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Shaq to launch professional dunk league NBA great Shaquille O’Neal said on Monday he is ​launching a professional dunk league with its ‌inaugural season set to debut this ​year.The league, which also has ⁠the backing of TNT Sports and Authentic Brands Group, builds on the DUNKMAN TV series launched ‌last year and aims to turn dunk contests from one-off showcase ‌events into a structured professional ‌competition.Featuring ⁠24 athletes from around the world, ⁠the league’s first season will include four live group-stage events, with competitors vying for places in ​the DUNKMAN World Championship.The ‌winner of the final will receive a 0,000 grand prize.“These athletes are innovators, and DUNKMAN is going to give them ‌a global stage, real stakes, and ​a chance to build careers doing what they love,” O’Neal, who ⁠will serve as league commissioner, said in a statement.READ: Victor Wembanyama injury update — San Antonio Spurs star doubtful for rest of NBA seasonThe events will air across TNT, ‌ TBS, t ruTV, and H BO Max, with additional content distributed through social media channels and other digital brands.TNT Sports chief content officer Craig Barry said the league would target audiences drawn to both ‌sports and culture, adding that the partnership with ​O’Neal would help create programming built around the personalities and creativity ⁠of top dunkers.A panel of judges will evaluate ⁠each dunk attempt to decide which athletes advance through the competition. ‌Details such as host cities, participants, and broadcast information would be announced in ​the coming weeks.Published on Apr 07, 2026 #Shaq #launch #professional #dunk #league

Shaq to launch professional dunk league

NBA great Shaquille O’Neal said on Monday he is ​launching a professional dunk league with its ‌inaugural season set to debut this ​year.

The league, which also has ⁠the backing of TNT Sports and Authentic Brands Group, builds on the DUNKMAN TV series launched ‌last year and aims to turn dunk contests from one-off showcase ‌events into a structured professional ‌competition.

Featuring ⁠24 athletes from around the world, ⁠the league’s first season will include four live group-stage events, with competitors vying for places in ​the DUNKMAN World Championship.

The ‌winner of the final will receive a $500,000 grand prize.

“These athletes are innovators, and DUNKMAN is going to give them ‌a global stage, real stakes, and ​a chance to build careers doing what they love,” O’Neal, who ⁠will serve as league commissioner, said in a statement.

READ: Victor Wembanyama injury update — San Antonio Spurs star doubtful for rest of NBA season

The events will air across TNT, ‌ TBS, t ruTV, and H BO Max, with additional content distributed through social media channels and other digital brands.

TNT Sports chief content officer Craig Barry said the league would target audiences drawn to both ‌sports and culture, adding that the partnership with ​O’Neal would help create programming built around the personalities and creativity ⁠of top dunkers.

A panel of judges will evaluate ⁠each dunk attempt to decide which athletes advance through the competition. ‌Details such as host cities, participants, and broadcast information would be announced in ​the coming weeks.

Published on Apr 07, 2026

#Shaq #launch #professional #dunk #league

Sports news , , , , , ,

NBA great Shaquille O’Neal said on Monday he is ​launching a professional dunk league with its ‌inaugural season set to debut this ​year.

The league, which also has ⁠the backing of TNT Sports and Authentic Brands Group, builds on the DUNKMAN TV series launched ‌last year and aims to turn dunk contests from one-off showcase ‌events into a structured professional ‌competition.

Featuring ⁠24 athletes from around the world, ⁠the league’s first season will include four live group-stage events, with competitors vying for places in ​the DUNKMAN World Championship.

The ‌winner of the final will receive a $500,000 grand prize.

“These athletes are innovators, and DUNKMAN is going to give them ‌a global stage, real stakes, and ​a chance to build careers doing what they love,” O’Neal, who ⁠will serve as league commissioner, said in a statement.

READ: Victor Wembanyama injury update — San Antonio Spurs star doubtful for rest of NBA season

The events will air across TNT, ‌ TBS, t ruTV, and H BO Max, with additional content distributed through social media channels and other digital brands.

TNT Sports chief content officer Craig Barry said the league would target audiences drawn to both ‌sports and culture, adding that the partnership with ​O’Neal would help create programming built around the personalities and creativity ⁠of top dunkers.

A panel of judges will evaluate ⁠each dunk attempt to decide which athletes advance through the competition. ‌Details such as host cities, participants, and broadcast information would be announced in ​the coming weeks.

Published on Apr 07, 2026

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Deadspin | Blue Jays adjust bullpen in advance of series against Dodgers <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28428098.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28428098.jpg" alt="MLB: Spring Training-Toronto Blue Jays at Philadelphia Phillies" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Mar 7, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Josh Fleming (35) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>The Toronto Blue Jays recalled left-hander Josh Fleming from Triple-A Buffalo to give the bullpen a fresh arm in advance of a much-anticipated three-game home series that starts Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays designated right-hander Austin Voth for assignment.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Fleming, who was signed as a free agent in the offseason, started his only game at Buffalo and gave up one run over 3 2/3 innings while throwing 57 pitches. He can provide length out of the bullpen with Toronto set to start Max Scherzer in the opening game of the series.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-4"> <p>Fleming, 29, did not pitch in the major leagues last season but from 2020-24, he was 20-14 with a 4.77 ERA for the Tampa Bay Rays (2020-23) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2024).</p> </section> <section id="section-5"> <p>Voth, 33, gave up one run over 2 2/3 innings of his lone appearance for the Blue Jays on Sunday. He is 17-19 with a 4.69 ERA in 208 appearances (39 starts) over eight major league seasons with four different clubs.</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>The Blue Jays enter the World Series rematch on a four-game losing streak after they were swept in a three-game road series by the Chicago White Sox. The bullpen received heavy usage in the series.</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #Blue #Jays #adjust #bullpen #advance #series #Dodgers

