ASK IRA: Would a whole, healthy Heat roster have given the Cavs a better fight?

Atlanta Hawks vs Cleveland Cavaliers - Full Game Highlights | Game 1 | May 2, 2016 | NBA Playoffs

Q: Ira, after watching the Cavaliers on Tuesday, perhaps we were better escaping with our dignity. -- Graham.

A: Perhaps. But what bothers me is the insinuation is that the Eastern Conference never was going to produce competition for the Cavaliers this season. Yes, had the Heat moved on from a Game 7 victory in Toronto and then played the Cavaliers on one day of rest, I agree the result would have been similar to what the Raptors endured in Game 1. But. And there is a big but there (and sometimes I like big buts and I cannot lie), because when assessing what could have been you also have to assess what Heat-Cavaliers could have looked like if at least Hassan Whiteside was available, and perhaps even Chris Bosh. With Whiteside, the Heat would have had the type of second line of defense that dunk-at-will LeBron James never had to face in Game 1 against the Raptors (and even if Jonas Valanciunas was available for Toronto, he is not the deterrent that Whiteside has been). And if the Cavaliers stayed with Tristan Thompson at center in a theoretical series against the Heat, it would have allowed the Whiteside to essentially park himself in the paint. Factor in Bosh, had he been available, and you also would have had somewhat of a counter for Kevin Love. Look, these Cavaliers are on a mission, and they were overwhelming in Game 1, but to see the East again is down and there never was going to be competition for the Cavaliers is B.S. A Heat team with Whiteside and Bosh would have offered something far more compelling than we likely will see at any point of Cavaliers-Raptors until it comes to its merciful end.

Q: If we lose Hassan Whiteside, I think the Heat should pursue Al Horford and/or Pau Gasol. What do you think? -- Pablo, Harrisonburg, Va.

A: First, we won"t know about Hassan until we know in July. But if Whiteside does move on, then I think the Heat will find themselves at a major crossroads: Do they remain in something close to win-now mode to maximize Dwyane Wade"s final years? Or do they either turn to youth or even put off a major free-agency strike until the 2017 offseason, when it is possible that Chris Bosh"s salary comes off their luxury tax? The 2017 free-agency pool is far more compelling than what is available this summer beyond the Kevin Durant pipe dream. But Wade, even with his rejuvenated play this season, only has so many miles left in those knees. That"s why I believe it is so important to retain Hassan, since you still could deal him in the 2017 offseason, if that is when you decide to instead maximize cap space.

Q: If the Heat are still in the win-now mode (and why would they not be?), wouldn"t Micky Arison be willing to open his wallet and pay Dwyane Wade, Hassan Whiteside and Kevin Durant? A lot of talk has been about staying under the cap, but I never heard any talk about possibly paying a luxury tax. Is that completely off the table? -- David, Plantation.

A: You are confusing the salary cap with the luxury tax, which basically is a mechanism that comes into play when you are re-signing your own free agents who have Bird Rights. Because Whiteside does not have full Bird Rights, he basically counts, for cap purposes, as an outside free agent. And when signing someone in Whiteside"s position or a Kevin Durant or other outside free agent, you have to make you entire roster mostly work under the salary cap, which is expected to fall in the $92 million range for 2016-17. And that"s that. There is no spending over the cap in that situation because you are willing to pay the tax. Apples and oranges. So, for the purposes of your question, if Whiteside or Durant (or another outside free agent) is part of the Heat"s plans, then the Heat have to wind up around that $92 million cap (there is a small degree of wiggle room because the NBA has a "soft" cap). Now, if the Heat decide this offseason to only lock up Wade, Luol Deng, Joe Johnson and the team"s free agents from the 2015-16 roster (including Udonis Haslem), then, yes, they could spend into the luxury-tax stratosphere for 2016-17. But it also would mean no incoming outside talent and no Whiteside.

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/heat-blog/sfl-miami-heat-ask-ira-cleveland-cavaliers-s051916-story.html

Continue Reading ..

Why Wasn"t Phil Mickelson Charged With Insider Trading?

Golf Chipping Tips, Drills And Lessons Video By Phil Mickelson | Swing Tips For Beginers

At a press conference Thursday inwhichManhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bhararaunveiled details of an insider trading case against sports gambler William "Billy" Walters, a reporter wanted to know why exactly the most famous person connected to case had been left out of the prosecution."Doesn"t it undermine confidence in the markets," the reporter asked, "to not charge the celebrity defendant and not explain why you are not charging the celebrity?"

