Gores Metropoulos – GMHI
IPO Date: 2/6/2019 | Deadline: 2/5/2021
Target Industry: Food & Consumer
https://www.gores.com/portfolio/gores-metropoulos-inc/
SEC Link
The Breakdown:

• Good deal making leadership Gores/Metropoulus (see track record)
  • The leaders are dealmakers and operational, they aren’t unique in their backgrounds except for Gore and Met. The directors seem okay, mostly all having some experience in food industry.
  • Located in Beverly Hills – they like money
• 100% in trust
• Forward purchasing by sponsor (they’re sponsoring themselves, standard):
  • Gores Metropoulos: https://www.gores.com/portfolio/gores-metropoulos-inc/
    • Purchased 6.3mil warrants for $1.50
    • Purchased 10.78 mil shares
• Underwriters: Deustche, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs
• Terms:
  • Units: 1 share + 1/3 W
  • Warrants: 1:1 @ 11.50
  • Base is $10, but I don’t see any crescent terms in the S1
• IPO Proceeds (and trust value): 400mill
• No defined enterprise value stated but likely ~1bil+ given the size of the trust

Institutional Holdings

• 82% holdings by institutions
• Mostly Deustche and Glazer.
• Units have big holdings from Apollo 1.3mil units
• No other significant banks compared to other SPACs other than the main underwriter Deustche
• https://money.cnn.com/quote/shareholders/shareholders.html?symb=GMHI&subView=institutional

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Gores Track Record

• TWNK: Hostess brand, they got this from Apollo actually (go $SPAQ fam)
  • Sector: Consumer, Food & Beverage
  • Completed 11/2016
  • Current trading: $11.26
  • Traded at ~13 upon completion, peaked $17
• VRRM: Verra Mobility, technology devices typically for city infrastructure. Good earnings helped move the stock up after merger
  • Sector: technology, government
  • Completed 10/2018
  • Current trading: $9.73
  • Traded at ~10.5 completion of merger, no announcement bump, moved up to 17 in Feb 2020
• PAE: Pacific Architects & Engineers, gov’t services contractor
  • Sector: Services, government
  • Completed 2/2020
  • Currently trading $9.63
  • Traded up to 11.7 (ATH) at completion of merger, then covid took a shit on it down to $6, is it now back up. No hype price movement at the time of announcements

Leadership team
Dean Metropoulos has been our Chairman since August 2018. Mr. Metropoulos has served as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hostess since November 2016. Since 2013, Mr. Metropoulos has served as the Executive Chairman of certain subsidiaries of Hostess and a member of the Board of Directors of Hostess. Mr. Metropoulos also served on the Board of Directors of Pabst Brewing Company until 2014. Mr. Metropoulos has over 30 years of experience in acquiring and restructuring businesses in the U.S., Mexico and Europe, focusing on the food and consumer sectors. Mr. Metropoulos has been involved in approximately 80 transactions, including investments in Pabst Brewing Company, Utz Quality Foods LLC, Pinnacle Foods Group, Inc.(Swanson/Hungry-Man,Vlasic Pickles, Open Pit Barbeque Sauce, Duncan Hines, Log Cabin Syrup, Mrs. Butterworth’s Syrup, Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast, Mrs. Paul’s Seafood, Van De Kamp’s Seafood, Celeste Pizza and Lender’s Bagels), Aurora Foods, Stella Foods, The Morningstar Group, International Home Foods (Chef Boyardee, Pam Cooking Spray, Gulden’s Mustard and Bumble Bee Tuna), Ghirardelli Chocolate, Mumm and Perrier Jouet Champagnes and Hillsdown Holdings, PLC (Premier International Foods, Burtons Biscuits and Christie Tyler Furniture), among others. Mr. Metropoulos holds a B.S. and an M.B.A. from Babson College. Mr. Metropoulos’ business expertise, financial acumen and business industry contacts make him well qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.
Alec Gores has been our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board of Directors since August 2018. Mr. Gores is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Gores Group, a global investment firm focused on acquiring businesses that can benefit from the firm’s operating expertise. Mr. Gores implemented an operational approach to private equity investing when he founded The Gores Group in 1987 by operating businesses alongside management, or in some cases in lieu of management, to build value in those entities. Since then, the firm has acquired more than 100 businesses including a current portfolio of more than 20 active companies worldwide. Mr. Gores began his career as a self-madeentrepreneur and operating executive. In 1978, he self-funded and founded Executive Business Systems (EBS), a developer and distributor of vertical business software systems. Within seven years, EBS had become a leading value-added reseller in Michigan and employed over 200 people. In 1986, CONTEL purchased EBS, and Mr. Gores subsequently began acquiring and operating non-core businesses from major corporations and building value in those entities, a decision that ultimately led to the founding of what has evolved into The Gores Group today. Under his leadership, The Gores Group has continued to acquire businesses in need of operational and financial resources, while creating value and working with management teams to establish an entrepreneurial environment as a foundation for sustainable growth. This philosophy has served the firm well. Mr. Gores served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gores Holdings I from its inception in June 2015 until completion of the Hostess acquisition in November 2016. Additionally, Mr. Gores has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gores Holdings II (Nasdaq: GSHT) and Gores Holdings III (Nasdaq: GRSH) since their inception in August 2016 and October 2017, respectively. Mr. Gores holds a degree in Computer Science from Western Michigan University. Mr. Gores’ significant investment and financial expertise make him well qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.
Andrew McBride has been our Chief Financial Officer and Secretary since August 2018. Mr. McBride has served as Director, Finance and Tax at The Gores Group since February 2010, where he is responsible for tax due diligence and structuring of acquisitions, compliance, planning, financial management and portfolio company reporting. Mr. McBride served as the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Gores Holdings I from January 2016 until completion of the Hostess acquisition in November 2016. Additionally, Mr. McBride served as the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Gores Holdings II (Nasdaq: GSHT) from its inception in August 2016 until October 2018 and he has served as the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Gores Holdings III (Nasdaq: GRSH ) since its inception in October 2017. Previously, from January 2008 to January 2010, Mr. McBride worked in the High Net Worth group at Ehrhardt, Keefe, Steiner, and Hottman, P.C.. From January 2004 to January 2008, Mr. McBride was with KPMG, LLP, assisting international corporations with tax planning, structuring and compliance issues. Mr. McBride holds a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from the University of Notre Dame and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Colorado.
Randall Bort will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Bort is a Co-Founder of SandTree Holdings, LLC, a private commercial real estate investment firm since November 2012. Previously, Mr. Bort was an investment banker at Drexel Burnham Lambert, BT Securities, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Credit Suisse First Boston, The Mercanti Group and Imperial Capital. Mr. Bort has significant financial, transactional and capital markets experience across multiple industries and has worked both domestically and in Asia. Mr. Bort earned a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Claremont McKenna College and an M.B.A. in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Bort served as a member of the Board of Directors of Gores Holdings I from August 2015 until completion of the Hostess acquisition in November 2016. Additionally, Mr. Bort has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Verra Mobility Corp. (Nasdaq: VRRM) (formerly Gores Holdings II (Nasdaq: GSHT)) and Gores Holdings III (Nasdaq: GRSH ) since their inception in August 2016 and October 2017, respectively. Mr. Bort also is a member of the Board of Trustees of Children’s Bureau, a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles focused on foster care and the prevention of child abuse. Mr. Bort’s significant investment and financial expertise make him well qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.
Michael Cramer will serve as a member of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Cramer has been the Chief Administrative Officer & Executive VP at Hostess Brands, Inc. since 2013 and the Founding Director-Texas Program in Sports and Media at The University of Texas at Austin since 2010. Mr. Cramer was employed as a Director, SVP-Business Planning & Development by The Pabst Brewing Co. from 2010 to 2014, and was previously employed as an Associate Professor by New York University, a Chief Administrative Officer & Executive VP by Pinnacle Foods Corp., a President & Chief Operating Officer by Hicks Sports Group LLC and President of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and Dallas Stars Hockey team, an Executive Vice President & General Counsel by Morningstar Group, Inc., an Executive VP-Administration & General Counsel by Stella Foods, Inc., a Vice President by CDM Hostess Class C LLC, a Vice President by Fairmont Aviation LLC, a Principal by Ghirardelli Chocolate Co., and a Director & Executive Vice President by International Home Foods, Inc. He also practiced law for approximately 10 years in Wisconsin. He received his undergraduate degree from State University of New York at Albany and a J.D. from Marquette University Law School.
Joseph Gatto will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the completion of this offering. Mr. Gatto has been a partner at Perella Weinberg Partners, L.P., a leading independent global financial services firm providing corporate advisory and asset management services (“PWP”) since 2012. Prior to his employment at PWP, Mr. Gatto was an investment banker holding senior roles in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance at Goldman, Sachs & Co., Lehman Brothers Inc. and Barclays plc. Mr. Gatto has significant financial, transactional and capital markets experience, particularly in the consumer products and retail industries, and has worked with clients in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Mr. Gatto has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a Fellow at Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative. Mr. Gatto holds an A.B. in economics and international affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. He also holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Mr. Gatto’s significant investment banking, financial and strategic expertise make him well qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.
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Positions: None right now, there's some time before we may see action. Currently commons are trading at $11 and warrants are at $2.2, the warrants are pricey right now. I'm in HCAC and SPAQ at the moment but this seems to be the next short term play after, long term for me would be IPOC or PSTH. I'm betting on the leadership.
The bad: no real forward purchase or PIPE investors or any external funding, which is okay. could indicate that the team is confident in their strategy without the need for additional funding ($400 mil in their own investment)
My thought process: if TWNK came out in this current SPAC market, would we see a hype? 1000% I think they can choose slightly above average known consumer targets and we'll see strong price action.
EDIT: added some inst holdings

