NFL free agency officially began at noon ET on Monday, and teams were off to the race on Day 1. Some of the biggest names in the league are reportedly off the board – Saquon Barkley to the Philadelphia Eagles, Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons, Christian Wilkins to the Las Vegas Raiders, Josh Jacobs to the Green Bay Packers, and so much more. One of the bigger names remaining in the RB free agent market is Derrick Henry, with teams such as the Dallas Cowboys reportedly in the mix. However, as many already assumed, a return to Tennessee is even more unlikely following the first day of NFL free agency after the Titans reportedly signed Tony Pollard.

Muhammad Ali is Heading to the WWE Hall of Fame

Muhammad Ali will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024, Variety reported on Monday. The ceremony is scheduled for April 5 in Philadelphia during WrestleMania 40 weekend. Ali, who died in 2016 at the age of 74, was the special guest referee in the main event of the first WrestleMania, a tag-team showdown featuring Hulk Hogan and Mr. T vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. During his career, Ali won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics and went on to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion, beating some of boxing’s best in Sonny Liston, Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman.

Amazon, NWSL Expand Business Partnership With Retail Deal

The NWSL and Amazon are deepening their relationship with an extended deal that sees the league rely on Amazon as its “exclusive retail partner” and official league licensee. Per the Monday announcement, supporters can now purchase t-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, and more in men’s, women’s, and youth styles and sizes on the e-commerce platform. However, it does not include items from Nike, the NWSL‘s official uniform manufacturer. More looks will be added throughout the 2024 season, but the Amazon Fan Shop is already open ahead of the league’s return this weekend.

North Carolina Becomes 30th US State to Officially Launch Sports Betting

North Carolina became the 30th state in the US to legalize sports betting on Monday, with online sportsbooks officially launching in the state. Per The Associated Press, registered citizens can bet on professional, college, or Olympic-style athletics. Sports betting will also be allowed at approved retail sportsbooks in or around sporting events and racing sites. “The legalization of sports betting will provide a significant boost to North Carolina’s economy and will allow our thriving sports industry to continue to grow,” Governor Roy Cooper said. Earlier in March, FanDuel announced a multi-year partnership with the Carolina Panthers to be the team’s official sports betting partner.

New ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Coming in 2026

Following the billion-dollar box office success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie last year, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination Entertainment’s Chris Meledandri shared via YouTube that the next movie is in development. A release date is already set for April 3, 2026, but the project will not be called Super Mario Bros. 2. Instead, Miyamoto says they are “broadening Mario’s world further” and that it’s “set in the world of Super Mario Bros.” Released in April 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie made $1.36 billion worldwide, with almost $800 million of that internationally. It became the second-highest-grossing movie last year, beaten out only by Barbie ($1.44 billion).

Liquid Death Valued at $1.4 Billion After New Financing Round

Liquid Death, one of the fastest-growing non-alcoholic beverage companies, is currently valued at $1.4 billion after closing its most recent round of financing. That mark doubles the company’s $700 million estimation in 2022. The new fundraising round from strategic partners and investors was valued at $67 million and included actor Josh Brolin and NFL wideout DeAndre Hopkins. Per Bloomberg, the capital will be used for product creation, like new flavors for its existing drinks. Liquid Death, which debuted iced tea last year, has already reached the top spot for bottled iced tea sales on Amazon.com, the company said on its website.

The post Saquon Barkley to Eagles, Kirk Cousins to Falcons in NFL Free Agency appeared first on Boardroom.

In the modern media landscape, precious few annual events bring the United States together.

A presidential election, perhaps. The Oscars, maybe. But with streaming services and gaming dividing America’s attention, even massive global sporting events like the Olympics or the World Cup don’t attract the audiences they once did.

The lone exception? The Super Bowl. Of the 30 most-watched television broadcasts in US history, 23 are the NFL’s championship match. The only non-Super Bowl in the top 10 is the moon landing (heard of it?) in 1969.

Interestingly, these 10 games all took place in the last 13 years. Las Vegas’ first ever Super Bowl became the most watched sporting event of all time, the second year in a row that record was broken, both won by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Phoenix has hosted two of the top three, with two appearances each from Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in America’s most popular sporting spectacles.

So, without further ado, Boardroom presents the 10 most-watched US sporting events in history, per Nielsen Media Research ratings.

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Most-watched US Sporting Events Ever

Super Bowl 58, 2024

Viewers: 123.4 million
Network: CBS
Host City: Las Vegas
Score: Kansas City Chiefs 25, San Francisco 49ers 22, overtime
MVP: Patrick Mahomes
Halftime Performer: Usher

Super Bowl 57, 2023

Viewers: 115.1 million
Network: Fox
Host City: Phoenix
Score: Kansas City Chiefs 38, Philadelphia Eagles 35
MVP: Patrick Mahomes
Halftime Performer: Rihanna

Super Bowl 49, 2015

Viewers: 114.4 million
Network: NBC
Host City: Phoenix
Score: New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24
MVP: Tom Brady
Halftime Performers: Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliott

Super Bowl 56, 2022

Viewers: 112.3 million
Network: NBC
Host City: Los Angeles
Score: Los Angeles Rams 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20
MVP: Cooper Kupp
Halftime Performers: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Anderson .Paak

What’s the Most-viewed Super Bowl Halftime Show of All Time?

Ahead of Rihanna’s return at Super Bowl LVII last year, we dove into the YouTube numbers to determine whose Halftime Show performance is the one true viewership GOAT.

Check it out!

Super Bowl 48, 2014

Viewers: 112.2 million
Network: Fox
Host City: New York
Score: Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8
MVP: Malcolm Smith
Halftime Performers: Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Super Bowl 50, 2016

Viewers: 111.9 million
Network: CBS
Host City: San Francisco
Score: Denver Broncos 24, Carolina Panthers 10
MVP: Von Miller
Halftime Performers: Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson

Super Bowl 46, 2012

Viewers: 111.3 million
Network: NBC
Host City: Indianapolis
Score: New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17
MVP: Eli Manning
Halftime Performers: Madonna, LMFAO, M.I.A., Nicki Minaj, Cee Lo Green

Super Bowl 51, 2017

Viewers: 111.3 million
Network: Fox
Host City: Houston
Score: New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28
MVP: Tom Brady
Halftime Performer: Lady Gaga

Super Bowl 45, 2011

Viewers: 111 million
Network: Fox
Host City: Dallas
Score: Green Bay Packers 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 25
MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Halftime Performers: The Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Slash

Super Bowl 47, 2013

Viewers: 108.7 million
Network: CBS
Host City: New Orleans
Score: Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31
MVP: Joe Flacco
Halftime Performers: Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child

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The post The Most-watched US Sporting Events of All Time appeared first on Boardroom.

If you’re a fan of closely contested NFL playoff games, you were largely disappointed over the long holiday weekend.

Aside from the Detroit Lions‘ thrilling 1-point win over the Los Angeles Rams in their first postseason game at home in 30 years, the Super Wild Card round wasn’t competitive. Houston blew out Cleveland, Kansas City froze out Miami, Green Bay destroyed Dallas on the road, Buffalo had little trouble with Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay cemented Philadelphia‘s nosedive.

Since the NFL expanded the playoffs from 12 to 14 teams in 2020, only nine of the 24 Super Wild Card games were decided by a touchdown or less, 37.5%. That’s nearly 10 percentage points less than the number of close games during the 2023 regular season, when 128 of the 272 games were decided by 7 points or less, a 47% clip.

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The bottom line is that, on the field, the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend has resulted in a Subpar Wild Card Weekend. Off the field, however, it’s no surprise that the two extra playoff games have been a financial boon for the league.

Having six games in the first round instead of four allows the NFL to placate its four linear TV partners — CBS, NBC, Fox, and ABC/ESPN. It also gives the league more room to experiment and innovate, taking $110 million from NBC to broadcast Saturday night’s Chiefs-Dolphins ice bowl on Peacock, the first exclusive streaming playoff game in NFL history.

The plan clearly worked.

Nielsen said that 23 million viewers tuned into the blowout, the most streamed live TV event in US history, though that number includes linear viewers in the two local markets and the NFL+ audience. That number was up 6% from last year’s NBC-only playoff game, with a likely jump in subscriber growth that will make every streamer salivating at the thought of getting in on the action.

It won’t be long before more playoff games are on Paramount+, ESPN+, and Amazon’s Prime Video, as it’s a win-win situation — the two extra games make it vastly easier for the NFL to say “yes” to its media partners, and the league keeps everyone happy.

Eyes Always on the NFL

History shows that people will tune in to the NFL, as the league dominates the list of most-watched US sporting events ever.

Check it out!

Having one more playoff team per conference gives more teams hope during the regular season and provides a greater incentive to gun for the top seed with just one bye total per conference. But the current postseason structure is coming at the expense of the Wild Card round.

While the seventh-seeded Packers were a great story that wouldn’t have had the opportunity in the previous playoff system, they were the only road team to win over the weekend. In the 14-team playoff era, home teams won 16 of the 24 Super Wild Card games. The numbers would suggest that, competitively, going back to 12 teams would make first-round games better.

Given how much more money the league makes now during the current format, reducing playoff teams will never happen. But if the playoffs remain the same as currently constructed, four years of data shows that you’re just not going to get great Wild Card round games.

Viewership remains sky-high. Dallas’ flop on Sunday got 40 million viewers on Fox, up 20% from its similar window last year. Streaming-only playoff games gives the NFL yet another nine-figure source of revenue while spreading the inventory among its media partners.

The games on the field may not be competitive compared to the regular season, but the NFL isn’t really incentivized to care. The Subpar Wild Card Weekend era is here to stay, and it doesn’t seem like the NFL’s tens of millions of fans really mind at all.

Business is booming, good games be damned.

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The post The NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend Problem appeared first on Boardroom.

The NFL has dominated television in recent years, and 2023’s ratings are strong proof. Sportico recently published Nielson data of last year’s television viewership, and sporting events were 96 of the top 100 most-watched TV broadcasts of 2023. Of those 96 telecasts, 93 were NFL games, most watched in real-time. The Dallas Cowboys were the biggest ratings drivers, recording an average draw of 25.2 million viewers per game across 13 national TV appearances. The most-viewed program in 2023 was the Super Bowl LVII thriller between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, drawing over 115 million viewers.

Utah Jazz, Shaun White’s WHITESPACE Collab on Snowboard & Apparel Collection

On Friday, the Utah Jazz and WHITESPACE, the active lifestyle brand founded by three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, announced a new collection to honor the 50th season of the Jazz franchise while celebrating White‘s prolific snowboarding career. The limited-release capsule comprises four jackets and three snowboards, which feature WHITESPACE and Jazz imagery. Priced at $800 and $500 for the snowboards and jackets, respectively, products will be available exclusively in person at the Utah Jazz team store inside the Delta Center on Jan. 11.

White joined Boardroom’s Out of Office to reflect on life post-competition, the development of WHITESPACE, and much more.

Stephen Curry Assists Callaway Golf in Uninterrupted Coverage of The Sentry

Callaway Golf will provide uninterrupted coverage of the final hour of The Sentry broadcast live on Golf Channel and Peacock, with the coverage getting a kick-start with a personal welcome from Callaway ambassador, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. Sunday’s continual coverage of the final round of the first PGA Tour event of the 2024 season is scheduled to begin around 7 p.m. ET, with Curry getting the show started. The four-time NBA Finals champion will promote the new Chrome Tour golf ball, officially released by Callaway on Wednesday. Last June, Callaway presented uninterrupted final-hour coverage of the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on NBC and Peacock.

Former WNBA Player, NCAA Coach Raegan Pebley Named New LA Sparks GM

The Los Angeles Sparks announced Friday the hiring of former WNBA player Raegan Pebley as general manager, replacing Karen Bryant, who will focus solely on the team’s business operations. Drafted by the Utah Starzz as the 21st overall pick in the 1997 draft, Pebley played in the WNBA from 1997-98. She was a TV analyst for the Dallas Wings from 2016-23 and served on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association board from 2018-23. As a head coach, Pebley boasts stints at Utah State, Fresno State, and most recently, nine seasons at TCU, finishing with an overall record of 283-268. The Sparks have the No. 2 & 12 overall picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

US Jobs Increase by 216K in December, Beating Economists’ Projections

Employers added 216,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7%, the US Labor Department said on Friday. CNBC notes that this beats Wall Street economists surveyed by Dow Jones, who had only predicted a 170,000 increase in payroll. The most significant job increases in Friday’s report were seen in government, where 52,000 jobs were added. Meanwhile, healthcare added 38,000 jobs. Considering amendments to previous months’ counts, the report brought 2023 job gains to 2.7 million, or a monthly average of 225,000, down from 4.8 million (399,000/month) in 2022.

