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☆ Ukraine’s Olympic Boycott Threat Ratchets Tension Over Participation of Russian Athletes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Team Ukraine during the athletes parade at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Ukraine is threatening to boycott the 2024 Summer Olympics if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to participate, ratcheting up pressure on key decision-makers weighing whether to keep the two countries in a pariah status. The Ukrainian Olympic Committee agreed at an extraordinary general assembly on Friday that a boycott is an option if the International Olympic Committee continues its bid to end the lockout of Russian and Belarusian competitors, which began with the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukrainian Olympic officials are set to make their decision in the coming months.

☆ NWSL Set to Expand With Record-Setting $50 Million Franchise Fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Jessica Toonkel | Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Portland Thorns FC pose with the trophy after winning the NWSL Championship in 2022. The National Women’s Soccer League is in advanced discussions to expand by three teams, according to people familiar with the situation, with two of those teams set to pay around $50 million each in franchise fees that dwarf previous payments required to enter the league. The new teams are set to launch in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston and Utah. The Bay Area and Boston groups each have agreed to pay about $50 million for a team. Owners in Utah will pay between $2 million and $5 million, an arrangement agreed to a few years ago.

☆ A Lunch With Roger Federer Helped Fuel Mikaela Shiffrin’s Record Run
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mikaela Shiffrin and her mother, Eileen, last March pulled up the drive to a house perched in the Swiss Alps, one of the most breathtaking areas in all of Europe. They saw a gleaming, modern home. They spied a green wall made famous by a viral video of a tennis player clad all in white—even his fedora—repeatedly volleying a ball during the early stages of the pandemic.

☆ Latest Microsoft results show the tech giant is still a buy despite near-term pressures, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft may be facing some near-term pressures, but most analysts think the stock remains a buy at current levels. Radke has a buy rating on the stock, and raised his target price slightly to $282 from $280. His $300 price target represents more than 23% upside from Tuesday's closing price for the stock. Davidson's Gil Luria was especially bullish on Microsoft, saying that the tech giant "deserves a premium valuation relative to the market and its Pac4 comparables." He lowered his price target to $265 from $267.

☆ Mikaela Shiffrin Is the New Queen of Ski Racing Wins
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mikaela Shiffrin won her 83rd victory in a World Cup race on Tuesday. Mikaela Shiffrin, once a precocious teenager racing on the icy slopes of Vermont, is now Alpine skiing’s all-time wins queen. Shiffrin won a giant slalom race in Kronplatz, Italy, on Tuesday for her 83rd victory in a World Cup race. The total pushed her past the previous record-holder for women’s Alpine skiing wins, retired fellow American Lindsey Vonn.

☆ Europe Is Torn Over the Idea of Reinstating Russian Athletes at the Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The International Olympic Committee’s about-face in seeking to allow Russian athletes’ participation at the 2024 Games in Paris has divided European countries, with some of the biggest Olympic committees of the continent remaining on the fence. IOC President Thomas Bach began openly pushing late last year for the reinstatement of Russian athletes, 10 months after the IOC had recommended Russian and Belarusian competitors be locked out of international sports over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia itself was already banned from international events because of its epic state-sponsored doping offenses at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, but Russian athletes were allowed to compete in the last three Olympics under names like “Russian Olympic Committee.”

☆ Cybersecurity was supposed to be a resilient area of tech, but these ETFs are struggling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Through the first three weeks of the year, the exchange traded funds tracking cybersecurity stocks are underperforming the rest of tech sector. The iShares Cybersecurity and Tech ETF (IHAK) , for example, has returned just 1% in January, well behind the tech and communication services funds that are also sponsored by BlackRock. The January underperformance comes at a time when high growth cybersecurity stocks were expected stay in favor. "From my perspective, it should be doing better in terms of performance because of the tailwinds that are behind cybersecurity," Maier said. Cyber stocks moved broadly higher, with the Global X Cybersecurity ETF (BUG) gaining almost 3%.

☆ CrowdStrike is a buy as it become a bigger player in the cybersecurity space, BMO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's time to buy shares of cybersecurity company CrowdStrike , according to BMO Capital Markets. That continued evolution will allow CrowdStrike to differentiate from Microsoft and legacy cybersecurity companies. "We believe that CrowdStrike offers best-in-class endpoint security capabilities and an expanding platform that will help CrowdStrike compete against Microsoft and other vendors," Bachman said in a note to clients Wednesday. There is concern that Microsoft could pressure competitors by using bundle prices to win companies looking to save money. He added that consolidation will help CrowdStrike, as companies seek to use one company for multiple needs.

