Category Archives: Press Releases

Fantasy Guru Ryan Kramer To Draft 24 Teams In 24 Hours Tuesday To Launch 2022 Season

Ryan Kramer of the Sports Gambling Podcast Network (SGPN), America’s leading free content Fantasy Football expert, will conduct a marathon, 24-teams-in-24-hours draft live on multiple video platforms for the second consecutive year in another unprecedented offering to NFL fans gearing up for the 2022 season. 

The live stream event, “Draft Day 2.0,” is set to begin at noon PT/3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 9, from the Sports Gambling Podcast Network’s Los Angeles studio.  It will continue until noon PT/3 pm ET Wednesday and be available on You Tube at https://sg.pn/watchdraftday. 

The co-host of the prominent Sports Gambling Podcast, Kramer, broke new ground one year ago with his unique offering for Fantasy Football fanatics who can join any time within the day-long window to get his expertise and actual selections plus insights, strategy, entertainment and tips with detailed rationale. 

The initiative will also be a platform to raise money via GoFundMe for the medical bills of an SGPN friend and colleague injured earlier this year in a motorcycle accident. Darryl, 31, from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was riding home from work when he was cut off by a box truck, resulting in the loss of his right leg (above the knee) and multiple other injuries, some permanent.  The accident happened four days before he was to marry his fiancé.  The couple is now putting their lives back together and they appreciate the support of the Sports Gambling Podcast Network community and the Draft Day 2.0 fundraising efforts.  In addition to the GoFundMe opportunity, all Draft Day 2.0 merchandise profits will be directed to pay the ongoing medical expenses.  Branded apparel is available in the SGPN Merch Store and further information on Darryl’s story can be found here. 

The format will be “Best Ball Draft” on Underdog Fantasy and Kramer will be joined by multiple guests and SGPN contributors while constructing 24 separate and distinct teams over the full day span, providing viewers with the player selections that he believes will pile up points for the millions of Fantasy participants looking forward to the 2022 season. 

“Fortunately, the analytics research is done so I can focus now on news coming out of the camps to sharpen my views and deliver the well-reasoned selections that people need to get an edge in their drafting,” stated Kramer, a three-time Top 20 Fantasy Football Players Championship Main Event finisher.  “It’s a bit of an audacious undertaking, but the growing phenomenon of Fantasy Football deserves this level of commitment and our SGPN audiences always respond.” 

With over 25 years’ experience in the Fantasy Football space, Kramer has put together over 1,000 teams while overseeing 50 leagues and originating 10 more. The content will include hourly raffles and giveaways plus prop-style contests accessible in the SGPN App and live audience interaction, all free in line with the Sports Gambling Podcast Network’s wagering picks and analysis on all popular sports available at www.sportsgamblingpodcast.com.    

Kramer will be drafting full teams, consecutively, for the full 24 hours with each cycle expected to take slightly less than one hour. He will intersperse the player selections with traditional wagering commentary on the upcoming NFL season plus analytics drawn from his background as a computer engineer and the myriad skills that have enabled his elite fantasy football accomplishments. 

Viewers should expect Kramer to be bullish on Najee Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the running back position based on volume touches in a run-oriented offense led by Mitch Trubisky.  He is high on Atlanta Falcons rookie wide receiver Drake London and new Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota as affordable, point-scoring options.  Look for Kramer to stay away from aging Dallas Cowboys running back Zeke Elliott. 

“Draft Day 2.0” will also be live on SGPN’s Facebook and Twitter.  

FanDuel Names Andrew Sneyd To The Position Of Executive Vice President Of Marketing

FanDuel Group, the premier online gaming company in North America, has promoted Andrew Sneyd to Executive Vice President of Marketing.

As the Executive Vice President of Marketing at FanDuel Group, Sneyd will oversee thecore marketing functions across the company’s full portfolio of brands within sports betting, daily fantasy sports, casino, advance-deposit wagering, retail, and free-to-play. Formerly the Senior Vice President of Brand, Sneyd will now steward growth marketing, media, customer engagement, and marketing operations, in addition to brand and product marketing strategy, creative, customer insight, press relations and partnership activation. During his tenure as Senior Vice President of Brand, Sneyd has championed the marketing engine to harness creativity for impact, advancing FanDuel’s position as America’s #1 Sportsbook and extending the lead over competition.   

“Since his arrival at FanDuel, Andrew has elevated our creative efforts and continued our explosive growth,” said Mike Raffensperger, Chief Commercial Officer for FanDuel Group. “His acumen for brand marketing has separated us from the field and under his leadership, I expect that we will continue to make moments matter more for our customers.” 

Sneyd brings more than 20 years of global marketing experience, specifically in the Fortune 100 consumer packaged goods and technology sector. Prior to joining FanDuel, he served as Vice President, Brand Marketing & Strategy at Priceline. Before joining Priceline in 2017, Andrew held multiple marketing leadership roles at Anheuser Busch InBev, where he led the creation of award-winning Super Bowl creative advertising for Budweiser.

Brett Frood Named Commissioner of National Lacrosse League

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the top professional indoor lacrosse league in North America, today named Brett Frood as Commissioner. Frood joins the NLL from Stewart-Haas Racing, where he has served as President of the NASCAR team since its inception in 2008, leading all business initiatives for the championship-winning organization co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and industrialist Gene Haas. Frood, who will begin his new role on September 1, becomes just the fifth Commissioner for the NLL since its relaunch in 1997. CAA Executive Search assisted the NLL Board of Governors in the search process.

“Brett Frood has known success at every turn of his career, from playing lacrosse at a championship level at Brown to building out one of the most successful properties in sports at Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Matt Hutchings, COO and EVP at Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, owner of the NLL Champion Colorado Mammoth, speaking as Chairman of the NLL Board of Governors. “That combination is both unique and perfect to lead the National Lacrosse League in the accelerated growth period that we are currently in and will now continue and expand under his leadership.”

