Tag: New York Times

The American Gaming Association’s clash with the New York Times, explained

An explanation of the Times investigation and the AGA’s response.

The American Gaming Association issued a fiery response Monday to the recent New York Times investigation on the rapid growth of legal sports betting, saying there are “several mischaracterizations” in the reporting.

As part of its four-part series released Sunday, the Times highlighted some of the improprieties that have occurred during the expansion of legal sports betting, at the expense of states and at-risk gamblers.

Among many items, the Times found:

  • At least 12 states allowed gambling companies and their affiliates to begin operating on a temporary basis before undergoing full licensing reviews.
  • Gaming lobbyists dazzled state lawmakers with tax projections that have turned about to be inflated, and unreliable data about a sprawling underworld of illegal gambling.
  • State gambling regulators required few protections for consumers and dedicated minimal funds to combat addiction.
  • Lawmakers allocated minimal funding to oversee sports betting and assigned oversight to state bureaucracies with previously narrower responsibilities.
  • Regulators allowed the gambling industry to shape regulations to police its own compliance. Punishment for breaking those state rules has often been light or nonexistent.

The Times also specifically mentioned the AGA on several occasions, pointing to its apparent hypocritical position on responsible gaming. The AGA, which represents the gambling industry, argued against banning ads on sports betting during live games in Massachusetts and against federal legislation to create a national self-exclusion list for people who didn’t want access to sports betting sites.

In addition, betting companies have partnered with at least eight universities despite the AGA’s “Responsible Marketing Code” saying sports betting should not be advertised on college campuses.

In its response, the AGA said it is “heavily regulated by the federal government” and that “thousands of dedicated professionals across legal gaming jurisdictions set & enforce regulations.”

 

According to the NY Times, calls to the national hotline for gambling problems rose by 43 percent last year.

The AGA said research shows that past-year sports bettors saw more responsible gaming information in the past 12 months than in the previous year.

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LeBron’s ‘I Promise’ children’s book debuts at No. 1 on New York Times best seller

The Los Angeles Lakers star released his first Children’s book last week and it is already a New York Times bestseller.

While LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers are getting back on the court tonight in the NBA Bubble, looking to even their best-of-seven series against the Portland Trail Blazers, James accomplished another first off the court.

Last week, LeBron James released his first-ever children’s book “I Promise,” which was done in collaboration with illustrator Nina Mata. And after one week on the shelves, or at least the virtual shelves, LeBron has himself a New York Times bestseller. On Thursday, the Times released their latest bestseller list for Children’s books, where LeBron’s “I Promise” was the No. 1 selling book in the country.

James has been published before, but this book was his first foray into the space of children’s books. James has another book in the works that will focus on speaking to middle-aged children, so this book is just the start of a new aspect of LeBron’s still growing influence off the court.

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State Department report: Jets’ Woody Johnson ’made inappropriate or insensitive comments’

A State Department report obtained by ESPN shed more light on the investigation into Jets owner Woody Johnson.

More details have emerged regarding racist and sexist comments allegedly made by Jets owner Woody Johnson.

A 39-page report from U.S. State Department consisting of interviews and questionnaires with employees at the United States Embassy in London determined Johnson “sometimes made inappropriate or insensitive comments on topics generally considered Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)-sensitive, such as religion, sex, or color,” according to the document obtained by ESPN.

The report references allegations in stories from The New York Times and CNN that Johnson made racist and sexist remarks during his time as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, a position he assumed in 2017.

Johnson allegedly asked if the crowd for a 2018 Black History Month event would be comprised of “a whole bunch of Black people,” and why African Americans want a Black History Month. He also allegedly purported that Black fathers abandoning their families was the “real challenge.  Johnson also made disparaging comments about women, including objectifying their appearance and clothes and saying he prefers working with them because they’re cheaper than men. 

Johnson denied the allegations vehemently, both in a statement on Twitter and in the State Department report. 

“If I have unintentionally offended anyone in the execution of my duties, I deeply regret that, but I do not accept that I have treated employees with disrespect or discriminated in any way,” Johnson said, per the report obtained by ESPN. 

Johnson has also been accused of using his position to promote President Trump’s businesses overseas, a claim which Johnson also denied. 

The NFL referred questions on the matter to the State Department, while a State Department spokesperson said Johnson is “a valued member of the team who has led Mission U.K. honorably and professionally.” The Jets, Johnson’s brother, Christopher, and general manager Joe Douglas also defended Johnson.

