< Back A-Rod, Lore Raise Money at Higher Valuation as T-wolves Deadline Nears Dec 23, 2022 Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore have spent much of the last six months raising money to fund their purchase of the Minnesota Timberwolves, with a critical deadline due in nine days, according to multiple people familiar with the situation. The group has until Dec. 31 to exercise an option to buy another 20% of the team from current owner Glen Taylor, the first of three pre-priced call options in a unique layaway deal approved by the NBA last July. Rodriguez and Lore have spoken with private equity firms, family offices and individual investors about coming in at higher price than the $1.5 billion valuation that they negotiated last year, said the people, who were granted anonymity because the details are private. Some of those conversations happened as recently as this month, the people said. It’s unclear how far along the group is in securing funds, or if they intend to continue with the acquisition. Representatives for Rodriguez, Lore and the NBA declined to comment. A representative for the Timberwolves didn’t respond to a request for comment. Source: Yahoo Sports https://sports.yahoo.com/rod-lore-raise-money-higher-220425663.html Previous Next

< Back Early Kentucky Derby favorite Forte scratched just hours before the race’s start; sixth horse dies May 6, 2023 A sixth horse died at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Chloe’s Dream’s death comes after four horses passed away in just six days. Chloe Dream was a three-year-old gelding that ran on the Derby undercard. The morning-line favorite to win, Forte, was also scratched from the 149th Run for the Roses, just hours before the Kentucky Derby was scheduled to get underway. Veterinarians examined Forte and determined it was better to exercise caution as it related to the bruise on his right hoof. The deaths during Derby week have increased the scrutiny to the sport as it also continues to deal with multiple doping suspensions. "This is part of racing, and it’s the cruel part," Mike Repole, co-owner of Forte, said in an interview with FanDuel TV. The ongoing issues within the sport have also caught the attention of some Derby-goers. "It’s concerning, and I hope they’re quickly trying the best they can to correct whatever’s going on," said Michael Freeze, who along with his friend dressed up as jockeys. "They need to do whatever is best for the horses, and the sport in general." Source: Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/sports/a-sixth-horse-dies-ahead-of-kentucky-derby Previous Next

< Back Dodgers surprised by timing of Trevor Bauer decision, now mulling next steps Dec 23, 2022 It had been a quiet afternoon around Chavez Ravine. For much of Thursday, it was business as usual for the Dodgers front office. Most club personnel were preparing for the upcoming holiday weekend, and some executives had already scattered with Christmas Eve two days away. Team officials weren’t anticipating any major news — especially regarding the status of Trevor Bauer’s appeal of a domestic violence suspension, a decision the club didn’t believe would be known for at least several more weeks, according to people with knowledge of the situation unauthorized to speak publicly. By 5 p.m. PST, however, everything changed. Major League Baseball announced an independent arbitrator reduced Bauer’s original 324-game suspension to 194 and made the pitcher immediately eligible, thus giving the Dodgers 14 days to either release him or put him back on their roster. Source: Yahoo Sports https://sports.yahoo.com/dodgers-mull-trevor-bauer-decision-154340151.html Previous Next

< Back Olivia Dunne visits Kentucky, but this time massive turnout of fans are under control Jan 14, 2023 The Olivia Dunne Experience rolled into Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, Friday night, and outside of a few fans holding signs (including one student asking, "Livvy, will you marry me?"), it didn’t exactly feel like the highest-paid female college athlete and social media superstar was in the building. It was a completely different scene inside Rupp, compared to a week ago in Salt Lake City, where the 20-year-old Dunne received treatment typically reserved for the likes of Harry Styles, the Jonas Brothers or Justin Bieber. Things were so crazy in Utah that Dunne had to tell fans it was time to chill out a little bit and get back to being gymnastics fans — or at least tone down the bro-ness a little bit. "I will always appreciate and love the support from you guys, but if you come to a meet, I want to ask you to please be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community as we are just doing our job," the TikTok star tweeted Sunday. Source: Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/sports/olivia-dunne-visits-kentucky-this-time-massive-turnout-fans-under-control Previous Next

< Back Utah student arrested for allegedly making nuclear bomb threat if football team lost Sep 22, 2022 A student at the University of Utah was arrested Wednesday after police said she allegedly threatened to detonate a nuclear reactor on campus if the football team lost to San Diego State this past weekend. The 21-year-old woman allegedly posted "threats of violence" on an app called Yik Yak before the game, according to KSL.com. Police said the student had knowledge of a nuclear reactor on campus and took classes in the same building where the reactor is located. The student wasn't bluffing about the presence of a reactor — one has been housed in the university's engineering building since 1972. However, the reactor is very small compared to others around the world. It's only about the size of a microwave oven, according to a 2011 article from the Deseret News. It also only generates enough power to heat the thousands of gallons of water its immersed in, according to Utah professor Gary Sandquist. Source: Yahoo Sports https://sports.yahoo.com/utah-student-arrested-for-allegedly-making-nuclear-bomb-threat-if-football-team-lost-133438697.html Previous Next

< Back The Key To ACC Expansion Was Once Its Greatest Weakness Sep 2, 2023 One year ago, the ACC’s media deal with ESPN, which runs through 2036, looked like it would put the conference behind the rest of the Power 5. It was the only one without an opportunity to negotiate a new contract by 2025. But that length has become its greatest strength in the recent round of realignment, Octagon SVP William Mao, who worked with the ACC on its expansion deal, told Front Office Sports. The contract was a major reason the ACC was able to get enough votes to add Stanford, Cal, and SMU. It offers a decade-plus of security in the conference for all parties, with the promise of tangible revenue down the line. Source: Front Office Sports https://frontofficesports.com/the-key-to-acc-expansion-was-once-its-greatest-weakness/ Previous Next

