Sports & Entertainment Spotlight

Welcome back to the Spotlight and Shana Tovah to those, like me, who celebrate Rosh Hashanah—the Jewish New Year. Here’s to hoping that the year ahead will be as sweet as apples and honey. The Spotlight will be off next week as I fast in observance of Yom Kippur (the Jewish day of atonement). For those who haven’t been around me when I am hungry, consider yourself lucky. For those who have, you’re welcome and I am truly sorry. While I am at it, I might as well atone for the words that I have said (or will say while stuck in Long Island traffic due to the Ryder Cup this weekend). I am SOOOO sorry for my sarcasm. And most of all, I am sorry that I am not sorry for my corny dad jokes (some of which appear below!).

• • Actor Ben Stiller (who also observes Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) launches his own low calorie soda brand called Stiller’s. At 30 calories per serving, it is a better-for-you option that even Derek Zoolander could indulge in. It also already has a huge NFL fanbase in Pittsburgh.
  • Having portrayed the New York Yankees’ Assistant to the Traveling Secretary in his role as George Costanza (Ben Stiller’s father Jerry’s on-screen son) on Seinfeld, Jason Alexander is the face of lifestyle brand KITH’s New York Yankees collection. You might need to read this one a few times.
  • Director Christopher Nolan was elected the new president of the Directors Guild of America—which means that he’ll probably hire Cillian Murphy as a union organizer.

For inquiries and/or unabashed compliments, please feel free to contact me at josh.bloomgarden@foster.com or add me on LinkedIn.

Welcome back to the Spotlight! If you feel a chill in the air, it might be because the seasons are changing and Fall is nearly upon us. Or perhaps, it’s the free speech and expression that Americans have held dear being chilled out of fear of reprisal or getting silenced whether it be by force or coercion. If the eggshells that I am walking upon are any indication, it seems like it is the latter. Call me old fashioned, but I miss the days of when people could hold differences of opinion, have civil discourse and engage in sifting and winnowing (shoutout to my alma mater University of Wisconsin) as opposed to resorting to violence or “cancelling” someone. In any event, I fear I have probably said too much, but yet not enough—so let’s switch gears…

• • Fresh off her album release, Sabrina Carpenter is grabbing headlines with a cup giveaway and promotional “daydream” hotline with brand partner Dunkin’, and an announced October 18 host and musical guest appearance on Saturday Night Live (assuming the show is still on air).
  • Tom Brady is coming out of retirement again – sort of. The future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback is slated to compete in a Fanatics-sponsored flag football exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Chances are that he’ll lead his team to victory--as long as Eli Manning isn’t there.
  • Pop-punk singer and songwriter Avril Lavigne is launching a wine brand of the same name as her early 2000s song that put her on the map: “Complicated.” Consumers are encouraged to remember to stay well hy-drated and not to drive while intox-icated.

For inquiries and/or unabashed compliments, please feel free to contact me at josh.bloomgarden@foster.com or add me on LinkedIn.

Welcome back to the Spotlight! After the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on American soil, today’s date (September 12) has become synonymous not only with a profound paradigm shift, but also with historic levels of unity, patriotism, mutual aid, resiliency and resolve that emerged in the wake of the attacks. The sports and entertainment world did a tremendous job in the ensuing days to do their part to lift people’s spirits—whether it be through tribute songs or New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza’s go-ahead home run in the first game played after 9/11. It is amazing to think that as much as it feels like 9/11/2001 was just yesterday, the polarization, hate and violence we see on a daily basis (in no small part due to mass distortions and disinformation on social media), makes it feel as if we’re a long way off from September 12. It has been said that the best way to honor the lives lost on September 11 is to be the people we were on September 12. So, go take a break from social media (influencer/branded content deals that I have negotiated and dog photos excluded) and be kind -- hold a door for someone, let someone go ahead of you in line, talk to each other and find common ground.

• • Music duo Twenty One Pilots sues online marketplace Temu over peddling of counterfeit, knock-off merchandise—which might explain why I recently received a “Twelve Sailors” t-shirt.
  • Artificial Intelligence company Anthropic enters into a class action settlement to pay a group of book authors $1.5 billion for having pirated works to train its chatbot. That’s a lot of booty.
  • Speaking of boot-y, filmmaker Spike Lee enters an endorsement deal with Timberland to help commemorate the iconic yellow workwear boots’ 50th anniversary.

For inquiries and/or unabashed compliments, please feel free to contact me at josh.bloomgarden@foster.com or add me on LinkedIn.

Welcome back! School is back in session and so too is this Sports and Entertainment business classroom we like to call the “Spotlight.” Here, the sharpness of your pencils will be matched only by that of my wit, the sardonic humor flows free like a hallway water fountain and that rectangular, cafeteria pizza is almost as cheesy as my jokes. Heck, you might even learn something along the way. Without further ado, please take your seats and have a look at your assigned reading below.

• • Everything is coming up Travis Kelce, as the All-Pro Kansas City Chiefs Tight End scores a partnership with American Eagle, while Garage Beer, the company in which he and his brother Jason are major investors, closes a funding round valuing it at $200M (a 10x increase in just about a year’s time).  Oh, also his newly betrothed happens to be a billionaire singer-songwriter.
  • Rapper and producer Lil Jon wins third place at the 2025 Muscle Beach fitness competition in Venice, CA. In recognition of the achievement, he received a bronze medal and will henceforth be referred to as “Jon."
  • A British man named Oliver McCann (professionally known as “imoliver”) makes (AI-generated) waves in the music industry, garnering a record deal from indie label Hallwood Media for his creation of AI-generated music. Certainly not the first time someone with minimal music talent has gotten a record deal and it won’t be the last. One thing is for certain: clearing the rights to the music must be a nightmare.

For inquiries and/or unabashed compliments, please feel free to contact me at josh.bloomgarden@foster.com or add me on LinkedIn.