TL;DR: Man with too much time on his hands goes deep down the rabbit hole on a concept this sub already didn’t seem that enthusiastic about. If you really want to skip ahead, CTRL+F “verdict” and it’ll get you there.
Two days ago, u/MrPhillyj2wns made a post asking whether USL should launch a D1 league in order to compete in Concacaf. From the top voted replies, it appears this made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
But I’ve been at home for eight weeks and I am terribly, terribly bored.
So, I present to you this overview of what the USL pyramid might look like if Jake Edwards got a head of steam and attempted to establish a USSF-sanctioned first division. This is by no means an endorsement of such a proposal or even a suggestion that USL SHOULD do such a thing. It is merely an examination of whether they COULD.
Welcome to the Thunderdome USL Premiership
First, there are some base-level assumptions we must make in this exercise, because it makes me feel more scientific and not like a guy who wrote this on Sunday while watching the Belarusian Premier League (Go BATE Borisov!).

1. All D1 teams must comply with known USSF requirements for D1 leagues (more on that later).
   
2. MLS, not liking this move, will immediately remove all directly-owned affiliate clubs from the USL structure (this does not include hybrid ownerships, like San Antonio FC – NYCFC). This removes all MLS2 teams but will not affect Colorado Springs, Reno, RGVFC and San Antonio.
   
3. The USL will attempt to maintain both the USL Championship and USL League One, with an eventual mind toward creating the pro/rel paradise that is promised in Relegations 3:16.
   
4. All of my research regarding facility size and ownership net worth is correct – this is probably the biggest leap of faith we have to make, since googling “NAME net worth” and “CITY richest people” doesn’t seem guaranteed to return accurate results.
   
5. The most a club can increase its available seating capacity to meet D1 requirements in a current stadium is no more than 1,500 seats (10% of the required 15,000). If they need to add more, they’ll need a new facility.
   
6. Let’s pretend that people are VERY willing to sell. It’s commonly acknowledged that the USL is a more financially feasible route to owning a soccer club than in MLS (c.f. MLS-Charlotte’s reported $325 million expansion fee) and the USSF has some very strict requirements for D1 sanctioning. It becomes pretty apparent when googling a lot of team’s owners that this requirement isn’t met, so let’s assume everyone that can’t sells to people who meet the requirements.
   

