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You Better, You “Bettor,” You Bet

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LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas was named as host the 2020 NFL Draft. Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the decision.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (Getty Images)

The draft, which will be the 85th annual, will be held April 23-25. The Oakland Raiders are scheduled to begin play in the city in the 2020 season.

“The NFL Draft is one of the most-anticipated events of the year and we are excited to take it to Las Vegas,” Goodell said in a statement from the NFL.

“We look forward to working with the Raiders, Las Vegas officials and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to create an unforgettable week-long celebration of football for our fans, the incoming prospects and partners.”

The league announced the decision from its December meeting in Dallas, near the location of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, which becomes the 32nd venue to host the event in April.

“The Raiders are very excited for Las Vegas and are proud to help host the 2020 NFL Draft,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said.Draft-related events will take place on and around the Las Vegas Strip.

The 2018 draft was the highest-rated and most-watched in history, the league said.The first NFL draft was held in 1936 in Philadelphia and rotated among U.S. cities until makings its permanent home in New York City in 1965. In 2015, the draft began rotating among cities again, with Chicago hosting the event that year and in 2016. Philadelphia and Arlington, Texas, followed as hosts.

The 2019 NFL Draft will be held April 25-27 in Nashville, Tennessee.

–Field Level Media

The Seattle Suns?

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PHOENIX – (Wire Service Report) – The contentious battle to get Talking Stick Resort Arena renovated has led to Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver dipping into the leverage file and issuing a few threats.

In short, Sarver is telling Phoenix City Council members he will move the team to Seattle or Las Vegas if the renovation of the facility isn’t approved, according to the Arizona Republic. The Suns committed to a 40-year lease in 1992, but they can opt out in 2022.The city council was slated to vote on a $230 renovation package Wednesday, but serious backlash from the community is leading to the vote being pushed back — likely to Jan. 23.

Mayor Thelda Williams would like to host two community meetings to gain feedback before the council makes a decision. The Suns have attempted to get the city council to consider a renovation in the past, but this is the first time the council has seriously considered a proposal.

Phoenix would pay $150 million toward the renovations and the Suns would pay $80 million. The Suns would build a new practice facility and commit to playing at the downtown arena through 2037 with an option to extend through 2042. The Suns would be fined $200 million if they departed Phoenix before 2037.

Phoenix’s on-court performance hasn’t gone well. The Suns own the NBA’s worst record at 4-24 and have lost 10 straight games. Phoenix missed the playoffs in each of the past eight seasons.

–Field Level Media

Abdur-Rahim to Lead G-League

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NEW YORK – NBA Vice President of Basketball Operations and former NBA All-Star Shareef Abdur-Rahim was named President of the NBA’s minor league, the G League, today by NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum.  Abdur-Rahim will replace Malcolm Turner, who will step down Jan. 11, 2019, to become the Athletics Director at Vanderbilt University.

In his new role, Abdur-Rahim will be responsible for all aspects of the NBA G League’s business and basketball operations, including the implementation of the newly formed professional path, ongoing testing of experimental rules and league-wide expansion efforts. 

“Shareef’s unique experiences as a player, team executive and member of the NBA’s Basketball Operations department make him a fantastic fit to be the next President of the NBA G League,” said Tatum.  “He is well-prepared to build on the tremendous progress that the NBA G League has made under Malcolm, who deftly oversaw a pivotal period of expansion and transition.  We thank Malcolm for his lasting contributions to the NBA and the NBA G League and wish him the best at Vanderbilt.” 

Abdur-Rahim, who turned 42 today, previously worked five years with the Sacramento Kings, serving as an assistant general manager and assistant coach as well as spending the 2013-14 season as general manager of the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns (now known as the Stockton Kings).  Abdur-Rahim earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.

