Weekend Rap

The U.S. beat Australia 2-0 in Seattle on Friday, clinching a spot in the knockout round of the World Cup after two matches for the first time. Those first two matches have “felt and looked different,” with results that have “never been seen from the Americans. Dominant. Swarming. Aggressive. And Impressive.” The U.S. has won at the World Cup before, “but not like this.” Not with “this level of control and dominance.” Maybe the U.S. getting to the round of 16 and another trip through Seattle “isn’t far-fetched.” That “should be the expectation at this point.” Paraguay’s win over Turkey on Friday knocked Turkey from the tournament and made the U.S.’s group stage finale against Turkey next Thursday in L.A. “meaningless” (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/19).

Almost 67,000 soccer fans “shook Seattle Stadium with electrifying screams claps and jumps” during U.S.-Australia, and they were “strong enough to trigger seismic activity readings” (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/20). In Seattle, Mike Vorel wrote on a world stage, the city “transcended.” It “met the moment.” It put its “best foot forward,” same as the USMNT. USMNT coach Mauricio Pochetttino, a native of Argentina, said, “I think it was amazing. The fans were amazing. The warm reception and the way they support us … they make it feel very emotional. (The players) are very emotional too.” Vorel: “This is sports city. A soccer city. An American soccer city. A nationally underappreciated, misperceived, persevering diamond in the Pacific Northwest, at its best” (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/19).

Meanwhile, Fox issued a preliminary viewership figure from Friday and noted 14,781,000 viewers for U.S.-Australia. A final number is expected Monday (Fox).

The U.S. is set to play a third-place team from either Group B, E, F, I or J on July 1 in Santa Clara. Should the Americans win that match, they would then come back to Seattle on July 6 for a match in the round of 16 and a chance to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002 (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/19). The cheapest single ticket for the USMNT’s round-of-32 match as of Saturday afternoon cost $3,312 on TickPick for a seat in Section 401 and Row 28, “aka the very last row at the top level of the venue.” The floor for the ticket prices on StubHub is $3,736 and SeatGeek at $3,425 was comparable. For fans looking to buy directly from FIFA’s resale marketplace, the cheapest ticket was $4,485 in Category 4 (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/20).

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The USMNT’s game against Australia on Friday drew a wide range of notable names to Seattle Stadium. The official U.S. delegation consisted of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Energy Secretary Chris Wright and White House FIFA World Cup Task Force leader Andrew Giuliani. MLS Commissioner Don Garber was in attendance. Among celebrities, Ciara took part in the coin toss and attended the game with husband and new NFL Today co-host Russell Wilson; USWNT star Trinity Rodman brought out the match ball; former NFLer Marshawn Lynch served as a sideline photographer and watched part of the game from a suite with former Seahawks teammate Cliff Avril; Paris Hilton returned for the second game; the NBA was represented by two Seattle natives: Sacramento Kings G Zach LaVine and Orlando Magic F Paolo Banchero; former U.S. Soccer stars Alex Morgan and Kasey Keller and two-time World Cup winner Jill Ellis shared a suite (SBJ).

Among those rooting on the Aussies: Golf legend Greg Norman, celebrity chef Curtis Stone, Australia’s ambassador to the U.S. Greg Moriarty with embassy communications director Ian Gerard, former Football Australia boss and now Venues NSW chairman David Gallop, Tasmanian Labor MP Dean Winter, AFL media guru Craig Hutchison hanging out with Hawthorn premiership winner Campbell Brown. Among politicians, Bennelong’s Jerome Laxale was “the most senior MP in attendance,” along with health spokeswoman Anne Ruston and former sports minister Richard Colbeck (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/19).

There have been a few reports about the chemistry in Fox’s studio booth and the role of Alexi Lalas, and when Fox’s “World Cup Today” studio show came on in advance of U.S.-Australia on Friday, host Rebecca Lowe was joined on set by analysts Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović, but Lalas was not there. To address his absence in the studio on air, Lowe said, “Chaps, Alexi left us.” She added, “Alexi will be back. Alexi will be back.” Henry said smiling, “Your plan worked.” Lowe replied, “Don’t you bring me into this. No chance.” Ibrahimović chimed in and said, “America, you’re welcome.” Lalas still was “part of the broadcast,” on site at the match in Seattle. No specifics were offered on if or when Lalas might return to the studio show. But in Boston, Chad Finn wrote it is “certainly not necessary,” as Fox does “not need Lalas.” The players they have in the studio have “far greater credentials and are better companions for viewers.” Henry is a “genuinely outstanding analyst who chooses the candid truth over placating egos.” Henry and Ibrahimović have been “annoyed with Lalas’s hot takes, how he basks in agitating people, and his delight in sucking the air out of the room” (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/20).

