Top Stories
Advertisers Flock to N.F.L. Broadcasts as a 'Safe Haven'
Tiffany Hsu, The New York Times
Media companies and marketing executives are looking forward to a boost in TV ratings amid uncertainty in other professional and college sports leagues over how their seasons will proceed. NBC said it sold out of ad space for the season-opening game on Thursday night, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans, with revenue up substantially from last year and an average 30-second commercial costing nearly $900,000.
NBC Sports Leans Further into Betting with Warren Sharp Hire
Torrey Hart, Front Office Sports
NBC Sports is bringing on NFL and betting analyst Warren Sharp to provide commentary across multiple platforms, the network announced on Sept. 10. Sharp is the founder of Sharp Football Stats and Sharp Football Analysis, where he sells picks to bettors.
Fox Sports rebukes Skip Bayless for 'insensitive' Dak Prescott rant
Michael Blinn, New York Post
On Thursday's "Undisputed," the talking head Skip Bayless declared he felt "no sympathy" for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott sharing his depression struggles. It was a take that spurred plenty of blowback, even from the network itself.
Ray Lucas out at SNY over money dispute
Andrew Marchand, New York Post
Ray Lucas will not be on SNY's Jets programming this season, The Post has learned. Lucas and SNY could not come to a new agreement on a contract, with the major sticking point being money, according to sources.
NFL
Chiefs Fans, Used to Chops and Cheers, React to N.F.L.'s New Climate
John Eligon, The New York Times
The Chiefs have taken steps to address concerns over the use of Native American imagery. Chiefs fans generally have said the changes do not bother them, but there are decidedly mixed opinions on whether those traditions should be allowed.
Miami Dolphins, discontent with 'empty gestures,' to stay inside during both anthems
Cameron Wolfe, ESPN
The Miami Dolphins have decided to stay inside during both "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing" during the 2020 NFL season, issuing a message Thursday demanding action rather than symbolic gestures in the fight against social and racial injustice and police brutality. "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing," traditionally known as the Black national anthem, is expected to be performed live or played before every Week 1 NFL game.
The NFL will use Microsoft Teams to let fans cheer along with players when they score a touchdown
Jabari Young and Jordan Novet, CNBC
Microsoft describes the NFL version of the cheering section "as virtual mirrors," or LED screens that will appear in each end zone during NFL games, allowing players to celebrate with fans who are not in attendance. After a team scores, players can gather around the screen to view themselves celebrating with fans in Teams.
NFL Beverage Partnerships Heat Up in 2020, Especially in New Stadiums
Pat Evans, Front Office Sports
As the 2020 NFL season kicks off with the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders opening their new stadiums, they're also welcoming new beer partners. Constellation Brands has increased its presence and investment within the NFL with three deals with the West Coast teams, all with a different targeted approach.
Controversial mayor behind newest NFL stadium: 'I get (expletive) done'
Josh Peter, USA Today
James T. Butts Jr., the mayor of this city, has basked in triumph but expressed displeasure as an historic moment approaches. Long dogged by high crime, high unemployment and gang violence, Inglewood now is the home of SoFi Stadium, a majestic building set to open Sunday night when the Los Angeles Rams play the Dallas Cowboys.
College Sports
Ohio State Buckeyes football coach Ryan Day questions Big Ten, hints at mid-October return
Heather Dinich and Adam Rittenberg, ESPN
Ohio State coach Ryan Day on Thursday issued a statement through the school that hinted at a possible return in mid-October, but also continued to question the communication from the Big Ten since its decision last month to postpone the season. "While I understand the Big Ten Conference's decision to postpone the football season because of health and safety considerations, the communication of information from the Big Ten following the decision has been disappointing and often unclear," Day said in the prepared statement.
No plans to expand men's basketball tournament in 2021 after ACC's all-in proposal, NCAA says
Myron Medcalf, ESPN
The ACC's proposal for an all-inclusive NCAA men's basketball tournament that would feature every Division I team does not currently have the backing of the event's leadership. On Thursday, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said the organization is not considering a "contingency plan" to expand the tournament, a day after ACC men's basketball coaches, in a movement led by Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, proposed a field that would include every Division I team in the 2021 NCAA tournament after a Wednesday vote.