“I am humbled and energized to be able to work alongside a group of motivated and sophisticated owners and organizations to continue to cultivate the best product in professional sports,” Frood explained. “The NLL provides such a unique opportunity to marry my professional and personal passions and grow enterprise value amongst all its constituents.”

“We conducted a thorough search process and spent time with an extremely deep pool of candidates from multiple areas of our industry,” said Erik Baker, Board member of New York Riptide owner GF Sports and Entertainment, and Jamie Dawick, owner of the Toronto Rock, co-chairs of the search committee of the NLL Board of Governors. “Brett is everything we were looking for. He brings an amazing track record of business success, a passion and deep understanding of lacrosse and a clear vision of where we want to go as a league. He will be the perfect leader for the NLL and a welcome difference maker in taking the sport of lacrosse to the next level.”

A native of Elbridge, N.Y., Frood played lacrosse at his undergraduate alma mater, Brown University, where he was a multi-year starter, team captain, Final Four member, and two-time Ivy League Champion at Attack/Midfield for the Bears. He also led the team in scoring his senior season.

Frood joined Stewart, the championship-winning INDYCAR and NASCAR driver, 18 years ago after graduating from Harvard Business School to manage and expand all of Stewart’s business interests, including, but not limited to, Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, Tony Stewart Racing, The Tony Stewart Foundation, the introduction of Tony Stewart’s Original food line, the All-Star Circuit of Champions, and the 2021 launch of Superstar Racing Experience, a primetime racing series airing on CBS.

As President of Stewart-Haas Racing, Frood managed all aspects of the racing and commercial operations of the $100M+ enterprise that won two NASCAR Cup Series championships (2011 and 2014) and a NASCAR Xfinity Series title (2018) while totaling more than 90 victories. During his tenure at Stewart-Haas Racing, Frood led an organization with 350 employees and negotiated over $600 million in corporate partnerships. He also represented Stewart-Haas Racing on the Race Team Alliance, an organization consisting of all NASCAR Cup Series teams with the goal of promoting, marketing and expanding commercial opportunities of the teams and drivers as well as working with NASCAR in the collective growth of the industry.

Prior to business school, Frood worked in equity capital markets on Wall Street and pursued entrepreneurial interests in Europe before enrolling at Harvard Business School. During his time at business school, he was the Co-President of the Business of Sports Club and a marketing intern for the New York City Olympic Organizing Committee, which attempted to bring the 2012 Summer Olympic Games to New York, in 2003.

Brett has continued his involvement in lacrosse, where he has been a youth lacrosse coach since 2010, while also coaching the Cannon School Varsity team, the 2022 NCISAA Division I State Champion in North Carolina. He is also the Head Coach and College Recruiting Director for the Carolina Miner’s 2024 Boys Elite Team.

Frood was a 2012 Forty Under 40 honoree by The Sports Business Journal, and currently lives in Davidson, N.C., with his wife Robin, and their children, Cole, Quinn and Charlotte.

For Soccer Ventures Announces 2022 Plans for Black Star To Extend Impact in Black Soccer Communities

For Soccer Ventures (FSV), an independent media and experiences company focused on the growth and long-term development of American soccer, today announced the calendar of events for Black Star. Launched in 2021 in Detroit and Los Angeles, the program is committed to celebrating the diversity of Black soccer culture, increasing access to the sport, and providing coaching and player development pathways, on and off the field. Black Star’s successful launch in 2021 allowed the program to reach many players, coaches, and families, while providing free soccer programming. A deepened and expanded presence is needed to continue supporting Black soccer communities to drive sustainable impact on a national level. In addition to soccer programming, Black Star strives to build community through content, storytelling, experiences, and capsule collections.

Starting in July, Black Star will host on-field soccer programming and pop-up events alongside local Black-owned businesses in Washington, D.C., Detroit, Los Angeles, and Houston. This year’s soccer programs will include youth clinics, U.S. Soccer Coaching Clinics and Talent ID Workshops, an HBCU Soccer ID Camp, and elite showcase ID programs in which players will have the opportunity to be evaluated for collegiate and professional soccer opportunities. Committed to growing the game across genders, Black Star’s first event in Washington, D.C. on July 23-24, 2022 will include a Girls Elite Showcase, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX. D.C. partner organizations include: U.S. Soccer, D.C. United, the Washington Spirit, DC SCORES, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, and D.C. Cup. In addition, Black Star will focus on supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), teaming up with HBCU Soccer ID Camps in Houston to provide college soccer recruiting opportunities for players.

As part of the announcement, adidas, Paramount+, Buzzer, and Boyd Parker Sports Group’s HBCU Soccer ID Camps were revealed as official athletic apparel, media, corporate, and soccer partners, respectively.

“Black Star is grateful to have adidas, Buzzer, and Boyd Parker Sports Group’s HBCU Soccer ID Camps as partners. In addition, we are really excited to announce Paramount+ as Black Star’s partner in Washington, D.C., Houston, Detroit, and Los Angeles to help us in our important work of both growing the game and inspiring the next generation of youth and coaches in these communities.” – Patrick Rose, Director, Black Star

“We are proud to partner with Black Star as they continue the important work of promoting access and inclusion within the Black soccer community. At adidas, we believe that through sport we have the power to change lives and our Black Star partnership brings this ethos to life.” – Skate Noftsinger, Director, Sports Marketing Soccer North America at adidas

“Since day one, Buzzer, Strive and Black Star have been committed to leveling the playing field for the Black community. For Soccer Ventures’ plans for 2022 will increase access to the game of soccer on and off-the-field for HBCU students, women and youth. We are excited and proud to expand our partnership with the Black Star and know that we will continue to see great moments and long-term impact as a result.” – Dexter Mason, Head of Social Impact & DEI Strategy at Buzzer

The calendar for 2022 Black Star includes:
· Washington, D.C: July 23-24, 2022
· Detroit: September 24-25, 2022
· Los Angeles: November 12-13, 2022
· Houston: November 19-20, 2022

“The Black community has been foundational to the grassroots growth of soccer in the U.S., but until very recently, Black culture has been mostly excluded from domestic soccer culture. We’re excited to continue the work that we started in 2021 to partner with and support existing Black soccer programs through development and educational pathways, content and storytelling, and experiences that build community,” – Patrick Rose, Director, Black Star.

