Category Archives: Major Sports

MLB players, clubs not following the rules, season shutdown possible

When MLB restarted its season a couple of weeks ago, sports fans, as well as sportsbooks, breathed a collective sigh of relief. After all major sports were called off in March, it was time to get back into the swing of things and a return of sports means a return to a sense of normalcy. It only took a couple of days for the dreams of recovery to be shattered, however, when an unusually high number of baseball players and staffers with the Miami Marlins suddenly tested positive for COVID-19. Less than two weeks later, the number of positive results has soared to 20, but the Marlins aren’t the only team to see an outbreak, and things are getting worse. As MLB explores the reasons why, it has discovered that several teams are treating health protocols as a joke. As a result, there’s a chance that the league might shut down the season entirely, all because a handful of people couldn’t be responsible and mature enough.

In addition to the Marlins, the St. Louis Cardinals have also seen at least three positive cases following the revelation that two players were found to have COVID-19. As a result, MLB looked into where the team had been and discovered that a number of players had traveled to a casino, possibly one of those located near Busch Stadium where the team plays. There are two gambling venues within a mile of the stadium. In the case of the Marlins, the players had decided to visit a nightclub. 

As a result of the presence of the coronavirus in these two teams, as well as others, a number of MLB games have already been postponed – 17 and counting. This not only impacts the Marlins and the Cardinals, who have had to alter their schedules, but their opponents and their opponents’ opponents as the entire season schedule is upended. 

According to Steven Souza, Jr., outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, the blame is squarely on the shoulders of those who haven’t been smart enough to follow the rules. He tweeted last Friday, “Every player in this league better take a hard look at what you’re doing off the field, because what you do affects, more than just you and your team. Your decisions off the field will put all of our seasons in jeopardy this year.”

Brand value among soccer teams drops almost $900 million

Although some would prefer that it not be this way, soccer, just like other sports, is not just about the athletic side of things. Professional sports franchises exist as a business and, as such, the goal for most of them is to make money. Just like every industry, soccer revenue has declined because of the coronavirus, and all the work put into building up teams and values over the years has taken several steps backward. According to the latest Brand Financial Football Annual report, brand value among the top 50 soccer organizations has lost just under $900 million (€751 million), and more losses could be on their way. 

The past six years have seen brand values steadily climb, pleasing owners, players and shareholders. However, that trend has come to a grinding halt because of COVID-19 and teams are going to be forced to start the rebuilding process all over again. The losses are primarily the result of the loss of revenue streams tied to game broadcasts, commercial partnerships and the matches themselves. 

SBC News points out that Real Madrid, which continues to be the world’s most valuable soccer brand, is worth $1.68 billion (€1.42 billion). A substantial amount by any standards, it represents a 14% drop from its value in 2019. FC Barcelona has been able to catch up as a result, and is now only $7.11 million (€6 million) behind in terms of brand value. That gap has been closed, in part, due to the weaker soccer market and additional efforts led by Barcelona to generate additional revenue.

In England, Manchester United has seen its brand value drop by around $187.4 million (£143 million). That has led to Man U, once occupying second place on the list of most valuable soccer clubs, to relinquish its position and be relegated to third behind Barcelona. Overall, English soccer franchises still remain some of the most valuable in the world, and have six listed among the top ten – 19 among the top 50.

NBA reboot brings excitement, nail-biting wins

The NBA restarted its 2019-20 season last night after being forced, like all sports leagues, to take an extended break due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sports fans everywhere were glued to their TVs, tablets, computers or whatever device they needed to use to catch the games, and they weren’t disappointed. With the LA Lakers taking on the LA Clippers and the Utah Jazz going up against the New Orleans Pelicans, there was a lot to look forward to, and all players brought their best to give fans a show. 

As expected, all players, coaches and referees took a knee as the National Anthem was being played, with virtually everyone sporting a “Black Lives Matter” t-shirt until after the music stopped. Removing the garments and revealing their usual jerseys, as well as footwear, players had added messages, with the NBA’s approval, to continue driving home the importance of social and racial equity. Among the messages were “Equality;” and “Say her name,” the latter being a reference to Breonna Taylor, a Black emergency medical technician who was fatally shot by police in Kentucky in one of many cases that have caused substantial claims of abuse of force across the country. 

With the statement having been delivered loud and clear, it was time to get the action started. The Lakers-Clippers showdown was always going to be one of the hottest games of the reboot in the NBA Bubble in Orlando, and proved to be everything expected. While both sides were a little rusty at first, they quickly developed a solid rhythm that would force the game to go down to the wire to find a winner. In spectacular fashion, it would come down to an attempt just ahead of the final buzzer.

