DENVER — So you're the most valuable player of that annual Thanksgiving Day backyard flag football game. Or played tackle football on any level. Or ran track. Or dabbled in basketball. Or toyed with any sport, really. Well, this may be just for you: USA Football is holding talent identification camps all over the country to find that next flag football star. It's "America's Got Talent" meets "American Idol," with the stage being the field and the grand prize a chance to compete for a spot on a national team. Because it's never too early to start planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Summer Games debut. Know this, though — it's not an easy team to make. The men's and women's national team rosters are at "Dream Team" status given the men's side has captured six of the last seven world championships and the women three in a row. To remain on top, the sport's national governing body is scouring every football field, park, track, basketball court and gym to find hidden talent to cultivate. USA Football has organized camps and tryouts from coast to coast for anyone ages 11 to 23. There are more than a dozen sites set up so far, ranging from Dallas (Sunday) to Chicago (Dec. 14) to Tampa (March 29) to Los Angeles (TBD) and the Boston area (April 27), where it will be held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. The organization has already partnered with the NFL on flag football initiatives and programs. The numbers have been through the roof, with engagement on social media platforms increasing by 86% since flag football was announced as an Olympic invitational sport in October 2023. The participation of boys and girls ages 6 to 17 in flag football last year peaked at more than 1.6 million, according to USA Football research. "We pride ourselves on elevating the gold standard across the sport," said Eric Mayes, the managing director of the high performance and national teams for USA Football. "We want to be the best in the world — and stay the best in the world." Flag football was one of five new sports added to the LA28 program. The already soaring profile of American football only figures to be enhanced by an Olympic appearance. Imagine, say, a few familiar faces take the field, too. Perhaps even NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, maybe even past pro football greats donning a flag belt for a country to which they may have ties. Soon after flag football's inclusion, there was chatter of NFL players possibly joining in on the fun. Of course, there are logistical issues to tackle before their inclusion at the LA Olympics, which open July 14, 2028. Among them, training camp, because the Olympics will be right in the middle of it. The big question is this: Will owners permit high-priced players to duck out for a gold-medal pursuit? No decisions have yet been made on the status of NFL players for the Olympics. For now, it's simply about growing the game. There are currently 13 states that sanction girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Just recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles helped pave the way to get it adopted in Pennsylvania. Around the world, it's catching on, too. The women's team from Japan took third at the recent word championships, while one of the best players on the planet is Mexico quarterback Diana Flores. "Could flag football globally become the new soccer? That's something to aspire to," said Stephanie Kwok, the NFL's vice president of flag football. This type of flag football though, isn't your Thanksgiving Day game with family and friends. There's a learning curve. And given the small roster sizes, versatility is essential. Most national team members need to be a version of Colorado's two-way standout and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter. Forget bump-and-run coverage, too, because there's no contact. None. That took some adjusting for Mike Daniels, a defensive back out of West Virginia who earned a rookie minicamp invitation with the Cleveland Browns in 2017. "If a receiver is running around, I'm thinking, 'OK, I can kind of bump him here and there and nudge him,'" Daniels explained. "They're like, 'No, you can't.' I'm just like, 'So I'm supposed to let this guy just run?!' I really rebelled at the idea at first. But you learn." The competition for an Olympic roster spot is going to be fierce because only 10 players are expected to make a squad. The best 10 will earn it, too, as credentials such as college All-American or NFL All-Pro take a backseat. "I would actually love" seeing NFL players try out, said Daniels, who's also a personal trainer in Miami. "I'm not going to let you just waltz in here, thinking, 'I played NFL football for five years. I'm popular. I have a huge name.' I'm still better than you and I'm going to prove it — until you prove otherwise." Around the house, Bruce Mapp constantly swivels his hips when turning a hallway corner or if his daughter tries to reach for a hug. It's his way of working on avoiding a "defender" trying to snare the flag. That approach has earned the receiver out of Coastal Carolina four gold medals with USA Football. The 31-year-old fully plans on going for more gold in Los Angeles. "You grow up watching Usain Bolt (win gold) and the 'Redeem Team' led by Kobe Bryant win a gold medal, you're always thinking, 'That's insane.' Obviously, you couldn't do it in your sport, because I played football," said Mapp, who owns a food truck in the Dallas area. "With the Olympics approaching, that (gold medal) is what my mind is set on." It's a common thought, which is why everything — including talent camps — starts now. "Everybody thinks, 'Yeah, the U.S. just wins,'" Daniels said. "But we work hard all the time. We don't just walk in. We don't just get off the bus thinking, 'We're going to beat people.'" Get