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SlamBall Addresses Health and Safety

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IN CASE THEY GET SLAMMED: SlamBall is coming! SlamBall is coming! The teams have been stocked with big-time athletes and bruisers and they are going to be risking life and limb. No joke. To that end, the league has worked diligently on its health and safety protocol program for the coming 2023 SlamBall League: Series Six season, which begins July 21 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. … The protocols are designed to make sure all athletes are receiving the best proactive health and wellness care and prevention without sacrificing any of their elite skills.

“We are a legitimate sport first and foremost, and the health and safety of our exemplary athletes is priority one,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall co-founder. “Having been in and around SlamBall since its inception, our leadership team knows the risks and the challenges these athletes are dealing with every minute they are on the court.e are proud to have been able to address the concerns and challenges of such a high flying, action packed sport by making sure we have the right protocols and best practices in place. This makes sure that our sport is beyond reproach for anyone participating or watching as we head toward the launch on July 21.”

  • All players protective equipment include: Elbow pads, knee pads, padded combat shirt, ankleroll guards/ankle braces, and custom padded and fitted head gear.
  • In the event of a blow to the head SlamBall’s on-site certified athletic training team will put players through an extensive concussion evaluation protocol. Without exception, players must be medically cleared before returning to play or practice.
  • Players must undergo daily health and safety screenings with trained medical personnel. Injury status is updated daily and shared with coaches and executives.
  • Timeouts for any injury during play will be at the discretion of the medical staff once the officials have stopped play. Players can return only when cleared by the SlamBall medical team.
  • In addition to the 7-man roster, there are four players on a taxi squad who are available to any team needing to add a player due to injury. A coach may also elect to keep a player from the taxi squad in this situation and assign a different player to IR as he rehabs and returns to health. The safety of active players remains the priority, with the rosters adjusting for athletes that are cleared and able to play.
  • No athletes will be able to participate in practice or games unless cleared by the medical team.
  • Updates on injuries will be provided to fans/media during the regular season as needed and as approved by medical personnel and in accordance with HIPAA rules.

SLAM TV: Opening Night for the return of SlamBall is Friday, July 21, at 7pm ET and it will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN. The broadcast will include three games, beginning with Rumble vs. Mob and continuing with Slashers vs. Lava, and concluding with a showdown between the winners of each match. ESPN+ will air the entire season of games beyond those on ESPN and ESPN2. The season culminates with the SlamBall Championship Game on Thursday, August 17, at 11pm ET on ESPN2.

PGA Tour Officials Testify Before Senate

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No Merger Deal is Done, According to PGA Tour Officials

WASH DC – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – PGA Tour officials painted a bleak outlook during a contentious Senate hearing Tuesday, sharing they felt no other choice was left but to merge with Saudi-backed LIV Golf in order for the tour to survive.

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“The PGA Tour is not that big in terms of players,” PGA Tour board member Jimmy Dunne said during sworn testimony Tuesday before the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in Washington, D.C. “If (LIV) takes five players a year, in five years they can gut us. They’ve got a management team that wants to destroy the Tour. And even though (LIV) could take five or six players a year, they have an unlimited horizon and an unlimited amount of money.

“So it isn’t like the (LIV) product is better. It’s just that there’s a lot more money that will make people move.”

Several Senators cited accusations of Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses as reason to question the May 30 framework agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

“Today’s hearing is about much more than the game of golf,” Senator Richard Blumenthal said. “It’s about how a brutal, repressive regime can buy influence, and indeed even take over a cherished American institution to cleanse its public image.”

Dunne and Ron Price, the chief operating officer of the PGA Tour, testified on behalf of the tour with CEO Jay Monahan on medical leave. They said the framework of the planned merger is the best opportunity to allow the PGA Tour to continue to have some degree of control over the sport despite the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia’s involvement.

When pressed on the details of the financial involvement of the Saudis, Price said, “There’s been discussions. It would be a significant amount. North of $1 billion.”

Along with other Senators, Blumenthal offered harsh criticism of the financial aspects of the decision to merge.

“There is something that stinks about this path that you’re on right now,” Blumenthal said, “because it is a surrender, and it is all about the money and that’s the reason for the backlash that you see.”

Blumenthal asked Price what his options are if the PGA Tour doesn’t execute the merger with LIV Golf.

“We would still be facing a real threat that LIV Golf would continue to recruit our top players,” Price said.

Blumenthal responded, “These players that stood by you are heroes.”

Dunne testified that he shares some of the concerns Blumenthal raised in the hearing.

