Top Stories

  • Nike Inc. said it is “working to identify” what caused Duke freshman and projected top NBA Draft pick Zion Williamson’s foot to bust out of the company’s sneaker during the first play of the team’s 88-72 loss to the University of North Carolina, causing him to miss the rest of the game with “a mild knee sprain.” Nike stock was marked 1.61 percent lower in pre-market trading. (Fox News)
  • Action Network Inc., a digital startup and subscription-based service that offers data and analysis for sports bettors, said it closed $17.5 million in Series B funding, including backing from former owners of the UFC, Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who led the round with their private equity firm Fertitta Capital. Others participating in the round, which included re-investment from The Chernin Group — who formed The Action Network in 2017 — are the Chicago Cubs owners; 6721 Capital, a new fund former by senior sports agency executive Casey Wasserman; and former Twitter COO Anthony Noto, among others. (Bloomberg)
  • After launching Bleacher Report in 2005, Dave Finocchio is stepping down as its chief executive officer and will be leaving Turner Sports in June, effectively handing over the reins to B/R’s current Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Revenue Officer Howard Mittman. In 2012, Turner bought B/R, which was started by Finocchio and three of his high-school friends, for $175 million and since the acquisition, has expanded into video, bought “House of Highlights” and launched an over-the-top product, Bleacher Report Live. (SportsBusiness Daily)

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Events Calendar (All Times Local)

02/21/2019
Commercial Sport and Entertainment Facilities Safety and Security Summit 7:30 am
02/22/2019
2019 Sports Industry Networking and Career Conference
Front Office Sports Digital Media Huddle 8:00 am
Founders Friday NYC 8:30 am
02/23/2019
2019 Sports Industry Networking and Career Conference
02/26/2019
SVG College: Louisville
02/27/2019
SportTechie State of the Industry 1:00 pm
Building a Gaming Startup 6:30 pm
02/28/2019
SportTechie State of the Industry 9:00 am
View full calendar

The State of the Democratic Primary

On a daily basis, Morning Consult is surveying over 5,000 registered voters across the United States on the 2020 presidential election. Each week, we’ll update this page with the latest survey data, offering an in-depth guide to how the race for the Democratic nomination is shaping up.

General

Topgolf Seeks Piece of Sports Wagering in Deal With PointsBet
Eben Novy-Williams, Bloomberg

Topgolf, whose upscale driving ranges have expanded to include entertainment of all sorts, is getting in on sports betting — sort of. At the company’s two locations in New Jersey, Topgolf will expand its sports bars in partnership with the state-regulated betting outfit PointsBet, adding more TVs and screens with odds.

Pritzker’s $39B budget relies on taxing marijuana, betting
John O’Connor, The Associated Press

New Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed a budget Wednesday that relies partly on tax revenues from two industries that currently aren’t even legal in the state, which is saddled with billions of dollars in pension obligations and other debts. Pritzker’s $39 billion proposal includes more than $1 billion from legalizing recreational marijuana and sports betting, while also imposing a tax on insurance companies, hiking cigarette and e-cigarette taxes and raising $20 million from a tax on plastic bags.

USOC realigns in attempt to help athletes off the field
Eddy Pells, The Associated Press

The U.S. Olympic Committee has tabbed Paralympic executive Rick Adams to serve as its new chief of sport performance, and will also create a new department charged with making it easier for athletes to deal with off-the-field needs, including health care and reporting inappropriate conduct. CEO Sarah Hirshland announced those changes to the USOC staff Wednesday as part of a reorganization designed to make the approximately 400-person operation more responsive to athletes.

With $23m in fresh funding, Overtime wants to move beyond viral dunk clips to build a ‘next-generation sports network’
Sahil Patel, Digiday

Two-year-old sports video publisher Overtime has made a name for itself by paying people to record viral high school sports highlights from across the country, which it then shares through its own social channels. Now, armed with fresh capital, the company says it plans to invest more in its own production capabilities.

NBC Sports Expands Digital Content Deal With Yahoo
Jon Lafayette, Broadcasting & Cable

NBC Sports Group said it renewed and expanded its alliance with Yahoo Sports, which brings content and programming to mobile and desktop devices. The new agreement includes material from the Golf Channel, the NBC Regional Sports Networks and Rotoworld and there will be more editorial collaboration between NBC and Yahoo in targeting audiences for sports including the NFL, NHL, Premier League, auto racing, horse racing and golf.

