Athletes Get LITERALLY Robbed

Sport & Story Daily Feb. 25, 2025: Athletes are getting robbed on more than just calls. More than a dozen athletes have been targeted in pro sports’ robbery epidemic

Sure, professional athletes get robbed by bad calls on occasion, but there’s a real-life pro sports’ robbery epidemic underway; Plus, new formats for nearly every sport!

February 25, 2025

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

More Than A Dozen Athletes Targeted in Pro Sports’ Robbery Epidemic
Margaret Fleming of FOS reports: “The Department of Justice and other federal and local agencies are running a multi-state investigation into the incidents. On Feb. 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida unsealed a criminal complaint from Jan. 30 against seven men that formally charged them with burglarizing athletes’ homes, but the complaint doesn’t cover every major robbery that’s been reported in recent months. Many of the robberies are part of what the feds allege is a highly organized crime ring, but not every break-in tied to the ring was charged in the January complaint.”
Front Office Sports

MLB’s Test of ABS Review System Receiving Positive Feedback
Although the automated ball-strike system is not yet a regular-season feature in MLB, the “future is coming,” according to Kyle Goon of the BALTIMORE BANNER via SBJ. The ABS system in being tested in select spring training games, and on average it adds “just 17 seconds to games and can be called as quickly as reviews in tennis.”
Baltimore Banner via Sports Business Journal

Show Stopper? The NBA Keeps Throwing Darts at All-Star Game; Critics Keep Throwing Them Back
SBJ’s Tom Friend writes, “Silver and his staff concocted a new format in San Francisco. Heeding the advice of Steph Curry, they designed a concept with ‘shorter bursts’ — a four-team tournament where the first one to 40 wins (a clever way to keep a team from scoring 200). Problem was, the bursts weren’t just short; they were a blur.

“It was the hubbub in between that drew ire, starting with a 5-minute MrBeast Challenge that had a fan trying to drain a logo 3-pointer before Damian Lillard could for $100,000. Outside of the building, it wasn’t universally well received.”
Sports Business Journal

NFL Competition Committee Has Discussed Further Kickoff Tweaks, Expanding Replay Assist 
NFL’s Bobby Kownack writes, “Falcons CEO and NFL Competition Committee co-chair Rich McKay said the league will look at moving both the spot of a touchback to the receiving team's 35-yard line and moving the kickoff line 5 yards backward, NFL Network Senior National Columnist Judy Battista reported.

“This past season, kickoffs took place from the kicking team's 35-yard line, while touchbacks resulted in drives starting at the receiving team's 30-yard line” with an “intent to boost return attempts even further.”
Sportico

NHL Looks to Keep Riding Positive Momentum From 4 Nations Face-Off
The NHL “certainly has enjoyed a moment” thanks to the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off, but now the focus turns to how the league can “capitalize on it going forward,” according to Gustav Elvin of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. The league “needs to continue to push its best players, as well as others with marketable personalities,“ and the ”easiest way to promote the league is to mimic the NBA model where the teams with the biggest stars play the majority of the national television games."
Philadelphia Inquirer via Sports Business Journal

Richard Jefferson to Join Mike Breen, Doris Burke on ESPN’s Top NBA Broadcast Team: Sources
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reports: “Richard Jefferson will join Mike Breen and Doris Burke on ABC/ESPN’s top broadcast team, which will call the NBA Finals, sources briefed on the move said. ESPN’s NBA booth has been in flux since the network let go of its longtime analysts, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, during layoffs in the summer of 2023. The network began the following season with Doc Rivers joining Breen and Burke, but Rivers quickly ditched that role to become the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.”
The Athletic

Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Robert Griffin III Accepts Overtime 7×7 Football Coaching Gig
Sportico’s Eric Jackson reports: “Heisman trophy winner and 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III has agreed to a deal to be the coach of RGIII Takeover, a rebranded team in Overtime’s 7×7 football league (OT7). The job with the content-focused startup that spotlights standout high school players marks the first time Griffin, now 35, has stepped into this kind of coaching role, with the opportunity to groom some of the nation’s blue-chip recruits.”
Sportico

