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Excel Sports Management filed a lawsuit against WME Sports and its parent company Endeavor, seeking an injunction which would prevent their former employees, MLB agents Jim Murray and Michael Stival, from taking their clients or sharing business secrets. The action, filed yesterday in New York state court, alleges that both Murray and Stival were under long-term contracts to Excel when they both quit on Aug. 31, by informing Excel partner and MLB agent Casey Close they were leaving on a Zoom call. "Murray was bound to work for Excel through December 31, 2024, and Stival was bound to work for Excel through December 31, 2023," the lawsuit states.

WME Sports announced on Monday that Murray, Stival and former Angels GM Billy Eppler had been hired to run its new MLB player representation practice division. "While competition among sports agencies for the best talent is fierce, there is a bright line rule that has been respected by every sports agency, at least until now: no agency can hire agents or other professionals who are under a contract for a term that has not yet expired (as opposed to hiring at-will employees, who are free to leave)," the lawsuit states. "Violating this bright line rule would not only be unlawful, but would throw the sports agency business into disarray, to the detriment of agencies, agents, and their player clients."

The lawsuit alleges tortious interference in the contracts of both Murray and Stival and seeks actual and punitive damages, as well as an injunction preventing Endeavor and WME Sports from:

• Employing or otherwise working with Murray and Stival in any capacity during the terms of their employment agreements with Excel; and

• Using any confidential information or business strategies obtained from Murray or Stival for any purpose.

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NASCAR is set to announce the ’22 Cup schedule today, but it gave a bit of a teaser last night when it made official that the season-opening Clash will be held at L.A. Memorial Coliseum. The formal announcement was made on FS1’s “NASCAR Race Hub.” Show co-host Adam Alexander noted the Coliseum is “one of the most iconic sporting venues ever in L.A.,” and the race will have “one of the biggest markets (as) our backdrop.” FS1’s Jamie McMurray said, “It's an amazing way to start off our season, and I love the fact that NASCAR has made a change.”

FS1 college football analysts Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart, both of whom starred for USC at the Coliseum, appeared to discuss the announcement, with Bush saying, “When you think about the amount of games, all the fun that we've had in that stadium -- I think it's so cool that they’re going to bring NASCAR in there now for the fans to be able to see.” Leinart asked, “Can we get in the pit, please?” ( “NASCAR Race Hub,” FS1, 9/14).

Sandy Alderson "absolutely" will stay on as Mets President for '22, according to a source. He "will get a second shot at shaping the baseball operations department, including running the search for a president of baseball operations, who then will decide what to do about the general manager job." Alderson’s "status was to some degree uncertain of late." For now, he is "running the Mets’ baseball department," and the Mets’ "goal is for Alderson to hire new baseball decision-makers so that he can return to his original role and duties as team president, focusing more on the business side" (NEWSDAY, 9/15). Sources said that Mets Owner Steve Cohen is "open to considering" Theo Epstein for the top baseball job (N.Y. POST, 9/15). See more in today's Daily issue.

The idea of a new ballpark for the Royals in downtown K.C. "gained the owner’s voice on Tuesday." John Sherman in a news conference said the Royals “need to start thinking about our plans for a stadium over the next five to 10 years." Left unanswered was a "specific location of a new stadium." But Sherman did provide this clue: “We need to have a positive impact in the quality of life for our citizens in Kansas City with a particular focus on those underrepresented parts of our community." Sherman indicated that he "expects taxpayers would be involved in funding" a new ballpark. The current lease at Kauffman Stadium runs through '31 (K.C. STAR, 9/15).See more in today's Daily issue.

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The U.S. Soccer Federation has "offered the respective players' unions" for the USWNT and USMNT "identical proposals" for a new CBA. In a statement, the USSF said that "this was done with the goal of aligning the men's and women's senior national teams under 'a single collective bargaining agreement (CBA) structure.'" The USSF also said that it "will not agree to a CBA with either union that doesn't 'take the important step of equalizing FIFA World Cup prize money.'" That issue "has been a sticking point with players on the USWNT." The announcement comes on the heels of an open letter from USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone in which she said that the "men's and women's national teams need to 'come together and re-think how we've done things in the past'" (ESPN.com, 9/14).

Tourism Ireland has struck a promotional and sponsorship deal with Notre Dame athletics that includes a sweepstakes for a trip for two to Ireland. The campaign will run through April '22. Tourism Ireland, which will be designated the official international travel destination of ND athletics, will activate across an array of digital and in-person platforms, as well as game-day promotions, radio and print media. The partnership launches Saturday with a game-day promotion at a Tourism Ireland booth that will be set up near the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore to enter the sweepstakes. Notre Dame Global Partnerships, a joint venture between Legends Global Partnerships and JMI Sports, brokered the deal.

