Weekend Rap

An ownership group led by the family of 49ers investor Vinod Khosla has entered an agreement to acquire the Seahawks from the estate of Paul Allen. A source familiar with details of the transaction said the deal values the Seahawks at $9.6B, a record for an NFL team control transaction.

In a statement, Khosla said his family is “honored to be entrusted as the next stewards” of the team. Neeru Khosla, Vinod’s wife, will serve as the team’s control owner. Their son, Neal, is expected to have a leadership role with the franchise.

Investment bank Allen & Co. managed the sale process, while Latham & Watkins provided legal advisory to the Allen estate. The transaction remains subject to approval by NFL owners, with a vote likely to occur before the regular season begins.

Speculation was that the transaction could have been discussed at the Allen & Co. summer conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, with Seahawks Vice Chair Bert Kolde among the attendees. Kolde often handled Seahawks matters.

Read more >>>

The World Cup final four is set after England outlasted Norway 2-1 in Miami and Argentina finally pulled away from Switzerland 3-1 in K.C. It is “pretty much the dream” World Cup semifinal line-up and “almost as good as it gets.” It is a “salivating” quartet of team remaining and “also precisely the final four that FIFA wanted.” This is the first time since FIFA’s rankings began in 1992 that the top four teams have all reached the semifinals of the men’s World Cup (THE ATHLETIC, 7/12). This is the “perfect semifinal field.” A Having the U.S. or Mexico in the final four “wouldn’t have been that farfetched given their home-field advantage.” But it “wouldn’t have been nearly as strong” (YAHOO SPORTS, 7/12).

The semifinals progress was “aided by a FIFA change for the 2026 World Cup.” Spain, Argentina, France and England were “put in separate quadrants of the draw so they could not meet before the semi-finals.” FIFA described the move as “ensuring ‘competitive balance’ by establishing ‘two separate pathways to the semi-finals’” (BBC.com, 7/11).

FIFA stated there was “no evidence” a ball struck an overhead wire at Miami Stadium before England scored late in the first half of its World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday against Norway. A Norway goal kick “appeared to clip a wire over the field” shortly before England MF Jude Bellingham scored to tie the match at 1-1. By rule, if the ball “had been noticed hitting the wire, play would have stopped and a drop ball would have been utilized to determine possession.” Play “was not interrupted, and it was not known” if VAR Jerome Brisard reviewed the play (ESPN.com, 7/11).

Fox’s Rebecca Lowe prior to the start of the second half noted Norway manager Stale Solbakken was “not happy with the referee” and GK Orjan Nyland was “pointing up and saying it touched the cable on that cable camera.” Lowe: “The problem I suppose … is it’s hard to see.” Fox’s Alexi Lalas said, “The law is that law, but you have to see the law being broken in order to make a decision.” Fox’s John Strong asked, “How big of a miss is that that no one spotted that in real time?” Fox’s Mark Clattenburg: “Why does the VAR not interfere? Yes they can interfere if that contact on the ball on the camera cable is part of a reviewable incident. … It should have been picked up by the VAR” (“England-Norway,” Fox, 7/11).

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that FIFA “will examine expanding the World Cup by a further 16 nations to a 64-team tournament ahead of its next edition in 2030.” Infantino confirmed talks “would take place over the proposed format after this summer’s tournament.” Infantino, in an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin, said a 64-team tournament will be “examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup.” Infantino said expanding the World Cup to 48 teams for this edition was “100 percent a success.” A 64-team tournament would see over a quarter of FIFA’s 210 men’s international sides compete and “would risk rendering many regional qualification processes meaningless” (THE ATHLETIC, 7/12).

World Cup games continued to draw massive celebrity interest. In K.C. for the Argentina-Switzerland matchup celebrities spotted included Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and wife Brittany; “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis, who brought many of his castmates to his hometown for the K.C. Current’s “Ted Lasso Night” and the match; former Italian soccer star Roberto Baggio; along with a number of influencers, actors and musicians from South America, including Marta Fort, Maia Reficco, Marcela Tinayre, Celeste Cid, Duki, Tuli Acosta, Trueno, Sofía Jujuy, and Soledad Aquino.

