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Monday 9:00am ET....Today's News....Boston Celebrates Marathon

  • Security Tight Once Again With Boston Marathon Underway
  • F1 Set To Announce CAA Sports As Agency Of Record
  • Nickelodeon To Have Presence At The Players Championship In May
  • Dodgers Unveil Jackie Robinson Statue On Day Designated In His Honor

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Today: Why will turtles be sharing the fairways with the best golfers at The Players? And the Mariners are selling out of what exactly?

Security Tight Once Again With Boston Marathon Underway

The Boston Marathon begins this morning, with "more than 30,000 runners expected to line up with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-60s -- a little warmer than the competitors would like." But a tailwind gusting up to 30 mph "could mean fast times, at least among the elite runners" (AP, 4/17). Security will be "tight once again, with many road closures along the route and throughout the Back Bay, the Copley MBTA station closed, and many items not allowed near the crowds" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 4/17).

Race Dir Dave McGillivray will run today's marathon to "raise money for the Martin Richard Foundation, in honor of the 8-year-old boy who was killed in the 2013 Marathon bombings" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/17). The Red Sox prior to their Saturday game against the Rays honored "all those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings on the four-year anniversary of the attack." There was a "moment of silence" at 2:49pm ET (BOSTONHERALD.com, 4/15).

F1 Set To Announce CAA Sports As Agency Of Record

F1 this week will announce officially that CAA Sports is its "agency of record, responsible for selling the racing circuit’s rights globally." The deal runs through '18, after which the two sides "expect to renew." Terms of the deal "were not disclosed but CAA Sports likely receives a percentage of deals they close on behalf of F1." The deal is a "boon for CAA Sports, which convinced F1 to hire it because of the agency’s work with other companies." CAA Sports has deals with entities such as F1 team Red Bull Racing, the 49ers and Warriors (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/17 issue).

Nickelodeon To Have Presence At The Players Championship In May

By John Ourand

Nickelodeon will have a presence at The Players Championship next month, marking the first time the kids channel has attached itself to a golf event. Nickelodeon will be part of the McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation Kid Zone, which will include a SpongeBob SquarePants mini-golf challenge and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Puttskee. Nickelodeon will carry golf-themed programming as part of its “NickSports Presents Golf Rocks Weekend” May 12-14 on Nicktoons. On May 14, Nicktoons will show a previously filmed Mega Golf Challenge with the cast of the Nick show “School of Rock” and PGA Tour and LPGA players. 

Dodgers Unveil Jackie Robinson Statue On Day Designated In His Honor

A statue of Jackie Robinson was unveiled Saturday at Dodger Stadium, and the image of him is “frozen in time stealing home.” The statue was presented on Jackie Robinson Day. Having the statue on the reserve level on the third-base side “was a prerequisite because that is the most trafficked entry at Dodger Stadium, and that gives as many fans as possible the chance to see it” (ESPN.com, 4/15). The sculpture by Branly Cadet “includes such iconic Jackie Robinson quotes as ‘A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.’” Robinson’s widow, Rachel, took a “place of honor during the statue dedication in the afternoon and receive a standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd in the evening” (L.A. TIMES, 4/16).

Several articles this past weekend examined the dearth of African-American MLBers:

Rogers Place Welcomes 11,000 For Oilers-Sharks Game 3 Watch Party

There were “perhaps 11,000 fans” at Rogers Place last night for the Oilers-Sharks NHL Western Conference quarterfinal Game 3 watch party. Rogers “jumped on board to support the watch party and allow the broadcast to be played, but due to the rightsholder agreement with Sportsnet, would not allow adding things like game presentation components or interviews during commercials to a watch party for a road telecast in the arena.” The broadcast “must run complete with commercials and without interruption.” Fans paid C$5 a ticket, with “proceeds [going to] to the Oilers Community Foundation” (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 4/17).

USL Club FC Cincinnati Sets League Home Opener Attendance Record

USL club FC Cincinnati is “the owner of yet another” attendance record, this time, “it's the largest-ever mark for attendance at a home opener.” The club on Saturday “attracted a crowd of 23,144” to Nippert Stadium for its match against St. Louis FC. That broke the previous mark of 20,231 set by Sacramento Republic FC in ’14. The crowd was “so large that team and stadium officials moved decorative tarps from the Nippert grandstands at halftime to accommodate ticket holders” (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/16).

Radio Host Gargano Returns To WPEN After "Unannounced Absence"

"The Morning Show" host Anthony Gargano returned to Philadelphia-based WPEN-FM today after an "unannounced absence." Gargano was "reportedly upset when the station let go" of co-host Maureen Williams, who "helped him launch the show" in '15. A source said that he "took a few days to cool off." The WPEN show now has "lost two of its original four members since replacing" ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike" in the morning time slot (PHILLY.com, 4/13).

