November 8, 2022

Read in Browser [[link removed]]

POWERED BY

LAFC’s dramatic win over the Philadelphia Union in the MLS Cup Final drew [[link removed]] 2.16 million viewers across FOX and Univision — its biggest audience in 25 years.

Matthew McConaughey Reportedly Joins Bezos, Jay-Z Commanders Bid [[link removed]]

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Bezos’ bid for the Washington Commanders just got a lot cooler.

Matthew McConaughey is joining [[link removed]] the potential ownership group led by [[link removed]] Bezos and Jay-Z to buy the NFL team from beleaguered owner Dan Snyder, according to multiple reports.

Snyder could be unwilling [[link removed]] to sell to Bezos due to their skirmishes in the past — despite the Amazon founder’s $114.4 billion net worth — so adding McConaughey to the bid could make it more palatable due to his strong ties to the franchise and his experience [[link removed]] in the sports world.

The 53-year-old actor has been a longtime fan of the franchise and is supposedly good friends with Snyder.The pair reportedly [[link removed]] watched the Super Bowl together aboard Snyder’s yacht last year.McConaughey has been a minority owner [[link removed]] of MLS franchise Austin FC since 2019 and is the “Minister of Culture” at his alma mater, the University of Texas.

Despite being from deep in rival Dallas Cowboys country, McConaughey has said [[link removed]] he’s been a fan of the Washington franchise since he was 4 years old.

Bids Piling Up

Bezos, Jay-Z, and McConaughey are not the only ones vying for a piece — or all — of the Commanders.

Entertainment Studios founder Byron Allen is reportedly [[link removed]] preparing a bid — which, if successful, would make him the first Black majority owner in NFL history.

Washington, D.C., native Kevin Durant has also expressed [[link removed]] interest in being part of the Commanders’ next ownership group.

World Cup Fans With Violent Histories Face Bans [[link removed]]

Witters Sport-USA TODAY Sports

As the 2022 FIFA World Cup approaches, more fans are being banned.

The Buenos Aires city government listed 6,000 Argentines who will not be allowed to enter tournament stadiums, around half of whom are not allowed to attend local league matches.

“They were included for belonging to the ‘barres’ [violent fans], for participating in violent acts, for illicit associations such as ‘trapitos’ [banned street businesses] and for owing maintenance payments [from divorced parents],” the city’s justice and security minister Marcelo D’Alessandro said [[link removed]].

The country will send “delegates of different police bodies” to work with Qatar’s security authorities for the event, which starts on Nov. 20.

More than 1,300 fans from England and Wales are also banned [[link removed]] from the tournament due to past issues with soccer-related violence.The U.K.’s home office has warned of a possible six months in prison for defying the band. World Cup Critics

FIFA continues to receive criticism for awarding Qatar — which has a history of alleged human rights abuses — the World Cup.

More concerns came after World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman, who is a former national team player, called homosexuality “damage in the mind” and “haram,” or forbidden, in an interview [[link removed]] shown on Monday.

Sepp Blatter, who was FIFA president when Qatar was chosen in 2010, said [[link removed].] the decision to award Qatar was a “mistake,” adding that after the country was given the tournament, criteria for host countries changed.

“Since then, social considerations and human rights are taken into account,” he said.

SPONSORED BY ATHLETIC BREWING

Beer, Fit For All Times™

What do J.J. Watt, CJ Stroud, Caleb Williams, and Bijan Robinson all have in common?

Athletic Brewing Company [[link removed]] makes their favorite craft brew.

Athletic is America’s leading non-alcoholic craft beer producer, and they’re on a mission to positively impact the world – one can at a time.

Whether you’re eliminating alcohol for a night or for life, Athletic Brewing’s award-winning brews are Fit For All Times™, so you can drink them all night long without feeling hungover the next morning.

For a limited time, new Athletic customers will receive 20% OFF their first order [[link removed]] of two 6-packs or more when they use the code FOS20 by December 31, 2022.

Plus, if you enter their Grand Adventure Giveaway [[link removed]] before November 15, 2022, you have a chance to win $45,000 in epic prizes.

Anheuser-Busch Buying Major League Pickleball Team [[link removed]]

MLP

Anheuser-Busch has been synonymous with big-time sports for decades.

