Menu

Sunday, July 23, 3:15pm ET

Weekend Rap .... Latest News .... Shining Stars

WNBA ASG At KeyArena Attracts 15,221 Fans; Seattle Earns Praise

The WNBA All-Star Game "delivered a satisfying spectacle" yesterday that included an "ample amount of highlights and limited doses of defense in front of 15,221 at KeyArena" (SEATTLE TIMES, 7/23). The arena was "filled nearly to the rafters," and was "rocking again, a paean to its glorious past and perhaps a harbinger of a prosperous future." The crowd "all but blew the iconic roof off the place." What "shined brightest" was the "universal appreciation for Seattle as host." Mercury G Diana Taurasi said, "This fan base is one of the best I've ever seen in any sport, in any country I've played in"(SEATTLE TIMES, 7/23). The Storm's owners knew the game was a "great opportunity to show off the city, the franchise and the team's passionate fans to a national audience" (AP, 7/22).

USMNT Defeats Costa Rica In Gold Cup Semis In Front Of 45,516

The USMNT yesterday earned a 2-0 victory over Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals "before 45,516 at AT&T Stadium." The USMNT "advanced to the final for a record 10th time and will play reigning champion Mexico or Jamaica on Wednesday at Levi's Stadium." Mexico and Jamaica will play today in the other semifinal at the Rose Bowl (WASHINGTON POST, 7/23). The USMNT, which is 8-0-5 under coach Bruce Arena, "must be considered the Gold Cup favorite" (SI.com, 7/23).

Meanwhile, nearly 35,000 fans yesterday "paid top dollar for a glorified scrimmage" between EPL club Tottenham and Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain in the Int'l Champions Cup. Soccer is "blowing up in this country and the now-annual ICC is proof positive." However, Orlando City SC might not have been "happy about two world-class teams playing at Camping World Stadium on the same weekend" the team returned to action at Orlando City Stadium after a two-week layoff (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 7/23).

WME-IMG Global Head Of Esports Tobias Sherman Departs Agency

By Ben Fischer

WME-IMG Global Head of Esports and 2017 SBJ Forty Under 40 winner Tobias Sherman has left the company, along with three others. Sherman was a key player in the creation of ELeague, a joint venture with Turner Sports and IMG Academy's esports program. He also advised numerous high-profile clients on esports strategy. Three others also left: agent and ELeague co-creator Simon Abitbol, Dir of Strategy/Engagement Lilia Russo and VP/Sales & Global Partnerships Imari Oliver. The four represented the agency's core esports team. WME-IMG acquired Sherman's agency, Global eSports Management, in January '15. The agency will continue working in the growing space through its global partnership division and IMG Media. Exec VP/Content Strategy & Partnerships Karen Brodkin will continue to lead esports efforts. A source said the esports team had grown frustrated by what it perceived as the larger organization's inability to grasp the nuances of the new world of esports and to fully appreciate how it must be treated differently from traditional sports.

UFC on Fox 25 At Nassau Draws 11,198 Crowd For Local Fighter

UFC on Fox 25 last night at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum drew 11,198 spectators for the 13-bout event "generating gate receipts" totaling $1,088,332" (MMAWEEKLY.com, 7/22). Simply by stepping foot on the arena floor, fighter Chris Weidman "brought the home crowd to its feet with a crescendoing mix of cheers and screams and hand gestures." With his "vintage performance, Weidman gave the people what they came for," ending his three-fight losing streak defeating Kelvin Gastelum. Weidman: "Bro, I did it in Nassau Coliseum. I literally saw kids I went to elementary school with on the way to the octagon" (NEWSDAY, 7/23). 

BIG3 Comes To Chicago After Nashville's Lack of Interest

The UIC Pavilion in Chicago is hosting BIG3 basketball today beginning at 2:00pm ET, but the city "initially wasn't on the schedule" because the league was "constrained to markets where Fox Sports already had crews in place." However, league execs "successfully pushed for the city to be added once they dropped Nashville." BIG3 co-Founder Ice Cube said, "Nashville didn't really see the picture how we saw it. They didn't really understand what we were doing with Big3 basketball. We had always talked about we need a big city like Chicago because they'll get it." Ice Cube added, "(Bridgestone Arena in Nashville) wasn't giving us enough love that we needed to pull this off. (Chicago) was on board faster." He said ticket sales were "pretty good; could be better" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/22).

Saratoga Opening Day All-Sources Handle Up 14.4% Over '16

The 149th thoroughbred meet at the Saratoga Race Course kicked off Friday, marking the "first of 40 days of racing at one of the oldest horse racing tracks in the country." Some 32,730 people "flocked to the race course on opening day, with hundreds partaking in an annual ritual of storming the gates" at 7:00am ET to "save a picnic table in the backyard area of the track" (TIMESUNION.com, 7/22). Good weather and strong field size "led to booming business on opening day at Saratoga as all-sources handle was $20,332,051, an increase" of 14.4% over opening day '16. The announced attendance was "down less than" 1% from last year (DRF.com, 7/21).

Rookie Scott Blumstein Wins WSOP Main Event, $8.1M In Prize Money

A New Jersey man "with a degree in accounting" today won this year's World Series of Poker Main Event as a rookie. Scott Blumstein is now more than $8.1M "richer after eliminating Pennsylvania's Daniel Ott on the 246th hand of the final table." Unlike the past several years, the final nine players "didn't have to wait until November to take their spots at the final table." The WSOP Main Event "marked the end of this year's series, in which dozens of tournaments drew 120,995 entrants from around the world, shattering attendance records" (AP, 7/23). The first hour of play from the final threesome of Blumstein, Ott and French pro Benjamin Pollack was "aired on ESPN" (NJ.com, 7/23).

Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters Among Five Inducted Into Tennis HOF

Retired tennis player Andy Roddick yesterday was "inducted into" the Int'l Tennis HOF along with Kim Clijsters, six-time Paralympic medalist Monique Kalkman-van den Bosch and journalist and historian Steve Flink. Late tennis instructor and innovator Vic Braden was "inducted posthumously." Tennis HOFer Chris Evert "presented Flink for induction." Evert's friendship with Flink "started when he was a researcher for Hall of Fame tennis writer Bud Collins." Flink "went on to write books and magazine articles and provide tennis commentary on TV and radio." Roddick's wife Brooklyn Decker "sat in the stands near fellow model Chrissy Teigen and her husband, singer John Legend" (AP, 7/22).

Minor League Team Pays Tribute To Craig Sager With Colorful Jersey

The Single-A Florida State League Daytona Tortugas paid tribute on Friday to late broadcaster Craig Sager with a "beautifully gaudy jersey befitting Sager’s distinctive dress for 'SagerStrong Night.'" The jerseys were "auctioned off, with the money benefiting the Sager Strong Foundation." Sager's wife, Stacy, who is Sager Strong President & CEO, was "in attendance Friday with other members of the Sager family" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/23). NBA Kings G Vince Carter, a Daytona native, "threw out a first pitch and hosted a pregame meet-and-greet" before the game (NEWS-JOURNALONLINE.com, 7/21).

Mets Broadcasters Crack Up Over Bobblehead's Phallic Hammer

Mets broadcasters Keith Hernandez and Gary Cohen during yesterday's SNY broadcast "failed to hold in their laughter at the phallic Thor hammer" on the base of P Noah Syndergaard’s bobblehead that was given to fans before the game against the A's. During the third inning while the top of the bobblehead was being shown on camera, Hernandez said, "Show the hammer." Cohen, who had "been laughing, was able to compose himself to update viewers of the count during the at-bat." Hernandez "not so much." He eventually "got over the Mets' boner, which was hardly their first of the season" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/23). Syndergaard tweeted, "Heard any good 'Thor's Hammer' jokes lately? #bobblehead" (TWITTER.com, 7/22).

Speed Reads....

The NFLPA released a video Friday "with a message of 'Save now. Fight later,'" to encourage players to make good financial decisions (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/23).

The Cavaliers are "finalizing a deal to promote" Assistant GM Koby Altman to GM (ESPN.com, 7/21). Meanwhile, Cavs G League affiliate Canton Charge GM Mike Gansey is "expected" to replace Altman as Assistant GM (TWITTER.com, 7/21).

The Blackhawks Convention at the Hilton Chicago yesterday "featured a kids-only press conference." It was "an hour long." Questions were "both cute and serious" and the kid reporters "knew how to ask the hard questions" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/23).

Quick Hits....

"It's really a broader base of people that are able to see the WNBA. We know there's a thirst for the game, the women's game in particular, but to be able to consume it in many different ways. Whether it’s on ESPN, Twitter, FanDuel, the fantasy space, the digital space, you name it, we're there. It's America. We got options” – WNBA President Lisa Borders, on how Twitter and games on ESPN have helped expand viewership (“2017 WNBA All-Star Game,” ABC, 7/22).

"We appreciate Kyle Busch, we love that Kyle has interest in running the 500, so I don’t want to tick off Kyle Busch, but man, I wish he'd let some other folks run up front" – IMS President Doug Boles, on the Brickyard 400's need for more excitement (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/21).

Weekend Hot Reads....

The DALLAS MORNING NEWS writes under the header, "From Actors To Presidents, Everyone Wants To Watch A Cowboys Game From Jerry Jones' Suite." Getting invited to Jones' box is a "sign that says you have arrived." An invitation "into the Jones sanctum gets few declines." The MORNING NEWS also writes Jones has been a "pioneer in marketing" the Cowboys and NFL to Latino fans in the U.S. and beyond. Latino interest in the Cowboys dates to the '70s, but the Cowboys' "interest in Latinos only started" with Jones. The Pro Football HOF elect "understood Hispanics form a separate market that, besides soccer and boxing, is passionate about football." He also "understood Hispanics have the purchasing power to spend on entertainment." 

The SEATTLE TIMES writes under the header, "Microsoft Scrambles To Become Player In New Game Of Sports Analytics." The NWSL Seattle Reign are "among the dozen teams piloting Microsoft's Sports Performance Platform, which officially launched last month." The software is "part analytics display tool, part web-based data repository." 

Elsewhere

Twitter Me This....

Sunday Comic....

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

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

Hit The Ground Running: The Week Ahead

THE DAILY’s Week Ahead: July 24-30

MONDAY
  • ATP German Tennis Championships begin (Hamburg)
  • ATP BB&T Atlanta Open begins (Atlantic Station in Atlanta)
  • ATP J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad begins (Gstaad, Switzerland)
  • WTA Ericsson Open begins (Bastad, Sweden)
  • WTA JiangXi Open begins (Nanchang, China)

THURSDAY
  • PGA Tour RBC Canadian Open begins (Glen Abbey Golf Course, Oakville, Ont.)
  • LPGA Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open begins (Dundonald Links, Troon, Scotland)

SATURDAY
  • NASCAR Xfinity Series U.S. Cellular 250 (Iowa Speedway)
  • NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overton’s 150 (Pocono Raceway)
  • UFC 214: Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones (main event)(Honda Center, Anaheim)
  • Premier Boxing Champions: Adrien Broner vs Mikey Garcia (main event)(Barclays Center, Brooklyn)

SUNDAY

  • Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton’s 400 (Pocono Raceway)