Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Archives for November 21, 2023

Ross Places Dolphins on the Block

by

MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report from a News Post by Sportico) – Billionaire Stephen Ross is exploring options to sell a minority stake in the Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium and the F1 Miami Grand Prix, according to a report from sports business site, Sportico.

Embed from Getty Images

Ross reportedly has been talking to multiple investors since earlier this year, according to a Sportico source.

It is possible that Ross could decide not to sell at a later date, according to the source.

The talks are reportedly intended to provide Ross with capital to invest in new sports ventures.

Ross is worth $8.64 billion, according to Bloomberg, but Forbes pegs his net worth at $11.6 billion. He is the principal owner of the Dolphins which, including team-related businesses and real estate holdings, are worth $5.24 billion, per Sportico.

In 2022, the Dolphins had revenue of nearly $600 million and an operating profit of approximately $128 million.

He is also the principal owner of Hard Rock Stadium, which had total revenues of $129.8 million, according to Fitch Ratings.

Ross also owns the Miami International Autodrome, which runs around Hard Rock Stadium and had exclusive rights to host the Miami Grand Prix through the 2032 season. The Formula 1 Grand Prix was held there for the first time in 2022.

In addition to The Related Companies, a real estate development company he founded in 1972, Ross is also the 2012 co-founder of a private investment firm, RSE Ventures, which covers sports and entertainment, media and marketing, food and lifestyle, and technology.

Ross has been active in real estate development and philanthropy for four decades. His other holdings include the Miami Open tennis event as well as investments in the Equinox gym chain and SoulCycle.

Ross is the third NFL owner looking to sell a minority franchise stake. New Washington Commanders owners David Blitzer and Josh Harris need to divest their stakes in the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Los Angeles Chargers have a 24 percent stake available.

–Field Level Media

Lightning’s Hagel Burns Bruins in OT

by

TAMPA-ST. PETE – Tampa’s Brandon Hagel scored on a breakaway 1:19 into overtime as the Tampa Bay Lightning took down the NHL’s top club, topping the visiting Boston Bruins 5-4 on Monday night.

https://youtu.be/PN2aPYJnEXk?si=pWLYisodG_GDgskX

After winning the overtime face-off and keeping possession the entire three-on-three session, Victor Hedman found Hagel on a breakaway off a line change.

Hagel slipped his ninth goal through the legs of goaltender Jeremy Swayman (41 saves) as the Lightning won for the first time in five overtime games.

Hagel and Steven Stamkos each had a goal and an assist, while Tanner Jeannot, Nicholas Paul and Austin Watson scored to help Tampa Bay improve to 6-2-2 at home and win its third straight game. Goalie Jonas Johansson stopped 23 shots.

David Pastrnak recorded a goal and an assist, and Pavel Zacha and John Beecher each scored for the Bruins, who dropped to 7-1-2 in their past 10 games and are 2-3 in overtime.

To open the second game on their three-game homestand, the Lightning went up 1-0 on a delayed penalty, as Jeannot scored his fourth goal at 6:39.

However, the visitors scored the equalizer off a turnover when Pastrnak skated in and reversed a pass to Zacha, who deposited his seventh goal at 9:55.

During a testy second period that resulted in three of the six minor penalties being for roughing, the Lightning had a five-on-three and four-on-three power play.

But Paul put his club up 2-1 when he deflected in a wide shot from Mikhail Sergachev with 30 seconds remaining in the frame.

Starting the third trailing for just the second time in 17 games, the Bruins evened it 2-all when Pastrnak blistered his 12th goal from way above the left circle at 6:26, then the club quickly took its first lead.

It kept the puck in the offensive zone, and the puck found its way to Beecher, who slipped his second tally by Johansson just 82 seconds after Pastrnak’s goal.

On his first point of the season, Watson flipped in the game-tying goal from the bottom of the right circle less than a minute later.

James van Riemsdyk won a battle behind the Lightning goal and put the puck on Coyle’s stick for his sixth tally at 16:09.

However, Stamkos’ seventh marker tied it with. 4.8 seconds left to send the match to overtime.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Gift a Game in Charlotte

by

CHARLOTTE – Hornets forward Miles Bridges, recently reinstated from an NBA suspension, drilled a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 6.1 seconds left in overtime as Charlotte pulled off a 121-118 upset victory against the visiting Boston Celtics on Monday.

Charlotte delivered a startling fourth-quarter comeback, scoring the last nine points in regulation over a span of the final two minutes, en route to snapping a four-game losing streak.

LaMelo Ball contributed 36 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Hornets. Ex-Celtic Gordon Hayward had 20 points, Mark Williams posted 18 points and 16 rebounds, Bridges finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds and P.J. Washington had 15 points off the bench.

Jayson Tatum scored 31 of his 45 points in the first half for the Celtics, whose six-game winning streak ended. He also had team-high totals in rebounds (13) and assists (six).

Boston’s Payton Pritchard produced 21 points off the bench, while teammates Kristaps Porzingis (17 points), Jaylen Brown (13) and Jrue Holiday (11) were also in double figures.