NCAA men's, women's hockey seasons delayed due to coronavirus pandemic
The Athletic
The start of the 2020-21 NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey has been delayed as a result of COVID-19, the Hockey Commissioner's Association announced Thursday. Sources tell The Athletic's Corey Pronman that non-Ivy League men's hockey conferences, including WCHA, NCHC and Big 10, are targeting a return on Thanksgiving weekend.
Gophers athletics department to cut three men's sports in 2021
Andy Greder and John Shipley, St. Paul Pioneer-Press
Facing a huge revenue shortfall without games during the coronavirus pandemic, the University of Minnesota athletics department announced Thursday it will cut three men's programs - gymnastics, tennis and track and field - at the end of the 2020-21 academic year. Gophers Athletics Director Mark Coyle told its Board of Regents in May the U faced an estimated $75 million loss on a $123 million budget.
NIL Money Already A Recruiting Tool At UNC, Other Power 5 Schools
Brendan Coffey, Sportico
While the NCAA is still mulling potential rules around athletes' use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), major college athletic departments are forging ahead with NIL programs that promise to build the social media brands of their players-and put money in their pockets. The Tar Heels men's and women's basketball and football programs announced that they're the first ACC teams to ink a deal to help build out their athletes' social media efforts as part of the emerging NIL framework.
--Morning Consult
GBO
Ma
- The 2020 NFL season kicked off at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., where the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans, 34-20, in front of a limited crowd of roughly 17,000 fans. Prior to kickoff, the Texans remained in their locker room during the playing of both the national anthem and "Lift Every Voice and Sing," a song known as the Black national anthem, and fans booed when the two teams subsequently demonstrated together at midfield by shaking hands and linking arms during a moment of silence. (The Associated Press)
- NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, the only Black driver racing full time in NASCAR, will not return to Richard Petty Motorsports following the expiration of his contract at the end of the 2020 season that has seen him capitalize on his newfound status as one of the sport's most marketable drivers and secure commercial agreements with Beats and Urban Outfitters and sponsorship deals for his No. 43 car with Columbia Sportswear Co. and DoorDash. It is unclear where Wallace, whose profile rose significantly based on his activism against racial inequality and support of the Black Lives Matter movement, will end up, though he has previously spoken of overtures from Chip Ganassi Racing, which will have an opening for its No. 42 car next season. (Yahoo Sports)
- MLB is expected to play most of its postseason at neutral ballparks in Southern California and Texas, and hold the World Series at the Texas Rangers' new Globe Life Field, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of talks between the league and the MLB Players Association, but the issue of health and safety protocols regarding players' families is reportedly holding up an official announcement. The first round of the newly expanded playoffs, which consists of eight best-of-three series, will be held at the higher-seeded teams' home ballparks. (The New York Times)
Advertisers Flock to N.F.L. Broadcasts as a 'Safe Haven'
Tiffany Hsu, The New York Times
Media companies and marketing executives are looking forward to a boost in TV ratings amid uncertainty in other professional and college sports leagues over how their seasons will proceed. NBC said it sold out of ad space for the season-opening game on Thursday night, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans, with revenue up substantially from last year and an average 30-second commercial costing nearly $900,000.
NBC Sports Leans Further into Betting with Warren Sharp Hire
Torrey Hart, Front Office Sports
NBC Sports is bringing on NFL and betting analyst Warren Sharp to provide commentary across multiple platforms, the network announced on Sept. 10. Sharp is the founder of Sharp Football Stats and Sharp Football Analysis, where he sells picks to bettors.
Fox Sports rebukes Skip Bayless for 'insensitive' Dak Prescott rant
Michael Blinn, New York Post
On Thursday's "Undisputed," the talking head Skip Bayless declared he felt "no sympathy" for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott sharing his depression struggles. It was a take that spurred plenty of blowback, even from the network itself.
Ray Lucas out at SNY over money dispute
Andrew Marchand, New York Post
Ray Lucas will not be on SNY's Jets programming this season, The Post has learned. Lucas and SNY could not come to a new agreement on a contract, with the major sticking point being money, according to sources.