For registration and more information please visit www.blackstarsoccer.com and follow Black Star social media channels on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

SGPN Candidate For SBC’s Sports Media Company of Year

Sports Gambling Podcast Network (SGPN), the leading independent sports wagering analysis/prognostication content provider offering free user content, is among eight companies selected by SBC Awards 2022 as candidates for Sports Media Company of the Year. The announcement of the winner will take place Thursday as the third annual SBC Sports & Betting Conference Summit North America trade show culminates at Pier 60 in Manhattan, New York City.

SGPN’s competition in the category includes some of the most prominent and well-heeled companies in the sports media space, including American Affiliate, Better Collective, Catena North America, MediaTroopers, NBC Sports Next. Playmaker Capital, The Game Day and XLMedia. Almost all are backed by capital resources in the billions or tens of millions of dollars. By contrast, SGPN co-founders Sean Green and Ryan Kramer launched 10 years ago in Green’s one-car garage, taking advantage of new technology to push out their content inexpensively and begin building a following.

In 2017, Green won $200,000 in a DraftKings Fantasy Competition and SGPN used the money to turn the corner as a profitable, sustainable business. With the repeal of the Professional Sports and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) that following year, SGPN was well positioned to seize the moment and grow the enterprise that now includes 60 contributors and 23 different podcasts providing analysis and selections on 18 wagerable sports plus special events. SGPN is headquartered at a state-of-the-art studio in Los Angeles.

Other companies that are shortlisted in various categories at the SBC Awards North America 2022 include: Circa Resort & Casino, DraftKings, FanDuel, Penn Interactive, PointsBet, BetMGM, Resorts Digital Gaming and Rush Street Interactive. Awards will be presented in 27 categories as the highlight of the summit finale in front of 600-plus industry executives following two days of events, symposiums and networking sessions at Meadowlands Exposition Centre in Northern New Jersey.

“This is as big as it gets in our industry,” said Green, a Philadelphia-area native. “We are going up against some of the biggest brands in the space. We started with personal seed money and have continued to grow through traditional channels. Our candidacy for Sports Media Company of the Year is a testament to all the hard work everyone at SGPN has put in over the last 10 years to deliver a high-quality experience for our followers.”

“This is a great way to celebrate our 10th anniversary,” added Kramer, who hails from the North Jersey community of Scotch Plains. “We believed we could package sports wagering information in an insightful and entertaining way and it has caught on. It’s awesome to see our efforts being recognized.”

“With such strong competition among the Awards entrants, just making it on to the shortlists is a real mark of quality, so it will be fascinating to learn who our expert judges select as the big winners on the night,” said Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC.

The SBC Awards North America Awards is the culmination of a week of events at the SBC Summit North America, the biggest conference and trade show for the sports betting and iGaming industries in the US and Canada. The awards recognize the achievements of operators, affiliates and suppliers from all the major disciplines including payments, marketing, platform providers and data.

Ready® Earns Full Distribution at Walmart; Ready® Bars Set for National Launch

Ready® (@ready_nutrition), one of the fastest growing sports nutrition companies in America with co-owners Aaron Donald and Giannis Antetokounmpo, continues to rapidly expand its national distribution with the June 24th launch of its Ready® Protein Bars in over 4,400 Walmart locations nationwide.

After less than a year in approximately 25% of Walmart stores, America’s largest grocery retailer notified Ready® it had earned full distribution with its performance that includes all 50 states.

Ready® Bars can be found in Walmart’s Cereal and Snack Aisle, packaged in convenient, 5-Count Boxes. Flavors include Chocolate Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond, Vanilla Swirl and Chocolate Chip. The all-natural, Project Verified Non-GMO Bars feature 15 grams of protein and seven grams of fiber and are gluten free.

Ready® Bars aren’t the only Ready® products sold in Walmart stores. The retailer also carries the brand’s Ready® Sports Drink flavors in select stores across 20 states.

“We’re excited that our Ready® Bars resonated so quickly with Walmart shoppers and our sales performance earned the opportunity for full distribution.” said Ready® founder and CEO, Pat Cavanaugh. “We look forward to introducing our brand and bars to millions of Walmart shoppers looking for a healthier, better-for-you, science-based snack bar.”

Heritage Auctions Proudly Presents the Greatest Muhammad Ali Collection Ever to Step in the Ring

Troy Kinunen didn’t set out to assemble one of the world’s greatest Muhammad Ali collections; far from it. He was once solely a baseball fan, a former Little Leaguer who idolized Ruth, Mantle, Cobb, Gehrig. He coveted their keepsakes, their cards and signatures. But even decades ago, their treasures were out of reach, too expensive for a young man beginning his journey as a collector.

When Kinunen attended a New York sports memorabilia convention in 1988 and bought his first Ali piece – a poster from his Nov. 14, 1966, fight with Cleveland Williams at Houston’s Astrodome – he picked it up only because it was one of the few items he could afford.

“It was colorful, it was cardboard, it was kind of small, and I thought I could display it,” says Kinunen, president and CEO of MEARS Authentications. “And a kind of light bulb went on at that very moment.”

He would spend the next three decades amassing more than 1,600 items tied to the legend of Cassius Clay and Muhammad Ali. Things Ali wore and signed during (and often after) his most memorable, immortal and infamous fights –robes, gloves, trunks, even mouthpieces (including the one from The Rumble in the Jungle!) over which he uttered those infinitely quoted taunts and jeers. Every single poster, save for one, displayed in the venues in which those 61 bouts took place. Every ticket and every pass to every bout. And every photo he could find, among them some of the earliest taken of the kid from Kentucky named Cassius.