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Deadspin | Open Championship tee times: Scheffler paired with LIV Golf’s DeChambeau, Hatton Sep 27, 2025; Bethpage, New York, USA; Team USA golfer Scottie Scheffler and golfer Bryson DeChambeau on the 11th hole on the penultimate day of competition for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is paired with LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton for the opening round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Thursday. Scheffler, playing the Open Championship for the sixth time, arrived after missing the cut at the Scottish Open. It was the first time he failed to reach the weekend since the 2022 St. Jude Championship. Scheffler has 11 sub-70 rounds in 20 total rounds in his Open Championship career. He won the Open last year at Royal Portrush at 17-under par to run away with the Claret Jug. He has two other top-10 finishes among his previous five starts (T7 at Royal Troon in 2024 and T8 in his debut at the 2021 Open at Royal St. George’s). Scheffler and DeChambeau have been partners for the United States in the Ryder Cup. This is the ninth Open Championship for DeChambeau. He overcame a first-round 78 at Portrush last year to finish tied for 10th, his best showing since St. Andrews in 2022, when he tied for eighth. DeChambeau’s first-round score of 69 in 2022 is the only time he shot better than 70 on his opening 18 in the event. Their group, which remains together for another 18 holes Friday, goes off for the first 18 ahead of a threesome of Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood. Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy are playing with two-time major winner Xander Schauffele. –Open Championship tee times First round, Thursday First tee (local time/ET) 6:35 a.m./1:35 a.m.: Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas 6:46 a.m./1:46 a.m.: Michael Kim, Daniel Hillier, Andy Sullivan 6:57 a.m./1:57 a.m.: Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan 7:08 a.m./2:08 a.m.: Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean 7:19 a.m./2:19 a.m.: Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick 7:30 a.m./2:30 a.m.: David Duval, Martin Couvra, Matthew Southgate 7:41 a.m./2:41 a.m.: Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee (a) 7:52 a.m./2:52 a.m.: Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith 8:03 a.m./3:03 a.m.: Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg (a) 8:14 a.m./3:14 a.m.: Hennie du Plessis, Jose Luis Ballester, Dan Bradbury 8:25 a.m./3:25 a.m.: Angel Ayora, Victor Perez, Mateo Pulcini (a) 8:36 a.m./3:36 a.m.: Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren 8:47 a.m./3:47 a.m.: Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth 9:03 a.m./4:03 a.m.: Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune 9:14 a.m./4:14 a.m.: Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Hojgaard 9:25 a.m./4:25 a.m.: Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee 9:36 a.m./4:36 a.m.: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland 9:47 a.m./4:47 a.m.: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day 9:58 a.m./4:58 a.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau 10:09 a.m./5:09 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm 10:20 a.m./5:20 a.m.: Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor 10:31 a.m./5:31 a.m.: Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig 10:42 a.m./5:42 a.m.: Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard (a) 10:53 a.m./5:53 a.m.: Antoine Rozner, Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt 11:04 a.m./6:04 a.m.: MJ Daffue, Frederic Lacroix, Jack McDonald 11:15 a.m./6:15 a.m.: Jeongwoo Ham, Ryutaro Nagano, Alejandro De Castro Piera (a) 11:41 a.m./6:41 a.m.: John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen 11:52 a.m./6:52 a.m.: Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman 12:03 p.m./7:03 a.m.: Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter 12:14 p.m./7:14 a.m.: Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan (a) 12:25 p.m./7:25 a.m.: Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama 12:36 p.m./7:36 a.m.: Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber 12:47 p.m./7:47 a.m.: Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger 12:58 p.m./7:58 a.m.: Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis 1:09 p.m./8:09 a.m.: Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li 1:20 p.m./8:20 a.m.: Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick 1:31 p.m./8:31 a.m.: Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell (a) 1:42 p.m./8:42 a.m.: Johnny Kiefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima 1:53 p.m./8:53 a.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Jesper Svansson, Jack Buchanan (a) 2:09 p.m./9:09 a.m.: Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert 2:20 p.m./9:20 a.m.: Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, J.T. Poston 2:31 p.m./9:31 a.m.: Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott 2:42 p.m./9:42 a.m.: Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard 2:53 p.m./9:53 a.m.: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka 3:04 p.m./10:04 a.m.: Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Luvig Aberg 3:15 p.m./10:15 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick 3:26 p.m./10:26 a.m.: Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedemeyer (a) 3:37 p.m./10:37 a.m.: Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria 3:48 p.m./10:48 a.m.: Peter Uihlein, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta 3:59 p.m./10:59 a.m.: Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow 4:10 p.m./11:10 a.m.: Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Bjoernevik Skogen 4:21 p.m./11:21 a.m.: Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter (a) Second round, Friday First Tee (local time/ET) 6:35 a.m./1:35 a.m.: John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen 6:46 a.m./1:46 a.m.: Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman 6:57 a.m./1:57 a.m.: Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter 7:08 a.m./2:08 a.m.: Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan (a) 7:19 a.m./2:19 a.m.: Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama 7:30 a.m./2:30 a.m.: Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber 7:41 a.m./2:41 a.m.: Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger 7:52 a.m./2:52 a.m.: Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis 8:03 a.m./3:03 a.m.: Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li 8:14 a.m./3:14 a.m.: Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick 8:25 a.m./3:25 a.m.: Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell (a) 8:26 a.m./3:36 a.m.: Johnny Kiefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima 8:47 a.m./3:47 a.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Jesper Svansson, Jack Buchanan (a) 9:03 a.m./4:03 a.m.: Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert 9:14 a.m./4:14 a.m.: Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, J.T. Poston 9:25 a.m./4:25 a.m.: Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott 9:36 a.m./4:36 a.m.: Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard 9:47 a.m./4:47 a.m.: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka 9:58 a.m./4:58 a.m.: Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Luvig Aberg 10:09 a.m./5:09 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick 10:20 a.m./5:20 a.m.: Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedemeyer (a) 10:31 a.m./5:31 a.m.: Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria 10:42 a.m./5:42 a.m.: Peter Uihlein, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta 10:53 a.m./5:53 a.m.: Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow 11:04 a.m./6:04 a.m.: Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Bjoernevik Skogen 11:15 a.m./6:15 a.m.: Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter (a) 11:41 a.m./6:41 a.m.: Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas 11:52 a.m./6:52 a.m.: Michael Kim, Daniel Hillier, Andy Sullivan 12:03 p.m./7:03 a.m.: Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan 12:14 p.m./7:14 a.m.: Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean 12:25 p.m./7:25 a.m.: Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick 12:36 p.m./7:36 a.m.: David Duval, Martin Couvra, Matthew Southgate 12:47 p.m./7:47 a.m.: Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee (a) 12:58 p.m./7:58 a.m.: Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith 1:09 p.m./8:09 a.m.: Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg (a) 1:20 p.m./8:20 a.m.: Hennie Du Plessis, Jose Luis Ballester, Dan Bradbury 1:31 p.m./8:31 a.m.: Angel Ayora, Victor Perez, Mateo Pulcini (a) 1:42 p.m./8:42 a.m.: Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren 1:53 p.m./8:53 a.m.: Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth 2:09 p.m./9:09 a.m.: Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune 2:20 p.m./9:20 a.m.: Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Hojgaard 2:31 p.m./9:31 a.m.: Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee 2:42 p.m./9:42 a.m.: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland 2:53 p.m./9:53 a.m.: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day 3:04 p.m./10:04 a.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau 3:15 p.m./10:15 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm 3:26 p.m./10:26 a.m.: Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor 3:37 p.m./10:37 a.m.: Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig 3:48 p.m./10:48 a.m.: Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard (a) 3:59 p.m./10:59 a.m.: Antoine Rozner, Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt 4:10 p.m./11:10 a.m.: MJ Daffue, Frederic Lacroix, Jack McDonald 4:21 p.m./11:21 a.m.: Jeongwoo Ham, Ryutaro Nagano, Alejandro De Castro Piera (a) #Deadspin #Open #Championship #tee #times #Scheffler #paired #LIV #Golfs #DeChambeau #HattonSep 27, 2025; Bethpage, New York, USA; Team USA golfer Scottie Scheffler and golfer Bryson DeChambeau on the 11th hole on the penultimate day of competition for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is paired with LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton for the opening round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Thursday.

