gerador de sinais fortune rabbit Two Sasquatch hunters were found dead after they went missing while searching for the mythical beast on Christmas Eve . The men, aged 37 and 59, were found after a 60-strong volunteer search and rescue team joined authorities in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington State . They had intended to be home for Christmas Day, but a family member reported them missing to Skamania County authorities after they didn’t return by the morning. Police said the harsh weather conditions and their ill-preparedness for the forest contributed to the men’s deaths. Seven law enforcement agencies and the Coast Guard used canines, drones, ground teams and helicopters to locate them. “Their exhaustive search efforts resulted in bringing family members home to their loved ones,” the sheriff’s office said of the search teams. The force extended their “deepest sympathies and condolences to the families” involved. Loved ones of Hudson Meek, the teen actor who died in a car accident last week, gathered to celebrate his life on Saturday. The “celebration of life” service, held at a Baptist church in Homewood, Alabama, was livestreamed on the Baby Driver star’s Instagram. Several of the loved ones shared their favorite memories of the 16-year-old, and a choir sang in tribute. Fans expressed their appreciation for the service and their condolences in the comment section. “Wonderful celebration of Hudson’s life,” wrote user @melindaeubankswest, while @jeanniecmom added, “Praying for Hudson’s family at this difficult time. Fellow teen actor Grace Culwell shared in the comments that she was in attendance, writing: ”Such a beautiful service & so glad we were able to be there. Sending so much love & prayers to you all.” Meek died on Dec. 21 in from injuries sustained during a fall from a moving car on Dec. 19 in his hometown, Vestavia Hills, Alabama. Meek was known best for appearing in the 2017 crime movie Baby Driver alongside Ansel Elgort, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx. A post shared by Hudson Meek (@hudsonmeek) Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Boxing Week sales are still in full swing, folks! As an avid J.Crew fan , I can honestly say that the brand’s discount-laden factory store (the brand’s online outlet) is a great way to get high-quality wardrobe staples without the big price tag. J.Crew Factory always offers discounts up to 40 percent off J.Crew, but for a limited time, you can unlock even more savings from already discounted items. Right now, J.Crew Factory is offering 70 percent off clearance items with the code SALE70 at checkout. Now’s the time to invest in evergreen staples like jeans and office-friendly blazers while they’re half off, or grab a few outwear essentials to round out your cold-weather lineup. The sale also includes tons of denim for just $50, pure cotton crewneck T-shirts for $20, and even new arrivals like NYE frocks and cashmere items. And the sale is not just for women; the gents’ and kids’ sections are equally full of additional savings. Andy Cohen’s biggest gripe with CNN star and New Year’s Eve partner-in-crime Anderson Cooper? Cooper’s annual giggle fit. Cohen explained to People why the anchor’s unceasing laughter adds extra chaos throughout their annual special. “Well, [it’s] that I have to be the straight guy,” Cohen said. “Literally, he’s in a puddle of giggles for the last 90 minutes of the broadcast, and I’m the one that’s hitting all the commercial breaks.” Cohen said he turns “into Mr. CNN for the last 90 minutes” while Cooper becomes “Mr. Bravo.” “It’s a very funny role reversal,” the Bravo star said. The longtime friends have hosted the CNN event together since 2017 after former co-host Kathy Griffin was booted in the wake of backlash for posing with a mask depicting the severed head of Donald Trump. Cohen and Cooper have found themselves in various antics since then— some alcoholic , some not —leading to Cooper’s own frustrations with the Bravo host. Cooper joked on Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live earlier this month that he constantly worries about “who [Cohen’s] gonna insult and what the clean up on aisle 3 is gonna be in the morning.” Billionaire businessman Charles Dolan, who founded HBO and Cablevision and whose family owns Madison Square Garden and a number of New York City sports teams, died on Saturday—he was 98. Dolan created Cablevision Systems Corporation in 1973, merging several small Long Island cable TV systems, according to the New York Times . At the time, the company served just 1,500 customers. But when he sold it for $17.7 billion in 2015, it supplied cable TV to over three million households in the New York metropolitan area, the Times reported. He also launched HBO in the early ’70s—it was at the time a pioneering cable TV channel that offered feature-length movies with no commercials. After his death, Dolan’s family will continue to be a powerful and influential force in the worlds of media and sports. His son Patrick is the owner of Newsday , the Long Island-based newspaper he and Charles bought in 2016. The family also owns MSG in New York City and the professional sports teams that play there, the NHL’s Rangers and the NBA’s Knicks. All three entities are led by Dolan’s son James. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. If you’re looking to revamp your at-home fitness lineup ahead of 2025 and don’t have hours to commit to exercising each day, allow us to introduce you to the CAROL Bike . The science-backed and AI-powered fitness bike is engineered to give you maximum results in the shortest time possible—and by the shortest time, we mean as little as five minutes. In fact, according to the brand, the CAROL bike is “proven to deliver double the health and fitness benefits in 90 percent less time compared to regular cardio.” Free Returns | Free Shipping Not only is it a huge time-saver, but the CAROL Bike is also designed to be personalized to the rider’s individual fitness levels, goals, and preferences, making the workouts easy to follow, time-efficient, and super effective. CAROL’s AI and Reduced Exertion HIIT (REHIT) technology optimizes the workout to your ability and fitness level, so every second matters. The personalized, optimal resistance levels are automatically adjusted as you work out—at exactly the right time—making the most efficient workouts easy to follow. “ CAROL Bike is designed to maximize training efficiency, with the shortest, most effective workouts, backed by science. And new rider-inspired features that give riders more flexibility to exercise their way,” says Ulrich Dempfle, CEO & Co-Founder at CAROL. You can try the CAROL Bike for yourself risk-free for 100 days, and the brand offers free shipping (7-10 business days) in the U.S. Tina Knowles sprang to her daughter Beyoncé’s defense after online trolls criticized her NFL halftime show performance on Christmas Day. Knowles clapped back at critics by reposting a message about her famous daughter on her Instagram on Friday. In the screenshot, user @iamkrisiman praised Beyoncé and wrote that “no matter how undeniably talented you are, people will always, ALWAYS, always have some negative ish to say.” Knowles cosigned the post in a lengthy caption. “It is mind-boggling to me that you would take your precious Christmas day and watch a performance of someone you hate and you don’t think has talent so that you can go talk ish about it later,” she wrote. “Obviously you are so obsessed with them, addicted to them, and secretly admire them,” she added. According to the New York Post, Knowles’ post came after some social media users called Beyoncé “overrated.” Fans and celebrities in the comments of Knowles’ response seemed to love her mama bear energy. “Period!!! Ms. T,” singer LeToya Luckett wrote. “All. Of. This!!!!!!” Oscar winner Octavia Spencer added. A post shared by Tina Knowles (@mstinaknowles) Elon Musk appeared to borrow a line from the 2008 film Tropic Thunder in an ongoing social media fight about H1B visas. Musk hit back against MAGA’s top players in a series of X posts, alleging that H1B visas are the reason why he, “and hundreds of other companies that made America strong,” are in the country. To a skeptical X user, Musk blasted: “Take a big step back and F--- YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.” Although some were shocked by Musk’s sudden escalation—with former Trump strategist Steve Bannon calling him a “toddler”—others noticed that the disparaging remark was similar to a line in Tropic Thunder . Character Les Grossman, played by Tom Cruise, says in the film: “First, take a big step back, and literally, F--- YOUR OWN FACE ... I don’t know what kind of pan-pacific bulls--t power play you’re trying to pull here, but Asia, Jack, is my territory. So whatever you’re thinking, you’d better think again.” In response to Musk’s comment, the X user tweeted, “Bro was just memeing. I wouldn’t take it too seriously.” Nothing beats the classics pic.twitter.com/MRSdXifhH5 Charles Shyer, the writer-director best known for directing the 1991 Steve Martin comedy Father of the Bride has died at 83. According to Deadline, Shyer died Friday and no cause of death was given by his family in a statement. “His loss leaves an unfillable hole in our lives, but his legacy lives on through his children and the five decades of wonderful work he’s left behind. We honor the extraordinary life he led and know there will