Top Stories

  • Puma SE and the NBA announced a multi-year marketing deal ahead of NBA All-Star Weekend that’ll allow the global sports brand to feature athletes in their respective NBA uniforms and team logos. The company, which will be joined in Charlotte by other corporate partners Ruffles, Mountain Dew and Biofreeze, recently returned to the basketball apparel market with the launch of its first signature shoe, the Clyde Court Disrupt. (MediaPost)
  • Figures provided by media research firm SNL Kagan show the subscriber base for the Pac-12 Networks have fallen seven percent since the 2016 peak, to 17.9 million subscribers, roughly one-third to one-fourth the number of subscribers held by the Big Ten and SEC networks, which are believed to generate three to four times the revenue for their member schools. In 2018, the payout for each Pac-12 school was $2.6 million and over the six completed fiscal years of the network’s existence, the total payout was $9.7 million. (The Mercury News)
  • Los Angeles Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco said he believes the Alliance of American Football, an upstart pro football league that began play for its inaugural season last weekend, could become a developmental league for the NFL. Telesco, who will will send representatives from the Chargers’ pro personnel department to scout AAF games, already pulled two players from AAF rosters at the end of the 2018 season during the Chargers’ playoff run. (ESPN)

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Events Calendar (All Times Local)

02/19/2019
Commercial Sport and Entertainment Facilities Safety and Security Summit 8:00 am
02/20/2019
Commercial Sport and Entertainment Facilities Safety and Security Summit 7:30 am
02/21/2019
Commercial Sport and Entertainment Facilities Safety and Security Summit 7:30 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

A Sports Store Is Going Out Of Business After Its Owner Boycotted Nike Over Its Kaepernick Campaign
Brianna Sacks, BuzzFeed News

A sports store in Colorado is going out of business after its owner decided to boycott Nike products to protest the company’s advertising partnership with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Just five months after Stephen Martin touted that he was taking a stand against Nike, hanging “All Nike 1/2 Price” posters from the windows of his Prime Time Sports store in a mall in Colorado Springs, the owner announced that he could no longer afford to stay open.

President Trump installed a room-sized golf simulator at White House
David A. Fahrenthold and Josh Dawsey, The Washington Post

President Trump has installed a room-sized “golf simulator” game at the White House, which allows him to play virtual rounds at courses all over the world by hitting a ball into a large video screen, according to two people told about the system. That system replaced an older, less sophisticated simulator that had been installed under President Barack Obama, according to two people with knowledge of the previous system.

Radio host Marty Tirrell is criminally charged with scamming people out of more than $1 million
Tyler J. Davis, Des Moines Register

A former Des Moines sports radio host accused of defrauding people out of more than $1 million has been indicted on federal charges. Martin “Marty” Tirrell faces six criminal fraud charges tied to the alleged swindling of at least eight people out of $1.5 million in 2016 and 2017, court documents show.

NJ Sports Betting Sets New Record, Nears $400 Million In Wagers In January
Dustin Gouker, Legal Sports Report

New Jersey sports betting continued to grow despite less football to bet on in January. The state’s sportsbook operators took more than $385 million in wagers last month, the biggest month in the short history of NJ sports betting. That figure reflects both online and retail sportsbook wagering, with the former accounting for almost 80 percent of total activity.

NFL

T-Mobile’s Super Bowl push drives surge in app downloads
Robert Williams, Mobile Marketer

T-Mobile said its Super Bowl ads for T-Mobile Tuesdays discounts and giveaways led to a surge in app downloads, per an announcement. Customers claimed more Tuesday deals than any day in history, outpacing the previous record by nearly 1 million deals claimed.

Ravens to trade Joe Flacco to Broncos
Adam Schefter, ESPN

The Baltimore Ravens have an agreement in principle to trade former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco to the Denver Broncos, league sources told ESPN on Wednesday. The trade cannot officially be processed until the new league year begins March 13.

Jay Glazer Thinks Odell Beckham Jr. Will Get Traded
Bobby Burack, The Big Lead

During his Q&A for The Atheltic, NFL insider Jay Glazer made a prediction that, if turns out to be true, would be one of the biggest NFL trades in recent memory. After answering a question about the trade market this summer, Glazer revealed he thinks Odell Beckham Jr. will be one of the players moved.

NFL rescinds Jaylon Ferguson’s Combine invitation
Michael David Smith, Profootballtalk.com

Jaylon Ferguson is the NCAA’s all-time leader in sacks, but he won’t be at the Scouting Combine. Ferguson was initially invited but that invitation has now been rescinded, NFL Media reports.

NBA

How Michael Jordan became a brand
Ronald D. White, Los Angeles Times

Michael Jordan remains the OG signature shoe king 16 years after his last NBA game and 21 years after his last championship. His Air Jordan brand, introduced by the Chicago Bulls superstar in 1984 and launched by Nike in 1985, created the basketball sneaker branding market.

Sneaker grails: Find out which sneakers cost more than cars
Ronald D. White, Los Angeles Times

Sneakerheads call them “Holy Grails”: the most coveted and seldom-seen treasures, akin to that Last Supper tableware that medieval knights never tracked down. A grail list is highly subjective, but one way to measure rarity is by price.

Luke Walton’s Lakers coaching job said to be safe in wake of loss to Hawks
Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times

There have been no internal discussions about Lakers coach Luke Walton’s job status in the wake of the team’s loss to the lowly Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly on the sensitive matter. Walton “will definitely finish the season” and has the full support of the Lakers’ front office, one person said.

First @NBAonTNT Twitter Iso-Cam Will Star LeBron, Giannis, Curry, or Harden
Joe Lemire, SportTechie

Turner Sports and Twitter will debut their fan-voted iso-cam during the second half of Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game on TNT. Fans will be able to vote on Twitter during the first half, and the @NBAonTNT Twitter account will then host the live stream.

