Category Archives: Bottom Featured

Strat-O-Matic Celebrates 1933, 1983 All-Star Games With Unique Limited Edition Collectible Card Set

Ninety years ago, baseball debuted its All-Star Game, a novelty that quickly became an annual tradition. Babe Ruth, naturally, launched the classic’s first home run in that inaugural contest, and it was 50 years later that California’s Fred Lynn hit the game’s first grand slam. Those two memorable shots, in games replete with dozens of Hall of Famers and other favorites, have made the 1933 and 1983 games among the most memorable in history, and beginning on July 10, Strat-O-Matic fans can relive and replay them like never before with the issue of the second entry in the Strat-O-Matic Collectibles Series: Strat-O-Matic All-Stars.

This special edition card set will feature the baseball All-Star teams from the 1933 and 1983 seasons on vivid, colorful cards with all-red (for the American League) or all-blue (for the National League) backgrounds and white text on both the basic and advanced sides of the cards. The numbered sets will be offered in a unique shrink-wrapped box that will also include charts detailing the starting lineups, rosters, and a box score for each game.

All 96 player cards from these two games will be released in Super Advanced format: a first for the majority of 1983 players (the season having been previously released with advanced-only features) while the 1933 season has never been released in card form by Strat-O-Matic.

“We expect demand for Strat-O-Matic All-Stars to be at least as strong as our Strat-O-Matic Black set, which sold out in less than two days,” said Adam Richman, CEO, Strat-O-Matic, Media. “Only 600 of these All-Star sets will be offered, never to be printed in this format again, so we advise fans to reserve theirs as soon as they go on sale at noon on July 10, just in time for the All-Star Game.”

The 1933 game, and this card set, featured Hall of Famers including Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Carl Hubbell, Pie Traynor, Frankie Frisch, and more. The 1983 classic included an incredible 18 Cooperstown inductees. Both contests were played at the revered Comiskey Park in Chicago.

Kitman Labs Announces Deal with New Zealand Football Club, the Wellington Phoenix

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system for performance intelligence in the elite performance industry, today announced a new deal with New Zealand’s Wellington Phoenix Football Club – the only New Zealand-based club in the Australian League. The club will be utilizing several Solutions in the Intelligence Platform, including: Performance Medicine, Performance Optimization and Talent Development. The Platform combines medical, performance and talent development data into a single, interactive system that yields actionable intelligence to support specific operating and performance outcomes.

The Intelligence Platform is being deployed across the Men’s and Women’s Teams as well as the Academy. The platform will serve as the singular operating system for the Organization – eliminating data and information silos, enabling cross-Departmental communication and providing a comprehensive, real time view of every player in the organization.

By deploying the Intelligence Platform across the Academy and First Teams, Performance and Coaching staff will be able to effectively systemize their talent pipeline, enabling the early identification and progression of talent across the entire organization while creating key performance benchmarks and markers to inform their overall talent development strategy.

“The Intelligence Platform has been designed to unify data, people and processes to support informed decision-making, streamline operations and ultimately, yield the action plan necessary to achieve critical performance outcomes,” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “By deploying the platform across every aspect of the club, The Phoenix will have access to a complete, 360 view of each athlete and each team, eliminating data gaps and providing the intelligence necessary to develop and execute their performance strategy across every department.”

“Football clubs are no different than any other complex organization faced with significant amounts of incoming data and information,” said Shaun Gill, Director of Football, Wellington Phoenix FC. “Traditionally that information gets stuck or siloed within specific departments or project teams with limited transparency or context. By adopting the Intelligence Platform across every aspect of the Wellington Phoenix Organization – from our academy to first teams, men’s and women’s – all relevant, pertinent data will not only be centralized, but integrated. Kitman Labs will give us a comprehensive, real-time view of every player at all levels across the club and will provide the analytics necessary to support informed, strategic decision-making – whether that’s related to our development and recruitment objectives or athlete performance and health.”

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top teams and athletes across a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company’s technology has been used by some of the world’s most elite sports organizations, including Bayer Leverkusen, Malmö FF, Columbus Crew and MLS Next.

This launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs have undertaken. That includes the successful close of a $52M Series C funding round led by Guggenheim Investments, a global asset investment and advisory firm with more than $259 billion in assets under management and two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports, both made in the last two years. The combined companies represent the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations (700+) and created the industry’s largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.

SlamBall, ESPN Announce Exclusive Two-Year Broadcast Partnership for the 2023 and 2024 Seasons

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 partnership begins on Opening Night, as SlamBall relaunches live from Las Vegas on July 21 from 7-9 p.m. EDT. 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 U.S., but across the world, has been beyond our expectations for the 2023 season. It’s clear that this is the 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.”

“We are excited to partner with SlamBall, a league that combines elements of some of our fans’ favorite sports, resulting in a unique game that is 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 next few weeks. 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), as well as 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.

Telemundo Introduces Largest Women’s Commentary Team In World Cup History

Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™, unveils its complete broadcast lineup and announce teams, featuring a commentary team with the most women ever in Spanish-language U.S. media history. 

The network’s broadcast schedule is outlined below, including all 64 matches will air live and exclusively in Spanish with 33 on Telemundo – the largest ever FIFA Women’s World Cup matches on a broadcast network in U.S. television history – 31 on Universo, and every match streaming live on Peacock starting July 20 through August 20.  

“For us, the Women’s World Cup is more than a premier global sporting event – it is an opportunity to contribute to something bigger, and we’re proud to enhance our coverage with experienced and diverse voices,” said Eli Velazquez, Executive Vice President of Sports, Telemundo. “We will be complementing our team of top sports commentators and journalists with the depth and expertise of former coaches, players, and referees who will provide their unique on-the-pitch perspectives offering our viewers the most thorough analysis throughout the tournament.” 

Telemundo’s cross-continental production will feature on-the-ground coverage across Australia and New Zealand anchored by Telemundo’s Emmy-nominated sports host Ana Jurka, Emmy-award winning sports journalist Miguel Gurwitz, lead Premier League host Carlota Vizmanos and World Cup veteran reporter and Telemundo 48’s Carlos Yustis as the official hosts, leading the pre-, halftime and post-game analysis. Sports journalist and host Veronica Rodriguez will host Telemundo’s leading late-night weekend sports show, Zona Mixta, throughout the tournament. 

