General
Magic Johnson Joins Ice Cube’s Effort to Acquire Fox Sports Networks
Nick Turner and Scott Soshnick, Bloomberg
Ice Cube’s underdog bid to acquire 21 regional sports networks from Walt Disney Co. just got some more VIP support. Magic Johnson, the NBA Hall of Famer who just stepped down as president of the Los Angeles Lakers, will be joining the bidding group, Ice Cube said in a tweet on Wednesday.
US sports industry OTT spending to hit US$6.8bn by 2021
Tom Bassam, SportsPro Media
Spending on over-the-top (OTT) technology in the North American sports industry will hit US$6.8 billion by 2021, according to a new report by sector specialists Deltatre. The Where the Money is Going: The Future of Sports Entertainment analysis of the OTT economics reveals that sports operators worldwide are now spending 15 per cent of their total budgets on related technology, meaning that by 2021 more than US$6.8 billion will be invested in the sector.
John Cena Eyed for ‘Suicide Squad’ Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)
Justin Kroll, Variety
The time may be now for John Cena to join the “Suicide Squad” sequel. Sources tell Variety that Cena is in talks to join Idris Elba and Margot Robbie in Warner Bros.’ follow-up to 2016’s “Suicide Squad.”
Jeopardy! champ adds $131K with perfect game
Dave Purdum, ESPN
Las Vegas sports bettor James Holzhauer is rewriting the “Jeopardy!” record book on an almost nightly basis. On the episode that aired Wednesday, Holzhauer topped his own single-game winnings mark with $131,127 to capture his 10th straight victory.
NFL
AT&T U-Verse TV and DirecTV Now subscribers no longer have NFL Network: ‘We’re sorry for any inconvenience’
Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune
If you were counting on AT&T U-Verse TV or the DirecTV Now streaming service to watch NFL Network’s announcement of the league’s 2019 schedule Wednesday night, you need to make alternative plans. “Our rights to provide the NFL Network in your TV lineup have expired,” AT&T said in a note to U-verse TV and DirecTV Now customers on its website.
Judge temporarily blocks release of Robert Kraft video in prostitution case
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
A judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the release of video that allegedly shows New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft receiving sexual services at a Florida day spa, Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office spokesman Mike Edmondson told CNN. An April 29 hearing is scheduled before Circuit Judge Joseph Marx, who issued the temporary protective order, according to Edmondson.
Trump says Dan Snyder has ‘done a very good job’ and Alex Smith is ‘underrated’
Des Bieler, The Washington Post
President Trump made an appearance on D.C. talk radio Wednesday, and he engaged in a brief discussion of his “Opportunity Zones” initiative and what former president Barack Obama may have known about the Department of Justice’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s possible contacts with Russians — or “Spygate,” as host Larry O’Connor of WMAL called it. That wasn’t a reference to the New England Patriots, but the conversation did quickly turn to the NFL, specifically the Washington Redskins.
NBA
They Were Undervalued Players. Now They’re Stars in the NBA Playoffs.
Ben Cohen, The Wall Street Journal
One of the many curious things about the billion-dollar labor market better known as the NBA is how many of the world’s greatest basketball players were told at one point or another that they weren’t good enough. They weren’t recruited by top colleges out of high school.
Pelicans’ Griffin: Gentry staying, and perhaps Davis, too
Brett Martel, The Associated Press
The Pelicans newly hired top basketball executive said he’s keeping coach Alvin Gentry and wouldn’t rule out the possibility of talking six-time All-Star Anthony Davis into rescinding his trade request and committing to New Orleans long-term.
The Celtics Really Need Jayson Tatum to Soar Again
Sopan Deb, The New York Times
Jayson Tatum boomed on LeBron James in last year’s N.B.A. playoffs. You may remember it. Tatum, the 21-year-old swingman for the Boston Celtics, certainly does.
Four Forgettable Years Later, Playoff Basketball Returns to New York
Victor Mather, The New York Times
As the crowd filed out of the Barclays Center in May 2015, there was reason for hope. Though the Nets had just been eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, they had overachieved and shown some promise for the future.
Nancy Lieberman is ready for women to break through NBA’s head-coaching barrier
Sean Deveney, Sporting News
There are three NBA coaching jobs open and a handful more – Minnesota, Phoenix, Washington, New Orleans among them – that remain uncertain. Most potential candidates are those whose names we’ve heard in the past, retreads like Ty Lue, Mark Jackson, Avery Johnson and Tom Thibodeau as well as assistants like Nate Tibbetts, Juwan Howard, Chad Forcier and David Vanterpool.
MLB
The All-Star Pitcher Who Bought a Food Truck
Jared Diamond, The Wall Street Journal
Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress grew up in South Boston, Va., a small town just north of the North Carolina border with a population of about 8,000. As a child, he played basketball at a local park near his home, but he frequently struggled to concentrate.