never be another quite like him,” his family told the outlet. In addition to directing, Shyer gained notoriety for his screenwriting and nabbed an Oscar nomination in 1981 for co-writing the Goldie Hawn-led military comedy Private Benjamin alongside Harvey Miller, and fellow writer-director Nancy Meyers. Meyers and Shyer married in 1980 before calling it quits in 1999. They share two daughters. Other notable films co-written by Shyer include Jumpin’ Jack Flash , The Parent Trap , and Baby Boom , which he also directed. His most recent credit behind the camera was co-writing and directing the 2023 Netflix Holiday film Best. Christmas. Ever. A Norwegian chess champion left mid-tournament after refusing to change his outfit for judges. Magnus Carlsen, a five-time World Chess Champion, was competing in New York’s FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships on Friday when he was asked to change. According to The Telegraph , Carlsen was first fined $200 for breaking the wardrobe rule before being told he would have to leave if he didn’t change. “I said, ‘I’ll change tomorrow if that’s OK.’ I didn’t even realize it today, but they said, ‘Well you have to change now.’ At that point it became a bit of a matter of principle for me,” Carlsen told chess outlet Take Take Take in an interview. “Honestly, I am too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do,” he added. As for why he wore the jeans in the first place, Carlsen said he had little time to change before the tournament as he was coming from a meeting. The grandmaster made light of the debacle on X where he tweeted a photo of the now notorious jeans. “OOTD,” he captioned the snap. OOTD pic.twitter.com/9reOP6zuJv Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. 2025 is quickly approaching, and there’s no better way to celebrate the new year than with 2024’s cocktail du jour—the espresso martini. It’s the perfect way to toast 2025 with sophistication, flavor, and an energy boost. Think you can’t make the buzzy beverage at home because you’re not a bartender? Think again. You can create this beloved cocktail effortlessly with just a cocktail shaker, fresh espresso, vodka, coffee beans, and Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur . It all starts in the land Down Under—Australia. Mr Black sources its ingredients, including 100 percent specialty-grade Arabica coffee, from local farmers and cooperatives. The liqueur is then slowly brewed with purified cold water to preserve its delicate, complex flavors. The result? A bittersweet masterpiece with bold flavor, balanced sweetness, and a lasting coffee kick. Its rich, coffee-forward taste is a crowd-pleaser, and the sleek bottle design adds a touch of elegance to any bar cart. Making an espresso martini is simple. Combine Mr Black , vodka, and freshly brewed espresso in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously until cold. Then, strain the mixture into a martini glass and finish with three coffee beans as a garnish. Skip the champagne toast this year and ensure you stay awake for the countdown to 2025 with a Mr Black espresso martini. Gossip Girl star Chanel Maya Banks , who made headlines last month after denying her family’s claims that she had gone missing, has filed a restraining order against her mother and cousin. The 36-year-old submitted the request in Los Angeles on Thursday, alleging her mom, Lutchmin Judy Kumar, and cousin, Danielle Singh have harassed her, TMZ reported. The actor also claimed that her mother and cousin were working to destroy her credibility. In October, Banks’ family reported her missing. She denied the claims in a post days later. Banks wrote in the restraining order filing that Kumar and Singh broke into her apartment in November while she was gone and attacked her husband. She also alleged that an Apple AirTag was put on her car to track her. After the attack, she alleged that her mother and cousin accused her husband of murder and said that Banks should be in a psychiatric hold. Sources told TMZ that they’re happy she is safe and are “moving on with their lives.” R&B singer Ne-Yo announced Friday that a popular professional boxer under his management has died at age 35. In a joint statement posted by the Grammy-winner and the boxer’s family, Ne-Yo, real name Shaffer Chimere Smith, announced “the passing of beloved son, brother, friend and boxing champion Paul Bamba, whose light and love touched countless lives.” Hailing from Puerto Rico, Bamba became one of the first boxing talents to sign to Ne-Yo’s management company in 2024. Bamba won all of his bouts in 2024 by knock out and recently claimed WBA’s secondary “gold” cruiserweight title after knocking out Rogelio Medina. “He was a fierce yet confident competitor with an unrelenting ambition to achieve greatness. But more than anything, he was a tremendous individual who inspired many with his exceptional drive and determination,” the statement added. Bamba was the No. 12 ranked contender by the WBA and seemed set on fighting in more high profile matches—challenging boxer Jake Paul to “holla at us” in one post. Paul shared his condolences on X, writing, “RIP Paul Bamba.” RIP Paul Bamba https://t.co/ovu7egrGHn