(Known) USSF D1 league requirements:
- League must have 12 teams to apply and 14 teams by year three
- Majority owner must have a net worth of $40 million, and the ownership group must have a total net worth of $70 million. The value of an owned stadium is not considered when calculating this value.
- Must have teams located in the Eastern, Central and Pacific time zones
- 75% of league’s teams must be based in markets with at a metro population of at least 1 million people.
- All league stadiums must have a capacity of at least 15,000
The ideal club candidate for the USL Premiership will meet the population and capacity requirements in its current ground, which will have a grass playing surface. Of the USL Championship’s 27 independent/hybrid affiliate clubs, I did not find one club that meets all these criteria as they currently stand.
Regarding turf fields, the USSF does not have a formal policy regarding the ideal playing surface but it is generally acknowledged that grass is superior to turf. 6 of 26 MLS stadiums utilize turf, or roughly 23% of stadiums. We’ll hold a similar restriction for our top flight, so 2-3 of our top flight clubs can have turf fields. Seem fair?
Capacity is going to be the biggest issue, since the disparity between current requirements for the second-tier (5,000) and the first tier (15,000) is a pretty massive gap. Nice club you have there, triple your capacity and you’re onto something. As a result, I have taken the liberty of relocating certain (read: nearly all) clubs to new grounds, trying my utmost to keep those clubs in their current markets and –importantly--, ensure they play on grass surfaces.
So, let’s do a case-by-case evaluation and see if we can put together 12-14 teams that meet the potential requirements, because what else do you have to do?
For each club’s breakdown, anything that represents a chance from what is currently true will be underlined.
Candidate: Birmingham Legion FC
Location (Metro population): Birmingham, Ala. (1,151,801)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Legion Field (FieldTurf, 71,594)
Potential owner: Stephens Family (reported net worth $4 billion)
Notes: Birmingham has a pretty strong candidacy. Having ditched the 5,000-seater BBVA Field for Legion Field, which sits 2.4 miles away, they’ve tapped into the city’s soccer history. Legion Field hosted portions of both the men’s and women’s tournaments at the 1996 Olympics, including a 3-1 U.S. loss to Argentina that saw 83,183 pack the house. The Harbert family seemed like strong ownership contenders, but since the death of matriarch Marguerite Harbert in 2015, it’s unclear where the wealth in the family is concentrated, so the Stephens seem like a better candidate. The only real knock that I can think of is that we really want to avoid having clubs play on turf, so I’d say they’re on the bubble of our platonic ideal USL Prem.
Candidate: Charleston Battery
Location (Metro population): Charleston, S.C. (713,000)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Johnson Hagood Stadium (Grass, ~14,700)
Potential owner: Anita Zucker (reported net worth $3 billion)
Notes: Charleston’s candidacy isn’t looking great. Already disadvantaged due to its undersized metro population, a move across the Cooper River to Johnson Hagood Stadium is cutting it close in terms of capacity. The stadium, home to The Citadel’s football team, used to seat 21,000, before 9,300 seats on the eastern grandstand were torn down in 2017 to deal with lead paint that had been used in their construction. Renovation plans include adding 3,000 seats back in, which could hit 15,000 if they bumped it to 3,300, but throw in a required sale by HCFC, LLC (led by content-creation platform founder Rob Salvatore) to chemical magnate Anita Zucker, and you’ll see there’s a lot of ifs and ands in this proposal.
Candidate: Charlotte Independence
Location (Metro population): Charlotte, N.C. (2,569, 213)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Jerry Richardson Stadium (Turf, 15,314)
Potential owner: James Goodnight (reported net worth $9.1 billion)
Notes: Charlotte ticks a lot of the boxes. A move from the Sportsplex at Matthews to UNC-Charlotte’s Jerry Richardson stadium meets capacity requirements, but puts them on to the dreaded turf. Regrettably, nearby American Legion Memorial Stadium only seats 10,500, despite a grass playing surface. With a sizeable metro population (sixth-largest in the USL Championship) and a possible owner in software billionaire James Goodnight, you’ve got some options here. The biggest problem likely lies in direct competition for market share against a much better-funded MLS Charlotte side due to join the league in 2021.
Candidate: Hartford Athletic
Location (Metro population): Hartford, Conn. (1,214,295)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Pratt & Whitney Stadium (Grass, 38,066)
Potential owner: Ray Dalio (reported net worth $18.4 billion)
Notes: Okay, I cheated a bit here, having to relocate Hartford to Pratt & Whitney Stadium, which is technically in East Hartford, Conn. I don’t know enough about the area to know if there’s some kind of massive beef between the two cities, but the club has history there, having played seven games in 2019 while Dillon Stadium underwent renovations. If the group of local businessmen that currently own the club manage to attract Dalio to the table, we’re on to something.
Candidate: Indy Eleven
Location (Metro population): Indianapolis, Ind. (2,048,703)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Lucas Oil Stadium (Turf, 62,421)
Potential owner: Jim Irsay (reported net worth of $3 billion)
Notes: Indy Eleven are a club that are SO CLOSE to being an ideal candidate – if it weren’t for Lucas Oil Stadium’s turf playing surface. Still, there’s a lot to like in this bid. I’m not going to lie, I have no idea what current owner and founder Ersal Ozdemir is worth, but it seems like there might be cause for concern. A sale to Irsay, who also owns the NFL Indianapolis (nee Baltimore) Colts, seems likely to keep the franchise there, rather than make a half-mile move to 14,230 capacity Victory Field where the AAA Indianapolis Indians play and expand from there.
Candidate: Louisville City FC
Location (Metro population): Louisville, Ky. (1,297,310)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Lynn Family Stadium (Grass, 14,000, possibly expandable to 20,000)
Potential owner: Wayne Hughes (reported net worth $2.8 billion)
Notes: I’m stretching things a bit here. Lynn Family stadium is currently listed as having 11,700 capacity that’s expandable to 14,000, but they’ve said that the ground could hold as many as 20,000 with additional construction, which might be enough to grant them a temporary waiver from USSF. If the stadium is a no-go, then there’s always Cardinal Stadium, home to the University of Louisville’s football team, which seats 65,000 but is turf. Either way, it seems like a sale to someone like Public Storage founder Wayne Hughes will be necessary to ensure the club has enough capital.
Candidate: Memphis 901 FC
Location (Metro population): Memphis, Tenn. (1,348,260)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Liberty Bowl Stadium (Turf, 58,325)
Potential owner: Fred Smith (reported net worth $3 billion)
Notes: Unfortunately for Memphis, AutoZone Park’s 10,000 seats won’t cut it at the D1 level. With its urban location, it would likely prove tough to renovate, as well. Liberty Bowl Stadium more than meets the need, but will involve the use of the dreaded turf. As far as an owner goes, FedEx founder Fred Smith seems like a good local option.
Candidate: Miami FC, “The”
Location (Metro population): Miami, Fla. (6,158,824)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Riccardo Silva Stadium (FieldTurf, 20,000)
Potential owner: Riccardo Silva (reported net worth $1 billion)
Notes: Well, well, well, Silva might get his wish for top-flight soccer, after all. He’s got the money, he’s got the metro, and his ground has the capacity. There is the nagging issue of the turf, though. Hard Rock Stadium might present a solution, including a capacity of 64,767 and a grass playing surface. It is worth noting, however, that this is the first profile where I didn’t have to find a new potential owner for a club.
Candidate: North Carolina FC
Location (Metro population): Durham, N.C. (1,214,516 in The Triangle)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Carter-Finley Stadium (Grass/Turf, 57,583)
Potential owner: Steve Malik (precise net worth unknown) / Dennis Gillings (reported net worth of $1.7 billion)
Notes: We have our first “relocation” in North Carolina FC, who were forced to trade Cary’s 10,000-seat WakeMed Soccer Park for Carter-Finley Stadium in Durham, home of the NC State Wolfpack and 57,583 of their closest friends. The move is a whopping 3.1 miles, thanks to the close-knit hub that exists between Cary, Durham and Raleigh. Carter-Finley might be my favorite of the stadium moves in this exercise. The field is grass, but the sidelines are artificial turf. Weird, right? Either way, it was good enough for Juventus to play a friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara there in 2011. Maybe the move would be pushed for by new owner and medical magnate Dennis Gillings, whose British roots might inspire him to get involved in the Beautiful Game. Straight up, though, I couldn’t find a net worth for current owner Steve Malik, though he did sell his company MedFusion for $91 million in 2010, then bought it back for an undisclosed amount and sold it again for $43 million last November. I don’t know if Malik has the juice to meet D1 requirements, but I suspect he’s close.
Candidate: Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Location (Metro population): Pittsburgh, Penn. (2,362,453)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Heinz Field (Grass, 64,450)
Potential owner: Henry Hillman (reported net worth $2.5 billion)
Notes: I don’t know a ton about the Riverhounds, but this move in particular feels like depriving a pretty blue-collar club from its roots. Highmark Stadium is a no-go from a seating perspective, but the Steelers’ home stadium at Heinz Field would more than meet the requirements and have a grass surface that was large enough to be sanctioned for a FIFA friendly between the U.S. WNT and Costa Rica in 2015. As for an owner, Tuffy Shallenberger (first ballot owner name HOF) doesn’t seem to fit the USSF bill, but legendary Pittsburgh industrialist Henry Hillman might. I’m sure you’re asking, why not the Rooney Family, if they’ll play at Heinz Field? I’ll tell you: I honestly can’t seem to pin down a value for the family. The Steelers are valued at a little over a billion and rumors persist that Dan Rooney is worth $500 million, but I’m not sure. I guess the Rooneys would work too, but it’s a definite departure from an owner in Shallenberger who was described by one journalist as a guy who “wears boots, jeans, a sweater and a trucker hat.”
