Monthly Archives: August 2023

National Lacrosse League and FanCompass Announce Multi-Year Strategic Partnership

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced a multi-year partnership with FanCompass to bring an upgraded and interactive user experience for NLL partners and fans everywhere.

“The partnership officially launches our digital transformation, as FanCompass will drive the league’s ability to deliver best-in-class fan platforms and branded online experiences starting with the upcoming season,” said Kurt Hunzeker, the NLL’s Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations. “FanCompass will make it easier and more efficient for the NLL and its partners on every level to understand and customize our collective ties to the NLL’s youthful and digitally savvy fan base as we move to expand, accelerate, and amplify our fan engagement initiatives.”

“Kurt’s vision powered by the full support and backing from their ownership group understand the value and demand for a next-level digital fan experience and the data it provides,” said Jamie Pardi, FanCompass Co-Founder and CEO. “The NLL is making its mark on the industry with this digital transformation and we are excited to be a part of it.”

For more than a decade, FanCompass has been a leading provider of digital fan engagement solutions in the global sports industry. Its platform, FC CORE, offers a suite of digital tools for engaging fans, capturing valuable data, and generating digital sponsorship opportunities.

The NLL will roll out the FC CORE platform across the entire NLL portfolio of teams with a full-service league dashboard for customizable league-wide campaigns. FanCompass had previously been working with two NLL clubs, the Georgia Swarm and Rochester Knighthawks, and the successful work there helped lead to this league-wide partnership.

The NLL will hold its 2023 Draft on September 16 in Oakville, Ontario, and training camps will open the weekend of October 28-29. The 2023-24 season will commence with NLL Faceoff Weekend on December 1-2. The full schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

RealResponse and U.S. Integrity Launch New Service to Safeguard Integrity of Competition

RealResponse and U.S. Integrity (USI) today launched a fully integrated service exclusively for intercollegiate athletics to help protect students-athletes, as well as colleges and universities, from increased illegal gambling-related activity.

When a sports betting issue is raised, RealResponse’s college athletics customers will now have access to USI’s investigative support through the RealResponse platform. This new service is the fastest, most secure way for the more than 100,000 student-athletes currently using the platform to anonymously report the misuse of insider information, potential game manipulation, and physical threats helping to ensure the integrity of fair competition.

Institutions benefit from expertise on how best to navigate increased sports gambling activity at a critical juncture. When a report comes in through RealResponse, campus administrators can assign USI’s collegiate response team – composed of highly trained professionals in the wager-monitoring space – to assess, verify and route the report to appropriate authorities within minutes. The details:

The new service is free for existing RealResponse collegiate clients and is now accessible within their respective internal portals.
As an additional paid service, colleges and universities can establish an institution-branded external portal to allow anyone – from parents to friends to competitors – to report gambling-related issues.
RealResponse and USI will support colleges and universities in educating their communities about the integration of their solutions.

“With the significant rise of easy-to-use online and mobile sports betting, the challenges to fair competition are immense and growing,” said David Chadwick, founder and CEO of RealResponse. “Gambling is a major concern on college campuses—not just for student-athletes—and the potential harm to a student’s mental health and physical well-being is great. This expanded partnership with USI delivers instant support to student-athletes through a channel they already trust with sharing their most pressing needs and concerns.”

“Nothing is more important than protecting the health and wellbeing of the student-athletes who have committed their lives to competing at the highest levels, while simultaneously pursuing a higher education,” said U.S. Integrity Co-Founder and CEO Matthew Holt. “This new solution brings the capabilities and experience of U.S. Integrity and RealResponse together, to do just that.”

In May 2023, RealResponse and U.S. Integrity launched “Athlete Alert Powered by RealResponse,” the only national tip line that allows the public to anonymously report gambling-related issues.

