title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The MRE has been in continuous development since its introduction. In 1990, a Flameless Ration Heater (FRH), a water-activated exothermic reaction product that emits heat, allowed a service member in the field to enjoy a hot meal. In an array of field tests and surveys, service members requested more entrée options and larger serving sizes. By 1994, commercial-like graphics (images) were added to make the packets more user-friendly and appealing, while biodegradable materials were introduced for inedible components, such as spoons and napkins. The number of main dishes expanded to 16 by 1996 (including vegetarian options), 20 by 1997 and 24 by 1998. Today, the system includes 24 entrées, and more than 150 additional items. The variety allowed service members to trade them in order to find something palatable across various cultures and geographical regions.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The ration originally came in a dark brown outer bag from 1981 to 1995 because it was designed for service in the temperate forests and plains of central Europe. It was replaced in 1996 with a tan outer bag that was better suited for service in the deserts of the Middle East. By 2000, a bean burrito main dish was introduced. In 2006, "Beverage Bags" were introduced to the MRE, as service members have begun to depend more on hydration packs than on canteens, thus denying them the use of the metal canteen cups (shaped to fit in a canteen pouch with the canteen) for mixing powdered beverages. In addition to having measuring marks to indicate levels of liquid for precise measurement, they can be sealed and placed inside the flameless heater.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: Most recently, MREs have been developed using the Dietary Reference Intake, created by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The IOM indicated servicemembers (who were classified as highly active men between the ages of 18 and 30) typically burn about 4,200 calories (kcal) a day, but tended to only consume about 2,400 calories a day during combat, entering a negative energy balance. This imbalance occurs when servicemembers fail to consume full portions of their rations. Although manipulations to the food items and distribution of macronutrients to help boost the amount of kilocalories per MRE have been made, more studies are showing many servicemembers still do not meet today's standards of daily consumption, often trading and discarding portions of the ration. Researchers continue to study the habits and eating preferences of servicemembers, making constant changes that encourage servicemembers to eat the entire meal and thus get full nutritional value.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: In addition, the military has experimented with new assault ration prototypes, such as the First Strike Ration and the HOOAH! Bar, designed with elite or specialized forces in mind. Lighter than the typical MRE, they require no preparation and allow servicemembers to eat them while traveling. In July 2009, 6,300 dairy shake packets of varying flavors were recalled due to evidence of "Salmonella" contamination.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: Each meal provides about . They are intended to be eaten for a maximum of 21 days (the assumption is that logistics units can provide fresh food rations by then), and have a minimum shelf life of three years (depending on storage conditions).


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: Packaging requirements are strict. MREs must be able to withstand parachute drops from , and non-parachute drops of . The packaging is required to maintain a minimum shelf life of three and a half years at , nine months at , and short durations from to must be sustainable. New forms of packaging are being considered to better meet these requirements including the use of zein to replace the foil, which can be easily punctured, conducts heat, and is reflective (which may give away a servicemember's position).


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: Each MRE weighs , depending on the menu. Since MREs contain water, they weigh more than freeze-dried meals providing equivalent calories.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: As a result of earlier unauthorized sales to civilians, the Department of Defense requires that "U.S. Government Property, Commercial Resale is Unlawful" be printed on each case of MREs. The warning is only intended for service members as there are no laws that forbid the resale of MREs by civilians. Although the government has attempted to discourage sellers from selling MREs, auction sites such as eBay have continued to allow auctions of the MREs because the Department of Defense has been unable to show them any regulations or laws specifically outlawing the practice. According to a spokesman for eBay, "until a law is passed saying you can't sell these things, we're not going to stop them from being sold on the site." So while MREs are not prima facie contraband, the procurement and sale of MREs by military personnel for personal profit is illegal under the Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 108. As a result, MREs found for sale outside reputable vendors often fall into a grey market where the question of how it entered civilian hands (through theft/legitimate means) and/or its quality may be unknown.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: An investigation done in 2006 for the US Government Accountability Office determined multiple instances where sellers on eBay may have improperly obtained MREs and sold them to the public for private gain. As military MREs are procured at tax payers' expense, they are intended to be consumed by individuals from authorized organizations and activities. Consequently, "if military MREs are sold to the general public on eBay, then they are clearly not reaching their intended recipients and represent a waste of taxpayer dollars and possible criminal activity." Further, MREs found on eBay are typically older and closer to their expiration date, having been sourced in "neighborhood yard sales" and "Marine base dumpsters."


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The growth of MREs listed on eBay in 2005 resulted in a government investigation of whether they were intended for Hurricane Katrina victims, and the news media nickname "Meals Ready for eBay." Some cases were being sold from Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and other Gulf states affected by Katrina. The internal cost of a 12 pack case of MREs is $86.98 (approx. $7.25 a meal) to the government, much higher than what's paid to vendors. MREs can be purchased by civilians directly from the contractors who supply MREs to the United States Government. These MREs usually omit the flameless ration heater and have other minor differences (i.e., design of case and bag or type of spoon), but otherwise are often very similar to genuine US Government MREs.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: Many items are fortified with nutrients. In addition, DoD policy requires units to augment MREs with fresh food and A-rations whenever feasible, especially in training environments.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: In an effort to make MREs more palatable to service members and match ever-changing trends in popular tastes, the military is constantly seeking feedback to adjust MRE menus and ingredients. In the following list, only main entrees are listed. Vegetarian menus are


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The cases of MREs and their variants usually are marked with the production date in the American fashion: 2-digit Month / 2-digit Day / 4-digit Year (e.g., November 24, 1996 would be rendered as 11/24/1996). This is followed by the "Lot Number", a 4-digit Julian date code that is also repeated on the individual components in the MREs. The first digit is the last digit of the Year (e.g., 0 could be equal to 2010 or 2020, 1 could be equal to 2001 or 2011, and 9 could be equal to 2009 or 2019). The next 3 digits are equal to the day of the year (i.e., 001 to 366). "1068" could be equal to the 68th day of 2001 or 2011, for example March 9, 2001.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The cases are also stamped with the "Inspection / Test Date", which is in the same format as the Packing Date (e.g., October 1994 would be rendered as "10/94"). Rations optimally must be kept in a cool, dry place during storage. If the rations are stored at 80° for 3 consecutive years, they would reach the end of their shelf life. They are often inspected by the U.S. Army veterinary food personnel and their shelf life may extend beyond the inspection test date. Rations are discarded after five years.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: MREs have also been distributed to civilians during natural disasters. The National Guard has provided MREs to the public during national disasters, such as Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Maria and Sandy; and the 2011 Super Outbreak. The large number of civilians exposed to MREs prompted several jokes during the recent New Orleans Mardi Gras, with revellers donning clothing made of MRE packets with phrases such as "MRE Antoinette" (referring to Marie Antoinette; the wife of King Louis XVI) and "Man Ready to Eat."


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The use of rations for noncombat environments has been questioned. While the nutritional requirements are suitable for a combat environment where servicemembers will burn many calories and lose much sodium through sweat, it has been provided as emergency food or even as a standard meal. The high-fat (averaging about 52 grams of fat, 5 grams trans fats) and high-salt content are less than ideal for sedentary situations. The HDR and TOTM account for this nutritional need.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: Some of the early MRE main courses were not very palatable, earning them the nicknames "Meals Rejected by Everyone," "Meals Rejected by Ethiopia" (during the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia), or "Meals Rarely Edible." Some individual portions had their own nicknames. For example, the frankfurters, which came sealed in pouches of four, were referred to as "the four fingers of death." Although quality has improved over the years, many of the nicknames have stuck. MREs were sometimes called "Three Lies for the Price of One ... it's not a Meal, it's not Ready, and you can't Eat it." As late as the 2010 deployment to Afghanistan, one veteran in November 2019 characterized MRE (the traditional Thanksgiving meal had been destroyed in an attack, and the standard MRE shipment partially destroyed), as "accursed things."


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: Their low dietary fiber content could cause constipation in some, so they were also known as "Meals Requiring Enemas," "Meals Refusing to Exit," "Meals Refusing to Excrete," or "Massive Rectal Expulsions." While the laxative effect of xylitol sweetener (if excessively consumed) may contribute to a myth that the gum found in MREs contains a laxative, the crackers in the ration pack do contain a higher than normal vegetable content to facilitate digestion. In December 2006, comedian Al Franken (on his 8th United Service Organizations tour at the time) joked to troops in Iraq that he had his fifth MRE so far and "none of them had an exit strategy."


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: A superstition exists among troops about the Charms candies that come with some menus: they are considered bad luck, especially if actually eaten. Some attribute this to a case of a dislike becoming a superstition (i.e., not eating them 'just in case' or because it might make one's comrades uneasy).


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: In March 2007, "The Salt Lake Tribune" invited three gourmet chefs to taste-test 18 MRE meals. None of the meals rated higher than a 5.7 average on a scale of 1-to-10, and the chicken fajita meal, in particular, was singled out for disdain, rating an average score of 1.3. In 2010, the New York Times reported that a (such as Cassoulet with accompaniments of deer pâté and Nougat) could be traded for around five MREs.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The vegetable cheese omelet MRE, Recipe No. 4, introduced in 2005, is generally considered the worst ever. Soldiers serving in Iraq dubbed it the "Vomelet," both for its appearance and taste. It was discontinued in 2009.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: "Aircrew Build to Order Meal Module" (ABOMM) are a special variant consisting of repacking existing MRE food elements into a form that provides military flight crews and tank operators with a meal designed to be eaten on the go or while operating their aircraft or ground vehicle without the use of utensils, and packaged for use in confined spaces.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: For servicemembers with strict religious dietary requirements, the military offers the specialized "Meal, Religious, Kosher/Halal". These are tailored to provide the same nutritional content, but will not contain offending ingredients. The entrees come in distinct stylized packaging with a color picture of the prepared entree on it (like civilian pre-made meals) and the food accessories come in commercial packaging. Kosher entrees are marked "Glatt Kosher" in Hebrew and English, while halal entrees are marked "Dhabiha Halal" in Arabic and English. The meals come in cases of 12 that weigh 18 lbs (8 kg) and have a volume of 1.4 cubic feet (40 L). To keep with dietary laws, the entree and accessory packets are packed in two separate inner boxes in an outer case and come in kosher or halal only (the two special ration types are never mixed in a shipping case).