Fat Joe, Jelly Roll, Wyclef Jean to Advocate For Healthcare Transparency in DC

Fat Joe, Jelly Roll, and Wyclef Jean announced plans on Friday to team up with Power To The Patients for an event in Washington, DC, on Jan. 10 to advocate for a more affordable and equitable healthcare system through price transparency. Joined by leaders in Congress and other government officials, the artists will shed light on injustices created when hospitals and insurers hide prices, which stifles competition and leads to other problems. Fat Joe will also serve as emcee, while Jelly Roll and Wyclef Jean will perform. This event follows a September 2023 effort where Joe tapped Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, French Montana, Method Man, and Chuck D to unveil a PSA demanding elected officials commit to price transparency to allow for more honest, affordable, and equitable healthcare nationwide.

The post NFL Records 93 of 100 Most-watched US TV Broadcasts in 2023 appeared first on Boardroom.

As 2023 comes to a close and all champions for the calendar year have been named, it’s time to see what the most expensive sporting event was. According to TickPick, the top spot was Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, averaging $5,795 per ticket. Coming in second was Session 25 from the US Open, which featured the men’s final and women’s doubles final, averaging $1,778 a pass. The NBA took over the following two spots, with the 2023 NBA All-Star Game ($1,512) and Game 5 of the NBA Finals ($1,414) between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat claiming third and fourth, respectively. Game 5 of the NHL Finals between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers rounded out the top five at an average of $1,398 a ticket.

Boardroom’s Griffin Adams breaks down the complete top 10 list.

Gotham FC’s Krieger, O’Hara, Purce to Drop the NYE Ball in Times Square

NJ/NY Gotham FC are taking their 2023 championship-winning season into the new year. On Tuesday, the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment,co-organizers of Times Square New Year’s Eve, announced that Gotham FC players Ali Krieger, Kelley O’Hara, and Midge Purce will push the crystal button in the center of Times Square, which signals the lowering of the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball. Past guests designated for this job include Muhammad Ali, Lady Gaga, former presidents, Broadway stars, and more.

Kia Takes Over the Naming Rights for the Orlando Magic’s Arena

Starting Wednesday, the Amway Center, home of the Orlando Magic, will be officially renamed the Kia Center. The partnership will consist of new indoor and outdoor signage, the installation of EV charging stations, Kia vehicle displays, and the Kia Terrace, a hospitality lounge to be used by concertgoers and Magic fans alike. As the NBA‘s official car brand, this reveal coincides with the historic launch of the first three-row, all-electric SUV — the Kia EV9. Kia also becomes an Orlando Magic “Champion of the Community” partner and will work on impactful Central Florida community relations activations. Kia also has naming rights for the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.

Jake Paul, USA Boxing Team Up for Olympics

YouTube celebrity-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul will join the US Boxing team in the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics and accompany the team at the Games in July. Paul posted the news to his Instagram, saying he is “determined to make my impact outside the ring bigger than anything I do within it.” USA Boxing executive director Mike McAtee added that Paul will also give his audience a behind-the-scenes look at the team’s Olympic journey to France and mentor athletes to develop their brand inside and outside the ring. Team USA won four boxing medals at the Tokyo Games in 2021 (three silver, one bronze), the most at an Olympics since 2000.

TRINITI & Sounds.Studio Partner to Streamline AI in Music

TRINITI, an artistic intelligence platform powered by music tech studio CreateSafe, announced a partnership with modern music production platform Sounds.Studio on Tuesday to place music AI software in the hands of the creators and consumers. Sounds.Studio will leverage the capabilities of TRINITI’s technology to allow users to create and distribute music seamlessly, all in one place. Over the summer, CreateSafe worked with musician Grimes, cloning her voice and authorizing artists to use it in new original songs. Since then, over 1,000 pieces have been created since its collab.

Online Shopping Exceeds 2020 Pandemic High

A CNBC All-America Economic Survey found that 57% of Americans identify online shopping as their top one or two destinations for Christmas gifts, ending the two-year slump that followed the unprecedented levels during the pandemic. Online shopping hit an all-time high in 2020 when 55% responded it was their top choice at the height of lockdown. Per the Tuesday report, Amazon is the No. 1 choice for online shopping, with 74% of consumers identifying the marketplace as their preferred spot. In second place (by a long shot) is Walmart, rising to 16% from 12% in 2022.

The post Super Bowl LVII Easily the Most Expensive Sports Ticket of 2023 appeared first on Boardroom.

It’s no secret that if you want to attend a high-profile sporting event, it will cost you. It was no different in 2023.

With inflation hitting the country across the board, sports are not exempt. Relative to other categories, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics keeps track of year over year, the admission price of sporting events recorded the highest annualized inflation rate out of the hundreds of categories that make up the to-come.

So, which sporting events were the most expensive to attend? Boardroom breaks down the top 10 with the highest ticket prices in 2023.

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Data courtesy of TickPick. The ticket prices are the average for each respective event.

1. Super Bowl LVII: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs — $5,795

Again, no surprise here. It’s not even close and likely won’t ever be. The Super Bowl remains one of the marquee sporting events across the globe, and it doesn’t really matter who is even playing. However, in 2023, the matchup between the Chiefs and the Eagles brought a ton of intrigue, from a young superstar QB battle with Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts to a brotherly rivalry between Jason & Travis Kelce. And with a 38-35 finish, the game lived up to the hype.

2. US Open Championship: Session 25 (Men’s Final/Women’s Doubles Final) — $1,778

With how much of a spectacle the US Open has become in the last few years, it’s no wonder the ticket prices to attend continue to rise. This year, Novak Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev in the men’s final, while Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe bested the duo of Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva in the women’s doubles final.

It was an exciting US Open throughout the entire tournament — the top three seeds in the men’s semifinals (then-World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz fell to Medvedev in this round) as well as the rise of American phenom Ben Shelton — which likely contributed to the crescendo that was the final.

3. 2023 NBA All-Star Game — $1,512

It’s funny how everyone complains about the NBA All-Star Game, with players somewhat goofing around and having fun (imagine that) during the event, yet folks are still willing to pay top dollar to see it live. Given, the experience of seeing the biggest stars of the NBA in one place and up close in person is much different than sitting on one’s couch and watching it all on TV.

4. NBA Finals: Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat (Game 5) — $1,414

While it wasn’t the sexiest matchup in the 2023 NBA Finals, it makes sense why Game 5 was an expensive one. It was also the first chance the Denver Nuggets had to clinch their first NBA title in the series being up 3-1 heading in. With the win and securing the championship, Denver fans certainly got what they paid for.

5. NHL Finals: Las Vegas Golden Knights vs. Florida Panthers (Game 5) — $1,398

Las Vegas’s rise as one of the nation’s top sports cities came to a peak this year. From F1 to not one, but two championships, Sin City is becoming one of the hottest destinations for sports fans.

Speaking of fans getting their money’s worth, the Golden Knights provided their faithful with that by winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in their home arena by a dominant 9-3 score.

6. Formula 1: 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix — $1,355
7. Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia — $1,312
8. NBA Finals: Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets (Game 4) — $1,244
9. Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo — $1,127
10. NFC Championship: San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles — $1,113

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The post The Top 10 Sporting Events of 2023 by Average Ticket Price appeared first on Boardroom.

This article originally appeared at FanDuel Research.

Week 15 wraps up with the Philadelphia Eagles (10-3) hitting the road to take on the Seattle Seahawks (6-7).

Some concern remains over the status of Jalen Hurts (illness) after he was downgraded to questionable yesterday, but with Philly a 3.5-point road favorite, per the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, it seems like oddsmakers are banking on Hurts being able to play.

Things don’t look as rosy for Geno Smith, who is reportedly a longshot to play. We’re likely in for a second straight game of Drew Lock.

The Eagles have lost two straight, getting thumped by both the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers the past two weeks. Oddly enough, Seattle has also played Dallas and San Fran over its last two games, losing both, as well. In all, the Seahawks have dropped four straight and desperately need a win to rescue their floundering playoff chances.

NFL Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

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Eagles at Seahawks Week 15 Betting Odds: Spread, Total, and Moneyline

• Spread: Eagles -3.5 (-110)
• Total: 45.0
• Moneyline:
  • Eagles: -172
  • Titans: +144

Eagles at Seahawks Week 15 Matchup Analysis

While the Eagles’ 10-3 record looks pretty great, they aren’t playing at the level they were a year ago.

Per numberFire’s schedule-adjusted metrics, Philadelphia ranks 12th overall. The issue has been on defense. The Eagles own the NFL’s sixth-worst D, according to numberFire, ranking in the bottom 11 against both the run and the pass. Some of those issues have been exposed the last two weeks, as the Eagles gave up a combined 75 points in losses to the Cowboys and 49ers.

Hurts and company are carrying the load. numberFire slots Philly’s offense seventh overall, and as we mentioned in the intro, with the Eagles listed as a 3.5-point road favorite, Hurts appears likely to play.

Things aren’t going well for Seattle this year, and while the offense isn’t without blame, the Seahawks’ defense has disappointed thus far, ranking fifth-worst in overall D, per numberFire. They’re third-worst versus the run and right around the league average against the pass.

It looks like Geno Smith will be out today, so we’ll see Drew Lock once more. In his first start of the year last week at San Fran, Lock did decently well, throwing for 269 yards with 2 scores and 2 interceptions. At home against a struggling Philly defense, Lock gets a softer landing spot this week.

Eagles at Seahawks Prop Bets

A.J. Brown Over 82.5 Receiving Yards (-113)

A.J. Brown has gone for 114 and 94 receiving yards the last two games, getting 13 targets in each and bouncing back from a brief dry spell. While Brown is unlikely to see the pass-heavy game scripts he got in those two lopsided defeats, I think he’ll stay hot against a Seattle defense that’s allowed the seventh-most catches (13.9) and seventh-most yards per game (167.8) to wideouts.

In the last two weeks, Seattle has been torched by receivers. In Week 14, Deebo Samuel (149 yards) and Brandon Aiyuk (126 yards) both went off against this defense while CeeDee Lamb (116 yards) had a big game against the ‘Hawks in Week 13.

For the year, Brown is averaging 96.8 receiving yards per game, and he’s recorded at least 83 receiving yards in 8 of 13 games.

Kenneth Walker III Over 10.5 Receiving Yards (-113)

Kenneth Walker III returned last week and led Seattle’s backfield in snap rate (56%). Walker out-snapping Zach Charbonnet (42%) despite a negative game script is a positive sign for his outlook today.

Walker didn’t do much on the ground (8 carries, 21 yards) a week ago but found some joy as a pass-catcher, hauling in 4 of 5 targets for 33 yards.

With Seattle a ‘dog, I like Walker’s chances to post at least 11 receiving yards today. Across the five Seahawks’ losses he’s played in, Walker is averaging 2.6 catches and 12.4 receiving yards per game. His big-play ability gives him a chance to clear this bar in one catch.

The matchup helps, too, as the Eagles give up the 10th-most catches (5.1) and 10th-most targets (6.5) per game to running backs.

–Austan Kas

Eagles vs. Seahawks Prediction

The numberFire projections model gives the Eagles a 59.2% chance at victory against Seattle.

A spread of 3.5 and total of 45 implies a final score of approximately 24-21.

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The post Eagles vs. Seahawks Week 15: Can Philly Get Back on Track? appeared first on Boardroom.

This article originally appeared at FanDuel Research.

Week 14’s Sunday Night Football matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys is about as good as it gets. These are two teams who are among the top two records in their conference, they are bitter rivals jostling for the top spot in the NFC East, and each squad features an MVP candidate. You can’t ask for much more.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook’s NFL MVP odds, Jalen Hurts is +350 to win the award while Dak Prescott is +300 (the two shortest odds). Both teams are also among the top six shortest odds to win the Super Bowl with the Eagles at +500 and Cowboys at +900.

Of course, this is also a pivotal race for the NFC East with Philadelphia holding a one-game lead over Dallas. The Eagles took the previous head-to-head matchup in Week 9. If Philly completes the season sweep, expect their odds of winning the division to soar (currently -490). For the Cowboys, this could be their final chance of making a push for the NFC East (currently +330).

Now that the stakes have been laid out, let’s dig into the matchup. Check out FanDuel’s latest NFL odds for the Sunday night showdown.

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Cowboys vs. Eagles Betting Odds: Spread, Total, Moneyline

• Spread: Cowboys -3.5 (+100)
• Total: 51.5
• Moneyline: Cowboys: -194 | Eagles: +162

Eagles vs. Cowboys Week 14 Matchup Analysis

The Eagles are 10-2 with the second-shortest odds to win the Super Bowl, yet they’re underdogs against the Cowboys. Why? Philadelphia was trounced in a 42-19 loss against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13 — similar to Dallas’ 42-10 loss against the Niners.

Additionally, the Cowboys have the longest active home win streak with 14 consecutive wins. They are also averaging 44.5 points per game (PPG) while going 3-1 against the spread (ATS) over their previous four home games. Dallas’ dominance at home also goes hand in hand with their need to win the NFC East. Gaining home advantage for the playoffs could be what the Cowboys need to finally make a deep run. 

The Eagles’ offensive line has been the subject of criticism in recent weeks. The unit has given up an average of 3.3 sacks over the last four games, and the run game is averaging only 3.7 yards per carry over the last seven games. They also totaled only 46 rushing yards last week. The run game failed to get going in the previous meeting against Dallas at 3.3 yards per carry.