Fanatics Sportsbook & Columbus Blue Jackets To Open Retail Location in Columbus’ Arena District Today

Fanatics Betting and Gaming, the online and retail sports betting subsidiary of Fanatics Holdings, Inc., a global digital sports platform, will open its retail sportsbook location today in partnership with the Columbus Blue Jackets in Columbus’ Arena District.

“Tomorrow will be an exciting day for Blue Jackets fans and for sports fans in Ohio as we officially open the Fanatics Sportsbook in the shadow of Nationwide Arena,” said Blue Jackets Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Cameron Scholvin, on Thursday. “I’d like to thank RJ and Ryan for joining us today, as well as extend our gratitude to our partners at Fanatics and the many others that worked very hard to make this remarkable facility a reality.”

At a special preview event today, Ohio sports legends Ryan Shazier and RJ Umberger placed the ceremonial first bets at the brand new Fanatics Sportsbook Columbus. Shazier, a former linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers and The Ohio State University, placed $20 @+700 on the Buckeyes to win the college football national championship. Umberger, a former center for the Columbus Blue Jackets, also placed $20 @+475 on the Pittsburgh Steelers to win the AFC North Division.

“It was a great day to be a Buckeye at the Fanatics Sportsbook Columbus,” said Ari Borod, Chief Business Officer, Fanatics Betting and Gaming. “Having Columbus sports legends like Ryan and RJ come out and place the first bets shows that we plan to be the premier sports viewing and betting destination in the Arena District when we open our doors to the public on Friday. The Fanatics Sportsbook Columbus will be a great complement to our online sportsbook experience for sports fans living and visiting Ohio.”

The Fanatics Sportsbook is the most rewarding online sportsbook in Ohio, allowing customers to earn up to 5% back in FanCash on every bet and is available for download on iOS and Android for sports fans living and visiting the state of Ohio. It makes being a fan easy with fast signup, easy betting, transparent withdrawals, an industry-leading search functionality and a curated Discover page with the sports and bets that matter most to a customer.

The Fanatics Sportsbook Columbus is located at 401 North Front Street just outside Nationwide Arena. The main entrance is located in the alleyway immediately north of the entrances to Buca di Beppo and Starbucks. The new sportsbook was designed by architecture firm BLTa, a Perkins Eastman Studio, and built by Lehman Daman Construction Services. It is more than 5,000 square feet and features four betting windows, 14 self-service betting kiosks from Suzohapp, one giant LED Video Wall and 20 TV monitors. The full-service restaurant operated by Delaware North, will have food options that every sports fan will enjoy. The Fanatics Sportsbook Columbus will offer viewing experiences and legal betting markets for all major sports including professional and college football, basketball, hockey, baseball, alongside tennis, soccer, golf, MMA and boxing. The development and trading of sports betting markets will be done in house at Fanatics Betting and Gaming and supported by a number of world-class trading suppliers.

Fanatics Betting and Gaming and the Columbus Blue Jackets believe that responsible gaming is a core tenet and a part of each company’s DNA. On-site staff at the Fanatics Sportsbook Columbus have received responsible wagering training and can offer support services to customers when needed.

Kitman Labs Data Analytics: A Case For Why Each Team Can Win Women’s Title

Play continues in New Zealand and Australia this week, and Kitman Labs, the global SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system for performance intelligence in the elite performance industry, has used its proprietary approach to analytics to provide insight into how each of the four remaining sides can win the championship.

Kitman Labs demonstrates a commitment to objectivity over opinion, highly valuing expertise and experience while keeping data as the guard-rails to protect bias and subjectivity creeping in. Nothing in the team evaluation provided is without foundation in data.

Utilizing the data gleaned from the matches to date and accounting for how that can influence play in past semifinals and finals level contests, Kitman Labs has developed paths for each of the four teams to claim the title.

Why Australia Will Win The World Cup: What is the biggest reason Australia are going to win the world cup? The Matildas have been preparing for this event since June 23th 2020 when they were announced as the hosts. The preparation they have put into their squad is bearing fruit in this tournament.

