MLS Commissioner Don Garber during halftime of the All-Star Game last night discussed expansion, noting the league will "have another announcement in a couple of weeks" on a new team. Garber then said "we’ve got two more teams after that” and "we hope to still get something done in Miami, but we know we’ll have four more teams and a lot, a lot of interest (with) probably a dozen cities for those last four spots." He said of efforts in Miami, "It takes time. You’ve got to get it right. We failed there once. We have a good investor, we have David (Beckham) engaged and we have a site, but it’s going to take some time before we have any real news." On possible over-expansion, Garber said, "You have to have jobs and opportunities, training grounds, you have to have great facilities and you have be careful that we’re not diluting talent. ... We have to be sure that we expand carefully” (“MLS All-Star Game,” ESPN, 7/28).
WING & A PRAYER: NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz said that bringing a team back to Philadelphia "is a top priority for the league." The city "has been without an NLL team" since the Wings relocated to Connecticut in '14 and became the New England Black Wolves. Sakiewicz said of the Wings, "It was a legendary team, arguably should have never left here. They brought in great numbers. They had a lot of relevance in the city" (PHILLY.com, 7/28).
TEE IT UP: GOLFWEEK's Alex Miceli reported the European Tour has developed what it is calling the Premier Series, a "three-week links swing that will be part of an eight-tournament run." The Premier Series was "created to stem the flood of veteran talent to the PGA Tour and keep younger European players focused on their home tour." The plan "focuses on certain parts of the schedule with increased purses, not to just compete directly with opposite PGA Tour events but also to emphasize certain times of the year on the European Tour." Tour CEO Keith Pelley "is in discussions with a major corporation to act as a presenting sponsor of the series" (GOLFWEEK.com, 7/27).
