Category Archives: Footer Featured

NYC Footy Hosts Inaugural “Cup of Dreams” Soccer Tournament on July 27th

NYC Footy, the nation’s largest adult recreational soccer league, is thrilled to announce the inaugural “Cup of Dreams” tournament set to take place on July 27th, 2024 at the American Dream Mall in Rutherford, New Jersey. This exciting event promises to bring together soccer enthusiasts from across the city for a day of intense competition, community spirit, and celebration.

The tournament will feature teams from all over, competing in a series of matches to claim the coveted Cup of Dreams trophy. As the world comes out of the Euro Cup and Copa America tournaments and eagerly anticipates more soccer at the Paris Olympics, NYC Footy is proud to create a local stage where amateur players can showcase their skills and passion for the beautiful game. This event offers a unique opportunity to experience the thrill of soccer while celebrating the sport’s global significance during this Olympic season.

To cap off the day’s events, NYC Footy invites all participants and spectators to an exclusive after-party at Marcus Samuelsson’s renowned Marcus Live! Bar and Grille inside the American Dream Mall. Marcus Live! is the perfect venue to unwind, socialize, and celebrate the day’s achievements. Guests will enjoy an evening of live music, delicious food, and refreshing drinks in an atmosphere that perfectly embodies the vibrant culture of New York City and the power of soccer in creating global connections.

“We are incredibly excited to launch the Cup of Dreams tournament,” said NYC Footy’s founder Tarek Pertew. “This event is not just about soccer; it’s about bringing people together, fostering community, and celebrating the joy of the sport. With the Paris Olympics as a backdrop, and the future World Cup Final happening next door, we hope to inspire players and fans alike to embrace the spirit of competition and camaraderie.”

Registration for the Cup of Dreams tournament is now open, and spaces are limited. Teams and individuals interested in participating are encouraged to sign up early to secure their spot in this highly anticipated event.

For more information about the Cup of Dreams tournament, including registration details and the full schedule of events, please visit The Cup of Dreams website.

Fireworks, Community & Pop Culture: Ten Things to Know in the American Association This Week

The American Association of Professional Baseball (@AA_Baseball) season continues with a full slate of series this weekend, all available for free live viewing at aabaseball.tv.

Here are 10 (or so) Things to Know about the AAPB this week:

  • Because one fireworks show just isn’t enough — and maybe some Cleburne fans might miss the Biggest Fireworks Show of the Season on the 4th — the Railroaders will host the Second Biggest Fireworks show on the 5th.
  • July 4th doesn’t mean fireworks north of the U.S. border, but that’s not stopping the Winnipeg Goldeyes from having a celebration of their own, and the team’s Field of Dreams Foundation will benefit. Next Thursday is the first-ever Bike-In Movie Night at Blue Cross Park, where for $4 fans can ride their bike or walk onto the field for a screening of lsat year’s film Next Goal Wins.
  • The Kansas City Star wrote about A.J. Alexy (Honey Brook, Pa), a two-year Major Leaguer with the Texas Rangers, standing out for the Monarchs. Alexy has struck out 12 batters over 6.2 innings in six hitless, scoreless appearances at press time.
  • One of the great things about the AAPB is that player movement goes the other way, too. Victor Vargas (Catagena, Colombia) who was signed by the Reds and assigned to AA Dayton, was 4-1 with a 2.11 ERA in seven starts with the Milwaukee Milkmen and picked right up where he left off, earning a win with a two-hit, four-strikeout performance over five innings in his debut vs. Fort Wayne on Tuesday.
  • Thomas Dillard (Oxford, Miss.) is on pace to shatter the AAPB record for walks in a single season for a player. The Cleburne infielder has drawn 50 free passes in 43 games at press time, which includes as many games (11) in which he has walked in multiple plate appearances as he has games (11) in which he has failed to draw a walk. TJ Mittelstaedt set league the record at 94 back in 2014 for Kansas City (then the T-Bones). Not coincidentally, Dillard tied the Ole Miss record with 135 career walks drawn.
  • Sioux Falls Canaries skipper Mike Meyer has 299 career managerial wins at press time, seeking to becoming the second Sioux Falls manager to reach 300, behind only Steve Shirley (Mike was Steve’s pitching coach with the Canaries for many years). Meyer has the team tied for first place (24-15); the Canaries had not been nine games over .500 at any point since finishing the 2010 season at 63-33.
  • The Gary SouthShore RailCats continue to work on uniting the local community in Northwest Indiana. The team will host NWI Chamber Night on July 17 at the SteelYard, with 14 chambers of commerce scheduled to attend. The goal of the event is to help the chambers in their aim to further the interests of small businesses in the community as well as provide education and networking opportunities.
  • Kane County infielder Josh Allen (Fort Meade, Fla.) has spent the majority of the last seven seasons in the AAPB, the last four with the Cougars after three in St. Paul. He is now four shy of 100 home runs in his pro career after hitting 12 last year, second best on the squad.
  • Lake Country was the perfect way station for Austin Davis last year, as the lefty who has played for four MLB teams, last with the Twins in 2022, finished out 2023 with the Dockhounds. It was enough for the San Diego Padres to take a flier on him, and he hasn’t disappointed, moving in to the closer role for the AAA El Paso Chihuahuas, notching eight saves and fanning 37 in 29 innings at press time. The El Paso Times chronicled his comeback story.
  • Pop culture hits the AAPB with these fun theme nights coming up:
    • Tonight – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Night at Fargo-Moorhead
    • Friday – Seinfeld Night at Sioux Falls
    • Friday- Pirate and Princess Night at Gary SouthShore
    • Friday through Sunday – Classic Movies Weekend at Lake Country
    • Sunday – Minions at the Park at Milwaukee

Strat-O-Matic Ices Simulation of Stanley Cup with Seven Straight Correct Outcomes on NHL Network

When Sam Reinhart’s wrister slipped past Stuart Skinner in Monday’s Game 7, proving to be the game winner in an all-time great Stanley Cup series, astute NHL Network viewers may not have been too surprised. That’s because those who prepared for each game by watching the network’s “NHL Tonight” program had seen as Strat-O-Matic (@strat-o-matic), the market leader in sports simulation games, simulated each game, correctly predicting the outcome of all seven contests, including six within one of the actual goal differential. And the Game 7 simulation even tabbed Reinhart as the scorer of the winning marker.

Strat-O-Matic provided NHL Network with the simulations based on the latest version of its popular hockey game, updated with proprietary statistical data to best simulate current player use, abilities and tendencies. Hockey fans can utilize Strat-O-Matic’s game to replay hockey seasons dating back to 1945-46, including several newly-added WHA campaigns.

Strat-O-Matic 2024 Stanley Cup Finals Simulations with Game Results 

SimulationResult
Florida, 3-1Game 1Florida, 3-0
Florida, 5-2Game 2Florida, 4-1
Florida, 3-2Game 3Florida, 4-3
Edmonton, 3-2Game 4Edmonton, 8-1
Edmonton, 4-3Game 5Edmonton, 5-3
Edmonton, 5-2Game 6Edmonton, 5-1
Florida, 4-3Game 7Florida, 2-1

The success of the Stanley Cup simulation comes on the heels of an extremely accurate basketball championship prediction, which saw Strat-O-Matic’s model tabbing Boston as the champion in its preseason simulation and had the squad winning the title in five games over Dallas in its pre-finals work.

