NBA Hits Peak Drama with Finals, Rights, and Draft

Copa America and the European Championship provide contrasting international soccer tournaments as the US is seeking to assert its place in the sport’s global landscape. Men in Blazers founder Roger Bennett joins the show to discuss the simultaneous tournaments and some surprising findings from their survey of American soccer fans. Plus, TMRW Sports received a major investment months before its launch, the Miami Marlins are covering fans’ costs for their local streaming network, and ESPN is taking a page from its parent company with a new fan offering.

The Arizona Coyotes’ hopes of restarting their franchise took a hit when the Arizona State Land Department canceled an auction for land the team was planning to use for a new arena and entertainment district. The move was made after the department determined that the Coyotes didn’t have the proper permit to carry out their plans. Front Office Sports senior reporter AJ Perez joins the show to discuss whether or not this ownership group will succeed in bringing hockey back to the desert. Plus, Roku’s head of sports Joe Franzetta joins the show to explain how his company is positioned as a platform that is partly insulated from the major shifts in media consumption, but is still buying up sports rights of its own.

US soccer star Tobin Heath saw a gap in how women’s sports were covered, specifically in how both leagues and media companies generally followed the same blueprint as men’s sports. She joins the show to discuss the state of soccer as Copa America and the Euros heat up, the NWSL’s growing pains, and how women’s sports brings in new communities. Plus, JJ Redick and Carlos Alcaraz signed major contracts and Stephen A. Smith is hoping to do the same.

MLB had its best-attended weekend in over a decade, while its local broadcasting future gets hashed out in court. Meanwhile, a change in the minor leagues provides hints on the future of umpiring. The league is also commemorating the Negro Leagues with a game in Alabama, as it continues its series of custom-built specialty games. Front Office Sports newsletter co-author Eric Fisher joins the show to break down everything going on with the busy league. Plus, Pat McAfee reportedly remains without a contract to keep his place on ESPN’s College GameDay, and many Charlotte residents are unhappy with a proposal to spend $650 million renovating the Panthers’ stadium.

The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the sports betting monopoly held by the Seminole Tribe in Florida. The decision likely secures the tribe’s domination of the sports betting market until 2051, and could set precedents that have implications in other states. Sports betting attorney Daniel Wallach joins the show to explain the decision and what could happen next. Plus, Shaun White is launching a snowboarding league, a former coach is suing LSU, and Derek Jeter sold an estate often compared to a medieval castle in upstate New York.

Chris Roycroft charted an unlikely path to MLB, training between shifts as a Jimmy John's delivery person, car mechanic, and other odd jobs. Now a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Roycroft joins the show to discuss the habits and determination that got him to MLB, and the challenging life of an independent league baseball player. Plus, Charles Barkley announced plans to call it quits as a TV analyst, MLB faces a new integrity challenge, and the US team’s run in the Cricket World Cup could have a lasting impact.

Pinehurst No. 2 is designed to be one of the more challenging, intimidating major golf courses, and it will be the stage for this weekend’s US Open. Golfer-turned-analyst Smylie Kaufman joins the show to discuss the nuances of broadcasting the tournament, and how his time as a player against many of today’s top competitors informs his approach as an analyst. Plus, Formula E has a new majority owner, the Big 12 is mulling a massive conference naming rights deal, and a peculiar drama is unfolding in the world of competitive eating.

The Stanley Cup Final brings together the Florida Panthers, who have ridden a wave of recent success to build a loyal fanbase, against the Edmonton Oilers, a team with a deep history but little success in the last decade. Those different paths are on display as the series moves to Edmonton. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan joins the show to break down the narratives on and off the ice, and opine on who will be the big movers this offseason. Plus, Front Office Sports’ David Rumsey checks in from the US Open at Pinehurst, Paramount pulls the plug on a major media deal, and Nike was denied a trademark.

While cricket is usually associated with countries like India, Pakistan, and the U.K., the U.S. team is making the most of its time hosting the T20 Cricket World Cup. The team’s upset victory over Pakistan has the country eyeing a spot in the tournament’s next rounds. U.S. National Team batter Aaron Jones joins the show to discuss the sport’s big moment. Plus, Shannon Sharpe signed a multi-year with ESPN a year after being pushed out at FS1, a college basketball team from 1983 is suing the NCAA, and Christian McCaffrey celebrated a new contract, a Madden cover, and his birthday in one week.

The Pro League Network is carving out a unique space in the sports landscape with properties such as Slap Fight, Putt Putt, and Carjitsu. These novel sports are produced as digital-first properties to catch the attention of social media users among others. PLN founders Mike Salvaris and Bill Yucatonis join the show to discuss how they are building a sports media company for today’s fans. Plus, NBA commissioner Adam Silver floated potential expansion cities, and the Oilers run to the Stanley Cup Final has caused a strange political fight in Canada.