic, US major benchmarks were in the green on Tuesday after a choppy trading day, which saw them edge lower on Monday.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq (^IXIC) was up 0.9% after the opening bell. Wall Streets blue-chip S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose 0.6%, while the Dow Jones (^DJI) gained over. 0.9%.

Inflation has been a topic of focus after a sudden and sharp surge in several countries resulting from the restoration global economic activity and bottlenecks in the global supply chain. Investors are watching to see if global central banks will attempt to head off inflation by accelerating the withdrawal of economic stimulus.

Federal Reserve officials mentioned in December that the bank plans to speed up efforts to withdraw record-low interest rates and other stimulus to cool multi-decade high inflation.

US inflation soared from 5.4% at the end of the third quarter to 7% in last three months of 2021 and is expected to continue to rise.

"We are sticking to our estimate of 11.5% earnings growth for 2022 and 8.5% for 2023. Our year-end S&P 500 price target is 5,100, up from 4,484 at Mondays close," said Mark Haefele, CIO at UBS global wealth management.

"While there remains a risk that the Federal Reserve could tighten by more than markets expect currently six hikes of 25 basis points each this is not our base case. With demand remaining healthy, we advise investors to focus on winners from global growth."

Overseas, the pan continental Stoxx Europe 600 (^STOXX) gained 0.7%.

Asian stocks were mixed after Wall Streets fall. The Shanghai Composite (000001.SS) was up 0.7% after reopening following Chinas New Year holiday week. The rise came despite a private gauge of the countrys service sector dipping to a five-month low.

The Hang Seng (^HSI) declined 0.9% while the Nikkei (^N225) advanced 0.1% in Japan.

Watch: What is inflation and why is it important?

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BP lifts FTSE 100 as it cashes in on energy price hike - Yahoo Finance

For the second time in a matter of weeks, a father of a Toronto Raptor is making headlines.

Following Eric Flynns vehement defence of his son Malachi in late January, Gary Trent, father of Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr., has shed some light on the latters personal struggles in Portland during an appearance on the "Raptors Show with Will Lou."

My son played with so much pain, and my son was so depressed and so down and so sad in Portland, that watching him play actually used to hurt me, said the former Raptors forward. I knew my son wasnt feeling himself, wasnt playing his game, he was under a lot of negative pressure [from] negative statements from front-office people.

Trent, who had a brief stint with the Raptors after being traded from Portland in 1998, also detailed how much better his son is doing now with his role in Toronto.

When I come and visit my son now in Toronto, hes in a much happier place mentally, spiritually, and he smiles more, he said. Hes looking forward to practice, hes looking forward to the games, and I can see the love for the game blossoming within him again.

Gary Trent Jr.'s father has seen a noticeable differerence in his son since he was traded to the Toronto Raptors last year. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)

Trent Jr. was acquired from the Portland Trailblazers ahead of the 2021 NBA trade deadline in a deal that sent guard Norman Powell the other way. Powell, who signed a five-year, $90-million deal with the Blazers in the offseason, was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

Trent Sr. did not hold back on Portlands mismanagement.

They dont really have a plan, and I dont think theyve made the right decisions over there, the 47-year-old said. My son is five, six years younger than Norm, which means hes got a lot more time and a lot more upside, so to me, the Raptors won that deal, and God bless that my son won on that deal to get in a better opportunity.

In December, the Trail Blazers fired president of basketball operations and general manager Neil Olshey after an investigation into allegations that he created a toxic workplace. According to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, multiple employees said they had grievances with his treatment of staff, which included verbal abuse.

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They also faced backlash last summer over the hiring of head coach Chauncey Billups, who was accused of rape in 1997, and their inability to build around superstar Damian Lillard, who underwent abdominal surgery on Jan. 13 and has no timetable for a return. Portland is currently 11th place in the Eastern Conference with a 21-33 record.

Trent Jr. has been a true revelation for a resurgent Raptor team, averaging career highs in points (18.1), rebounds (2.7) and assists (2.0), while also sitting among the league-leaders in steals and deflections.

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Gary Trent Jr.s father says son was sad and depressed playing in Portland - Yahoo Sports

This article first appeared in the Morning Brief. Get the Morning Brief sent directly to your inbox every Monday to Friday by 6:30 a.m. ET. Subscribe

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Geopolitics are pushing oil toward $100, and thats a problem for inflation

Ukraine and OPEC have become inflation risks of sorts.