Candidate: Saint Louis FC
Location (Metro population): St. Louis, Mo. (2,807,338)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Busch Stadium (Grass, 45,494)
Potential owner: William DeWitt Jr. (reported net worth $4 billion)
Notes: Saint Louis has some weirdness in making the jump to D1. Current CEO Jim Kavanaugh is an owner of the MLS side that will begin play in 2022. The club’s current ground at West Community Stadium isn’t big enough, but perhaps a timely sale to Cardinals owner William DeWitt Jr. could see the club playing games at Busch Stadium, which has a well established history of hosting other sports like hockey, college football and soccer (most recently a U.S. WNT friendly against New Zealand in 2019). The competition with another MLS franchise wouldn’t be ideal, like Charlotte, but with a big enough population and cross marketing from the Cardinals, maybe there’s a winner here. Wacko idea: If Busch doesn’t pan out, send them to The Dome. Sure, it’s a 60k turf closed-in stadium, but we can go for that retro NASL feel and pay homage to our nation’s soccer history.
Candidate: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Location (Metro population): Tampa, Fla. (3,068,511)
Time zone: Eastern
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Raymond James Stadium (Grass, 65,518)
Potential owner: Edward DeBartolo Jr. (reported net worth $3 billion)
Notes: This one makes me sad. Despite having never been there, I see Al Lang Stadium as an iconic part of the Rowdies experience. Current owner Bill Edwards proposed an expansion to 18,000 seats in 2016, but the move seems to have stalled out. Frustrated with the city’s lack of action, Edwards sells to one-time San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., who uses his old NFL connections to secure a cushy lease at the home of the Buccaneers in Ray Jay, the site of a 3-1 thrashing of Antigua and Barbuda during the United States’ 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign.
Breather. Hey, we finished the Eastern Conference teams. Why are you still reading this? Why am I still writing it? Time is a meaningless construct in 2020 my friends, we are adrift in the void, fueled only by brief flashes of what once was and what may yet still be.
Candidate: Austin Bold FC
Location (Metro population): Austin, Texas (2,168,316)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Darrel K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium (FieldTurf, 95,594)
Potential owner: Michael Dell (reported net worth of $32.3 billion)
Notes: Anthony Precourt’s Austin FC has some unexpected competition and it comes in the form of tech magnate Michael Dell. Dell, were he to buy the club, would be one of the richest owners on our list and could flash his cash in the new first division. Would he have enough to convince Darrel K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium (I’m not kidding, that’s its actual name) to go back to a grass surface, like it did from ’96-’08? That’s between Dell and nearly 100,000 UT football fans, but everything can be had for the right price.
Candidate: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Location (Metro population): Colorado Springs, Colo. (738,939)
Time zone: Mountain
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Falcon Stadium (FieldTurf, 46,692)
Potential owner: Charles Ergen (reported net worth $10.8 billion)
Notes: Welcome to Colorado Springs. We have hurdles. For the first time in 12 candidates, we’re back below the desired 1 million metro population mark. Colorado Springs actually plans to build a $35 million, 8,000 seat venue downtown that will be perfect for soccer, but in our timeline that’s 7,000 seats short. Enter Falcon Stadium, home of the Air Force Academy Falcons football team. Seems perfect except for the turf, right? Well, the tricky thing is that Falcon Stadium is technically on an active military base and is (I believe) government property. Challenges to getting in and out of the ground aside, the military tends to have a pretty grim view of government property being used by for-profit enterprises. Maybe Charles Ergen, founder and chairman of Dish Network, would be able to grease the right wheels, but you can go ahead and throw this into the “doubtful” category. It’s a shame, too. 6,035 feet of elevation is one hell of a home-field advantage.
Candidate: El Paso Locomotive FC
Location: El Paso, Texas
Time zone: Mountain
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Sun Bowl (FieldTurf, 51,500)
Potential owner: Paul Foster (reported net worth $1.7 billion)
Notes: God bless Texas. When compiling this list, I found so many of the theoretical stadium replacements were nearly serviceable by high school football fields. That’s insane, right? Anyway, Locomotive don’t have to settle for one of those, they’ve got the Sun Bowl, which had its capacity reduced in 2001 to a paltry 51,500 (from 52,000) specifically to accommodate soccer. Sure, it’s a turf surface, but what does new owner Paul Foster (who is only the 1,477th wealthiest man in the world, per Forbes) care, he’s got a team in a top league. Side note: Did you know that the Sun Bowl college football game is officially, through sponsorship, the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl? Why is it not the Frosted Flakes Sun Bowl? Why is the cereal mascot the promotional name of the football game? What are you doing, Kellogg’s?
Candidate: Las Vegas Lights FC
Location: Las Vegas, Nev. (2,227,053)
Time zone: Pacific
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Allegiant Stadium (Grass, 61,000)
Potential owner: Sheldon Adelson (reported net worth $37.7 billion)
Notes: Sin City. You had to know that the club that once signed Freddy Adu because “why not” was going to go all out in our flashy hypothetical proposal. Thanks to my narrative control of this whole thing, they have. Adelson is the second-richest owner in the league and has decided to do everything first class. That includes using the new Raiders stadium in nearby unincorporated Paradise, Nevada, and spending boatloads on high profile transfers. Zlatan is coming back to the U.S., confirmed.
Candidate: New Mexico United
Location: Albuquerque, N.M.
Time zone: Mountain
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Isotopes Park – officially Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park (Grass, 13,500 – 15,000 with expansion)
Potential owner: Maloof Family (reported net worth $1 billion)
Notes: New Mexico from its inception went deep on the community vibe, and I’ve tried to replicate that in this bid. The home field of Rio Grande Cr---I’m not typing out the whole thing—Isotopes Park falls just within the expansion rules we set to make it to 15,000 (weird, right?) and they’ve found a great local ownership group in the Lebanese-American Maloof (formerly Maalouf) family from Las Vegas. The only thing to worry about would be the metro population, but overall, this could be one of the gems of USL Prem.
Candidate: Oklahoma City Energy FC
Location: Oklahoma City, Okla. (1,396,445)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (Grass, 13,066)
Potential owner: Harold Hamm (reported net worth $14.2 billion)
Notes: There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow and it says it’s time to change stadiums and owners to make it to D1. A sale to oil magnate Harold Hamm would give the club the finances it needs, but Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (home of the OKC Dodgers) actually falls outside of the boundary of what would meet capacity if 1,500 seats were added. Could the club pull off a move to Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma – home of the Oklahoma Sooners? Maybe, but at 20 miles, this would be a reach.
Candidate: Orange County SC
Location: Irvine, Calif. (3,176, 000 in Orange County)
Time zone: Pacific
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Angels Stadium of Anaheim (Grass, 43,250)
Potential owner: Arte Moreno (reported net worth $3.3 billion)
Notes: You’ll never convince me that Rangers didn’t choose to partner with Orange County based primarily on its name. Either way, a sale to MLB Angels owner Arte Moreno produces a fruitful partnership, with the owner choosing to play his newest club out of the existing Angels stadium in OC. Another baseball conversion, sure, but with a metro population of over 3 million and the closest thing this hypothetical league has to an LA market, who’s complaining?
Candidate: Phoenix Rising FC
Location: Phoenix, Ariz. (4,857,962)
Time zone: Arizona
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): State Farm Stadium (Grass, 63,400)
Potential owner: Ernest Garcia II (reported net worth $5.7 billion)
Notes: We’re keeping it local with new owner and used car guru Ernest Garcia II. His dad owned a liquor store and he dropped out of college, which is making me feel amazing about my life choices right now. Casino Arizona Field is great, but State Farm Stadium is a grass surface that hosted the 2019 Gold Cup semifinal, so it’s a clear winner. Throw in Phoenix’s massive metro population and this one looks like a lock.
Candidate: Reno 1868 FC
Location: Reno, Nev. (425,417)
Time zone: Pacific
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Mackay Stadium (FieldTurf, 30,000)
Potential owner: Nancy Walton Laurie (reported net worth $7.1 billion)
Notes: The Biggest Little City on Earth has some serious barriers to overcome, thanks to its low metro population. A sale to Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie and 1.6 mile-move to Mackay Stadium to split space with the University of Nevada, Reno makes this bid competitive, but the turf surface is another knock against it.
Candidate: Rio Grande Valley FC
Location: Edinburg, Texas (900,304)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): McAllen Memorial Stadium (FieldTurf, 13,500 – 15,000 with expansion)
Potential owner: Alice Louise Walton (reported net worth $45 billion)
Notes: Yes, I have a second straight Walmart heiress on the list. She was the first thing that popped up when I googled “McAllen Texas richest people.” The family rivalry has spurred Walton to buy a club as well, moving them 10 miles to McAllen Memorial Stadium which, as I alluded to earlier, is a straight up high school football stadium with a full color scoreboard. Toss in an additional 1,500 seats and you’ve met the minimum, despite the turf playing surface.
Candidate: San Antonio FC
Location: San Antonio, Texas (2,550,960)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Alamodome (FieldTurf, 64,000)
Potential owner: Red McCombs (reported net worth $1.6 billion)
