Twenty-two people were shot, including one killed, yesterday at the Chiefs' Super Bowl victory rally at Union Station. The gunfire, which broke out "near the end of the citywide celebration amid thousands of fans and onlookers," sent nine children to the hospital with bullet wounds and "broke up the event in chaos." A federal law enforcement official said there were "no immediate indications the shooting was a national security-related event," but noted that the investigation was "still ongoing" (K.C. STAR, 2/15).

It is the latest sports celebration in the U.S. "to be marred by gun violence," following a shooting that wounded several people last year in Denver after the Nuggets' NBA championship, and gunfire last year at a parking lot near the Rangers' World Series championship parade (AP, 2/15).

Nuggets coach Mike Malone commented on the shooting before the team's game against the Kings last night, saying, "We all say it over and over and over again, 'Something has to be done.' I'm not a politician. I don’t know what the answers are. But I do feel for everybody, where it’s such a joyous occasion turned into a nightmare." When asked if he worried that an incident such as the one in K.C. could change how championships are celebrated going forward, Malone said, "The people that we put in power and our (elected officials), whether it’s locally or nationally, they’ve got to do a better job of finding a way to not make all these (possible)" (DENVER POST, 2/15).

More:

• An American tragedy turns Chiefs' parade into day of mourning in K.C.
• A shooting horror at the Super Bowl parade.
• Mass shooting at a parade? At a Chiefs' Super Bowl parade? What the ... ?
• This is who we are. Chiefs parade was about joy, then America intervened.
• Mike Lupica: Chiefs parade shows mass shootings are as American as the Super Bowl.

Honda Center has been hosting UFC events since 2006Getty Images

Ahead of UFC and WWE hosting events within two days of each other at Honda Center, the sides this morning are announcing a long-term deal with the TKO Group properties that includes a presence at the forthcoming OCVibe mixed-use development. Honda Center has been hosting UFC events since 2006, and from this Saturday through Monday, the venue will become the first to host back-to-back UFC and WWE events since TKO Group was formed in 2023. Now, the sides say they have reached agreement for UFC and WWE to bring three events each at minimum to Honda Center through 2028.

That could include anything from UFC Fight Nights to higher-level PPVs, along with WWE Raw and SmackDown events. TKO Group will also work with Ducks owner the Samueli family on giving WWE and UFC a presence at the $4B, 100-acre OCVibe development that is meant to turn the parking lots and other surrounding areas of Honda Center into a gleaming mixed-use area with residential and business elements. That could include things like watch parties at restaurants that will be built there, according to the sides. WWE has a rich history at the Anaheim venue, where it has held more than 60 events over three decades. 

USA Fencing has inked new official sponsorship deals with wellness/sleep supplement brand Beam and Rain Pure Mountain Spring Water. Rain will supply its sustainable aluminum bottles of natural spring water and receive signage and branding inventory at major USA Fencing events. The deal is Rain’s second with an NGB (it also sponsors U.S. Biathlon). Beam will provide USA Fencing’s 40,000+ members with education and easy access to its natural sleep and all-day wellness supplements. Beam and Rain are now the third and fourth sponsors to join USA Fencing’s partnership program in 2024 alongside Avis and Bell Bank.

USA Fencing’s high six-figure partnership program now has brands in categories including automotive, banking, beverage, fencing, health and wellness, higher education, sports performance and water, among others. USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews worked on the deal for the NGB, while Beam co-founder Kevin Moran and Rain founder Mark Majkrzak did the deal for the brands. 

Discover Financial Services will continue its sponsorship of professional women’s hockey via a one-year deal with the newly launched PWHL. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Discover, which previously sponsored the Premier Hockey Federation before its dissolution last year, will see its logo placed on the helmets worn during games by PWHL Minnesota players. The company will also receive in-arena exposure at games hosted by the league’s three U.S.-based teams in Minnesota, Boston and N.Y., as well as broadcast integrations and branded digital content. The PWHL worked with marketing agency Mindshare on the deal.

NHL

The NHL has unveiled the attractions and hockey interactives planned for the New Amsterdam Vodka NHL PreGame, the official fan festival of this weekend's Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series games between the Devils and Flyers on Saturday (8pm ET) and the Islanders and Rangers on Sunday (3pm) -- both to be played at MetLife Stadium. Before both games, the PreGame will host hockey attractions at MetLife Stadium Parking Lot G from 2:30-6:30pm on Saturday and from 10:30am-2:30pm on Sunday. A Stadium Series game ticket is required for access to the PreGame. Highlighting the PreGame will be the display of the Stanley Cup for fans to take photos with and the NHL’s United by Hockey Mobile Museum. Around 140,000 fans are set to gather within a 24-hour period at MetLife Stadium to watch back-to-back outdoor games during the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series this weekend (NHL).

