Weekend Rap

The Knicks are implementing “TSA-style screening procedures” for entry into Madison Square Garden for Monday’s NBA Finals Game 3 in anticipation of President Trump attending the game. There will also be a “strict no-bag policy.” Security officials “are working with” the U.S. Secret Service to implement the procedures. The Knicks in a statement said that these measures are being made because officials “want to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all ticket holders by sharing important security procedures that will be in place.” The team is encouraging fans to arrive to the game “at least two hours ahead” of the 8:30pm ET tipoff time (USA TODAY, 6/6). Trump was invited by Knicks owner James Dolan, and he will be the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game (AP, 6/7).

The Knicks have canceled plans for an outdoor watch party at MSG with only ticketholders being allowed into the area around the arena. Friday’s watch party for Game 2 in San Antonio drew about 7,000 fans but resulted in more than two dozen arrests and an injury to a police officer. NYPD said it had around 1,000 police officers in the area near the Garden on Friday night (YAHOO SPORTS, 6/7).

As to why the watch party was canceled, the NYPD said in a statement Sunday: “This decision was made is coordination with the Secret Service.” The police said watch parties will be held at other locations. MSG, in its own statement, said: “The White House will confirm that this is not about the President.” MSG said the permit for the event was denied by the city in “consultation with the NYPD” as the police are planning for “additional street closures around Madison Square Garden (X, 6/7).

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Ticket prices for NBA Finals Game 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden on Monday and Wednesday “continued to skyrocket” after the Knicks took a 2-0 lead against the Spurs on Friday. As of Saturday, the lowest-price resale tickets for Game 3 stood at $9,866 per seat on StubHub, $10,260 on TickPick and $10,883 on SeatGeek, all of which were in the nose-bleed sections. Prices for Game 4 started at $11,685 on TickPick with a high of $88,254 on SeatGeek. The lowest price on SeatGeek was $12,195. On StubHub, it was $12,650 (NEWSDAY, 6/6).

The Wall Street Journal went with the header, “The Wall Street mania pushing Knicks tickets to $176,000.” The cachet and status associated with the ticket mania is “giving many fans lucky and patient enough to be Knicks season-ticket holders an option between living New York glory or cashing in big. For everyone else, as one Manhattan executive put it, scrambling to see the team’s first trip to the finals since the Clinton administration “is like the f—ing ‘Hunger Games’” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/5).

Meanwhile, a NYPD police officer was “beaten and 26 people were arrested” outside MSG on Friday as “thousands of fans celebrated” the Knicks’ Game 2 victory. The officer was “repeatedly punched as she tried to stop a female fan who refused to leave.” The fan was charged with assault, resisting arrest and obstruction of government administration. An estimated 6,500 people showed up to attend the watch party outside MSG. Police “apprehended 26 people in total for a variety of offenses,” with 17 ”criminally charged” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/6).

Notable names in attendance for NBA Finals Game 2 at Frost Bank Center included Timothee Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Tracy Morgan, Spike Lee, Chris Tucker, Shane Gillis, Lance Armstrong, Fat Joe, Paulina Chavez, Jeremy Piven, Billy Baldwin, the Stokes Twins, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Allan Houston, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, George Gervin, Manu Ginobili, Robert Horry, Chris Paul, Danny Green, Sean Elliott, Bruce Bowen, Avery Johnson, Antonio Daniels, Jaren Jackson Sr., George Hill and Jeff Ayres (X, 6/5).

ATLANTA -- Cosm had a private grand opening for its third location on Friday night, as guests got to take in ABC’s Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals Game 2 on the dome and elsewhere in the three-story facility. The venue, which sits between Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena in the new Centennial Yards project, is Cosm’s biggest space yet after opening venues in L.A. and Dallas (a fourth site in Detroit is expected to open later this year, with Cleveland set for 2027). Cosm will also be among the only venues open at Centennial Yards when FIFA World Cup games begin later this week.

Capacity is around 1,200 fans for the whole building. In L.A. and Dallas, 350 seats are in the reserved dome, but Atlanta has closer to 500 (all of which were filled for the event, with a massive overflow crowd in the rest of the building).

Guests at Cosm were greeted at the entrance by a drumline and the Falcons cheerleaders. Centennial Yards President Brian McGowan and Cosm CEO Jeb Terry made speeches to the crowd, with Terry also showing a video from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. A video then was played on the dome screen highlighting the history of Atlanta area teams, and then the screen showed off what it can be like in the theater for games involving the Falcons, Georgia football and Braves, as well as highlights from NBA games, Premier League, WWE, NHL, UFC, March Madness and World Cup.

