Monthly Archives: December 2021

Joe Moore Award Becomes First Post-Season College Award Platform To Launch NIL Program

The Foundation for Teamwork, owners and creators of the Joe Moore Award (@joemooreaward) which honors the most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in College Football, today announced that it is believed to be the first post season college award program to launch a Name Image and Likeness (NIL) program for its recipients. Timing is everything and the Joe Moore Award is excited to create a partnership with nine members of the 2021 award winners, the offensive line at the University of Michigan. Michigan was awarded the trophy in a ceremony last week in Ann Arbor and will play the University of Georgia in the Orange Bowl on Dec 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

“We have seen the great amount of exposure that both winners and finalists of all the major college football awards receive throughout the years, but the actual and immediate benefit from winning the award typically goes to the presenter, not the presentee,” said Aaron Taylor, CBS college football analyst and co-founder of the Joe Moore Award. Taylor, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, played guard and tackle at the University of Notre Dame for the Award’s namesake, the legendary offensive line coach Joe Moore. “We want to begin to change that dynamic with the growth of NIL for these athletes, and the Joe Moore Award is proud to be what we believe to be the first of the major awards to begin a program which will have long-lasting benefits and a financial upside for our winners, and in many cases for the causes which will be tied to the program. On the field, we’ve always known that when the o-line wins, we all win, and we’re excited to help support Michigan’s O-line extend that same principle in our communities.”

The members of the Michigan offensive line will receive 100% of net t-shirt sales, with a portion going to a philanthropic beneficiary. Additionally the Joe Moore Award will match the players’ charitable gift, up to $10,000, to help further the reach of the winning units impact on their communities. The t-shirts and limited edition merchandise are designed by Make Your Move, an automated digital on-demand order processing and fulfillment partner and are available starting at $20.00 at gomym.com/collections/joe-moore-award.

The charity beneficiaries for the 2021 season are: The Seal Legacy Foundation which is dedicated to providing support to families of wounded and fallen United States Navy SEALs, educational assistance for SEALs and their families, and other charitable causes benefiting the SEAL community; and The AthLife Foundation, a national platform works to ensure that deserving kids from our nation’s most challenged, yet promising communities, can achieve in their future careers beyond sport.

Under offensive line coach Sherrone Moore, Michigan’s starting O-line has featured guard/tackle Karsen Barnhart (2 starts), guard Chuck Filiaga (4 starts), left tackle Ryan Hayes (13 starts), tackle Trente Jones (1 start), left guard Trevor Keegan (10 starts), right tackle Andrew Stueber (13 starts), center Andrew Vastardis (13 starts), and right guard Zak Zinter (11 starts). In addition, tight end Joel Honigford, a converted O-lineman, warrants mention as a key contributor to Michigan’s success.

Michigan led the Big Ten and lists 10th nationally in rushing (223.8 yards per game). The unit has conceded the fewest tackles for loss (27) and third-fewest sacks (10) in the nation this season. Only Army and Air Force, with a combined 204 pass attempts, have allowed fewer sacks. Michigan’s line has paved the way for a 1,000-yard back in Hassan Haskins (1,288 yards) and have another back in range in Blake Corum (939 yards). All five positions earned all-conference honors, with four of the five starters earning first or second-team accolades: Stueber (1st team), Hayes, Vastardis and Zinter (2nd) and Keegan (honorable mention).

The Trophy
The Joe Moore Award trophy, crafted by legendary sports sculptor Jerry McKenna, is the largest trophy in college football, weighing more than 800 pounds, is more than five feet wide and stands nearly seven feet tall. The trophy has been made available to Michigan to display on their campus until the 2022 winner is announced.

The Joe Moore Award is named after Joe Moore, widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football history, and is the only major college football award to honor a group or unit. The award annually recognizes the nation’s Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit that best display the fundamental and historical aspects of great offensive line play: Toughness, Effort, Teamwork, Consistency, Technique, and Finishing.

Voting Committee
The Joe Moore Award voting committee is comprised of 13 individuals who are highly knowledgeable about offensive line play, including former linemen, coaches, talent evaluators and media analysts. This group conducts in-depth analysis by reviewing game tape every week of the season to assess both the fundamentals and subtleties of overall O-line performance.