The cost to see Belgium-Iran at L.A. Stadium on Sunday has risen nearly 200% since the start of the World Cup, according to TicketData.com. Even just in the last 7 days, the get-in price for the match is up 92%, sitting at $1042. Other matches on Sunday have seen price bumps since the tournament start. Spain-Saudi Arabia in Atlanta sits at $1,254, the highest get-in price for Sunday’s matches and a 71% increase since the World Cup began. Uruguay-Cabo Verde at $568 and New Zealand-Egypt at $516 are both big increases from tournament start, but in the last three days are down 16% and 12% respectively. SBJ has partnered with TicketData.com to track get-in prices and trends for upcoming games. For additional information on games, visit the World Cup page at TicketData.com.

While there have “been concerns” at some World Cup venues around empty seats, that has “not been the case through two matches” at K.C. Stadium. The stadium was full Tuesday night for Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria, and the “same was true Saturday” for Ecuador-Curacao. After a “rough start” to K.C.’s World Cup games from a “traffic perspective, things were considerably better on Saturday.” There were “no horror stories from fans who had to abandon their vehicles and walk to the game -- as was the case for the Argentina-Algeria match” (K.C. STAR, 6/20).

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said the strict limitations place on the team by the U.S. government during the World Cup “shows we are an oppressed country.” Ghalenoei said that the team arrived in L.A. “less than 18 hours before its game against Belgium” on Sunday, a “shorter time even than before the first game.” Ghalenoei said that he has “been told Iran can travel to its final group-stage game earlier.” Without saying it specifically, it was “clear Ghalenoei was blaming the U.S. government for his team’s troubles.” He praised FIFA president Gianni Infantino, saying that FIFA had “done its ‘utmost’ to help ease the restrictions on Iran.” Ghaleonei: “FIFA is trying its best, so I thank them for that. I just wish they had succeeded” (USA TODAY, 6/20).

The U.S. State Department “stepped in” and got the mother of Cabo Verde G Josimar Jose Evora Dias a “visa to enter the country” for the team’s World Cup game against Uruguay on Sunday in Miami. Dias became an “overnight social media sensation” after the team’s draw against Spain last Monday, and his Instagram following “swelled from 40,000 to 14.6 million in a matter of days.” Dias’ “emotional celebration after the match made international headlines.” However, his mother, Ava Cadida Evora, was “unable to travel to the game in Atlanta because of the cost of obtaining a U.S. visa.” U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said that visa fees “had been waived and travel arrangements were made to help Evora get to Miami” (MIAMI HERALD, 6/20).

NASCAR is interested in the potential of returning to Naval Base Coronado for a race next year but will hold discussions about the topic after this weekend, according to people familiar with the matter. The Daytona Beach-based auto racing circuit is back in the Southern California market for the Anduril 250 Race The Base, which is one of the over 1,000 events taking place in 2026 that is tied to the Freedom 250 organization that is celebrating the milestone anniversary of the country. While not explicitly saying that the event was a one and done, NASCAR San Diego has largely been communicated as if it could only happen once as part of Freedom 250. The event is taking place on the Naval Base Coronado run by the U.S. Navy. People familiar with the matter say that NASCAR is open to the potential of turning San Diego into a multiyear arrangement under the proper terms. NASCAR COO Ben Kennedy confirmed to SBJ this weekend that a second year at Naval Base Coronado is possible. The series’ 2027 schedule has yet to be released in full, although some dates have already been announced like the Daytona 500.

Two races have already been held this weekend including a chaotic, enthralling and lengthy one yesterday in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, before the main event takes place today with the Cup Series show airing on Prime Video at 4pm ET. The event is sold out, and social media posts and industry sources yesterday pointed to extensive lines throughout the day to buy merchandise and other items. Similarly to NASCAR, IndyCar is also looking at the potential of turning its upcoming race around the national mall in D.C. into a multiyear arrangement.

SAN DIEGO – The only street race here not against the law — the Anduril 250 — is causing so much gridlock on the Coronado Bridge that the weekend is already an unadulterated success.

