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☆ Democrats are so desperate to win in Florida that they are considering NBA legends Dwyane Wade and Grant Hill for the Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some prominent Florida Democrats are eyeing former NBA stars in a bid to reverse their losing streak. NBC News reported that Democrats have talked to Grant Hill and tried to coax Dwyane Wade into running. Democrats are searching for a challenger to Sen. Rick Scott, who is up for reelection in 2024. Having Wade County is great," Wade told the publication. He hasn't been officially approached, but he is on the list of four or five dream candidates to challenge Rick Scott.

☆ Joel Embiid's 'improbable' journey from newcomer to NBA MVP
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“He’s the biggest film nerd there is in the NBA,” Hanlen laughs. The ultimate scorerDespite his ‘Joel Troel’ alter-ego, Embiid’s approach to the game shows he is everything but a joker who fools around. Speaking after being named MVP, Embiid said: “I’d say the biggest key of it is, obviously, I’m all about family. Arthur is named after Embiid’s late brother who passed away shortly after the 2014 NBA Draft. But improbable doesn’t mean impossible.”Hanlen then summed up Embiid’s overall approach by saying: “I would just say he’s obsessed with greatness.

☆ What to Watch for in the 2023 Kentucky Derby
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Joe Drape | Melissa Hoppert | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Forte, who was named last year’s 2-year-old champion, has won six of his seven races. So no wonder Forte is the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. In 2011, Repole had to scratch another 2-year-old champion, Uncle Mo, the day before America’s greatest race. “I’m 0 for 7 in the Derby,” Repole said. Four other Derby horses were scratched, the first time that many horses were taken out of the field since 2015.

☆ Forte, the Derby Favorite, Is Scratched Hours Before the Race
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Joe Drape | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky state veterinarians on Saturday morning scratched Forte, the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, after examining him and finding him unfit to compete. State veterinarians have reason to be cautious at the 149th running of the race after four horses died in six days at Churchill Downs. Forte was named last year’s 2-year-old champion and had won six of his seven races. He was to be ridden the by the nation’s top jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr.Now only 18 horses will compete in the Derby. In 2011, Forte’s co-owner, Mike Repole, had to scratch another 2-year-old champion, Uncle Mo, the day before the race.

☆ Mage Captures the Derby After an Agonizing Week at Churchill Downs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Joe Drape | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The best thing you can say about the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby is that the 18 horses who made it to the starting gate on Saturday survived. That came as a relief after at least seven horses died at Churchill Downs in the past week, two of them on Saturday in races leading up to America’s most famous race. In the past week, seven horses died, one trainer and his horse were kicked off the grounds by regulators under a cloud of suspicion and four other Derby horses were declared out of the race. Forte was trained by a Hall of Famer, Todd Pletcher. He was co-owned by a passionate champion of horse racing, Mike Repole, who by his own estimate has sunk $300 million into buying horses, even as he confessed that he was confounded by the dysfunction that is tolerated in horse racing.

☆ Shaq was finally served in FTX lawsuit over the weekend, after a 3-month chase
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Will Gendron | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Shaquille O'Neal was finally served in an FTX lawsuit over the weekend following a three month chase. Shaquille O'Neal was served papers over the weekend in a lawsuit involving the fallen crypto firm FTX — after a three month chase, according to a law firm representing investors in the suit. "Plaintiffs in the billion $ FTX class action case just served @SHAQ outside his house," The Moskowitz Law Firm tweeted Sunday night. O'Neal had evaded getting served the lawsuit for three months, according to additional tweets from the law firm. Following the collapse of FTX, O'Neal tried to separate himself from the fiasco, noting to CNBC that he was "just a paid spokesperson."

☆ Shaq is finally served in FTX investor suit, lawyers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —After months of attempting to serve Shaquille O’Neal in a lawsuit against celebrities who endorsed the now-bankrupt FTX crypto platform, lawyers for a group of FTX investors said they finally succeeded on Sunday. “Plaintiffs in the billion $ FTX class action case just served @SHAQ outside his house,” the Moskowitz Law Firm tweeted. O’Neal was the last of the celebrities in the class-action suit to be served a legal notice, according to court documents. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy on November 11 after depositors and investors yanked their money amid concerns about the platform’s balance sheet. Bankman-Fried, who was arrested in December and is out on house arrest, has pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of fraud and conspiracy.

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins clinch league's best record
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Pastrnak took Hampus Lindholm's feed into the offensive zone and finished with the backhand for his 53rd goal of the season. Tyler Bertuzzi scored the lone Bruins goal of regulation, tying the game in the second period. Mario Ferraro had a goal and an assist and Oskar Lindblom and Tomas Hertl also scored for San Jose. Defenseman Henry Thrun, making his NHL debut after starring at Harvard, added two assists, and James Reimer finished with 23 saves. Blues 5, Blackhawks 3Brandon Saad scored one goal and set up another as St. Louis handed host Chicago its seventh straight loss.

