Category Archives: Major Sports

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.

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.  

Kitman Labs Expands Performance Deal With NWSL Expansion Team, Bay FC

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 NWSL expansion team, Bay FC. On the heels of the NWSL’s deployment of the Performance Medicine Solution from Kitman Labs as its league-wide advanced EMR, Bay FC will expand the use of iP: Intelligence Platform across the Club’s First Team to include Performance Optimization and Coaching & Development.

Bay FC will now be able to combine player medical, performance and development data in a centralized and fully integrated advanced operating system – driving cross-departmental communication and supporting evidence-based, data-led decision-making across the Club. All relevant stakeholders will have access to a complete, real-time assessment of each player. In addition, both players and practitioners will be able to access and input data through a dedicated Coach and Player App to allow for real-time data capture on and off the pitch.

“As a new club, it’s important to us that we lay a technology foundation that is best-in-class, scalable and capable of immediately providing value to our coaching staff and players in terms of yielding actionable intelligence to help unlock our performance, health and wellness goals,” said Lucy Rushton, Bay FC General Manager.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Bay FC to not only help expand their data and analytics infrastructure but to partner with the Club to leverage the resulting intelligence to help accelerate their success within the League” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “In addition to providing a flexible framework to support the Club where they are today, iP: Intelligence Platform will future-proof the Club – ensuring they have the ability to continually innovate in terms of data collection and data science capabilities while supporting the kind of advanced analytics and research necessary to help propel the team forward season after season.”

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top leagues, teams and regulatory bodies across a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company’s technology is currently being used by leagues and teams within some of the world’s most elite sports organizations, including the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Major League Soccer (MLS), Premier League and National Football League (NFL). Kitman Labs has recently announced deals with Angel City FC, Gotham FC and the Houston Dash.

Kitman Labs Expands Performance Deal With Houston Dash

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 the NWSL’s Houston Dash. Capitalizing on the NWSL’s recent deployment of the Performance Medicine Solution from Kitman Labs as its league-wide advanced EMR, the Houston Dash will expand the use of iP: Intelligence Platform to include Performance Optimization for the Club’s First Team.

The Houston Dash will now combine player medical data with performance data (eg. game, training, gym, physical testing and more) in a single, fully integrated advanced operating system. By combining the critical data sets in one integrated platform, stakeholders and practitioners alike will have access to a complete, real-time, 360 view of each player and the ability to generate the analytics, insights and actionable intelligence necessary to support evidence-based decision-making across the team. In addition, the centralized platform will enable cross departmental communication, collaboration and knowledge transfer, eliminating the information silos that can cause inefficiencies, misdiagnoses and subjectivity.

“In our pursuit of enhancing player health and performance, it’s imperative to consolidate data from disparate sources. By centralizing both data and personnel within a unified platform, we equip ourselves with the transparency and analytical tools crucial for informed decision-making and achieving our desired outcomes,” expressed Alex Singer, General Manager of Houston Dash.

“Fragmented data leads to internal confusion and inertia” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “Our technology enables teams like the Houston Dash to harness the power of data to inform strategic and tactical decision-making at every level of the organization. The centralization and integration of that data in a single advanced operating system means practitioners and players can spend less time collecting and interpreting data and more time applying insights and practical intelligence on the pitch.”

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top leagues, teams and regulatory bodies across a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company’s technology is currently being used by leagues and teams within some of the world’s most elite sports organizations, including the National Football League (NFL), Premier League, Major League Soccer (MLS), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).

This launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken including two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports. The combined companies represent 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.

Elvis, Lennon, Monroe, DiMaggio Photos Key Historic Auction

Some 35 years ago, Jack Kramer asked a dear friend a favor: Would she make a scrapbook out of his mementos so he could relive fond memories stashed away and nearly forgotten long ago? The friend happily obliged Kramer, who was a solid right-hander in the majors from the late 1930s until the early 1950s — in fact, he won Game 3 of the 1944 World Series as a St. Louis Brown.

Kramer’s box contained newspaper clippings, programs, some baseballs — the usual keepsakes. But there was also something extraordinary in that box: the photograph of Mickey Mantle that became his 1951 Bowman rookie baseball card — a photo that’s “one of the true grails of Type 1 collecting,” according to no less an authority than Professional Sports Authenticator.

That photograph bats leadoff in Heritage’s Photo Legends Type 1 Showcase Auction on April 7.

While assembling that scrapbook, Kramer’s friend discovered a plain brown envelope bearing the New York Yankees’ logo, Yankee Stadium’s Bronx address and a handwritten note: “Pictures of 1952 New York Yanks all individuals.” Inside was an original, freshly printed set of 8-by-10 glossy black-and-white photos featuring members of the 1951 Yankees, for whom Kramer played his final season in the big leagues. They were taken by the team’s photographer, Bob Olen. Kramer was there alongside the legendary likes of Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto and a 19-year-old kid from Oklahoma named Mantle.

The photo is among the most defining of his career: Mantle wearing No. 6, with a bat perched on his right shoulder as he stares into the distance as though awaiting a pitcher’s delivery. This same image, colorized but otherwise barely altered, was used on Mantle’s first baseball card: the 1951 Bowman, the second-most valuable Mantle behind only the 1952 Topps card that reshaped a hobby. This immortal image was so perfect it was used time and again — for Mantle’s 1952 Berk Ross card and his 1953 Topps offering.

This photo, only the fourth known example of that iconic image, remained in that brown envelope for decades, sealed in a Ziploc bag and stored in a cedar chest. It has never been available at auction until now.

Olen’s 1951 photo of Mantle joins an auction rife with makers of monumental moments depicted in more than 120 familiar, beloved and iconic images developed from the original negative.