The 2021 voting committee includes Chairman Cole Cubelic (Auburn, SEC Network); Charles Arbuckle (UCLA, Indianapolis Colts); Randy Cross (UCLA, San Francisco 49ers); Gerry DiNardo (Notre Dame, head coach at LSU); Mike Golic, Jr. (Notre Dame, NFL, ESPN); Harry Hiestand (Joe Moore disciple, NFL and College O-line Coach); Barrett Jones (Alabama, St. Louis Rams); Duke Manyweather (Humboldt State, player and coach; founder of OL Masterminds); Geoff Schwartz (Oregon, Carolina Panthers); Sam Schwartzstein (Stanford, XFL rules creator); Phil Steele (publisher of Phil Steele’s College Football Preview, ESPN); Aaron Taylor (Notre Dame, Green Bay Packers, CBS Sports); and Lance Zierlein (NFL draft analyst, NFL.com and Prospects to Pros podcast, The Athletic).

Past Award Recipients
Past recipients of the Joe Moore Award include the offensive lines of the University of Alabama (2015), the University of Iowa (2016), the University of Notre Dame (2017), Oklahoma University (2018), LSU (2019), and the University of Alabama (2020 – first repeat winner).

What Would A 16-Team College Playoff Look Like? SGPN Simulates It For Us

Sports Gambling Podcast Network’s college football-loving experts will take matters into their own hands these next few weeks by conducting a 16-team, Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) playoff tournament to determine a national champion from among all the top-tier teams that earned an opportunity to win it all.      

Frustrated by decades of indecisiveness from the New Year’s Day Bowl Games and the NCAA powerbrokers, the top-tier sports prognostication and analysis platform will select the 16 most deserving teams, seed them and simulate the entire tournament of games using the EA Sports Madden NFL 16 game for Xbox and PlayStation.  The entire process will be unveiled at www.sportsgamblingpodcast.com 

 with announcement of the 16 teams scheduled for December 27.  Results of the games will be reported regularly thereafter with the champion to be determined and announced on Monday, January 9, the day before the College Football Playoff Championship Game in Indianapolis. 

“College football’s decision-making hierarchy is stuck in the mud,” added SGPN college football expertColby Dant.  “The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) has been doing this since the mid-80s.  That proves it’s doable.  I can speak for our followers that we don’t want eight or 12 teams.  Let’s go to 16 and make college football the blockbuster spectacle that it should be.”      

SGPN will convene Dant, Green, co-founder Ryan Kramer and other experts among its 50 contributors to make the call on the 16 teams, including all of the 10 FBS conference champions.  Common sense will dictate most of the other six and they will use the Associated Press Top 25, the NCAA FBS Top 25 Rankings and their own rankings and power ratings to determine the final few.  Game simulations will begin before the end of December and results will be reported on the website and in the podcasts along the way, leading into the second week of January.      

Dant is the host of the College Football Experience podcast, the popular offering that has picked and analyzed every FBS game and many FCS games since 2017.  Dant, podcast contributor PattyC, Green and Kramer are routinely among the highly-ranked handicappers amid the hundreds of experts participating in the college football category fantasy and game selector aggregation website Tallysight.    

The only major independent sports wagering media network that places a premium on entertainment value and free user content, SGPN achieved a 30 per cent year-over-year increase in total downloads during the course of 2021, exceeding three million total during the 12 month period.         

SGPN content is most readily available on the SGPN App, available on all devices and downloadable at Apple’s App Stone and Google Play Store or via www.sportsgamblingpodcast.com.    

Sports Interaction Becomes National Lacrosse League’s Official Sports Betting Partner In Canada

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, announced a partnership with Sports Interaction as the official sports betting partner in Canada. The deal will launch today on NLL broadcasts on TSN throughout Canada.

“We have been developing the NLL Sports Betting platform as a new line of business throughout the last 20 months and betting partners are a key part of the platform. We are excited and honored to bring back a renewed relationship with Sports Interaction that will take our collective marketing efforts to a new level and grow our respective businesses through an engagement platform for our fans as our Official Canadian Sports Betting Partner,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “We know this partnership will continue to grow our engagement with casual and diehard fans of the NLL, as well as attract new fans who enjoy and have become fans of the high voltage action and fast pace of the NLL game.”