local news delivered to your inbox!Ninety-four-year old Warren Buffett is still investing, but the biggest news he's made this year has actually been his massive stock sales and the rising cash pile at his conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) . But Berkshire hasn't only been selling stocks; it's been buying some too, even if the buys have been in more modest amounts. Are You Missing The Morning Scoop? Wake up with Breakfast news in your inbox every market day. Sign Up For Free » In its recent 13-F filing, Berkshire disclosed a new $550 million stake in Domino's Pizza (NYSE: DPZ) bought in the third quarter. It's an interesting buy, as the pizza chain's shares appear more expensive than the typical Buffett stock. But that's only at first glance. Here's the Buffett-esque case for buying Domino's now. A P/E of what? At first glance, Domino's looks too expensive to be a Buffett pick, at 28 times earnings. That being said, the purchase was likely made at somewhat lower levels, with Domino's valuation bottoming out at just under 25 times earnings during the summer. That's still higher than the typical P/E ratio at which Buffett buys a stock. And while the purchase could have been initiated by one of Buffett's two younger investment managers, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, both "Todd and Ted" also share Buffett's strict value investing discipline . But it may not be high for Domino's business model Even though Domino's valuation seems high, its asset-light business model has allowed the stock to sustain a high-looking valuation for years. You see, Domino's has a highly franchised business model. In fact, 98.6% of Domino's restaurants are franchises. In that type of model, Domino's takes franchise fees and a small margin selling pizza ingredients and equipment to franchisees. In addition, Domino's outsources all international development to large master franchisees, who manage entire or large parts of overseas markets. Because franchise fees are tied to revenues, not profits, and franchisees need to consistently buy supplies, there is very little "risk" in Domino's earnings stream compared with other companies that bear 100% of their overhead costs. That's why Domino's and other franchise-heavy restaurant businesses tend to trade at high P/E ratios. So while Domino's stock fell to "only" 25 times earnings, that was actually close to a decade-low valuation for the stock: Why Domino's sold off in Q3, and why Berkshire may have pounced The Berkshire buy likely came after Domino's second-quarter earnings release, after which the stock fell about 20% to levels more than 25% below its 52-week high. With the stock down that much and at a historical trough valuation, Buffett or his managers likely smelled opportunity. But that would depend on the reason for the sell-off, and whether or not it was warranted. The big negative on the second quarter release was that Domino's lowered its outlook for international store openings this year, after it became clear its largest master franchisee, Domino's Pizza Enterprises, which operates many several big markets in Europe and Asia, was closing more stores than anticipated. So, while Domino's had initially forecast 1,100 global net openings, it cut that figure to 825-925 for this year. At first glance, that doesn't seem like a big enough deal to warrant such a sell-off. The lower openings target actually reflects increased closings in a couple select geographies, while gross openings continue apace. And Domino's still maintained the same overall 7% revenue and 8% operating profit growth guidance for the year. This was due to the fact that the closed restaurants were low-revenue and under-performing stores to begin with. So, while the headline net openings number is now lower, it shouldn't make for a big difference to this year's results, according to management. Meanwhile, Dominos sees lots of room to grow The growth hiccup mainly happened in the markets of Japan and France, but those aren't the biggest growth opportunities for Domino's. Internationally, Domino's sees the potential for 40,000 restaurants, far higher than the 14,000 it currently has, with major growth opportunities in India and China. Even in the U.S., management sees the potential to continue taking market share. Management sees the company growing same-store sales at 3% over the long term, with 175 new domestic stores to be opened over each of the next few years, adding to that growth. That should be enough to continue taking market share, given the quick serve restaurant (QSR) category is only projected to grow 2%. On the third-quarter call, management said that even after Domino's impressive share gains over the past decade and becoming the largest pizza chain in the U.S., its market share still remained just under 25% of the U.S. pizza market. CEO Russell Weiner noted that in other types of retail categories, the dominant player can be as much as 50% of the market. So, that is where Domino's thinks it can grow. The current adverse retail environment may also be advantageous in accelerating those share gains. The QSR industry is in a slowdown after years of cumulative inflation has pinched consumer budgets. But Domino's generally has a low-cost value product, often delivered within 30 minutes, and its scale gives it an advantage over rivals. These competitive advantages could enable Domino's to take even more share over weaker or more expensive competitors in a soft restaurant market. A quality company at a fair price While not a bargain-priced deep-value investment, Domino's is a high-quality company trading at a fair price. While the stock has appreciated since Berkshire's likely buy, it's still well below its all-time highs, and could make for a strong buy -- even today. Should you invest $1,000 in Domino's Pizza right now? Before you buy stock in Domino's Pizza, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now... and Domino's Pizza wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $829,378 !* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of November 25, 2024 Billy Duberstein and/or his clients have positions in Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway and Domino's Pizza. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy . Why Does Warren Buffett See Opportunity in This Highly Valued Pizza Giant? was originally published by The Motley Fool
