Closing Bell

The Raiders host the Chargers on “Monday Night Football” in what could be the “biggest Raiders game in Allegiant Stadium history.” It is “estimated” that over 80% of the fans at tonight’s game “will be Raiders supporters.” It has been a “long time since that was the case.” This could be the game that the $1.9B stadium “finally establishes itself as the home-field advantage” owner Mark Davis envisioned when relocating the Raiders to Las Vegas. It has “been a long time since that was the case.” Monday night “represents a chance for the team and their fans to strengthen the Las Vegas bond.” Thanks mostly to the struggles by the club, Allegiant Stadium has “only periodically come to life as it did” for the stadium’s first game in 2021 against the Ravens and that season’s finale against the Chargers with a playoff spot on the line. The stadium has “too often” been either “taken over by opposing fans or provided just a slight advantage for the home team” (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 9/14).

LIV Golf CMO Adam Harter, who had been with the organization since May 2024, said on Monday that he had stepped down from the league. Harter said in a LinkedIn post that he was “excited to soon take on a new challenge,” while also noting he had “excitement” for LIV’s future.

Harter was hired by former CEO Greg Norman, prior to the arrival of LIV’s new leader Scott O’Neil. Among other executive moves, LIV hired Chris Heck as its new president this summer. LIV did not comment for this story.

Under Harter, LIV rolled out a new slogan in 2025, “Long LIV Golf,” following the “Golf, But Louder” phrase the league had identified with during its first few seasons.

LIV wrapped up its 2025 season last month in Michigan. To date, the league has announced 10 of 14 dates for the 2026 season.

The Red Wings today unveiled their official Centennial uniform, commemorating 100 years since the team was founded in 1926. Designed by the Red Wings and produced by Fanatics, the Centennial uniform pays tribute to the team’s Winged Wheel sweater. A commemorative Centennial patch will be worn on all regular season home and away jerseys (Red Wings). The centennial jersey will make its debut during the team’s home opener Oct. 9, when the Red Wings host another Original Six franchise, the Canadiens. The jersey will be worn for “more than a dozen home games” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 9/15).

NBA Launchpad is now accepting applications for the fifth cohort of the league’s innovation-focused program in which companies pilot their technologies for six months with NBA and WNBA properties. Results are then shared during Demo Day presentations at NBA Summer League.

This year’s process includes five of the same priority areas as last year, with three future-focused tracks seeking to impact the sport itself (Officiating, Youth Basketball, Player Health & Wellbeing) and two targeting the business (Media, Fan Connection). A sixth category last season, NBA Impact, has been paused as the league focuses on the other areas deemed more critical right now and as other programs in that area outside of Launchpad are ongoing.

The first four Launchpad cohorts have included 22 companies from eight countries, which collectively account for more than 60 deals with an NBA or W franchise and eight that have worked directly with a league property. The program seeks to steer promising technologies to develop basketball-specific products.

“The primary KPI that we’ve been thinking about is just how many of the companies that have come through have commercial deals with NBA or WNBA teams or the league,” Tom Ryan, the NBA’s SVP overseeing technology initiatives, told SBJ. “The core reason that we started Launchpad is entirely strategic. We’re not doing this for financial returns or else we would design it very differently. And it’s really just, are these companies making an impact across the NBA and the broader basketball ecosystem?”

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Venus Williams and Serena Williams are “launching a new podcast” on Wednesday, and they are starting out by interviewing each other. The show, titled “Stockton Street,” will release bi-weekly episodes and will be distributed on X, making it the 27th original show on the social media platform. The first episode was “filmed just before” the U.S. Open began at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The podcast is “named after the street the sisters grew up on in Compton, Calif.” The sisters said that they “also want to delve into other topics including health, wellness and pop culture.” They also “plan to bring on guests” (HOLLYWOOD REPOTER, 9/15).

ESPN has unveiled that its newest ESPN Original Series, “Believers: Boston Red Sox,” will premiere on Sept. 26 on the ESPN App. Directed by Gotham Chopra and Lauren Fisher, executive produced by Ben Affleck, and produced by Religion of Sports and Artists Equity, the three-part series tells the story of how, for 86 years, the Red Sox repeatedly fell short of a championship in heartbreaking and unforgettable fashion -- but Boston fans continued believing that redemption would come. The docuseries will feature appearances and commentary from Affleck, Matt Damon, Katie Nolan, Bill Burr, Donnie Wahlberg, Uzo Aduba, Sam Jay, Maria Menounos, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Neil deGrasse Tyson, along with members of the 2004 Red Sox roster including Johnny Damon, Curt Schilling, David Ortiz, Kevin Millar and Bronson Arroyo. The series follows the team’s 2004 postseason run through the lens of the franchise’s complex history and the city’s sports culture (ESPN).