The lead in the game went back and forth until the very end. The Lakers were up with just under two minutes left when Clippers forward Paul George threatened the lead and narrowed the gap to 99-98. LeBron James responded with a layup, only to have George come back with a three-point shot to tie the game – 29 seconds now remained on the clock. 

UEFA Europa League preview

Winning the Europa League in any season is a special achievement, but to win it this year could be the defining moment in the history of one of the football clubs still in with a chance of lifting the trophy at the end of August. But who will that team be and who might be their hero? Let’s find some value in the latest odds, with the best prices currently available via  

The Favourites 

The four most fancied sides left in the competition hail from England, Spain and Italy. Manchester United (11/4) are the current favourites and in many ways rightly so. They have a fully fit squad packed with seasoned players like Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Harry Maguire, with an exciting, fast-paced frontline of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and  Mason Greenwood, all of whom are capable of winning games out of nothing.  

They were certainly impressive in dispatching the minnows LASK 5-0 in the first leg of their Last 16 tie:  

Patrick Mahomes isn’t the best NFL athlete, after all

Last year, coming off an incredible 2018-2019 performance, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was number four in the top 100 football players of the NFL, according to an annual list prepared by the NFL Network. Given that he led the Chiefs to its first Super Bowl victory in 50 years this year when the team beat the San Francisco 49ers, virtually everyone expected him to shoot up on the list four spots to take first place. However, NFL players, those who vote on the NFL Network’s rankings, had something else in mind and Mahomes will stay right where he is for another year. 

24-year-old Mahomes is ranked, again, as the fourth-best football player in the NFL, according to the final results of the poll. It certainly came as a surprise to many – and possibly to the Super Bowl MVP himself – and anyone who had taken the QB with a sportsbook just lost out big time. Not being listed in first place seems completely illogical, given all of Mahomes accomplishments in recent years. 

Those accomplishments paid off for the third-year Chiefs QB. In addition to all the awards and honors – NFL MVP (2018), NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2018), NFL passing touchdowns leader (2018,) Super MVP (2020) – he has received, his contract with his team was just renewed for ten years. To top it off, it was renewed two years before his current contract expires and is worth as much as $503 million, making him one of the most valuable players ever in any sport. 

Despite his long list of accomplishments, Mahomes wasn’t even the top-ranked QB on the list. He finished behind Russell Wilson, the QB for the Seattle Seahawks, at number two and Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson at number one. The number three spot went to Aaron Donald, a defensive tackle for the LA Rams. 

NBA restarts with Pelicans, Lakers Thursday favorites

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The NBA’s eight-game regular-season restart features 22 teams all playing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando during a coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Florida is in the midst of arguably the worst virus surge in the U.S.A, but so far the NBA has gotten good news in terms of positive tests among its players because in theory they are protected in their campus-like “bubble.”

The restart tips off Thursday night with two games, and expect incredibly high betting action and television ratings as NBA fans have gone four months without basketball.

The first game at 6:30 p.m. ET features the Utah Jazz at New Orleans Pelicans, who are 2.5-point favorites. While the word “at” doesn’t really work at a neutral site, it does somewhat matter because the league is going to great effort to make the home team feel like it is at home with some virtual on-site additions for each game (signage, etc.).

NBA restarts with Pelicans, Lakers Thursday favorites

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The NBA’s eight-game regular-season restart features 22 teams all playing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando during a coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Florida is in the midst of arguably the worst virus surge in the U.S.A, but so far the NBA has gotten good news in terms of positive tests among its players because in theory they are protected in their campus-like “bubble.”

The restart tips off Thursday night with two games, and expect incredibly high betting action and television ratings as NBA fans have gone four months without basketball.

The first game at 6:30 p.m. ET features the Utah Jazz at New Orleans Pelicans, who are 2.5-point favorites. While the word “at” doesn’t really work at a neutral site, it does somewhat matter because the league is going to great effort to make the home team feel like it is at home with some virtual on-site additions for each game (signage, etc.).

Georgia Soul, Crosstown Win Women’s, Men’s Elite Brackets At Inaugural 360 Hoops Invitational

Crosstown

Alexis Prince, Khadijiah Cave, Martell Buie and Demario Fountain were among the standouts as Georgia Soul (women’s) and Crosstown (men’s) claimed the Elite Bracket championships at the inaugural 360 Hoops Invitational this past week at DME Sports Academy. Competitors from across all age groups from elementary school up to top collegiate and professional standouts vied for the titles in various brackets in the unique 360 Hoops format, three-on-three play on a three-basket, three-team circular court.

