Good afternoon, here’s what we’re following at SBJ Today:
- Inside the negotiations that led to the WNBA CBA
- NASCAR’s new CEO O’Donnell steps in as league faces an era of transition
- Breslow now clearly Red Sox’s sole decision-maker with Cora gone
- Plus: Fanatics sets merch mark for NFL Draft, OneCourt brings its tech to help blind sports fans follow the game and more.
Start your morning with Buzzcast with Abe Madkour: Executive moves at NASCAR; 10 cities scout Pittsburgh’s NFL Draft; hard to keep up with all the news coming out of Boston’s sports teams. Listen >>
THE BIG STORY
Inside the negotiations that led to the WNBA CBA
Nothing good happens after midnight — except for the eight days that saved the WNBA season.
The clocks would strike 1am, 2am or 3am, with WNBPA Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson sipping green peppermint tea and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert hydrating with water, and there was no end in sight due to this thing called revenue share or this other thing called housing or this other thing called stubbornness.
There were eight days of give and take and take and give, and when it appeared that both sides would never get to the magic revenue share number of 20%, the union was convinced the league thought: “The players are going to cave.”
But somewhere around the Ides of March, in the middle of the night at a lush New York hotel called The Langham, 13-year pro and WNBPA Vice President Alysha Clark laughed all of that off. She looked over at the players doing yoga or crashing out on the floor with blankets — her being one of them — and said, “Do they really think they’re going to outlast an endurance athlete? This is what we do,” as SBJ’s Tom Friend reports on the inside details of the negotiations that resulted in a landmark deal between the WNBA and its players.
5 STORIES WE’RE WATCHING
1. NASCAR’s new CEO O’Donnell steps in as league faces an era of transition: New NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell is taking over an organization trying to grow stock car racing while reconnecting with longtime fans disillusioned with the sport.
2. Manfred says Mexico still a ‘priority’ for MLB as it eyes more international markets: MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Sunday said that the league was keen on international expansion while reinforcing Mexico’s place in its long-term plans after the Padres-Diamondbacks series in Mexico City over the weekend.
3. Breslow now clearly Red Sox’ sole decision-maker with Cora gone: The Red Sox’ on-field fate now rests on Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow after the team fired manager Alex Cora and five coaches Saturday following a 10-17 start.
4. Fanatics, NFL set merch sales records for Draft weekend in Pittsburgh: In Fanatics’ first year as the NFL’s retail partner for the Draft, the two sides broke the record for merchandise sales throughout Draft weekend, set last year in Green Bay.
5. OneCourt launching at-home product, targeting December rollout: Accessibility tech startup OneCourt opened preorders for its at-home device, which turns live tracking data into haptics so that fans can feel game play through their fingertips, reports SBJ’s Ethan Joyce.
ON THE MOVE
- Former NHLer Alexander Steen will become the Blues’ GM on July 1, with current GM Doug Armstrong becoming the team’s president of hockey operations through 2029 following a previously announced transition plan (Blues).
- NASCAR is making a major exec shift, with company majority owner Jim France stepping down as CEO but remaining as chair, and President Steve O’Donnell is ascending to CEO. O’Donnell is the first person outside the France family to hold the CEO role at NASCAR (Adam Stern, SBJ).
- Cognizant Classic of the Palm Beaches Tournament Director Todd Flemming was among the 56 people the PGA Tour laid off Thursday (SI, 4/24).
- AMB Sports + Entertainment Dir/Corporate Partnerships Chris Lee is leaving the company after eight years to join the WNBA’s Dream as VP/Partnership Sales (SBJ).
NAMES IN THE NEWS
- Former Eagles C Jason Kelce assisted the Hendrick Motorsports pit crew during the Jack Link’s 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. He also worked with the crew of Hendrick driver Corey Day during first career win in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
- Court documents show that Jermaine Jackson, the manager of Hornets G LaMelo Ball, owes over $150,000 to Agape Property Management Group, which is partly owned by former NFLer Cam Newton.
- Barry Mano, the author who penned the first issue of Referee magazine in 1976 to report on and advocate for refs, umpires and sports officials of all kinds, died March 31 at 82.
HOT READS
SI went with the header, “The city of Pittsburgh was the true star of the NFL Draft.” Pittsburgh “was the perfect host” for this year’s NFL Draft. While one can surely “find some things to complain about,” the city’s “picturesque backdrops, vibrant atmosphere and top-notch hospitality” took it over the top.
Also:
- NFL draft caps off wild week in Pittsburgh sports.
- Arlington leadership failed citizens with sweetheart deal for Dallas Cowboys.
- Tottenham’s relegation would be shocking. It now seems inevitable.