Notes: I wanted to keep SAFC in the Spurs family, since the franchise is valued at $1.8 billion. That said, I didn’t let the Rooneys own the Riverhounds based on the Steelers’ value and it felt wrong to change the rules, so bring on Clear Channel co-founder Red McCombs. Toyota Field isn’t viable in the first division, but for the Alamodome, which was built in 1993 in hopes of attracting an NFL franchise (and never did), San Antonio can finally claim having *a* national football league team in its town (contingent on your definition of football). Now if only we could do something about that turf…
Candidate: San Diego Loyal SC
Location: San Diego, Calif. (3,317,749)
Time zone: Pacific
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): SDCCU Stadium (formerly Qualcomm) (Grass, 70,561)
Potential owner: Phil Mickelson (reported net worth $91 million)
Notes: Yes, golf’s Phil Mickelson. The existing ownership group didn’t seem to have the wherewithal to meet requirements, and Phil seemed to slot right in. As an athlete himself, he might be interesting in the new challenges of a top flight soccer team. Toss in a move to the former home of the chargers and you might have a basis for tremendous community support.
Candidate: FC Tulsa
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (991,561)
Time zone: Central
Stadium (playing surface, capacity): Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium (FieldTurf, 30,000)
Potential owner: George Kaiser ($10 billion)
Notes: I’m a fan of FC Tulsa’s rebrand, but if they want to make the first division, more changes are necessary. A sale to Tulsa native and one of the 100 richest men in the world George Kaiser means that funding is guaranteed. A move to Chapman Stadium would provide the necessary seats, despite the turf field. While the undersize population might be an issue at first glance, it’s hard to imagine U.S. Soccer not granting a waiver over a less than a 10k miss from the mark.
And that’s it! You made it. Those are all of the independent/hybrid affiliates in the USL Championship, which means that it’s time for our…
VERDICT: As an expert who has studied this issue for almost an entire day now, I am prepared to pronounce which USL Championships could be most ‘ready” for a jump to the USL Prem. A reminder that of the 27 clubs surveyed, 0 of them met our ideal criteria (proper ownership $, metro population, 15,000+ stadium with grass field).
Two of them, however, met almost all of those criteria: Indy Eleven and Miami FC. Those two clubs may use up two of our three available turf fields right from the outset, but the other factors they hit (particularly Silva’s ownership of Miami) makes them difficult, if not impossible to ignore for the top flight.
But who fill in the rest of the slots? Meet the entire 14-team USL Premier League:
Hartford Athletic
Indy Eleven
Louisville City FC
Miami FC
North Carolina FC
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saint Louis FC
San Antonio FC
New Mexico United
Phoenix Rising FC
Las Vegas Lights FC
Orange County SC
San Diego Loyal SC
Now, I shall provide my expert rationale for each club’s inclusion/exclusion, which can be roughly broken down into four categories.
Firm “yes”
Hartford Athletic: It’s a good market size with a solid stadium. With a decent investor and good community support, you’ve got potential here.
Indy Eleven: The turf at Lucas Oil Stadium is no reason to turn down a 62,421 venue and a metro population of over 2 million.
Louisville City FC: Why doesn’t the 2017 & 2018 USL Cup champion deserve a crack at the top flight? They have the market size, and with a bit of expansion have the stadium at their own SSS. LCFC, you’re in.
Miami FC, “The”: Our other blue-chip recruit on the basis of ownership value, market size and stadium capacity. Yes, that field is turf, but how could you snub Silva’s chance to claim victory as the first division 1 club soccer team to play in Miami?
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Pittsburgh sacrificed a lot to be here (according to my arbitrary calculations). Their market size and the potential boon of soccer at Heinz Field is an important inclusion to the league.
Saint Louis FC: Willie hears your “Busch League” jokes, Willie don’t care. A huge market size, combined with the absence of an NFL franchise creates opportunity. Competition with the MLS side, sure, but St. Louis has serious soccer history and we’re willing to bet it can support two clubs.
Tampa Bay Rowdies: With a huge population and a massive stadium waiting nearby, Tampa Bay seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up for the USL Prem.
Las Vegas Lights FC: Ostentatious, massive and well-financed, Las Vegas Lights FC is everything that the USL Premier League would need to assert that it didn’t intend to play second fiddle to MLS. Players will need to be kept on a short leash, but this is a hard market to pass up on.
Phoenix Rising FC: Huge population, big grass field available nearby and a solid history of success in recent years. No brainer.
San Diego Loyal SC: New club? Yes, massive population in a market that recently lost an absolutely huge sports presence? Also yes. This could be the USL Prem’s Seattle.
Cautious “yes”
New Mexico United: You have to take a chance on New Mexico United. The club set the league on fire with its social media presence and its weight in the community when it entered the league last season. The market may be slightly under USSF’s desired 1 million, but fervent support (and the ability to continue to use Isotopes Park) shouldn’t be discounted.
North Carolina FC: Carter-Finley’s mixed grass/turf surface is a barrier, to be sure, but the 57,000+ seats it offers (and being enough to offset other fully-turf offerings) is enough to put it in the black.
Orange County SC: It’s a top-tier club playing in a MLB stadium. I know it seems unlikely that USSF would approve something like that, but believe me when I say “it could happen.” Orange County is a massive market and California likely needs two clubs in the top flight.
San Antonio FC: Our third and only voluntary inclusion to the turf fields in the first division, we’re counting on San Antonio’s size and massive potential stadium to see it through.
Cautious “no”
Birmingham Legion FC: The town has solid soccer history and a huge potential venue, but the turf playing surface puts it on the outside looking in.
Memphis 901 FC: Like Birmingham, not much to dislike here outside of the turf playing surface at the larger playing venue.
Austin Bold FC: See the other two above.
FC Tulsa: Everything’s just a little bit off with this one. Market’s slightly too small, stadium has turf. Just not enough to put it over the top.
Firm “no”
Charleston Battery: Small metro and a small potential new stadium? It’s tough to say yes to the risk.
Charlotte Independence: A small new stadium and the possibility of having to compete with an organization that just paid over $300 million to join MLS means it’s best for this club to remain in the USL Championship.
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: When a club’s best chance to meet a capacity requirement is to host games at a venue controlled by the military, that doesn’t speak well to a club’s chances.
El Paso Locomotive FC: An undersized market and a turf field that meets capacity requirements is the death knell for this one.
Oklahoma City Energy FC: Having to expand a baseball field to meet requirements is a bad start. Having to potentially play 20 miles away from your main market is even worse.
Reno 1868 FC: Population nearly a half-million short of the federation’s requirements AND a turf field at the hypothetical new stadium makes impossible to say yes to this bid.
Rio Grande Valley FC: All the seat expansions in the world can’t hide the fact that McAllen Memorial Stadium is a high school stadium through and through.
Here’s who’s left in the 11-team Championship:
Birmingham Legion FC
Charleston Battery
Charlotte Independence
Memphis 901 FC
Austin Bold FC
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
El Paso Locomotive FC
Oklahoma City Energy FC
Reno 1868 FC
Rio Grande Valley FC
FC Tulsa
With MLS folding the six affiliates it has in USL League One, the league is a little bit thin (especially considering USSF’s requirements for 8 teams for lower level leagues), but seems definitely able to expand up to the necessary numbers with Edwards’ allusions to five new additions this year:
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
Forward Madison FC
Greenville Triumph SC
Union Omaha
Richmond Kickers
South Georgia Tormenta
FC Tucson
Format of Assorted Leagues – This (like everything in this post) is pure conjecture on my part, but here are my thoughts on how these leagues might function in a first year while waiting for additional expansion.
USL Premier – We’ll steal from the 12-team Scottish Premiership. Each club plays the other 11 clubs 3 times, with either one or two home matches against each side. When each club has played 33 matches, the top six and bottom six separate, with every club playing an additional five matches (against each other team in its group). The top club wins the league. The bottom club is automatically relegated. The second-bottom club will enter a two-legged playoff against someone (see below) from the championship playoffs.
USL Championship -- 11 clubs is a challenge to schedule for. How about every club plays everyone else three times (either one or two home matches against each side)? Top four clubs make the playoffs, which are decided by two-legged playoffs. The winner automatically goes up. I need feedback on the second part – is it better to have the runner-up from the playoffs face the second-bottom club from the Premiership, or should the winner of the third-place match-up get the chance to face them to keep drama going in both playoff series? As for relegation, we can clearly only send down the last place club while the third division is so small.
USL League One – While the league is so small, it doesn’t seem reasonable to have the clubs play as many matches as the higher divisions. Each club could play the other six clubs four times – twice at home and twice away – for a very equitable 24-match regular season, which would help restrict costs and still provide a chance to determine a clear winner. Whoever finishes top of the table goes up.
And there you have it, a hypothetical look at how the USL could build a D1 league right now. All it would take is a new stadium for almost the entire league and new owners for all but one of the 27 clubs, who wouldn’t feel that their property would be massively devalued if they got relegated.
Well that’s our show. I’m curious to see what you think of all of this, especially anything that you think I may have overlooked (I’m sure there’s plenty). Anyway, I hope you’re all staying safe and well.