In Miami for England-Norway spotted celebrities featured singer Mick Jagger; Inter Miami CF co-owner David Beckham and wife Victoria with three of their children Romeo and Harper, Cruz and his partner, Jackie Apostel; Heat F Nikola Jovic; tennis player Venus Williams and husband Andrea Preti; “Love Island” star Maya Jama; singer Ellie Goulding; Oasis singer Liam Gallagher; comedian Jack Whitehall; Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro, Inter Miami F Luis Suárez; former Inter Miami MF Blaise Matuidi; former England and Chelsea teammates Ashley Cole and John Terry, and Crown Prince of Norway Haakon who was sat next to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

UFC fighter Conor McGregor‘s hyped return after five years “ended in disappointment” on Saturday, as he suffered “what appeared to be another blown-out knee in the opening seconds of his first fight since 2021.” The official result was “victory in just 69 seconds” for Max Holloway. McGregor ultimately “exited the cage under his own power but was visibly limping” on his right side, with the broadcast “subsequently confirming he suffered a knee injury.” McGregor’s comeback bout had been a “major MMA storyline for the majority of the past five years” (YAHOO SPORTS, 7/12).

The layoff since McGregor’s last fight “did little to diminish” his box office appeal. Saturday night’s event at T-Mobile Arena drew a live gate of $26,430,566 and “broke the previous UFC record” of $21,829,245 at The Sphere in 2024. The sold-out event drew 20,078 fans and “was the highest-grossing event in the company’s history for VIP sales” (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 7/11).

UFC CEO Dana White “called out his production team” after it misidentified boxer Shakur Stevenson as Thunder G Jalen Williams on the on-screen graphic during UFC 329. The broadcast later returned to Stevenson with the correct ID. Stevenson’s signing with Zuffa Boxing was announced Thursday. White said, “I just paid Shakur Stevenson a s---load of money, and for some reason we can’t figure this celebrity s--- out. They put him up as a f---ing OKC NBA player. Are you f---ing kidding me? It’s absolutely crazy. ... We are the absolute worst to ever do the celebrity thing” (OKLAHOMAN, 7/12). In 2024, a UFC broadcast identified boxer Terence Crawford as singer Kendrick Lamar (SBJ).

Fever F Sophie Cunningham served as a ring card girl for the co-main event, with White saying that her appearance was arranged “about eight minutes before she was in the ring.” White said, “I love Sophie Cunningham. We’ve created a relationship with her. She was here tonight and when she got here, she said, ‘Oh, I want to walk around that‘” (X, 7/12). Cunningham was in Las Vegas on Saturday night ahead of the Fever’s game against the Aces on Sunday (SBJ).

Among the celebrities in attendance at UFC 329 were Oasis’ Noel Gallagher with his two sons; Mike Tyson; Tucker Carlson; Vince Vaughn; Mel Gibson; Theo Von; UFC champion Mackenzie Dern; Alex Pereia; and boxers Conor Benn and Ryan Garcia, who are expected to face off Sept. 12, pending contract issues being resolved (SBJ).

Sports radio host Dan Patrick on Friday ”tore into” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert “for cancelling her appearance on his eponymous show in what he believed was an unprofessional and disrespectful move.” Patrick was slated to interview Engelbert live on-site at the American Century Championship. However, he alluded that Engelbert did not want to “answer the ‘tough’ questions.” Patrick noted that “his people got in touch with Engelbert and she agreed to come on the show earlier this week.” But “when it came to the day of the taping, the WNBA head bailed last-minute.” Patrick said that he “caught wind Engelbert agreed instead to talk to a radio station in Kansas City where she was apparently only asked about WNBA expansion” (SI, 7/11).