Onsite in-venue announce team will be led by Hall of Famer, seven-time Emmy award-winner Andres Cantor with analysis by former Mexican National Team and Chivas player Manuel Sol and former U.S. Soccer coach Natalia Astrain. Additional announce teams will feature play-by-play by two-time Emmy award nominee Sammy Sadovnik, the voice of World Cup 2019’s Final Copan Alvarez, well-known soccer host and announcer Daniella Lopez-Guajaro, and accomplished Spanish-language sports broadcaster Jorge Calvo.  

Experienced sports analyst Eduardo Biscayart and sports journalist Diana Rincon join the coverage as lead analysts. In addition, the soccer experts will join Telemundo Deportes’ announce teams to serve as analysts for relevant matches.  

Team of Experts Joining Telemundo Deportes’ FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ Coverage: 

Natalia Astrain (Spain/USA | Coach), former U.S. coach, returns as guest analyst for Women’s World Cup joining Cantor’s announce team onsite after making history with the network during the World Cup Qatar 2022 calling Morocco-Portugal alongside head coach of the Costa Rica women’s national football team Amelia Valverde, the first ever Men’s World Cup match called by two women. 

Deyna Castellanos (Venezuela| Forward) rejoins Telemundo Deportes’ commentary team as a guest analyst after contributing to the coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019. Castellanos is a forward for Manchester City’s Women’s Super League Club and the Venezuela women’s national team. 

Isabella Echeverri (Colombia | Center back) former soccer player who last played as a center back for the Liga MX Femenil club CF Monterrey and the Colombia women’s national team. Telemundo Deportes welcomes Echeverri to the team for the first time. 

Janelly Farias (Mexico| Center back) is a Mexican soccer player who was part of the Mexican national team during the Women’s World Cup in 2006 and who provided analysis for the Women’s World Cup in 2019 for Telemundo. Farias is also the co-host for NBCU’s new bilingual podcast My New Favorite Futbolista / Mi Mundialista Favorita profiling the most-inspiring FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 stars.  

Jaime Herrera (Mexico | Referee) is recognized for being the first Mexican referee to officiate in the Major League Soccer. During his 19-year career he officiated international tournaments such as Copa Libertadores among others. The retired referee joined Telemundo for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ and returns this summer to analyze the calls for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 this summer. 

Kenti Robles (Mexico | Right Back) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a right back for Spanish Primera División club Real Madrid CF and the Mexico women’s national team. 

Maxi Rodriguez (Argentina | Midfielder) is a former Argentine footballer nicknamed “La Fiera” returns to Telemundo after his successful participation in Qatar. Previously, the legendary midfielder left his mark in Spain playing for Espanyol and Atlético Madrid then spent two years with Liverpool in England, and returned to Newell’s Old Boys where he began and ended his career. Rodríguez represented his country in three World Cups, finishing second in 2014. One of his career highlights occurred in Germany 2006 when he scored the goal that eliminated Mexico during the extra time of the Round of 16 match played in Leipzig. 

Lucila Venegas (Mexico | Referee) is an international football referee from Mexico who became a FIFA listed referee in 2008. Since then, she served as an official at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. 

Telemundo’s presentation marks the first time in U.S. television history the women’s competition is broadcasted in its entirety in Spanish and the most matches ever airing live on a U.S. broadcast network, regardless of language. In addition, the highly anticipated tournament this summer will be the first-ever Women’s World Cup on Peacock, the exclusive Spanish-language streaming home of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, which will stream every match live.  

MLS NEXT, Kitman Labs Build New System To Drive Operational Efficiencies, Optimize Player Pathways

MLS NEXT and Kitman Labs, the sports technology and analytics company setting an industry standard for how elite sports organizations use data, today announced a new deal that will provide MLS NEXT with new software to enhance the operation of MLS NEXT and provide coaches and players with improved insights into player performance.

Starting at the beginning of next year’s MLS NEXT season, this program will allow MLS NEXT to consolidate and streamline program-wide operations and build a unified data set about players, staff, coaches and games played at every level for every season. By leveraging the data and technology offerings from Kitman Labs, MLS NEXT will gain insights into areas such as where and how players are playing, how they are progressing through the League and how different teams are performing and who is coaching them, which can drive immediate improvements in the player pathway and experience.

“Kitman Labs is a world-class technology company, and by teaming up with them we are excited for the opportunity to utilize next generation technology to power our entire MLS NEXT operation,” said Justin Bokmeyer, General Manager, MLS NEXT. “The player pathway within the MLS ecosystem is of the utmost importance to us, and there is no better place to introduce this combining of forces than within MLS NEXT. We look forward to working alongside Kitman Labs and sharing their game-changing capabilities and software tools with academy directors throughout the U.S.”

Kitman Labs

Through Kitman Labs’ proprietary Intelligence Platform (iP: Intelligence Platform), which provides high performance organizations with the technology and tools to support data collection, advanced analytics, communication and collaboration across leagues and teams, MLS NEXT will have access to data optimization and visualizations to empower decision-making and to assist in continuous program improvement. Additionally, Kitman Labs will help to streamline all of MLS NEXT’s daily operations, including the improvement of the quality of talent and play at every level while delivering an elevated experience for both staff and players. 

MLS NEXT is the first to launch the new League Operations Solution from Kitman Labs. Core capabilities within the solution include, but are not limited to:

• Player Registration
• Staff and Officials Registration
• Fixture Management
• Digital Match Rosters
• Match Reporting
• Discipline Management and Eligibility Tracking
• Registration Payments
• Waivers and Consents
• Competition Management

“As Leagues become increasingly more complex, the need to consolidate and streamline operations and logistics into a single platform, enabling collaboration, elevating the player and staff experience and providing the infrastructure to scale is paramount to future success,” said Stephen Smith, Kitman Labs Founder & CEO.  “MLS Next is setting a new standard across the board while simultaneously enhancing and prioritizing player pathways to elevate the overall level of play throughout the League.”  

This announcement arrives during a period of tremendous momentum behind the sport of soccer in North America, as MLS’ 28th season is underway, the highly anticipated 2023 Leagues Cup will take place from July 21 to August 19 and as the 2026 World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico approaches.

In Support of National Indigenous History Month in Canada NLL Launches ‘Every Child Matters’ Auction

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced its continued and expanded support for the “Every Child Matters” movement during National Indigenous History Month in Canada.

