Bills Mafia Rejoices as New Stadium Plans Move Forward
The Buffalo Bills are one step closer to a new home. New York governor Kathy Hochul confirmed on Monday that plans for a new stadium will move forward, keeping the team in Orchard Park. In a statement, the Bills’ owners Terry and Kim Pegula indicated that they were hopeful for the progress and excited for the public-private partnership that will make it a reality. The stadium is projected to cost $1.4 billion and the team will receive $850 million in public funds from the state, making it the largest contribution of its kind in American history. The stadium is expected to open in Spring 2023.
Detroit Lions to Headline Upcoming Season of “Hard Knocks”
Who is in? Who is out? These questions reverberate each season on HBO’s behind-the-scenes peek at the NFL. And for Hard Knocks’ 18th season, it will be heading to the Motor City. The Lions have had a tumultuous few years and continue to reel from the loss of Matthew Stafford and an overall rebuilding period. This year, cameras will be on site to pick up all the action. Detroit was also announced on Monday as the host city for the 2024 Draft.
Kevin Burkhardt Steps into the Booth at Fox
The commentators’ carousel continues. After the seismic moves over the last few weeks, which have sent Al Michaels, Troy Aikman, and Joe Buck each to a new broadcasting home, Fox announced on Monday that it has tapped Kevin Burkhardt to replace Joe Buck in the booth. Burkhardt gets the promotion, having served in the No. 2 booth with Greg Olsen this past season. He will serve as the primary lead for play-by-play for all Fox games, including the network’s Super Bowl broadcasts.
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St. Peter’s Rides Tournament Run to Huge Numbers
Over the last two weeks, the St. Peter’s Peacocks strut their way into America’s consciousness. The scrappy bunch from New Jersey made an improbable run to the Elite Eight and picked up a legion of fans along the way. Their penultimate game drew 10.18 million viewers, making it the highest-rated Sweet Sixteen game since 2011. In return for the team’s clutch performance, St. Peter’s also picked up some checks. The school will receive $123,231 for the next six years, which will cover nearly half of its basketball budget. In addition, simply by the amount of screentime that they garnered, the school generated a $131 million equivalent in advertising value. Boardroom dove into these numbers and more as we bid adieu to this year’s Cinderella.
Cam Newton and Overtime Announce 7-on-7 Football League
The Overtime Elite season wrapped up last month, but the disruptive sports organization announced its newest endeavor, and this time it is tapping NFL icon Cam Newton. Overtime announced on Tuesday that it will launch a new 7-on-7 football league, which will bring together 24 teams in Las Vegas this June. In addition to the on-field action, Overtime revealed that there will be a corresponding series documenting the action, which is set to include a combine. Newton will serve as a strategic advisor.
Mitchell & Ness Goes Home to “Bel-Air” with New Collection
Mitchell & Ness is known for its throwback-style jerseys, which have become cultural staples through the years. The Philadelphia-based company has found its next collab, and this time it’s teaming up with one of the biggest shows of today – and yesterday. Mitchell and Ness will launch a commemorative line with one of the biggest shows of 2022, Bel-Air. The collection will include basketball jerseys and shorts.
Tiffany & Co. Launches NFTs with $374K Okapi Purchase
To the moon. The LVMH-owned Tiffany & Co. moved its way to the metaverse this week, announcing that it has purchased an Okapi NFT, which is the cornerstone of the Tom Sachs: Rocket Factory collection. The company immediately changed its Twitter avatar to a Tiffany & Co. branded rocket, and announced its entry to the NFT space, acknowledging that fine art collecting has evolved and this purchase signals the company’s move to catch up. The collection hit OpenSea last year, and in addition to the digital renderings, holders get an official rocket launch in their honor – and a video of the blast-off.
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