Like most of life’s better ideas, the genesis of this article was in the pub. It came via a discussion about the merits or otherwise of Tottenham Hotspur ’s football team. You know the drill: they’re great to watch, can beat the best and lose to the worst. Spurs gonna Spurs, etc. The pub-based chat, though, became particularly heated when the topic turned to expected goals (xG). Advertisement “Spurs’ underlying xG numbers are pretty good, so I’d expect them to climb the table,” The Athletic opined. “Mate, seriously do not talk to me about xG, that’s just fancy journalism bulls*** that you lot use to make a point.” Enter this article’s protagonist, Dominic Townsend. Dom is a Wycombe Wanderers fan, middle class, educated to degree level and a likeable, right-minded fellow. He absolutely cannot stand xG and its use in modern mainstream media. What followed in The Salisbury, a cracking traditional boozer in Haringey, north London, was a wine-fuelled debate for the ages, arguing the toss over the merits or otherwise of xG and other data terms. At its conclusion, Dom was angry/drunk enough to accept the challenge of repeating his views to an international audience via the medium of the internet and agreed to continue the xG debate with a proper data expert. Enter The Athletic ’s very own Duncan Alexander, an ex-Opta OG in xG. Duncan is also a Wycombe fan — but, incredibly, the pair have never met. So what is xG? Why do we use it? What other data terms might cross over into the mainstream? And what about xA, PSxG, PPDA, field tilt, duels and progressive passes and carries? Dom v Duncan. Let battle the duel commence. Expected goals (xG) Dominic Townsend: “I should probably start by saying I actually work for a data company, so despite Tim’s protestations I’m definitely not anti-data. Expected goals, I’ve had explained to me a couple of times and I broadly get what it is. I think ‘possible goals’ is a better way of putting it. “I also think the xG figure should start at a hundred, and then every time you miss a chance it takes a certain percentage off. I don’t understand how you could have more possible/expected goals than you actually score, because there’s illogicality there.” Advertisement Duncan Alexander: “Well, not really. But yeah.” Townsend: “And it isn’t used in the right way on television. It gets flashed up on (BBC’s) Match of the Day and everyone is expected — pun intended — to know what it means, but I’m not sure everyone does. I don’t hear many other people talking about xG in a pub.” Alexander: “Maybe you’re going to the wrong pubs.” Townsend: “Haha, well maybe I’m not !” Alexander: “I think it has crossed into common parlance with younger generations.” Townsend: “You’re calling me old, basically.” Alexander: “Well, you’re younger than me, but yes. I think you make some really good points. The name... I worked with the person who basically invented the model, or borrowed it from ice hockey. He’ll admit as well that the name isn’t great — it makes people think it’s predicting stuff that’s happening in the future. “It’s a measure of chance quality. To your point about how you can have more expected goals than actual goals in a game... the easiest example to use is a penalty, which has a .78 xG rating because historically 78 per cent of penalties are scored. “And then a shot from the ‘D’ just outside the box probably has a 0.04 xG rating because four per cent of those shots go in.” Townsend: “OK, so that makes sense.” Alexander: “There’s an awful lot of data behind it — probably more than half a million shots are in the database. “It’s at its best when judging a team over a longer period. If you look at rolling xG over a large amount of games you can see where a team’s good and bad form kicks in. It’s OK in a one-off game scenario, and sort of OK in a one-off shot. The xG rolling average can show a team’s form over time “The other thing people sometimes get the wrong end of the stick is; ‘How can you measure Lionel Messi and Che Adams (editor: apologies to Che Adams) on the same expected goals basis, because they’re obviously different players in terms of skill and quality?’