After Bridges’ basket, Tatum made two free throws and Hayward matched that to account for the final score.

Until the final minutes Monday, the Celtics had a wildly successful four-game road trip — and they were greeted by many of their adoring fans on this final stop.

Bridges played in his third game since serving a suspension stemming from a domestic violence case, but he was in the starting lineup for the first time. Bridges replaced Washington.

Charlotte, which was down 11 points with six minutes left, trailed 108-99 with two minutes to go before rallying.

Williams’ putback of an offensive rebound made it a two-point game with 33 seconds left.

Holiday missed a pair of free throws with 10.1 seconds to play in regulation, and Ball’s driving, double-clutch layup tied the score with seven seconds left. Boston’s Sam Hauser missed a potential winning shot at the regulation buzzer.

The Celtics led 65-54 at halftime. Charlotte was within 90-87 on Washington’s jumper with about 9 1/2 minutes to play.

Ball had 17 first-half points, but that seemed pedestrian compared to Tatum, who shot 10-for-15 from the floor and sank five 3-pointers in the half.

–Field Level Media

Eagles Land Big Win at KC

by

KANSAS CITY – Philly QB Jalen Hurts rushed for two touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to beat the host Kansas City Chiefs 21-17 on Monday night in a Super Bowl rematch.

Embed from Getty Images

 

D’Andre Swift rushed for a touchdown and had 107 scrimmage yards (76 rushing, 31 receiving) as the Eagles, who own the best record in the NFL at 9-1, won their fourth straight game. DeVonta Smith caught six passes for 99 yards, including a long one that set up the winning score.

Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdowns but also threw an interception and finished with just 177 passing yards. He completed 24 of 43 passes for the Chiefs (7-3). Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Justin Watson had touchdown receptions.

The Week 11 showdown was a rematch of the highly competitive Super Bowl LVII. The Chiefs won the game 38-35 thanks to Harrison Butker’s game-winning 27-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining.

Hurts was 14-of-22 passing for 150 yards and one interception on Monday. He was harassed repeatedly in the first half when he was sacked five times, but the Eagles didn’t allow a sack in the second half.

Chris Jones and Trent McDuffie each had two sacks for the Chiefs. Kelce had seven receptions but just 44 yards.

Philadelphia moved ahead for the first time at 21-17 with 6:20 remaining.

The touchdown was set up by Hurts’ 41-yard pass to Smith to the Kansas City 1-yard line. The Eagles then called for the “Tush Push,” and Hurts received the usual extra help while plunging in for the score.

The Chiefs later took over from their 9-yard line with 2:49 remaining. Kansas City had second down from its 49-yard line when Mahomes threw deep but Marquez Valdes-Scantling dropped the pass despite being open inside the Philadelphia 5.

Embed from Getty Images

Later in the possession, Mahomes’ pass on fourth-and-25 was incomplete and the Eagles took over with 1:28 left and ran out the clock.

The Eagles pulled within 17-14 when Hurts scored on a 10-yard keeper on third-and-5 with 4:05 left in the third quarter.

Mahomes threw two touchdowns to help the Chiefs hold a 17-7 halftime lead.

Kansas City got on the board when Mahomes tossed a 3-yard scoring pass to Watson with 5:34 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles knotted the score on Swift’s 4-yard run with 31 seconds remaining in the opening period.

The Chiefs scored 10 points in the final two minutes of the half. Mahomes hit Kelce on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 1:45 left and Butker booted a 43-yarder as time expired.

–Field Level Media

It’s Georgia and Ohio State as No. 1 and 2

by

DALLAS – Ohio State overtook Michigan to capture the No. 2 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Sunday, as the bitter rivals prepare to meet next weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Embed from Getty Images

The Wolverines, without suspended coach Jim Harbaugh, earned their 1,000th program victory on Saturday against Maryland but dropped one spot to No. 3.

Georgia, which has sat atop the poll all season, remained No. 1 and earned 61 of 62 first-place votes, with the remaining vote going to the Buckeyes.

Washington, after a 22-20 win over then-No. 10 Oregon State, rose a spot to No. 4, trading places with No. 5 Florida State. The Seminoles defeated North Alabama on Saturday but lost their starting quarterback, Jordan Travis, to an apparently serious left leg injury.

Each of the teams in the top five is 11-0. The College Football Playoff committee, which ultimately determines the four teams that will contest for the national championship, will issue its updated rankings on Tuesday.

This week, the CFP had Georgia at No. 1, followed by Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State and Washington.

The AP Top 25 ranking for the No. 6 through 9 teams remained unchanged Sunday, with No. 6 Oregon followed by Texas, Alabama and Louisville — a quartet of 10-1 teams.

Oregon State (8-3) plummeted five spots to No. 15.

Moving up one spot to No. 10 was Missouri, followed by Penn State, Ole Miss and Oklahoma, all 8-2. LSU (9-3) stands at No. 14.

With losses Saturday, James Madison (10-1) plunged six spots to No. 24, with Tennessee falling four positions to No. 25.