Scheffler, playing the Open Championship for the sixth time, arrived after missing the cut at the Scottish Open. It was the first time he failed to reach the weekend since the 2022 St. Jude Championship.

Scheffler has 11 sub-70 rounds in 20 total rounds in his Open Championship career.

He won the Open last year at Royal Portrush at 17-under par to run away with the Claret Jug. He has two other top-10 finishes among his previous five starts (T7 at Royal Troon in 2024 and T8 in his debut at the 2021 Open at Royal St. George’s).

Scheffler and DeChambeau have been partners for the United States in the Ryder Cup.

This is the ninth Open Championship for DeChambeau. He overcame a first-round 78 at Portrush last year to finish tied for 10th, his best showing since St. Andrews in 2022, when he tied for eighth. DeChambeau’s first-round score of 69 in 2022 is the only time he shot better than 70 on his opening 18 in the event.

Their group, which remains together for another 18 holes Friday, goes off for the first 18 ahead of a threesome of Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood.

Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy are playing with two-time major winner Xander Schauffele.

–Open Championship tee times

First round, Thursday

First tee (local time/ET)

6:35 a.m./1:35 a.m.: Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas

6:46 a.m./1:46 a.m.: Michael Kim, Daniel Hillier, Andy Sullivan

6:57 a.m./1:57 a.m.: Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan

7:08 a.m./2:08 a.m.: Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean

7:19 a.m./2:19 a.m.: Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick

7:30 a.m./2:30 a.m.: David Duval, Martin Couvra, Matthew Southgate

7:41 a.m./2:41 a.m.: Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee (a)

7:52 a.m./2:52 a.m.: Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith

8:03 a.m./3:03 a.m.: Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg (a)

8:14 a.m./3:14 a.m.: Hennie du Plessis, Jose Luis Ballester, Dan Bradbury

8:25 a.m./3:25 a.m.: Angel Ayora, Victor Perez, Mateo Pulcini (a)

8:36 a.m./3:36 a.m.: Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren

8:47 a.m./3:47 a.m.: Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth

9:03 a.m./4:03 a.m.: Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune

9:14 a.m./4:14 a.m.: Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Hojgaard

9:25 a.m./4:25 a.m.: Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee

9:36 a.m./4:36 a.m.: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland

9:47 a.m./4:47 a.m.: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day

9:58 a.m./4:58 a.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau

10:09 a.m./5:09 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm

10:20 a.m./5:20 a.m.: Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor

10:31 a.m./5:31 a.m.: Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig

10:42 a.m./5:42 a.m.: Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard (a)

10:53 a.m./5:53 a.m.: Antoine Rozner, Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt

11:04 a.m./6:04 a.m.: MJ Daffue, Frederic Lacroix, Jack McDonald

11:15 a.m./6:15 a.m.: Jeongwoo Ham, Ryutaro Nagano, Alejandro De Castro Piera (a)

11:41 a.m./6:41 a.m.: John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen

11:52 a.m./6:52 a.m.: Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman

12:03 p.m./7:03 a.m.: Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter

12:14 p.m./7:14 a.m.: Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan (a)

12:25 p.m./7:25 a.m.: Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama

12:36 p.m./7:36 a.m.: Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber

12:47 p.m./7:47 a.m.: Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger

12:58 p.m./7:58 a.m.: Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis

1:09 p.m./8:09 a.m.: Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li

1:20 p.m./8:20 a.m.: Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick

1:31 p.m./8:31 a.m.: Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell (a)

1:42 p.m./8:42 a.m.: Johnny Kiefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima

1:53 p.m./8:53 a.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Jesper Svansson, Jack Buchanan (a)

2:09 p.m./9:09 a.m.: Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert

2:20 p.m./9:20 a.m.: Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, J.T. Poston

2:31 p.m./9:31 a.m.: Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott

2:42 p.m./9:42 a.m.: Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard

2:53 p.m./9:53 a.m.: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka

3:04 p.m./10:04 a.m.: Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Luvig Aberg

3:15 p.m./10:15 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick

3:26 p.m./10:26 a.m.: Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedemeyer (a)


3:37 p.m./10:37 a.m.: Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria

3:48 p.m./10:48 a.m.: Peter Uihlein, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta

3:59 p.m./10:59 a.m.: Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow

4:10 p.m./11:10 a.m.: Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Bjoernevik Skogen

4:21 p.m./11:21 a.m.: Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter (a)

Second round, Friday

First Tee (local time/ET)

6:35 a.m./1:35 a.m.: John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen

6:46 a.m./1:46 a.m.: Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman

6:57 a.m./1:57 a.m.: Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter

7:08 a.m./2:08 a.m.: Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan (a)

7:19 a.m./2:19 a.m.: Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama

7:30 a.m./2:30 a.m.: Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber

7:41 a.m./2:41 a.m.: Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger

7:52 a.m./2:52 a.m.: Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis

8:03 a.m./3:03 a.m.: Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li

8:14 a.m./3:14 a.m.: Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick

8:25 a.m./3:25 a.m.: Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell (a)

8:26 a.m./3:36 a.m.: Johnny Kiefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima

8:47 a.m./3:47 a.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Jesper Svansson, Jack Buchanan (a)

9:03 a.m./4:03 a.m.: Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert

9:14 a.m./4:14 a.m.: Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, J.T. Poston

9:25 a.m./4:25 a.m.: Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott

9:36 a.m./4:36 a.m.: Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard

9:47 a.m./4:47 a.m.: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka

9:58 a.m./4:58 a.m.: Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Luvig Aberg

10:09 a.m./5:09 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick

10:20 a.m./5:20 a.m.: Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedemeyer (a)

10:31 a.m./5:31 a.m.: Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria

10:42 a.m./5:42 a.m.: Peter Uihlein, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta

10:53 a.m./5:53 a.m.: Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow

11:04 a.m./6:04 a.m.: Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Bjoernevik Skogen

11:15 a.m./6:15 a.m.: Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter (a)