That’s how PSA defines Type I photos: “A 1st generation photograph, developed from the original negative, during the period (within approximately two years of when the picture was taken).” They have become among the most coveted collectibles in recent years, as desired as any Ansel Adams landscape of the American West, Dorothea Lang Depression-era portraits or Annie Lebowitz celebrity session, given their role in documenting history in the present tense.

Shortly after PSA authenticated the Mantle photo, they proudly posted it to social media. The offerings in this auction are all PSA-authenticated, and they run the gamut from triumph to tragedy, sports to space, entertainment to editorial. Many were used in newspapers and magazines and meant to be disposable — publicity photos promoting Jane Fonda’s star-making turn as Barbarella or the latest James Bond movie or a new TV show called Star Trek, news photos of President John F. Kennedy in his limo driving through Dallas or lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda, portraits of Mantle’s Yankee teammates or a 1978 party pic of KISS’ Gene Simmons with a young Brooke Shields.

Kitman Labs Joins ‘More Than Equal’ Quest To Develop First Female Formula 1 Champion

Kitman Labs, the sports technology and analytics company setting the industry standard for how elite sports organizations use data, today announced a partnership with More than Equal, a global independent motorsport initiative with a mission to find and develop the first female Formula 1 world champion.

The partnership will provide More than Equal with an advanced operating system which will centralize data for female drivers participating in More than Equal’s pioneering Development Programme, a high-performance preparation programme that supports young, talented female drivers who have the potential to develop into elite racing drivers. 

The ‘More than Equal Intelligence Platform’ is a single, fully integrated data and analytics platform designed to provide drivers and coaching staff with a comprehensive, unified and real-time view of the driver’s performance, athletic, and personal development data. 

Utilizing the latest performance monitoring technology, the platform will give More than Equal data accuracy and the ability to convert driver data into actionable insights and intelligence to support evidence-based tactical and technical coaching that is relevant to their gender and age. The More than Equal Driver Coaches, in collaboration with elite coaching group Hintsa Performance, will leverage the platform to track and support the drivers’ progress holistically, from their in-car performance, to their physical athleticism, to their social and cognitive development. The platform ensures the consistent and accurate collection of data for female drivers, with a goal to optimize the driver’s performance on and off the track. 

The platform will be supported by a dedicated staff and player app (iOS and Android), to support the real-time collection of driver data globally. 

The organization, whose mission is to find, nurture and develop female racing drivers, will leverage several Solutions in iP: Intelligence Platform, including: Performance Medicine, Performance Optimization and Coaching & Development.  iP will serve as the singular advanced operating system for the Organization – eliminating data and information silos, enabling cross-departmental communication and providing transparency and alignment across all stakeholders. 

“More than Equal is on a mission to revolutionize how female racing talent is identified, developed and supported,” said More than Equal CEO, Ali Donnelly.  “We are thrilled to collaborate with Kitman Labs to provide our driver cohort with access to best-in-class performance technology, allowing our coaches to optimize and personalize their talent development.”

“On a personal and professional level, we couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with More than Equal to help realize their vision as they pioneer a new model in providing elite training and development for talented female drivers,” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “iP: Intelligence Platform was created for this – to leverage the power of data and analytics to enable and inform foundational change; to convert that data into the meaningful insights and actionable intelligence necessary to unlock human performance.  We are on a shared mission.”

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with the 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, NWSL, WSL, MLS and NCAA.

This launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken including two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports. The combined companies represent the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations and largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.

Atlanta at the Top: Strat-O-Matic Simulation Tabs Braves Champions

While their 104-win 2023 season didn’t result in a World Series title, the Atlanta Braves come into 2024 with high hopes of turning their talented young roster into a postseason champion. Strat-O-Matic (@strat-o-matic), the market leader in sports simulation games, has simulated the 2024 baseball campaign, tabbing Atlanta as the winner of 99 games and the franchise’s third World Series title since moving to The Peach State. The Braves need only five games to take down A.L. winner Houston in the Strat-O-Sim championship.

Strat-O-Matic’s simulation has the Braves winning the N.L. East by seven games over Philadelphia, joining Central champ Chicago (90-72) and West winner Los Angeles (99-63) as division titlists. Arizona (97-65), Philadelphia (92-70) and San Diego (84-78) claim the wild card spots, with the Braves taking out the Dodgers in a sweep in the NLCS after dispatching the Cubs in three straight in the NLDS.

In the A.L., Houston (102-60) enjoys the majors’ best record, backing it up by edging wild card Tampa Bay (90-72) in the ALDS and sweeping Minnesota (96-66) in the ALDS. The Twins, Central Division winners, had upended No. 2 seeded New York (99-63) to advance through the ALDS. Texas (91-71) and Cleveland (86-76) were the other A.L. wild cards.

Major award winners in the American League are New York’s Aaron Judge, whose 48 home runs and 113 RBI to go with a .962 OPS earned the MVP, while Minnesota’s Pablo Lopez turns in a 20-8 mark with 3.15 ERA and 235 strikeouts to win the Cy Young. In the N.L., Mookie Betts’ move to shortstop makes him an even more integral part of the Dodgers, garnering his second MVP with a .281 average, .945 OPS, 40 home runs and 118 RBI. Atlanta’s Spencer Strider breaks through for his first Cy Young, posting a 20-5 record and stellar 2.79 ERA with 260 whiffs.

Rebet Launches Free-To-Play Social Sportsbook

Rebet, a new free-to-play social sportsbook, today announced its official launch.  The Rebet App, which is now available for download in the App Store across 47 U.S. states, is set to revolutionize the sports betting experience with first-of-its-kind features including an entire social sportsbook, peer-to-peer contests, and dynamic user social feeds. 

