Friday, May 28, 2021

SEC.gov | SEC Charges U.S. Promoters of $2 Billion Global Crypto Lending Securities Offering


The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that it has filed an action against five individuals alleging that they promoted a global unregistered digital asset securities offering that raised over $2 billion from retail investors.

According to the SEC's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, from approximately January 2017 to January 2018, BitConnect used a network of promoters, including U.S.-based Trevon Brown (a.k.a. Trevon James), Craig Grant, Ryan Maasen, and Michael Noble (a.k.a. Michael Crypto) to market and sell securities in its "lending program." The SEC's complaint alleges that these promoters offered and sold the securities without registering the securities offering with the Commission, and without being registered as broker-dealers with the Commission, as required by the federal securities laws.  The promoters advertised the merits of investing in BitConnect's lending program to prospective investors, including by creating "testimonial" style videos and publishing them on YouTube, sometimes multiple times a day. According to the complaint, the promoters received commissions based on their success in soliciting investor funds. Another U.S.-based individual, Joshua Jeppesen, served as a liaison between BitConnect and promoters and represented BitConnect at conferences and promotional events.

"We allege that these defendants unlawfully sold unregistered digital asset securities by actively promoting the BitConnect lending program to retail investors," said Lara Shalov Mehraban, Associate Regional Director of SEC's New York Regional Office. "We will seek to hold accountable those who illegally profit by capitalizing on the public's interest in digital assets."

The SEC's complaint charges the promoter defendants with violating the registration provisions of the federal securities laws, and Jeppesen with aiding and abetting BitConnect's unregistered offer and sale of securities.  The complaint seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement plus interest, and civil penalties.

The SEC's ongoing investigation is being conducted by Gwen Licardo of the SEC's Retail Strategy Task Force, Michael Baker and Pamela Sawhney of the SEC's Cyber Unit, and Jordan Baker of the SEC's New York Regional Office. The case is being supervised by John O. Enright, Ms. Mehraban and Kristina Littman, Chief of the Cyber Unit. The litigation is being conducted Jorge Tenreiro, Mark Sylvester, Ms. Licardo, Mr. Baker, and Ms. Sawhney. The Commission appreciates the assistance of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Ontario Securities Commission, the Romanian Financial Supervisory Authority, and the Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Thursday, May 27, 2021

SEC.gov | SEC Charges Mutual Fund Executives with Misleading Investors Regarding Investment Risks in Funds that Suffered $1 Billion Trading Loss


The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed a civil action alleging that investment advisers LJM Funds Management Ltd. and LJM Partners Ltd. and their portfolio managers, Anthony Caine and Anish Parvataneni, fraudulently misled investors and the board of directors of a fund they advised about LJM's risk management practices and the level of risk in LJM's portfolios. The SEC separately settled related charges with LJM's Chief Risk Officer, Arjuna Ariathurai.

According to the SEC's complaint, LJM adopted a short volatility trading strategy that carried risks that were remote but extreme. The complaint alleges that, in order to ease investor concerns about the potential for losses, LJM, Caine and Parvataneni made a series of misstatements to investors and the mutual fund's board about LJM's risk management practices, including false statements about its use of historical event stress testing and its commitment to maintaining a consistent risk profile instead of prioritizing returns. The complaint further alleges that, beginning in late 2017, during a period of historically low volatility, LJM, Caine, and Parvataneni increased the level of risk in the portfolios in order to chase return targets, while falsely assuring investors that the portfolios' risk profiles remained stable. According to the complaint, in February 2018, the markets suffered a large spike in volatility, resulting in catastrophic trading losses exceeding $1 billion, or more than 80% of the value of the funds LJM managed, over two trading days.

"This case demonstrates the critical importance of fund advisers being truthful and transparent with investors about how they manage risk," said Daniel Michael, Chief of the Enforcement Division's Complex Financial Instruments Unit. "As alleged in the complaint, the defendants’ alleged actions exposed investors to far greater risk of loss than they expected."

The complaint charges the defendants with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, and civil penalties.

In related proceedings, the SEC also instituted settled administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings against Ariathurai, who agreed, without admitting or denying the SEC's findings, to an associational bar with a right to apply for reentry after three years, disgorgement and prejudgment interest of $97,444, and a civil penalty of $150,000.

In parallel actions, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced charges against LJM, Caine, Parvataneni, and Ariathurai.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Marlene Key-Patterson, Jake Schmidt, Kevin Wisniewski, Terry Moran, and Sara Renardo and was supervised by Jeffrey Shank. The SEC's examination was conducted by Max Gillman, Daniel Brinks, Brandi Hodges, David Mueller, and Kent McAllister. Michael Foster and Robert Moye will lead the litigation. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the CFTC.

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SEC.gov | SEC Awards More Than $4 Million to Whistleblower


The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced an award of more than $4 million to a whistleblower who alerted SEC staff to certain violations, prompting the opening of an investigation.  The whistleblower then provided substantial assistance by meeting with SEC staff, identifying key players, and providing additional helpful information and documents.

“Whistleblowers may be uniquely positioned to provide the kind of information and assistance that can prove instrumental to the successful resolution of an enforcement action,” said Emily Pasquinelli, Acting Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower.  “Whistleblowers play a critical role in helping the SEC detect securities laws violations and better protect investors.”   

The SEC has now awarded approximately $905 million to 164 individuals since issuing its first award in 2012. All payments are made out of an investor protection fund established by Congress that is financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators. No money has been taken or withheld from harmed investors to pay whistleblower awards. Whistleblowers may be eligible for an award when they voluntarily provide the SEC with original, timely, and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action. Whistleblower awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected when the monetary sanctions exceed $1 million.

For more information about the whistleblower program and how to submit a tip, visit www.sec.gov/whistleblower.

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Tuesday, May 25, 2021

SEC.gov | SEC Approves Registration of First Security-Based Swap Data Repository; Sets the First Compliance Date for Regulation SBSR


The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that it has approved the registration of its first security-based swap data repository (SDR). With today’s registration of DTCC Data Repository (U.S.), LLC (DDR), the security-based swap market now has the first SDR that can accept transaction reports. DDR intends to operate as a registered SDR for security-based swap transactions in the equity, credit, and interest rate derivatives asset classes.

"Implementing Regulation SBSR fulfills an important mandate under the Dodd-Frank Act," said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. "A centralized database of security-based swap transactions is an essential reform to better understanding these markets, for surveillance and for enforcement. The data repository also will facilitate public reporting of security-based swap transactions, bringing much-needed transparency to these markets."

Today's SEC action sets Nov. 8, 2021, as the first compliance date for Regulation SBSR, which governs regulatory reporting and public dissemination of security-based swap transactions. Regulation SBSR is a key component of the security-based swap regulatory regime established by Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Regulation SBSR provides for the reporting of security-based swap information to registered SDRs and for public dissemination of transaction, volume, and pricing information.

Under Regulation SBSR, the Nov. 8, 2021 compliance date represents the first Monday that is the later of: (1) six months after the May 7, 2021 registration date for the first SDR that can accept transaction reports in a particular asset class; or (2) one month after the Oct. 6, 2021, compliance date for registration of security-based swap entities.

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SEC.gov | SEC Awards $22 Million to Two Whistleblowers


The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced awards totaling approximately $22 million to two whistleblowers whose information and assistance were of crucial importance to successful SEC enforcement actions brought against a financial services firm. 

The first whistleblower received an award of $18 million, while the second whistleblower received a $4 million award.  The larger award was in recognition of the fact that, among other things, the first whistleblower was the initial source of the investigation while the second whistleblower submitted information much later after the investigation was already underway.        

“This case demonstrates once again the value of the whistleblower program in helping to protect investors, and the Commission’s continued commitment to rewarding individuals who provide high-quality tips,” said Emily Pasquinelli, Acting Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower.  “The reporting of credible information by these whistleblowers and their subsequent cooperation with the staff’s investigation allowed the Commission to better understand complex transactions related to the matters under investigation.”

