In Green Bay, Richard Ryman noted Packers President & CEO Mark Murphy has reiterated that the team has "applied to the NFL to host a draft" in '22 or '24 and beyond. Murphy, speaking at the Packers' annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday, acknowledged that '24 or later is "more likely." The team believes the new Brown County expo center is a "requirement to hosting the draft." It is scheduled to be completed in early '21, but the team "would like it to have been operational for a time before trying to host something as big as the draft." Murphy said that the NFL wants the Draft to "be in cities that won't get to host a Super Bowl and that Green Bay is a possible site" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 7/25).
TIME SLOWS DOWN: In Boston, Dan Shaughnessy notes the gametime for Yankees-Red Sox on Thursday was 3 hours and 28 minutes, which is "relatively tidy by Sox-Yankee standards." The Yankees-Red Sox matchups in London last month "went 4:42 and 4:24." Shaughnessy: "I believe the Sox and Yankees are on a mission to kill baseball." The Red Sox’ average game "lasts 3 hours and 23 minutes per game." The Red Sox are a "full seven minutes per game" longer than any other MLB team (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/26).
RIDE, DON'T DRIVE: In S.F., Dominic Fracassa noted the Warriors next season will pay for fans' public transportation fares as "part of a concerted push to ease the crush of traffic expected to accompany Chase Center’s opening in September." The team and the S.F. Municipal Transportation Agency are "encouraging people to take public transportation to the 18,000-seat arena rather than drive." Event-goers can "present either a paper ticket or an electronic one as proof of payment for their Muni ride on the day of their concert or basketball game." Muni attendants will also be "trained to let Chase Center ticket-holders through turnstiles at train stations" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/25).