Here, too, are the seemingly impossible to obtain keepsakes Ali accrued during his sojourn from Golden Gloves great to The Greatest, among them the elaborately embroidered prayer cap gifted to him before 1975’s Thrilla in Manila and the red robe worn before his first fight with Joe Frazier in 1971.

Kinunen’s entire Ali collection is now available to the public for the first time, as this historic assemblage serves as the centerpiece of Heritage Auctions’ July 21-23 Summer Sports Catalog Auction.

“Quite simply, it is the most comprehensive Muhammad Ali collection ever to come to auction,” says Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage. “What Troy has done here is tell Ali’s life story with treasures that were present for every bout and every brag and every historic highlight in between. It’s one of the most extraordinary collections we have ever been honored to offer.”

Kinunen will be the first to admit: When he bought that first poster, he knew little about Ali outside of his appearance in ABC’s Wide World of Sports opening sequence and what he’d read in grade-school primers. But in time that flicker grew into an all-consuming flame, beginning with Kinunen’s run-ins with Ali at conventions, where he saw The Champ, slowed by age and Parkinson’s, still interact with fans just as he had decades earlier – posing for photos, sparring and shuffling with the wide-eyed and the awestruck, teasing and taunting everyone like they were Howard Cosell with a mic.

“The lightning bolt hit me, and I was fully dedicated to collecting him,” Kinunen says. “I had never seen anything like that. It was so inspirational, so special, to witness it.”

Soon after Kinunen began taking out classified ads in Louisville, Ken., seeking keepsakes Ali might have given to hometown folks who knew the young Cassius Clay. The result was a goldmine of treasures offered by old friends and acquaintances to whom Ali had given the robe off his back or the gloves off his hands.

Disc Golf Pro Tour Heads To The Metaverse With The KingDome

The Disc Golf Pro Tour today announced a new partnership with The KingDome, a groundbreaking digital arena, that will bring the tour’s last round of the LWS Open at Idlewild on July 10th to the Metaverse.

“Two of our core values are continual improvement and collaboration,” said Jeff Spring, DGPT CEO and Tour Director. “These values are essential to the growth of our media program which has expanded dramatically since the founding of the Tour in 2016. We’re thrilled to be teaming up with The KingDome to provide another access point for fans and newcomers alike to enjoy our events and experience the sport.” 

The partnership will also include future product development including customized spaces, digital wearables, and more. Tickets are now available for purchase here. 

A portion of all ticketing proceeds will be donated to Universal Play Disc Golf (Uplay), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 by disc golf professional and gifted teacher Zoe AnDyke, whose mission it is to promote health, well-being, and enhance communities through the provision of educational disc golf programs.

“A major early focus of ours was to align with innovative and compelling leagues and brands,” said KingDome CEO Alex Fleshner. “The Disc Golf Pro Tour fits perfectly in that mold and we couldn’t be more excited to have a partner that is looking to redefine the next generation of live entertainment with us.”

The KingDome is a groundbreaking digital arena in the Metaverse that will redefine in-home live sports and entertainment content. Supported by a highly engaged, tech-forward community of NFT holders, KingDome is bringing the in-stadium experience to the digital world. With stadium instances on Metaverse platforms Decentraland and Stageverse, The KingDome features a live social viewing experience, merchandise shop and sportsbook, and is developing a year-round content calendar of programming with customized experiences, partnerships, and perks associated with each event.

RealResponse Enters Professional Baseball With Major League Baseball Agreement

RealResponse, (@RealResponseHQ), the award-winning safe and secure feedback, monitoring, and anonymous reporting platform for athletic teams and organizations, today announced its expansion into professional baseball, as Major League Baseball has begun to implement the RealResponse Anonymous Texting system for reports of player, staff, or employee misconduct.

RealResponse will provide an additional platform to help MLB track and proactively respond to misconduct issues, including the use of PED’s, sports betting, domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and other potential violations of baseball’s conduct rules and policies for players, staff, and employees.

“With Major League Baseball’s implementation of our services, they expand the ability for individuals to report misconduct issues in medium that they may feel more comfortable in, while remaining safe and anonymous,” said David Chadwick, CEO and Founder of RealResponse. “It will really help augment the great work MLB has already been doing in this space and, most importantly, it can help not only identify but potentially prevent potential issues before they arise. We look forward to learning and assisting in any way we can to help MLB.”

MLB’s Department of Investigations will leverage RealResponse’s Anonymous Texting platform to receive and respond to messages with the Anonymous Texter, which will enable the individual to remain anonymous as long as they would like while they can continue to provide information and assist with investigations.

“The addition of RealResponse to our existing reporting channels will provide another option to encourage the reporting of misconduct, by ensuring that people have a variety of pathways to make a report, so they can use the method that they are most comfortable with,” said Moira Weinberg, MLB’s Senior Vice President, Investigations & Deputy General Counsel. “The platform is another safe and confidential option for people to speak up and helps us continue to take a proactive approach addressing potential misconduct issues.”

cover image: credit Pixabay

First Winner-Take-All $250,000 OBL Finals Headed to The Dollar Loan Center in Las Vegas July 15-16

Ones Basketball League (OBL) — the first-ever elite competition that celebrates the most skilled one-on-one players on the planet and created by Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady — today announced that The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada, will host the first-ever OBL Finals on Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16.

A limited number of tickets will be made available to the public for the event at https://bit.ly/OBL-LV. Friday’s event will start at 3 p.m. PDT, with the Championship Finals starting on Saturday at 8 p.m.

