This morning, 30 MLB owners "will assemble in a hotel ballroom" to vote to officially allow the A's to move from Oakland to Las Vegas. The vote is "expected to pass with ease," and A's owner John Fisher "hopes to move forward with opening shop on the Las Vegas Strip by 2028." Twins Chair Jim Pohlad said of the vote, "The resolution of this is important to baseball." Fisher needs 75% of owners -- 23 of 30 -- to approve the relocation, and "the buzz at the Live! By Loews hotel, site of this week’s owners' meetings, is that it’ll be unanimous or close to unanimous." A source said that Fisher has "presented renderings and a ballpark-funding plan" to MLB, neither of which has been made public. After this morning's vote, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred "will speak on relocation at a news conference" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/15).

There are "still several steps needed before it’s official." The A’s would need to "enter into agreements" with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on their planned ballpark and will also need to "enter into development, non-relocation, community benefits and lease agreements." The two sides "began that process last month" with the stadium authority with "preliminary drafts of some of those agreements." Bally’s Corp, which owns the Tropicana, would need to "demolish the hotel-casino to make way for the ballpark." Early indication is it will "begin in late 2024," with construction on the ballpark "planned to start in April 2025." That would set up the stadium to be "substantially completed in January 2028" before the start of the season (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 11/15).

LAS VEGAS -- F1 last night started the festivities around the inaugural Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix with a visually stunning opening ceremony at its new pit building. The event came before practice starts today, and the racing series paid to have the likes of Tiesto, John Legend, Steve Aoki and Keith Urban perform amid a dramatic light show from fixtures attached all down the rectangular pit building. The opening ceremony, presented by the LVCVA, started around 10pm ET/7pm PT and ESPN2 aired highlights from the event at 12:30am ET, while F1 livestreamed it on its social and digital pages. Overhead, a helicopter camera gave shots of the massive LED F1 logo on the top floor of the pit building, lit up in red, with the Sphere in the background of the shot.

There was also a drone show, and at the end of the performances, F1’s 20 drivers were shown off two-by-two with the 10 teams. The drivers were lifted hydraulically from rectangular LED boxes on pit road. However, the balancing act F1 faces in trying to be both sport and entertainment was underscored with F1 champion Max Verstappen being quoted after the ceremony as saying: “For me, you can skip this. We are just standing up there, looking like a clown.” Verstappen has an old-school mindset of just wanting to race and to put sport before entertainment, but the comment still could make some F1 and Liberty Media execs cringe as they try to build the Vegas Grand Prix into a multi-year success story.
 
Meanwhile, the track is nearly complete but final touches were still being applied as of 4am ET/1am PT on Thursday morning. That included the last concrete barriers and fences being put into place on the Strip. To keep revelers away from workers finishing up the circuit, CSC event staff employees, who are often seen working security at stick-and-ball sporting events, were lined up and down the Strip. F1 is spending more than $500M on the race and has a three-year guaranteed agreement with the city and other relevant stakeholders.

There was a drone show during the opening ceremony at F1's new pit building for the Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand PrixGetty Images

NYCFC unveiled plans for a fully electric stadium at a local community board meeting in Queens last night. The 25,000-seat venue (projected 2027 open date) will become the first fully electric stadium in MLS as well as N.Y. The NYCFC stadium will join a very select global group of fully electric sports venues, which includes Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

The club and its architects, HOK, revealed the sustainability plan details as part of the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP), which formally began this week for the NYCFC stadium project. The plan focuses on the following key categories:

• Renewable energy: The stadium’s roof will include a solar panel array.
• Efficient water systems: It will have a water-harvesting system below the pitch to capture rainwater and reuse for irrigation. Efficient water systems will be installed throughout the building, whether for urinals or locker room showers, for example.
• Materials: The construction project will source as many building and finish materials as locally as possible.
• Public transportation options: The club will work with the MTA and supporters’ groups to increase access to public transportation and discourage driving to matches as much as feasible.
• Waste reduction, reuse, and recycling: NYCFC says it’s committed to diverting waste from landfills and will make drinking water refills easily accessible throughout the stadium. The club is also exploring on-site options for composting and that its suppliers throughout the project and ongoing operation of the stadium are operating sustainably, too.
• Emissions measurement: NYCFC is focused on reducing CO2 emissions and working toward credible net zero by 2040. It will also establish a Year 1 benchmark with the aim to achieve continual reductions of at least 12% each year in its operations and events.
• Compliance: NYCFC plans to fully comply with all local laws and regulations regarding sustainability, while also meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and City Football Group’s global sustainability agenda (CFG owns NYCFC).

