Aaron Rodgers Commits to Green Bay, Disputes Details of Record Deal
Aaron Rodgers is heading back to Lambeau. With his eyes fixed on an MVP three-peat, the veteran quarterback confirmed on Tuesday that he plans to return to the Packers for his 18th season in the NFL. However, he disputed early reports of a historic deal, which would have paid him $200 million over four years, with $153 guaranteed. The QB took to Twitter to confirm his homecoming, but noted: “reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract I ‘signed.’” The news came on the same day that the Denver Broncos secured their quarterback of the future, making a blockbuster trade with the Seahawks for Russell Wilson.
Biden’s Executive Order on Crypto Boosts Bitcoin
President Biden might soon need a Coinbase tutorial. The White House announced an executive order on Wednesday that will fuel the exploration of cryptocurrency development in order to keep it competitive in the global marketplace. In response to the news, Bitcoin increased 8% in value to over $42,000 as of Wednesday morning.
LeBron James Prepares to Build His Metaverse Kingdom
LeBron James has gathered basically every accolade there is on earth, so it seems only fitting that he’s got his eyes set on the metaverse. King James filed a number of trademarks on Mar 4 that signal his leap into web3. The filings include everything from digital collectibles to branded meta merch. Recently, James’ foundation announced a collaboration with crypto.com, which paved the way for more Web3 adventures.
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Apple TV+ Lands MLB’s Friday Night Games
It remains to be seen when (or if) the 2022 MLB season will take place, but Apple is ready whenever baseball’s work stoppage is resolved. Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed Tuesday that the iconic tech company locked in its first-ever live sports deal in the name of “Friday Night Baseball.” Apple TV+ will exclusively stream a regular-season doubleheader every Friday — including pregame and postgame programming as well as an “MLB Big Inning” weekday show.
Tom Brady Teases New Business Empire with Trademark Filings
What does one do after retiring from one of the most storied careers in NFL history? Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady isn’t looking to spend too much time kicking back with his newfound freedom. Brady filed 26 new patents for “TOM BRADY,” hinting that many new business ventures may be on the horizon. The patents cover everything from deodorant to meal kits, recovery tools to protein bars. Time will tell what the GOAT has in store, but it seems like you may soon be able to look, smell, and eat like him.
Travis Scott Looks to Heal with New $5M Philanthropic Venture
Travis Scott is looking to heal. The Houston rapper announced his newest venture, Project Heal, which has promised $5 million to uplift community-based ventures. The fund looks to support four major categories of initiatives: Waymon Webster HBCU scholarship fund, Expansion of Cact.us Youth Design Center, mental health resources, and U.S. Conferences of mayors and tech-driven solutions for event safety.
ESPN Extends Doris Burke’s Reign
ESPN announced Tuesday — fittingly, International Women’s Day — that on-air pioneer Doris Burke has re-signed with the network on a multi-year agreement. The revived pact will place Burke on high-profile NBA regular-season and playoff games as well as the NBA Finals on ESPN Radio and ABC’s “NBA Sunday Showcase.” It is the next chapter for Burke’s already Hall of Fame broadcasting career, and extends her tenure with the ESPN umbrella, where she has been since 1991.
Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner Ink Production Deal with Meadowlark
Dan LeBatard and former ESPN boss John Skipper continue to build out their media empire, and to do so they’ve tapped two old pals to join its lineup. Meadowlark has announced a joint venture with Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner to co-develop entertainment projects, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reports. Together, their first collaboration will be “Point Forward,” a podcast where Iguodala and Turner provide analysis on everything from sports headlines to tech innovations and more.
NWSL Nets New Commissioner with Jessica Berman
The NWSL kicks off its new season on Mar 20. And in the run up to the action, the league announced on Wednesday that it tapped former National Lacrosse League deputy commissioner Jessica Berman as its new boss. Berman will commence her four-year term as the commissioner on Apr 20. She will replace Marla Messing, who will remain with the organization as interim CEO until May 2022.
Drone Racing League Teams Up with Unstoppable Domains to Invest in Women in Web3
The Drone Racing League continues to push new boundaries. The league and its president Rachel Jacobson announced on Tuesday that it will collaborate with the Unstoppable Domains’ Unstoppable Women of Web3 initiative. With the partnership, the DRL extends its efforts to expand diversity and inclusion in the Web3 space, committing $10 million in NFT domains for women creators.
Fanatics Debuts zerocool Collection
Fanatics Collectibles has announced zerocool, the first trading card brand focused on culture. The company announced on Tuesday the launch of the new collection, which positions itself as the first trading card brand focused on influential global icons across pop culture, art, and entertainment. zerocool’s premium culture-focused products will be available for auction on zerocool.com, where the brand is creating the first direct-to-consumer platform dedicated to the concept of market-based pricing to ensure fair access to the product for all collectors. Boardroom caught up with Josh Luber, co-founder and chief vision officer at Fanatics, to discuss the new endeavor.
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