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The original meals were kosher only and came in 4 Beef, 4 Chicken, 2 Salmon, and 2 Gefilte Fish menus. The meals now come in Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Vegetarian, and Pasta dishes. The entrees are a mixture of traditional Middle-Eastern and Southwest-Asian dishes (like "Lamb & Vegetable Jalfrezi" or "Curried Chicken with Basmati Rice, Lentils, and Vegetables") and Western dishes (like "Vegetable Ratatouille", "Florentine-style Vegetable Lasagna", or "New Orleans Gumbo with Chicken"). Each menu contains an average of 1200 kilocalories and has a shelf life of 3 to 10 months.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: There is also a special kosher meal certified for Passover requirements. The "Passover Ration" (officially called the "Meal, Religious, Kosher for Passover") contains packages of Matzoh crackers and has beef, chicken (served on the bone), or salmon entrees. Each meal is in its own packet and come 12 packets to a case.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The "Humanitarian Daily Ration" (HDR) is a self-contained Halal meal designed to be given to refugees and other displaced people. It is designed to feed a single person for a full day, and the menus were intended to be palatable to many religious and cultural tastes around the globe. To meet this goal, no animal products or by-products, no alcohol or alcohol-based products, and minimal dairy products are used in their production. It is otherwise created and packaged much like MREs; feedback from the Afghanistan campaign led to the interior packing being reinforced to withstand being air-dropped, as the packets sometimes ruptured on impact. The outer bag is tinted a high-visibility red or yellow and has an American flag and a picture of a person eating out of the bag with a spoon. There are usually instructions printed on it in English and one or more local languages as well.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: In extreme cold temperatures, the packaged wet food in MREs can freeze solid, rendering the food inedible and the heating packet insufficient. The "Meal, Cold Weather" (MCW) provides a ration similar to the MRE designed for lower temperatures than the MRE can withstand. Clad in white packaging, it offers a freeze-dried entree designed to be eaten with heated water, the same side ingredients as the standard MRE, and additional drink mixes to encourage additional hydration. The caloric and fat content of the meals is also increased.<ref name="MCW/LRP">Meal, Cold Weather/Long Range Patrol factsheet by the Defense Logistics Agency</ref> The MCW replaced the "Ration, Cold Weather" (RCW).


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The "Meal, Alternative Regionally Customized" (MARC) is a self-contained, shelf-stable meal developed by U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command (SBCCOM)/Natick, Individual Combat Ration Team (ICRT), Combat Feeding Directorate (CFD). MARCs were developed specifically for detainees at Guantanamo Bay, and have since found wider spread use, notably Iraq and Afghanistan. MARC meals are entirely vegetarian as an easy way to prevent conflicts with culturally "prohibited products" (Islam and Judaism forbidding pork, Hindus avoiding beef, etc). However, they are neither Kosher nor Halal certified. Many of the menus available have a Southeast Asian or Indian style to them (Saag Chole, curried vegetables), but others are simply the equivalent of vegetarian MREs (Cheese Tortellini, Minestrone).


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The "Meal, Long Range Patrol" (LRP) is essentially the same as the MCW, but with different accessory packs. The MLRP is designed for troops who may receive limited or no resupply, and weight of the ration is critical. The similar First Strike Ration is along the same lines, but requires no preparation and may be eaten on the go.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The "Modular Operational Rations Enhancement" (MORE) is issued as a supplement to meals for troops in extreme, demanding operational environments such as high-intensity training events.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The "Tailored Operational Training Meal" (TOTM) first entered service in May 2001. It provides a lower calorie count (an average of 997 kilocalories) for less intensive training environments, such as classroom instruction. It replaces the earlier mess-hall bagged lunches, catered meals or field kitchens for field instruction. The TOTM allows troops to become familiar with the MRE and its contents without providing an excessive amount of calories to troops who will not necessarily burn them. It uses a transparent outer plastic bag with commercial markings rather than the MRE's tan plastic bag with standard markings. There are currently 3 different lists of twelve menus, making a total of 36 different meals. Each TOTM ration case is packed with a full menu of 12 assorted meals, weighs about 20 lbs (9 kg), and is 0.95 cubic feet (27 L). The TOTM has a more limited shelf-life than the MRE, with a duration of only 12 to 18 months.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The "Unitized Group Ration (UGR)" is a ration much like the MRE, but expanded to feed large groups. It comes packed in sealed metal trays that are heated and then opened.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The "Food Packet, Survival, General Purpose, Improved" (FPSGPI) is given to pilots and other servicemembers that may require a small, extremely portable food ration for emergencies. It contains food bars and a drink mix. Similarly, the "Food Packet, Survival, Abandon Ship" (FPSAS) and "Food Packet, Survival, Aircraft, Life Raft" (FPSALR) are fitted into the storage areas on lifeboats.


title: Meal, Ready-to-Eat

text: The "Jimmy Dean," a pre-packaged shelf-stable ration containing, among other items, a pre-made Jimmy Dean brand deli-style sandwich, is often issued in the field to U.S. servicemen as an alternative to MREs.


title: John Forsythe

text: John Forsythe (January 29, 1918 – April 1, 2010) was an American stage, film/television actor, producer, narrator, drama teacher and philanthropist whose career spanned six decades. He also appeared as a guest on several talk and variety shows and as a panelist on numerous game shows.


title: John Forsythe

text: His acting career began in films in 1943. He signed up with Warner Bros. at age 25 as a minor contract player, but he starred in "The Captive City" (1952) and co-starred opposite Loretta Young in "It Happens Every Thursday" (1953), Edmund Gwenn and Shirley MacLaine in "The Trouble with Harry" (1955), and Olivia de Havilland in "The Ambassador's Daughter" (1956).


title: John Forsythe

text: He also enjoyed a long successful television career, starring in three television series in three genres: as the single playboy father Bentley Gregg in the sitcom "Bachelor Father" (1957–1962); as the unseen millionaire Charles Townsend in the crime drama "Charlie's Angels" (1976–1981)—a role he reprised in the 2000 and 2003 film adaptations; and as patriarch Blake Carrington in "Dynasty" (1981–1989). He hosted the series "World of Survival" (1971–1977), and was the presenter of the 38th Miss Universe Pageant, broadcast on CBS in 1989.


title: John Forsythe

text: The eldest of three children, Forsythe was born John (or Jacob) Lincoln Freund, on January 29, 1918, in Penns Grove, New Jersey, the son of Blanche Forsythe (née Blohm) and Samuel Jeremiah Freund, a stockbroker. Blanche was born in Georgia to David Hyat Blohm, a Russian Jewish immigrant, and Mary S. Materson, who was born in Maryland to Jewish emigrants from Prussia. Forysthe's father was born in New York, to Polish Jewish immigrants. Forsythe was raised in the Jewish faith.


title: John Forsythe

text: He was raised in Brooklyn, New York, where his father worked as a Wall Street businessman during the Great Depression of the 1930s. He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn at the age of 16, and began attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1936, at the age of 18, he took a job as the public address announcer for Brooklyn Dodgers games at Ebbets Field, confirming a childhood love of baseball. He was a lifelong active Democrat.


title: John Forsythe

text: Despite showing initial reluctance, Forsythe began an acting career at the suggestion of his father. He met actress Parker Worthington McCormick (December 29, 1918 – July 22, 1980), and the couple married in 1939; they had a son, Dall (born February 14, 1941), and divorced in 1943. As a bit player for Warner Brothers, Forsythe successfully appeared in several small parts.


title: John Forsythe

text: As a result, he was given a small role in "Destination Tokyo" (1943). Leaving his movie career for service in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, he appeared in the USAAF-produced play "Winged Victory", then worked with injured soldiers who had developed speech problems.


title: John Forsythe

text: Also in 1943, Forsythe met Julie Warren, initially a theatre companion, but later a successful actress in her own right, landing a role on Broadway in "Around the World". She became Forsythe's second wife, and in the early 1950s they had two daughters.


title: John Forsythe

text: In 1947, Forsythe joined the initial class of the Actors Studio, where he met Marlon Brando and Julie Harris, among others. During this time he appeared on Broadway in "Mister Roberts" and "The Teahouse of the August Moon". In 1955, Alfred Hitchcock cast him in the movie "The Trouble with Harry", with Shirley MacLaine in her first movie appearance, for which she won a Golden Globe. In 1969, Forsythe appeared in another Hitchcock film, "Topaz".


title: John Forsythe

text: Throughout the 1950s, Forsythe successfully appeared in the new medium and worked regularly on all the networks, especially as a guest star. He appeared in the "Premonition" episode of the popular anthology "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," opposite Cloris Leachman.


title: John Forsythe

text: Forsythe was cast in a 1957 episode, "Decision at Wilson's Creek", on the CBS anthology series "Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre." He played Confederate Lieutenant David Marr who suddenly resigns to return to his wife, only to find that he is scorned by townspeople.


title: John Forsythe

text: In 1957, he took a leading role in the situation comedy "Bachelor Father" for CBS as Bentley Gregg, a playboy lawyer who has to become a father to his niece Kelly (played by Noreen Corcoran), upon the death of her biological parents. The show was an immediate ratings hit and moved to NBC the following season and to ABC in the fall of 1961. On various episodes Forsythe worked with such up-and-coming actresses as Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara Eden, Donna Douglas, Sally Kellerman, Sue Ane Langdon, and a teenage Linda Evans. During the 1961–1962 season, "Bachelor Father" was cancelled because of declining ratings.


title: John Forsythe

text: During the 1960s, Forsythe returned to acting in movies including "Kitten with a Whip" (1964), "Madame X" (1966) and "In Cold Blood" (1967). In 1964 he starred in "See How They Run" which is notable for being the first film made for television.


