Read in Browser [[link removed]]

Afternoon Edition

April 15, 2025

POWERED BY

MLB has removed references to “diversity” after White House scrutiny around those initiatives. But the league’s commitment to honoring Jackie Robinson—and to many of its diversity programs—appears unchanged.

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

MLB Sticks With Jackie Robinson Tributes Despite DEI Pushback [[link removed]]

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Major League Baseball will attempt to have a mostly customary celebration for Jackie Robinson Day on Tuesday, despite a fast-growing governmental push against promoting diversity.

The league’s on-field plans to celebrate the late Hall of Famer Robinson, the first player to break baseball’s color line, are much the same as the last two-plus decades. Every player will again wear Robinson’s uniform No. 42 in Dodgers blue, regardless of their own team colors, and all team caps will have a special side patch with that number.

A tribute video [[link removed]] will be shown in all ballparks and is supplemented by an extensive content push across MLB’s television, digital, and social platforms, again celebrating Robinson’s life and legacy, as well as community events in multiple locales around the country.

Those efforts, however, arrive amid a very different landscape for anything diversity-related since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. The White House under Trump has aggressively sought to strip anything related to diversity, equity, and inclusion from not only public settings but also private businesses and education. That DEI purge even reached the point of briefly scrubbing mention of Robinson’s honorable service in the U.S. Army [[link removed]] from the Department of Defense website.

Earlier this year, MLB removed specific references to “diversity” in its careers page—even as it insists that its hiring programs, as well as urban development programs, such as Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, remain intact. While many companies in other industries have fallen in line with Trump’s directive, in some cases to highly damaging financial effect [[link removed]], MLB stands in a particularly delicate position given the widespread fandom existing around the sport.

“Our values on diversity remain unchanged, but another value that is pretty important to us, we always try to comply with what the law is,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said during spring training. “There seems to be an evolution going on here. We’re following that very carefully. When things get a little more settled, we’ll examine each of our programs and make sure that, while the values remain the same, that we’re also consistent with what the law requires.”

SPONSORED BY WSC SPORTS

Turn Every Play Into Revenue

You’re sitting on hours of game footage—and most of it never earns a dime.

The problem isn’t the rights. It’s the workflow.

WSC Sports [[link removed]] unlocks the full value of your rights by automating highlight creation, personalization, and distribution. Every dunk, save, goal, or buzzer-beater becomes instant, monetizable content—built for YouTube, TikTok, OTT, and beyond.

Now your team can:

Generate sponsor-ready content instantly Drive more impressions effortlessly Activate every platform, every moment, every fan

One game becomes dozens of assets. One partnership becomes a scalable revenue stream.

This is how top-tier leagues and broadcasters turn IP into income [[link removed]]—at speed.

WSC Sports powers 500+ rightsholders to stop clipping and start scaling, including the NBA, ESPN, ACC, LaLiga, and many teams and schools.

Click [[link removed]] to see it in action.

NFL Draft Green Room Filling Up—Just Not With Shedeur Sanders [[link removed]]

Green Bay Press-Gazette

The trend of a declining number of prospects attending the NFL Draft has reversed course this year, despite perhaps the biggest star, Shedeur Sanders, opting not to make his way to Green Bay to find out which franchise he’ll play for.

There are 17 prospects confirmed to attend next week’s draft, the league announced Tuesday night, including prospective No. 1 pick Cam Ward, the former Miami quarterback who most experts believe will be selected by the Titans. That’s up from the 13 eventual draftees who attended last year’s event in Detroit.

Sanders, who is widely projected to be the second quarterback drafted, said at the NFL Scouting Combine that it makes more sense [[link removed]] “cost-wise” for him to watch at home in Dallas or Colorado with his family and friends. This week, multiple reports emerged that Sanders would visit the Giants, who hold the third pick, for a private workout on Thursday.

Big-name players who will be in Green Bay include Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, who could both be picked in the top five. One interesting player attending the draft is Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who NFL insiders say is not a lock to go in the first round—which could lead to an interesting green room waiting game for ESPN and NFL Network to cover.

Travel Plans

Since the draft returned to an in-person format after going virtual in 2020, only once has prospect attendance topped 20 players, which used to be commonplace for the NFL’s traveling road show.

2025 Green Bay: 17 2024 Detroit: 13 2023 Kansas City: 17 2022 Las Vegas: 21 2021 Cleveland: 13 2020 virtual: N/A 2019 Nashville: 23 2018 Dallas: 22 2017 Philadelphia: 22 2016 Chicago: 25 2015 Chicago: 26

In 2014, the last time the draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, a record 30 prospects attended the live event.