The SEC has awarded approximately $838 million to 156 individuals since issuing its first award in 2012.  All payments are made out of an investor protection fund established by Congress that is financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators.  No money has been taken or withheld from harmed investors to pay whistleblower awards.  Whistleblowers may be eligible for an award when they voluntarily provide the SEC with original, timely, and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action.  Whistleblower awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected when the monetary sanctions exceed $1 million.

As set forth in the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC protects the confidentiality of whistleblowers and does not disclose information that could reveal a whistleblower’s identity.

For more information about the whistleblower program and how to report a tip, visit www.sec.gov/whistleblower.

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SEC.gov | SEC Charges Broker-Dealer for Failures Related to Filing Suspicious Activity Reports


The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced settled charges against GWFS Equities Inc. (GWFS), a Colorado-based registered broker-dealer and affiliate of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, for violating the federal securities laws governing the filing of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs). GWFS provides services to employer-sponsored retirement plans. 

According to the SEC’s order, from September 2015 through October 2018, GWFS was aware of increasing attempts by external bad actors to gain access to the retirement accounts of individual plan participants. The order further finds that GWFS was aware that the bad actors attempted or gained access by, among other things, using improperly obtained personal identifying information of the plan participants, and that the bad actors frequently were in possession of electronic login information such as user names, email addresses, and passwords.

Broker-dealers are required to file SARs for certain transactions suspected to involve fraudulent activity or a lack of an apparent business purpose. The guidance for preparing SARs from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) states that in order to be effective tools for law enforcement and fulfill their intended purpose, SAR narratives should include “the five essential elements of information – who? what? when? where? and why? – of the suspicious activity being reported.” The order finds that GWFS failed to file approximately 130 SARs, including in cases when it had detected external bad actors gaining, or attempting to gain, access to the retirement accounts of participants in the employer-sponsored retirement plans it serviced. Further, for nearly 300 SARs that GWFS did file, the order finds that GWFS did not include the “five essential elements” of information it knew and was required to report about the suspicious activity and suspicious actors, including cyber-related data such as URL addresses and IP addresses.

“Across the financial services industry, we have seen a large increase in attempts by outside bad actors to gain unauthorized access to client accounts,” said Kurt L. Gottschall, Director of the SEC’s Denver Regional Office. “By failing to file SARs and by omitting information it knew about the suspicious activity it did report, GWFS deprived law enforcement of critical information relating to the threat that outside bad actors pose to retirees’ accounts, particularly when the unauthorized account access has been cyber-enabled.”

The SEC’s order notes that significant cooperation by GWFS with the SEC’s investigation and subsequent remedial efforts were taken into account in the determination to accept the company’s settlement offer. The remedial efforts included adding dedicated anti-money laundering (AML) staff and systems, replacing key personnel, clarifying delegation of responsibility for filing SARs, and implementing new SAR-related policies, procedures, standards, and training.

The SEC’s order finds that GWFS violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Exchange Act and Rule 17a-8 thereunder. Without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, GWFS agreed to a settlement that imposes a $1.5 million penalty, a censure, and an order to cease and desist from future violations.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by L. James Lyman with assistance from Daniel J. Goldberg, Damon Reed, David Cohen, and Andrae S. Eccles of the Enforcement Division’s Bank Secrecy Act Review Group. The case was supervised by Ian S. Karpel and Jason J. Burt. The SEC’s examination that led to the investigation was conducted by Denise S. Saxon, Phil Perrone, and Joni S. Marks with assistance from Lisa Byington.

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Monday, May 24, 2021

SEC.gov | SEC Awards Approximately $3.6 Million to Whistleblower


The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced an award of approximately $3.6 million to a whistleblower whose information and assistance led to a successful SEC enforcement action. 

“The whistleblower brought valuable information to the attention of the SEC, causing it to open a new investigation into wrongdoing,” said Emily Pasquinelli, Acting Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower.  “The whistleblower further assisted the SEC by providing ongoing assistance as the Commission’s investigation progressed.  This award shows the significant help a whistleblower can provide by sharing information of potential violations of the federal securities laws with the Commission.”

The SEC has awarded approximately $842 million to 157 individuals since issuing its first award in 2012.  All payments are made out of an investor protection fund established by Congress that is financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators.  No money has been taken or withheld from harmed investors to pay whistleblower awards.  Whistleblowers may be eligible for an award when they voluntarily provide the SEC with original, timely, and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action.  Whistleblower awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected when the monetary sanctions exceed $1 million.

As set forth in the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC protects the confidentiality of whistleblowers and does not disclose any information that could reveal a whistleblower's identity.

For more information about the whistleblower program and how to report a tip, visit www.sec.gov/whistleblower.

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SEC.gov | SEC Charges Healthcare Company and Its Founder with Multimillion Dollar Fraud


The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a New Jersey-based healthcare company and its founder with fraudulently raising nearly $4 million from over 130 investors nationwide through the sale of membership units in the company.

According to the SEC's complaint, since July 2017, Premier Healthcare Solution LLC and its founder, Josiah David (formerly known as Dennis Lee), an individual with felony convictions and an extensive history of regulatory violations, have been raising money from investors by selling them membership interests in Premier, a company that purported to offer employers a supplemental medical reimbursement plan. The SEC alleges that the plan consists of a tax exempt healthcare-related contribution from the employee to Premier, a loan from a lender to repay the employee’s contribution, and an insurance policy obtained by Premier payable at the employee's death to repay the loan. The SEC's complaint alleges that Premier and David defrauded investors by making misrepresentations about Premier having secured a bank loan necessary for its business plan to succeed, when, in fact, it had not done so and also making misrepresentations that the concept underlying Premier's business model was either patent-pending or patented, when, in fact, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had repeatedly denied Premier's applications. The complaint further alleges that David deceived investors by failing to disclose and lying about his prior criminal and regulatory history when he was known as Dennis Lee.

"Investors deserve accurate and complete information about a business's performance and assets, and about its key persons' criminal or regulatory histories, if any," said Richard R. Best, Director of the SEC's New York Regional Office. "We will vigorously pursue those who fail to provide this information to investors."

The SEC's complaint, filed in federal district court in New Jersey, charges Premier and David with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and seeks disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, civil penalties, and permanent injunctive relief. The complaint also names two parties, Denis Joachim and Provision Corporation LLC, as relief defendants and seeks to recover from them investor monies they received from Premier.

The SEC's investigation, which is ongoing, is being conducted by Kenneth Byrne, Rhonda Jung, Debbie Chan, and Adam Grace, and the litigation will be led by Todd D. Brody, Mr. Byrne, and Ms. Jung of the New York Regional Office.  The case is being supervised by Sanjay Wadhwa. The SEC acknowledges the assistance of the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

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SEC.gov | SEC Awards More Than $28 Million to Whistleblower Who Aided SEC and Other Agency Actions


The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced an award to a whistleblower totaling more than $28 million in connection with an SEC enforcement action and a related action by another federal agency. 

The whistleblower’s information caused both the SEC and the other agency to open investigations that resulted in significant enforcement actions.  Under the SEC’s whistleblower program, individuals who provide information to other agencies like this whistleblower may be eligible for an award in the related action if they are also eligible for an award in the underlying SEC action.

“The SEC has awarded more than $900 million over the life of the program, including almost $85 million to nine individuals in this month alone, which reflects the vitality and continued success of the SEC’s whistleblower program,” said Emily Pasquinelli, Acting Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower. 

The SEC has awarded approximately $901 million to 163 individuals since issuing its first award in 2012.  All payments are made out of an investor protection fund established by Congress that is financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators.  No money has been taken or withheld from harmed investors to pay whistleblower awards.  Whistleblowers may be eligible for an award when they voluntarily provide the SEC with original, timely, and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action.  Whistleblower awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected when the monetary sanctions exceed $1 million.

As set forth in the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC protects the confidentiality of whistleblowers and does not disclose any information that could reveal a whistleblower’s identity.

For more information about the whistleblower program and how to report a tip, visit www.sec.gov/whistleblower.