. “But the point is you’re rating everyone above or below the average. Messi has outscored his xG pretty much every season he’s played football. Son Heung-min at Spurs, Harry Kane ; these players consistently overperform.” Townsend: “So, hang on. Is xG a worldwide average based on overall stats and positions of shots, or is it a team stat against the average? I guess what I’m trying to say is: if you’re saying Messi, Kane and Son outperform xG, is that because it’s a worldwide average?” Alexander: “Essentially yes, although it’s not worldwide. Opta, the most common model, is taken from 10 or 11 leagues. Advertisement Townsend: “OK so how about if Liverpool and Southampton play each other and have the same xG of 2.10... but it’s not the same xG is it, because Liverpool’s players would be expected to score more goals because they have better players? Alexander: “Well that’s where the name doesn’t quite fit and possible goals would work better.” Townsend: “I think that’s the problem, you’ve just explained it to me and I’ve followed what you said but I still have a question mark around certain aspects. “And I guarantee you most pundits that use xG numbers in their analysis have no idea and wouldn’t be able to explain what you just did .” Alexander: “I won’t mention who it was but I was once on a Premier League programme with an ex-player talking about xG, he didn’t understand its usage but after 45 minutes of me going through the semi-famous Manchester United win at Arsenal when they battered them on xG but lost 3-1, he got it. He had a moment of realisation. “So yeah, you’re right. But it has only existed in the professional game for over a decade and it wasn’t until 2017 that it was pushed to the media. So certain old dogs just won’t have learned the new tricks. “I remember looking at Twitter the night Match of the Day first flashed up xG alongside shots, yellow cards and, yeah, it didn’t go down well. Seven years later, there are clearly still some sceptics...” Townsend: “Haha, yes. OK, just clarify something for me. Paul Gascoigne at Euro 96, that famous chance against Germany when the cross comes in and he slides in to score, but doesn’t actually touch the ball. It’s a huge chance for a goal, but not a shot, so is xG registered for that?” Alexander: “That’s a very good point. Opta have a metric called ‘Big Chance’ and that Gazza one would go down as one and get an xG value. It’s a niche example for data people: how can you get xG from a shot you didn’t have?” Townsend: “So it does count?” Alexander: “Yeah, but they’re rare. A better example is probably the Alejandro Garnacho overhead kick at Goodison Park last season. That had maybe a six per cent xG because his body was in a good position in the box, you’d expect to score a decent amount of goals from there, but what he actually did with his back to goal was a one-in-10,000 thing... xG didn’t take into account he was facing the wrong way and acrobatically flinging himself. “That’s why doing individual shot xG isn’t the perfect use. Where it really has powerful value is looking at how a team does over a season or multiple seasons.” Goal of the Season | Premier League 2023/24 🥇 Alejandro Garnacho (for Manchester United vs. Everton ) “Audacious acrobatics and devastating footwork... There have been plenty of brilliant goals this season, but none come close to this one.” #TAFCAwards | #MUFC pic.twitter.com/68gSOEdbd0 — The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 21, 2024 Townsend: “The thing is — and obviously The Athletic is leading the charge here — it’s appealing to the way Americans talk about sport. I think that’s probably fine. But there are certain things that don’t translate as well. The Gascoigne one, let’s say wingers hit the byline and cross just over a striker’s head 20 times in a game, does that count? Because it’s a goal opportunity but the striker may have mistimed their run.” Alexander: “Well, that’s where we bring in our good friend expected assists (xA).” Expected assists (xA) Alexander: “How do you credit players for good passes that are not taken advantage of? Or how do you credit players who consistently do things that go unrecognised? “The Steven Gerrard figure, Hollywood-balling it across the pitch, or playing through balls, they get a lot of credit, but what about the player consistently making those passes that open up space? That’s the logic behind xA. You award a value to each pass, given how the sequence of play then progresses. Advertisement “Rather than just looking at each bit of the game as an individual pass, cross, header, etc, you start linking everything together and assigning value. “A difficult pass at the start of a chain, because it moves the opposition around, might lead to a good chance. So it’s a way of rewarding those players further back. How do you value Rodri , etc?” Townsend: “That’s a really interesting one. As you’ll