And Wall Street, preoccupied as it has become with a host of other issues like interest rates, earnings and economic growth, has yet to fully appreciate why they matter.

Investors havent been paying much attention to the crisis in Eastern Europe, which is just one of several geopolitical flash points menacing a world thats still in the clutches of COVID-19. However, oil is emerging as a barometer of concerns like a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, and an oil cartel thats burned through spare capacity.

As if we needed any more sources of price pressure, crude is inching closer and closer to $100 per barrel and analysts are warning the balance of risks will make it very easy to breach that psychological barrier, Yahoo Finances Ines Ferre reported on Monday.

Regarding Ukraine, the biggest fear is that an incursion by Russia will force the hand of the United States, raising the specter that a cold war with Moscow could easily turn hot.

"The U.S. wants to make it clear that Washington and its allies are absolutely prepared if it comes to a major military escalation, Eurasia Group senior analyst Zachary Witlin told Yahoo Finance Live in a recent interview.

At least for now, that remains a low probability. However, the potential for other spillover effects like an energy supply crunch that dents Europes recovery, to an armed conflict that disrupts the operations of multinational companies remains a very real and present danger. With energy prices already elevated, the Russia scenario could easily add to upward pressure that would translate into higher prices, and at the worst possible time.

Last week, Mondelez Internationals CFO told Yahoo Finances Brooke DiPalma that the company was concerned about its employees in the region. Russia may account for an estimated 10% to 11% of Mondelez's European Union (EU) segment, and approximately 3% of its total sales in 2022, Piper Sandler recently estimated.

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"As long as the Russians are threatening to move into Ukraine, [the crude oil] market's going to stay bid," Bob Yawger, Mizuho Americas executive director, told Yahoo Finance Live recently. If Russias oil is "sanctioned or there's trouble moving barrels... that's going to be a major problem"

And we havent even begun to scratch the surface of whats happening in the Middle East and OPEC, whose meetings used to be the source of much market angst but have retreated into background noise in an era dominated by the pandemic.

Bank of America noted that a surprising decline in spare capacity among the oil cartels members has helped fuel crudes recent gains, adding to tight supply conditions in the context of surging demand.

And its not just OPEC, either, with Iran emerging as an immediate concern amid grudging progress between Tehran and the West on a nuclear deal. Currently Middle East watchers see a low probability of a deal being reached, and talks could easily hit the skids.

Beyond the oil cartel, we see four additional elements that could lead to higher oil price volatility through March, Goldman Sachs analysts recently noted, and on Monday predicted crude would hit $105 per barrel.

Force multipliers include the U.S. possibly releasing more supply from its strategic petroleum reserve (a move the Biden administration has already deployed, to little avail), the migration from gas to oil as winter wraps up, and negative Iran headlines.

Its the latter that has the biggest potential to boost prices, with Goldman warning that an increase in bearish headlines on Iran deal progress would likely hit sentiment in a market desperate for spare capacity.

In other words, no rest for an inflation-weary public.

By Javier E. David, editor at Yahoo Finance. Follow him at @Teflongeek

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

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The inflationary risk markets are ignoring, but shouldnt - Yahoo Finance

Its the second week of February. We dont even have an NFL champion yet. But fantasy football discussion is a year-long pursuit.

Todays assignment is to look at name-brand players who were previously first-rounders but likely to move out of that exclusive club next season. The arrow is moving in the wrong direction. Heck, in some cases, maybe the cheese has gone bad.

Everything here is written in pencil, of course. Although I am a staunch advocate that high-volume Best Ball drafting is the best way to prepare for the next fantasy year, I wont start my portfolio until after the NFL Draft. Well be ironing things out for a while.

Preamble to the side, here are 2021 first-rounders that I likely will rank outside the first round for next season.

Although I love Chubbs game and it hurts me to move him down, this is one of the easiest calls of the exercise. Early round running backs need to be tied to winning teams and usually need a reliable pass-catching role. I cant guarantee you the 2022 Browns will be a good team, and although Chubb seems like a reasonable receiver to my eyes, Cleveland does not throw the ball to him much.

Staying on the field has been a problem Barkley has missed 21 games in three years. And when he was on the field in 2021, it wasnt a treat a piddly 3.7 YPC, just four total touchdowns. Barkleys PPR value was buoyed by 41 catches, even as his yards per target dipped to a meager 4.6. New head coach Brian Daboll is an exciting hire and the Giants have interesting skill talent on offense, but Barkleys medical file pushes him out of first-round consideration.

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Although Zeke played hurt much of the year, he did get into all 17 games. But his efficiency has been ordinary for a while, especially in the passing game, where his yards per target have fallen five straight years. Elliott steps into his seventh NFL season thats old for a running back and the Cowboys have a younger, fresher alternative to consider in Tony Pollard. This could be close to a 50-50 timeshare next year, even considering Elliotts gigantic contract.

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Ezekiel Elliott is likely off Scott Pianowski's 2022 fantasy football first-round board. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)

Its possible the Aaron Rodgers breakup is finally here, and no one wants to imagine the Packers offense with Jordan Love at the controls. Jones also has to deal with A.J. Dillon, a threat for goal-line work and a more capable receiver than anyone expected. If Rodgers isnt here, I dont see Green Bay making the 2022 playoffs. And Jones isn't going to be a bell cow unless Dillon gets hurt.

This is a nit-picky inclusion for two reasons: Diggs was a borderline first-round pick last year, and I would likely consider him around the 18-24 range for a 2022 draft. But despite his outstanding volume in three of the past four years, hes only been good in the touchdown area, not dominant a high of 10 spikes, and 33 over four years. I understand that touchdown rates have randomness to them, but much like BABIP with a baseball pitcher, I dont consider a touchdown rate to be completely random; the player has to own some of it. If I cant assume 10 Diggs touchdowns in August, I cant draft him in the first round.

Hard to pick on a guy whos ranked TE1, TE2, TE1, TE1, TE1, and TE2 in the past six seasons. But Kelce moves into his age-33 season, and Im trying to draft younger with my premium fantasy picks. Kelce didnt have bad efficiency numbers in 2021, but his YPC was at a six-year low, and his yards per target was a personal worst. His yards per game also dropped by 24 yards. No one expects a down season for Kelce next year, but Id prefer to draft an ascending talent, not someone whos obviously on the back nine even if were talking about a walk-in Hall of Famer.

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If hes still with Aaron Rodgers, hes a first-rounder to me, maybe even a top-six pick. If Adams runs with Jordan Love, I cant do it. And if Adams links up with a plus quarterback other than Rodgers, Ill re-open the case. The fan in me hopes Rodgers and Adams stay together; since Jerry Rice retired, no QB/WR combination has shown the chemistry of the Green Bay connection.

I still dont know what to do with him; I might slide him back with the big tickets when the bell rings. The Panthers might be screwed at quarterback, but McCaffrey has produced with lesser QBs before. His physical build doesnt have to be a problem if the team continues to use him as a hybrid; the 287 carries back in 2018 were probably a mistake, but McCaffreys 2018 usage would get him back into the first round. You want McCaffrey being tackled by the lighter defenders.

Bottom line, Im human; I have a hard time writing a check for someone whos been hurt and a major fantasy loss for two years running.

He steps into his sixth season after a messy fifth one 3.7 YPC, and his worst yards-per-target figure. The Saints have a new coaching staff and uncertainty at quarterback. Kamara is also dealing with an unclear personal future after last weeks arrest on a battery charge. Well have to revisit this one.

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Who's out of the first round of 2022 fantasy football drafts? - Yahoo Sports

With Tom Brady retired, Rob Gronkowski's widely expected to follow suit.

The four-time Super Bowl champion tight end has played his entire 11-season career catching passes from Brady and already called it quits once. The only thing that could lure him out of retirement in 2020? The chance to play with Brady again in Tampa Bay.

But it turns out Gronkowski's not strictly married to playing with Brady now that Brady's retired, of course. And he's got his eyes on one quarterback in particular if he does keep playing. His choice shouldn't come as a surprise.

I kinda like this young buck quarterback,"Gronkowski said at a promotional appearance on Tuesday, per MassLive. "Hes in the Super Bowl now. Its Joe Burrow, man.

I watched him in college. I just love the way he presents himself out on the football field. In the pocket hes just so calm and he just slings it out on the field."