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SEC.gov | SEC Awards More Than $31 Million to Whistleblowers in Two Enforcement Actions


The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced whistleblower awards to four individuals totaling more than $31 million. 

In the first order, the SEC awarded almost $27 million to two claimants who provided SEC staff with new information and assistance during an existing investigation, including meeting with the staff in person on multiple days.  Their information and cooperation helped the Commission bring the enforcement action, which resulted in the return of millions of dollars to harmed investors.

In the second order, the SEC awarded one whistleblower an award of approximately $3.75 million and the other whistleblower an award of approximately $750,000.  While both whistleblowers independently provided information that assisted SEC staff in an ongoing investigation, the whistleblower who received the larger award provided information and assistance that was more important to the resolution of the overall case. 

“Whistleblowers play a critical role in an investigation, whether at the outset or during the course of an investigation,” said Emily Pasquinelli, Acting Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower.  “Today’s awards demonstrate that whistleblowers with specific, credible information who significantly contribute to the success of an existing investigation may be eligible for an award.”

The SEC has awarded approximately $873 million to 162 individuals since issuing its first award in 2012.  All payments are made out of an investor protection fund established by Congress that is financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators.  No money has been taken or withheld from harmed investors to pay whistleblower awards.  Whistleblowers may be eligible for an award when they voluntarily provide the SEC with original, timely, and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action.  Whistleblower awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected when the monetary sanctions exceed $1 million.

As set forth in the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC protects the confidentiality of whistleblowers and does not disclose any information that could reveal a whistleblower's identity.

For more information about the whistleblower program and how to report a tip, visit www.sec.gov/whistleblower.

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SEC.gov | SEC Charges S&P Dow Jones Indices for Failures Relating to Volatility-Related Index


The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced settled charges against S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC for failures relating to a previously undisclosed quality control feature of one of its volatility-related indices, which led S&P DJI to publish and disseminate stale index values during a period of unprecedented volatility. 

The SEC’s order finds that the S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures Index ER (Index) published by S&P DJI was intended to calculate values based on real-time prices of certain CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) futures contracts.  According to the order, S&P DJI licenses the Index to, among others, issuers that use it to offer securities, including the issuer of the inverse exchange-traded note called XIV, and the license agreement requires S&P DJI’s approval of the description of the index in offering documents.  On Monday, Feb. 5, 2018, the VIX experienced a spike of 115%, but the Index remained static during certain intervals between 4:00 p.m. and 5:08 p.m. that day.  According to the SEC’s order, this was due to an undisclosed “Auto Hold” feature, which is triggered if an index value breaches certain thresholds, at which point the immediately prior index value continues to be reported.  The SEC found that XIV’s issuer derived information about the Index from S&P DJI’s public disclosures about the Index, but the Auto Hold feature had never been publicly disclosed.  The SEC’s order finds that S&P DJI personnel did not release the Auto Hold for the Index during the referenced intervals, as they had the ability to do, resulting in the publication and dissemination of stale and static Index values, rather than values based on the real-time prices of certain VIX futures contracts.

The SEC’s order finds that, because the Index was the primary input for the calculation of the XIV ETN’s indicative value, the ETN’s indicative values published to the market during the same intervals were similarly static and, as a result, the indicative values being reported in real-time were higher than they would have been if the Auto Hold had not been triggered.  While the Auto Hold was in place freezing the values being published to the market, XIV’s indicative value breached a key metric, which provided XIV’s issuer the right to accelerate all outstanding notes.  According to the SEC’s order, XIV therefore had an economic value that was substantially lower than what had been publicly reported and was at risk of being accelerated by its issuer. 

“Index providers like S&P DJI play a crucial role in the financial markets,” said Daniel Michael, Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Complex Financial Instruments Unit.  “When index providers license their indices for the issuance of securities, as S&P DJI did here, they must ensure that the disclosure of critical features of their products as well as the publication of real-time values are accurate.”

The SEC’s order charges S&P DJI with violating Section 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act.  Without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, S&P DJI agreed to a cease-and-desist order and to pay a $9 million penalty.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Joshua I. Brodsky, Armita S. Cohen, and Daniel L. Koster of the Complex Financial Instruments Unit and Matthew O. Koop of the Market Abuse Unit with assistance from Thomas Bednar and David Misler of the Enforcement Division’s Trial Unit.  The investigation was supervised by Jeffrey P. Weiss.

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Saturday, May 15, 2021

Rating the Week: Where carries out Barrage GM Joe Sakic obtain all these wonderful playthings?

Interesting piece by Matt Schubert from The Denver Post talking about some important news items for the week. Matt Schubert recently posted this and I thought it was worth posting on this website.

Don’t look now, but the Avalanche has an exciting young prospect — again.

The young fella is making noise at just the right time in the NHL calendar — again.

And his addition will give Colorado coach Jared Bednar another weapon in his team’s quest for its first Stanley Cup title since 2001 — again.

lex Newhook — A

To paraphrase Jack Nicholson’s Joker: Where does Joe Sakic get those wonderful toys?

Even as the Avs were in the midst of chasing down their first Presidents’ Trophy in two decades, they still had time to break in rookie forward Alex Newhook and watch him produce in a game with major stakes — Monday night’s 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.

Sound familiar?

Granted, Newhook’s two-assist performance in the third-to-last regular-season game isn’t quite the same as Avs defenseman Cale Makar showing up in the first round of the 2019 NHL playoffs and scoring a goal in his very first game. But Newhook’s contributions were far from hollow.

Colorado needed every bit of what the 20-year-old brought to Sin City in Monday night’s grinder of a game that ultimately decided the Presidents’ Trophy race.

Now Bednar can breath a little easier if he loses a forward to injury during the team’s first-round series against the Blues. And Sakic won’t have to grit his teeth so much during this summer’s expansion draft.

As good as Newhook appears to already be — the Boston College product has 12 points over 14 games between the Avs and Eagles — Colorado doesn’t even need him for its upcoming Stanley Cup Playoff run.

But it sure is nice to have an up-and-comer waiting in the wings — again.

George Kliavkoff — B+

The Pac-12 being the Pac-12, they just couldn’t help themselves this week.

They had to hire “the new prototype for a sports commissioner” in Kliavkoff — a sports business executive with zero experience in college athletics but just the right amount of “different” to fire up the buzzword machine.

Sure sounds a lot like outgoing (and reviled) commissioner Larry Scott. Except when you start listening to George talk.

“I want to be clear,” he said on a video conference call with media announcing his hire Thursday. “We know where the bread is buttered. We’re focused on revenue sports and winning in men’s basketball and football.”

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Colorado Avalanche vs. St. Louis Blues: Who has the edge, five things to watch and predictions What makes Avalanche’s top line so good? Speed, strength, hockey IQ … and everything else Avalanche won five straight to secure NHL Presidents’ Trophy — now comes the tough part Avalanche sweeps Kings, wins Presidents’ Trophy with NHL’s best record Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule: Avalanche vs. Blues in first round

Well, be still our Conference-of-Champions-loving hearts. That’s something ol’ Limousine Larry never would’ve said in a million years.

And he definitely never said the following, even if he very clearly should have during the past three-plus years:

“I want to go on the record that the Pac-12 is in favor of the expansion of the College Football Playoff. … We think that both CFP expansion and NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) legislation are good for college sports fans, good for our student athletes and can be a significant competitive advantage for the Pac-12.”

Yes, it’s safe to say George hit all of the Grading the Week staff’s pleasure centers in his hour-long introductory news conference.

Now comes the hard part: Actually making the Pac-12 relevant again.

Marc Johnson — A+

The Cherry Creek High School baseball coach crossed over into the realm of the immortal Wednesday when his Bruins rallied from four runs down to beat Grandview 6-5 at Tom McCollum Field.

The victory gave the 76-year-old Hall of Fame coach 808 wins for his career — one more than Eaton’s Jim Danley (807) and a new CHSAA record.

It takes a special talent to be great at something for 10 years.

It takes a legend to be the best at it for 50.