title: John Forsythe

text: He attempted two new television programs: "The John Forsythe Show" on NBC with Guy Marks, Elsa Lanchester, Ann B. Davis, Peggy Lipton, and Forsythe's two young daughters, Page and Brooke (1965–1966), and "To Rome with Love" on CBS (1969–1971) with co-star Walter Brennan. Between 1971 and 1977, Forsythe served as narrator on the syndicated nature series, "World of Survival". He was also the announcer for Michelob beer commercials during the 1970s and 1980s, notably during the "Weekends were made for Michelob" era.


title: John Forsythe

text: Forsythe began a 13-year association with Aaron Spelling in 1976, cast in the role of mysterious unseen millionaire private investigator Charles Townsend in the crime drama "Charlie's Angels" (1976–1981). The show starred Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Farrah Fawcett, making stars of all three but catapulting Fawcett to iconic status. Forsythe introduces the series' concept during its opening credits:


title: John Forsythe

text: Forsythe became the highest-paid actor on television on a per-hour basis: while the show's on-camera stars often worked 15-hour days five days a week, with a couple of hours just for hair and makeup, Forsythe's lines for an entire episode would be recorded in a sound studio in a matter of minutes, after which he would have lunch in the network's commissary and then leave for the track. During this period, Forsythe invested much money in Thoroughbred racing, a personal hobby. Gaining respect with the celebrity Thoroughbred circuit, he served on the board of directors at the Hollywood Park Racetrack starting in 1972, and was on the committee for more than 25 years.


title: John Forsythe

text: Following heart problems, Forsythe underwent quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery in 1979. This was so successful that he not only returned to work on "Charlie's Angels", he also appeared in the two-time Academy Award-nominated motion picture "...And Justice for All" later that year as Judge Henry T. Fleming, the film's main antagonist, a corrupt judge who despises Al Pacino's lawyer character.


title: John Forsythe

text: In 1981, nearing the end of "Charlie's Angels", Forsythe was selected as a last-minute replacement for George Peppard in the role of conniving patriarch Blake Carrington in "Dynasty". Another Spelling production, "Dynasty" was ABC's answer to the highly successful CBS series "Dallas". Between 1985 and 1986, Forsythe also appeared as Blake Carrington in the short-lived spinoff series "The Colbys".


title: John Forsythe

text: The series reunited Forsythe with one-time "Bachelor Father" guest star Linda Evans, who would play Blake's wife, Krystle. During the run of the series, Forsythe, Evans and co-star Joan Collins, who played Blake's ex-wife Alexis, promoted the "Dynasty" line of fragrances. "Dynasty" came to an end in 1989, after nine seasons. Forsythe was the only actor to appear in all 220 episodes.


title: John Forsythe

text: Forsythe was nominated for Emmy Awards three times between 1982 and 1984 for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" but did not win. He was also nominated six times for Golden Globe Awards, winning twice. He was nominated five times for the "Soap Opera Digest" Awards, also winning twice. In 1983, Forsythe was presented with the American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award at a ceremony in Coronado, California.


title: John Forsythe

text: In 1992, after a three-year absence, Forsythe returned to series television starring in Norman Lear's situation comedy "The Powers That Be" for NBC, co-starring Holland Taylor, Peter MacNicol, Valerie Mahaffey and David Hyde Pierce.


title: John Forsythe

text: Forsythe's wife of 51 years, Julie Warren (October 20, 1919 – August 15, 1994), died at age 74 from cancer in hospital after Forsythe made the decision to disconnect her life-support system. She had been in a coma following severe breathing difficulties.


title: John Forsythe

text: In July 2002, Forsythe married businesswoman Nicole Carter (May 27, 1941 – May 11, 2010) at Ballard Country Church; they remained married until his death. Nicole Carter Forsythe died five weeks after her husband.


title: John Forsythe

text: Forsythe reprised his role as the voice of Charlie for the film version of "Charlie's Angels" (2000) and its sequel "" (2003); he then retired from acting.


title: John Forsythe

text: Besides spending time with his family, he enjoyed ownership of an art gallery. In 2005 actor Bartholomew John portrayed Forsythe in "", a fictionalized television movie based on the creation and behind the scenes production of "Dynasty".


title: John Forsythe

text: On May 2, 2006, Forsythe appeared with "Dynasty" co-stars Linda Evans, Joan Collins, Pamela Sue Martin, Al Corley, Gordon Thomson and Catherine Oxenberg in "Dynasty Reunion: Catfights & Caviar". The one-hour reunion special of the former ABC series aired on CBS. Forsythe appeared each year to read to children during the annual Christmas program near his home at the rural resort community of Solvang, California.


title: John Forsythe

text: Forsythe was treated for colorectal cancer in the fall of 2006. Surgery was reportedly successful and his cancer was considered to be in remission at the time of his death.


title: John Forsythe

text: Forsythe died on April 1, 2010, from pneumonia in Santa Ynez, California. He was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery, Ballard, Santa Barbara County, California.


title: John Forsythe

text: Forsythe owned and bred Thoroughbred racehorses for many years and was a member of the board of directors of Hollywood Park Racetrack. Among his successes, in partnership with film producer Martin Ritt he won the 1976 Longacres Mile with Yu Wipi.


title: John Forsythe

text: With partner Ken Opstein, he won the 1982 Sixty Sails Handicap with Targa, and the 1993 La Brea Stakes with a daughter of Targa, Mamselle Bebette, which he raced under the name of his Big Train Farm, a stable he named for Hall of Fame baseball pitcher, Walter Johnson.


title: John Forsythe

text: In the 1980s, Forsythe served as the regular host for the annual Eclipse Awards. He was the recipient of the 1988 Eclipse Award of Merit for his contribution in promoting the sport of Thoroughbred racing.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: Edrice Femi "Bam" Adebayo (born July 18, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats before being selected by the Heat with the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. He was named an NBA All-Star and voted to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team during the 2019–20 season. He also won a gold medal on the 2020 U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: Adebayo was born in Newark, New Jersey to a Nigerian Yoruba father and an African-American mother. As a child, he was given the nickname "Bam Bam" by his mother when, while watching "The Flintstones" at age one, he flipped over a coffee table in a manner similar to the show's character Bamm-Bamm Rubble.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: Adebayo moved with his mother to North Carolina when he was seven years old. He attended Northside High School in Pinetown, North Carolina where, as a junior, he averaged 32.2 points and 21 rebounds a game. During the summer, Adebayo joined his Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, Team Loaded North Carolina, alongside fellow five-star 2016 recruit Dennis Smith Jr. He averaged 15.0 points and 10 rebounds per game on Adidas Uprising Circuit. Later that summer Adebayo competed at the NBPA Top 100 Camp and was named MVP at the 2015 Under Armour Elite 24 game. After his junior season at Northside he transferred to High Point Christian Academy in High Point, North Carolina. In his season debut, Adebayo scored 22 points and 17 rebounds in an 81–39 win over New Garden Friends School. On December 29, he posted 26 points and 14 rebounds in a 91–63 victory over De'Aaron Fox and Cypress Lakes High School. As a senior, Adebayo averaged 18.9 points per game, 13.0 rebounds per game, 1.4 blocks per game and 1.5 assist per game, and led the Cougars to a NCISAA state championship appearance. Adebayo was named 2016 North Carolina Mr. Basketball. In January 2016, he played in the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: Adebayo was rated a five-star recruit and considered one of the best high school prospects of the 2016 class. He was ranked the No. 5 overall recruit and No. 2 power forward in the 2016 high school class.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: On November 17, 2015, Adebayo committed to the University of Kentucky. He joined fellow freshmen Malik Monk, De'Aaron Fox, and Wenyen Gabriel.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: On December 7, 2016, Adebayo recorded 16 points and 7 rebounds in an 87–67 win against Valparaiso. On February 21, 2017, Adebayo scored 22 points and 15 rebounds to defeat Missouri in a 72–62 Victory.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: As the number one seed entering the SEC tournament, Kentucky would defeat Georgia in the quarterfinals and beat Alabama in the semifinals. On March 12, 2017, Adebayo grabbed nine rebounds to help the Wildcats defeat Arkansas 82–65 and win the SEC Championship. On March 17, in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Adebayo had 18 rebounds in a 79–70 victory against Northern Kentucky. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Adebayo recorded 10 rebounds to help Kentucky defeat Wichita State. On March 24, Kentucky defeated UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen, Adebayo had 12 rebounds in the game. On March 26, Adebayo scored 13 points and seven rebounds in a 75–73 loss in the Elite Eight against North Carolina. After the loss in the Elite Eight, he declared his entry into the 2017 NBA draft on April 5, with him signing an agent 20 days later. In 38 games for Kentucky in the 2016–17 season, Adebayo averaged 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game and was named First-team All-SEC as well to the SEC All-Freshman team.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: On June 22, 2017, Adebayo was selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. On July 1, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Heat, and joined the team for the 2017 NBA Summer League. In his rookie season, Adebayo appeared in 69 games for the Heat and averaged 6.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: On December 7, 2018, Adebayo recorded 22 points and 10 rebounds in a 115–98 win over the Phoenix Suns. On December 28, he scored 18 points in a 118–94 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Adebayo played all 82 games, averaging 8.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: On December 10, 2019, Adebayo recorded his first career triple-double with a career-high 30 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 135–121 overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks. On December 14, he had his second career triple-double in a 122–118 overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks, scoring 18 points with 11 rebounds and 10 assists. On December 16, Adebayo was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the games played from December 9 to 15, when he averaged 20.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists per game. On January 27, he recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113–92 win over the Orlando Magic. On January 30, Adebayo was named to his first NBA All-Star Game. On February 15, he won the NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge competition. At the end of the 2019–20 season, Adebayo finished as runner-up in voting for the Most Improved Player Award. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team and finished fifth in voting for the Defensive Player of the Year Award.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: On November 28, 2020, Adebayo signed a five-year contract extension with the Heat. On February 18, 2021, Adebayo logged his first triple-double of the season with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a 118–110 win over the Sacramento Kings. Teammate Jimmy Butler posted 13 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, making them the first pair in league history to register triple-doubles in the same game more than once.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: On December 7, 2021, Adebayo underwent right thumb surgery and was ruled out for at least 4-to-6 weeks. On May 21, 2022, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Adebayo recorded 31 points on 15-of-22 shooting from the field along with 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in a 109–103 win over the Boston Celtics. On May 29, in the decisive Game 7, the Heat were eliminated despite 25 points, 11 rebounds and four assists from Adebayo.


