| | | | | | | Presented By Upside | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker · Oct 27, 2022 | | 👋 Happy Thursday! Thanks as always for reading, it means the world. Tell your friends to sign up here. Today's word count: 1,678 words (6 minutes). Let's sports... | | | | | | 1 big thing: 💵 Sports as investment |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | "Sports" is often narrowly defined: you're either an athlete, or you're a fan. In reality, the sports world extends far beyond that — and investors are increasingly taking notice. Driving the news: Will Ventures, a Boston-based early stage venture capital firm, just closed a new $150 million fund to continue investing in sports and sports-adjacent businesses. - The firm, founded in 2019, has already invested in Future (personal training), Street FC (pickup soccer marketplace) and Candy Digital (digital collectibles), among other startups.
- They have 17 pro sports team owners on board, and they also have an exclusive deal with OneTeam Partners that allows them to leverage athletes to promote their portfolio companies.
State of play: A few decades ago, the idea of a sports-centric VC firm was a foreign concept. But as sports grows more intertwined with media and technology, "investing with a sports focus" is now a powerful thesis. - "A lot of the things that sports is a main driver of — digital media, health tech, the creator economy — are some of the leading sectors within venture capital," says co-founder Brian Reilly.
- "This perceived niche market is actually the perfect lens to touch massive adjacencies," adds co-founder Isaiah Kacyvenski, a former NFL player.
Between the lines: We often think of "sports" as being its own industry, but it's really more of a cultural touchstone, with direct ties to other sectors. A few examples: - Media: Sports is at the forefront of the streaming revolution, which is transforming how viewers consume content. And the rise of sports betting is fueling investment in viewer engagement and interactivity (think: on-screen live betting).
- Health and wellness: Athletes have always been motivated to feel and perform their best. Now, technology is enabling everyone to do that, and athletes are often involved as brand ambassadors or investors.
- Web3: NFTs took the world by storm in 2021, and sports was at the center of some of the biggest use cases like NBA Top Shot (collectible highlights), Sorare (blockchain-based fantasy game) and digital tickets.
The big picture: Will Ventures is far from the only organization with a sports-centric view on investing. The last word: Up until recently, "sport and entertainment was an area that could use a more professional investment lens," says Michael Spirito, founding partner and lead investor for Sapphire Sport. "Now there are a number of players, which speaks to how big the opportunity is." |     | | | | | | 2. 📉 The year of the aging superstar |  | | | Photo: Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images | | | | Sports' ageless superstars — legends who have entertained and inspired us for decades — are struggling simultaneously. - 🏀 LeBron James' Lakers fell to 0-4 on Wednesday, the first time he's been 0-4 since his rookie season in 2003-04. James is hardly to blame for the Lakers' dysfunction, but this is his team — this is his story.
- 🏈 Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers lost to former XFL QBs on Sunday to fall to 3-4. If the Bucs lose tonight, Brady will fall below .500 through eight games for the first time ever.
- ⚽️ Cristiano Ronaldo was recently benched by Manchester United for refusing to play as a substitute, and they're so desperate to get rid of him that they made him available on a free transfer.
The big picture: Add in Roger Federer and Serena Williams retiring, plus Phil Mickelson defecting to LIV, and it feels like there's a shift happening in sports right now. The bottom line: There's a chance the Lakers, Bucs and Packers rebound, and perhaps Ronaldo redeems himself. But as of this very moment, "the sad trombones are tromboning and father time is in the bullpen, warming up," writes WSJ's Jason Gay ($). | | | | | | | | 3. 📆 Are you ready for some football? |  Chart: Axios Visuals Starting tonight, there will be either FBS college football or NFL every single day through Tuesday, Nov. 22. Why it matters: That's 27 straight days of football. Rejoice! | | | | | | | | A message from Upside | | This app is helping users treat themselves | | |  | | | | Upside is on a mission to make sure that, even during expensive times, people still have a little extra money for a rainy day fund. The free app gets users cash back on: - Gas.
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On average, users earn $148 annually. Download the free Upside app to start earning. | | | | | | 4. ⚡️ Lightning round |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | ⚽️ Barça eliminated: Barcelona won't make the Champions League knockout stage for the second straight season after making it 17 straight times from 2004 to 2021. The struggle is real for the financially-challenged club. ⚾️ Waino's coming back: Adam Wainwright will pitch for the Cardinals next year, choosing to return for a 19th and final season without longtime battery mate Yadier Molina. ⚽️ MLS playoff expansion: MLS is considering expanding its playoff structure to have as many as 30 games with a World Cup-style format, ESPN reports. The current format features just 13 games. 🏀 L.A. neighbors: Russell Westbrook has reportedly purchased a $37 million home directly across the street from LeBron James. | | | | | | | | 5. 🏈 College football's season of orange | | Source: Giphy "It's shaping up to be a banner [college football] season for one of the brightest colors on the visible spectrum: orange," writes FiveThirtyEight's Josh Planos. - Two of the top five teams in the AP poll (Tennessee and Clemson) claim orange as their primary color, and the Vols are 7-0 for the first time since they won the national title in 1998.