Rob Gronkowski is a fan of Joe Burrow. Who isn't? (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Of course Gronkowski's drawn to Burrow. Who isn't? Even Super Bowl opponent Odell Beckham Jr. couldn't help but gush about the second-year Bengals quarterback who's taken the NFL by storm with his play and his style. The latter's not lost on Gronk, who's generally scoring style points of his own.

I just love his swag, too," Gronkowski continued. "If I had to pick a quarterback, itd be the young buck Joe Burrow. Hes killing it right now in the game.

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Burrow's early career trajectory isn't entirely unlike Brady's other that whole being drafted No. 1 overall thing. But like Brady, he's led his team on an unexpected run to the Super Bowl against a high-powered Rams team in his second season in the league. Gronk joining him at the tail end of his career would make a compelling storyline. But is it realistic?

Gronkowski's slated to be an unrestricted free agent. As is Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah. If Uzomah leaves and Gronkowski wants in, the Bengals would surely pick up the phone. This all, of course, depends on Gronkowski continuing to play football. For now, that's far from a given.

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Rob Gronkowski sounds stoked on the idea of playing with Joe Burrow - Yahoo Sports

In a just world, the NFL being exposed for its racist hiring practices and sexist inner workings would be a major stain.

Advertisers would pull commercials and end partnerships. Large numbers of fans would tune out. Players would help shine the light on how poisonous it all really is.

There would be accountability. There would be a true reckoning.

At the moment, unfortunately, those things all feel like pipe dreams. Cash has always ruled everything around us, but the wealthy in this country have accumulated such a disgusting amount of power that they abuse us and then make us feel like it's our fault.

The NFL is just a microcosm. Take the past several days:

Roger Goodell commits some kind of performative dance of feigned distress as a league statement that Brian Flores' lawsuit is "without merit" becomes an internal memo decrying the lack of non-white head coaches and front-office executives, and then Goodell meets with some Black leaders for a few hours on Monday to nod his head and likely offer empty words about how he wants to see change.

There are some who believe Goodell actually cares about this particular issue, and if that's true, it only underscores how performative Monday's meeting actually was, because he isn't the one who needs to sit down with civil rights leaders. It's the team owners.

As noted recently by attorney Cyrus Mehri, a co-creator of the Rooney Rule, it is Goodell's inaction a few years ago that likely led to team owners believing the rule can be flouted, as we see so often. When Mark Davis hired Jon Gruden to be Raiders head coach in 2018, then held a few transparently box-checking interviews with Black candidates, and Goodell didn't bother to sanction Davis in any way, the signal went out: Just pretend you care and are fulfilling the rule.

That's how you get a situation like last week, on the same day Flores filed his lawsuit, when media dutifully tweeted that the Minnesota Vikings spent nine hours with Patrick Graham, a Black man, for their head coaching opening, and were welcoming Jim Harbaugh the next day with the expectation that Harbaugh would get the job.

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In addition to the years he has spent coaching, Graham spent hours preparing for the interview and traveling to Minneapolis for a full day with the Vikings' brass. And no sooner had the car pulled away from the curb to bring him back to the airport, a reporter for the league's in-house media arm tacitly reveals that it was all a sham.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is presiding over a Super Bowl shrouded in scandal, but that's becoming the norm. The league keeps making money. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, The New York Times published a thorough, damning story on the atmosphere within NFL offices themselves, the ones we've been told are a beacon for diversity and inclusivity. Numerous women went on the record to offer their experiences working for the league's corporate offices, and all a league spokesman offered in rebuttal to many of the claims was more gaslighting and obfuscation.

Allegations of bias and being passed over for promotions are there. A Black woman who went to human resources with a concern that her supervisor was biased and promptly got an exit package to leave. One woman who expressed concern over the video of Kareem Hunt shoving a woman and then kicking her only to be told it was "not as bad as Ray Rice [who punched his then-fiancee unconscious in an elevator]." One woman who was involved with the Super Bowl halftime show said she was shoved by a male colleague during an argument and afterward the colleague was removed from the show and made to undergo anger management but he still holds his title and an NFL spokesman says he didn't shove the woman.

