August 24, 2023

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Personally, I’m a fan of the unique handicapped format at the Tour Championship — where nearly $60 million is on the line this week. But that opinion isn’t shared by many top golfers.

Today, we’ll dive into the business behind the PGA Tour’s season finale and look at stark comments from the owner of the Oakland A’s, upcoming renovations to the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium, and the latest drama surrounding Diamond Sports Group.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]]

A’s Owner Denies Tanking Allegations As Team Continues Relocation Process [[link removed]]

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Oakland A’s owner John Fisher has a blunt message for Bay Area fans frustrated with the club’s current state and forthcoming relocation [[link removed]] to Las Vegas: You’re wrong.

Normally one of U.S. pro sports’ most reclusive owners, Fisher granted [[link removed]] a rare interview to the Las Vegas Review-Journal in which he attacked and denied a series of allegations and stated objections from A’s fans.

Among the bigger revelations: He’s not selling the A’s, he’s not intentionally tanking the team’s on-field performance, and he insists the club’s league-low payroll [[link removed]] is strictly a function of club revenue.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” Fisher said of the tanking claims. “The A’s this year will lose $40 million with a $60 million payroll. And the losses that the ownership has had here with this team over the last several years have been very significant. We have done everything we can to try and build ourselves back up to be a highly competitive team again.”

The A’s also have MLB’s lowest attendance [[link removed]] and worst record [[link removed]].

“In previous years … we lost $175 million. Which is one of the reasons why it is so important to us to have a new stadium,” said Fisher, who hasn’t released documentation for the claimed losses. “It can help the team get to break-even, but even more importantly, it can help drive the kinds of decisions we want to make around payroll.”

The A’s have now formally submitted their relocation application, with the timetable for approval uncertain. Beyond 2024 — the last season on the team’s current Oakland Coliseum lease — the A’s will have to decide where [[link removed]] to play while a new ballpark is being built along the Las Vegas Strip.

“The commissioner and the league will really drive the decision of where we’re going to play [temporarily],” Fisher said.

PODCAST

🎙️ They Said What?

“Why put yourself through this grueling version of the sport — the Olympic route — when you can start making a lot of money … and set yourself up for life with the NCAA?”

— Gymnastics journalist Ari Saperstein on NIL’s effect on American gymnasts. To hear more about how gymnasts’ career options are evolving, download the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.

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

AT&T Stadium’s $180M Upgrade: A Refresh For ‘House That Jerry Built’ [[link removed]]

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium helped redefine the industry model for stadium development upon its opening in 2009. Now, it’s getting a $180 million upgrade.

The so-called “House That Jerry Built,” referring to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, will get substantial interior renovations of its premium clubs and suites, according to documents filed with state regulators, particularly focusing on “new millwork and finishes.”

Work will begin in January and continue through July 2025. The privately funded initiative is part of a larger, $295 million set of stadium improvements approved by NFL owners late last year.

The Cowboys remain the NFL’s perennial leader in attendance [[link removed]], again pacing the league by far in 2022 with a per-game average of 93,465. But there are also bigger aspirations: the stadium has already been selected as a venue host of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, and North Texas officials are pushing [[link removed]] for AT&T Stadium to host the tournament final.

AT&T Stadium — then called Cowboys Stadium — hosted Super Bowl XLV in 2011.

Everything’s Bigger In Texas

Fort Worth’s Texas Motor Speedway has finalized plans to expand and improve its video board, nicknamed “Big Hoss,” which already holds the Guinness World Record as the largest video board. The display on the track’s backstretch will increase from 20,660 square feet to 22,692 and boast a 22% bump in picture quality to more than 8.2 million pixels.

“As the saying goes, ‘Everything is bigger in Texas,’ so it’s only fitting for Big Hoss to get bigger,” said Marcus Smith, Speedway Motorsports president and CEO.

The new video board will be in place for the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at the track on Sept. 24.

SPONSORED BY TICKETMASTER

Iowa State Drives $1.5M in Revenue

Iowa State University collaborated with Ticketmaster [[link removed]] and seasonshare to develop the Cyclone Mobile Pass.

Priced at $249, this pass allows fans to enjoy football games from various viewpoints in the stadium, with a different seat location for each Iowa State home game.

Since its inception in 2020, the Cyclone Mobile Pass [[link removed]] has driven over $1.5M in incremental revenue from recent alumni and budget-conscious fans while creating new leads for future full-season ticket sales.

Discover [[link removed]] how Iowa State’s innovative pass integrates with Ticketmaster and seasonshare to unlock revenue growth, generate leads and enhance the fan experience.

Lucrative FedEx Cup Finale Format Baffles Players [[link removed]]

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

ATLANTA — Money can make people say and do strange things. At this week’s finale of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the $57.9 million purse and unique tournament format is making PGA Tour pros’ heads spin.

