Menu

Monday 9:00am ET....Today's News....Numbers Game

  • Big 12 Presidents' Expansion Decision Difficult To Predict
  • Nevada Gov. To Sign Bill Today Opening Door For Raiders' Move 
  • D-backs Set To Introduce Mike Hazen As Exec VP & GM
  • NBA, Union Call Wednesday Meeting To Negotiate New CBA

Big 12 Presidents' Expansion Decision Difficult To Predict

The push for Big 12 expansion today will "take its next public step" when conference presidents "offer an update" at the end of BOD meetings in Dallas. Most signs "point toward embracing the 10-member status quo as the probable outcome." The "sticking point" is finding a proposal that "could draw the necessary 'yes' votes" from eight of the 10 member schools (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 10/14). Sources confirmed that "all options remain on the table" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/17). UConn AD Dave Benedict, whose school is one of the expansion candidates, said there will be "a whole lot of back and forth" at the meetings. But as to the outcome, Benedict said, "We can all guess" (HARTFORD COURANT, 10/16).

CBSSPORTS.com's Dennis Dodd writes under the header "League So Unpredictable That Anything Could Happen Monday." CINCINNATI ENQUIRER goes with, "Predicting The Big 12's Expansion Decision." SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: "BYU's Chances Of Getting In Big 12 Lessen Ahead Of Expansion Meeting." The HOUSTON CHRONICLE looks at the history of Big 12 realignment throughout the conference's 20-year history.

Nevada Gov. To Sign Bill Today Opening Door For Raiders' Move

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval today at UNLV "will sign Senate Bill 1 and Assembly Bill 1 into law." Senate Bill 1 "calls for an increase in Clark County’s hotel room tax to help finance" a $1.9B, 65,000-seat domed stadium, "clearing a path for the relocation" of the Raiders to Las Vegas. Today's 11:00am PT signing "will include state legislators; local elected officials; gaming, business and labor unions leaders; Raiders representatives; and UNLV students and administrators" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/17). Raiders Owner Mark Davis is also flying into Las Vegas for the event (Mult., 10/16).

D-backs Set To Introduce Mike Hazen As Exec VP & GM

The D-backs today will introduce Mike Hazen as their new Exec VP & GM, and a source said that he is "receiving a contract of at least four years." The D-backs " kept their interview process under wraps" but are "thought to have interviewed eight candidates before settling on Hazen." Among those "believed to have interviewed" were MLB execs Kim Ng and Peter Woodfork, the Cubs' Jason McLeod and internal candidates Mike Bell and Bryan Minniti. Hazen was in his 11th year with the Red Sox following five years with the Indians (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 10/17).

NBA, Union Call Wednesday Meeting To Negotiate New CBA

Sources said that the NBA and the NBPA "have a meeting scheduled for Wednesday" in N.Y., one day before the league's annual BOG session, and that this is the "latest signal that a new deal to avoid a work stoppage is looming in the near future." Sources added that there is "rising optimism on both sides of the bargaining table that the basic framework of a deal can be achieved as early as this month" (ESPN.com, 10/16).

NHL Vegas Begins Seat Selection Process For Season-Ticket Holders

The Las Vegas NHL franchise today "launches its long-awaited seating phase" for its 16,000 season-ticket holders. For the next few weeks, those who put down deposits "will get to go online, select their seats in T-Mobile Arena and begin to pay off their bill." Fans have been "mailed a brochure and sent a video on how to go through the process." The team's VP/Sales & Ticketing Todd Pollock estimates at least 90% of the 16,000 "will fulfill their commitment" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/17).

Nike To Add Championship Patch To LeBron Banner In Cleveland

Nike this week is "making a small, but noticeable addition to the 10-story-tall LeBron James banner" hanging in downtown Cleveland. The current black-and-white image "will be replaced by a nearly identical likeness" of James, with a "Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy patch on the back of his collar." The new banner is "meant to echo the golden patch that teams add to their uniforms after they win an NBA Championship." The entire cost "will be paid by Nike" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 10/17).

Meanwhile, Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert last night "unveiled the team's new championship banner" to members of Wine and Gold United – the official club of season-ticket holders – during the annual meeting at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 10/17).

Florida Season-Ticket Holders Given Several Options For LSU Game

Univ. of Florida football season-ticket holders "will get reimbursed for the two games that won't be played in Gainesville and will also get subsidized with half-price tickets to the team's game against LSU" that will now be played in Baton Rouge Nov. 19. These details "were revealed in a letter" emailed yesterday and signed by UF AD Jeremy Foley and Gator Bos Exec Dir Phil Pharr. Fans "also have the option of getting their money rolled over" for their '17 tickets or "getting immediately reimbursed for the two games not played" (ESPN.com, 10/16). 

