Source: Ben Pursell for Blizzard Entertainment

The Overwatch League had to cancel its live playoffs in Dallas and its live final in LA this week in response to worsening COVID conditions and related visa challenges for APAC teams. The move has sparked some violent reactions, with some professionals expressing disappointment while others expressing anger over the change and how the postseason will continue to be dealt with.

Here are some of the most notable reactions we saw when the Overwatch League switched the postseason to an online format with NA teams playing out of Hawaii.

OWL players are responding to playoffs being moved to Hawaii and played online

The most common reaction to the announcement has been disappointment and sadness from many players, including Gladiators player Shu, Houston Outlaws player Crimzo, and former pro McGravy, who all looked forward to the NA-based LAN events.

Some players, overcoming disappointment, criticized OWL’s plan to host NA teams in Hawaii during the postseason. San Francisco Shock player Nero stated that NA will be at a “massive disadvantage” in response to the decision, although he admitted that nothing could be done about it.

Houston Outlaws player Danteh expressed his frustration with “jet lag + lost practice time + worn setups aghhhhhhhhhhhhhh”.

Perhaps most controversial is that Atlanta Reign’s Gator posted numerous tweets about the situation. First, on his own side, he said, “What a joke, they can’t get one thing right”. He also responded to the Overwatch League announcement by saying, “Make a right decision.”

Both comments sparked some backlash from OWL fans and journalists. In response to the backlash, Gator went on to state that he is not upset about the cancellation of live events due to COVID, but he is upset that the Overwatch League playoffs will be played online rather than on the LAN and that 5 NA teams will do so be forced to travel to Hawaii again.

In a tweet, Gator suggested that it would be preferable for both regions to play separate playoffs and then, after being quarantined, host a single final somewhere on the LAN, as they did in 2020. He also pointed out that due to Pelican’s lung collapse, he will not be able to compete now that the final is in Hawaii because Pelican, an MVP contestant and star DPS player for Reign, cannot travel due to his illness.

Gator’s teammate Masaa responded with a much less tactful response, just a video of someone laughing hysterically to show his disapproval of the Overwatch League’s post-season plans.

Even if the cancellation of the live events was necessary, it is clear that the players are not happy with the situation and the reputation of the OWL 2021 postseason may be damaged a bit.

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Good morning America

Pregnant nurse dies of COVID-19, leaving behind husband and daughter

Haley Richardson, a birthing nurse, was six months pregnant with her second child when she developed what she believed to be sinus infections in late July. When her condition worsened, Richardson, 32, of Theodore, Alabama, took a COVID-19 test and was positive, her husband Jordan Richardson said. At the time, Richardson, who was not vaccinated, was suffering from typical COVID-19 symptoms – fatigue, loss of smell and taste – so she self-isolated at home, according to her husband.

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A ballet dancer’s life is full of sacrifice and sacrificing family time is no exception. When Maria Kochetkova graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, she knew that she was considered too small for the company. She would soon have to leave her family and dance abroad.

“It was hard to see that I had no place to dance at home in Moscow just because I was eight centimeters shorter than other dancers,” she recalls. But Kochetkova’s family supported her decision. “Away from home or not, I’ve always been very close to my family. I always say my mom is my biggest fan, ”she says. “I also had to move away to become independent and learn to think independently. You need a thick skin in this career, and you don’t just get that from an easy path. “

Maria Kochetkova, Kiyonori Hasegawa, courtesy of ENB

Of course, many dancers leave their homes much earlier than students. “If a young dancer wants to move away to exercise, the family has to be 150 percent and the student 200 percent on board,” said Sara Mearns, director of the New York City Ballet. Like Kochetkova’s, Mearns’ family was committed to their dance dreams long before she left home. Her mother was involved in ballet from her earliest training. “Dancing was a family decision. I danced, my brother danced and my mom was in the studio all the time. She made costumes and helped with carpooling, ”she explains. “I didn’t feel alone; we all sacrificed. It wasn’t a sad thing. “

Mearns’ goal had always been to dance with NYCB. At the age of 15, she left her home in South Carolina to train at the affiliated School of American Ballet. “My brother was at SAB and also friends I had made from the summer intensive courses and from my dance school at home. I was very lucky, ”she says. Although Mearns felt ready to leave home by the age of 15, she recommends young dancers take small steps, such as attending summer intensive courses in the state, before trying out summer intensive courses outside of the state and year-round training programs. “If you can go on a summer intensive with a few friends, that can help too,” she says.

Sara Mearns in George Balanchine’s “Episodes”. Paul Kolnik, courtesy of NYCB.

