May 1, 2024

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Is the fight for landing a new Bears stadium actually not over yet? … The owner of the A’s may be selling off stakes in the team to help build a Las Vegas ballpark. … Talk around an 18-game NFL regular season continues to heat up. … Outside of the NBA playoffs, Jimmy Butler has plenty going on off the court. … And it’s a landmark day for one of the most influential teams in baseball.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]] and Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

Not a Done Deal: Arlington Heights Keeps Its Bears Stadium Hopes Alive [[link removed]]

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Bears president Kevin Warren could hardly have been more clear about the team’s intent to build a stadium [[link removed]] on Chicago’s lakefront, especially following last week’s formal unveiling of a $4.7 billion plan for a domed stadium next to Soldier Field. But to officials in Arlington Heights, Ill., where the Bears still own 326 acres, the team is saying there’s still a chance for them.

Even after the team’s presentation and Warren’s insistence that the Bears’ “focus is on the museum campus,” Arlington Heights mayor Tom Hayes believes there could be an opening to reengage with the NFL team.

“It was never a done deal in Arlington Heights. I don’t think it’s anything close to a done deal in the city of Chicago,” Hayes told Pioneer Press [[link removed]]. “And so we are ready, willing, and able to continue our discussion with them if they get a ‘no’ on the lakefront.”

Of course, Hayes himself knows the particular fluidity of the Bears’ facility situation all too well. A year ago, the Bears were thought to be a lock to be headed to Arlington Heights, where the team was set to build a $5 billion stadium and mixed-use development. But following a tax dispute, the Bears conducted an extensive tour of stadium site options across the Chicago area, before ultimately opting for the the most minimal move possible, short of just staying at Soldier Field.

Even if the Bears never engage with Arlington Heights, there is still the question of what will be done with the land. The team is the municipality’s single-largest landowner.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a new developer or multiple developers, and so I would like to see some kind of unified development,” Hayes said.

Local Politics

Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson, a staunch advocate for the downtown stadium proposal, is continuing to face local criticism about a perceived contradiction between the Bears stadium project that will rely heavily on public-sector funding and Johnson’s own progressive agenda.

Questioned on NBC Sports Chicago [[link removed]], Johnson insisted the “project is aligned with my vision for the people of Chicago.

“Having the opportunity to stand with billionaires, you could not have convinced me a decade ago that I would have the opportunity to do that,” Johnson said. “The fact that a middle child, 10 siblings, from a working-class family is in a position to speak to the interest of everyday Chicagoans and challenge billionaires to put skin in the game—that’s what I promised that I would make happen.”

The A’s Still Have a $1.5B Question: Where’s the Money Coming From? [[link removed]]

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

After all the other issues surrounding the planned relocation of the A’s to Las Vegas—a complex saga involving questions about the club’s temporary home [[link removed]], the proposed new stadium site [[link removed]] and much-debated design [[link removed]], and fan-base attrition [[link removed]] back in Oakland—there is still another fundamental issue: How will the planned $1.5 billion ballpark be funded?

A’s owner John Fisher is now moving to address that more fully, hiring veteran sports finance company Galatioto Sports Partners to help raise $500 million for the project, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times [[link removed]]. The transaction, if successful, would see Fisher bring in a partner, or multiple partners, with a much-needed cash infusion in exchange for equity in the A’s. Given the franchise’s current estimated value [[link removed]] of $1.2 billion, this move could see him part with about 42% of the team.

That additional private support would supplement $380 million in public funding approved [[link removed]] last year by Nevada legislators. That money, however, is now being challenged [[link removed]] by education advocates in the state.

Can Fisher Cover It?

One on hand, Fisher shouldn’t need the money, or at least he shouldn’t necessarily have to sell team equity to get it. The heir to the Gap fortune created by his parents who founded that retail giant, Fisher is estimated to be worth [[link removed]] $3 billion. But the move to bring in additional partners, something he has considered for some time, follows dozens of team owners in every major sports league who have turned to minority equity partners in recent years to achieve additional liquidity and take advantage of rising team values.