Cicadas, Expansion Talk and Holidays in June: Ten Things to Know in the American Assoc. This Week

The American Association of Professional Baseball (@AA_Baseball) season continues with a full slate of series this weekend, all available for free live viewing at aabaseball.tv.

Here are 10 Things to Know about the AAPB this week:

  • The colorful cicadas may be an annoyance to some, but the Kane County Cougars aren’t one to brood. Instead, with the 13-year and 17-year cycles converging (we’re not entomologists, but we play them on AABaseball.tv), tonight is Kane County Cicadas Night at Northwestern Medicine Field vs. the Kansas City Monarchs. The team will wear special Cicada-themed jerseys which will be auctioned off for charity, and the first thousand fans receive a custom insect swatter.
  • Juneteenth, Father’s Day, Flag Day, Pride Month and National Cucumber Day (ok, that one might be a stretch) are all celebrated across the country in June. But two AAPB teams have a couple of other ideas… Halloween (Chicago Dogs, Saturday) and Halfway to Christmas (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Tuesday) will bring those popular holidays back a few months early.
  • On Tuesday, the AAPB announced another in a series of key corporate partnerships, this one with MOBILEMONEY, now the official cashless payment solutions provider to the league and its member clubs.
  • Sometimes a change of position can make all the difference. The Kansas City Star and Yahoo! Sports have the story of Monarchs outfielder-turned-pitcher Nate Tellier, a .342 hitter in college whose coach suspected – rightfully so – that the mound might be a better route for the righthander in the pros. So far, so good, as he’s posted a 2.11 ERA over 17 innings at press time.
  • Big things are happening around the AAPB, and the time might just be right to grow the footprint, which now currently extends to 12 team across 10 states. Commissioner Joshua Schaub recently discussed the prospects for expansion at Fargo’s Valley News Live, potentially doubling the number of franchises by 2028-29..
  • Another 10Things, Another Homecoming as Winnipeg native Ben Onyshko signed with the hometown Goldeyes last week. The 27-year-old lefty was originally selected by the Seattle Mariners out of Steston (Fla.) Univ, reaching AAA Tacoma. He started his Goldeyes career with two innings of hitless relief on Friday to help preserve a win over Sioux City.
  • The Gary SouthShore RailCats along with other businesses sponsored a luncheon for local businesses and leaders for clean air initiatives for Northern Indiana last week. The luncheon awarded three college scholarships to local students in the areas and recognized four businesses making voluntary efforts to improve clean air quality in 2023.
  • In a few alumni moves:
    • Kane County outfielder Je’Von Ward had his contract purchased by Toronto and homered in his first game with Single-A Vancouver on Saturday.
    • Now former Kansas City Monarch Blake Rutherford is heading to Mexico to play for Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican Baseball League. Rutherford, a former MLB player, originally drafted in the first round to the New York Yankees in 2016, but finally made his big league debut in 2023 with the Washington Nationals. This season with the Monarchs, he posted a .328 batting average, .911 OPS, and launched three home runs.
    • After hitting .331 in the Low-A Florida State League, infielder Payton Eeles (Chicago ’23) was promoted to Cedar Rapids, the Twins’ High-A affiliate.
  • The Record Watch department has its eyes on Fargo’s Izzy Alcantara, who has 30 stolen bases through his team’s first 33 games. The AAPB record is 71, set by the Milwaukee Milkmen’s Bryan Torres last season. Torres continues to rake with the Cardinals’ AA affiliate in Springfield, hitting in eight straight games last week to boost his average to .329 with 16 stolen bases at press time.

Strat-O-Matic Does it Again! Simulation Nabs Boston’s 18th Title over Dallas in Five Games

Boston’s five-game win over Dallas in the NBA Finals secured another supremely accurate simulation by Strat-O-Matic (@strat-o-matic), the market leader in sports simulation games, which both had Boston winning in the exact number of games in its pre-finals work through of the games, and tabbed the Celtics as the league champions in its preseason simulation back in October.

And while the Strat-O-Matic simulation team was accurately predicting the basketball finals, its hockey counterpart has been working with NHL Network on game-by-game simulations of the Stanley Cup Finals, and to date has posted four-of-four winners as Florida currently has a three games to one edge heading into tonight’s Game 5.

Strat-O-Matic’s simulation had Game 2 as the closest Boston win, as was the case in the actual Finals, and predicted 20 point Boston victories in Game 1 and the clinching Game 5, which Boston actually won by 18 points each.

The NHL Network’s coverage of the Stanley Cup has included Strat-O-Matic segments, and all four games to date have gone the way Strat-O-Matic’s simulations have finished, with wins by Florida in the first three games and Edmonton in Game 4.

The Harlem Globetrotters Partner With American Dream To Create The First Ever Sports Residency

Leaders in breaking barriers and making history, the world famous, Harlem Globetrotters™ are set to unveil the first-ever sports residency in history, with The Harlem Globetrotters Experience this August at American Dream in New Jersey. It was announced today by both Keith Dawkins, President, Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios and Bryan Gaus, Senior Vice President and General Manager of American Dream.

“The Harlem Globetrotters have a long and storied history of ‘firsts’ in its almost 100 years of existence and we continue that tradition by partnering with American Dream; making history by creating the first ever sports residency,” said Dawkins.  “This residency, and its many commercial extensions, represents another way to reimagine the experience we bring to our millions of fans. We are excited about its potential to be replicated around the world.”

The 10-day residency at American Dream, the world’s leading and innovative retail, dining and entertainment destination, will begin on Friday, August 16, and extend thru Sunday, August 25. The historical event will provide 16 LIVE games throughout the 10 days, where the Harlem Globetrotters™ will take on their legendary rivals, Washington Generals. Additional details and special events and activities tied to this first-ever residency will be announced in the coming weeks.

“The Harlem Globetrotters, just like American Dream, embody community, entertainment, and fun, making us the perfect partners for this groundbreaking residency,” said Bryan Gaus, Senior Vice President and General Manager of American Dream.  “Our property continues to set the standard as a unique sports and events destination while also complementing MetLife Stadium’s extensive list of events next door. Now, one of the most iconic sports franchises will call American Dream home.”

American Dream has become a destination for major sporting events. The center hosted the USA Curling National Championships in the winter and the National Basketball Player Association’s The Throne – High School Basketball National Championship, in March. Additionally, there are several more athletic competitions and events in the pipeline that will be announced shortly. These events make up a portion of the 500 events held annually at the venue, which also boasts an extensive list of top retailers, fine dining and world-class attractions.