“Our proof-of-concept season for the OBL has played out better than we had planned, and The Dollar Loan Center is the perfect stage for us to crown our king,” said McGrady. “OBL talent is top notch, the competition is intense, and the atmosphere for our first-ever finals will be second to none with $250,000 cash on the OBL throne waiting for the winner.”
“Dreams are coming true inside the OBL and Tracy’s vision for change has been spot on,” said Jeffrey Pollack, OBL strategic advisor. “Over the last eight weeks we’ve started to demonstrate that our game has soul, our competition matters, and our events are electric. The gifted and gutsy athletes of the OBL deserve a world-class stage for our championship and that’s what we will create at The Dollar Loan Center.“

“There are few basketball legends and entrepreneurs more astute than Tracy McGrady, and we are proud to welcome his team to our new state-of-the-art arena in Henderson for the OBL’s inaugural championship,” said Kerry Bubolz, CEO of the Foley Entertainment Group, which operates The Dollar Loan Center. “In a city all about action, this promises to be the summer’s most intense event.”

The 22 qualifiers for the OBL Finals are coming to Las Vegas from Regional Championships in Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, the DMV, and Los Angeles. The field was culled from over 200 entrants, including many of the best one-on-one athletes in the world with decades of professional and elite college experience. The winner of each OBL Regional took home a $10,000 cash prize, joining the second and third place finishers plus four “wild cards” with invitations to the OBL Finals. In addition to the $250,000 cash prize, the winner in the head-to-head single elimination OBL Finals will be crowned “Ruler of the Court.”

The qualifiers are: Grant Anderson, Chicago (Chicago 3rd); George Beamon, Roslyn, N.Y. (Los Angeles 1st); Isaiah Brown, Queens, N.Y. (New York 1st); Yoshi Craig, Chicago (Chicago 2nd); Darien Davis, Coram, N.Y. (New York 3rd); Randy Gill, Los Angeles and Laurel, Md. (Los Angeles 3rd); Marcus Hall, Denver and Houston (Los Angeles 2nd); Antonio Hester, Miami (Atlanta 2nd); Terry Hosley, Baltimore (DMV, wild card); John Jordan, Houston (Houston 1st); Matt Kiatipis, Newmarket, Ontario (Houston 2nd); Kevin Kuteyi, Lanham, Md. (DMV 1st); Eugene Lawrence, Brooklyn, N.Y. (New York, wild card); Zach Radz, Troy, N.Y. (New York 2nd); Glen Rice Jr., Marietta, Ga. (Atlanta 1st); Ridge Shipley, Carrolton, Texas (Houston, wild card); Mario Smith, Kalamazoo, Mich. (Chicago 1st); Chris Staples, Saginaw, Mich (L.A., wild card); Myron Taylor, Killeen, Texas (Houston, 3rd); Tiras Wade, Tampa (Atlanta 3rd); Andrew Washington, Washington, D.C. (DMV 2nd); and Donte Wright, Jackson, S.C. (DMV 3rd).

OBL media partners include SHOWTIME Sports, SLAM Media, Playmaker, and Heart and Hustle Productions.

Follow Ones Basketball League at https://www.oblhoops.com/.

cover image: Overall OBL No. 1 Seed Isaiah Brown (#11) and NYC #2 qualifier Zach Radz

Topps, Shaq Collaborate On New Art Card Set

Call him Diesel, call him Superman, call him Dr. Shaq – but with these Topps x Shaquille O’Neal artist cards – you can call him yours! These beautiful art trading cards are a must-have for anyone who collects Shaq – created specifically by artists Chuck Styles and Naturel for this special collaboration!

In addition to the standard cards, there are artist proofs and on-card autographs of each of the six designs.

They are available through Friday, June 24, at 1 p.m. ET, after which time no more will be printed. Fans can review and purchase at https://www.topps.com/cards-collectibles/online-brands/collaborations/topps-x-shaq.html.

New Zealand’s Tucker Brothers Collide In Major League Rugby Final In New Jersey Saturday

The season-long quest for the Major League Rugby (MLR) shield culminates this weekend, as Rugby New York battles the Seattle Seawolves in the Championship Final. The winner will be decided Saturday, June 25, 2022, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

New Zealand-born Brothers Brad Tucker, who plays for Seattle, and William Tucker of Rugby New York, will collide for family bragging rights, along with the championship.

Three locals will showcase their talents for Rugby NY: Connor Buckley hails from Rockaway Beach (Queens), John Powers is a product of  Rockaway Park; and Nick Civetta from Scarsdale, NY in Westchester.

Brad Tucker

Dallen Stanford and Mike Petri will serve as commentators for the nationally-televised match on FOX at 12pm EST.

The Seawolves defeated the Houston Sabercats last Saturday to secure the Western Conference, after strong offensive showings from both sides. Meanwhile, Rugby New York upset the New England Free Jacks on Sunday in a tight match to claim the competitive Eastern Conference.

“As Major League Rugby wraps up an action-packed fifth season, we are excited to see Rugby NY and the Seattle Seawolves battle it out this weekend at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey,” said MLR Commissioner George Killebrew.

“It’s been a tough road for these players to get here. They’ve taken – and handed out – some punishment over the course of 16 games in the 18-week season. Each player on these teams proved they deserved to be here, and it will be an absolute honor to watch these elite athletes do what they love on Saturday.”

Tickets for the MLR Championship are to the public on MLR’s official website and Ticketmaster, and the S. Marcus Callowa Communit Impact Award recipient will be recognized at halftime.

Ones Basketball League Crowns L.A. Regional Champion at Pauley Pavilion, Awards $10,000 First Prize

Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA is home to more than a few basketball champions. Add one more to the historic venue’s title total as the Ones Basketball League (OBL) — the first-ever elite competition that celebrates the most skilled one-on-one players on the planet and created by Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady — crowned its sixth and final 2022 Regional Champion in front of enthusiastic crowds on Saturday and Sunday.

A total of 32 national-level basketball players squared off in spirited action, and it was George Beamon (Roslyn, N.Y.), Marcus Hall (Denver) and Randy Gill (Los Angeles) who took the top three places in a weekend filled with close contests. The trio now qualify along with the other OBL Regional winners for the first-ever OBL Finals in Las Vegas next month.

Beamon came into the day as the No. 8 seed, needing to win four games including the 8 vs. 9 play-in to win the title and the $10,000 first prize that accompanied the championship. After edging Austin Armstead (Los Angeles) in the play-in and then dispatching No. 1 seed Jalil Abdul-Bassit (Las Vegas) and fifth-seeded Chris “Everybody Hates Chris” Staples (Woodland Hills, Calif.), the Manhattan College product won the championship by taking out the sixth-seeded Hall, 10-4, burying a two-pointer to secure the win in which his five straight points after trailing 1-0 put the New Yorker ahead to stay.

“I’m just blessed with the opportunity, and so humbled to be able to showcase my talent,” said Beamon, who came in from New York to compete in the OBL Los Angeles Regional when scheduling conflicts kept from participating in the New York Regional held in Brooklyn last month. “Cali love always and shout out to my family back home in New York who always has my back.”

Hall, a University of Colorado graduate who now splits his time between homes in his native Houston and Denver, seeded sixth entering Sunday’s play, advanced to the OBL Finals with wins over No. 3 Julius Bilbrew (Inglewood, Calif.) and a thrilling 9-7 win over Gill in the semifinals.

In the third place game for the final Las Vegas spot, 44-year-old Randy “White Chocolate” Gill, originally a Laurel, Md., native who played his collegiate ball near home at Bowie State, outlasted Staples, 9-6. Gill, who won MTV’s “Who’s Got Game” reality competition in 2003, showed superior jump shooting skill and guile in advancing to Las Vegas.

“Pauley Pavilion is a storied and classic basketball venue and we are excited and honored to have showcased our amazing OBL players in such a historic location,” said McGrady. “The competition rose to championship level with incredible games all weekend.”

The Los Angeles Regional follows successful events in Houston (April 30-May 1), Atlanta (May 7-8), Chicago (May 21-22), New York (May 28-29) and the DMV (June 4-5). Now that first-ever OBL Regional competition is complete, OBL will soon announce the field for next month’s two-day OBL Finals in Las Vegas (dates and venue TBA). The winner of each of the six Regionals earned a $10,000 cash prize along with an invitation to the Finals, which will also include four “Commissioner’s Choice” wild cards for a 22-player field competing for a chance to win a $250,000 grand prize and be crowned “Ruler of the Court.”

OBL media partners include SHOWTIME Sports, SLAM Media, Playmaker, and Heart and Hustle Productions. Follow Ones Basketball League at https://www.oblhoops.com/ and on Twitter and Instagram.

Colorado Mammoth Edges Buffalo Bandits, 10-8, To Win NLL Cup

Zed Williams scored four goals, Chris Wardle added five assists and Dillon Ward recorded 55 saves in net as the visiting Colorado Mammoth took the decisive Game 3 of the National Lacrosse League Finals, 10-8, to claim the NLL Cup in front of a sellout crowd of 19,070 at KeyBank Arena and nationwide television audiences in the U.S and Canada on ESPNU, ESPN+ and TSN on Saturday night. For his efforts, Ward was named NLL Finals MVP.

With the triumph, Colorado claims its third NLL title, winning the series, two games to one; the franchise also won NLL championships in 1987 (when located in Baltimore) and 2006.

Colorado took the lead for good in the second quarter, erasing a 3-2 deficit with five goals in the period by five different scorers (Brett McIntyre, Sam Firth, Dylan Kinnear, Tyson Gibson and Anthony Joaquin) for a 7-5 halftime advantage. After Buffalo tied the game on a power play tally by Chris Cloutier for the only marker of the third period and a goal by Connor Fields in the first 30 seconds of the fourth, consecutive goals by Williams and Wardle re-established the two-goal lead for Colorado. Williams tossed in an empty-netter with 26 seconds left before Kyle Buchanan’s blast with seven ticks remaining provided the final margin.

Buffalo, the overall No. 1 seed at 14-4 during the regular season, got three goals from Buchanan and three assists from Josh Byrne. Matt Vinc made 29 saves in defeat.

With the announced sellout crowd, the overall attendance for the Finals totals a cumulative record of 42,246. The three game Finals average of 14,475 is second only to 16,393 for the 2019 Finals between Calgary and Buffalo, and surpasses the average 14,052 from the two game Finals in 2016 between Saskatchewan and Buffalo.

Colorado, which finished 10-8 in the regular season, qualified for the NLL Playoffs as the No. 3 West seed. They proceeded to win at No. 2 West Calgary in the first round, upended the top West seed San Diego, 2-1 in the best-of-three West Conference Finals, then after dropping the first game of the NLL Finals won the last two to take the crown.

The decisive third game marked the third time since 2014 that the NLL Finals have gone the distance, and the first time that two U.S. based clubs met in the Finals since 2013 (Rochester d. Washington, 11-10 in a single-game Finals).

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

Vanderbilt’s Sports & Society Initiative, Digital Sports Media Property First and Pen Announce Content Partnership

To address the need for new voices and perspectives in sports coverage, digital sports media company First and Pen and Vanderbilt’s Sports & Society Initiative announced a new content partnership that focuses on sports stories told by voices of color from the college academic community.

“I launched First and Pen to inform, inspire and connect through voices of color in sports, so I’m extremely happy and excited to partner with Vanderbilt’s Sports & Society Initiative to amplify these voices,” said First and Pen CEO & Founder, Yussuf Khan. “Sports have always been a reflection of society, so it’s important that those that are often overlooked or dismissed have a home to inform, inspire and connect through the passion, lessons, histories and stories sports creates.”

Due to the synergy of the mission and goals of the two organizations, the partnership materialized easily and quickly.

“We are proud to support this effort to elevate voices of color and to further support the idea that sports is a vital area of scholarship,” said Andrew Maraniss, special projects coordinator at Vanderbilt Athletics and manager of the Sports & Society Initiative. “The world of sports provides a fascinating lens to view the most pressing matters in our society.”

The two parties will explore the intersections of race, gender, history, community, global affairs and sports through original editorial content and will expand to include video and audio content in the future.

All content will appear on First and Pen (www.firstandpen.com) and will be shared across social media. Vanderbilt Sports & Society Initiative (Twitter: @SportsSocietyVU) and First and Pen (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @Firstandpen).

FanDuel Introduces New TV Commercial with PGA TOUR Talent

FanDuel Group, the premier sports gaming destination in the United States, announced today a new television commercial, featuring golfers Abraham Ancer, Will Zalatoris, Harold Varner III, and current FanDuel PGA TOUR partner, Jordan Spieth. The spot will launch during this week’s U.S Open and air through February 2023.

The spot highlights FanDuel’s continued growth with the PGA TOUR relationship, leaning into FanDuel’s commitment to talent. In addition to appearing in FanDuel’s new commercial, Spieth, Ancer, Zalatoris and Varner III will partner with FanDuel on social media support, which will include odds boosts and content surrounding FanDuel Free-to-Play initiatives. As part of the partnership, FanDuel will also have access to the players’ names and likenesses.

“Golf continues to be one of the fastest-growing sports on our platform and, as we greatly value our partnership with the PGA TOUR, we are excited to grow our PGA TOUR program,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “Jordan has already been a fantastic partner and we look forward to expanding our golf ambassador roster with the addition of Abe Ancer, Will Zalatoris, and Harold Varner III.”

To celebrate the U.S. Open this week, new sportsbook customers can bet $5 and receive $200 in free bets. The offer ends June 21 and is available in all legal sports betting states where FanDuel Sportsbook operates. *

In December 2021, FanDuel and The PGA TOUR announced a three-year extension through 2024 to their content and marketing relationship designating FanDuel as an Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR. In August 2021, FanDuel announced an exclusive, multi-year partnership with Jordan Spieth making FanDuel the exclusive sports betting and daily fantasy provider of Spieth. Lastly, in January 2021, FanDuel announced it will begin providing real-time highlights of PGA TOUR golf events to FanDuel Sportsbook app users.

Entain plc Acquisition of BetCity, one of the Netherlands’ leading online sports betting and gaming operators

Entain plc (LSE: ENT), the leading global sports betting, gaming and interactive entertainment group (“Entain” or the “Group”), today announces that it has agreed to acquire the entire share capital of BetEnt B.V., which trades under the BetCity.nl name (“BetCity” or the “Company”), from Sports Entertainment Media B.V. for an initial consideration of €300m (approximately £257m1) and deferred contingent consideration of up to €550m (approximately £472m1).

BetCity is one of the Netherlands’ leading online sports betting and gaming operators. Headquartered in Amsterdam, BetCity received an online sports betting and gaming licence from the KSA (Kansspelautoriteit), the Dutch Gaming and Gambling Authority, in October 2021.

The newly regulated Netherlands online market is highly attractive and fast-growing across both sports betting and gaming.  Since its licensing in October 2021, BetCity has delivered rapid growth, establishing a leading position with approximately 20%2 market share during the fourth quarter of 2021.  This acquisition will create a strong market operator with significant growth opportunities, in line with the Group’s strategy.

BetCity’s offering is highly complementary to Entain’s bwin and Party brands which are awaiting approval for a licence to operate in the Netherlands – now expected during the latter part of this year as the KSA has recently requested additional documentation as part of the ongoing application process.  The combination of BetCity’s local expertise, strong brand and large diverse user-base, with Entain’s global scale and market-leading platform will provide customers with a broader offering of engaging products, fresh content and new experiences.

Melvin Bostelaar, BetCity’s CEO, along with other key members of the leadership team, will remain with the Company.
Consideration structure:
•       Initial consideration of €300m (approximately £257m1) is payable in cash at completion, with a balancing payment to be paid in early 2023 based on the actual performance of BetCity in the financial year 2022;
•       A further contingent payment will be paid in early 2024, based on 10x BetCity’s EBITDA for the financial year 2023, less amounts already paid out;
•       In addition, a final contingent payment of €50m (approximately £43m1) will be paid on delivery of synergies and successful migration to the Entain Platform;

The total consideration payable on current expectations is €450m (approximately £386m1).  However, dependent on the performance of BetCity, the maximum consideration is capped at €850m (approximately £729m1).  The combination is expected to deliver approximately €28m (approximately £24m1) of cost synergies, predominantly from technology, content and royalty benefits, by the end of 2026.

The initial consideration will be funded from existing cash resources and drawings on the Group’s revolving credit facility.

The acquisition is expected to complete during H2 2022.

Jette Nygaard-Andersen, CEO of Entain, comments:
“We are delighted that BetCity is joining Entain and are excited by the significant opportunities in the newly regulated Dutch market.  This acquisition will provide customers with an even better experience as we combine BetCity’s local expertise and brand alongside Entain’s market leading, customer focused platform.  This transaction further underpins our growth strategy of operating in attractive regulated markets. We look forward to working with Melvin and the BetCity team.”

Melvin Bostelaar, CEO of BetCity, comments:
“We are happy to be joining forces with a world-class group in Entain. Together we will be well-placed to maintain a strong market position in the Dutch market for the coming years. Entain’s market leading platform, technology, established brands and global scale provides a fantastic opportunity to expand and enrich our customer offering. Both BetCity and Entain position the customer at the heart of everything we do, with Entain’s core values and philosophy in responsible gaming, compliance and company-culture seamlessly aligning with those of BetCity. We look forward to a bright future together.”

