December 15, 2022

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NBA commissioner Adam Silver wants [[link removed]] to see the league to hire its first female head coach within the next five years, adding that he’d be “hugely disappointed” if it doesn’t happen.

Judge Rejects Settlement for Carolina Panthers’ Failed $800M HQ [[link removed]]

Carolina Panthers

Another setback has unfolded regarding a failed $800 million headquarters and training facility for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

A federal judge has rejected a settlement [[link removed]] plan for GT Real Estate — a development arm controlled by Panthers owner David Tepper — that filed for bankruptcy in June after investing more than $170 million toward the construction of the ill-fated project.

Two months later, GT Real Estate submitted [[link removed]] a plan to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to repay creditors and resolve all claims. The judge refused to approve the plan over third-party releases, which would prevent creditors from pursuing legal claims against third parties.

Plans for the facility included a 5,000-seat stadium and indoor practice center. Construction began in 2020 and was halted in March after a missed payment.

In November, Rock Hill agreed [[link removed]] to a $20 million settlement with GT Real Estate, which equates to what the city invested. Earlier this month, York County — where Rock Hill is located — agreed to its own $21 million settlement [[link removed]] over sales tax money allocated toward the project.

Steady Plans

NFL owners approved [[link removed]] an abundance of items on Wednesday related to the construction of new stadiums and upgrades of current ones.

Items related to the proposal of a new $2.1 billion stadium for the Tennessee Titans and a $1.4 billion stadium for the Buffalo Bills were approved, sources told Front Office Sports. Owners also sanctioned the extension of the Bills’ lease at their current home, Highmark Stadium.

NWSL Investigation Finds Widespread ‘Misconduct’ [[link removed]]

Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

A second report is putting the NWSL under fire.

The NWSL and NWSLPA’s joint investigation unit issued a final report [[link removed]] on Wednesday, a year after allegations of sexual coercion, abuse, and harassment were made public.

Despite finding that the NWSL “increased efforts to eradicate misconduct, embraced greater accountability, and experienced a culture shift regarding behaviors that are no longer tolerated” since the team began its work, there were reports of ongoing misconduct at more than half the league’s clubs during the investigation.

The report found that club staff in positions of power made sexual remarks, pressured weight loss, made racial jokes, and “created volatile and manipulative working conditions,” among other forms of harassment.

It noted the staff “engaged in retaliation against players who attempted to report or did report concerns.” The league failed to establish what was considered misconduct, how to clearly report misconduct, and the clubs, league, and federation didn’t sufficiently share information.

The Portland Thorns, Racing Louisville, the Chicago Red Stars, the North Carolina Courage, the Houston Dash, the Washington Spirit, and the Kansas City Current were among the teams mentioned in the report.

A separate investigation by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates on behalf of the U.S. Soccer Federation reported [[link removed]] similar results in October.

Report Recommendations

The report gave six recommendations, including strengthening anti-harassment policies, developing and enforcing guidelines that address appropriate interactions between club staff and players, and enhancing reporting and investigation procedures.

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Lawsuits Over Penguins’ $900M Sale Settled [[link removed]]

Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

A legal battle regarding the sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins has been resolved.

Wildfire Productions — a former limited partner of the Penguins — filed a pair [[link removed]] of lawsuits in December 2021 to block the sale of the NHL franchise to current owner Fenway Sports Group.

Wildfire alleged that the team’s former majority owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux actively denied [[link removed]] limited partners from collecting information and providing input on the deal. On Wednesday, Wildfire settled the lawsuits and as a result relinquished its stake in the Penguins.

Terms of the settlements were not disclosed.

FSG purchased the Penguins in a deal [[link removed]] valued at roughly $900 million. The sports holding company also owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool. Wildfire brought suits against FSG in Pennsylvania and Team Lemieux LLC in Delaware.

Burkle and Lemieux purchased the Penguins in 1999 for $107 million. The former majority owners have retained minority stakes in the team and FSG kept the team’s core leadership intact. Lemieux, a Penguins legend and the NHL’s eighth-place all-time points leader, continues to oversee the team’s hockey operations.

Soaring Value

Forbes unveiled its list of the most valuable [[link removed]] NHL teams in 2022 — and the Penguins are valued [[link removed]] at $990 million — the 15th-most-valuable NHL franchise.

The NHL’s 32 teams are now worth a record $1.03 billion on average — a 19% increase year-over-year — behind increased media revenue and team-related transactions. The New York Rangers sit at the top of the league at $2.2 billion, marking the Blueshirts’ eighth straight year at No. 1.

Conversation Starters It appears Dan Snyder’s tenure as Washington Commanders owner could be coming to an end — and not because he’ll be forced out. There’s a growing sense [[link removed]] among NFL owners that Snyder will follow through with a sale of at least a controlling interest in the franchise. In The Leadoff, NFL owners pave the way for new stadiums and upgrades, Naomi Osaka and Patrick Mahomes join Major League Pickleball, Calvin Lo is seeking an on-ramp into Formula 1, and the Premier Hockey Federation doubles its salary cap. Click here to listen [[link removed]]. The UC regents — a 26-member board that governs all UC schools — decided [[link removed]] during a special meeting that it will not block UCLA from joining the Big Ten.

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What to Watch

The San Francisco 49ers (9-4) face the Seattle Seahawks (7-6) on “Thursday Night Football” at Lumen Field.

How to Watch: 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video

Betting Odds: 49ers -3.5 || ML -175 || O/U 43

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Celebrate with us for a chance to win!

Five lucky winners will receive an authentic official soccer jersey – all you have to do is 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.

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