The Office of the Inspector General concluded that “a more thorough review by the dept is warranted” after the extent of Johnson’s alleged actions were realized. Johnson said he and his staff have or will review courses on work-place discrimination, but that wasn’t enough to curb the OIG’s investigation, which began in 2019.

Steph Curry had ‘major FOMO’ watching the first week of games at the Orlando Bubble

During the first week of NBA restart action in the Orlando Bubble, Stephen Curry admitted he had “major FOMO.”

After leading the Golden State Warriors to five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, Stephen Curry has spent most of the 2019-20 season on the sidelines. After missing a majority of the season with a hand injury he suffered in October, Curry’s return to the court was limited to only one game after the league was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fast forward to the NBA’s restart in August, Curry’s Warriors are one of the eight teams on the outside of the Orlando Bubble. With no games on the calendar for an extended period of time, Curry is missing hoops.

In an interview with Marc Stein of the New York Times, Curry revealed he had “major FOMO” watching games at Disney World. During the first week of seeding games in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble, Curry admitted he suffered from the fear of missing out.

Via The New York Times:

Obviously I was happy to see basketball back on TV, but that first week I had major FOMO.

Once you see Bron and Kawhi and P.G. go at it, and you remember how much fun it is to play in those types of games and that kind of level, you miss it badly.

Until the Warriors are able to schedule an offseason mini-camp, Curry will have to settle his hoops fix at individual workouts.

While a group of teams are contending for playoff position in the Orlando Bubble, Curry has been working out in preparation for his long-awaited return to the court. A recent video was shared of the two-time Most Valuable Player throwing down a one-handed alley-oop dunk.

When he’s not in the gym, the six-time All-Star has been chiming in on what’s going on at Disney World. Whether it’s welcoming Joel Embiid to the Under Armour signature shoe family or commenting on his former teammate Andre Iguodala’s play, Curry has been following along with the NBA’s restart.

NFLPA: Coronavirus cases in Jets’ market declining compared to rest of league

The Jets and Giants have a significantly fewer amount of cases on average over the past two weeks than most other metropolitan areas.

As the coronavirus continues to spread across the country, the NFL and its fans continue to keep a constant eye on how the virus could affect the upcoming 2020 season. 

COVID-19 cases continue to spike nationwide, but some areas with NFL teams have seen fewer daily cases per 100,000 people in the past 14 days than others. The NFL Players Association released data from Johns Hopkins University on the metropolitan areas for every team in the league. The New York City-New Jersey-Pennsylvania area, home to plenty of Jets and Giants fans, rank among the lowest with just 3.5 daily cases per 100,000 people as of July 15.

In mid-April, that number hovered around 61 per 100,00 people, showing just how far the area has come in slowing the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, the national average hovers around 16.8 daily cases per 100,000 people over that same stretch.

The cumulative case number and cumulative death rate, though, remain well above the national average – likely because of the initial outbreak in New York City and New Jersey at the beginning of the pandemic. The area’s cumulative cases per 100,000 people are still relatively high at 2,591 – compared with the national average of 1,022 – while the cumulative death rate remains high, too, at 223 per 100,000 compared to the national average of 41. Fortunately, the death rate has dropped to the national average of 0.2 deaths per 100,000 over a 14-day period.

The New York Times, which aggregated data from state and local health officials, broke it down even further into daily average cases over a seven-day period. New York City and New Jersey saw declines in daily average cases with 317 and 324, respectively, while Pennslyvania saw an increase with 792, as of July 15. That fits in line with data from the Centers for Disease Control, which reports New York City totaled 2,285 cases in the past seven days. New Jersey had 2,239 and Pennsylvania had 5,579. 

This is all could be moot, though, considering the NFL still doesn’t have a solidified plan for keeping players, staff and other team personnel safe. According to the NFLPA, 72 known players have already tested positive for COVID-19, but teams still don’t know what the league will do if a player tests positive during the season.

NFL players have also been working out across the country – either on their own or with other players – so it’s had to gauge how their return to their respective teams will affect the spread. Sam Darnold worked out in California and Florida, Jamison Crowder went to North Carolina, and Chris Herndon and Steve McLendon have been in Georgia. 

In response to a lack of information, Texans’ defensive end J.J. Watt tweeted a list of demands players want from the league before returning to play, including an Infectious Disease Emergency Response (IDER) plan, testing protocols and a plan for training camp, which is scheduled to begin on July 19 for rookies and July 28 for veterans. The only thing players know for sure is they won’t be allowed to swap jerseys after games, something Jamal Adams said he would still do despite the league’s instance on social distancing after games.