NFL

Le’Veon Bell will become a free agent after Steelers decline to tag him
Matt Bonesteel, The Washington Post

Entering the NFL’s franchise-tag period, which began Tuesday, there was talk that the Pittsburgh Steelers might use the transition tag on Le’Veon Bell, which would have given the running back — who sat out the 2018 season after the Steelers used their franchise tag on him for the second straight season — the chance to negotiate with other teams and Pittsburgh the right to match any offer he might receive. But Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert ended that speculation Wednesday, saying the team would not go that route.

Steelers GM: Brown trade requires ‘significant compensation’
Reuters

The Pittsburgh Steelers will attempt to trade disgruntled receiver Antonio Brown this offseason, but general manager Kevin Colbert told reporters Wednesday that they aren’t going to give away the All-Pro. “We’re not going to move a significant player for less than significant compensation,” Colbert said.

Rumor emerges of Russell Wilson eventually joining the Giants
Mike Florio, Profootballtalk.com

Yes, it’s the offseason. And the offseason is a time for speculation, hypothesizing, and rumor-mongering. Colin Cowherd cranked up a doozy on Wednesday, passing along word from the “entertainment agent world” grapevine that Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson could end up playing for the New York Giants.

New England Patriots most popular NFL team in China
Sam Carp, SportsPro Media

The Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots have been ranked as the most popular National Football League (NFL) franchise online in China. A record-breaking 12 months for the franchise in the Asian country saw them grow their following on social media site Weibo by 400,000 to become the first NFL team to surpass the 500,000 mark on the platform.

NBA

Jeff Van Gundy on All-Star Game: Eliminate it
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press

Jeff Van Gundy has an idea on how to fix the NBA All-Star Game. His plan: Eliminate it.

Kyrie Irving says call to LeBron James was needed ‘to move forward’
Tom Bontemps, ESPN

Kyrie Irving said his phone call to LeBron James earlier this year to apologize was necessary in part because he “didn’t address the situation” while the two of them were teammates in Cleveland. “Well, I think that, you know, it takes a very, very strong individual to replay a lot of the experiences that you’ve had,” Irving told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols.

Beyond Meat Campaign Stars Investor And NBA Star Kyrie Irving
Jessica Wohl, Ad Age

Beyond Meat Inc. is putting one of its newer investors, National Basketball Association star Kyrie Irving, in the center of its new paid media push as the vegan food maker gears up to go public. The Boston Celtics star is featured in the “Go Beyond” digital campaign breaking Wednesday, which is the 10-year-old company’s first substantial paid media push.

MLB

MLB notebook: Giants, Phillies reportedly in lead for Harper
Reuters

Free agent outfielder Bryce Harper, still hunting for a long-term deal, has reportedly turned down multiple offers worth at least $300 million in recent weeks, according to a report Wednesday by Jon Heyman of MLB Network. All eyes are on Harper after the San Diego Padres reportedly agreed this week to give shortstop Manny Machado a 10-year, $300 million deal, the second-biggest in major league history in terms of total value.

After veteran salaries drop, baseball players want change
Ronald Blum, The Associated Press

Neil Walker’s salary dropped from $17.2 million to $2 million in two years. Greg Holland was cut from $14 million to $2 million this season. Daniel Murphy fell from $17.5 million to $10 million.

With or Without Bryce Harper, the Phillies Like Their Winter Haul
Tyler Kepner, The New York Times

Bryce Harper will soon be the most scrutinized athlete in Philadelphia, or the most hated. Neither role sounds fun.

NHL

The NHL says hockey is for everyone. It’s Kim Davis’ job to help make that a reality
Hemal Jhaveri , For The Win

For the past several years, the NHL has made an effort to attract a new, diverse fan base with one lofty promise: Hockey is for everyone. The slogan started as a unity building initiative each February but is now supposed to be a year-round guiding principle for the league.

Soccer

MLS Expansion Team Nashville SC Unveils Logo, Crest, Branding
Avi Creditor, Sports Illustrated

Nashville SC already had an MLS start date, a temporary stadium, plans for a permanent stadium and a pair of executives and player signings in place. Now it has the logo to go along with it all. The 2020 MLS expansion team unveiled its branding on Wednesday, revealing a rather simple, eight-sided, gold crest that features navy blue musical waves forming the shape of an “N” above the words “Nashville SC.”

