Sport & Story Daily May 8, 2024

Stay Ahead of the Game

May 8, 2024

Good morning! Pre-Indy 500 Penske Scandal

Penske Suspends Cindric and 3 Others in the Wake of a Cheating Scandal Ahead of the Indianapolis 500
As AP News’ Jenna Fryer writes, “The scandal dates to the IndyCar season-opener in March won by Newgarden. Six weeks later, the series discovered that the three Penske cars were able to use a software system to get a horsepower boost on starts and restarts, which is against the rules.”

“We’re the same company we have been for 50 years and I’m going to hold my head high,” Penske told the AP. “This is an unfortunate situation and when you’re the leader, you have to take action. We’ve done that and we’re going to move on. I am not trying to run a popularity contest.”
^{AP News}

From Marseille to Mont-Blanc: What to Know About the Journey of the Olympic Torch to Paris
The AP’s Jerome Pugmire writes, “The Olympic torch will finally enter France when it reaches the southern seaport of Marseille on Wednesday. And it’s already been quite a journey. After being lit on April 16 in Ancient Olympia, the torch was carried around Greece before leaving Athens aboard a three-mast ship named Belem, headed for Marseille.”
^{AP News}

Two WNBA Players Were Among a Dozen Americans Who Played in Russia After Brittney Griner’s Arrest
Two WNBA players were among a dozen Americans who opted to play in Russia this past offseason, a decision New York Liberty forward Kayla Thornton said raised a few eyebrows following Brittney Griner’s incarceration in 2022.

AP News’ Doug Feinberg writes, “Russia is known to be holding a number of Americans in its jails, including corporate security executive Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The U.S. government has designated both as wrongfully detained and has been trying to negotiate for their release.”
^{AP News}

MSG Playoff Runs Earn Dolan Second Look From Fans, Investors
As Sportico’s Eric Jackson reports, “MSG Sports shareholders are hoping the money spent to construct these contending teams will make the clubs more valuable and ultimately help the stock price be more reflective of the Knicks ($7.4 billion) and Rangers ($2.4 billion) Sportico valuations. The MSG Sports (NYSE: MSGS) market cap is currently $4.4 billion. The notion among analysts is that the only way to unlock the true value is if a team sale occurs, which former MSG Sports president David Hopkinson mentioned as a possibility.”
^Sportico

Belichick Draws Praise for Media Appearances Highlighting More of His Personality
Former NFL coach Bill Belichick has been “absolutely crushing it at being a media personality" after two “sensational appearances in a little over a week have highlighted the dry wit, personality, and communication skills that he worked hard to conceal during his time as Patriots coach,” according to Ben Volin of the BOSTON GLOBE via SBJ.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Disney Prepares to Add ESPN Programming into Disney+
Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company plans to "add an ESPN tile to Disney+" as it prepares to launch its new standalone ESPN streaming service, according to Caitlin Huston of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER via SJB. The tile will be added to Disney+ "by the end of the calendar year."
^{Sports Business Journal}

No A’s in Attendance: Oakland Trails a Whopping 553 U.S. Teams
The A’s are averaging 6,410 fans per game in what is expected to be their final season in Oakland. It would be the lowest home attendance figure for an MLB team in 45 years, and a total that would look more at home in leagues that you’ve likely never heard of. In total, Sportico’s unofficial research found 553 pro and college teams in U.S.-based leagues that are averaging more fans per home game than the Oakland A’s.
^Sportico

St. Louis Blues Remove Interim Tag and Name Drew Bannister Full-Time Coach
The AP’s Stephen Whyno reports via Yahoo! Sports: “Drew Bannister is returning as coach of the St. Louis Blues after getting the interim tag removed from his title and being named Tuesday to the full-time role. He signed a two-year contract that gives him the chance to oversee a bit of organizational retooling but also show he can get the most out of a roster stocked with veteran talent. The expectation is still for the Blues to contend for a playoff spot in the Western Conference with Bannister in charge.”
^{AP Via Yahoo! Sports}

Big Ten Football: The Tiebreaker Conundrum isn’t Just About the Conference Championship Matchup
As The Mercury News’ Jon Wilner writes, “Big Ten football has a math problem to resolve before it becomes a math calamity: How do you break ties in a league with 18 teams, nine conference games and no divisions?

“We have to reinvent what we had,” Big Ten Chief Operating Officer Kerry Kenny told the Hotline last week at the annual Fiesta Summit gathering for college sports executives. “What we had was based on divisions, and we didn’t have to worry about who missed who.”
^{The Mercury News}

New and Significant Change to NIL Guidelines Flies Under the Radar
Mit Winter of Winter Sports Law tweeted, “This is a pretty significant change to the NCAA’s #NIL guidelines that was issued last week that hasn’t gotten attention. Athletes are now allowed to engage in NIL activities while ‘on-call.’ Meaning during practice, pre/post-game, press conferences, and on court celebrations.”
^Twitter

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