At 17, Alana Griffith of the Milwaukee Ballet moved from Los Angeles to England to train at the English National Ballet School. “It was really scary to be honest,” says Griffith. But she wanted to continue her British-style education after training in RAD at her home studio, the Los Angeles Ballet Academy. Living her dream was exciting, but she also had challenging days. Fortunately, she had a support system at home of family and ballet friends and teachers to talk to on the phone. If she could have done something differently in retrospect, says Griffith, she would have visited the sports psychologists at the ENB school more often.

“I would be stressed and I think it would have helped me express my thoughts,” she says. “Often times we are afraid to have these conversations because we are afraid to appear in a certain way. With social media, we always try to appear perfect. But I’ve found that when we talk about these things, we find that many others have the same experience. “

Milwaukee ballet dancer Alana Griffith. Nathaniel Davuaer, courtesy of the Milwaukee Ballet

Sometimes the desire to inspire the family helps motivate a dancer to continue through the victims of leaving the home. When Andrés Castillo of the Alabama Ballet first came to the United States from Colombia to pursue career opportunities, he was initially excited to be in a new country and didn’t mind being alone. “I called my mother every day and sent her pictures of me dancing,” he says. “But I haven’t been to Colombia since I left eight years ago. My mother was able to visit me six years ago and I got very emotional. ”Family birthdays and holidays are also difficult for Castillo, especially Christmas. “It’s hard to know that they’re all gathered, but I can’t be there,” he says.

At the same time, he feels driven to encourage his mother and two younger brothers. “My mother wanted to be a dancer when she was younger and my two brothers are ballet dancers. It’s hard to be the first to come to the United States, and I’ve wanted to give up sooner, so I want to show them that anything is possible. “

Andres Castillo in “Romeo and Juliet”. Melissa Dooley, Courtesy Alabama Ballet

While it may be necessary to leave the home to advance training and career, a dancer’s journey sometimes brings you closer to where you started. In 2018 Kochetkova left the company after 11 years as the solo director of the San Francisco Ballet. “Back then, my mother had to take care of my two grandmothers,” she says. “It was very difficult for me to take time off from the SFB to dance more at home in Russia, and it was impossible for her to travel so far to California to see me dance.” She moved back to Europe to freelance and be closer to home.

This August Kochetkova joins the English National Ballet, where she also danced in the early years of her career. Again, she is far from her family, but her global career has shaped her as a dancer: “I believe that everything happens for a reason and that all experiences contribute to making artists what they are.”

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While the nickname “Trader Jerry” doesn’t paint a picture of Jerry Jones as accurately as it did in the past, the Dallas Cowboys aren’t afraid to dip their toe in the cycling and trading circus that is the NFL blueprint.

One of the most interesting aspects of being a sports fan is trade speculation, and while the NBA and MLB make much better use of that interest in deadline deals during their respective regular seasons, trading during the NFL draft is just as fun and enjoyable.

Some of these deals already came about when the San Francisco 49ers paid a king’s ransom to trade up to the third overall pick to seemingly secure the team’s future franchise QB, and more are likely on the way.

The cowboys probably won’t be involved in any of the blockbuster deals, but don’t think for a second that they are just going to sit back and let the other 31 teams have all the fun. With that in mind, let’s examine some trading scenarios the cowboys might actually be involved in during the design weekend.

Trade back from 10th overall

While many are inhaling the apparent smoke screen regarding Dallas’ interest in a trade from the 10th overall pick to Florida TE Kyle Pitts pick, the cowboys are far more likely to choose to trade off their first pick, especially if a QB like Mac Jones, Justin Fields or Trey Lance are available when Dallas is on the clock.

Round one back trade is always a good option as it is a great opportunity to collect more top 100 picks that can be used to attract high profile players. NFL teams often overestimate their ability to properly distinguish between potential players. So when you have more swings on your plate, you have a better chance the team will win a highly effective player.

Teams like the New England Patriots (selection # 15) or the Chicago Bears (selection # 20) could potentially be ready to qualify for a QB. And there’s even a chance the Minnesota Vikings (option # 14) and LA Chargers (option # 13) may be interested in swapping a few spots when Penei Sewell (or possibly even Rashawn Slater) is available to order improve their lines of attack.

For me it would be inadvisable to trade back with the bears to dial number 20 (or later with another team) as there is no guarantee that a first round prospect will still be on the board. However, it would be terribly tempting to go back to the 13-15 range for one more selection for Day 2 as I think there is a realistic chance that either Slater, Patrick Surtain II, or Jaycee Horn would still be on that selection Are available. Adding another top 75 selection while still getting a blue chip prospect could be one of the best scenarios for the Cowboys in Round 1.

Of course, there’s also a good chance Slater, Surtain and Horn will fall off the board depending on where Dallas has been trading to, which wouldn’t be ideal as it could create a scenario where Dallas would reach for someone like Trevon Moehrig from the TCU or Tulsa’s Zaven Collins, both good prospects, but not good values ​​in the top 15.