Overall, the Rebet App will provide users with access to official and real-time data for more than 60 professional and college sports leagues.

Founded by current students at Dartmouth College who boast diverse expertise across economics, technology, entrepreneurship, and software development, Rebet takes a community-centric approach to the social sports betting experience.  The platform is free-to-play and boasts several groundbreaking features to ensure the platform is accessible, fun, and inclusive for everyone, allowing sports fans of all kinds to connect, share, and celebrate their love for sports.

“Sports fandom is about our desire for social interaction and community, and until today those elements have been missing in both traditional and social sportsbooks,” said Carson Hubbard, CEO of Rebet.  “Rebet is revolutionizing this experience with all the essential elements of the sports betting experience in one easy-to-use, and interactive app. We know users are going to love our experience and we are thrilled to introduce Rebet to the world.”

Rebet reimagines the conventional sports betting journey, enhancing it with a social dimension that encourages interaction among sports fans.  Through its innovative social media feeds, Rebet takes features like followers, posts, comments, and DM to create an engaging community atmosphere. 

“Today is a historic day for Rebet as we are bringing together the sports betting community like never before in a seamless app offering unprecedented features,” said Bella DiGiovanni, CMO of Rebet. “With access to official data across all their favorite sports, we are providing our community with a new, and incredible, experience on Rebet.”

The “Rebet” Button and “Peer-to-Peer” Contests

Named after its signature “Rebet” button, Rebet facilitates seamless collaboration among users, giving community members the option to duplicate anyone’s pick with a simple click of a button. 

The app also revolutionizes the sports betting experience by introducing an unparalleled peer-to-peer contest feature, setting a new standard in the industry. This innovative approach transforms the traditional sportsbook landscape by empowering users to engage directly with their friends in spirited competition, challenging each other’s sports knowledge and strategies. 

Moreover, unlike conventional platforms where wagers are placed against predetermined odds or the house, Rebet’s groundbreaking feature places the power in the hands of the players. Users can now create personalized contests, set their own terms, and compete in a more dynamic, interactive environment, deepening the social connections within the community, making every wager a personal duel of wits and prediction prowess.

For more information on Rebet please visit, www.rebet.app, and download the app here on the App Store.

Kitman Labs Announces Performance Data Deal With Tampa Bay Rowdies

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 USL Championship club, the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Club has deployed iP: Intelligence Platform with the Performance Medicine and Coaching & DevelopmentSolutions across the Men’s First Team.

The Rowdies will now be able to combine player medical data with coaching and talent development data in a single, fully integrated advanced operating system – eliminating information silos, enabling cross-Departmental communication and supporting evidence-based, data-led decision-making. All relevant stakeholders across the team will now have access to a complete, real-time assessment of each player.

“One of our key objectives as a club is to provide our players with the holistic care and development they deserve,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “Kitman Labs is a platform that will help our staff achieve that ambition by equipping them with valuable resources and technology. From maximizing player readiness to mitigating injury risk to crafting detailed individual development plans, our team can now collaborate within a single platform to generate the actionable insights necessary to unlock the performance results we’re pursuing across the club.”

“It’s virtually impossible to institute or execute a holistic player care and development strategy with disjointed data and disparate operating systems and processes” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “Our technology unifies organizations around a shared, integrated platform and enables clubs, like the Tampa Bay Rowdies, to convert data into the analytical insights and intelligence necessary to support real-world, strategic and tactical-decision-making, on and off the pitch.”

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top leagues, teams and regulatory bodies across a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company’s technology is currently being used by leagues and teams within some of the world’s most elite sports organizations, including the National Football League (NFL), Premier League, Major League Soccer (MLS), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).

Kitman Labs 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.

The Emirates FA Cup Takes Over New York With Unprecedented US Tour

The Emirates FA Cup, soccer’s oldest and most-esteemed national knockout competition, made its presence felt across the New York area last week, with an inaugural United States trophy tour scoring points and social posts with thousands of casual and diehard football fans, celebrities, youth groups and athletes.

The New York ‘Takeover’ included a special event held pregame at Madison Square Garden with Knicks star Josh Hart and soccer legend Tim Howard; a visit to UBS Arena for a pregame meet and greet with Islanders fans (and their UK supporters group who happened to be on hand that night); a stop in with John Oliver at the Beacon Theater; and visits to other New York landmarks like the board at NASDAQ, Central Park, Brookyln Bridge, 30 Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building. Additionally, local soccer influencers like Alexis Guerrero took the cup to his favorite NYC spots such as L’Industrie Pizzeria; Dylan Sadik, aka “The College Cuber” reimagined the trophy using Rubik’s cubes for fans to enjoy; and Frankie Flo freestyled alongside the famous silverware.

A major highlight of the tour was partnering with Black Star, a pioneering program dedicated to fostering the growth of soccer in Black American communities, and holding a special clinic at SoFive in Brooklyn. The event aimed to inspire the next generation of soccer players, while also highlighting the importance of diversity and representation within the sport. DaMarcus Beasley, renowned U.S. Soccer legend and Emirates FA Cup veteran, headlined the event and led a soccer clinic alongside local coaches. Beasley shared his personal soccer journey, spanning both sides of the Atlantic, and offered invaluable insights to aspiring players.

Speaking after the event, Beasley said: “Black Star teaming up with the Emirates FA Cup to grow the game in black communities and inspire the next generation is so important. Programs and clinics like these are much needed. My time spent with the kids was so much fun. To be able to watch them compete, learn and have fun was the best outcome I could have asked for.”

The tour was capped by a pair of sold-out viewing parties of the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round at Moonlight Studios in Soho, where one lucky fan (and a plus one) won the Grand Prize to be a guest of The English Football Association (The FA) for the Emirates FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London this May.