“I really understand Sen. Blumenthal’s concern about having them take over,” Dunne said. “…I’m concerned with what the senator is worried about. But I’m concerned if we do nothing, we’re going to end up there, they’re going to end up owning golf. They can do it.”

The proposed merger could face blockage from the Justice Department, which has been investigating the PGA Tour for its attempt to keep its players from leaving for LIV, as well as a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a Treasury-led committee that assesses mergers for national security purposes.

Price and Dunne stressed during Tuesday’s hearing that final details of the merger are undetermined.

NBA: Silver Opines on Wealth Funds

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With sovereign wealth funds starting to shovel money into sports teams and leagues across the country, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Monday that he does not see any state-owned investment groups becoming the controlling owner of an NBA franchise anytime soon.

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Per the NBA’s investment rules, the controlling owner of an NBA franchise must own at least 15 percent of the franchise.

If a sovereign wealth fund wants to get involved, it must have a passive investment in the organization that is worth no more than five percent. A prime example of this is the Qatar sovereign wealth fund, which last month agreed to purchase a five-percent stake in Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the controlling owner of the Washington Wizards, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.

Silver wants to make sure that individuals are the ones that are primarily governing teams, though.

“I don’t want to say what could ever happen, but there’s no contemplation right now,” Silver said in Las Vegas. “I mean, it’s very important to us, putting aside sovereign wealth funds that individuals are in a position to control our teams, be responsible to the fans, be responsible to their partners and to the players.

“It’s very important to us that there be a person (in charge), and this is independent of sovereign wealth funds. I think that in terms of the connection with the community, the connection with the players and their other partners in the league.”

One of the most notable sovereign wealth funds as it relates to the sports is Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which funds LIV Golf. The PGA Tour created shockwaves across the golf world last month when it announced it planned to enter a merger with LIV.

–Field Level Media

Brady Lost $30 Million in FTX Collapse

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady lost millions in the collapse of cryptocurrency company FTX, for which he served as an ambassador, The New York Times reported Friday. Under an agreement the retired NFL quarterback made with FTX in 2021, he received $30 million in now-worthless stock for his work pitching the company in television ads and at its conference. In step with him at the time was his then-wife, Gisele Bundchen, who received $18 million in stock, per the report.

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FTX filed for bankruptcy last November. Its former CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, is facing federal fraud-related charges.

And Brady, who won seven Super Bowl titles in his career, also faces legal peril on top of the financial losses. Both Brady and Bundchen, who officially divorced last October, are being sued by FTX investors who want repayment from celebrity endorsers. Basketball Hall of Fame member Shaquille O’Neal also has been sued in the FTX case, as have Larry David of “Seinfeld” fame, tennis player Naomi Osaka and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

“None of these defendants performed any due diligence prior to marketing these FTX products to the public,” according to the lawsuit, obtained by the Times. It was filed in federal court in Florida.

Before the collapse of FTX, it was valued at $32 billion, including $48 million in shares held by Brady and Bundchen, per the Times. Now, it has no value.

Brady, 45, ranked No. 50 on Forbes’ 2023 list of the World’s Highest-Paid Athletes with earnings of $45.2 million in football salary and endorsements.

SlamBall: Tickets On Sale for Las Vegas

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The organizers of SlamBall are selling tickets for 2023 SlamBall League Series 6, which includes 30 sessions over four consecutive weekends beginning on Friday, July 21 (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, ESPN). Tickets are now available at https://www.unlvtickets.com/eventInfo/spe/840/slamball with all games held at Cox Pavilion on the campus of University Nevada Las Vegas. Information on playoff tickets will be announced at a later date.

Tickets are priced at $30 for daily general admission, $50 for reserved and $125 for a limited number of VIP tickets, including post-game, on-court experiences with players and coaches.

Each competition day will feature two sessions of three games per session, with four teams battling in each session and all eight teams competing each night. The winners of the first two games of each session will then meet in the Main Event to determine the winner of the session.

SlamBall previously noted that ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ will combine to televise more than 60 hours of regular season action and all playoff games, including the SlamBall Finals as part of an exclusive, two-year national broadcast partnership for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

“Las Vegas has emerged as a sports mecca, and we take great pride in being a distinctive addition to the city’s thriving sports scene,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall creator and co-founder. “SlamBall is a sport that truly comes alive when experienced in person. There is simply nothing else comparable. The games are a thrilling display of non-stop, high-speed action from end to end, showcasing the extraordinary athleticism of our players. Being just a few feet away allows you to fully appreciate their remarkable skills. And we designed the schedule to make sure SlamBall fans can witness every team and player every night.”

