July 21, 2023
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It’s a new day in Washington as Commanders owner Josh Harris looks to get started on a wide range of pressing issues for his newly purchased team — while also trying to turn the page on Dan Snyder’s controversial tenure.
Meanwhile, three major pro leagues hold initial talks on becoming equity partners in ESPN, and Stephen A. Smith confirmed an FOS report [[link removed]] from our senior writer Michael McCarthy by revealing on his podcast Friday that he wants Shannon Sharpe on “First Take.”
— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]
Josh Harris’ Commanders Purchase Is Official [[link removed]]
Washington Commanders
Not long before Josh Harris took the stage for his introductory news conference at FedEx Field on Friday, his purchase of the Washington Commanders officially closed.
Harris’ $6.05 billion acquisition was unanimously approved [[link removed]] by NFL owners on Thursday, a vote that sent the D.C. area into celebration after 24 years under Dan Snyder, an era that saw one of the league’s marquee franchises slide into mediocrity and tumult.
“This is not going to be easy,” Harris said. “My job is to deliver an organization that can win. It’s on me and it’s on us up here. Our work begins today.”
Harris put together what could be the most complex bid in NFL history to purchase his childhood team at a world-record price for a sports team.
“I invest to win, and we want to change everything that has happened to this franchise,” said Magic Johnson [[link removed]], who joined some of his fellow co-owners on stage.
Earlier in the day, Johnson told NBC that “everything’s on the table” when asked about changing the team name, one of the many divisive decisions Snyder foisted on fans. Harris said a name change isn’t among the top priorities “right now.”
Harris also didn’t give any hints on his plans for a new stadium, something on which Snyder was unable to make headway as he and his now-former team became the target of multiple investigations.
One of those ongoing probes closed Thursday, when the NFL announced that it’s slapping a $60 million fine [[link removed]] on Snyder as the latest league investigation corroborated allegations of sexual harassment and holding back revenue.
Disney Could Tap NFL, NBA, and MLB To Invest In ESPN [[link removed]]
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Disney’s search for potential equity partners in ESPN has reportedly involved three of the biggest entities in all of sports.
A CNBC report [[link removed]] says that Disney officials, including CEO Bob Iger and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, have held initial talks with the NFL, NBA, and MLB as part of a larger concept: bringing pro sports leagues in as minority partners in the iconic sports network.
The move closely follows Iger’s disclosure that Disney is open [[link removed]] to selling part of ESPN to a strategic partner, as the company is, in his words, “dealing head-on with some of our biggest challenges.” Among those challenges is the ongoing cord-cutting that has slashed ESPN’s linear reach from more than 100 million homes in 2011 to the present 72.5 million.
Such a move would bring ESPN even closer to three of its most important pro sports properties. In 2021, the network extended [[link removed]] its NFL rights through 2033 in a deal worth about $2.7 billion per year — providing additional game inventory and broad highlight rights to help power extensive amounts of daytime ESPN programming.
The NBA, meanwhile, has been on ESPN continuously since 2002, and the network’s current rights expire in 2025. Even without an equity deal, ESPN has been very interested in extending those rights. ESPN similarly extended its MLB deal in 2021 through 2028.
“We have a longstanding relationship with Disney and look forward to continuing the discussion around the future of our partnership,” the NBA said.
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Ten national teams – including the United States SailGP Team led by sailing legend Jimmy Spithill – will race F50 hydrofoiling catamarans, capable of highway speeds exceeding 60 mph, in a fan-focused, two-day spectacle of exhilarating racing.
Fans will be just a breath away from the challenging Outer Harbor racecourse at the Port of Los Angeles, with ticket packages [[link removed]] available for grandstand seating at Berth 46 and along with on-water viewing zones for privately-owned vessels.
Tickets are extremely limited for this unforgettable racing experience in LA. Secure your spot [[link removed]] at the Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix today!
Labor Union Hits Back at New York Times For Sports Desk Shutdown [[link removed]]
Wire Photo Archives
The New York Times’ shuttering [[link removed]] of its sports desk has now led — as expected [[link removed]] — to a formal labor grievance.
The NewsGuild of New York has accused [[link removed]] the newspaper of violating its recently completed [[link removed]] union contract, specifically by replacing sports coverage from union-member sports department staffers with personnel from The Athletic, which isn’t unionized (and has had its own struggles [[link removed]]).
“The company is claiming it has the right to subcontract to itself and have non-union workers do union work without the same job protections, wages, and other benefits we have fought so hard to preserve,” the union said. “These claims are preposterous on their face and a brazen attempt at union-busting.”
The Times has 20 days to respond to the grievance. If the newspaper denies the charges, as is likely, the NewsGuild will then have 45 days to seek an arbitration hearing. And that hearing could have significant ramifications.
Siding with the NewsGuild would force the Times to return to union members for sports coverage, while a decision for the Times could lead to similar moves in other sections of the newspaper. A middle ground could also arrive through a settlement potentially including a unionization of The Athletic.
Kravitz Sounds Off
Veteran sports journalist Bob Kravitz began a Substack column [[link removed]] on Thursday, and his first post offered a bitter diatribe on his time at The Athletic, including the revelation that he was placed on probation shortly after quadruple-bypass surgery.
“I felt it in my bones: they don’t give a f— about me as a human being,” Kravitz wrote.
Conversation Starters It’s Lionel Messi Day for MLS — and judging from its menu page [[link removed]], streaming partner Apple TV+ has gone all-in. Talk about a price hike [[link removed]]: Tickets to an Inter Miami home match were going for an average $152 before Messi joined — now they’re averaging a cool $850. Naomi Girma’s dad fled war in Ethiopia and started a kids soccer club in San Jose. Girma herself became captain at Stanford, overcame a torn ACL, got a masters in engineering, and was drafted first overall for the NWSL. On Friday night, she’ll make her World Cup debut as the first player [[link removed]] of Ethiopian descent on the USWNT.
FRONT OFFICE TODAY
Messi Mania Begins Tonight
Messi’s big MLS debut is finally here.
On FOS Today, senior writer and podcast host Owen Poindexter spoke to MLS executive Dan Courtemanche about what this moment means for the league and their sky high ambitions ahead of the World Cup arriving in North America in 2026.
We also get the latest on the Washington Commanders sale from senior reporter A.J. Perez.
Listen now [[link removed]].
Editor's Picks A Year After Losing USC and UCLA, Pac-12 Lacks a New Deal [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]
The conference has delivered nothing to its members but empty promises.
Gradey Dick Wants Drake’s Help With Managing His Money [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]
Raptors rookie Gradey Dick just finished the NBA's Rookie Transition Program.
Brady Adds To Bursting Portfolio With Electric Raceboat Team [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]
NFL legend adds another property to burgeoning portfolio
Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by A.J. Perez [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Greg Lee [[link removed]], Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]
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