< Back Buccaneers tell NFL they will play at home in Week 4 despite Hurricane Ian Sep 29, 2022 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers informed the NFL they will play at home in Week 4. The team released a statement Thursday, saying it will be ready to host the game despite Hurricane Ian making landfall in Florida on Wednesday. The Buccaneers sent "thoughts and prayers" to those severely impacted by the storm. The team said Tampa Bay was spared major damage, allowing the team to still host the game at Raymond James Stadium. A portion of the team statement read: "We have informed the NFL, after consulting with local and state agencies, that we are ready to play Sunday night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium as originally scheduled." The Buccaneers will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of Super Bowl LV. Source: Yahoo Sports https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-will-keep-sunday-night-football-in-tampa-bay-for-now-but-has-contingency-plan-based-on-hurricane-ian-175934412.html Previous Next

< Back Kevin Durant seemingly ends trade request after he and Nets announce they will 'move forward with our partnership Aug 23, 2022 Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets appear to have mended fences after a tumultuous offseason. The team announced via a statement from general manager Sean Marks that Marks, Durant, Nets head coach Steve Nash, Nets owner Joe Tsai and Rich Kleiman, Durant's business partner, all met and agreed to "move forward" heading into the 2022 season. This effectively ends the nightmare that was the 2022 offseason for the Nets that began with misgivings about Kyrie Irving's future with the team and evolved into a full-blown meltdown when Durant officially requested a trade from the Nets with four years left on his contract. Whether or not this is the end of Durant's feud with the Nets remains to be seen, but it appears that the two sides have at least come to an understanding of their immediate futures together. Source: Yahoo Sports https://sports.yahoo.com/kevin-durant-seemingly-ends-trade-request-after-he-and-nets-announce-they-will-move-forward-with-our-partnership-151219294.html Previous Next

< Back UFC veteran Elias Theodorou dead at 34 after battling cancer Sep 17, 2022 UFC veteran Elisa Theorodou has died at age 36 after a battle with Stage 4 liver cancer. Theodorou fought for the UFC first in 2014, fulfilling a lifelong dream of his. That fight was on The Ultimate Fighter: Nations middleweight tournament, which kicked off his career. It was Canadian fighters against Australia, and Theodorou ended up beating Sheldon Westcott, a fellow Canadian in the final for the middleweight division. He signed his UFC contract after that. Source: Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/sports/ufc-veteran-elias-theodorou-dead-34-battling-cancer Previous Next

< Back Director, Legal (Esports) Apply Now Santa Monica, CA, USA Activision Blizzard About the Role Description: Activision Blizzard is seeking a Director, Legal to join its team in support of Activision Blizzard Esports, including The Overwatch League, The Call of Duty League and other esports. Your Mission Draft and negotiate a wide variety of agreements relating to the operation of the Overwatch League, Call of Duty League, and other esports activities, including sponsorship, IP license, production, tournament license, marketing, talent, vendor and other commercial agreements Support esports product and league operations teams, including drafting and implementing league rules and guidelines across all business areas, team participation agreements, player contract administration, player and team code of conduct matters, and league marketing and promotion Perform due diligence for complex transactions and review and analyze corporate documents, including purchase agreements, shareholders agreements, organizational documents (operating agreements, bylaws, etc.) Review and clear content, marketing, and public relations materials Support and coordinate with other groups within the Activision Blizzard legal department, including game team, international group, IP, compliance, privacy, employment, securities and litigation Advise team counsel on compliance with league rules relating to the operation, marketing and promotion of Overwatch League, Call of Duty League and other esports teams APPLY NOW https://careers.activisionblizzard.com/job/R010245/Director-Legal About the Company Activision Blizzard, Inc. is the world’s largest interactive entertainment company, with operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Skylanders®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™, and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

< Back FTX Accused of Illegally Financing Super Bowl Ad Dec 21, 2022 FTX is facing more scrutiny related to its sports business ventures. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a lawsuit last week accusing the crypto exchange of combining its funds with sister fund Alameda Research. “On information and belief, commingled funds, including FTX customer funds, were also furtively used by [CEO Sam] Bankman-Fried and FTX for extensive marketing and promotional expenses in the U.S.,” the lawsuit alleges. Two of the expenses cited are FTX’s Super Bowl LVI commercial and naming rights to the Miami Heat’s arena. It was previously reported that FTX paid $6.5 million for a 30-second Super Bowl ad spot. FTX struck a 19-year, $135 million deal with Miami-Dade County in 2021 for the arena’s naming rights. Source: Front Office Sports https://frontofficesports.com/ftx-accused-of-illegally-financing-super-bowl-ad/ Previous Next

< Back Super Bowl champion rumored to be backup plan if Jets’ Aaron Rodgers trade fails Mar 20, 2023 The New York Jets and Green Bay Packers are reportedly continuing their talks about trading four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The 39-year-old announced last week it is his intention to play for New York. But, as Rodgers mentioned and the situation clearly states, a trade has yet to be agreed upon. So, while Rodgers does want to play for a different team for the first time in his NFL career, it’s not yet done. In the case the Jets can’t find common ground with the Packers, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said New York had a possible backup plan in place well before Rodgers made his decision to return to the NFL and seek a trade. Source: Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/sports/super-bowl-champion-rumored-backup-plan-jets-aaron-rodgers-trade-fails Previous Next