The Communications Workers of America union filed a complaint with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board claiming that Overwatch and Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard has violated federal labor law. The complaint alleges a combination of coercive rules from the company, actions it has taken against employees, and statements it has made in public. The Union also alleges that the company is engaging in worker intimidation and union busting. While Activision Blizzard employees are not part of the union, the CWA said it filed the complaint because it was inspired by the bravery of current and former employees that have spoken out and that it wanted to make sure that claims are addressed.

The complaint is tied to California’s Department of Fair Employment 29-page complaint against Activision Blizzard filed in L.A. Superior Court in July. In it, the state agency listed a litany of complaints against the company uncovered from a two-year-long investigation into its labor practices, which included pay disparity, sexist treatment, sexual harassment, and a generally hostile work environment for women working at the company. Read more here.

The COVID vaccine was a key topic of conversation between Magic Johnson and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, with Johnson noting he has known Dr. Anthony Fauci for “over 30 years” because Fauci helped him when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive. Kimmel: “Were you surprised, like everybody else, when suddenly he became a well-known figure?” Johnson: “Yes, and it's crazy too, because he's only about this high. When we talk, he's looking up at me. ... You never thought that he would become the czar, the man that everybody goes to in terms of anything that happens with diseases in this country, or around the world, really.” Johnson said Fauci loves sports, and "he'd be examining me, but we're talking about the Lakers or the Knicks." Johnson: "It made it great, that 20 minutes that I was in the office, we had a great time." Johnson said following the advice of Fauci and his other doctors is "why I'm still here." Johnson: “That's why it's crazy that somebody wouldn't follow their advice” ( “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 9/14).

"Appointment to View" is a new series from the Leaders Sport Business Podcast that features conversations with rights owners, broadcasters, creators and innovators in sports media. The first episode is with Bo Han, the former Dir of Live Content at Twitter, who spent three years building out the live sports proposition at that platform, before leaving in '19 to found his new business, Buzzer, which launched in January '20 (SBJ).

The Hurricanes announced the team “is 100 per cent vaccinated” with the NHL season beginning in just under a month (TSN.ca, 9/14). Flames GM Brad Treliving also noted that his team is 100% vaccinated (SPORTSNET.ca, 9/14). Meanwhile, all Flyers players and staff members “will be vaccinated … by the time the team plays its first regular-season game” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 9/15).

ESPN has launched ESPN+ MÁS, a curated collection of streaming sports content for and about Hispanic and Latino athletes, fans and communities. The new section within ESPN+ includes more than 1,300 live events, 100 30 for 30 documentary titles and at least 1,000 hours of studio shows (ESPN).

A WADA advisory panel will review “whether cannabis should remain on its list of prohibited substances beyond 2022” (USA TODAY, 9/14).

Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl named PNC Bank the first-ever presenting sponsor of the Dodd Trophy, an FBS coaching award (Peach Bowl).

The GLOBE & MAIL writes COVID was "bad for sports, but not for the NFL." A couple of years ago, "you’d have said the NFL was hobbled." In an "era of enormous, inchoate cultural rage, the most visible entertainment business in America was too inviting a target." Everyone "lined up to take a slap at the NFL." Then the "pandemic happened." While "everyone else was shutting down in March, 2020, the NFL was gearing up." This "wasn’t a war against government or authority." Where it "ran up against policy resistance, the NFL acquiesced." But "whenever the path ahead was vacated by weaselly politicians or dithering public-health officials, the NFL rushed in to fill the space."

Also:

• Fox Sports' Joy Taylor "found her game" in Pittsburgh suburbs. 

• Why craft beer is not yet booming at the ballpark.

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was "Scientific Etymology."

“2 of the 3 men for whom armalcolite, a dark gray mineral discovered in 1969, is named.”

Last night’s edition of “Jeopardy!” featured the category “Game Stop.”

$200: “This winning declaration in a chess game is from the Arabic for ‘the king is dead.’”

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The Washington Institute's 2021 Global Sports Conference is being held virtually today with a "Unity in Sports" theme. The event begins at 9:00am ET and runs through 4:00pm. Panels today include themes on gender equity, diversity and inclusion, and looking ahead to upcoming Olympics. For more information on the event, visit www.unityinsports.org.

“Who are Buzz Aldrin , Michael Collins and/or Neil Armstrong ?”

The correct responses to the “Game Stop” category were:

$200: “What is checkmate?”

$400: “What is 10 minutes?”

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