The cowboys must balance the risk / reward of a top 75 pick by potentially losing the last of their blue chip prospects. While I think the cowboys are most likely to knock and make a selection with 10th overall win, a trade down cannot be ruled out.

Trade back in R1 (or very early R2)

While it is possible to trade back from 10th overall, it is also possible to return to the top 32 to attract another prospect for the first round caliber.

If the Cowboys don’t pick a 10th-placed CB and instead choose to take someone like Slater with their first choice, then Dallas could be aggressive when it comes to securing a first-round caliber CB like Northwestern’s Greg Newsome or Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley (both with medical histories that could cause them to fall further than their talent suggests) in their mid to late 20s or early 30s, which is likely to cost Dallas’ second-round election would (# 44) and one of their picks for the third round (# 75 or 99) based on the NFL commercial value table.

Even if Dallas picks a CB on their first pick, they could potentially even act to pick another defense attorney they desire, like Moehrig or Collins. While I don’t think this would be the best move, the cowboys don’t care what I think and they could still pull the trigger if they covet a certain perspective enough in the final third of the first round.

In a previous instance, Dallas didn’t jump all the way back to the first round, but the Cowboys sacrificed two picks from Day 2 to climb into the top-35 and pick a defender they coveted in 2014. Dallas sent the Nos away 47 and 78 picks to move 13 spots to 34th, picking DeMarcus Lawrence who has met a huge need and has become one of the most well-rounded DEs in the NFL.

Withdrawal to the first round is a risky move for the same reasons that trading in the first round is advisable as the team has fewer opportunities to fill holes and find players with high influence. However, this risk needs to be balanced with the team’s confidence in the assessment of the player it is acting for.

It would certainly hurt to sacrifice two top 100 picks, but the ability to pick two players who are highly rated in needy positions on the Dallas board is enticing. While you may be inclined to turn the draft off and start your evening after Dallas picks 10th overall, you should still keep an eye on what goes on for the remainder of the first round as the cowboys may not be ready on opening night of the draft.

Exchange day 3 for a “flashing light”

In 2020, the Cowboys exchanged two picks for the fifth round (one for 2020 and one for 2021) to move to the fourth round and select the Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz, headed by Stephen Jones, executive vice president of Cowboys, as “Flashing” was described as light “because of the value it presented in the design at that time.

He was so highly valued that the Cowboys didn’t want to wait to see if he would fall by their fifth round election, so they traded him off, and I think it’s very likely that the team will do something similar to this one Year.

While it would be almost impossible to predict who that “blinking light” might be without knowing firsthand about the Dallas drafting board that no one outside of the organization has, it’s a good bet that some prospects will fall for a round get lower than where the cowboys graded them, which opens the door for them to be interested in a mid-round trade, especially if that prospect is playing in a position of need.

With five picks (# 115, 138, 179, 192, 227) on rounds 4 through 6, the cowboys will have the ammunition they need to trade anywhere on day 3 and get any “flashing light” that may appear, and I think , you will be.

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More cowboys coverage from the Dallas Morning News can be found here.

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WE NOT IN GENERAL Imagine interior designers who are particularly careful to save their clients money. You’re not bidding on $ 14,000 worth of antique Hungarian chairs or gilding the undersides of piano benches unless you are working for someone with a bottomless bench, right? In fact, designers are often asked to keep an eye on the left side of the ledger – without letting the cost cut down. So 14 of them have skillfully maintained high standards of style using strategies that are economical enough that you can try them out for yourself.

Find free art

At the home of an adventurous family in Orinda, California, designer in San Francisco Kriste Michelini I haven’t invested in expensive art and have authentic surfboards displayed all over the house. “They are the perfect work of art for this beach-loving family who wanted a casual and relaxed atmosphere,” she said.

Semi-Customize Curtains

“I re-used the Pottery Barn linen curtains by adding quality trimmings,” he said Christine Markatos Lowe. The designer from Santa Monica, California hired an upholsterer to lay a light gray modern lace from Samuel and Sons on a blue-gray linen ribbon, and then edged the ivory-colored curtains with the combination. “They looked all made to measure.”

Open dramatic doors

“Color is a necessary finish and an underrated wand,” said Phil Mahlathe New York company Belsey & Mahla. On the doors, architect Benjamin Moore’s New York State of Mind, a deep blue, “used a standard interior design component to make it special,” he said. “A fully saturated shade becomes neutral, and doorknobs, on the other hand, look beautiful.”

Find a finished mural

“We used an old opera stage set that I found at auction instead of the scenic wallpaper we wanted to do,” he said Anne Rainey Rokahr, from Trouvaille Home in Winston-Salem, NC “Cost: $ 400.”

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