Sports & Entertainment Beat

Welcome back to the Spotlight! The time that you invest in reading my weekly streams of consciousness newsletter/post is very much appreciated, and I hope that the little time investment yields a sizable return in one way or another.  By the same token, in the sports world nowadays, it has become a remarkable trend to see a who’s who of athletes, entertainers and other entrepreneurs putting “some” money into and appearing on the cap tables of  upstart sports leagues or teams with a low valuation to later reap the exponential returns that far exceed that which would be expected for an investment in an incumbent sports league/team. Case in point: the millions of dollars being poured into women’s athletics, pickleball, under-the-radar soccer clubs (Wrexham AFC), and even (in the latest investment round led by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s 35 Ventures) the National Cycling League. Quite an exciting time to have capital to throw onto the fire in hopes of spinning straw into gold. And while I can’t guarantee that you’ll make money from reading this piece, I can guarantee that if you do make money from reading this piece, I may ask you for some—or at least a shoutout for an astute Rumpelstiltskin reference. So without further ado, let’s dive into what will enrich your mind, and maybe (but probably not) your bank account.

1. Super Bowl LVIII will have a slime-filled alternate telecast this year (a slime-ulcast, if you will). Viewers are encouraged to confirm that their dip is in fact guacamole.
    
2. A disturbing trend in this summer’s concert scene has been showgoers throwing objects at performers.  Bronx native Cardi B struck back, tossing her microphone at a member of the audience. The good news for Cardi was that she was cleared of wrongdoing as a battery charge against her was dropped. Even better news is that she received a 10 day minor league contract from the Yankees – they need all the help they can get.
    
3. A new bill designed to revamp the college sports landscape, by, amongst other things, creating a federal standard for name, image and likeness (NIL) was proposed by Texas Senator Ted Cruz. As compared to the other bills floating around Congress, the bill’s biggest downside is that it was proposed by Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
    
4. With a new naming rights deal struck with Mountain America Credit Union, Arizona State University’s Stadium is no longer known as “Sun Devil Stadium.” Unfortunately, that will have no effect on the temperature.