RealResponse Adds US Equestrian As Strategic Partner

RealResponse, (@RealResponseHQ), the award-winning safe and secure feedback, monitoring and anonymous reporting platform for athletic teams and organizations, today announced a strategic partnership with US Equestrian, further expanding its reach across the Olympic and Paralympic sport landscape. The program will roll out next month, and will initially be available for all US Equestrian members to anonymously and quickly report any issues regarding violations of the USEF SafeSport Policy, including the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies

“We are proud to add US Equestrian as a new partner. The opportunity to fully leverage the versatility of the RealResponse platform in serving the unique needs of USEF is something we wholeheartedly embrace. US Equestrian made it clear that they want to remove as many barriers as possible to reporting concerns and we believe this platform will achieve that. Providing their athletes and members a voice to bring forward any concern safely and with anonymity is our privilege.,” said David Chadwick, Founder and CEO of RealResponse. “Tailoring our service to meet the individual needs of each organization we partner with allows RealResponse to deliver maximum value and impact to our partners.”

“Athlete safety is of paramount importance to USEF. Our staff is dedicated to this effort and our biggest priority is making sure our members know we have a safe, secure, and quick way to be made aware of any issues that arise, and RealResponse gives us this much needed added value,” said Bill Moroney, USEF Chief Executive Officer. “By taking this step, we want to make sure that issues and concerns at any level are reported and dealt with efficiently and professionally, and that the integrity of our organization and our sport remains intact..”

This new platform will provide members with the opportunity to report concerns to USEF about emotional and physical abuse as well as violations of the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies via text message while maintaining anonymity. Members are still welcome to report concerns by emailing [email protected] or by directly contacting a member of the Athlete Protection Team. For details on how to report misconduct go here.

U.S. Open Championship Audio Coverage, Exclusively on SiriusXM

SiriusXM announced today its extensive programming coverage for the 122nd U.S. Open Championship, which will be played June 16th-19th at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.  SiriusXM is the exclusive national radio broadcaster of the U.S. Open.

SiriusXM’s extensive production will provide listeners with more than 40 hours of live shot-by-shot coverage from the course across all four rounds of play.  On Thursday and Friday, with the full field on the course, SiriusXM’s coverage will extend from the day’s first tee time at 6:45 am ET through the end of play.  On the weekend, SiriusXM’s on-course coverage will begin at 10 am ET on Saturday and Sunday and run through the completion of play both days.  If a playoff occurs, SiriusXM will provide live coverage of every shot played. 

SiriusXM’s U.S. Open Championship broadcast team will feature play-by-play voice Brian Katrek and lead analyst Mark Carnevale.  Fred Albers, Carl Paulson, Dennis Paulson, John Maginnes and Andres Gonzales, who is new to the SiriusXM team, will be on-course reporters, following key playing groups.  Chantel McCabe, Jason Sobel and Taylor Zarzour will serve as hosts, provide leaderboard updates and conduct interviews with players.  Swing coach Jim McLean will provide reports from the range as players warm up for their rounds.

On Thursday and Friday, The Starter with Taylor Zarzour, Michael Breed and Greg DuCharme will be on live in the morning to provide coverage as the earliest groups tee off. 

Immediately following each round, listeners will hear a three-hour wrap-up of the day’s play, hosted by Drew Stoltz and Gary Williams.  Three-time U.S. Open Champion Hale Irwin will co-host the show after Sunday’s round.  The show will also feature hour-long appearances by major championship winners Juli Inkster, Scott Simpson, Craig Stadler and Dave Stockton.

PGA Tour players Jason Kokrak and Harold Varner III, both top-40 players who will be competing in this U.S. Open, will host new episodes of their SiriusXM shows.  Crushing It with Kokrak will air tonight at 7 pm ET, immediately followed by The HV3 Show at 8 pm ET.

World Golf Hall of Fame member Fred Couples, who competed in 23 U.S. Open Championships, will host a new episode of The Fred Couples Show on Tuesday at 8 pm ET. 

The U.S. Open Championship, conducted by the USGA, is the ultimate test of golf for the best players in the world.  Played on America’s greatest courses, the U.S. Open annually provides thousands of golfers of all backgrounds the opportunity to qualify through a rigorous two-stage process.

In the days leading up to its U.S. Open coverage, and every week throughout the year, SiriusXM’s weekday golf programming lineup features live shows starting at 7am ET that offer news, analysis, expert instruction and more.  For more go to SiriusXM.com/golfonsxm.

U.S. Open programming on SiriusXM will air nationwide on channel 92 on SiriusXM radios.  Subscribers can also listen with the SXM App (siriusxm.us/SXMPGATourRadio), and with Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant or however they stream at home.  Streaming access is included with SiriusXM’s audio trials and most popular plans.

SiriusXM’s U.S. Open broadcast rights come through its agreement with the United States Golf Association and NBCUniversal, the principal domestic media partner of the USGA.

Las Vegas Desert Dogs to Select 14 Players In Expansion Draft July 7

As the club prepares for its inaugural NLL season, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs will take the first major step in building their roster via the league’s Expansion Draft. General Manager and Head Coach Shawn Williams will oversee the team’s 14 selections from among the available players not protected by the other 14 NLL teams. The Desert Dogs’ selections will be announced July 7.

The league’s 14 other franchises must submit their respective lists of protected players by Thursday, June 23 by 12pm ET. No team can lose more than one player via the Expansion Draft.

“The Expansion Draft will not only help in stocking the Las Vegas Desert Dogs with exciting, talented players from among the deep reserves of the best lacrosse stars in the world, but it will also serve as a further introduction of the new, vibrant franchise to the lacrosse community,” said Brian Lemon, NLL Executive VP, Lacrosse Operations. “We know from the experience of last year’s Panther City Lacrosse Club Expansion Draft that there are many outstanding players in the NLL that a team can quickly become a contender through these selections even in its first year.”

Additional ways for Las Vegas to build its roster prior to its inaugural game this fall include, signing free agents starting on August 1st, the NLL Entry Draft, and player trades with other teams.

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

About the National Lacrosse League

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

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