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Paul vs Tyson: Record Gambling Take

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Professional boxers Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s made-for-Netflix fight on Friday night has the world’s oddsmakers anticipating record wagering for a boxing match.

“We expect the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight to be the most bet on boxing match in BetMGM history,” senior trader Alex Rella said.

Paul, 27, will step into the ring against the 58-year-old Tyson at 8 p.m. ET on Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The fight was rescheduled from July 20 because Tyson had an ulcer flare-up in late May.

Paul, the YouTube star turned professional boxer, enters the fight with a 10-1 record that includes seven knockouts. The most recent was a sixth-round TKO of Mike Perry, who filled in for Tyson in July.

Meanwhile, Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) will fight professionally for the first time since losing to Kevin McBride in 2005. The former undisputed heavyweight champion from 1987-90, Tyson began his career with 19 consecutive wins by knockout, with 12 coming in the first round.

The Tyson-Paul bout will consist of eight two-minute rounds, instead of the regulation three-minute rounds. Also, each fighter will use 14-ounce gloves instead of the standard 10 ounces to limit punching power.

Paul is the heavy favorite at most sportsbooks. That includes DraftKings, where he has been backed by 64 percent of the money at -275. Tyson has drawn 66 percent of the total bets at +210, with the book setting the Over/Under for total rounds at 5.5.

Tyson has been the more popular play at BetMGM, where his odds have shifted from +275 to +188 while being backed by 59 percent of the bets and 76 percent of the money. Meanwhile, Paul’s odds have shifted from -275 to -190 since the market opened.

The most popular prop has been a Tyson win by KO/TKO or disqualification at +250, followed by a Tyson win on points at +1100.

“Bettors want to see Paul get knocked out and love Tyson as an underdog,” Rella said. “The book will be rooting for Paul to win.”

The most-bet fight in BetMGM history was Gervonta Davis’ win by TKO over Ryan Garcia in April 2023, followed by Paul’s unanimous decision victory over Nate Diaz in August of that year. Paul has six of the top 25 most-bet boxing matches in the book’s history.

–Field Level Media

Hockey Hall Deepens Selection Committee

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TORONTO – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Lanny McDonald, Chair of the Board of the Hockey Hall of Fame, announced new appointments to the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee as confirmed at the Directors’ meeting held yesterday in Toronto.

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Jarome Iginla and Ed Olczyk will join the Selection Committee commencing with the 2025 nomination and election proceedings (replacing David Branch and Mike Gartner, each having served their full-term limit of 15 years). McDonald also announced that Ron Francis will become Chair of the Selection Committee, taking over from Gartner who will transition to Chair of the Board in June 2025.

“One of the things that makes the Selection Committee so strong is the regular inclusion of new voices and the opportunity for highly knowledgeable hockey people to contribute in the process of honouring excellence in our game,” said McDonald. “To this end, we are very pleased to welcome Jarome and Ed to the committee, and thrilled that Ron, a long-time member and one of hockey’s great leaders, has agreed to serve as Chair. I would also like to express our appreciation and gratitude to David and Mike for their outstanding contributions over the past several years.”

Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020, Jarome Iginla played over 15 seasons with the Calgary Flames and led the team in scoring during 11 of those seasons. A three‐time NHL First All‐Star Team member, Iginla recorded 1,300 points in 1,554 regular season games over his phenomenal 22-year NHL career. He was also a member of Team Canada at three Olympic Games, winning gold medals in 2002 and 2010.

Ed Olczyk, a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame (Class of 2012), played more than 1,000 games recording 794 points throughout 16 NHL seasons. During the 1989–90 season Olczyk scored a point in 18 consecutive games, which was then the longest streak by an American-born player in NHL history. Following his playing career, Olczyk has served as an NHL coach and is a two-time Emmy award winning broadcaster.

Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007, Ron Francis ranks second on the NHL all‐time assist list and is a two‐time Stanley Cup champion. After his playing career, the Hurricanes officially retired Francis’ No. 10 jersey on January 28, 2006, and the long‐time Carolina Hurricanes captain would serve the club in a variety of capacities before being named General Manager in April 2014. He is currently the Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the Seattle Kraken, a position he has held since the expansion club commenced operations in 2019.

In addition to these new appointments, Brian Burke, Marc de Foy, Anders Hedberg and Pierre McGuire were re-appointed to the Selection Committee each for a further three-year term expiring December 31, 2027.

The Selection Committee will meet in late June 2025 to consider duly nominated candidates for election into Honoured Membership and the annual Induction Celebration will be held on Monday, November 10, 2025

Hall of Fame Reveals Classic Era Ballot

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COOPERSTOWN – (Staff and Wire Service Report with Information from Official News Release) – The official Classic Era ballot for the 2025 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction and it includes familiar names for baseball fans of a tremendous era of the game, prior to 1980.

Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, John Donaldson, Steve Garvey, Dave Parker, Vic Harris, Tommy John and Luis Tiant are all up for consideration as part of the Classic Baseball Era ballot. Candidates need to receive votes on 75% of the ballots cast by the committee to earn election.

 Eight players for consideration:

Dick Allen, 1B/3B

Allen has been considered for Cooperstown multiple times by these committees, most recently in 2021 when he fell one vote shy of finally being elected to the Hall of Fame. The numbers largely speak for themselves, but Allen doesn’t have a plaque just yet. Unfortunately, Allen passed away in December 2020, just a few months after the Phillies retired his number — an honor the club had previously reserved for players already in the Hall of Fame.

Ken Boyer, 3B

An incredible all-around third baseman, Boyer earned five Gold Glove Awards (including four straight from 1958-61), 11 All-Star nods and the 1964 NL MVP Award. He also played a pivotal role in helping the Cardinals win the 1964 World Series, leading the Majors with 119 RBIs during the regular season before hitting a pair of clutch homers in the World Series. Boyer hit a series-shifting grand slam in Game 4 and added an insurance homer in the decisive Game 7.

John Donaldson, LHP

Donaldson was such a draw during his barnstorming days that he earned the nickname “Famous” — and was called it so frequently that some thought it was his actual first name. Research indicates Donaldson may have played some form of professional or semi-pro ball for 42 seasons from 1908-49. Having started his baseball career more than a decade before the Negro National League was created in 1920, Donaldson played for at least 25 clubs, and while it’s hard to know his exact stats, Negro Leagues historian Pete Gorton verified the following numbers for Donaldson: 413 wins, 5,091 strikeouts, 14 no-hitters and two perfect games.

Steve Garvey, 1B

A 10-time All-Star, Garvey was the biggest name within the Dodgers’ record-setting infield of 8 1/2 seasons that included second baseman Davey Lopes, shortstop Bill Russell and third baseman Ron Cey. Garvey was the model of consistency from 1974-80, hitting between .297 and .319 while posting an OPS between .808 and .852 each season, all while never finishing lower than 14th in NL MVP voting. He also raised his game another level in the postseason, putting up a .910 OPS on the game’s biggest stage. Garvey’s NL record of 1,207 consecutive games played will likely never be broken.

Dave Parker, OF

Parker has a long list of accolades that includes seven All-Star nods, three Gold Gloves, three Silver Slugger Awards, the 1978 NL MVP Award and a pair of World Series titles. He also won back-to-back NL batting titles from 1977-78 and won the All-Star Game MVP Award in ‘79. Overall, Parker finished his 19-year career as a .290 hitter, with 2,712 hits (including 940 extra-base hits), 339 home runs, 1,493 RBIs, 154 stolen bases and 143 outfield assists.

Vic Harris, OF/Manager

Even with it possibly being incomplete, Harris’ baseball resume is remarkable. He was a fixture in the Negro Leagues, appearing as a player from 1922-47 while also managing from 1936-42 and again from 1945-48. While his exact numbers are hard to pin down, he’s listed as a career .303 hitter with a 112 OPS+. As for his managerial success, Harris guided the Homestead Grays to seven pennants and a World Series title in the Negro Leagues.

Tommy John, LHP

John’s name is as recognizable as perhaps any player in Major League history, though of course much of that has to do with the groundbreaking surgery that bears his name. But John also had the numbers to earn serious Hall of Fame consideration. He finished his 26-year career — one extended by the aforementioned surgical procedure — with 288 career victories. That ranks 26th all time, and 23 of the 25 players ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame. John’s longevity also helped him rack up 79.6 career fWAR, the 20th-highest total for any pitcher in the Modern Era (since 1900). The only two pitchers with more fWAR than John who are not in the Hall are Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, each of whom are on the outside for off-the-field reasons.

Luis Tiant, RHP

With a wildly unique delivery and long-lasting big league success, Boston’s very own Luis Tiant was a must-see any time he took the mound. “El Tiante” finished his 19-year Major League career with 229 wins and a 3.30 ERA while pitching for Cleveland (1964-69), Minnesota (’70), Boston (’71-78), the Yankees (’79-80), Pittsburgh (’81) and the Angels (’82). Tiant finished fifth in the AL MVP voting in 1968 — the “Year of the Pitcher” — after putting up an AL-best 1.60 ERA and leading the league with an 8.5 bWAR. He also recorded at least 12 wins in eight straight seasons from 1972-79. The only pitchers with more wins than Tiant’s 134 over that eight-season stretch were Steve Carlton (148), Jim Palmer (146), Gaylord Perry (145), Tom Seaver (140), Nolan Ryan (138) and Phil Niekro (137) — all of whom are in the Hall of Fame.