Australia have put their focus on developing a core group of young players over the past years, and giving them the tools to succeed in this world cup. Australia has started only 12 players during the tournament, while 5 key players have played every minute of the world cup. Despite the squad having 9 players with over 100 international caps, and having the joint highest number of caps on the field across each of their games, the age of the players on the field is second youngest of the semi-finalists. This is a cohort with the experience to succeed in a major tournament, while still having the youth required to manage so many matches in such little time.

For the full analytic breakdown visit: https://bit.ly/KitmanWWCAustralia

Why England Will Win The World Cup: England are going to win this world cup because they have the most balanced squad left in the competition. They do not need superstar players to be world champions – instead their key strength is for every player you take out of their starting team, the replacement is just as strong. None of their players are coming into the world cup undercooked, and the majority of their squad is in their peak years. Peak age players can go longer, and England have been able to save their depth for later in the tournament.

England have gotten to the Semi Finals of the world cup without playing their best football. Their game has mitigated risk – limiting opportunities for opposition sides to difficult chances and leading to the lowest goals conceded in the tournament. They have dominated possession, but looked to create high quality opportunities. Coming into the tournament ranked 4th, they have underperformed thus far against weaker opponents, but their stats make clear there an opportunity for additional risk taking when the lionesses face the toughest opponents of the tournament. Many teams have peaked too early in this world cup – Japan and the Netherlands having impressive group stages but going out in the quarter finals – and knowing what it takes to win and peaking at the right time can be precisely what is required to be champion.

For the full analytic breakdown visit: https://bit.ly/KitmanWWCEngland

Why Spain Will Win The World Cup: Why are Spain going to win the World Cup? They will win because they have the highest quality of player in the tournament, and have been able to bring the strongest squad onto the pitch in each of their games. This squad has bossed the game in each of their matches, averaging over 70% possession over the course of the competition.

Spain also have an elite set of goal scorers and assisters – more than any of the other semi-finalists. These players have created and scored goals at an elite level coming into the tournament, and have also performed during the FIFA WWC. Spain have scored the most goals and created the highest number of chances of any team remaining in the competition. With 8 goalscorers and 6 players having given assists this tournament they are most well insulated against an off-day from any individual player.

For the full analytic breakdown visit: https://bit.ly/KitmanWWCSpain

Why Sweden will win the World Cup: Two words give the biggest reason Sweden are going to win this world cup – set pieces. Sweden’s strength lies in their physicality; on average their players are taller than 75% of other players left in the tournament. This gives them an advantage over the opposition any time the ball is in the air and in any dead-ball situation, something they have used to devastating effect. Of their 11 goals, 7 have come as a result of set pieces. Four goals have been scored directly, two penalties have been won, and a further goal has come from post-set-piece chaos. Amanda Ilestedt, a centre back, is their top scorer with four as a result. Clearly, Sweden’s height is too much for their opponents to handle.

Sweden are the most experienced team left in the tournament. They have wise heads that have done it at international level before. Experience is going to be crucial at the business end of this tournament. While tiredness can sometimes be the downfall of older sides, this isn’t a concern for the Swedes. They got their business done early in the group stages and were able to rest players against Argentina. As a result, their players have played the fewest minutes in the world cup – Sweden are in a great physical condition to compete in the latter stages.

