MLB "plans to address its uniform fiasco" with modifications to "include a return to larger lettering on the back of jerseys, remedying mismatched gray tops and bottoms and addressing the new Nike jerseys' propensity to collect sweat," according to the memo distributed to players by the MLBPA yesterday. The changes, which "will happen at the latest by the beginning of the 2025 season," will also include "fixes to the pants, widely panned this spring for being see-through." The MLBPA informed players of the coming changes in a letter that "placed the blame on Nike" and the debut of its Vapor Premier uniform. The union also "absolved Fanatics" of any wrongdoing (ESPN.com, 4/28).

Both games of this year's MLB Mexico City Series between the Astros and Rockies were announced as sellouts, with crowds of 19,934 and 19,841, respectively, this weekend at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú. The Astros "found a warm welcome" in town during the two-game series, as many of their players were "complimenting the environment and experience" of their first international series in five years. For MLB's second regular-season series in Mexico City, the Astros "appeared a popular participant, reflecting their relative proximity and a roster that features star Latino players." Astros SS Mauricio Dubón described the in-game environment as "unreal." Dubón: "Everybody chanting and everything, the songs, it’s something that you’ll never forget." Astros manager Joe Espada added, "I think it’s great for MLB to continue opening doors, opening frontiers. And hopefully it continues to bring baseball to other countries" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/28).

A's fans "made the trip to the team’s future home" of Sutter Health Park in Sacramento on Saturday to "continue voicing their disapproval of the team’s ownership." It was another protest event put on by the fan group Last Dive Bar and the first in the capital region ahead of the A's temporary move to the city. It was "a quiet protest that gained its voice" in the top of the fifth inning of the game between the River Cats and Las Vegas Aviators, with fans chanting "Sell! The! Team! Sell! The! Team!" while donning their green "Sell" shirts and "unfurling their matching flags" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 4/29).

Knicks fans "took over" the Wells Fargo Center in Games 3 and 4 of the Sixers’ first-round series -- "but especially" yesterday during a 97-92 Knicks victory. The arena "rang with 'M-V-P' chants" for Knicks G Jalen Brunson, who scored a franchise record 47 points, all game, but "it was especially hard to miss after the game." Fans also "came together on the concourse to chant '[Expletive] Embiid' and 'Knicks in five.'" The visiting fans also "put up a Knicks jersey on the statue of Wilt Chamberlain." 76ers C Joel Embiid said, "I think it’s unfortunate and I’m not calling them out, but it is disappointing. Obviously you’ve got a lot of Knicks fans and they’re down the road and I’ve never seen it, and I’ve been here for 10 years. Yeah, it kind of [ticks] me off, especially because Philly is considered a sports town" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/28).

Aramark Sports + Entertainment is rolling out “Immerse” this morning, a newly created consultancy division, that like the company’s recent creation for premium experiences, Aura, packages capabilities it already had into a service offering. Immerse’s capabilities will include research, data insights, and full-scale master planning projects, collaborating with clients to tie together data, trends, goals, and opportunities to create customized plans that lift in-venue F&B quality and performance. 

“The trigger for this was not only when our clients came to us asking for this, but when outside partners and vendors started tapping us,” said Jamie Slotterback, who is VP/Marketing on Aramark Sports + Entertainment's Design and Development team and is leading the Immerse effort. “We really wanted to start with where we are experts, really in our wheelhouse, really specializing in F&B and hospitality, not trying to reach into other parts of sports and entertainment."

Immerse will be available as a service to any interested parties, not just Aramark F&B clients. Entities that operate their own concessions in-house and college athletics departments are potential target markets that could benefit from Aramark’s resources, experience, and broad view of the landscape as clients wrestle with whether to introduce alcohol sales or autonomous stores or switch service styles at an underperforming stand.   

