Sport & Story Daily May 29, 2024

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May 29, 2024

Good morning! Hockey to Get Rare Spotlight

Let’s Do That Hockey
As Yahoo Sports Dan Wetzel writes, “The NBA still rules. The NHL — as great as the action can be and as loyal as its base of fans are — still seeks any chance to be front and center and capture the country’s sporting attention.

“Well, here, perhaps, comes just that chance.

“The NBA’s conference finals could be concluded Tuesday if Dallas finishes off a sweep of Minnesota. On Monday, Boston eliminated Indiana, 4-0. With the NBA Finals not set to start until June 6, there is potentially an eight-night gap in the sports calendar with only one obvious thing to fill it. Hockey.”
^{Yahoo! Sports}

NFLPA Crafting Proposal to Open Offseason Programs in June or July, Not April: Source
The Athletic’s Mike Jones writes, “The members of the NFLPA’s executive board have been working on a proposal that would call for the start of the offseason program to be pushed back from mid April to either late June or early July, according to a person familiar with the deliberations. The person declined to speak publicly on the matter because the NFLPA had yet to finalize such a proposal. The goal centers on the desire for players to have a longer offseason/initial recovery window.”
^{The Athletic}

DraftKings, Flutter Shares Tumble on Illinois Sports Betting Tax Hike
A budget agreement that will nearly triple the tax on some sports bets in Illinois roiled shares of the major sports books operating in the state, sending shares of DraftKings down as much as 14% during trading Tuesday, while competitor Flutter, owner of FanDuel, plunged 8%.
^Sportico

Stewart-Haas Racing Shutting Down NASCAR Teams at End of Season
"It is a decision that did not come easily, nor was it made quickly," the owners said. "Racing is a labor-intensive, humbling sport. It requires unwavering commitment and vast resources, with a 365-day mindset to be better than everyone else. It's part of what makes success so rewarding. But the commitment needed to extract maximum performance while providing sustainability is incredibly demanding, and we've reached a point in our respective personal and business lives where it's time to pass the torch."
^ESPN

Following Historic Settlement, Greg Sankey Calls on Congress to Step In
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey (above), one of the most powerful people in college sports, shared an optimistic outlook about the swiftly shifting landscape ahead of the conference’s spring meetings, which begin Tuesday. Speaking with reporters Monday night, Sankey called for a national standard following last week’s $2.75 billion settlement in House v. NCAA.

“Congress has still an opportunity to use the structure of this settlement to enact legislation to strengthen the future of college sports,” he said. “The breadth of the settlement is intended to give us a path forward, provide a level of clarity about the future that doesn’t embed employment automatically,” he added.
^{Front Office Sports}

NFL's Netflix Deal Shows League's Planned Next Steps to More Revenue Growth
The league “has again capitalized on a non-traditional opportunity while continuing to grow traditional sources such as gate receipts, sponsorships, merchandising and stadium revenues.” While Netflix is “not expected to pursue live sports on a grand scale involving a season-long slate,” its new presence in the NFL landscape, following Amazon's Prime Video, “sets the stage for more streaming platforms to align with the NFL.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Illinois Legislature Puts Bears Stadium Funding on Hold as Spring Session Nears End
The Bears’ appeal for more than $2B in public assistance to build a new domed stadium on a reimagined lakefront is “on hold until at least the fall,” according to Petrella & Gorner of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Illinois state Sen. Bill Cunningham said that there would be “no action on the team’s request before the legislature adjourns for the spring."
^{Sports Business Journal}

Report: D.C., Commanders Seeking to Host NFL Draft
D.C. representatives and Commanders officials are “vying for the District to host a future NFL draft” and are “optimistic” that the nation’s capital will be chosen to stage the event “as soon as 2027,” according to sources cited by Jhabvala & Maske of the WASHINGTON POST.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Ángel Hernández’s Career and Crusade End With Retirement Settlement 
ESPN and USA Today both reported via Front Office Sports that the official and league had reached a financial settlement, with the latter saying negotiations occurred over the last two weeks before the parties came to an agreement this weekend. Hernández’s final game was May 9 between the Guardians and White Sox.

As FOS notes, the announcement of his retirement was met with cheers from haters on social media. Hernández was the bane of players, managers, and fans, both for his missed calls and aggressive handling of players.
^{Front Office Sports}

Blue Jackets Name Don Waddell President of Hockey Operations, General Manager and Alternate Governor
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that longtime NHL executive Don Waddell has agreed to a multi-year contract to serve as the club’s president of hockey operations, general manager and alternate governor. The club also announced that John Davidson, who has been the club’s president of hockey operations for 10 of the past 12 years, has agreed to serve as a senior advisor and alternate governor. Waddell will be introduced at a press conference on Wednesday.
^NHL

In Aftermath of House Settlement, Schools That Thrive Will 'Think More Like an Entrepreneur'
“College sports are undervalued,” Playfly Sports Properties President Christy Hedgpeth said during a Q&A with On3’s Eric Prisbell about the most pressing questions schools will face in the wake of the House settlement. Hedgpeth tells Prisbell [Schools] really need to be thinking more like brands and more like media companies. These changes are – and we’ve already seen it – definitely forcing them to have a more commercial mindset, because they are going to be under enormous budget pressure, not that they weren’t already. But from the damages [payments] to revenue sharing to NIL collectives, there’s much more pressure on them to drive revenue.”

Utah Rumored To Be Eyeing Move To Leave Big 12, Join ACC
"Speculation is circulating about potential shifts in college sports conferences. There is discussion about Utah possibly moving to the ACC despite its recent move to the Big 12, with some suggesting the ACC might be a better fit due to its ESPN network agreement and potential for increased TV value. However, skepticism exists regarding the stability and attractiveness of the ACC compared to the Big 12," New York Daily News’ Dick Weiss wrote on the app formerly known as Twitter.
^{New York Daily News and Athlon Sports Via Twitter}

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