Top Stories

  • The World Anti-Doping Agency has set a three-week deadline for Russia to produce an explanation for what appears to be tampering with data from its doping laboratory connected to the prosecution of its athletes who allegedly cheated at the 2014 Olympics and other major events. Russia’s anti-doping agency was required to hand over the data in order to be reinstated, and did so in January, but a whistleblower has provided data that revealed discrepancies with other lab results. (The Associated Press)
  • Wide receiver Antonio Brown said he won’t be playing in the NFL anymore following his release from the New England Patriots, whom he reportedly plans to file a grievance against in order to try to recoup a $9 million signing bonus that was rescinded following allegations of sexual assault against the former Pittsburgh Steeler and Oakland Raider. In other tweets that he went on to delete, Brown referenced Patriots owner Bob Kraft’s recent prostitution case and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s 4-game league ban that followed an accusation of sexual assault in 2010. (ESPN)
  • The San Diego Padres announced the firing of Andy Green, the first MLB manager to lose his job during the 2019 season. San Francisco Giants coach Bruce Bochy, who has announced that he will retire at the end of the season, and Padres special assistant Moises Alou, are among the reported top candidates to replace Green, who had managed the club for four seasons and whose contract runs through 2021. (CBS Sports)

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Events Calendar (All Times Local)

09/23/2019
2019 Advertising Week NYC 8:00 am
Digiday Publishing Summit 1:30 pm
09/24/2019
Digiday Publishing Summit 7:00 am
2019 Advertising Week NYC 8:00 am
Future of Television 9:30 am
2019 AXS Sports Facilities & Franchises and Ticketing Symposium
09/25/2019
2019 Advertising Week NYC 8:00 am
Digiday Publishing Summit 8:30 am
2019 SVG @ Esports Stadium Arlington 12:30 pm
2019 AXS Sports Facilities & Franchises and Ticketing Symposium
2019 SFIA Industry Leaders Summit
09/26/2019
2019 Advertising Week NYC 8:00 am
2019 AXS Sports Facilities & Franchises and Ticketing Symposium
2019 SFIA Industry Leaders Summit
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General

Brett Gosper indicates United States could host 2031 Rugby World Cup
Bob Williams, SportBusiness

World Rugby has received an “expression of interest” from the United States to host the Rugby World Cup in 2027 or 2031, the global governing body’s chief executive Brett Gosper has revealed. Should the US win an official bid to host the tournament – which is being staged in Japan for the first time this year – it appears likely that games will be staged in National Football League stadiums.

Bolt gone, doping back as the main topic in sprint game
Eddie Pells, The Associated Press

Usain Bolt is in the rearview mirror, replaced by — what else? — an unfolding doping saga in track and field. The title of “World’s Fastest Man” now that Bolt is on the sideline belongs to American 100-meter sprinter Christian Coleman, who almost was banned from this month’s world championships because he had missed too many drug tests.

Redskins PR exec Tony Wyllie says it’s a ‘privilege’ to head to Special Olympics
Kelley D. Evans, The Undefeated

For 29 years, NFL executive Tony Wyllie has helped sports organizations and their athletes with branding and communications, including nearly a decade as a senior vice president of communications for the Washington Redskins. Now, Wyllie, 51, is heading into his next chapter as the regional president and managing director for Special Olympics North America. He will start officially on Oct. 7.

NFL

ViacomCBS Has a Role to Play in the NFL’s Youth Movement
Anthony Crupi, Ad Age

The NFL isn’t expected to officially begin renegotiating its media rights contracts until after it locks in a new collective-bargaining agreement with the players’ union, but informal talks are underway. And while the noise about a disruptive bid by an Amazon or Google is in no danger of dying down, the heads of the Frankensteined ViacomCBS entity want to assure investors that they’re not going to let TV’s last great ratings driver slip out of their grasps.

Fox Sports will broadcast Thursday Night Football games in sort of 4K
Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge

The United States continues its slow march toward 4K live sports, with Fox Sports rolling out live 4K streaming for its upcoming Thursday Night Football games, starting with September 26th’s Philadelphia Eagles / Green Bay Packers game. Fox will be offering “4K” streams of the games that will be produced in 1080p and then upconverted to 4K — which, depending on how you view it, may or may not be a “real” 4K stream.

Jones sparkles in his start, Giants rally past Bucs 32-31
Fred Goodall, The Associated Press

The Daniel Jones era is off to a rousing start for the New York Giants. The rookie quarterback threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for two TDs, including the go-ahead score with 1:16 remaining as the Giants rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32-31 on Sunday.

Calvin Johnson says he learned to play through concussions during his career with the Lions
Jacob Bogage, The Washington Post

Before Calvin Johnson retired from the Detroit Lions, his nine-year NFL career seemingly over in its prime, he got used to suffering concussions. He conservatively estimates he suffered nine in his career.

NBA

The Chicago Bulls enlist their mascot for TikTok
Seb Joseph, Digiday

The Chicago Bulls found building a brand on TikToK has a steep learning curve. Since it debuted on the social platform last month, the Chicago Bulls content team has posted 15 videos, a third of which have surpassed 1 million views, said Kamil Strycharz, digital content coordinator at the Chicago Bulls.

Online shopping service Honey names Clippers training centre
Matthew Glendinning, SportBusiness

The NBA’s LA Clippers and LA-based technology company Honey have entered into a naming rights partnership for the franchise’s revamped training centre. Under the multi-year deal, the facility will be called the ‘Honey Training Center: Home of the LA Clippers’. The Honey logo will also be displayed on the Clippers practice jerseys.

Trump teases that he’d like to visit India to watch an NBA game next month
Cindy Boren, The Washington Post

During an appearance at Houston’s NRG Stadium with India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, President Trump teased that he would like to travel to India to watch an NBA game next month. “And very soon India will have access to another world​-class American product: NBA basketball,” Trump told the crowd at the event Sunday.