What brings in Avalanche's leading product line thus good? Rate, toughness, hockey IQ ... and every thing else

Interesting article by Ryan O’Halloran from The Denver Post talking about some important points for the week. Ryan O’Halloran recently published the article and I decided it was a great post for sharing on this website.

The St. Louis Blues know what they’re facing when their first-round playoff series against the Avalanche begins Monday night.

They saw it in-person eight times during the regular season.

Gabe Landeskog at the half-wall. Down to Nathan MacKinnon below the goal-line. Back to Landeskog while Mikko Rantanen lurked on the opposite circle. Back to MacKinnon outside the blue paint. One move, two moves and — bam! — MacKinnon flipped a shot over Jordan Binnington.

That goal came in the Avalanche’s 3-2 win over the Blues on April 2, but a familiar script played out throughout the season.

Speed.

Strength.

Anticipation.

Hockey sense.

And usually goals.

The NHL’s top team is led by the league’s top line — MacKinnon at center, flanked by Landeskog (left wing) and Rantanen (right wing). The trio combined for 70 goals, 113 assists and a plus-66 rating.

To get into the mechanics of what makes the Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen line so lethal, we called two players-turned-analysts: Dominic Moore of NBC Sports, who played in 897 games (101 in the playoffs) and reached the third round of the playoffs four times, and Bret Hedican of NBC Sports Bay Area, who played in 1,039 games and played in three Cup finals (one win) among his 108 postseason games.

Both Moore and Hedican raved about the LMR Line’s versatility.

“They can beat you so many ways,” Moore said. “The thing I like about that line is they score off the rush, but they’re also one of the very best in the league in scoring off the cycle and to me, that’s how they’re going to do their damage in the playoffs. You’re not going to see as many of those rush opportunities in the playoffs because you’re playing against sound and disciplined defensive teams.”

While working a recent Avalanche-San Jose game, Hedican asked his producer to show a specific clip of the LMR Line at its collective best.

“It was a play along the right side where all three guys not only grabbed the puck, but kept their feet moving and they were working to get open for each other,” he said. “They’re all so smart and think the game at such a high level, they know when the pass needs to be delivered.”

What stands out about the LMR Line is, to Hedican’s point, they’re always probing the defense. Is Rantanen open in the high slot? Is Landeskog available for a top-of-the-crease tip-in? Does MacKinnon have enough space on the rush to get wide on a retreating defenseman?

“MacKinnon is one of the greatest skaters in the world right now and his ability to shoot the puck just backs teams and defensemen off and that gives guys like Rantanen and Landeskog more room to maneuver into the offensive zone and get open,” Hedican said. “All three add something. Landeskog knows he needs to get to the front of the net. Rantanen can work along the wall. And obviously MacKinnon is somebody who can get separation. That makes them one of the most dominant lines in the world.”

Does the LMR Line remind the former players of any past opponents or teammates? They sure do.

Moore played in Boston with the trio of Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak.

“(The Avs’ line) reminds me of those guys because they’re so strong independently on the puck, they can stay spaced out and that makes them all the more dangerous because you can create more opening,” Moore said.

Hedican mentioned two legends in his comparison.

“I think back to when (Jaromir) Jagr was in his prime with (Mario) Lemieux,” he said. “Jagr made it so difficult to play against because he was so strong in the corners protecting the puck. (The Avs’ line) can all find the open man while they’re defending the puck.”

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So how does St. Louis defend the LMR Line?

“That could be a Ryan O’Reilly job,” Hedican said.

If Avs coach Jared Bednar chooses, he can use the last-change-on-home-ice option to keep O’Reilly away from his big guns. Had the Avalanche played Minnesota, the Wild would have presented a better matchup in the heart-and-guts line of Jordan Greenway, Joel Erikkson-Ek and Marcus Foligno.

“I don’t see (the Blues’) third or fourth lines being able to stop them,” said Hedican, who added, “St. Louis came on at the end of the season, but I don’t see them beating Colorado.”

Liverpool F.C. 2020 Wage Cap

Take a look at this article by from Spotrac.com talking about some important events this week. recently posted this and I decided it was a great post for posting here.

Rockies authorized to raise capacity at Coors Industry to 35,000 enthusiasts beginning in June

Interesting article by Matt Schubert from The Denver Post talking about several important points for the week. Matt Schubert recently published the article and I decided it was well worth posting on this website.

For the second time this week, a professional sports team in Denver was given the green light to increase capacity at its stadium by local authorities.

Two days after the Nuggets and Avalanche were granted approval to nearly double capacity for playoff games at Ball Arena to 42.3%, the Colorado Rockies received the thumbs up from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment to fill Coors Field to 70% capacity starting June 1.

The Rockies will remain capped at 21,363 fans (42.6% capacity) through the end of the month before getting bumped up to 35,000 in June, according to a news release sent out by the Rockies on Friday afternoon.

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“This announcement is a great way to kick off the summer and welcome even more fans back to LoDo and Coors Field,” Rockies President Greg Feasel said in a news release. “We want to again thank the City and County of Denver, their health officials, along with MLB for partnering with us to get to this point, as we continue to ensure that we provide a safe and enjoyable environment for our fans.”

The announcement comes on the same day Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced an end to most mask mandates in the state, with the state’s remaining COVID-19 restrictions ending June 1. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock also announced Friday that the city would move to Level Clear on Sunday, ending a majority of COVID restrictions.

In the release sent out by the Rockies , the team said it will continue to require fans wear masks inside Coors Field through Sunday. It did not mention what protocols would be in place when the Rockies return home May 21-23 for a three-game series against Arizona.

The Rockies will begin selling tickets to June 1-20 home games May 17. Ticket information can be found at rockies.com/tickets and Coors Field policies and protocols can be found at rockies.com/update.

Friday, May 14, 2021

Nuggets International Mailbag: Is Actually Dallas or even Portland much better first-round match?

Interesting piece by Mike Singer from The Denver Post discussing several important points for the week. Mike Singer recently posted this and I decided it was well worth publishing here.

Beat writer Mike Singer opens up the Nuggets Mailbag periodically throughout the season. Pose a Nuggets — or NBA — related question here.

Was it good for Michael Porter Jr. that Nikola Jokic needed a new second man after Jamal Murray got injured?

— Milos Crnogorac, Fredrikstad, Norway

I’m not sure if “good” is the right word, but the Nuggets are fortunate they had a player of Porter’s caliber waiting in the wings. It’s interesting to consider whether Porter has always had this capability — 25.4 points per game, 58% shooting, 50% from 3 in the 15 games since Murray went down — or whether it’s a function of him growing into his expanded role. I lean toward the former, which isn’t a knock on anyone’s role, it’s just a testament to how deep the Nuggets were before Murray tore his ACL. Denver didn’t need Porter to do what he’s doing now. Now it does.

What’s more, he seems more than comfortable as the team’s No. 2 scoring option. His 3-point shooting is one of the few tools the Nuggets have in keeping defenses honest. If Porter wasn’t connecting at the absurd rate he has, Jokic would be facing more double- and triple-teams than he’s ever seen. Porter’s emergence has been the silver lining to a devastating gut-punch amid a season with so much promise. If nothing else comes of this grueling season, at least the Nuggets learned exactly how valuable Porter can be. Aren’t you glad they didn’t trade him?

Why isn’t Aaron Gordon playing pick and roll? He is struggling to get points lately and it seems that Facundo Campazzo could feed him a lot!

— Gustavo, Mar Del Plata, Argentina

Gordon hasn’t played a lot of pick-and-roll with anyone, let alone Campazzo. Part of that is his 3-point shooting (27% since arriving in Denver) hasn’t been reliable, and he still looks like he’s searching for his spots on offense.

The Nuggets have made a concerted effort to run plays for him to start games, but Gordon’s offense is largely coming via isolation post-ups, transition chances and the offensive glass. At just 8.3 attempts per game, Gordon is averaging his fewest shots since his second year in the league. The Nuggets could badly use an offensive spark from him, considering the burden on Jokic and Porter heading into the postseason. In Gordon’s defense, his defense has been sound. If he can be the defensive stopper they need in a playoff series (Hey, Luka!), the Nuggets might be able to survive with his inconsistent offensive play.