Opening night will feature a battle between legacy teams MOB, led by Gage Smith (Elizabeth, CO) against the Rumble and its top star Bakari Copeland (Decatur, GA) and legendary Coach Ken Carter. Other games on Opening Night include the Slashers with captain Tony Crosby II (Inglewood, CA.) vs. Lava with Bryce Moragne (Tampa, FL) and Nathaniel Harris (Hammond,IN); Wrath with Christian Gray (Riverside, CA) vs. Gryphons and Justin Holmes (Roseville, CA); and Ozone with Bryan Bell-Anderson (Sarasota, FL) vs. Buzzsaw and Michael Kolawole (Rowlett, TX).

In the ensuing weeks, matchups will be announced several days prior to each week’s sessions, which following opening weekend will be held each Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through August 13. Each regular season competition date will feature two sessions, with all eight squads taking the court each night.

The full schedule, subject to change, with session start times and TV coverage is as follows:

📺 Regular Season (two sessions per date, all times PT):

• Fri, July 21, 4 p.m., ESPN
• Fri, July 21, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sat, July 22, 5 p.m., ESPN+
• Sat, July 22, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sun, July 23, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sun, July 23, 5 p.m., ESPN+
• Thu, July 27, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Thu, July 27, 8 p.m., ESPN
• Fri, July 28, 5 p.m., ESPN+
• Fri, July 28, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sat, July 29, 5 p.m., ESPN+
• Sat, July 29, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sun, July 30, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sun, July 30, 5 p.m., ESPN+
• Thu, August 3, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Thu, August 3, 8 p.m., ESPN2
• Fri, August 4, 5 p.m., ESPN+
• Fri, August 4, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sat, August 5, 5 p.m., ESPN+
• Sat, August 5, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sun, August 6, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sun, August 6, 5 p.m., ESPN+
• Thu, August 10, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Thu, August 10, 10 a.m., ESPN2
• Fri, August 11, 5 p.m., ESPN+
• Fri, August 11, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sat, August 12, 5 p.m., ESPN+
• Sat, August 12, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sun, August 13, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
• Sun, August 13, 5 p.m., ESPN+

🏆 Playoffs
• Tue, August 15, SlamBall Playoffs, TBD, ESPN+
• Thu, August 17, SlamBall Championship Game, 8 p.m., ESPN2

For more information about SlamBall visit http://www.slamballleague.com.

New Pro Hockey League for Women

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – A new professional hockey league, featuring the world’s best women’s players, will launch in January 2024.

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The new league was announced today by business and philanthropic leaders Mark and Kimbra Walter, sports icon Billie Jean King, and Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) Governors Johanna and John Boynton. The league will be supported financially by the Walters and led by board members including King, sports executive Ilana Kloss, and Los Angeles Dodgers President Stan Kasten.

The new league has acquired assets of the PHF and has spent months negotiating a collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). These actions will enable the new league to move forward in unprecedented ways. The new league will undertake a thorough and equitable process to ensure that it features the best women’s hockey players in the world.

“I have always believed that professional sports should bring the highest levels of performance and organization, and this new league will have the backing and resources it needs to represent the very best of women’s hockey,” said Mark Walter, who is the controlling owner of the Dodgers and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, co-general partner of the ownership group of the Premier League’s Chelsea Football Club and holder of a significant interest in the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to advance women’s sports,” said King. “I have no doubt that this league can capture the imagination of fans and a new generation of players. I want to thank Mark and Kimbra Walter for their vision and commitment to investing in women’s sports.”

“This is another step forward for the women who play professional hockey and the girls who dream of it every day,” Johanna Boynton said. “The PHF has been a game-changer and catalyst for growth in the women’s professional game. Today’s announcement builds on this foundation, represents a shared vision for one new league, and reaffirms our belief that collective and collaborative leadership is in the best interest of women’s professional hockey.”

“I celebrate this transformational moment for women’s professional hockey,” said Kasten, who represented the Walters in both transactions. “I thank Jayna Hefford, Kendall Coyne Schofield and the PWHPA player bargaining committee, Johanna and John Boynton and their partners at the PHF, and PHF Commissioner Reagan Carey for their essential roles in this historic accomplishment.”

“This new league will be unlike anything we have seen in women’s hockey,” said Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and PWHPA lead, Jayna Hefford. “I am inspired by this generation of players who are redefining the sport. We will create dreams and opportunities for girls and women around the world for decades to come.”