The A’s are responsible for all stadium costs beyond that $380 million, and they will also have to detail the private financing plans to enable access to the public funds.

In the meantime, a 10-game homestand that began Monday at the Oakland Coliseum is expected to bring some of the team’s smallest crowds of the season, further solidifying the A’s as by far MLB’s worst draw. Last night’s attendance of 3,528 barely beat a turnout of 3,296 on April 16, and the team’s season average of 6,050 remains less than half of MLB’s next-lowest team, the Marlins.

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Front Office Sports Today Jimmy Butler’s Star Is Still Rising

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Yes, he’s had an injury-plagued playoffs and his Heat team is on the verge of elimination, but the entrepreneurial Butler has plenty of irons in the fire—including an upcoming Netflix docuseries alongside some guy named LeBron. The New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas recently wrote about the enigmatic Butler, and she joins the show to discuss his singular style and how the NBA’s youth movement is reshaping the league.

🎧 Watch, listen, and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]].

LOUD AND CLEAR Sooner Than Expected?

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

“I strongly believe they will bring something to [the NFLPA] in the next 12 to 18 months.”

—An anonymous NFL Players Association source, speaking to The Washington Post [[link removed]], about the potential for team owners to try to negotiate an expansion of the regular season to 18 games before the end of the current collective bargaining agreement in March 2030. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell threw out his support for an 18-game season during the draft. And as previously noted by Front Office Sports [[link removed]], that would come with a certain set of challenges and drastically impact the entire sports calendar.

TIME CAPSULE May 1, 2012: Birth of the New Dodgers

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

On this day 12 years ago: The Mark Walter–led Guggenheim Baseball Management completed its $2.15 billion purchase of the Dodgers. The agreement—following an embarrassing bankruptcy saga involving former owners Frank and Jamie McCourt and a subsequent, high-stakes action for the team—set a new record for an MLB franchise sale, more than doubling the value of the Cubs’ sale nearly three years before. The Dodgers’ transaction then remained as the standard bearer in the sport for more than eight years, lasting until Steve Cohen’s 2020 purchase of the Mets for more than $2.4 billion.

Beyond the acquisition itself, though, Walter (above, left) and his Guggenheim partners injected an entirely different operating mentality and level of resources into the franchise. Buttressed in part by a 25-year, $8.35 billion local media-rights deal with Spectrum, the Dodgers have reached the playoffs each of the last 11 seasons, while the ownership group has breathed new life into Dodger Stadium through more than $300 million in upgrades and renovations. The Dodgers of this era have also been one of the sport’s most aggressive clubs in player payroll, reaching an apex this past season with the record-setting $700 million contract [[link removed]] for Shohei Ohtani (above, right).

Conversation Starters Some not-so-great news for gamers: NFL legend Barry Sanders says he’s ending [[link removed]] his relationship with EA Sports and the Madden franchise. The Raiders are planning to debut their own fan cruise [[link removed]] in 2025, a seven-night voyage from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera, featuring an open bar, mini golf, a casino, autograph sessions, alumni dining, and appearances by former players. Room options range from approximately $2,400 to $16,000. Know someone whose innate passion and tireless dedication is making an impact? Tell us about them by nominating them for the Front Office Sports Rising 25 Award [[link removed]]. Nominations are open now through May 17. Editors’ Picks Nike’s Failed Attempt at ‘Innovating’ MLB Uniforms Leads to an About-Face [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]Nike is set to make a series of changes to the MLB uniforms after unrelenting criticism. Why Both Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason Are Out at CBS Sports [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Matt Ryan, 38, is joining ‘The NFL Today,’ pushing out two mainstays. Just Like We Drew It Up? Stadium Renderings Can Excite, Confound, and Anger [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]During a historic wave of development, drawings wield more power than ever. 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]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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