February 28, 2024

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

The Falcons explain why they can’t install a permanent grass field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. … The NFLPA’s latest team report cards are out. … It’s a busy day for sports-related earnings reports. … Plus: More on the NHL in Winnipeg, MLB’s jersey fiasco, Saudi soccer, and ESPN’s latest deal.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Falcons Getting Grass for 2026 World Cup—but Football Ruled Out [[link removed]]

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Like every other turf-field venue hosting the World Cup in 2026, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium will install grass for those soccer games to meet FIFA rules. But any dreams of a permanent move to a natural playing surface can stop right here.

The Falcons are among 17 NFL teams that play on turf, much to the chagrin of the NFL Players Association, which has forcefully called for grass fields across the league. However, Greg Beadles, president of the Falcons, says that grass is not possible at Mercedes-Benz Stadium due to the 50-plus events staged there annually, including Falcons and Atlanta United games, plus the SEC Championship.

Beadles notes, too, that because Mercedes-Benz Stadium has a retractable roof that is often closed, a pivot to grass would require a trayed field that can slide out into a space adjacent to the venue. But the city and state encouraged the team to build in downtown Atlanta, which circumscribed the stadium campus, meaning there isn’t room for a rollout field.

“We’re in a very tight location downtown, which is what the city of Atlanta leadership and state of Georgia leadership wanted,” Beadles says. “We like being on the Georgia World Congress Center campus … but it’s a very tight campus. So we don’t have space to roll a whole field. It’s not just our decision where we are located. … It’s just not tenable to have grass.”

More Changes … Eventually

The Falcons do have big changes in the works, though, according to Beadles: They plan to spend $200 million upgrading Mercedes-Benz Stadium over the next few years, work that will be done haltingly and not be fully completed by the summer of 2026 when the venue hosts those World Cup games.

The planned work is not occurring because of any required Cup upgrades, and it isn’t tied to a Super Bowl pitch for 2028 or ’29, Beadles says. Ownership is creating and renovating luxury and premium seating areas.

Renovations to roughly 200 suites, an update of the Wi-Fi and distributed antenna cellular systems Kitchen renovations and conversions of some concession stands to auto-checkout Transforming a restaurant into a 154-seat premium area dubbed the “Chairman’s Lounge” Upgraded video boards over the next few years

Because of the volume of events at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, renovations will come piecemeal, meaning the work will take several years. The stadium opened in 2017 at an estimated cost of $1.6 billion.

NFLPA Report Cards: Dolphins Love Owner, Commanders Dislike Facilities [[link removed]]

Palm Beach Post

The NFLPA’s second annual player team report cards were released Wednesday, revealing how the league’s stars and journeymen alike feel about their workplace. A total of 1,706 players gave feedback on their current club, with the union detailing grades across 11 key categories: treatment of families, food/cafeteria, nutritionist/dietitian, locker room, training room, training staff, weight room, strength coaches, team travel, head coach, and ownership.

Below are the top and bottom three teams, based on overall ratings, and some color into what those clubs’ players are happy and not pleased with:

Best in Class

1. Dolphins: Players gave the team straight A’s in all 11 key categories, and Stephen Ross (above) was the highest-ranked owner, receiving a rating of 9.9/10 “when considering his willingness to invest in the facilities.”

2. Vikings: Zygi Wilf (9.7) ranked second among owners, and the team’s worst grade was a B for the training staff. But players “unanimously believe that their strength staff contribute to their success by supporting each player with the best possible individualized plan.”

3. Packers: The majority of their key categories received B grades. While the “belief is that the club invests in making their workplace better year-over-year, [players do] call out a desire for the club to address the locker room and treatment of families.”

Time to Shape Up

30. Chargers: Three F’s were handed out, including for food, which “ranks last in taste and freshness.” Travel received a D-, as the Chargers use the “unique practice of sending equipment along with players and staff, which leaves the team sitting on the tarmac for an extended time waiting for the plane to be loaded or unloaded.”

31. Chiefs: Andy Reid got the only A grade as the league’s top-ranked head coach. Otherwise, there were four F’s for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. Players are “frustrated by their workplace offerings, especially after the team’s sustained success in recent years.”

32. Commanders: First-year owner Josh Harris inherited a club that also finished last in the 2023 NFLPA rankings. When asked what the number-one issue respondents want to prioritize for fixing: “Most players couldn’t come up with just one. Instead, the common answer was the entire facility.”

SPONSORED BY ’47

Fueling the Fashion Game

As sportswear dominates mainstream culture, ’47 [[link removed]], a premium sports lifestyle brand, has secured a massive collaboration with NASCAR.

The Massachusetts-based brand, known for best-in-class headwear and apparel, has a rich history of licensing deals with major sports leagues and universities. Now, it’s adding NASCAR to its roster of iconic partners [[link removed]].