In the women’s final, Prince scored a game-high 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and handed out six assists, and Cave pitched in 16 points and a game-best 10 boards as Georgia Soul defeated DMT, 54-25. The men’s final featured a strong comeback by Crosstown, which topped Top Shottas, 15-12, behind five points (one point per basket) from Blue and Fountain. Liam Davis had 10 of the squad’s 12 points and a game-high four rebounds in a losing effort for Top Shottas.

The fast-paced format meant non-stop action: the women’s contest saw 51 possessions in two 10-minute halves, and the men’s had 58 trips in 10:00.

The Women’s and Men’s Elite Bracket title games will be featured on a tape-delayed national TV broadcast with Emmy-Award winning producer Harry Cicma. Innovative camera angles and technology, including 360 VR, will be incorporated. Fans can view replays of games from the lower brackets at the 360 Hoops YouTube channel.

The format, in which three teams compete at a time on the 30-foot diameter circular court, featuring a single stanchion with three regulation baskets facing away in each direction and where players can score for their teams in any of the three baskets, produced some highlights not possible in standard basketball. Athleticism, moving without the ball and team play are paramount, readily apparent in this showcase for the nascent sport.

“We weren’t sure what to expect in our first tournament, but it exceeded everything we could have hoped for,” said Shane Brey, Co-Founder, 360 Hoops. “All of the elements of the game were on display, and we will look back at the tapes, learn which things worked well and which we can tweak to be even better. 

Georgia Soul

“We are thankful to these tremendous athletes, from the youngest kids right up to the Elite men and women for their efforts all week,” he added. “Georgia Soul and Crosstown will forever be the FIRST 360 Hoops champions, and we can’t be prouder to award them the titles, along with the other bracket winners.”

Winners of the inaugural 360 Hoops Invitational in each bracket include:

  • Elite Women’s – Georgia Soul (Alexis Prince, Aliyah Collier, Dominique Wilson, Khadijiah Cave) d. DMT (Destiny Campbell, Micah Garvin, Tiffany Hodge, Ionna McKenzie), 54-25. Third place: TC Hoopers (Brandy Montgomery, Dyane Pierre, Nene Johnson, Stephanie Ball)
  • Elite Men’s – Crosstown (Jon Thompson, Martell Buie, Demario Fountain, Eric Macintosh) d. Top Shottas (Romelo Bates, Dimitri Thompson, Liam Davis, Wilfredo Rodriguez), 15-12. Third place: Dunk Session (Raheem Watts, Dangelo Lee, Chris Watson)
  • High School Girls – National Basketball Academy/DME (Coach Jack Lutzeier, players Mariela Hooper, Isys Grady, Jhaid Westbrook) d. TNBA
  • High School Boys – Orlando Mets (Coach Edgar Santana, players Cris Santiago, Malik Moye, Dayron Horn, Waiter Ross) d. Go Riot

The event was followed by a lively and informative roundtable discussion with high-level basketball minds including Division I coaches, highlights of which will also air during the television broadcast. Featured panelists included Howard head coach Kenny Blakeney; Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey; Stetson assistant Brendan Ahearn Suhr; DME Sports Academy co-founder and owner Dan Panaggio; U.S. Army captain and former Augusta State Univ. star Ernesia Wright; Orlando Boom director of player development Mercedes Sirmons; and former Daytona State College and University of Central Florida standout Andrea Ayala. 

360 Hoops Invitational event partners include Dynasty Hoops, DME Sports Academy, Orlando Boom, and Ace League.

Basketball fans should be prepared for another bubble next season

MLB got off to a rocky start as it started the season and one team, the Miami Marlins, has already been forced to put its games on hold. The NBA and the NHL are almost ready to get their season restarts underway, and both will be operating inside a virtual bubble meant to protect players and staffers. The quickness with which the Marlins saw COVID-19 spread – at least 17 players have now tested positive in less than a week – shows how little control there is over the virus. There exists the possibility that holding sports seasons inside a bubble may extend beyond the current activity, and the executive director of the NBA is more than prepared to see the bubble make a return for the 2020-21 season. 