MLB

Sources say Don Mattingly took a significant pay cut with contract extension
Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic

Don Mattingly’s $2.8 million salary this season was believed to be the sixth-highest among major-league managers. Not only was the number too high for the cost-conscious Marlins, but it also was out of line with an industry trend in which teams continue to reduce managers’ pay.

Haves, have-nots: MLB ties mark for 100-win, 100-loss teams
The Associated Press

Baseball’s haves and have-nots sure do have it this year. The Los Angeles Dodgers gave Major League Baseball its third 100-win team while Kansas City became its fourth 100-loss club Sunday, matching big league records for success and futility.

Springer 3 HRs, Verlander 20th win, Astros clinch AL West
Kristie Rieken, The Associated Press

George Springer, Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros put a check mark in the September box. And amid the celebration of clinching their third straight AL West title, they already were thinking ahead to what they might achieve in October.

Comeback Clincher: Cardinals secure playoff berth by upending Cubs in ninth, sweeping series
Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

With a new and different way to madden their archrivals each game, the Cardinals assured their place in the postseason by taking a Cubs’ lead and bending it and warping it in the ninth inning to pull off something they had not done in a long, long time. Not since the year Albert Einstein won the Nobel for physics.

NHL

NHL makes changes to coach’s challenge after playoff controversies
Steven Psihogios, Yahoo Sports Canada

Do you remember when this happened? Or how about this?

Soccer

Iran will lift ban on women attending football matches, Fifa says
Kelvin Tan, SportBusiness

Fifa’s president Gianni Infantino has said Iran will lift its ban on women attending football matches. Speaking at a Fifa conference on women’s football on Sunday, Infantino said: “We have been assured that, as of the next international game of Iran, women will be allowed to enter football stadiums.

Christian Pulisic Is the Future of American Soccer. England Isn’t Convinced, Yet.
Joshua Robinson, The Wall Street Journal

American soccer has never known a 21-year-old quite as polished—or quite as expensive—as Christian Pulisic. When he signed with Chelsea in January for $73 million, he more than doubled the record transfer fee for a player from the U.S.

Fifa report shows women’s game has grown technically and tactically
Suzanne Wrack, The Guardian

The manager of the US women’s national team, two time World Cup winner Jill Ellis, has talked about her legacy. Having announced at the end of July that she would be stepping down from the post she has held for six years, at Fifa’s conference in Milan to analyse the 2019 World Cup she added to the hype: “It was one of a kind, obviously the second World Cup for me personally, but a wonderful showcase. The numbers don’t lie; our sport is exciting and energising.”

Hacker Who Revealed Soccer Secrets Is Charged With 147 Crimes
Tariq Panja, The New York Times

A computer hacker whose efforts revealed often troubling practices that shape the multi-billion-dollar global soccer industry was charged with 147 crimes this week by Portugal’s national prosecutor. For four years between 2015 and his arrest in Hungary in January, the hacker, Rui Pinto, a 30-year-old from Portugal, sowed anxiety in the soccer world by publishing hundreds of internal documents onto an internet platform he set up called Football Leaks.

Racing

Sebastian Vettel wins F1 Singapore Grand Prix in Ferrari one-two
Giles Richards, The Guardian

As Sebastian Vettel crossed the line to win the Singapore Grand Prix, fireworks lit the night sky in celebration. It was an explosive finish to what had been a processional affair on the streets of Marina Bay.

Golf and Tennis

Roger Federer’s Legacy Is Unquestioned. But Who’s Next?
Christopher Clarey, The New York Times

If you are looking for the legacy of Roger Federer in his home nation of Switzerland, the Palexpo in Geneva this weekend is a fine and rambunctious place to start. Before Federer emerged from the suburbs of Basel to become — for now — the most successful men’s tennis player of the Open era, the idea of selling out a makeshift 17,000-seat arena for five straight sessions of a new and high-priced team event would have been as far-fetched as a Switzerland without melted cheese.

College Sports

AP Top 25: Wisconsin into top 10; Cal makes big move to 15
Ralph D. Russo, The Associated Press

Wisconsin moved into the top 10 for the first time this season, landing at No. 8 in The Associated Press college football poll after a weekend during which seven ranked teams lost. The top of the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank remained mostly unchanged, with Clemson staying No. 1, followed by three Southeastern Conference teams: No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 LSU. Ohio State edged past Oklahoma to No. 5.

Iowa investigating band members claims of abuse by Iowa State fans
Jacob Bogage, The Washington Post

The University of Iowa reopened an investigation Friday into alleged abuse of the school’s marching band by fans of rival Iowa State University. Members of the Hawkeye Marching Band complained of being subjected to physical violence, racial epithets and other targeted harassment at the in-state rivals’ annual football game on Sept. 14, at Iowa State’s campus in Ames, reports indicate.

Esports

Louis Vuitton partners with League of Legends World Championship
Laura Byrne, Esports Insider

French fashion house and luxury retail company Louis Vuitton has unveiled a collaboration with Riot Games for the upcoming League of Legends World Championship, according to an article the developer published. The partnership will see Louis Vuitton create a one-of-a-kind trophy travel case to hold the Summoner’s Cup, which will be awarded to the world champions in Paris, France on November 10th.

Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research

MLB’s complex reality is told by these numbers
Joel Sherman, New York Post

Wednesday provided a night of zeroes. That is not meant to invoke the absence of heroes, rather literally multiple storylines tied to “00s.” Since we have 10 fingers we tend to fixate on round numbers — which is why it sounds and feels much better that Pete Alonso reached 50 homers, rather than stopped at 49, though it should not change the perception of his rookie season an iota.

Morning Consult