For the full analytic breakdown visit: https://bit.ly/KitmanWWCSweden

Mantle Memorabilia Heads Heritage’s Summer Platinum Auction

A game worn Mickey Mantle jersey from 1958 is currently at a record $3.9 million (including buyer’s premium) in Heritage Auctions Summer Platinum Sports Auction, with 11 days left to go (bidding through August 19th at 10pm/CT) The previous record for a Mantle gamer sold at auction is this one, with a winning bid at Heritage in Feb. 2020 for $2,190,000. This is the sixth-most valuable jersey sold at public auction ever, behind Jordan, the “Hand of God” jersey, two Babe Ruths and a Kobe Bryant jersey.Just one year after setting the record for the world’s most valuable sports collectible when it sold this Mantle card for $12.6 million, Heritage Auctions is back with another mint Mantle card to watch. The multi-million dollar card is part of Heritage’s live Summer Platinum Sports Auction, set for August 19th and 20th. The World Series, Super Bowl, and Final Four of auctions all rolled into a single summer weekend is filled with cool stuff from important sports moments in history, such as this game worn Mantle jersey, bidding at just shy of $1.5 million, this Tom Brady game worn NE Patriots throwback uniform, bidding at $250K, and this Babe Ruth baseball card, bidding at nearly half a million bucks!

A treasure trove of mementos from the estate of “Mr. Cub,” including his first contract, Hall of Fame ring, and honorable discharge from the Army, will be among the highlights of the Ernie Banks Collection in Heritage Auctions’ August 19 Summer Platinum Auction. A Mint Mickey Mantle Rookie Card, Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ Jersey and Shohei Ohtani’s MVP-Season Seven-Home Run Bat are also Among Historic Trophies Offered. Details and links are below. Heritage’s Director of Sports Auctions Chris Ivy and other specialists (possibly longtime Banks friend Regina Rice) are available for interviews. Here’s a link to all of the mementos on the block. 2023 August 19 – 20 Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction #50063 (ha.com)

SlamBall League: Series 6 Adds International Broadcast Distribution

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and acrobatics, today announced its first set of International Broadcast Distribution partners for the remainder of the season, bringing the re-start of the sport to a growing global audience in the millions much faster than anticipated and outpacing the interest of virtually all growing sports in North America.

“The interest and growth of a fan base is expanding much quicker than we had ever expected in just three weeks, and is reflective of the massive social engagement we are seeing around the world,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall co-founder. “In addition, our partners with SlamBall China are seeing very rapid growth and adoption on platforms there, all of which is reflective of the action and athleticism we are seeing improve with each passing week as we head towards next week’s championship.”

SlamBall is now being distributed via ESPN in Latin America (on DTC on Star+); in the Caribbean (via ESPN & the affiliate-authenticated ESPN App), and in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands (via ESPN & the affiliate-authenticated Watch ESPN). Additionally, SlamBall China has officially launched its broadcast on Douyin, and has already seen several million views in the first few days..

SlamBall is back Thursday, Aug. 10 at 8:00 p.m. PT/11:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in the United States, while the SlamBall playoffs begin on Tuesday, August 15, at 8:00 p.m. ET/11:00 p.m. ET, live on ESPN2. The semifinals and championship game take place on Thursday, August 17, at 8:00 p.m. ET/11:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

View Top 10 Plays From This Past Weekend Here: https://vimeo.com/852238226/467a9699eb?share=copy

View Standings Here: https://slamballleague.com/standings/

View Stats Here: https://slamballleague.com/slamball-stats/

SlamBall is back Thursday, Aug. 10 at 8:00 p.m. PT/11:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

SlamBall’s two-year ESPN partnership will combine to air more than 40 hours of live SlamBall programming across five weekends, culminating August 15-17 with the SlamBall Playoffs and SlamBall Championship Game.

Circa Sports Named Founding Partner Of SlamBall League

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and acrobatics, today announced that Circa Sports has been named a Founding Partner of SlamBall League. Play resumes this Thursday to Sunday from Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas at 8:00 p.m. EDT/5:00 p.m. PDT on ESPN+.

“We have always believed that SlamBall was a tailor made property for sports gambling, and Circa Sports coming on at this early juncture further validates and expedites this critical part of our business plan,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall co-creator and CEO. “Our expansive partnership with Derek Stevens and the team will be amplified this upcoming weekend when live gambling on SlamBall will take place for the first time.”