11:41 a.m./6:41 a.m.: Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas

11:52 a.m./6:52 a.m.: Michael Kim, Daniel Hillier, Andy Sullivan

12:03 p.m./7:03 a.m.: Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan

12:14 p.m./7:14 a.m.: Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean

12:25 p.m./7:25 a.m.: Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick

12:36 p.m./7:36 a.m.: David Duval, Martin Couvra, Matthew Southgate

12:47 p.m./7:47 a.m.: Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee (a)

12:58 p.m./7:58 a.m.: Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith

1:09 p.m./8:09 a.m.: Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg (a)

1:20 p.m./8:20 a.m.: Hennie Du Plessis, Jose Luis Ballester, Dan Bradbury

1:31 p.m./8:31 a.m.: Angel Ayora, Victor Perez, Mateo Pulcini (a)

1:42 p.m./8:42 a.m.: Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren

1:53 p.m./8:53 a.m.: Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth

2:09 p.m./9:09 a.m.: Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune

2:20 p.m./9:20 a.m.: Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Hojgaard

2:31 p.m./9:31 a.m.: Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee

2:42 p.m./9:42 a.m.: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland

2:53 p.m./9:53 a.m.: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day

3:04 p.m./10:04 a.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau

3:15 p.m./10:15 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm

3:26 p.m./10:26 a.m.: Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor

3:37 p.m./10:37 a.m.: Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig

3:48 p.m./10:48 a.m.: Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard (a)

3:59 p.m./10:59 a.m.: Antoine Rozner, Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt

4:10 p.m./11:10 a.m.: MJ Daffue, Frederic Lacroix, Jack McDonald

4:21 p.m./11:21 a.m.: Jeongwoo Ham, Ryutaro Nagano, Alejandro De Castro Piera (a)

#Deadspin #Open #Championship #tee #times #Scheffler #paired #LIV #Golfs #DeChambeau #Hatton">Deadspin | Open Championship tee times: Scheffler paired with LIV Golf’s DeChambeau, Hatton Sep 27, 2025; Bethpage, New York, USA; Team USA golfer Scottie Scheffler and golfer Bryson DeChambeau on the 11th hole on the penultimate day of competition for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is paired with LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton for the opening round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Thursday. Scheffler, playing the Open Championship for the sixth time, arrived after missing the cut at the Scottish Open. It was the first time he failed to reach the weekend since the 2022 St. Jude Championship. Scheffler has 11 sub-70 rounds in 20 total rounds in his Open Championship career. He won the Open last year at Royal Portrush at 17-under par to run away with the Claret Jug. He has two other top-10 finishes among his previous five starts (T7 at Royal Troon in 2024 and T8 in his debut at the 2021 Open at Royal St. George’s). Scheffler and DeChambeau have been partners for the United States in the Ryder Cup. This is the ninth Open Championship for DeChambeau. He overcame a first-round 78 at Portrush last year to finish tied for 10th, his best showing since St. Andrews in 2022, when he tied for eighth. DeChambeau’s first-round score of 69 in 2022 is the only time he shot better than 70 on his opening 18 in the event. Their group, which remains together for another 18 holes Friday, goes off for the first 18 ahead of a threesome of Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood. Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy are playing with two-time major winner Xander Schauffele. –Open Championship tee times First round, Thursday First tee (local time/ET) 6:35 a.m./1:35 a.m.: Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas 6:46 a.m./1:46 a.m.: Michael Kim, Daniel Hillier, Andy Sullivan 6:57 a.m./1:57 a.m.: Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan 7:08 a.m./2:08 a.m.: Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean 7:19 a.m./2:19 a.m.: Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick 7:30 a.m./2:30 a.m.: David Duval, Martin Couvra, Matthew Southgate 7:41 a.m./2:41 a.m.: Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee (a) 7:52 a.m./2:52 a.m.: Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith 8:03 a.m./3:03 a.m.: Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg (a) 8:14 a.m./3:14 a.m.: Hennie du Plessis, Jose Luis Ballester, Dan Bradbury 8:25 a.m./3:25 a.m.: Angel Ayora, Victor Perez, Mateo Pulcini (a) 8:36 a.m./3:36 a.m.: Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren 8:47 a.m./3:47 a.m.: Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth 9:03 a.m./4:03 a.m.: Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune 9:14 a.m./4:14 a.m.: Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Hojgaard 9:25 a.m./4:25 a.m.: Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee 9:36 a.m./4:36 a.m.: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland 9:47 a.m./4:47 a.m.: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day 9:58 a.m./4:58 a.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau 10:09 a.m./5:09 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm 10:20 a.m./5:20 a.m.: Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor 10:31 a.m./5:31 a.m.: Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig 10:42 a.m./5:42 a.m.: Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard (a) 10:53 a.m./5:53 a.m.: Antoine Rozner, Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt 11:04 a.m./6:04 a.m.: MJ Daffue, Frederic Lacroix, Jack McDonald 11:15 a.m./6:15 a.m.: Jeongwoo Ham, Ryutaro Nagano, Alejandro De Castro Piera (a) 11:41 a.m./6:41 a.m.: John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen 11:52 a.m./6:52 a.m.: Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman 12:03 p.m./7:03 a.m.: Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter 12:14 p.m./7:14 a.m.: Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan (a) 12:25 p.m./7:25 a.m.: Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama 12:36 p.m./7:36 a.m.: Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber 12:47 p.m./7:47 a.m.: Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger 12:58 p.m./7:58 a.m.: Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis 1:09 p.m./8:09 a.m.: Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li 1:20 p.m./8:20 a.m.: Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick 1:31 p.m./8:31 a.m.: Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell (a) 1:42 p.m./8:42 a.m.: Johnny Kiefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima 1:53 p.m./8:53 a.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Jesper Svansson, Jack Buchanan (a) 2:09 p.m./9:09 a.m.: Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert 2:20 p.m./9:20 a.m.: Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, J.T. Poston 2:31 p.m./9:31 a.m.: Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott 2:42 p.m./9:42 a.m.: Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard 2:53 p.m./9:53 a.m.: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka 3:04 p.m./10:04 a.m.: Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Luvig Aberg 3:15 p.m./10:15 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick 3:26 p.m./10:26 a.m.: Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedemeyer (a) 3:37 p.m./10:37 a.m.: Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria 3:48 p.m./10:48 a.m.: Peter Uihlein, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta 3:59 p.m./10:59 a.m.: Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow 4:10 p.m./11:10 a.m.: Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Bjoernevik Skogen 4:21 p.m./11:21 a.m.: Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter (a) Second round, Friday First Tee (local time/ET) 6:35 a.m./1:35 a.m.: John Parry, Eric Cole, Tiger Christensen 6:46 a.m./1:46 a.m.: Eugenio Chacarra, Matt Wallace, Max Greyserman 6:57 a.m./1:57 a.m.: Michael Brennan, Sahith Theegala, Laurie Canter 7:08 a.m./2:08 a.m.: Cameron Smith, Keith Mitchell, Stuart Grehan (a) 7:19 a.m./2:19 a.m.: Sepp Straka, Joaquin Niemann, Kurt Kitayama 7:30 a.m./2:30 a.m.: Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber 7:41 a.m./2:41 a.m.: Darren Clarke, Adrien Saddier, Bernd Wiesberger 7:52 a.m./2:52 a.m.: Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis 8:03 a.m./3:03 a.m.: Matt McCarty, Harry Hall, Haotong Li 8:14 a.m./3:14 a.m.: Padraig Harrington, Marco Penge, Michael Hollick 8:25 a.m./3:25 a.m.: Tom Kim, Billy Horschel, Mason Howell (a) 8:26 a.m./3:36 a.m.: Johnny Kiefer, Pierceson Coody, Keita Nakajima 8:47 a.m./3:47 a.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Jesper Svansson, Jack Buchanan (a) 9:03 a.m./4:03 a.m.: Bud Cauley, Jayden Schaper, Lucas Herbert 9:14 a.m./4:14 a.m.: Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, J.T. Poston 9:25 a.m./4:25 a.m.: Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott 9:36 a.m./4:36 a.m.: Collin Morikawa, J.J. Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard 9:47 a.m./4:47 a.m.: Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka 9:58 a.m./4:58 a.m.: Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Luvig Aberg 10:09 a.m./5:09 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick 10:20 a.m./5:20 a.m.: Jacob Bridgeman, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Tim Wiedemeyer (a) 10:31 a.m./5:31 a.m.: Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria 10:42 a.m./5:42 a.m.: Peter Uihlein, Alistair Docherty, Francesco Laporta 10:53 a.m./5:53 a.m.: Cameron John, Austen Truslow, Sam Bairstow 11:04 a.m./6:04 a.m.: Naoyuki Kataoka, Marcus Plunkett, Baard Bjoernevik Skogen 11:15 a.m./6:15 a.m.: Kazuki Higa, Jiho Yang, Nevill Ruiter (a) 11:41 a.m./6:41 a.m.: Matthew Baldwin, Thomas Detry, James Nicholas 11:52 a.m./6:52 a.m.: Michael Kim, Daniel Hillier, Andy Sullivan 12:03 p.m./7:03 a.m.: Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Matthew Jordan 12:14 p.m./7:14 a.m.: Henrik Stenson, Max Homa, Joe Dean 12:25 p.m./7:25 a.m.: Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick 12:36 p.m./7:36 a.m.: David Duval, Martin Couvra, Matthew Southgate 12:47 p.m./7:47 a.m.: Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee (a) 12:58 p.m./7:58 a.m.: Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Jordan Smith 1:09 p.m./8:09 a.m.: Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin, Lev Grinberg (a) 1:20 p.m./8:20 a.m.: Hennie Du Plessis, Jose Luis Ballester, Dan Bradbury 1:31 p.m./8:31 a.m.: Angel Ayora, Victor Perez, Mateo Pulcini (a) 1:42 p.m./8:42 a.m.: Stewart Cink, Scott Vincent, Joakim Lagergren 1:53 p.m./8:53 a.m.: Michael Thorbjornsen, Kota Kaneko, Travis Smyth 2:09 p.m./9:09 a.m.: Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ryo Hisatsune 2:20 p.m./9:20 a.m.: Akshay Bhatia, Harris English, Rasmus Hojgaard 2:31 p.m./9:31 a.m.: Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee 2:42 p.m./9:42 a.m.: Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland 2:53 p.m./9:53 a.m.: Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day 3:04 p.m./10:04 a.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau 3:15 p.m./10:15 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm 3:26 p.m./10:26 a.m.: Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor 3:37 p.m./10:37 a.m.: Ryan Gerard, Maverick McNealy, David Puig 3:48 p.m./10:48 a.m.: Kazuma Kobori, Tom Sloman, David Howard (a) 3:59 p.m./10:59 a.m.: Antoine Rozner, Ren Yonezawa, Caleb Surratt 4:10 p.m./11:10 a.m.: MJ Daffue, Frederic Lacroix, Jack McDonald 4:21 p.m./11:21 a.m.: Jeongwoo Ham, Ryutaro Nagano, Alejandro De Castro Piera (a) #Deadspin #Open #Championship #tee #times #Scheffler #paired #LIV #Golfs #DeChambeau #Hatton

