June 9, 2023

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Hey there, this is senior writer and Front Office Sports Today host Owen Poindexter [[link removed]].

Sue Bird retired from the WNBA as one of the greatest players in league history — now she’s enjoying the next phase of her career as an entrepreneur. You can check out our conversation on the latest episode of the podcast, plus we’ll catch you up on all the big news from this crazy week.

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

Whirlwind Week Leaves Golf World Taking Pace of New Reality [[link removed]]

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The wildest week in professional golf history is coming to an end with heads still spinning and no clear picture of what the future holds.

Most fans and media have not been satisfied with PGA Tour policy board member Jimmy Dunne’s attempts to explain his optimism in partnering with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

“I am quite certain and have had conversations with a lot of knowledgeable people that the people that I’m dealing with [from the PIF] had nothing to do with [the Sept. 11 attacks],” Dunne told [[link removed]] Golf Channel. “And if someone can find someone that unequivocally was involved with it, I’ll kill him myself.”

Dunne’s company lost 66 employees during the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001.

The 65-year-old Dunne told [[link removed]] Sports Illustrated that he reached out to PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan to see why he was spending so much on LIV and realized the Tour could potentially work something out for the good of golf.

Reaction to Dunne’s comments has not been positive for the Tour, much like fans’ reception of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan’s confusing and sometimes awkward public appearances [[link removed]] this week.

LIV Leads The Way

Six of the 10 players on Forbes new list [[link removed]] of the highest-paid golfers in 2023 compete for LIV Golf: Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, and Patrick Reed.

Johnson brought in a total of $111 million on and off the course, topping the entire list.

Man City Eyes Historic Feat, Massive Purse, and Bragging Rights [[link removed]]

UEFA

The UEFA Champions League final kicks off Saturday afternoon at Turkey’s 75,000-capacity Atatürk Olympic Stadium as Inter Milan looks to deny Manchester City its first treble [[link removed]] — three major European trophies in one season.

Last Saturday, Man City defeated hometown rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final after securing its third straight Premier League title in May.

Inter Milan won two domestic tournaments — the Coppa Italia Supercoppa Italiana — but finished third in Serie A. The club has one treble of its own, accomplishing the feat in 2010, its last appearance in the Champions League final.

The winning club on Saturday will receive [[link removed](30%20percent%20of%20total)&text=1%20to%20No.,shares%2C%20or%20%E2%82%AC36.38%20million.] $21.51 million while the losers will take home $16.67 million. Those payments are in addition to the $55 million-plus each club has already won from other earnings throughout the Champions League tournament.

Man City is looking to become just the second English soccer team to win the treble, which was done by Man United in 1999.

With unparalleled success since City Football Group’s takeover in 2008, Man City currently boasts the highest brand value of any soccer club in the world at $1.6 billion, according [[link removed]] to Brand Finance.

Winning the treble would boost Man City’s prestige that much higher as the club looks to continue dominating English and European soccer.

Saturday’s Champions League final will be broadcast at 3 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+, which are paying [[link removed]] $250 million annually through 2030 for UEFA’s U.S. media rights.

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Restart of Racing A Positive Sign for Belmont Stakes and Fox Sports [[link removed]]

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Live racing resumed early Friday at Belmont Park, reviving hopes that Saturday’s 155th running of the Belmont Stakes will proceed as scheduled after air-quality issues suspended [[link removed]] activity at the track.

The event carries significant ramifications for Fox Sports, which will now show the event after a lengthy tenure on NBC Sports. Fox Sports acquired the media rights early last year in an eight-year deal — including presenting sponsorship rights to the race for NYRA Bets, a wagering platform controlled by the New York Racing Association and 25%-owned by Fox Sports parent Fox Corp.

That more unusual structure to the rights agreement has network officials looking even more at betting activity around the race than television ratings, and NYRA Bets will be heavily promoted throughout Fox Sports’ three-and-a-half hour race coverage.

“The most important metrics for Fox’s Belmont aren’t ratings and viewership. They’re handle and signups for NYRA Bets,” tweeted Mike Mulvihill, Fox Sports’ executive vice president and head of strategy and analytics.

Fox holds an option to boost its NYRA Bets equity stake to 49%.

The network is also demonstrating its support for its first Triple Crown race by staffing the event with some of its top broadcasters, including “Fox NFL Sunday” host Curt Menefee, “Fox NFL Kickoff” host Charissa Thompson, and reporter Tom Rinaldi.

This year’s Belmont Stakes marks the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s record-setting victory at the race by 31 lengths, representing one of the most dominant victories ever in any sport.

Conversation Starters A young man in Uganda wants [[link removed]] to become the African nation’s first Major League Baseball player. His videos of his workouts have gone viral and he’s been invited to the next month’s MLB Draft. The city of Jacksonville is looking to not only improve the Florida-Georgia football rivalry, but to attract major sports events to the renovated TIAA Bank Field. Here are the renderings of the remodeled [[link removed]] stadium. The University of Oklahoma softball team is an official dynasty [[link removed]], winning its third straight national title on Thursday night.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY

Listen Now: FOS Today Podcast 🎧

Interested in the latest storylines that are influencing the business of sports?

Listen to FOS Today. Each day, Owen Poindexter, Senior Writer, breaks down the biggest stories across sports and business, comments on cultural trends in the space, and interviews influential athletes and industry-leading executives.

Listen to some of our recent episodes, including Breanna Stewart, Ricky Williams, and Mike Tyson. With new episodes released daily, Monday through Friday, you won’t want to miss out.

Listen now [[link removed]].

If you or someone you know is an athlete, celebrity, or business leader, reach out [[link removed]] to be featured on an upcoming episode.

Editor's Picks Sue Bird Is Still Changing the Game [[link removed]]by Owen Poindexter [[link removed]]

Sue Bird retired from basketball and is now heavily involved in media.

‘SportsCenter’ Anchor Neil Everett Leaving ESPN After 23 Years [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]

'SportsCenter' anchor Neil Everett confirmed to Front Office Sports he's leaving ESPN after 23 years. 'Bartender...last call," he said.

Philadelphia 76ers Share Renderings of Proposed $1.3 Billion Arena [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]

An anti-arena march in Philly's Chinatown is set for Saturday.

SPONSORED BY SLING TV What to Watch

The Denver Nuggets face the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night at Kaseya Center.

How to watch: 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN3 with Sling TV [[link removed]]

Betting odds: Nuggets -3 || ML Nuggets -170 | O/U 211.5

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