Twenty-four hours before the green flag initiated NASCAR’s first race at a naval base, the crowd metrics were in: The roughly 50,000 seats are sold out, 67% of the ticket buyers have never attended a NASCAR event and attendees will come from 50 states and 17 countries.

It all validates the whimsical meetings held in NASCAR’s Daytona and Charlotte offices and almost certainly means, in future years, more city streets across the U.S. (and maybe in Europe or South America) will be re-imagined into makeshift race courses.

On Saturday -- after taking a high-speed spin himself in a Next Gen car on this 3.4 mile, 16-turn course at Naval Air Station North Island -- NASCAR COO Ben Kennedy confirmed that street races are a business novelty not likely to go away soon.

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NASCAR announced preliminary numbers for the San Diego race weekend at Naval Base Coronado:

• Californians so far have purchased “60% of the tickets for Saturday’s and Sunday’s races.”
• The 40% of out-of-state tickets included “buyers from all 50 states plus 17 countries.”
• Nearly 40% of the ticket buyers “were female, which is 11 percentage points more than other NASCAR events.”
• More than two-thirds of the attendees -- 67% -- are “experiencing their first NASCAR race.”
• The turnout of Hispanic attendees was “nearly three times the regular NASCAR event.”

San Diego is the seventh sellout of the 2026 season, with “ticket demand in most areas exceeding availability.” NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson said, “It’s really wise for NASCAR to do this event with the Navy. I hope it’s not a one-and-done. I think this weekend is great for NASCAR, the Navy and San Diego. I hope we’ll be returning” (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/20).

After Friday’s 50-minute practice session, drivers were “united in their concerns about the multi-surface circuit’s lack of grip, tight walls and fears of a high attrition rate” in Sunday’s 75-lap feature. NASCAR driver Shane van Gisbergen said, “I don’t think it’s possible to have a perfect lap here. It’s going to be really hard to execute” (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/19).

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth traveled Saturday to San Diego to be the “honorary starter” for Sunday’s race. It was not immediately known “how Hegseth’s presence would affect traffic and attendance issues, which are already expected to be complicated given Coronado has just two access points and given the race is the fist ever to be held on an active Navy base.” NASCAR officials said that Hegseth’s visit “would not change security plans.” Approximately 50,000 tickets “have been sold to the public” for the featured Saturday and Sunday programs. The Anduril 250 begins at 1pm PT Sunday (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/19).

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into whether MLB “discriminated against” three Giants players “on religious grounds” when it issued them warnings for inscribing Bible verses on their caps during the club’s Pride Night celebration. In a letter sent to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote that the matter has been “referred to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for further investigation.” Dhillon wrote, “The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening the rights of players with religious objections to serving as the League’s vehicle for pro-Pride messages” (THE ATHLETIC, 6/19).

Several state attorneys general said that they “planned to investigate MLB’s conduct,” including Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway (N.Y. POST, 6/20).

Giants Ps Ryan Walker and JT Brubaker, who were among the three players to write Bible verses on their hats, said that they did “not feel discriminated against as Christians.” Brubaker said, “At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s discrimination. It’s just people getting a hold of something and turning it into something.” (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 6/20). Giants P Sam Hentges said, “I don’t feel discriminated against … I don’t hate the community. It’s gotten bigger than anticipated and drawn more attention than everybody thought: (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/19).

In L.A., Bill Shaikin writes under the header, “Why MLB’s Pride Night cap condemnation isn’t the anti-Christian crackdown conservatives claim.” Shaikin: “We always proclaim the life lessons of sports. One of them: Sometimes you have to put the team’s interests ahead of your own” (L.A. TIMES, 6/19).

An estimated 150,000 people, roughly a third of Raleigh’s population, gathered for a “loud, boisterous celebration” of the Hurricanes’ first Stanley Cup in 20 years on Saturday. Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon said he “did not expect” the crowd that turned up. He added, “That’s a lot of people. I was surprised.” Dundon: “Seeing all the little kids, my guys up there with water guns, and all the little kids in front, thinking about how many people have this connection now and what that’ll mean for the future, is kind of what kind of will hit me.” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein “recounted the claims of Hurricanes doubters who said Raleigh was ‘too small’ to be a hockey town.” Stein said, “To them I ask, Is there anything small about this celebration?” Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper “moved through crowd drawing claps in his gray polo with ‘Stanley Cup Champions’ across the front” (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 6/21).

The Hurricanes for their first Stanley Cup title in 2006 held a parade around the grounds of their arena that “drew about 30,000 fans” (AP, 6/20).