NWSL and A+E Networks ending broadcast agreement prematurely
Graham Hays, ESPN

The National Women’s Soccer League and A+E Networks are ending their partnership with one year remaining in a three-year agreement. The breakup at least temporarily leaves a league entering its seventh season without a traditional broadcast outlet for games during a year when the Women’s World Cup is expected to bring additional attention to women’s soccer.

Racing

Tour de France 2021 to start in Copenhagen in first for Scandinavia
Lawrence Ostlere, The Independent

The 2021 Tour de France will begin in Copenhagen, the first time cycling’s most prestigious race has visited Scandinavia. The race has tended to start outside France every other year since the turn of the century, and will begin in Brussels this summer before returning to France in 2020, with the Grand Depart in Nice.

Golf and Tennis

US Ryder Cup chiefs name Steve Stricker as captain for 2020
Nick Friend, CNN

It was sent home humbled and in disarray after a heavy defeat by Europe in Paris, but the US Ryder Cup set-up has moved to avenge the loss by appointing Steve Stricker as captain. The 51-year-old, a non-playing vice-captain to Jim Furyk in the 17.5-10.5 defeat at Le Golf National in September, will lead a new-look US side against Europe and its new skipper Padraig Harrington at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin in 2020.

A new country, big excitement in Mexico over Tiger Woods
Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press

Two small openings on both sides of a tree-covered path were packed with fans young and old, some with caps they wanted signed, others holding phones to capture the moment. They were screaming one word that translates in any language at the Mexico Championship.

College Sports

Nike takes a beating after Zion Williamson’s shoe explodes
Des Bieler, The Washington Post

Nike has been outfitting Duke’s basketball team since 1993, but it’s possible that the sports-apparel giant was never so happy with the arrangement as this year, given that among the current group of Blue Devils is one Zion Williamson. For his part, Williamson was never under more of a spotlight than Wednesday night, when the front-runner to be taken No. 1 overall in June’s NBA draft squared off for the first time this season with Duke’s arch-nemesis, North Carolina.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim hits, kills man walking on I-690: source
Douglass Dowty, Syracuse.com

Syracuse men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim struck and killed a man walking outside his vehicle on Interstate 690 around midnight, a source has confirmed for Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. The man in his 30s had been in a car with four others near Thompson Road in Syracuse when their vehicle crashed for unknown reasons, said a source familiar with the investigation.

Esports

‘Fortnite’ Law Firm Reports Someone Tried to End Dance Lawsuits With Fake Emails
Stefanie Fogel, Variety

The law firm representing a number of celebrities who are suing “Fortnite” creator Epic Games reports that someone tried to sabotage the cases by sending fake emails to the U.S. Copyright Office. Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht said the following typo-riddled message was sent to the office over the holiday weekend from someone pretending to be attorney David L. Hecht.

MLG Founder Mike Sepso Joins 100 Thieves’ Board of Directors
Ferguson Mitchell, The Esports Observer

Esports organization 100 Thieves has added esports veteran Mike Sepso to its board of directors. This step comes following several sponsorships for the organization, and the completion late last year of a Series A funding round.

Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research

Despite injury, Zion Williamson has benefited tremendously from playing at Duke
Dan Wolken, USA Today

The easiest thing to say about the knee injury suffered by Zion Williamson on Wednesday, however serious it turns out to be, is that it’s just the latest example of how the NCAA exploits highly-prized prospects, who assume all the risk to their future playing college basketball while being restricted from earning their fair share off games like Duke-North Carolina where tickets sold for thousands of dollars and drew celebrities like Spike Lee and former president Barack Obama. But before you hold up Williamson as the cause célèbre for the ills of amateurism, consider the following two factors:

In Bryce Harper chase, Phillies must bridge ‘stupid’ money to ‘willing to walk away’
Dave Sheinin, The Washington Post

The key to the baseball universe resides somewhere within the vast, unknowable territory between being “a little stupid” about spending money and being “willing to walk away.” Bryce Harper’s future lies somewhere between those seemingly opposite poles. Perhaps the future of baseball free agency does, too.

Morning Consult