April 11, 2022

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Following a 99-day lockout that delayed the start of the season, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred gave all players Bose headphones as a peace offering on Opening Day. Fair trade?

Rob Walton Reportedly Puts Up More Than $4B For Broncos

Walmart Corporate

Rob Walton, son of late Walmart founder Sam Walton, is reportedly bidding more than $4 billion to buy the Denver Broncos.

Opening bids for the Broncos were reportedly [[link removed]] due on Friday and would only be accepted if they were above the $4 billion threshold. The price tag is a mere fraction of Walton’s $70 billion worth, making him a favorite to buy the team.

NFL owners are not allowed to put more than $1 billion in debt on a team and must put down at least 33% of the equity.

A previous report suggests that the team’s final sale will land between $4.5 billion and $5.5 billion.

Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris was expected to submit a bid.Reports suggest the NFL was courting Robert F. Smith, the richest Black man in America, to buy the team. Entertainment Studios’ Byron Allen said he was preparing an offer in February. Allen or Smith would become the league’s first Black owner should either win.

Walton’s brother-in-law is Stan Kroenke, owner [[link removed].] of the Los Angeles Rams and former owner of the NBA Nuggets and NHL Avalanche.

A Pretty Penny

The estimated bidding price would make the Broncos sale the highest amount ever paid for an American professional sports team. David Tepper purchased [[link removed]] the Carolina Panthers in 2018 for $2.2 billion, and Joe Tsai bought the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 for $2.3 billion.

Nationals Tap Firm to Explore Potential Sale of Franchise

Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Nationals are exploring a sale, among other options, managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner announced on Monday. [[link removed]]

Allen & Company [[link removed]] — the firm that handled the sale of New York Mets, netting an MLB-record $2.4 billion in 2020 — has been retained as part of what Lerner described as an “exploratory process” that could result in a sale of the franchise valued at $2 billion [[link removed]].

Real estate developer Ted Lerner, 96, purchased the Nationals for $450 million in 2006, the team’s first season in the nation’s capital after the franchise relocated from Montreal. Lerner transferred day-to-day oversight of the team to his son Mark in 2018.

Lerners’ Success in D.C.

Washington lost three MLB teams in its history and had been without baseball since the Senators moved to Texas to become the Rangers after the 1971 season.

After three seasons at RFK Stadium, the team moved to the 41,418-seat Nationals Park. The $693 million stadium was publicly financed and owned by the Washington Convention and Sports Authority. Under the Lerners, the Nats won the 2019 World Series. After trading ace pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner last season, plus losing players like Anthony Rendon to free agency after the title run, the team is currently in a rebuilding phase.

Mark Lerner said “there is no set timetable or expectation of a specific outcome” in his statement.

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NBA Chairman Joins Consortium Bidding For Chelsea FC

Chelsea FC

Chelsea FC bidders were given an extra three days to submit their offers, and Stephen Pagliuca is using the time to his advantage — the Boston Celtics co-owner has recruited NBA chairman Larry Tanenbaum as a backer.

The Canadian is chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns [[link removed](NBA%20G%20League)%20and] Toronto FC, the Maple Leafs, the Raptors, and the Argonauts.

Tanenbaum joins Pagliuca’s group of investors that reportedly include Passport Capital founder John Burbank and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Former Disney executive Bob Iger was also said to be approached about joining the bid.

Pagliuca would have to offload [[link removed]] his stake in Serie A’s Atalanta if his Chelsea bid is successful.

The other bidders include a consortium led by Los Angeles Dodgers, Lakers, and Sparks owner Todd Boehly, a group led by Sports Investment Partners chairman Sir Martin Broughton, and a consortium led by the Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs.

Abramovich’s Soccer Switch

Roman Abramovich put the team up for sale as he was sanctioned by the U.K. government for his ties to Vladimir Putin, but that hasn’t cooled his interest in buying soccer teams. The oligarch is reportedly [[link removed].] looking to purchase La Liga’s Valencia club once the Chelsea FC sale is completed, according to a rival bidder.

Tanenbaum’s addition is thought [[link removed]] to be attractive to Abramovich due to his work combating antisemitism, though the government is reportedly [[link removed]] satisfied with all four bidders.

Conversation Starters In the Leadoff, a report suggests that The Masters leaves money on the table, MLS Next Pro launches with an eye toward the 2026 World Cup, Formula E looks to the next generation, and an NFT video game developer raises $150 million after a hack. Click here to listen [[link removed]]. The merger between Discovery and WarnerMedia has officially closed [[link removed]] after a definitive agreement in May 2021. The deal will see streaming platforms Discovery+ and HBO Max merge into one offering. The new entity will be named Warner Bros Discovery, Inc. Scottie Scheffler has ascended to the top of the golf world [[link removed]] in record time — and he’s just getting started. After winning three events and hitting OWGR’s No. 1 spot in 42 days — the shortest period of time between a first career win and attaining the top ranking — Scheffler won The Masters on Sunday, finishing 10 strokes under par. Subscribe to Scoreboard for more [[link removed]] on the 25-year-old and his meteoric rise. Renee Montgomery’s basketball career was just a precursor to her second act, which includes titles such as podcast host, sports broadcaster, vice president, and co-owner of multiple professional sports teams. Learn more [[link removed]] about Renee’s inspiring story of empowerment and representation.* 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 open now through Monday, April 18.

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Market Movers

U.S. stocks experienced declines across all three major indexes on Monday. Here’s a look at how sports-related stocks performed:

ARMK [[link removed]]

Aramark

[[link removed]]

$34.98

[[link removed]]

+0.11%

[[link removed]] RCI [[link removed]]

Rogers Communications Inc.

[[link removed]]

$58.48

[[link removed]]

+0.22%

[[link removed]] MGM [[link removed]]

MGM Resorts International

[[link removed]]

$39.45

[[link removed]]

+1.96%

[[link removed]] T [[link removed]]

AT&T, Inc.

[[link removed]]

$19.59

[[link removed]]

+3.54%

[[link removed]] DIS [[link removed]]

Walt Disney Co (The)

[[link removed]]

$130.78

[[link removed]]

-0.03%

[[link removed]] DAKT [[link removed]]

Daktronics Inc.

[[link removed]]

$3.67

[[link removed]]

-2.65%

[[link removed]] (Note: All as of market close on 4/11/22) What to Watch

The New York Mets (3-1) face the Philadelphia Phillies (2-1) on Monday at Citizens Bank Park.

How to Watch: 6:45 p.m. ET on FS1

Betting Odds: Phillies -1.5 || ML -150 || O/U 9.5

Pick: Expect the Phillies to bounce back from Sunday’s loss. Take Philadelphia to cover.

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Written by Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]], A.J. Perez [[link removed]]

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