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| Presented By Babbel |
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| Axios Sports |
| By Kendall Baker ·Jul 20, 2021 |
| 👋 Good morning! I pulled my hamstring playing soccer, so that's fun. How's your week going? ⚾️ Baseball history: An all-female crew will broadcast tonight's Orioles-Rays game at Tropicana Field, which streams live on YouTube at 7:10pm ET. Today's word count: 1,450 words (5 minutes). Let's sports... |
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| 1 big thing: 🥇Olympians get their voices back |
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| Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios |
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| Colin Kaepernick isn't in the Olympics, but the lasting image of an athlete kneeling on the sidelines in silent protest is likely to find its way to Tokyo all the same, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. Why it matters: Such a demonstration would have previously been banned at the Games, but the IOC has relaxed its rules governing protests in the wake of 2020's global racial reckoning. The state of play: The IOC's new rule allows for athletes to "express their views" more freely than in the past. - Athletes can share their opinions in interviews and news conferences, as well as through digital, traditional and social media. They can also demonstrate peacefully as long as the competition has not begun.
- Athletes cannot do any of the above during competition, within the Olympic Village or during official ceremonies. They also cannot be "disruptive."
What they're saying: Some question whether the updated rule is merely cosmetic, and perhaps even hypocritical. - "The IOC tried to pull the wool over everyone's eyes, indicating the rule has been relaxed, which in fact [it] has not. ... The reality is athletes still cannot use the podium or field of play to peacefully protest," Rob Koehler, director general Global Athlete, told The Nation.
- "Threatening to sanction athletes who peacefully protest on issues such as racism is not only inconsistent with human rights, but also goes against the values that the IOC claims to support," the 17-nation European Elite Athletes Association wrote in a statement.
Between the lines: The updated rule was devised after the IOC surveyed 3,500 athletes across 185 countries to gauge their sentiment. 70% were against demonstrations on Olympic fields or at official ceremonies. - Yes, but: One sports columnist with expertise in market research believes the data was skewed by suspect word choice and an overrepresentation of countries where dissent isn't valued.
The bottom line: These are the first Summer Games since Kaepernick's kneeling protest drew attention, and though that was an American story, fighting against human rights injustices is a global struggle. |
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| 2. ⚾️ Huge day in Oakland: A's future on the line |
| Photo: Found Image Holdings/Corbis via Getty Images Eight Oakland City Council members will cast votes this morning for the Athletics' proposed $12 billion development and ballpark plan. Why it matters: A no vote would almost certainly signal the end for the A's in Oakland and kickstart the team's relocation efforts. - "If they don't approve it, it's over," A's president Dave Kaval told NYT.
- "We're hopeful that it's a yes, but with these things, it's hard to say. We remain apart."
The big picture: It's been a brutal few years for Oakland sports fans, with the Raiders leaving for Las Vegas in 2020 and the Warriors leaving for San Francisco in 2019. A third departure would be crushing. |
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| 3. 🏀 Snapshot: NBA Finals contributions |
 Data: ESPN; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios The NBA Finals, which could end tonight (9pm ET, ABC), have been dominated by each team's "Big Three," Jeff writes. Yes, but: The headlines and biggest plays don't always tell the whole story, and looking at each player's raw plus-minus (a team's net points while that player is on the floor) helps unearth some unsung heroes. - Bucks: Pat Connaughton (+22) and Bobby Portis (+18) have been huge for Milwaukee, hitting timely threes and playing key minutes.
- Suns: Mikal Bridges (+22) has gotten it done without much fanfare, averaging 13 points on 54.7% shooting.
Of note: While Devin Booker (+27), Jrue Holiday (+25), Giannis Antetokounmpo (+20) and Deandre Ayton (+16) have positive plus-minuses, Chris Paul (-3) and Khris Middleton (-4) are in the negatives. Go deeper: Five stats that explain the Bucks' comeback (The Ringer) |
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| A message from Babbel |
| Here's a skill you can show off this summer |
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| Travel, friends, adventures – it's happening. What you're missing: Get ready with Babbel and start having conversations in a new language in as little as 3 weeks. Sign up today and get 55% off one of 14 languages including Spanish, French, and German. |
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| 4. 🎳 Bowlero to go public at $2.6 billion |
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| Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios |
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| Bowlero, which has consolidated and upgraded one of America's sleepiest sports industries, is expected to go public via SPAC later this quarter at a $2.6 billion valuation, Axios' Dan Primack and I write. The big picture: The company says it has 321 bowling centers in North America, which is eight times more than its next-closest rival, and often owns its own real estate. - Its assets also include the Professional Bowlers Association, the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional 10-pin bowling in the U.S.
- Expect the SPAC deal to enable more bowling center acquisitions, as there are still thousands of independent mom-and-pops.
The big picture: There's growing momentum around casual sports, in which bowling is the first mover — particularly among younger people seeking a night out that combines socializing with something beyond sitting at a bar. - Topgolf, an operator of driving range centers, was recently acquired at a $2 billion valuation by Callaway Golf, and is expanding.