ESPN has unveiled its full agenda and list of speakers for its espnW Summit NYC 2024, which is set to take place next Thursday, May 9 at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. Panels and speakers for this year's event include: 

• The Changing College Sports Landscape: Featuring Texas Volleyball coach Jerritt Elliott, UNC Field Hockey coach Erin Matson, Ole Miss Women's Basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, and Florida State Women's Soccer coach Brian Pensky; moderated by Sarah Spain.
• Q&A with State Farm CMO Kristyn Cook: Will include a sneak peak at the upcoming ESPN+ Original Series Full Court Press following the lives of Caitlin Clark, Kiki Rice and Kamilla Cardoso.
• Live Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy and Lynn Olszowy: Featuring UConn G Azzi Fudd, Notre Dame G Hannah Hidalgo and South Carolina G Tessa Johnson.
• Women at the Helm: Featured speakers include Hawks CMO Melissa Proctor, WNBA Golden State President Jess Smith and Gotham FC GM Yael Averbuch West; moderated by Julie Foudy.
• The Women of ESPN: Featuring ESPN Social Media Commentator Ari Chambers, ESPN Studio Analyst Ali Krieger and ESPN Host, Analyst & Reporter Andraya Carter.
• The 50th Anniversary of the Women's Sports Foundation: A conversation with Women’s Sports Foundation CEO Danette Leighton hosted by Julie Foudy.
• A keynote conversation featuring Love Squad founder & CEO Ally Love moderated by Sarah Spain.
• The Elle Duncan Show: Live from The espnW Summit NYC: Featuring SportsCenter hosts Elle Duncan and Gary Striewski with Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike (espnW).

Premier League clubs will be asked today to "support a proposal for a cap on spending" for the first time, as a vote in principle on the cap is expected to be taken at a Premier League shareholders' meeting in London -- with "further discussions over details, such as the size of the cap, taken before" the league's Annual General Meeting in June. The proposed cap "would result in the top teams being restricted to spending on transfers, wages and agents a proportion of the amount that the bottom club receives in TV money." The idea is to "try to ensure the Premier League remains competitive" instead of "being dominated by one or two super-rich clubs." Fourteen out of 20 votes would result in the proposal being passed. Clubs are "expected to be assured that the cap would not cause any of them to reduce spending from their present level" (London TIMES, 4/28).

Scott McLaughlin earned IndyCar's Team Penske "a much-needed victory" after a week "filled with penalties, disqualifications and questions centered around Team Penske’s integrity and attention to detail." McLaughlin defended his win from a year ago at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday, while Will Power "made it a 1-2 finish for the embattled program." McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden were both DQ’d from the St. Pete season-opener after IndyCar became aware that Team Penske had illegal code in its cars' software (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/28).

The 1-2 finish helped "cap an emotionally charged five days for the drivers, team and series." But for Penske, IndyCar’s largest on-track scandal in recent memory "is not yet in the rearview mirror." Team Penske President Tim Cindric said, "This was a big win for our team. Unfortunately, it doesn’t overshadow our penalty, which we deserved." McLaughlin’s win "won't silence the doubters" -- for some, "nothing will." At least publicly, concerns over Penske’s  "perceived conflict of interest" -- with ownership of the series and one of its most high-profile teams -- "remains negligible" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/29).

Goldman Sachs has told employees in an email that any trips to Paris between July 24 and Aug. 14 -- the dates when the Olympics will be held in the French capital -- "must first get approval from its finance department." Managers "aim to nix any meetings set up so bankers can attend the plethora of sporting events with the firm picking up part of the tab." A spokesperson said, "In line with previous Olympic games, we have asked our people to effectively manage their spend and ensure coordination with firm sponsored events for our clients during the period of the Paris games" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/26).

