The New York Yankees unveiled millions of dollars in upgrades Thursday to their training and spring facilities at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. The two-year project is separate from the upgrades being made to the 11,026-seat stadium in preparation for the Tampa Bay Rays, who will be using Steinbrenner Field as their home field during …
NASCAR Appeals Michael Jordan, 23XI Racing Injunction Before Daytona
NASCAR on Wednesday filed a 68-page brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit urging the appellate court to reverse preliminary injunctions granted to 23XI Racing—owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin—and Front Row Motorsports by U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell on the grounds that Bell misapplied the law and misunderstood …
Sporticast 423: ‘The NFL Should Have Pulled That Deal off the Table’
On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams speak with DeMaurice Smith, former executive director of the NFLPA, about his time running the union, Donald Trump’s relationship with the world’s richest sports league, and the inside story of how he negotiated a new labor accord at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. …
NBA Teams Quietly Test LED Glass Court in All-Star Afterglow
A year after ASB GlassFloor’s debut during the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, the company has set up a temporary testing facility in Orlando, Fla., eager to expand its U.S. footprint. Multiple NBA teams in town to play the Magic have since tried the tech as the league explores future applications. Trail Blazers player Deni Avdija …
Fox Rides Streaming Wave to Record 126M Super Bowl Viewership Splash
When Kendrick Lamar wrapped his Super Bowl LIX halftime set with “TV Off,” advertisers who’d bought time in the second half of the Fox broadcast must’ve felt as if they were trapped inside a plummeting elevator. Bad enough the three-peat chasing Chiefs were on the wrong end of a 24-0 deficit, but now the artist …
Upcoming California Super Bowls Confront Climate Risks
New Orleans’ Super Bowl has wrapped—the Philadelphia Eagles denied the Chiefs their third straight NFL title in a 40-22 win—and the NFL’s big game moves back out west, with the league’s next two championships hosted by the San Francisco Bay area and the Los Angeles area. With California comes the area’s susceptibility to intense weather, …
Biggest 21st Century Super Bowl Plays, From Mahomes to Butler
The most crucial plays in the Super Bowl are not necessarily the most memorable. Nick Foles’ “Philly Special” touchdown catch in Super Bowl 52 against the New England Patriots is likely the moment you can most easily recall from that game, but a 55-yard catch and run by Corey Clement a minute earlier actually caused …
Who Is Clark Hunt? Chiefs CEO Eyeing Super Bowl Three-Peat
Clark Hunt has been here before—four times in the last five years, to be exact. He knows what it feels like to be in the center of the NFL world for two weeks before the Super Bowl, and he knows what it’s like to receive the NFL’s Lombardi Trophy from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, confetti …
Pistons’ Malcolm X Merch Release a Rare Venture for His Estate
The Detroit Pistons are offering a new retail collection made in collaboration with the Malcolm X estate to pay homage to the civil rights activist, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year. This marks the first time the estate has worked with a professional sports franchise. The team announced the collaboration Monday, and …
Amazon Prime Video Secures NFL Playoff Game Rights Through 2033
After streaming its first exclusive NFL playoff game in January, Amazon Prime Video is in line to air similar contests in each of the next eight seasons, an NFL spokesperson confirmed Friday. Amazon, which first inked its current NFL tie-up in 2021, has earned those rights after proving its ability to deliver record audiences digitally. …
Meet the Ex-NBA Exec Mediating Michael Jordan’s NASCAR Lawsuit
Former NBA executive Jeffrey Mishkin, one of the most prominent sports attorneys in recent decades, has been tapped to mediate the antitrust litigation involving 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, NASCAR and CEO Jim France. Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin own 23XI Racing. According to court records, the parties notified U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell …
Ryan Day’s Salary Trails Only Kirby Smart After Buckeye Bump
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day had his contract extended through the 2031 season with a salary increase that averages $12.5 million in annual compensation, the school announced on Thursday. The move comes just over two weeks after Day’s Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff national title. The new deal slots Day behind only Georgia’s …
MLB Approves John Seidler as Padres Control Person
Major League Baseball owners on Thursday approved John Seidler, an older brother of late San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler, as the Padres control person. The approval, which Sportico has confirmed was a unanimous vote and took place at a baseball owners’ meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., was made despite an intra-family dispute over a Seidler family …
‘Puka Doncic’ Says Luka Trade a Win for Jordan Brand
The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t the only brand that stands to benefit from acquiring former Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić. Jordan Brand, the Nike-owned apparel company inspired by NBA legend Michael Jordan, will also get a boost from one of the biggest trades in NBA history. At least that’s how fellow Jordan Brand athlete and …
Chiefs-Refs Conspiracy Theory Is Just That: Super Bowl Data Viz
You’ve seen the memes. “The Chiefs warming up for today’s game” captioning a video of NFL referees stretching on the field. “Unnecessary roughness for breathing on Patrick Mahomes … 15-yard penalty, automatic first down.” This year’s AFC Championship was just additional evidence for many NFL fans that the league’s referees are biased towards the Kansas …