Monthly Archives: October 2022

Philadelphia Takes Down Houston In Seven Games In Strat-O-Matic Series Simulation

Philadelphia’s storybook run through the baseball playoffs continues as the National League’s sixth seed claimed its first title since 2008, defeating Houston, 4 games to 3, including wins in Games 6 and 7 on the road, in the simulation conducted by Strat-O-Matic (@StratOMatic), the market leader in sports simulation.

In the decisive seventh game, won by Philadelphia, 5-3, the visitors erased a 1-0 deficit with five straight runs, capped by J.T. Realmuto’s seventh-inning, two-run home run for a 5-1 lead with nine outs to go. Houston rallied with two in the seventh but Zach Eflin closed the door with 2 1/3 scoreless, hitless frames in the win.

Kyle Schwarber blasted three home runs, drove in five runs and slashed .333/.484/.708 to win the simulated series MVP. Zack Wheeler won his two starts for Philadelphia, tossing 13 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits and one earned run in Games 3 and 6 triumphs. Justin Verlander won two games for Houston, allowing three runs and five hits over 14 2/3 frames in his two starts and one-inning Game 7 relief appearance.

A quick game-by-game summary follows:

Game 1: @Houston 8, Philadelphia 5; Verlander permits 3 runs and 4 hits over 6 2/3, Alex Bregman homers, drives in 3.
Game 2: Philadelphia 7, @Houston 2; Realmuto, Alec Bohm home runs back five-hit pitching of Wheeler, three relievers
Game 3: Houston 6, @Philadelphia 0; Cristian Javier and four relievers combine on a four-hit shutout, Jose Altuve homers twice
Game 4: @Philadelphia 7, Houston 2; Hosts bang out 11 hits, three by Nick Castellanos, and Schwarber knocks his second four-bagger
Game 5: Houston 5, @Philadelphia 1; Verlander permits just one hit over seven scoreless innings as Altuve and Jeremy Pena homer to send Houston home with a 3-2 series edge
Game 6: Philadelphia 3, @Houston 0; Zach Wheeler (7 2/3 IP) and Jose Alvarado team on a five-hit shutout to even the series. Bryce Harper’s first-inning three run homer accounts for all the scoring.
Game 7: Philadelphia 5, @Houston 3; Eflin’s superb relief outing closes the door as Realmuto homer, Bryson Stott RBI single prove the difference in the deciding contest

“As the leader in sports simulations, Strat-O-Matic is pleased to present its simulation of the upcoming series between Houston and Philadelphia,” said Hal Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder.“We hope that the games on the field turn out as exciting as our results, especially for Philadelphia fans.”

Q&A with Tanner Simkins, CEO Complete SET Agency

Tanner Simkins is the founder and CEO of Complete SET agency, a hybrid and entertainment firm that works with multinational brands, world-class athletes, platinum entertainers, and more. Simkins has agreed to sit down and weigh in on what he calls his innovative agency model a think tank of sports and entertainment representation.

What inspired you to get into sports representation?

I was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and played sports my whole life. My dad was a star three athlete, and I still hear stories about his glory days. My mom was the lead majorette for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The influence of sports was there from an early age for me. Growing up, my brother was always the better basketball player, so the plan was for him to go pro, and for me to be his agent. 

Fast forward a bit – my brother is now a super successful real estate finance exec, and I’m just trying to keep the dream alive! I am so proud of what I’ve built with Complete SET Agency. We go head to head with some of the biggest companies in the world and, despite being out-funded and outsourced, we continue to win clients in sports representation and consulting. 

What experiences early in your career helped to shape your focus on becoming a sports agent?

While I am a certified sports agent, I prefer the entrepreneur description because I am the CEO of the company and I do so much more in business. Everyone wants to work in sports, and being an athlete or a fan is no qualification; you have got to bring value to the table. For me, the hustle needed to make it to the top echelon of this industry was appealing. 

I was told early on by a mentor that to be an elite sports exec, you have to be “the 1% of 1%”. I embraced the challenge and each of my educational or career steps since has been intentional and strategic. I lean into the unconventional, which this career path very much is. 

How does an agency like Complete SET help athletes and brands?

I lead Complete SET Agency like a think tank. I always want to be at the frontier of new trends and developments. If there is a way I can disrupt the marketplace or innovate somewhere, that’s the route I take. Many competitor agencies operate with what I believe is an antiquated model – so doing things differently and boldly is my comparative advantage. 