>>"In a civilized society freedom to offend should be protected.” – Nigel Warburton<<
​
“I’m not changing anything,” I said to Keith, standing tall with my palms pressing hard on his desk.
who wast offended by a swear word? When thinking about the word censorship itself, another more daunting word would come to mind – suppression. If you visualized it from here, you’d think of a citizen from a communist country like China where media censorship was in full force. Theoretically, freedom of speech never existed.
Next, I grabbed my bag from my desk and walked toward the elevator to go on lunch break. Adam, my co-worker, held the door open for me.
“Are you going to your interview with that foul-mouthed hockey player?” I asked him.
“Yeah, it’s going to be fun. He’s hilarious.”
“How do you transcribe the interview again?”
“Oh, it’ll be edited. You know how hockey players talk: Gotta give it all, y’know? Get the puck in!”
“I love your Canadian accent, Adam,” I laughed.
He blushed and stared at the ground. Five people from the censorship department entered next and made Adam and me step away from each other to make space. Two were tall, slender women wearing high pumps. The other three were men smelling strong of Armani cologne. Somehow our chat turned into polite smiles until we reached the lobby.
“I was going to say that nobody ever comes out of Keith’s office with a happy face…” Adam said, “except for you, usually.”
I looked at the censors strutting past the receptionist without thanking him for automatically opening the gate for them.
“That’s because it wasn’t about our magazine.”
“You showed him your book?” he said.
The censors lit their cigarettes outside while choosing their lunch destination. Eventually, they headed north.
“Care to join me for lunch, Adam?”
We grabbed some sandwiches near the Riverwalk, one of my favorite places to hang out in Chicago. I moved here out of intuition that I would be able to contribute to media freedom. New York and Los Angeles were too vast to grasp or wrap my head around. There was something about Chicago that gave me hope. It could be the cold wind, or it could be John Hughes movies.
“Press freedom in the States is a joke, Adam. I don’t understand how people stay silent about it.”
We were crossing the busy DuSable Bridge with our sandwiches and drinks because I preferred to walk.
“I don’t think people are silent. Plus, we can only tell so much,” Adam said and took a sip of his milkshake. I knew that he referred us to the press.
He continued, “Over 40 percent of Americans want a socialist society over capitalism, but nobody knows because the media doesn’t share this information.”
“So why don’t we?”
Adam almost choked on his next sip and started a round of coughing.
“There’s a reason why I’m a sports journalist, Andrea.”
“But even people in sports can’t tell what they think! What’s with this Canadian hockey commentator that got fired? What did he do? He criticized immigrants for not wearing poppies on Remembrance Day. That’s crazy!”
“Firing a legend is indeed crazy…”
I knew that Adam knew a lot about the suppression of speech, but he wouldn’t team up with me. Nobody would.
“The problem is this whole PC bullshit!” I said. “If you’re a public figure, you’re not free to state your opinion, because a certain group of people out there will take offence.”
I thought of social media, which, in my eyes, was the public. The public had been involved in the media and politics for over a decade. You had all sorts of voices and perspectives based on everything – bias, lie, truth and ignorance. The majority was brainwashed by carefully selected ads. People’s behaviors were tracked and recorded. If you were without an opinion, the government would feed you one.
“Everything is PC these days, especially if you’re in the public eye. You know that. Isn’t that what your book is about?” he said.
“Yes.”
“You’re making a wrong move.”
“What do you mean?”
“Trust me, Andrea. If you want it published, you’ll need to do it yourself under a pseudonym. I’m just trying to save your ass.”
“But…”
“Yes, you’ve already shown it to Keith, I know. Either way…I’d like to keep you as a co-worker.”
Adam looked at his watch and then finished his sandwich in two bites.
“Shit, I have to head up to the arena.”
“Well, thanks for hanging out.”
I was awake till late that night – reading about journalists in danger, detained and exiled whistleblowers, the torturous imprisonment of the Wikileaks founder, an Iranian satirical writer jailed for twenty-seven years…
What Adam was trying to say was that the government and the police owned the media. I knew that. I was also aware that there were evil forces out there manipulating the relationship between the west and the east. The only way to trigger a potential threat for war was to create conflict between powerful, wealthy countries.
Meanwhile, the news on existing wars in underdeveloped, third world countries fell through the cracks, but they would eventually creep up again if there were a flood of asylum seekers. Religions, cultural differences and mentalities were frowned upon more deeply these days. And as a result, racism was on the rise. Immigrants were criticized for not adapting to the culture of their new home. The problems of the world went on and on.
It was evident that someone was on the Canadian prime minister’s case, watching his every move and listening to every whisper. When you saw footage or pictures of those in the news You would never hear about who whowho was behind it when you saw footage or pictures of those in the news. Who sent those to the press? The public would be too fixated on the content itself than comment on the reporter’s motive.
Blackface, two-faced…Was nothing else more relevant to report?
I actually never asked Adam about his opinion on his prime minister, or any political matters in his home country. Canada is multicultural. With this melting pot, a nation’s perception changes. Non-western mentalities join the club, and they have probably never laughed hard at a piece of comedy.
I opened my manuscript to some random page, which happened to be the section on transgender identity and how a public figure (whether politician or TV host, celebrity) could lose his or her job or reputation if he or she made an inappropriate comment. The employer didn’t know any better way to secure the company’s reputation than to fire that employee (i.e. misinterpreted actors accused of racism). In my book, I took real-life examples, whether the accused people were actors, politicians or other public figures. They usually ended up finding justification and consent on popular internet podcasts or other. As long as you weren’t on national television, you were kind of safe. But as soon as you disappeared from the screen, people would forget about you.
Just before I fell asleep, my phone vibrated. Adam messaged me, saying, “I have to take you to the Comedy Bar tomorrow.”
I didn’t sleep well. The nightmares I had on publishing my book were a clear sign that I was, in fact, scared. Images of me lying dead in the gutter or being raped in prison gave me the shivers. Moreover, this fear came from feeling alone. I looked at my manuscript with a sudden desire to burn it. Adam was right. There was only so much you could tell. I didn’t vote for our president, but I could tell how his lack of depth and decency in speeches reached out to the people. They listened to him because there was no such person like him in politics. Only the late-night shows were able to tell the rest of the world that there were sane people in the United States. But that was no longer politics or media. It was pure entertainment. Unfiltered politics—presented by entertainers.
I thought Adam had overcome his fear of asking me out, but as soon as he stressed the importance of the comedy show, it no longer felt like it was a date.
We met on W Illinois St for some pizza before we headed to the show. The casual nightlife in Chicago was very easygoing, especially where we were. Many students from the University of Chicago would hang out here.
I’d never been to the Comedy Bar, and I didn’t realize that there were two stages. The guy that we were going to see got upgraded from the brewery stage to the main stage because the main act cancelled at the last minute. However, a lot of the people decided to stay instead of requesting their money back. The room was filling up quickly, as people from the lower floor all came upstairs to the main venue looking for seats. This part of the venue would probably fit over one hundred people. Adam and I grabbed a table not too far from the stage and ordered a couple of IPAs.
“Did you look this guy up?” Adam asked.
“No. I don’t even know his name. I came with zero expectations,” I said, keeping to myself that I’d anticipated it to be a date and perhaps seek a confidant in him. But at that time, I didn’t even realize what he was doing for me.
The lights dimmed, as the stage brightened up – hands were clapping.
A skinny guy of perhaps 5’10 appeared on stage with an innocent smile. He was probably 23, if not younger.
“Hi, my name is Ted,” he spoke into the mic. “I recently graduated from the University of Chicago, where I studied journalism, arts and media. Imagine what my parents would have said if I’d wanted to study nothing but the arts?”
There were a couple of chuckles in the room.
“Yep, they would’ve killed me. There’s only one Andy Warhol in a million. Becoming successful in the arts is almost like a gambling game unless you master the rules and shortcuts of marketing. Then you can write songs that go I really really really really really really like you. And I want you, do you want me?
My condolences if your eleven-year-old daughter fell for this song…”
Everybody laughed.
“There are software systems out there that study and trace people’s behaviors. These systems are capable of measuring your attention span. And needless to say—technology has slowed down our thinking! ADHD no longer just affect kids, but at least 11% of adults. Make me read a book by Charles Dickens, and I’d rather shoot myself in the head!”
Again, there was laughter. I saw a huge grin on Adam’s face. Something told me he’d already heard that joke.
“Going back to my studies…,” Ted began, “I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m not a comedian, despite being the class clown. But I came to realize that only comedy can save the human mind.
In journalism, you learn about the necessity of social media. And here’s where things go wrong…”
My heart was up to my throat, and there were goosebumps all over my forearms. Ted looked over to us for a second before he continued.
“Free press comes with many perspectives and therefore involves a huge amount of bias. Your audience—the public has suddenly become the judge. Twenty years ago, you had professional critics taking you down, and now the entire world has the ability to shit on you.”
I saw some serious faces in the audience, but quite a few people didn’t look sure about this.
“This isn’t TED talk, dude!” someone shouted from the back.
“I’ll make you laugh, pal. I promise!” Ted shouted back, smiling.
“On a more important note, after tonight, you’ll wonder if there’ll still be comedians ten years from now.”
He paused for a while, and there was silence.
“The world is going through drastic changes, and on a cultural and sexual level, it seems like we all have to be nice and politically correct. However, this doesn’t necessarily apply to comedy. Freedom of speech prevails in comedy. But what’s the point of comedy? You see, for a comedian, the goal is to get a reaction out of his audience. To do that, he or she needs to push boundaries and here’s the problem:
How far do you push the boundaries? How offensive can you be?
Your safest bet is to create a TV animation. There is no human face that you can judge. In the end, you can choose to walk away from it, unaffected by the content, whether it’s jokes on racism, homophobia or misogyny. If you laugh during these shows, it means you understand the joke, and you’re aware that it is a joke. This is the purpose of comedy.
I was saying earlier that comedy might not exist anymore in ten years, but before that happens, you’d probably have to sign your consent that you made a choice to subject to the content of the comedy show.”
I noticed that I’d finished my beer already, whereas Adam’s was still half full.
“In journalism, you have codes of ethics, pillars, and all that shit to follow, but journalists have their own agendas. Except that now, the secret police watch each journalist closely. As scary as it may sound, political censorship doesn’t only take place in Asia and the Middle East. It’s here in North America too.”
He took another sip of his water and smiled at the audience. “I’m sure you agree that growing censorship is a huge danger to what you think is a free society… Either way, let me begin my show…”
Here, people started raising their eyebrows, and Adam chuckled.
For the next half hour, Ted delivered a wildly entertaining stand-up show filled with offensive and yet hilarious jokes. His entire personality changed, and he suddenly seemed taller and more mature. He’d fooled the audience successfully.
After the show, I knew that Adam would introduce me to Ted. He joined our table and shook my hand firmly.
“Pleasure to meet you, Andrea. I’ve heard a lot about you,” he said.
I raised an eyebrow at Adam and smiled back at Ted.
“Hi.”
“Ted works at the university in the publishing sector. After reading his essays, I felt that the two of you had to meet,” Adam said.
We spoke about my book and how it was not appropriate for the press, according to our chief editor. Even Ted looked worried, knowing that our chief knew about my book.
In Ted’s eyes, we couldn’t stop the media from brainwashing the public. Though we could still save humor. Provoking a reaction out of people is the only thing that was still relevant.
When we parted outside the Comedy Bar, Ted gave me a copy of Free Speech – A short history by Nigel Warburton. We’d arranged to meet at the university during the week. He wanted a copy of my manuscript. He was convinced that my book wouldn’t just stir up the media but also put me in danger. Therefore, we had to work on a strategic plan for the publishing part.
Adam drove me home. I lived in a high rise in the Loop district. On that particular night, I didn’t want to be alone, so I asked him to come up with me.
“I promise I won’t make any moves on you,” I said jokingly and realized that I was tipsy and emotional.
He smiled, and I could tell that he was about to say no.
“For all I know, I could be dead tomorrow, Adam. On some days I’m scared for my life because I feel watched. We expose ourselves so much without even realizing it.”
He stopped me right there. “I’ll come up for some tea if you have some.”
I was nervous in the elevator. The white neon lights were hurting my eyes, and my bubbly head was throbbing. I felt his eyes on me as I was walking out of the elevator first.
My heart sank when I saw that my apartment door was open. Adam gestured for me to stay back. He carefully pushed the door open, and we saw a turned dinner table and chairs.
“Hello?” he said.
He switched the light on, and we walked into my apartment. All my books and magazines were lying around on the floor.
“Oh, shit,” I said.
I ran into my bedroom, not caring if anyone was there or not. There, I found torn pages of my manuscript, and at least one-third of it was missing.
“Andrea…” I heard Adam say.
I knew immediately that both Ted and I were in danger and that whatever measure we were going to take, it had to happen now.

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This firm, structured in 1994, is an inconspicuously operated on the internet gaming company offering to bet on online sporting activities, derby and also gaming. Your internet browser can be utilized for on spot video gaming. BetUs runs a mobile programme, m.betus.com. Gamers can check out the on the internet gambling establishment on the mobile website as well can give up their sports wagers. It additionally provides real-time betting. This feature is adjourned during damaging moments and also is resumed in a safe environment.

1. BET9JA

As mentioned by Alexa.com, the second most seen website in Nigeria is Bet9ja. This website uses to bet on prime sport events held in Nigeria. It was inaugurated in 2013. Consumers go to the site for high-rank odds on football and to experience best online wagering solution. It was founded as an offline pc gaming platform versus various other online systems. Bet9ja got a superior action in the first 3 years of operation accompanied by a substantial turnover. The Bet9ja group is constantly enhancing the site by adding up to date as well as interesting features to the website. It earns millions of Naira every year. This website is approved as well as insured under the Lagos State lottery game board. In 2015, Bet9ja was the executive sponsor for Nigeria's Women's Football League.

1. FOLLOWER ORGANIZATION

Hi, FOLLOWER ORGANIZATION exists users with social football experience by giving a platform for the fans where they can connect and engage. Every weekend the participants need to prophesize the end result of English football suits. Competitions can be held between close friends, competence, or the on the internet community and rewards are paid in cash money. This job, includes growth for web, iphone and also Android, was created by Tallium for a Swedish based company. Besides, being a wagering platform as well as reward earning website, this site brings the football neighborhood together. FAN ORGANIZATION mixes the betting with the social structure, which supplies the individuals with an enjoyable gaming understanding. Betting on online games is supplied, as well as the profits are upgraded with every goal that is racked up. At the end of the match, users can see which of their forecasts were exact or off-target. The application also apprises concerning the most up to date football information as well as expertise prognosis on the social feed. Customers can produce leagues as well as evaluate their skills against other participants. The gamers are allowed to attach and also talk using public conversations. FAN LEAGUE choose the professionals, users can get assist from them, as well as they likewise suggest just how to place an effective wager.

1. 3ET

3et is among the brand new software application giving a sole betting service. Bettors are designated totally free as well as safe strategy to the wagering market. Arrangements and accepted wagers are all done by 3et without any voidness. A significant platform is offering the highest possible limitations and most exceptional odds for sporting activities betting. 3et has a method to all vital bookies and also exchanges. 3et advanced half time and edge wagers for football. This website offers individuals one of the most successful betting experience. They mention to be the best as well as purchasers will be so happy they will never need any other sportsbook.3 et belongs to Eurasia sporting activities restricted. They assure open accessibility to their deals without charging the players any kind of commission. This site is easy to use still suffices to catch specialist acknowledgment. Utilizing the 3et app customers can access the bets from anywhere around the globe. It is only obtainable in the English language. Lowest cost bets can be launched at 1 Euro, and when customers obtain the on specifying the occasion, the ultimate price is presented on the slip.

1. BETSAT

Betsat is the current name in the betting market that is established in Turkey. It tries to draw customers from Europe and various other continents and attempting to convince them that the website is adventitious. This company faces significant competition from within the country as well as from the claimed European wagerers. Betsat is ingrained in Turkey, being on the go amongst Turkish players and proudly highlights its viewers. They use multilingual aid to the customers, as well as the web site can additionally be translated in German, Spanish and also English to make sure. This website recommends an indiscriminate blend of sporting activities to draw in Turkish as well as European customers. Football and also basketball are uniformly famed in Turkey as well as around the continent which magnifies the popularity of the website. When it comes round live betting, the site offers to bet on tennis, football basketball after the game has actually begun.

1. INFINIWIN

Rooted in Malaysia, INFINIWIN is the leading online betting workshop. This rejuvenating brand largely concentrates on texas hold'em and also other table gaming products. INFINIWIN provides a remarkably good value of premium video gaming products. They ensure that the individuals are going to get the noticeably superior wagering experience. This website has a superior team aiding the clients as well as assisting the individuals in various languages.

1. MAXBET

MAXBET is currently leading the video gaming industry in Central as well as Eastern parts of Europe with a quickly raising energy. This business is at the forefront of Europe's betting industry following its tactical partnership with Italian lotto game monster Lottomatica. Enthusiastic clients are offered numerous fortunate possibilities for winning at gambling establishments, wagering games and vending machine. Events are arranged on a regular as well as month-to-month basis. MAXBET guarantees that consumers rely on them for a risk-free as well as safe and secure gaming domain name.

1. BETLAND

Betland.com is a well-reputed bookie that runs online and by means of mobile in Nigeria. After its relaunch, it has ended up being even faster and well organized. Odds and also betting lines are used on a series of sporting activities which are just as popular in Nigeria and also other countries as well. Betting supplies on some considerable sporting activities occasions outside Nigeria gives a worldwide personality to the website. Betland aims to provide its services to all groups of bettors neglecting their financial condition.

1. BETSSON

BETSSON uses tradition for gambling, online casino bingo and also sports wagering. This company has actually stemmed from Sweden. It works through 20+ brand names that give video gaming items. This firm financial resources as well as handles the on-line pc gaming business. BETSSON intends to surmount the pc gaming sector in practical manners, although it is among the topmost in Europe.

1. PARIMATCH

Operating given that 1996, PARIMATCH has actually turned into a worldwide video gaming website. They state themselves among the leaders of the video gaming sector and so are always anticipating improving the top quality and automation and also adding to the events daily, stats and evaluation are provided night and day. Users are provided to bank on 20+ sports in above 60 nations along with 200 organizations as well as greater than 600 sporting activities occasions.

1. BET-AT-HOME

This is a European business established in 1999. It was released online in March 2000. Initially, it was rotated to on the internet sporting activities wagering, however it was redesigned with the launch of on-line casino site and also after that the system for playing poker. Different betting options are used on sporting occasions as sports scheduling is the website's main dish.

1. TIPBET

This gambling firm, based in Malta, has actually revealed exceptional growth given that 1995. With a selection of on-line video gaming options, land-based stores are also established. TIPBET sustains wagering and also odds on all primary sporting activities occasions and likewise holds a terrific range of gambling establishment video games.