Besides the stadium, the $780M Willets Point development project will include 2,500 units of 100% affordable housing at the site, a 650-seat public school, 40,000 square feet of new public open space, retail space and a 250-key hotel. Related Companies and Sterling Equities are overseeing the non-stadium portion of the overall project, which will sit across the street from Citi Field.

NYCFC stadium renderings

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Photo: NYCFC

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Photo: NYCFC

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Sinclair Inc. said its bankrupt local sports unit Diamond Sports Group "will probably shut down" after the end of MLB's 2024 regular season "under a new proposal between the subsidiary and its creditors." Diamond is working to finalize what would be "essentially one-year deals" that would "permit it to broadcast its full slate" of NBA and NHL games for the current season as well as next year’s regular season games for MLB. After that, Diamond’s deals with all three leagues "would end." Diamond "may liquidate next year if it can’t find a way to keep the company operating beyond 2024," Andrew Parlen, a lawyer for the company, said yesterday (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 11/15).

Diamond still has deals in place with 11 MLB teams, but two in particular -- the Guardians and the Rangers -- "are in jeopardy and could soon be terminated." If Diamond drops those two teams, the clubs "would get their rights back and could be broadcast either by the league in 2024" or they could "strike a deal with another broadcaster to carry games" (THE ATHLETIC, 11/15).

Diamond Sports Group still has deals in place with 11 MLB teamsGetty Images

St. Petersburg officials and Rays representatives yesterday "unanimously gave near-perfect marks to Populous" in choosing the architectural firm for a new ballpark. Only two proposals were received for architectural services -- Populous and MEIS architects -- but on Nov. 7, MEIS founder & managing principal Dan Meis "wrote a letter to the city’s procurement office stating that his firm had decided to no longer participate." He said the proposed format of a 30-minute presentation "would not give adequate time to explain 'what we believe would be our particular strengths and qualifications for a project such as this.'" Representatives from Populous gave a presentation to committee members that was "closed to the public prior to the evaluation meeting." Populous also designed the Rays' spring training facility in Port Charlotte (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 11/15).

Rays

Nick Kyrgios debuted on “Tennis Channel Live” last night, calling his first match during the network’s coverage of the ATP Finals. He was paired with analyst Jim Courier in the booth. Kyrgios said he “feels like I’m a bit of a student of the game anyway,” but Courier “makes it very easy.” Tennis Channel’s Andy Roddick said of Kyrgios’ performance calling the match, “It’s not quite as good as his serve or his antics on the court. But listen, there’s still time” (“Tennis Channel Live,” Tennis Channel, 11/15).

Kyrgios was a "natural in the studio” and a "far cry from the mouthy bad boy we often see on court.” He made “a clear effort to impress,” offering “insightful analysis with a smooth and measured delivery that was a stark contrast to the usual profanity that comes out of his mouth” (London TIMES, 11/16).

GameSquare took a unique approach to its Q3 earnings report, opting for the first-ever live Twitch video stream for the quarterly event instead of a traditional call-up number. The NASDAQ-traded esports and gaming lifestyle company had popular streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins -- who also is GameSquare Chief Innovation Officer -- on the call alongside CEO Justin Kenna (Ninja has 23.8 million followers Twitch). This was the first report since GameSquare announced it would be acquiring another publicly-traded gaming outfit, FaZe Clan. GameSquare reported $16M in revenue for Q3, up 58% from the same period a year ago. There was a net loss of $5.1M in the quarter vs. $4.2M a year ago. Year-to-date, GameSquare revenue is up to $35.2M , up 38% through Q3 2022. But while revenue is up, GameSquare’s cost of sales and expenses have also gone up sharply. GameSquare is backed by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and fields competitive teams through its Complexity Gaming subsidiary.

Legendary NASCAR broadcaster Ken Squier has died at age 88. Dave Moody of the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM broke the news this morning, saying Squier "passed shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, surrounded by family, after spending time in the hospital and in hospice care." Squier was one of NASCAR’s original broadcasters, and his "lasting legacy" led to his induction into the NASCAR HOF in 2018. Squier led the call for "one of the sport’s biggest days" -- the live, flag-to-flag broadcasting of the 1979 Daytona 500 on CBS -- the race "widely credited for growing NASCAR’s national popularity." Squier called races for CBS and TBS until 1997, when he "transitioned to a studio host role" until 2000 (WBTV.com, 11/16).

