Univ. of Iowa G Caitlin Clark "surpassed the hype" last night at the Ally Tipoff, scoring 44 points as her No. 3 Iowa team edged No. 8 Virginia Tech, 80-76, "in a rollicking women’s college basketball game at Spectrum Center." The game drew 15,196 fans, which organizers said ranked as the "highest attendance for any women’s college basketball game played in North Carolina." To draw 15,000-plus fans on a Thursday night in November to a women’s college basketball game in Charlotte, "with no team from the Carolinas in the contest and with the Panthers playing a nationally televised game in Chicago at the same time" is "remarkable, and a testament to the drawing power of Clark." The crowd, incidentally, was "about 900 fans more" than the Hornets drew the night before in a loss to the Wizards (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/10).

More than 15,000 spectators "turned out on a weeknight" in Charlotte last night for the Ally Tipoff, "many coming just to see" Clark play. It was "a largely Hokies crowd" at the Spectrum Center, and "at times there were boos for the officials from Tech fans who thought Clark was getting too many calls going her way." Clark called it an "amazing atmosphere, not unlike a Final Four game." Clark: "It seems like there are a lot of people that are just fans of our game, whether it is Iowa fans or Virginia Tech fans or just people that are here to support women's basketball" (AP, 11/9).

Virginia Tech G Georgia Amoore said of the event, "It’s what you dream of when you come into college." Amoore: "To be put in the spotlight in an NBA arena with a great opponent -- that’s just what you can dream about." Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks said the atmosphere "rivaled last year’s Final Four." Iowa coach Lisa Bluder had a similar sentiment, saying, "Without a doubt. Playing in this arena, having a great crowd, it definitely felt like postseason play out there" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/9).

Many of the over 15,000 fans at Spectrum Center came "just to see" Iowa G Caitlin Clark playGetty Images

The LSU women’s basketball team unveiled its national championship banner and championship rings last night in the team's home opener. The Tigers' first rings are "heavy and gaudy with 102 white diamonds, one for each point the Tigers scored in the title game against Iowa last season." The team raised the banner ahead of a 112-55 win over Queens University of Charlotte, and nine players were on hand for the ceremony -- seven of whom "returned to this year’s team." On one side of their rings is "a national championship trophy with a purple stone in the center." On the other is "a shiny purple puzzle piece" that signifies LSU coach Kim Mulkey’s "motto from the 2022-23 season: Piece it together" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 11/9). 

Nearly 20,000 fans came out for the NBA's regular-season game in Mexico City last night, as the Hawks earned a 120-119 victory over the Magic. Hawks G Trae Young said, "I love the energy of the arena tonight, the electricity. It was fun playing here. I know we’re obviously probably going to expand the league and expand it to a couple more cities. This is an unbelievable place to play." It was the league’s 32nd game in Mexico since 1992, "more than any country outside the U.S. and Canada." According to NBA metrics, there are 30 million fans in the country and it "has been mentioned as a potential city when, or if the league, decides to expand." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said before the game, "I can't set a specific timeline, but a main part of my job, if not the most important part of my job, is to grow this league" (USA TODAY, 11/10).

The Sounders announced an "updated fan code of conduct" yesterday that "prohibits flags of either Israel or Palestine inside Lumen Field." The club said the decision was made to "ensure public safety and to make all fans feel secure." A "few Palestinian flags and signage reading 'Free Gaza' were visible" in the Brougham End section of Lumen Field during Game 1 of the playoff match against FC Dallas on Oct. 30. The Sounders host Dallas tonight at 10pm ET inside Lumen Field for a "decisive Game 3 playoff-opening series," where "more than 33,000 fans are expected to attend" (SEATTLE TIMES, 11/9).

ESPN announced last night that the NHL Big City Greens Classic would be returning for a second edition this spring. Debuting this past March, the Big City Greens Classic is an animated alt-cast that uses NHL Edge tracking data and the rendering engine of Sony’s Beyond Sports to recreate a Capitals-Rangers game in the world of the Disney cartoon. The first collaboration set an ESPN record for greatest proportion of total viewers opting for an alternate feed, while also skewing significantly younger and more female than traditional coverage. 

ESPN EVP/Creative Studio & Marketing Tina Thornton shared the news from the stage of the ESPN Edge Conference at the network’s South Street Seaport studios. “We're excited to continue pushing that fan-facing opportunity forward,” she said. An exact date or game was not specified, only that it would be in 2024. More recently, ESPN collaborated with Beyond Sports and NFL Next Gen Stats .

“We're proud of what Edge and our partners have accomplished in the last couple of years,” ESPN Chair Jimmy Pitaro said in his opening remarks, “It's important work and innovative work. But we also know that we're just getting started over here.” 

Soccer media company Men in Blazers is launching a digital content series called “PSV-USA” in partnership with Dutch soccer club PSV Eindhoven that will include six podcast episodes and six video episodes on YouTube, as well as six short-form pieces on MIB’s social channels. MIB and PSV will share advertising revenue from the series, which will feature monthly installments.  

The Dutch club is seeking to grow its brand in North America following the arrival of former U.S. Soccer Sporting Dir Earnie Stewart in the same capacity earlier this year. Stewart will feature prominently in the first episode. The club also has three USMNT players on its roster -- Ricardo Pepi, Sergiño Dest and Malik Tillman -- and Mexican star Hirving “Chucky” Lozano. PSV Manager of New Business Nick de Graaf said, "It’s a new era under Earnie and with the composition of the squad, we wanted to seize the moment to grow our fan base in the US. There is no better way to do that in the US than to engage with the Men in Blazers Media Network community with rich, passionate storytelling."