“I am extremely proud of our PWHPA group, which has remained committed to our vision and steadfast in our efforts to change the landscape of women’s professional hockey forever,” said Coyne Schofield. “Over the past four years, we have worked tirelessly to close the gap on what young girls and boys could dream to become in this sport.”

“This effort is the most significant development in our game since women’s ice hockey became an Olympic sport 25 years ago,” said Carey. “Players, fans, past pioneers, and future generations deserve to see the best athletes come together to elevate professional women’s hockey as never before.”

CFP’s Hancock To Retire in 2025

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IRVING, Texas – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock announced that he will step down when his contract expires February 1, 2025.
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“My time at the CFP has been a dream come true,” said Hancock, 72, who will be entering his 19th season working in post-season football this fall. “I cherish what I do and the folks I get to work with. And I do love college football. Now I will run through the tape, as the track coaches say, and then I will enjoy whatever next steps are waiting for (his wife) Nicki and me.”
Hancock was named executive director of the CFP a few months after the event was created in 2012. He was the only CFP employee at the time. The leaders of the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame directed him to finalize the details of a media rights agreement, negotiate agreements with bowl games and championship-game host cities, build a staff, find office space, contact members to serve on the selection committee, and draft protocol and procedures for the committee to use.
The result has been nine enormously successful years for the CFP so far.
The CFP is slated to expand from four to 12 teams after the 2023-24 season.
“The plan was established several years ago for me to notify the CFP Board of Managers a year in advance if I decided to step aside, in order to provide ample time to plan a smooth transition to the next executive director,” Hancock said.
“I’m advising the board now, so the new executive director will have a long on-ramp, as he or she prepares to guide the CFP into the 12-team era.”
“Everyone who is blessed to work with Bill knows he is a highly skilled administrator, strong leader and truly good person. He’s a legend in college sports,” said Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum, the chairman of the CFP Board of Managers. “We were sorry when Bill told us about his and Nicki’s decision, but we are so grateful for his service in getting the CFP started and carrying it through the first nine years—10 after next year.”
Hancock will remain in his current duties through the 2023-2024 season.

Scouts Sue MLB for Age Discrimination

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A group of former Major League Baseball scouts sued commissioner Rob Manfred, the league office and all 30 teams on Wednesday, contending age discrimination, the Los Angeles Times reported.

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The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Denver and contends MLB “blacklisted” older scouts and used the pandemic and the trend toward analytics as a “pretext for coordinated and systemic discrimination based on age.”

The lawsuit alleges MLB and the teams violated the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act and age discrimination laws in 12 states.

“We believe the commissioner and the owners colluded to eliminate veteran personnel because of salaries,” Rick Ingalls, who was a scout for 37 years, told the Times.

Named as plaintiffs in the suit are 17 former scouts between the ages of 55 and 71. All but one had at least 24 years’ experience. The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status that could grow the case to involve more than 100 “older” scouts and a request for at least $100 million in lost wages and damages.

Per the Times, the suit contends that MLB stopped posting notices when scouts became available to hire, listed older scouts who shouldn’t be hired and used the pandemic as “an opportunity to terminate an entire class of older employees.”

Ingalls told the Times that some of the scouts are in financial straits.

“These guys, when they’re let go, they’re not given a year of severance, they have no health insurance, no paycheck,” Ingalls said. “A lot of guys who are 55-60 when they’re fired can’t take pensions without penalties until they’re 65. They can’t get social security until they’re 62. They have no health insurance.

“A lot of these guys who we’re fighting for are losing their homes. They have kids, and the cost of [health] insurance is off the charts.”

–Field Level Media

SlamBall is Back; ESPN OnBoard

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ESPN Platforms to Carry More Than 30 Hours of Live Action in 2023, Starting Opening Night, July 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. ET on ESPN

LAS VEGAS/BRISTOL, Conn – (Staff Report from Official News Release) –

SlamBall is Back and ESPN – the worldwide leader in sports – is onboard for the ride, coming this July.

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and trampolines, today announced an exclusive, two-year national broadcast partnership with ESPN for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

The broadcasting partnership begins on Opening Night, as SlamBall relaunches live action from its home-base in Las Vegas on July 21 from 7-9 p.m. ET.  ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ will combine to air more than 30 hours of live SlamBall programming across five weekends, culminating August 17-19 with the SlamBall Playoffs and SlamBall Championship Game.

All games will be played at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, with ticket sales beginning on June 27.

“ESPN’s multi-year commitment to SlamBall is further validation of the enormous appeal and growth potential of our sport,” said SlamBall creator and CEO Mason Gordon. “The level of interest in our hybrid team sport not just in the United States, but across the world, has been beyond our expectations for the 2023 season. It’s clear that this best talent we have had in the sport’s history.”