Michelle Roberts of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) connected with Tim Bontemps of ESPN to talk about what’s going on in the world of sports as the NBA gets ready to restart its season this week. She feels that there is a good chance the entire next season could play out inside a virtual bubble if the coronavirus isn’t conquered by this December, explaining, “If tomorrow looks like today, I don’t know how we say we can do it differently. If tomorrow looks like today, and today we all acknowledge — and this is not Michele talking, this is the league, together with the PA and our respective experts saying, ‘This is the way to do it’ — then that’s going to have to be the way to do it.”

Since the NBA reboot hasn’t started yet, it isn’t possible to say whether or not the bubble strategy works – sports fans will find out starting tomorrow when the Utah Jazz take on the New Orleans Pelicans and the LA Clippers battle it out with the LA Lakers. Give things a couple of days for test results to come back, and the sports world will know how effective the NBA’s strategy is. 

The good news is that no NBA player, since teams descended on Orlando, has tested positive for the coronavirus, which could indicate that the bubble idea is working. However, as the MLB launch showed, it doesn’t take much for a spike to be seen, despite strict health measures being implemented. Since the NBA is working only with a 22-team league for the playoffs, it has been much more manageable, and things could be completely different if the entire season and all 30 teams were to be included. 

UEFA Champions League Preview

With just days until one of the closest-fought Champions League knockout stages in recent years resumes, who are the favourites, and which outsider could come from nowhere to land a shock victory amid a global pandemic? We take a look at the clubs who might look back on the next few weeks as the most important in their club’s history.  

The Favourites  

It’s easy to see why Bayern Munich (7/2) and Manchester City (15/4) are the two favourites, with both sides looking highly likely to make the quarter-finals. The 8-times straight German Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich have signed Leroy Sane from Manchester City, but their new left wing-forward will be watching his new team-mates from the sidelines as they try to beat Chelsea in the second leg of their Last 16 tie, already 3-0 up from Stamford Bridge game.  

While Manchester City have a 2-1 lead from their away leg, it was at the Bernabeu, and Real Madrid have been in fine form to clinch the La Liga title back from their deadly rivals Barcelona. Madrid will need to win by two goals or with  three goals and up to win the tie outright, with extra-time a possibility only if Los Blancos win 2-1 on the night at The Etihad.  

DraftKings extends PGA Tour ties, prays that baseball isn’t cancelled

Sports betting operator DraftKings is deepening its ties to golf while praying to God that it doesn’t lose baseball betting for the rest of the year.

On Tuesday, DraftKings announced it was expanding its daily fantasy sports ‘content and marketing relationship’ with the PGA Tour to become an Official Betting Operator of the sports body. While the DFS partnership was an exclusive, the betting deal was cited as the ‘first’ for the Tour, so we should expect a flurry of similar announcements in the coming weeks.

The deal will allow DraftKings to use Tour trademarks in its US operations, as well as advertising access within Tour media and partner platforms. DraftKings can also use Tour content and video in its pre- and post-game betting programming.

PGA Tour senior VP of media & gaming Norb Gambuzza said his group’s original DraftKings tie-up had led to “tremendous” growth in fan engagement and the expansion of the deal was “a natural evolution” given the legal climate and the Tour’s increasing interest in snagging some of the betting bucks floating around out there.

FanDuel Sportsbook Spreads The Love As NBA Tips Off

credit: Keith Allison

Opening night of the Battle in the Bubble will feature the Lakers and Clippers facing off for a pivotal win, and FanDuel Sportsbook is giving customers a chance to get an even bigger win when a legal sports bet is placed on the game. Today, FanDuel Sportsbook, a division of FanDuel Group, will once again bring its innovative Spread the Love ™ promotion to customers to celebrate the return of the NBA on TNT.

For every 2,500 customers who bet on the Lakers in the special Spread the Love Market, FanDuel will move the spread one point in the Lakers favor. There’s no limit to how good this line can get and the line won’t stop increasing until fans stop betting, or the game tips off. New and current customers can place a bet in the special Spread the Love Market to qualify and no matter what spread the bet is placed on – every wager placed in the market will receive the final spread.

“Spread the Love is one of our signature promotions and it’s exciting to watch the line move throughout the day, especially for such an important game on the first night of NBA action returning,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “There is no limit to how good this spread can get and it doesn’t matter what line you have when you place a wager, everyone will get the final spread.”

The Lakers spread will begin the day at -4 with odds at -110. Max bet is $50. Spread the Love promotional spreads were introduced into the legal sports betting market by FanDuel in 2019. The Indianapolis Colts wound up with a +51 spread against the Saints last December and the 76ers point spread closed at +59.5 against the Bucks earlier this year.

The FanDuel Sportsbook is available for download today in iOS and Android. To track the line movement throughout the day, follow @FDSportsbook on Twitter.