☆ The NCAA Needs New Revenue—but Likely Won’t Get It From College Football
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

College football is one of the hottest properties in broadcasting. The Big Ten Conference recently made a deal for more than $1 billion a year with several networks, mostly to air its football games. The College Football Playoff is expected to grow substantially from its current $470 million-a-year deal when it expands to 12 teams after the 2024 season, and further increase the value under its next deal two years later. So when the National Collegiate Athletic Association said last week that increasing its revenue is a top goal, it may not have seemed like a major challenge. But that’s not the way things work in big-time college football, whose leading conferences legally aren’t required to share a dime of their burgeoning riches with the NCAA.

☆ Georgia Bulldogs Crush TCU, 65-7, to Win Back-to-Back College Football Titles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LOS ANGELES—A decade ago, Georgia was a reliable college football power that couldn’t topple the sport’s dynastic kings to win titles. On Monday night at SoFi Stadium, the Bulldogs finally laid claim to a dynasty of their own. Georgia became the first program to repeat as champions in the nine-year College Football Playoff era with a crushing 65-7 win over Texas Christian. The Bulldogs used the same simple but suffocating formula it deployed all season en route to a 15-0 record: a stifling defense and a dangerous offense led by a 5-foot-11 former walk-on quarterback named Stetson Bennett IV.

☆ Georgia’s Brock Bowers Is the Vanguard of College Football’s Tight End Evolution
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tight ends used to do the dirty work in college football, blocking for teammates and catching short passes in a pinch. These days, a new version of the offensive end who lines up next to the tackle is reshaping the game, and Georgia’s Brock Bowers is its cutting-edge example. As the Bulldogs prepare to defend their national championship against Texas Christian on Monday night, Bowers leads Georgia in receiving yards and touchdowns for the second season in a row. He’s part of a growing wave of tight ends nationwide whose roles are expanding to include more pass-catching.

☆ Venezuela owes over $20 mln to law firms on guarding overseas assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] PDVSA's U.S. unit Citgo Petroleum refinery is pictured in Sulphur, Louisiana, U.S., June 12, 2018. Some U.S. courts have granted creditors rights to negotiate the sale of Venezuelan assets abroad in order to collect debts, such as the Citgo refinery, the crown jewel of Venezuela's overseas assets, and a subsidiary of PDVSA. In the document, a report from the interim government's prosecution team, the lawyers say failure to pursue the lawsuits would risk losing the overseas assets. Opposition groups maintain that control of overseas assets is not at risk, despite last month's removal of the interim government, though they have not given details of what will happen with ongoing litigation. Reporting by Vivian Sequera and Mayela Armas; Writing by Sarah Morland Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ohio State Football and the Agony of Being 11-1
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

For most college football fan bases, Ohio State’s 2022 season would be a Technicolor dream: an 11-1 record, a Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback, an upcoming semifinal matchup with No. 1 Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State’s faithful, however, are not like most fan bases.

☆ The Dramatic World of Artistic Swimming Will be Open to Men at the Paris Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Bill May and Natalia Vega Figueroa perform during the Mixed Duet Technical Artistic Swimming Preliminary at the FINA Swimming World Championships 2019. An Olympic competition long associated with dramatically made-up women swimming and swirling will have a new addition for the 2024 Paris Games: men. World Aquatics announced Thursday that countries would be allowed to include up to two men in their entries for the 2024 Olympic team event—in which eight swimmers perform a routine as a group. Nations could also choose not to field men in their lineups. The duet event will remain limited to pairs of women.

☆ NWSL Report Recommends Tough Rules Regulating Player-Coach Interactions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Rachel Bachman | Louise Radnofsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A joint investigative report by the National Women’s Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association into allegations of misconduct by coaches and executives in the league calls for tough new rules regulating how players and their coaches live, socialize and interact with each other. The report was commissioned after published allegations last year of misconduct by coaches and executives in the league. In that regard, it covers much of the same ground as a similar probe by the U.S. Soccer Federation released in October.

☆ DeVante Parker: NFL says it is reviewing an apparent head injury incident during Monday's Patriots game
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Kevin Dotson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +27 min

CNN —The NFL and the NFL Players Association are looking into an incident in which an apparent head injury to New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker seemingly went unnoticed by medical staff and spotters, league spokesman Brian McCarthy tells CNN. Jeff Dean/AP Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams catches a pass against Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard on December 11. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson dives for a two-point conversion during the Vikings' 29-22 victory over the Chicago Bears. Gerald Herbert/AP Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is tripped up by Denver Broncos cornerback K'Waun Williams. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas makes a reception against Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J.