“Lacrosse is part of our heritage and a sport very close to our hearts. For centuries, Mohawks have bet on lacrosse games and we are proud to partner with The NLL and its fans because they share our passion and epitomize everything that is great about the game.” said Dean Montour, CEO of Mohawk Online, operators of www.sportsinteraction.com

Sports Interaction will be prominently involved in TSN’s NLL broadcasts by entitling the League’s Game of the Week. These select games will be aired across TSN’s linear channels throughout the regular season. Sports Interaction will also receive exposure in arena for NLL games in Canada, and the partnership will be supported on all NLL social channels. Integrations will begin with this weekend’s games.

For the most up to date information and breaking news, sign up for the NLL newsletter at NLL.com. Also follow Deputy Commissioner Jessica Berman and Commissioner Sakiewicz on Twitter @JessicaBerman1 and @NLLcommish, respectively.

Antonio Gates, Fanduel And Lupus Research Alliance Partner On A Daily Fantasy Contest To Fund Research

In support of the millions of people living with lupus, FanDuel has partnered with the Lupus Research Alliance and Legendary Chargers Tight End, Antonio Gates for a “Super Duel for a Difference” daily fantasy contest on FanDuel to help fund research for a cure for lupus. ​

Duel for a Difference, a signature FanDuel initiative, is a daily fantasy contest where entry fees are donated back to a charity or organization. FanDuel often partners with a celebrity or pro athlete to support these initiatives by playing against customers in the contest, and identify organizations the celebrity is passionate about.

The Super Duel for a Difference contest with Antonio Gates will take place for the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers game on Thursday night, 12/16/21. The contest will cost $5 to enter, and FanDuel will be donating all entry fees from the contest back to the Lupus Research Alliance, a cause that has a close personal connection for Gates. Gates will draft his own team and play alongside everyone, and the winner of the contest will receive two tickets to Super Bowl LVI in February.

For more information about Duel for a Difference, and to sign up, donate and play, please visit https://www.fanduel.com/games/68565/contests/68565-253048613/enter.

Inside Edge Partners With BetMGM And Sports Alerts, Launches Product For Fans

Inside Edge, Inc., a leading provider of in-depth sports analytics products for teams and media, is expanding its offerings into the sports betting industry through partnerships with BetMGM and Sports Alerts, and the launch of its first product for fans, My Inside Edge.

In September 2021, Inside Edge kicked off a 2-year partnership with BetMGM, a leading sports betting and digital gaming entertainment company. Inside Edge’s Remarkable insights will power BetMGM’s MLB, NFL and NCAAF game notes in a unique way, helping to drive more traffic, and ultimately, increase handle. Remarkable is patented AI technology that analyzes sports data and unveils unique performance insights that are fully-automated and produced both pregame and in-game.

Inside Edge is also partnering with Sports Alerts, a scores and statistics app, as one of the mobile app’s game experts. Users will have access to Inside Edge’s MLB and NFL products including Reasons, which predicts which team has the advantage, and 5-Star Picks, IE’s pick to win against the spread.

After serving media and sports teams for over 27 years, Inside Edge launched its first product for fans, My Inside Edge. The site provides sports bettors and daily fantasy players with free matchup-specific insights and projections to build winning lineups and make confident decisions. Insights include Daily Fantasy Player Cards, Inside Edge’s pick to win against the spread and Reasons one team has the advantage.

“As Inside Edge continues to innovate and expand our offerings, we are excited to make our debut in the sports betting world in partnership with industry leader BetMGM, and the fantastic mobile app developer, Sports Alerts / Luno Software. The power of our Remarkable insights engine in combination with their engaged users creates an elevated experience for fans and sports bettors,” said Inside Edge CEO Randy Istre.

SGPN Outpaces Industry Growth Projections With Almost 3 Million Downloads In 2021

Sports Gambling Podcast Network (SGPN), the only major independent sports wagering media network that places a premium on entertainment value and free user content, will clobber industry growth projections with a 30 per cent year-over-year increase in total downloads during the course of 2021.

