Sport & Story Daily February 16, 2024

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February 16, 2024

Good morning! Caitlin Clark changes the face of women’s college basketball - nay, women’s sports

Caitlin Clark Does It! Iowa Guard Passes Kelsey Plum as NCAA Women’s Basketball Top Scorer
As USA Today staff writes, “Well, that didn't take long.

With — what else? — a logo 3 just 132 seconds into the game vs. Michigan on Thursday, Caitlin Clark, the senior from Iowa, surpassed former Washington All-American Kelsey Plum to move into first place in the NCAA scoring record book. And the game isn’t even over yet. 

She is on pace to break Pete Maravich’s record of 3,667 points, set from 1967-70 when he played at LSU, toward the end of Iowa’s regular season. But the record that might matter even more to women’s basketball historians and junkies is 3,649. That’s how many points Lynette Woodard, a Wichita native, scored when she played at Kansas from 1977-81. That was before the NCAA ran women’s college sports though, so Woodard’s record is in the AIWA record books instead of the NCAA record books.”
^usatoday.com

All-Star Weekend Arrives in Indianapolis, a 1st-Time Event for Some, a 21st-Time Event for LeBron
As AP News’ Tim Reynolds reports, “For James, it’s his 21st All-Star weekend in his 21 NBA seasons. He didn’t make the All-Star Game as a rookie; he made the weekend as part of the rookie game. He’s made every All-Star Game since, now the first player to be picked for the showcase in 20 different seasons. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a 19-time selection.”
^apnews.com

Tiger Woods is Wearing Many Hats at Riviera. He Just Doesn’t Have Many Answers
“Ultimately, we would like to have PIF [Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia] be a part of our tour and a part of our product,” Woods said Wednesday at Riviera. “Financially, we don’t right now. And the monies that they have come to the table with, and what we initially had agreed to in the framework agreement, those are all the same numbers. Anything beyond this is going to be obviously over and above.”
^apnews.com

Why LIV Golf Turned to Sci-Fi Creative to Attract More Fans to Its Team Sport
As Ad Age’s Jon Springer writes, “LIV Golf, which has arguably gotten as much attention for its contracts and prize money as what happens on the greens, hopes to generate interest this year in its market differentiator—team golf—and the teams that play it.”
^adage.com

DraftKings To Buy Jackpocket For $750M As Stock Stays Flat
DraftKings stock stayed flat in late trading after the sports betting company released fourth-quarter earnings and announced an agreement to buy the online lottery app Jackpocket for $750 million.

“This transaction will create significant value for DraftKings not only by giving our customers another differentiated product to enjoy but also by improving our overall marketing efficiency similar to how our daily fantasy sports database created an advantage for DraftKings in OSB and iGaming,” CEO Jason Robins said in a statement.
^sportico.com

While Jason Kelce Seems Like a No-Brainer, Other Athletes Could Also Be The ‘Next Best Thing’ in Broadcasting
As Barrett Sports Media’s Andy Masur writes, “It would be a no-brainer for some network to pick up Kelce and put him in a prominent role. Maybe start him in the studio, to get comfortable with the flow of a show and then move him to the booth. I know some will say that he’s been over-saturated already, but come on, it’s hard to deny the likability factor he brings. Somebody needs to get him on the air for their NFL coverage, that is for sure.

There are so many others, it’s hard to name them all. I like the fact that this younger generation of player, is much more media savvy than previous ones. Podcasts, Tik Tok, IG, X and Facebook live seem to be preparing these players for a second career, it’s kind of exciting to watch.
^{barrettsportsjournal.com}

UFC, WWE Ink Deal to Feature in Anaheim’s $4 Billion Arena Project
As Sportico’s Eben-Novy Williams reports, “TKO, the parent of the UFC and WWE, has reached a five-year deal to host MMA and wrestling events at the Honda Center in Anaheim, the latest example of how the combined entity is leveraging the power of the two companies in new commercial deals.

It’s unclear how UFC and WWE are being compensated as part of the deal. These partnerships sometimes involve cash payments, and sometimes involve more favorable terms on the costs and revenue associated with the events themselves.

The arrangement begins this weekend. UFC 298 will be held at the arena on Saturday; WWE’s Monday Night Raw will be there two days later. Honda Center is the first venue to host back-to-back UFC and WWE events since the TKO merger.”
^sportico.com

Rob Manfred Won’t Extend MLB Commissioner Term Past January 2029
Rob Manfred announced Thursday he will step down as MLB Commissioner when his current term ends in January 2029.

The league’s owners approved his contract extension last July. Manfred, who will be 70 years old when his contract expires, has held the job since January 2015.
^{frontofficesports.com}

NCAA Official Resigns in Protest of Transgender Policies That ‘Discriminate Against Female Student-Athletes’
As the Washington Examiner’s Cami Mondeaux writes, “William Bock III, the former general counsel for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, submitted his letter of resignation to NCAA President Charlie Baker on Friday, citing the college sports organization’s policy to allow transgender men to compete in women’s sports as a primary reason for his departure. Bock has served as a committee member since 2016 and is stepping down from his role more than a year before his current term is set to expire in August 2025. 

‘Although I may not have agreed with the wisdom of every rule in the NCAA rulebook, I believed the intent behind the NCAA’s rules was competitive fairness and protection of equal opportunities for student-athletes,’ Bock wrote. ‘This conviction has changed as I have watched the NCAA double down on regressive policies which discriminate against female student-athletes.’”
^{washingtonexaminer.com}

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