As a player, Abdur-Rahim averaged 18.1 points per game in 12 NBA seasons.  The third overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, he was named an NBA All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2001-02 season.  Abdur-Rahim earned a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Long Island Gets Its Lax

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UNIONDALE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The National Lacrosse League, a popular men’s professional indoor lacrosse league with franchises throughout North America, announced expansion plans to the Long Island (New York) market under the ownership of live events and sports media entertainment company GF Sports. The new franchise will begin play in 2019 as the indoor lacrosse league’s 13th franchise. The new club will play its home games at the newly renovated NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

NLL 2018-19 promo video (NLL/Youtube)

“We are thrilled to welcome GF Sports, New York, and the great Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island to the National Lacrosse League,” said NLL commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “As our 13th franchise, New York and the entire Metropolitan region represents our biggest market to date. Lacrosse is no stranger to this area, and we are very excited that this ownership and franchise will fuel the growth opportunity we know already exists here.

“GF Sports is another quality ownership group for the NLL and we know they will bring unrivaled excitement to one of the world’s premier sports markets. New York not only aligns perfectly with our strategic plan to grow in the US, but also brings professional lacrosse back to a region that so many fans had wished for,” added Sakiewicz.

The NLL New York team joins GF Sports’ growing portfolio of live sports and entertainment events staged in the New York metropolitan area at NYCB Live which also include the New York Open (February 9-17, 2019), a men’s professional tennis tournament, and the Longines Masters of New York (April 25-28, 2019), an equestrian showjumping event and part of the global Longines Masters Series.

 In addition to the new indoor lacrosse venture, GF Sports owns and operates live events and sports properties in other markets including the Longines Masters of Paris, Longines Masters of Hong Kong, the BB&T Atlanta Open and its Wolf Pack Ninja asset, which produces ninja events globally.

“We are proud to bring an NLL franchise to the New York Metropolitan area, a region known for producing some of the greatest lacrosse players in the country and having some of the most avid lacrosse fans. With its rich history and state-of-the-art facilities, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum will serve as the perfect home for the return of professional lacrosse to New York in 2019,” said Gary Fuhrman, Managing Partner at GF Capital and Board Member of GF Sports. “We are impressed with and excited about the direction of the NLL under the leadership of Commissioner Sakiewicz, and look forward to partnering with the eleven other like-minded ownership groups committed to developing the sport on a global scale.”

BIG EAST, MSG Extend Pact

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NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference and The Madison Square Garden announced an extension through 2028 of their agreement to hold the BIG EAST Tournament at The World’s Most Famous Arena. The agreement also ensures that the Tournament will be staged on its traditional dates at the close of college basketball’s regular season.

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 9: Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Marquee Events, left, and Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman announce an extension through 2028 of their agreement to hold the annual Big East Tournament at the Garden in New York City. (Photo by Porter Binks)

The BIG EAST and Madison Square Garden have been partners since the Tournament was first played at the iconic venue in 1983.  The BIG EAST Tournament is the longest-running postseason championship at the same location in college basketball.

“Our new agreement with Madison Square Garden means that BIG EAST schools, players and supporters will have the privilege of playing our conference tournament at the ‘Mecca of College Basketball’ without interruption for another decade,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman.   “The BIG EAST Tournament at MSG has long been synonymous with tradition, rivalries and heart-stopping moments, and we are very grateful to Jim Dolan, Andy Lustgarten and Joel Fisher for their support of one of the most enduring alliances in the sports world.”

“Madison Square Garden and the BIG EAST Conference has been the best marriage in college basketball for 36 years,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Marquee Events. “The BIG EAST Tournament has been a pillar event at The Garden and has given generations of basketball fans unforgettable memories.  We would like to thank the conference and member schools for their long-term commitment to Madison Square Garden and look forward to providing fans with exciting basketball for years to come.”

The 2019 BIG EAST Tournament will be played March 13-16.  In 2018, the BIG EAST enjoyed its highest tournament attendance levels since the league reconfigured in 2013-14, with three of the five sessions selling out.  The action on the floor typified BIG EAST Tournament play over the years, with Villanova defeating Providence 76-66 in overtime in the championship game in front of a boisterous sellout crowd.  Three weeks later, Villanova went on to win its second NCAA national title in three years.

One of college basketball’s most prestigious events, the BIG EAST Tournament has been a staple of the New York City sports scene for decades.  The BIG EAST and the Garden signed their first agreement to bring the Tournament to MSG on October 7, 1981.  St. John’s won the first BIG EAST Tournament at MSG in 1983, with Chris Mullin, the Johnnies’ current head coach, named Most Valuable Player.

Copyright 2018

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