Among those in attendance was Hawks owner Tony Ressler, who is a major investor in the Centennial Yards project. Also there were Hawks CEO Steve Koonin and President of Business Operations & COO Andrew Saltzman. There also were reps from Fox Sports, which will have 40 upcoming World Cup games shown on Cosm screens.

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Florida Panthers owner Vinnie Viola now has two Triple Crown race victories to go with his two Stanley Cups as Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo again rallied from last and won the 158th Belmont Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. Viola, of St. Elias Stable, dedicated the win in the Belmont and Deterministic’s victory in the Manhattan Stakes earlier in the day to lifelong friend Dominic DiPrisco, who died days earlier from Lou Gehrig’s disease. Viola: “We grew up on the same block since we were 4 years old … I said my prayers this morning, I asked Dominic to help with the horse, in which I knew he would, and he will be deeply, deeply missed" (BLOODHORSE, 6/6).

Trainer Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to win multiple Triple Crown races. She was the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner and is the second in four years to win the Belmont. (Jena Antonucci, with Arcangelo in 2023.) DeVaux: “It’s history-making, and I’ve kind of shied away from it, but I’m really grateful that I am that person” (BALTIMORE SUN, 6/6).

The Belmont saw $116,077,378 in all-sources handle on its 14-race card. That figure was up 14% from the $101,861,883 wagered last year on 12 races. The attendance of 46,128 was only slightly below last year’s announced crowd of 46,243. The race returns to Belmont Park next year following renovations. On-track handle for the card, which included six grade 1 races, was $13,416,742, up 29% from the $10,440,740 in 2025. All-sources handle for the Belmont Stakes itself was $50,876,383, a dip of 8% from last year’s $55,456,793 (BLOODHORSE, 6/6).

Single-race betting on the Belmont of $42.5M declined 20.9% ($11.3M) compared to single-race betting last year. The number “reflected new policies in place at tracks operated by the New York Racing Association to restrict the play of computer-assisted wagering groups” (DAILY RACING FORM, 6/6).

FIFA has “u-turned on a u-turn, declaring that water bottles will be allowed at World Cup stadiums this summer” -- but the new rule does “not yet apply to venues in Mexico.” Last week, FIFA changed its policy on reusable water bottles so that they could “not be brought into” stadiums. FIFA then “received criticism on a global scale from politicians, fans groups, health experts and media.” FIFA on Friday suddenly released a video on social media in which World Cup 2026 COO Heimo Schirgi explained that “fans would, in fact, now be allowed to bring in one, soft, plastic 20oz (590ml), factory sealed disposable water bottle” into any FIFA World Cup match in the U.S. or Canada. In the U.S., the new rules would “appear to allow fans to not bring an empty bottle, but to instead bring a full, sealed bottle of water into venues” (THE ATHLETIC, 6/5).

Iran’s preparations for the World Cup have “descended into chaos amid claims they can only enter the US on the day of their actual matches while ‘integral’ members of their coaching staff have been denied visas.” Iran’s Ambassador to Mexico Abolfazl Pasandideh said that the team’s access to the U.S. “has been limited to just the day of their group games” in L.A. and Seattle, with the “expectation that they will return immediately to Mexico.” However, teams at the World Cup are “expected to travel the day before each match” to attend a press conference at the match stadium. A U.S. government statement said that “visas had been issued to all players and ‘necessary support staff,’” but Iran would “not be allowed to ‘abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences.’” Iran’s embassy in Turkey “complained of ‘politically biased interference in sport’ by denying visas to a ‘large portion of the managerial and executive staff’ and ‘technical advisers’” (London TIMES, 6/6).

Pasandideh on Saturday at a news conference in Tijuana, where Iran has relocated its training base, said that “about 15 members of the 70-person Iranian delegation had not received visas.” Baja California state officials have “outlined a plan to provide security to the team and visitors as part of a nationwide operation that had already been underway, since Mexico is one of the host countries” (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/6).

Around 2,000 hospitality workers at SoFi Stadium “overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike.” The stoppage “could occur at any time,” though union officials “made it clear that the U.S. national team’s opening World Cup match against Paraguay would be an opportune moment.” A strike at SoFi Stadium “would be an embarrassment” for L.A. as it gears up to host eight World Cup matches, the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympics. It would also be a “black eye for FIFA.” Legends Global, the company that operates concessions at the stadium, said it is “confident an agreement is within reach.” Negotiations are scheduled to resume Monday. The company said a “contingency staffing plan is in place to ensure seamless operations and no disruption to fans” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/6).

