January 3, 2023

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Bills safety Damar Hamlin had a modest goal of raising $2,500 for his “The Chasing M’s Foundation” [[link removed]] toy drive for children hit hardest by the pandemic. Following Hamlin’s injury on Monday Night Football, the charity received an outpouring of support, with $3 million raised from nearly 130,000 donors as of Tuesday morning.

Athletes Bills Say Damar Hamlin Suffered Cardiac Arrest in Game [[link removed]]

Syndication: USA TODAY

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a game on “Monday Night Football” and his heartbeat was restored on the field, according [[link removed]] to the team.

The second-year player collapsed on the field, was given CPR, and taken to a hospital in Cincinnati, where he is currently listed in critical condition, according to the Bills.

The NFL eventually postponed the game between the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.

“Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills,” the NFL tweeted [[link removed]]. “The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association, which is in agreement with postponing the game.”

Hamlin — selected in the sixth round (212th overall) out of the University of Pittsburgh during the 2021 NFL Draft — was injured with 5:58 remaining in the first quarter while making a tackle on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.

The 24-year-old received immediate medical attention on the field at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium, which included responders administering CPR before being transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center by ambulance.

Hamlin was reportedly intubated and according [[link removed]] to a report at around 11 p.m. ET on Monday, his vitals were “back to normal” as doctors continue to run tests.

At Pitt, Hamlin recorded [[link removed]] 275 total tackles, six interceptions, 21 passes defended, and one fumble recovery. Hamlin was selected to the All-ACC second team following the 2020 season. In his short tenure with the Bills, Hamlin has seen action [[link removed]] in 29 games, including 13 starts. He has recorded 65 total solo tackles, 1.5 sacks, and six tackles for loss. In May 2021, Hamlin signed [[link removed]] a four-year, $3.6 million contract with the Bills.

Since Hamlin’s injury, his charity “The Chasing M’s Foundation” has raised [[link removed]] more than $3 million for the foundation’s toy drive with the help of nearly 128,000 donors as of Tuesday morning. Launched in 2020, the charity — which aims to help children hit hardest by the pandemic — had an initial goal of $2,500.

Real Estate Royals Considering 14 Downtown Sites for New $2B Stadium [[link removed]]

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Royals announced plans in November to build a $2 billion downtown stadium and district, but exactly where the team will land is still unknown.

“We have looked at 14 different sites in downtown Kansas City,” said [[link removed]] Earl Santee, global chair and founder of Populous. “It needs to be more than a ballpark. It’s about what happens before and after the game that makes a community.”

Populous is consulting with the Royals on the project, which will include a 35,000-seat stadium. Santee said each of the sites have at least 14 acres for the stadium alone.

A location isn’t the only piece of the puzzle missing — the public financing portion of the deal will need to be figured out.

Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman said [[link removed]] the team will not ask Jackson County citizens to pay any additional tax dollars.

Royal Revenue

Kauffman Stadium, the Royals’ current home, was built in 1973. Renovations to the stadium are projected to cost around $1.07 billion, whereas the new ballpark would cost around $1 billion.

It’s also projected to generate $185 million more annually in regional economic output in the first year than Kauffman, which sits adjacent to the Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium at Truman Sports Complex.

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Real Estate Aston Villa Could Host 2028 Euros With Stadium Upgrades [[link removed]]

Aston Villla

Aston Villa has been given the green light to expand Villa Park after England submitted a joint bid with Ireland to host the 2028 UEFA European Football Championship.

In June, Aston Villa — the 20th-most valuable soccer team at $750 million, per Forbes — announced plans [[link removed]] for upgrades at Villa Park, the Premier League club’s home field since 1897. Aston Villa allowed local residents and businesses to weigh in on the renovations via survey.

The upgrades, which include increasing Villa Park’s capacity from 42,600 to more than 50,000, have been approved [[link removed]] by the Birmingham City Council — where Villa Park is located.

Increasing capacity allows the venue to host major tournaments, including the Euros. Villa Park’s current capacity ranks it as the eighth-largest stadium in the Premier League. Aston Villa plans to invest more than $122 million into the first phase of upgrades.

The Lions — which currently sit at No. 12 out of 20 clubs in the Premier League standings — have planned upgrades at Villa Park amid increased demand by fans to attend matches.

Before the 2022-23 season, the club had 25,000 fans on its season-ticket waitlist, despite being one of 11 Premier League clubs that raised [[link removed]] its season-long ticket prices.

Bid Delay

In March, England submitted a joint bid to host the 2028 Euros with Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The group is competing with Turkey to host the tournament.

England’s joint bid has recently been under fire by UEFA over a delay [[link removed]] in guarantees regarding airports, tax exemptions, and stadium use.

College Athletics Big Ten Pockets $12M Despite Michigan, Ohio State Losses [[link removed]]

Syndication: USA TODAY

The winner of the College Football Playoff National Championship hasn’t yet been decided — TCU and Georgia will settle that next Monday night — but the Big Ten didn’t leave the playoff semifinals empty-handed.

Because two of its member schools — Michigan and Ohio State — played in this past weekend’s semifinal games, the Big Ten will receive [[link removed]] $12 million. Both the Wolverines and Buckeyes, however, lost.

The SEC and Big 12 will receive $6 million each for Georgia and TCU’s appearance, respectively. Each team in a non-playoff bowl under the CFP earns $4 million. If a school’s football team meets the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate for participation in a postseason football game, both the conference and team will receive an additional $300,000.

Georgia and TCU, who will play for the national championship at SoFi Stadium, won’t receive any additional distribution, but each school will have all of their expenses covered.

The conferences and schools aren’t the only big winners.

The championship is estimated to bring between $155 million and $225 million to the Los Angeles region, according [[link removed]] to Micronomics Economic Research and Consulting.

The 2022 CFP National Championship weekend in Indianapolis generated $156.6 million, per a Rockport Analytics report [[link removed]].

Expansion Questions

The CFP announced Dec. 1 that it would expand to 12 teams for the 2024-25 season, though it’s unclear how distributions would be handled.

The expanded format could reportedly [[link removed]] fetch $2.2 billion in annual media rights fees. Its current deal with ESPN reportedly pays an average of $470 million per year through 2026.

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Conversation Starters From buzzer-beaters on the hardwood to Hail Marys in the end zone, Atmosphere Sports is bringing sports back to the center with scores, highlights, and more. Learn more [[link removed]].* 2022 can be remembered for several watershed moments in media rights to the year of the World Cup, Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics, and changes in the financial landscape in college athletics. Front Office Sports looks back [[link removed]] at a very active year on the sports business front. The new year is expected to bring new team owners, record-breaking media rights deals, emerging regulations in NIL, and unexpected media mergers and acquisitions. The Front Office Sports staff looks inside its crystal ball to predict [[link removed]] what will happen in 2023. Today's Action

NHL

10:00 PM

Islanders (-110) at Canucks (-110)

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NBA

08:10 PM

Celtics (-390) at Thunder (+320)

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NHL

10:00 PM

Stars (-125) at Kings (+105)

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*All times are EST unless otherwise noted.

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