Rory Thinks Trump Can Solve Anything

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ABU DHABI  – (Wire Service Report) – Rory McIlroy said President elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House “clears the way” for a deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

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Trump recently said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast that he could negotiate a deal between the two sides in about “15 minutes.”

Of course, the “15 Minutes” has passed by ten times over.

“He might be able to,” McIlroy said Wednesday when asked about Trump’s remarks. “He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too.”

McIlroy spoke at a press conference for the DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

“Yeah, I think from the outside looking in, it’s probably a little less complicated than it actually is. But obviously, Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia. He’s got a great relationship with golf. He’s a lover of golf. So, maybe. Who knows?

“But I think as the President of the United States again, he’s probably got bigger things to focus on than golf.”

McIlroy was also asked about a report in the London-based tabloid The Sun that claimed he and Tiger Woods had helped to negotiate a $1.3 billion deal between the rival golf leagues.

“It’s the first that I’ve heard of it,” the Northern Irishman said. “I know (PGA Tour commissioner) Jay (Monahan) was in Saudi Arabia last week … and was having some meetings. But no, I think I would have heard if there was.

Peacock Boosts Comcast Revenue

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Reports) – Peacock parent company Comcast reported Thursday that its streaming service added 3 million subscribers during its live broadcast of the Paris Olympics.

Comcast, which also owns NBC Sports, said it made $32.1 billion in total revenue during the third quarter, which was boosted by Peacock’s 9 percent subscription growth from the prior quarter. Peacock now has 36 million subscribers and saw its revenue jump 82 percent to reach $1.5 billion.

“It was probably the proudest moment that I can think of since we’ve owned NBCUniversal, or certainly right up there,” Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said. “Just a tremendous team effort, really bringing the whole country into the drama. … We really look forward to (Los Angeles) in four years, we’ve got Milan in between (in 2026), and we go on from there.”

After the prior two Games were marred by the COVID-19 pandemic, viewership jumped 82 percent from the 2021 Olympics that were held in Tokyo. The Paris Games averaged 30.6 million viewers in the U.S. — the most for the Olympics since 2012 — on NBCU platforms. The earnings report Thursday was the first since the Paris Olympics, which lasted 17 days.

The next Winter Games are scheduled to be held in Milan in February 2026. Los Angeles is set to host the Summer Games in July 2028.

–Field Level Media

Shanahan, Holmgren Ready for Canton

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CANTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Super Bowl-winning head coaches Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan and George Seifert are among the nine semifinalists from the coach category nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Only one from the group can be named a finalist to be considered by the full Hall of Fame Selection Committee for possible election in 2025.

The Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee narrowed a list of 14 candidates to these semifinalists: Bill Arnsparger, Coughlin, Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert, Shanahan and Clark Shaughnessy. All but Arnsparger, Knox and Seifert reached the semifinalist stage in 2023.

The same committee is scheduled for a virtual meeting on Nov. 19 to nominate one finalist to be considered for enshrinement.

Earlier this week, the Hall of Fame semifinalists from the contributor category, from which one finalist will be up for consideration with the next Hall of Fame class, were released: K.S. “Bud” Adams, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Art Modell, Art Rooney Jr., Seymour Siwoff of the Elias Sports Bureau, Doug Williams and John Wooten.

A grand total of 20 finalists are presented for debate at the selection committee’s annual meeting in advance of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, including 15 modern-era players, three seniors, one coach and one contributor. Between four and eight new members will be selected, according to the Hall of Fame’s selection process bylaws.

–Field Level Media

Down Goes Draft Kings

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Online gambling institution DraftKings was back online Thursday afternoon after a widespread outage that impacted its sports betting platform for several hours.

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Beginning around 2:00am (ET). Thursday morning, odds across all sports in each of the states in which DraftKings operates were unavailable and replaced by an error message.

“We are aware that customers may be experiencing issues with certain features on our Sportsbook,” the company’s customer support team posted on the social media platform X at 8:29 a.m. ET. “This is currently affecting players in all jurisdictions. We are working on resolving this as quickly as possible.”

The company posted on X that “sportsbook functionality has been fully restored,” at 2:13 p.m. ET.

The 12-hour outage came on a sports day that includes the “Thursday Night Football” game between San Francisco and Seattle to begin Week 6 of the NFL schedule, along with a pair of Major League Baseball playoff games and Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.

While numerous DraftKings users took to social media to vent, the issue did not have a significant impact on the company’s stock, which was down only 0.34 percent as of 3:00pm (ET).

–Field Level Media

Twins for Sale

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MINNESOTA – St. PAUL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Pohlad family, owner of the Minnesota Twins since 1984, announced its begun steps to sell the team.

