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| Axios Sports |
| By Kendall Baker · Apr 19, 2022 |
| π Good morning! Steph Curry scored 34 points in 23 minutes last night. Is that good? Today's word count: 1,405 words (5 minutes). Let's sports... |
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| 1 big thing: π Broncos get five bids |
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| Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios |
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| An heir to the Walmart fortune and an owner of the 76ers are among the potential buyers of the Broncos, Axios Denver's John Frank writes. Driving the news: The team's sale, which is expected to fetch a record $4+ billion, is down to five bidders, Sportico reports. Who's who: Offers came from big-moneyed interests and current sports team owners. They include: - Rob Walton, the Walmart heir and the 11th-richest person in the U.S. His cousin, Ann Walton Kroenke, is married to Stan Kroenke, the owner of the Nuggets, Avalanche and Rapids.
- An investor group led by Josh Harris, the co-owner of the 76ers and Devils.
- A group that includes Todd Boehly, a minority owner of the Dodgers and Lakers.
By the numbers: David Tepper paid an NFL record $2.3 billion for the Panthers in 2017. The Broncos sale price could nearly double that. The big picture: Harris and Boehly also are bidding on Chelsea, which is expected to sell for a similar price. Food for thought: Would you rather own a controlling stake in the Broncos or Chelsea? |
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| 2. ⚽️ College soccer's proposed future |
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| Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios |
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| College soccer may soon undergo a monumental change, though not everyone is on board, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. Driving the news: The "21st Century Model," which would make men's Division I soccer a year-long sport, is expected to be voted on by the D-I Council later this spring after last week's vote was tabled. How it works: This new model would spread the schedule across the academic year, with the season ending in late spring rather than early winter. - Current: 18 games plus two exhibitions (August–November); College Cup (November–December); training plus five exhibitions (February–April).
- Proposed: 12 games plus two exhibitions (August–November); training plus one exhibition (January–March); eight games (March–April); College Cup (April–June).
Why it matters: 86% of players support the proposal, which would increase recovery time between matches and provide athletes with more school-sports balance. "We wanted to make sure this was a holistic model that was for the 5,000 kids playing [D-I] college soccer every year, not just the 50 that will go professional." — Sasho Cirovski, Maryland head coach State of play: D-I programs currently play once every three days, compared to once every seven days in most top-tier pro leagues, and a 2010 study showed that injuries were six times more likely when playing twice per week rather than once. - "Student athlete welfare comes first," said ESPN analyst and former USMNT player Taylor Twellman. "To ask [athletes] to play a game Friday then Sunday is irresponsible."
- Midweek games would also be trimmed way down to a maximum of three all year, all but eliminating the need to miss classes.
The other side: A vocal minority is against the change for three key reasons: scheduling conflicts, the strain on support staff and the impact on the college experience. - The MLS draft is in January and training camp begins weeks later, so draftees could miss the whole spring, including the College Cup.
- "With no competitive fixtures [in the spring], I've been able to immerse myself in dorm life," says Notre Dame sophomore Paddy Burns. "It's very healthy to have friends outside of soccer."
The bottom line: The seeds of the 21st Century Model, planted as far back as 2000, may finally bear fruit. |
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| 3. πΊπΈ A Patriots' Day tradition returns |
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| Peres Jepchirchir after crossing the finish line. Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images |
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| Peres Jepchirchir was already the only person to win an Olympic marathon and the New York City Marathon. Now she's added Boston. The big picture: Monday's Boston Marathon was the 50th anniversary of the race's official inclusion of women. In 1972, eight women ran. This year, there were 12,100, none faster than Jepchirchir. - The Kenyan superstar sprinted past Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia in the final stretch to win with a time of 2:21:01.
- Evans Chebet, also of Kenya, won the men's race with a time of 2:06:51.
The backdrop: This year's marathon returned to its traditional Patriots' Day tradition — coinciding with a Red Sox home game — after the 2020 event was canceled and the 2021 event was moved to October. |
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| A message from Axios |
| Advertise in Axios Sports |
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| Are you a marketer looking to reach decision makers who care about sports? Consider advertising with us: - Reach hundreds of thousands of people daily.
- Achieve your KPIs around business development, awareness, and product sales.
- Over 60% of our audience earns six figures per year and makes business purchasing decisions.
