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Afternoon Edition

April 18, 2025

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The Twins were put up for sale during last year’s postseason. Six months later, no bidder has met their price—just as the team is struggling on the field and at the box office.

— Ben Horney [[link removed]] and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Twins Attendance Plunges As Sale Drags On

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Twins have struggled to start the MLB season, attendance at Target Field is dramatically down, and Minnesota’s sale process has stalled over the Pohlad family’s asking price.

Ahead of Friday night’s matchup against the Braves in Atlanta, the team sits in fourth place in the American League Central division with a record of 7–12.

Even more notably, attendance at Twins home games has dwindled. The franchise announced Monday night’s game against the Mets drew 10,240 fans, although that figure refers to total tickets sold, not the actual number of fans in attendance. Even if all 10,240 fans were at the game, that figure represents the lowest official attendance in the 15-year history of Target Field—aside from games played with attendance restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune [[link removed]].

The sluggish start comes as the Pohlad family, who bought the Twins for $44 million in 1984, is trying to sell the franchise they’ve owned for four decades. The patriarch, Carl Pohlad, died in 2009, at which point his son Jim took over the team [[link removed]]. In 2022, Jim’s nephew, Joe Pohlad, assumed primary administrative duties while Jim remained the controlling owner.

The team was put up for sale in October [[link removed]] and is working with Allen & Company on the process, which has been anything but smooth.

A representative for the Twins said the team is not commenting on the sale process other than acknowledging it is still ongoing. A representative for Allen & Co. did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Pohlads reportedly rejected a bid valuing the team at $1.5 billion, seeking a valuation of at least $1.7 billion. That desired price point is $50 million higher than the Twins’ valuation as calculated by Michael Ozanian at CNBC, who earlier this month [[link removed]] said the Twins are worth $1.65 billion, 22nd out of the 30 total MLB teams.

You can read more about the Twins sale process and the franchise’s issues early this season in this story by Ben Horney [[link removed]].

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Exploring a State-of-the-Art Training Center

Front Office Sports’s Stadium Status [[link removed]], hosted by Derryl Barnes, takes you inside the Kaiser Permanente Training Center at Intuit Dome, alongside Clippers stars Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac as well as Kaiser Permanente’s Clippers team physician Dr. Bryan Wiley. This episode highlights the groundbreaking partnership between the L.A. Clippers and Kaiser Permanente, showcasing their cutting-edge training center within the new Intuit Dome.

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Watch now and get an exclusive look at the future of sports performance [[link removed]].

NHL Breaks Attendance Record for Third Straight Season [[link removed]]

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The NHL playoffs begin Saturday after a third consecutive regular season of leaguewide record attendance.

This season, total crowds at NHL games topped the 23 million mark for the first time. Here are the last three seasonal marks:

2024–2025: 23,014,458 2023–2024: 22,873,142 2022–2023: 22,436,532

While the Canadiens, who sold out every home game at the 21,105-seat Bell Centre in Montreal, led NHL teams in average attendance, the league as a whole benefited from its continued push to play at alternative venues.

In addition to the 32 NHL home arenas, games were also played at O2 Arena in Prague, Czechia and Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland (Global Series); Wrigley Field in Chicago (Winter Classic); and Ohio Stadium in Columbus (Stadium Series).

The March 1 Blue Jackets–Red Wings contest at the home of the Buckeyes football team drew the second-largest crowd in NHL history: 94,751 fans.

Not included in the record attendance numbers is the wildly successful inaugural edition of the 4 Nations Face-Off [[link removed]], which drew 135,977 across seven games in Montreal and Boston.

Canada in the Spotlight

Off the ice, U.S. TV ratings this postseason could be at risk of taking a hit [[link removed]], as the five Canadian teams in the playoffs—the Maple Leafs, Senators, Canadiens, Jets, and Oilers—represent the most from the country in 2017.

Final viewership figures for the NHL’s regular season have not been released. Last season, NHL games on ESPN and TNT Sports platforms averaged 504,000 viewers [[link removed]].