“Mason and I couldn’t help but respond to the #BringBackSlamBall clamor,” said SlamBall co-founder Mike Tollin. “Live sports dominate the airwaves these days and audiences are looking for the next big thing. It’s a thrill to collaborate with ESPN in bringing this ground-breaking sport back to the world.”

“SlamBall is a league that combines elements of some of our fans’ favorite sports, resulting in a unique game that’s sure to entertain viewers across ESPN’s platforms.” said Ashley O’Connor, Sr. Director, Programming & Acquisitions at ESPN.

The broadcast team, production details, and full broadcast schedule will be announced in the weeks to come.

SlamBall has a long-term partnership with global premium experiences company Legends to provide e-commerce and on-site event retail; global, data-driven partnership strategy and execution; and business intelligence with actionable insights to drive revenue across all areas of the league.

David Levy at Horizon Sports and Experiences is providing additional sponsorship sales support in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

SlamBall recently closed an $11 million Series A round led by Roger Ehrenberg’s IA Sports Ventures and Eberg Capital (Owner and Advisory Board Member, Miami Marlins, Betr, Simplebet) with participation from strategic investors across sports, gaming, entertainment, and media.

Strategic investors include David Blitzer (Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Cleveland Guardians, Crystal Palace), David Adelman (76ers, NJ Devils), Michael Rubin (Fanatics), Gary Vaynerchuk (VaynerX, Major League Pickleball), and Blake Griffin (Boston Celtics power forward and six-time NBA All-Star).

Additional investors include: Kevin Nagle (Sacramento Kings), Lloyd Danzig (Sharp Alpha), Legends, Brian Lovell (Red Games), Jesse Sharf (Gibson Dunn), Accelerate Sports, and Eric Manlunas (Wavemaker Partners). Accelerate Sports provided investment banking services for the round.

Originally staged in 1999 by founders Mason Gordon and Mike Tollin, SlamBall is a one-of-a-kind sports and entertainment property with a rich history of success in the United States and in markets around the world.

It is a compelling hybrid combination of the best elements of basketball, football, and ice-hockey, infused with the essence of a video game come to life. The new, enhanced league, which includes partner Tom Penn, founder of LAFC, is set for its full comeback in the summer of 2023. Amid the current resurgence of interest in alternate sports, the hashtag #BringBackSlamBall has garnered more than 200 million views on social media, offering a powerful foundation of fandom for the sport’s revival.

For additional information, visit https://slamballleague.com/

Nuggets Open as NBA Faves in 2024

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LAS VEGAS – Fresh off capturing the first NBA championship in franchise history on Monday, the Denver Nuggets were installed by sportsbooks as favorites or co-favorites to repeat as champions.

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The Nuggets closed out the NBA Finals in Game 5, defeating the visiting Miami Heat 94-89 to end the best-of-seven series. Finals MVP Nikola Jokic amassed 28 points and 16 rebounds in the title-clinching win.

DraftKings listed Denver as a +500 favorite to win the championship again in 2024. The nearest followers per DraftKings are the Boston Celtics (+550), the Milwaukee Bucks (+650) and the Phoenix Suns (+850).

FanDuel posted Denver and Milwaukee as co-favorites at +460. The Celtics (+500) and the Suns (+700) are the only other teams with odds better than +1200, which is the number listed for both the Golden State Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers.

BetMGM has the Nuggets at +500, followed by the Celtics (+550), the Bucks (+600) and the Suns (+850).

Others among the favorites according to FanDuel are the Cleveland Cavaliers (+1900), the Los Angeles Lakers (+1900), the Los Angeles Clippers (+2100), the Heat (+2500), the Dallas Mavericks (+2700) and the Memphis Grizzlies (+3000).

Per DraftKings, the other favorites aside from the top four are the Lakers (+1200), the Warriors (+1200), the 76ers (+1300), the Mavericks (+1300), the Clippers (+1500), the Heat (+1800) and the Grizzlies (+1900).

BetMGM’s other top contenders are Dallas, Golden State and the Lakers, all at +1200; the Clippers and Philadelphia, both at +1400; and Memphis and Miami, both at +2000.

The biggest longshots according to FanDuel are the Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons, all at +50000. DraftKings has the Hornets at +40000 and the Pistons alone at the bottom at +50000, while BetMGM has Charlotte and Detroit bringing up the rear at +50000.

Neither of this year’s finalists were among the top five favorites in odds posted right after the Golden State Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals.