Change is coming to the post-season format. That much seems clear after a week in which Bud Selig, the MLB commissioner, and Michael Weiner, the union chief, publicly supported the idea, without offering specifics
Selig believes the television networks, which drive much of what happens in pro sports, are in favour of more teams and more post-season games. Weiner said enough players support an expanded play-off field.
It remains to be seen whether the system can be changed for the 2011 season, or not until 2012, after the next round of collective bargaining. Also to be determined: the new format. A popular suggestion is to add another wild-card team in each league and have the two wild-card teams meet in a one-game play-off. That would limit extending the play-off calendar - already, baseball will begin in March next year to avoid having the World Series leak further into November - and place more emphasis on finishing strong in the regular season.
Under the current format, there is little incentive to win a division versus winning a wild-card spot. The only difference is an extra home game in a play-off series. Both the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees treated the American League East title with indifference down the stretch.
But if teams know that a one-game play-off would make-or-break their season, they would do everything possible to avoid being relegated to wild-card status, making the final weeks of the season more compelling.
sports@thenational.ae
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia