Archives for April 30, 2023

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Sports gambling has engulfed the Commonwealth and 36 other States in the Union lighting a fire of competition amongst licensed gambling houses (errr, call ‘em Bookies). Upon sports gambling Zero Hour (January 31), advertising rose to a fever pitch and then they upped the ante on March 10 as March Madness was upon us. That maneuvering will only be topped come August when preseason NFL football and the kickoff to college football dominate the sports calendar.

You think there’s a ton of commercials, billboards and ads now? Wait until Bill Belichick and the Patriots break-out the footballs. The States, the leagues/conferences/NCAA and the gaming outlets will battle it out, after all, it’s been a LONG time coming.

The Supreme Court struck down the Federal law prohibiting gambling on sports. After all, why should one State (Nevada) have a set of rules while the others operate under different law?

As Sportico explained in a guest column by Jed Corenthal, chief marketing officer at Phenix Real Time Solutions, who wrote, “On May 14, 2018, the world of sports betting changed forever. The U.S. Supreme Court voted to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, also known as PASPA or the Bradley Act, arguing that the law violated the anti-commandeering principal. The Supreme Court clarified: “Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each State is free to act on its own.”

Congress did not, so it has been left up to each individual State to decide how to regulate sports betting.

As of now, 37 states in the U.S. (plus Washington, D.C.) have some form of legalized sports betting, and another nine states are in various stages of legalization from proposed bills to legislative votes coming later this year (Maine and Minnesota have “Got Next”), proving there is undeniable interest in legalized sports betting. And it’s showing no signs of stopping or slowing down,” stated Corenthal.

The latest reports from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission show the Commonwealth collected over $9 million in taxes from sports betting just in the month of March. April reports will show the strength of mobile wagering, the start of Baseball and the NBA and NHL Playoffs.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: People! Set your DVRs for CBS’ 60 Minutes! We have earlier start times for the NBA Finals. … For years, we jousted with the powers that be (various TV networks, network executives and NBA executives and even a Commissioner) to start NBA Finals games 30 minutes earlier and anywhere from 7:00pm (ET) to 8:00pm (ET) on Sundays, when viewers are usually home and enjoying some down time after dinner. … Recognizing it’s challenging for West Coast fans to be in their seats at their arena or in front of their home TVs at 5:30pm (PT) for week-day games, the fact of the matter is that much more of the sports-loving country would benefit from the extra 30 minutes.

NEW NBA FINALS START TIMES: (* = If necessary)

Game 1 — Thursday, June 1 at 8:30pm (ET)

Game 2 — Sunday, June 4 at 8pm (ET)

Game 3 — Wednesday, June 7 at 8:30pm (ET)

Game 4 — Friday, June 9 at 8:30pm (ET)

Game 5* — Monday, June 12 at 8:30pm (ET)

Game 6* — Thursday, June 15 at 8:30pm (ET)

Game 7* — Sunday, June 18 at 8pm (ET)

AARON RODGERS TO J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS: The New York/New Jersey Jets have long been rumored to have a Super Bowl champion and four-time NFL MVP join the club as its starting quarterback for the Fall of 2023. The deal went down on Monday as the Jets acquired QB Aaron Rodgers, along with the 15th pick in the NFL Draft and a fifth-rounder (No. 170). In return, the Green Bay Packers received the 13th and 42nd picks of the 2023 NFL Draft, a sixth-rounder (No. 207) for this year and a conditional second-round selection in 2024 that can become a first-rounder if Rodgers plays at least 65 percent of the NYJ snaps this coming season. … Former Utah State QB Jordan Love, 24 and the 26th overall pick of the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, will be given the keys to the famed Packers franchise. … The acquisition of Rodgers by the NYJ might remind Jets’ followers of another Green Bay Hall of Fame QB in Brett Favre landing with New York after 16 seasons with the Packers. Favre won the 1997 Super Bowl and was chosen as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player three times (1995-97) with Green Bay. Favre’s No 4 was retired by Green Bay in 2015. Surely, Rodgers’ No. 12 will soon be retired by the Packers but until then, No. 12 will wear No. 8 – his college uniform number – as No. 12 with the Jets has been retired in honor of Joe Namath.

Aside from his play on the field, Page 6 in New York will have a challenging time keeping track of Rodgers’ off-the-field endeavors. The flirting footballer’s relationships are as far-flinging as Charlotte Brereton, a podcaster and social media influencer, known as Blu of Earth to race car driver Danica Patrick to actress Shailene Woodley to actress Olivia Munn and, most recently, to model Mallory Edens, daughter of Wes Edens who is one of the primary owners of the Milwaukee Bucks.

NFL DRAFT: Years before meeting the challenge of staging the NFL Draft in Commissioner Roger Goodell’s home basement because of the pandemic, the NFL took a bold move and took the show on the road. Looking back over the many years, the NFL Draft was held in New York City from 1965-2014, including runs at the Theater at Madison Square Garden (1995-2004) and Radio City Music Hall (2006-14). In 2015, the site moved to Chicago for a two-year run, and since then, the NFL has staged its event in Philadelphia (2017), Dallas (2018), Nashville (2019), Cleveland (2021), Las Vegas (2022), and then to Goodell’s lounge. … This week, the NFL took a bold move and held its annual player draft outdoors at Union Station and the adjacent National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. … The league estimated a capacity of 60,000 fans at the site.

TIDBITS: The National Basketball Association and National Basketball Players Association finalized their new Collective Bargaining Agreement after formal ratification by the NBA Board of Governors and the rank and file of NBA players. The seven-year agreement will take effect on July 1, 2023 and run through the 2029-30 season. … Meanwhile, former chief legal officer for the NBA Jeffrey Mishkin will serve as arbitrator in the dispute between Arizona Cardinals team owner Michael Bidwill and the team’s former vice president of player personnel, Terry McDonough. Mishkin will decide if McDonough’s claim accusing Bidwill of gross misconduct, cheating, discrimination and harassment, in an arbitration claim sent to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on April 4. You can search the whole wide world and will never find a better man than Jeff Mishkin.

CHECK THE NCAA MANUAL, FORM A COMMITTEE: I dare the consumers and contributors to While We’re Young (Ideas) to read this twice: According to the incredible D-1 Ticker, “The NCAA Board of Governors encouraged the DI Board of Directors to move forward with the division’s holistic student-athlete model and recommended that President (Charlie) Baker – (we still call him Guv’nah) continue exploring how best to include DII and DIII in a post-eligibility health care model. The board also discussed a newly established executive committee to promote more effective and efficient governance and establish a competitive compensation program for NCAA executive staff. The committee can also conduct business in between regularly scheduled meetings of the full board and is authorized to initiate and settle litigation. Also, CMO Hainline provided an update on the work of the Mental Health Advisory Group, which is reviewing and recommending updates to the NCAA’s best practices documents and other relevant mental health materials. It is on track to submit recommendations to the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports for review in June with a final document ready for board approval at its meeting during the 2024 Convention. … Reminds us of a time when the late David Stern was asked about the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement and the ruling of the 1968 Haywood Case and subsequent settling of Robertson v. NBA. The implication of the question was that Stern could wave a magic wand and change the legal history that was settled to allow players to enter the draft after their “high school class had graduated” or roughly 18 years of age. Stern and the NBA had bargain with the NBA Players Union to go to the ill-fated “one and done” system. The former Commissioner gave one of his patented, sarcastic answers when the innocent inquirer asked if the “NBA had sought insight from the NCAA” to help solve the problems. “Yes, said Stern, setting the reporter up with his timing, “but they sent it to a committee who sent it to a committee who sent it to a sub-committee and we’ve yet to hear back.”

The Boston Celtics issued the following statement: There is no better way to say it.

“Heather Walker was a boundlessly charismatic, giving, and selfless soul. Every room she entered was brighter for her presence. As anyone who knew her could attest, her abundant positive energy and kindness should not be mistaken for any lack of fortitude or determination when such qualities were required. She thrived in chaos, always able to recognize the humor that the adventures of her life brought her. Each of these attributes were on display through the best days of her life, and remained intact, sharpened even, when she encountered her cruel diagnosis.

Displaying exceptional courage, she made a point of raising awareness for glioblastoma through the Move4Heather movement, wanting to use her situation to help the lives of others, which was entirely consistent with her character. Through her illness, she was resolute and extraordinary in boosting the spirits of those around her, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and essential awareness in hopes of easing the suffering and saving the lives of others.

We will miss her for her energy, the joy and laughter that followed her everywhere she went, and we are grateful for everything she provided her Celtics family and the countless people that she positively impacted along the way. Our hearts and sympathy are with Heather’s loving family and friends, whom she cherished. She will remain part of our fabric for as long as the Celtics go on.”

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