Patrick said, “So yesterday after the show, we waited almost two hours for her. This was scheduled. She was going to do a meeting in her hotel room, a conference call, and then she was going to join us.” Patrick: “We thought, okay, we’re going to be able to finally ask questions about Caitlin Clark, the WNBA expansion, a lot of different things. And we waited and we waited and we waited." Word then got out that Engelbert indicated that the “WNBA staff, the PR staff, said that she is not allowed to do this.” He said, “They would prefer that she did not do this.” Patrick: “We reached out to the WNBA all morning long. Just give us a comment. Does anybody have a comment on this? Is anybody there at the office? We couldn’t get ahold of anybody … If you want to be treated as a serious league, then do these. This is what happens. These are tough questions, but this is a fair outlet for you, a fair platform. I will treat you with respect” (“The Dan Patrick Show,” 7/10).

Spurs TV play-by-play broadcaster Jacob Tobey is “no longer with the organization” following reports that he “cheated on his girlfriend with a player’s sister.” The Spurs did not respond to requests for comment. but a source confirmed that Tobey “stepped down from his role.” The Spurs hired Tobey in October 2024 after longtime play-by-play voice Bill Land retired after 21 years. It is “unclear if Tobey was fired or stepped down on his own accord.” His departure was first reported by Front Office Sports (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 7/11).

The Tempo drew 20,996 fans to Montreal’s Bell Centre on Friday’s 108-95 loss to the Wings, marking the “biggest regular-season audience in the WNBA’s 30-year history.” Tempo coach Sandy Brondello said, “It is a giant, wonderful arena and you had so many people in the stands. ... The atmosphere was fantastic. It’s great to be up here and see fans come out and support the WNBA and the [Tempo].” Friday’s game was the first of four regular-season contests the Tempo will play outside of Toronto -- they will stay in Montreal and play the Liberty on Sunday afternoon, then play games in Vancouver against the Fire on Aug. 21 and the Aces on Aug. 23 (TORONTO STAR, 7/10).

Friday night’s game broke the regular-season attendance mark of 20,711 set in D.C. on Sept. 19, 2024. The league’s two largest crowds -- both 22,076 -- came in Detroit in the 2003 and 2007 WNBA Finals. Wings coach Jose Fernandez said, “It’s really special for Canada and for the Toronto Tempo franchise. It just shows the trajectory of where the WNBA is and what the franchise in Toronto is doing for basketball fans in Canada” (AP, 7/11).

The Sharks have “purchased a downtown San Jose office building from Google” in a deal that enables the team to “keep its headquarters in the city’s urban core.” The Sharks through an affiliate “paid Google $10 million in an all-cash deal for the two-story, 22,100-square-foot building,” which is across the street from SAP Center. The deal bolsters the Sharks’ efforts to “revamp the SAP Center because it will allow the team to establish its permanent corporate headquarters in a standalone building.” By freeing up square footage inside SAP Center, the Sharks can “continue a makeover for the arena, which includes upgrades such as modernized locker rooms” (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 7/10).

The LTA has partnered with venture capital firm Redrice Ventures to make “joint investments in sport-related start-ups” as the governing body moves to “reduce its reliance on the Wimbledon Championships.” The LTA, which oversees tennis and padel sports in the U.K., says that the partnership will “give it additional funds and financial knowhow as it looks to invest in start-ups in areas including online coaching apps, smart court technology -- such as automated line calling -- and sports nutrition.” While the partnership is the first of its kind for the organization, LTA CEO Scott Lloyd “hopes to attract other institutional investors in future.” Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray is an associate partner at the firm (FINANCIAL TIMES, 7/11).

The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, sat in the royal box next to former professional tennis player Martina Navratilova at Saturday’s Wimbledon women’s final and later presented the championship trophies after the match. Also in attendance: actress Jodie Foster and wife Alexandra Hedison; actor Stanley Tucci; actress Cynthia Erivo; actor Sacha Baron Cohen; “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham; actor Jason Isaacs; actress Thandiwe Newton; “House of the Dragon” stars Olivia Cooke and Ralph Davis, writer Kater Gordon, British actresses Ellie Bamber, actress Meg Bellamy, actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw, actress Evie Templeton, actress Lashana Lynch and actress Lucy Boynton with boyfriend and guitarist Murdo Mitchell; British actor Will Poulter; “Emily in Paris” star Lily Collins and husband and director Charlie McDowell; TV personality Denise Jonas, actress Retta and actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas (DEADLINE, 7/11).