Mets Bask in The Soto Effect

Juan Soto’s Mets Deal Pays Off; Dropping Out of Bowl Games Could Be Costly

December 16, 2024

Steve Cohen Says Mets Ticket Sales ‘Exploded’ From Soto Signing
FOS’ Daniel Roberts writes, “The bombshell news of slugger Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets dropped one week ago. And as one might expect, the signing brought an immediate boost to ticket sales.

“Mets owner Steve Cohen tweeted Saturday evening, ‘I want to thank Mets fans for responding to the Soto signing. Ticket sales exploded this week vs last week. We were 18th in MLB attendance last year . Any predictions where we end up this year?’”
^{Front Office Sports}

MLS Owners Discuss But Don’t Vote on Calendar Change at BOG Meeting
SBJ’s Alex Silverman writes, “MLS owners discussed the possibility of adopting a fall-to-spring calendar during Thursday's Board of Governors meeting in Brooklyn but did not hold a vote on the potentially seismic change. The league has been formally considering the move, which would bring the league in line with FIFA and most soccer leagues worldwide, for the past six months. The 2026 season is viewed as the most logical time to make such a change given the league’s plans to break for the FIFA World Cup in North America.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Billionaire Justin Ishbia Eyeing Bid For Twins
Billionaire Justin Ishbia is "exploring a bid" for the Twins, according to Bloomberg News sources via SBJ. Ishbia, the founder and managing partner of Chicago-based Shore Capital Partners, is part owner and alternate governor for the Suns and Phoenix Mercury, both of which his brother Mat Ishbia controls. He is also a minority owner in MLS club Nashville Soccer Club.
^{Bloomberg News via Sports Business Journal}

Whitecaps Owners Put MLS Franchise Up For Sale
According to SBJ, the owners of the Whitecaps are seeking to sell the MLS franchise, which they have led for the entirety of its 14-season history in the league. The team has retained Goldman Sachs, whose sports franchises unit is led by Greg Carey and Dave Dase, to facilitate the sale. If sold, the Whitecaps would be the first MLS franchise to change hands since David Blitzer and Ryan Smith purchased Real Salt Lake in 2022 for about $400M. 
^{Sports Business Journal}

Tony Romo, Fred Smith Part of $10 Million Funding Round for Helmet Maker
SBJ’s Joe Lemire reports: “CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo and FedEx founder Fred Smith are among the newest investors in Light Helmets. The duo are part of a $10 million Series A round that is close to being completed.
 
“As its name suggests, Light Helmets distinguishes itself by its weight. It can be configured at only 3.5 pounds for elite athletes by partnering with NFL innovation grant recipient Kollide, which makes an energy-absorbing, organic 3D printed mesh that’s used as a liner inside a Nylon shell.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Bryson DeChambeau Partners With Reebok as Company Relaunches Golf Brand, Forms Feal For the Crushers
Golf Digest’s Stephen Hennessey writes, “Reebok partnering with Bryson DeChambeau to formalize its reintroduction into golf makes a lot of sense when considering the company’s legacy. The company worked with golf’s biggest star of the early 1990s, Greg Norman, in creating a line of apparel, licensing his ‘shark’ logo to create the Greg Norman brand that still endures.”
^{Golf Digest}

WWE ‘Saturday Night’s Main Event’ Returns to NBC Awash in Nostalgia
As part of WWE’s new media rights deal with NBCU, this weekend marked the return of “Saturday Night’s Main Event” for the first time since 2008.

“As part of the partnership, we decided to do four yearly specials on big NBC,” Chris Legentil, WWE’s EVP/talent relations and head of communications, told SBJ. “That is going to be a huge audience for us. A huge opportunity for us. ... And it’s not just the title -- it’s the graphics. It’s the feel. It’s the theme. Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura is back with WWE. The heel commentary will be back on NBC.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

New Mexico Hires Idaho Football Coach Jason Eck to Replace Bronco Mendenhall
New Mexico hired Idaho football coach Jason Eck on Saturday to replace Bronco Mendenhall, a day after Eck’s Vandals dropped out of the FCS playoffs. The 47-year-old Eck was 26-13 in three seasons at Idaho, leading the Vandals to playoff appearances each year. Idaho was 10-4 this season, falling 52-19 on Friday night at Big Sky rival Montana State in the FCS quarterfinals.
^{AP News}

Las Vegas Already Seems Part of the NBA World, Which Makes Expansion Decision Feel Inevitable
AP News’ Tim Reynolds writes, “It’s no secret that when NBA expansion happens — nobody has revealed exactly when that will be — Las Vegas will be at the front of the list of candidate cities to get one of what will probably be two new clubs, pushing the league to 32 franchises. And given the way the NBA Cup and other NBA events have been received, probably nobody would say that coming to the Nevada desert full-time would be a bad idea.”
^{AP News}

Commanders Agree to Md. Stadium Site Demands
The Commanders have “agreed to Maryland’s demands for assurances about the future of its stadium in Landover if the team left and built a new home at the RFK Stadium site in D.C.," but Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has "not yet signed the deal." In the two-page, nonbinding memorandum of understanding, the team “promises to deconstruct Northwest Stadium at its sole expense within 90 days of playing in a new home -- at RFK or elsewhere -- and plan a redevelopment project there 'with projected economic impact at least equivalent' to the stadium it left behind."
^{Washington Post via Sports Business Journal}

Marshall Dropping Out of Bowl Game vs. Army Could Lead to Future Penalties: Commissioner
According to The Athletic, AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti suggested schools that withdraw from bowl games be subject to possible penalties after Marshall pulled out of the Independence Bowl against Army due to players opting out and entering the transfer portal. After Marshall informed bowl organizers, Louisiana Tech (5-7) on Saturday accepted the opportunity to face Army (11-2) on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, La.

And, as Sportico’s Daniel Libit writes, It doesn’t matter how you get there, so long as you get there. That cliché works in many applications, including the employment agreement of Louisiana Tech head football coach Sonny Cumbie. According to Cumbie’s contract, which was signed in June 2022, he is entitled to $25,000 if his team ‘participates’ in a bowl game.”
^{The Athletic and Sportico}

NCAA Talks Expanding Hoops Tourney to 72 or 76
"I'm bullish on the conversations we've had about going to 72 or 76, and I think the committees are willing to consider that, but I don't think it's going to be anything beyond that," Baker said after speaking about the future of the NCAA at a conference hosted by Sports Business Journal.
^ESPN

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