“Every Child Matters” is an initiative bringing awareness to the forcible placement of Indigenous children in residential and boarding schools by the Canadian and United States governments from the 19th century to as recently as 1996 in Canada so that these mistakes are not repeated.

Fans and anyone who wants to support the initiative can bid on team-signed merchandise from NLL teams starting today through Friday, June 30, 2023, at 5pm ET. To bid on the items, fans can visit https://www.nll.com/auctions.

All funds raised from the “Every Child Matters” auction will be split evenly between the NLL’s two non-profit partners, the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund in Canada, and the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition in the United States.

Available items range from team-signed “Every Child Matters” t-shirts to the Vancouver Warriors’ First Nations Night theme jersey.

The “Every Child Matters” logo was designed by Indigenous artist, Justin Gilbert of Kuvua Designs. The Warriors’ uniform, worn during its January 28th game against the Panther City Lacrosse Club, was designed by Heiltsuk artist, K.C. Hall.

The 2022-23 season marked the second consecutive year the NLL prominently featured the “Every Child Matters” movement across North America. For three weeks in January and February, every NLL team wore “Every Child Matters”-themed warmups and added a campaign-branded helmet decal for games. During halftime of each broadcasts, special segments ran discussing this topic and others relating to Indigenous populations across Canada and the United States.

Fans can still purchase “Every Child Matters” t-shirts through the NLL’s official online stores, NLLShop.com and NLLStore.ca powered by Fanatics. For every t-shirt sold, the NLL will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund and The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition.

About the National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the League is comprised of 15 franchises across the United States and Canada: Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, Las Vegas Desert Dogs, New York Riptide, Panther City Lacrosse Club (TX), Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors.

For more information, visit NLL.com and find @NLL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

Image Courtesy NLL/Vancouver Warriors

Beat the Streets Raises Record $1.3 Million with Annual Benefit, Final X

Beat the Streets New York raised more than $1.3 million with its 13th Annual Benefit on Saturday at Prudential Center. BTSNY also set an attendance record for its Annual Benefit and Final X with more than 8,000 fans.

For a second straight year, Final X served as BTSNY’s benefit with 29 athletes claiming a spot on Team USA for the 2023 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 16-24.

Among the men’s freestyle winners were 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Snyder (97 kg), and 2020 Olympic champions Gable Steveson (125 kg) and David Taylor (86 kg), and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist and four-time World champion Kyle Dake (74 kg). Two notable upsets occurred as Zane Richards (57 kg) topped 2021 World champion and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Thomas Gilman, and Chance Marsteller (79 kg) dethroned 2016 Olympic champion and six-time World champion Jordan Burroughs.

In women’s freestyle, 2020 Olympic silver medalist and six-time World champion Adeline Gray (76 kg) won just 10 months after giving birth to twins. World champions Jacarra Winchester (55 kg), Dominique Parrish (53 kg) and Amit Elor (72 kg) also claimed victories.

Two 2020 Olympians led the 10 Greco-Roman winners, as Ildar Hafizov (60 kg) and Alejandro Sancho (67 kg) emerged victorious.

“Moving our benefit to Prudential Center was a big factor in making this our largest event, with $1.3 million raised,” said Brendan Buckley, Executive Director of Beat the Streets New York. “The funds raised during this event enable our programs to operate year-round and continue to make a lifelong impact through wrestling on New York City student-athletes.”

It is the second time the benefit has been held in New Jersey after a virtual event in 2020 in Hoboken. BTSNY held its Annual Benefit at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in 2019 and 2022, and previously at other historic New York locations. The benefit events help BTSNY raise at least $1 million each year to support youth wrestling programs that empower young people in New York City. To provide contributions to BTSNY, visit btsny.org/donate.

For full match results, visit https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/June/10/Final-X-results.

image: Kamal Bey (credit: Robbert Wijtman)

‘The League’ Negro Leagues World Premiere at the Tribeca Festival on Monday

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI), executive produced by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Oscar-winning SUMMER OF SOUL), Tariq Trotter (DESCENDANT), and produced by RadicalMedia, THE LEAGUE celebrates the dynamic journey of Negro League baseball’s triumphs and challenges through the first half of the twentieth century. The story is told through previously unearthed archival footage and never-before-seen interviews with legendary players like Satchel Paige and Buck O’Neil – whose early careers paved the way for the Jackie Robinson era – as well as celebrated Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Hank Aaron who started out in the Negro Leagues.

The feature-length documentary debuts at the Tribeca Festival in New York on Monday and opens in theaters July 7 and on digital July 14.

From entrepreneurial titans Cumberland Posey and Gus Greenlee, whose intense rivalry fueled the rise of two of the best baseball teams ever to play the game, to Effa Manley, the activist owner of the Newark Eagles and the only woman ever admitted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, THE LEAGUE explores Black baseball as an economic and social pillar of Black communities and a stage for some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game, while also examining the unintended consequences of integration.

“My vision was simple,” said Pollard. “Find voices of those who played the game, surround them with historians and fans of the Negro Leagues, use as much archival footage and stills I could find and, to add drama, shoot period recreations and create animation that would add another level of cinematic texture to the film. Fortunately, I was able to find the voices of former Negro League players because Byron Motley (whose dad, Bob Motley, had been a Negro League Umpire) had interviewed and recorded many former players years ago.”

Producers are Robin Espinola, Dave Sirulnick, Jen Isaacson and Byron Motley.

Man City’s Haaland, Fulham’s Ream Claim Inaugural Men in Blazers ‘American Football Awards’

Erling Haaland of Manchester City and Tim Ream of Fulham were named the inaugural “American Player of the Year” and “American American Player of the Year” in the Premier League, as voted on by U.S.-based fans via the Men in Blazers Media Network’s Raven Newsletter and announced on MiB’s Season 9 finale today on NBC and Peacock.

MiB host and co-founder Roger Bennett and popular commentators Robbie Earle and Rebecca Lowe announced the winners, who appeared by video accepting their awards and accompanying prize belt.

“I want to thank everyone for voting me as American Player of the Year,” said Haaland on the program. “It’s a real honor for me and I have to keep going. Thank you for this award.”

Haaland was selected over other finalists Marcus Rashford of Manchester United, Bukayo Saka of Arsenal and Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur.

