In Green Bay, Richard Ryman reported the Packers will not host the NFL Draft until at least '21 because the team wants to "wait for the opening of a new Brown County expo center" near Lambeau Field. The Packers "recently provided the NFL with a revised letter of interest." The team originally suggested '19 to "mark its 100th anniversary, but decided a later date would work better." Packers Dir of Public Affairs Aaron Popkey: "Titletown will be further along, we'd have the expo center; things, we think, would play favorably to a stronger application." The NFL has "not announced a site" for the '19 Draft (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 1/13).
FOR THE FANS: The Hornets next season will celebrate their 30th anniversary with a "number of festivities, including several appearances at games by former big-name players and several '80s and '90s-themed nights." It will also "include a 30th anniversary team, which will be selected via fan voting and revealed during a series of 'Classic Nights' throughout the season." The Hornets on Saturday began "selling a selection of 30th anniversary merchandise in the team store." The '19 All-Star Game will cap off the "season-long anniversary" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/13).
OFF TO A GOOD START: Fans of Overwatch League franchise Boston Uprising gathered at The Greatest Bar in Boston Thursday night to watch the team play its "first match vs. the New York Excelsior." The match occurred in L.A., but the crowd was "reminiscent of those that watch Patriots games on Sundays" (ESPN.com, 1/11). The Uprising has "utilized resources and staff from its parent company, the Kraft Group, and their sister franchises," the Patriots and Revolution, to "promote local awareness in the Boston and New England areas" (ESPN.com, 1/11).
