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Deadspin | Marlins-Tigers finale features Cy Young Award matchup  Apr 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images   The Detroit Tigers are hoping the third time’s the charm early in the season.  After failing in their two previous attempts to sweep a three-game series, Detroit will attempt to do so Sunday at home against the Miami Marlins in a battle between former Cy Young Award winners.  Detroit lost at San Diego after winning the first two games on the road to start the season, and repeated that at home last weekend against St. Louis after taking the first two games.  The Tigers put themselves in this position thanks to a three-run homer and an RBI single from Riley Greene in a 6-1 victory Saturday. It was Detroit’s second straight win after dropping five in a row, and the team improved to 4-1 at Comerica Park.  The Marlins helped the Tigers out by going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, leaving at least one runner on base in every inning except the eighth.  The victory was the 400th for Detroit manager A.J. Hinch, who joined Cincinnati’s Terry Francona (Red Sox, Guardians) as the only two active skippers to win 400 games with two teams. Hinch won 481 games as Houston’s manager.  “I have an incredible job in an incredible city,” he said. “I do respect how long it takes to pile up a number of things like that. But it’s not about me. It’s about the staff around me and the group that we get to go to battle with. I’m very fortunate to be in this position.”  More importantly for Hinch, however, was getting back on track after stumbling to a 4-9 start.   “We celebrated a series win and just getting back on track for our guys,” Hinch said.  Greene is not one of the Tigers to succumb to a slow start. The home run may have been his first in 60 at-bats, but the two-time All-Star has reached base safely in all 15 games, the longest Detroit streak to start the season since Brandon Inge reached in the first 24 games of 2009.  Now, Detroit will look to sweep the series behind its ace, lefty Tarik Skubal, who will make his first home start after three road outings.  The two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner has lost two straight starts. Although he is 1-2, Skubal has a 2.55 ERA and 16 strikeouts to just two walks.  He’ll oppose 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, who is off to a hot start. He is 2-0 with a minuscule 0.74 ERA and 0.58 WHIP with 18 strikeouts to just four walks.  Alcantara has allowed just 10 hits and two earned runs in 24 1/3 innings and owns the major’s lone shutout this season.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #MarlinsTigers #finale #features #Young #Award #matchup

Deadspin | Marlins-Tigers finale features Cy Young Award matchup
Deadspin | Marlins-Tigers finale features Cy Young Award matchup  Apr 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images   The Detroit Tigers are hoping the third time’s the charm early in the season.  After failing in their two previous attempts to sweep a three-game series, Detroit will attempt to do so Sunday at home against the Miami Marlins in a battle between former Cy Young Award winners.  Detroit lost at San Diego after winning the first two games on the road to start the season, and repeated that at home last weekend against St. Louis after taking the first two games.  The Tigers put themselves in this position thanks to a three-run homer and an RBI single from Riley Greene in a 6-1 victory Saturday. It was Detroit’s second straight win after dropping five in a row, and the team improved to 4-1 at Comerica Park.  The Marlins helped the Tigers out by going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, leaving at least one runner on base in every inning except the eighth.  The victory was the 400th for Detroit manager A.J. Hinch, who joined Cincinnati’s Terry Francona (Red Sox, Guardians) as the only two active skippers to win 400 games with two teams. Hinch won 481 games as Houston’s manager.  “I have an incredible job in an incredible city,” he said. “I do respect how long it takes to pile up a number of things like that. But it’s not about me. It’s about the staff around me and the group that we get to go to battle with. I’m very fortunate to be in this position.”  More importantly for Hinch, however, was getting back on track after stumbling to a 4-9 start.   “We celebrated a series win and just getting back on track for our guys,” Hinch said.  Greene is not one of the Tigers to succumb to a slow start. The home run may have been his first in 60 at-bats, but the two-time All-Star has reached base safely in all 15 games, the longest Detroit streak to start the season since Brandon Inge reached in the first 24 games of 2009.  Now, Detroit will look to sweep the series behind its ace, lefty Tarik Skubal, who will make his first home start after three road outings.  The two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner has lost two straight starts. Although he is 1-2, Skubal has a 2.55 ERA and 16 strikeouts to just two walks.  He’ll oppose 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, who is off to a hot start. He is 2-0 with a minuscule 0.74 ERA and 0.58 WHIP with 18 strikeouts to just four walks.  Alcantara has allowed just 10 hits and two earned runs in 24 1/3 innings and owns the major’s lone shutout this season.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #MarlinsTigers #finale #features #Young #Award #matchupApr 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers are hoping the third time’s the charm early in the season.

After failing in their two previous attempts to sweep a three-game series, Detroit will attempt to do so Sunday at home against the Miami Marlins in a battle between former Cy Young Award winners.