know, having supported a lower league club, there are certain players who really stand out in games for being a class above League One /League Two level, but that class might not be properly reflected in their goals/assists numbers because their team-mates are crap. “When every pundit and journalist is asking what a team actually needs, xA can help fill in those gaps.” Alexander: “Data is not there to try to solve football. Or to turn football into a spreadsheet. What it’s there for is to explain stuff and add context to things we all know.” Townsend: “This is where I come back to pundits, because I feel it’s their responsibility to use the incredible amount of data available to them to back up their points. “Some of them, you can tell, were good players and think they’re above data because it’s all (points to forehead) up here.” Alexander: “That’s definitely true, but also if you’re on Match of the Day, that’s for a general football audience. My mum watches Match of the Day... no offence to my mum, I’ve told her about xG. “You do get some people who know about data in football who think they know better than an ex-pro, but in reality, they don’t because they’ve never played at that level. “Conversely, a lot of ex-pros don’t think they need to know about data because they scored a hat-trick at Mansfield once. “In the spirit of open-mindedness, whatever your position or knowledge base or history, everyone can enhance their understanding and knowledge of football at any point.” Post-shot expected goals (PSxG) Alexander: “Right, so xG is where the shot is taken from, but then if that shot is on target you can measure how likely it is that it would have been a goal. I.e., if you shoot at the top or bottom corner, it’s got a higher chance of being scored than if you hit it in the middle of the goal. “The most common usage is for goalkeepers. If they’ve saved 10 shots on target but all those shots were in the middle of the goal where they’re probably stood, then that’s valued less than if the shots were aimed at the top corner. Advertisement “It’s essentially an evolution and an add-on to the main xG model.” Townsend: “See, again, I like that as a metric but the name is terrible. Post-shot?” Alexander: “Yeah, to be honest, it can be xGOT (expected goals on target).” Townsend: “We really need to talk about the whole naming thing. At what point did the whole media industry get in a room and go: ‘Right, you know football has existed for 100-odd years and everyone is fine with shots, saves, assists, tackles, closing down...’.” Alexander: “Well, you say that...” Townsend: “Basically we’re going to get to change all these terms with weird naming conventions and we’re not going to tell anyone about it.” Alexander: “Yeah, that’s my fault, basically. But to be honest that happens in football all the time. If you go back and look at the reports of John Barnes’ home debut for Liverpool in 1987, it says he scored one and made one, which he did. Now, we’d say he got a goal and an assist, but ‘assists’ weren’t around then, that terminology came from American sport in the 1990s.” “People would have valued an assist in the 1890s, there just wasn’t the terminology. In the same way xG would have been understood in a different way... someone runs through on goal in 1905 for The Wednesday and they miss the shot, people would have said, ‘He should have scored that’. Essentially that’s still xG, but they were wearing more hats.” Townsend: “So for PSxG, the concept works well but again it’s about presenting it in a certain way. So the keeper is in the form of their life and this is why, here’s the data which backs it up.” Alexander: “Any kind of acronym, it’s not particularly helpful to start throwing letters around, speaking of which...” PPDA (passes per defensive action) Alexander: “This is an interesting one because it’s pretty basic and measures a team’s press. “If you’ve got a PPDA of 10, the opposition are having 10 passes for every defensive action you’re doing against them.” Townsend: “What’s a defensive action?” Alexander: “A tackle, a challenge, an aerial duel, any kind of defensive interaction from the offensive players.” Townsend: “So, tackle one to tackle two, there are 10 passes occurring?” Alexander: “Yes and some games that might be 25... it’s a proxy for the higher the figure, the less you are pressing or being intense against that team, because you’re allowing them to have 25 passes before you tackle or press them. Advertisement “Again, over a longer period of time, a PPDA for a season tallies that the lowest figures are for the teams that press the most and the highest figures are the ones who sit off and are passive or reactive. “It’s pretty simple. Just two numbers divided by each other. And