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Dodgers Test ‘You Can’t Have Too Much Pitching’ as Ohtani Tunes Up
Sportico’s Barry M. Bloom writes, “The last time we saw the Los Angeles Dodgers, their pitching was in tatters. Their starting staff was injured and could only muster short stints. A low-budget bullpen was stretched to the limit. Now, after an offseason shopping spree coupled with the pending return of some veteran starters from injury, the Dodgers should no longer have that problem.

“‘It’s just great now that we have such depth,’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in an interview Saturday prior to a Cactus League game at Camelback Ranch.”
Sportico

Braves Adding Food Hall to Right-Field Concourse
The Braves are adding a food hall at Truist Park ahead of the 2025 MLB season, part of a larger remake of the right-field portion of the eight-year-old stadium. The 4,600-square-foot Outfield Market will feature eight food stalls serving a variety of local food and beverage options at the stadium and new ones from food and beverage provider Delaware North. It’ll sit across the concourse from The Pen, a premium seating area and club that will also open this year for the first time.
Sports Business Journal

Utah Sports Commission. Sports Development Director
The Utah Sports Commission’s Sports Development Director is responsible for recruiting and managing youth, amateur, national, international, and Olympic/Paralympic events to Utah, leveraging those events to bring significant economic impact and global media value to the state. Seeking an individual with significant experience in sports development, event management, event hosting, and related activities to help the commission execute its sport and Olympic Legacy charter.
Apply Now.

TYR Sport. Creative Director of Marketing
As the Creative Director of Marketing, you will be the driving force behind our brand identity, content strategy, and athlete engagement. You’ll lead a dynamic team of designers, content creators, and digital strategists, crafting compelling campaigns that inspire, engage, and drive results. Apply Now.

Nike. Director, Partner Marketing Sport Performance NA
Nike is seeking an experienced Brand Director to lead the Partner Marketing Sport Performance offense in North America, focused on our Running Specialty, Soccer Specialty & Select Sport Goods Partners. To be considered for this role, you must be a consumer sport obsessed marketer, innovative thinker, a strategic business leader with results orientation, and a team-first collaborator. Apply Now.

FloSports. Director of In-House Media
In this role, you will collaborate closely with other marketers, Vertical GMs, Broadcast, Production, and Content teams, leveraging their support to bring the brand vision to life across all media channels. Apply Now.

MLB Network. Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs
In this role, you will be accountable for driving consumer facing campaigns that develop and deepen engagement with Prime Video customers. Apply Now.

Looking to fill an open position with top talent in the sports media industry? Advertise in the Sport & Story Daily to reach over 25,000 senior-level executives and professionals—and connect your job opportunity with the right audience.

Getty Images

Rutgers Committed to $20.5M Payout to Student-Athletes Despite Ongoing Deficit
Rutgers interim AD Ryan Pisarri said in his first interview that he plans to “distribute the full $20.5M to athletes” if the landmark class-action lawsuit against the NCAA is “settled this spring,” according to Steve Politi of the Newark STAR-LEDGER via SBJ. Pisarri said the plan is “to compete at the highest level and participate in the revenue share at that level,” though the school still has “to figure out exactly what that looks like and the plan around that.”
Newark Star-Ledger via Sports Business Journal

Texas State Lawmakers Introduce Bills to Cap Scholarships for International Athletes
Sen. Brandon Creighton (R) filed S.B. 1390 in the Texas State Senate Feb. 14, and Rep. Drew Darby (R) filed a companion bill – HB 3100 – in the state's House of Representatives Feb. 20. The two bills would limit 25% of "athletic scholarships, grants, or similar financial assistance" for international student-athletes. The bills would take effect Sept. 1, 2025, if they go through the legislature and are signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott.
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