According to the podcast analytics website MegaphoneSGPN has amassed a total of 2,848,068* downloads since January, led by the popular Sports Gambling Podcast, which focuses on the most prominent games and issues of the day with selections, analysis and opinions of co-founders and rising stars Sean Green and Ryan Kramer.  SGPN expects to hit three million downloads by the end of the year.

SGPN launched eight new podcast feeds this year and has seen marked growth in unique visitors, YouTube views and podcast audiences thanks in part to its affiliation with the BlueWire Podcasts distribution network.  SGPN’s 30 per cent growth over 2020 compares favorably to the industry-wide podcast consumption growth of 17 per cent reported by prominent media research company Edison Research of Somerville, NJ. http://www.edisonresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Infinite-Dial-2021.pdf 

Unlike the clutter of football- and basketball-specific podcasts and offerings that leverage the prominence of legacy brand network- or betting house-affiliated offerings, SGPN has grown organically and now provides personalities and content from some 50 expert contributors covering all aspects of 10-plus sports, including international soccer, boxing/MMA and fantasy sports.

“The industry battle for eyeballs and listeners in our space is as fierce as it is among the wagering houses who spend millions of dollars to acquire account deposits,” stated Green, the Philadelphia area native now working out of his SGPN Studios in Los Angeles.  “SGPN is free.  We’re happy to serve the growing number of sports wagering enthusiasts at no cost with sophisticated picks, analysis, commentary and deep-dive detail.  Now, our growth shows that it is appreciated and we’re ready to build on that success using our tried-and-true formula heading into 2022, when we’ll be celebrating our 10th anniversary.”   Green provides NFL picks on a weekly basis for Burb Media in Philadelphia and is a favored sportstalk radio guest on shows around the country.   

Also a working stand-up comic in the Los Angeles region, Green used his immersive knowledge to win $200,000 in a DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football (DFS) competition in 2017, enabling him to enhance the SGPN facilities and branding initiatives.  The following year, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) was struck down by the courts and the current blizzard of growth ensued.  Still, fewer than half of the states have legalized sports wagering, so the industry has tremendous expansion ahead, a huge positive for SGPN and other established players.

cover image: Sean Green, Ryan Kramer (SGPN Photo)

BitFire Enters Into Three-Year Agreement With National Lacrosse League

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) and BitFire Networks announce a new three-year partnership to present the next three seasons of play, starting with the current 2021-2022 season.

A worldwide audience will watch as these matchups take place all across the U.S. and Canada and are broadcast by ESPN and TSN. The multi-year agreement ensures that BitFire will play a key role in the production and distribution of NLL games, starting with at least 120 games in year one alone.

The National Lacrosse League is a men’s professional box lacrosse league in North America, with fifteen teams: ten in the U.S. and five in Canada. The 2021-22 season represents a transformative year in the 35-year history of the NLL. Recently, the league announced multi-year, multi-platform media rights partnerships with ESPN and TSN, bringing the game’s reach to its largest potential audience ever, more than 100 million fans, establishing the league as a force in the North American sports space.

With a commitment to live sports production that brings viewers closer to the action than ever before, BitFire and the NLL are employing a centralized broadcast production workflow, with BitFire’s Network playing an integral role in supporting the League’s production partners. Utilizing a minimal on-site footprint at each of the teams’ respective arenas, a robust remote production solution was developed to ensure the League’s live content is captured and distributed in a high-quality and consistent manner.

“This partnership with the National Lacrosse League exemplifies how innovative and technically complex sports production has become,” said Bob Sullivan, CEO of BitFire. “Our agreement will ensure the League’s dedicated fans won’t miss any of the fast-paced action by providing a best-in-class broadcast quality experience.”

“Centralized remote production is fast becoming an industry standard for national sports broadcasts with the goal of improving production quality and consistency in a cost-effective manner,” said Joel Feld, NLL Executive Vice President, Broadcast and Content. “In Week 1 alone, we produced seven games, six in the same window. BitFire seamlessly delivered every game to eight takers, including national partners ESPN and TSN, and to the teams’ local partners.”

