September 9, 2024

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Good morning! The greatest QB of all time worked his first game as an analyst yesterday. We get into how Tom Brady did and where he could improve. Also: record US Open attendance and a new NFL safety measure.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Tom Brady Has Room to Grow After Fox Broadcasting Debut [[link removed]]

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Tom Brady’s long-awaited debut as an NFL broadcaster is finally in the books.

The Cowboys blew out the Browns 33-17 Sunday afternoon in Cleveland, as Brady called his first game in Fox’s No.1 booth alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt.

While the seven-time Super Bowl champion didn’t make any jaw-dropping missteps calling the action, he also didn’t exactly have a Tony Romo-esque premiere performance. Front Office Sports media expert Michael McCarthy believes Brady has plenty of room to grow; you can read his full review here [[link removed]].

One highlight for Brady came in the first half when Fox returned from a commercial break and Brady broke down how disruptive Browns defensive end Myles Garrett can be, just before the pass rusher forced a Dak Prescott fumble on the very next play.

“It’s been quite a journey,” Brady said at the beginning of the game as Burkhardt welcomed him to the team. Next week, Fox will once again assign Brady to a Cowboys game for his second bite at the apple, with the network’s No. 1 team heading to Dallas in Week 2 for the Cowboys’ home opener against the Saints.

Meanwhile, in the 1 p.m. ET game window Sunday, Greg Olsen—the man Brady replaced in Fox’s top NFL booth—made his debut with new partner Joe Davis on the network’s No. 2 team

Raiders Stake

Before Brady made his TV debut, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that the Fox broadcaster’s bid to become a minority owner of the Raiders “​​ is on its way to approval [[link removed]].” A formal vote could be taken at owners’ meetings in October or December, but the “expectation is that Brady’s approval is final by the time the 2024 season concludes,” according to Rapoport.

The NFL has imposed severe restrictions on Brady [[link removed]] as a broadcaster due to his Raiders ownership interest. He is not allowed to attend production meetings with players or coaches, or watch practices—both of which are commonplace for other NFL game analysts and play-by-play announcers.

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NFL Viewership NFL Ratings off to Hot Start

There’s still one game left in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL regular season—Jets vs. 49ers on Monday night—but the league is already setting new records.

The Chiefs’ 27-20 victory over the Ravens on Thursday night was the most-watched NFL kickoff game ever [[link removed]], averaging 28.9 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. That surpassed the previous record of 27.5 million set by Lions-Chiefs last year.

On Friday, Peacock drew an average audience of 14.2 million viewers for its exclusive stream of the Eagles’ 34-29 win over the Packers. That figure—which includes local NBC stations in Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia, and mobile viewers on the league-owned NFL+ streaming service [[link removed]]—represents the second-most-watched live event on Peacock behind only the Chiefs-Dolphins AFC Wild Card playoff game that drew 23 million viewers in January [[link removed]].

US Open Breaks Attendance Record With First Crowd Topping 1 Million [[link removed]]

Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

No American man or woman took home a singles title at the US Open, but the tournament surpassed 1 million attendees for the first time in history.

Top-seeded Jannik Sinner beat No. 12 Taylor Fritz in straight sets Sunday. It was the first time an American man had made a Grand Slam final [[link removed]] since Wimbledon 2009, when Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer.

Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes were in the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, three days after their NFL season-opening victory over the Ravens. Of course, Kelce was accompanied by girlfriend Taylor Swift, who was also in Kansas City Thursday night [[link removed]].

The final US Open attendance number was 1,048,669, up 8% from last year. That number encompassed fans who showed up for events before the main draw, which drew 832,640 fans over the past two weeks.

Sinner and women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka each earned $3.6 million for their US Open victories, part of the record $75 million tournament purse [[link removed]].

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS EVENTS

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Why you need to be here:

NBC just showed the most successful Olympics in a decade—and won back the NBA after 20 years With a combined market cap of $4 trillion, giant streamers Amazon Prime Video, Google/YouTube, and Roku are entering sports in a big way ESPN just retained NBA rights for the next decade and is poised to kick off its SEC rights deals

Our panelists have had a hand in leading the most industry-changing deals in sports media. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear directly from them.

This is your last chance to register to attend– register now [[link removed]] to join us tomorrow!

Guardian Caps Make NFL Regular-Season Debut [[link removed]]

Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Multiple NFL players wore Guardian Caps over their helmets Sunday, marking the first time the equipment aimed at limiting concussions has been used during the regular season.

Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers and Steelers guard James Daniels were spotted wearing Guardian Caps—padded shells that fit over the standard football helmets—in the early Sunday afternoon window of Week 1 NFL games. Both Guardian Caps attempted to mimic the designs on New England’s and Pittsburgh’s standard helmets, as opposed to the logo-less shells players used league-wide during practices.