’47, which sold 25 million units of headwear in 2023, aims to leverage NASCAR’s loyal fan base and growing popularity to expand its global reach and offer high-quality goods to motorsports enthusiasts. The collaboration includes designing gear for the organization and popular teams like Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske, and Joe Gibbs Racing.

As the 2024 NASCAR season ramps up, fans can express their love for racing like never before with ’47’s renowned designs. Read the full article [[link removed]] to learn more about this synergistic partnership.

Braves’ Revenue Up, F1’s Soars

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Put your Wall Street hat on—it was a busy day for earnings reports involving major sports teams and leagues. From baseball and racing to fighting and bull riding, here’s what stood out most from Wednesday’s reports:

Atlanta Braves Holdings

Despite a 5% drop in total revenue for Q4 of 2023, the MLB team’s parent company ended the 2023 fiscal year up 9%, reporting $640.6 million of intake from baseball and mixed-used development revenue.

Takeaway: The Braves suffered a second-straight NLDS playoff exit last year, resulting in just two home postseason games. But the continued success of entertainment options at The Battery around Truist Park is helping ABH, which spun off [[link removed]] from Liberty Media in the summer.

Liberty Media/Formula One Group

Boosted by a 63% increase in Q4 revenue, Formula One generated $3.22 billion for its parent company for the full 2023 fiscal year, Liberty Media, up 25% from ’22.

Takeaway: F1 had the same number of races in 2022 and ’23, so the debut of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, owned and operated by F1, was clearly a financial success.

Endeavor

A 25% spike in Q4 revenue helped the sports and entertainment behemoth bring in $5.96 billion for the full 2023 fiscal year, up 13% from the year before.

Takeaway: Driven by the acquisition of WWE and its merger with UFC, Endeavor’s owned sports properties, which also include the Professional Bull Riders league, was the company’s biggest growth sector, up 113% in Q4 revenue to $642.8 million.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports

Winnipeg ⬆ The city’s long-term place in the NHL appears to be safe after a visit from commissioner Gary Bettman sparked questions [[link removed]] about the Jets’ future. “I believe that this is a strong NHL market,” Bettman said [[link removed]] while in town Tuesday. “I believe that ownership has made extraordinary commitments to the Jets, to this arena, and to the downtown area, involving hundreds of millions of dollars. I’m not sure why people are speculating that, somehow, [the league is] not going to be here.”

Royals ⬆ The team’s spring training jerseys are avoiding at least one of the numerous downsides of MLB’s new uniforms being criticized [[link removed]] by players and fans. Smaller nameplate lettering has been one of many complaints, but Kansas City’s jerseys feature larger fonts, according to Uni Watch [[link removed]], simply because it asked and then worked with Nike and MLB to make it happen.

Premier League ⬇ A source told ESPN [[link removed]] that the Saudi Pro League is targeting a number of EPL stars ahead of the summer transfer window, including Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. That would reverse the momentum for the SPL, which didn’t make many big splashes [[link removed]] over the winter, after shelling out nearly $1 billion for transfers last year.

USL ⬆ The second-tier men’s soccer league completed a new media-rights deal with ESPN, which will remain a broadcast partner for several more years, along with CBS Sports. ESPN will pay the USL a high-seven-figure sum annually, according to Sports Business Journal [[link removed]].

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS AWARDS

Now’s Your Chance

Whether hosting Formula One, the WNBA, or the Triple Crown, sports venues house some of the world’s most beloved brands and loyal fans.

Don’t miss your opportunity to showcase your venue’s success!

Employing data-driven methodology, the Best Venues Award [[link removed]] recognizes the sports venues’ implementation of technology, mobile app capabilities, food options, transportation, venue design, and mixed-use development components, as well as VIP and overall guest experiences.

The submission period for Best Venues is open through April 8 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Learn more about the award and submit your venue [[link removed]].

Conversation Starters The Chiefs unveiled [[link removed]] renderings for a reimagined Arrowhead Stadium on Wednesday that include new video boards, end zone clubs, an upper concourse canopy, and three new pedestrian bridges. More changes for the Commanders: After 24 years, FedEx has ended [[link removed]] its stadium naming-rights deal with the NFL team two years early—worth approximately $15 million in revenue to Washington—because of the change in ownership. What a ride: Pat Spencer has gone from a four-time All-American in lacrosse to landing a spot [[link removed]] on the Warriors’ roster. Editors’ Picks Josh Harris, David Blitzer Set to Part Ways with Steelers Stake [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Harris’s purchase of the Commanders prevents him from keeping the Steelers’ stake. How Do You Keep Negro Leagues Baseball History Alive? Put It in a Video Game [[link removed]]by Owen Poindexter [[link removed]]Negro Leagues Baseball Museum attracting increased donations, visits from ‘MLB The Show.’ From Tailgates to Scholarships: Winthrop Elevates Cornhole to Collegiate Status [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]The Rock Hill, S.C., school signed two high school players out of the Denver area to scholarships. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by Daniel Kaplan [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2024 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

80 Pine Street Suite 3202 New York, NY 10005