Let's Chat
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| 4. ⚡️ Lightning round |
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| Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images |
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| π 26 years later: Marcus Smart has been named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1996. π Heartbreaking: Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, announced on social media that their baby son has died. ⛳️ The Match: Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers will face Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in this year's edition of "The Match" on June 1 at Wynn Las Vegas. π Bag secured: The Browns signed Pro Bowl CB Denzel Ward to a five-year, $100.5 million extension ($71.25 million guaranteed), making him the highest-paid CB in NFL history. π Wild video: De'Veon Smith appears to have been cut by the USFL's Pittsburgh Maulers for wanting pizza instead of chicken salad. |
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| 5. ⚾️ Inside MLB's replay room |
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| Photo: Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images |
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| MLB's instant replay system was upgraded in a small but critical way this year, as umpires now announce the results of every challenge over the stadium's PA system, Jeff writes. Why it matters: The change provides clarity compared to the old format, wherein umpires non-verbally signaled the result of challenges, and triggers the type of epic crowd reaction one doesn't normally see at a baseball game. Photo: Jeff Tracy/Axios How it works: When a manager challenges a call, the umpires on the field cede control to a team of umps and technicians stationed at MLB's HQ in midtown Manhattan, which I recently had a chance to tour. - The setup above is one of nine identical stations, each of which has one seat for a technician and one for an umpire, about five of whom are stationed there every game day.
- When a challenge comes through, the tech and ump work together to view as many angles as necessary to get the call right. The goal is to complete the review in under two minutes.
- Once the ump makes a decision, the call is relayed to the field umpire, who announces the result to the stadium.
By the numbers: There were 1,287 challenges and another 155 reviews requested by the crew chief during the 2021 regular season. 47.2% were overturned, 31.7% stood as called and 20% were confirmed. |
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| 6. ⛳️ "Shark" premieres tonight |
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| Photo courtesy of ESPN |
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| "Shark," ESPN's new 30 for 30 about Greg Norman's Hall of Fame golf career — and epic collapse at the 1996 Masters — premieres tonight (8:30pm ET, ESPN). The backdrop: "Shark" was set to premiere during Masters week but was delayed, possibly because Norman is the face of the Saudi-backed league hoping to rival the PGA Tour. Clip ... Trailer ... Review |
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| 7. π The world in photos |
| Freddie Freeman receives his 2021 Silver Slugger Award alongside his family and former coaches. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images LOS ANGELES — After an emotional reunion with his former team, Freddie Freeman belted his first home run of the season to help the Dodgers beat the Braves, 7-4. Jalen Brunson dishes to Maxi Kleber. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images DALLAS — Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 41 points (with zero turnovers) and Maxi Kleber hit eight of Dallas' playoff-record 22 threes to lead the Mavericks past the Jazz, 110-104, and even the series. - Elsewhere: The 76ers beat the Raptors, 112-97, and the Warriors beat the Nuggets, 126-106, as both teams took 2-0 series leads.
Mike Casey of Limerick (R) in action against Patrick Horgan of Cork. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images CORK, Ireland — The 135th annual All-Ireland Hurling Senior Championship began this weekend. Limerick are the two-time defending champions. |
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| 8. πΊ Watchlist: Clash at Anfield |
 Data: Premier League; Chart: Will Chase/Axios Liverpool host Manchester United today (3pm ET, USA) in a top-five matchup with major implications for both clubs. - Liverpool are one point behind Manchester City in the title race.
- United sit in fifth, one spot out of qualifying for the Champions League.
More to watch: |
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| 9. π΅ Boston Marathon trivia |
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| Men's winner Evans Chebet. Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images |
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| Question: How much money do first-place finishers in the Boston Marathon's open division (the elite runners) receive? - $25,000
- $75,000
- $150,000
- $300,000
Answer at the bottom. |
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| 10. π 1 pregame thing: Choosing the ball |
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| Photo: Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images |
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| One of the most overlooked aspects of an NBA game may also be one of the most important: selecting the game ball. How it works: The home team's equipment managers provide three balls to the crew chief, who inspects them before bringing them to half court during warmups. - A player from each team selects their preferred ball (some like more grip, some like it smoother).
- If they can't agree on a ball, the crew chief splits the difference, using the third "neutral" ball.
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| A message from Axios |
| Advertise in Axios Sports |
| |
| |
| |
| Are you a marketer looking to reach decision makers who care about sports? Consider advertising with us: - Reach hundreds of thousands of people daily.
- Achieve your KPIs around business development, awareness, and product sales.
- Over 60% of our audience earns six figures per year and makes business purchasing decisions.
Let's Chat
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| Talk tomorrow, Kendall "Warriors looking scary" Baker Trivia answer: $150,000 π Thanks for reading. Follow us on Twitter: @kendallbaker and @jeffreytracy. Tell your friends to sign up. |
 | It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 200 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications. | | |
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