“We can come up with something better,” Jon Rahm said.

The Tour Championship — which tees off Thursday at East Lake Golf Club — is entering the fifth year of a handicapped format that rewards season-long performance. Normally, all golfers begin at even par, but this week’s top five are starting at -10 (Scottie Scheffler), -8 (Viktor Hovland), -7 (Rory McIlroy), -6 (Jon Rahm), and -5 (Lucas Glover).

The system flows down to 30th place, which starts at even par. “I’ve joked a decent amount about being No. 1, you don’t get any extra strokes,” said Scheffler. “And you show up this week, and I do get some extra strokes. So, it’s a bit strange.”

This is what the payouts — part of the overall $75 million FedEx Cup bonus pool — look like for the top five:

1st: $18 million 2nd: $6.5 million 3rd: $5 million 4th: $4 million 5th: $3 million

Even last place receives $500,000 — normally a strong payout for second or third on the Tour. “I wouldn’t say that it is the best format to identify the best golfer for the year,” Scheffler added.

Xander Schauffle called the format confusing: “This is supposed to be like our most important event all year. … For people to be a little bit confused, it’s still not a finished product.”

But not everyone is up in arms. “I can’t sit here and say that I’ve thought of something better at this point,” McIlroy said. “I’m sure if it needs to be addressed in the future, it will, but I think it works pretty well.”

Next year’s FedEx Cup champion will take home a staggering $25 million, in all likelihood via the same Tour Championship format.

DSG Legal Fight Expands With New Lawsuit Against JPMorgan Chase [[link removed]]

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The legal drama keeps ramping up for the bankrupt Diamond Sports Group.

Having already made a $1.5 billion fraud claim [[link removed]] against corporate parent Sinclair Inc, DSG has now filed a second lawsuit alleging Sinclair didn’t act alone.

DSG has sued JPMorgan Chase in a separate case in U.S. bankruptcy court in Texas, alleging it aided Sinclair in funneling $922 million in dividend payments from DSG to the financial services firm and collected an additional $245 million in fees — all while DSG was swiftly heading toward insolvency.

“[JPMorgan Chase] was aware that DSG was insolvent, unable to pay its debts as they came due, or inadequately capitalized … and thus knew it was being enriched and benefitted at the expense of DSG and its creditors,” DSG said in the newly unsealed complaint.

DSG is seeking recovery of at least the $922 million, plus interest and damages. The core of the dispute stems from preferred equity units in DSG issued to JPMorgan Chase as part of Sinclair’s 2019 purchase of the regional sports network business from the Walt Disney Co.

Formal responses to DSG’s claims have yet to be made public, but Sinclair has already said it’s “effectively subsidizing Diamond’s litigation” against it through a now-contested [[link removed]] management services agreement.

DSG, which continues to face mounting legal, financial, and operational pressures, has been granted judicial mediators to help deal with various demands [[link removed]] from creditors, leagues, teams, and distributors — while also facing critical decisions about which of its 27 total NBA and NHL team rights it will keep [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters This week, Gannett newspapers like The Tennessean, The Columbus Dispatch, and The Indy Star began using AI [[link removed]] to write high school football recap stories. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson has his own line of mustard, Bijan Mustardson. Check out [[link removed]] his commercial. The Blue Jackets’ modernized locker room has TVs designed like the arena’s Jumbotron. Take a tour [[link removed]].

SPONSORED BY CHEVROLET

A Day on the Water With J.K. Dobbins

[[link removed]]

As one of football’s best young running backs, J.K. Dobbins is mostly known for his work on the field. But like many professional athletes – J.K has his own passions off the field.

In our new series, My Other Passion, presented by Chevrolet, we hit the outdoors [[link removed]] with some of the most recognizable athletes in sports to explore their interests outside the arena.

Learn how J.K. Dobbins grew up fishing in Texas, how it helps him practice patience on and off the field, the importance of family, his thoughts on the upcoming season and more.

Watch episode one [[link removed]] now.

Editor's Picks Reggie Bush’s Plan To Get His 2005 Heisman Trophy Back [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]It's the latest move in a yearslong campaign. Amazon, Warner Bros. In Race for New NASCAR Summer Package [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]NASCAR's current deals with NBC and FOX expire after 2024. ‘A Lot of Work To Do’ In Finalizing PGA Tour-LIV Deal [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]Progress has been slow in finalizing a deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf that would reunify pro golf. Question Of The Day

Have you purchased athletic clothes in the past year?

Yes [[link removed]] No [[link removed]]

Wednesday’s Answer

44% of respondents say a good beer selection is important or very important to their overall satisfaction/experience attending a live sporting event. 18% of respondents are neutral and 38% say it’s not important.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Brian Krikorian [[link removed]]

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