Additional exclusive offerings for kids and families include:

  • The Globetrotter Kids Skill Clinic – Come and train like aGlobetrotter! Join both teams for this exclusive ‘Skill Clinic’ opportunity (available to all visitors) only at American Dream’s Dream Stage (Court A)! For basketball fans of all ages! Run drills, learn new tricks, take all the shots – and get a chance to be a part of the famous Magic Circle!
  • Pre-game Magic Pass – Calling all hoop lovers! This is your chance to show that you’ve got GAME. Bring your family and join the Harlem Globetrotters and Washington Generals on the court before the game to show your skills, shoot some hoops, and get player autographs and photos! The one-of- a-kind 30-minute pre-game, MAGIC PASS begins 90 minutes before tip- off and will create memories you’ll never forget!
  • Coach & Player Chalk Talk – Join the Globetrotter Players and Coach for an exclusive post-game meet-up! Available to all game ticket holders? Sit down and learn all about the Globetrotters game, the plays and skills, and what keeps them winning! Have a once in a lifetime chance to ask questions, be in the know, and get awesome photos!
  • 5th Quarter – All Access – Globetrotter Meet & Greet – After the game, EVERY FAN is invited down to the court for an autograph from their favorite Harlem Globetrotter stars! THAT MEANS YOU! 5th Quarter access is granted for ALL Globetrotter ticket holders for 30 minutes. This is a totally unique experience not to be missed!
  • Exclusive Harlem Globetrotters Merchandise –Featuring Harlem Globetrotters branded t-shirts, basketballs, sweatshirts, programs, novelties and accessories

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased via https://www.americandream.com/harlem-globetrotters

Harlem Globetrotters Swanson, Rivers Join Samuelsson On Home Plate: New York Premiering Tuesday

Harlem Globetrotters stars ‘Hot Shot’ Swanson and ‘Jet’ Rivers join award-winning chef, entrepreneur, author and food activist Marcus Samuelssonin thenewest episode of the YES App original series Home Plate: New York premiering Tuesday, June 18 at 11 AM.

The YES App’s Home Plate: New York series features Samuelsson teaming up with New York Yankees stars and other high-profile athletes and entertainers to visit New York City restaurants specializing in food from the guests’ respective cultures and family heritages. 

The episode debuting on June 18 features series host Samuelsson, Swanson and Rivers visiting Sylvia’s, the world-famous soul food restaurant in Harlem known as “The Queen of Soul Food.”

Samuelsson is a renowned chef and restaurateur, owning multiple restaurants across the globe. He was the youngest chef to receive a three-star review from the New York Times and has won multiple James Beard Foundation awards including Best Chef: New York City.

Standing at 4’5,” Swanson is one of the team’s most celebrated athletes. Born in the Bronx and raised in Harlem, he started his basketball career playing college basketball at Monroe College in the Bronx. The 6’1” Rivers, who hails from Elizabeth, New Jersey, began his basketball career at Wagner College, where he was a two-time all-conference selection and led the team to their most victories during his four-year reign.

Among the episode’s highlights:

  • Sylvia’s chef Marcus Woods explains how his grandmother Sylvia Woods founded Sylvia’s in 1962 and built it up into a culinary and cultural institution still owned by the Woods family that is visited by global dignitaries, celebrities and locals
  • Marcus Samuelsson recalls coming to Sylvia’s to ask for advice for his restaurants, given the amount of knowledge and expertise Sylvia possessed.  Marcus Woods says that Marcus Samuelsson is like family to the Woods
  • ‘Jet’ and ‘Hot Shot’ help season and cook the restaurant’s signature fried chicken
  • Kenneth Woods, Marcus Woods’ father, says that when you come to Sylvia’s the first time, you are a guest, but the second time you come, you are family.

Previous Home Plate: New York episodes have featured New York Yankees ace pitcher Gerrit Cole and his wife Amy, The Sopranos stars Lorraine Bracco and Steve Schirripa, Olympic Soccer Gold Medalist Kelley O’Hara, former New York Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist, NBA Hall of Fame player Tracy McGrady, four-time New York Yankees World Series Champion and Latin Grammy nominee Bernie Williams and New York Giants defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux.

YES launched the YES App in March 2021 for authenticated users in its regional coverage territory, and it quickly became the #1 free sports app in the Apple App Store.   Direct-to-consumer access to the YES Network has been available through the YES App since March 2023.  In addition to providing fans with a live stream of the YES Network, the YES App features a variety of app-exclusive original sports and lifestyle programming similar to Home Plate: New York.

The app also serves up customizable push notifications, personalized content, live stats, play-along games and watch-party functions in conjunction with YES’ exclusive Yankees and Nets telecasts. It has won two New York Emmy Awards in its first two years of eligibility.  Fans in YES’ regional coverage territory can access the YES App by going to www.watchyesnetwork.com.

Kitman Labs Strikes Deal With Top Club In J1 And WE League, Tokyo Verdy

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system for performance intelligence in Sports, today agreed to launch its advanced operating system with Tokyo Verdy. The deal will include the immediate deployment of iP: Intelligence Platform across the Academy Teams (M’s U9-U18; W’s U15, U18) and is ultimately expected to expand to include the Men’s First Team (J1 League) and Women’s First Team,Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza (WE League – Japan Women’s Empowerment Professional Football League).

The Academy will be utilizing the Performance Medicine, Performance Optimization and Coaching & Development Solutions in iP – combining medical, performance and talent development data into a centralized, interactive data and analytics system to unlock player performance outcomes and inform talent development strategy. iP will ultimately enable the Club to integrate and unify all data and analytics from the Academy to the men’s and women’s first teams in one platform.

This “whole club data solution” will serve to drive cross-departmental collaboration, eliminate data and information silos, and provide internal stakeholders with a complete, real-time view of each athlete for the purposes of unlocking performance potential and systemizing a talent development pipeline.

“The analytics capabilities enabled by The Intelligence Platform will allow us to support our coaches, practitioners and athletes with the information necessary to make objective, evidence-based decisions across every aspect of the Club and more specifically, across the areas of player health, performance and development,” said Takaaki Nakamura, President of Tokyo Verdy. “From a player and pathway development perspective, we can now combine the unique approach and philosophy of the Verdy Method with the data science of the platform to create a more informed, repeatable strategy for success across all teams.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Tokyo Verdy as they look to integrate a robust data and analytics infrastructure into the Organization – informing both tactical and strategic decision-making and ultimately, leveraging that intelligence to accelerate the advancement of the clubs within their respective leagues,” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs.

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top teams and leagues 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 soccer organizations, including Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC and Sporting Lisbon. Kitman Labs recently announced the launch and deployment of The Football Intelligence Platform across all Premier League Academies, MLS Next and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

The company represents the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations (2000+), creating the industry’s largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.

Florida Edges Edmonton in Seven Games in Strat-O-Matic Simulation of NHL Championship

Carter Verhaeghe scored a series-high five goals, including the game winner in the seventh game as Florida topped Edmonton, four games to three as Strat-O-Matic (@strat-o-matic), the market leader in sports simulation games, simulated the NHL championship series which begins Saturday in Sunrise, Fla.

Florida got off to a fast start in the series, taking the first two at home by counts of 5-4 and 6-2. The Panthers won the opener on a tiebreaking goal by Anton Lundell midway through the third period, then used two goals in each period and sharp goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky (32 saves) for the Game 2 triumph.

When the scene switched north of the border, Edmonton rebounded with two straight wins, 3-1 and 5-2, with Connor McDavid scoring four, including a hat trick in Game 4, then won at Florida, 2-1, to get to within a game of the title.