High-Priced Suns Have a Frustrated Owner, Few Good Options [[link removed]]

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Suns owner Mat Ishbia vowed to make significant changes this offseason, after Phoenix missed the playoffs with a 36–46 record, 11th in the Western Conference, despite having the NBA’s highest active payroll [[link removed]] at $210 million.

“As the owner, my job is to make those changes and do things differently,” Ishbia said Thursday during his season-ending press conference. “Because what we just tried and did over the last two and a half years has not been as successful.”

The Suns’ big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal accounted for roughly $150 million of salary-cap space this past season. “We spent a lot of money, and we didn’t win,” Ishbia said, also calling the season “embarrassing.”

Ishbia wouldn’t comment directly on specific players. “We’re definitely going to make adjustments, but it’s not to spend less money,” he said. Suns president of basketball operations and GM James Jones left the door open for all roster options.

ESPN has reported [[link removed]] Durant could be dealt this offseason, and multiple outlets have reported that he’s unhappy in Phoenix. The Suns tried to trade Beal this season but couldn’t find a suitable deal for which he would waive his no-trade clause. It would be difficult for the team to deal one of its highly paid stars while improving. The franchise also does not control its own first-round draft pick until 2032.

“Money is not going to be an obstacle,” Ishbia said. “But at the same time, I’m not foolish. I don’t expect us to have the highest payroll in the NBA next year, and I don’t expect us to not make the playoffs next year.”

Ishbia concluded that his business goal in Phoenix “is not to make money. The business here is to win.”

The Suns are in the process of searching for a new head coach after firing Mike Budenholzer following his lone season in charge of the team.

SPONSORED BY KAISER PERMANENTE

L.A. Clippers & Kaiser Permanente: A Winning Team

Kaiser Permanente [[link removed]] is the L.A. Clippers’ Official Health Care Partner and Official Team Physicians. We’re also proud to welcome Clippers’ Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac as new ambassadors and have them show you around the Kaiser Permanente Training Center at Intuit Dome.

At Kaiser Permanente, we care about care. Our doctors work in one interconnected system, keeping you at the center of everything we do. We are proud to provide quality care for the Clippers and support wellness throughout our communities.

See how care is made easy with Kaiser Permanente [[link removed]].

Status Report Three Up, One Push

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

UNC ⬆ The Tar Heels signed South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez in the transfer portal. ESPN ranked Lopez as the No. 6 available transfer player [[link removed]] and reported he signed a two-year, $4 million contract. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

Rams ⬆ The NFL franchise will conduct its draft operations from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Air Operations base next week. In previous years, the Rams had turned luxury estates into their temporary draft headquarters. This year’s move comes after the deadly wildfires wreaked havoc in Southern California, including forcing the Rams to move their wild-card playoff game to Arizona [[link removed]].

LaLiga ⬆ The top Spanish soccer flight has earned an extra spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League. LaLiga and England’s Premier League will each have five teams in the next edition of the lucrative European tournament that is paying out $2.7 billion in prize money this year.

Colorado ⬆⬇ This year’s spring football game has not been on pace [[link removed]] to match the attendance marks from 2024 (28,424) or 2023 (47,277). But Saturday’s event will be broadcast on ESPN2 and will include a jersey retirement ceremony for Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. The NCAA previously denied a request [[link removed]] from Colorado and Syracuse to play a spring game scrimmage against each other.

Conversation Starters Olympic sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce showed up to the parent race at her son’s elementary school. Check out the result [[link removed]]. WWE has a boxing machine–style game at its WrestleMania fan fest—but with a steel chair and dummy of Logan Paul. Take a look [[link removed]]. Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm, who has been called a Nicolas Cage look-alike, this week showed off a custom glove [[link removed]] with the Declaration of Independence printed on it. Editors’ Picks Golf’s Other Majors Won’t Follow Masters Lead in Banning Phones [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Phone intrusions at past majors have led to strong reactions from golfers. UFL and Players Union Agree to New CBA, Pending Board Approval [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Players say the new deal gives them wins on wages and healthcare. Oregon Sues Former Running Backs Coach Over $200K Buyout Dispute [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Carlos Locklyn and his former employer are fighting over his contract terms. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Ben Horney [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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