“The agility and flexibility of BitFire’s transmission network is allowing the NLL to take a big leap forward in the quality and scale of its broadcast delivery,” notes Edward Derse, the NLL’s broadcast operations and technology consultant. “BitFire allows us to provide greater value to the league and its individual teams by allowing us to produce remotely and deliver NLL broadcasts seamlessly and economically to all takers, including the teams themselves.”

BitFire will provide feeds from each venue to NLL production partners, TV networks, local TV stations, regional sports networks and OTT destinations across the United States and Canada. This allows production partners to remotely switch games and produce more than one game simultaneously. The communication component is critical in that BitFire provides the audio, video and communications for each game.

“Our work with the NLL is a custom solution, created by a team of broadcast experts,” added Sullivan. “This partnership shines a global spotlight on our solution-focused capabilities by creating the vision that our partners demand.”

BitFire is working on this new agreement in partnership with the league’s broadcast team, DOME Productions, Freedom Broadcast Group, DRAGONFLi Media Technologies and the league’s 14 active teams and venues spread out across the U.S and Canada.

With the addition of the NLL to its client roster, BitFire’s continued growth by providing superior, scalable, and end-to-end live transmission and production solutions.

Genius Sports, CFL Partner to Grow Fan Engagement and Extend Media Reach Via Sports Data, Global Tech

Genius Sports, the official data, technology and commercial partner that powers the ecosystem connecting sports, betting and media, today announced a landmark strategic partnership with the Canadian Football League (CFL), the second largest football league globally with over 100 years of history.

Genius Sports will provide a wide range of technology and services that will enable the CFL to accelerate its growth plans and engage new audiences around the world.

As part of the agreement, Genius Sports will have the exclusive rights to commercialize the CFL’s official data worldwide and video content with sportsbooks in international markets, replicating the global distribution and success of its official betting products for the EPL and NFL, among others. In connection with the partnership, in addition to the official data rights agreement, Genius Sports and the CFL have also agreed that Genius Sports will acquire a minority stake in CFL Ventures, the new commercial arm of the League, allowing the Company to benefit strategically and financially from the CFL’s growth.

The CFL will be provided with one of the widest and most innovative data ecosystems in world sport, transforming its relationships with fans, sportsbooks, and media in North America and globally. Bringing together its recent acquisitions of Second Spectrum, Spirable, FanHub and Sportzcast, Genius Sports will power the entire CFL digital infrastructure. This will include live broadcast augmentation, advanced data tracking tools, highly targeted and personalized fan engagement solutions, cross-platform streaming capabilities, play-by-play and scoreboard data collection technology, coaching analytics products, and integrity services to safeguard the league.

“Our partnership with Genius Sports has the potential to launch a new era for the CFL,” said Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the Canadian Football League. “It provides access to the technology and tools we need to engage our existing fans, and reach new ones, in exciting, innovative and highly customized ways. This goes beyond transforming our marketing. It can redefine our relationship with fans, partners and other key stakeholders, here in Canada and globally.”

“By providing the CFL with an incredible range of sports technology solutions, Genius Sports is setting a new precedent for sports partnerships,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports. “Together, we will revolutionize the entire CFL product, delivering truly immersive experiences for their existing fans and attracting new audiences who crave year-round, top-flight football action.”

This partnership will help facilitate the CFL’s growth ambitions, expanding its audience in the U.S., while extending its reach into new international markets. Genius Sports will help the CFL to capitalize on the growth of the North American sports betting market, maximizing revenue and engagement opportunities.

The transaction is expected to become effective in January 2022. An O’Melveny & Myers LLP team, led by partners Charles Baker and Amy Siegel and counsel Eric Geffner and Rob Catmull together with McCarthy Tetrault LLP, advised Genius Sports on this transformative transaction.

FanDuel And Pat McAfee Announce Multi-Year Exclusive Content Partnership Agreement

Lincoln Riley bolted Oklahoma for the sun at USC. Brian Kelly left Notre Dame and added a southern accent at LSU. Pat McAfee? He is staying with FanDuel!