It’s part expertise, part sweat equity, part authenticity, part charisma – and I package that up into a suite of services which looks one way for athletes and differently for our brand clients. It’s about pushing the envelope on cutting edge technologies and trends. My commitment to this type of mentality usually gets the meeting, and after that, it’s time to deliver. 

How did some previous experience like with the Miami Heat and elsewhere help shape your future career?

I am an interdisciplinarian. It’s just my curious nature to develop a lot of skills and juggle a lot of things. I was at University of Miami wrapping up my dual undergraduate degree when I was working full time for the Miami Heat. Technically I was an intern, but I was doing it all, and I loved that. We ended up winning the NBA Championship that year, so I like to joke that I have a perfect winning record, because that was my one season with the club. 

Then I went to Columbia University for my grad degree and I utilized my position as an Ivy League student to my advantage. I was freelancing, doing contracted sports projects for big time companies like Bloomberg and Time Magazine. I was doing some sports finance and venture capital work about this time as well. I was lucky enough to work for legend Joe Favorito and he introduced me to heavy hitters, like Harvey Schiller for example and many others. 

It was doing good and reliable work for these types of people and companies that allowed me to build a book of consulting business, which I eventually rolled up to create Complete SET Agency. I got certified in all the pro basketball and football leagues shortly thereafter to add in the athlete representation dynamic to my agency. We have been rolling ever since! 

How have you seen Complete SET change the course of your clients’ careers?

I know what it is like to chase a dream, to put your heart and soul into a goal like being a pro athlete. So it is very rewarding to be able to help my clients. I have terrific client testimonials crediting my support and good work to their career success, which is always very special to hear. We don’t stop there, though; we work with our clients throughout their post-playing career to pursue business opportunities and philanthropic efforts. 

What is something you’re excited about for the future of Complete SET Agency?

Onward and upward! We are going to continue to scale. I have already been approached with some acquisition offers so I imagine the bigger agencies will continue to be interested in the work I am doing. As for now, no exit plans are in place. My focus is on increasing dealflow, creating disruptive innovation, and bringing bold ideas to the solutions I provide to clients. 

Peacock Is The Streaming Home Of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ In Spanish

Peacock today announced comprehensive coverage plans for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ with every match streaming LIVE on Peacock in Spanish, offering live and exclusive Spanish-language coverage, a dedicated World Cup Hub and the Copa Mundial 24/7 Virtual Channel in Spanish produced by Tplus, Telemundo’s digital content brand.

Peacock will be the only direct-to-consumer streaming service in the United States to simulstream live coverage of all 64 matches, which are produced by Telemundo Deportes, including the hour-long pre- and post-match onsite coverage from Qatar. The first 12 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2022™ will be available to Peacock subscribers on the free tier, while the remaining 52 games (beginning on Nov. 24) will be available to Peacock Premium subscribers.

The World Cup kicks off on Sunday, Nov. 20, as host-country Qatar faces Ecuador at 11 a.m. ET. The United States begins group play at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 21 against Wales, while Mexico’s first match takes place at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 22 against Poland.

In marquee group stage matches, the United States takes on England at 2 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 25, and Mexico faces Argentina on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 2 p.m. ET. Click here for details on the full match schedule.

“Peacock is thrilled to stream for the first time the biggest global soccer event, the FIFA World Cup.” said Rick Cordella, Chief Commercial Officer, Peacock. “Our offering on Peacock will complement and extend Telemundo Deportes programming to a wider audience with 24/7 World Cup content carefully curated and created for younger audiences with the purpose of serving the full spectrum of Hispanic audiences and soccer fans in the U.S.”

Peacock’s World Cup Hub will surround the FIFA World Cup 2022™ with daily shows featuring highlights and analysis plus on-demand full-match replays. The World Cup Hub will also feature programming such as documentaries centered around soccer legends Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, historic looks at previous World Cups, and more.

In addition to the World Cup Hub, Peacock will also host an exclusive, free Copa Mundial 24/7 Virtual Channel throughout the entire tournament, which will be produced by Tplus — Telemundo’s digital content brand designed to super serve the full spectrum of today’s U.S. Hispanics — and home to daily highlights, analysis, and debate shows. The 24/7 channel will feature new talent presenting nine hours of original programming per day surrounding the live matches, including exclusive pre- and post-match shows and extended highlights.

CSG Grades Iconic 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Card Valued at Over $2 Million

Certified Sports Guaranty® (CSG®) is thrilled to announce that it has just certified two examples of the iconic 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle card, one of them valued at more than $2 million! Graded CSG 8, it is the most valuable card that CSG has certified since it launched in early 2021.