Expanding technology and resale options were supposed to make obtaining tickets to sporting events easier than ever, but instead it’s become a hellscape. Scalpers dominate online platforms, ensuring that desirable events sell out immediately, causing local sports fans to miss out unless they’re willing to pay exorbitant prices for fear of missing out.

It’s now been revealed that one of the biggest stakeholders in online ticket sales is helping fund the very people ruining ticket sales for sports fans. An investigative report by the CBC uncovered information inside StubHub’s IPO filing from last November, which revealed that CEO Eric Baker also runs a hedge fund which scalps tickets, and provides funding to scalpers.

When asked for comment, StubHub reiterated its public-facing comment that the company doesn’t own or hold any tickets itself.

“StubHub does not own, possess, or sell tickets. We are a technology platform that connects independent buyers and sellers. (Think: eBay).”

This comment conveniently ignores that some of these “independent buyers” are being directly aided by the CEO of the company. Of course, the devil is in the details. Nobody is accusing StubHub of owning the tickets for their own sale, but it’s now clear that the top of the company is heavily invested in inflating its own marketplace. We discussed this fundamental issue late in the NBA and NHL playoffs, with how reselling sites like StubHub have a vested interest in scalpers, because their percentage-based resale fees are better for the company when event tickets soar — while also giving them multiple bites of the apple if the tickets are sold multiple times on the platform.

Baker, the StubHub CEO, reportedly is a large stakeholder in “Andro Capital,” a hedge fund based out of Los Angeles, which offers loan funding to large scale ticket purchasing operates which have the express purpose of buying tickets and reselling them for profit on platforms like StubHub.

Filing documents for Andro Capital show the hedge fund was formed in March of 2024, 18 months before StubHub announced it was going public in an IPO filing. In that filing to the SEC StubHub revealed its deep relationship with Andro, including this key detail from 2024:

On April 15, 2024, as part of our ongoing relationship with Andro, we entered into an agreement with the Andro Fund under which we agreed to cover certain costs incurred by Andro in connection with ticket management services.