WNBA Ties Record for International Top 10 Draft Picks: Questions Linger [[link removed]]

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

As the WNBA enters its 29th season, globalization appears to be another growth opportunity, starting with the addition of more international players.

Three international players were among the top 10 picks of the 2025 WNBA draft Monday, tied with the 1998 and 2000 drafts for the most in league history.

The international selections were:

Dominique Malonga (France): No. 2 pick, Seattle Storm Justė Jocytė (Lithuania): No. 5 pick, Golden State Valkyries Ajša Sivka (Slovenia): No. 10 pick, Chicago Sky

It’s unlikely all three would have been selected in the top 10—or even the first round—if not for the handful of NCAA stars who decided to forego this year’s draft.

The NBA, which owns about 42% of the WNBA, has become the standard in expanding its brand globally, which started after embracing international talent in the 1990s and 2000s. At the start of the 2024–2025 season, the NBA had 125 players from 43 different countries [[link removed]], and its last six MVP winners have been international stars.

Room to Improve

International players are not new in the WNBA. Some of the best players in league history include Belgium’s Emma Meesseman as well as Australia’s Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor.

One major advantage for WNBA teams selecting international players is that they are often younger than NCAA prospects. Domestic WNBA aspirants are required to be 22 years old in the year of the draft, while international players only need to be 20. All three of the international players selected on Monday are still 19 years old.

However, there are still several hurdles when selecting international players, given the league’s roster size, salary cap, and issues negotiating with a player’s international club. But perhaps the most glaring issue is with the league’s schedule. The WNBA’s season coincides with EuroBasket, the biennial competition that remains a priority for many European stars.

“The national team is always my priority,” Jocytė told BasketNews [[link removed]] last week. “If the WNBA told me I couldn’t go and I had to choose, I would definitely choose the national team.”

Malonga and Jocytė are expected to play in the WNBA this year, while it’s unclear whether Sivka will play for the Sky [[link removed]]. She is expected to represent Slovenia in EuroBasket this year as well.

The WNBA instituted a “prioritization” rule in 2023 [[link removed]] that requires players with two or more years of experience to join their WNBA team by the start of training camp. Non-compliant players face a fine. While this rule doesn’t affect the rookies, it does come into play later in their careers. It’s a key reason why Meesseman, the 2019 Finals MVP, has not played in the WNBA since 2022.

The league’s rules surrounding international prospects, including the prioritization rule, will likely be another topic addressed in the league’s next CBA, expected to take effect in 2026.

STATUS REPORT Four Up

HawkCentral

Caitlin Clark Effect ⬆ ESPN will air the preseason game between the Indiana Fever and Brazil women’s national basketball team [[link removed]] on May 4, according to The Athletic. It will reportedly be the first nationally televised WNBA exhibition game. The game will be held in Iowa, marking Clark’s return to her alma mater.

Masters TV ratings ⬆ Viewership for Sunday’s final round [[link removed]], in which Rory McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam [[link removed]], increased to 12.99 million viewers on CBS once final national data [[link removed]] from Nielsen was calculated Tuesday. That’s a 35% increase over the 9.59 million people who watched Scottie Scheffler win his second Green Jacket in 2024.

Flag football ⬆ The International Federation of American Football will host the first African Flag Football Championships [[link removed]] in June, with support from the NFL. Stakeholders are trying to grow the sport ahead of its Olympic debut [[link removed]] at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Pelicans ⬆ A day after firing David Griffin as president of basketball operations, New Orleans is finalizing a deal to bring in Joe Dumars as his replacement [[link removed]], according to ESPN. The Hall of Famer is currently the EVP of basketball operations for the NBA and has held the role since 2022. He was the president of basketball operations for the Pistons from 2000 to 2014, winning Executive of the Year in 2003 and leading Detroit to a title in 2004.

Conversation Starters Nike dropped an ad to honor Paige Bueckers after she was selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. Check it out [[link removed]]. Gatorade also released an ad after Bueckers was drafted. Watch it here [[link removed]]. Kentucky star Georgia Amoore wore an outfit designed by Russell Westbrook and his clothing brand Honor The Gift to the WNBA draft, where she was selected sixth by the Washington Mystics. Take a look [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks ESPN’s Doris Burke on Camaraderie With Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson [[link removed]]by Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]A candid conversation with broadcasting legend Doris Burke. Amended House v. NCAA Settlement Proposal Does Not Adjust Roster Limits [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]The judge is expected to issue a final ruling within the next few weeks. Augusta Phone Ban Creates Masters Atmosphere Other Majors Should Copy [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]The policy leads to much higher fan engagement—and translates on TV, too. Advertise [[link removed]] Honors [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[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 © 2025 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016