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New Panthers Owner David Tepper eyes new amenities, practice field....Rays' ballpark design includes translucent roof....NFLPA files grievance with league on anthem policy

Tepper Eyes New Amenities, Practice Field For NFL Panthers

By John Aceti

New Panthers Owner David Tepper during his introductory press conference at Bank of America Stadium touched on some of the changes he sees himself bringing to the team. He would like to replace the team’s current practice field with a state-of-the-art facility, which he called an “obvious need.” Tepper said, “We can’t be less than competitive with other NFL teams. … We’re falling behind a little bit.” Tepper mentioned new sports gambling legislation as a reason to also look at improving amenities for fan experiences at the stadium, though he did not say whether that would come in the form of a new stadium or renovations.

With former Panthers COO Tina Becker having resigned yesterday afternoon, Tepper is tasked with hiring a new President and COO for the team. Tepper said that he is looking for candidates that have experience running a sports team, as well as developing a business. Tepper also stressed the importance of hiring people who will help execute his philosophy of “openness on all sides” and creating a family environment. Tepper, on how he sees the team’s culture changing from what it was under former Owner Jerry Richardson, said, “Whatever was, was. This is now.”

Tepper caused waves on social media when he said he is “contractually obligated” to keep in place the statue of Richardson located outside Bank of America Stadium's north entrance. He did not go into details regarding what the obligations are.

Rays Unveil Ybor City Ballpark Design With Translucent Roof

The Rays today unveiled plans for an Ybor City ballpark that has "see-through walls, a fixed translucent roof enclosed and integrated into the neighborhood with an evolving design." Rays Owner Stu Sternberg "talked about the 'ingenuity' involved in the design and concepts included." He also "stressed that the stadium will be available for use year-round." Speculative estimates on the cost had been around $800M, "which included a retractable roof." A remaining "significant question" is "how much the team plans to contribute" (TAMPABAY.com, 7/10).

NFLPA Files Grievance With League Over Anthem Policy

The NFLPA today filed a grievance with the league "challenging its national anthem policy." The union said that the "new policy, which the league imposed without consultation with the NFLPA, is inconsistent" with the CBA and "infringes on players' rights." The NFLPA also said that it has "proposed having its executive committee talking to the NFL instead of proceeding with litigation," and that the league "has agreed to those discussions" (AP, 7/10). See the full statement on NFLPA.com.

Adidas Rolls Out Special Edition Cleats For MLB All-Star Game

adidas

Adidas today unveiled the Nations Pack, a special edition line of cleats designed for the MLB All-Star Game at Nationals Park. All-Stars Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, Aroldis Chapman, J.D. Martinez, Chris Sale, Edwin Diaz, Joe Jimenez and Sean Doolittle will debut the cleats. Nations Pack cleats incorporate design elements from the 18 flags of each Adidas baseball endorsers' home countries, including the U.S., Aruba, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Taiwan, Venezuela and the Virgin Islands (Adidas).

Lions Radio Broadcaster Jim Brandstatter Out, Lomas Brown In

Longtime Lions radio color commentator Jim Brandstatter "will be replaced in the broadcast booth by Lions legend Lomas Brown this fall." Brandstatter, who has called Lions games for 31 years, tweeted WJR-AM this morning "let me know they were going in a different direction and terminated me from their Lions broadcasts." WJR station manager Tom O'Brien said that Brandstatter had done “an excellent job” calling Lions games. O'Brien: "We just thought with Lomas available ... we thought he would bring a great perspective" (DETROITNEWS.com, 7/10).

Jaguars Shift To Mobile-Only Ticketing For '18 NFL Season

The Jaguars are "moving to mobile-phone-only ticketing" for the '18 season as part of a partnership with Ticketmaster that will "add a layer of security to combat fraud." This "permanent switch" comes on the heels of a "successful stadium-wide mobile entry rollout during the Jaguars’ home playoff game last January." Season-ticket members and single-game buyers can "access their tickets by downloading the official Jacksonville Jaguars App to their mobile device." The team has "developed a detailed mobile ticket guide to aid fans in accessing, transferring or selling their tickets for the upcoming season." Daily’s Place, the amphitheater connected to the south end of TIAA Bank Field, also will "utilize mobile tickets exclusively" for concerts and events (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/10).

Speed Reads....

NHL

The NHL and Blackhawks today unveiled the logo for the '19 Bridgestone Winter Classic set to be held at Notre Dame Stadium on New Year's Day (NHL).

Auburn has selected Dyehard Fan Supply as its official merchandiser for the school's athletic programs as part of a new multiyear agreement (Auburn).

Kerri Walsh Jennings' p1440 beach volleyball circuit has reached an agreement with ESPN to have the finals of each event air on ESPN2 or ABC later this year (ESPN).

Loews Hotels, Cordish Cos. and the MLB Cardinals today released new hotel renderings and officially broke ground on the new $65M Live! by Loews hotel, which will be located inside the second phase of Ballpark Village near Busch Stadium (Cardinals).

The Oklahoma City Council unanimously approved a five-year management agreement with SMG to continue to operate the Chesapeake Energy Arena and Cox Convention Center (SMG).

Quick Hits....

"We don't have a secret pot of gold where all of a sudden you write a check and you build a $200 million facility. We have to have a model that works between fundraising, ticket sales and maybe some bonding to pull this off and make this thing work. That's what we're trying to balance right now" -- Alabama AD Greg Byrne, on possible upgrades to both Bryant-Denny Stadium and Coleman Coliseum, home to the school's basketball and gymnastics teams (AL.com, 7/10).

"We’re gonna lose some to that but not everybody has one. There’s no way 3M is going to spend this kind of money without doing due diligence" -- Pro Links Sports CEO Hollis Cavner, on managing next year's PGA Tour 3M Open at the TPC Twin Cities from July 4-7, and whether he is concerned the event will "lose some Minnesotans to cabin country" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/10).

"We’ve done more than I thought we would, to be honest" -- ESPN soccer analyst Taylor Twellman, on the net's coverage of the World Cup without much access to highlights (SI.com, 7/10).

“Knowing Brian Roberts and knowing the rivalry between he and Disney, he’s going to come in with a bid to try and top the last Disney bid for Fox” -- The New Yorker’s Ken Auletta, on Comcast potentially making a counter bid to acquire Fox’ assets (“Squawk Box,” CNBC, 7/10).

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Daily Download....

Red Bull offers a crash course on F1 in the first installment of a new video series, "ABC of Formula 1."

Daily Digit....

3.5 million -- Average viewers for History channel's “Evel Live” on Sunday night, according to Nielsen. The three-hour live TV tribute to Evel Knievel, starring Travis Pastrana, was the "No. 1 cable special of 2018, excluding news and sports" (THEWRAP.com, 7/9).