Monumental Sports & Entertainment Chair & CEO Ted Leonsis today unveiled a "new division" for MSE's basketball properties, placing the Wizards, WNBA Mystics, G League Capital City Go-Go and the District Gaming NBA 2K League team "under the banner of Monumental Basketball." Former NFL exec Sashi Brown was named Monumental Basketball Chief Planning & Operations Officer; Tommy Sheppard will serve as GM; and Mike Thibault will "continue in his dual roles" as Mystics coach & GM. Monumental Basketball also hired former Georgetown men’s basketball coach John Thompson III to "lead the athlete development and engagement department for all players under its umbrella." This culminates a "nearly four-month period in which Leonsis completely reset the Wizards" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/22).

Sheppard said, “The biggest thing we’re trying to do here ... is make this very much player-first." He said the organization will make a "360-degree effort to give our players the very best medical care, the very best on-court development opportunities, the very best team skills from the team services side and be able to service all our players' needs” ("The Jump," ESPN, 7/22).

ravens

The Ravens today "announced the completion" of their three-year, $120M renovation project at M&T Bank Stadium. Upgrades include 4K ultra-HD video displays, a "new sound system, upgraded kitchen facilities, a redesigned club level, upgraded suites, and escalators and elevators to the upper deck." Fans will get their "first look at the changes on Saturday, when the Ravens hold an open training camp practice." Since the stadium's construction in '98, the Ravens have spent roughly $220M on "enhancements, including Wi-Fi, redesigned concession stands and upgraded concourses" (WBAL.com, 7/22).

Entercom and Pitt Athletics today announced a multiyear extension of their radio-rights deal, in which KDKA-FM "will continue to serve as the flagship station for Pitt football and men's basketball." Sister stations KDKA-AM, WBZZ-FM and WDSY-FM "will provide coverage and promotional support." For the first time, game broadcasts "will be entirely produced locally by the station." The deal also includes the launch of two new weekly shows -- "The Panther Insider Show" and "The Heather Lyke Show" -- both starting this fall (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/22). 

Vail Resorts has entered into a "definitive merger agreement" to acquire 100% of the outstanding stock of Peak Resorts. The move means Vail will "add 17 U.S. ski areas to its network" of resorts, including properties near N.Y., Boston, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, St. Louis and K.C. The "purchase price for all" Peak common stock is estimated at $264M, which Vail Resorts "intends to finance through a combination of cash on hand, its existing revolver facility and an expansion of its existing credit facility." The deal is "expected to close this fall" (SUMMIT DAILY NEWS, 7/22).

Golf Channel tonight will debut the two-hour documentary "Tiger Woods: Chasing History" at 8:00pm ET, and the film "focuses on the positives in his career that may have been overlooked" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/22). The film documents Tiger Woods' "tradition of wearing his signature red shirt on Sunday, how he was able to popularize golf beyond the game’s diehard fans, and his special relationship with his father, Earl." It is narrated by TV host/producer Carson Daly, who "competed with Woods during their junior golf careers in Southern California" (TVINSIDER.com, 7/22).

Our sister publication, The Esports Observer, runs a regular briefing recapping the week that was in esports. This week: 100 Thieves Raises $35M; Overwatch League Plans Home Games.

The Jaguars have reached a new four-year media-rights agreement, under which WJAX-CBS and WFOX-Fox "will remain the official" broadcast stations of the team through March '23. The stations will air Jaguars preseason games, regular-season games and "weekly team shows during the season" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/22).

Hawks F Cam Reddish has signed a multiyear shoe deal with Nike (TWITTER.com, 7/22).

U.S. women's ice hockey players Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando have formed a new foundation to benefit underserved children and communities primarily in North Dakota (THE DAILY).

NBA 2K League team T-Wolves Gaming named Raynor Group its official gaming chair provider (T-Wolves Gaming).

The latest UFC edition of "Detail," features Daniel Cormier providing in-depth analysis of fellow UFC fighter Conor McGregor. It is now available on ESPN+ (ESPN).

“No chance. No disrespect to those guys. If you see me on one of those shows, it's because I'm getting a healthy paycheck” -- Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr., on if he would ever have interest in being a broadcaster (GQ, 8/’19 issue).

"He apparently has a finite amount of golf rounds in him each year. I'm surprised to hear him using one on a Monday hit-and-giggle skins game" -- Golf Channel's Robert Damron, on Tiger Woods reportedly competing in a new event in Japan this fall ("Morning Drive," Golf Channel, 7/22).

“This is more than just about the arms race (in college football). This about a model of efficiency for the minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day of the student-athlete" -- ESPN's Tom Luginbill, on LSU's newly renovated football locker room ("OTL," ESPN, 7/22).

The process that led to the Wizards making Tommy Sheppard the permanent GM reminds me so much of the process that led to the Wizards ending up with Randy Wittman as head coach.

— Adi Joseph (@AdiJoseph) July 22, 2019

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again....the NFL should outsource discipline. Too inconsistent & should focus on what they do best....putting together a great product

— Damien Woody (@damienwoody) July 22, 2019

Any time I write about children being injured by foul balls, the "maybe they shouldn't sit there" people crawl out of the woodwork. Thing is, thanks to how hard balls are hit and how small foul territory is now, the "there" refers to places no one ever considered dangerous before

— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 22, 2019

For the third time in five years, the NCAA's Baseball Rules Committee has recommended a pitch clock be implemented.

It now goes to the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which has rejected the measure twice already, including last year

— Teddy Cahill (@tedcahill) July 22, 2019

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson talks about his dirt-bike roots and takes his daughters on a motocross outing in Aspen.

Moto is my roots #TheArchives #TBT pic.twitter.com/HkAtzzc00U

— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) July 18, 2019

7 -- Number of ACC Coastal Division teams, out of 7 total, to receive at least one vote from credentialed media to win the division. By contrast, out of 173 media polled, 171 picked Clemson to win the Atlantic Division. Syracuse was the only other Atlantic team to receive any votes, with 2 (ACC).