Whether it’s paying to be the Super Bowl’s largest advertiser or owning Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals (1953-1995), the brewer’s Budweiser and Bud Light brands are ubiquitous in the sports world.

Now A-B is investing in the country’s fastest-growing sport: pickleball. It announced Tuesday plans to buy a Major League Pickleball franchise, starting in the 2023 season.

The giant brewer is the first [[link removed]] Fortune 500 company to purchase an MLP team and it joins a growing list of high-powered MLP owners.

NBA superstars LeBron James and Kevin DurantThe NFL’s Tom Brady and former New Orleans Saints great Drew BreesTennis legend Kim Clijsters

The agreement gives A-B control over one of MLP’s new expansion teams. The brewer will call the shots on everything from player drafts to team sponsors.

Still Expanding

During the 2023 season, MLP will expand from 12 to 16 teams. The new league will double its number of events to six, and player prize money to more than $2 million.

“Anheuser-Busch is one of the most impactful professional sport sponsors in the US, to have them join as an ownership partner is an incredible opportunity for Major League Pickleball,” said Steve Kuhn, MLP’s founder and CEO.

Conversation Starters In The Leadoff, Manchester City reports record full-year revenue, Kevin Durant expresses interest in buying the Washington Commanders, Take-Two Interactive generates $1.4 billion in revenue in fiscal Q2, and Apple builds an ad network ahead of its MLS deal. Click here to listen [[link removed]]. A group of college athletes have signed deals to promote [[link removed]] an initiative called “All Vote No Play,” which provides educational resources for civic engagement. The Houston Astros ran up a $388,000 tab of rapper 50 Cent’s champagne “Le Chemin Du Roi Brut” after winning [[link removed]] the World Series, per TMZ.

SPONSORED BY RHOBACK

Best Fit. Best Feel. Best Activewear.

Rhoback [[link removed]] is the go-to activewear for college athletes across the country. Having worked with some of the nation’s best college athletes including Bijan Robinson, Will Anderson, and Michael Mayer, it’s quickly gaining major traction. Now’s your chance to win $500 worth of Rhoback gear [[link removed]].

The hoodies are some of the softest, most comfortable hoodies out there, while their joggers are perfect for any activity. You won’t want to miss their Performance Polos, Q-Zips, and Tees either. If you spot someone sporting that subtle dog logo or two stripes on the back, make sure to give them a nod, because you know they get it.

Enter [[link removed]] the giveaway for a chance to win the most comfortable gear just in time for the holidays.

Market Movers

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

PLNT [[link removed]]

Planet Fitness Inc

[[link removed]]

$66.94

[[link removed]]

+1.58%

[[link removed]] ELY [[link removed]]

Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp

[[link removed]]

$18.95

[[link removed]]

-0.32%

[[link removed]] LYV [[link removed]]

Live Nation Entertainment Inc

[[link removed]]

$72.95

[[link removed]]

-0.61%

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

Rogers Communications Inc.

[[link removed]]

$42.40

[[link removed]]

-0.73%

[[link removed]] UA [[link removed]]

Under Armour Inc

[[link removed]]

$7.08

[[link removed]]

-2.95%

[[link removed]] (Note: All as of market close on 11/8/22) What to Watch

The Ball State Cardinals (5-4) face the Toledo Rockets (6-3) on Tuesday night in a Mid-American Conference showdown at the Glass Bowl.

How to Watch: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN

Betting Odds: Toledo -10.5 || ML -420 || O/U 49.5

Pick: Expect the Cardinals to keep things close. Take Ball State to cover.

Refer Friends to Score Your Favorite Team’s Jersey

SPONSORED BY

Front Office Sports is celebrating that Paramount+ is home to world-class soccer matches from around the globe by giving away five authentic official jerseys.

How can you score one? Refer your friends and colleagues to Front Office Sports. Copy and paste your unique link below and share it in an email or on your timeline.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between October 24, 2022 @ 12:01 a.m. ET – December 18, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Open to US residents age 18+ only. 1 entry per person. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules [[link removed]] for details.

Referral Count: 0

Copy your invite link: [link removed] [[link removed]]

Or share on social media: Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Live [[link removed]] Podcasts [[link removed]] Pro [[link removed]] Written by Doug Greenberg [[link removed]], Abigail Gentrup [[link removed]], Michael McCarthy [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2022 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

80 Pine Street Suite 3202 New York, NY 10005