Sport & Story Daily October 10, 2024: Aaron Rodgers Got Saleh Fired?

Yahoo! Sports Looks at Whether Rodgers Had a Hand in Saleh’s Firing

October 10, 2024

Good morning! Aaron Rodgers Got Saleh Fired?

Jeff Ulbrich Was a Gritty Player, a Respected Assistant and Now Takes Over a Struggling Jets Team
As AP News’ Dennis Waszak Jr. writes, “The owner considers these Jets ‘one of the most talented teams that has ever been assembled’ in franchise history. But [owner Woody] Johnson wasn’t sold on [Robert] Saleh being able to lead the Jets to the playoffs, which they haven’t reached in 13 seasons, and go on a Super Bowl run. So, he turned to the 47-year-old Ulbrich, a former NFL linebacker and longtime assistant coach…”

“‘When he talks, they listen to him in a way that probably represents the fact that he did play the sport at linebacker for 10 years, which is pretty unique,’ Johnson said.”
^{AP News}

^⇢  Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson also answers the question of whether QB Aaron Rodgers had anything to do with Saleh’s firing.

Nothing Obstructs Utah Hockey Club’s NHL Debut
As FOS’ A.J. Perez reports, “Officially, 11,131 fans watched Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural game, in which the home team secured a 5–2 victory over the visiting Blackhawks. Unofficially, the sellout crowd numbered at about 16,200—the roughly 5,000 discounted seats with obstructed views don’t count toward the NHL’s recordkeeping. If the franchise succeeds, plenty more people will be boasting they were there, too, as crowds gathered outside the Delta Center for a watch party.”
^{Front Office Sports}

NBA GMs Rank Salary-Cap Apron As Rule That Needs to Change Most
As FOS’ Colin Salao writes, “According to NBA.com’s 23rd annual GM survey, roster construction as it pertains to the ‘restrictive’ apron rules was voted as the No. 1 rule the NBA needs to change. One-fifth of the general managers ranked the apron rules as the top issue. The vote comes just a week after the Timberwolves, who have the NBA’s second-highest payroll, traded four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks.

“The second apron for this season is $188.9 million, $48.4 million more than the soft salary cap and $17.5 million above the luxury tax. Four teams are currently above the threshold: the Suns, Timberwolves, Celtics, and Bucks.” 
^{Front Office Sports}

Audience Analysis: MLB Postseason Continues to Pop at Start of LDS
Per SBJ, viewership for the opening weekend of the MLB LDS round popped 40% from last year, aided by Fox landing a game this year (there were no broadcast TV games on opening weekend last year). Games across Fox, FS1, TBSN, and truTV averaged 3.27 million viewers, well above the 2.34 million during the same Saturday/Sunday lineup last fall. Fox’s Mets-Phillies game one on Saturday afternoon led the way with 4.86 million viewers, the best Game 1 in the LDS round dating back to Guardians-Yankees on TBS in 2022 (5.35 million).
^{Sports Business Journal}

Lackluster Games, Sunday Night Delay Take Bite Out of NFL Week 5 Audience
Unlike the MLB postseason figures, SBJ notes that NFL game audience figures were generally down in Week 5. CBS had the national window featuring Packers-Rams, drawing 20.3 million viewers. That’s off 12% from Week 5 last year when CBS featured Chiefs-Vikings.

With the weather delaying the start of “Sunday Night Football” by around 90 minutes, NBC saw a 27% Week 5 drop. Cowboys-Steelers drew 20.3 million viewers, down 23% from 26.3 million for Cowboys-49ers last year.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Jürgen Klopp Officially Returns to Football With Red Bull Role
Jürgen Klopp will officially return to football in January. The former Liverpool boss will take over as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull. Just eight months after he left Anfield, Klopp will return to the game in an executive capacity with the Austrian drinks giant.
^{Yahoo! Sports}

Nick Nickson Enters Final Season of Play-by-Play Broadcasting, as Local Broadcast Schedule Announced
“There comes a moment when you get a sense that it is the right time to move on, and I feel that after this season it will be that time,” LA Kings Broadcaster Nick Nickson said. “Shortly after graduating from college in 1975, I began my hockey broadcasting career, and it has been an absolute privilege to bring the game to the listeners and viewers from one season to the next. Through it all, I have enjoyed calling every shot, every save, every goal, and two Stanley Cups.”
^{LA Kings Insider}

Report: Orioles Part With SVP & CRO T.J. Brightman
The Orioles and long-time exec SVP & CRO T.J. Brightman "mutually parted ways" yesterday, according to a team source. Brightman worked for the club in two stints—as VP/Corporate Sales & Sponsorships from 2003-05 before returning to the Orioles in 2019 "in an elevated role."
^{Sports Business Journal}

Jerry Jones 'No Hesitation' in Partnering With IndyCar on Texas Race
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones "had no hesitation" about hosting an IndyCar street course race in Arlington once he "saw that Roger Penske was involved," according to Jenna Fryer of the AP via SBJ. The trust between the two businessmen "goes back to Penske’s successful effort" to convince the NFL to hold the 2006 Super Bowl in Detroit.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Chicago Bears Not Currently Exploring Private Equity as Funding Source For New Stadium, Says CEO Kevin Warren
Per The Athletic, the Chicago Bears are not currently exploring private equity as a funding source for their new stadium. Still, President and CEO Kevin Warren is looking into how it works. NFL owners voted in August to allow private equity firms to buy limited stakes, up to 10 percent, in teams for the first time.
^{The Athletic}

The British are Coming: NFL Academy Starting to Turn UK Talent into College Prospects
As AP News’ Ken Maguire writes, “Germans and Swedes typically comprise most of the top European prospects for American college football, but the U.K. talent is gaining momentum.

“The NFL academy, which opened in 2019, has been sharpening its local recruitment and the results are starting to show with several recent graduates now playing for Power Four conference schools.

“‘Soccer and rugby are king,” head of the academy Lamonte Winston said. It’s not the norm over here for kids to play multiple sports. You play one sport — that’s it.’”
^{AP News}

NCAA Approves Elimination of National Letter of Intent Program
ESPN’s Eli Lederman reports on this historic recruiting landscape shift: “Established in 1964, the NLI program has existed as the formal, binding agreement between prospective athletes and college programs for the last 60 years. The NLI will be replaced by a new financial aid agreement…

“Under the new rules, transfer athletes will be allowed to sign with a new school after they've formally entered the portal. Per the NCAA, once a prospect has signed a written offer of athletic aid, other schools will be ‘prohibited from recruiting communications.’”
^ESPN

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