Is there a lot to be read into Zeke Nnaji’s slide from even the extended rotation? Vlatko Čančar and even Bol Bol have seen playing time ahead of him recently. He looked very good at times earlier this year, especially as a shooter, and although Vlatko has shown a lot more in prime time minutes this year than in previous years, I’m completely shocked that Bol Bol is ahead of him in the rotation As a second question, how should we view Markus Howard’s significantly better shooting efficiency in primetime minutes versus mop-up time, albeit in a massively small sample size?

— Mathieu, San Francisco

Short answer, no. I don’t think Malone’s had a more difficult predicament during the second half of the season than dealing with the Millsap-Green-McGee musical chairs. I think Nnaji was a casualty of that frontcourt depth (not to mention, he’s recently been battling an ankle sprain).

The team is very high on Nnaji. Next season should be huge for him depending on what happens with Millsap (free agent), Green (player option) and McGee (free agent).

I’m glad you brought up Howard. Frankly, I hadn’t been impressed with the way he’s played in mop-up duty. Too often I’d seen him hoist a shot early in the shot clock with no consequence because the game was generally out of hand by that point. His play in the loss to the Nets was extremely encouraging, not only because he scored a then career-high 13 points, but because he showed he can be relied upon when the backcourt has been decimated. His career-high 15 points against Minnesota on Thursday night only underscored that confidence. His four 3-pointers tied for the team lead.

What’s the inside pulse on Portland vs Dallas as our first-round matchup? We’ve been better head-to-head with Portland recently, but they seem to be rolling right now.

— Michael Mondry, San Francisco/Aspen

Greetings, love your work Mr. Singer. I was just wondering who you consider the worst mismatch for our Nuggets when the playoffs roll around, and do you have any fears about particular Denver players being exploited without Jamal Murray and Will Barton?

 — Marko, Belgrade, Serbia

Denver doesn’t want to see the Lakers in the first round, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to. It’s far more interesting to dive into the Portland-vs.-Dallas question. On one hand, Denver’s 2-0 vs. the Trail Blazers this season and just 1-2 against the Mavericks. Dallas is tied (with Denver) for the best record in the NBA over the last 15 games (11-4). On the other, the Blazers have, by far, the best offensive rating in the NBA (120.4 points per 100 possessions) over that time span.

The question is: Would Denver rather deal with Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Norm Powell against a depleted, albeit defensive-oriented, backcourt or would it rather take its chances against a generational talent like Luka Doncic? While I think the Nuggets would likely be favored in both series, the health of Kristaps Porzingis is a huge swing factor. Before Wednesday night, he’d missed seven consecutive games due to knee soreness.

Do you think Monte Morris will be a starter for the playoffs or continue to be the spark off the bench with the way Facundo Campazzo has been playing?

— Christian Messana, Staten Island

I think Malone is comfortable with Campazzo as his starting PG in the playoffs. Considering the rhythm Campazzo has found playing with Jokic, and Morris’ return from his hamstring injury, I’d be stunned if Malone reversed course and brought Campazzo off the bench. Leaving Morris in with the second unit also improves the reserves’ chances of scoring, which has been, um, difficult at times.

If tomorrow Denver had to face a Game 7 in Western Conference semifinals vs Utah, which players do you think coach Michael Malone will choose to finish a close game?

— Enrique, Florida, Partido de Vicente López, Provincia de Buenos Aires

There are a million factors, but there’s one common thread with Malone’s tendencies: You’re not on the floor in crunch time unless you can defend. I’ll go with Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Austin Rivers, and then two of either Facu Campazzo, JaMychal Green or Shaq Harrison. If the Nuggets need points, assume MPJ is in there. If they have a slight lead, I think Harrison may play the P.J. Dozier role from last postseason, assuming Dozier himself isn’t back yet.

Assuming relative health for everyone not named Jamal Murray (and possibly Will Barton), what do you expect the playoff rotation to look like? Will it be relatively the same throughout? Or do you expect Michael Malone to make big adjustments based on the opponent (such as getting Vlatko Čančar, JaVale McGee and Zeke Nnaji in vs. big teams like the Lakers, but not using them otherwise)?

— Brad Bonesteel, Westminster

Our playoff rotation should be something like: We start with Facundo Campazzo and Austin Rivers with forward line of Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic. For our first-round matchups, Monte Morris and Will Barton should be coming off the bench as they both get eased into playoffs. Shaq Harrison is a must due to his elite defensive ability. Upfront Paul Millsap and JaMychal Green should be our bigs rotational players. JaVale McGee can be used if and when matchups requires. P.J. Dozier should be available for later rounds which only boosts our chances for a first-ever NBA championship . Austin Rivers will be balling and gets a contract offer for next year too.

— Dragan, Sydney, Australia

I agree on starters. Keep them Campazzo, Rivers, MPJ, Gordon and Jokic. Morris and Barton add scoring off the bench, and I think Harrison will be a situational defender. The frontcourt will be matchup dependent. If it’s the Blazers, I think Millsap and Green have a much better chance of both being part of the rotations than if the Nuggets draw Dallas. The Mavericks have a lot of size inside with Porzingis, Kleber, Finney-Smith, Powell and Boban. In that series, just as in a potential Lakers series, I expect McGee to play. As Thursday night showed, a Jokic-McGee pairing can be devastating.

The Nuggets traded a young big and two seconds to acquire a backup center they’ve played a total of 121 minutes since he arrived. Now what?

— @andyglockner

It’s been curious watching Malone’s use of McGee. He might’ve been helpful, for instance, when Charlotte’s Cody Zeller was going off against Denver’s second unit earlier this week. McGee, a certified agent of chaos, makes the Nuggets infinitely more fun when he’s in. An interesting wrinkle about the McGee trade: At the time of it, a person close to the deal told me Malone had been the driving force behind the trade. He wanted better rim protection and championship experience. Keep in mind, it’d be a lot easier to stomach those two second-round picks if the team was fully healthy and could take their best shot at a championship. Playoffs are the ultimate truth serum. We’ll see how valuable Malone thinks he is in the coming weeks.

Can we expect Will Barton and P.J. Dozier back for the first game of the playoffs, or will they not return until later? And is the expectation that Monte Morris will be a full-go, with no minutes restrictions, by the playoffs?

— Thomas Ritchie, Leeds, UK

Any updates on how P.J. Dozier and Will Barton are progressing? Will we see them in the first round of the playoffs? Until then, do you foresee Austin Rivers continuing to start at the two or will we get more of the Paul Millsap lineups?

— Rod Rahimizadeh, Istanbul, Turkey

Any news on Will Barton and P.J. Dozier? Do you think they’ll be back in time for the first round? Also, what would be your guess at what the playoff rotation will look like, provided those two are healthy? Thanks and cheers from Croatia!

— Rea, Zagreb, Croatia

Don’t expect either Barton or Dozier back before the start of the playoffs. Both are on the mend, according to Malone, and Barton is much closer to a return than Dozier is. By the time Barton’s healthy, he’ll have missed nearly a month of action. The positive is that Barton does things that are harder to replace than Dozier does (because of Harrison). The negative is that Barton just seems snakebitten when it comes to being healthy in the postseason.

Do you think that the Nuggets are capable of winning the title this year without Jamal Murray (and maybe Will Barton and P.J. Dozier)? Hugs from a Brazilian Nugget.

— João Vitor de Barros, Osasco, SP, Brazil

In the 16 games since Murray went down, the Nuggets are now 12-4. That’s the best record in the NBA. Nobody, not even the Nuggets themselves, would’ve predicted that. They’ve got wins over numerous playoff-bound teams, including the Clippers and Knicks. They’ve proven they can survive on a steady diet of Jokic and Porter. Championship teams always say there’s luck involved, and the Nuggets have been anything but lucky the last month. Can they win a title this year? It would be more than improbable. So was coming back from two 3-1 holes. I think they still have the depth to make a serious run in the postseason, and the bracket, assuming it holds, has lined up as favorable as possible for the Nuggets.