The final tuneup for the U.S. before the World Cup -- a Saturday send-off against Germany at “sunny, sold-out Soldier Field -- was part party, part pep rally but mostly one last semi-serious chance” for the U.S. team to prepare for the tournament. The 2-1 loss took place before 63,636. While Chicago did not submit a World Cup bid because of FIFA’s contract terms, fans arriving early for the match created a “World Cup-worthy atmosphere with their display of colors and sounds.” With “deep heritage in the region,” Germany enjoyed a “good swath of the sellout support.” Fifteen members of the 1994 U.S. team were honored before the game. All 26 current U.S. players were introduced. After the match, the Americans were scheduled to fly to Southern California for base camp ahea of the Group D opener against Paraguay” on Friday at SoFi Stadium (YAHOO SPORTS, 6/6).

Jon Greenberg, a Chicago-based columnist for The Athletic, wrote under the header, “World Cup fever came to Chicago for a cameo, but we’re on the outside looking in.” Greenberg: “It’s never a sound idea to hand out public money to FIFA or the Bears, but at the same time, what brings us together more than sports? … No, a World Cup wouldn’t have paid off financially for Chicago, but not everything needs to be logical” (THE ATHLETIC, 6/7).

In Chicago, Sean Hammond writes, “Regardless of the outcome, Saturday was a celebration of soccer for Chicago. And with the World Cup set to begin Thursday, it was the city’s only real chance to be a part of the action. ... Even so, Chicago gave the U.S. team the atmosphere it needed to battle with Germany” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/6).

The city of Toronto said that “only a fraction of the 2026 FIFA World Cup tickets it bought as an investment remain unsold, with the soccer gamble looking set to pay off a week before the games begin.” Fifty-two of the tickets were “put aside to run a sweepstakes,” while the city also “shelled out millions more to buy hospitality tickets to be resold as ‘a revenue generation strategy.’” A spokesperson said Saturday, “There are currently less than 70 unsold tickets of the 3,546 tickets purchased, and these are expected to sell out through the Host City Donor agreements before the tournament.” The city added that the “initial multi-million-dollar spend had been covered and Toronto would indeed generate revenue from the venture.” Officials would “not say how much money they were expecting to take in.” The total cost for six matches at BMO Field is estimated at $380M, with contributions from federal, provincial and municipal governments (GLOBALNEWS.ca, 6/5). Meanwhile, The Globe and Mail noted the differences between funding sources for the Canadian host cities and U.S. host cities.

With the World Cup set to start this week, there has been substantial coverage of how the World Cup impacts each of the participating markets. Here’s a sampling:

• Boston Globe: Homeowners are renting out their lawns for World Cup parking
• Kansas City Star: KC2026 answers more questions regarding FIFA Fan Fest in KC
• L.A. Times: How the U.S., Mexico and Canada won right to host 2026 World Cup
• Miami CBS: World Cup predicted to bring big business for South Florida hotels, Airbnbs, but prices are slashed due to lack of demand
• N.Y. Daily News: World Cup NYC 2026 transportation survival guide: What you need to know
• Philadelphia Inquirer: How to experience the World Cup in Philadelphia without a ticket — and beyond bars
• Seattle Times: FIFA’s World Cup ticket process leaves Seattle fans frustrated and confused
• S.F. Chronicle: Why 2026 World Cup feels like a disappointment for the Bay Area

President Trump believes there should be a salary cap in baseball.

MLB wants to implement a hard salary cap and floor system as part of the next CBA. The union, however, has opposed a cap for decades, and vehemently rejected the league’s initial economic proposal.

MLB is the only major North American sport without a cap.

“If you don’t have a salary cap you don’t have a sport,” Trump told reporters Friday on Air Force One. “Because they can’t help themselves. You know, in sports they can’t help themselves. They should have done it a long time ago.”

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SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said that there is “no talk of a merger with the Big Ten” to form a super league. Sankey, appearing Friday on ESPN’s “The Paul Finebaum Show,” said that there “were ‘about one dozen big buckets’ of issues the SEC needed to analyze” in the first section of the 111-page Protect College Sports Act. One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), has said that the bill would “prevent the two biggest conferences from forming a super league.” But Sankey “knocked down” that notion in the interview with Finebaum. Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti also told Yahoo Sports it is a “fabrication” (ESPN.com, 6/5).

Here are more highlights from the Sankey interview from SBJ’s Ben Portnoy:

• On the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 and the provision that would effectively allow the pooling of media rights, which the SEC and Big Ten oppose: “This 1961 [SBA] language, we were told over and over is voluntary. I need to really see that it’s voluntary to understand some components of how that would be treated under different scenarios. … The core is we want to have the independent decision making. That served us well for so many decades. We want that moving into the future.”
• Joking about the perception he and Petitti are, in essence, colluding: “The notion that somehow we’re going to merge our leagues and have some magical agreement when we’ve debated and discussed timing of the transfer portal, some of the CSC aspects, the CFP. It’s an illustration of ... the ability to have conversation, to have relationships, to have discussion and debate.”
• Alluding to the SEC’s efforts in D.C. and the idea there’s conversation behind closed doors: “When we’ve been in D.C., every time I go to Capitol Hill it’s out and it’s public and people know with whom we meet. There’s no backdoors. There’s just the kind of communication that, in this environment, dealing with the issues in front of us need to be communicated.”
• On the Smash Capital proposal that has percolated around the college sports industry: “The ideas have morphed over time. ... Someplace, I have a book that I was sent from a meeting in February. The ideas are going to change. I’ve decided that I’m going to exercise care in commenting because the edits happened rapidly.”