“We are excited to be one of the founding partners of SlamBall,” Derek Stevens, CEO of Circa Resort & Casino. “We’re happy to have them included in the continuously growing sports scene in Las Vegas and we look forward to seeing their growth. We also can’t wait to put up lines for the games on Thursday and seeing the action that comes in!”

Circa Sports will provide legal gambling lines for all remaining sessions. They join Old Trapper as SlamBall’s first two Founding Partners

National Lacrosse League Announces Key Dates for Fall 2023

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced key dates leading up to its season start in early December, including the dates for the 2023 NLL Draft and the 2023 NLL Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, both of which will be held the weekend of September 15 in the Toronto metropolitan area.

“We are building off the momentum of a record-breaking season and these key dates officially point us firmly toward a transformative 2023-24 season,” said NLL Commissioner Brett Frood. “There is no better way to connect the past, present and future of our league and the sport of box lacrosse by bringing the NLL Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and the NLL Draft together for an exciting weekend, kickstarting our upcoming season.”

The NLL’s key dates in the coming months include:

Sept. 15: NLL Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Burlington, Ontario
Sept. 16: 2023 NLL Draft in Oakville, Ontario
Oct. 28-29: NLL Training Camps officially open
Dec. 1-2: 2023-24 NLL Faceoff Weekend

The NLL will induct 10 new members into the NLL Hall of Fame. Among the honorees are eight former players and two referees, under the Builders category:

Roy Condon, NLL Official
• 23-season career: 1989 through 2011
• Three NLL Championship Games: 1994, 1995, and 1999

Colin Doyle, Forward
• 19-year career: Ontario Raiders, San Jose Stealth, and Toronto Rock
• 6-time NLL Champion: Toronto (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2011)
• 3-time NLL Championship Game MVP: Toronto (1999, 2002, and 2005)
• 2005 NLL MVP Award
• 1998 NLL Rookie of the Year
• 4-time NLL All-League First Team and 7-time NLL Second Team honoree
• 2-time NLL scoring champion in 2005 and 2009
• Finished fourth all-time in goals (527), assists (857) and points (1,384) and tied for fifth all-time in games played (266)

Kevin Finneran, Forward
• 13-year career: Detroit Turbos, New England Blazers, Philadelphia Wings, and Toronto Rock
• 5-time NLL champion: four with Philadelphia (1994, 1995, 1998, and 2001) and one with Toronto (2003)
• NLL All-League First Team in 1998 and 2-time Second Team honoree (1994 and 1996)
• Retired as the all-time league leader with 143 games played, sixth all-time in goals (235), third all-time in assists (329), fifth all-time in points (564), and 11th in loose ball recoveries (631)
• Held the record for longest consecutive games played streak at 139 games and was the all-time leading scorer by an American prior to Casey Powell breaking his record.

Bill Fox, NLL Official
• 20-season career: 1992 through 2011
• Six Championship Games: 1993, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2010

John Grant Jr., Forward
• 17-year career: Rochester Knighthawks and Colorado Mammoth
• NLL Champion in 2007
• 2007 NLL Championship Game MVP
• 2-time NLL MVP: 2007 and 2012
• 2000 NLL Rookie of the Year
• 6-time NLL All-League First Team and 3-time NLL Second Team honoree
• 4-time NLL Scoring Champion: 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2012
• Selected first overall in the 1999 NLL Draft
• Retired in the top 10 all-time with 668 goals (second), 778 assists (sixth), and 1,446 points (second), and was 12th all-time with 1,202 loose ball recoveries
• Set the record for points in a season in 2012 at 116, which has since been surpassed and now ranks tied for fourth-highest in NLL history, and his 37 goals as a rookie are still tied for fourth best
• Averaged 8.29 points per game in 2012, an NLL record with at least four games played

