Luke and Von. Sounds like a beach band from the 1960s, or maybe offshoots of the “Dukes of Hazzard.”
In reality, Luke Kuechly and Von Miller are exactly what successful teams need in the NFL. The All-Pro linebackers are versatile, fierce competitors, leaders and playmakers.
They will bear watching in the Super Bowl as much as Peyton Manning and Cam Newton.
Miller, the second overall draft pick in 2011, won Defensive Rookie of the Year that season.
Kuechly, chosen ninth overall the next year, succeeded Miller for that honour.
And in 2013, Kuechly was the league’s top defensive player, an award both he and Miller are contenders for this season.
Read more: Super Bowl 50 – Time, TV and need-to-know info for UAE NFL fans
More important than that individual recognition, each will tell you, are the team marks posted by Kuechly’s Panthers and Miller’s Broncos during their short but already memorable careers: Carolina have won three straight NFC South titles, and Denver have taken the AFC West in all five of Miller’s pro seasons.
“I’m a fan of him,” Newton says of Miller.
“Trying to find any and every way to alleviate him being a pain, but that’s what this week of preparation will be.”
Better prepare diligently for Miller, or else that pain will be felt by just about everyone on the Panthers’ offence.
Consider the damage Miller wrought last Sunday in the AFC championship game. He had two-and-a-half sacks, an interception, constant pressure on Tom Brady, and was a force against New England's meagre running game.
Yes, Miller was everywhere, and it wouldn’t be unfair to single him out as the biggest reason the Broncos are in their second Super Bowl in three years.
His skills are such that defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is comfortable turning Miller loose on the pass rush, dropping him in coverage – especially to cover tight ends – and lining him up almost anywhere on the field.
Phillips has called Miller the defence’s “catalyst.”
“He has great explosion,” Phillips said. “He’s tremendously quick off the ball. He’s probably the quickest in the league. That helps him first. ... He has that tremendous speed, but it’s explosive speed. Some guys can run fast, but it’s kind of straight-line speed.
“He defeats his guy most of the time and most every play. That’s hard to do in this league.”
Read more: Carolina Panthers with (slight) edge on Denver Broncos – The National's Super Bowl predictions
Kuechly isn’t as fast and might not be as strong as Miller. He isn’t as dangerous on the pass rush with seven career sacks in the regular season; Miller had 11 in 2015.
He also plays inside, while Miller is an outside linebacker.
None of which matters in big spots. Kuechly makes plays in the middle of the field or near the sideline. He finds the ball – or, as Panthers cornerback and fellow All-Pro Josh Norman has said, “the ball finds Luke.”
And when the football is in his grasp, it’s a good idea to look for him in the end zone.
Kuechly has had a pick-six in each of Carolina’s play-off games this season. He excels at baiting quarterbacks into ill-advised throws, though doing so against Manning is difficult.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera, a former NFL linebacker himself, sees a victory next weekend as just another step for his star defender. His comments also could just as easily apply to Miller.
“There are a lot of great players who never got to play in a Super Bowl, so whether you have to have that Super Bowl to cement who you are or what you’re worth,” Rivera said.
“I don’t think Luke is really worried about that. But I think it just kind of fast-tracks you and people take a lot quicker notice. At the end of the day you can say on your business card ‘Super Bowl champion.’ I mean that’s probably the next thing.
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