“I want to say a huge thank you to all of you who voted me your American American Player of the Year in the Premier League,” added Ream. “It’s a huge honor to win the award amongst the names that were in the running. I’m looking forward to getting back out there and winning it again.”

Ream’s fellow American American of the Year finalists were his Fulham teammate Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams of Leeds United and Matt Turner of Arsenal.

“Football awards are an expression of the culmination of a season’s journey. That journey is different depending on your perspective — the place and reality of where you watch,” said Bennett. “MiB Network has been a manifestation of the surging growth in football fandom across the United States over the last decade — the sense of shared discovery, passion, and connectivity. These awards to Haaland and Ream are a reflection of that — the unique perspective of American football fans who have fallen head over heels in love with this game. Fans who have gone from not caring about football, to becoming football-curious, to getting a Tottenham Hotspur tattoo on their forearm and not quite believing how fast it has all happened.”

The Men in Blazers Media Network is the largest and most successful independent soccer-focused media company in North America. The “American Football Awards” show followed Sunday’s Premier League Finals.

The finalists and winners were selected by thousands of fans across the nation. MiB will also debut the women’s “American Football Awards” this fall after the World Cup and conclusion of the NWSL season, with a unified, platform coming in 2024.

Men in Blazers Launches First-Ever ‘American Football Awards’

The Men in Blazers Media Network, the largest and most successful independent soccer-focused media company in North America, today announced another expansion of their platform, “The American Football Awards.” This new award will honor the Premier League footballer deemed to have had the best season in 2022-23 as voted on by the surging audience of American fans. The accompanying “American American Player of the Year” is handed out to the best American player in English Football. The first awards show will be seen on NBC this coming Sunday following the Premier League Finals and will be hosted by Robbie Earle, Rebecca Lowe, and Men In Blazers’ Roger Bennett. The winners will be announced and both will give their acceptance speeches on the show, directly addressing the American Premier League audience.

“For decades, the United States has seemed like the Final Frontier for Football, like Space was for Captain Kirk,” said Men in Blazers Co-Founder Roger Bennett. “Over the last decade, that has changed. The sport is surging. The audience is passionate and knowledgeable, and this award is both a reflection of their surging interest, and how seriously the Premier League teams and players take our fanbase. It is our hope this award will become the Ballon D’or for a U.S. audience, and are thrilled to partner with NBC Sports who have been such a driver of the growth of football in this nation as we continue to champion the growth of the sport in the U.S. on every level to the biggest audience possible.”

The finalists and winners were selected by thousands of fans across the nation. MiB will also debut the women’s “American Football Awards” this fall after the World Cup and conclusion of the NWSL season, with a unified, platform coming in 2024.

The “American Football Awards” continues Men in Blazers expansion as a leading pop culture, sports and entertainment platform. In March, MIB significantly added to its content lineup with talent and shows that now include: “Here We Go” with Fabrizio Romano, “The Road to the Cup” with Becky Sauerbrunn, “VAMOS” with Herculez Gomez, and “Men in Blazers Live and Dangerous” with Sam Mewis on Twitch leading the Women’s World Cup 2026 programming, in addition to the widely followed and successful original MiB content.

What started as a weekly TV Show (now in its 9th Season with NBC Sports) and Podcast has become a 24/7 flourishing multi-voiced, digital integrated media network serving every aspect of global football – both men’s and women’s – with a full slate of programming and talent across a variety of channels including a co-production partnership with Twitch.

All of this comes ahead of what will be an even bigger window of exposure for football interest and growth in the U.S., with the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the 2024 Copa America and the 2026 World Cup also held in North America and the continued interest in both the business and consumer engagement with MLS, the NWSL, US Soccer, and other emerging properties. Men in Blazers partnered with Twitch prior to the 2022 Men’s World Cup, executing a strategy that fused “sidecasting” games live with celebrity guests by day, live “theater shows” by night, all streamed LIVE on Twitch, combined with a daily cascade of podcasts. The format nominated for Sports Emmy, had a total of 6M unique viewers across the 44+ hours of live streams throughout the tournament.

The content was amplified, cross-platform on social to create a 24/7 narrative accompaniment and drove unprecedented numbers for Men in Blazers and partners — reaching #4 across all Sports podcasts in the USA throughout the time-period.

Tanzania Tourism Board Announces New Relationships with International Tennis Hall of Fame, USTA, ITF

The Tanzania Tourism Board announced new relationships with the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the USTA and the ITF, all designed to raise awareness, opportunity and good will tied to the expedition John and Patrick McEnroe will be making to Tanzania in December. The new and expanded relationships will broaden the scope and opportunity around the trip and will be able to put this global opportunity to expand the game of tennis top of mind with many of the key enthusiasts for the game of tennis on every level.

“This partnership is key to having us reach communities through sport across North America, and in aligning John and Patrick McEnroe with some of our other partners in places like the NFL and MLS, it shows how seriously we take this commitment,” said Tanzania’s Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources Hassan Abbas. “Of all our new relationships, this one we believe can have the greatest impact, both on people coming to experience our country and in those young people who will benefit from learning and growing the game of tennis in Africa.”

“The possibilities of what we can do with these partnerships as a way to reach and engage not just fans of tennis, but of those who have interest in social responsibility both across the United States and in Tanzania is pretty endless,” said Patrick McEnroe, the newly appointed President of The International Tennis Hall of Fame. “It is the rare opportunity to impact lives but here and in Africa and we are looking forward to moving this project along into the summer and fall, especially with those who will be coming with us.”

The partnerships include a number of opportunities for members to engage and participate with the experiences well in advance of the trip as well as learn more about how the trip and all its components will build and execute good will and growth of the sport. The programs will include digital and social media contact, select in person events and charitable connections across the board.

John and Patrick McEnroe will be travelling to Tanzania this December as part of a new goodwill, awareness and sport initiative. In cooperation and support of the Tanzanian government. The Brothers McEnroe will be accompanied by as many as 120 tennis aficionados during a special eight-day trip which will include the first ever professional tennis match in the Serengeti and other tennis related events.

Guests will also join John and Patrick when they visit a traditional Maasai Village to bring goodwill and cultural exchange and introduce the Maasai youth to the game of tennis as part of a special court dedication.