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“For the past 40 seasons, the Minnesota Twins have been part of our family’s heart and soul,” said Joe Pohlad, the team’s executive chair, in a news release. “This team is woven into the fabric of our lives, and the Twins community has become an extension of our family. The staff, the players, and most importantly, you, the fans — everyone who makes up this unbelievable organization — is part of that. We’ve never taken lightly the privilege of being stewards of this franchise.

“However, after months of thoughtful consideration, our family reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins. As we enter the next phase of this process, the time is right to make this decision public.”

Pohlad said the family intends to sell to an “ownership group who all of us can be proud of and who will take care of the Minnesota Twins.”

Toward that end, the Pohlads retained investment bank Allen & Company to guide a potential sale.

Sportico valued the franchise at $1.7 billion, or 19th among the 30 MLB teams. Earlier this year, Forbes placed the value at $1.46 billion, ranked 21st on its list.

Only three ownership groups have controlled a team longer than the Pohlad family — the New York Yankees (1973), the Chicago White Sox (1981) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1981).

“After four decades of commitment, passion, and countless memories, we are looking toward the future with care and intention — for our family, the Twins organization, and this community we love so much” Pohlad said.

The most recent team to change hands was the Baltimore Orioles. MLB owners approved the sale in March to a group led by private equity billionaire David Rubenstein for a reported $1.725 billion.

The late Carl Pohlad paid $44 million to buy the Twins.

Minnesota finished the 2024 season with an 82-80 record, four games out of a wild-card spot following a late-season swoon.

–Field Level Media

Major Damage to “The Trop”

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TAMPA-St. PETERSBURG  – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Tampa Bay Rays organization will assess the damage done to Tropicana Field, inflicted on Wednesday night as Hurricane Milton bore down on the region.

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The roof at the stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla., broke apart amid the wind and rain from the Category 3 hurricane. The Rays didn’t address whether the “Trop,” as it is called, will be playable to start the 2025 season.

“During the past couple weeks, our beloved city, region and state have been impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We are devastated by the damage incurred by so many,” the team noted Thursday afternoon in a statement posted to social media.

“Our priority is supporting our community and our staff. We are fortunate and grateful that no one was hurt by the damage to our ballpark last night. Over the coming days and weeks, we expect to be able to assess the true condition of Tropicana Field. In the meantime, we are working with law enforcement to secure the building.

“We ask for your patience at this time, and we encourage those who can to donate to organizations in our community that are assisting those directly impacted by these storms.”

The stadium, initially called the Florida Suncoast Dome when it opened in 1990, has been the Rays’ home since the franchise played its first game in 1998. It had been set to serve as a staging area for first responders in the storm.

Tropicana Field cost $138 million to build. The 1.1-million square foot building was covered by what the team media guide calls “the world’s largest cable-supported domed roof,” which is “made of six acres of translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass and supports itself with 180 miles of cables connected by struts.”

It was built to withstand winds up to 115 mph.

The Weather Channel reported wind gusts of up to 102 mph in St. Petersburg. Parts of the downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg were drenched by as much as 17 inches or rain, per the report.

There was good news at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, however. NFL Network reported Thursday that the stadium and the Bucs’ practice field sustained only “cosmetic” damage.

–Field Level Media

Ohtani 50/50 Ball to Auction

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RUNNEMEDE, NJ – (Staff and Wire service Report) – The owner of the ball that Shohei Ohtani hit for his historic 50th homer of the year remains in dispute, but the souvenir will continue to be auctioned off while legal proceedings continue.

Goldin Auctions announced Monday that the lawyers for the fans who are arguing over the ball’s rightful owner agreed to let the auction continue. With another two weeks to go in the auction, the latest top bid was $1.5 million, which would see the buyer owing more than $1.8 million when the auction house’s fee is included.

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The ball has significant value because of its place in baseball history: When that ball cleared the fence in Miami on Sept. 19, Ohtani became the first player ever to amass 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same year. The Los Angeles Dodgers star ended the season with 54 homers and 59 steals.

After the ball landed in the left field stands, Chris Belanski wound up with it, and he is the one who initiated the auction. However, two other fans, Max Matus and Joseph Davidov, subsequently filed separate lawsuits alleging that they had possession of the ball before it was taken from them.

Davidov’s attorney, Devon Workman, told Front Office Sports on Monday, “Parties have agreed to let the sale proceed and then the parties will continue to litigate over ownership over the final proceeds of the sale.”

Goldin said in a statement, according to ESPN, that “all parties want the 50/50 ball to be auctioned by Goldin, and have agreed to convey any and all of their ownership interests in the 50/50 ball to the winner of the auction, giving the winner full assurance that they will receive free and clear title to the 50/50 ball.”

The record price for a baseball is $3 million, which was paid for the ball Mark McGwire hit for his 70th homer in 1998.

–Field Level Media