General
ESPN To Air All XFL Games Live Via Digital Platform Across Europe, Middle East & Africa
Peter White, Deadline Hollywood
ESPN is set to air every XFL game via its digital platform across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Disney-owned broadcaster will air more than 40 games from the nascent league, which has been resurrected by WWE chief Vince McMahon as a bid to satisfy year-round viewer appetite for football, outside of the States.
Jim Bell Is Leaving NBC After Nearly 30 Years at the Network
A.J. Katz, Adweek
A celebrated live television producer has entered the open market. Jim Bell is leaving NBC after nearly three decades at the network, parting ways after a year-long run as the executive in charge of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Ex-Pro Bowl player Kellen Winslow Jr. takes plea deal before rape retrial
Frank Miles, Fox News
Former first-round NFL draft pick Kellen Winslow Jr. pleaded guilty Monday to raping an unconscious teen in 2003 and to sexual battery involving a 54-year-old hitchhiker, according to reports. The deal spared Winslow, who played for Cleveland, Tampa Bay, New England and the New York Jets and appeared in the 2008 Pro Bowl, from a possible life sentence.
Ad buyers evaluate what remains of Deadspin
Kayleigh Barber, Digiday
In the span of two days, sports and culture site Deadspin lost its entire editorial staff and a $1 million ad campaign with Farmers Insurance. Now, parent company G/O Media is left to pick up the pieces.
WADA was not equipped to handle size of Russian doping scandal: Reedie
Karolos Grohmann, Reuters
Outgoing World Anti-Doping Agency president Craig Reedie said on Tuesday the scale and size of the Russian doping scandal that erupted in 2015 had overwhelmed his organization at the time.
NFL
NFL Lifts Ban On Energy Drink Advertising During Games
Ben Fischer, Sports Business Daily
The NFL is dropping its ban on energy drink advertising, another domino to fall as the league opens up more and more categories that were once considered problematic.
Noted Philadelphia Eagles Fan Diplo to Curate Music for Monday Night Football Spots on ESPN
Katie Bain, Billboard
Proving once again that there’s no genre he’s incapable of mastering, no collaboration he’s incapable of forging and no Instagram he’s incapable of posting, it was announced Monday (Nov. 4) that Diplo will curate the music in spots for Monday Night Football on ESPN for the rest of the 2019 season. His selections, according to a statement, are intended to “reflect the intensity and the storylines of select Monday Night Football matchups.”
Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos partners Carolina Panthers
Matthew Glendenning, SportBusiness
Casino and resort brand Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos has become an Official Sponsor of the NFL’’s Carolina Panthers in a five-year deal. According to the Cherokee One Feather newspaper and multi-media news organisation, the sponsorship includes mentions during broadcast coverage, branding rights at the Bank of America stadium and experiential offers for the casino’s VIP customers.
Trent Williams asks NFL players union to not participate in review of his health records
Mark Maske et al., The Washington Post
The NFL Players Association, at the request of Trent Williams, decided not to move forward for now on a joint review with the league of the medical treatment given by the Washington Redskins to their seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle. It is the latest procedural maneuver in the increasingly bitter confrontation between the Redskins and their most accomplished player, who has alleged that team doctors failed for years to take seriously a cancerous growth on his head, leading to his recent five-month holdout.
Browns release Whitehead after disturbing social media rant
Tom Withers, The Associated Press
Jermaine Whitehead’s disturbing social media rant cost him his job. The Browns cut the safety Monday, hours after the team reprimanded Whitehead for “totally unacceptable and highly inappropriate behavior” following a 24-19 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
NBA
Michele Roberts: After China situation, NBPA must help raise players’ awareness of international issues
Ben Golliver, The Washington Post
Before LeBron James and China, there was Kevin Durant and India. Two years ago, Durant, fresh off winning the first title and NBA Finals MVP award of his career, went on a summer tour of India.
Knicks Search for the Right Lineup. But Is There One?
Harvey Araton, The New York Times
Of the five point guards selected among the first nine picks of the 2017 N.B.A. draft, two are on the current Knicks team coached by David Fizdale. Unfortunately for him, neither is named De’Aaron Fox.
MLB
Put an Angels halo on Gerrit Cole? Why timing might be as crucial as money
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times
Disneyland is just down the street from Angel Stadium. The office of Scott Boras is a short freeway ride away.
Trump Embraces Washington’s Champions, Figuratively and Literally
Peter Baker, The New York Times
For once, the “four more years” chants at the White House had nothing to do with the president of the United States. The crowd on the South Lawn on Monday was actually cheering for Stephen Strasburg, the World Series MVP pitcher for the Washington Nationals, who just opted out of the remaining four years on his contract after bringing home the title.