☆ Cardinals vs Patriots: Arizona's woes continue as Kyler Murray hurt in 27-13 loss to New England
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +27 min

Jeff Dean/AP Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams catches a pass against Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard on December 11. Gary McCullough/AP Green Bay Packers wide receiver Samori Toure is tackled by Detroit Lions safety Will Harris. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson dives for a two-point conversion during the Vikings' 29-22 victory over the Chicago Bears. Gerald Herbert/AP Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is tripped up by Denver Broncos cornerback K'Waun Williams. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas makes a reception against Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J.

☆ U.S. Supports IOC Leader’s Aim to Include Russian Athletes in Paris 2024 Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Rachel Bachman | Louise Radnofsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Flag bearers Olga Fatkulina and Vadim Shipachyov of Team ROC carry their flag during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympics. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee backs the idea to include Russian and Belarusian athletes at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, as long as they don’t compete under their nations’ flags or in their colors, said Susanne Lyons , chair of the USOPC board of directors. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said last week that he wants Russian and Belarusian athletes to be able to participate at the Paris Games, even if the Russian war in Ukraine continues.

☆ Henry Anderson: Carolina Panthers defensive end reveals he recently had stroke -- but wants to play on Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

Tony Gutierrez/AP Buffalo wide receiver Stefon Diggs digs into a turkey leg after the Bills defeated Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Gary McCullough/AP Green Bay Packers wide receiver Samori Toure is tackled by Detroit Lions safety Will Harris. Norm Hall/Getty Images Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen hurdles Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid as he scrambles for a first down. Gerald Herbert/AP Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is tripped up by Denver Broncos cornerback K'Waun Williams. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas makes a reception against Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J.

☆ Von Miller: Buffalo Bills defensive star is out for the season with torn ACL
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +25 min

Tony Gutierrez/AP Buffalo wide receiver Stefon Diggs digs into a turkey leg after the Bills defeated Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Norm Hall/Getty Images Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen hurdles Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid as he scrambles for a first down. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson dives for a two-point conversion during the Vikings' 29-22 victory over the Chicago Bears. Gerald Herbert/AP Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is tripped up by Denver Broncos cornerback K'Waun Williams. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas makes a reception against Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J.

☆ Olympics President Signals He Wants Russian Athletes at Paris 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

IOC president Thomas Bach attends the opening of the Executive Board meeting at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said he wants Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, his strongest remarks to date on the debate that has divided international sport. “Participation must happen on sporting merits,” Bach said in a Wednesday news conference.

☆ U.S. Men’s Soccer World Cup Run Generated Millions in Prize Money—for the U.S. Women
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. men’s soccer starting lineup for a World Cup round of 16 match against the Netherlands. The U.S. men’s soccer team’s run to the knockout rounds of the World Cup came with a unique twist: a multimillion-dollar bonus for members of the U.S. women’s soccer team. The windfall is the result of the teams’ new pact, achieved through parallel collective-bargaining agreements, to equally share prize money from their respective World Cups. The U.S. is believed to be the only nation in the world whose men’s and women’s soccer teams share World-Cup prize money.

☆ The Golden Age of Volleyball Is Here
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Texas students line up outside Gregory Gym, some with painted faces or chests, for the chance to snag a seat. Once there, they join longtime fans and starry-eyed kids in screaming their heads off for the Longhorns. “I would kind of compare it to a Duke basketball game, if I’m being honest,” said Logan Eggleston, a senior outside hitter for the Texas team that heads into Thursday’s NCAA volleyball tournament with the nation’s No. “The crowds are right on top of you. You can’t even think when you’re in a game.”

☆ Seven Michigan State Players Charged in Tunnel Conflict at Michigan
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Rachel Bachman | Laine Higgins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Security and police broke up a scuffle between players from Michigan and Michigan State after a game on Oct. 29. Seven Michigan State football players were criminally charged Wednesday in connection with an Oct. 29 altercation with Michigan players in the tunnel of Michigan Stadium following the Wolverines’ 29-7 victory. The allegations include a felony charge of assault against Khary Crump, according to a news release from the Washtenaw County prosecuting attorney.

☆ Who’s That Meditating Under the Goal Post? Michigan’s Quarterback
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

His position requires a keen eye and snap decisions to dodge brutal collisions. But as part of his preparation for it, J.J. McCarthy swears by sitting motionless, breathing slowly, his eyes closed. McCarthy, Michigan’s 19-year-old quarterback, has meditated daily for years. He does it in private, and he does it cross-legged before kickoff on game day, when he said meditation helps him become “completely there, completely present.”

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