StubHub was not required to divulge the totality of this agreement with Andro Fund, but having the company “cover certain costs incurred” raises mammoth red flags. That theoretically means that the hedge fund could have waived reselling feels on the seller side of the transaction, thereby incentivizing the fund to scalping operations. In short, the business flow could look like this:

  1. A scalping group has capital to buy massive amounts of tickets
  2. Rather than invest themselves, it’s better to invest their money in Andro to do the buying, because they have an agreement with StubHub to cover some of their expenses
  3. Andro profits off the inflated ticket sales
  4. StubHub benefits through massively inflated prices, which they profit off through buyer fees

That’s not all. The filing also lists “Colloquy LLC,” a subsidiary of Andro Capital, which serves as a loan servicing arm for tickets sellers — offering financing to mass buy tickets, which they resell on StubHub directly.

Under the terms of the Program Agreement, we refer certain of our sellers to Colloquy for the opportunity to enter into separate financing arrangements with Colloquy. Under such arrangements, it is anticipated that Colloquy may provide short-term financing to sellers based on those sellers’ existing and/or future expected proceeds generated through ticket sales on our platform.

Not only is Andro Capital its own ticket buyer, but it also runs an arm of the company that gives funding to sellers, based on referrals from StubHub itself. Essentially, the entire scalping business is fully intertwined with StubHub, from the CEO being involved in a large-scale seller AND offering funding to sellers.

The only person who loses out in this whole transaction are sports fans. The consumers who use the platform are being held hostage by ticket prices, which fundamentally wouldn’t be inflated to the same level without the input of StubHub. This is all legal from the SEC’s perspective due to a lack of oversight when it comes to hedge funds. There are few other industries in which a publicly traded company could be legally allowed to price fix to the level that is happening on StubHub, while trying to pretend with its public face that it’s just a platform for fans to sell to other fans.

There should be an immediate investigation into ticket pricing, as well as outlawing the kinds of predatory practices designed to inflate the wealth of StubHub and Andro Capital at the expense of consumers.

#StubHubs #CEO #helping #fund #biggest #ticket #scalpers">StubHub’s CEO is helping fund the biggest ticket scalpers Expanding technology and resale options were supposed to make obtaining tickets to sporting events easier than ever, but instead it’s become a hellscape. Scalpers dominate online platforms, ensuring that desirable events sell out immediately, causing local sports fans to miss out unless they’re willing to pay exorbitant prices for fear of missing out.It’s now been revealed that one of the biggest stakeholders in online ticket sales is helping fund the very people ruining ticket sales for sports fans. An investigative report by the CBC uncovered information inside StubHub’s IPO filing from last November, which revealed that CEO Eric Baker also runs a hedge fund which scalps tickets, and provides funding to scalpers.When asked for comment, StubHub reiterated its public-facing comment that the company doesn’t own or hold any tickets itself.“StubHub does not own, possess, or sell tickets. We are a technology platform that connects independent buyers and sellers. (Think: eBay).”This comment conveniently ignores that some of these “independent buyers” are being directly aided by the CEO of the company. Of course, the devil is in the details. Nobody is accusing StubHub of owning the tickets for their own sale, but it’s now clear that the top of the company is heavily invested in inflating its own marketplace. We discussed this fundamental issue late in the NBA and NHL playoffs, with how reselling sites like StubHub have a vested interest in scalpers, because their percentage-based resale fees are better for the company when event tickets soar — while also giving them multiple bites of the apple if the tickets are sold multiple times on the platform.Baker, the StubHub CEO, reportedly is a large stakeholder in “Andro Capital,” a hedge fund based out of Los Angeles, which offers loan funding to large scale ticket purchasing operates which have the express purpose of buying tickets and reselling them for profit on platforms like StubHub.Filing documents for Andro Capital show the hedge fund was formed in March of 2024, 18 months before StubHub announced it was going public in an IPO filing. In that filing to the SEC StubHub revealed its deep relationship with Andro, including this key detail from 2024:On April 15, 2024, as part of our ongoing relationship with Andro, we entered into an agreement with the Andro Fund under which we agreed to cover certain costs incurred by Andro in connection with ticket management services.StubHub was not required to divulge the totality of this agreement with Andro Fund, but having the company “cover certain costs incurred” raises mammoth red flags. That theoretically means that the hedge fund could have waived reselling feels on the seller side of the transaction, thereby incentivizing the fund to scalping operations. In short, the business flow could look like this:A scalping group has capital to buy massive amounts of ticketsRather than invest themselves, it’s better to invest their money in Andro to do the buying, because they have an agreement with StubHub to cover some of their expensesAndro profits off the inflated ticket salesStubHub benefits through massively inflated prices, which they profit off through buyer feesThat’s not all. The filing also lists “Colloquy LLC,” a subsidiary of Andro Capital, which serves as a loan servicing arm for tickets sellers — offering financing to mass buy tickets, which they resell on StubHub directly.Under the terms of the Program Agreement, we refer certain of our sellers to Colloquy for the opportunity to enter into separate financing arrangements with Colloquy. Under such arrangements, it is anticipated that Colloquy may provide short-term financing to sellers based on those sellers’ existing and/or future expected proceeds generated through ticket sales on our platform.Not only is Andro Capital its own ticket buyer, but it also runs an arm of the company that gives funding to sellers, based on referrals from StubHub itself. Essentially, the entire scalping business is fully intertwined with StubHub, from the CEO being involved in a large-scale seller AND offering funding to sellers.The only person who loses out in this whole transaction are sports fans. The consumers who use the platform are being held hostage by ticket prices, which fundamentally wouldn’t be inflated to the same level without the input of StubHub. This is all legal from the SEC’s perspective due to a lack of oversight when it comes to hedge funds. There are few other industries in which a publicly traded company could be legally allowed to price fix to the level that is happening on StubHub, while trying to pretend with its public face that it’s just a platform for fans to sell to other fans.There should be an immediate investigation into ticket pricing, as well as outlawing the kinds of predatory practices designed to inflate the wealth of StubHub and Andro Capital at the expense of consumers. #StubHubs #CEO #helping #fund #biggest #ticket #scalpers

instead it’s become a hellscape. Scalpers dominate online platforms, ensuring that desirable events sell out immediately, causing local sports fans to miss out unless they’re willing to pay exorbitant prices for fear of missing out.

It’s now been revealed that one of the biggest stakeholders in online ticket sales is helping fund the very people ruining ticket sales for sports fans. An investigative report by the CBC uncovered information inside StubHub’s IPO filing from last November, which revealed that CEO Eric Baker also runs a hedge fund which scalps tickets, and provides funding to scalpers.

When asked for comment, StubHub reiterated its public-facing comment that the company doesn’t own or hold any tickets itself.