NFL
Chiefs Fans, Used to Chops and Cheers, React to N.F.L.'s New Climate
John Eligon, The New York Times
The Chiefs have taken steps to address concerns over the use of Native American imagery. Chiefs fans generally have said the changes do not bother them, but there are decidedly mixed opinions on whether those traditions should be allowed.
Miami Dolphins, discontent with 'empty gestures,' to stay inside during both anthems
Cameron Wolfe, ESPN
The Miami Dolphins have decided to stay inside during both "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing" during the 2020 NFL season, issuing a message Thursday demanding action rather than symbolic gestures in the fight against social and racial injustice and police brutality. "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing," traditionally known as the Black national anthem, is expected to be performed live or played before every Week 1 NFL game.
The NFL will use Microsoft Teams to let fans cheer along with players when they score a touchdown
Jabari Young and Jordan Novet, CNBC
Microsoft describes the NFL version of the cheering section "as virtual mirrors," or LED screens that will appear in each end zone during NFL games, allowing players to celebrate with fans who are not in attendance. After a team scores, players can gather around the screen to view themselves celebrating with fans in Teams.
NFL Beverage Partnerships Heat Up in 2020, Especially in New Stadiums
Pat Evans, Front Office Sports
As the 2020 NFL season kicks off with the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders opening their new stadiums, they're also welcoming new beer partners. Constellation Brands has increased its presence and investment within the NFL with three deals with the West Coast teams, all with a different targeted approach.
Controversial mayor behind newest NFL stadium: 'I get (expletive) done'
Josh Peter, USA Today
James T. Butts Jr., the mayor of this city, has basked in triumph but expressed displeasure as an historic moment approaches. Long dogged by high crime, high unemployment and gang violence, Inglewood now is the home of SoFi Stadium, a majestic building set to open Sunday night when the Los Angeles Rams play the Dallas Cowboys.
College Sports
Ohio State Buckeyes football coach Ryan Day questions Big Ten, hints at mid-October return
Heather Dinich and Adam Rittenberg, ESPN
Ohio State coach Ryan Day on Thursday issued a statement through the school that hinted at a possible return in mid-October, but also continued to question the communication from the Big Ten since its decision last month to postpone the season. "While I understand the Big Ten Conference's decision to postpone the football season because of health and safety considerations, the communication of information from the Big Ten following the decision has been disappointing and often unclear," Day said in the prepared statement.
No plans to expand men's basketball tournament in 2021 after ACC's all-in proposal, NCAA says
Myron Medcalf, ESPN
The ACC's proposal for an all-inclusive NCAA men's basketball tournament that would feature every Division I team does not currently have the backing of the event's leadership. On Thursday, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said the organization is not considering a "contingency plan" to expand the tournament, a day after ACC men's basketball coaches, in a movement led by Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, proposed a field that would include every Division I team in the 2021 NCAA tournament after a Wednesday vote.
NCAA men's, women's hockey seasons delayed due to coronavirus pandemic
The Athletic
The start of the 2020-21 NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey has been delayed as a result of COVID-19, the Hockey Commissioner's Association announced Thursday. Sources tell The Athletic's Corey Pronman that non-Ivy League men's hockey conferences, including WCHA, NCHC and Big 10, are targeting a return on Thanksgiving weekend.
Gophers athletics department to cut three men's sports in 2021
Andy Greder and John Shipley, St. Paul Pioneer-Press
Facing a huge revenue shortfall without games during the coronavirus pandemic, the University of Minnesota athletics department announced Thursday it will cut three men's programs - gymnastics, tennis and track and field - at the end of the 2020-21 academic year. Gophers Athletics Director Mark Coyle told its Board of Regents in May the U faced an estimated $75 million loss on a $123 million budget.
NIL Money Already A Recruiting Tool At UNC, Other Power 5 Schools
Brendan Coffey, Sportico
While the NCAA is still mulling potential rules around athletes' use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), major college athletic departments are forging ahead with NIL programs that promise to build the social media brands of their players-and put money in their pockets. The Tar Heels men's and women's basketball and football programs announced that they're the first ACC teams to ink a deal to help build out their athletes' social media efforts as part of the emerging NIL framework.
--Morning Consult
GBO
Ma