This offensive line is usually continuously praised as one of the league’s best units. With recent struggles, how will they respond? The pass blocking must improve as the Cowboys have the best pass rush win rate and have the fifth-most sacks in the league (38.0). Slowing Micah Parsons will be a tall task as he posted 5.5 sacks over his previous four outings and is the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year (+100). 

Stopping the run has been Dallas’ weakness on defense; they give up 4.1 yards per carry (11th-best), rank 22nd in run stuff win rate, and have given up 48.9 rushing yards over expectation (16th-worst). Philly could look to ride D’Andre Swift, who had only six carries last week. 

On the other side of the ball, it could be about the Eagles trying to limit Dak Prescott and Co. Since the Week 5 loss against the 49ers, Prescott has been outstanding with 0.34 expected points added per dropback (EPA/DB). CeeDee Lamb has terrorized defenses with 117.7 receiving yards per game, 12.3 yards per game, and 16.7 receiving yards over expectation (RecYOE) since Week 6. 

Philadelphia has allowed -0.01 EPA/DB on the season (9th-worst) and has numberFire’s 10th-worst schedule-adjusted pass defense. 

Ultimately, the Eagles’ run game has not been the same and found little success in the previous matchup. Philadelphia’s secondary could be in store for a long night against the red-hot Prescott. Dallas is an intriguing cover with their hot streak at home; the +100 odds only sweeten the deal. 

The over could also be wise with the Cowboys giving up 35 points and 334 passing yards last week.

Cowboys vs. Eagles Prop Bets

All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

D’Andre Swift Over 53.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

After giving D’Andre Swift only six carries last week, the Eagles have heard run the ball all week. Eagles fans were even standing outside of the facility to urge Philly to run the rock.

Philadelphia probably feels the pressure and will likely respond on Sunday. Making another Super Bowl run is unlikely without their dominant run game. This is something the Eagles must solve, and quickly.

Dallas clearly has a fearsome pass rush that few teams want to regularly drop back against. How do you slow the pass rush? How about running right at it? 

Stopping the run has been perhaps the only clear flaw of the Cowboys’ defense. This is nothing new; it was the same case last season. They held up well against Philly’s run game in Week 9, but I don’t think that will continue this week.

Taking the over for Swift’s rushing yard total could be more of a gut feeling. He barely touched the ball in Week 13 and averaged 2.4 yards per carry against Dallas this season. 

Ultimately, I believe in this offensive line. It is still 1st in run block win rate while the Cowboys are 22nd in run stuff win rate. Keeping Dallas’ offense off of the field could also be wise as it averages 32.3 PPG (first). Deploying an effective run game could help limit the Cowboys’ possessions.

Swift’s workload could increase this week, leading to the over.

Dak Prescott Over 2.5 Passing Touchdowns (+158) 

I’ve gone over Dak Prescott’s current hot streak; it’s about as good as it gets. He’s averaging 3.3 passing touchdowns per game over his previous six contests. 

The Eagles give up 2.3 passing touchdowns per game (tied for the worst in the league). They allowed an average of 3.0 passing touchdowns per game over the last five games, including four against the 49ers last week. 

Dallas’ passing offense has also had Philly’s number. Prescott totaled 374 passing yards, three touchdowns, and 0.14 EPA/DB in Week 9’s head-to-head clash. 

Dak’s favorite target CeeDee Lamb has consistently torched the Eagles; he’s averaging 10.5 catches, 13.5 targets, and 155.5 receiving yards per game in the last two meetings. 

The Cowboys red zone offense has struggled at times, ranking 17th in scoring percentage (touchdown). However, Philadelphia holds the fourth-worst mark in opponent scoring percentage in the red zone. 

With Dak’s red-hot play and the Eagles’ secondary and red-zone defense, Prescott could continue to stack passing touchdowns this week. The +158 odds are calling my name.

— Riley Thomas

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The post Eagles vs. Cowboys Week 14: Who Do Oddsmakers Like in NFC East Clash? appeared first on Boardroom.

This article originally appeared at FanDuel Research

After the Thanksgiving slate and the Black Friday game, we still have lots of football to help ourselves to on Sunday.

The headline game for Sunday is a matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles — two teams expected to be Super Bowl contenders this season.

Another big matchup is a battle in the AFC South. The Houston Texans have won three games in a row and sit one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars — who will be their opponents this week.

We also have a game between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons that could decide first place in the NFC South.

These games will have huge implications for the playoffs, but which games could have implications for our wallets, if we decide to bet them? Let’s look at the Week 12 odds and see what value could be out there.

All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

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NFL Week 12 Predictions

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons

• Time: 1 p.m. EST
• TV: FOX
• Spread: ATL -1.5 (-102)
• Moneyline: NO -102/ ATL -116
• Total: 42.5

It may be the worst division in football this year, but the winner of the NFC South will still get a playoff berth.

Both the Saints and the Falcons come into this week off of their bye after losing their last game. Atlanta has actually lost their last three games, and the screws are starting to be tightened on Arthur Smith. He called talk of Desmond Ridder potentially being benched “toxic group think” before eventually benching Ridder. Now, he’s turning back to Ridder for the remainder of the season.

The Saints lost their last game to the Minnesota Vikings, and Derek Carr went down injured. It looks like Carr will be healthy enough to go this Sunday.

Best Bet: Saints +1.5 (-120)

I’m backing the Saints in this spot. They have enough offensive weapons to do damage versus a Falcons’ defense that ranks just 14th, according to numberFire’s metrics.

Atlanta has good numbers against the run, but a lot of that came before Grady Jarrett went down with an injury. They haven’t won a game without Jarrett and have allowed 4.68 yards per carry since he’s been out of the lineup.

New Orleans can win this game if they find ways to involve all of their key offensive players. In their last win, Taysom Hill scored two touchdowns. He may be seen as a gadget player, but he’s a very effective red-zone piece to this offense.

Arthur Smith has really struggled to get his talented offensive players consistently involved. Top-10 picks Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson are not put in positions — by their coach or their quarterback — to create big plays. Bijan got 22 carries last game, but that was in a losing effort, which could cause Smith to change the game plan.

It’s unlikely that the Falcons have their breakout offensive performance against this Saints defense that ranks seventh by numberFire. If you back the Saints, you’re getting points with the better QB and better coach. That’s a recipe I like when looking to bet a side in the NFL.

Go Deeper on Derek Carr’s Contract

Carr is getting $60 million over his first two years as a member of the Saints. Check out the rest of his deal in New Orleans.

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Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans

• Time: 1 p.m. EST
• TV: CBS
• Spread: JAX -1.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: JAX -124/ HOU +106
• Total: 48.5

The Houston Texans were widely criticized for their draft day trade to move next year’s first-round pick to take Will Anderson Jr., with some thinking they could have potentially traded a top-five selection if things went poorly.

Luckily, head coach DeMeco Ryans, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, C.J. Stroud and Anderson have all been contributing to a surprising surge for the Texans. They’ve now won three games in a row and are in position to make the playoffs.

The Jacksonville Jaguars bounced back with a win last week after a poor showing in Week 10. Prior to that, they had won five games in a row, with the previous loss being at home against these Texans.

Best Bet: Texans ML (+106)

I’m riding with the Texans to keep this streak going. Despite throwing three interceptions last week, Stroud says he won’t slow down. This is definitely a good thing for Houston, as he had thrown only two interceptions before that over the entire season.

Houston’s passing offense is the fourth-best in the NFL, according to numberFire’s metrics. It was hard to envision that happening before the season, with a rookie QB and no amazing weapons for him to target. That’s where credit has to be given to the coaching staff, as they’ve been successful even with wide receivers going in and out of the lineup throughout the season.

Jacksonville’s offense hasn’t been amazing despite their overall team success. The Jags’ O ranks 21st overall by nF. They look unlikely to thrive in the run game this week, as their 30th-ranked rushing offense is up against the eighth-best rush defense.

There’s a case to be made for Houston just being a better overall team than Jacksonville, so I’ll take the odds and back them as a home underdog in this spot.

Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles

• Time: 4:25 p.m. EST
• TV: CBS
• Spread: PHI -3 (-120)
• Moneyline: BUF +140/ PHI -166
• Total: 48.5

The Buffalo Bills needed to get their season back on track last week with a dominant win over the New York Jets. Whether it was firing Ken Dorsey or playing the Jets, Buffalo got exactly what it needed.

Also last week, the Philadelphia Eagles got what they had been longing for since February, a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Of course, they would have liked to have the Super Bowl win, but for this season, this was as sweet as it gets.

Sometimes after important wins, teams can be in a letdown spot the next week. That’s unlikely to be the case here, with both teams knowing how good their opponent is.

Best Bet: Eagles -3.0 (-120)

It’s still too early to say the Bills’ offense is fixed. They faced a Jets team that did most of the damage to themselves. New York turned the ball over four times, leading to 17 points for the Bills.

Josh Allen limited himself to just one interception on the day and three touchdowns. A whopping 81 of his 275 yards came from one play to Khalil Shakir, which featured some very questionable routes to the ball carrier by the defense.

Buffalo still couldn’t really get Stefon Diggs involved. Their star wide receiver had just four catches for 27 yards. A lot of their offensive success came from throwing to running backs — and Philly defends backs in the passing game better than any team in the league.

Philly’s pass defense hasn’t been the same this season, but they were able to contain Patrick Mahomes for the most part. They should be able to play even better at home this week.

The Bills lost another key defensive player when Taylor Rapp got hurt last week. Add him to Tre’Davious White, Matt Milano, Kaiir Elam and Taron Johnson, and you have one banged-up defense — especially in the secondary. That doesn’t bode well against A.J. Brown, who’s tied for second in the league in receiving yards.

The Eagles’ offensive line gave up some sacks last week but played well overall against the Chiefs. The unit is currently ranked second by PFF and should have an advantage this week.

With Philly arguably the best team in the league this season, I’ll lay the three points with the Eagles in this game.

— Nicholas Vazquez

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The post NFL Week 12 Predictions: Saints, Texans, & Playoff Implications appeared first on Boardroom.

To close out the Week 11 schedule, our friends at FanDuel have all the odds and props you need for the Super Bowl rematch — Eagles vs. Chiefs.

In what is likely the most highly anticipated game of the regular season, the Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) will visit the Kansas City Chiefs (7-2) to cap off Week 11.

This matchup is fraught with storylines. Not only will we see a Super Bowl LVII rematch, but this could be a preview of what we may have in store for Super Bowl LVIII — both teams enter the night as the betting favorite to win their respective conference.

The Kelce brothers will also face each other for the fifth time ever. Travis Kelce has yet to lose against Jason Kelce.

Each team is fresh off a bye week, and former Eagles-turned-Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has a storied 20-3 record following the bye.

A fairly clean injury report should keep the excitement and competitiveness in this game, though potential rainfall could make this a messy one.

Can Andy Reid maintain his post-bye dominance? Or will Jalen Hurts and the Birds come into Arrowhead Stadium and get revenge on last season’s Super Bowl victors?

The can’t-miss game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET and can be watched on ABC and ESPN.

All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

Chiefs vs. Eagles Betting Odds: Spread, Total, and Moneyline

• Spread: Chiefs -2.5 (-115)
• Total: 45.5
• Moneyline: Chiefs -148 | Eagles +126

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Eagles vs. Chiefs Matchup Analysis

Home-field advantage is the biggest swing vote with this spread. Similar to last season, Kansas City has dropped just one game at Arrowhead, with this year’s singular home loss coming in a Kelce-less season opener against the Detroit Lions.

Away teams at Arrowhead are drawing the second-fewest penalties among road sides in the NFL, and the Chiefs are averaging one extra takeaway at home. With that being said, it’s hard to imagine this Eagles team, one that boasts the best record in the league, coming out anything other than strongly tonight.

Per numberFire’s power rankings, the Eagles have the sixth-best offense, while the Chiefs have the eighth-best O. Patrick Mahomes ranks a hair above Jalen Hurts by Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) per drop back, though Hurts has a bit more talent to work with on offense.

AJ Brown is one of four players in the league to have already hit the 1,000-receiving-yard mark, DeVonta Smith is about as good as it gets as far as second-string receiving targets are concerned, and D’Andre Swift has been a great addition to the backfield.

The Chiefs’ offense has been somewhat muted over their last two games, scoring just two touchdowns in that span. Mahomes and Kansas City are the type of team to bounce back from this, especially given the bye week, though we shouldn’t expect much action to happen on the ground tonight.

Isiah Pacheco has been good in his sophomore season, but the Eagles give up fewer rush yards than anyone in the league — by a lot. Although the Birds’ D is a bastion on the ground, their secondary does not fare as well. On a per-game basis, Philadelphia gives up the fourth-most passing yards and second-most passing touchdowns.

Though Mahomes’ non-Kelce receivers can sometimes feel like choosing a name out of a hat, the reigning MVP can pick apart even the strongest of pass defenses, so it’s safe to say that heavier rainfall would likely favor the Eagles tonight.

Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice has worked his way up the Mahomes’ target totem pole as of late, while Skyy Moore ranks third (behind Kelce and Rice) in target share. No team allows a higher pass-play percentage than Philadelphia does so look for the already pass-heavy Chiefs to continue this game plan.

While the Eagles give up the fourth-most passing yards, the Chiefs give up the fourth-fewest.

Kansas City has, by numberFire’s metrics, the sixth-best defense in the league, which is led — first and foremost — by their solid pass defense. They give up the third-fewest yards per pass attempt and average the third-most sacks per game.

Their defense struggles more on the ground, sacrificing the 16th-most rushing yards and fourth-most yards per rush attempt, so look for a big game from Swift.

Tight end Dallas Goedert is one of few notable injuries in this game, and his third-highest target share could swing the door open for alternative Philadelphia receivers.

The final score of last season’s Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl matchup stood at 38-35, while their meeting in 2021 — the only other Mahomes-vs.-Hurts game — resulted in a 42-30 Chiefs victory. A towering 18 touchdowns were scored across these two games.

While tougher defenses and dicey weather may help the defenses tonight, historically, these games have been shootouts, and it wouldn’t be bold to expect this one to come down to the wire.

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Chiefs vs. Eagles Best Bets

D’Andre Swift Over 13.5 Rush Attempts (-130) / 70+ Rushing Yards (+138)

Iffy weather, an unforgiving Kansas City pass D, and a so-so KC run defense — this game has all the fixings for a monster D’Andre Swift game.

Save for a no-show season opener outing — prior to Swift’s preeminence on the Eagles running back depth chart — he is averaging 76.38 rush yards on 16.75 carries per game.

As mentioned, the Chiefs let up the fourth-most yards per rush attempt. They also force the third-highest rush-play percentage at home.

Though Jalen Hurts will undoubtedly be a candidate to see some work on the ground, Swift’s workload should be strong tonight — Kenneth Gainwell has only five carries over his last two games.

The Chiefs come into the night with the fourth-ranked overall defense. The Eagles have played three teams that rank in the top 12 of numberFire’s defensive power rankings this season. Swift averaged 116 rush yards against these teams (Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

numberFire’s model predicts Swift to rush for 69.72 yards on 15.69 carries. I’m all in on Swift to surpass his rush attempts prop — he’s done so in all but one game since the season opener. You can also get Swift Over 59.5 Rushing Yards at -114, though I like the idea of committing to a big Swift game and targeting him to run for 70-plus yards at +138.

Skyy Moore Any Time Touchdown (+600)

Patrick Mahomes has thrown for eight touchdowns in just two career games against the Eagles. The Birds are allowing the second-most passing touchdowns per game (2.1) and have allowed the most over their last three games (2.7).

Travis Kelce (-125 anytime TD) and Rashee Rice (+200) are the likely touchdown recipients, but I think Mahomes spreads the wealth enough to make Skyy Moore a potentially worthwhile move at +600.

Moore has reached the end zone just once this season, but he does have the third-highest mark in both target share and route rate on the team. More importantly, he has a decent enough 11.8% red zone target share (fourth) and a sizable 18.8% end zone target share (tied for second).

The odds on this prove it’s a longshot, but the Chiefs should continue to play a pass-first game in this matchup, and if Mahomes gets going, I think Moore is a good candidate to get in on the fun.

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The post Eagles vs. Chiefs Week 11: Who Do Oddsmakers Like in Super Bowl Rematch? appeared first on Boardroom.

No investment is foolproof. There are no guarantees. There are no sure things — if you have a problem with that, take it up with the giant robot at the center of the earth that controls capitalism.

That said, buying a stake in a National Football League franchise might just be the closest thing to a set-it-and-forget it cash cow.

Even a global pandemic couldn’t stop this train. Thanks the unprecedented heft of the league’s broadcast and streaming deals combined with a salary cap that prevents roster spending at galaxy brain levels, profits are all but guaranteed. Guaranteed! Think about that for a second. Go ahead, think about it.

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Okay, welcome back.

Yes, all these implications got us thinking: Who ultimately stands alone atop the mountain of NFL team valuations? This penthouse only has room for one, so does that mean Jerry Jones and Co. by default, or are there competitors in, say, New York and Los Angeles ready to stake their claim?

Well, thanks to a Forbes report led by Mike Ozanian and Justin Teitelbaum, we have a new, gaudy snapshot of just how powerfully pro football franchises have evolved as investment assets — and who’s the biggest winner of all.

Check out the latest list of the most valuable NFL teams below.

Most Valuable NFL Teams: The Top 10 of 2023

Numbers via Forbes’ Most Valuable NFL Teams report published Aug. 30, 2023. “YoY %” refers to a team valuation’s growth compared to Forbes’ 2022 report.

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Most Valuable NFL Teams: 21-32

Additional NFL Team Valuation Facts

• The average NFL team is now worth just over $5.1 billion.
• The combined valuations of all 32 NFL teams equal $163 billion. Forbes notes that this is nearly as much as every NBA and MLB team combined.
• The Washington Commanders’ $6.05 billion sale to Josh Harris’s investor group is the most expensive sports team acquisition on record as of this writing and contributed to 8% growth in the team’s year-over-year valuation.
• Per Forbes, the Dallas Cowboys lapped the field in generating over $1.1 billion in revenue during the 2022 NFL season. No other team exceeded the Las Vegas Raiders’ $729 million.
• The Tennessee Titans’ valuation experienced the largest year-over-year increase in the league — 26%.

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The post Most Valuable NFL Teams of 2023: Who’s No. 1 in the World at Over $9 Billion? appeared first on Boardroom.

The NFL’s two marquee matchups on Sunday each featured one of last year’s Super Bowl participants, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams delivered statement 31-17 wins. Both teams improved to 6-1. And both teams are tied by themselves atop the league standings.

There’s only been one rematch in Super Bowl history, when the Dallas Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills 30 years ago. Now, seven weeks into the season, there’s reason to believe another is possible. Here’s how the Eagles and Chiefs — led by Howie Roseman and Brett Veach respectively — kept their rosters on top during the offseason and on a collision course for another championship showdown.

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The Soaring Eagles

In this era of free agency and NFL parity, it is impossible to keep a team completely together, but Eagles GM Howie Roseman did his best. Among Philadelphia’s eight Pro Bowlers from last season, only running back Miles Sanders departed. That move allowed the Eagles to optimize their running game on a budget. His low-cost replacement, D’Andre Swift, continues to excel as the lead ‘back with the offense continuing to surge.

Other losses were significant, however. Top defensive lineman Javon Hargrave (11 sacks last year) signed a four-year, $84 million deal with San Francisco. Cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson led the NFL in interceptions before leaving for Detroit. Starting linebacker T.J. Edwards departed for Chicago after leading the team in tackles. Starting guard Isaac Seumalo, starting safety Marcus Epps, key reserve linebacker Kyzir White, punter Brett Kern, and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew were other notable offseason losses.

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Check it out!

Jalen Hurts‘ five-year, $255 million extension with $179.4 million guaranteed was significantly backloaded, with a cap hit not exceeding $25 million in a season until 2026, per Spotrac. Bringing Pro Bowlers Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Darius Slay back were no-brainers, and several new signings and draft picks have helped keep Philadelphia on top in the NFC defensively, with Hurts, Swift, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert leading the offense.

Trading up for the ninth pick in April’s draft for Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter has already paid dividends. The 22-year-old is third on the team in sacks and tackles for loss, emerging as Pro Football Focus’s highest-graded interior defender. Linebacker Nicholas Morrow was a strong veteran addition from Chicago, and he already has three sacks and a forced fumble. Veteran safety Terrell Edmunds has been a strong contributor as well, helping the Eagles to seventh in the league in yards allowed, and two-time Pro Bowl safety Kevin Byard arrived Monday in a trade with Tennessee to further bolster the Philly secondary. Recent draftees like 2022 first rounder Jordan Davis at defensive tackle and 2021 second rounder Landon Dickerson at guard help the team immensely in providing cost-effective starters as star veterans become more expensive.

The Champs Reload

The defending champions managed to lose just one of their seven Pro Bowlers from last year, but it was a huge one. Tackle Orlando Brown left for a four-year, $64 million deal — including $31.1 million guaranteed — with rival Cincinnati. Kansas City’s top-ranked offense from a season ago also had to replace wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, who left for New England after a 78-catch, 933-yard regular season. Mecole Hardman left for the New York Jets, only to return to the team last week via trade. He contributed immediately with a key punt return and reception on Sunday.

Chiefs GM Brett Veach replaced those stalwarts in vastly different ways. In place of Brown, he signed tackle Jawaan Taylor from Jacksonville for four years and $80 million, including $60 million guaranteed. At receiver, K.C. took Rashee Rice in the second round, and he’s already second on the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, only behind Taylor’s boyfriend. Veteran tackle Donovan Smith arrived on a one-year, $3 million deal from Tampa Bay and has emerged as one of the best this season at his position, per PFF.

On defense, starting safety Juan Thornhill’s departure for Cleveland made room for 2022 second rounder Bryan Cook and Mike Edwards, another strong signing on a one-year, $3 million deal from Tampa Bay. The Chiefs largely replaced longtime standout defensive end Frank Clark from within. George Karlaftis, the 30th pick in 2022, is becoming one of the league’s top edge defenders, and linebacker Drue Tranquil has been an impressive contributor after coming from the Chargers on yet another one-year, $3 million contract.

Similar to Philadelphia and Hurts, Kansas City restructured Patrick Mahomes‘ record contract to kick the biggest cap hits down the road. Also similar to Philly, the Chiefs thrive on both sides of the ball — second in the league in yards on offense and eighth in yards allowed defensively. It’s this combination of strong draft picks, shrewd budget signings, and savvy internal development that’s kept the Eagles and Chiefs on top of the NFL and perhaps on pace for a historic repeat Super Bowl matchup.

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The post Why the Chiefs & Eagles Could Deliver a Super Bowl Rematch appeared first on Boardroom.

The Philadelphia Eagles have never flown higher than when Nick Foles — yes, Nick Foles! — was under center keying one of the more unlikely Super Bowl runs in recent memory. In the several years since, however, front office boss Howie Roseman has built a far surer thing.

These days, the Philly boys are one of the toughest outs in football week to week, and with a true franchise QB in Jalen Hurts conducting the offense in pleasing balance with a typically fearsome defense, there may be no more compelling contender in the NFC.

So, what are the biggest money moves that contributed to the Iggles’ state of play? Which levers did Roseman, Nick Sirianni, and big boss man Jeffrey Lurie have to pull to shape things in their favor?

That got us thinking about the team’s biggest salaries on the books for 2023, as well as their largest contracts overall.

Boardroom has all your Eagles salary cap particulars for the current NFL season, starting with a quarter billion dollars worth of game for ol’ No. 1.

Think You Know the Highest-paid NFL Player of 2023?

From Mahomes and Allen to Burrow, Herbert, and beyond, find out who stands alone atop the NFL salary mountain this season.

Show Me the Money!

Eagles Salary Cap 2023: Spending & Space

All dollar figures and cap estimates in this article via Spotrac. Reflects a hard salary cap of $224.8 million.

So, are the Eagles over the salary cap? Check out their full spending breakdown as of Oct. 20, 2023.

• Active contracts: $162,198,125
• Dead cap money: $57,865,409
• Total salary cap usage: $235,985,463
• Salary cap space: -$1,231,793

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Eagles Contracts 2023: The Top 10

Includes the 10 largest active Eagles contracts by total value. All dollar figures via Spotrac.

The Most Popular NFL Teams and Players, Ranked

From America’s Team to the defending Super Bowl champs, Boardroom dives into the data to figure out just wh

Let’s Go

Philadelphia Eagles’ Highest-paid Players of 2023

Includes the 10 largest Eagles salaries by total cash compensation.

Other Notable Eagles Salaries

12. DT Fletcher Cox: $10M
16. DE Brandon Graham: $5M
20. WR DeVonta Smith: $2.49M
26. RB D’Andre Swift: $1.77M

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The post Philadelphia Eagles Salary Cap 2023: Contracts, Highest-paid Players & More appeared first on Boardroom.

Since when did we simply accept that the Dallas Cowboys are “America’s Team?” Was there an election? Did they sell the most magazine subscriptions or baked goods? Was there bribery involved? Well, as the story goes, the phrase made its way into an NFL Films highlight from the team’s 1978 season — one in which they didn’t even win the Super Bowl — and has managed to stick ever since.

If you were asking how a team that hasn’t won the big one in nearly three decades could still justify holding such an honorific, however, look no further than their massive, global economic footprint, or their redoubtable reach across any and all digital platforms.

Does that mean Jerry Jones’s bunch is the undisputed most popular NFL team in the land, bar none?

There’s no unified metric for measuring this, but Boardroom called upon a couple of sources in an effort to try.

Using data from Google and market research firm YouGov, we’re here to discover the most popular NFL teams and most popular NFL players in all the land.