In recent months, Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder lets the NFL take over the investigation into the pervasive, abhorrent culture of harassing women in his team offices with the caveat that the investigation's findings never see the light of day. Snyder never faces questions, his wife goes on the friendliest podcast she can find to whine about how terrible it has all been for her, and the scores of women who were victimized are told by a sitting U.S. congressman that he's sorry they suffered but their suffering isn't important enough to spend his time on.

The fallout from that investigation, such as there was any? Gruden resigned from his head-coach-for-life position with the Raiders after his racist, sexist, anti-gay, xenophobic old emails came to light.

The league's top attorney, Jeff Pash, also had offensive emails leaked, mocking the league's diversity efforts and joking with a former team president about callously cutting a player. Crickets from the league. Pash still has a job.

There was the use of vile race norming to deny retired Black players full concussion settlement money, or any money at all. And a $790 billion settlement with the city of St. Louis after Rams owner Stan Kroenke left it high and dry, breaking the NFL's own relocation rules. The payday was a surprise, but once a judge ruled the city's lawsuit had merit, the league couldn't risk discovery.

This is what the NFL is. All of it.

And yet on Wednesday, Goodell will stand in front of media for his annual Super Bowl news conference and use his late-night-quiet-storm-radio-DJ voice to say absolutely nothing of substance and protect the men and women who pay his salary at all costs. All of their gross misdeeds swept under the rug.

The sad thing is, far too many of the reporters in attendance will mistake his air of gravitas for substance.

On Sunday, the league will run its in-house commercial about racial inequities in things like access and salaries and expect to fool the audience into believing it actually cares when its actions show the opposite.

Millions will be tuned into the Super Bowl, and that means millions for Goodell and the franchise owners. The racism, the misogyny, the gaslighting, the way anything that bubbles to the surface is covered up or never acknowledged ... money means you don't have to be accountable.

As former league employee Alissa Leeds told The New York Times, "Everything's excused in the name of football."

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How many misdeeds can the NFL weather? Wealthy team owners seem intent on finding out - Yahoo Sports

China's Zhu Yi left Olympic ice in tears after falling twice in Monday's free skate during team competition.

The U.S.-born skater competing for China was previously the subject of online vitriol on Chinese social media platform Weibo after falling in Sunday's short program. Her finish in the short program saw host nation China fall from third place to fifth. "Zhu Yi has fallen" trended on Weibo late Sunday after she crashed to the ice and missed another jump later in her performance.

According to CNN, the hashtag gained roughly 200 million views, with some of the online criticism questioning why China selected a U.S.-born athlete for the figure skating team. She was born in Los Angeles to parents who immigrated from China and relinquished her U.S. citizenship in 2018 in order to compete for her parents' home country.

China's Zhu Yi left the Olympic ice in tears on Monday. (Photo by Wang Zhao / AFP)

The 19-year-old was visibly upset after her short program.

Im upset and a little embarrassed, she told reporters on Sunday. I guess I felt a lot of pressure because I know everybody in China was pretty surprised with the selection for ladies singles and I just really wanted to show them what I was able to do but unfortunately I didnt."

A day later, Zhu was back on the ice for the women's free skate, the final event in the team competition. She landed her first two jumps, but fell to the ice on her third, a triple-flip. She fell again on her next jump.

When she completed her free skate, she broke down in tears on the ice. China finished in fifth place, while the Russian Olympic Committee secured gold. The United States won silver and Japan won bronze.

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China's Zhu Yi leaves ice in tears after falling again in team competition - Yahoo Sports

Joe Judge is reportedly going back to the place where he made his name. Judge will reportedly re-join the New England Patriots after he was fired by the New York Giants, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Judge should be plenty familiar with the Patriots. Prior to joining the Giants, Judge spent eight seasons in New England. Judge served as a special teams assistant, special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach with the team.

When he returns, Judge will assume a new role. He'll reportedly be an offensive assistant in his second stint in New England. The Patriots are in need of help on offense after long-time offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left to be the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. McDaniels reportedly pursued Judge to be the Raiders' next special teams coach.

Joe Judge is reportedly heading back to New England. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Judge will reportedly return to New England after two difficult seasons with the Giants. New York went 10-23 under Judge. The team's offense ranked 31st in points scored in both of Judge's seasons. After a strong defensive showing in 2020, the Giants' defense gave up the most points in the NFL on a per-game basis in 2021.