But Florida scored four unanswered third-period goals to erase a 4-1 Oilers lead in Game 6 to send it back to the Sunshine State, where Verhaegue’s marker with 12:39 left broke a 2-2 tie before tallies by Matthew Tkachuk, his fourth of the series, and Gustav Forsling, iced Game 7 at 5-2.

Edmonton was led by McDavid’s five goals and four by Zach Hyman.

Game 1 1  2  3     F

Edmonton   3  0  1  –  4  

Florida    3  0  2  –  5  

Game 2 1  2  3     F

Edmonton   1  0  1  –  2  

Florida    2  2  2  –  6

Game 3     1  2  3     F 

Florida    0  0  1  –  1  

Edmonton   2  0  1  –  3

Game 4     1  2  3     F 

Florida    1  0  1  –  2  

Edmonton   2  1  2  –  5

Game 5     1  2  3     F 

Edmonton   1  1  0  –  2  

Florida    0  0  1  –  1

Game 6     1  2  3     F 

Florida    0  1  4  –  5  

Edmonton   3  1  0  –  4

Game 7     1  2  3     F 

Edmonton   0  2  0  –  2  

Florida    2  0  3  –  5

Boston Wins 18th Title over Dallas in Five Games in Strat-O-Matic Simulation

In a battle between the deeper, more balanced Boston squad and top-heavy Dallas, it’s the Celtics who came out ahead in a five-game NBA Finals as Strat-O-Matic (@strat-o-matic), the market leader in sports simulation games, simulated the championships series which begins Thursday in Boston. Fans may recall that the Celtics were tabbed as the champion in Strat-O-Matic’s preseason simulation as well.

Paced by the trio of Jayson Tatum (28.4 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 5.6 apg), Jaylen Brown (26.2/7.0/3.8) and Derrick White (19.4/6.0/5.0), with support from former Mav Kristaps Porzingis (16.4/6.6/2.4) and Jrue Holiday (12.8/5.2/7.2), Boston used that depth to its advantage in taking a 2-0 series lead at home with competitive 135-127 and 128-124 victories.

After Dallas pulled to within two games to one with a 115-108 win at home, Boston took game four, 118-103, and game five back home, 123-103, by more comfortable margins, for its 18th championship.

Dallas’s Luka Dončić led all scorers in the series at 35.6 ppg, nearly averaging a triple double with 9.6 rpg and 9.0 apg, and Kyrie Irving contributed 26.8 ppg and 5.6 apg.

Game One 1 2 3 4 TOT
DALLAS 24 46 32 25 127
BOSTON 39 38 27 31 135
Dal: Dončić 38, Irving 21; Bos: Tatum 36, Brown 25

Game Two 1 2 3 4 TOT
DALLAS 25 29 36 34 124
BOSTON 27 29 38 34 128
Dal: Dončić 35, Irving 31; Bos: Tatum 34, Holiday 24

Game Three 1 2 3 4 TOT
BOSTON 24 29 26 29 108
DALLAS 24 23 38 30 115
Bos: Brown 27, Porzingis 22; Dal: Dončić 43, Irving 24

Game Four 1 2 3 4 TOT
BOSTON 29 25 31 33 118
DALLAS 35 13 29 26 103
Bos: Brown 26, Tatum 24; Dal: Dončić 26, Irving 26

Game Five 1 2 3 4 TOT
DALLAS 30 35 19 19 103
BOSTON 32 37 33 21 123
Dal: Dončić 36, Irving 22; Bos: Brown 31, Tatum 27

Buffalo Bandits’ Back-to-Back Championships Cap Record-Setting NLL 2023-24 Season

A record-setting sellout crowd for the clinching championship game, a significant uptick in content consumption across all media channels, and the historic launch of its new grassroots youth participation initiative are among the superlatives as the National Lacrosse League (@NLL) closed its 37th season with a second straight Buffalo Bandits’ title with a pair of wins over the upstart Albany FireWolves in the NLL Finals presented by AXIA Time.

The NLL’s first-ever brand campaign, “Welcome to The Next Major League” kicked off a transformative season for the largest professional lacrosse league in the North America:

  • The total NLL attendance of 1,150,369, inclusive of the regular season and playoffs, marks the second straight year that the League surpassed one million in attendance.
  • The Bandits’ championship was the sixth for the franchise, tying the Toronto Rock and Philadelphia Wings for most in NLL history.
  • The Bandits are the first back-to-back champions in the NLL since the Edmonton and Saskatchewan Rush did so in 2015 and 2016. In all, eight teams have won consecutive NLL championships.
  • Buffalo’s Josh Byrne became the fifth player in NLL history to win both the regular season and Finals MVP awards. Dane Dobbie was the last to achieve the feat in 2019.
  • The NLL engaged more fans than ever across its official media channels, including a 42% increase in social video views. (source: Emplifi)
  • The League’s broadcast team produced 135 regular season and 10 playoff games, totaling approximately 365 hours of coverage. Additionally, more than 100 games were produced and distributed in NLL team markets across the U.S. and Canada, adding more than 250 hours of live game coverage to fans via local outlets.
  • The NLL expanded its League-wide activation of the award-winning Every Child Matters initiative, with all 15 teams participating in a campaign helping to bring 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.
  • The NLL moved forward with its most significant grassroots initiative ever, creating NLL UnBOXed™, a school-centric curriculum and equipment endowment platform aiming to introduce the NLL’s fun, sixes-style game play to a new generation of fansin more communities across North America. The campaign opened with eight new “NLL UnBOXed Lacrosse Communities” joining the 15 existing NLL teams for the 2024 launch.
  • Buffalo’s Dhane Smith set the all-time playoff assists mark, notching nine in Game 1 on Friday to set the mark, and adding five more in the championship-clinching Game 2 on Saturday. His career total of 125 passed John Tavares (116). Smith also added four goals in the two-game sweep, moving into fifth place on the all-time playoff list with 63.

NLL Finals presented by AXIA Time summary:

(4) Buffalo Bandits vs. (3) Albany FireWolves

  • Game 1 – Buffalo 12, at Albany 9, Friday, May 17
  • Game 2 – at Buffalo 15, Albany 13, Saturday, May 18

UFL Launches Performance Medicine Solution From Kitman Labs As Advanced EMR

The United Football League (UFL) and Kitman Labs, the sports technology and analytics company setting the industry standard for how elite sports organizations use data, today announced the deployment of the Kitman Labs Intelligence Platform (iP) as the new EMR of record for the League, inclusive of the 8 member teams.

The Performance Medicine Solution – one of four Solutions offered as part of Kitman Labs’ iP: Intelligence Platform – will provide the centralized technology and infrastructure to automate and power accurate, league-wide medical data collection and analysis, drive collaboration among all relevant league and team stakeholders, yield actionable intelligence to support specific performance outcomes and enable data-led decision-making and research.  

Each Team in the UFL will operate from a distinct, configurable system designed to support their respective operating philosophy and will aggregate and mobilize all player medical data in one integrated platform – providing an accurate, real-time view of each player from a health, injury and readiness perspective.

iP: Intelligence Platform will enable the UFL and Teams to:
• Unify, consolidate and standardize league-wide medical documentation and data collection – eliminating data gaps, inconsistencies and inaccuracy and facilitate club-level compliance
• Collaborate and align relevant internal stakeholders across both the Medical and Performance Teams to support evidence-based decision-making around player health, care and wellness
• Enable practitioners to spend less time dedicated to data collection, analytics and administrative oversight and more time with athletes
• Establish a solid and complete data set to support ongoing and future league-wide research initiatives and innovation 
• Establish a data and analytics infrastructure that can scale, adapt and grow as the League continues to evolve
 
“The UFL needed to ensure that we unify data, people, and processes around shared infrastructure and technology to support the continued improvement and evolution of both the League and teams,” said Phil Hedrick, Director of Athletic Training, UFL. “Kitman Labs’ iP and Performance Medicine Solution allows us to provide best-in-class technology and tools to empower our medical teams, practitioners, and players while leveraging medical data to advance player health, wellness, and performance outcomes across the League.”
 
“It’s clear that the UFL is laying the foundation for sustainable growth and innovation at the League and Club-level.  By deploying a league-wide medical solution, the UFL is providing a platform not only capable of aggregating and analyzing disparate data sets and ensuring data integrity, but powering the advanced analytics and actionable intelligence necessary to maximize player health and performance outcomes,” said Stephen Smith, Founder & CEO Kitman Labs. “Each team within the UFL will have a configurable operating system, designed to support the unique needs of their particular club and operating style, providing each with the insights necessary to support data-led decision-making at every level of the organization ”
 
Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top governing bodies, leagues, teams and athletes across a variety of sports, including soccer/global football, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company’s technology has been used by teams in some of the world’s most elite sports organizations and universities including the NFL, NBA, Premier League, MLS, NWSL and NCAA.
The company represents the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations (2000+) and iP: Intelligence Platform represents the industry’s largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle..
 
For more information about Kitman Labs, visit www.kitmanlabs.com.

AXIA Time joins the expanding NLL partner roster as the ‘Official Timepiece of the NLL’

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) today announced a new, multi-year partnership with AXIA Time as the “Official Timepiece of the NLL” and the presenting partner of the upcoming 2024 NLL Finals presented by AXIA Time that starts this Friday between the defending NLL champion Buffalo Bandits and the Albany FireWolves.

AXIA (pronounced ahx-EE-ah) Time creates heirloom-quality timepiece to commemorate life’s biggest moments. AXIA has been rapidly expanding its portfolio of partners and events. Notable recent projects include ultra-custom timepiece for the University of Michigan’s college football national championship and the University of Connecticut’s men’s basketball back-to-back national championship. Last week, AXIA Time unveiled its new collaboration with Zach Edey, Purdue University, and the Naismith Awards – commemorating Edey’s back-to-back Player of the Year honors.

“Storytelling is vital to the NLL as we advance towards our goal of becoming ‘The Next Major League’ in North America,” said Kurt Hunzeker, NLL Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations. “The biggest and best story of any NLL season centers on celebrating championship teams, and AXIA Time specializes in celebrating life’s biggest achievements and memorializing them in remarkable timepieces that tell so much more than time.”

“We wanted to create a premium item that players, coaches, and fans would appreciate and want to wear to remind them of one of the best times in their lives, and AXIA Time is the perfect partner to bring our vision to life,” Hunzeker said.

“As a life-long lacrosse person, it’s an honor to be partnering with the NLL to create ultra-custom, heirloom-quality timepieces for their fans, players, and partners,” said John Kanaras, AXIA Time founder. “The NLL is making great progress toward creating the next major sports league, and that aligns with our vision to make AXIA Time the next great watch brand in the U.S.”

The 2024 NLL Finals presented by AXIA Time begin Friday, May 17, 7 p.m. ET at MVP Arena in Albany before the series shifts to Buffalo’s KeyBank Center on Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

All 2024 NLL Finals presented by AXIA Time games will be televised live on TSN and on the TSN+ streaming service in Canada, and available live via ESPN+ in the U.S.

Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino Launches in New Jersey 

Fanatics Betting and Gaming, a subsidiary of Fanatics Holdings Inc, a global digital sports platform, launched the Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino today in New Jersey. Sports fans living in and visiting New Jersey will be able to download the Fanatics Sportsbook on iOS and Android and begin their Fanatics Sportsbook and Casino experience.  The Fanatics Sportsbook is now available to approximately 95% of the addressable online sports bettor market in the U.S.

On April 3, 2024, Fanatics Betting and Gaming completed its acquisition of the U.S. businesses of PointsBet.  Today in New Jersey, PointsBet customers’ username, password, account balance, rewards points and responsible gaming settings will be automatically migrated to the Fanatics Sportsbook. New Jersey is the final PointsBet state and marks the twentieth state for the Fanatics Sportsbook and fourth state for Fanatics Casino. 

The Fanatics Sportsbook makes being a fan easy with fast signup, easy betting, transparent withdrawals and is disrupting the sports betting industry with the following new features:  

  • Building a better sportsbook: The Fanatics Sportsbook app was built natively on iOS and Android. The design, speed and quality of the navigation experience rival the sports betting apps in the market today that were not built specifically for iOS and Android. 
  • FanCash: Get up to 5% FanCash back on bets, win or lose.  Every bet gets you closer to more rewards like team merchandise, bonus bets, and more.
  • Live Betting: Real-time game and stat updates keep customers informed.
  • Discover: Get everything a customer cares about—marquee games, key stats and trending bets delivered straight to the Discover feed. 
  • Search: Find promos, bets, and trending topics all from the advanced search functionality. Bet directly from the search results and spend time enjoying the game, not looking for a bet.
  • One App, One Wallet: Fanatics customers in NJ will now have a seamless sports betting experience and can travel to other legal sports betting states (like NY, PA and CT) to place wagers using one app and one wallet on the Fanatics Sportsbook.

As part of the launch in New Jersey, Fanatics Betting and Gaming will also launch its new online casino, embedded in the Fanatics Sportsbook app. The newly designed Fanatics Casino will feature a range of classic and popular casino favorites like roulette, slots and blackjack along with offering customers the following exciting new features: 

  • Play with IGT Play Digital: Fanatics Casino players can enjoy a range of highly engaging IGT PlayDigital games including many of the classic titles that iGaming players love including Cash Eruption™, Fortune Coin™ and Cleopatra™, as well as a suite of MegaJackpots™ titles, proprietary table games and video poker content.
  • Evolved Live Casino Games: Fanatics Casino has partnered with Evolution to provide customers with world-leading live casino games including Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Baccarat and Poker variants. In addition, Evolution will provide Fanatics Casino with an exciting lineup of online slots, the award-winning Lightning Roulette, and many more. 
  • Wonderful New Games: Light & Wonder will provide Fanatics Casino with a wide range of the company’s first party titles, including top-performing games 88 FORTUNES™, JIN JI BAO™ ENDLESS TREASURES™, DANCING DRUMS EXPLOSION™, and ULTIMATE FIRE LINK™ CHINA STREET™. In addition, Light & Wonder will offer Fanatics Casino customers access to third party aggregated content from some of the world’s biggest studios such as Big Time Gaming, Reel Play and Hacksaw. 
  • Rewards: Casino customers can earn FanCash back on bets, spins and hands.
  • Fanatics Game Studios: Fanatics Betting and Gaming has produced exclusive content including the new Fanatics Blackjack and Fanatics Multi-hand Blackjack games developed in partnership with Boom Entertainment.    