A flash of irritation could be detected on Bharara"s face.

Back in June 2014, a number of press leaks suggested that the pro golfer Phil Mickelson was under investigation for possibleinsider trading, along with Walters and the investor Carl Icahn. (Mickelson, Icahn and Walters denied any wrongdoing, and Icahn also wasn"t charged on Thursday.) It was to be expected that journalists would nowfocus on the mostobvious questionsome might say "omission"to arise fromthe Walters indictment.

Nearly two years later, federalprosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission have filed formal charges. Walters was arrested on Wednesdaynight in Nevada and charged with trading on inside information he obtained from Thomas Davis, a former member of the board of dairy company Dean Foods who is cooperating with the investigation.

Mickelson, meanwhile, was named only as a "relief defendant" in the SEC"s civil complaint. According to Andrew Ceresney, the SEC"s director of enforcement, a relief defendant is someone who wasa "recipient of ill-gotten gains for which he has no legitimate claim"essentially that he made money based on the illegal conduct of other people. The SEC made no assertion that Mickelson did anything wrong and is asking that he simply return the inadvertently obtained illegal profit of $931,000 he made trading shares of Dean Foods.

Phil was an innocent bystander to alleged wrongdoing by others that he was unaware of, Mickelson"s lawyer said in a statement. Walters" lawyer, Barry Berke, said: Prosecutors accusations [agains his client] are based on erroneous assumptions, speculative theories and false finger-pointing."

The legal landscape aroundinsider trading lawhas been shifting under prosecutors" and regulators" feet, and this case may be a reflection of that.A series of appeals court decisions, referred to as the Newman case after a fund manager whose conviction was overturned, made it harder to bring insider trading charges in two ways. First, they increased the level of knowledge a trader must be proved to have had about the source of his or her tip; and second, they tightened the definition of the gain or benefit a tipper must be shown to have received in exchange for leaking the information.In the Walters case, prosecutors and the SEC are alleging that Walters made six-figure loans and gifts to help Davis pay off gambling debts, along withother financialenticements, in exchange for confidential information about Dean Foods.

During the question-and-answer portion of the press conference, a reporter asked Bharara whether the Newman decision was the reason why Mickelson hadn"t been charged.

"Iwill repeat what Ive said many times: If the Newman decision stands,it has an impact on our investigations," Bharara said, somewhat grumpily. "Conduct we think is nefarious, and that undermines faith in the markets and the fairness of the markets, will not be able to beprosecuted because of the Newman decision."

Until the Supreme Court clarifies insider trading law, the public will be left to ponder why some skate free and others don"t.

Gambler Charged in Insider Scheme: What Happens Next?

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-19/why-wasn-t-phil-mickelson-charged-with-insider-trading

Continue Reading ..

Tom Hiddleston To Be The Next James Bond? Fans Freak Out Over Possibility

The Graham Norton Show S19E07 Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L Jackson, John Malkovich, Sara Pascoe
Everyone remain calm. We didnt think it was possible, but they may have just foundthe hottest James Bond yet Tom Hiddleston. Its not official, but fans are already losing their minds over the possibility. Check outthe epic reactions!

Daniel Craig, 48, is officially done playing James Bond. Fans were sad about that forall of one minute, before freaking out overthe possibility of Tom Hiddleston, 35, taking overthe role. Of course, he would make an amazing James Bond, but are the rumorstrue?

Daniel has reportedly turned down offers to reprise his role as James Bond intwo more films, which means the spot may now be open for someone else to take. And itdidnt take long for fans to start throwing around Toms name on Twitter, and from the looks of the responses, the studiosshould definitely give him some serious consideration.

Why shouldnt they!? He would be the perfect fit. Hes already insanely attractive, something numerous fans have mentioned, but hes also got that quiet mystery going for him as well. Like, you could imagine him sitting politely at a dinner table, but then dodging bullets without getting his suit dirty if the occasion called for it. It really doesnt get better than that, but not allfans totally agree.

Actually, many people are still rooting for Idris Elba, 43, to get the coveted role. We cant say we would be mad about that! Everyone has a different vision for what and who James Bond should be, so making everyone happy wont be possible. Fans seem to be divided every which way, but the ones who want Tom are very, very devoted.

Join Amazon Prime For Free Thousands of Movies & Shows Anytime

Stream music, completely unlimited and ad-free, RIGHT HERE

Everyone seems to have an opinion, although nothing has been confirmed on either Tom or Daniels side, so everyone needs to put down the pitchforks and calm down. There is still time to choose the next Bond, but whoever it is, its going to be absolutely legendary.