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Most Popular NFL Teams by Google Search

Based on Google search data from 2017 through 2022.

Which NFL Team is Winning on TikTok?

Get Boardroom’s full rundown of the football teams doing it the biggest in the viral video game.

Let’s Go!

Most Popular NFL Teams by Fan Survey Results

Based on percentage of YouGov survey respondents who reported overall positive opinions of a given team as of Q3 2023.

The World’s Most Profitable Sports Teams, Ranked

From the titans of the NFL and NBA to the biggest names in the Premier League, find out who’s making the biggest bucks in global sports.

Let’s Go!

Top 10 Most Popular NFL Players

Based on percentage of YouGov survey respondents who reported overall positive opinions of a given player as of Q3 2023. Includes both active and retired athletes.

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The post Most Popular NFL Teams & Players: Who’s Really No. 1? appeared first on Boardroom.

Our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook named the games and props that caught their eye in Week 5 — and stick around for a big 49ers vs. Cowboys prediction.

Each week throughout the NFL season, the staff here at FanDuel Research will bring you their three favorite bets on the board — one side, one total, and one player prop. They’ll share some insight into one of the picks to provide you with reasoning as to why they’re on that bet, and stay around at the end for a big Cowboys vs. 49ers prediction for Sunday Night Football.

All odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

NOTE: Betting lines and numberFire’s player projections may change after this article is published.

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Expert NFL Week 5 Picks

Jim Sannes, Digital Media Managing Editor

Side: Indianapolis Colts +2.5 (-110)

The Colts opened as slight favorites here, but their moneyline has lengthened to +116. Frankly, I don’t agree with that movement. My model makes the Colts 2.2-point favorites here, thanks to both homefield and a surprisingly decent offense to open the year. Anthony Richardson has been good enough through the air to give you some confidence should they not find themselves in a positive script. The Titans did work last week, but I’m still not convinced they’re as good as the market seems to believe.

Total: Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers Over 38 (-108)

Player Prop: Tank Dell Over 41.5 receiving yards (-114)

Austin Swaim, Senior Editor

Side: Indianapolis Colts +2.5 (-110)

Total: Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons Over 41.5 (-110)

Player Prop: Jaylen Waddle Over 61.5 Receiving Yards (-114)

It’s been an odd season for Jaylen Waddle, but he should be fully up to speed for this game after clearing the concussion protocol last week. With the Giants potentially getting back key pieces, I actually expect this to remain slightly competitive, and Waddle is well overdue for a stellar outing. He’s still mustered 2.33 yards per route run (17th in the NFL) in limited work, but Tyreek Hill dominated touches in Week 1, the concussion came in Week 2, and he folded with the rest of the offense in Week 4. Nonetheless, he’s still passed this mark in two of three games this year; it’s far too low.

Austan Kas, Senior Editor

Side: Indianapolis Colts +2.5 (-110)

Total: New York Jets at Denver Broncos Under 43.5 (-110)

Denver’s defense has been horrible this year, but they have too much talent to continue being this bad — right? I think they keep the Jets’ offense quiet on Sunday, and while Russell Wilson has been solid, the Jets’ D should be able to hold Denver’s offense in check. All in all, I see defenses winning out in this one.

Player Prop: Jordan Addison Over 44.5 Receiving Yards (-114)

Think you know the highest-paid players in the NFL this season?

Not surprisingly, it all starts at quarterback. See who makes the cut.

Show me the money!

Tom Vecchio, Editor

Side: New England Patriots +1 (-115)

Total: Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams Under 50.5 (-105)

Player Prop: Desmond Ridder Under 181.5 Passing Yards (-114)

Ridder comes in averaging just 186 passing yards per game and is also averaging 6.3 yards gained per pass attempt, which is 26th in the league. The Texans are showing up on defense this season and have held opposing quarterbacks to only 195.3 passing yards per game, the ninth-best in the league.

Kenyatta Storin, Editor

Side: Arizona Cardinals +3.0 (-108)

Joe Burrow simply hasn’t looked right this season, ranking last among starters in yards per pass attempt (4.8) and throwing just two touchdowns total. On the other hand, Joshua Dobbs has been a pleasant surprise for the Cardinals, and the team actually ranks as one of the better-adjusted offenses in the league, per numberFire’s metrics. In this battle of 1-3 teams, I’m inclined to take the points being given to what could be an undervalued home team.

Total: Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions Under 44.5 (-118)

Player Prop: Tank Dell Over 41.5 Receiving Yards (-114)

Aidan Cotter, Writer

Side: Kansas City Chiefs -3.5 (-110)

Total: New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots Under 39.5 (-110)

Player Prop: Anthony Richardson Anytime TD (+135)

Anthony Richardson has played 10 quarters of professional football across three games. He has scored four rushing touchdowns on seven red zone attempts. Maybe that touchdown rate is unsustainable, and maybe Jonathan Taylor’s return cuts into Richardson’s goal line work. Or, maybe Richardson is an athletic freak and is paired with a playcaller who knows how to use running quarterbacks. I’m more inclined to believe the latter and will continue to take his touchdown prop while it’s plus odds.

Zack Bussiere, Writer

Side: Kansas City Chiefs -3.5 (-110)

The Chiefs are the fifth overall team in numberFire’s power rankings. Their offense ranks 8th, per numberFire’s metrics, and their defense ranks 11th. Minnesota sits in 16th overall, with an offense ranked 18th and a defense ranked 19th. Notably, the Vikings’ pass defense ranks 26th, which is a tough weakness to have when facing Patrick Mahomes.

Total: New York Jets at Denver Broncos Under 43.5 (-110)

Player Prop: CeeDee Lamb Anytime TD (+155)

Gabriel Santiago, Writer

Side: Philadelphia Eagles -4.5 (-105)

Total: Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers Under 38.0 (-112)

Before even diving into the physical, defensive rivalry at hand, you should know that Baltimore and Pittsburgh have both been friendly to under bettors in 2023. Through four previous weeks this season, the Ravens and Steelers both have a 1-3 record for over supporters. Simply, in the eight total games these sides have played this year, the under has prevailed 75% of the time. In terms of this specific head-to-head rivalry, the combined total has averaged 32.0 PPG through their past five meetings.

Player Prop: Jaylen Waddle Anytime TD (+125)

Annie Nader, Writer

Side: New York Jets +2.5 (-110)

Total: Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons Over 41.5 (-110)

Player Prop: Sam LaPorta Anytime Touchdown (+190)

The Lions have the fourth-ranked passing offense and are at home this weekend facing a winless and low-ranked Carolina Panthers defense, meaning Goff and his receivers should see decent end-zone opportunities on Sunday. Sam LaPorta has only reached the end zone once through four weeks, but his 80.0% snap percentage, 21.8% target market share, and 20.0% red zone target market share are second (only to St. Brown) among Detroit players. Coach Campbell announced that St. Brown is not in line to practice on Friday and is questionable for Sunday’s matchup, so LaPorta could move into the number one spot, at least as Goff’s targets are concerned. Either way, LaPorta has proven to be a very consistent aspect of Detroit’s offense, so I think his +190 odds to score a touchdown offers decent value.

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Nick Vazquez, Writer

Side: Houston Texans +1.5 (-110)

The Houston Texans are coming off two impressive wins and really seem to be clicking under their new coaching staff. Meanwhile, the Falcons have lost two in a row and their limited passing game seems to be hurting them. Throw in the fact they had to travel back from London before this game makes me believe that Houston should be able to cover 1.5 points this week.

Total: Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions Over 44.5 (-104)

Player Prop: Anthony Richardson Anytime Touchdown (+135)

Riley Thomas, Writer

Side: Kansas City Chiefs -3.5 (-110)

Total: Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons Over 41.5 (-110)

Player Prop: Tony Pollard Over 58.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

The Cowboys have committed to the run game, averaging 34.3 carries per game (third). The 49ers boast one of the NFL’s best run defenses, though; they rank third in rushing yards allowed per game. However, numberFire’s adjusted run defense suggests otherwise, as San Francisco has the 15th-worst adjusted run defense. Dallas ranks fourth in ESPN’s run block win rate. Plus, the Cowboys could finally have their best five offensive linemen healthy for the Sunday night clash. Opponents average only 17.0 carries per game against the Niners (first). San Fran could finally face a team that is committed to the run, especially if the game stays competitive as most expect. Tony Pollard could be in store for an impressive performance.

Scott Edwards, Writer

Side: New York Jets +2.5 (-110)

We learned two things last week. The Jets still have some fight in them, and Zach Wilson can make throws when the opportunities are there (thanks offensive line). They were a score away (and a call) from taking down the Kansas City Chiefs. So, why should they be the underdogs against a Denver Broncos team that barely survived the Chicago Bears in the same exact week? The Broncos have talent on their roster, but it’s not going to magically all figure itself out this week. Between the Jets having a truly elite defense and the Broncos having the complete opposite, I feel confident the Jets can take care of business for the first time since Week 1.

Total: New York Giants at Miami Dolphins Over 47.5 (-114)

Player Prop: Bijan Robinson Over 77.5 Yards (-114)

Cowboys vs. 49ers Prediction: NFL Week 5

The numberFire projection model lists a win probability fairly strongly in the 49ers’ favor on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys.

Overall, they project the Niners to have a 69.4% win probability.

Cowboys vs. 49ers prediction based on numberFire projection model

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The post NFL Week 5 Picks: Which Games & Props Do the Experts Like? appeared first on Boardroom.

On their way to the Super Bowl last year, the Philadelphia Eagles ranked third in the NFL in points per game, third in rushing attempts, fifth in rushing yards, and first in rushing touchdowns. After three games in 2023, the Eagles’ ground game somehow looks even better than last year’s potent attack, despite them paying their running backs relative peanuts.

Instead of re-signing Miles Sanders, who rushed for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, he inked a four-year, $25.4 million contract with Carolina that included $13 million guaranteed. Philadelphia replaced that production with Taylor Swift‘s non-biological cousin D’Andre — acquired on April 29 from Detroit with a 2023 seventh-round pick for a 2025 fourth-rounder and a 2023 seventh — and former Seattle ‘backer Rashaad Penny. Swift is in the final year of his four-year rookie contract paying him $1.77 million this year, while Penny signed a bargain basement one-year, $1.35 million free agent deal.

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While this doesn’t take into account the rushing abilities of quarterback Jalen Hurts, who ran for 760 yards and 13 TDs in 2022 and already has three scores this season, the Eagles are spending just $6 million total this season on running backs and fullbacks. That’s the 10th-lowest total in the league. After spending 2.34% of the salary cap on running backs last year, that number is up slightly to 2.56% this year.

For better or worse for the league and running back wages as a whole, Philadelphia successfully embodies the trend of not paying running backs, and it’s working better for them than any team in the NFL. With Hurts, Swift, Penny, and appropriately named returning rusher Kenneth Gainwell, the 3-0 Eagles lead the league in total rushing attempts, are second in total yards, fifth in yards per carry, and fourth in rush TDs. Philly — whether through conventional means or by tush push — has gained a first down on 32.7% of its rushing attempts. That’s second in the league to Washington despite the Eagles’ 113 total attempts to the Commanders’ 64.

The 25-11 win Monday over Tampa Bay — an NFL scorigami if you’re into that — featured Swift being on his vigilante shit after being cast off by the Lions back in April. The 35th overall pick of the 2020 draft out of Georgia, Swift carried 99 times for 542 yards last season for Detroit. That carries split with Jamaal Williams ranked 11th in rush yards and second in rushing TDs. Curiously, the Lions decided to keep neither player, with Williams leaving for a three-year, $12 million contract in New Orleans.

Swift carried just once for three yards in Philly’s opening day win over New England, before Gainwell missed week two against Minnesota with a rib injury. Handed a starting opportunity on Thursday Night Football, the 24-year-old Swift ran 28 times for 175 yards and a TD in a 34-28 shootout win, following that up for 16 totes and 130 yards against the Buccaneers. Gainwell returned to the lineup Monday but had just 14 attempts, earning Swift an equal split of the carries for now.

In three games, Swift already has nearly half the attempts given all of last season, rewarding the Eagles by ranking second in the NFL in rushing yards to Christian McCaffrey. Should it come as no surprise that the league’s three lone undefeated teams, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Miami, are also the top three teams in rush yards? None of those teams are spending more than 3.33% of the salary cap on running backs, with the Eagles utilizing ‘backing on a budget better than any team in the league as they once again contend for a Super Bowl.

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The post Run, Eagles, Run: Philadelphia Is Getting the Absolute Most From its RB Investment appeared first on Boardroom.

We have our first look at Devin Booker‘s inaugural signature sneaker with Nike. Designed by Ben Nethongkome, the Nike Book 1 is an ode to the future but with timeless motifs common in Nike’s construction. It boasts a textured upper, which makes it durable for sporting on and off the court. Additional design notes include a suede collar and leather detailing at the forefoot for reinforcement. The sole unit features Cushlon 2.0 foam at the midsole, an Air Zoom unit, a midfoot shank plate, TPU sidewall cage, and herringbone traction. “BOOK” branding at the tongue, “CHAPTER ONE” text at the heel, and a barcode at the sockliner that nods to his pro journey thus far complete the look. Rumored to retail for $150, expect the Nike Book 1 to be available for purchase in Spring 2024. Booker previously teased the sneakers on his personal Instagram account and Drake wore them on his It’s All a Blur tour. 