FanDuel Group got its man today, reaching a multi-year agreement with Pat McAfee Inc. (PMI), keeping the sports media industry’s fastest-growing star an exclusive partner of America’s #1 Sportsbook. The agreement represents a significant expansion of its previous deal and includes a formalized content partnership.

Highlights of the new agreement:

  • FanDuel will remain the official sportsbook of PMI and the Pat McAfee Show with the two companies continuing to deepen and evolve the integration of odds boosts and other promotions across PMI platforms
  • FanDuel and the entire team at PMI will attempt to create new shows/segments that are considered above average beyond the daily show content.
  • Expanded co-branded big brain ideas, and customer promotions such as the first ever crowd sourced Spread the Love campaign
  • Pat McAfee and FanDuel will create a series of annual special edition shows supporting tentpole events (ex. FanDuel NFL Draft Spectacular)
  • Development of “epic” live events tour including “on-the-road” shows throughout the year
  • McAfee and his team to support FanDuel during new state launches

FanDuel will be investing in PMI’s content development capabilities including a new campus/complex to support its production efforts. This includes the naming and branding rights for the soon to be redesigned live studio for the Pat McAfee Show. The new complex will be known as “The FanDuel Igloo” and will house production studios, a lounge, basketball court and golf simulator.

“Simply put, Pat McAfee is the sports media industry’s fastest growing star and we’re thrilled to deepen our relationship with him as our exclusive partner,” said Mike Raffensperger Chief Marketing Officer, FanDuel Group. “Pat and his team champion the FanDuel brand and together we’ve developed groundbreaking content experiences for his audience and our customers alike. Of course, Pat isn’t just our best marketing partner, he’s also one of our best customers so we expect he will give us some of the money back!”

“This new deal with FanDuel will afford us the opportunity to take things to a different level,” said McAfee. “We are incredibly lucky the exclusive Sportsbook of our show remains the #1 Sportsbook in America. I’m excited for the future. With that being said, we still plan on taking every dollar FanDuel has with our Super Boosts, Hammer DAHN picks, and AJ Hawk’s big brain.”

FanDuel and PMI have been working together for several years and the Pat McAfee Show has become the gold standard of how to effectively integrate and deliver live odds and sports betting insights and commentary. Whether it’s branded McAfee odds boosts, enhanced odds or other special promotions the partnership between PMI and FanDuel has fueled a content genre that is now emulated but rarely duplicated across the sports media landscape. 

image: credit Flickr/Angie Six

O’Neil, Mackey, Foster Among Negro League Stars Featured In Strat-O-Matic, NLBM NFT Partnership

Strat-O-Matic, the market leader in sports simulation, and the Negro League Baseball Museum, the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African-American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America, today announced a partnership to distribute NFTs (non-fungible tokens) featuring all-time baseball greats from the Negro Leagues. The program includes partnerships with the estates of superstars like new Hall of Famer Buck O’Neil, Biz Mackey, Bill Foster, Rube Foster, Leon Day and Pete Hill in the first set of digital collectibles.

The NFT offerings will include images or media owned by the NLBM or estates as well as a voiceover discussing the player’s career and legacy and their unique Strat-O-Matic game card, playable via Strat-O-Matic’s proprietary game technology.

The NLBM will receive 25% of profits from the offering, making it one of the first philanthropic digital collectibles available.

“The Negro Leagues had a profound impact on the advancement of American civil rights and culture.” said Adam Richman, Strat-O-Matic C.E.O. “These NFTs will preserve this legacy and celebrate these players, who need to have their stories and contributions to history preserved for future generations.”

“The Negro League Baseball Museum is proud to continue its amazing partnership with Strat-O-Matic, which has long been a supporter of the museum and Negro Leagues history,” said Bob Kendrick, NLBM President. “The NFT offerings are a creative new way to help fans and collectors celebrate the greatness of these legendary players while supporting our mission.”

cover image: credit kc congdon

National Lacrosse League Launches Pick ‘Em Challenge

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced the launch of the NLL Pick ‘Em Challenge for the 2021-22 Season in partnership with Genius Sports (NYSE:GENI). Each week, fans will answer 10 questions relating to the upcoming weekends action for their chance to win cash and other prizes. Fans have the chance to win a weekly $10,000 prize should they answer every question correctly in any regular season week. The free-to-play game is available for fans at www.nllpickem.com/.