Detroit lost at San Diego after winning the first two games on the road to start the season, and repeated that at home last weekend against St. Louis after taking the first two games.

The Tigers put themselves in this position thanks to a three-run homer and an RBI single from Riley Greene in a 6-1 victory Saturday. It was Detroit’s second straight win after dropping five in a row, and the team improved to 4-1 at Comerica Park.

The Marlins helped the Tigers out by going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, leaving at least one runner on base in every inning except the eighth.

The victory was the 400th for Detroit manager A.J. Hinch, who joined Cincinnati’s Terry Francona (Red Sox, Guardians) as the only two active skippers to win 400 games with two teams. Hinch won 481 games as Houston’s manager.

“I have an incredible job in an incredible city,” he said. “I do respect how long it takes to pile up a number of things like that. But it’s not about me. It’s about the staff around me and the group that we get to go to battle with. I’m very fortunate to be in this position.”


More importantly for Hinch, however, was getting back on track after stumbling to a 4-9 start.

“We celebrated a series win and just getting back on track for our guys,” Hinch said.

Greene is not one of the Tigers to succumb to a slow start. The home run may have been his first in 60 at-bats, but the two-time All-Star has reached base safely in all 15 games, the longest Detroit streak to start the season since Brandon Inge reached in the first 24 games of 2009.

Now, Detroit will look to sweep the series behind its ace, lefty Tarik Skubal, who will make his first home start after three road outings.

The two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner has lost two straight starts. Although he is 1-2, Skubal has a 2.55 ERA and 16 strikeouts to just two walks.

He’ll oppose 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, who is off to a hot start. He is 2-0 with a minuscule 0.74 ERA and 0.58 WHIP with 18 strikeouts to just four walks.

Alcantara has allowed just 10 hits and two earned runs in 24 1/3 innings and owns the major’s lone shutout this season.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #MarlinsTigers #finale #features #Young #Award #matchup

Apr 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers are hoping the third time’s the charm early in the season.

After failing in their two previous attempts to sweep a three-game series, Detroit will attempt to do so Sunday at home against the Miami Marlins in a battle between former Cy Young Award winners.

Detroit lost at San Diego after winning the first two games on the road to start the season, and repeated that at home last weekend against St. Louis after taking the first two games.

The Tigers put themselves in this position thanks to a three-run homer and an RBI single from Riley Greene in a 6-1 victory Saturday. It was Detroit’s second straight win after dropping five in a row, and the team improved to 4-1 at Comerica Park.

The Marlins helped the Tigers out by going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, leaving at least one runner on base in every inning except the eighth.

The victory was the 400th for Detroit manager A.J. Hinch, who joined Cincinnati’s Terry Francona (Red Sox, Guardians) as the only two active skippers to win 400 games with two teams. Hinch won 481 games as Houston’s manager.

“I have an incredible job in an incredible city,” he said. “I do respect how long it takes to pile up a number of things like that. But it’s not about me. It’s about the staff around me and the group that we get to go to battle with. I’m very fortunate to be in this position.”

More importantly for Hinch, however, was getting back on track after stumbling to a 4-9 start.

“We celebrated a series win and just getting back on track for our guys,” Hinch said.

Greene is not one of the Tigers to succumb to a slow start. The home run may have been his first in 60 at-bats, but the two-time All-Star has reached base safely in all 15 games, the longest Detroit streak to start the season since Brandon Inge reached in the first 24 games of 2009.

Now, Detroit will look to sweep the series behind its ace, lefty Tarik Skubal, who will make his first home start after three road outings.

The two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner has lost two straight starts. Although he is 1-2, Skubal has a 2.55 ERA and 16 strikeouts to just two walks.

He’ll oppose 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, who is off to a hot start. He is 2-0 with a minuscule 0.74 ERA and 0.58 WHIP with 18 strikeouts to just four walks.

Alcantara has allowed just 10 hits and two earned runs in 24 1/3 innings and owns the major’s lone shutout this season.

–Field Level Media

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Sawan Barwal breaks oldest National Record, betters Shivnath Singh’s 48-year-old mark by two seconds in his debut marathon <div id="content-body-70853851" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Growing up in the village of Radabhanker, situated in the rolling hills of Himachal’s Mandi district, Sawan Barwal didn’t have very lofty ambitions when he started running. It’s not rare to find scores of runners pounding the mountain trails early in the morning in this part of the country. It’s something most young men do in this region in preparation for Army recruitment.</p><p>Sawan though wasn’t even thinking of that. “A lot of children from my area run because they want to prepare for Army <i>bharti</i> (recruitment). But when I started running in school, it was just because I enjoyed running. At first, I was just happy to run. Then slowly, as I improved, my goals got bigger. I wanted to win a school medal, then a district medal, then state medal and national medal, then become an international athlete. Every time I won a medal, I kept thinking what I could accomplish next,” Sawan tells <i>Sportstar</i>.</p><p>On Sunday morning in Rotterdam, the 28-year-old got his biggest accomplishment yet. Competing in the Rotterdam marathon, Sawan crossed the finish line in a time of 2:11:58. In doing so, he had broken the longest standing record in Indian track and field — Shivnath Singh’s men’s marathon record of 2:12:00 set in 1978.</p><p>Sawan’s achievement is all the more remarkable considering he was making his marathon debut, having only switched to the event five months ago. It’s easily the highest mark in the career of Sawan, whose previous biggest claim to fame was a bronze medal in the Asian half marathon championships in 2023.</p><p><b>READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/athletics/lokesh-sathyanathan-story-career-ncaa-long-jump-title-journey-coach-bengaluru/article70802992.ece" target="_blank">The Lokesh Sathyanathan story: How the long jumper from Bengaluru leapt into history with his maiden NCAA title</a></b></p><p>While it’s a mark that’s eluded many generations of Indian long-distance runners, Sawan had been confident about setting a new national record in his first race. “Before coming to Rotterdam, I had done some research. I knew the course is very flat. I knew I had a good chance to get the record,” he says.</p><p>Growing up though, Sawan wouldn’t have thought he was going to be the one to script history. “I first started running seriously when I was in class 8th in school. I was introduced by my coach. I wasn’t thinking so much of the future. I ran because it focuses your mind and gives you a goal to chase,” he says.</p><p>It soon became obvious that Sawan had talent. He started as an 800m runner and soon progressed from the school to the state and eventually, the national level. In 2015, he finished fourth in the men’s 3,000m at the U-18 national championships. Although he hadn’t medalled, he continued running.</p><p>Although it hadn’t been the reason he started running in the first case, Sawan was eventually recruited by the Army the following year – he’s currently a <i>havaldar</i> with the Engineering Corps. The shift didn’t immediately transform his fortunes. He’d have to wait another five years to win his first medal – a silver in the 10,000m at the National Open Athletics Championships in 2022.</p><p>The following year, he won his first international medal – bronze at the Asian half marathon championships.</p><p>While it was clear he had potential to compete at the longest distance in Olympic track and field, Sawan held off the decision. “The first time I thought about running in the marathon was in 2023. But because we had the Asian Games that year and because I had already done well in the 5,000m, I thought I should stick to that distance,” he says.</p><p>Sawan continued to do well in the 5,000m and 10,000m, winning gold in the latter with a personal best time at last year’s National Games and then, later at the Federation Cup. But coaches continued to nudge him towards the marathon. “Last year, Scott Simmons (who had previously coached Commonwealth Games medallist Avinash Sable) suggested I try the marathon as well. I thought it might be a good chance to qualify for the Asian Games so I decided to make the move,” he says.</p><p>The shift didn’t go smoothly at first. Two months into marathon preparation, Sawan fell in the middle of a run. “I was supposed to make my marathon debut last year but because of the fall, I had to give up that plan,” he says.</p><p>This season though, the plan was to take on the Rotterdam marathon. The goal heading in was to break the national record. Sevaral senior runners said that plan was too ambitious but Sawan says he was always confident. “Because the record has stood for so long, a lot of runners think we can’t even train to run that fast. A lot of old runners told me this. But I didn’t think this time was that hard,” he says.</p><p>Indeed, in recent years, a number of runners have come close to the record. Sawan’s army teammate Gopi Thonackal ran a time of 2:12:12 at the Valencia marathon last year while Kartik Karkera ran 2:13:10 at the New Delhi marathon earlier this year. While those two had come close, at Rotterdam, Sawan would shatter the mark.</p><p>Even with the record, it’s unlikely Sawan would be satisfied. Before the race, Sawan had told <i>Sportstar</i> what his goals were. “I don’t think it’s enough to break the record. I would like to be able to run a sub 2:09:00 race. I also want to win a medal at the Asian Games,” he said.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 12, 2026</p></div> #Sawan #Barwal #breaks #oldest #National #Record #betters #Shivnath #Singhs #48yearold #mark #seconds #debut #marathon

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MI vs RCB IPL 2026, LIVE score: Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru go head-to-head at Wankhede <div itemprop="articleBody"><p>RCB edged out MI by 12 runs in a high scoring contest the last time the two sides faced off against each other. Incidentally, that match also took place at the Wankhede Stadium, the venue of tonight’s clash.</p><p>Sixties from Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar helped RCB post 221 before MI came within 12 runs off the target thanks to Tilak Varma’s quickfire 56 but eventually fell short of the target. Will we witness another high scoring contest tonight?</p></div> #RCB #IPL #LIVE #score #Mumbai #Indians #Royal #Challengers #Bengaluru #headtohead #Wankhede

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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