Sport & Story Daily May 15, 2024

Sport & Story Daily May 15, 2024

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May 15, 2024

Good morning! WNBA Chatter Comin’ in Hot

The WNBA Was Forged in Houston. Why Won’t It Go Back There?
As FOS’ Alex Schiffer writes, “The WNBA’s past can’t be discussed without the Comets, but the league, at least for now, seems to envision a future without them…”

“When reached for comment about Houston, a WNBA spokesperson referred Front Office Sports to Engelbert’s comments in April at the draft, in addition to the league’s response to the report about Toronto, which said, ‘We continue to engage in productive conversations with interested ownership groups in a number of markets and the granting of any expansion teams requires a vote of the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors.’”
Front Office Sports

5 Storylines for the 2024 WNBA Season, Including How the Caitlin Clark Effect Will Impact the League
“The growth is happening so fast. It's so accelerated,” Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said. “And I've been saying this in our own organization, that business as usual isn't going to work anymore. You're gonna get left behind and this is an example.”
Yahoo! Sports

Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Debut Marks the Start of a New Era for Women’s Basketball
Margaret Fleming of Front Office Sports writes, “The WNBA has been building to this moment. The league is coming off its most-watched regular season in more than two decades and its best overall attendance in 13 years. Investment has significantly increased, evidenced by the stunning new practice facilities of the Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm. The league has been stuck on 12 teams since 2010, but on Tuesday morning team branding was announced for a new expansion franchise, arriving next season: the Golden State Valkyries. Several days earlier, news broke that Toronto had been granted the league’s next expansion team, starting in ’26.”
Front Office Sports

Watch Gatorade’s Caitlin Clark Commercial For Her WNBA Debut
Jon Springer of Ad Age writes, “As the shots fall, the net crackles, the sneakers squeak and the bouncing balls echo in the otherwise empty gym, Clark’s highlights from her record-setting NCAA career are displayed onscreen—leading scorer in NCAA college basketball history, highest average points-per-game, most-ever three-point shots, and so on. By the time the shootaround is complete, Gatorade reminds us—all that was all just a warmup.

“As the ad relays, it’s the start of a new era—for Clark, her Indiana Fever team, and the WNBA, which is riding strong momentum in women’s sports overall and now has arguably its most marketable star ever.”
Ad Age

Getty Images

2024 Paris Olympics: Flavor Flav Pledges Support for U.S. Women's Water Polo Team, Will Be Program's Hype Man
"As a girl dad and supporter of all women's sports – imma personally sponsor you my girl,,, whatever you need," Flav commented on team captain Maggie Steffens' post. According to CBS News, Flav is finalizing a deal that will make him the United States women's water polo team's sponsor and official hype man. Flav has already begun hyping up the team's players on social media.
CBS Sports

Topgolf Signs Eight-Year Deal With Pepsi For Pouring Rights at Domestic Locations
Per SBJ’s Terry Lefton, Topgolf is switching to Pepsi at its 90 domestic locations after pouring Coca-Cola for the past 5 1/2 years. The deal, which took around a year to put together, includes Topgolf’s “In-Bay Media" (the in-house TV network at the venues). Pepsi also will stage retail promotions.  

A new eight-year deal with PepsiCo includes Frito-Lay and other food products, as well as comprehensive beverage rights to water, Gatorade, and Pepsi’s traditional carbonated soft drinks.
Sports Business Journal

Doug Peters - PA Images/Getty Images

Serena Williams to Become Fourth Woman to Host the ESPYs in July
"This is a dream come true for me, and something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember," Williams said in a statement Tuesday. "It has been a sensational year for sports and an unprecedented one for female athletes. I can't wait to celebrate everyone onstage in July."
ESPN

Amazon Highlights Sports in First Upfront
Per SBJ, Amazon’s first upfront presentation took place this morning at Pier 36 in N.Y., and the company announced a slate of sports documentaries as well as the opening matchup for “Thursday Night Football.” The Bills and Dolphins will lead off TNF on Prime Video, and studio talent Charissa Thompson, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tony Gonzalez led the sports section of Amazon’s upfront presentation following an introduction from Keke Palmer.
Sports Business Journal

PGA of America

PGA Championship Sets Ticket, Hospitality Sales Records
The PGA Championship returns to Valhalla Golf Club this week near Louisville after a decade-long absence, and the tournament has set sales records for both general tickets and hospitality. The tournament has sold out of general admission tickets for Thursday-Sunday. Overall, the PGA of America expects around 200,000 fans for the entire week.
Sports Business Journal

Hot Dogs With Parachutes? How the Mariners’ Flying Frankfurter Promotion Came to Life
As The Athletic’s Tess DeMeyer writes, “‘Hot Dogs from Heaven,’ as the Mariners’ marketing team dubbed it, is the latest attempt by a Major League Baseball team to push the envelope for its in-game promotions. On Saturday in the eighth inning, the marketing team let 75 hot dogs fly from the upper deck as Belinda Carlisle’s ‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’ played throughout the park, provoking fans to chase them down like foul balls. It was the second time Seattle ran the promotion this season.”
The New York Times Via The Athletic

Kirby Lee/Reuters

Fox Sports Host Doug Gottlieb Hired as Green Bay’s Coach, Will Reportedly Still Host Radio Show
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay announced on Tuesday that it has hired Fox Sports radio host and former NCAA point guard Doug Gottlieb as its men's basketball coach. The former college point guard will continue to host his radio show in an unusual arrangement, according to reports. This is Gottlieb's first major head coaching job.
Yahoo! Sports

Nevada Court Orders Jon Gruden Case to Go to NFL Arbitration
Per ESPN, a three-judge panel of Nevada's Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with the NFL against former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden. The panel said that Gruden was subject to arbitration even as a former employee and thus ineligible to sue the league over his 2021 termination.

Gruden's lawsuit accuses the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell of "directly leaking" racist and misogynistic emails in an attempt to harm his reputation and force him out as coach of the Raiders in October 2021.
ESPN

Stay Halts ACC’s Lawsuit Against Florida State
“Under North Carolina law, the longstanding general rule is that an appeal divests the trial court of jurisdiction over a case until the appellate court returns its mandate,” North Caroline Business Court Chief Judge Louis Bledsoe III wrote in his ruling on Friday.

Florida State is challenging the conference’s exit fees and the validity of a grant-of-rights agreement that binds league members together through their media rights.
NC Lawyers Weekly

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