James Gray, Commercial Director at The FA, said: “We were delighted to bring the Emirates FA Cup to the US for this historic trophy tour. It’s an exciting time for the game in the US, with the ongoing growth of soccer evident to see, especially with the FIFA World Cup just a couple of years away. The trophy tour was an ideal opportunity to bring US fans closer to this iconic competition through the Watch Parties in collaboration with our broadcast partners ESPN+, and it was special to meet and engage with new audiences at these events.”

Martinez, Johnson, Gregory-O’Connell to be Honored at 44th Annual Thurman Munson Awards March 14

Two hard-hitting World Series champions and a Bronx basketball trailblazer enshrined in three Halls of Fame will be honored by AHRC New York City Foundation when they are presented with Thurman Munson Awards at the 44th annual benefit on Thursday night, March 14 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers (23rd Street at West Side Highway) in New York City: Four-time New York Yankees World Series champion first baseman Tino Martinez (1996, 1998-2000), 1986 Mets World Series champion third baseman Howard Johnson and Fordham University women’s hoops pioneer and New York City Basketball Hall of Famer Anne Gregory-O’Connell will each receive “Thurmans” as members of the “Class of 2024.”

The Munson Awards are presented to individuals for on-field excellence, and the betterment of sports and community. The AHRC NYC benefit has helped to keep the memory of the legendary Yankees catcher and captain Thurman Munson alive since his tragic passing 44 years ago, while raising more than $21 million for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives.

Robert Scheinman, Principal, J.T. Magen & Company, Inc., will receive the M. Anthony Fisher Humanitarian Award.

Thurman’s widow Diana Munson is an honorary chair who has supported AHRC NYC and its fund-raising efforts through the Thurman Munson Awards for four decades.

The 2024 benefit will celebrate the 75th Anniversary of AHRC NYC.

The Master of Ceremonies will be FOX 5 lead sports anchor and Sports Extra host Tina Cervasio.

Special guests expected to attend include Football Giants Super Bowl champions Harry Carson, Ottis Anderson, Chris Canty and Karl Nelson; Yankees World Series Champion Jeff Nelson; four-time Islanders Stanley Cup Champions Butch Goring and John Tonelli, former Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa, NY/NJ Gotham FC soccer midfielder McCall Zerboni, SiriusXM Radio host Ed Randall and New York radio/television personality Sweeny Murti of MLB.com, with others to be announced.

Martinez, whose plaque installed in the Stadium’s Monument Park underline his Yankees legacy, was an integral member of four Bombers World Championship teams in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. During a 16-year major league career, Tino knocked in 1,271 runs on the strength of 1,925 hits and 339 home runs. The two-time All-Star had more than 100 RBI in six different seasons and led the American League in homeruns (44) and RBI (141) in 1997.

His two most memorable World Series home runs were a Grand Slam in Game 1 in 1998 to give the Yankees the lead and the win against the Padres; and then in 2001 against the Diamondbacks. With the Yankees down to their last out, Martinez launched a game-tying, ninth inning home run in Game 4 and the Yankees went on to win in the 10th.

Like Thurman, Martinez starred in the Cape Cod League early in his career (1986), and last summer returned to serve as an assistant coach for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. The Tampa native was a standout in college at the University of Tampa as a three-time All-American.

Johnson was a Tigers product who debuted in 1982 and was a member of Detroit’s 1984 championship team. He was traded to the Mets following that season and two years later went on to win his second World Series in 1986. With the Mets, Hojo was a two-time All-Star and led the National League in both home runs (38) and RBI (117) in 1991. Johnson still ranks third on the Mets’ all-time list for homers (192), RBI (629), doubles, and stolen bases (202).

Inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame earlier this year, Hojo is a three-time member of the “30-30 Club” (1987, 1989 and 1991) all in New York, and set the record for most home runs (36) by a switch hitter in 1987.

During his 14-year career, Johnson drove in 760 runs totaling 1,229 hits, 228 home runs and 231 stolen bases.

Gregory-O’Connell scored 2,548 points and pulled down 1,999 rebounds during a storied Fordham career from 1976-80. She is enshrined in the Fordham Athletics Hall of Fame as the first female inductee in 1986, the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame (2017) and the Bronx Basketball Hall of Fame (2023). In 2023, in a celebration of Title IX’s 50th Anniversary, she was recognized for her contributions in spearheading the growth of women’s sports as an Atlantic 10 “Trailblazer’ by the conference for “paving the way for thousands of girls and women to participate in and be successful in sports and life.” Anne’s number is the only number of a women’s player retired by her alma mater (2009), and #55 hangs from the rafters at the Rose Hill Gymnasium on the Fordham campus.

The women’s basketball pioneer is a New York product from The Bronx, New York. A stone’s throw from Yankee Stadium, Anne Gregory was a dominant force on the Fordham University women’s basketball team from 1976-80, long before women’s basketball took off as part of mainstream sports. The rebounds total stood as a record in women’s basketball until 2009. Anne graduated cum laude from Fordham with a degree in sociology in 1980.

She was one of seven children who grew up in the Parkchester section of the Bronx and is a product of Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, New York. She played professionally briefly in France following her Fordham career.

Anne’s late husband was the beloved Hall of Fame college basketball writer Jim O’Connell, whom she met as a Fordham student when “Oc” was the university’s Sports Information Director.

Always giving young people direction during 36 years in Catholic School education, Anne’s post-basketball career included 20 years as guidance counselor at Holy Trinity High School, 12 years at Aquinas High School, and two years at Cardinal Spellman; Anne began that career at a physical education teacher and basketball coach at St. Helena Commercial High School.