“StubHub does not own, possess, or sell tickets. We are a technology platform that connects independent buyers and sellers. (Think: eBay).”

This comment conveniently ignores that some of these “independent buyers” are being directly aided by the CEO of the company. Of course, the devil is in the details. Nobody is accusing StubHub of owning the tickets for their own sale, but it’s now clear that the top of the company is heavily invested in inflating its own marketplace. We discussed this fundamental issue late in the NBA and NHL playoffs, with how reselling sites like StubHub have a vested interest in scalpers, because their percentage-based resale fees are better for the company when event tickets soar — while also giving them multiple bites of the apple if the tickets are sold multiple times on the platform.

Baker, the StubHub CEO, reportedly is a large stakeholder in “Andro Capital,” a hedge fund based out of Los Angeles, which offers loan funding to large scale ticket purchasing operates which have the express purpose of buying tickets and reselling them for profit on platforms like StubHub.

Filing documents for Andro Capital show the hedge fund was formed in March of 2024, 18 months before StubHub announced it was going public in an IPO filing. In that filing to the SEC StubHub revealed its deep relationship with Andro, including this key detail from 2024:

On April 15, 2024, as part of our ongoing relationship with Andro, we entered into an agreement with the Andro Fund under which we agreed to cover certain costs incurred by Andro in connection with ticket management services.

StubHub was not required to divulge the totality of this agreement with Andro Fund, but having the company “cover certain costs incurred” raises mammoth red flags. That theoretically means that the hedge fund could have waived reselling feels on the seller side of the transaction, thereby incentivizing the fund to scalping operations. In short, the business flow could look like this:

  1. A scalping group has capital to buy massive amounts of tickets
  2. Rather than invest themselves, it’s better to invest their money in Andro to do the buying, because they have an agreement with StubHub to cover some of their expenses
  3. Andro profits off the inflated ticket sales
  4. StubHub benefits through massively inflated prices, which they profit off through buyer fees

That’s not all. The filing also lists “Colloquy LLC,” a subsidiary of Andro Capital, which serves as a loan servicing arm for tickets sellers — offering financing to mass buy tickets, which they resell on StubHub directly.

Under the terms of the Program Agreement, we refer certain of our sellers to Colloquy for the opportunity to enter into separate financing arrangements with Colloquy. Under such arrangements, it is anticipated that Colloquy may provide short-term financing to sellers based on those sellers’ existing and/or future expected proceeds generated through ticket sales on our platform.

Not only is Andro Capital its own ticket buyer, but it also runs an arm of the company that gives funding to sellers, based on referrals from StubHub itself. Essentially, the entire scalping business is fully intertwined with StubHub, from the CEO being involved in a large-scale seller AND offering funding to sellers.

The only person who loses out in this whole transaction are sports fans. The consumers who use the platform are being held hostage by ticket prices, which fundamentally wouldn’t be inflated to the same level without the input of StubHub. This is all legal from the SEC’s perspective due to a lack of oversight when it comes to hedge funds. There are few other industries in which a publicly traded company could be legally allowed to price fix to the level that is happening on StubHub, while trying to pretend with its public face that it’s just a platform for fans to sell to other fans.

There should be an immediate investigation into ticket pricing, as well as outlawing the kinds of predatory practices designed to inflate the wealth of StubHub and Andro Capital at the expense of consumers.

#StubHubs #CEO #helping #fund #biggest #ticket #scalpers">StubHub’s CEO is helping fund the biggest ticket scalpers

Expanding technology and resale options were supposed to make obtaining tickets to sporting events easier than ever, but instead it’s become a hellscape. Scalpers dominate online platforms, ensuring that desirable events sell out immediately, causing local sports fans to miss out unless they’re willing to pay exorbitant prices for fear of missing out.

It’s now been revealed that one of the biggest stakeholders in online ticket sales is helping fund the very people ruining ticket sales for sports fans. An investigative report by the CBC uncovered information inside StubHub’s IPO filing from last November, which revealed that CEO Eric Baker also runs a hedge fund which scalps tickets, and provides funding to scalpers.

When asked for comment, StubHub reiterated its public-facing comment that the company doesn’t own or hold any tickets itself.

“StubHub does not own, possess, or sell tickets. We are a technology platform that connects independent buyers and sellers. (Think: eBay).”

This comment conveniently ignores that some of these “independent buyers” are being directly aided by the CEO of the company. Of course, the devil is in the details. Nobody is accusing StubHub of owning the tickets for their own sale, but it’s now clear that the top of the company is heavily invested in inflating its own marketplace. We discussed this fundamental issue late in the NBA and NHL playoffs, with how reselling sites like StubHub have a vested interest in scalpers, because their percentage-based resale fees are better for the company when event tickets soar — while also giving them multiple bites of the apple if the tickets are sold multiple times on the platform.

Baker, the StubHub CEO, reportedly is a large stakeholder in “Andro Capital,” a hedge fund based out of Los Angeles, which offers loan funding to large scale ticket purchasing operates which have the express purpose of buying tickets and reselling them for profit on platforms like StubHub.

Filing documents for Andro Capital show the hedge fund was formed in March of 2024, 18 months before StubHub announced it was going public in an IPO filing. In that filing to the SEC StubHub revealed its deep relationship with Andro, including this key detail from 2024:

On April 15, 2024, as part of our ongoing relationship with Andro, we entered into an agreement with the Andro Fund under which we agreed to cover certain costs incurred by Andro in connection with ticket management services.

StubHub was not required to divulge the totality of this agreement with Andro Fund, but having the company “cover certain costs incurred” raises mammoth red flags. That theoretically means that the hedge fund could have waived reselling feels on the seller side of the transaction, thereby incentivizing the fund to scalping operations. In short, the business flow could look like this:

  1. A scalping group has capital to buy massive amounts of tickets
  2. Rather than invest themselves, it’s better to invest their money in Andro to do the buying, because they have an agreement with StubHub to cover some of their expenses
  3. Andro profits off the inflated ticket sales
  4. StubHub benefits through massively inflated prices, which they profit off through buyer fees

That’s not all. The filing also lists “Colloquy LLC,” a subsidiary of Andro Capital, which serves as a loan servicing arm for tickets sellers — offering financing to mass buy tickets, which they resell on StubHub directly.

Under the terms of the Program Agreement, we refer certain of our sellers to Colloquy for the opportunity to enter into separate financing arrangements with Colloquy. Under such arrangements, it is anticipated that Colloquy may provide short-term financing to sellers based on those sellers’ existing and/or future expected proceeds generated through ticket sales on our platform.