Fewer than 20 are graded higher out of about 2,000 in the world, including one that sold for $12.6 million in August 2022, setting a record for most expensive sports card at auction.

“It was an honor to authenticate and grade what is one of the most valuable cards in the hobby,” said Andy Broome, Vice President of CSG. “This resounding affirmation from the collecting world follows CSG’s monumental efforts to quickly become one of the market’s leading third-party authentication, grading and encapsulation services. We look forward to seeing more cards of this caliber.”

In addition to the Type 1 example graded CSG 8, CSG also certified a Type 2 example CSG 4.5. A card with that grade would be expected to sell for about $100,000 at auction.

On its certification label, CSG attributes the type of the Mickey Mantle #311 card. Minor differences, such as the direction of the seams on the baseball on the back of the card, distinguish the two types. To learn more about the differences, click here or watch the video below.

The Mantle card stands at the pinnacle of the sports collecting world for many reasons. In 1952, Mantle’s All-Star career had just begun, and the world of sports cards was being revolutionized by a newcomer known as Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. Topps’ ambitious 1952 set is widely considered to have set the framework for modern sports cards. Unfortunately, it did not sell well, resulting in an inglorious fate for high-numbered cards like the #311 Mickey Mantle. Legend has it that New York City-based Topps loaded unsold cases of these cards onto a barge and sent them to a watery grave.

Mantle played for the New York Yankees from 1951 to 1968, when they won seven World Series championships. He won the Triple Crown in 1956 (leading in batting average, home runs and RBIs) and the Gold Glove Award in 1962. Many consider the Hall of Famer to be the best switch hitter in history.

Increasingly, collectors are turning to CSG to certify some of the greatest sports cards in the hobby. CSG also holds the distinction of being the fastest third-party grading service to certify more than 1 million cards. Among the great cards that CSG has graded are:

· multiple high-grade examples of the 1986-87 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan rookie card
· a 1952 Topps #261 Willie Mays card graded CSG 8 worth well over $100,000
· a 2003-04 Topps Chrome Refractor #111 LeBron James graded CSG Gem Mint 10 that realized $98,100 in a March 2021 flash auction through PWCC
· a c.1922 Romeo and Julieta Cigars Jose Mendez graded CSG 2.5 that sold for $19,470 at a Hake’s sale in March 2022
· a 1977 Futbol #11 Diego Maradona graded CSG 4

Backed by the same senior management team behind the industry’s leading collectibles certification services (Numismatic Guaranty Company™, Paper Money Guaranty® and Certified Guaranty Company®), CSG has leveraged world-class expertise, advanced technology, innovation and operational excellence to quickly have the second-largest capacity of any third-party sports card grading service. Online tools such as Verify CSG Certification, the CSG Population Report and the CSG Registry give collectors and dealers free access to a large amount of helpful information that benefits the collecting community.

For the latest company updates and to see a variety of fantastic cards, follow CSG on social media and sign up for our monthly CSG Score eNewsletter.

Verdict In: Judge’s 62nd Largest Topps NOW Run Ever

Aaron Judge’s A.L. record setting home run display was not just a boon to the Yankees — and his impending free agency. It was also a big hit with collectors, as the Topps NOW card depicting his historic 62nd blast of the season enticed fans to purchase 91,685 of the base card, the most ever in the seven-year history of Topps NOW, which depicts the greatest moments and milestones from Major League Baseball almost as soon as they happen, with physical cards limited to the number ordered within 48 hours of issue.

And it wasn’t just the final bomb that appealed to fans as they bore witness to greatness: home runs #61 (29,523) and 60 (21,490) and two base cards shared with former league homer champs Roger Maris (19,741) and Babe Ruth (13,804) set the precedent, rounding out five of the top six sellers of the 2022 season. Albert Pujols’s 700th career shot (third most, 28,898) was the only other card to top 10,000 in sales.

In all, the five top Judge cards accounted for a total of 176,243 cards issued, more than half of all the base cards (330,699) produced through the regular season (112 individual cards).

Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani (qualifying as pitcher and hitter, 7th, 7331 cards; and reaching 200K strikeouts, 10th, 4381), the Mets’ Francisco Alvarez (debut, 8th, 6005) and Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez (sets rookie HR record, 9th, 5449) rounded out the top 10 for 2022.

Fans can continue to purchase Topps NOW cards throughout the MLB playoffs at https://www.topps.com/toppsnow.