title: Bam Adebayo

text: Adebayo was cut from the United States national team for the 2019 World Cup, but he was named to their 2020 Olympic team and won a gold medal. He had also been considering the Nigerian team for the Olympics.


title: Michael Fassbender filmography

text: Michael Fassbender is a German-Irish actor who made his screen debut in the 2001 war drama miniseries "Band of Brothers" as Burton Christenson. Fassbender followed this with a number of television roles including a German motorcycle courier in the drama "Hearts and Bones" (2001), Guy Fawkes in the miniseries "Gunpowder, Treason & Plot" (2004), Lt. Harry Colebourn in the film "A Bear Named Winnie" (2004), and Azazeal in the series "Hex" (2004–05). He made his film debut playing a Spartan soldier in Zack Snyder's "300" (2007). The following year Fassbender portrayed Irish republican Bobby Sands during the events of the 1981 Irish hunger strike in Steve McQueen's historical drama "Hunger". His performance garnered him the Best Actor award at the British Independent Film Awards, and the Irish Film and Television Awards.


title: Michael Fassbender filmography

text: Fassbender appeared as a British soldier in Quentin Tarantino-directed film "Inglourious Basterds" (2009). Two years later, he played Carl Jung in David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method", and a man suffering with sex addiction in McQueen's "Shame". His performance in the latter earned him the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. In the same year he also appeared in superhero film "" as young Magneto. In 2013, Fassbender reteamed with McQueen on the period drama "12 Years a Slave". For his role as a slave owner in the film he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The following year, he reprised his role as Magneto in the superhero sequel "" which grossed a box-office total of over $747 million—his highest grossing release as of September 2019. In 2015, he appeared as the title character in Justin Kurzel's film adaptation of the play "Macbeth". In the same year, Fassbender's portrayal of Steve Jobs in Danny Boyle's eponymous film garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.


title: Rance Howard

text: Rance Howard (born Harold Engle Beckenholdt; November 17, 1928 – November 25, 2017) was an American actor who starred in film and on television. He was the father of actor and filmmaker Ron Howard and actor Clint Howard, and grandfather of actresses Bryce Dallas Howard and Paige Howard.


title: Rance Howard

text: Howard appeared in many notable films such as "Cool Hand Luke" (1967), "Chinatown" (1974), "Splash" (1984), "Ed Wood" (1994), "Apollo 13" (1995), "Independence Day" (1996), "A Beautiful Mind" (2001), "Cinderella Man" (2005), "Frost/Nixon" (2008), "Nebraska" (2013), and "Max Rose" (2016). For co-producing the television film "The Time Crystal" (1981), he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program.


title: Rance Howard

text: Howard was born Harold Engle Beckenholdt in Newkirk, Kay County, Oklahoma, the son of Ethel Cleo (née Tomlin) and Engel Beckenholdt, a farmer. He changed his name to "Rance Howard" when he became an actor. Howard graduated from Shidler High School in 1946 and studied at the University of Oklahoma.


title: Rance Howard

text: His professional acting career began in 1948 when he went to New York City, auditioned, and landed a job in a children's touring company. The role that got him noticed nationally for television and film was playing the part of Lindstrom in the touring company of the play "Mister Roberts" with Henry Fonda in 1950, portraying the character for about a year-and-a-half in major cities across the U.S.


title: Rance Howard

text: Both Rance and elder son Ron, who was two at the time, made their feature-film debuts together in the 1956 Western "Frontier Woman". Later in the 1950s, Rance's roles included his TV debut in the series "Kraft Theatre", on which he appeared three times in 1956–57.


title: Rance Howard

text: After son Ron went on to play Opie in "The Andy Griffith Show" in the early 1960s, Rance had guest parts in five episodes of the show. Howard was known best for his role on television in 25 episodes of the 1960s TV series "Gentle Ben" starring his younger son, Clint. Howard played Henry Boomhauer, a backwoodsman who befriended the family. Another well-known TV role was on "Babylon 5", in which he had a recurring role as David Sheridan, the father of Babylon 5 captain John Sheridan. He also starred in the short-lived 2000 TV series "Driving Me Crazy". His television guest appearances include "Gunsmoke", "Bonanza", "Kung Fu", "The Waltons", "CBS Schoolbreak Special" 1986 episode "The Drug Knot", "Angel", "7th Heaven", "Cold Case", "That's So Raven", and two appearances on "Seinfeld" (as different characters). On "The Waltons", Howard portrayed Dr. McIver in five different episodes, one of which included Ron.


title: Rance Howard

text: Howard appeared in over 100 films, including the 1967 movie "Cool Hand Luke", "The Music Man" (in an uncredited bit part playing "Oscar Jackson"), and many other films. Howard acted in many of his son Ron's films including "Splash", "Cocoon", "Apollo 13", "A Beautiful Mind", "Cinderella Man" and "Frost/Nixon". He also appeared as Dottie and Kit's father in "A League of Their Own". In 2013, he played Woody Grant's brother in "Nebraska". He often took parts as a priest or minister, county sheriff, or western marshal, and made numerous appearances in films by Joe Dante.


title: Rance Howard

text: His final film role, completed in September 2017, is also the largest in his career. He plays the role of Carl Robbins in the Michael Worth road-trip drama, "Apple Seed", playing on film for the first time the father of his real-life son Clint.


title: Rance Howard

text: Howard married actress Jean Speegle Howard in Burbank, California, in 1949. They remained married until her death in September 2000. Their sons are actor and filmmaker Ron Howard and actor Clint Howard. He was also the grandfather of actresses Bryce Dallas Howard and Paige Howard. Ron was born while he served three years in the United States Air Force. While in the Air Force, Howard directed plays in Special Services, a unit that provided entertainment for service members.


title: Rance Howard

text: In 2001, Howard married Judy Howard, a year after his first wife's death. Judy Howard died in January 2017 in Burbank, 10 months before Rance's death.


title: Rance Howard

text: Howard died on the morning of November 25, 2017, in Los Angeles, California from heart failure spurred on by a West Nile virus infection.


title: Sports betting

text: Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome. The frequency of sports bet upon varies by culture, with the vast majority of bets being placed on association football, American football, basketball, baseball, hockey, track cycling, auto racing, mixed martial arts, and boxing at both the amateur and professional levels. Sports betting can also extend to non-athletic events, such as reality show contests and political elections, and non-human contests such as horse racing, greyhound racing, and cockfighting. It is not uncommon for sports betting websites to offer wagers for entertainment events such as the Grammy Awards, the Oscars, and the Emmy Awards.


title: Sports betting

text: Sports bettors place their wagers either legally, through a bookmaker/sportsbook, or illegally through privately run enterprises referred to as "bookies". The term "book" is a reference to the books used by wage brokers to track wagers, payouts, and debts. Many legal sportsbooks are found online, operated over the Internet from jurisdictions separate from the clients they serve, usually to get around various gambling laws (such as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 in the United States) in select markets, such as Las Vegas, Nevada, or on gambling cruises through self-serve kiosks. They take bets "up-front", meaning the bettor must pay the sportsbook before placing the bet. Illegal bookies, due to the nature of their business, can operate anywhere but only require money from losing bettors and don't require the wagered money up front, creating the possibility of debt to the bookie from the bettor. This creates a number of other criminal elements, thus furthering their illegality.


title: Sports betting

text: There have been a number of sports betting scandals, affecting the integrity of sports events through various acts including point shaving (players affecting the score by missing shots), spot-fixing (a player action is fixed), bad calls from officials at key moments, and overall match fixing (the overall result of the event is fixed). Examples include the 1919 World Series, the alleged (and later admitted) illegal gambling of former baseball player Pete Rose, and former NBA referee Tim Donaghy.


title: Sports betting

text: For example, before game 5 of the 2012 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat were expected to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. The line read: Miami −3.5, Oklahoma City +3.5. To determine who wins against the spread, the line is either added or subtracted from a team's final score. In the above example, if the bettor chose Miami, for him to win his bet, Miami would have to win the game by 4 points or more.


title: Sports betting

text: If the final adjusted score is a tie, the bet is considered a push. The half point at the end is sometimes added to eliminate the possibility of a push. This is the most common type of bet in American sports betting.


title: Sports betting

text: The possible payout of the parlay is determined by the combined likelihood of all bets placed. A parlay of riskier bets (more underdogs) will pay greater than a parlay of more likely bets (more favorites). In a parlay, all bets need to win in order for the parlay to win. If one of the bets on a parlay loses, the whole parlay loses. In the event of a push, the pushed bet would be taken out of the parlay and the parlay would bump down to a set of odds without that bet.


title: Sports betting

text: Parlays are very appealing to bettors because they pay out much more than the total winnings of their constituent straight bets. However, it is much more difficult to hit on a parlay than it is on a single wager.


title: Sports betting

text: If the bettor takes two NBA games at +6.5 it will adjust the individual bets at that rate. So a bet on a 3-point underdog at +3 will become a bet at +9.5 points, and for favorites, it will change a 3-point favorite at −3 to +3.5 points.


title: Sports betting

text: Although the rules to win his bet are the same as a parlay, he is paid less than a regular parlay due to the increased odds of winning.


title: Sports betting

text: A sportsbook may choose to buy in-play futures wagers at a price below the actual payout before a championship is decided if the potential payout is very high (and thus, damaging to the sportsbook due to the money that may be lost). The most recent example of this was when Leicester City pursued and went on to win the 2015/16 Premier League.


title: Sports betting

text: The bookmaker functions as a market maker for sports wagers, most of which have a binary outcome: a team either wins or loses. The bookmaker accepts both wagers, and maintains a spread (the vigorish) which will ensure a profit regardless of the outcome of the wager. The Federal Wire Act of 1961 was an attempt by the US government to prevent illegal bookmaking. However, this Act does not apply to other types of online gambling. The Supreme Court has not ruled on the meaning of the Federal Wire Act as it pertains to online gambling.