Philadelphia Eagles Partner with Kevin Hart’s Tequila Brand, Gran Coramino

The Philadelphia Eagles announced a multi-year partnership with Kevin Hart and his Gran Coramino tequila brand on Thursday, making the spirit the team’s Official Luxury Tequila. This season and beyond, Eagles fans will be able to purchase various Gran Coramino cocktails at Gran Coramino bars inside Lincoln Financial Field. Later this season, Gran Coramino will host a sweepstakes for fans to win season tickets and an exclusive tequila tasting event with Eagles legends.

Boardroom’s Vinciane Ngomsi spoke exclusively to Kevin Hart about building his massive business empire.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Officially Named UK’s ‘Home of the NFL’

As the NFL continues its efforts to reach a global audience, it has re-affirmed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as its home base for London games. Tottenham Hotspur and the NFL announced a new expanded partnership on Thursday that goes until the end of the 2029-30 season, with Tottenham Hotspur Stadium given official status as the Home of the NFL in the UK. The venue, which is the only stadium purpose-built for NFL games outside of the United States, will host a minimum of two regular season NFL games per year. “Growing the game globally is a major strategic priority for the League. Our commitment to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will allow us to continue to bring extraordinary NFL experiences to fans in London, while creating a positive social and economic impact on the local community,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host two games next month.

Robert Griffin III Set to Launch New NFL Podcast

Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III is expanding his media footprint. According to Deadline, the ex-Washington Commander has a new podcast, RG3 and The Ones. Guests across the NFL will join RGII on the show, providing analysis on weekly standout performances, career-defining moments, locker room dynamics, and other key storylines worth discussing as the season continues.  Wave Sports + Entertainment, the sports-focused agency behind the digital series New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce and Podcast P with Paul George, have signed on as producers. RG3 and The Ones debuts on Thursday, Sept. 21.

TikTok & Billboard to Launch TikTok Billboard Top 50 Chart

TikTok and Billboard unveiled on Thursday the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart, a new weekly chart that will track trending songs on the social media app in the US. Rapper Sexyy Red is the inaugural artist to top the chart, with viral anthem “SkeeYee” claiming the No. 1 spot on this week’s TikTok Billboard Top 50. In second is Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red,” which also holds the No. 1 spot on this week’s Billboard Hot 100. Taylor Swift’s 2020 Folklore track “august” comes in at No. 3. The chart is accessible to all TikTok users in the U.S. and on Billboard.com.

Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns Among Players Teaming up with NBA 2K24

One Up is teaming up with 20 NBA players led by Jamal Murray, Paul George, and Donovan Mitchell to host the inaugural One Up x NBA 2K24 Championship Series. This marks the first activation One Up is hosting with Take-Two Interactive’s 2K brand as the official on-demand esports platform for the NBA 2K franchise. The One Up x NBA® 2K24 Champion Series winner will receive $250,000, second place will take home $100,000, while third and fourth place players will receive $50,000 each. The first tournament tips off on Sept. 23 at 3 p.m, with Mitchell as the featured host.

Boardroom’s Michelai Graham has the complete qualifier schedule of the One Up x NBA 2K24 Championship Series.

The post Devin Booker Unveils Nike Signature Sneaker Silhouette appeared first on Boardroom.

Where’s the smart money going on TNF? Check out a big Vikings vs. Eagles prediction and the latest odds and prop bet insights from our friends at FanDuel.

Player props can be useful in a variety of ways — from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player’s potential to produce in daily fantasy football on FanDuel. Here, we’re going to focus on the former. Utilizing numberFire’s projections as a guide, here are some NFL player props bets that look appealing.

Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season is here and we kick off Thursday night between the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings! I’ll be bringing this article every Thursday along with a show on the Covering the Spread podcast feed to break things down.

Let’s lock in for TNF with a big Eagles vs. Vikings prediction and the latest odds and betting insights from FanDuel and numberFire.

The Eagles Are in the Kevin Hart Business

Check out Boardroom’s conversation with the Philly-born comedy icon and his new business deal with the defending NFC champs.

Let’s Go!

Eagles vs. Vikings Prediction & Prop Bets Overview: NFL Week 2

NOTE: Betting lines and numberFire’s game projections may change throughout the day after this article is published. Also, the weather may be an issue in some locations.

Eagles WR A.J. Brown Any Time Touchdown (+110)

The Eagles come in as 7.0-point favorites and see the over/under up at 49.5 points, so let’s dive into some player props.

We’ll start with AJ Brown any time touchdown, as he looks to find the endzone for the first time this season. In Week 1, Brown finished a solid 10 targets, 7 receptions, and 79 yards, which have become the norm for his elite skillset.

That production came via Brown playing on 90.2% of snaps, running a route on 91.7% of dropbacks, 33.3% target share, 61.4% air yards share, and 17.8 average depth of target (aDOT).

While this is a one-game sample size, it’s not too far off from what he posted last season with an 85.1% snap rate, running a route on 92.1% of dropbacks, 29.0% target share, 41.7% air yards share, and 12.2 aDOT.

Brown essentially started the season where he left off last year but wasn’t able to find the endzone in Week 1.

When it comes to the Vikings’ defense, they only allowed 135 receiving yards to wide receivers in Week 1 but allowed a pair of touchdowns. This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise as the Vikings had the 25th-ranked secondary coming into the season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Brown has an elite role in the Eagles’ offense and a strong matchup to find the endzone for the first time this year.

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson Over 49.5 Receiving Yards (-114)

With the Vikings coming in as 7.0-point underdogs, they might turn to the passing game to keep things close.

If there’s one thing the Vikings like to do it’s pass the ball at a high rate. In Week 1, they held a 73.02% pass play percentage, which was the second-highest in the league. Yes, a one-game sample size is nothing to write home about, but in reality, it’s what we should be seeing from them this year.

In 2022, the Vikings ended with a 64.38% pass play percentage, which was the third-highest in the league. So, they’re right on pace with what we’ve seen from them in the past. If they can’t get the running game going, they immediately turn to the passing game early and often.

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Given the game lines, they are expected to play from behind as 7.0-point road underdogs. This means plenty of volume for the pass-catchers and it leads us to tight end, TJ Hockenson. The Vikings gave Hockenson a big extension at the end of training camp this year, so they’re committed to having him around long-term.

Hockenson ended Week 1 with a 20.5% target share while playing on 74.6% of the snaps and running a route on 78.3% of dropbacks.

While the Eagles’ defense is very strong, they struggled a bit in Week 1 against the New England Patriots’ tight ends, allowing them to pile up 92 receiving yards.

Last year, the Eagles were 14th in the league with 801 receiving yards allowed to opposing tight ends, which was good for 47.1 yards per game.

The Vikings should be looking to pass the ball and keep the game close, putting Hockenson in a spot to rack up plenty of yards.

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Vikings RB Alexander Mattison Under 49.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

From the Vikings’ passing game to their running game and under 49.5 rushing yards for Alexander Mattison.

This essentially correlates with the Hockenson prop above due to the expected game script with the Vikings as 7.0-point underdogs. If they are forced into passing the ball more — something they do at a high rate anyway — they won’t be in a position to run the ball again and again.

Mattison is the clear lead back for the Vikings but didn’t get off to a good start this season with just 34 rushing yards on 11 carries in Week 1. That was good for 3.1 yards per attempt, putting him 34th in the league after one week.

When it comes to the Eagles’ defense, they ended last season with the 11th fewest (1,500) rushing yards allowed to running backs. They picked up right where they left off with just 54 rushing yards allowed to the Patriots running backs in Week 1 or 2.8 yards per attempt.

Between the Vikings’ play-calling tendencies, the game script, and the solid defense, this does not set up to be a big game for Mattison, and under 49.5 rushing yards is the spot to look.

— Tom Vecchio

Week 2 Vikings vs. Eagles Prediction & Odds

According to numberFire’s projections model, the Eagles have a win probability of just over 72%.

This is based on 48.5 total points between the two teams, implied as a 27.5-21 advantage in favor of Philadelphia.

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The post Eagles vs. Vikings Week 2: Who Has the Oddsmakers’ Edge on Thursday Night Football? appeared first on Boardroom.

Apart from being one of the NFL‘s best teams, the Philadelphia Eagles boast some of the most recognizable fans in the league. From actor Rob McElhenney to Rocky Balboa himself, cheers of “Fly Eagles Fly” inundate celebrity circles like the boos raining down on a Philadelphia Santa Claus.

As the reigning NFC Champions prepare to host the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night, one well-known Eagles fan is combining his love of spirits with football to produce a fitting partnership.

The Eagles have announced a multi-year pact with Kevin Hart and his Gran Coramino tequila brand, making the spirit the Official Luxury Tequila of the Philadelphia Eagles. Eagles fans will be able to purchase various Gran Coramino cocktails at Gran Coramino bars inside Lincoln Financial Field. Later this season, Gran Coramino will host a sweepstakes for fans to win season tickets and an exclusive tequila tasting event with Eagles legends.

“It’s just the alignment of it all,” Hart told Boardroom about why this partnership with the Eagles makes sense. “You’ve got to look at the facilities, the environments that embed a high volume of people and when you can partner or build those relationships that allow you to be the face of or the signature choice for them. I think this is just setting the precedent as to what we can do.”

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Building An Ecosystem

As an actor-turned-businessman, Kevin Hart has the opportunity to work with a number of brands (and his hometown Eagles). Or, as Hart puts it, between acting, stand up, and entrepreneurship, he’s “creating an ecosystem.”

“The best way to understand an ecosystem is to understand people. And my career keeps me in front of every aspect of what a person enjoys,” the father of four explained. “So in developing companies or aligning with them, it’s in doing it with the things that I best respond to or that I see people respond to.”

The key, Hart says, is to work with brands that align with his lifestyle, making them authentic and not forced onto his audience.

“There’s a simple through-line to all that I’ve been able to do,” he said. “And that’s from my space in health and wellness to now spirits, to entertainment and media and also going over to athleisure. And you can even go into food. How do I best position myself to build that through-line and complete a circle? And you got to keep adding the things that get you to go around that circle in a manner of ease and not one of hearts. So as an entrepreneur [who] prides himself on being creative and really aggressive in the space of partnering, this is the best way to do it.”

In addition to being an owner of a tequila brand, Hart has worked with Chase, DraftKings, Fabletics, Old Spice, and more. The Night School actor also founded Hart House — a modern, quick-service eatery that serves vegan and plant-based food — in 2022. Hart is also the chairman of HartBeat, a media and production empire he developed to create a safe space for creatives to showcase their talents on television and in film.

As for whether his decision to partake in numerous ventures dilutes his brand, the Grammy nominee believes that it’s about delivering a message.

“What’s understood doesn’t have to be said,” he continued. “And I don’t think the important side to what I’m doing in my business is forcing a narrative to get people to understand. It’s about what I feel makes me happy and where I feel I can flourish and thrive the most. And in this space, this is what’s given me the opportunity to do that. Those from the outside looking in will see it and understand it. And those that don’t will later discover it.”

Entrepreneurship also allows Hart a different outlet to embrace his creative side, but in a different form.

“The creativity that aligns with being a businessman does just that for me,” he said. “So I think it’s kind of hard to be in the Kevin Hart world and not know what I’m doing as a fan or as a supporter.”

Soaring Expectations

Kevin Hart will be in the house to see the Eagles play their home opener Thursday night, and he hinted that he may bring his pet eagle, which he affectionately named Jalen Hurts. As for how the team fares heading into the primetime showdown against Minnesota, the Philadelphia native is just happy his team wasn’t shut out like a certain NFC East rival.

“We started out the way we wanted to, which was with a win. It could be worse, we could be the Giants,” Hart said. “The Giants were in the space of losing 40 to nothing. That’s not good. But as an Eagles fan, we got a W. Ultimately, this is the year where we know we have to get the job done. And as a leader, our quarterback, Jalen Hurts, I think he’s doing a great job of setting the tone and doing so early in the season is most important.”

As for who he projects the Eagles to face should they return to the Super Bowl stage in 2024, Hart feels it’s too early to make such predictions, and instead would rather wait until Week 4 or 5 to see which AFC side is a suitable opponent.

“I think Week 4 is the most important week because, in the first couple of games, you’re going to have some stars. But you get to see the consistency of certain players, certain defenses, certain offenses by Week 4 or 5. Also in the AFC who seems to be real. I would love for the Eagles to still be 5-0 and then make the decision. So I’m going to wait.”

He added one more thing:

“But what I will say is that the Giants lost by 40 points. That’s a fact.”

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The post The Eagles Have Entered the Kevin Hart Ecosystem appeared first on Boardroom.