Major League Wrestling and WAVE.tv Announce Strategic Rights Partnership for Social Distribution

MLW

Major League Wrestling (MLW®), the fastest growing pro wrestling league in the world, and WAVE.tv, the sports media company for today’s fan, today announced a content, distribution and sales partnership that will increase the volume of MLW coverage across WAVE.tv’s portfolio of media brands, while expanding MLW’s fan base across the world.

The agreement will include the social media distribution of MLW athlete and league content across WAVE.tv’s portfolio of media brands, with an emphasis on WAVE.tv’s combat sports media brand “HAYMAKERS.” WAVE.tv will tap highlights and archive moments from MLW to generate programming catered to its Gen Z and Millennial audience of modern sports fans. 

“Wrestling has the most active social media fan base in combat sports, so being able to expand and connect with fans in a deeper sense to share our immersive rivalries, fights and athletes with WAVE.tv is a great next step for us,” said MLW CEO and Founder Court Bauer. “MLW embraces emerging trends and tech and WAVE.tv is a perfect match for the league. We expect this partnership will encourage continued growth of our fan base while also giving WAVE.tv’s 60 million plus followers and subscribers content matched to their interests as well.”

“As the fastest growing pro-wrestling property in the world, we’re incredibly excited to partner with MLW to package and reimagine their amazing content for today’s modern sports fan across WAVE.tv’s portfolio of media brands,” said Daniel Maas, VP or Partnerships for WAVE.tv. “MLW is a welcome addition to our fast-growing Combat Sports vertical — powered by the HAYMAKERS media brand — where we’ve added over 10 new rights partners in 2020, covering boxing, MMA, wrestling and much more.” 

The comprehensive nature of this partnership will also enable WAVE.tv and MLW to work with brands to offer new sponsorship inventory within WAVE.tv’s MLW-focused programming. 

Loren Mack joins world’s most innovative, fastest growing league in PFL

The Professional Fighters League has added a globally-recognizable figure to the executive team in Loren Mack.

Mack, who has experience working with the UFC and ONE Championship, joins PFL in the role of Vice President of Corporate Communications.

“As the most innovative and fastest growing league in the world, the PFL continues to expand to a global scale,” said Peter Murray, Chief Executive Officer of PFL. “Loren Mack brings a wealth of experience and drive to the top executive management team within the PFL organization.”

Mack started his career with the UFC, developing and implementing the public relations strategy for the promotion. He was also instrumental during the UFC’s early stages in helping the company expand to what it is today by organizing marketing events and partnerships with the most recognizable media outlets in the world.

NFL players are opting out of the season over COVID-19 concerns

At the end of last week, the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) agreed to a number of rules directed toward dealing with the upcoming season and any possible fallout from the coronavirus. Among the options approved was the ability of a player to decide to sit out the season without any major ramifications, while still being eligible to receive a salary, albeit potentially only a fraction of the normal salary. So far, in just a matter of days, a number of players have gone for the deal, and more might be coming. 

According to the new rules, a player who opts out for valid medical reasons is entitled to a salary of $350,000 while still eligible for an accrued season. If a player opts out simply because he doesn’t feel comfortable playing under the COVID-19 cloud, he will only be entitled to a salary of $150,000. That salary, however, is considered an advance on their existing contract, which means it will be removed from future paychecks. 

So far, players haven’t been shy about stepping up and taking the package. Kansas City Chiefs right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was one of the first, followed by Baltimore Ravens wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas, Seattle Seahawks guard Chance Warmack and Dallas Cowboys cornerback Maurice Canady, according to a report by Forbes. Next up, New England Patriots linemen Najee Toran and Marcus Cannon followed suit. The latest player to step away, and also another Pats player, is running back Danny Vitale. 

All of those players have decided to voluntarily step away, but another has been given a pass because he’s considered a “high-risk” player. Caleb Brantley, a defensive end for the Washington football team (formerly known as the Redskins), was approved to sit out and will be able to collect the $350,000 salary. 

Six Nations rugby gets two new additions

One cannot underestimate the power of the “shirt-seller”. A shirt-seller is a soccer analogy used to describe the jerseys of players that sell well to fans. European soccer teams will target players from Asia not just for their ability, but also their commercial appeal. In the post-COVID-19 world, the Six Nations Championship are adopting that strategy and have added Japan and Fiji in an expanded Eight-Nations competition.

The proposal for the U.K. based tournament will see the teams split into two pools with England set to be grouped with Wales, Ireland and Fiji. The second group to be made up of Japan, Italy, Scotland and France.