it correlates pretty well with what happens on the pitch.” Townsend: “I like that a lot. That should be used more commonly, you hear so much about whether teams press high or not.” Alexander: “Of all the stats that get explained, that’s the one people go; ‘Oh yeah, fair enough, good, I like it’.” Townsend: “Good, I like it.” Duels Townsend: “This sounds quite medieval.” Alexander: “Duels have an interesting backstory. When Opta was in its infancy, it started working on English football and in England we like tackles. But in Germany, they value a metric called duels so when Opta started working with the Bundesliga , German clients asked them why Opta didn’t have duels data. “Essentially, any time two players from opposite teams come together it can be classed as a duel. So, it’s a composite metric of tackles, aerial challenges, dribbles, etc. “Aerial duels are a particularly good metric and high numbers tend to directly relate to players who are good in the air, like Chris Wood .” Townsend: “So it’s the number of duels and then the percentage of duels won? And that’s based on the duels you’ve won against everyone, not just your battles against a certain player?” Alexander: “Yeah, that’s right.” Townsend: “That’s absolutely reasonable. The word has been in medieval parlance for centuries. Well done the Germans.” Field Tilt Alexander: “Field tilt is a slightly improved version of possession: it’s the proportion of touches a team has in the final third. “You ignore the middle bit of the pitch, you just look at the defensive and attacking thirds and you say; ‘If Man City have got a field tilt of 82 per cent, they’re having loads of the ball in the attacking third’. Advertisement “If a team averages a 70 per cent field tilt over a season, you know they’ve been possession-heavy on the front foot.” Townsend: “Again, I get it, but again I’m going to sound like a broken record because I’ve got an issue with the name. It just makes me think of a sloping pitch.” Alexander: “Just imagine yourself in a pub shouting; ‘Come on, we’ve got to turn this field tilt around’.” The Athletic’s matchday snapshot from December’s Manchester Derby Townsend: “Can you see the traditional list of shots, fouls, corners evolving over time so that in 10 years we’ve got PPDA and field tilt being used in the mainstream media? “Because when I’m in the States, they have the most unbelievable rolling sports coverage and they go over every single play in detail. All of this parlance that’s coming into football feels influenced by the States. “Certain sports do lend themselves more naturally to stats — stop-start games like American Football, basketball, cricket and rugby, for example. “I think the difficulty over here is that, broadly speaking, you’ve got Match of the Day which clearly doesn’t have enough time. Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football is the only long-form mainstream show that uses data well. “And to be honest xG is actually one of the most complicated things we’ve explained today but it’s used the most, whereas some of the others like PPDA which are easier to understand and really helpful, don’t get used.” Alexander: “Yeah... I can’t argue with some of that. I do think as time goes on, people in their 20s now and younger are using those terms more. Terminologies become outdated and we’re in a permanent cycle of ‘In my day’. “I’m pretty sure when we’re old, we’ll say to some kid on a hoverboard: ‘In my day we called it xG’.” Progressive passes and carries Alexander: “Right, so this is related to metrics like xA. Data for a specific pass doesn’t tell you that much, but if you then ascribe value to a good pass, or a cross-field pass that opens up the pitch, or a pass that takes out four opposition players, progressive passes is a way of applying value to that. Advertisement “It’s the same with carries. Rather than just dribbles, which is going past a player, with carries you can measure distance. So players who have carries over 10 yards and then end with a key pass or a shot, it’s a better way of valuing what a player does. Townsend: “The very obvious comparison there would be yards carried in American Football? I think that makes a lot of sense. And progressive passes, does that mean forward passes?” Alexander: “At The Athletic , we count a completed pass as ‘progressive’ if it’s at least 10 metres long and moves the ball at least 25 per cent of the remaining distance to goal...” GO DEEPER Why progressive actions are football's most important metrics Townsend: “I like the idea of being able to judge someone via these metrics... it takes the fun out of saying; ‘My player’s better than yours, mate’. But as someone who likes to win arguments, having more data is probably quite handy. “Basically, where we’ve got to with all this is 1) I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said but 2) Everyone needs a Duncan in the pub with you to explain all this.” Alexander: “I’m happy to go to any pub in any town and offer that service.” Townsend: “Just make sure you call it ‘possible goals’.” (Top photos: Getty Images; design by Demetrius Robinson)