Speed Reads....

Tennis player Nick Kyrgios will "miss the rest of the season" after being suspended eight weeks by the ATP and fined another $25,000 for "conduct contrary to the integrity of the game." The suspension will be reduced to three weeks if Kyrgios agrees to enter a "plan of care under the direction of a sports psychologist" (AP, 10/17).

The 76ers have hired video game industry veteran Jonathan Kemp as CEO of Team Dignitas, the e-sports franchise the team acquired in September. Kemp's first priorities will be integrating the brands of Dignitas and Team Apex (the smaller franchise simultaneously acquired), as well as developing a commercial strategy (Ben Fischer, Staff Writer).

The Lions at halftime of yesterday's home game against the Rams honored the '91 team that advanced to the NFC Championship game and "lays claim to the organization's lone postseason victory in the modern era." Twenty-nine members of the squad were "recognized at midfield" (MLIVE.com, 10/16).

Quick Hits....

"I don't have any idea. Who knows what they're going to do?" – AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco, on whether the Big 12 will expand (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 10/17).

"So many athletes are afraid to use their platform to do the right thing and speak what they feel, and that’s very depressing" – Tennis HOFer Martina Navratilova, on athletes taking a social stance (N.Y. TIMES, 10/17). 

“If they did, they don’t have very good aim" – 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, on a report that a Bills fan threw a bottle at him while he was protesting the national anthem during yesterday's game in Buffalo (USA TODAY, 10/17).

Morning Hot Reads: Blame Game

Former MLBer Curt Schilling pens an op-ed in the PROVIDENCE JOURNAL claiming responsibility for the failure of video game producer 38 Studios. Schilling: "My failure to raise the final tranche of money to complete Copernicus was, in the end, our death blow, and I will take that to the grave." However, he also pins some blame on former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who, beyond the name of the company, "knew nothing."

The N.Y. DAILY NEWS examines the growth of fantasy sports under NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. A game "once reserved for stat geeks is no longer marginalized." The Fantasy Sports Trade Association estimates 57 million people in the U.S. and Canada "play fantasy sports, a more than 200% spike from the 18 million players" in '06.

Also:

Twitter Me This....

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com

Today's Events....

TSN analysts Chris Schultz and Leo Rautins will be inducted into the Ontario Sports HOF in a ceremony at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.

Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott is sponsoring a $21 "Run to the Shelter" pet adoption day at Dallas' SPCA of Texas from 12:00-6:00pm CT.

Today's Back Pages....

The Morning Buzz offers today's back page sports covers from some of North America's major metropolitan tabloids:

 N.Y. Post  N.Y. Daily News Newsday   Boston HeraldChicago Sun-TimesPhiladelphia
Daily News

This Week In SportsBusiness Journal....

This week's In-Depth examines sponsored backdrops for press conferences.

In Case You Missed It....

Some of the top news items from yesterday's edition of Weekend Rap:

Spanning The Global....

The most-read Global stories today on SportsBusiness Daily:

1) Sky Sports Football Viewing Numbers Drop 19% On Last Year
2) ESL France Deal Puts Vivendi At Forefront Of European Esports Market
3) European Countries Will Not Be Able To Bid To Host 2026 World Cup
4) NFL UK Announces New York Bakery, Bridgestone Tires As Official Sponsors
5) Nico Hülkenberg To Leave Force India, Join Renault For '17 Formula 1 Season

Final Jeopardy!

Friday’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “19th Century Literature.”

“This character says, ‘Let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee.’”

Laugh Track: Drought Season

On Fox’ “The Simpsons” last night, the annual “Treehouse of Horror” episode featured a storyline in which Springfield experiences a devastating drought. Lisa Simpson, acting as narrator, said, “One day, the rain stopped, then the rivers dried up, and a drought of Chicago Cubs proportions began” (“The Simpsons,” Fox, 10/16).

Last night’s episode of Fox’ “Family Guy” featured Peter Griffin driving his friend Glenn Quagmire to his appointments for extra money after Glenn becomes a gigolo. Peter told Glenn, “It’ll be nice having a little extra cash to bet on college football.” The show then cut away to Peter walking up to the sportsbook counter to place a bet, telling the clerk, “I’d like to bet a hundred bucks.” The clerk replied, “You want to pick a team?” Peter: “Nope, just take it” (“Family Guy,” Fox, 10/16).