Also today, a simulcast of CBS Sports Radio's "Tiki and Tierney" debuts on CBS Sports Network and moves moves to a new time slot of 3:00-6:00pm ET, rather than the previous 9:00-noon. The TV simulcast means the show, hosted by Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney, will be "vastly increasing its visibility, especially" in the N.Y. market (NEWSDAY, 4/13). Also, the Sean Salisbury Show launches today on beIN Sports TV Network (THE DAILY).

Meanwhile, Hartford-based WTIC-AM's "Joe D and Gresh" ended Friday at 6:30pm after two years. WTIC will "announce a replacement show in the coming days." Co-host Andy Gresh is "returning to Providence" where he will do a 6:00-9:00pm show on WPRO-AM (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/16). 

American Cancer Society Becomes First Official Charity Of MLL

The American Cancer Society for '17 will be the first official league-wide charity of MLL. The long-term partnership will kick off in May with the MLL Pink Challenge, a variation of the ACS' national fundraising program, Real Men Wear Pink. Each team will host a "Pink Out" game where fans are encouraged to wear pink. The nine MLL teams also will have promotions in place throughout the year to raise awareness (ACS).

Andre Drummond Debuts New Burger For Michigan Fast Food Chain

Michigan-based fast food chain Halo Burger and Pistons F Andre Drummond yesterday officially debuted The Dre Burger "at all locations." Drummond "took a hands-on approach throughout the entire process." Drummond in January "agreed to become the first-ever spokesperson and brand ambassador" for the restaurant chain (MLIVE.com, 4/15).

Speed Reads....

A public viewing will be held for late Steelers Chair Dan Rooney from 2:00-7:00pm ET at the PNC Champions Club at Heinz Field. A funeral Mass is scheduled for tomorrow at 11:00am at Saint Paul Cathedral in Oakland, Pa. (POST-GAZETTE.com, 4/17).

A source said that Virginia Tech Deputy AD Desiree Reed-Francois "has signed a contract" to become UNLV's next AD. UNLV "plans to formally introduce Reed-Francois" tomorrow afternoon (LASVEGASSUN.com, 4/16).

Broadcaster Tim Brando "has signed a multiyear contract extension to continue calling college football and college basketball for Fox Sports" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 4/14).

UFC Fight Night at K.C.'s Sprint Center on Saturday night, featuring Demetrious Johnson-Wilson Reis, recorded a live gate of $1,081,193 with attendance of 12,171. The live gate set a record as the highest-grossing sporting event at Sprint Center (THE DAILY).

The Cleveland Plain Dealer yesterday ran an editorial cartoon addressing MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's stance on the Indians' Chief Wahoo logo. 



Quick Hits....

"I did a book report on Jackie Robinson in elementary school so I knew about him. But then as you get older and realize what he went through, it’s crazy” – Braves RF Matt Kemp, on the late HOFer's impact on MLB (MDJONLINE.com, 4/16).

"Honestly, I just threw up a little in my mouth, and I was like, well, shoot, I guess this is what nervous feels like" – Golfer Wesley Bryan, on his nerves on the 17th tee at the RBC Heritage prior to claiming his first PGA Tour title (“RBC Heritage,” CBS, 4/16).

“That's what Eddie (Vedder) and the band want us to do is to create that kind of experience for them and for their fans. I like to call them our house band because they'll have a residency here" – Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke, on having Pearl Jam performing at a renovated Key Arena (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/14).

Morning Hot Reads: Above & Beyond

Frisco, Texas, already is home to three pro sports teams, but it is "vying to be the champion in another area -- sports innovation." Frisco is also home base for the "nonprofit U.S. Youth Soccer, the largest member of the U.S. Soccer Federation, with more than 3 million players across the country." Now Frisco has "set its sights on becoming the America's premier location for sports medicine and research."

The prospect of missing the Olympics can "soften even the most focused of NHL dressing rooms." For many athletes, the chance to "wear their nation's colors supersedes all else, memories of entire towns huddled around TVs when their countries were competing during an indelible part of their childhoods."


Also:

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-Times

Final Jeopardy!

Friday night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Countries of the World.”

“A 2010 study of this country is subtitled ‘Inside the Land of Milk and Money.’”

Friday night’s edition of “Jeopardy!” featured the category “Fencing.”

$200: “One of the three weapons used in fencing, it’s also a verb meaning ‘to hinder.’”
$400: “Safety equipment includes a glove that sometimes goes by this name, like one from knights of old.”
$600: “Excellent, sir! You have accepted my invitation to a contest of thrust and this, meaning ‘to deflect.’”
$800: “On beginning a bout, ‘Prêt ? Allez!’ (Ready? Go!) often follows this two-word French phrase.”
$1000: “In ‘Hamlet’ Laertes says, ‘A’ this, ‘I do confess;’ today he wouldn’t have to, as the electronics would record it.”

This Week In SportsBusiness Journal....

This week's In-Depth focuses on changes introduced or proposed in several sports, and what influential figures in sports business would like to see next.

Final Jeopardy....

“What is Switzerland?”

Correct responses to the “Fencing” category:
$200: “What is foil?”
$400: “What is a gauntlet?”
$600: “What is parry?”
$800: “What is ‘en garde?’”
$1000: “What is a touch?”