Then there’s the big elephant in the room – money. The NFLPA and the league are reportedly fighting over keeping a portion of the players’ salaries to lighten the burden of a potential revenue loss. The league could lose billions of dollars if fans aren’t allowed at stadiums this season, and the salary cap could decrease as well. Philadelphia already announced fans wouldn’t be able to attend Eagles’ home games this season, while other teams like the Jaguars and Patriots plan to open stadiums to fans at minimal capacity.

There’s no word on if Metlife Stadium will be open to fans, but New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said there’s “some hope” Jets and Giants fans will be able to attend games this season

LOOK: NY Times makes hideous mistake about Tommy Tuberville

This isn’t exactly the right way to describe Tommy Tuberville’s past.

You remember when Tommy Tuberville used to lead the Alabama Crimson Tide onto the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium to take on their rival Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl, right?

Of course not. But don’t try to tell the New York Times that.

In describing who Tuberville is after the former coach won the Alabama GOP Senate runoff on Tuesday, the longtime newspaper made quite a major mistake.

Seems someone needs a researcher for their next article.

WATCH: Mark Cuban says the idea of an in-season NBA tournament is ‘so dumb’

As the NBA continues to discuss changes for the 2021-2022 season, many involved in the league continue to speak out against the idea of an all-30 teams ‘in-season tournament.

As the NBA continues to discuss changes for the 2021-2022 season, many involved in the league continue to speak out against the idea of an all-30 teams’ in-season tournament.

Tuesday, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban spoke trashed the idea that the NBA would reward the in-season tourney winner with an extra first-round pick.

Cuban called the idea “so dumb,” responding to a tweet by New York Times sports reporter Marc Stein, which said that the NBA teams were sent a memo, “detailing a proposed $15 million pot for the championship team and $1.5 million for the winning coaching staff, ‘incentives for teams and fans’ were listed as ‘to be determined.'”

In full, Cuban wrote “What will teams that are in the tax going outdo, tank the tournament because they don’t want the pick? Or teams trying to build a cap room? Be forced to trade it? Draft and stash ?,” continuing his disagreement with the idea in a second and third tweet saying, “And to create incremental financial incentives to play games just sends so many wrong messages. Free agency recruitment will change. ‘Hey, we can’t compete for a ring, but we go all out for the TBT, so sign with us and u could make another $1m,’ and “Or the convo if the TBT winner doesn’t make the playoffs. This is like the MLB trying to add drama to the All-Star game by using it to assign home-field advantage. How did that work out? I can’t hate an in-season winner take all tournament enough. Hopefully, TBT has a patent.”

The commentary regarding the impact on NBA cap and the way that the extra first-round pick would change and the already-complicated process is particularly strong. All things considered, there seem to be more details that players and coaches can find wrong with the proposal at this point than they have been able to compliment regarding the idea.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban dismisses proposed NBA changes saying he ‘can’t hate an in season winner take

As the NBA continues to discuss changes for the 2021-2022 season, many involved in the league continue to speak out against the idea of an all-30 teams ‘in-season tournament.

As the NBA continues to discuss changes for the 2021-2022 season, many involved in the league continue to speak out against the idea of an all-30 teams ‘in-season tournament.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban dismisses proposed NBA changes saying he ‘can’t hate an in season winner take

As the NBA continues to discuss changes for the 2021-2022 season, many involved in the league continue to speak out against the idea of an all-30 teams ‘in-season tournament.

As the NBA continues to discuss changes for the 2021-2022 season, many involved in the league continue to speak out against the idea of an all-30 teams ‘in-season tournament.

Post-Cowboys win, Bills playoff chances near 100 percent

Buffalo Bills playoff odds following win over Cowboys.

The Bills’ win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving was a big win.

Of course, it was on the national stage. That’s big.

But in regard to the team’s playoff chances, it was massive as well.

According to the folks at FiveThirtyEight, the Bills have a 94 percent chance of making the playoffs now that the team has a 9-3 record. The analytics outlet gives only the Chiefs, Patriots and Chiefs better odds to make the playoffs in the AFC.

But FiveThirtyEight isn’t alone in their big percentages. ESPN and the New York Times playoff machine also have the Bills with an above 90 percent chance of making the playoffs. ESPN and the New York Times current give the Bills a 96 and 93 percent odds at making the postseason, respectively.

 

 

So we’re telling you, there’s very much a chance.

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