March 28, 2023
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March Madness is almost over, and reporter Amanda Christovich joins Front Office Sports Today to break down what looks to be an unusual men’s Final Four. Then we talk with INFLCR founder and CEO Jim Cavale about the future of NIL regulation.
Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], and Spotify [[link removed]].
Deals Josh Harris Officially Bids for Washington Commanders [[link removed]]
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
PHOENIX — A group led by Josh Harris has submitted a bid to purchase the Washington Commanders, sources told Front Office Sports.
Harris, who owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, entered a bid between $5.5 billion and $6 billion, one source with knowledge of the process told FOS.
A couple of hours after the first report [[link removed]] that Harris had bid on the Commanders, ESPN reported that Canadian real estate executive Steve Apostolopoulos had also bid $6 billion.
FOS was unable to confirm Apostolopoulos’s bid. One source said while Apostolopoulos may have bid, there are questions over whether he has the financial wherewithal to be considered a serious contender for the Commanders.
Harris visited the team’s facilities before last month’s Super Bowl. In the weeks since, Harris rounded out his group with fellow billionaire and D.C.-area native Mitchell Rales [[link removed]] and NBA legend Magic Johnson [[link removed]].
Harris had been a contender for the franchise since owner Dan Snyder and his wife, Tanya Snyder, announced [[link removed]] in November that they had hired Bank of America to explore options that could lead to a full or partial sale. Snyder purchased the Commanders for $800 million in 1999.
A spokesperson for Harris declined to comment.
The other billionaires interested in the club include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, and Apostolopoulos.
The news comes during what is expected to be the final day of the NFL’s annual owners’ meetings, where multiple owners told FOS that they were in the dark about the sale.
Teams Man United Bids Reportedly Fall Short of Glazers’ Asking Price [[link removed]]
Manchester United
The new bids to buy Manchester United are in — and they’re reportedly lower than the Glazer family’s asking price.
Although Man United’s current owners want approximately $7.4 billion, it doesn’t preclude an eventual sale.
Both Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe — the initial two public finalists to buy the storied club — increased their offerings from around $5.6 billion, but remained below the $7.4 billion threshold, according to ESPN [[link removed]] .
Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus, who entered the fray after the bid deadline was extended [[link removed]] last week, also reportedly lodged a bid whose value is unknown.
Before the deadline extension, Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe both submitted [[link removed]] bids exceeding $6.2 billion — which alone would make the sale the most expensive ever for a sports team.
While that could be seen as a disappointment to the Glazers, one of the bidders is possibly closer than previously thought. According to Sportico [[link removed]], Sheikh Jassim’s bid is “in the ballpark” of the Glazers’ asking price — and Ratcliffe couldn’t match it.
It now falls to U.S. bank the Raine Group — which is facilitating the sale — to either request another round of bidding or name a preferred bidder.
Man United expects to have “ clarity [[link removed]]” on the ownership situation by season’s end in late May.
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How Clemson is Growing Fan Engagement
“WSC Sports can analyze announcer audio to mark plays with three, four, and five-star ratings for us to filter by. Just really smart stuff.” – Jeff Kallin, Clemson’s Associate AD of Athletic Communications in a recent interview [[link removed]] about how the school employs content as a growth lever for fan engagement.
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Athletes Ohtani in a Class of His Own Among MLB Off-Field Earners [[link removed]]
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
MLB players make relatively little in sponsorship money from American companies compared to other top athletes, but the sport’s biggest international star is still cashing in.
Shohei Ohtani is the top-earning MLB player this year, per [[link removed]] Forbes, after adding his $30 million salary with the Los Angeles Angels to the $35 million he makes in endorsements.
That latter figure, by far the highest among MLB players, draws from both American companies like New Balance [[link removed]], Fanatics, and Topps, as well as Japanese ones such as Kowa, Seiko, and Kose.
Ohtani is also due for a significant raise as a free agent after this season. As both one of MLB’s best hitters and pitchers, he could be the first player to land a deal worth more than $500 million.
Following Ohtani is New York Mets ace pitcher Max Scherzer, who is being paid handsomely by two NL East teams. His contract with the Mets pays him $43.3 million this year, while the Washington Nationals are tacking on an additional $15 million in deferred payments from a $210 million deal signed in 2015.
Third overall is New York Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge, who makes $4.5 million off the field plus $40 million annually from the Bronx Bombers.
Angels star Mike Trout, the only other player to top $1 million in off-field earnings with $4 million, was fifth overall after adding in his $35.5 million salary. The Mets’ Justin Verlander was one spot ahead with his $43.3 million contract and $1 million in additional earnings.
Conversation Starters Team owners at the NFL owners meeting are divided on a proposal [[link removed]] to flex schedule Sunday afternoon games to Thursday nights starting in Week 14 with a 15-day notice for teams being rescheduled. So far, 2023 women’s March Madness has set records [[link removed]] for first- and second-round attendance and viewership, regionals attendance, plus the two most-watched Sweet 16 games ever. Georgetown’s new men’s basketball head coach Ed Cooley put his 5,800-square-foot, four-bedroom Rhode Island home up for sale [[link removed]] after 12 seasons at Providence. The house is listed at $1.9 million.
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Rising 25 is back and it’s time to nominate an up-and-coming young professional changing the game in the business of sports!
The Front Office Sports Rising 25 Award [[link removed]], presented by Anheuser-Busch, celebrates the careers of the brightest young stars in the business of sports. To date, we’ve honored 150 individuals and we’re looking for our next group of young stars.
Nominations are open NOW through Tuesday, May 2. Winners will be announced in June.
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What to Watch
The New Orleans Pelicans take on the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Tuesday night.
How to watch: 10 p.m. ET, TNT
Betting odds: Pelicans +9 || ML Pelicans +304 || O/U 235.5
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