title: Sports betting

text: Bookmakers usually hold an 11–10 advantage over their customers—for small wagers it is closer to a 6–5 advantage—so the bookmaker will most likely survive over the long term. Successful bookmakers must be able to withstand a large short term loss. (Boyd, 1981)


title: Sports betting

text: Many of the leading gambling bookmakers from the 1930s to the 1960s got their start during the prohibition era of the 1920s. They were often descendants of the influx of immigrants coming into the USA at this time. Although the common stereotype is that these bookies were of Italian descent, many leading bookies were of eastern European ancestry.


title: Sports betting

text: Odds for different outcomes in single bet are presented either in European format (decimal odds), UK format (fractional odds), or American format (money line odds). European format (decimal odds) are used in continental Europe, Canada, and Australia. They are the ratio of the full payout to the stake, in a decimal format. Decimal odds of 2.00 are an even bet. UK format (fractional odds) are used by British bookmakers. They are the ratio of the amount won to the stake – the solidus "/" is pronounced "to" for example 7/1 "seven to one". Fractional odds of 1/1 are an even bet. US format odds are the amount won on a 100 stake when positive, and the stake needed to win 100 when negative. US odds of 100 are an even bet.


title: Sports betting

text: In Asian betting markets, other frequently used formats for expressing odds include Hong Kong, Malaysian, and Indonesian-style odds formats. Odds are also quite often expressed in terms of "implied probability", which corresponds to the probability with which the event in question would need to occur for the bet to be a break-even proposition (on the average).


title: Sports betting

text: In many countries, bookmaking (the profession of accepting sports wagers) is regulated but not criminalized.


title: Sports betting

text: The opinions of betting from sport authorities are mixed. The United States National Football League was previously fully against any sort of legalization of sports betting prior to the late 2010s, strongly protesting it as to not bring corruption into the game. On the other hand, the CEO of the International Cricket Council believe sports betting, in particular in India, should be legalized to curb illegal bookies where match fixing has occurred from nontransparent bookmakers.


title: Sports betting

text: However according to the Law Commission of India, all forms of gambling are illegal. Online sports betting is a gray area and is not banned by any particular law in the Indian legal system. That is because specific provisions distinguish between games of chance and games of skill.


title: Sports betting

text: In the United States, it was previously illegal under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) for states to authorize legal sports betting, hence making it effectively illegal. The states of Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon—which had pre-existing sports lotteries and sports betting frameworks, were grandfathered in and exempted from the effects of the Act. PASPA was struck down by the Supreme Court in "Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association" in 2018, paving the way for other states to legalize sports betting.


title: Sports betting

text: In May 2020, it was reported that since the Supreme Court's PASPA decision, over $20 billion had been spent on sports betting in the United States. As of May 2022, 30 states and Washington, D.C. have operational legalized sports betting, while an additional four states have legalized it, but have not yet launched legal sportsbooks.


title: Sports betting

text: The positions of the four major American sports leagues (representing American football, baseball, basketball, and ice hockey) have become more complex since their decision to embrace daily fantasy sports (DFS) in 2014, which are described by those within the industry as "almost identical to a casino" in nature. With the contention by critics that such activities blur the lines between gambling and fantasy sports, the endorsement of all four major sports leagues and many individual franchises provided a marked contrast to their positions on betting. Professional sports leagues updated their positions again on May 14, 2018, when the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA).


title: Sports betting

text: While the National Basketball Association (NBA) was once active in preventing sports betting law relaxation, current NBA Commissioner Adam Silver became the first major sports leader to break from previous administrative opposition to gambling. In 2014 he stated in a "New York Times" op-ed, "I believe that sports betting should be brought out of the underground and into the sunlight where it can be appropriately monitored and regulated." In 2017, with support for legalization growing, he confirmed his belief that "legalized sports betting is inevitable".


title: Sports betting

text: Silver released the following statement following the Supreme Court's overturning of PASPA: "Today’s decision by the Supreme Court opens the door for states to pass laws legalizing sports betting. We remain in favor of a federal framework that would provide a uniform approach to sports gambling in states that choose to permit it, but we will remain active in ongoing discussions with state legislatures. Regardless of the particulars of any future sports betting law, the integrity of our game remains our highest priority."


title: Sports betting

text: Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred has also advocated the league changing its stance on sports betting, with both Manfred and Silver noting that the scale of illegal sports betting makes opposition to betting meaningless. He also stated a willingness to "try to shape" any future legislation at federal level. This was noted as a marked contrast to former Commissioner of the MLB Bud Selig, with Manfred going beyond tacit approval and stating, "There is this buzz out there in terms of people feeling that there may be an opportunity here for additional legalized sports betting."


title: Sports betting

text: MLB released the following statement when the Supreme Court overturned PASPA: "Today's decision by the United States Supreme Court will have profound effects on Major League Baseball. As each state considers whether to allow sports betting, we will continue to seek the proper protections for our sport, in partnership with other professional sports. Our most important priority is protecting the integrity of our games. We will continue to support legislation that creates air-tight coordination and partnerships between the state, the casino operators and the governing bodies in sports toward that goal."


title: Sports betting

text: In April 2022, league-owned television channel MLB Network launched "Pregame Spread", a weekday afternoon show hosted by Matt Vasgersian dedicated to analysis of betting lines and other aspects of sports gambling.


title: Sports betting

text: The National Football League (NFL) remains the only sports league to maintain public opposition to sports betting, however critics have noted that with the move of the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas in 2019, the NFL has positioned itself for legalization, while simultaneously contradicting its long-held position that sports betting in NFL markets would lead to potential match-fixing. Commissioner Roger Goodell agreed with Manfred in a July 2017 seminar that betting on in-game events, as opposed to the outcome of games, was a more palatable form of sports betting.


title: Sports betting

text: Like the NBA and MLB, the NFL issued a statement on May 14, 2018. It emphasized the league's commitment to protecting the integrity of the game: "The NFL's long-standing and unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of our game remains absolute." Moreover, the NFL called on Congress to craft a Federal framework for regulated sports betting. "Congress has long recognized the potential harms posed by sports betting to the integrity of sporting contests and the public confidence in these events. Given that history, we intend to call on Congress again, this time to enact a core regulatory framework for legalized sports betting."


title: Sports betting

text: The National Hockey League (NHL) has not stated a public position for or against sports betting, with Commissioner Gary Bettman noting that they are smaller than the NBA and NFL and less vulnerable to negative issues as a result. The NHL was the first major professional league to place a team in Nevada, when the expansion Vegas Golden Knights took the ice in 2017: since then the league has signed sponsorship agreements with William Hill and MGM Resorts International that include betting partnerships and access to in-play data. Other clubs in states with legal sports gambling, such as the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers, also have similar sponsorships with bookmakers.


title: Sports betting

text: Following other US professional sports leagues, the NHL acknowledged the Supreme Court's PASPA decision with an internal review of its policies. "The Supreme Court’s decision today paves the way to an entirely different landscape – one in which we have not previously operated. We will review our current practices and policies and decide whether adjustments are needed, and if so, what those adjustments will look like. It’s important to emphasize that the Supreme Court’s decision has no immediate impact on existing League rules relating to sports wagering, and particularly, wagering involving NHL games."


title: Sports betting

text: Major League Soccer (MLS) the top soccer league in the United States and Canada has expressed sports betting as a possible way to gain popularity. Commissioner Don Garber has stated about sports gambling, " We have a project going on now to really dig in deeply and understand it. I’ll join the chorus of saying it’s time to bring it out of the dark ages. We’re doing what we can to figure out how to manage that effectively."


title: Sports betting

text: The Alliance of American Football and XFL have both publicly endorsed gambling on their games, with the AAF securing a partnership with MGM Resorts International and the XFL partnering with DraftKings.


title: Sports betting

text: The American Gaming Association stated in June 2017, that a coalition will advocate for the repeal of the United States' sports betting ban.


title: Sports betting

text: In February 2018, a lobbying document surfaced advocating a new position held by the NBA and MLB – that sports leagues should be financially compensated for betting activity.


title: Sports betting

text: Perhaps the most extreme ban on sports betting is imposed by the NCAA, the main governing body for U.S. college sports. The NCAA reified their position in the wake of various betting scandals, including the 1992 University of Nevada, Las Vegas and 1994 Arizona State University Point shaving scandals. As states began legalizing sports betting in the late 2010s, the NCAA signaled a shift in tone. In 2017, NCAA President Mark Emmert talked about Las Vegas possibly hosting the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in the future.


title: Sports betting

text: NCAA President Mark Emmert acknowledged the Supreme Court's overturn of PASPA on May 14, 2018, restating the NCAA's strong commitment to competition and its student-athletes. "Our highest priorities in any conversation about sports wagering are maintaining the integrity of competition and student-athlete well-being." Emmert also emphasized the importance of proper federal regulation. "While we recognize the critical role of state governments, strong federal standards are necessary to safeguard the integrity of college sports and the athletes who play these games at all levels."


title: Sports betting

text: As of the 2021–22 school year, the official manuals for all three NCAA divisions still expressly ban a member institution's athletic department staff, non-athletic staff with responsibilities related to athletic activities, athletic conference staff, and student athletes from knowingly participating in sports wagering activities.


title: Sports betting

text: This ban covers all competitions, whether intercollegiate, amateur, or professional, as well as team practices, in any sport in which the NCAA conducts a championship, plus Division I FBS football (whose championships have never been operated by the NCAA) and all sports within the scope of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program. The only exception is traditional wagers between institutions, most commonly associated with rivalries or bowl games; according to the NCAA, "items wagered must be representative of the involved institutions or the states in which they are located."


title: Sports betting

text: The NCAA maintains that "Sports wagering has the potential to undermine the integrity of sports contests and jeopardizes the well-being of student-athletes and the intercollegiate athletics community. It also demeans the competition and competitors alike by spreading a message that is contrary to the purpose and meaning of 'sport.'"


