- The NFLPA is "investigating a wide-ranging set of allegations against Ira Fishman, the organization’s managing director, former chief operating officer, and longtime de facto no. 2 leader," reports Vice. An anonymous whistleblower last month sent a letter to, among others, the union’s executive committee, which described Fishman as “toxic” and “abusive” and "accused him of, among other things, subjecting employees -- especially women -- to bizarre and inappropriate remarks, throwing used chewing tobacco around, and cursing during meetings."
- The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to suspend all COVID-19 protocols, nearly two years after they were first implemented. In practical terms, this is a modest change -- the most onerous rules were lifted before the 2021 season and changes to testing protocols in the season’s stretch run lent more normalcy. But it’s a big symbolic moment for the NFL, which avoided canceling a single game to the virus.
- It’s full speed ahead for the Cowboys’ debut of throwback white helmets this season, the team confirms. The 1960s-era blue star-on-white look was widely anticipated as soon as the NFL allows alternative helmets this upcoming season, but supply chain issues raised some doubt this week. In Tampa, the Bucs are bringing back their creamsicle orange uniforms, but not until 2023 they said this week, citing the supply chain.
- The Hall of Fame Village in Canton is hoping that Ohio's expansive sports betting law can help accelerate revenue growth that is badly needed to push the troubled mixed-use development out of debt. “We are opening and building great assets, but sports betting is something that’s going to generate revenue to us in the immediate term, not the far away term,” said CEO Michael Crawford.
- Ticketing distribution data pegs Vivid Seats as the secondary market share leader for NFL tickets, as its market share has grown from 23.8% to 31% for the NFL since 2018, notes my colleague Bret McCormick.
- RealResponse, the employee feedback monitoring and reporting software maker, has new deals with the Broncos and the Chiefs, marking the first two NFL team pacts for the company that has made deep inroads in collegiate athletic departments.
- Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones flew from the NFL Combine to Texas on Wednesday to attend the Errol Spence Jr.-Yordenis Ugas pre-fight press conference at AT&T Stadium, where he spoke enthusiastically about what he expects to be a big crowd for the April 16 welterweight bout at the venue, notes SBJ's Adam Stern. This is the third time that the Dallas-area native Spence has fought at Jerry World.
- Joe Montana was part of a recent $20 million Series A funding round for San Francisco-based specialty lab testing company Rupa Health, notes Axios.
- Sports nutrition outfit UCAN has added former NFLer and current ESPN analyst Alex Smith as an investor and endorser, and will look for Smith to be the face of the brand, report's SBJ's Austin Karp.
- SBJ's sister publication, SportTechie, has rolled out its annual award nominees, and there are a few NFL-related entities on the list, including the Rams (team), Brian Rolapp (executive), SoFi Stadium (venue), Tom Brady (athlete), the "ManningCast" and Nickelodeon's "SlimeCast" (fan engagement) and the NFL itself (league).
