The Morning Lead newsletter will pause for Thanksgiving and return next Monday. Click here to sign up and get it delivered straight to your inbox. Happy Thanksgiving! There are worse things than the New York Giants, although admittedly not a lot of them. Thursday’s main course is one example; turkey may be the clucking embodiment of a …
MLB Playoff Payout Hits Record $129M, Dodgers Get $477,441 Each
The World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers fueled a record postseason bonus pool of $129.1 million, according to the commissioner’s office. The tally was 20% higher than the previous high of $107.8 million set last year—it was $107.5 million in 2022 when the playoffs expanded to their current format. The …
Mountain West Urges Dismissal of Pac-12 ‘Poaching Penalty’ Lawsuit
The tumultuous relationship between the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain West Conference spawned an antitrust lawsuit in September, but in a newly filed motion to dismiss, the MWC says the Pac-12’s case is “little more than a gripe” and asserts the Pac-12 has confused antitrust law’s protection of “competition” with the conference trying to suppress …
Temple Betting Probe Recalls Past Scandals, Could Bring Legal Fallout
ESPN reported Thursday that federal authorities are investigating former Temple University men’s basketball player Hysier Miller over allegations he manipulated and bet on his own games. The investigation could lead to a wide range of legal outcomes, including, as detailed below, criminal charges, civil lawsuits and NCAA sanctions. While the Miller probe is sure to raise questions …
NYCFC’s New Queens Stadium to Be Named Etihad Park
The longstanding partnership between New York City FC and Etihad Airways took another significant leap. The MLS side announced that the airliner will take the naming rights of its future soccer-specific stadium in Queens in a 20-year agreement. Construction of the $780 million venue, now called Etihad Park, is slated to begin by the end …
Paul Skenes Rookie Card Hunt Pits Auction House Against Pirates
The hottest bidding war in baseball right now is not over Juan Soto, but a baseball card. On Nov. 10, Topps announced the release of a one-of-one Paul Skenes rookie debut autographed card featuring a patch worn during his first pro game. The card of the Pittsburgh Pirates phenom is available in one pack of …
Diamond’s Bankruptcy Saga Is About to End. Now Comes the Hard Part.
After 20 months of monitoring the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy case, it wasn’t at all surprising to hear Judge Christopher Lopez couch his ruling on the long-simmering matter in baseball terms. A self-professed enthusiast of the grand old game, Judge Lopez has peppered his commentary from the bench with asides about his Texas Rangers ever …
A’s, Rays Gear Down to Play Season in Minor League Parks
After more than 20 years of ballpark problems for the Athletics and Rays, the situation has reached critical mass for these vagabond Major League Baseball clubs. Both teams will play the 2025 season in minor league facilities, for vastly different reasons. The A’s chose to move from Oakland to Las Vegas, where a new ballpark …
Diamond Sports Exits Bankruptcy as Re-org Approved
Twenty months after Diamond Sports Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the owner and operator of the 16 FanDuel Sports Network RSNs on Thursday was granted a new lease on life in a Houston court room. At the close of a 90-minute confirmation hearing this morning, Judge Christopher Lopez of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for …
Chiefs, Bills Showdown Gets Cosm ‘Shared Reality’ Treatment
CBS Sports and entertainment tech company Cosm have reached a distribution deal in time for Sunday’s Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills game to air in Cosm’s “shared reality” venues. Fans in Dallas and Los Angeles will be able to watch Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen on Cosm’s 87-foot curved screen that blends movie theater …
Cavaliers’ Undefeated Start Sparks Boom for Team Business
Few teams in NBA history have come off the blocks with such ferocity as this year’s Cleveland Cavaliers, who at 13-0 hold the longest undefeated start to a campaign since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors went 24-0. Those Dubs ended with the best regular season record in history at 73-9 but were infamously dispatched by …
Giants QB’s $23M Injury Clause May Send Him to the Bench
The New York Giants face a choice familiar to other rudderless NFL teams in recent years, as they ponder the cost of maintaining the status quo at quarterback. Giants starter Daniel Jones has struggled this season, and the Giants (2-8) took their fifth straight loss in Munich, Germany, on Sunday. His poor performance against the …
FanDuel Draws Backlash for Odds of Cavaliers Going Undefeated
Sportsbooks never give odds that accurately reflect real world probabilities. A recent line offered by FanDuel, however, took the discrepancy to a new level. A post on X from the FanDuel Sportsbook account on Tuesday afternoon promoted odds of +100000 for betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers to go 82-0 in the 2024-25 NBA regular season. …
Everything to Know About the Rebranded NBA Cup
The NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament in 2023 was a success based on almost all metrics. The league set an attendance record that November, and TV audience for tournament game windows grew 26% over the prior year. The championship game between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers was the second most-watched game of the …
George Gervin Buys LP Stake in NBL’s Brisbane Bullets
The Iceman has taken his investments Down Under. Basketball Hall of Famer George Gervin is part of a group that has purchased a roughly 10% stake in the National Basketball League’s Brisbane Bullets. Gervin is joining sports development and investment firm GameAbove Sports, which led the limited stake transaction. The investment pegs the NBL franchise …