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Sunday, May 21, 2:00pm ET

Weekend Rap .... Latest News .... Third Time's A Charm

Preakness Stakes Draws Record Attendance For Third Straight Year

A crowd of 140,327 turned out for yesterday's running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, the "third straight year" of record attendance. Betting on the Preakness, won by Cloud Computing, was $60.2M, down 1.7% from the record of $61.3M "set last year." Betting on the 14-race card was $97.96M, a record that was up 3.2% "compared with the previous record" of $94.9M set in '16 (DRF.com, 5/20).

The race "drew a diverse crowd of famous faces." Under Armour for the fifth year had a "large tent" for entertainment purposes, while Pimlico owner Stronach Group had a "cozy 'chalet.'" Actor Kevin Spacey, Victoria's Secret model Josephine Skriver and Patriots coach Bill Belichick were among those at the Stronach Group tent. The Corporate Village in the track's infield also saw a "busload of notables," including former Maryland men's basketball coach Gary Williams, former Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and ESPN's Herm Edwards (Baltimore SUN, 5/21).

NASCAR All-Star Race's Option Tire Fails To Move Needle

Kyle Busch won last night's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but the race was "pretty boring on the track." An option tire introduced by NASCAR to help with strategy and passing "was a dud" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/20). NASCAR decided to "have a race in which drivers could use one set of softer tires along with three sets of primary, harder tires" in hopes of "thrilling the racing wonks and the diehard race fans." But it was a 70-lap "dull-fest" that had few lead changes and was "more about who had the freshest tires." The race also "needed less confusing rules" (ESPN.com, 5/20). 

New Monster Activations At NASCAR All-Star Race A Hit With Fans

By Adam Stern

While the on-track part of last night's Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race is being largely panned in the media, multiple new off-track activation elements seem to have been a hit. Monster debuted its Bellator MMA partnership with four fights in an octagon just outside Charlotte Motor Speedway, where upwards of 1,000 onlookers gathered at about 3:30pm ET. Jockey Victor Espinoza and PBR rider J.B. Mauney, both Monster endorsers, were among the onlookers, along with several Bellator and Monster execs. Disney/Pixar’s “Cars 3” film also had a large display, and the line to get in was dozens deep and filled with kids throughout yesterday.


Meanwhile, Monster had a significant presence for pre-race driver intros. Monster stuntmen did wheelies and burnouts on the track on Harley-Davidson motorcycles as drivers and their pit crews walked by Monster Energy Girls on an elongated stage above them. Elsewhere, race winner Kyle Busch also became the cover athlete for NASCAR licensee 704Games’ forthcoming “NASCAR Heat 2” game by finishing higher in the second stage of the race than Martin Truex Jr., the other Toyota driver who was in the running.

Stan Kroenke Has No Interest In Arsenal Sale, Turns Down $1.3B Offer

A source said that EPL club Arsenal Owner Stan Kroenke has "no interest" in selling the team and "remains determined to make the club a force in Europe." A source said that Kroenke has "turned down" a $1.3B bid for his 67% share in the club from minority shareholder Alisher Usmanov. Kroenke has "faced increasing criticism" from Arsenal fans in recent years, with some "viewing him as an absentee owner who is more interested in profit than trophies." But the source said that Kroenke's ambition is still to "win the Premier League and make the club competitive in the Champions League again" (ESPNFC.us, 5/20). Arsenal today "failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years" (AP, 5/21).

D-Backs Debut $50 Ticket Plan For Fans To Attend Games In June, July

The D-backs today roll out their "Ballpark Summer Pass" program, allowing fans to "attend every home game in June and July for $50." Divided out, it would be $2 per game if fans "attend all 25 contests." Fans can "buy up to four passes" for $200, but tickets "can't be shared or resold." Purchasers "must download MLB's Ballpark app, which will assign seat locations to every game two hours in advance." As a result, every game will be "something of a surprise." The tickets "won't be in premium locations." But fans "will have the option to upgrade their upper deck seats for an additional fee by using the same app." Through 26 home games this season, the D-backs have averaged 23,177 fans, "third-worst" in the NL (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 5/21).