2022 Top Ten

  1. Aaron Judge, 62nd home run, 91,685
  2. Aaron Judge, 61st home run,29,523
  3. Albert Pujols, 700th career home run, 28,898
  4. Aaron Judge, 60th home run, 21,490
  5. Aaron Judge and Roger Maris, 61 home runs, 19,741
  6. Aaron Judge and Babe Ruth, 60 home runs, 13,804
  7. Shohei Ohtani, qualifying as pitcher and hitter, 7331
  8. Francisco Alvarez, debut, 6005
  9. Julio Rodriguez, sets rookie HR recorded, 5449
  10. Shohei Ohtani, 200K strikeouts, 4381

Entain Data Reveals Huge Rise In Popularity Of Betting On Formula 1

Entain, the global sports betting, gaming, and interactive entertainment group, reports a surge in popularity for bets on Formula 1 with a record-breaking year on the cards. Data from Entain between 2018 and 2022 reveals that:

· The total number of Entain customers betting on Formula 1 increased 50 per cent from 2018 to 2021, and the total number of bets on each season has grown by 30 per cent
· Most customers who bet on Formula 1 between 2018 and 2021 were from the UK (35 per cent), Brazil (17 per cent), Germany (17 per cent) and Spain (5 per cent)
· Entain has seen an 18 per cent increase from 2021 to 2022 in the number of UK customers betting on Formula 1, with four races still yet to go in the 2022 season
· The British Grand Prix in July 2022 saw a 121 per cent increase compared with 2018, and there has been a four-fold increase in the number of bets on a winner at the race
· This trend replicates the spike in popularity of the sport across streaming and multimedia platforms. According to Formula 1, it was the fastest-growing major sports league in terms of follower growth in 2021. Followers on social media platforms increased 40 per cent to 49.1 million, with video views up 50 per cent to 7 billion and total engagement up 74 per cent to 1.5 billion.

Dom Grounsell, Chief Commercial Officer at Entain, said: “Our customers are finding Formula 1 an increasingly exciting sport to participate in – numbers are growing year on year, in line with the popularity of the sport. This has no doubt been helped by the hugely successful Netflix Formula 1 Drive to Survive series. We’re looking forward to the next stage of Formula 1’s exhilarating journey, and with our bench-strength of global sporting brands, are perfectly placed to keep our customers entertained and close to the action.”

Whilst the marked rise in popularity of motor racing is exciting for Entain, the interactive entertainment group works hard to ensure its customers are enjoying the thrill of the race while staying safe and playing within their limits. Entain’s industry-leading player protection programme, Advanced Responsibility and Care™, uses artificial intelligence to anticipate and identify potential problems and lead players back to safety.

For Soccer Ventures Announces BODYARMOR As Presenting Sponsor Of The Association Soccer League

Today, For Soccer Ventures (FSV), an independent media and experiences company focused on the growth and long-term development of American soccer announced BODYARMOR Sports Drink as Presenting Sponsor of its influencer soccer league, “The Association.” The Association, acquired by FSV in 2021, is an experiential soccer league celebrating the sport, culture, and people that make the game vibrant.

The Association features a balance of impactful and influential soccer, fashion, music, and popular culture personalities with various teams representing LA-based businesses and brands in a two-month long league competition held on Thursday nights at Optimist Studios located in El Segundo, CA.

Each matchday provides a collaborative space and platform to share local voices representing art, music, fashion, sneakers, tech, gaming, and more. The immersive fan and player experience boasts unique brand activations, live music provided by various DJs, celebrity appearances, free food and drinks, live art installations and a full-service merchandise area.

Similar to the 2018-19 season when The Association helped launch SpaceX’s Space United to use soccer as a means to engage area youth through STEM education, this year’s The Association League will incorporate outreach programs with local youth soccer organizations aimed at integrating the next generation on and off the field and working with brand partners to leave a legacy in the community.

The 2022 installment of The Association will feature teams from CAA, Sony, Religion Of Sports, 424, The Shoe Surgeon, Winston House, AEG, Immortals FC, the American Outlaws, and Google.

For BODYARMOR, this initiative builds upon its existing involvement with the larger soccer community as the Official Sports Drink of Major League Soccer since 2019. Earlier this year, BODYARMOR and For Soccer Ventures also partnered on a successful grassroots community project in Minneapolis, MN at the 2022 Major League Soccer All-Star Game.

For more information on the Association and its various Los Angeles-based events and activations, please visit www.TheAssociationLeague.com.