Sankey and Petitti made a “special trip to Capitol Hill” on Thursday to sit down with Cruz, who highlighted a key part in the bill where he and the two most powerful commissioners in college sports actually clashed.” Cruz, appearing on Punchbowl News, said, “When I sat down with Sankey and Petitti, I said: ‘Listen, you’re not going to be able to form a super league. You’re going to lose the litigation on that.’ They disagreed with me on that. I said, ‘Fine, (but) I gotta tell you, I probably have 100 votes to stop you from forming a super league.’ … And, I said, ‘Think about it this way, we are giving you legal protections to form a super league, but the price is you can’t leave everybody (else) behind’" (ON3, 6/5).

Big Ten and SEC presidents and chancellors have received invitations to participate in a Tuesday meeting with Cruz and Cantwell, according to YAHOO SPORTS. It is unclear if either group will take part without the conference commissioners (X, 6/6).

Former Tottenham Hotspur Chair Daniel Levy is “claimed to have sold” 24.99% of his stake in the Premier League club’s parent company, Enic, “without the knowledge of the club’s owners.” The claim was made by Eight Sports Capital Limited in a press release Friday. An Enic spokesperson said, “We can confirm that neither Enic nor Tottenham Hotspur are aware of any sale by Daniel Levy’s Family Trust of its minority stake in Enic.” The sale of 24.99% of his stake would leave Levy with a 4.89% shareholding in Enic. Eight Sports Capital CEO Brooklyn Earick has reportedly joined forces with Hong Kong businessman Ng Wing-fai and Taiwanese businessman Richard Tsai to submit a bid. A purchase of a 24.99% stake in Enic would fall under the 25% threshold for the Eight Sports Capital group to be subject to the Premier League’s Owners and Directors’ Test.” Levy’s stake would come with “no voting rights, place on the board or position of influence at Tottenham,” and it does “not give the holder any first refusal or preferred bidder status if the club are ever sold.” The Lewis family has “insisted Tottenham are not for sale” (London TELEGRAPH, 6/5).

Aces F Brianna Turner “balked at the idea that WNBA All-Stars should wear the ‘USA 250’ patch on their jerseys” that other leagues have adopted to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Turner, who also serves as Treasurer of the WNBPA, in a post on X wrote, “Yesss I know this was probably a financial decision at the end of the day but still. We are some of the most elite female athletes 250 years ago we would have been breeders or in the fields working all day. Be so serious rn.” The WNBA and the NWSL were “not among the sports leagues listed as agreeing to wear the patch” when the White House and Fanatics made their joint announcement in January. The WNBA in a statement said, “Nothing has been finalized at this time” (N.Y. POST, 6/7).

Four Alabama State men’s basketball players were ruled “permanently ineligible” by the NCAA for “accepting payment from gamblers to fix the outcome of a game” during the 2024-25 season. Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines and Tony Madlock allegedly “engaged in game manipulation” when Alabama State played at Southern Miss on Dec. 5, 2024. Southern Miss was a six-point favorite and won 81-64. The NCAA said that “two known bettors offered the players a total of $2,000 to throw the game.” The players “accepted and were later paid.” The two bettors were indicted in January by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on wire fraud and bribery charges related to sports contests. Knox, Hines and Madlock were Alabama State’s top three scorers for the 2024-25 season, and Fulcher was a reserve (ESPN.com, 6/5).

Mystics coach Sydney Johnson was “escorted off the court by police after he was ejected for arguing with officials” during Saturday’s 109-77 loss to the Dream at Gateway Center. Johnson got into a “protracted argument with the officials” as his assistants “tried to get him to return to the bench.” Three police officers then “came out to walk with Johnson, who at that point calmly left the court.” Johnson afterward said, “I lost my cool.” He added, “There’s nothing more than that. That’s it. Officials did what was appropriate, and that’s all I can say.” The Mystics trailed 64-43 at the time of the ejection. The 32-point loss marked the team’s worst of the season. Mystics F Kiki Iriafen, “I’ll just say, respectfully, when you come to a game, you shouldn’t have to lobby and advocate. ... Coaches coach, players play, officials officiate” (ESPN.com, 6/6).