May 1, 2023

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The Seattle Mariners unveiled [[link removed]] their Nike City Connect uniforms, which will be worn on Friday nights this season. The team says it went through three or four designs in a two-year process.

Commanders Sale ‘Almost to the End’

Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports

Commissioner Roger Goodell said before the start of the NFL Draft that “progress is being made” in the Washington Commanders sale. Team president Jason Wright said [[link removed]], “We are almost to the end of it.”

In any event, all signs point to the 2023 NFL Draft being the last with Dan Snyder as owner of the franchise — and Snyder, normally among the most hands-on owners over the last two decades, wasn’t involved much [[link removed]], if at all, in the team’s selections.

Josh Harris’ tentative agreement to purchase the Commanders for $6.05 billion is currently being vetted by the NFL, a practice typically done after the official announcement and new ownership’s submission of its application to the league office.

Sources told Front Office Sports that Harris’ bid is being treated as if the sale agreement were final.

When a new ownership agreement is submitted, league staffers — sometimes with the help of an outside firm — conduct financial and criminal background checks of the would-be controlling owner and any limited partners.

Billionaire industrial firm co-founder Mitchell Rales, Magic Johnson, and security firm exec Mark Ein are among the limited partners in Harris’ group, and sources told FOS previously that there will likely be at least nine others.

According to sources, the review is expected to conclude ahead of a regularly scheduled meeting of the NFL finance committee on May 10. Minus any setbacks, a full ownership vote could be scheduled at that time for the next NFL owners meeting in Minnesota on May 22.

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🎙️ They Said What?

“Of the top 15 highest-paid players, six of them are defensive ends or pass-rushers. The reason why you’re drafting so much is because there’s this delta between great and OK. Paying for great costs you a lot of money, so if you draft the great guy then surely you’re in a good position.”

— Action Network’s Darren Rovell on why there were more pass-rushers taken in the first round on Thursday night than in any other NFL Draft over the last decade. For more on what Rovell had to say about the 2023 NFL Draft, check out the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.

Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], and Spotify [[link removed]].

A’s Reportedly Turned Down $1 Offer for Las Vegas Land

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Before the Oakland A’s entered an agreement to buy land in Las Vegas for a new stadium, they could’ve bought a plot for less than a ballpark hotdog.

The team was offered 22 acres of the Rio Hotel & Casino site for $1, according [[link removed]] to Eric Birnbaum, CEO of Dreamscape Cos., which bought the land in 2019.

It isn’t known how much the A’s agreed to pay, but one analyst estimated the cost at $150 million. The team can reportedly back out of the purchase if they don’t receive public funding from state and local governments.

The team is seeking $500 million toward a $1.5 billion stadium with a retractable roof.

Oakland Still Open

Despite the A’s turning their attention to Las Vegas, the city of Oakland is still open to striking a deal with the team.

“If the A’s called me back, I’ll pick up the phone,” Oakland mayor Sheng Thao told [[link removed]] NBC Bay Area. “It wasn’t the city that walked away from this negotiation summit.”

The team and city were prepared to hash out some final details when A’s president Dave Kaval called Thao to inform her of the land deal.

“We were in the middle of negotiations,” said Thao. “I think we were the closest we’ve ever been. We very much wanted to get it done, but it was clear they weren’t being good partners.”

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The Key to Success at the ACC Digital Network

“WSC Sports has been a key driver in our ability to put out more content in an efficient manner.” – Matt Carstens, Executive Producer and General Manager of the ACC Digital Network in a recent interview [[link removed]] with Front Office Sports.

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MLB Changes Result In Improved Attendance, Viewership

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Major League Baseball’s strategy to create a faster-paced, more action-packed sport seems to be paying off.

MLB instituted a pitch clock, rolled out bigger bases, and ended defensive shifts — and results have been positive in several key metrics.

As of April 26, MLB was averaging 26,753 fans per game, up 5% compared to last year, according [[link removed]] to Forbes. Twenty of MLB’s 30 teams are up in attendance.

Through 12 home dates, the Los Angeles Dodgers lead [[link removed]] at 48,418 per game, while the hapless Oakland A’s are dead last at 11,025.

Games are averaging two hours, 36 minutes in length compared to three hours and five minutes at the same point in the 2022 season.

The action on the field has picked up, too. Scoring is up to 9.1 runs per game compared to 8.2, and stolen bases are up to 1.4 per game from 0.9 — the highest average since 2000.

Based on the first month of the season, ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” overall viewership is down.

Unlike last season, ESPN hasn’t had a New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, or Dodgers game on its schedule. If you subtract an early Yankees-Red Sox game from last year, ESPN is up 11% overall and 30% in the advertiser-coveted 18-49-year old demo.

The Grand Old Game is allowing more experimentation, including in-game conversations with players on ESPN. Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies will be mic’d up this Sunday in a World Series rematch between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros.

Another innovative move being dusted off: ESPN is once again employing an “ump cam” for the first time since 2002 and is displaying the pitch clock once it hits 10 seconds.

Barcelona to Pay $104M Per Year for Stadium Renovation

FC Barcelona

After securing [[link removed]] $1.6 billion in debt financing for its Espai Barça project earlier this week, FC Barcelona has clarified how it will pay it back.

The Spanish club is set [[link removed]] to pay $104 million per year starting in 2026 once the renovations to Camp Nou are complete.

When the bulk of construction begins in June, Barcelona will play its matches in the city’s Estadi Olimpic — which will temporarily generate lower ticket revenue because its capacity is 40% less than Camp Nou’s.

“It fulfills a dream at Barça, as we are going to have the best stadium in the world,” club president Joan Laporta said.

Espai Barça will also cover construction of the new Palau Blaugrana arena, which will host other sports like basketball and handball.

Barcelona raised $413 million through a bank loan and the rest of the $1.6 billion through private placements from 20 international investors.

Show Canceled

Though the finances surrounding Barcelona’s stadium rebuild seem secure, the team is still trying to save money elsewhere.

As a cost-saving measure, the club is not extending [[link removed]] its deal with Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica, which manages in-house television channel Barça TV.

The channel, which has been in operation since 1999, will officially cease operations on June 30, eliminating over 100 jobs in the process. The move is expected to save the club $14 million per year.

Weekend's Best How Las Vegas Became the Hottest Destination In Sports [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]Vegas went from a sports pariah to its most popular city. Where Would The NFL Draft Be Without The Gurus? [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]“It's an inexact science,” says NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah. Conversation Starters From connecting war rooms across the country and facilitating split-second decision-making to ensuring the security of all stakeholders, Cisco technology keeps the NFL connected and protected on Draft night. Read more [[link removed]].* In partnership with ZIYNX and Pepsi, Front Office Sports introduces Difference Makers [[link removed]] — a series highlighting how four amazing student-athletes are using their life lessons and skills honed through sport to be equally successful on the corporate field.* The U.S. has largely been insulated from match-fixing and other betting-related corruption, FOS reporter Owen Poindexter writes. [[link removed]] However, as sports betting enters more states and leagues, the threat rises.

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Get Your Rising 25 Nominations In!

Rising 25 is back, and it’s time to nominate an up-and-coming young professional changing the game in the business of sports!

The Front Office Sports Rising 25 Award [[link removed]], presented by Anheuser-Busch, celebrates the careers of the brightest young stars in the business of sports. To date, we’ve honored 150 individuals and we’re looking for our next group of young stars.

Nominations close tomorrow, May 2. Winners will be announced in June.

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Question Of The Day

Do you have a daily vitamin / supplement routine?

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Friday’s Answer

30% of respondents bike sometimes, 10% bike often, and 13% bike very often.

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