Travelers will enjoy African hospitality while staying at the Four Seasons Serengeti, Gran Melia and other luxury lodges. This bucket list tour package includes all gourmet meals on an all-inclusive basis, domestic air, almost daily Safari game drives in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, a welcome reception hosted by the President of Tanzania, tennis-themed activities and memories to last a lifetime.
Tennis fans will not want to miss this historic moment in tennis history. This is a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to one of the most majestic landscapes on the planet with tennis legends.

To learn more or join the tour, please visit: https://epictanzaniatour.com/

Kitman Labs Announces Integration Deal with ZoneIn

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system for performance intelligence in the elite performance industry, today announced a new deal with ZoneIn – the most advanced evidence-based performance nutrition platform and app in global sport. ZoneIn currently serves over 20,000 athletes and 200+ performance specialists across pro, college and youth athletics. The ZoneIn platform will integrate directly with the Intelligence Platform from Kitman Labs, making their first party data related to nutrition and supplement management, instantly accessible to Kitman’s roster of sports and defense clients worldwide.

ZoneIn’s performance nutrition platform is currently used by EXOS and some of the biggest leagues in global sport, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, Premier League and NCAA for:

AI-driven nutrition management of Athletes

Personalized meal ordering and menu management

Integrated supplement management and inventory tracking

ZoneIn is joining the growing roster of premium data providers integrating with the Intelligence Platform, providing leagues and regulatory bodies, teams, clubs and defense organizations with a single, integrated platform built to unify thousands of single point solutions and provide a complete, holistic view of the athlete or service member.

“Kitman Labs is the leader in utilizing data in innovative and evidence-based manners to boost the health and performance of athletes. It is extremely exciting to partner with such a forward thinking organization and a company we have always looked up to,” said Kush Mahan, CEO and Founder of ZoneIn. “We are confident that the value that our unique integrated offerings will bring to organizations around the globe will be second to none.”

“Kush and his team at ZoneIn have built the best-in-class end-to-end dietician management platform and app in the industry and we couldn’t be more thrilled to announce this integration partnership. As the industry continues to grapple with the volume and velocity of data hitting them daily, we remain steadfast in our goal of providing the only single, centralized and fully integrated operating system in the market,” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder Kitman Labs. “Our technology has been designed to aggregate those data streams and convert them into actionable intelligence that supports the myriad operating and performance outcomes of our shared clients.”

This launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken. That includes the successful close of a $52M Series C funding round led by Guggenheim Investments, a global asset investment and advisory firm with more than $259 billion in assets under management and two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports. The combined companies represent the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations (700+) and created the industry’s largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.

Volleyball Nations League Announces Athlete Line-Up For Anaheim Week 3 July 4-9

Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the world’s premier annual international indoor volleyball tournament, has announced the official athlete rosters for the USA, Iran, Argentina, France, Germany, Serbia, Bulgaria and Cuba teams who will compete during Week 3 of preliminary play in Anaheim, Calif. from July 4 – 9, 2023.
 
The Men’s VNL 2023 will feature 16 national teams and will be held in seven different countries on three different continents. The teams will play four matches a week for three weeks of preliminary competition. The top 7 teams at the end of the preliminary phase will advance to the VNL Finals with hosts Poland in the city of Gdansk from July 19 – 23.
 
“We are excited to showcase the global superstars at the Volleyball Nations League in Anaheim for our fans in America and around the world this July,” said Finn Taylor, CEO, Volleyball World.”American sports fans will have a chance to see the world’s best players and national teams take on Team USA in some of the best international volleyball played anywhere on the globe this year.”
 
Below are athletes highlighted from all eight countries. For a complete roster, go to VNL 2023 – Men’s teams. | volleyballworld.com.
 
TEAM USA – After finishing in second place in 2022, the USA Men are currently ranked No. 6 in the world. They return under 11-time head coach and UCLA coach John Speraw, with 10 Olympians on the roster, including bronze medalists David Smith, Erik Shoji and Matt Anderson, and rising star Mason Briggs.
 

  • Three-time Olympian David Smith out of University of California Irvine, returns to the middle blocker position. Smith earned Best Middle Blocker at the 2022 VNL Finals and is an elite athlete who plays nearly deaf.
  • Two-time Olympian Libero Erik Shoji, hailing from Hawaii and Stanford alumni, is a two-time Olympian who earned a bronze in 2016. Born to University of Hawaii women’s volleyball coach Dave Shoji, volleyball is a family business for the Shojis.
  • Rising Star Mason Briggs comes from a family of collegiate volleyball players. As upcoming talent in the VNL and professional indoor volleyball circuit, he attends Cal State Long Beach and is known for his charisma on and off the court.

 
FRANCE – The defending VNL champions return with 2020 Olympic gold medalists Earvin N’Gapeth, Trévor Clévenot, Jean Patry and Jenia Grebnnikov. France earned their first VNL title in 2022 by defeating the United States.
 
IRAN – With a seventh place finish last year, the 2023 squad includes Seyed Mousavi who has led Iran to two Olympic appearances. He is joined by veteran Masoud Gholami and rising stars Amin Esmaeilnezhad and Javad Karimi.
 
ARGENTINA – Led by captain Luciano De Cecco who returns for his 18th season. In addition, 12 players who led Argentina to an eighth-place finish at the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship include Bruno Lima, Agustín Loser and Santiago Danani. They will look to better their ninth place finish at the 2022 VNL.
 
SERBIA – The 2019 European champions return to the VNL with 10 players that competed at last year’s world championship. Their roster includes Olympians Aleksandar Atanasijevic & Marko Podrascanin.
 
GERMANY – After competing without nine key players last year, veteran outside hitter Denis Kaliberda and middle blocker Anton Brehme rejoin German teammates Julian Zenger (L) and Lukas Kampa (S) for this year’s VNL. Kaliberda has played with the national team since 2010, representing Germany at the 2012 Olympics.
 
BULGARIA – Returning 11 years after he last played for the Bulgarian national team, the country’s most prominent active star, Matey Kaziyski rejoins Teodor Salparov, the Bratoev twins – Georgi & Valentin; and Nikolay Penchev.
 
CUBA – The team won the Volleyball Challenger Cup in 2022 to earn promotion to the 2023 VNL. The team is led by Outside Hitter Miguel Lopez, who participated in the 2016 Olympic Games and Robertlandy Simon, arguably one of the most exciting middle blockers to watch in the VNL.
 