Pat McCready, Forward
• 17-year career: Charlotte Cobras, Rochester Knighthawks, Buffalo Bandits, and Toronto Rock
• 3-time NLL Champion: twice with Rochester (1997 and 2012) and once with Buffalo (2008)
• 2011 NLL Defensive Player of the Year
• Retired as the third all-time in loose ball recoveries (1,593), second in penalty minutes (470), and seventh in games played (219)

Casey Powell, Forward
• 11-year career: Rochester Knighthawks, Anaheim Storm, New York Titans, Orlando Titans, Boston Blazers, and Colorado Mammoth
• 2010 NLL MVP (the only American to win this honor)
• All-time leader in points by an American in NLL history
• Selected first overall in the 1998 NLL Draft
• Retired 10th all-time with 33 playoff goals in only 13 playoff games

Regy Thorpe, Defenseman
• 15-year career: all with the Rochester Knighthawks
• 2-time NLL Champion: 1997 and 2007
• Rochester franchise leader with 193 games played, 966 loose ball recoveries, and 385 penalty minutes

Steve Toll, Defenseman
• 15-year career: Ontario Raiders, Toronto Rock, Rochester Knighthawks, San Jose Stealth, Colorado Mammoth, and Edmonton Rush
• 5-time NLL Champion: four with Toronto (1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003) and one with Rochester (2007)
• Named the first winner of the NLL Transition Player of the Year Award in 2007
• Retired in the top 10 all-time with 1,562 loose ball recoveries in the regular season and an additional 160 in the playoffs
• Played in 188 consecutive games between 2000-2011, which ranks tied for the third longest streak of all-time

Shawn Williams, Forward
• 17-year career: Ontario Raiders, Toronto Rock, Buffalo Bandits, Rochester Knighthawks, and Edmonton Rush
• 2-time NLL Champion: one with Toronto (1999) and one with Rochester (2007)
• NLL All-League First Team in 2004 and NLL Second Team honoree in 2007
• Retired as one of eight players to accumulate 1,100 career points
• Finished in the top 10 all-time in games played, goals, and assists

The Class of 2021 will represent the first additions to the NLL Hall of Fame since 2016, with the inaugural members having been inducted in 2006.

Additional details regarding the NLL Draft and other preseason announcements will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

American Cornhole League Officially Licensed Product Now Available at Academy Sports + Outdoors

The American Cornhole League (ACL), alongside Escalade Sports, is thrilled to announce its launch at Academy Sports and Outdoors, a renowned name in the retail industry. Starting on August 1, 2023, cornhole enthusiasts and players can enjoy the convenience of purchasing officially licensed ACL boards and bags directly from Academy in-store and online, further enhancing the accessibility and popularity of cornhole.

Escalade Sports and the American Cornhole League’s manufacturing partnership improves accessibility of ACL PRO, ACL COMP, and ACL REC cornhole boards and bags. The ACL is excited to collaborate with Escalade Sports to expand the reach of the league’s official products and to bring authentic, tournament-quality cornhole products to the masses. This joint effort reflects the shared dedication to the growth and success of this game and its enthusiastic community of players.

“Our league is about providing a world-class cornhole experience, whether for one of our pros competing or a fan looking for the ultimate backyard setup,” said Stacey Moore, Founder of the American Cornhole League. “That’s why we chose to partner with Escalade Sports – their commitment to manufacturing excellence means consumers can now walk into Academy and bring home officially licensed ACL equipment, without the wait. They too can play cornhole with gear identical to the pros and practice the shots they see on ESPN.“

Since launching in 2016 the ACL has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with broadcast deals with ESPN and CBS / CBS Sports. The league’s tagline “Anyone can play, anyone can win” along with its ability to be played anywhere has the league on a fast track for success. Along with the “SuperHole” series, the ACL hosts a variety of pro and amateur events. The ACL’s strong sponsor support includes year-long partners Johnsonville, Bush’s, and AllCornhole.com, along with individual event sponsor Ultra Cornhole.

To shop ACL product at Academy, visit your local store or shop online at https://www.academy.com/c/brands/acl-cornhole.

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