National Lacrosse League Announces Finalists for 2023-24 NLL Awards

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL) today announced the finalists for its annual season-end awards honoring the best NLL players, coaches, and executives for the 2023-24 regular season.

Highlighting the major awards is the NLL Most Valuable Player honor, with two Buffalo Bandits – Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith — joining the Toronto Rock’s Nick Rose as finalists.

The award winners will be announced in advance of the 2024 NLL Finals.

Most Valuable Player

  • Josh Byrne – Forward – Buffalo Bandits
  • Nick Rose – Goaltender – Toronto Rock
  • Dhane Smith – Forward – Buffalo Bandits

Rookie of the Year

  • Owen Grant – Transition – Vancouver Warriors
  • Tye Kurtz – Forward – Albany FireWolves
  • Alex Simmons – Forward – Albany FireWolves

Goaltender of the Year

  • Doug Jamieson – Albany FireWolves
  • Chris Origlieri – San Diego Seals
  • Nick Rose – Toronto Rock

Offensive Player of the Year

  • Josh Byrne – Buffalo Bandits
  • Dhane Smith – Buffalo Bandits
  • Jeff Teat – New York Riptide

Transition Player of the Year

  • Ian MacKay – Buffalo Bandits
  • Shane Simpson – Calgary Roughnecks
  • Jake Withers – Halifax Thunderbirds

Defensive Player of the Year

  • Mitch de Snoo – Toronto Rock
  • Ryan Dilks – Vancouver Warriors
  • Brad Kri – Toronto Rock

Sportsmanship Award

  • Keegan Bal – Vancouver Warriors
  • Tom Schreiber – Toronto Rock
  • Lyle Thompson* – Georgia Swarm

Les Bartley Award (Head Coach of the Year)

  • Glenn Clark – Albany FireWolves
  • Curt Malawsky* – Vancouver Warriors
  • Matt Sawyer – Toronto Rock

General Manager of the Year

  • Glenn Clark – Albany FireWolves
  • Jamie Dawick – Toronto Rock
  • Curt Malawsky – Vancouver Warriors

Executive of the Year

  • John Catalano – President and Chief Executive Officer, Halifax Thunderbirds
  • Mike Hancock – Director of Communications and Lacrosse Operations, Toronto Rock
  • Oliver Marti – Chief Executive Officer, Albany FireWolves

Tom Borrelli Award (Media Person of the Year)

  • Teddy Jenner* – TSN play-by-play and co-host, “Off the Crosse Bar” podcast
  • Adam Levi – NLL.com, Inside Lacrosse, NLLPA contributing writer and host, “Lacrosse Matrix” podcast
  • Graeme Perrow – NLL Chatter

*denotes 2023 winner

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. The Teammate of the Year will be announced with all awards’ winners.

The League added Offensive Player of the Year to the lineup of awards this year to align with the other position-based honors: Defensive Player of the Year, Transition Player of the Year, and Goaltender of the Year.

Once nominations were finalized, each NLL team cast three ballots for each award and select media were eligible to vote for all awards except Teammate of the Year and Executive of the Year.

Voting members selected 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 in each category are designated as the award finalists. The All-NLL and All-Rookie teams are determined by the top vote getters in each position-based award. The All-Rookie team will be made up of six rookies, regardless of position. The All-NLL First Team and All-NLL Second Team will be made up of six individuals – two forwards, one transition player, two defenseman, and one goaltender – per team.

Walter Johnson, Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax Items Head Most Valuable Items in New Heritage Auction

Countless offerings among the almost 3,200 available in Heritage’s May 16-18 Spring Sports Catalog Auction could serve as its centerpiece, its highlight — that one thing that belongs in a museum, if not a Hall of Fame. Like, say, the road New York Yankees jersey worn by Mickey Mantle during his final season in 1968, then signed and inscribed to a Yanks batboy. Or the photo-matched road Brooklyn Dodgers jersey Sandy Koufax wore during his rookie season in 1955 when he was not yet known as The Left Hand of God. Or the bat Ty Cobb used in 1922, his third — and final — season as a .400 hitter.

The list of must-sees and must-owns is seemingly endless, whether it’s a box of unopened Fleer basketball cards from 1961-62 or the pair of Adidas Crazy 8’s photo-matched to Kobe Bryant’s first All-Star Game in 1998. As has become tradition, the Spring Sports Catalog Event brims with the jerseys, sneakers, gloves, bats and helmets worn and used by some of sports’ most towering titans, from Willie Mays to Lionel Messi, Reggie Jackson to Gale Sayers, Warren Spahn to Tom Brady, Hank Aaron to Jim Plunkett, Carl Hubbell to Terry Bradshaw. The abundance of photo-matched jerseys in this auction alone qualifies it as historic, as do the cards featured throughout, among them a near-mint 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, a gem-mint Ty Cobb from the fabled Black Swamp find and the only known Elgin Baylor Topps card from 1969 graded a perfect 10.

But to begin, the relatively plain flannel jersey in this auction — gray, pinstriped, a small “W” stitched into each short sleeve — draws the eye first. It’s also a century-old jersey that still has tales to tell.

Collectors have always known who wore it: Walter Johnson, who spent all of his 21 seasons in the sun as the right-handed hurler for the Washington Senators. Johnson’s name is stitched into the collar in red cursive, just below the A.G. Spalding & Bros. label. We’ve always known, too, when Johnson wore it: during the 1919-1922 seasons, when the man sportswriter Grantland Rice called “The Big Train” was teammates with another right-handed pitcher, Eric “Swat” Erickson, to whom Johnson gifted the jersey upon Erickson’s retirement from the big leagues following his 1919-1922 stint with Washington.

Only days before this auction opened, Resolution Photomatching determined that the “one-time king of pitchers” — as Johnson was called in 1933’s Who’s Who in Baseball – wore this very jersey on April 29, 1920. That’s when the Nationals downed the New York Yankees 2-1 in front of 5,000 at the hallowed Polo Grounds.

Johnson recorded eight strikeouts that spring afternoon in New York, two coming against a newly minted Yankee right fielder named Babe Ruth, who recorded just a single hit (and RBI) against Johnson. The Big Train, who batted last in the Nats’ lineup, also got a hit that afternoon — a triple. In his 1920 book The Home-Run King, Ruth wrote that Johnson was “the best of them all.”

Earlier this month, Resolution photo-matched the jersey to a photo distributed by news agency Underwood & Underwood, whose caption heralds Johnson as “the unsurpassable speed twirler of the Nationals.” The photo also notes that Johnson’s “remarkable speed ball aroused all balldom several years ago” and that he pitched against the Yankees that April afternoon “with the same ‘pep’ that characterized his name.”

Two known Johnson jerseys have survived his storied career, during which The Big Train recorded 3,509 strikeouts (putting him at ninth on the all-time list), 417 wins (the most all-time behind only Cy Young’s 511 victories) and 110 shutout wins (still the record). One, from 1927, is on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The other is in this auction.