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Myles Rice scored 18 points to lead Indiana to a 77-68 victory over Winthrop on Sunday. Rice made 7 of 13 shots and all four of his free throws for the Hoosiers (10-3), who improved to 9-0 at home by holding the Eagles (10-5) scoreless over the final 3:16 to wrap up the victory. He added four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Malik Reneau totaled 14 points and seven rebounds for Indiana. Trey Galloway added 11 points and five assists. Langdon Hatton had a game-high 11 rebounds to go with seven points off the bench. K.J. Doucet and Kasen Harrison both scored 14 to lead Winthrop, which fell to 1-4 on the road. Doucet grabbed 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Kelton Talford scored 13 and Paul Jones III and Nick Johnson added 10 points apiece. Rice had 12 points in the first half to help Indiana take a 41-37 advantage into the break. Doucet had eight points and Harrison and Jones both scored seven to keep Winthrop close. Luke Goode followed his basket with a three-point play to give Indiana a 54-47 lead with 15:15 left to play. Talford finished off a three-point play to get Winthrop within three with 11:34 to go. Reneau answered with a basket and Mackenzie Mgbako followed with a dunk as Indiana quickly pushed its lead back to seven. Johnson buried a 3-pointer with 3:16 remaining to pull Winthrop within a point at 69-68, but the Eagles went scoreless from there. Indiana will host Rutgers on Saturday in a Big Ten Conference matchup. Winthrop returns home to play South Carolina Upstate on Thursday in a Big South Conference opener. ____ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-toWp-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballUTAH TECH 68, DENVER 54
New York, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Nov, 2024) The US securities regulator, a skeptic towards who was appointed by President Joe Biden, announced Thursday he will step down in when takes office. Gensler, chair of the Securities and Commission (SEC), said he will resign on 20, the day assumes the presidency. The move clears the way for the president-elect to pick Gensler's successor. The comes as hit a fresh record, trading above $99,000 and nearing the symbolic $100,000 level. Gensler's five-year term does not end until 2026, but agency chairs customarily step down when the party of presidential administration turns over. During the campaign, promised to him. Gensler took office in 2021 shortly after the so-called "meme stock" frenzy in 2021 prompted massive volatility in GameStop and a handful of other . A former mergers and acquisitions partner at Goldman Sachs, Gensler led rulemaking proposals intended to improve efficiency in capital . But his future in looked precarious in light of the SEC's confrontational approach to throughout the Biden years. Gensler referred to crypto as "the Wild West." During the campaign, drew heavy financial support backers, some of whom are also close to the Republican's close ally, and CEO . In the absence of clear regulations, Gensler took an aggressive stance toward digital currencies, treating them like traditional financial securities such as and . The approach has prompted SEC lawsuits against major trading platforms including Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken, along with various smaller startups. Legislation currently in would shift oversight of supervision to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, known for its lighter-touch approach to regulation. Gensler thanked Biden and fellow commissioners, saying in a statement, "The SEC has met our mission and enforced the law without fear or favor." But the SEC's announcement drew cheers the crypto . The Blockchain Association posted a waving hand emoji on X in response to Gensler's impending exit, while its CEO, Kristin Smith, noted the announcement came the day as a favorable US ruling in Texas for . The Texas ruling constitutes "a fitting turning point of the SEC's harassment campaign of the crypto , and the beginning of a new era," Smith said on X. Smith warned Gensler against "sneak" last-minute enforcement and called for a "better-functioning" SEC that avoids overreach and is willing to work "with to find fit-for-purpose solutions." Hailey Lennon, a partner at law firm Brown Rudnick who was formerly general counsel at Coinbase, said the SEC under Gensler "played gatekeeper and stalled innovation." Citing Gensler's departing comments, she wrote on X that "saying the SEC has regulated without fear or favor is insane gaslighting."LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. (AP) — Cavan Reilly's 18 points helped Delaware defeat Rider 72-66 on Saturday. Reilly went 6 of 12 from the field (4 for 10 from 3-point range) for the Fightin' Blue Hens (4-3). Izaiah Pasha added 15 points while finishing 7 of 10 from the floor and also had six rebounds. Erik Timko shot 5 for 9, including 3 for 7 from beyond the arc to finish with 15 points. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Mavericks hit year-end turbulence with Luka Doncic out with calf strainCNN Panel Laughs in Scott Jennings' Face as He Calls Trump’s Cabinet ‘Ideologically Diverse’
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