Isaiah Thomas reaps reward of long, slow march to recovery with memorable Nuggets debut
Nick Kosmider, The Athletic

The​ pass​ was​ just​ about​ to​ reach its​ intended target​ before it was intercepted by a teammate. After 11​ months​​ of grueling rehab, a stretch so long he forgot how he used to warm up before games, Isaiah Thomas had to exercise one more second of patience before his big moment arrived.

MLB

‘The clock is ticking’: Nationals players are also waiting out the Bryce Harper situation
Jesse Dougherty, The Washington Post

On the eve of the Washington Nationals’ first official spring workout, with players passing through the facility and a gray cloud hanging above them, the questions coursing through baseball made their way into the team’s clubhouse. The Nationals’ pitchers and catchers reported Wednesday, doing no more than tossing lightly under a spitting rain and getting physicals before they take the field together Thursday.

Ohtani has no regrets hitting through year, delaying surgery
Janie McCauley, The Associated Press

Shohei Ohtani tossed his water bottle toward a clubhouse garbage can and missed, instead landing it in a laundry bin. He laughed out loud, smiled big as he so often does, then retrieved the trash and put it in the proper place.

NHL

In the N.H.L., Finland Is Now Here, There and Everywhere
Andrew Knoll, The New York Times

When the Winnipeg Jets play host to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night, the meeting will be more than a showcase of the Central Division leader against the league’s top-scoring line. It will be a glimpse of a decade-long transformation of Finnish hockey.

Soccer

United says Mourinho firing cost $25M, revived by Solskjaer
Rob Harris, The Associated Press

The firing of Jose Mourinho cost Manchester United 19.6 million pounds ($25 million) in payoffs. The club already sees it as money well spent.

Racing

Jim France leading change at NASCAR from the shadows
Jenna Fyer, The Associated Press

Jim France is running NASCAR the same way he lives his life — quietly, in the background, away from the spotlight he never craved. The youngest son of NASCAR’s founder carved his own path in the family business and left the leadership roles to his father, Bill France Sr., and then to his older brother.

Golf and Tennis

Tiger Woods says Phil Mickelson has ‘always pushed’ him to play better
Des Bieler, The Washington Post

It would appear that the lovefest we saw between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson leading up to their head-to-head showdown in November is continuing into 2019. Ahead of the Genesis Open in Los Angeles, in which both are set to compete, the pair of golf titans and longtime rivals offered more compliments to each other.

College Sports

Pilot Flying J Pulls ESPN Deal After Story On Browns’ Culture
Michael Smith, SportsBusiness Daily

Pilot Flying J is pulling its extensive advertising and sponsorship agreement with ESPN two years into a four-year deal, sources say, after ESPN.com ran a critical story on the inner workings of the Browns. Jimmy Haslam, who owns the Browns with his wife, Dee, also is Pilot Flying J’s CEO.

Zion Williamson and Ja Morant Lead College Basketball’s Dunking Renaissance
Marc Tracy, The New York Times

Fans tuning in to Saturday’s marquee matchup between Duke and Virginia waited less than two minutes before getting what they came for. On an early Virginia possession, Duke’s Zion Williamson, the impossible freshman who moves with a guard’s agility while weighing 280 pounds, recovered a loose ball and hammered down a two-handed dunk with Old Testament fury.

Esports

Magic Gaming Names Orlando Health as Official Medical Team and Jersey Sponsor
Andrew Hayward, The Esports Observer

Magic Gaming, the esports affiliate of NBA franchise the Orlando Magic, has signed Orlando Health as its official medical team and jersey sponsor for the upcoming second NBA 2K League season. Orlando Health will exclusively provide both physical and mental health care to Magic Gaming players throughout the regular season and playoffs.

Apex Legends’ First Day of Esports Exceeds Fortnite’s Highest Single-Day Twitch Viewership
Andrew Hayward, The Esports Observer

EA’s Apex Legends has taken Twitch by storm boasting viewership figures the likes of which only the most established esports have for their premier events, and just around a week after its strong debut on the platform, a Twitch Rivals tournament for the new battle royale game showed the kind of potential it truly has. On Tuesday, Apex Legends recorded 8.28M hours watched with a significant amount of that viewership coming from the influencer-driven Twitch Rivals Apex Legends tournament that touted a $200K prize pool.

Which Sport’s All-Star Game Is The Most Ridiculous?
Neil Paine, FiveThirtyEight

All-star games occupy a weird place in today’s sports universe. Once upon a time, they served the semi-important function of showcasing great players for fans who seldom — if ever — got to see them play.

Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research

Media Circus: What current NBA players could become media stars once they retire?
Richard Deitsch, The Athletic

From LeBron James and Kevin Durant starring in media projects produced by their own production companies to the burgeoning number of podcasts featuring current players, NBA athletes are no longer waiting until the conclusion of their careers to transition into a role in media. (Damian Lillard breaking stories about NBA news-breakers changing jobs belongs in his own awesome category.)

Is esports the next battle arena for Apex Legends and Fortnite?
Nicole Carpenter, The Washington Post

Video games don’t typically launch with a high-profile tournament already scheduled, but in its short history Apex Legends has already proven it is not a typical game. Respawn Entertainment’s surprise-release battle royale behemoth surpassed 25 million players in its first week, outpacing even Fortnite in initial player-base acquisition.

Sheryl Swoopes, a WNBA superstar, on her big Nike moment: ‘I still get a little choked up’
Victoria Hernandez, Los Angeles Times

The year was 1995. Women’s basketball was building hype by creating a power squad for the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

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