“NLL Pick ‘Em is another way that fans can stay engaged with the league and its players on a deeper level, encouraging greater knowledge of the game and rewarding our most loyal supporters,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “And with all of our games more accessible in the U.S. and Canada, following the progress of their NLL Pick ‘Em selections will be easier than ever.”

NLL Pick ‘Em was developed in association with Genius Sports, the official data and technology partner that powers the ecosystem connecting sports, betting, and media. Genius Sports was also selected to develop the NLL Summer Polling Challenge which ran during the summer of 2021, asking NLL fans their opinions on a variety of topics.

For the most up to date information and breaking news, sign up for the NLL newsletter at NLL.com. Also follow Deputy Commissioner Jessica Berman and Commissioner Sakiewicz on Twitter @JessicaBerman1 and @NLLcommish, respectively.

Stars Including Ferguson, Press Come Out To Mark World Aids Day At Grassroot Soccer Charity Gala

To mark today’s World AIDS Day, celebrities, footballers, and leaders in business and media came together on Tuesday to support a fundraising gala evening for international football/soccer charity Grassroot Soccer (@GrassrootSoccer) at Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan. The international charity has used soccer/football as a platform to educate over 13 million young people in 60 countries around the world about health issues, including the dangers and preventative measures of one of the greatest health challenges in Africa: HIV/AIDS. The evening raised an estimated more than $1.4 million for the organization.

Among the standout dignitaries on hand were Sir Alex Ferguson, CBE, Legendary Football Manager; Christen Press, 2x World Champion with the US Women’s National Team; Ethan Zohn, Grassroot Soccer Co-Founder and winner of “Survivor Africa”; Dr. Tommy Clark, GRS Founder and CEO; Seth Meyers, television host, TV personality; Kweku Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela; and many others.

“To be able to bring everyone here to New York City for Giving Tuesday and World Aids day is just an incredible feeling,” said Zohn. “We’ve all been locked down and in isolation for a really long time so it just feels really good to bring everyone together to celebrate the beautiful sport of soccer and the incredible things we are doing around the world.”

“Soccer is without question the biggest sport in the world,” said Ferguson. “Grassroot Soccer is using the sport as a template to impact the most people. What Tommy Clark has undertaken is a fantastic challenge, and for me, it’s easy to get involved in something which is so honest and benefits so many in poverty.”

“It’s really nice I have friends who are involved with the event who reached out and when they explained what Grassroot was it was a no brainer,” added Meyers. “Then, to have soccer royalty on the scene, it’s a great way to spend an evening.”

Other notable guests included Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngucka, Former UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Founder Of Umlambo Foundation; Roger Bennett, Writer, Broadcaster, Filmmaker, and Co-Host of NBC’s Men In Blazers Show; GoldFish (Dominic Peters & David Poole), DJ duo; Fiona Ferguson, GRS Champion; Gregg Lemkau, GRS Champion and former board member; Kyle Martino, MLS commentator, former USA and MLS Soccer star; Hamza Syed, Host & Producer of New York Times Serial Podcast; and Jason Feitelberg, Head of Investment at Sterling Resources.

The event provided guests the opportunity to learn about Grassroot Soccer’s vital programs in Africa to educate and inspire young people to live healthier lives and give them hope for the future.

There was fierce bidding in the silent auction. Among the hottest prizes of the night were VIP tickets to the Late Show with Seth Meyers, a Chelsea FC matchday experience including a post-game meet and greet with Christian Pulisic, a dinner party with former Obama White House chef Sam Kass, and a signed print from artist Andre Saraiva.

Grassrooot Soccer has provided health education, access to testing, and support for treatment to over 150,000 young people in the past year, with programs in countries with the highest levels of HIV in the world, including its flagship projects in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, plus other nations with a high HIV rate such as Nigeria, Malawi, and many more.

“It’s amazing to see this,” added Clark. “A couple of reasons why I think it’s been successful is I think it’s a simple idea, it’s a good idea, but I think it’s the hard work of a lot of people if you really really think about it.”