Amazon‘s second season as the NFL‘s home for Thursday Night Football kicks off this week as the Philadelphia Eagles host the Minnesota Vikings. Prime Video is looking to build on a debut season that saw an average of 9.58 million viewers per game, according to Nielsen. It’s the league’s first-ever streaming-only package.

Putting together an entirely new setup with on-air talent, production, graphics, and exceptionally low latency helped earn TNF the 2022 Sports Emmy award for Best Interactive Experience. Yet Amazon isn’t resting on its laurels; it put together a number of new innovations for season two. Late last month, Boardroom got a sneak peak and spoke with key executives about changes fans will notice on Prime Video this season.

“It’s about options and giving our fans choices in the way they want to watch and enjoy Thursday Night Football,” Betsy Riley, Prime Video’s senior coordinating producer, told Boardroom.

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Prime Vision with Next Gen Stats Returns to Thursday Night Football

After some experimentation in year one, Prime Vision with Next Gen Stats will be back for all 16 Amazon regular season games this season. A select number of fans each week were polled in a focus group of sorts to discuss which features they liked and disliked, and AI-driven insights seen from the All-22 camera angle were consistently popular and serve as Prime Vision’s current backbone. Adding player tags from that vantage point made the experience even more user friendly.

Prime Targets

Last year, a feature called Open Receiver used AI technology to put a green orb over a player, highlighting when that pass catcher was open, testing 96 different rule sets and working with partners to bring a new stat into existence. Prime Targets tracks players through RFID chips in the players’ shoulder pads, showing when they are more likely than not going to convert a first down if they were thrown the ball at that given moment.

With the help of Sam Schwartzstein, Prime Video’s TNF analytics expert and Andrew Luck’s former center at Stanford, there’s now a trackable stat where you can determine which players get open most often, what coaches are calling plays to get receivers open the most, and which quarterbacks are taking best advantage of these prime targets.

“Now we can really tell a deeper story about the process of the play and not just the result,” Schwartzstein told Boardroom. “That’s where analytics has the biggest impact. And we’re going to help show instead of tell on how coaches make decisions during a game.”

Defensive Alerts

Schwartzstein said that his team started the season with 20 ideas for Prime Video’s machine learning team, but Riley told him to think bigger.

“You don’t need to be practical,” he recalled her saying. “We can do more here. But this was a pie-in-the-sky idea. I really didn’t think it was happening.”

One of those ideas is seeing the game from the vantage point of how QBs and offensive lines watch defenses. Three months later, the team came up with a neural network machine-learning-powered model that will predict the likelihood a player will blitz on a certain play. That’s based on the X-Y coordinate data of every player on the field, their relationship to each other, and their acceleration. A highlighted orb will go under players of interest based on pre-snap movement.

The model was annotated and updated by a panel of former coaches and players who provide feedback to make it smarter.

4th Down Decision Guide

During important third down situations, there will be an overlay on the field on how many yards an offense needs to gain for a strong recommendation to go for it on 4th down.

“A lot of times TV is just saying ‘analytics said this was a good decision’ and it’s happening on fourth down or after fourth down. But that’s not how teams approach it,” Schwartzstein said. “They have analytics coordinators on the headset with the head coach and on third down they’re saying ‘if you get to this spot, you should go for it.’ We can give the background and make sure fans are excited about what they’re going to see and not just question analytics.”

Fans using Prime Vision will now get the same data the coaches are seeing during these pivotal moments. And the decision guide is also tailored to specific teams’ tendencies and conversion rates. For example if the Eagles convert fourth downs at a higher rate, the model takes that into account.

Field Goal Target Zones

The line that typical game broadcasts use for a field goal target is often just a kicker’s career long. Next Gen Stats factors in weather and altitude and puts down multiple lines indicating a 25, 50, and 75% chance of a successful kick from certain spots on the field.

“Prime Vision in general provides the opportunity to have almost a lab, an incubator to ideas,” Riley said. “If something’s working, let’s make it better still. If something’s not working, let’s either fix it or find a way to do something better and different.”

It’s also no coincidence that a lot of these Prime Vision features mimic video games’ graphics and vantage points. When Prime Video surveyed fans on new innovations they wanted, Schwartzstein said they looked especially for gamers.

“We looked for people who heavily played video games because they are seeing some of the innovations that come forward and it’s driving a little bit of what the possible is,” he said. “Scientists will often draw from science fiction to try and think about what should come next.”

Other Notes & Features

• In addition to the Rapid Recap, which briefs fans on up to two minutes of key highlights before jumping ahead to the live game, a new Key Plays feature uses AI to build a bank of moments in each game for fans to watch on-demand, in-game highlights.
• After streaming games in Standard Dynamic Range last season, Amazon upgraded to High Dynamic Range with greater light/dark contrast and more vivid color.
• Amazon will broadcast the NFL’s first-ever Black Friday game on Nov. 24 between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets in front of the Prime Video paywall. While there were whispers of Amazon incorporating e-commerce elements into the game broadcast or the viewing experience to help capitalize on the busiest shopping day of the year, Riley said those plans are still in development. “We really think there’s an opportunity for this to become the next American sports holiday,” she said, “and at the center of that will be our high standard of an exceptional football broadcast. Anything we do will not be at the detriment of that. We’re going to embrace the lifestyle shopping aspects of the day in ways that makes sense.”
• Amazon is promising streaming technology that ensures low latency — 10 seconds or fewer from the stadium to your screen. The company said that’s as fast or even faster than cable or broadcast TV.
• For now, Amazon is staying away from sports betting features in Prime Video and Prime Vision. “We stay very close to the NFL to best understand their stance on sports betting,” Riley said. “Right now, that remains the NFL’s position.”

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The post TNF on Prime Video: Prime Targets, 4th Down Decision Guides & More appeared first on Boardroom.

Football Sundays are back! Check out the full rundown of NFL Week 1 picks and betting insights from the experts at FanDuel Research.

Each week throughout the 2023 NFL season, the staff at FanDuel Research will bring you their three favorite bets on the board — one side, one total, and one player prop. They’ll share some insight into one of the picks to provide you with reasoning as to why they’re on that bet.

It’s time! Check out the full rundown of NFL Week 1 predictions and betting insights below for Cowboys-Giants, Eagles-Patriots, Packers-Bears, Bills-Jets, and more.

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NFL Week 1 Predictions & Expert Picks

All odds appear via the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Betting lines and numberFire’s player projections may change after this article was published.

Jim Sannes, Digital Media Managing Editor

Side: New York Jets +2.5 (-110)

The Buffalo Bills are the third-ranked team in my power rankings, so I’m very in on them this year. But the Jets’ defense was superb last year despite poor turnover luck, and they’ve added Aaron Rodgers on offense. The offensive line is a concern, but they benefit a bit from the absence of Von Miller. This has the potential to look dumb because the Bills can go nuclear, but my model has this game as being closer to a toss-up.

Total: Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts Under 50.5 (-105)

Player Prop: Nico Collins Over 41.5 receiving yards (-114)

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Austin Swaim, Senior Editor

Side: New England Patriots +4.5 (-105)

Total: Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts Over 46.5 (-106)

This number seems a bit high for a raw quarterback in his first start for one of the league’s worst projected win totals, but if Anthony Richardson’s comfortable preseason translates, this game is primed to be a bit of a shootout. These two have bottom-five secondaries, per the preseason ranks at Pro Football Focus. There isn’t much doubt about Trevor Lawrence and a Jags’ passing attack that added Calvin Ridley this offseason. Any competitive effort by the Indianapolis offense should force them to keep working, and this curiously tight spread is all the validation I need to expect one.

Player Prop: Brian Robinson Anytime TD (+130)

Austan Kas, Senior Editor

Side: New Orleans Saints -3.0 (-105)

Total: Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots Under 45.0 (-114)

Player Prop: James Conner Under 59.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

This is a tough spot for Conner in Week 1. Washington permitted the sixth-fewest rushing yards to running backs in 2022, and with the Cardinals a touchdown ‘dog on the road, the game script isn’t likely to work in Conner’s favor when it comes to rushing volume as the game progresses.

Tom Vecchio, Editor

Side: Denver Broncos -3.5 (-105)

Total: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings Over 46.0 (-110)

Player Prop: Trevor Lawrence Over 34.5 Passing Attempts (-125)

With TLaw and the Jags primed to take the next step this season, they will look to build on last season’s success via the air. In the final three games last season, they held a 69.49% pass play percentage, which was the second-highest in the league. They open the season with a favorable matchup against one of the league’s worst secondaries. T-Law will air the ball out this week.

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Kenyatta Storin, Editor

Side: Jacksonville Jaguars -4.5 (-105)

Our opening power rankings place Jacksonville 10th, while the Colts are predictably near the bottom at 30th. With no Jonathan Taylor and a rookie quarterback making his NFL debut, it’s hard to see Indianapolis keeping pace with what should be a strong Jaguars offense.

Total: Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots Under 45.0 (-114)

Player Prop: Daniel Jones Over 31.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

Aidan Cotter, Writer

Side: Atlanta Falcons -3.5 (-110)

Total: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks Under 46.5 (-112)

Player Prop: Justin Fields Over 59.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

Even if the Chicago Bears pass more this year, they won’t phase Fields’ legs out completely. He ran for at least 60 yards in 9 of his final 10 games in 2022, including a 6-carry, 71-yard performance against Green Bay in Week 13. With the Packers giving up the third-most rushing yards over expectation per attempt (2.86) to quarterbacks last season, Fields should run all over the cheeseheads.

Zack Bussiere, Writer

Side: Jacksonville Jaguars -4.5 (-105)

The Colts have finally begun their rebuild by opting for an exciting quarterback prospect in the draft after years of trying and failing to address the position via free agency. That decision improves the Colts’ future outlook, but the future is now for the Jaguars. Since their Week 11 bye last season, the Jaguars are 8-2, including a seven-point loss to the Chiefs in the playoffs. Jacksonville is 10th in our Power Rankings, the Colts are 30th. With no Jonathan Taylor, this is a difficult task for Anthony Richardson in his NFL debut.

Total: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks Under 46.5 (-112)

Player Prop: Sam Howell Over 207.5 Passing Yards (-114)

Gabriel Santiago, Writer

Side: Minnesota Vikings -5.5 (-115)

The Minnesota Vikings have gone 3-2 in 5 season openers with Kirk Cousins (including 3-1 at home), scoring an average of 26.6 points per game in those contests. With the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently enduring an identity crisis, I like the Vikings to cover upwards up a touchdown at home.

Total: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons Over 39.5 (-115)

Player Prop: Geno Smith Over 251.5 passing yards (-114)

Nick Vazquez, Writer

Side: Pittsburgh Steelers +2.5 (-112)

The drum beat for the Steelers in training camp was loud, with second-year QB Kenny Pickett having a strong preseason. TJ Watt will be healthy, and Pittsburgh was 8-2 with him on the field last season. Meanwhile, the 49ers are starting still unproven QB Brock Purdy, lost Mike McGlinchey on the offensive line, and will be traveling from the West Coast for an early kickoff. Give me the Steelers to at least cover the 2.5-point spread.

Total: Tennessee Titans at New Orleans Saints Over 41.5 (-110)

Player Prop: Cam Akers Under 62.5 rushing yards (-114)

Scott Edwards, Writer

Side: Cincinnati Bengals -1.5 (-105)

The Bengals are coming into the new season as a Super Bowl contender… so why do we think a Cleveland Browns team led by Deshaun Watson, who was arguably the league’s worst quarterback when he returned last year (55.3 PFF grade), is going to keep this so close? Yeah, no thanks. Joe Burrow is a newly paid man who is ready to go for this game. He’s going to show up and deliver. Cincinnati is going to come out swinging to kick off this season.

Total: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants Under 45.5 (-115)

Player Prop: Jalen Hurts Anytime TD (+125)

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The post Week 1 NFL Predictions & Expert Betting Picks: Cowboys-Giants, Bills-Jets & More appeared first on Boardroom.

Aaand we’re back! Lock in for the arrival of the 2023 NFL season with the latest Super Bowl LVIII odds

It is the annual conversation that sparks debate all throughout the United States.

Whether in your local barbershop, at the gym, or pretty much anywhere humans converse, everyone wants to know: which NFL team will win the next Super Bowl?

Naturally, some of the usual frontrunners are leading the way again in 2023.

As reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs enter the upcoming campaign as market favorites, per the Super Bowl LVIII odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. From there, last year’s NFC champs — the Philadelphia Eagles — are also among the leaders to go the distance this season.

One thing is for sure: Thursday’s opener between the Chiefs and Detroit Lions can’t arrive soon enough.

Before that, it’s time to analyze the current betting markets and consider who has authentic value to hoist the Lombardi Trophy next February at Allegiant Stadium — home of the Las Vegas Raiders. As Week 1 begins, talk Super Bowl LVIII odds.

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Super Bowl LVIII Futures: Odds to Win

All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook entering Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season.