The list of previous Thurman Munson Award recipients reads like a “Who’s Who” of sports stars including: Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Yogi Berra, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Joe Torre, Bernie Williams, Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Gary Carter, David Wright, Willis Reed, Patrick Ewing, Julius Erving, Jim Brown, Harry Carson, Aly Raisman, Nancy Lieberman, Theresa Weatherspoon, and Mark Messier, just to name a few.

Founded 75 years ago, AHRC New York City is a family governed organization that is fiercely committed to achieving equity for people who are neurodiverse in New York City. With over 5,000 staff, reflecting the demographics of our city, we offer an unsurpassed array of services to more than 15,000 people and their families annually in the five boroughs. The organization is part of a social justice movement grounded in our common humanity. AHRC NYC is fully accredited by the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) and is a recognized leader in the field. We are committed to promoting the highest levels of excellence and innovation in all of its programs and services.

Strat-O-Matic Opening Day At Glen Head, N.Y. Headquarters A Big Hit For Fans

They began lining up at 2 a.m. At least that’s the reported time that the first guest appeared at Strat-O-Matic Headquarters on Railroad Avenue, in the shadow of the Glen Head Long Island Rail Road stop. The first of what grew to more than 200 hearty souls braved near-freezing temperatures Friday in order to be among those to get ahold of the new baseball season cards fresh out of the warehouse.

In what has become an annual tradition, gamers from across the country – and sometimes other parts of the world – gather outside the blue-gray offices, not only to pick up the new season game and other items, but to meet friends old and new who share a love for the game that has been such an important part of their lives.

By all accounts, Bret Sypniewski traveled the farthest, getting into his customized white cargo van and traversing the country all the way from Las Vegas, where he took orders of his own for upwards of 30 games from friends and competitors at the various tournaments that he’s participated in regularly since retirement.

“It took me about 10 days, I took the scenic route,” said the affable Sypniewski, who has played the game for more than 35 years, a time frame that seemed to match many of the Opening Day participants. “I enjoy the tournaments, playing face to face, getting to interact with people while we play.”

Sypniewski made the Strat-O-Matic visit the fulcrum of a trip that included stops in Lubbock, Texas, for some hiking and a Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball game, another in Lexington, Kentucky, for a UK game and various other activities. His diverse interests match the variety of Strat-O-Matic baseball seasons that he enjoys playing.

“I enjoy playing the 1911-1930 teams, but I’m picking up the new season and 1984,” he added. “I like the old time stuff, I learn a lot about the players.”

Another highlight for Opening Day attendees is meeting the Strat-O-Matic founder and creator, Hal Richman, who enjoys hearing fans talk about the decades of enjoyment that the game has brought them.

Strat-O-Matic Chief Content Officer John Garcia presided over the Opening Day ceremonies, which included the induction of three members into the Strat-O-Matic Hall of Fame, including former major leaguer and noted SOM enthusiast Keith Hernandez, longtime game tester Larry Foster and Strat-O-Matic Forum editor Dan Patterson.

Garcia and CEO Adam Richman also raffled off some unique items, including test cards from last year’s 1933-1983 All-Star baseball set, a game autographed by Hal Richman, a subscription to the pending release of Baseball Max, currently in beta, and more.

Kitman Labs and Fulham FC Expand Data & Analytics Accord

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system for performance intelligence in Sports, today agreed to expand its relationship with English Premier League side, Fulham FC, to include medical and performance data.  The Club will be utilizing the Performance Medicine, Performance Optimization and Coaching & Development Solutions – combining medical, performance and talent development data into a single, interactive data and analytics system to unlock player performance outcomes and inform talent development strategy.

Kitman Labs and the Premier League announced the launch of the Football Intelligence Platform for all Academies last month.  By deploying the Intelligence Platform across the Men’s First Team and Women’s Teams (First + U18’s), Fulham will now unify all data and analytics in a singular operating system for the entire organization.  This integrated, “whole club solution” will serve to drive cross-departmental collaboration, eliminate data and information silos, and provide internal stakeholders with a complete, unified view of each athlete for the purposes of unlocking performance potential and expanding player pathways.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Fulham FC – one of the most accomplished and storied football clubs in the English Premier League – helping to bring innovation to how medical and performance data and analytics are being leveraged across the entire organization to inform strategy and decision-making with objective, analytics-based insights,” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs.  

“The traditional approach to simply collecting medical and performance data will no longer suffice.  We needed a single system that combines diverse sets of data across the organization. One that ensures accuracy of information, allows the information to be shared and utilized in real time, and supports planning and player health and development with actionable insights” said Chris Hanson, Head of Medical, Fulham FC. 

“Our recent transition to the Kitman Labs Intelligence Platform has allowed us to continue to improve and manage the processes relating to the capture, cleaning, enrichment, and analysis of our football related data. It’s continued to support our evolving commitments to interrogating data, interpreting results, and creating data-led insights and stories.

We have been able to combine data sets from multiple disciplines and data streams to calculate, measure and evaluate impact for the purpose of player development. Furthermore, the platform has supported key stakeholders from across the ecology of the club to reason, reflect and strategise as a consequence of these data-led insights. 

As a pilot club, these processes have been well supported through a comprehensive deployment. The ongoing and iterative support structures have flexed and been reflective of our own cares, concerns and strategies to ensure a collaborative approach to moving to our new data management system” said Tom Hounsell, Academy Insights Manager, PDP Coach.

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.

This launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken including two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports. The combined companies represent 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.