☆ Judge fires as Yankees make fast start
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Mar 30, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY SportsNEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - American League MVP Aaron Judge kicked off the New York Yankees season in style on Thursday, launching a solo homer in his first at-bat of the year in a 5-0 win over the San Francisco Giants. Judge quickly reminded the sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium why hope springs eternal for the 27-times world champions, however, launching one over the center field wall after assuming the captain's job in the off-season. While Judge is coming off a blockbuster 2022 in which he broke the AL single-season home run record, however, he cannot do it alone. Judge and DJ LeMahieu added to the advantage with an RBI each in the seventh.

☆ Magic Johnson and Josh Harris group officially place bid on Washington Commanders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —A group led by billionaire Josh Harris and NBA legend Magic Johnson has officially placed a bid to buy the NFL’s Washington Commanders from embattled owner Daniel Snyder, a source told CNN on Tuesday. CNN confirmed last week that Johnson joined the Harris group. ESPN, which first reported news of the bid, reports that the Harris and Johnson-led group is offering to pay Snyder’s $6 billion asking price. A representative for Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers hall of famer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Magic Johnson and Josh Harris have bid on the Washington Commanders.

☆ New York Yankees name homegrown prospect Volpe to Opening Day roster
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Mar 24, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (77) is congratulated in the Yankees dugout after hitting a two run home run in the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dave Nelson-USA TODAY SportsNEW YORK, March 26 (Reuters) - Top prospect Anthony Volpe was named to the New York Yankees' Opening Day roster, manager Aaron Boone said on Sunday, a dream come true for the 21-year-old homegrown shortstop who grew up idolizing the team. "I think when we take a step back and evaluate, he really checked every box that we could have had for him." The Yankees take the field for their regular season at home on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New York's iconic 'Captain' Reed dies at 80
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY SportsNEW YORK, March 21 (Reuters) - Hall of Famer Willis Reed, the beloved former New York Knicks player who won two championships, has died at the age of 80, the National Basketball Retired Players Association said on Tuesday. "As we mourn, we will always strive to uphold the standards he left behind," the Knicks said in a statement. Reed became the first to earn regular-season MVP, Finals MVP and All-Star MVP honors in one season in 1970, before leading the Knicks to their second championship in 1973. "He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of sports." Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NBA roundup: Nets stun Celts with NBA's biggest comeback of season
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Cam Johnson added 20 points for the Nets, who also received 17 points apiece from Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith. Jayson Tatum, who turned 25 on Friday, finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, but he missed all eight of his 3-point attempts. Terry Rozier posted 22 points, Gordon Hayward 17 and Mark Williams 13 points for Charlotte, which was hurt by 21 turnovers. Kings 128, Clippers 127De'Aaron Fox recorded 33 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and Sacramento won its fifth straight game by prevailing over visiting Los Angeles. Jonathan Kuminga, coming off the Golden State bench, chipped in with 19 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

☆ Nepo babies like Myles O'Neal and Ella Bleu Travolta do a plant-based take on their parents' "Got Milk?" ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Plant-based brand Silk has a new ad campaign that features nepo babies sporting milk mustaches. The ads are aimed at "the next generation of milk drinkers and plant-based enthusiasts," Silk said. Those ads featured celebrities from Whoopi Goldberg to Frankie Muniz donning milk on their upper lip, presumably after taking a sip from a glass. David Beckham, Kelly Preston, Christie Brinkley, and Shaquille O'Neal all appeared in "Got Milk?" US consumers bought $2.6 billion worth of the alternatives to cow's milk in 2021, according to the Plant Based Foods Association.

☆ NHL roundup: Ryan O’Reilly's hat trick leads Leafs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

O'Reilly's goals -- his first since joining Toronto in a trade with St. Louis last Friday -- marked his fourth career hat trick. John Tavares added a goal and three assists, William Nylander had a goal and an assist, and Michael Bunting also scored for Toronto. 700, has collected nine points (five goals, four assists) during a six-game point streak. The Canucks scored goals just 51 seconds apart late in the third period to tie it 4-4. Tampa Bay stretched its franchise-record home point streak to 15 games (14-0-1).

☆ Former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce settles with SEC over crypto violations
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The action against Pierce involves his public statements about EthereumMax, or EMAX, the same crypto security product that the SEC charged influencer Kim Kardashian with unlawfully touting. Pierce is also barred from promoting any crypto asset securities for three years, the SEC said. Pierce's social media support for EthereumMax also involved allegedly misleading the public about his EMAX holdings, according to the SEC. Pierce allegedly shared misleading screenshots of his EMAX holdings and profits, the SEC said, without disclosing that his personal holdings were actually far lower. A federal class action lawsuit naming Pierce, Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and other EthereumMax boosters was dismissed in December.

WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Former pro US basketball star Paul Pierce has agreed to pay more than $1.4 million to settle charges he illegally promoted digital assets, Wall Street's top regulator said Friday. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Pierce promoted crypto tokens sold by EthereumMax on social media without disclosing he was paid to do so, and made misleading statements about the product. The settlement with the former Boston Celtic and NBA Hall-of-Famer marks the latest move by the SEC to crack down on celebrity endorsements of crypto products. Pierce settled the charges without admitting or denying them, agreeing to pay $1.1 million in fines and another $240,000 representing the disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus interest, according to the SEC. Last year, the SEC penalized several celebrities, including reality TV star Kim Kardashian and former boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr for their roles in improperly promoting crypto tokens through social media.