In this week's SBJ, the Texans were floundering until owner Cal McNair and his team rejuvenated the franchise, symbolized by a bold new look. “We recognized that we had been good for 20 years, but was that all we wanted to be,” McNair said. “We wanted to really stretch and try to be great and you can’t do that doing the same thing as you’ve done.” Also, the quest to offer fans unique access, benefits and relationships is driving the renovation of prime real estate inside sports venues. This week's issue also looks into how youth baseball and softball, fueled by increasing participation, are attracting committed investors and seeing huge growth. Also, SBJ Publisher & Executive Editor Abe Madkour takes in Cosm’s immersive viewing experience and describes it as “an offering fans should want.”

The Pirates' merchandise store at PNC Park "caught fire" Friday night, though it was brought under control within 20 minutes. The one-alarm fire "was caused by an accidental electrical system failure," officials said (TRIBLIVE, 4/27).

The Las Vegas Aces will visit the White House again "to celebrate its record season and victory in the 2023 WNBA Finals." President Joe Biden will welcome the team to the White House on May 9 to celebrate their season (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 4/26).

PWHL Montreal will play all its playoff games at Place Bell this season. The capacity of Place Bell is 10,172, versus 3,200 for PWHL Montreal's other regular home at the Verdun Auditorium (CP, 4/26).

The PWHL will hold its second draft in Minnesota in June, "though an exact date and location have yet to be announced" (CP, 4/27).

The Chicago DAILY HERALD goes with, "McBears splinter into two parts — Poles forward, Warren lost at sea." The Bears "split into two distinctive parts in the past five days." One "suggests positivity," while the "other is so self-mocking." The "good vibrations flowed from the football ops department of Ryan Poles," who came into the 2024 NFL Draft with a "strong hand and did nothing to diminish the anticipation of autumn coursing through his team's fan base." However, the "seaside disconnect wheezed from the starch-tied imagination" of team President Kevin Warren, whose “stadium reveal” event on Draft Eve Wednesday afternoon at Soldier Field proved to be "so tone-deaf, so turgid and so lame that it insulted even diversity, equity and inclusion enthusiasts everywhere."

Also:

• The Suns tried to build a superteam for an NBA that no longer exists.
• Why the NHL should consider radical divisional realignment now that Utah has a team.

MONDAY

• Paramount Global will release its quarterly earnings report.

TUESDAY

• Tiger Woods will appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
• Amazon will release its quarterly earnings report.
• Sirius XM will release its quarterly earnings report.
• Caesars Entertainment will release its quarterly earnings report.

WEDNESDAY

• MGM Resorts International will release its quarterly earnings report.
• Carlyle Group will release its quarterly earnings report.
• Global Payments will release its quarterly earnings report.

THURSDAY

• Apple will release its quarterly earnings report.
• DraftKings will release its quarterly earnings report.
• Penn Entertainment will release its quarterly earnings report.
• Live Nation Entertainment will release its quarterly earnings report.
• Thomson Reuters will release its quarterly earnings report.
• The Madison Square Garden Co. will release its quarterly earnings report.

   

Have an event we should feature? Send an email to malongi@sportsbusinessjournal.com.

As the MLBPA hammers Nike and praises Fanatics, did you know that the MLBPA received $44 million in licensing revenue from Fanatics in 2023? https://t.co/VYdqWiTFVR pic.twitter.com/zAvEsZltTa

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) April 29, 2024

I never knew I needed to see a baseball replaced with a beachball until now. pic.twitter.com/U8tA2JsV0O

— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) April 29, 2024

“Did I ever tell you about playing the prison team when I was playing winter ball?" was the setup to the most bonkers story from John Kruk. ⤵️https://t.co/sS3Qy4ioPC

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 29, 2024

Big shout out to ⁦@Tyler_McCool⁩, staff & volunteers for this year’s ⁦@Zurich_Classic⁩. What a great week. ⁦@jimabate⁩ pic.twitter.com/e4XPYGvPDz

— PGA TOUR Agronomy (@PGATOURAgronomy) April 28, 2024

"At 14,410′, it’s one of North America’s highest volcanoes; a Puyallup name for it can be translated to 'bring the water.'"

"What is Mount Rainier?"