"PSV-USA" digital content series

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Daniil Medvedev, the No. 3 ranked men's professional tennis player in the world, has joined the ownership group of the Boston-based esports organization M80. Medvedev, who was named a Rainbow Six: Siege game ambassador for Ubisoft last August, will advise the organization on esports endeavors while integrating his world-class experience with sports psychology across M80’s teams. 

"There is only one Daniil Medvedev and we are excited to call him a co-owner and partner in M80,” M80 founder and CEO Marco Mereu said. “Daniil's success in tennis is well documented but his passion and understanding for esports and gaming is something people are going to quickly find out about. He brings a unique edge to M80 that has already delivered some exciting opportunities in a very short time. I'm personally very excited to continue to work and grown the company together. 2023 may have been the year of the esports winter but 2024 is going to be an esports spring for M80."

As a gamer, Medvedev’s competitive nature isn’t exclusive to tennis -- as the former No. 1 is regularly seen playing on the Rainbow Six: Siege ranked ladder and is ranked amongst the top 3% of Rainbow Six gamers worldwide.

Medvedev, who is managed by Olivier van Lindonk at WME/IMG, joins a host of other popular sports figures who have become co-owners of esports organizations including David Beckham (Guild Esports), Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero (KRÜ Esports), and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (Complexity Gaming), to name a few.

Medvedev will advise M80 on esports endeavors and integrate his experience with sports psychology across its teamsM80

F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo sat down with host Jimmy Kimmel last night to promote the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix, with Kimmel noting how the docuseries “Drive to Survive” has created more awareness and popularity of the sport in the U.S. Kimmel asked, “Do you find now that people recognize you a lot more because of that show?” Ricciardo: “Absolutely. It’s funny because a lot of the time now people come up to me and they’re like, ‘Oh, you were great in the show.’ So, my reaction is, ‘Do they know I race or do they think I’m an actor?’” With the green flag of the Las Vegas GP approaching, Kimmel noted he was from Las Vegas and “it’s crazy to me that you guys are closing The Strip down to race.” But Kimmel warned about fans on the course with “giant margaritas” walking around and “there could be magicians, there could be strippers walking across” the course (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 11/9).

Tennis Channel and the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association have launched Pickleballtv, a network available now on Amazon Freevee and Fubo. The new, 24-hour media home of pickleball will show more than 30 top-level live PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball team events, original programming and a weekly studio news show (Tennis Channel).

Pro Volleyball Federation's San Diego franchise, owned by former Olympic volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings, will be known as the San Diego Mojo (Pro Volleyball Federation).

San Diego Mojo

“I’m 78. It’s time to sell the team. We’re trying to find a local buyer” -- Worcester Red Sox owner Larry Lucchino, on his plans to sell the team (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/10).

“Starting next month, Disney+ and Hulu are going to be merged into the same app. Streamers are merging. Pretty soon, they’re going to be all in one giant app called cable” -- NBC’s Jimmy Fallon (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 11/9).

“It hasn’t shown any inclination to buy these very high-quality U.S.-only rights because remember, Apple has two billion iPhones and only two hundred million of them are in the U.S. so it doesn’t really want just U.S. sports rights. To me, it’s much more probable that it would buy global rights for this IP that travels so well to eight billion people around the globe” -- Needham & Co. Managing Dir Laura Martin, on predicting Apple would not try to acquire NBA media rights and instead go after more global sports rights (“Closing Bell,” CNBC, 11/9).

With OL Reign and USWNT F Megan Rapinoe wrapping up her career in the NWSL title game tomorrow night, the London TIMES goes with the headline, "Rapinoe alongside Messi and Ronaldo among 21st century greats." As Rapinoe prepares to play her final match, at 38, "we should surely salute not just a great career and talent" -- two World Cup triumphs including one as captain, top scorer and best player, a Ballon d’Or, 203 caps and 63 goals for her country -- but "a formidable figure who has altered the landscape." It is a career that "could climax … with characteristic drama" when Rapinoe will walk out at Snapdragon Stadium "hoping to win her first NWSL championship in her final game as a professional footballer." That would be "a remarkable conclusion" but, then, "she never was likely to go meekly or quietly."

Also:

• Tom Brady brand takes a hit as cryptocurrency case unfolds in Florida.

Fred Toucher says on 98.5 he was told yesterday was co-host Rich Shertenlieb's last show. It appears the end for Toucher and Rich.

A "new" show starts in the new year.

— Mike Mutnansky (@MikeMutnansky) November 10, 2023

Story coming. Rich is done. Didn't tell them that yesterday was his last day. No comment so far with management. Fred's opening comments re-air at 8. Not surprising at all at it ended, but stunning that it ends like this. https://t.co/UzpYqoG35t

— Chad Finn (@GlobeChadFinn) November 10, 2023

Nick Saban is quietly building a massive car dealership business 📈

• Owns ~10 car dealerships
• Employs 500+ people
• Locations sell Mercedes & Ferrari's

And he recently closed a $700 million deal.

Here's the story 👇

Nick Saban grew up in a mining town in West Virginia.… pic.twitter.com/P42me8lsu6

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) November 9, 2023

This is not Joe vs the media. This is a thin skinned, potentially immature HC doing oppo research on a reporter in order to gain the upper hand in a petty public squabble. And it was nowhere near the gotcha moment Joe probably envisioned it to be during rehearsal. https://t.co/RFjssKmW3Y

— John Zannis (@John_Zannis) November 9, 2023

All sports were insulted equally at the table tonight.

Happy Birthday Ertzy & Rahmbo!!

🎂🎂 pic.twitter.com/O4wLGMBnDd

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) November 10, 2023

“In 1950 the Swedish Academy said this Nobel Prize winner ‘is a regional writer’ but called ‘his regionalism universal.’”

“Who is William Faulker?”