title: Sports betting

text: The Football Association, the governing body for association football in England, has imposed football betting bans on all individuals involved in the sport—players, managers, match officials, and club staff. The scope of these bans varies based on level of the English football pyramid.


title: Sports betting

text: The following individuals are banned from betting on any football-related matter worldwide, or providing inside information to any individual who can reasonably be assumed to use said information for betting purposes:


title: Sports betting

text: Individuals who are associated at clubs at lower levels of the men's or women's league systems, plus match officials at FA Level 4 or below, are only banned with respect to the match or competition in which they are involved or can influence, and also to the league in which they participate.


title: Sports betting

text: All individuals are banned from advertising or promoting any football betting activity in which FA regulations prohibit them from engaging. This, however, only applies to individuals in their personal capacities. For example, if a club is sponsored by a betting company and said company places its logo on the club's kit, the team's players are not in violation of the betting rules.


title: Sports betting

text: The World Baseball Softball Confederation, the international governing body for baseball and softball, has betting rules similar to those of Major League Baseball. Participants in any WBSC-sanctioned event are banned from betting on the following:


title: Sports betting

text: The WBSC statutes define "participant" as any player, team staff member (including coaches/managers), tournament official (such as umpires and official scorers), or anyone in an ownership, executive, or staff role within any entity that organizes or promotes a WBSC-sanctioned event.


title: Sports betting

text: The betting ban, as in the case of The FA's rules outlined above, also extends to providing inside information that the tipper could reasonably believe will be used to bet on a WBSC event.


title: Sports betting

text: The International Cricket Council imposes a blanket ban on what it calls "corrupt conduct" by anyone it defines as a "participant".


title: Sports betting

text: The ICC shares anti-corruption jurisdiction with national cricket federations, all of which have anti-corruption rules substantially identical to those of the ICC. The ICC has elaborate mechanisms for determining whether it or a national federation will take action under the relevant anti-corruption code. In general, the ICC has either exclusive or priority jurisdiction over international matches, while national federations have responsibility for actions relating only to domestic matches.


title: Sports betting

text: The ICC code bans the following activities with regard to any international match, whether or not the participant had any involvement in said match, or any possible means of influencing the outcome:


title: Sports betting

text: In 1919, the Chicago White Sox faced the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. This series would go down as one of the biggest sports scandals of all time. As the story goes, professional gambler Joseph Sullivan paid eight members of the White Sox (Oscar Felsch, Arnold Gandil, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Fred McMullin, Charles Risberg, George Weaver, and Claude Williams) around 10,000 dollars each to fix the World Series. All eight players were banned from playing professional baseball for the rest of their lives. Pete Rose, the all-time MLB leader in hits, was similarly banned from baseball in 1989 for betting on games while he was an MLB manager.


title: Sports betting

text: The rule against gambling in baseball is known as "Rule 21," which is publicly posted on dugout walls and states: "Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever on any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible." People permanently banned from Major League Baseball are also forever banned from entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame, although most such people have been reinstated a few years later by a later Commissioner of Baseball. For instance, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays were both banned from baseball in 1983 after taking jobs as casino greeters (which would have expelled them from the Hall of Fame had it been allowed to stand); they were reinstated two years later. Only Rose has yet to be reinstated.


title: Sports betting

text: A 1906 betting scandal between the Massillon Tigers and Canton Bulldogs, two of the top teams in professional American football in the early 1900s, led to the demise of "big-money" professional football for several years. Modern research has suggested that the claims of betting were unsubstantiated.


title: Sports betting

text: On December 7, 1980, the San Francisco 49ers overcame a halftime deficit of 28 points in what became the greatest regular season comeback victory in NFL regular season history. By the beginning of the third quarter, notorious Vegas bookmaker Frank Rosenthal received forfeiture notices from 246 San Francisco bettors totaling more than $25,000 in premature winnings. Rosenthal was able to retain these winnings despite the final outcome of the game due to gambling regulations previously established by the NAGRA.


title: Sports betting

text: The "Cronje Affair" was an India-South Africa Cricket match fixing scandal that went public in 2000. It began in 1996 when the-then captain of the South African national cricket team, Hansie Cronje, was convinced by Mukesh "John" Gupta, an Indian bookmaker, to throw a match during a Test in Kanpur, India. The scheme was discovered when Delhi police recorded illegal dealings between Indian bookmaker Sanjay Chawla and Cronje. According to the "Telegraph" in 2010, Cronje was paid off a total of £65,000 from Gupta.


title: Sports betting

text: Corruption in tennis has been long considered as issue. In 2011, the former world No. 55 Austrian tennis player, Daniel Koellerer, became the first tennis player to be banned for life for attempting to fix matches. The violations were outstanding between October 2009 and July 2010 after The Tennis Integrity Units had launched an investigation on behalf of the International Tennis Federation and the ATP and WTA tours. In 2004 and 2006, Koellerer was banned for six months due to his bad behavior. In addition, in August 2010, he facilitated betting by placing odds for matches and had links for placing bets.


title: Sports betting

text: Machine learning models can make predictions in real time based on data from numerous disparate sources, such as player performance, weather, fan sentiment, etc. Some models have shown accuracy slightly higher than domain experts. These models require a large amount of data that is comparable and well organized prior to analysis, which makes them particularly well suited to predicting the outcome of Esports matches, where large amounts of well structured data is available.


title: Summer solstice

text: The summer solstice, also called the estival solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer solstice is the day with the longest period of daylight and shortest night of the year, when the Sun is at its highest position in the sky. Within the Arctic circle (for the Northern hemisphere) or Antarctic circle (for the Southern), there is continuous daylight around the summer solstice. The opposite event is the winter solstice.


title: Summer solstice

text: The summer solstice occurs during summer. This is the June solstice (usually 20 or 21 June) in the Northern hemisphere and the December solstice (usually 21 or 22 December) in the Southern. On the summer solstice, Earth's maximum axial tilt toward the Sun is 23.44°. Likewise, the Sun's declination from the celestial equator is 23.44°.


title: Summer solstice

text: Since prehistory, the summer solstice has been seen as a significant time of year in many cultures, and has been marked by festivals and rituals. Traditionally, in many temperate regions (especially Europe), the summer solstice is seen as the middle of summer and referred to as "midsummer"; although today in some countries and calendars it is seen as the beginning of summer.


title: Summer solstice

text: Although the summer solstice is the longest day of the year for that hemisphere, the dates of earliest sunrise and latest sunset vary by a few days. This is because Earth orbits the Sun in an ellipse, and its orbital speed varies slightly during the year.


title: Summer solstice

text: Although the Sun appears at its highest altitude from the viewpoint of an observer in outer space or a terrestrial observer outside tropical latitudes, the highest altitude occurs on a different day for certain locations in the tropics, specifically those where the Sun is directly overhead (maximum 90 degrees elevation) at the subsolar point. This day occurs twice each year for all locations between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn because the overhead Sun appears to cross a given latitude once before the day of the solstice and once afterward. For example, Lahaina Noon occurs in May and July in Hawaii. See solstice article. For all observers, the apparent position of the noon Sun is at its most northerly point on the June solstice and most southerly on the December solstice.


title: Summer solstice

text: The year 2016 was the first time in nearly 70 years that a full moon and the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice occurred on the same day. The 2016 summer solstice's full moon rose just as the Sun set.


title: Summer solstice

text: The significance given to the summer solstice has varied among cultures, but most recognize the event in some way with holidays, festivals, and rituals around that time with themes of religion or fertility. For example, in Sweden, midsummer is one of the year's major holidays when the country closes down as much as during Christmas. In some regions, the summer solstice is seen as the beginning of summer and the end of spring. In other cultural conventions, the solstice occurs during summer.


title: Summer solstice

text: Length of day increases from the equator towards the North Pole in the Northern Hemisphere in June (around the summer solstice there), but decreases towards the South Pole in the Southern Hemisphere at the time of the southern winter solstice.


title: Eric Bogosian

text: Eric Bogosian (; ; born April 24, 1953) is an American actor, playwright, monologuist, novelist, and historian. Descended from Armenian American immigrants, he grew up in Watertown and Woburn, Massachusetts, and attended University of Chicago and Oberlin College. His numerous plays include "subUrbia" (1994) and Pulitzer Prize in Drama finalist "Talk Radio" (1987), which were adapted to film by Richard Linklater and Oliver Stone, respectively. He also starred as Arno in the Safdie brothers' critically acclaimed film "Uncut Gems" (2019).


title: Eric Bogosian

text: Bogosian has appeared in a variety of plays, films, and television series throughout his career. His television roles include Captain Danny Ross in "" (2006–2010), Lawrence Boyd on "Billions" (2017–2018), and Gil Eavis on "Succession" (since 2018). He has also been involved in New York City ballet production, and has written several novels as well as the historical nonfiction "Operation Nemesis" (2015).


title: Eric Bogosian

text: Bogosian was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Edwina ("née" Jamgochian), a hairdresser and instructor, and Henry Bogosian, an accountant. He spent his early childhood in Watertown, Massachusetts, home to a large Armenian-American community which included his grandparents, survivors of the Armenian genocide. His family moved to nearby Woburn in 1960. He became interested in theater while attending Woburn Memorial High School, and would later base his play "subUrbia" on his youth in Woburn's Four Corners neighborhood. He attended the University of Chicago before graduating from Oberlin College.


title: Eric Bogosian

text: Bogosian is an author and actor known for his plays "Talk Radio" and "subUrbia" as well as numerous one-man shows. In 1983, early in his career, Bogosian appeared in the music video for Jim Capaldi's song "That's Love". In recent years he has starred on Broadway in Donald Margulies' "Time Stands Still", published three novels, and was featured on "" as Captain .


title: Eric Bogosian

text: Between 1980 and 2000, six major solos written and performed by Eric Bogosian were produced Off-Broadway, garnering him three Obie Awards as well as the Drama Desk award. His first two solos, "Men Inside" and "funHouse" were presented at the New York Shakespeare Festival. His third, "Drinking in America", was produced by American Place Theater. "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll", "Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead" and "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee" were all produced commercially Off-Broadway by Frederick Zollo.