NCAA Champion And WNBA Draftee, Alexis Morris Signs With The Harlem Globetrotters

The world famous Harlem Globetrotters, synonymous with basketball excellence and global entertainment, today announced the signing of former Louisiana State University (LSU) star and WNBA draftee, Alexis Morris to the Harlem Globetrotters, it was announced today by Keith Dawkins, President of Harlem Globetrotters and Herschend Entertainment Studios. Morris becomes the seventh current woman to join the organization, the most in the organization’s storied history, as they will celebrate their centennial in 2026.

“The Harlem Globetrotters have a storied history of signing some of the world’s most accomplished and coveted talent; Wilt Chamberlain, Connie Hawkins, “Curley” Neal, Lou Dunbar, Lynette Woodard and now, Alexis Morris,” said Dawkins. “As the global basketball landscape continues to evolve the Globetrotters are well positioned to offer unparalleled opportunities for professional basketball players looking to develop, and showcase, their amazing skills, make a positive impact in the community, while also benefitting from the plethora of business opportunities that our brand has to offer them. It’s an opportunity unlike any in sports. Signing Alexis reflects our commitment to pursuing the best ballers from around the world.”

Morris, who has begun her Harlem Globetrotters training and will be joining the domestic arm of the 2024 Tour, will take to the court for the first time as a Harlem Globetrotter on Friday, February 9, 2024 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, the birthplace of basketball and The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Her extensive and rigorous schedule will also include stops at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY, on Sunday, February 18 and Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NY, on Saturday, February 24.

Morris, known for her exceptional ball-handling and court vision, will take the court with her self-titled moniker, Alexis ‘The Show’ Morris alongside her elite teammates. The Texas native was selected in the second round of the 2023 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun and is currently a free agent.  She returned to North America after starting the current season in Turkey with Ilkem Yapi Tarsus of the Turkish women’s Super League. Alexis is believed to be the first athlete to join the Harlem Globetrotters while also entertaining elite professional offers since Connie Hawkins, who played for the team and went on to a Hall of Fame Career with the Phoenix Suns.   
 
“I’m excited to join the Harlem Globetrotters and want to thank the leadership team for giving me an opportunity to grow my personal and professional career while playing the game I love,” said Morris. “There is a lot to learn from my coaches and teammates and I’m excited to highlight the level of basketball and entertainment of the organization. ‘The Show’ is now a part of the growing legacy of Harlem Globetrotters basketball.”

She will join the six women athletes who make up the Harlem Globetrotters and the Washington Generals this winter, including Fatima, ‘TNT’ Lister, Cherelle ‘Torch’ George, Arysia ‘Ace’ Porter, Kaylin ‘Sunshine’ West, Eryka ‘Spice’ Sidney, and Kayla Gabor. She also joins. nine other rookies who joined the 2024 World Tour this season. Fans can expect exclusive content of her time with the team through “My Rookie Season” on Harlem Globetrotters Youtube channel.
Morris, a dynamic point guard and a top scorer on LSU’s 2023 National Championship team, brings a stellar blend of skill, athleticism, and showmanship to the iconic Harlem Globetrotters. Her electrifying style of play and passion for the game align with the team’s commitment to delivering unparalleled entertainment to audiences worldwide.

The Harlem Globetrotters’ rich legacy of combining sportsmanship and entertainment, continue to attract top-tier athletes who embrace the joy of basketball. Follow the Harlem Globetrotters on social media for exclusive behind-the-scenes content and more team updates as they travel the world. 

NOVUS Steps Up to Biggest Stage with $100,000 Donation Pledge to The Hope Center in KC, Placing Faith in Kansas City Kicker Harrison Butker

NOVUS and two-time world champion kicker Harrison Butker are built from the same values; faith, family, teamwork and service. NOVUS and the KC kicker announced today they are pledging to make a $100,000 donation to The Hope Center in Kansas City if Harrison Butker makes history and becomes the first kicker ever to win MVP in the big game. 

The Hope Center in Kansas City strives to provide opportunities for sustainable growth and development where children, youth and families can flourish.

NOVUS will also donate football jerseys to all varsity high school football teams in Kansas City and San Francisco if Butker kicks a game-winning field goal in the final minute. With a 90% career field goal success rate, Butker has proven his tenacity in the game’s most pivotal moments, exemplified by his clutch performance in last year’s big game, where he kicked KC to victory with a 27-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining.

“NOVUS products are second to none—the attention to detail and unparalleled quality empower me to perform at my peak during every training session,” said Harrison Butker. “Our shared values of faith, hard work, and service make our partnership a natural fit, and I’m proud to be a part of the NOVUS family.”

Headquartered in Albany, New York, NOVUS is a fast-growing apparel brand specializing in high-quality, purpose-driven, custom apparel for athletes, teams, and professionals nationwide. As a mission-based company, NOVUS’ mantra, “Claim Your Crown,” is rooted in living a life of passion, conviction and perseverance.

“We’ve always made our best effort to use our platform to make an impact. Harrison’s passion and conviction to be the best on and off the field inspires us daily and we’re proud to stand with him as he continues to chase greatness,” added Garrett Bernardo, Co-Founder and CEO of NOVUS. “One of the pillars of our company is that we are purpose and value driven, and we want to embody that through supporting the Kansas City community and youth sports in both Kansas City and San Francisco.”

There is no bigger stage in North American sports than this Sunday’s game and NOVUS is ready to raise its game with this pledge to donate $100,000 with the clutch kicking of Harrison Butker as a driving force.