I was wondering if you could explain more of what buying a G-League team means? Will the team move? Is the roster now a part of our pipeline? What changes for the Nuggets?

 — Greger P., Nashville

Appreciate the question. The G League team is staying in Grand Rapids, with no imminent plans to come to Colorado. What this means, though, is the Nuggets will now have a development squad running the same plays, using the same terminology, growing their prospects in the same manner as the parent squad. The Nuggets see it not only as a place to develop their players, they also see it as a place to develop coaches. The argument the Nuggets needed a G League squad somewhat fell on deaf ears because of their recent success with players like Monte Morris, P.J. Dozier and Bol Bol. But if that’s the baseline, imagine what value the Nuggets might glean when they have the advantages of a talent pipeline.

Who will be the third-best Nuggets player in the playoffs?

— @MiroslavCuk

In the 16 games since Murray went down, there are three players who have played over 500 total minutes. They are Jokic, Porter and Facundo Campazzo. The next closest is Aaron Gordon, who’s played 385 minutes. After that, it’s Rivers at 359. Campazzo may not be the team’s third “best” player but he may be their third-most important one in the postseason. He’s going to play, he’s likely going to start and he’s going to have the ball in his hands a ton. Given his big-game experience in Europe, there is some level of confidence that he won’t be fazed by the postseason. Campazzo can play. His 95 assists (to only 27 turnovers) are second only to Jokic over the last 16 games.

I think Campazzo will have moments, be it a steal or a clutch 3-pointer or drawing a charge. I also think Gordon’s going to be invaluable on defense, particularly if they face the Mavericks. Does that vault him to “best”? I’m not sure. I think if Rivers, Gordon and Campazzo can hit open 3-pointers, Denver’s ceiling gets significantly higher in the playoffs.

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Do the Nuggets still trade for Aaron Gordon if Murray injures his knee before the deadline?

— Matt, Mt. Sunflower, Kansas

This was one of the first thoughts I had after processing Murray’s injury. The Nuggets probably never would’ve made the deal they made had they known Murray was going to get hurt. They never would’ve pushed their chips to the center, making a “win-now” move when their shot at a championship took a major hit. Furthermore, R.J. Hampton would’ve had a clear path to develop, and the Nuggets would’ve likely been much more reticent to move him. The answer is no. There is a lesson, though. Championship windows aren’t guaranteed. When there’s an opening, teams that are serious about winning have to seize the chance. You can’t blame the Nuggets for trying.

Mountain Ranges Expert: Colorado prospects to check out at the Class-A degrees in 2021

Interesting article by Kyle Newman from The Denver Post talking about some important points this week. Kyle Newman recently posted the article and I decided it was worth syndicating here.

With the 2021 minor league season underway, here’s 10 Rockies prospects to watch on the rosters of the Class-A Fresno Grizzlies and the Class-A Advanced Spokane Indians.

Class-A Fresno

LHP Sam Weatherly — A third-round pick in 2020, Weatherly impressed in the Arizona Instructional League last fall and is one of the Rockies’ most promising starting southpaw prospects.

C Drew Romo — Colorado’s second pick in 2020 was widely considered the best prep catching prospect in his draft class, though he has room to grow with his receiving and his game-calling.

C Colin Simpson — A 29th-round pick in 2019, Simpson dominated for rookie-level Grand Junction that year, slashing .309/.383/.667 and being named Pioneer League MVP.

1B Grant Lavigne — A lefty hitter with pop, Lavigne had 13 homers across his first two seasons, and the ex-New Hampshire prep star is only starting to settle in as a pro.

OF Brenton Doyle — Equipped with all five tools, Doyle had eight homers and a 1.088 OPS for Grand Junction in 2019. He has phenomenal range and speed in the outfield.

Class-A Advanced Spokane

RHP Karl Kauffmann — A second-round pick in 2019, the high-ceiling Kauffmann didn’t pitch in the minors that year because of how much he was used during Michigan’s World Series run.

LHP Helcris Olivarez — Already on Colorado’s 40-man roster, Olivarez pitched in big-league camp this spring and a strong season could fast-track him to the big leagues in 2022.

RHP Riley Pint — It may be now or never for the No. 4 overall pick in 2016. Pint has struggled with command and injuries, and time is running out for the first-round pick to still prove his worth.

3B Aaron Schunk — College baseball’s two-way player of the year in 2019 did well with short-season Boise that summer, and remains highly rated at a position where Colorado has a prospect backlog.

1B Michael Toglia — Colorado’s top pick in 2019 hit nine homers in his first minor league season, and the switch-hitter’s power is growing: Toglia has four homers through the first seven games of 2021.

Udonis Haslem Played His Very First Video Game Of The Season And Also Got Thrown For Trying To Combat Dwight Howard In Two Mins


Getty Image

Udonis Haslem is the elder statesman of the Miami Heat, an 18-year veteran who has spent his entire career with the organization and is the physical embodiment of their beloved Heat Culture.

Haslem doesn’t play much anymore, having played just four games in 2019-20 and entering Thursday night’s action against the Sixers had yet to step foot on the court this season, but no one around the Heat will stand for anything but giving the utmost respect to Haslem for what he brings them in the locker room at 40 years old. However, on Thursday, Haslem finally got his first minutes of the season and made the absolute most of them.

The Heat legend checked in for the final minute of the first quarter, getting a fastbreak bucket to close out a sensational first period for Miami.

THE LEGEND GETTING BUCKETS pic.twitter.com/NpErUaEu1T

— x – Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) May 14, 2021

From there, he added another bucket to start the second and then got into it with Dwight Howard, earning a quick two technicals for pointing and poking a finger in Howard’s face and getting himself tossed.

UD got ejected after getting into it with Dwight pic.twitter.com/DwLaSi1Dk6

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 14, 2021

For those counting at home, that was two minutes, four points, one rebound two technicals, and an ejection for the Heat lifer. No one enjoyed the Haslem experience more than Pat Riley who was beaming from his perch in the arena as the entire situation unfolded.

The Haslem ejection made Pat Riley sooooo happy pic.twitter.com/7FovKTTuU4

— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) May 14, 2021

Haslem hasn’t decided if he’ll come back next year or not, but if this is the end it is a perfect way to finish off his career.

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Thursday, May 13, 2021

10 must-see games on the 2021 NFL schedule

Check out this article by Kyle Newman from The Denver Post discussing several important points for the week. Kyle Newman recently posted this and I thought it was well worth posting here.

The NFL unveiled its 2021 schedule Wednesday. Here are 10 non-Broncos games that will be appointment viewing.

Browns at Chiefs (Week 1, Sept. 12, 2:25 p.m.)

The rematch from last year’s AFC divisional round beats out Jets/Panthers and Cowboys/Buccaneers for the best opener. Can Cleveland put its immediate mark on 2021 with a win over Super Bowl-caliber Kansas City?

Rams at Colts (Week 2, Sept. 19, 11 a.m.)

By the end of the second game, both franchises should have a decent preliminary feel for their new quarterbacks as Matthew Stafford takes over in Los Angeles and Carson Wentz attempts to revive his career in Indianapolis.

Buccaneers at Patriots (Week 4, Oct. 3, 6:20 p.m.)

Tom Brady returns to New England for the first time since leaving the Patriots. The defending Super Bowl champ Buccaneers will face Cam Newton (or Mac Jones?) and a New England team looking for a new identity.

Bills at Chiefs (Week 5, Oct. 10, 6:20 p.m.)

The rematch of last year’s AFC title game features two of the NFL’s most exciting offenses. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen each threw for two touchdowns in last season’s regular season tilt, which was also won by K.C.

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Dolphins at Jaguars (Week 6, Oct. 17, 7:30 a.m.)

The second of two games in London in 2021 (the Jets and Falcons face off the week before), Europe gets a first-hand glimpse at the hype surrounding second-year QB Tua Tagovailoa and No. 1 overall pick Justin Lawrence.

Saints at Seahawks (Week 7, Oct. 25, 6:15 p.m.)