title: Eric Bogosian

text: Eric is also the author of six produced plays, including 1987's "Talk Radio". "Talk Radio" was a finalist for Pulitzer Prize for Drama, but lost to Alfred Uhry's "Driving Miss Daisy". In 2007, a Broadway revival of "Talk Radio" directed by Robert Falls starred Liev Schreiber. "subUrbia" was directed by Robert Falls and produced by Lincoln Center Theater in 1994. Other titles include "Griller" (Goodman Theater); "Humpty Dumpty" (The McCarter); "Red Angel" (Williamstown Theater Festival) and "1+1" (New York Stage and Film). Bogosian's one-person drama, "Notes from Underground" has had several productions, most recently starring Jonathan Ames at Performance Space 122.


title: Eric Bogosian

text: In addition to his many appearances in his solo work and starring in his play, "Talk Radio", Bogosian has also starred in Stephen Adly Guirgis' "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman (LAByrinth) and Donald Margulies' "Time Stands Still" directed by Daniel Sullivan (Manhattan Theater Club/Broadway).


title: Eric Bogosian

text: Bogosian's play "Talk Radio" was adapted to film in 1988 by Oliver Stone, garnering Bogosian the prestigious Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear. The film version of "subUrbia" (1996) was directed by Richard Linklater. His play "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll" was adapted to film in 1991. He has starred in several other films including "" and "Wonderland". In addition, he has been featured in films by such directors as Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Taylor Hackford, Atom Egoyan and Agnieszka Holland.


title: Eric Bogosian

text: In television, Bogosian is best known for his starring role as Captain Danny Ross in the series "". In addition, he has appeared as a guest star on dramas and in 1994 created with Steven Spielberg the series "High Incident" for ABC television. He portrayed Barney Greenwald, defense attorney, in the TV film "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial". He also appeared in the episode "His Story" on "Scrubs" as Dr. Cox's therapist and was recurring character Lawrence Boyd in "Billions"' second season. In 1993, Bogosian played the role of Stan Paxton, Larry's ex standup partner in the series 'The Larry Sanders Show'. He has also appeared in HBO's show "Succession" as Senator Gil Eavis.


title: Eric Bogosian

text: Bogosian is the author of three novels published by Simon & Schuster: "Mall", "Wasted Beauty", and "Perforated Heart". All of his dramatic work is in print, published by Theater Communication Group. In 2015, he published "", a history of Operation Nemesis which involved a group of Armenian assassins who set out to avenge the deaths of the one and a half million victims of the Armenian genocide.


title: Eric Bogosian

text: Bogosian founded the dance series at The Kitchen. During his charter tenure there, he produced the first concerts in New York City by Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, Karole Armitage and Molissa Fenley as well as dozens of other choreographers. In 2006, Bogosian acted as producer on the New York City Ballet's documentary, "Bringing Back Balanchine".


title: Eric Bogosian

text: In addition to working with Jo Bonney and Tad Savinar, other notable collaborations include Michael Zwack (“I Saw the Seven Angels”); Joe Hannan (“The Ricky Paul Show”); Glenn Branca (“The New World”); Robert Longo (“American Vanity”); Ann Magnuson (sketches at Folk City) and Elliot Sharp (“This Is Now!”). For the past six years Bogosian has been filming the 100monologues.com series with Travis Bogosian and Good Baby Films.


title: Eric Bogosian

text: Bogosian has won the Obie Award three times as well as the Drama Desk Award. He received the prestigious "Silver Bear" at the 1989 Berlin Film Festival for his work on "Talk Radio". He is a 2004 Guggenheim fellow and the recipient of two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.


title: Circle K

text: Circle K Stores, Inc. is a Canadian chain of convenience stores headquartered in Laval, Quebec, Canada. It is owned by the multinational company Couche-Tard. Founded in 1951 in El Paso, Texas, the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 1990 and went through several owners, before being acquired by Alimentation Couche-Tard in 2003. As of February 2020, Circle K has 9,799 stores in North America, 2,697 stores in Europe, and an additional 2,380 stores operating under franchise agreements worldwide.


title: Circle K

text: In 2015, Circle K unveiled a new logo and brand identity, and Couche-Tard announced that it would deploy the brand globally, including English-speaking Canada (rebranding from the Mac's brand), Europe (rebranding from the Statoil brand), and the United States (rebranding from the Kangaroo Express brand and updating the existing Circle K brand).


title: Circle K

text: Since the 1980s, Circle K has been the largest chain of company-owned and operated (non-franchised) convenience stores in the United States. With 7,230 stores overall in the United States, Circle K is second to 7-Eleven's 9,348 stores (as of July 2019). As of February 2020, there are more than 14,800 stores with the Circle K brand worldwide.


title: Circle K

text: Within the United States, Circle K owns and operates stores in 47 states (the three states without being Nebraska, Utah and Wisconsin), with the largest concentration of stores found in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas. Fuel is sold under various brands, with the Circle K and Shell brands as the most common. Other brands of fuel sold at Circle K stores include Valero, BP, Exxon, Marathon, Irving, Mobil, Esso and Phillips 66. Approximately 13% of stores worldwide do not sell gasoline.


title: Circle K

text: Circle K operates stores in the United States, Canada, Europe (the Nordics, Baltics, Poland, Russia, Ireland and the United Kingdom), and Hong Kong, and has franchises in Mexico (it partners with the Mexican stores "Tiendas Extra" created by Modelo Group), Cambodia, China, Egypt, Guam, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Macau, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. In Hong Kong and Macau, the stores are called "OK" in reference to the circle around the K. Circle K Hong Kong was founded in 1985 by Li & Fung Retailing (later Fung Retailing) as licensee of the name, but sold back to Couche-Tard in 2020. Circle K had 387 franchised locations throughout Hong Kong as of May 2020.


title: Circle K

text: The Circle K brand entered the Canadian market in 2008, in connection with Couche-Tard's acquisition of Irving Oil's convenience store network. By 2019, more than 800 Mac's branded stores had been rebranded to Circle K throughout central and western Canada.


title: Circle K

text: In September 2015, Couche-Tard announced that Circle K would become the worldwide brand of all of its convenience stores, replacing Mac's, Kangaroo Express, and Statoil brands (except the Couche-Tard brand in Quebec and the INGO brand in Europe). This global rebrand included the introduction of a new logo incorporating elements of its existing brands, improvements to its product offerings and technology, and investing in store-level improvements aimed at improving the customer experience. The rebranding occurred over the following five years and as of March 2020, all of Europe and 85% of North America had been updated with the Circle K brand and logo.


title: Circle K

text: Entrepreneur Fred Hervey purchased three Kay's Food Stores in El Paso, Texas, in 1951. Hervey renamed the stores as "Circle K Food Stores, Inc." rather than "Kay." He grew the Circle K chain into neighboring New Mexico and Arizona, which has been the company's home base since 1957. (Hervey would go on to serve two terms as mayor of El Paso.)


title: Circle K

text: By 1975, there were 1,000 Circle K stores across the U.S. In 1979, Circle K first expanded its reach into foreign markets via a licensing agreement which established the first Circle K stores in Japan by UNY. Until 2018, Circle K stores in Japan were run by the FamilyMart Company, that was named Circle K Sunkus Company until 2016 and was named Circle K Japan Company until 2004, which licensed the Circle K brand from Alimentation Couche-Tard. In 2018, all Circle K stores in Japan were converted to FamilyMart stores. In 1983, the number of stores increased to 2,180 with the purchase of the 960-store UtoteM chain in the western and southern United States.


title: Circle K

text: Karl Eller, a prominent Phoenix businessman, served as the company's CEO from 1983 to 1990. During that time, Eller built Circle K into the second largest convenience store operation and the largest publicly owned convenience store chain in the U.S. with 4,631 stores in 32 states and an additional 1,300 or so licensed or joint venture stores in 13 foreign countries. Under Eller's leadership, the company grew from annual sales of $747 million ($ in dollars) to over $3 billion ($ in dollars).


title: Circle K

text: In 1988, the company sent a letter to its over 8,000 employees announcing that it will cut off the medical coverage of those who become sick or injured as a result of AIDS, alcohol, drug abuse or self-inflicted wounds. The company stated that "There are certain lifestyle decisions that we are just not going to assure the results of."


title: Circle K

text: Fortunes declined in the late 1980s as the US economy began to slow down, and Circle K filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 1990; Eller resigned as CEO. Some underperforming locations were sold or closed. In 1993 the company was purchased by Investcorp, an international investment group, and emerged from bankruptcy.


title: Circle K

text: In 1996, Circle K was acquired by Tosco Corporation, an independent petroleum refiner and marketer, but kept its headquarters in Phoenix. Tosco was purchased in 2001 by Phillips Petroleum, which, in 2002, merged with Conoco to form ConocoPhillips. In 2003, Circle K was purchased by Alimentation Couche-Tard, a large, multinational convenience store operator based in the Montreal area, for US$830 million ($ in dollars).


title: Circle K

text: In 2006, the company acquired the 90-store Spectrum chain serving Georgia and Alabama, the CFM chain in Missouri, 35 Sterling Dairy locations in Northwest Ohio, and 26 stores under various brands from Chico Enterprises of Morgantown, West Virginia. This came after the 2005 rebranding of the various Couche-Tard stores (Mac's, Bigfoot, Dairy Mart, and Handy Andy) under the more nationally known Circle K brand.


title: Circle K

text: In mid-2006, Alimentation Couche-Tard entered into a franchising agreement with ConocoPhillips to brand some of its company-owned stores as Circle K, in the western portion of the US. ConocoPhillips remodeled the stores into the Circle K scheme but continued to operate them. The stores continued to have the new ConocoPhillips unified canopy design and ProClean gasolines. These stores were spun off as Phillips 66 in May 2012.