China's stock market exhibited mixed outcomes on Monday, buoyed by a rise in energy shares yet weighed down by a drop in consumer-related stocks. Notably, Hong Kong's market closed lower, underlining the complex dynamics at play. For the first time in three years, onshore shares are anticipated to achieve gains in 2024, fueled by sustained policy stimulus measures implemented since September. These initiatives have significantly lifted market sentiment. Market strategists predict continued activity into January, although external factors could dampen sentiments later. The finance ministry underscored support for new energy vehicles, compelling stakeholders to prioritize sustainable practices. (With inputs from agencies.)Innovative AstroRad Vest Poised to Safeguard Astronauts from Space Radiation

My sister and I have a VERY controversial relationship most would disapprove of A New Zealand mum shared a secret about her sister Read more: I bought three spring outfits from Kmart Australia for under $100 By CARINA STATHIS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 23:48 EST, 29 December 2024 | Updated: 23:48 EST, 29 December 2024 e-mail View comments Two sisters have caused a stir after revealing a controversial secret about their relationship. Mum-of-two Timara , from New Zealand , admitted her sister is dating her ex-husband - the father of her children. It's a situation most wouldn't approve of, but Timara has decided to look past it after finding out about her sister's relationship with her ex. 'There wasn't really a conversation, I just noticed they were together and that was that,' Timara, 37, told FEMAIL. 'I'm okay with it because everybody deserves love and happiness. My focus is on my own life, my little family and making sure I'm there for my daughter mentally and emotionally because she's the only one that matters in the situation.' The confession shocked thousands online and left a sour taste in the mouths of some who couldn't fathom their sister dating an ex-partner. But others admired the mother's strength to continue the relationship with her sister. 'It's keeping it in the family. Yep it's weird but I choose to not be bothered by it,' Timara captioned a now-viral video. While Timara and her ex-husband were married for ten years they separated after the first year. They didn't get a divorce until earlier this year. Mum-of-two Timara, from New Zealand , admitted her sister is dating her ex-husband and the father of her children It's a situation most wouldn't approve of, but Timara has decided to look past it after finding out about her sister's relationship with her ex (Timara, right, pictured with her sister, left) The confession shocked thousands online and left a sour taste in the mouths of some who couldn't fathom their sister dating an ex-partner. But others admired the mother's strength to continue the relationship with her sister 'Eight billion people in this world sis and you decide you want your brother in-law. Goodness me,' one wrote The video posted across social media swiftly caught the attention of the masses but wasn't phased by any negative comments. 'Eight billion people in this world sis and you decide you want your brother in-law. Goodness me,' one wrote. 'So if they have babies your babies will be siblings and first cousins,' another pointed out. Read More EXCLUSIVE I'm 34, a CEO and a great catch... and my girlfriend is an AI chatbot: Here's what my family thinks 'Well you definitely learnt to share your toys growing up or give them to the less fortunate,' a third joked. Another woman said the reality of their relationship is 'gross on all levels' and the sister settled for 'sloppy seconds'. Someone else said she wouldn't speak to her sister again if she did the same thing. However, others didn't judge the sisters or their family. 'Good on you. I know what I be doing to my sis if that was us. Left, right, goodnight,' one said. 'You're a better woman then me cause I could never,' another wrote. 'Love this so much not cause it's something I'd do but because you aren't about to let a man come between you and your sister,' a third added. 'We listen, we don't judge,' someone else wrote. New Zealand Share or comment on this article: My sister and I have a VERY controversial relationship most would disapprove of e-mail Add comment

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