NFL: What Recession?

FOS’ Colin Salao writes, “NFL teams combined to hand out more than $1 billion worth of contracts this weekend, highlighted by the six-year, $330 million deal the Bills gave quarterback Josh Allen…”

March 10, 2025

NFL Teams Drop More Than $1 Billion in a Weekend Spending Frenzy
FOS’ Colin Salao writes, “It was a billion-dollar weekend for the NFL. NFL teams combined to hand out more than $1 billion worth of contracts this weekend, highlighted by the six-year, $330 million deal the Bills gave quarterback Josh Allen, the second-largest total contract in NFL history behind Patrick Mahomes’s (10 years, $450 million) with the Chiefs.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Hogs+, Sport & Story Earn Gold at AVA Digital Awards
With a high-end production team and exclusive content, HOGS+ has become a groundbreaking success in the collegiate athletics and digital media worlds. 

In honor of its success, HOGS+, the premier content membership platform for all things Arkansas Razorbacks, the Arkansas Athletics Department, and Sport & Story were recently recognized with a Gold Award at the prestigious AVA Digital Awards in the Business-to-Consumer category. 

“We are extremely proud of our entire HOGS+ team and the time they’ve spent bringing high quality content directly to all the Razorbacks fans,” Sport & Story President Victor Vitarelli said. “We have an incredibly talented group of individuals who continuously raise the bar on the content that we are able to produce and the exclusive insight that we give fans, athletes, and all those who love Arkansas.”
^{Sport & Story}

Sports Businesses Brace for Far-Reaching Impact of Tariffs
Sportico’s Brendan Coffey writes, “Some of those affected are what you might expect. Topgolf Callaway Brands, the maker of golf equipment with some parts sourced in China, told investors in late February its expects tariffs to be a $5 million ‘headwind’ on its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization – EBITDA, a measure of profitability – which translates to a $34 million top-line cost to sales. Topgolf Callaway expects to generate about $2.3 billion in revenue this year. Similarly, Amer Sports indicated it expects its Wilson division will probably be most affected, given the sourcing of balls and racquets from China.”
^Sportico

Rays Owner Reportedly Being ‘Pressured’ to Sell Team by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, Other Team Owners
Yahoo Sports’ Ryan Young writes, “The pressure to sell the team comes amid [Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu] Sternberg’s renewed quest to find a new stadium, which is something he has been doing for nearly two decades now. Sternberg and local officials in St. Petersburg have been working toward a $1.3 billion proposal for a new stadium after Tropicana Field was destroyed by Hurricane Milton last year. That has forced the Rays to play home games at the New York Yankees’ minor-league complex this season.”
^{Yahoo! Sports}

Twin Tasks: Minnesota’s Derek Falvey is an MLB rarity: an Executive Leading Both the Baseball and Business Sides
“That was not part of this process on the front end, I can promise you that as we outlined it,” said Derek Falvey, president of baseball operations. “But ultimately, once that happened, we made the decision to announce some of this transition maybe a little earlier than expected to ensure that we had the plan and everything in place while the sale exploration was happening.”

Falvey, who officially started the dual roles this week, is thought to be just the second active MLB executive to oversee both baseball and business operations; his friend and mentor, Toronto Blue Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro, is the other.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Giants’ ‘Eli Manning Show’ Reaches New Heights With Caitlin Clark Booking
SBJ’s Ben Fischer writes, “In any case, the WNBA superstar is -- arguably -- the biggest name yet for the four-year-old series, which is refining the genre of team-owned digital content in ambition and reach. It has generated 150 million video views since its 2021 debut, and it appears to have a line on a steady stream of sports and crossover stars, with the show bringing in McConaughey, LIV golfer Jon Rahm, three-time NASCAR Cup champion Joey Logano and Clark in the last year.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless to Appear On Air Together for First Time in 9 Years
As FOS’ Ryan Glasspiegel writes, “The band is getting back together for one show. Stephen A. Smith taped an episode of The Skip Bayless Show on Friday, a source told Front Office Sports. The show, which will air early next week, is the first time the duo has been on-air together since Bayless left First Take in the summer of 2016.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Bowling Green Hires Former NFL Star Running Back Eddie George as Coach
George was the head coach the last four years at Tennessee State, where he was named the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year last season. George led the Tigers to a share of the league championship and a berth in the Football Championship Series playoffs.

He’s the 21st head coach in Falcons’ history and replaces Scot Loeffler, who left Bowling Green after six seasons to become the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterbacks coach.
^{AP News}

Wisconsin’s Marisa Moseley Stepping Down After Fourth Straight Losing Season
Wisconsin women’s basketball coach Marisa Moseley has stepped down after posting a 47-75 record in four seasons at a program that has been struggling to compete in the Big Ten for over a decade. The Badgers went 13-16 this season and lost 81-54 to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday.
^{AP News}

Charles Barkley Rips Kendrick Perkins, Future Home ESPN
FOS Ryan Glasspiegel writes, “Charles Barkley and Kendrick Perkins are unlikely to be on each other’s Christmas card lists this year. 

“Perkins is a veteran ESPN NBA analyst, and the Barkley-led Inside the NBA will be licensed from TNT to ESPN beginning next season. On Thursday night’s TNT program, Barkley took a number of potshots at Perkins and ESPN for how much they cover the Lakers and Warriors relative to the top-seeded Cavaliers and Thunder.”
^{Front Office Sports}

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UNCG Women End 26-Year NCAA Drought, Beat Chattanooga in OT Behind Cain to Win SoCon Title
Khalis Cain scored a career-high 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked five shots to lift UNC Greensboro to a 64-57 win in overtime over Chattanooga in the Southern Conference championship game on Sunday, giving the Spartans their second NCAA Tournament berth, the first since 1998.

It was also the first championship game loss in 21 appearances for the Mocs, who beat UNCG 69-60 in the title game last year for their 17th NCAA trip.
^{AP News}

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