Verizon and the NHL have reached a multiyear sponsorship renewal that will continue Verizon’s role as the league’s Official 5G Partner, Official Wireless Services Partner and Official Mobile Edge Computing Partner in the U.S. Additionally, Verizon has been selected to deploy its Private 5G Wireless Network across NHL arenas to help game day operations roll out new solutions to improve the overall fan experience. Verizon Business is currently piloting the network in select arenas, with plans to roll out the technology to all arenas in future seasons. These advanced technologies, which are enabled by Verizon 5G, include wireless Officials’ iPads for replay review, which is currently piloted at the Prudential Center. Verizon will also continue to deploy its 5G Ultra Wideband network across NHL arenas (NHL).

Ford "swept the front row" in qualifying for the Daytona 500, with former race winners Joey Logano and Michael McDowell "shocking" powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick drivers had won the pole at Daytona in eight of the last nine years. The "entire night," in which only the front row for Sunday’s season-opening race was set, "belonged to Ford." Four drivers in the manufacturer’s new Dark Horse advanced to the final round-of-10 qualifying portion (AP, 2/14). Today's BlueGreen Vacation Duel at Daytona races "will set the rest of the field" for the Daytona 500. The first of the two Duel races is slated for a 7pm ET start and will air on FS1 (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 2/14).

NY Racing Team was "a late entry" to the Daytona 500 qualifying field, but the driver "was unknown." There was "speculation that it would be Greg Biffle," but he "shut that down with a social media post Monday night, claiming his prior contract with the team was not fulfilled and so he would not take part in Speedweek" (TREASURE COAST NEWS, 2/14).

The National Pickleball League, entering its second season in 2024, is expanding from six to 12 teams, with new ownership groups from Coachella Valley, Seattle, Princeton, K.C., Houston and Columbus. The league for Champions Division (age 50+) pickleball players is taking expansion fees averaging $750K from each of those teams, more than double the NPL’s inaugural season, when the original six (from Indianapolis, Austin, Boca Raton, Naples, Denver and Oklahoma City) paid an average of $300K, NPL CEO Paul Bamundo told SBJ.

“We were very excited to see that there were many people who wanted to be a part of our league,” added Bamundo, a former IMG, NBA, Subway and JMI Sports marketing exec who assumed his role with the NPL in November. 

Bamundo declined comment on the NPL’s P&L margins other than to say it is operating debt-free. He noted the NPL team founders and two outside investors, CT-based real estate investor Paul Kuehner and pickleball player Connie Burnett, as prominent backers.

Arena Group Holdings said it will "continue publishing the print and digital editions of Sports Illustrated as it continues negotiating" with the publication’s owner, Authentic Brands Group. Arena says there is "an unresolved claim" of $45M against the company by Authentic, and the company would continue to publish SI "until the issue is resolved" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/14).

Chris Russo has signed "a multi-year extension" with ESPN to continue appearing on "First Take" alongside Stephen A. Smith (N.Y. POST, 2/14).

Street League Skateboarding has signed a multiyear renewal of its sponsorship with Monster Energy, which has been with the tour since its 2010 debut. The deal, which was negotiated directly between the two companies, will kick off at the sold-out, season-opening SLS Paris event later this month, with Monster joining a sponsor roster that also includes Cariuma, G SHOCK and True Skate (Chris Smith, SBJ).

"I don’t want it back. I’ve moved on. This is a transition in my life. I’ve moved on to Sun Day Red" -- Tiger Woods, on not wanting his iconic "TW" logo back after leaving Nike and starting his own brand (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 2/14).

"I'm going to get fired or promoted" -- NBC Olympics Production Exec Producer & President Molly Solomon, on hiring Snoop Dogg to do Olympics commentary on primetime broadcasts during Paris 2024 (REUTERS, 2/14).

"We’re waiting to see where that lands, I have to believe in the next 30 to 60 days we should find out more. I’ve been shown three versions of it now, in terms of where it will actually sit on the site and how it will connect" -- MGM Resorts International CEO Bill Hornbuckle, confirming that he's seen multiple different renderings for the proposed A's ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/14).

The DESERET NEWS goes with the header, "Where’s the joy gone? With college football in disarray, coaches are heading for the exit." For decades, all power in college football "resided with management" -- coaches, TV networks, the NCAA, the big schools -- and the players "were at the mercy of the NCAA and its cheap, petty rules and notions of amateurism." Now all the power "lies with the players, and once again it has swung too far to one side." Which is why some coaches are "heading for the exits -- they’ve "seen enough." When has anyone "given up a head coaching job at an FBS school to take an assistant coaching position in the NFL?" That’s "how bad things are in college football."

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