Carlos Beltran leaves Wilpon rift behind upon becoming Mets manager
Greg Joyce, New York Post
Carlos Beltran is leaning on his past to help him as a first-time manager, except for looking back on old disagreements with the Mets. The organization welcomed their former outfielder home Monday morning, introducing him as the 22nd manager in franchise history.
MadBum gets qualifying offer, Martinez stays with Red Sox
Ronald Blum, The Associated Press
Madison Bumgarner was among 10 free agents who received $17.8 million qualifying offers from their former teams on Monday, a move that likely will decrease demand for the 30-year-old left-hander. Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP, went 9-9 with a 3.90 ERA over 34 starts this year after two injury-shortened seasons.
Trout, Bregman, Semien AL MVP award finalists
The Associated Press
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman and Oakland shortstop Marcus Semien are finalists for the AL MVP award. Trout is seeking his third MVP after winning in 2014 and ’16. He finished second in 2012, ’13, ‘15 and ’18.
NHL
Coming out: What will it take for the first gay player to come forward?
Katie Strang, The Athletic
It was the spring of 2006 and Brock McGillis was sitting in his apartment in The Hague, Netherlands, depressed and reflecting on how a promising career had come to this. He was overseas, isolated, battling injuries on a near-constant basis, and supremely unhappy.
Soccer
Liverpool reject Qatar hotel over ethical concerns, big clubs pushed hardest for VAR, Beardsley barred, Sol bans ketchup
David Ornstein, The Athletic
Liverpool’s near-faultless start to the season continued on Saturday with a late comeback victory at Aston Villa. But a shot at silverware in what could turn into a glittering campaign is hurtling into sight as Jurgen Klopp’s men prepare for December’s Club World Cup in Qatar.
Racing
Sen. Dianne Feinstein renews call for racing to be suspended at Santa Anita Park after latest horse death
Josh Peter, USA Today
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), citing the death of a horse that was euthanized Saturday after racing in the Breeders’ Cup, renewed her call for horse racing to be suspended at Santa Anita Park. “With continued racetrack deaths, it’s clear that not enough has changed, so I renew that call,’’ Feinstein said in a statement Monday.
Golf and Tennis
A New Generation of Rulers in Women’s Tennis
Christopher Clarey, The New York Times
It was once again Serena Williams’s decade, but the last year of the 2010s was not her year, though she made her presence and power felt by reaching two Grand Slam finals. In 2019, the biggest moments and most prestigious trophies belonged to players much younger than Williams, who turned 38 in September.
College Sports
Schools, coaches more willing to fight NCAA allegations
Dave Skretta, The Associated Press
The ink on the NCAA’s notice of allegations was but a few hours old when officials at Kansas huddled with Jayhawks coach Bill Self and crafted a strongly worded response that not only disputed the claims but went on the offensive. The tradition-rich program, which found itself in the crosshairs amid the FBI’s investigation of corruption in college basketball, instead suggested it was the victim in a play-for-pay scheme crafted by Adidas executives.
The ACC Is A Weak Conference That Keeps Winning Championships
Santul Nerkar, FiveThirtyEight
In the midst of a blowout win over Boston College two weekends ago, Clemson defensive end Logan Rudolph saw a chance to put his mark on the game. After teammate Chad Smith ended an Eagles drive with a strip-sack of quarterback Dennis Grosel, Rudolph pounced on the loose ball, shrugged off a Boston College lineman and thundered to the purple-and-orange-clad end zone.
Arkansas has a new starting QB: Jerry Jones’s grandson
Jake Russell, The Washington Post
At 2-7, Arkansas has decided it’s time for a change under center. Again.
Esports
Twitch Hires Ex-Nascar Exec Lou Garate as Head of Sponsorships Sales
Todd Spangler, Variety
Twitch is looking to broaden its esports and live entertainment biz with the hire of longtime Nascar executive Lou Garate. Garate is joining the Amazon-owned streaming company as Twitch’s first global head of sponsorships sales. He will be based in Twitch’s New York office and focus on developing partnerships with live entertainment organizations, with an emphasis in the esports industry.
New York’s ERA invests in esports org Gen.G
Jordan Crook, TechCrunch
Esports are the Wild West right now. There’s clearly a huge potential for the industry to become incredibly lucrative, but everything from the infrastructure of competition to the overall culture isn’t quite ready for prime time.
Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research
Four new rules that could help improve baseball (we think)
Levi Weaver, The Athletic
Well folks, that’s it! The final label has been placed lovingly atop the 2019 baseball season, and it now goes into the filing cabinet while we begin to carefully hand-write “2020” on a fresh clean folder, soon to be filled with another novel of drama and intrigue.
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