November 28, 2023

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The NBA may be at the top of the mountain when it comes to available U.S. sports media rights, but NASCAR is also a significant player. NBC and Fox are both expected to remain in the next rights term, but at least one additional partner will join that mix as the motorsports property looks [[link removed]] to have a major presence on all platforms in a fast-changing media landscape. “I think what I would call hedging our bet is a smart thing for us to do as a sport,” said NASCAR president Steve Phelps.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

Tiger Points To ‘Options’ As PGA Tour-PIF Deadline Nears [[link removed]]

PGA Tour

Tiger Woods is confident that the PGA Tour will eventually secure an investment deal that’s best for its players.

But he’s staying mum on whether or not that deal will be with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — and if it will come before the self-imposed Dec. 31 deadline.

“We have multiple options,” Woods said on Tuesday ahead of his return to PGA Tour competition at this week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Earlier this month, the PGA Tour said [[link removed]] it remained focused on the $1 billion-plus PIF deal but acknowledged additional talks with other investors, which have reportedly [[link removed]] been narrowed down to five options.

Woods said he’s frustrated by the slowness of the talks to reshape professional golf and wouldn’t rule out pushing back the aforementioned deadline: “Dec. 31st is coming up very quickly.”

What professional golf will look like in just 12 or 24 months remains “murky,” Woods said. “There’s a lot of moving parts in how we could play, whether it’s here at the PGA Tour or merging, or it’s team golf.”

Executive Decisions

Woods is pleased with his time so far on the PGA Tour policy board, which he said he joined [[link removed]] so that players wouldn’t be left in the dark on any further deals, as they were with the PIF agreement. “We can’t let that happen again,” he said.

Looking ahead, Woods said he understands Rory McIlroy’s decision to resign [[link removed]] from the policy board and has faith in PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to chart the best course forward — no matter who ends up investing in the circuit.

Could Panthers’ Ongoing Setbacks Lead To A Surprise Move? [[link removed]]

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

After firing [[link removed]] Frank Reich, the Carolina Panthers are now searching for their fourth full-time head coach since owner David Tepper bought the team in 2018.

And oddly enough, changes at one of the NFL’s broadcast partners might play a key role in who they consider hiring next.

Top Fox Sports game analyst Greg Olsen would be interested in the Panthers’ head coaching gig if he were approached, sources told [[link removed]] The Athletic. The former three-time Pro Bowl tight end played nine of his 14 NFL seasons in Carolina and is currently paired with Kevin Burkhardt, the network’s lead play-by-play announcer.

But Olsen’s status at Fox in 2024 is uncertain. Tom Brady is set to take over [[link removed]] as the network’s top game analyst next fall, as part of the 10-year, $375 million contract he agreed to before retiring.

The report could be a leverage play by Olsen’s camp — the 38-year-old has never coached on a professional level — or a genuine expression of interest. Former Fox analyst and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Lynch has led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance and a pair of NFC title games since becoming GM in 2017.

Ownership Obstacles

On Tuesday, Panthers owner David Tepper insisted he hasn’t been muddling in football matters — like drafting Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud. “I don’t really vote on those decisions until the last piece,” he said.

The team has had a losing record in all six seasons of Tepper’s tenure, but the Panthers’ struggles extend beyond the gridiron. Last year, plans [[link removed]] for a new $800 million headquarters for the Panthers and MLS club Charlotte FC fell through.

According to Forbes’ annual lists, the Panthers have fallen from the 21st-most valuable NFL team in 2018 [[link removed]] — when Tepper bought the club for nearly $2.3 billion — to 26th in the 2023 rankings [[link removed]] at an estimated value of $4.1 billion.

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Oakland Baseball Goes From A’s To B’s [[link removed]]

Oakland Ballers

It’s arguable that no American city has seen more changes to its pro sports scene than Oakland has over the last decade — and additional changes are coming with the planned arrival of baseball’s Oakland Ballers.

The city has lost the NBA’s Golden State Warriors to San Francisco’s Chase Center, the NFL’s Raiders to Las Vegas, and now [[link removed]] MLB’s A’s to Sin City as well. In an attempt to fill the A’s void, the Pioneer League unveiled plans on Tuesday to establish a franchise in Oakland starting in 2024.

The independent Pioneer League, based in the Rocky Mountain area, lost its affiliated status after MLB’s 2020-21 restructuring of the minor leagues but still has a partner relationship with MLB as a testing ground for new ideas.

The Ballers will join a recent influx of new franchises in Oakland, including the United Soccer League’s Oakland Roots [[link removed]]. A forthcoming Bay Area WNBA expansion team [[link removed]] will also have its front office and training facility in Oakland. In a direct reference to the A’s, the team will be known as the B’s and wear the same green-and-gold colors.

“Our team was ripped away from us,” the Ballers said in its announcement, which included a pledge to never leave town. “Now, we’re stealing baseball for the people of Oakland.”

Bucks For The B’s

Ballers co-founders Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel are helping lead a group of nearly 50 local investors that collectively contributed $2 million in initial funding toward the team. The Ballers will also deploy a crowdfunding campaign to solicit additional contributions from the public.

The team will play at Oakland’s Laney College, and former Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu will be the club’s executive vice president of baseball operations.

The Pioneer League will announce plans for a second team based in Northern California in January.

The arrival of the B’s, meanwhile, is happening as Oakland mayor Sheng Thao is pushing for the city to retain the A’s name and branding for a potential MLB expansion franchise.

Conversation Starters Japan’s national team has received its rings for winning the World Baseball Classic. Check them out [[link removed]]. The Korea Baseball Organization’s SSG Landers are building [[link removed]] “the world’s first baseball stadium with an integrated shopping mall” in Incheon. In addition to the mall — which will be located in the outfield — the 21,000-seat venue will feature an infinity pool and an adjacent hotel. Netflix released the first trailer for its docuseries on the USWNT, “Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team,” which premieres Dec. 12. Take a look [[link removed]]. SPONSORED BY INVESCO QQQ Between unprecedented conference realignments, historic media rights deals, the wild world of NIL, and high-stakes competition, this space couldn’t be more exciting right now, but you need someone to help you make sense of it all. That’s where we come in. Delaware to Pay $5M to Move to Conference USA, FBS [[link removed]]by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]]Delaware will be the first football program to pay the FBS $5M. Jim Harbaugh’s Athlete Compensation Comments Highlight NCAA Hypocrisy [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]Harbaugh can donate to athletic department employees, but not players. Schools Owe Fired CFB Coaches A Record $118M In Buyouts (So Far) [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]Firings over the weekend broke a record for buyout figures. Careers in Sports

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