Do you want to see Tom play James Bond, HollywoodLifers? Are you sad to see Daniel go? Tell us below!

JavaScript is required to load the comments.

Source: http://hollywoodlife.com/2016/05/19/tom-hiddleston-james-bond-fans-react-twitter/

Continue Reading ..

Why Wasn"t Phil Mickelson Charged With Insider Trading?

Phil Mickelson’s fence encounter at Farmers Insurance Open

At a press conference Thursday inwhichManhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bhararaunveiled details of an insider trading case against sports gambler William "Billy" Walters, a reporter wanted to know why exactly the most famous person connected to case had been left out of the prosecution."Doesn"t it undermine confidence in the markets," the reporter asked, "to not charge the celebrity defendant and not explain why you are not charging the celebrity?"

A flash of irritation could be detected on Bharara"s face.

Back in June 2014, a number of press leaks suggested that the pro golfer Phil Mickelson was under investigation for possibleinsider trading, along with Walters and the investor Carl Icahn. (Mickelson, Icahn and Walters denied any wrongdoing, and Icahn also wasn"t charged on Thursday.) It was to be expected that journalists would nowfocus on the mostobvious questionsome might say "omission"to arise fromthe Walters indictment.

Nearly two years later, federalprosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission have filed formal charges. Walters was arrested on Wednesdaynight in Nevada and charged with trading on inside information he obtained from Thomas Davis, a former member of the board of dairy company Dean Foods who is cooperating with the investigation.

Mickelson, meanwhile, was named only as a "relief defendant" in the SEC"s civil complaint. According to Andrew Ceresney, the SEC"s director of enforcement, a relief defendant is someone who wasa "recipient of ill-gotten gains for which he has no legitimate claim"essentially that he made money based on the illegal conduct of other people. The SEC made no assertion that Mickelson did anything wrong and is asking that he simply return the inadvertently obtained illegal profit of $931,000 he made trading shares of Dean Foods.

Phil was an innocent bystander to alleged wrongdoing by others that he was unaware of, Mickelson"s lawyer said in a statement. Walters" lawyer, Barry Berke, said: Prosecutors accusations [agains his client] are based on erroneous assumptions, speculative theories and false finger-pointing."

The legal landscape aroundinsider trading lawhas been shifting under prosecutors" and regulators" feet, and this case may be a reflection of that.A series of appeals court decisions, referred to as the Newman case after a fund manager whose conviction was overturned, made it harder to bring insider trading charges in two ways. First, they increased the level of knowledge a trader must be proved to have had about the source of his or her tip; and second, they tightened the definition of the gain or benefit a tipper must be shown to have received in exchange for leaking the information.In the Walters case, prosecutors and the SEC are alleging that Walters made six-figure loans and gifts to help Davis pay off gambling debts, along withother financialenticements, in exchange for confidential information about Dean Foods.

During the question-and-answer portion of the press conference, a reporter asked Bharara whether the Newman decision was the reason why Mickelson hadn"t been charged.

"Iwill repeat what Ive said many times: If the Newman decision stands,it has an impact on our investigations," Bharara said, somewhat grumpily. "Conduct we think is nefarious, and that undermines faith in the markets and the fairness of the markets, will not be able to beprosecuted because of the Newman decision."

Until the Supreme Court clarifies insider trading law, the public will be left to ponder why some skate free and others don"t.

Gambler Charged in Insider Scheme: What Happens Next?

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-19/why-wasn-t-phil-mickelson-charged-with-insider-trading

Continue Reading ..

WBC head is "completely confident" Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin fight will happen

BREAKING NEWS!! CANELO VACATES HIS BELT RATHER THAN FIGHT GOLOVKIN

Mauricio Sulaiman is not sitting in on the meetings where promoters are discussing the possibility of a Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin middleweight title unification bout, but the head of the World Boxing Council is close enough to the talks to have formed a strong opinion on how theyre progressing.

I am completely confident the fight is going to happen, Sulaiman told The Times on Tuesday morning. Both fighters have made it clear they want it. The public, the fans and the press want it.

Its the right fight at the right time.

See more of our top stories on Facebook >>

Sulaiman has made it abundantly clear that if WBC champion Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 knockouts) opts to decline his mandatory next bout against World Boxing Assn. and International Boxing Federation champion Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs) that Alvarezs belt will be stripped and given to Golovkin.