- Illinois has the nation's best defense and sits atop the Big Ten West, while Oklahoma State has the nation's third-best offense and the eighth-best odds of making the playoff.
Plus: Syracuse is having one of its best seasons in years and nearly upset Clemson this past weekend ... Oregon State is already bowl eligible, a feat it's accomplished just once since 2014 ... UTSA sits atop Conference USA. The big picture: Orange may be having a season in the sun, but red-clad teams are still king, with Georgia and Ohio State the two favorites to win it all. This is keeping with tradition, notes Planos: "Half of the 10 winningest college football teams of all time claim a red primary, and of the 153 all-time national champions identified by Sports-Reference.com, nearly half were won by 'red teams.'" | | | | | | | | 6. 🏔 Tackling the Seven Summits |  | | | Kirstie Ennis accepts the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2019 ESPYs. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images | | | | There's no shortage of athletes who've accomplished unimaginable feats, but even among them, former U.S. Marine Kirstie Ennis stands alone, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. What's happening: Ennis, 31, nearly died in a helicopter crash 10 years ago in Afghanistan, which resulted in her left leg being amputated. Next spring, she'll attempt to summit Mount Everest to complete her journey of the Seven Summits — the highest point on every continent. Six down, one to go: - March 2017: Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, Africa)
- July 2017: Mount Carstensz (Indonesia, Asia)
- September 2018: Mount Elbrus (Russia, Europe)
- February 2019: Aconcagua (Argentina, South America)
- June 2021: Denali (Alaska, North America)
- January 2022: Mount Vinson (Antarctica)
What she's saying: "I like being able to prove people wrong," Ennis told Jon Frankel on Tuesday's episode of HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel." "I really like being able to give people my middle finger and say, 'I told you so.'" The backdrop: All Ennis ever wanted to be was a Marine like her mom and dad. She enlisted at 17, requiring parental consent, and made it through her first tour of duty unscathed. - But in 2012, as a door gunner, her helicopter crashed while evading enemy fire. Six died, and her injuries were so bad that doctors thought she might not survive.
- A year later, after attempting suicide, she made the decision to have her left leg amputated to rid herself of the constant pain and begin moving on with her life. Then she took up climbing.
Looking back: Ennis' Everest attempt won't be her first. She came within 200 yards a few years ago, but had to turn around when her climbing partners ran out of oxygen. - "I didn't give a damn about summiting Everest if I didn't have them with me," she said.
- "The mountain's not gonna go anywhere, but I can come back."
Watch the latest "Real Sports" episode on HBO Max. | | | | | | | | 7. 📸 Pic du jour: The Greek Freak | | Photo: John Fisher/Getty Images Giannis Antetokounmpo is off to a historic start for the undefeated Bucks. By the numbers: He scored 43 points and added 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a 110-99 win over the Nets on Thursday. - He leads the NBA in scoring at 36 points per game — while shooting a ridiculous 67.7% from the field.
- He's the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972-73 to average 36+ points and 13+ rebounds through the first three games of a season.
- He has 87 points over his last two games, the most over any two-game span in his career.
The bottom line: Please, do not take this man for granted. | | | | | | | | 8. 📺 Watchlist: Brady needs a win |  | | | Photo: Eakin Howard/Getty Images | | | | The Buccaneers host the Ravens tonight (8:15pm ET, Prime) in a game that 3-4 Tampa Bay — losers of two straight and four of five — desperately needs to win. - The backdrop: Amazon's "Thursday Night Football" ratings have been plummeting, from 13 million in Week 1 to 7.8 million last week. They'll be hoping this matchup delivers.
- Lines: Spread: TB -1.5 | O/U: 45.5 | Money: TB -135, BAL +115 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
More to watch: | | | | | | | | 9. 🏈 NFL trivia |  | | | Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images | | | | The Eagles sent a fourth-round pick to the Bears for Robert Quinn, one of seven active players with 100+ career sacks (he has 102). - Question: How many of the other six can you name?
- Hint: Two of their first names start with C and two start with J.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. ⚾️ 1 World Series thing: Revenge |  | | | Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Bob Levey and Rich Schultz/Getty Images | | | | The 2022 World Series will be a tale of revenge, one way or another. - The last team to beat the Astros? The Phillies.
- The last team to beat the Phillies in a series? The Astros.
| | | | | | | | A message from Upside | | How to fight inflation with your everyday spending | | |  | | | | The Upside app pays you back a little from each purchase to help offset rising costs. On average, users earn $148 annually. You can get cash back at: - Gas stations.
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Take back control of your budget and download the free Upside app. | | | | Talk tomorrow, Kendall "Can't think of a good nickname today so I'm just writing a sentence about how I can't think of a good nickname and using it as my nickname" Baker Trivia answer: Von Miller (121.5 sacks), Cameron Jordan (111.5), Chandler Jones (108), Justin Houston (106), J.J. Watt (104.5), Aaron Donald (102) 🙏 Have a great day! Follow us for more (@kendallbaker and @jeffreytracy). Friends can sign up here. Thanks to Bryan McBournie for copy edits. |  | | Are you a fan of this email format? It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 300 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
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