Premier League club Chelsea has today appointed Casper Stylsvig as Chief Revenue Officer. Stylsvig joins Chelsea having held the same role at AC Milan since 2019 (Chelsea).

The Rams "will move their practice facility to Woodland Hills" next season "as part of a large-scale real estate development" planned by owner Stan Kroenke (L.A. TIMES, 11/15).

The LSU gymnastics program has "sold out of its allotment of season tickets" in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center "for the first time." The school has sold "over 8,000 season tickets for the 2024 season" after selling 7,400 season tickets for the 2023 campaign (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 11/15).

LVMH's Berluti brand will design the "opening ceremony uniforms for the French teams" at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics (REUTERS, 11/15).

Xtract One Technologies has reached an agreement with the NWSL's K.C. Current to have Xtract's SmartGateway System protect the new 11,500-capacity CPKC Stadium (Xtract One Technologies).

“I have not seen many other players standing up to help. Rory has taken a bullet for them and worked hard, but there have not been many others willing to speak out like he has. He has been left to do a lot on his own” -- Former European Tour player and current Golf Channel analyst Paul McGinley, on Rory McIlroy resigning from the PGA Tour Policy Board because he was mentally drained (London TIMES, 11/15). 

“These players are behaving like Congresspeople” -- ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, on a fight breaking out in the first two minutes of the game between the T’Wolves and Warriors (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 11/15).

The SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE continues its remembrance of late Padres Chair Peter Seidler under the headline, "R.I.P., Peter Seidler. Few if any have meant as much to 21st-century San Diego." The number of San Diegans who have "had a huge positive local impact" are many, but when it comes to private citizens "who manage to accomplish so much simultaneously on two separate fronts, the list is much shorter." And with the death of Seidler after an undisclosed illness, that list "may have just gone from one name to zero." Long overshadowed by the Dodgers, the Padres under Seidler "showed an unprecedented readiness to commit to spending hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire star players." But in another field -- Seidler’s "attempts to help San Diego address its long-running, endlessly frustrating struggle with homelessness" -- he "may have been even more remarkable." 

Also:

• Netflix’s first live golf event was fast-paced, frenetic and flawed.

The thing I find most frustrating about the in-season tournament is the lack of continuity. There’s no way to engage with this when teams will
be playing tonight and tomorrow night in non-tournament games but Friday will be back to tournament mode. It’s goofy. https://t.co/9cPzAoSMX8

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) November 15, 2023

NCAA denies waiver to make James Madison & Jacksonville State bowl eligible, meaning Dukes ineligible to play in Sun Belt title game, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. In its 2nd year transitioning from FCS to FBS, JMU is ineligible for the league title, but the Dukes appealed…

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 15, 2023

Ray Anderson to remain under same pay as ASU professor following resignation

Ray Anderson will receive the same salary as a professor at ASU as he did as the vice president of University athletics and athletic director.

Read more from @kat_m67:https://t.co/c5R3OuSEr4

— State Press Sports (@statepresssport) November 16, 2023

“It was proposed in Congress in 1926 in honor of a big 150th anniversary; it opened 17 years later.”

Last night’s edition of “Jeopardy!” featured the category “Sports!”
$200: “Early winners of this trophy include the Montreal Shamrocks, the Winnipeg Victorias and the Ottawa ‘Silver Seven.’”
$400: “Robin Williams said this, England’s national summer sport, ‘is basically baseball on Valium.’”
$600: “This ‘70s tennis superstar said when she was 12, she knew she’d ‘spend the rest of (her) life fighting for equal rights.’”
$800: “Mule ears, snake eyes and goal posts are nicknames for this split in bowling.”
$1,000: “Both former U.S. figure skating champs, they bring style as well as expertise to their commentary on the spot.”

“What is the Jefferson Memorial?”

The correct responses to the “Sports!” category were:
$200: “What is the Stanley Cup?”
$400: “What is cricket?”
$600: “Who is Billie Jean King?”
$800: “What is a 7-10 split?”
$1,000: “Who are Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski?”