Good afternoon, here’s what we’re following at SBJ Today:
- Inside the Detroit Pistons’ business turnaround under Melanie Harris
- Report: Feliciano closing in on record $3.9B purchase of Padres
- Fenway properties RFK Racing, Liverpool team up on paint scheme with joint sponsor Trimble
- Plus: “WNBA ID” personalization effort key part of league’s app enhancement; NWSL to vote on calendar shift to match European leagues; Bet365 launches in Michigan; and more
Start your morning with Buzzcast with Joe Lemire, Austin Karp, and Chris Smith: The latest on the future of LIV Golf and how quickly we could see a finalization of the San Diego Padres sale. Also, the group discusses their biggest takeaways from Day 2 of the CAA World Congress of Sports. Finally, Lemire, Karp and Smith lay out their key theme from the CAA World Congress of Sports.
THE BIG STORY
Opens in new windowInside the Detroit Pistons’ business turnaround under Melanie Harris
Detroit knows how to deal with despair. When the Pistons limped to a franchise-worst 14-68 finish in 2024, it was the latest disappointment for a city chasing its first major sports title since 2008, SBJ’s Irving Mejia-Hilario writes.
The losing ran deeper than the standings. A decade in basketball purgatory had quietly stalled the Pistons’ brand, leaving the franchise’s once-iconic identity feeling distant to younger fans and unclear even inside the organization. Within two seasons, the Pistons would turn that collapse into one of the NBA’s sharpest business and on-court turnarounds. The resurgence culminated in a 60-22 record this season and the franchise’s first No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference since 2007.
And a key cog in this turnaround is Melanie Harris, the franchise’s president of business operations and an unlikely choice on paper among approximately 20 candidates.
5 STORIES WE’RE WATCHING
1. Report: Feliciano closing in on record $3.9B purchase of Padres: The Padres are closing in on a sale to Clearlake Capital co-founder and Managing Partner José Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones, in a deal that values the team at around $3.9B, the highest valuation ever for an MLB team.
2. Fenway properties RFK Racing, Liverpool team up on paint scheme with joint sponsor Trimble: With the FIFA World Cup taking place in the U.S. this summer, RFK Racing has aligned with its sister property Liverpool FC to help promote the Premier League team and its joint sponsor Trimble in NASCAR.
2. ‘WNBA ID’ personalization effort key part of league’s app enhancement: An enhanced WNBA App is launching Friday, which includes the debut of WNBA ID -- a free global account system that unifies and personalizes the fan experience.
4. Report: NWSL to vote on calendar shift to match European leagues: The NWSL’s BOG is expected to “vote later this month on whether to flip the league’s calendar to a fall-to-spring season‚” according to the sources cited by ESPN.com.
5. Bet365 launches in Michigan, signs on with Tigers and Red Wings: Bet365 launches its sportsbook app in Michigan on Friday behind a Tigers sponsorship that includes in-park and virtual signs, odds integrations as presenting sponsor of Tigers broadcasts on Detroit SportNet and promotion on team radio and digital channels.
ON THE MOVE
- Sphere Entertainment Co. elevated David Dibble to Vice Chair/Sphere. Dibble most recently served as Special Advisor to the Exec Chair and CEO of Sphere Entertainment, which followed his role as CEO of MSG Ventures (Sphere Entertainment Co.).
- The 49ers promoted Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer Brent Schoeb to COO, EVP & General Counsel Jihad Beauchman to Chief Legal Officer and EVP/Marketing Stephanies Rogers to CMO (49ers).
- New Balance promoted Tracy Knauer to SVP/North America. Knauer’s 20 plus‑year career at New Balance spans across marketing, product, sales and DTC operations. Knauer joined the company in 2005 and was most recently VP/North America Marketing, Ecommerce & Consumer Analytics (New Balance).
NAMES IN THE NEWS
- The Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative this week announced the creation of the Dawn Staley Legacy Award. The award was created to honor those who have “shown strong leadership and have made an impact on expanding basketball within the community, especially for women and girls” (Philadelphia Inquirer).
- WWE superstars The Miz and Liv Morgan hosted the Make-A-Wish event with Fanatics on Thursday at WWE World as part of multiple community events planned in conjunction with WrestleMania 42. The kids, all battling serious health issues, were given shopping sprees at the WWE Superstore, met the two WWE stars and made their own ring walks under their own pro wrestler names (Las Vegas Review-Journal).
- The London Times’ Young Power List 2026 features the 30 most inspiring people under 30 in the U.K. that includes athletes like cricket player Jacob Bethell; Arsenal women’s F Alessia Russo; F1 driver Arvid Lindblad; skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker; rugby player Henry Pollock; and sprinter Amy Hunt (London Times).
HOT READS
USA TODAY went with the header, “The NCAA idea that could reshape college sports: ‘It’s not a tweak, it’s a structural shift.’” The NCAA’s “five-for-five” eligibility proposal “remains an idea and not official policy” after the Division I Cabinet “kicked the can down the road regarding the concept that would revolutionize student-athletes’ eligibility.” But one Division I college basketball coach said, “It’s not a tweak, it’s a structural shift.”
Also:
- Nets’ Chris Carrino is setting a lofty standard that goes beyond NBA broadcasts.
- MLB 2026: Inside Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki statue design and reveal.
- Architects of Giants’ Next Era won’t allow ‘scars’ of 2025 to define their future.