Things really fell apart at the end of the 2021 season. Following a loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 17, Judge went on a lengthy rant explaining why fans should continue supporting the team. The situation escalated the following week, when Judge ran a quarterback sneak on third-and-9 to get better field position for a punt.

Giants co-owner John Mara classified the end of the Judge era as "rock bottom," saying the team somehow "got a little worse" each week. Mara also expressed confidence Judge could eventually be a good coach. He'll get the opportunity to rebuild his coaching reputation with the Patriots.

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Joe Judge reportedly lands back with Patriots after getting fired by Giants - Yahoo Sports

Another day, another event, another controversy in Beijing.

Mondays mixed team ski jump event, making its Olympic debut this year, saw a total of five jumpers disqualified for violations regarding their suits.

Athletes from Austria, Japan, Norway and Germany, all of whom are women, were judged to have worn loose-fitting attire that apparently gives jumpers an advantage as they soar through the air.

Katharina Althaus did not mince words after being disqualified from the mixed team ski jumping event at the Olympics. (Photo by Tom Weller/VOIGT/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

German jumper Katharina Althaus was visibly upset following her dismissal from the event and wasn't shy in voicing her displeasure.

The [International Ski Federation] destroyed everything with this operation. I think they have destroyed womens ski jumping, Althaus said, per German sports agency SID. I have been checked so many times in 11 years of ski jumping, and I have never been disqualified once. I know my suit was compliant.

Her coach, Stefan Horngacher, also shared in his athletes disappointment with the controversial outcome.

It is just strange that they have been using the same suits yesterday and there was no problem, Horngacher said. It is annoying that this happens at the Winter Olympic Games. This should all be cleared before.

Norwegian ski jumping chief of sports Clas Brede Braathen called the situation a "dark day" for the sport.

"I am sorry on behalf of ski jumping," he said via Yahoo Sports Australia. "This is something we should have cleaned up in before the Olympics. The sport of ski jumping has experienced one of its darker days today.

"I'm lost for words, really. This is very painful for the athletes. I'm in pain on behalf of our sport. We were going to introduce a new event. The girls were to get a new event in the Olympics, and that's how it ends. And why are only girls being disqualified?"

With numerous contenders out of the running, Slovenia took home the gold medal, with Russia snatching silver and Canada taking bronze. The surprise trip to the podium marked Canada's first-ever Olympic medal in ski jumping.

Despite the inspiring stories and emotional triumphs already celebrated only a few days into these Olympics, the Games have had their fair share of controversial moments so far, ranging from sketchy judgement in skating races to complaints about the poor standards of certain athlete accommodations within the Olympic Village.

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Olympic ski jumping event marred by controversy over outfits - Yahoo News

"If you look up 'cool' in the dictionary theres a picture of him in some Cartier shades. This guys smooth. You cant help but like this guy, hes going to be one of the greats I feel like. I truly believe that.

Joe Burrow, yes, definitely cool, fo' sho', Odell Beckham Jr. said Monday during Super Bowl LVIs Opening Night.

Beckham aint never lied.

Burrow is preternaturally cool. Cool under pressure. Cool at the podium. Cool when hes celebrating with a victory cigar. Cool when hes rocking a massive diamond pendant with his own initials over a black turtleneck, cocooned in a heart-printed jacket. Cool walking on the tarmac in a windowpane suit with a SpongeBob Squarepants pocket square.

Swag has become overused, but damn if Burrow doesnt have swag. On some people, it seems forced. On Burrow it seems effortless.

The truth is, you cant be an effective leader and be fake. People see through it.

Given what the Cincinnati Bengals have done in 29 games with 2020s No. 1 draft pick on the roster, youd be hard-pressed to doubt that what we see isnt him.

Its colossally unfair to put Burrow in the same sentence with Tom Brady, but I had a front-row seat to Brady with the Patriots for a decade. This all feels familiar.

Their paths to the NFL were similar, Brady at one point was buried on the quarterback depth chart at Michigan, and Burrow transferred from Ohio State to LSU to get his chance to start. Their arrivals to the pros, however, were very different. The recently retired Brady was taken 199th overall in his draft or 198 spots behind Burrow.

Thats immaterial here. Were talking about it. The intangible, hard to describe, you-know-it-when-you-feel-it thing that some people have that draws people to them, that allows them to connect with anyone, that makes people want to follow them, that gives them the belief that they can achieve just about anything, obstacles be damned.