Alvarezs promoter, Oscar De La Hoyas Golden Boy Promotions, and Golovkins promoter, Tom Loeffler, have met to discuss deal points, and one official familiar with the talks said Alvarez is expected to be briefed on the talks shortly.

I can tell you that any reports that there are interim fights being discussed is completely false, Loeffler told The Times on Tuesday. We have made it clear to Golden Boy and the WBC that there would be no interim fights or extensions to the purse bid. Canelo got one interim fight. Now he needs to fight Triple G.

Sulaiman said he will issue a reminder to the promoters by Friday that they have until May 24 to either strike a deal, or the bout will go to purse bid, where promoters can submit offers to stage the bout, with the highest bid winning the right.

Get the latest in sports with our free newsletter >>

Sulaiman has not revealed what the purse split would be in a purse-bid scenario, but champion Alvarez will receive substantially more than WBC challenger Golovkin.

Whether Canelo keeps the title or not is his decision, Loeffler said.

Naturally, we would prefer to make the fight, as it is the biggest fight in boxing between two middleweight champions and two of the most marketable fighters in the sport today.

Kazakhstans Golovkin, 34, knocked out Dominic Wade on April 23 in the second round at the Forum to post his 22ndconsecutive knockout and 16thstraight middleweight title triumph.

Alvarez, 25, followed on May 7 by throwing a devastating right hand that knocked out Englands Amir Khan in the sixth round of the first boxing card at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, drawing more than 500,000 pay-per-view buys and a $7.4 million live gate.

With Golovkin watching from ringside, Alvarez summoned him inside the ring and said he is not afraid to accept the fight, later telling reporters he would fight Golovkin at the middeweight limit of 160 pounds.

MORE SPORTS NEWS

In Santa Clarita, female soccer players fight for a league of their own

Alabama tackle Cam Robinson and teammate arrested on drug and weapons charges

Charlie Weis still collects millions from Notre Dame, even though he hasn"t worked there since 2009

Source: http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-boxing-canelo-golovkin-wbc-sulaiman-20160517-story.html

Continue Reading ..

After "Lip Sync Battle" Christina Milian"s Next TV Show May Be "Rocky Horror"

Christina Milian - Dip It Low

Christina Milian has been a topic of conversation on Twitter because so many of her fans are sad that Grandfathered got canceled, and there will be less of her character Vanessa in their lives.

Although Vulture and Variety gave great reviews about the finale of Grandfathered, they gave little insight into what Christina Milian has coming up for the summer.

Unfortunately, it appears that her fans may be experiencing a Christina Milian drought in 2016. As it stands, there are several potential projects on the horizon, but after the immediate future, it might not be until Halloween that any of Christina Milians fans will see her on television.

On Facebook, Christina Milian announced that she is still on TV for a bit longer after Grandfathered, and she is using her stage skills with her former Grandfathered co-star, Josh Peck, for Lip Sync Battle on May 19 on Spike TV.

About Lip Sync Battle, Billboard writes that Christina Milian fired up the stage the week before with her choreographed version of Jennifer Lopezs Waiting for Tonight.

After Lip Sync Battle, unfortunately, it might be a long and hot summer without Christina Milian. This can be harsh for fans because Christina Milian was a big part of TV in 2015 and early 2016 because of her show, Turned Up on the E! Network.

Regardless, there have not been any announcements about a new season of her reality TV series despite the fact that the announcements of the first two seasons were fairly immediate and predictable.

For instance, the first season of Christina Milians show premiered on January 18, 2015, after starting production as early as March 2014. Following a successful first season, it was announced in April 2015 that there would be a second season for Christina Milian Turned Up which premiered several months later on November 3, 2015.

Christina Milian may not be on TV much this summer, but that does not mean she will not be working hard on upcoming projects like her role in Rocky Horror on FOX. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

While Turned Up Season 2 was immediately picked up, unfortunately, the same news was not announced for Christina Milian fans for Season 3.

In the meantime, what has been announced on the E! Network instead of Christina Milians show is Mariah Careys new reality series, and they already have a teaser, according to Bella Naija.

This means there many be no rhyme or reason to predicting when the announcement by the E! Network about Christina Milian Turned Up having a Season 3 will happen.

Unless another project is announced, the next likely option to see Christina Milian acting might be when she plays Magenta in Rocky Horror Picture Show that debuts on FOX on Halloween.

