February 6, 2023

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If you’re a Trail Blazers fan and want to take your support to the next level, you can buy a car from Damian Lillard. For the past two years, Portland’s superstar has owned [[link removed]] his own car dealership in Oregon — Damian Lillard Toyota — and those who buy a vehicle could snag VIP perks like meet-and-greets and a chance to attend a game — accompanied by Dame himself.

Athletes Mahomes, Hurts Set to Make Super Bowl History and Cash In [[link removed]]

Jay Biggerstaff / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl LVII is not only a great matchup — with the Philadelphia Eagles currently going off as slim 1.5-point favorites over the Kansas City Chiefs — but also a historic one.

The Big Game in Glendale, Arizona, will be the first championship contest in NFL history to feature two Black starting quarterbacks — the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts.

The two quarterbacks were essentially co-favorites for the NFL MVP throughout most of the regular season, but Mahomes pulled away after Hurts picked up a late injury, though both remain finalists for the award.

And while their two seasons are comparable on the field, their current contracts are anything but.

In 2020, Mahomes signed a 10-year, $450 million deal worth up to $503 million with incentives — marking the highest value in North American sports history. Hurts is in the third season of his four-year, $6.03 million rookie deal. As a second-round draft pick, the 24-year-old’s pact doesn’t include a fifth-year option.

However, Hurts could be in line to match Mahomes as soon as this offseason — especially if he can lead Philadelphia to its second Super Bowl title.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport [[link removed]] says Hurts is extension-eligible this offseason — and he and the Eagles are expected to work out a “big-time, monster extension.”

Breaking Barriers

Mahomes and Hurts aren’t the only ones breaking barriers in Arizona.

Eagles assistant coach Autumn Lockwood is set to be the first [[link removed]] Black woman — and fourth woman ever — to coach in a Super Bowl.

Las Vegas Resorts Eager to Bring In A’s [[link removed]]

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Las Vegas resort operators are anxious to bring in the Oakland A’s.

A group of executives meeting with A’s owner John Fisher and president Dave Kaval expressed their “full support” for bringing the team to Southern Nevada, according [[link removed]] to the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Derek Stevens, co-owner of multiple Las Vegas hotels and casinos, said that he and others in the Las Vegas hospitality industry see the A’s bringing jobs and tourists to the area. He also emphasized the opportunity represented by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred waiving the team’s relocation fee. “People forget the expansion fee [for new MLB teams] will be between $1 billion to $2 billion,” said Stevens. “Who in Vegas has that kind of money for an expansion fee, and then have to deal with all the other elements like stadium costs and operating cash?”

The team is believed to be scouting the Bally’s-owned Tropicana site and Phil Ruffin’s Las Vegas Festival Grounds.

Stay or Go?

The A’s are still waiting to see what Oakland can secure in grant money from county, state, and federal programs to provide infrastructure improvements around a proposed $12 billion waterfront development centered on a new A’s stadium.

The city has said it has already raised $375 million in transportation grants but will need to secure more funding.

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Real Estate Royals Narrow List of Potential Sites For New $2B Stadium [[link removed]]

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals have revealed more details for their proposed $2 billion downtown stadium and district.

The list of potential sites has been narrowed down from 14, Royals chief operating officer Brooks Sherman said [[link removed]] last week during the team’s second listening session.

“We continue to evaluate four or five sites, but we’re on this listening tour to hear from you as to what may be important,” Sherman said. “We look forward to making this determination after the completion of our community listening tour.”

As the largest public/private partnership in Kansas City history, the Royals would pay [[link removed]] for the entire $1 billion ballpark district and part of the $1 billion stadium.

The team would ask for an extension of Jackson County’s current ⅜-of-a-cent sales tax used for Truman Sports Complex — the home of Kauffman Stadium and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium. It also proposes that city and state funds be spent on infrastructure improvements including streets, sidewalks, waterway lines, and green spaces for parks and trails.

“The federal government may play a role as well, as we consider some creative ideas to build a community despite the interstates that are in and around downtown,” Sherman added.

Construction Contracts

At Wednesday’s listening session — the team’s third — Royals officials said [[link removed]] union contractors operating under a project labor agreement would build the stadium.

The team said as many as 20,000 people could be employed for the stadium’s construction.

Fitness Zwift Continues to Level Up With $620M Investment [[link removed]]

ZWIFT

In the world of at-home fitness apps, Zwift is carving its own path — and it has plenty of fresh capital to do so.

The company isn’t turning a profit yet, co-founder Eric Min told [[link removed]] Bloomberg, but it recently raised $620 million in funding from investors including Amazon’s Alex Fund, KKR and Co., and Permira Holdings.

With a market value of more than $1 billion, Zwift is looking to continue to invest in a business model that focuses more on the virtual exercise experience than equipment — and that targets more competitive users.

Unlike Peloton, Zwift doesn’t sell its own bikes, treadmills, or rowing machines. Instead, its main offering is a subscription-based app that charges $15 a month. Its physical equipment offerings are limited to trackers and sensors to add to existing fitness equipment, as well as the Zwift Hub, a bike attachment to control speed and resistance.

With these investments, Min told Bloomberg he hopes to increase the subscription prices, get to 10 million subscriptions, and take the company public. He also aspires to invest in other areas of at-home fitness like “indoor running.”

Tough Times

Zwift’s plans for growth come amid a sharp drop in consumer interest for at-home fitness.

During the pandemic, the industry skyrocketed as gyms closed, but gym-goers are now flocking back to out-of-home fitness options.

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Engaging 10,000 Fans in 90 Minutes

As the last home game of the season, the annual Fan Appreciation Game is a big deal for the Nets – but in 2022, they wanted to go even bigger (like, beyond the walls of the Barclays Center).

With the help of Wit Sports [[link removed]], they were able to do just that.

Working with Wit and their multitude of corporate partners, the Nets launched a Fan Appreciation Prize Wheel, giving fans all over the world the chance to win prizes [[link removed]] from JetBlue, Nike, SeatGeek, Tissot and more with just a single click.

Nets fans went nuts for the wheel – accumulating 10,000 spins in the first 90 minutes alone, it was a massive win for both the Nets and their partners.

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Conversation Starters The Super Bowl’s “Greatest Commercials” are lionized yearly in an annual special hosted by Boomer Esiason. But there’s always a risk a commercial will flop. We look at some of the worst commercial disasters [[link removed]] in the Big Game’s history. How can the NFL Pro Bowl showcase its top athletes without risking injury? This year, the league has enlisted the help of the NFL’s first family of football. Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and Eli Manning will attempt [[link removed]] to take the event in a new direction. Check out Driven With Michelle Wie West [[link removed]], a new series from Front Office Sports and PitchBook, where Wie West sits down with some of her favorite female athletes to discuss their journeys as investors and what it takes to win.* Front Office Sports Today They Said What?

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

“Not getting hit is a good one. … You know, having my body not feeling like I just went through a car accident.”

— Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler on his favorite part of the offseason. Ekeler also explained why he launched an app called Eksperience — a platform that allows athletes and celebrities to offer custom and unique interactions with fans — on the latest episode of Front Office Sports Today.

Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], and Spotify [[link removed]].

Today's Action

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Ducks (+300) at Stars (-365)

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Spurs (+420) at Bulls (-540)

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Friday’s Answer

25% of respondents go fishing 1-3 times a year; 11% go fishing 4+ times a year.

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