Brady has it. Burrow does too.

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Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has style that prompts praise even from opponents and an impact that prompts a comparison to Tom Brady. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

When Brady took over as New Englands quarterback early in the 2001 season, it was for a perpetually mediocre franchise. In a city that had seen incredible success from the Celtics and incredible heartbreak from the Red Sox, the Patriots were third fiddle. Maybe fourth if the Bruins were playing well. And the Patriots didnt even play in the city; they played 20 miles southwest of it, in a terrible old stadium with metal bleacher seating.

There were signs of life on occasion: the Squish the Fish squad from 1985 that was embarrassed by Chicago in Super Bowl XX, the Bill Parcells team in 1996 that was humbled by the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. But overall there werent a lot of high points.

And then Brady started playing and everything started to change, and theres an entire generation of Patriots fans who dont remember anything but conference championships and Super Bowl wins. Brady's fashion choices were also frequent fodder, though his straight-from-GQ aesthetic is a little different than Burrow's, who clearly embraces Black culture and style.

This isnt to say Burrow is going to carry Cincinnati to nine Super Bowls as Brady did in New England. What it is to say, to borrow from A Knights Tale, is that a man can change his stars. Or the stars of a football franchise.

Hes got ice in his veins, Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah said Monday. The utmost confidence. We have him in the huddle, we have his mind and his ability to analyze defenses and just be a leader. Just a presence. Ice-cold-blooded killer out there dissecting defenses. Its great.

Its why I call him Franchise he is a franchise player, he can turn an organization around. Its not one person, its a team game, but he is a vital part of why we are where we are. Hes the man, dude. I love Joe.

Hes built for this stage, Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said. Hes played for state championships, national championship, now hes playing for a Super Bowl. I think thats been his expectation all along. Hes not surprised by it; he rises to these occasions.

It probably helps that while the stages get bigger and the stakes higher, Burrow's approach remains the same.

"Obviously the players get better and the scheme gets better but at the end of the day your mindset stays the same," he said Monday. "When I played in the state championship in high school, it feels the same as playing in the Super Bowl does now. At that moment in my life that was the biggest game I had ever played in. Everything feels the same, but I have more reps in those situations now so I'm probably even a little calmer."

Like Brady, Burrow is quick to compliment the team. At turns on Monday, he credited the Bengals' organization for drafting and signing the best players to fit into the locker room, the coaching staff, and his teammates for the team getting to this point. Knowing the defense will pick him up if he makes a mistake allows him to play freely, he said, and the defense knows the offense will be there if it has a slip-up.

They're young, he said, and never talk about the historical significance of what they're doing for the franchise and the city they represent. They're just out there playing football and getting better.

(Yahoo Sports)

For a stretch, the Bengals were asking why not us? when it came to having playoff success, and Burrow wanted everyone to quit.

It is us, he insisted.

"Anytime that youve got a quarterback that can take you to these heights ... when you believe that your quarterback can take you the distance, it allows everybody to play that one percent better because they know on the other side that trigger man is capable of doing some really special things," Taylor said.

"We have a lot of confidence in him, he has a lot of confidence in himself. Its special to be part of."

Burrow admits he's always been confident as a player, though it waned at times. It might be higher than it's ever been now.

"I feel like I've proven to myself that I can play at a high level, at this level of football," he said. "At Ohio State I was confident, but not as confident maybe as I had been in the past and would be in the future. I wasn't playing and those are the times you really learn a lot about yourself as a player and a person, and keeping confidence high in those situations is tough.

"As a quarterback, it's really important to exude that confidence not only in yourself but in all of your teammates and I think the quarterback sets the tone for the culture in the locker room and I try to be that person for everybody here."

Over the past few weeks, as he has led the Bengals further than they've been in decades, other Ohio-bred stars have reached out, from LeBron James to musician Kid Cudi, one of Burrow's idols. That's the thing that's "crazy" to him, not the football success.

If he does the once-seemingly impossible bring a Super Bowl title to Cincinnati everything will get crazy for Burrow.

That picture of cool, the one of Burrow in some Cartier shades, will be celebrated and copied everywhere.

Read more from the original source:

Joe Cooler: How Burrow gets people to buy in like Brady with a crossover appeal he could never match - Yahoo Sports