Tickets are now available for purchase HERE.
 
For a complete athlete roster and more information about the Volleyball Nations League, including the latest news, schedules, scores and highlights, please visit www.volleyballworld.com. Follow @volleyballworld on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. Tune into the Volleyball Nations League 2023 live programming on VBTV.

National Lacrosse League Announces Finalists for 2022-23 NLL Awards

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced the finalists for its annual season-end awards honoring the best players, coaches, and executives for the 2022-23 NLL season.

Reigning NLL Most Valuable Player, Buffalo Bandits forward Dhane Smith, looks to repeat against last year’s NLL Rookie of the Year, New York Riptide’s Jeff Teat, and Calgary Roughnecks’ standout goaltender, Christian Del Bianco.

All 11 award categories are based on 2022-23 regular season stats and performances, with voting taking place prior to the start of the 2023 NLL Playoffs. Voters ranked their choices from 1st through 5th place with those votes correlating with a point total (noted below). The top three vote getters for each award are listed as the finalists.

The winners will be announced next week leading into Game 1 of the NLL Finals.

Most Valuable Player
• Christian Del Bianco (Coquitlam, BC) – Goaltender – Calgary Roughnecks
• Dhane Smith (Kitchener, ON) – Forward – Buffalo Bandits
• Jeff Teat (Brampton, ON) – Forward – New York Riptide

Rookie of the Year
• Brett Dobson (Oshawa, ON) – Goaltender – Georgia Swarm
• Jonathan Donville (Oakville, ON) – Forward – Panther City Lacrosse Club
• Jack Hannah (Milford, OH) – Forward – Las Vegas Desert Dogs

Goaltender of the Year
• Christian Del Bianco (Coquitlam, BC) – Calgary Roughnecks
• Nick Rose (Orangeville, ON) – Toronto Rock
• Matt Vinc (St. Catharines, ON) – Buffalo Bandits

Transition Player of the Year
• Reid Bowering (Coquitlam, BC) – Vancouver Warriors
• Zach Currier (Peterborough, ON) – Calgary Roughnecks
• Challen Rogers (Coquitlam, BC) – Toronto Rock

Defensive Player of the Year
• Latrell Harris (St. Catharines, ON) – Toronto Rock
• Graeme Hossack (Port Perry, ON) – Halifax Thunderbirds
• Brad Kri (Acton, ON) – Toronto Rock

Sportsmanship Award
• Kyle Buchanan (Nepean, ON) – Buffalo Bandits
• Tom Schreiber (East Meadow, NY) – Toronto Rock
• Lyle Thompson (Onondaga Nation, NY) – Georgia Swarm

Teammate of the Year
• Kyle Buchanan (Nepean, ON) – Buffalo Bandits
• Dan Dawson (Oakville, ON) – Toronto Rock
• John LaFontaine (Whitby, ON) – Albany FireWolves

Les Bartley Award (Head Coach of the Year)
• Mike Hasen – Rochester Knighthawks
• Tracey Kelusky – Panther City Lacrosse Club
• Curt Malawsky – Calgary Roughnecks

General Manager of the Year
• Mike Board – Calgary Roughnecks
• Dan Carey – Rochester Knighthawks
• Jamie Dawick – Toronto Rock

Executive of the Year
• Melissa Blades – Director of Business Operations, Calgary Roughnecks
• Mark Fine – Chief Executive Officer, Las Vegas Desert Dogs
• Matt Hutchings – Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, KSE, Governor, Colorado Mammoth 

Tom Borrelli Award (Media Person of the Year)
• Pat Gregoire – TSN/Halifax Thunderbirds color commentator and co-host, “Off the CrosseBar” Podcast
• Teddy Jenner – TSN play-by-play and co-host, “Off the CrosseBar” Podcast
• Adam Levi – Inside Lacrosse, NLLPA, and NLL.com contributing writer and host, “Lacrosse Matrix” Podcast

Each NLL team had the opportunity to nominate and vote for each of the awards with the exception of Teammate of the Year, as each NLLPA Player Representative nominated a player from their team for this honor that was voted on by the NLLPA and its 15 Player Representatives.

Once nominations were finalized, each NLL team casted three ballots for each award by three members of its organization. Select media were eligible to vote for all awards except Teammate of the Year and Executive of the Year with the same voting system.

Each ballot allowed voting members to select their top five choices for each award among all nominated persons. Points were distributed for each first through fifth place vote as follows:

• 1st Place – 10 points
• 2nd Place – 7 points
• 3rd Place – 5 points
• 4th Place – 3 points
• 5th Place – 1 point

The person that accumulated the most points will be announced as the winner while the top three are the finalists. The All-League and All-Rookie teams are determined by the top vote getters in each correlating award. The All-Rookie team will be made up of six rookies, regardless of position. The All-League First Team and All-League Second Team will be made up of six individuals per team. Each Team will consist of two forwards, one transition player, two defenseman, and one goaltender.

For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Kitman Labs announces Performance Intelligence Deal with Danish Superliga Club, FC Midtjylland

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS company providing the only single, centralized operating platform for performance intelligence in the elite performance industry, today announced a new deal with Danish Superliga club, FC Midtjylland. This deal makes FC Midtjylland the fifth club in the League to subscribe to Kitman’s proprietary, multi-solution advanced operating system, iP: Intelligence Platform. Other clubs adopting the platform include: Aalborg Boldspilklub, Aarhus Gymnastikforening, FC Nordsjaelland and Viborg FF. All five clubs have now been onboarded, the technology has been deployed and will be in use throughout the 2024 season.

In all instances, the clubs have adopted the full suite of Solutions including: Performance Medicine, Performance Optimization and Talent Development. The platform combines medical, performance and talent development data into a single, interactive system that yields actionable intelligence to support specific performance outcomes while providing a complete, comprehensive view of each individual player within the team.

“We are pleased to continue to work with progressive and insightful football clubs the world over. These five clubs – representing close to half of the Danish SuperLiga – show how we can customize each program to support the bespoke needs and objectives of each organization within the League,” Kitman Labs CEO Stephen Smith said. “ Whether it’s ensuring a heightened level of regulatory compliance related to personal and medical data or systemizing the most effective talent development pipeline, our technology – combined with the Team’s expertise – has been designed to address the most critical operational needs and objectives of teams and leagues within global sport.”