- TOCA, an operator of experiential soccer centers, recently raised $40 million in Series E funding, led by a former Topgolf investor.
The bottom line: Bowling is going upscale and to the right, with investors taking notice. Don't be surprised to soon see lots of rollup plays that view themselves as Bowlero-for-X. |
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| 5. 🎾 Osaka lands historic SI Swimsuit cover |
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| Courtesy: Sports Illustrated |
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| Naomi Osaka will appear on the cover of this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, becoming the first female Black athlete to do so. "I'm so proud to be the first Japanese and Haitian woman to grace one of the covers. I feel like that multi-cultural background is present in all of the things that I do ... so hopefully, you see that." Three covers: Sports Illustrated has three different cover models this year, with rap star Megan Thee Stallion and transgender model, actor and activist Leyna Bloom getting their own separate covers. Go deeper ... I highly recommend watching the three-part "Naomi Osaka" docuseries on Netflix, which does a great job showing her inner world. |
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| 6. 🥇 In photos: Olympic Villages |
| Photo: Behrouz Mehri/AFP via Getty Images TOKYO — Athletes are beginning to settle into the Olympic Village, which has 21 residential buildings and is located on the Harumi waterfront district. Photo: Wu Diansen/VCG via Getty Images ZHANGJIAKOU, China — Monday marked 200 days until the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Zhangjiakou is one of three competition zones hosting the Games, and the Olympic Village there is nearly complete. |
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| 7. ⚡️ Lightning round |
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| Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios |
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| 🏈 Training camp is here: Over the next seven days, NFL rookies and veterans will report to training camp. See all reporting dates. 🏒 Prokop comes out: Predators prospect Luke Prokop made history Monday as the first active player under NHL contract to come out as gay. 💵 NCAA salaries: NCAA president Mark Emmert made $2.9 million during the 2019-2020 fiscal year despite NCAA revenue dropping more than 50%. Nine other employees made more than $500,000. 🇺🇸 LaVine not on flight: Zach LaVine was put into health and safety protocols on Monday and didn't travel with Team USA on its flight to Tokyo. It's possible he could join them later this week. ⚾️ A night of blowouts: The Nationals led the Marlins 18-0, the Tigers led the Rangers 14-0, and the Red Sox led the Blue Jays 12-0 on Monday. |
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| 8. 📆 July 20, 1969: The lunar landing |
| Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin standing on the moon, with Neil Armstrong reflected in his helmet visor. Photo: NASA/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images 52 years ago today, baseball — and the world — witnessed the first lunar landing. Let's travel back in time ... Welcome to July 1969. The Zodiac Killer is on the loose, the Vietnam War is raging, and Bill Russell's Celtics are still celebrating their NBA Finals victory over Jerry West and the Lakers. - "In The Year 2525" by Zager and Evans is the No. 1 song in the country, Woodstock is a month away and "The Brady Bunch" is weeks from premiering on ABC.
- Meanwhile, it's baseball season. MLB is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and the strike zone has been reduced from "knees to shoulders" to "knees to armpits" in hopes that it leads to more hits.
- Months from now, the Mets and Orioles will meet in the World Series, with the Amazin' Mets winning 4-1.
The landing (4:17pm ET) ... 32,933 fans are at Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankees play the Senators. With the game tied 2-2 in the eighth inning, PA announcer Bob Sheppard breaks the news: - "Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please. You will be happy to know that the Apollo 11 has landed safely on the moon." The crowd goes wild and the scoreboard reads "THEY'RE ON THE MOON."
- In Montreal, the Mets and Expos take a break between their doubleheader to listen to radio coverage, and similar interruptions take place at ballparks throughout the country.
- It's a historic day — one that will change human history forever. And there's not a cellphone in sight...
Go deeper: When Apollo 11 landed on the moon, MLB stood still (WashPost) |
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| 9. ⚾️ MLB trivia |
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| Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images |
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| The Athletics moved to Oakland in 1968 after stints in two other cities. - Question: Can you name those two cities?
- Hint: Both currently have MLB teams.
Answer at the bottom. |
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| 10. 🏈 Poll: Mannings or main? |
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| Eli and Peyton Manning in 2005. Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images |
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| Peyton and Eli Manning will co-host a "Monday Night Football" MegaCast on ESPN2 for 10 games each of the next three seasons, Disney announced Monday. Click to vote: Which broadcast will you watch? Thanks for voting. We'll share the results tomorrow. |
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| A message from Babbel |
| Take live online classes with top language teachers |
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| Talk tomorrow, Kendall "That rug really tied the room together" Baker Trivia answer: Philadelphia (1901-54) and Kansas City (1955-67) 🙏 Thanks for reading. Don't forget to refer friends (axios.com/referral) and follow us on Twitter: @thekendallbaker and @jeffreytracy. |
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