In Raleigh, Watson-Fisher & Vaughan write under the header, "What Tom Dundon said about Canes success, massive parade turnout and MLB hopes."

Florida State is “set to hire Aramark” after the school “ended its hospitality and concessions contract” with Legends after just two years of a 10-year deal. Legends will “continue to handle multimedia marketing.” Legends co-founder and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was “initially engaged by Seminole Boosters Inc. in 2019,” and two years ago, FSU “significantly expanded the partnership.” The expanded agreement covered “multimedia rights, merchandise, concessions and hospitality, seating and business development.” Legends also assisted Seminole Boosters “with strategic planning” for the $264M renovation of Doak Campbell Stadium. FSU officials did not comment on why they are cutting the contract. However, “negative experiences at concession stands due to operational and staffing challenges have long been a common criticism on social media following home football games, with fans often citing long lines, available foot options and poor food service” (TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, 6/20).

Roger Clemens will be a booth analyst on June 28 for Yankees-Red Sox on NBC’s “Sunday Night Baseball,” sources tell SBJ. The longtime MLBer, who was repped by The Montag Group in making the deal happen, will be the Yankees analyst for the game, while Will Middlebrooks will be the Red Sox analyst. Jason Benetti will be on play-by-play. Bob Costas will host the studio show for NBC, with Anthony Rizzo as analyst. Clemens has done “SNB” as a guest analyst before, having jumped on the “KayRod” alt-cast in 2022 on ESPN2 alongside Barry Bonds.

Clemens has been vocal over the last week in opposition to MLB’s decision to warn three Giants players who wrote Biblical inscriptions on the team’s Pride caps during Pride Night at Oracle Park. He appeared on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show” on Wednesday said that players should be able to vote whether they wear the Pride Night hats. Clemens was also a guest at the White House for UFC Freedom 250 last Sunday, as President Trump has been vocal in trying to get Clemens elected to the Baseball HOF in recent months.

Univ. of Arizona AD Desiree Reed-Francois “denied having interest in the AD job at Wisconsin despite a report stating that she was a finalist.” Reed-Francois in a statement said that she is “very happy where my feet are.” She did not directly comment on whether she sought the Wisconsin job or is eyeing other opportunities. Reed-Francois said, “We are proud of what we are building.” Contentious negotiations with UA men’s basketball coach Tommy Lloyd leading into the Final Four and language in his new contract that gives him a more direct relationship with UA President Suresh Garimella have “fueled speculation that Reed-Francois would pursue another job.” Reed-Francois has never publicly expressed interest in another job (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 6/19).

Wings G Azzi Fudd will join women’s basketball league Project B during the WNBA offseason, with the league “set to begin play this December.” Many believed Fudd “would spend a portion of the WNBA offseason playing in Unrivaled.” However, a source confirmed that Fudd will “not play in the U.S. based 3x3 league.” At UConn, Fudd had an NIL deal with Unrivaled and was seen sitting courtside at games this past season. The concept for Project B is to have two separate leagues -- men and women -- with six teams, each with 11 players. Those teams will compete in a global circuit from November 2026 through April 2027. Every athlete playing in Project B “will have equity in the league” (USA TODAY, 6/19).

The Univ. of Oklahoma baseball team is one win away from a national championship after winning Game 1 of the College World Series Finals against the Univ. of North Carolina on Saturday. Oklahoma won national titles in baseball in 1951 and 1994 and will go for its third on Sunday. UNC, looking for its first, will try to force a deciding Game 3 on Monday (AP, 6/20). Oklahoma, which finished 11th in the SEC during the regular season, eliminated No. 2 seed Georgia Tech, No. 15 Kansas and No. 3 Georgia en route to the CWS Final (THE ATHLETIC, 6/20).

For the “first time in a long time,” the baseball team looked “less like a program trying to catch up to the rest of Oklahoma athletics and more like one of its centerpieces.” When AD Roger Denny first arrived at Oklahoma, he “noticed the obvious gap in the baseball program’s stadium facilities, training spaces and overall environment.” Denny said, “You recognize that we need to get better there.” Just three days ago, the Board of Regents approved an estimated total project budget of $49M for phase one and phase two of the Kimrey Family Stadium renovation project. The improvements, which include “upgrades to team facilities, the seating bowl and fan amenities, are scheduled to begin later this summer.” Denny said, “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that the support we have for our program and the energy around those guys gets better every time they take the field” (OKLAHOMAN, 6,19).