“We have had the opportunity at Heritage Auctions to offer some incredible and museum-worthy jerseys over the decades,” says Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage. “But this Walter Johnson example, photo-matched to his first dual with the great Babe Ruth in Yankees pinstripes, certainly qualifies it as a cream-of-the-crop rarity.”

The Koufax and Mantle jerseys are no less significant, as they serve as sort of spiritual bookends to two mythical Hall of Famers who were each a king of New York — at least until the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles after Koufax’s three seasons playing for his hometown team.

The Dodgers jersey — worn by the native son of Borough Park, Brooklyn, when he was a 20-year-old rookie who made his debut in the fifth inning of a game against Milwaukee — has been photo-matched to two spring training games in 1956, when it was common for ballplayers to reuse the previous season’s uniforms. It has Koufax’s name embroidered into its tail, inside which Rawlings sewed washing and drying instructions — right next to the tag that reads “Set I 1955.” It hails from the collection of James Harwell, a Louisiana hurler who played minor-league ball for the Dodgers in the 1950s.

(The jersey would pair well with the PSA Mint 9 Koufax rookie card in this auction, one of just 25 of his 1955 Topps cards to receive the grade — with just three graded higher.)

NLL Announces Television Slate for National Lacrosse League Semifinals

The 2024 National Lacrosse League (@NLL) Playoffs will take center stage again this weekend with both best-of-three semifinal matchups on linear television in Canada and the U.S.

TSN features complete coverage of the top-seeded Toronto Rock (16-3) and defending champion and #4 seed Buffalo Bandits (12-7) series between the long-standing rivals. In the U.S., ESPNU will be the linear home for the second-seeded San Diego Seals (14-5) and #3 Albany FireWolves (12-7) first-ever postseason battle.

ESPNU will also present Game 2 of Toronto vs. Buffalo series. All NLL postseason games will also stream live on ESPN+ and TSN+.

The Toronto-Buffalo series, a rematch of last year’s NLL Eastern Conference semifinals, will feature the commentator team of Jon Abbott, Pat Gregoire,and Brianne Foley. Play begins with Game 1 on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET from Hamilton, Ontario. Game 2 follows on Sunday live from Buffalo at 5:30 p.m. ET, with Game 3, if necessary, scheduled for Saturday, May 11, at 7 p.m. back in Hamilton, Ontario.

San Diego and Albany, a first-time playoff winner, opens on Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT from San Diego, with Cooper Perkins, Nick Ossello,and Raine Michaels on the call. The teams travel to Albany for Game 2 on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, with Brendan Glasheen, Dan Bahl,and Ashley Miller calling the action. Game 3, if necessary, is scheduled for Friday, May 10, at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, with Perkins, Ossello and Michaels on the call.

The winners of each semifinal series will face off in the best-of-three 2024 NLL Finals, scheduled for Thursday, May 16, through Sunday, May 19, and Thursday, May 23, through Sunday, May 26. Additionally, should both semifinal series end in two games, the NLL may move the 2024 NLL Finals up to the preceding week.

To view the 2024 NLL Playoffs bracket, visit https://www.nll.com/standings/.

The complete 2024 NLL Playoffs semifinal round broadcast schedule:

(4) Buffalo Bandits vs. (1) Toronto Rock

  • Game 1 – Buffalo at Toronto, Friday, May 3, 7:30 p.m. ET, FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton, ON, TSN, ESPN+ (Abbott, Gregoire, Foley)
  • Game 2 – Toronto at Buffalo, Sunday, May 5, 5:30 p.m. ET, KeyBank Center, Buffalo, TSN, ESPNU, ESPN+ (Abbott, Gregoire, Foley)
  • *Game 3 – Buffalo at Toronto, Saturday, May 11, 7 p.m. ET, FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton, ON, TSN, ESPN+ (Abbott, Gregoire, Foley)

(3) Albany Firewolves vs. (2) San Diego Seals

  • Game 1 – Albany at San Diego, Friday, May 3, 10:30 p.m. ET, Pechanga Arena, San Diego, ESPNU, ESPN+, TSN+ (Perkins, Ossello, Michaels)
  • Game 2 – San Diego at Albany, Sunday, May 5, 3 p.m. ET, MVP Arena, Albany, NY, ESPNU, ESPN+, TSN+ (Glasheen, Bahr, Miller)
  • *Game 3 – Albany at San Diego, Friday, May 10, 10:30 p.m. ET, Pechanga Arena, San Diego, ESPNU, ESPN+, TSN+ (Perkins, Ossello, Michaels)

Kitman Labs Artificial Intelligence Platform Breaks Down Sleepers FOR NFL Draft

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system today revealed its first-ever sleeper predictions for the NFL Draft, being held the next three days in Detroit Michigan.

For the 2024 NFL Draft, Kitman Labs  used their Artificial Intelligence models on NCAA and NFL datasets from 2010 to present to identify players that they think will be successful in the NFL. Kitman Labs staff also spent significant time on site at the NFL Combine again this year, looking at all data sets provided and using their own AI to help project results.

Below highlights five sleeper picks, the Kitman AI believes could have significant potential for NFL success.

Bo Nix – Oregon – QB  

NFL Draft Projection: 5th QB Selected

Kitman AI Projection: 73% chance of NFL Success – 1st QB

Looking like coming in at a 2nd round pick, Bo Nix ranks as the most likely Quarterback to be successful in this year’s NFL draft. Looking at his college stats it is easy to see why the model has this belief. 34 passing Touchdowns in your final college season are required by the model to have a significant increase in NFL success – Nix has 11 more. He also surpasses the threshold for Yards by nearly 700, his completion percentage is over 6% higher than required. While his rushing stats are not standout, the number of yards gained last season is high enough to show athletic ability, and his yards per carry is significantly over the threshold required by the model to increase his success rate.

Joe Milton III – Tennessee – QB  

NFL Draft Projection: 10th QB Selected

Kitman AI Projection: 31% chance of NFL Success – 3rd QB

Something that is apparent when investigating what our model values in a successful NFL QB, is that it believes that a Quarterback must possess either absolute elite arm talent, or have the explosive rushing ability to make splashy plays.  While the AI model highlights that Milton’s does not rank amongst the elite prospects in passing, and punishes him accordingly, it sees his rushing ability and gives him a significant chance of lasting several years in the league. Coaches and GMs may feel they can mould an athletic prospect, seeing future potential, and this phenomenon is something the AI may well be reaching back to.

Kendall Milton – Georgia – RB

NFL Draft Projection: 17th Drafted RB

Kitman AI Projection: 12% chance of NFL Success – 4th RB

The Kitman Labs AI model shows that an ability to get into the end zone in college is the number one indicator of future NFL success, far more so than yards, efficiency, or speed. With 14 rushing touchdowns in his final college season, Kendall Milton exceeded the required threshold for NFL success by 3 touchdowns. Our model also surprisingly rewards physical stature, with a taller running back being more likely to be successful. Perhaps this is due to a taller player’s greater ability to effectively carry mass, or their ability to participate in an NFL passing game. Whatever the cause, at over 6’1” Milton is one of the taller backs in the draft and the model rewards this accordingly. While Kendall Milton does have some drawbacks – the model penalizing him for lack of receiving ability, and him not hitting a required threshold in rushing yards – his ability to put points on the board see him nearly twice as likely to be a successful NFL running back than the average prospect at his position.