Not only is Andro Capital its own ticket buyer, but it also runs an arm of the company that gives funding to sellers, based on referrals from StubHub itself. Essentially, the entire scalping business is fully intertwined with StubHub, from the CEO being involved in a large-scale seller AND offering funding to sellers.

The only person who loses out in this whole transaction are sports fans. The consumers who use the platform are being held hostage by ticket prices, which fundamentally wouldn’t be inflated to the same level without the input of StubHub. This is all legal from the SEC’s perspective due to a lack of oversight when it comes to hedge funds. There are few other industries in which a publicly traded company could be legally allowed to price fix to the level that is happening on StubHub, while trying to pretend with its public face that it’s just a platform for fans to sell to other fans.

There should be an immediate investigation into ticket pricing, as well as outlawing the kinds of predatory practices designed to inflate the wealth of StubHub and Andro Capital at the expense of consumers.

#StubHubs #CEO #helping #fund #biggest #ticket #scalpers

France’s march to the World Cup semifinals has been ‌powered by the goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, but the players believe ​an equally important part of their success has been forged away from the ⁠cameras, in private conversations without the coaching staff.

Didier Deschamps’ side faces Spain on Tuesday, seeking to reach a third successive World Cup final, having developed a unity that midfielder Adrien Rabiot and defender Jules Kounde say ‌extends well beyond tactical meetings and training sessions.

The players analyse matches together in small groups, challenging each other and taking responsibility for finding solutions beyond those provided by ‌Deschamps and his assistants.

“We communicate a lot and talk among ourselves regularly,” Rabiot told reporters on ‌Monday.

“At ⁠the hotel, during our downtime, we try to analyse matches together in small groups. ⁠That is important, beyond everything the coach and his staff provide. We all speak the same language, we all have the same objective and everyone is directing their energy towards it. What the staff bring us is essential, but the dialogue between ​the players, without the staff being involved, is ‌important as well.”

That sense of ownership has helped France combine one of the tournament’s most potent attacks with a collective defensive effort that begins with the forwards.

Mbappe has scored eight goals and Dembele five, but Kounde said France’s work without the ball had been as important as their ‌individual quality in possession.

“We have done a good job defensively, but it goes well beyond ​the defenders,” Kounde said.

“It is a collective effort, starting with the way we press from the opposition’s very first pass. When the work is done properly higher ⁠up the pitch and in midfield, it makes our job at the back much easier.”

France’s cohesion has been visible in the willingness of their attacking players to track back and in the discipline with which ‌the team have defended difficult moments.

STRONG RELATIONSHIPS

The players insist that what happens on the pitch is an extension of relationships built elsewhere.

“We get on very well,” Rabiot said. “There is a real sense of harmony and genuine cohesion. It is difficult to explain, but things work extremely well away from the pitch, and that energy carries over onto it.”

Kounde described a group that enjoyed playing together and making sacrifices for one another.

“There has been a strong sense of cohesion since the very beginning — even going back to 2022,” ‌he said.

“There is continuity within this group. It has been built over time, and everyone is focused on the same ​objective. That is one of our strengths, and you can feel it on the pitch. We enjoy playing together and we also enjoy making the effort for one another.”

France’s ⁠run has also taken place against the backdrop of Deschamps’ decision to step down after the tournament, ending ⁠a reign that began in 2012 and included victory at the 2018 World Cup and another final four years later. The 57-year-old had to deal with a personal loss too during this World Cup after his mother died during the group stage.

Rabiot said the ‌knowledge that this was Deschamps’ final competition had given the players an additional emotional drive.

“The difficulties the coach has gone through have brought us even closer together,” he said. “You want to give ​everything, especially knowing that this is his last competition in charge of the France team. This is the moment.”

Published on Jul 14, 2026

#FIFA #World #Cup #Frances #secret #weapon #Communication #analysis #field">FIFA World Cup 2026 — France’s secret weapon: Communication and analysis beyond the field France’s march to the World Cup semifinals has been ‌powered by the goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, but the players believe ​an equally important part of their success has been forged away from the ⁠cameras, in private conversations without the coaching staff.Didier Deschamps’ side faces Spain on Tuesday, seeking to reach a third successive World Cup final, having developed a unity that midfielder Adrien Rabiot and defender Jules Kounde say ‌extends well beyond tactical meetings and training sessions.The players analyse matches together in small groups, challenging each other and taking responsibility for finding solutions beyond those provided by ‌Deschamps and his assistants.“We communicate a lot and talk among ourselves regularly,” Rabiot told reporters on ‌Monday.“At ⁠the hotel, during our downtime, we try to analyse matches together in small groups. ⁠That is important, beyond everything the coach and his staff provide. We all speak the same language, we all have the same objective and everyone is directing their energy towards it. What the staff bring us is essential, but the dialogue between ​the players, without the staff being involved, is ‌important as well.”That sense of ownership has helped France combine one of the tournament’s most potent attacks with a collective defensive effort that begins with the forwards.Mbappe has scored eight goals and Dembele five, but Kounde said France’s work without the ball had been as important as their ‌individual quality in possession.“We have done a good job defensively, but it goes well beyond ​the defenders,” Kounde said.“It is a collective effort, starting with the way we press from the opposition’s very first pass. When the work is done properly higher ⁠up the pitch and in midfield, it makes our job at the back much easier.”France’s cohesion has been visible in the willingness of their attacking players to track back and in the discipline with which ‌the team have defended difficult moments.STRONG RELATIONSHIPSThe players insist that what happens on the pitch is an extension of relationships built elsewhere.“We get on very well,” Rabiot said. “There is a real sense of harmony and genuine cohesion. It is difficult to explain, but things work extremely well away from the pitch, and that energy carries over onto it.”Kounde described a group that enjoyed playing together and making sacrifices for one another.“There has been a strong sense of cohesion since the very beginning — even going back to 2022,” ‌he said.“There is continuity within this group. It has been built over time, and everyone is focused on the same ​objective. That is one of our strengths, and you can feel it on the pitch. We enjoy playing together and we also enjoy making the effort for one another.”France’s ⁠run has also taken place against the backdrop of Deschamps’ decision to step down after the tournament, ending ⁠a reign that began in 2012 and included victory at the 2018 World Cup and another final four years later. The 57-year-old had to deal with a personal loss too during this World Cup after his mother died during the group stage.Rabiot said the ‌knowledge that this was Deschamps’ final competition had given the players an additional emotional drive.“The difficulties the coach has gone through have brought us even closer together,” he said. “You want to give ​everything, especially knowing that this is his last competition in charge of the France team. This is the moment.”Published on Jul 14, 2026 #FIFA #World #Cup #Frances #secret #weapon #Communication #analysis #field

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