1. RedZoneSports

A fresh bookmaker taken part in sports wagering, specifically in the UK as well as America is named RedZone Sports. The site is highly in cognition with as well as also possessed by the Spotnation bookies. Argyll Amusement AG. Attacking the gaming sector in 2017, this fresh bookie reveals wonderful rate of interest in America's sportsbooks. The website is regulated by The Gaming Commission, a highly suggested global gambling authority, and this assures the user that the cash they are investing is safe and also secured. With a considerable focus on games like United States football, baseball as well as hoops, this internet site consigns helpful odds on several sporting activities. It is possible for the individual to play online or In-play alternatives are likewise available. This website gives the individual an authentic wagering experience by providing large-scale hypothesizing markets.

1. BetStars Sportsbook

Casino poker celebrity, very acquainted as well as honoured on-line texas hold'em service provider, spin-offs the Betstars website. The website is visited consistently by countless consumers who are intended to seek satisfaction from all the on-line alternatives the website gives. This substantial number of punters seeing the site has actually helped the site being deemed as one of the most rated bookies around the globe.

1. wager

Malta video gaming authority supervises of synchronizing PWR wager, a just recently added mobile-friendly bookmaker site. This site was presented in 2018. This site exceedingly advertises via its application, however as being an Android app, it is unfeasible for the people utilizing the apple iphone. Among others, this site provides betting on the derby, football as well as additionally sustains E-Sports wagering.

1. MoPlay Sportsbook

MyMoPlay collaborates with Manchester United along with Watford FC. The business has actually been taken down by IBAS, which forefronts its dependence as a good pc gaming system. Customers can locate a large series of sports to bet on. It also introduced its app for the best online experience in sports wagering.

1. RoBet Sportsbook

RoBet established foot into the European on-line bookie market in 2019. Government of Curacao oversees the site guaranteeing that it goes along with honest implementation of sporting activities scheduling. The customers can confide in them for leisure ventures.

1. Jetbull Sportsbook

Jetbull was founded in 2007. This site is secondary to OddsMatrix. Different languages are passed on the internet site. The site has ingrained markets in football, supplying countless chances yet is concentrated constrained to concentrate on US players.

1. LuckyBet

Luckybet uses open chances for European, Canadian players and likewise gamers from New Zealand. Abundant gaming choices as well as rewards as well as the contemporary website design includes in the impact the site has on gamblers and punters. Many online internet sites attempt to reproduce their articulation.

1. Redbet

Redbet, a premier online casino brand name intervened in the on theinternet sporting activities reserving industry. This site was produced in 2002 with a mission of producing fun for the individual by attracting them to the website by supplying successful chances. It is a well-reputed website where the gamer's joy is the initial issue.

1. Fonbet

FonBet was introduced previously in 2002. This site is a Russian bookie site. Russia as well as Eastern Europe birth a substantial number of participants of FonBet. This bookie is certified in Curacao. Therefore the certificate, the site detains, UK as well as UNITED STATES consumers are limited from making use of the on-line bookie.

1. ComeOn

ComeOn became a brand-new bookie website in 2009. It is a secondary firm of Co-Gaming Limited. Malta Pc gaming Authority administrates the site. To operate in the UK, they are accredited from the UK Gambling Compensation. Markets of Scandinavia are the prime focus of the site.

1. Marathonbet

Marathonbet was acknowledged in 1997 as a self -reliant bookmakers site. It is run by Panbet Limited, a firm that is in charge of running retail barters in the UK. This bookmaker website is deeply committed towards the UK members although it is well-reputed worldwide

1. MyBet

It is hosting the tremendous variety of sporting competitions regarding greater than 14,000, this site is a significant on-line bookie and has a superb great deal of customers around the continent. Besides offering various high-grade sportsbook events, it designates the players assurance with the modern technology that is comparable to Europe's safety criteria.

1. Betbarter

This is the primary and the most relied on the site of India. It is an on the internet showing off occasion betting site. The web site is amazing as well as uses straightforward expression. Individuals can select BetBarter versus their competitor whenever. The bargains made by BetBarter protrude the marketplace. BetBarter likewise inspects the internet sites which provide fast payments and also various other feasible means of withdrawals.

1. Bodog888

Bodog888 is recognized to be a participant of the world-famous gambling enterprise Bodog and is sometimes acknowledged as Bodog Asia. This site gives a huge range of moral online casino and also texas hold'em wagering. It also involves Oriental bettors by sporting activities reserving. This site has gained the distinction by offering the very best performance as well as illustratory attributes. The website supplies the best aid and also rewards.

1. BetEast

Arised from Asia in 2016, BetEast asserts to be the most effective expanding wagering brand name. This business offers a substantial range of eSports solutions, casino site and live wagering as well as values subscriptions from worldwide. Its emphasis is to make a dash out there of Europe. The simplicity of the website format hits the customer instantly. The company has a substantial interest in the UK Betting markets. The site offers a comprehensive betting experience with giving a substantial number of on-line port video games.

1. Bet-at-home

This company arised in 1999 later on releasing its website in March 2000. It soon became a supply firm and was provided at the stock market. This website is a credible sponsor for worldwide game events. It supplies betting odds on prominent gaming occasions. Followed by more than 4 million customers, it has become one of a kind sports scheduling site in Europe. All the info regarding the wagers placed as well as payouts are offered on their site.

1. Setantabet

This website offers important odds on pc gaming and also horse racing. The website is compatible with mostly all mobile devices. The website has a substantial collection of slot video games and gambling enterprises for the customers. It additionally features a live gambling establishment with single and multiplayer choices. The website likewise aids the individuals through live Chat.

1. CasinoSahara

It is a little gambling establishment on account of the gathered earnings, yet is taken into consideration a hot area. This internet site is readily available in a range of languages. Live betting games are readily available with different payment methods. Live Conversation is not open 24/7 that is somewhat a drawback to the website.

1. BetEasy

This bookie website, established in 2014, emerges from Australia giving online betting and sporting activities remedies to the clients. This site is a subsidiary of The Celebrity Team. This website formally funds the Australian Football Organization.
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1. SuperBet

This is a South African bookies website established in 2008. The website captivates clients from around the continent. In addition to offering considerable betting games collection online, this site runs 50 land-based stores in Africa. The arrangement with EFC includes in the compatibility of the website.
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1. CasiniaBet

As opposed to the suitable bookies, Casinia wagered offers fewer choices for online betting as well as video gaming occasions. Still, the considerable contests are offered proper coverage that makes it challenging for the punters to separate between the leading bookies and also CasinoBet sportsbooks.
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1. mercurybet

This is a leading online video gaming website as well as online pc gaming. This website amplifies your exhilaration and gives you with a pleasurable experience with its thrilling wagering system. Customers can challenge themselves and also others with day-to-day and regular promotions.
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1. Jojobet

This site interacts with a large range of video gaming markets. This website supports bitcoins which includes in the variety of individuals around the world. This website has gained significant repute quickly by providing high odds on numerous betting games. It gives its clients with appreciable services.
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1. Bet8

This is a legally run business in Greece and also declares to satisfy also one of the most requiring clients This is website offers you to bet on above 11,000 sports events taking place on a monthly basis. The site likewise offers excellent probabilities with low price margins to its valuable consumers.
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1. Blackbet

This site is greatly giving a greatly favorable experience to its customers. It is dealt with by passionate staff member intending to offer an outstanding service to the punters. More than 20 sports are available for live betting at this reservation website.
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1. WinnerUK

This website is very recommended for scheduling on competition. They supply great recurring offers together with other recognized promos. This is a powerful yet well-assisting platform for on-line betting as well as sportsbooking.
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1. Wager at Home

Bet-at-home is the certified bookie based in Malta and also Austria. Their company went on expanding with the discussion of an on the internet gambling establishment in 2005. They later on developed into a supply partnership and also in 2009 became a part of the Betclic Everest Team. Their management centre is currently at Portomaso Business Tower in Malta as well as is accredited and controlled by the Malta Gambling Payment.
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1. Twinspires

It is just one of the earliest name present in the field of on the internet sporting activities betting, having actually grabbed popularity amongst customers given that its facility right around ten years in the past. Authorized by the UK Gaming Commission, it is just one of the most relied on on-line betting sites available.
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1. One Hash

One Hash is already the market head in wagering all over the world, with a huge variety of clients in many countries. Their wagering deals pre-competition or online wagering is very broad. Additionally, this manager communicates its online gushing TELEVISION terminal, countless pc gaming competitors.
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1. Mr Eco-friendly

On a remarkable assortment of video games, a vast array of wagers are used by bookmakers, which are determined based on chance. By wagering on these unique possibilities, a bettor can get money on rewarding wagers. It is consistently the situation that the very best online wagering sites for sports will be those that use the very best prospective benefits.