The Intelligence Platform allows us to gather all of the Club’s data and make it easily accessible to all relevant departments. This applies to everything from training planning to talent development and treatments in the physical sector,” said Sven Graverson, Sporting Director, FC Midtjylland . “With Kitman Labs, the data is available in real time and ensures that there is a common thread from Guldminen to the first team with better insight into the individual player, efficiency of the work process and integration of data into the decision-making process.”

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top Leagues and teams across a variety of sports at the professional and collegiate level including, soccer, American football, basketball, and rugby. The company’s technology has been used by some of the world’s most elite sports organizations, such as Bayer Leverkusen, Malmö FF, and Columbus Crew.

This new business launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken. That includes the successful close of a $52M Series C funding round led by Guggenheim Investments, a global asset investment and advisory firm with more than $259 billion* in assets under management and two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports, both made in the last two years. The combined companies represent the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations (700+) and created the industry’s largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.

TSN, TSN+ ESPN+ to Broadcast Every National Lacrosse League Conference Finals Beginning Thursday

National Lacrosse League (@NLL) broadcast partners TSN, TSN+ and ESPN+ will provide live coverage of every game of the best-of-three Conference Finals beginning with Thursday’s West Final Game 1 between Calgary and Colorado at Ball Arena in Denver (9:30 p.m. ET). This year’s format features Games 1 and 2 of both Conference Finals this weekend, followed by Game 3 next week, if necessary.

The broadcast teams for both Conference Final are as follows:

West Finals – (4) Colorado Mammoth vs. (2) Calgary Roughnecks
Game 1 – At Colorado, Thursday, May 11 @ 9:30 p.m. ET, Teddy Jenner, Brad Challoner, John Gallant
Game 2 – At Calgary, Saturday, May 13 @ 9:30 p.m. ET, Teddy Jenner, Brad Challoner, Shantelle Chand
*Game 3 – At Calgary, Saturday, May 20 @ 9:30 p.m. ET, Teddy Jenner, Brad Challoner, Shantelle Chand

East Finals – (2) Toronto Rock vs. (1) Buffalo Bandits
Game 1 – At Buffalo, Friday, May 12 @ 7:30 p.m. ET, Jon Abbott, Pat Gregoire, Ashley Docking
Game 2 – At Toronto, Saturday, May 13 @ 7 p.m. ET, Jon Abbott, Pat Gregoire, Ashley Docking
*Game 3 – At Buffalo, Saturday, May 20 @ 7:30 p.m. ET, Jon Abbott, Pat Gregoire, Ashley Docking

*If necessary

The East and West Conference champions will face off in the best-of-three NLL Finals, with broadcast information for that series to be announced. To view the 2023 NLL Playoffs bracket, visit https://www.nll.com/standings/.

National Lacrosse League Playoffs Begin Friday, May 5; Schedule Features Two Games on TSN and ESPNU

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL) closed out its record-setting 2022-23 regular season in dramatic fashion yesterday, as the Halifax Thunderbirds defeated the Georgia Swarm, 17-11, to claim the final spot in the 2023 NLL Playoffs.

The Buffalo Bandits (14-4) and San Diego Seals (14-4) repeated as the East and West Conference regular season champions, respectively, and will have home floor advantage in next week’s single-elimination NLL Quarterfinals game. The Bandits earned the #1 overall seed by virtue of its win over Albany.

Each conference’s second seeds – the Toronto Rock (13-5, East) and Calgary Roughnecks (13-5, West) – will also host games next weekend.

This season’s playoff field features six teams from last year’s postseason, including the defending champion Colorado Mammoth (9-9). New this year are the Rochester Knighthawks (10-8) and Panther City Lacrosse Club (10-8).

TSN will carry two games: Toronto’s home tilt versus Halifax on Friday, May 5, at 7:30pm ET, and the Panther City-Calgary matchup on Saturday, May 6, at 9:30pm ET. ESPNU will also carry the Saturday playoff doubleheader starting with Buffalo hosting Rochester followed by the game at Calgary.

Here is the complete single-elimination NLL Quarterfinals broadcast schedule:
• Friday, May 5
– Halifax (E3) vs. Toronto (E2) at 7:30pm ET, TSN, TSN+, ESPN+
– Colorado (W4) vs. San Diego (W1) at 10pm ET, ESPN+, TSN+
• Saturday, May 6
– Rochester (E4) vs. Buffalo (E1) at 7pm ET, ESPNU, ESPN+, TSN+
– Panther City (W3) vs. Calgary (W2) at 9:30pm ET, TSN, TSN+, ESPNU, ESPN+

Next week’s winners advance to their respective best-of-three Conference Finals, with Games 1 and 2 scheduled for May 12-15, and any necessary Game 3 played between May 19-22. Conference champions will face off in the best-of-three NLL Finals starting the final weekend of May.

Exact dates and broadcast schedules for TSN and ESPN for the Conference Finals and NLL Finals rounds will be announced after the pairings and dates are set. To view the 2023 NLL Playoffs bracket, visit https://www.nll.com/standings/.

National Lacrosse Leagues Takes Home Pair of Cynopsis Sports Media Awards

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the world’s largest and most successful professional lacrosse league, is proud to announce that they were selected as winners in two unique categories at the 2023 Cynopsis Sports Media Awards Tuesday at the Edison Hotel in New York City where industry professionals gathered to recognize and celebrate the ever-evolving industry.

The NLL’s work with “Every Child Matters” won in the category of “Awareness Campaign For Social Good For A League,” while the NLL’s innovative approach to broadcast production was cited as “Most Innovative in Broadcast Production”.

“These two awards exemplify our parallel commitment to honoring the past while also building towards the future,” said Brett Frood, Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League. “’Every Child Matters’ is at the core of our social responsibility platform and continues to grow as we work with our Indigenous athletes and communities to expand our connective efforts. The broadcast production award demonstrates our focus on delivering first class, technologically savvy broadcasts to millions across North America. It is humbling to receive this recognition by our peers in the industry as we continue our momentum into the playoffs.”

“It was an honor to be acknowledged by Cynopsis for the work we are doing on the broadcast front. What is most exciting about live sports production right now is the pace and evolution of technology,” added Joel Feld, Executive Vice President, Broadcast & Content for the NLL. “Being at the forefront of bringing these innovations to our fan base is our highest priority.”

