NFL EVP & General Counsel Jeff Pash "plans to retire as the league’s top attorney," according to a memo sent to teams by Commissioner Roger Goodell. Pash “will remain in his current position” as the NFL begins its search for his successor, and he will "actively participate in the search process and transition.” Pash has been a "key figure in shaping NFL labor deals and formulating the league’s legal strategy through several high-profile controversies." He was among the "main negotiators for the NFL and its team owners" in the CBAs completed with the NFL Players Association in 2011 and 2020. Pash, named to SBJ's 50 Most Influential People in Sports Business list in 2011, '12 '13, '14, '15 and '16 and to SBJ's Top 20 Most Influential People in the NFL list in '07, was "among the candidates for commissioner" before the owners elected Goodell in 2006 (WASHINGTON POST, 5/2).

While Charles Barkley is a certain broadcast free agent if Warner Bros. Discovery loses its NBA package following the 2024-25 season, industry sources said Thursday that co-host Ernie Johnson would remain at Turner either way -- meaning next season could be the last for TNT’s award-winning studio show "Inside the NBA."

Sources said Johnson -- who has been the lead studio host for "Inside the NBA" for 35 years -- "would stay with Turner" and likely continue his role as lead studio host for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, as well as do MLB play-by-play. Johnson was unavailable for comment Thursday.

Recent speculation had the entire "Inside the NBA" team -- Barkley, Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith -- leaving en masse and reprising the show on either ESPN, NBC or Amazon. But the same sources also said they suspected "Shaq probably wouldn’t do TV."

All of it is moot if David Zaslav, the WBD CEO, matches or exceeds NBC’s reported $2.5B annual bid for an NBA package. ESPN reportedly has a handshake deal to retain its current package for $2.6B, and Amazon is said to have the framework in place for a package worth another $2B-plus. That leaves WBD competing with NBC for a significant third package or taking a reduced fourth package of only Thursday night games, which would keep Barkley and O’Neal in studio.

"My bet is that Zaslav will overpay to keep it, goes ballistic to keep it," an industry source said. "But I think NBC is the front-runner right now or just got in the front. I don't know if [NBA Commissioner] Adam Silver’s doing that to make Zaslav come in with a big number. It's got to be big. Like, it's got to blow NBC's number away.

The National Park Service today said that it has determined RFK Memorial Stadium in D.C. "can be demolished with no significant impacts to the natural, cultural and human environment." That marks "another step forward in the hopeful redevelopment" of the 190-acre tract where the stadium sits. The decision means the park service can "now issue a permit to the District to demolish." D.C.’s current lease on the RFK campus "limits what can be built there," but a bill approved by the House in February "allows a new stadium, commercial and residential uses." It still needs to be approved by the Senate and signed by President Biden. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has long been courting the Commanders to move to a new stadium in D.C., and RFK is "considered the best place in the city to build a new NFL venue" (WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/2).

Penn Entertainment's stock dropped today after the company "fell short of consensus estimates" for Q1. ESPN Bet was a "drag on the bottom line" for Penn, posting an adjusted EBITDA loss of $196M. Revenue fell 3.6% year-over-year to $1.61B, with "drops reported across the Midwest, West, Northeast, South, and Interactive segments." The company reported an adjusted EBITDA of $252.2M vs $276.4M consensus and $478.2M a year ago. Per share losses came in at -$0.79 vs. -$0.22 consensus. Penn Entertainment President & CEO Jay Snowden said of ESPN Bet, "Our financial results were impacted by lower-than-expected hold and spend per user. ... While we are pleased with the early ESPN BET adoption and engagement results, our focus heading into this football season will be on enhancing our product offerings" (SEEKING ALPHA, 5/2).

Delta revealed its livery for Team USA in Toulouse, France, today, showing of an Eiffel Tower-inspired jet stream paint job on a custom Airbus A350. Designed in-house, Delta's livery has Team USA written across a jet stream design of red, white and blue. It incorporated elements of the livery from the Beijing Olympics. That was the first for Delta, which in 2020 signed an eight-year deal to sponsor Team USA through the L.A. Games in 2028. The plane will fly from Toulouse, where Airbus is headquartered and where the plane was built and painted, to Atlanta.

Peter Oosterhuis, a six-time Ryder Cup participant whose voice later "became synonymous with the finishing holes during CBS' coverage of the Masters," died today -- one day shy of his 76th birthday. An accomplished player, he won 20 tournaments around the globe and remains tied for the all-time lead in singles victories in Ryder Cup play with six After his playing career, Oosterhuis "became a broadcasting mainstay with" CBS, including Masters telecasts from 1997-2014 when he "frequently provided commentary from the 17th hole." He announced his retirement from broadcasting in the summer of 2014 due to the diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's (ESPN.com, 5/2).