Pabst Blue Ribbon Named ‘The Official Exclusive Beer Partner’ For SlamBall’s 2024 and 2025 Seasons

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and acrobatics co-founded by Mike Tollin and Mason Gordon, announced today that Pabst Blue Ribbon has been named “The Official Exclusive Beer Partner” for the worldwide 2024 and 2025 seasons. Pabst Blue Ribbon will become the title sponsor of the SlamBall Summer Series Dunk Contest and will work with SlamBall to build out special year-round consumer activations, with more details to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Pabst Blue Ribbon as our Official and Exclusive Beer Partner,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall Co-founder. “SlamBall fans will see Pabst Blue Ribbon be featured in SlamBall programming across the ESPN platform, in exciting new social media initiatives and as the title sponsor of the Pabst Blue Ribbon Dunk Contest. As a young, emerging sport we couldn’t be more proud to have a comprehensive multi-year partnership with a brand that will be celebrating its 180th year.”

“SlamBall brings the energy, excitement, and disruption to sports with an attitude and independent spirit that parallels the Pabst Blue Ribbon brand through its 180 years,” said Josh Feingold – Senior Director of Marketing Partnerships of Pabst. “We only scratched the surface last season and are thrilled to be partnered with SlamBall moving forward.”

Dates and details for SlamBall: Series 7, which will be held this summer, as well as potential domestic and international touring events for early and mid 2024, are currently being finalized.

SlamBall returned last summer to rave reviews and record responses across every measurement tool. The numbers included massive social engagement which bested virtually any other live sports property during the period, solid numbers in its time slots on ESPN, quality attendance numbers and the attention of a global media audience. During the time period of the build up and relaunch of SlamBall, no other active professional sports league, whether a startup or established league, came close in engagement or growth across Twitter and Instagram, even during a MUCH shorter run and season than the others.

SlamBall’s return last May became official when a new Series A round of funding of $11 million was announced. Led by IA Sports Ventures and Eberg Capital, both of which are co-owners of the Miami Marlins, among other investments. Others include: David Blitzer and David Adelman, both of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment; Fanatics founder Michael Rubin; VC investor Gary Vaynerchuk; NBA player Blake Griffin; Sacramento Kings investor Kevin Nagle; Lloyd Danzig of Sharp Alpha; Legends Growth Enterprises; Red Games CEO Brian Lovell; attorney Jesse Sharf, Accelerate Sports; and VC investor Eric Manlunas.

Fanatics Partners with Hurricanes for North Carolina Market Access

Fanatics Betting and Gaming, a subsidiary of Fanatics Holdings Inc., a global digital sports platform, will enter into a long-term partnership agreement with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes to become the team’s Official Sports Betting Partner and secure market access for its online sports betting platform, Fanatics Sportsbook, pending licensing and regulatory approvals. 

“The Hurricanes are thrilled to welcome Fanatics as our Official Sports Betting Partner,” said Hurricanes President and General Manager Don Waddell. “Fanatics Sportsbook will bring a user-friendly experience for North Carolinians to wager on sports responsibly, and we’re proud to partner with them on this endeavor.”

With the launch of regulated online sports wagering in North Carolina scheduled for March 2024, the partnership gives Fanatics Sportsbook access to the North Carolina market for mobile sports betting, as well as, the opportunity to put a retail sportsbook at PNC Arena. The partnership also includes marketing assets such as in-arena signage, broadcast integrations, PNC Arena activations for hockey fans, and many other opportunities for Hurricanes fans and ticket holders to engage with Fanatics Sportsbook.   

“We are excited to have the Carolina Hurricanes as our market access partner in North Carolina,” said Ari Borod, Chief Business Officer, Fanatics Betting and Gaming. “We are working with one of the most talented professional sports organizations that knows how to grow a sports business by putting a competitive product out on the ice. We look forward to partnering with the organization to bring sports fans in North Carolina a sports betting product that meets the expectations of such a passionate fanbase.”   

The Fanatics Sportsbook officially launched in August 2023 and is currently available in ten states. The Fanatics Sportsbook makes being a fan easy with fast signup, easy betting, transparent withdrawals, live streaming, industry leading search functionality, the ability to earn FanCash on bets and a curated Discover page with the sports and bets that matter most to a customer.  Fanatics Betting and Gaming and the Carolina Hurricanes believe that responsible gaming is a core tenet and a part of each organization’s DNA. Online customers will have access to Responsible Gaming tools to manage their time and money.   

To download images and videos of the Fanatics Sportsbook, visit the Fanatics Media Center and for more news and information, follow us on the Fanatics Sportsbook social channels on X @FanaticsBook_PB and on Instagram @FanaticsBook_PB.   

RealResponse Partners with a Global Leader providing comprehensive Anti-Doping Programs to Help Protect Athletes and Fair Sport

The International Testing Agency (ITA), based in Lausanne, Switzerland, selected RealResponse’s versatile technology platform to augment and expand the channels it uses to collect suspicious doping information securely and anonymously through REVEAL, its anti-doping reporting tool. With ITA’s focus on delivering comprehensive anti-doping programs and its obligations to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) International Standard for Testing and Investigations, implementing RealResponse’s secure, two-way anonymous platform to obtain anti-doping intelligence helps it achieve its stated mission.

The ITA’s new Proactive Reporting Policy – outlining how potential anti-doping rule violations are reported to and processed by the ITA – reinforces for athletes and athlete support personnel that they have the ability and confidence to come forward because of anonymous and confidential anti-doping reporting methods enabled by RealResponse.

ITA’s Nicholas Raudenski, Head of Intelligence & Investigations, comments, “The ITA’s core mission is to protect athletes and encourage a safe space for proactive reporting. Providing them with the best options to report any suspicions they could have in a confidential or anonymous manner supports this mission. RealResponse’s platform has the ability to reduce reporting barriers by providing multiple communications channels, including text and WhatsApp. And, the fact that we are able to engage in two-way, anonymous dialogue with a person reporting a doping concern supports efficient investigations and our clean sport mission in general.”