Japan successfully hosted the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and the Japanese Blossoms have been given top tier status based on their performance at the tournament.

England has been leading the charge to revamp the Autumn schedule of the Six Nations competition in the wake of the financial implications of the pandemic across Europe. England were originally scheduled to go up against Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Tonga in November. The alternative is a new competition with Jiji and Japan tipped to be invited to the party for the first time.

Brisbane Broncos lose star to local rival

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, most sports-mad Americans have developed a fleeting interest in late-night rugby league games to get their fix of contact sport. While seeing NFL like players butt heads without helmets, you can’t underestimate the movement in the player market of late in the National Rugby League (NRL).

The Brisbane Broncos are the LA Lakers of the competition: the dynasty team that people whisper about in the halls of early nineties sporting greatness. They’ve had a roster filled with their NRL equivalents of Kobe, Magic, Shaq, Kareem and Phil Jackson like coach. It’s a team that doesn’t lose players – until now.

Edge forward David Fifita sent the NRL world into a tailspin by announcing a move to local rivals the Gold Coast Titans. It’s the equivalent of LeBron moving across the country to the Phil Jackson version of the New York Knicks. You just wouldn’t want to imagine it happening if you were a diehard Lakers fan. So, the move has been a bitter pill for the Broncos to swallow and one that will send the odds of the Titans soaring for the 2021 competition. 

The Titans have been chasing Fifita like a bad prom date over the last two years. The Titans have made the romance public and have come across as that clingy tinder date that you just have a semblance of pity for. For a relatively young 20-year-old with a bad knee injury, the Titans have bet the house to make him one of the highest-paid players in the competition. A move that has been labelled “desperate” by NRL commentator Phil Gould.

Jamal Adams heads to Seahawks as Jets look long-term

Jamal Adams was on the fence for a move for a very long time. Pundits didn’t know if he would move or not, let alone fans, or even the club themselves. 

Finally, after much speculation, Adams has indeed made the switch from New York Jets to the Seattle Seahawks. 

The Defensive Back, who has one of the best records in the division with 75 tackles in 2019, along with 6.5 sacks, made his second Pro Bowl and All-Pro first team in the last season he enjoyed with the Jets. 

Adams has been traded – pending successful completion of the requisite physical checks – for safety option Bradley McDougald, a 1st Round and 3rd Round pick in 2021 as well as a 2022 1st Round pick too. Quite a deal – for both sides. While The Jets have looked to the next season, the Seahawks are hoping that Adams can make them the NFL team to beat in 2020.

Stanley Cup odds update as NHL playoffs hit ice

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The most unique Stanley Cup playoffs in NHL history, thanks to the coronavirus, begin this weekend in the hub cities of Edmonton (hosting the Western Conference) and Toronto (Eastern Conference). They were chosen over any American cities because Canada has the virus under much better control than the United States does.

There are 31 NHL teams and 24 of them “advanced” to the playoffs; clubs had played around 70 games each before COVID-19 shut things down in March. The clubs with the top four points percentages in each conference will play a round robin against one another to determine the top four seeds in the East and West. The other eight clubs in each conference face off by seed – i.e. 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11 – in a best-of-five qualifying round.

The qualifying round series winners move on and the losers go home, but the losers also get a shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Whichever of the eight losers earns that pick will be determined August 10 in Phase 2 of the draft lottery — a “placeholder” playoff team won Phase 1. Each of the eliminated teams will have a 12.5 percent chance of winning the No. 1 pick.

UFC sponsor game for peace in unique Elite League partnership

What do you get if you bring the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) together with the Peacekeeper Elite League? Strategic partners, of course.  

Yes, one of the most surprising collaborations since Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder made Ebony and Ivory, the Chinese mobile Peacekeeper Elite League has joined forces with the mixed martial arts sport that sells seats for millions around the world with stars like Conor McGregor becoming millionaires for being prepared to fight in the ultimate way.  

The modified version of PUBG, the celebrated Battle Royale game entitled – rather ironically ‘Game for Peace’ in China, will be an odd bedfellow for the UFC brand. The Peacekeeper Elite League (PEL) hasn’t gone down the route of other strategic partnerships, either. Usually at this point, we’d let you know the immediate plans that both sides of the deal look forward t pushing through. It’s like a political coalition, except in Esports.  

In this case, however, the PEL merely states that “the two parties will carry out in-depth cooperation in multiple dimensions and innovatively inject sports genes into esports events”.