title: Circle K

text: Another oil company, Canada-based Irving Oil, leased out its convenience stores operating under the Bluecanoe and Mainway banners in the United States and Atlantic Canada to Couche-Tard, which rebranded the locations to Circle K in July 2008, while still selling Irving-branded fuel. However, the Mainways in Newfoundland and Labrador did not change until summer 2010. The parties had earlier formed a similar partnership in Quebec, with the stores there operated as Couche-Tard.


title: Circle K

text: In April 2009, ExxonMobil sold 43 Phoenix stores to parent company Couche-Tard as part of a sale of the larger On the Run franchise. These 43 stores were to be rebranded under the Circle K name.


title: Circle K

text: In July 2010, Circle K had dropped down to fourth rank in number of stores (3,455), behind 7-Eleven (6,523 stores), BP (4,730 stores), and Shell (4,630 convenience stores) in 2010.


title: Circle K

text: On February 10, 2014, Modelo Group Sold the Tiendas Extra brand of stores to the Mexican franchise of Circle K, Circulo K.


title: Circle K

text: On December 18, 2014, Couche-Tard announced its acquisition of The Pantry for $860 million all-cash tender ($ in dollars). The acquisition closed in March 2015. Following the closing, all stores that were owned and operated by The Pantry, many of them under the "Kangaroo Express" name, were expected to be rebranded under the Circle K banner.


title: Circle K

text: On August 12, 2015, Circle K opened its first five convenience stores in Costa Rica, Central America, after having bought and rebranded the local convenience store chain Delimart.


title: Circle K

text: On September 23, 2015, Couche-Tard unveiled a refreshed brand identity for Circle K, and announced that the Statoil (Northern, Central and Eastern Europe) and Mac's (English Canada) brands would be converted to Circle K.


title: Circle K

text: In 2016, Couche-Tard acquired the Irish service station chain Topaz. In April 2018, Couche-Tard announced that they too would be rebranded to Circle K. Couche-Tard similarly acquired Imperial Oil's Esso retail locations in Ontario (228) and Quebec (50) the same year, and rebranded the convenience stores in Ontario (many of which previously operating under the On the Run brand) to Circle K.


title: Circle K

text: In 2017, Couche-Tard completed its acquisition of CST Brands, adding stores formerly owned by Valero Energy, and a portion of the Ultramar chain in Canada to Circle K (with the latter also switching fuel suppliers to Irving).


title: Circle K

text: Also in 2017, Couche-Tard bought Holiday Stationstores, a Minnesota-based chain of gas stations in the midwest United States. The company subsequently extended business practices from Holiday to its North American stores, including piloting a food service model adapted from that of Holiday.


title: Circle K

text: In September 2021, Circle K announced the purchase of 10 convenience and food stores from the Griffin Group in Ireland. All the stores being bought are in Dublin and located in busy areas such as O’Connell Street, College Green, Grafton Street and Sandyford.


title: Circle K

text: In February 2022, Couche-Tard announced that it would rebrand 12 Holiday Stationstores locations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Circle K.


title: Circle K

text: A May 2022 report in "The Wall Street Journal" reported that Circle K parent Alimentation Couche-Tard is in talks to buy EG Group. Should a deal go through, it would significantly boost Circle K's presence in several U.S. markets (especially Florida, New England and Ohio) as well as giving it a location in every state except Utah. Internationally, it would give Circle K access to Australia, Western Europe, and EG Group's home market of the United Kingdom. Some have speculated that the deal may be in response to Alimentation Couche-Tard having been outbid by its primary rival 7-Eleven for the American Speedway chain.


title: Circle K

text: A 2021 report on wage theft by the Center for Public Integrity named Circle K as one of the "worst offenders" in the United States. A class-action lawsuit was brought against the company in 2014, for which the company agreed in 2019 to pay a settlement of US$8.3 million. Circle K settled a similar class-action lawsuit in 2015 as well.


title: Circle K

text: Fountain drinks at Circle K are sold in Polar Pop cups, previously called Thirst Busters, are available in expanded polystyrene cups. In areas where polystyrene containers are illegal, plastic or paper cups are offered. The 52-ounce cups are plastic. Most American locations offer any size, 32 ounce or under for under $1 while 52oz or above cups are priced at over a dollar. The price point of its 44-ounce size (marketed as "Epic XL" in some regions) may vary, as it may be under or over $1, depending on region.


title: Circle K

text: The Polar Pop was first introduced in Bigfoot convenience stores by Johnson Oil Company in Columbus, Indiana, prior to its acquisition by Alimentation Couche-Tard. After the acquisition, the company began rebranding fountain drinks in other stores owned by Couche-Tard. As of 2018, Circle K sells 17 Polar Pops every second in the United States.


title: Circle K

text: The Froster, which was introduced to Mac's stores in 1998, became very popular throughout Western Canada and Ontario. The American version of the Froster was introduced in 1999.


title: Circle K

text: Circle K was a part-time primary sponsor of the No. 28 IndyCar Series racecar driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport between 2011 and 2013. In 2014, it switched to KVSH Racing driver Sébastien Bourdais. Circle K, along with Oberto Sausage Company, currently sponsors Marco Andretti.


title: Circle K

text: In 2017, Circle K went to NASCAR, sponsoring Matt Kenseth and Joe Gibbs Racing with full livery for six races. It was on the car when Kenseth won his final NASCAR Cup Race at that year's fall race at Phoenix Raceway.


title: Circle K

text: Also in 2017, Circle K became the official shirt sponsor of United Soccer League side North Carolina FC and signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with the Lithuanian Basketball League.


title: Circle K

text: Due to its sizable presence in Greater Cleveland, from the former Lawson/Dairy Mart stores, Circle K sponsors the Cleveland Guardians strikeout sign. It is located in center field at Progressive Field in Cleveland. The "K" logo represents the "K" used for strikeouts in traditional baseball scorekeeping and is replicated with each strikeout. The same sponsorship is in place with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. If the Diamondbacks strike out ten batters or more, the game's attendees receive a voucher for a free cup of Polar Pop, while Guardians fans receive the same voucher after select home games.


title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

text: Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a 2008 American superhero film based on the fictional character Hellboy created by Mike Mignola. The film was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro from a story by him and Mignola, and is a sequel to the 2004 film "Hellboy", which del Toro also directed. Ron Perlman reprises his starring role as the eponymous character. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" was released by Universal Pictures.


title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

text: The film grossed over $168 million, against a production budget between $82.5–85 million. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the fantasy atmosphere of the film, as well as Perlman and the other cast's acting performances. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Makeup.


title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

text: During Christmas 1955, a young Hellboy is told a bedtime story by his adoptive father, Trevor Bruttenholm, of an ancient war between human and magical creatures. After the magical creatures are driven back by the humans, the goblin blacksmiths extend an offer to Balor, king of the elves, to build him an indestructible mechanical army. Encouraged by his son Prince Nuada, Balor accepts; the Golden Army subsequently devastates humanity. Regretting his actions, Balor forms a truce with the humans, that they will keep to the cities and the magical creatures to the forests. The crown to command the Golden Army, which can only be worn by one of royal blood, is split into three pieces. Nuada, disagreeing with the truce, leaves in exile.


title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

text: In the present, a year after the evil sorcerer Grigori Rasputin's plans to summon his eldritch masters, the Ogdru Jahad, to enact Armageddon were foiled, Nuada returns and begins gathering the pieces of the crown. He collects the first piece from an auction, unleashing tooth fairies, voracious flying creatures that eat the crowd alive, and kills his father for the second piece. His twin sister Princess Nuala escapes with the final piece.


title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

text: Meanwhile, at the B.P.R.D., demonic special agent Hellboy is having issues with his girlfriend Liz, and dislikes that their organization must operate in secrecy. Investigating the auction slaughter, Hellboy allows himself to be revealed to the world. In the commotion, Abe Sapien discovers Liz is pregnant but she swears him to secrecy.


title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

text: Furious at Hellboy's actions, Tom Manning's superiors send the ectoplasmic medium Johann Krauss to rein him in. With Krauss in charge, the team tracks the tooth fairies to a secret market under the Brooklyn Bridge. Abe finds Nuala, who has obtained a map leading to the Golden Army, and falls in love with her. Hellboy fights and kills Nuada's accomplice Wink and an elemental forest god that Nuada summons against him. During the fight, Nuada questions why he fights for the humans when they have driven the magical creatures into hiding, of which he too is one. Nuala is taken under the B.P.R.D.'s protection.


title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

text: Nuada tracks his sister to the B.P.R.D. headquarters using their magical bond, which causes them to share wounds and read each other's thoughts. Nuala hides the final crown piece before Nuada finds her, and he battles Hellboy. Nuada critically wounds Hellboy with his spear and abducts Nuala, promising her return in exchange for the crown piece. Unable to remove the spear shard in his wound, Liz and Abe decide to take Hellboy to the Golden Army's location in the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. Krauss comes along, as he sympathizes with Liz, revealing that he too lost his wife in the accident that caused the loss of his own body.


title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

text: They encounter the Bethmoora goblin master blacksmith who brings them before the Angel of Death to retrieve the spear shard. Though warned that Hellboy will doom humanity if he lives and that she will suffer the most from it, Liz pleads for Hellboy's life. The Angel removes the shard from Hellboy's chest and tells Liz to give him a reason to live. She reveals to Hellboy that he will be a father and he recovers.


title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

text: The goblin leads the team to the resting place of the Golden Army, where Nuada awaits them. Abe gives him the last piece of the crown, and Nuada awakens the Golden Army and commands them to kill the team. Hellboy challenges Nuada for the right to command the army; as Hellboy is a member of Hell's royal family, Nuada must accept the challenge. Hellboy defeats Nuada and spares his life, but Nuada tries stabbing him. Nuala commits suicide to stop her brother; the dying Nuada tells Hellboy he will have to choose whether humanity or magical beings must die. Abe psychically shares his feelings with Nuala before she dies. Liz uses her pyrokinesis to melt the crown, deactivating the Golden Army.


title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

text: Hellboy, Liz, Abe, and Johann resign from the B.P.R.D., and Hellboy contemplates his future life with Liz and their baby. Liz corrects "babies", revealing that she is pregnant with twins.