Guardian Caps have been used during NFL practices since 2022 but were only approved for game use this offseason. In the preseason, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was the most notable player [[link removed]] who tested out Guardian Caps in August exhibition games. Taylor did not wear a Guardian Cap during the Colts’ home opener against the Texans. The Steelers’ James also tested the Guardian Cap during the preseason and evidently liked what he experienced enough to sport it Sunday.

From Ghost Town to Sellout: A’s Fans Push for Memorable Oakland Farewell [[link removed]]

Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The worst-drawing team in MLB is now facing a very different attendance challenge.

The A’s, playing their last season in Oakland before relocating to Sacramento and then Las Vegas, are averaging about 9,700 tickets sold per game this season. A cumulative attendance likely to end at around 800,000 for the full 2024 home schedule is on track to be one of MLB’s lowest figures for any team in the last 45 years, except for seasons impacted by work stoppages or the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oakland’s final home game, Sept. 26 against the Rangers, presents the team with the opposite problem. The game is already a sellout [[link removed]], with resale ticket prices beginning at more than $100 each. Some A’s fans are now pushing the club to open “Mount Davis,” the elevated outfield seating portion of the Oakland Coliseum constructed in the 1990s for the return of the NFL’s Raiders, and colloquially named for that team’s late owner, Al Davis. Making that area—closed for MLB games since it was used for the 2019 wild-card game won by the Rays—available to fans would add more than 8,000 seats.

“For one night, we will put aside our differences and come together to soak in one last game at the Coliseum,” a group of fans wrote recently in an open letter to the team [[link removed]]. “We want this final game to be a memorable experience for everyone involved.”

Team Response

The team has not responded directly to the letter, or agreed in any way to open the space, only saying in a statement that “we are committed to providing the best experience possible for your fans. For the final game, we will have increased levels of staffing, including the parking lot, and extra security in place.”

Additionally, the rest of the third level of the Coliseum is typically barren, given the club’s low attendance. The fan group has sought to address the operational issues of staffing the upper deck, pledging dozens of volunteers for that final game.

“We know this area hasn’t been used in years, and that it has not been maintained,” the fan letter continues. “We also understand that it will take some effort to make it usable for one last game. That’s why we are offering our help.”

More Challenges Down the Road

While the late-schedule issues continue in Oakland, the A’s are facing more trouble down the road in both their temporary home in Sacramento and long-term destination of Las Vegas. A planned ballpark along the Las Vegas Strip still is awaiting a finalized financing plan [[link removed]]. The interim, three-year stay at Sutter Health Park, meanwhile, remains a separate source of frustration with the player and agent communities, particularly around the artificial turf field that is there and the triple-digit temperatures common there in the summer.

The turf field is seen as a necessity since the A’s will be sharing the ballpark with the Sacramento River Cats, the Giants’ top minor-league affiliate

“Right now, some of the issues with the A’s playing in Sacramento are frankly a collective bargaining nightmare,” agent Paul Cobbe told the San Francisco Chronicle [[link removed]]. “When the Blue Jays were in Buffalo that was force majeure because of COVID. They could change a bunch of collective bargaining stuff immediately. That’s not the case here.”

Front Office Sports Today NFL Week 1 Drama

The NFL’s opening weekend was clouded by the detention of Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill on the way to Hard Rock Stadium, where he ultimately caught seven passes in Miami’s 20-17 win over the Jaguars, including an 80-yard touchdown reception. Before that, the league broke records for its kickoff game between the Chiefs and Ravens. We talk about those big Week 1 topics.

Plus, we get a look inside the 49ers front office with chief revenue officer Brent Schoeb and a perspective on the ticketing market amid threats to Ticketmaster’s dominance with Sports Illustrated Tickets CEO David Lane.

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

Conversation Starters Kendrick Lamar has been announced as the performer [[link removed]] for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 9. Notre Dame paid Northern Illinois $1.4 million [[link removed]] to play in South Bend on Saturday. The Huskies beat the No. 5 Fighting Irish 16-14—the biggest upset in NIU history. NFL franchise values continue to soar. Take a look [[link removed]] at the league’s most valuable teams. Question of the Day

Do you think Tom Brady did well in his first game as an NFL analyst?

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

Friday’s result: 56% of respondents think the NFL will return to Brazil after Friday’s game.

Do you have broader thoughts on how Brady did Sunday? Respond to this email and your response may be featured later this week.

Editors' Picks Cowboys, Dak Prescott Agree to Record Contract Extension [[link removed]]by Or Moyal [[link removed]]Hours ahead of the Cowboys’ season debut, the standstill is over. Roger Federer Rules Men’s Tennis, Even in Retirement [[link removed]]by Daniel Roberts [[link removed]]It looks increasingly foolish that Nike let the star go. Federal Appeals Court Sides With Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss in Discrimination Suit [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]A three-judge panel upheld a February decision to dismiss a player’s lawsuit. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Or Moyal [[link removed]], Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]]

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