Sports Biz Rundown (6/15/2020 - 6/19/2020)
We want to take this time to celebrate today, June 19th "Juneteenth" as a holiday celebrating the liberation of those who had been held as slaves in the United States. This week we are continuing to see our patience tested for change. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The goal of Sports Biz Rundown is to give you a very concise rundown of what happened this week in the world of sports & entertainment. Providing you every Friday with the top sports biz news, events, careers, and more.
Sports Biz News
HEADLINING THIS WEEK
Spencer Dinwiddie is a rising star in the NBA, a silky-smooth guard averaging more than 20 points per game this season for the Brooklyn Nets. Yet that statement only scratches the surface. Dinwiddie is also a blockchain pioneer. He is an entrepreneur. An investor. A geek. He is a 27-year-old who dreams of bridging the gap between sports and venture capital in a way that's never been done before.
Nets guard Kyrie Irving has become an opposing voice to the NBA's restart plan recently, voicing concerns about the resumptions. Recently, his concerns have gone as far as a report saying that Irving has proposed the idea of a player-run league.
Irving remains hesitant to support the league's resumption due to concerns about player safety as well as the issue of racial injustice in the country. ( Yahoo Sports ).
ADJUSTING TO THE NEW NORM
The U.S. Tennis Association intends to hold the U.S. Open in New York starting in August without spectators, if it gets governmental support — and a formal announcement could come this week.
“We’re ready to move forward as long as we get all the approvals we need,” USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier said in a telephone interview Monday. ( MSN ).
The BBC has opted to use canned crowd noise when live English top-tier football returns to the corporation for the first time in 32 years on Saturday.
With fake spectator reactions dividing opinion since being aired on Sky Sports this week, BBC One viewers will have the option of switching it off via the red button service. ( The Telegraph ).
TIME FOR CHANGE
NASCAR and the NFL in recent days reversed course on their approach to athletes protesting racial injustice. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he had been wrong for not listening to protesting players earlier and encouraged “all to speak out and peacefully protest.”
Meanwhile, NASCAR relaxed rules barring kneeling during the national anthem and banned Confederate flags from its events. Within days, a NASCAR driver was circling a track in a race car emblazoned with #BlackLivesMatter and a NASCAR official was taking a knee during prerace ceremonies. ( Yahoo Sports ).
Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski believe that not only is it time to advance the conversation about social injustice in America -- it's time to come together and heal.
So O'Neal and Gronkowski have turned what they hoped would have been a real-life party into a three-hour virtual fundraiser, with all proceeds going to NAACP Empowerment Programs and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. ( ESPN ).
Sports Biz Pod
Sports Biz Pod, a podcast covering sports business. Two episodes released per week. (On Tuesday) Featuring interviews with athletes, investors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders in sports & entertainment. (On Friday) Featuring commentary with special guests recapping the week of sports business news, events, and jobs. Produced by the Blue Wire podcast network. Affiliate of Sports Biz Group. www.sportsbizpod.com
Episodes released this week:
Sports Biz Events
UPCOMING EVENTS
We are continuing to update our google calendar with accurate online events and rescheduled physical events.
We are also in the planning process of events, so to collaborate on this, please email [email protected]
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Sports Biz Careers
ENTRY-LEVEL
Fox: Digital Coordinator
USA Today: Sports and General Reported
MID-LEVEL
NASCAR: Live Event Content Producer
DraftKings: Senior Analyst, Paid Search
SENIOR-LEVEL
Showtime: SVP, Media
Anheuser-Busch: Associate Creative Director- draftLine