Outside of acting and singing, Christina Milian is a business woman and owns a fashion line called We Are Pop Culture. While she may launch a new app at any time or promote a product she loves (such as her Viva Diva Wines), it is likely that fashion is the only way Christina Milian fans can hope to see more of her this summer.

After all, Christina Milian spent a majority of the summer of 2015 managing pop-up stores for We Are Pop Culture in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, according to Daily Mail.

In some ways, it does seem that Christina Milian could be teasing about potential We Are Pop Culture fashion lines. For example, on May 14, Christina Milian was photographed wearing a bold shirt with screen-printed guns, according to Mirror.

Christina Milian stunned in a black gown for the May 12 AltaMed gala in Beverly Hills. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AltaMed)

On May 13, Christina Milian was photographed by Daily Mail wearing a stunning black evening gown for the AltaMed Power Up, We Are The Future Gala in Beverly Hills.

Whatever is next, people continue to be fascinated with almost every aspect of Christina Milians life including her take on motherhood. For example, when Christina Milian graced the cover of Georgie magazine, The YBF quotes her stating the following.

The only thing that I stress out about is, how am I going to make sure that I balance out my time for motherhood? How am I going to make this work? Because my daughter that time means everything to her and to us. Shes all I got. We could work really hard but we could watch time fly, you know? Tomorrows not promised.

[Picture by Ben Gabbe/Stringer/Getty Images]

Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/3109763/after-lip-sync-battle-christina-milians-next-tv-show-may-be-rocky-horror/

Continue Reading ..

Oklahoma City versus Golden State: The NBA needs this

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Golden State Warriors - Game 1 Preview | 2016 NBA Playoffs

Oklahoma City versus Golden State in the western conference finals. I have always told myself never to jump ahead when it comes to the Oklahoma City Thunder. As soon as I do, it comes back and bites me and they lose in the second round. However, when it comes to the possible match-up of Thunder versus Warriors, I just cant help it.

One of the biggest games of the year was when Golden State played against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Ultimately, Stephen Curry blasted a 3from Norman to win the game in overtime by a score of 121-118. A play that would later used to promote the NBA app in a commercial.

Right now, Oklahoma City is up 3-2 on San Antonio and Golden State won their series withPortland. The table is almost setfor a possible and likely #OKCvsGSW hashtag posted all over twitter.OKC versus GSW could be one of those 30 for 30 series youll see on ESPN like 5 years from now. As fans of basketball, we need this series and we deserve it. Lets face facts, the 2016 NBA playoffs have disappointing.

Cleveland is sweeping through the east, Toronto and Miami is a complete snooze fest, G*d loves Portland because the NBA doesnt, and Golden State just isnt as much fun to watch without Curry on the floor. The Clippers and Mavericks both had injuries, and Charlotte was just there. The only series that has been remotely exciting is currently Oklahoma City versus San Antonio.

Youd have to assume that if either Toronto or Miami (it really doesnt matter which) met Cleveland, the final result would be a sweep or a 4-1 series win for Cleveland. So, we can presumably predict a Golden State versus Cleveland NBA Finals rematch. However, if the Oklahoma City Thunder played Golden State in the Western ConferenceFinals, it could be the highest rated series in the entire playoffs and would be the first real test for Golden State in the post season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder played Golden State three times during the regular season. While the Warriors won all three games, they literally came down to the wire. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were both on the NBAs biggest stage against the Splash Brothers and Draymond Green.

Now, as far as the Spurs are concerned, I can understand the fans of San Antonio. They are a great team; however, they dont have the drama or the inconsistencies than that the Thunder possess. San Antonio is a well oiled machine, which in laymans terms equals boring. Admit it, you dont want to see a San Antonio versus Cleveland NBA Finals again, do you? Weve been watching the Spurs in the postseason since David Robinson was their star player.

The NBA deserves a series between Golden State and Oklahoma City, there will be drama, excitement, buzzer beaters, and lets not forget Westbrook. I mean, G*d only knows what h**l do in this series. He could literally try to match Curry shot for shot. Which would be way more exciting than San Antonio and Golden State. Durant is liable to go nuts and start bombing threes like Reggie Miller versus the New York Knicks in the early 90s.

If youre an NBA fan, regardless of your favorite team, you need to pray to the basketball Gods and ask them to please let the stars align for a Oklahoma City versus Golden State series. It could very well be one of the greatest Western Conference Finals in the history of the NBA.

Source: http://thunderousintentions.com/2016/05/12/oklahoma-city-versus-golden-state-nba-needs/

Continue Reading ..