his first season at the club with his consistent workrate.In

BOSTON -- Daily fantasy sports rivals DraftKings and FanDuel have agreed to merge after months of speculation and increasing regulatory scrutiny.The two companies made the announcement Friday, saying the combined organization would be able to reduce costs as they work to become profitable and battle with regulators across the country to remain legal.In a matter of a few short years, the two have raised millions of dollars through investors and sponsorship deals, drawing the attention of policymakers across the country.Some view the online games -- in which players pick teams of real life athletes and vie for cash and other prizes based on how those athletes do in actual games -as amounting to illegal sports betting.Financial terms were not disclosed Friday and the companies have remained vague about their long-term plans while the deal is being finalized.But in the short term, the merger appears to change little about how daily fantasy sports players use the sites and play the game. The companies have assured players they wont be making major changes in their operations at least through the next NFL season.For now, theyll retain their respective headquarters -- DraftKings in Boston and FanDuel in New York -- and keep separate brand names, operations and game platforms.Whether the deal can clear regulatory approval, though, remains an open question. The merger, which has been rumored for months, pairs two companies that represent about 90 percent of the daily fantasy sports market.Company executives Friday played down concerns about whether the merger might run afoul of federal antitrust laws.They argued that their companies remain relatively small players in the broader fantasy sports industry, where the likes of ESPN, Yahoo and other larger companies dominate.Were a company that collectively has a little over 5 million customers in a fantasy sports base with almost 60 million total, said DraftKings CEO Jason Robins, who will take over as chief executive of the combined company. For us to ever hope to compete for those customers, we really felt this was something that was necessary.FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles, who will serve as board chairman, also suggested the merger could actually foster competition by fighting more effectively for regulatory clarity, efforts that could help bring back investor confidence in the industry.This is actually very good for all operators, he said.Spokespersons for the Federal Trade Commission, which would oversee the deal, didnt comment Friday.Reaction among daily fantasy sports companies, players and industry watchers was mixed Friday.In terms of competition, Im not sure it makes any difference. There are still plenty of opportunities for growth, said Peter Schoenke, chairman of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. A lot of people are still trying to figure out what it means.Shergul Arshad, founder of Mondogoal, a smaller fantasy sports operator focused on soccer, suggested the proposed merger will likely make it tougher for new companies to gain a foothold, at least in the United States.On the international front, where daily fantasy sports is trying to compete against well-established and lucrative sports betting gambling operations, a stronger, unified company could be a boon, Arshad said.Brian Quinn, a Boston College law professor with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, expects the deal likely wont go forward without some conditions imposed by regulators. Others, though, suggest it might not face as tough a road.Were not talking about insurance companies, healthcare providers or drug makers here, said Daniel Etna, a New York attorney who has represented smaller daily fantasy sports operators. Its a leisure activity. At end of day, this is something you do or you dont do. So it will be viewed from a different prism.A more pressing question is whether the companies, both still unprofitable, can remain viable, said Dustin Hecker, a Boston lawyer.The merge doesnt appear to bring any immediate cost savings since both are maintaining separate headquarters and separate operations for now, he said.Robins and Eccles said the merger would allow the companies to free up resources to develop better products -- like offering more varied contests, developing loyalty programs and improving their website features -- though they declined to elaborate on those plans.In the meantime, some of the games top competitors say theyre waiting to see how the merger impacts their livelihood.Saahil Sud, a 27-year-old Bostonian widely considered the games leading player, says hes concerned the newly formed company could substantially raise player fees, a concern the companies have tried to assuage with promises to keep fees competitive.The main thing is that, in the near future, things are not going to change much or at all, Sud said. Given turmoil over past year, having business as usual is somewhat reassuring. But its too early to tell. Im definitely not going to overreact. Im just going to continue doing what Im doing. ---Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/philip-marcelo Jaylon Smith Womens Jersey . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. Chuck Howley Jersey . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. https://www.cowboyssportsgoods.com/Womens-Michael-Gallup-Inverted-Jersey/ . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Jay Novacek Womens Jersey .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. Amari Cooper Youth Jersey . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. Melbourne Storm penpix ahead of Sundays NRL grand final against Cronulla Sharks at ANZ Stadium.Fullback - Cameron MunsterAge: 22 NRL games: 43 Grand finals: 0Has been stellar in the absence of injured star Billy Slater and brings a point of difference to the Storms structured attack.Winger - Suliasi VunivaluAge: 20 NRL games: 20 Grand finals: 0A serious weapon in the air and open space, Vunivalus 23 tries in 19 games broke Israel Folaus record for most tries in a season by a rookie.Centre - Will ChambersAge: 28 NRL games: 148 Grand finals: 2 Premierships: 1A staple of the Storms backline since debuting in 2007, Chambers has been in arguably career-best form in 2016.Centre - Cheyse BlairAge: 24 NRL games: 60 Grand finals: 0Finally found a home in Melbourne after playing for two clubs in his first four seasons. Had a tough night marking Joey Leilua but recovered to score the match-winning try on Saturday. Has another difficult assignment in Jack Bird.Winger - Marika KoroibeteAge: 24 NRL games: 73 Grand finals: 0Set to play his final game of rugby league before switching over to rugby union, Koroibete has the ability to kickstart Storm sets with inspiring kick returns, just like the one that got Jack Wighton crucially sent to the sin bin on Saturday night.Five-eighth - Blake GreenAge: 30 NRL games: 91 Grand finals: 0Will play his final game in Storm colours before a summer move to Manly. Has proven a capable foil to star halves partner Cooper Cronk in a rebirth under Craig Bellamy over the past two years.Halfback - Cooper CronkAge: 32 NRL games: 300 Grand finals: 5 Premierships: 1The joint Dally M-winner and the newest member of the NRLs 300-game club is the crux of the Storms attack, and shapes as their most likely source of points.Prop - Jesse BromwichAge: 27 NRL games: 158 Grand finals: 1 Premierships: 1A rock in the Storms forward pack since debuting in 2010, Bromwich has emerged as a leader for club and country over the past two years. Considered by many to be the No.1 prop in the game.Hooker - Cameron SmithAge: 33 NRL games: 3334 Grand finals: 4 Premierships: 1The key to the Storms success for the best part of a decade, Smiths ability to dictate the flow of the game from the middle of the field will be critical against the Sharks.ddddddddddddrop - Jordan McLeanAge: 24 NRL games: 65 Grand finals: 0An ankle injury late in the year temporarily halted a career year for McLean, but he has since regained a starting spot and starting minutes.Second-rower - Kevin ProctorAge: 27 NRL games: 178 Grand finals: 1 Premierships: 1Another who has established himself as a core Storm member and always proves a handful on their left edge with his hard runs and experience.Second-rower - Tohu HarrisAge: 24 NRL games: 102 Grand finals: 0Spent much of the year covering for injuries in the centres and at five-eighth, but has found momentum running off Cronk on the Storms right edge.Lock - Dale FinucaneAge: 25 NRL games: 115 Grand finals: 1 Premierships: 0Four years after losing to Melbourne in the 2012 decider, Finucane has fast established himself as a critical piece of the Storms forward pack in his first season at the club with his consistent workrate.Interchange:Kenny BromwichAge: 24 NRL games: 71 Grand finals: 0A versatile, under-sized forward who can trouble teams with late footwork and offloads. A point of difference.Tim GlasbyAge: 32 NRL games: 62 Grand finals: 0 Premierships: 0Reliable front-rower that has been in and out of Craig Bellamys starting line-up all year, producing consistent, error-free 40-minute shifts.Christian WelchAge: 22 NRL games: 26 Grand finals: 0Gets his shot at a premiership in place of injured powerhouse Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Welch isnt expected to play more than 20 minutes in their forward rotation.Ben HamptonAge: 24 NRL games: 35 Grand finals: 0Another substitute that is used sparingly by coach Craig Bellamy, topping 20 minutes just once in his past seven games and didnt even get off the bench against the Raiders. ' ' '