Week in Review

NBA

  • The NBA fined Golden State Warriors part-owner Mark Stevens $500,000 and banned him for a year from attending league games and team activities after he shoved Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors during a court-side incident in Game 3 of the finals. The punishment, which according to a statement is immediate and extends through the 2019-20 postseason, is one of the harshest of Commissioner Adam Silver’s five-year tenure.
  • Kawhi Leonard of the Raptors filed a federal lawsuit against Nike Inc., alleging the apparel giant “falsely” copyrighted his self-designed “Klaw” logo without his consent. Leonard, now with New Balance, said he previously gave Nike permission to use the logo “on certain merchandise,” but now the company says it owns “all intellectual property rights” to the logo and has demanded he stop using it.

NFL

  • NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated his preference for reducing the number of preseason games, which stands at four, saying that there might be better ways to develop and evaluate players. The remarks, which come amid preliminary discussions between the league and players union ahead of the current collective bargaining agreement’s post-2020 season expiration, reflect the NFL’s long-held desire for an expansion of regular-season play to as many as 18 games, something players have balked at over safety issues.
  • The Philadelphia Eagles announced it signed quarterback Carson Wentz to a four-year extension through the 2024 season worth reportedly $128 million over the new term. A source said that Wentz’s deal, which carries a maximum value of $144 million, includes $107 million guaranteed, a record for any NFL player.

NCAA

  • The Big Ten Conference tapped Minnesota Vikings Chief Operating Officer Kevin Warren as its next commissioner. The 55-year-old executive, who will start on Sept. 16, is the first black commissioner of a Power Five conference after he replaces long-time league boss Jim Delany — who had been with the Big Ten for 30 years — on Jan. 2.
  • The Pac-12 has received multiple bids of $750 million or more from companies looking to become an equity investor, a first for any college conference, at a $5 billion valuation or more, sources said. The bids, which will be narrowed over the coming months to a potential partner, are based on a valuation for the Pac-12’s holding company NewCo, which controls the conference’s media rights and networks.
  • The NCAA approved extending the men’s college basketball 3-point line to the distance used in international basketball, effective for the upcoming season for Division 1. The Men’s Basketball Rules committee had recommended the change after a two-year trial run in the National Invitational Tournaments, saying that the line’s new position would open up the lane for dribble penetration and curb the prevalence of the long-distance shot.

Olympics

  • The United States Olympic Committee is working toward reforming its health care coverage for athletes after three senators wrote to CEO Sarah Hirshland requesting more information on the organization’s insurance program, specifically as it pertains to discontinuing medical coverage when an individual becomes pregnant. Concerns from the three Senate Democrats — Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin — came after an op-ed from U.S. sprinter Alysia Montano, who said that she and another runners lost health insurance while they were pregnant.

Soccer

  • Brazilian footballer Neymar is currently under two separate police investigations involving an alleged assault and rape reported last month by model Najila Trindade. While the first probe concerns the alleged May 15 incident at a Paris hotel, the second centers around cybercrime and an Instagram video — in which Neymar denied the accusations — where he shared sexually explicit text messages in an attempt to prove that their relationship was consensual.
  • Top English and Spanish soccer clubs are against plans for restructuring the Champions League, which would include proposed reforms for a promotion and relegation system. The English Premier League’s top 20 teams said in a statement that the reform would have negative implications for the league’s competitiveness and match schedule while seven La Liga clubs mirrored that sentiment, saying the possible new plans, which will be decided this week, would be a “frontal attack to the competitive balance and to the stability of domestic competitions.”
  • FIFA approved a second presidential term for 49-year-old Gianni Infantino, who rose to the top of soccer’s international governing body following its major corruption scandal in 2015 and removal of his longtime predecessor Sepp Blatter. The chief executive, whose major accomplishments thus far include expanding the World Cup to 48 teams starting in 2026 and steadying the organization’s finances after the scandal, ran unopposed.

Boxing

  • After Andy Ruiz Jr. upset Anthony Joshua to win the heavyweight championship, the British boxer mandated a rematch based on a clause in Ruiz’s contract, which stipulated that if he defeated Joshua, the former could force a second bout. Anthony’s manager, Joshua Hearn, said that the rematch is expected for either November or December, though it’s unclear whether the fight will occur in the United States or the United Kingdom.

What’s Ahead

  • The USWNT will play Thailand on Tuesday in its World Cup opener.
  • The U.S. Open Championship is June 13-16 at Pebble Beach.
  • The Men’s College World Series is June 15-25 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.
  • The CONCACAF Gold Cup begins June 15 through July 7, with the final at Soldier Field in Chicago.
  • The 2019 NBA Draft will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 20.
  • The 2019 NHL Entry Draft will be held June 21–22 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
  •  The Wimbledon Championships is July 1-14 in London.
  • The Tour de France begins July 6 on the central square in Brussels.

Events Calendar (All Times Local)

06/18/2019
Sports Business Networking Party 6:30 pm
06/19/2019
Green Sports Alliance Summit
06/20/2019
Green Sports Alliance Summit
2019 Hockey Career Conference at the NHL Draft
06/21/2019
2019 Hockey Career Conference at the NHL Draft
View full calendar

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