The Jameis Winston Era will be in full swing when the Saints travel to Seattle for a Monday Night Football bout. And it will be an interesting midseason harmony check for quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seahawks.

Buccaneers at Saints (Week 8, Oct. 31, 2:25 p.m.)

Brady haters might want to tune in, as the QB struggled against the Saints during the 2020 regular season, going 0-2 with five picks. The Halloween matchup will likely play a big role in determining the NFC South winner.

Bears at Steelers (Week 9, Nov. 8, 6:15 p.m.)

Justin Fields and Chicago travel to Pittsburgh for a midseason test on Monday Night Football. Chicago has won three straight over Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers, but Pittsburgh is 27-5 all-time at home on MNF.

Jaguars at Jets (Week 16, Dec. 26, 11 a.m.)

The top two picks from this year’s NFL draft square off in the Meadowlands. While their respective rookie impact will likely be evident by this point, who wins the quarterback battle between Lawrence and Zach Wilson?

Vikings at Packers (Week 17, Jan. 2, 6:20 p.m)

The NFC North rivals split in 2020, with Minnesota holding off a late Packers comeback for a win in the latter game. Depending on how things go in Green Bay, it might be a gut-check for quarterback Jordan Love.

SEC.gov | Register for the SEC's 40th Annual Small Business Forum, Featuring Inclusive Conversations on Capital Formation from Startup to Small Cap


The Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation will host the Securities and Exchange Commission's 40th Annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation virtually from May 24-27, 2021.  Each of the four sessions will feature panelists with in-depth knowledge of the issues facing small businesses across the country, spotlighting the following topics:

Monday, May 24:       Finding Your First Dollars

Tuesday, May 25:       Being a Savvy Investor

Wednesday, May 26:  Small and Emerging Funds

Thursday, May 27:     Small Cap Insights

The Forum website will continue to be updated with details on the agenda, speakers, registration, and FAQs in the coming weeks leading up to the event. New this year, to foster more inclusive and structured discussions, participants are asked to submit feedback and policy recommendations in advance of the Forum. All participants will have the opportunity to review and prioritize submitted policy recommendations during the live event.

"I look forward to hearing from small businesses and their investors at my first Small Business Forum as Chair," said SEC Chair Gary Gensler.  "As the son of a small business owner, I am excited to spotlight the critical role entrepreneurs play in our capital markets ecosystem - providing jobs, spurring innovation, and supporting our communities."

"Our team is thrilled to be hosting the 40th Small Business Forum, where we will hear from a diverse group of entrepreneurs, businesses, and their investors on trends in capital raising," said SEC Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation Martha Legg Miller. "As we examine capital formation policy and solicit feedback from Forum participants, we must ask the critical questions: how is this serving the needs of entrepreneurs and their investors, who is being left behind, and what needs to change?"

How to Participate: Participants should register for the Forum in advance to receive a link to engage in the live virtual event. After registration, participants will receive information about how to submit feedback and policy recommendations to be considered at the event. Information is also available on the Forum website.

About the Forum: The SEC hosts the annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation pursuant to the Small Business Investment Incentive Act of 1980. The Forum is a unique event where members of the public and private sectors gather to craft suggestions for policy affecting emerging businesses and their investors, from startups to smaller public companies. Following the Forum, the Commission delivers a report to Congress that includes a summary of the proceedings and recommendations for changes to improve capital formation. The 2020 Forum Report summarizing the proceedings and recommendations of participants was released on Sept. 14, 2020.

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Records: Firefighters might be fired for Bryant photos

Interesting piece by Stefanie Dazio, Brian Melley from The Denver Post talking about several important happenings this week. Stefanie Dazio, Brian Melley recently published this and I decided it was worth posting here.

LOS ANGELES — Two Los Angeles County firefighters could be fired and a third suspended after some first responders took and shared graphic photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter and seven others, court documents say.

The court documents were filed Monday as part of widow Vanessa Bryant’s federal lawsuit against Los Angeles County that alleges invasion of privacy. The filings propose that a Nov. 16 trial be postponed five months to April 27, 2022, because of a large amount of material that attorneys need to review.

Kobe Bryant and the others were killed Jan. 26, 2020, when the helicopter they were aboard crashed west of Los Angeles. Federal safety officials blamed pilot error for the wreck that killed the basketball star, whom Michael Jordan will present for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday.

An internal investigation by the Los Angeles County Fire Department found that two firefighters — whose names were not disclosed in the court filings — had taken photos of the bodies in the helicopter wreckage that “served no business necessity,” Vanessa Bryant’s attorneys wrote, and “only served to appeal to baser instincts and desires for what amounted to visual gossip.”

They then sent the photos to a third firefighter — a media relations officer who went to the scene and later shared the images with off-duty firefighters and their wives and girlfriends while socializing at an awards ceremony at a Hilton hotel the month after the crash.

The two firefighters — one of whom was at the site solely to monitor safety procedures — were sent “intention to discharge” letters last December. The third firefighter received an “intention to suspend” letter. The employment status of all three was not immediately clear Wednesday.

Los Angeles County attorneys have argued that there is no legal basis for Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit because the photos were not publicly disseminated. She can’t sue for a “hypothetical harm” that they may be shared publicly, the county said in filings.

Capt. Ron Haralson, a spokesperson for the county Fire Department, declined to comment, citing the lawsuit.

Several Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies — none of whom were directly involved in the investigation of the crash — are also included in the lawsuit because they are accused of taking or passing around the grisly photos with family, friends and, in one case, a bar patron and a bartender who later complained to the sheriff’s department.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva condemned the deputies’ behavior and, in a move that has since been heavily criticized, ordered them to delete the photos. The captain of the Malibu-Lost Hills sheriff’s station, which oversees the area where the crash occurred, pushed back on the decision but was overruled.

The sheriff’s department said Wednesday that it did not have an update on the deputies, including any possible discipline taken against them.

Gov. Gavin Newsom last year signed a law that makes it a crime for first responders to take unauthorized photos of deceased people at the scene of an accident or crime.

The firefighters’ punishment was first reported by KNBC-TV. Representatives from the union that represents firefighters did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment Wednesday.

The firefighter who received the photos and shared them with others was not named in court documents, but the Los Angeles Times has reported that Capt. Tony Imbrenda filed a retaliation lawsuit in November. Imbrenda alleged he was demoted for refusing to hand over his personal cellphone during the investigation into the photos, which he said was a violation of the Firefighter Bill of Rights.

Imbrenda did, however, hand over his department cellphone and laptop, the Times reported. His lawsuit says he received photos from people working at the crash site “as is common practice on all major incidents.”

He took his own photos the next day, the Times reported, but denied taking photos of the victims’ bodies and said he did not take photos with his personal cellphone.

Imbrenda did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

SEC.gov | SEC Charges Under Armour Inc. With Disclosure Failures


The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged sports apparel manufacturer Under Armour Inc. with misleading investors as to the bases of its revenue growth and failing to disclose known uncertainties concerning its future revenue prospects. Under Armour has agreed to pay $9 million to settle the action.

According to the SEC's order, by the second half of 2015, Under Armour's internal revenue and revenue growth forecasts for the third and fourth quarters of 2015 began to indicate shortfalls from analysts' revenue estimates. The order finds, for example, that the company was not meeting internal sales projections for North America, and warm winter weather was negatively impacting sales of Under Armour's higher-priced cold weather apparel. The order further finds that in response, for six consecutive quarters beginning in the third quarter of 2015, Under Armour accelerated, or "pulled forward," a total of $408 million in existing orders that customers had requested be shipped in future quarters. As stated in the order, Under Armour misleadingly attributed its revenue growth during this period to various factors without disclosing to investors material information about the impacts of its pull forward practices. The order finds that Under Armour failed to disclose that its increasing reliance on pull forwards raised significant uncertainty as to whether the company would meet its revenue guidance in future quarters. According to the order, using these undisclosed pull forwards, Under Armour was able to meet analysts' revenue estimates.