Teenage Sensation Shakur Stevenson Draws Well In Fight At MSG

A crowd of 8,026 turned out to MSG last night to see welterweight boxer Terence Crawford attain a "10th-round technical knockout" over Felix Diaz. Nineteen-year-old Shakur Stevenson in the undercard also "scored his first knockout as a professional, stopping Carlos Suarez in the first round." Stevenson "could have been in his hometown of Newark considering the ovation that greeted him" (N.Y. POST, 5/21). Crawford was the "main event, but it was clear the way the crowd responded when Stevenson entered the building that plenty had come for the undercard." Stevenson "made sure he brought his city into the ring, with 'NEWARK' emblazoned on his headband and the back of his shorts" (NJ.com, 5/20). 

USADA Report: Nike's Oregon Project Coach Violated Antidoping Rules

A confidential report written by USADA lays out in "vivid detail" the incidents involving runners who participated in the Oregon Project, a "vaunted team financed by Nike and led by" coach Alberto Salazar. The report describes a "culture of coercion, secrecy and possible medical malpractice in the Oregon Project, an effort to make distance running relevant again" internationally. Salazar has "emphatically denied violating antidoping rules." But in the report, antidoping officials "depicted Salazar as a medicine chest whose door swung open for the world-class athletes on Nike's payroll." U.S. antidoping officials "now believe that Salazar and a Texas endocrinologist administered an infusion procedure in violation of antidoping rules" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/20).

PBWA Honors LeBron James With Award For Community Service Efforts

The Professional Basketball Writers' Association honored Cavaliers F LeBron James with the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, "given each season to a player, coach or trainer who 'shows outstanding service and dedication to the community.'" James' work with at-risk Akron school children through his charitable LeBron James Family Foundation is "well known." This year, James and Akron Public Schools are working to "create a school for the students who need the mentoring his foundation provides" (CLEVELAND.com, 5/21).

Speed Reads....

Sources said that the Hawks will "interview Chauncey Billups" next week in L.A. for their GM opening (TWITTER.com, 5/21).

Chelsea today "finally received the Premier League trophy" after beating Sunderland 5-1 (AP, 5/21). Hull City, Middlesbrough and Sunderland were all relegated for the '17-18 season (THE DAILY).
 
Baseball HOFer Tommy Lasorda "has been hospitalized" but is "resting comfortably" (AP, 5/20).

Roger Federer and his wife Mirka "attended the wedding" of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews yesterday outside London (DAILYMAIL.co.uk, 5/20).

Quick Hits....

“Please don’t turn off your TV sets, America” – TNT’s Charles Barkley, on the Cavaliers' 72-31 halftime lead over the Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday (“Cavaliers-Celtics,” TNT, 5/19).

"You can’t count on that every year. That’s the reality. But it really is good to see, because the optics have changed over the last five years. We needed that as a league” – ACC Commissioner John Swofford, on the conference's success in football last year (USATODAY.com, 5/21).

"Everybody in the group is cognizant of not interfering with the history of the game, but to look at ways to improve it by focusing on things such as pace of play and dead time" – Red Sox Chair and MLB Competition Committee member Tom Werner, on discussions the group is having about improving the game (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/21).

Sunday Comic....

A sneak preview of SportsBusiness Journal's weekly editorial cartoon:

Weekend Hot Reads....

THE MMQB profiled free agent WR Andrew Hawkins, who is "finishing up his graduate degree" at Columbia Univ.'s sports management program. His goal is to "become a general manager or team president when his playing career ends." Hawkins, now 31, "spent the past three seasons with the Browns" and "enrolled in Columbia’s sports management graduate program in the spring of 2015."

The WALL STREET JOURNAL writes Formula E's mission is to "add some sex appeal to electric cars, and global auto makers, hard pressed to sell them, are all in favor." Their "big idea to reach these young urbanites is captured in its tagline: 'electric street racing.'" In short, Formula E "looks like one big videogame, a connected environment familiar to a generation inculcated in cloud gaming."

Elsewhere:

• NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz dishes on his previous run with the Union.
• Former Arizona State softball player takes critical role in Sun Devil Stadium project. 
• The PGA Tour AT&T Byron Nelson says goodbye to TPC Four Season Resort and Club.
Michael Phelps turns to water safety advocacy in retirement.

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Today's Back Pages....

The Weekend Rap 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