Sport & Story Daily November 20, 2023

Stay Ahead of the Game

November 20, 2023

Good morning! Shohei Ohtani is voted Oh So Good once again, Aaron Rodgers eyes late-season comeback, and more…

Shohei Ohtani, baseball’s 2-way star, becomes first 2-time unanimous MVP
Shohei Ohtani’s injury remains mysterious. His dominance is clear. After captivating baseball with his unprecedented combination of high-level hitting and premium pitching, the two-way star became the first two-time unanimous Most Valuable Player when he won the American League honor on Thursday.
Read more here.

NBA says Hornets' LaMelo Ball must cover 'LF' tattoo, cites policy
The NBA is requiring Charlotte Hornets All-Star guard LaMelo Ball to cover a tattoo below his left ear that the league insists violates rules against exposing commercial logos on players' bodies—a policy that sources close to Ball contend has been infrequently enforced. Ball has the initials "LF" tattooed on his body, short for LaFrance—his middle name, and now, his clothing brand.
Read more here.

Joe Burrow’s deal looks even better, given his season-ending injury
A wrist mishap has short-circuited quarterback Joe Burrow’s fourth NFL campaign. It’s the second time he has suffered a season-ending injury in the month of November—and it underscores the value of the contract Burrow signed just before the season started.
Read more here.

Colorado Rapids hire ex-Man United assistant Armas as manager
The Colorado Rapids have hired Chris Armas to be their next head coach, the MLS club confirmed Friday. Armas replaces Robin Fraser, who was dismissed in September with the Rapids languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference. Chris Little, who was also a finalist, took over on an interim basis, leading the club to a 2-4-2 mark.
Read more here.

Traveling Fan Phenomenon Could Impact Future Expansion, Relocation Markets
The New York Jets played in Las Vegas on Sunday night. The large number of Gang Green fans in attendance made the road team feel as if it were playing at home.

For context, SeatGeek data shows ~72% of fans purchasing tickets to a game in a ‘typical’ NFL city –they pulled Cleveland– will come from inside the state. Just ~4% of those who purchased tickets on the secondary market site for the league’s most recent SNF game reside in Nevada.

Visiting team fans have made their presence felt at several other Raiders, Rams, and Chargers games this year too. The NFL considers the recent moves to Las Vegas and Los Angeles as being successful, despite the relative lack of fanaticism that exists for the home teams.

Now, the Oakland Athletics are in the process of leaving behind a once proud fan base in one of America’s larger markets to build from scratch in one of the smallest.

Shifts in pro sports’ business model over the last three decades have altered how leagues and teams view the designated market area (DMA).

Read more at JohnWallStreet.

This stunning California 27-hole golf resort with mountain views is on the market for $3.8 million
Ever dream of quitting your job, heading off into the mountains and taking over a pristine golf property? Find yourself a cool $3.8 million and that dream can be fulfilled in the picturesque Northern California region near Mount Shasta, the second-highest mountain in the Cascades range and the fifth-highest in the state. Lake Shastina Golf Resort has a Robert Trent Jones par-72 championship track and an additional 9-hole course to boot.
golfweek.usatoday.com

MLB cancels Paris games in 2025 after being unable to find promoter, per report
Major League Baseball has canceled plans to play regular-season games in Paris in 2025, reports the Associated Press. The league failed to find a promoter and has been unable to make progress ensuring the games are financially viable. Other international games, including the Seoul Series next March, remain on schedule.
cbssports.com

Hornets, bet365 Enter Multi-Year Partnership As North Carolina Nears Launch Of Legal Sports Wagering
Hornets Sports & Entertainment (HSE) and bet365, one of the world’s leading online gambling brands, today announced an exclusive long-term partnership under which bet365 becomes an Official Partner of the Charlotte Hornets and will become the Official Mobile Sports Betting Partner of the Charlotte Hornets subject to bet365 becoming licensed to operate in North Carolina.
nba.com

Charissa Thompson issues statement addressing admission of fabricated sideline reports
Fox Sports and Amazon host Charissa Thompson did not address her admission to making up sideline reports during last night’s Amazon broadcast. She has posted an explanation on Instagram, but you can read it by clicking above.
nbcsports.com

Ian Eagle addresses criticisms of Al Michaels' NFL broadcasts
CBS Sports and Westwood One Radio Sports NFL play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle is the latest noteworthy individual to address criticisms lobbed toward legendary broadcaster Al Michaels regarding how Michaels calls "Thursday Night Football" games for Amazon Prime Video.
yardbarker.com

Busch Stadium tops the list of cheapest MLB stadiums to pop the question
Busch Stadium's iconic views, food and aesthetics aren't the only things baseball fans may fall in love with if they attend a game there, according to a new ranking. A Betway ranking found the home of the Cardinals is also the cheapest MLB stadium in the country for a marriage proposal. The online sports betting company analyzed the prices of all 30 stadiums in the country. The study measured how much each stadium charged for a scoreboard message and tickets and combined that with the average cost of an overnight stay in nearby hotels.
ksdk.com

Why can’t drones fly over NFL stadiums during games? This is what the law says
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was injured as the visitors lost to Baltimore Ravens in injury-plagued game on Thursday night. Burrow injured his right wrist while leading his team on a go-ahead touchdown drive midway through the second quarter. But stealing the show the night? The game was halted for several minutes at the start of the fourth quarter due to a drone flying inside the stadium.
as.com

Columbus Blue Jackets 'in the mix' to host possible NHL Winter Classic at Ohio Stadium
There may be hope for an NHL Winter Classic to be held some day in Columbus after all. An NHL source has confirmed a report on TSN that a small contingent of league representatives attended Ohio State's victory over Michigan State this past Saturday at Ohio Stadium as a site survey. No decisions have been made, but Columbus is "in the mix" to get the NHL's most prestigious outdoor event.
dispatch.com

Eagles waive 51-year-old Bernard Williams, 29 years after his final NFL game
Bernard Williams got an interesting call this week. The former Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle, who played one season in the NFL before stints with the XFL, AFL and CFL, was officially waived by the Eagles on Thursday. It was news to him that he was even on the team's roster. Plenty of people saw the move on the NFL's transaction wire, but it was initially hard to believe it was that Bernard Williams. He then confirmed it was the case over the next couple days, telling the Philadelphia Inquirer and InsideTheBirds.com's Andrew DiCecco that he was driving a delivery route for Amazon in Atlanta when he received a text from an NFL scout he coached in high school.
yahoo.com

Aaron Rodgers tells Jets he hopes to resume practicing as early as Dec. 2, per report
Aaron Rodgers recently said that he was targeting a mid-December return to the Jets after suffering a serious Achilles injury in Week 1. Now, the Jets' quarterback is hoping to resuming practicing as early as Dec. 2, according to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer. Rodgers reportedly sent the Jets footage of him working out this past week and the video "blew their minds," according to the report. Rodgers also informed them of his plans to hopefully begin practicing next week.
cbssports.com

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