☆ Amazon is the latest threat to Facebook as ad targeting suffers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

"So many people start their shopping on Amazon," Hassett said in an interview. People take selfies in front of the logo of Facebook parent company Meta on November 9, 2022 in Menlo Park, California. Liu Guanguan | China News Service | Getty ImagesFor Loftie, Amazon and Google provide better value because a shopper is showing intent by searching for a particular item. "In the near term, we expect Meta ad share to decline further in '23 given macro headwinds and the pivot to Reels," they wrote. Rachel Tipograph, CEO of marketing technology firm MikMak, said there are other unforeseen costs tied to Amazon advertising.

☆ Mahomes magic put to the test as Chiefs face Eagles in Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PHOENIX, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Patrick Mahomes will look to pull one more rabbit out of his hat on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl 57. Mahomes overcame a high-ankle sprain in the divisional round to get the Chiefs to their third Super Bowl in four years, producing a heroic late-game sprint to help clinch the AFC Championship. Mahomes has helped his favorite target Travis Kelce become one of the greatest tight ends ever to play the game. Kelce is keen to banish memories of their last Super Bowl appearance two years ago, when Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccanneers humiliated them 31-9. "The last taste I had in my mouth of the Super Bowl, it wasn't too good," said Kelce, who will make history at State Farm Stadium with his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, as the first siblings to play each other in a Super Bowl.

James is 36 points away from surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career record of 38,387 and his complete game reminds Dumars of 20-times major tennis champion Roger Federer. "I've seen people try to make him shoot his outside jump shot, and he's made them. He is averaging 30 points per game and was selected to his record-tying 19th All-Star game last month. "It's going to be maybe 22, 23, 24 years that you have to play at a super high level. "I know in the NBA we've never seen that before."

☆ Abdul-Jabbar blames himself for lack of relationship with James
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 8 (Reuters) - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reflected on the complicated relationship he has with LeBron James a day after sitting courtside to watch the Los Angeles Lakers forward break the NBA career scoring record he set nearly 40 years ago. Not for anything I did, but perhaps for not making more of an effort to reach out to him," Abdul-Jabbar wrote in a Substack blog post on Wednesday. "When he started to make a name for himself, I was already pretty removed from the NBA world," wrote the 75-year-old Abdul-Jabbar. Abdul-Jabbar also said he is happy that James broke his record. His winning in no way affects my winning," Abdul-Jabbar wrote.

☆ Gronkowski says he would consider retiring with Patriots, if offered
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PHOENIX, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Rob Gronkowski said he would consider retiring with the New England Patriots if he were given the chance, days after owner Robert Kraft publicly made the offer to newly re-retired Tom Brady. Brady picked up six of his seven Super Bowl rings with the Patriots but split with the franchise after the 2019 season to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a brief flirtation with retirement a year ago, he hung up his cleats for good last week. The four-times Super Bowl champion will team up with Brady again in 2024, when the former quarterback joins him on the network as a lead NFL analyst. "If that was presented, in my case, then that would definitely be something to consider because of just how much that place means to me."

☆ Eagles defense faces ultimate Super Bowl test with Mahomes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/9] Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes speaks to reporters ahead of facing the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S., February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Caitlin O'HaraPHOENIX, Feb 7 (Reuters) - A near-historic Philadelphia Eagles pass rush will face the ultimate test on Sunday in Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, an MVP favourite with no interest in ceding the Super Bowl spotlight. "I don't know if you can contain him - I just don't know, he's that good. He's so mentally tough," head coach Andy Reid told reporters at the Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday. Cornerback James Bradberry said that it would take everything in the Eagles arsenal to stop Mahomes from collecting his second Super Bowl ring.

LOS ANGELES, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Lakers forward LeBron James returns to Los Angeles on the verge of becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer after wrapping up a five-game road trip in New Orleans on Saturday night. 'King James' now needs just 36 points to pass fellow Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record 38,387 career points after contributing 27 points in the Lakers' 131-126 loss to the Pelicans. Ticket prices for those games have predictably skyrocketed and Hollywood's biggest stars are expected to be seated courtside. At this point the only question is what kind of shot he will take to seize the a title. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tomahawk dunk? Step-back three? Skyhook? LeBron has options for breaking record
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Rory Carroll | Thomson Reuters | Los Angeles-Based Sports Reporter Who Interviews The Most Impactful Athletes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But James' shot-making skills have expanded over the years and he has a full arsenal at his disposal to deliver a historic highlight. "Over the course of my career I've just got better with every facet of my game," James told ESPN in a recent interview. Tomahawks, windmills, reverses - James could rock the rim in any number of ways, sending fans into a frenzy and opposing teams into timeouts. James has been seen practicing the difficult shot, which no player has ever mastered like Abdul-Jabbar, during pre-game warm-ups. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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