Premier League club Liverpool has unveiled its new home jersey for next season -- a "retro kit design" from Nike based on the 1983-84 season when the Reds won a treble of league championship, European Cup and League Cup -- but supporters "will have to pay more" to wear them this year. The price of a standard stadium jersey and those for youths has increased by $6.26 to $100 and $75 respectively, while children's kits have gone from $56.27 up to $65. The club is offering a 10% discount off the price of the home shirt "to all official members and season ticket holders" (LIVERPOOL ECHO, 5/2). Liverpool insists Nike is "responsible for the sharp rise in the cost" of the new home shirt, saying the manufacturer "set a non-negotiable manufacturer’s suggested retail price," which increased Liverpool's cost prices by an average of 8.5% across all its clubs. Liverpool officials say the club "absorbed some of the increase" and are selling shirts 5.5% "below the prices set by Nike" (THE ATHLETIC, 5/2).

Churchill Downs recently completed a $200M paddock project, including the Paddock Club and Club SI, to further enhance the venue’s premium offerings. SBJ’s Bret McCormick takes us inside the newly renovated clubs ahead of the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby. 

 

Tennis HOFer Billie Jean King is "getting the Breakfast of Champions treatment," as she will appear on a limited-edition box of Wheaties. The packages with King on the cover will be available at stores around the U.S. "later this month" (AP, 5/2).

Former Showtime and ESPN boxing analyst Al Bernstein is joining DAZN on May 23, when heavyweight contender Jermaine Franklin faces Devin Vargas in Detroit. Bernstein will call the fight ringside with the broadcast team of the "Big Time Boxing USA" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/2).

Weigel Broadcasting Co. stations WCIU and WMEU, longtime television partners of the Chicago Sky, will air 17 WNBA games on broadcast TV beginning with the Sky opener, May 15, against the Dallas Wings. Among those 17 games are Caitlin Clark’s first Chicago appearance with the Indiana Fever on June 23 and a matchup with defending champion Las Vegas on Sept. 3 (Weigel Broadcasting).

Las Vegas Aces G Kate Martin has signed with Excel Basketball for representation (X, 5/2).

ASM Global has made a significant investment in Boston-based EDGE Sports Group with the aim of becoming the leading provider of advisory, development and venue management services to clients and partners in the domestic youth sports and sports tourism industry. After the transaction’s close and reflecting this new collaboration, the company will operate under the banner of EDGE Sports Global (ASM Global).

RS3 Strategic Hospitality has agreed to a partnership with Cognizant Major League Cricket to become the official hospitality partner for Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium (RS3 Strategic Hospitality).

A major French union said that Paris garbage collectors "could strike over the summer," potentially "raising the specter of piles of stinking trash on the streets" during the Paris Games. Walkouts "could start in May and continue from July 1 to September 8," a period that includes the games which will run from July 26 to Aug. 11. Refuse workers in the Paris region are "demanding an extra" $430 per month and one-off $2,038 "bonus for those working during the Olympics" (LE MONDE, 5/2).

Cricket Australia is targeting a "five-fold increase in average attendances at women's matches and quadrupling participation rates among young girls" as part of a 10-year plan for the women's game. The governing body also will "launch a new domestic T20 competition" while reducing the existing Women's Big Bash League to "a 40-game season," which will bring it in line with the men's BBL (London INDEPENDENT, 5/2).

We made the world’s first baseball uniforms that glow under black lights. See the Tri-City Chili Peppers play on June 1st for the first ever COSMIC BASEBALL ⭐️🌶️#Poweredby3N2 #COSMICBASEBALL #GoPeppers #blacklight pic.twitter.com/HTjXvwqsiJ

— 3N2 Sports (@3N2Sports) May 2, 2024

The Disney-Fox-Warner Discovery sports streamer set to launch late summer has tapped former Disney comms exec Jessica Casano-Antonellis has head spokesperson. Now come up with a name Jessica!

— Joe Flint (@JBFlint) May 2, 2024

Victor Wembanyama's First Nike Shoe Releases This Month

Here's how to buy Wembanyama's Air Zoom G.T. Hustle 2 PE: https://t.co/E74QAmsbXN pic.twitter.com/CX30A0jOP9

— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) May 2, 2024

One inside media aspect of Comcast/NBC's bid for WBD/TNT's NBA rights is the potential saving in affiliate fees that Comcast, as a large cable provider, may garner if TNT no longer has the NBA.

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) May 2, 2024

F1 paddock is inside Hard Rock Stadium. pic.twitter.com/4qQa5V6zPA

— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) May 2, 2024

Welcome Buddy! 🐾🧡💙 https://t.co/l7N7zaOqpZ

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 2, 2024

On the 104th anniversary of the first Negro Leagues Opening Day, let's look at the current renovation progress at Rickwood Field in anticipation of both the MLB & MiLB games in tribute to the legacy of the Negro Leagues.

The work at this historic ballpark continues as we get… pic.twitter.com/LOcf7DbQAQ

— MLB (@MLB) May 2, 2024

Media platform Togethxr released the latest episode of its series “A Short Film About" featuring U.S. women's national team and PWHL Boston F Hilary Knight.

36 -- The number of athletes that will form the Refugee Olympic Team for the Paris Games, as revealed today by the IOC. This will be the third Olympics to feature a Refugee Team, and the number of athletes competing on the team is up from 29 for the 2020 Tokyo Games and 10 for the 2016 Rio Games. The athletes on the Refugee Team at the Paris Games come from 11 different countries of origin and will compete in 12 different sports (SBJ).