Malik Washington – Virginia – WR

NFL Draft Projection: 21st Drafted WR

Kitman AI Projection: 42% chance of NFL Success – 3rd WR

In a stacked 2024 WR draft class – our model rates this is by far the best class of the last decade and a half – it’s not surprising that some top tier talent is going to go in later draft rounds. However, our AI model surprisingly projects Malik Washington as being one of the top prospects in this year’s class. College receiving yards is the main indicator of future NFL success and longevity, and with 1426 yards in his final season Washington has approximately 40% more yards than the model believes necessary for a significant increase in NFL success probability. His 40 time of 4.47 seconds is also deemed fast enough to stand up in the NFL. Though this is right on the threshold our model has identified, in combination with his receiving yards and other statistics it significantly increases his chances of success. Interesting nugget; Washington did not participate in the 20-yard shuttle in the combine, but the AI has inferred from his other statistics he would have excelled at this.

Tahj Washington – USC – WR

NFL Draft Projection: 29th Drafted WR

Kitman AI Projection: 22% chance of NFL success – 15th WR

Tahj Washington is a curious case for our AI model. Not having participated in the 20-yard shuttle, the 3 cone drill, or the 40-yard dash at the combine, there are a lot of unknowns about this player. However, given his receiving yards, and his strong showing in both the broad jump and vertical leap, the model has inferred that he would have competed well, particularly in the 20-yard shuttle. Having completed these tests at his pro day, a dataset the AI had no access to, we can see he is potentially slightly below average in the 40 and 20 yards drills, but elite in the 3 cone drill. How this information would have influenced the models is unclear; however, overall the 3 cone drill ranks as the third most important feature for projecting success, so while the exact inference was wrong the model has seemingly correctly identified some possible elite athletic behavior from other available statistics. Washington still only ranks as 15th in our list of receivers, but given he is projected to be a day 3 pick and his success probability is twice that of an average WR, he still may present significant value in the draft.

NLL Welcomes Tampa General Hospital as the First NLL UnBOXed Lacrosse Community Presenting Partner

A few months after launching its innovative continent-wide grassroots initiative, NLL UnBOXed™, the National Lacrosse League today announced its first local market, multi-year presenting partnership as Tampa General Hospital (TGH) will join the League to bring the NLL’s fast-paced lacrosse game play to more young boys and girls throughout the Tampa Bay area.

The “Tampa Bay Snowbirds™ presented by Tampa General Hospital” will begin the initial phase of NLL UnBOXed activations this year, with the League providing Snowbirds and TGH-branded lacrosse equipment to participating Tampa Bay-area elementary and middle schools for use in physical education classes for all students.

“A primary goal for NLL UnBOXed always centered on partnering with influential local leaders and community-driven companies to help us introduce and foster a new love of NLL-style, fast-paced lacrosse to young boys and girls across North America,” said Kurt Hunzeker, NLL Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations. “We are thrilled to begin this exciting journey with our friends at Tampa General Hospital and bring the Tampa Bay Snowbirds to life in Bay Area schools starting this fall.”

While the first wave of Tampa Bay-area schools who registered to bring NLL UnBOXed to their students will be announced in the coming weeks, any elementary and middle school administrators, athletic directors, and/or physical education teachers can request to become an inaugural participating school by registering at NLL.com/UnBOXed.

“Tampa General Hospital is committed to promoting health and wellness in our community to prevent illness and chronic health conditions,” said Kim Christine, administrator of community health and wellness at Tampa General Hospital. “This partnership not only helps us connect youth to the growing game of lacrosse, it allows us to invest in creating a healthier Tampa Bay.”

Tampa Bay joined seven other North American markets in the League’s inaugural class of “NLL UnBOXed Lacrosse Communities” unveiled in November 2023. To illustrate its commitment to growing box lacrosse participation and skill development across Canada and the United States, the NLL created community-relevant team names and bold brand identities for each of the nine markets: Baltimore Ghost Crabs™, Charlotte Cobras™, Minnesota Lake Dragons™, Montréal Castors™, Seattle Shipwrecks™, St. Louis Howlers™, Tampa Bay Snowbirds™ presented by Tampa General Hospital, and Utah Spikes™.

NLL UnBOXed will drive the expansion of the League’s current multi-national activation footprint to include approximately 60 North American communities by the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles when sixes lacrosse, similar to the NLL’s 6-on-6 box lacrosse game play style, returns as a medal sport for the first time since 1908.

Officially licensed NLL UnBOXed merchandise, including a wide selection of Snowbirds’ apparel and collectibles, will debut later this year with exclusive reveals all summer via the League’s social media channels.

The 2023-24 NLL regular season wraps up this week before the 2024 NLL Playoffs begin on Friday, April 26.

American Association Hires Chris Browne As Vice President-Sponsorships

The American Association of Professional Baseball has named Chris Browne as, Vice President of Sponsorships.  Browne brings more than 30 years of experience in professional sports, including 23 years as an executive in baseball.  

In his role, Browne will handle sponsorship services for the league, coordinate sponsor related jewel events including the All-Star Game, the Miles Wolff Cup, and Baseball Champions League in addition to other leaguewide initiatives.  

“Chris Browne brings to the American Association a long history in sports business.  Specifically, his ideas around activation and relationship building will provide the American Association with an accretive element beneficial to our sponsors,” said Joshua Schaub, American Association Commissioner.

Browne previously spent twelve years as Vice President and General Manager of the Kansas City Monarchs predecessor brand, the Kansas City T-Bones, during 2008-2020.  Under his leadership, the club was twice named Organization of the Year and appeared in two league championship series, winning the Miles Wolff Cup in 2018.  Browne was also recognized by the Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau with the 2011 Excellence in Hospitality Award and named Tourism Advocate of the Year in 2015.  

In 2019, Browne was named as the Kansas City Sports Executive of the Year by the Kansas City Sports Commission.  The prestigious award had previously been given to Kansas City Chiefs CEO/Owner Clark Hunt and Kansas City Royals VP/GM Dayton Moore.  

Most recently, Browne led Perfect Game USA’s Midwest operation in Kansas City.  

“I am thrilled to join the American Association office and their dynamic leadership team led by Commissioner Josh Schaub and Deputy Commissioner, Josh Buchholz.  I look forward to working with our staff, partners, and member clubs,” said Chris Browne.

A native of Kansas City, Browne started his career working as a Clubhouse Attendant and Bat Boy for seven years for the Kansas City Royals, including the 1985 World Champion season.  After completing his degree with an emphasis in Sports Management from the University of Missouri, Browne worked as an executive for the Class AA Jacksonville Suns (now Jumbo Shrimp) and was Assistant General Manager for Major Arena Soccer League’s Kansas City Comets.  

Browne resides in Lenexa, KS with his wife Becky, son Brett and daughter (Pee Wee) Reese.