David Price: ‘No one should have an off day’ on Jackie Robinson Day
Jesse Yomtov, USA Today
Red Sox pitcher David Price took to Twitter on Wednesday to express his displeasure that Major League Baseball didn’t have a full of slate of games for Jackie Robinson Day on Monday. Only 20 of the league’s 30 teams were in action on April 15, the annual celebration of Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947.
NHL
Hockey’s Best Team Loses in a Flash
Laine Higgins, The Wall Street Journal
In the notoriously unpredictable chase for the Stanley Cup, this year’s NHL playoffs have already brought a historical level of chaos to the ice. For the first time ever, hockey’s best regular-season team got swept in the opening round.
Soccer
Tottenham knocks out Man City in one of the wildest Champions League matches ever
Nate Scott, For The Win
What a game. WHAT A GAME. Trying to summarize what just occurred in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City seems ridiculous.
Powerful Sheikh Linked to Bribe Scheme Is Still a Soccer Power
Tariq Panja, The New York Times
After more than a decade of involvement in women’s soccer, Mariyam Mohamed felt she had a shot of making a convincing case to voters picking Asia’s female representative on FIFA’s governing council. She did not realize a powerful Arab sheikh would play a significant role in deciding exactly who gets a seat at soccer’s top table.
An Italian soccer team has banned taking photos with Drake because he might be a jinx
Cindy Boren, The Washington Post
Whenever Drake shows up to root for an athlete or a team, it’s a mixed bag. Sure, the rapper brings star power, but he also may be a jinx because he happens to have been present when disaster has befallen those he cheers on. Just ask the Toronto Raptors.
Racing
Fastest lap point proving tempting to teams – Brawn
Chris Medland, Racer
Formula 1’s decision to introduce a point for the fastest lap in a race is working as hoped, according to F1’s managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn. It was announced shortly before the Australian Grand Prix that the driver setting the fastest lap of the race would receive an extra point, provided they finished the race in the top 10.
Golf and Tennis
Serena Williams Announces Her VC Firm Via Instagram
Ilyse Liffreing, Ad Age
Serena Williams, tennis pro, mom, influencer and entrepreneur, is out to conquer another world: investing. On Wednesday morning, the tennis champ took to Instagram to announce her own venture capital firm—Serena Ventures.
College Sports
March Gladness For PA Sports Betting As Revenue Climbs, But Lack Of Mobile Still Hurting
Adam Candee, Legal Sports Report
PA sports betting performed well last month as March Madness betting buoyed bookmakers throughout the nation. Keystone State bettors put up more than $44.5 million in March and PA sportsbooks held better than $5.5 million.
Despite success at Texas A&M, returning to LSU makes too much sense for Scott Woodward
Ben Baby, Dallas Morning News
Scott Woodward lingered near a black curtain at the back of a packed room inside Reed Arena.If Woodward looked exhausted two weeks ago, he had a good reason.
At Colorado, a Breach in Football’s Wall
Michael Powell, The New York Times
The University of Colorado hired a new football coach in December and, as coaches are wont to do, he talked tough. “Our team, we will be physical,” Coach Mel Tucker said at his introductory news conference.
Esports
Time Magazine Names ‘Ninja’ One of World’s 100 Most Influential People
Brittany Vincent, Variety
Time Magazine named professional gamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins as one of its top 100 most influential people in the world. Ninja’s profile was penned by Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and details an account that found Smith-Schuster playing “Fortnite,” the game Ninja is most popular for streaming, along with the influencer.
As millions of dollars pour in, esports teams offer varying visions of the future
Noah Smith, The Washington Post
Tens of millions of dollars continue to flow towards top esports organizations, with Gen.G announcing a $46 million investment round Wednesday, a raise featuring money from a mix of Silicon Valley venture capital firms, figures in traditional sports and actor Will Smith. Flush with cash, and in some cases strengthened by the enforced scarcity of a franchise model in publisher-driven leagues built around games such as Overwatch and League of Legends, esports organizations are starting to embark on long-term visions to shore up their positions for the future.
Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research
The Sixers Will Go As Far As Joel Embiid Can Take Them. How Much Weight Can He Bear?
John Gonzalez, The Ringer
Philadelphia accelerated its development this season by adding Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, and the Process-trusting team of the future became a win-now proposition. Then its star center’s knee started aching, and things got really complicated.
The WNBA Won’t Be The Same This Year Without Breanna Stewart
Chris Herring, FiveThirtyEight
The worst fears of the WNBA and its fans were officially confirmed Wednesday: Reigning league and finals MVP Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm tore her right Achilles tendon — an injury that will sideline her for the season and at least temporarily shift the WNBA’s balance of power.
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