Through its secure and confidential reporting channels, RealResponse technology will play a crucial role in protecting athletes who disclose doping information and will help ITA achieve the objectives laid out in its new reporting policy.

“With the Paris Summer Olympics on the horizon, and as our first global client, the International Testing Agency recognizes the value of ensuring that all voices are heard when it comes to preventing doping in sport,” said David Chadwick, Founder and CEO of Real Response. “Nothing is more important than protecting the safety of all athletes and the integrity of competition around the world. By rolling out RealResponse to its stakeholders, the ITA is taking a major step to opening up communications channels that did not exist before and at a critical juncture.”

Brandon Steiner’s CollectibleXchange.com Acquires StarStock.com Trading Card Marketplace

CollectibleXchange.com by Brandon Steiner has acquired StarStock.com – a marketplace for sports card collectors to buy, sell, and invest in their favorite sports cards –it was announced today by Steiner and StarStock.com founder Scott Greenberg.

StarStock houses more than 1.3 million sports trading cards including superstars from every sport and league – from Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani to LeBron James and Nikola Jokic to Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers.

There’s a card for every budget, with prices ranging from as little as $1 to 10’s of thousands of dollars.

Through today’s technology, StarStock provides a one-of-a-kind user experience, low fees, and rapid speed for every transaction. StarStock stores each individual collection in a centralized vault and issues a digital version of the card inside each person’s StarStock portfolio, allowing users to trade players instantaneously, at scale, and at a substantially lower transaction cost than other markets.

The cards are put into a digital collection stored in a vault, where owners can go into the collection and list for a specific price. Once a card sells, ownership immediately changes hands and the buyer can have the card shipped, or keep it in the vault

“Our goal is to help service collectors with a white glove device. We will help them organize, store (vault), grade and evaluate for collectors to buy and sell cards,” said Steiner.

“Too many card collectors are confused with the market. added Steiner. “StarStock will help them to understand what to do with their cards.”

Steiner, who revolutionized the sports memorabilia and collectibles industry during 32 years as founder of Steiner Sports Marketing and Memorabilia, transitioned from that company to transform the industry again with the 2019 launch of CollectibleXchange.com, giving the advantage to the buyers and sellers of collectibles, and for athletes to sell product directly to fans.

CollectibleXchange now has over 150,000 pieces of memorabilia in stock, not to mention collectibles in regularly scheduled auctions. “The ‘BidCx’ platform has really taken off, and now we’ll be adding trading cards to our auction platform,” said Steiner.

In this unique marketplace community, an individual – from the avid collector to athletes to a one-time owner of a piece – to buy and sell at the best price.

The website allows both collectors and athletes to set their own price on one-of-a-kind memorabilia or an entire collection – to sell individually to buyers or at auction. Steiner and his team will authenticate and determine the value of each collectible.

In April 2021, as part of CollectibleXchange.com, Steiner launched Athletedirect.com, with a plethora of champion players and coaches – from New York Rangers Stanley Cup icons Mark Messier and Mike Richter to Football Giants Super Bowl legends Tom Coughlin and Mark Bavaro to women’s basketball greats Sue Bird and Nancy Lieberman to Yankees World Series champs Aaron Boone and Willie Randolph to college coaches Lou Holtz and Jim Boeheim – lining up to team with Steiner.

The Buck Starts Here: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Milwaukee Jersey Worn During His First Two NBA Seasons Debuts at Heritage

In 2018, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar penned an open letter to that year’s NBA Draft class in which he welcomed them to the “rollercoaster ride that is your rookie year.” Abdul-Jabbar, as accomplished a writer today as he was a scorer during his basketball career, warned the newbies about the “rush of confusing paradoxes, conflicting emotions, competing options, and dubious advice from crusty been-there old-timers. Like me.” At which point, Abdul-Jabbar turned his attention toward his rookie season in 1969, when the 22-year-old still known as Lew Alcindor out of UCLA was drafted first overall by the last-place Milwaukee Bucks thanks to the flip of a coin.

“I found that the best way to deal with the jitters was for me to focus on setting personal goals rather than think about the expectations others put on me,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote. “And, man, were there a lot of expectations: I’d been the first person drafted and the media directed intense attention at me about what I was going to do and how I was going to do it. All the hype left me thinking that this was mine to screw up.”

Of course, Abdul-Jabbar did anything but screw it up: During the 1969-70 season, he led the Bucks to second place in the Eastern Division and was named Rookie of the Year. One season later, he was the league’s scoring leader; the Bucks swept the Baltimore Bullets in the NBA Finals; and Abdul-Jabbar was named the Most Valuable Player for the regular season and in the Finals — of which served as prelude to a legend, as both a Buck and a Los Angeles Laker.

For the first time, Heritage offers in the Nov. 16-18 Fall Sports Catalog Auction a road Milwaukee Bucks jersey worn by Abdul-Jabbar during those historic seasons when the center snagged a league championship and a scoring title — each, the first of many to follow. Photo-matched by multiple third-party experts to crucial moments throughout Abdul-Jabbar’s days as a legend-in-the-making, the jersey serves as a thrilling offering in an auction abounding with palpable reminders of historic achievements and magical memories shaped by titanic athletes.

Resolution Photomatching confirms it was at least worn during an April 1971 Western Conference Finals versus the Lakers and an April 1971 NBA Finals game against the Bullets. Sports Investors Authentication turned up likely matches to several regular season and post-season games, dating from March 18, 1970, to the Game Four title-clinching contest against the Bullets on April 30, 1971. It is graded a MEARS A10 and also comes with a letter of provenance from Patrick McBride, a former Bucks equipment manager.

The jersey is joined in this auction by the 1969 Look Magazine College All-America Basketball Team ring presented to Alcindor in 1969. It hails from The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Collection.