“Every Child Matters” is a league-wide initiative that brings awareness to the forcible placement of Indigenous children in residential and boarding schools by the Canadian and United States governments from the 19th century to as late as 1996 in Canada. In the campaign’s second year, all 15 teams participated in the program.

On the broadcast side, the NLL’s remote production plan blends producers, directors, and broadcasters with cloud-based technologies and IP transmission, which allows the league to produce and deliver all its games for TSN, ESPN, team local partners, and several league operations platforms as efficiently and professionally as any major league. It is quickly becoming the standard in live sports broadcast production.

The two awards are the latest pieces of as the NLL heads toward its conclusion of a regular season which will see landmark attendance growth and increased viewership across the board. The NLL’s “March to May” concludes the weekend of April 29, with the playoffs to follow.

Photo Credit: John Harrison/NLL

Tony Romo Is Pre-Tournament Favorite With Invited Celebrity Classic Golf Set April 21-23

Tony Romo is the 2023 favorite to win the Invited Celebrity Classic presented by Choctaw Casinos & Resorts with Mardy Fish, John Smoltz, Annika Sorenstam, Mark Mulder and Jeremy Roenick also among the contenders as the 2nd annual tournament returns for its national television showcase April 21-23 in Irving, Texas.

The $2 million Invited Celebrity Classic is an official PGA TOUR Champions Charles Schwab Cup event featuring over 78 PGA TOUR Champions (over 50 years of age) and 40 celebrities in a 54-hole competition at Las Colinas Country Club.

The tournament raises money for three regional youth-focused charities, the Momentous Institute, First Tee Dallas and First Tee Forth Worth.

Expert traders from Choctaw Casinos & Resorts have pegged Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and prominent CBS Sports NFL TV analyst, as a 2-1 favorite to win the tournament on his home turf one year after losing to Mardy Fish in a sudden death playoff. Fish, the former #1-ranked American tennis player, is the second choice at 4-1 with National Baseball Hall of Famer and FOX Sports MLB analyst Smoltz next at 5-1.

Choctaw Casinos & Resorts is providing fans at the Invited Celebrity Classic an added entertainment element with the Choctaw Casinos & Resorts Celebrity Pick ‘Em Contest. Fans can participate in this new, free contest at http://www.ChoctawPickEm.com for the opportunity to win prizes by predicting the performance of the celebrities playing in the tournament. The goal of the Choctaw Casinos & Resorts Celebrity Pick ‘Em Contest is for fans to earn points by correctly answering questions like, “Who will record a better first round score, Tony Romo or Mardy Fish?”

Fans playing the Choctaw Casinos & Resorts Celebrity Pick ‘Em will have a chance to win a share of over $25,000 in prizes, including VIP Stay & Play Packages, free play and Choctaw Club tickets for 2024. The Celebrity Pick ‘Em contest includes:

  • Daily Play – Prizes will be earned by the users with the highest scores following each round of the Invited Celebrity Classic.
  • Tournament Recap – Prizes will be earned by users accumulating the highest score following all three rounds of the Invited Celebrity Classic.
  • 18th Hole Bonus Play – Fans at the Choctaw Club at Las Colinas Country Club will earn prizes for predicting play on the 18th green.

Both Romo and Fish are former champions at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. Romo won his third ACC title last year and Fish prevailed in 2020 following an historic second round 63. The pair have built a friendly rivalry over the past few years and Choctaw Casinos & Resorts expects another classic battle in Irving this year.

The top active pro athlete on the board is Carolina Panthers’ standout wide receiver Adam Thielen, who is listed at 60-1 ahead of free agent placekicker Robbie Gould at 82-1. Annika, the greatest player in the history of women’s golf, returns for another run at the Invited Celebrity Classic and is listed at 13-1.

Other prominent players and their odds include star of The Bachelor Ben Higgins (56-1), former MLB All-Star pitcher Tim Wakefield (68-1), Pro Football Hall of Famer Tim Brown (200-1), National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Pudge Rodriguez (250-1), former NBA All-Star Vince Carter (700-1), former MLB All-Star pitcher Roger Clemens (665-1) and actor/comedian Larry the Cable Guy (775-1). Albert Pujols (110-1), the newly-retired MLB All-Star, is among the newcomers to the field in 2023.

The 2023 Invited Celebrity Classic will utilize the Modified Stableford format whereby points are awarded by score per hole. The celebrities are competing for a purse of $500,000.

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Celebrity Division Odds to Win

NameOdds

  1. Tony Romo 2 / 1
  2. Mardy Fish 4 / 1
  3. John Smoltz 5 / 1
  4. Mark Mulder 12 / 1
  5. Jeremy Roenick 12 / 1
  6. Annika Sörenstam 13 / 1
  7. Jack Wagner 20 / 1
  8. Derek Lowe 40 / 1
  9. Blair O’Neal 50 / 1
  10. Joe Carter 50 / 1
  11. Ben Higgins 56 / 1
  12. Adam Thielen 60 / 1
  13. Mike Modano 64 / 1
  14. Tim Wakefield 68 / 1
  15. Mike Flaskey 73 / 1
  16. Alfonso Ribeiro 76 / 1
  17. Robbie Gould 82 / 1
  18. AJ Pierzynski 100 / 1
  19. Albert Pujols 110 / 1
  20. Mark DeRosa 125 / 1
  21. Jack Sock 135 / 1
  22. Kevin Millar 135 / 1
  23. Jon Lester 150 / 1
  24. Clay Buchholz 150 / 1
  25. Tim Brown 200 / 1
  26. Pudge Rodriguez 250 / 1
  27. Greg Maddux 335 / 1
  28. Brian McCann 400 / 1
  29. Brian Urlacher 500 / 1
  30. Marcus Allen 587 / 1
  31. Roger Clemens 665 / 1
  32. Vince Carter 700 / 1
  33. Larry The Cable Guy 775 / 1
  34. Reggie Bush 1,000 / 1
  35. Emmitt Smith 1,000 / 1
  36. DeMarcus Ware 1,000 / 1
  37. Wells Adams 1,000 / 1
  38. Taylor Twellman 1,000 / 1
  39. Justin Williams 1,000 / 1
  40. Robbie Amell 1,000 / 1