"When public companies describe how they achieved financial results, they must not misstate any information that is material to investors," said Kurt Gottschall, Director of the SEC's Denver Regional Office. "By using pull forwards for several consecutive quarters to meet analysts' revenue targets while attributing its revenue growth to other factors, Under Armour created a misleading picture of the drivers of its financial results and concealed known uncertainties concerning its business."

The SEC's order finds that Under Armour violated the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a)(2) and (3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as well as certain reporting provisions of the federal securities laws. Without admitting or denying the findings in the SEC's order, Under Armour agreed to cease and desist from further violations and to pay a $9 million penalty.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by L. James Lyman, Jeffrey Lyons, and Donna Walker, with assistance from Gregory Kasper and Nicholas Heinke of the Trial Unit, and supervised by Ian Karpel, Jason Burt, and Kurt Gottschall.

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Mountain ranges briefs: Messy 6th inning ends up being Jon Gray's downfall

Interesting post by Patrick Saunders from The Denver Post discussing some important events this week. Patrick Saunders recently posted this and I thought it was a great post for posting on this website.

All of the pieces were in place for Rockies right-hander Jon Gray to pitch a gem. His fastball consistently zipped in at 95 mph and his slider was sharp.

But a lack of execution, by Gray, and his teammates, cost the Rockies in Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader vs. San Diego at Coors Field. The Padres ultimately won, 5-3, powered by a sixth-inning grand slam by Victor Caratini off reliever Robert Stephenson.

The sixth inning was messy. Gray walked two, and an error on a tough play by second baseman Alan Trejo added up to a bases-loaded situation. Rather than stick with Gray, manager Bud Black made the call for Stephenson, who had given up one earned run in his previous nine outings.

The move backfired when Caratini jumped on Stephenson’s 2-0 fastball.

“Stephenson has been great for us, one of our most reliable relievers,” Black explained. “Jon had the pinch hitter (Patrick) Kivlehan down 0-2 and then he walked him, and that was a sign to me that he couldn’t put (them) away.”

Asked if he wanted to finish the inning, Gray answered: “That’s tough to say. I felt really good in the first two innings, up through the fourth inning. After that, I didn’t feel that great. … Maybe the coaches saw that and made the right decision. But you never know.”

Gray made some key mistakes. He plunked Austin Nola to load the bases with two down in the fifth, then watched as Trent Grisham laid a perfect safety squeeze to tie the game, 1-1. Gray also struck out trying to bunt with one out in the top of the frame.

Missed opportunities. The Game 1 loss left the Rockies with a 4-14 record in games decided by two runs or less this season. The big pitch, and the big hit, continue to be AWOL.

In the fifth inning, Garrett Hampson struck out against Emilio Pagán with runners at second and third. Hampson slammed his bat to the ground in frustration. In the seventh, the Rockies loaded the bases against San Diego closer Marck Melancon but Elias Díaz popped out to Nola, who ran out from second base to shallow right field to make the catch and close out the game.

RBI machine. With one run driven in during Game 1, shortstop Trevor Story collected his 396th RBI in a Rockies uniform. Entering Game 2, he needed just four more to become the 13th player in franchise history to reach the 400 RBI plateau.

Since his debut in 2016, Story has the second-most RBIs by any big-league shortstop, trailing only Boston’s Xander Bogaerts (419).

SEC.gov | Jessica Wachter Named SEC Chief Economist and Director of the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis


The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Jessica Wachter has been appointed Chief Economist and Director of the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA). Dr. Wachter joins the SEC from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where she has been a professor since 2003.

"For centuries, capital markets have evolved by adapting to technological innovation and the emergence of new data sources," said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. "It is essential that we apply rigorous economic analysis to ensure that our policymaking, enforcement decisions, and examinations are informed by the data we have available to us. Jessica Wachter is an exceptional economist who has completed wide-ranging research on issues critical to the SEC's mission. The Commission and the capital markets will benefit from her extensive experience and stellar track record in the field of financial economics."

"I thank Chyhe Becker for her leadership of DERA as Acting Chief Economist and look forward to our continued work together," added Chair Gensler.

"I am honored to be joining the SEC and the dedicated experts within DERA," said Dr. Wachter. "Sound economic and statistical analysis is critical to the SEC's mission, and I greatly look forward to working with the team to inform decision-making at the agency."

Jessica Wachter is one of the leading academic researchers on financial markets. She holds the Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Chair of Quantitative Finance at the Wharton School and is a Research Associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research. Prior to Wharton, she taught at New York University's Stern School of Business. Her research focuses on behavioral finance, capital markets, and financial crises. She previously served on the boards of the American Finance Association and the Western Finance Association and as associate editor of the academic publications Review of Financial Studies and Journal of Economic Theory. Dr. Wachter graduated with an A.B. in Mathematics magna cum laude and a Ph.D. in Business Economics from Harvard University.

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Wednesday, May 12, 2021

North Colorado girls's baseball introduces brand-new train

This is an interesting piece by Jadyn Watson-Fisher from The Denver Post talking about several important points for the week. Jadyn Watson-Fisher recently posted this and I thought it was worth syndicating here.

Northern Colorado women’s basketball has a new coach, the university announced Saturday evening.

Kristen Mattio will take over the Bears program after spending the last six years as the head coach of West Texas A&M, where she compiled a 154-35 record. It was the fastest any coach in program history had reached 150 wins. Prior to that, she spent two years as an assistant under now-Stephen F. Austin head coach Mark Kellogg.

“We are excited to welcome Kristen to the Northern Colorado family. We set out to find a leader who would build champions on and off the court and there is no doubt we hit that mark,” UNC Athletic Director Darren Dunn said in a statement. “Coach Mattio is a respected recruiter and developer of talent who has achieved immense success on a national level. Most importantly, she is a tremendous person who cares for her student-athletes. Her familiarity with Colorado and the Big Sky Conference made her the perfect choice as our new head coach of the University of Northern Colorado women’s basketball program.”

Mattio led the program to four regular season Lone Star Conference titles including three straight from 2018 to 2020. She also guided the program to conference tournament titles in 2018 and 2019. Additionally, the Lady Buffs program won the South Central Regional Championship in 2017 and earned spots in the Division II NCAA Tournament in five of the last six years.

WT would have qualified for the DII tournament had the bracket not been reduced due to COVID-19.

During her time on staff, she helped lead the program to three Elite Eight appearances and a national runner-up finish in 2014.

Mattio’s head coaching record boasts wins over four Division I teams, including Big Sky opponents Northern Arizona and Weber State.

“I am truly excited and honored to join the Northern Colorado family and be part of a program with such a strong tradition,” Mattio said in the announcement.  “I am thrilled to join a community that embraces its university and athletic programs with such enthusiasm. I want to thank President Andy Feinstein, Director of Athletics Darren Dunn and the entire search committee for the opportunity to lead the Northern Colorado women’s basketball program. It is humbling and exciting to join an athletic department that is as welcoming, passionate and committed to success as UNC is, and I can’t wait to start building this program to be among the best in the Big Sky Conference.”

UNC’s new coach has earned two Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year distinctions and guided four All-Americans.

Prior to her time at WT, Mattio worked at Northwest Missouri State and Fort Lewis College in Durango.

Fort Lewis made five straight NCAA Tournament appearances and won its first NCAA postseason contest while she was on staff. She also recruited two All-Americans and RMAC Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011, Dana Schriebvogel.

Mattio’s coaching history also includes stops at Austin Peay and Montana State, a fellow Big Sky member.

As a player, Mattio attended Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. She was a part of two NAIA Tournament Appearances, three conference titles and an NAIA Division II Sweet Sixteen appearance.

Mattio’s hiring comes two and a half weeks after former head coach Jenny Huth’s sudden resignation. Huth spent three seasons with the Bears, leading the program to two Big Sky Conference semifinals and the WNIT. She also helped develop 2021 Big Sky MVP Alisha Davis.

The Greeley Tribune previously reached out to UNC regarding additional details regarding her resignation and the national search but little information was provided.

UNC plans to formally introduce Mattio at a news conference next week. More details are set to be released in the coming days.