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Kansas City Chiefs

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +600

Genuinely, not a soul on Earth should be surprised to see Kansas City listed as Super Bowl favorites. Since “Showtime” Patrick Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback in 2018, the Chiefs have reached the AFC Championship game in every season. To go a step further, K.C. qualified for the Super Bowl three times during that span, twice taking all the marbles.

Head coach Andy Reid is entering his 11th season with the Chiefs, which is sort of mindblowing since I know much of the older crowd still pictures him in Philadelphia. Regardless, Kansas City will pick up right where they left off last February.

With All-Pros Mahomes and Travis Kelce returning refreshed, the offense should still be amongst the best in the NFL. In 2022, the Chiefs averaged 29.2 points per game, which was tops in the league.

Still, Kansas City is enduring contractual issues with their best defensive player (and another First-team All-Pro), Chris Jones. Whether or not we see odds movement here if Jones misses games remains to be seen, but on the field, the Chiefs will absolutely need his efforts if they hope to run the AFC gauntlet yet again.

Philadelphia Eagles

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +800

The reigning NFC champions commence 2023 with a substantial chip on their shoulders — never Philly, right? After narrowly losing a shootout to Kansas City in the last Super Bowl, Philadelphia is looking to #FlyEaglesFly to new heights this time around. Undoubtedly, they boast one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, but can they shake the dreaded Super Bowl hangover?”

Of course, teams who lose the Super Bowl typically do not fare well the following season. Now, I am indisputably a believer of Jalen Hurts and his dynamic abilities — 13 rushing touchdowns last year in addition to 22 scores through the air — but there is a stigma looming over his head. The last 17 quarterbacks to lose in their Super Bowl debut have never made it back to the big game.

Someone is bound to buck that trend eventually, and the Super Bowl odds at FanDuel Sportsbook say Hurts and the Birds have a great shot to do it in the coming year. That makes sense when you consider Philadelphia’s depth in the trenches, as the Eagles are returning most key players along their offensive and defensive lines (with the exception of Javon Hargrave).

Additionally, they have plenty of other talent on both sides of the ball with stars like AJ Brown, Dallas Goedert, Darius Slay, and Haason Reddick. Philly will return strong in 2023.

Buffalo Bills

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +900

As our first franchise on this list that has never won a Super Bowl, the Buffalo Bills also carry major expectations for the coming season. Josh Allen certainly has top-five quarterbacking abilities, but will his decision-making be improved in 2023?

Allen is one of only three signal-callers to have won the AFC East since 2002 (Tom Brady and Chad Pennington are the other two). Currently, the Bills have worn the division crown in every season since Brady left the New England Patriots.

Buffalo dealt with an onslaught of injuries last season, especially to key contributors on defense. In what is a top safety tandem in the NFL, both Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde are returning healthy. However, in disappointing news, future Hall-of-Famer Von Miller will begin the upcoming year on the PUP list, meaning we will not see him until at least Week 5. Remember, Miller tore his ACL in Week 12 of last season.

Like Philadelphia, the Bills have talented skill players. On offense, Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis are a potent one-two punch. The two wideouts combined for 18 touchdowns and nearly 2,400 receiving yards in 2022. Their tight-end group is also big and athletic. On defense, Matt Milano and Tre’Davious White lead the way.

But the Bills face the same question as everyone else in the AFC — can they knock off KC?

Cincinnati Bengals

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1000

The Cincinnati Bengals have now reached the AFC Championship game in consecutive seasons. Still, like Buffalo, the Bengals have never won a Super Bowl. Regardless, Cincinnati seems to have all the tools to go the distance.

As touched on with Hurts, Burrow falls into the large category of quarterbacks who lost their Super Bowl debut and have never returned, but he obviously has a lot of time to fix that. Entering 2023. Burrow still has a majority of his offensive skill group in place — Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd might be the best receiving trio in the game.

Additionally, Cincinnati did well to weaken a conference rival while simultaneously addressing a major problem spot. Coming over from the Chiefs, left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. should be a fantastic protector of Burrow’s blind side. Let’s not forget that the past two AFC Championship games have featured Cincy and KC, with the two splitting the pair.

Undeniably, Burrow has a pervasive coolness that resonates on the field, keeping calm in moments of intense adversity — it’s his X-factor trait. Make no mistake: the Bengals are one of the NFL’s best.

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San Francisco 49ers

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1000

Still looking for that elusive sixth Lombardi Trophy, the San Francisco 49ers enter the 2023-24 season with playmakers all around the field.

Of course, the team has been rampant in the headlines leading up to Week 1 after trading Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys. Also, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa remains a holdout just days prior to their opener at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Regardless, the 49ers boast playmakers up and down their starting lineup on D and on O. Second-year sensation Brock Purdy looks good to go after sustaining a UCL injury in the most recent NFC Championship, completing 9 of 14 passes for 138 yards with a rushing touchdown in the preseason.

Comparatively, Purdy’s quarterbacking assignment is not as difficult as some others, looking at his cast of skill players in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system: Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Kyle Juszczyk. Having Trent Williams protecting your backside certainly helps, as well.

Notably, San Francisco has talent in all three levels on defense. Bosa, Fred Warner, and Talanoa Hufanga were each named 2022 First-Team All-Pros, as the unit allowed the second-fewest rushing yards in the NFL last year. Still, in 2023, Northern California will be looking for the quarterback to keep everything Brock-steady — especially with Lance now in Jerry World.

Other Super Bowl LVIII Contenders

• Dallas Cowboys: +1300
• Baltimore Ravens: +1800
• New York Jets: +1800
• Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins: +2100

— Gabriel Santiago

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Traditionally, specific American sports have owned specific US holidays, especially in the age of cable television and streaming. You expect to watch the NFL on Thanksgiving, the NBA on Christmas and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and college football on Labor Day weekend.

But starting with 2022-23, the NFL decided to encroach on the NBA’s turf last year in scheduling nationally televised games on Christmas Day and holding a Wild Card playoff game on MLK Day. Conversely, the NBA has stepped back from scheduling national games on Thursday nights during the fall months in recent years, ostensibly to avoid having to compete directly with the NFL.

But as summer pushes toward fall once again, NBA is ready to answer back.

The Association released its full 2023-24 schedule on Thursday, and in so doing, it drew some intriguing battle lines with the NFL on three key dates between November and January — let’s dive in.

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NBA Schedule 2023-24: The Association vs. The NFL

Black Friday (Nov. 24)

For decades, the day after Thanksgiving was set aside for shopping, eating leftovers, and watching college sports. The NFL upped the ante earlier this year in scheduling a Black Friday game for the first time, which sees the Miami Dolphins visiting Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Amazon Prime Video at 3 p.m. ET. The NBA will counter that with four nationally televised group stage games in its first-ever In-season Tournament:

• First, on NBA TV, the Boston Celtics visit the Orlando Magic at 2:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Phoenix Suns at the Memphis Grizzlies
• On ESPN, the New York Knicks host the Miami Heat in a New York-Miami multi-sport grudge fest
• Finally, Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs take on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors

Christmas Day (Monday, Dec. 25)

Here’s where things get really spicy. The NFL goes straight for the jugular with a nationally televised tripleheader:

• Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Las Vegas Raiders at 1 p.m. ET
• The New York Giants take on the Philadelphia Eagles at 4:25 p.m. ET
• The Baltimore Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers at 8:15 p.m. ET

That 10-hour slate of football will go up directly against the NBA’s marquee five-game Christmas slate on ESPN and ABC:

• The Knicks host the Milwaukee Bucks at noon ET
• The Warriors travel to the defending champion Denver Nuggets
• The Boston Celtics host the rival Los Angeles Lakers
• The Heat host the Philadelphia 76ers
• The Suns take on the Dallas Mavericks

Those last two games on ESPN will go directly against Ravens-Niners on ABC for an all-Disney clash.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, Jan. 15, 2024)

The NFL will again boast a primetime Super Wild Card postseason matchup that Monday night on ESPN to close out the opening round of the playoffs. That will be countered by TNT and NBA TV’s marquee regular season day of action, with two games on each network to counter the football frenzy.

NBA TV starts and closes out the day on Jan. 15 with the Sixers hosting the Houston Rockets at 1 p.m. ET, while the Lakers take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 10:30. TNT’s traditional doubleheader features the Spurs at the Atlanta Hawks and the Warriors at the Grizzlies.

Folks, the country’s two most popular sports leagues are about to go head to head in the most public, front-facing, meaningful way over the next several months. Game on.

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The post The 2023-24 NBA Schedule Draws Battle Lines With the NFL appeared first on Boardroom.

When Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts plays in his first regular season game next month, he will continue the tradition of wearing Jordan Brand cleats — something the ex-Oklahoma Sooner did in all 18 games he played during the 2022 campaign — just in a more official capacity.

On Monday, Hurts and Jordan Brand officially revealed their partnership, with the 25-year-old joining Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Dak Prescott and Carolina Panthers rookie Bryce Young as the only three active NFL QBs signed with the storied company.

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A post shared by Jordan (@jumpman23)

“I share a lot of important qualities with the Jumpman: Dedication to goals, commitment to excellence and values, and an unwavering sense of self-belief. … I’m proud to be counted among the athletes who have represented Team Jordan,” Hurts said in a statement to Andscape.

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Though only one of three QBs with Jordan endorsement deals, the roster of current NFL players affiliated with the company includes more than a dozen. A few standout faces include Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams, New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan, and San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel.

Eagles players and Jordan Brand share a long relationship dating back to 2001 when Donovan McNabb became the first NFL QB to ink a deal with them. Two years prior, former Minnesota Viking wideout Randy Moss became the first pro football athlete to sign with Jumpman. Moss is the only player in football history to have his own Jordan signature shoe — could Hurts be the second?

“On the field, Jalen’s commitment to excellence shines,” Jordan Brand president Sarah Mensah said to Andscape. “But perhaps even more impactful is what he personally embodies. Jalen understands the importance of believing in yourself and staying dedicated to your passions. He empowers all of us to help one another rise.

“That characteristic and commitment is one of the hallmarks of the Jordan Brand, and is what makes Jalen a perfect fit for our team.”

The reigning NFC champions open the regular season at home against the New England Patriots on Sept. 10 at 4:25 p.m. ET.

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Part I: For David Adelman and the 76ers, Big Arena Dreams Come With Even Bigger Obstacles
Part III: 76ers & Chinatown: Downtown Arena Proposal Forms Deep Divisions
Part IV: The 76ers Want a New Downtown Arena. Here’s How They Get it

The biggest threat to the 76ers getting their new arena could be Comcast Spectacor, their current landlord at Wells Fargo Center.

In every major city in the world, perhaps the most fundamental relationship you’ll find is between landlords and tenants. It’s certainly no different in the City of Brotherly Love.

The Wells Fargo Center opened in 1996 at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex on Broad Street. Veterans Stadium housed the MLB’s Phillies and NFL’s Eagles, while the 21,000-seat sequel to the iconic Spectrum — formerly known as the CoreStates Center, First Union Center, and Wachovia Center — hosted the NBA’s 76ers and NHL’s Flyers. Lincoln Financial Field opened in 2003 for the Eagles and Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004 for the Phillies, leaving Wells Fargo as the Sports Complex’s oldest arena.

Comcast Spectacor, the sports and live entertainment division of media conglomerate Comcast, owns Wells Fargo Center and the Flyers. It also owned the Sixers until 2011, when it was sold to a group led by Josh Harris and David Blitzer for a reported $300 million. Forbes recently estimated the 76ers’ current value at $3.15 billion.

While both Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field are owned by the city, the Sixers have been the only major professional sports franchise in Philadelphia that are tenants to owners of a different team. The 76ers say being a tenant puts the team at a competitive disadvantage, choosing dates for home games after the Flyers and various shows and concerts get their pick. It probably also doesn’t help that Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment also owns the New Jersey Devils, the Flyers’ NHL division and geographic rival, and has to pay rent to the owner of its hockey adversaries.

Sixers minority stakeholder David Adelman pointed to the team’s March schedule that featured what he called a brutal five-game road trip in the month’s first seven days and just five total home games as a direct result of not owning its venue.

“We’re a third choice,” Adelman told Boardroom as part of our in-depth series on the Sixers’ arena plans. “We’ve only had one Christmas game in 11 years. We’re away because “Disney on Ice” is here. We have more back-to-backs and five-out-of-seven nights than anybody in the league. We want to control our own destiny.”

So, with the Sixers’ lease expiring in 2031 at Wells Fargo Center, the team has already said it will not be re-signing. Rather, it’s pursuing a new arena in the Center City district away from the Sports Complex called 76 Place, spearheaded by Adelman, which would open in time for the 2031-32 NBA season.

When landlords and tenants don’t see eye to eye, however, things can get contentious.

That’s certainly going on behind the scenes between the Sixers and Comcast Spectacor.

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One local business leader went so far as characterizing Sixers-Comcast Spectacor arena interactions as a “war.” In an email to Boardroom, Comcast Spectacor called this characterization inaccurate, stating that the company greatly values its relationship with HBSE, has nothing but respect for them, and is excited about and bullish on the future of what it called the new Wells Fargo Center and the Sports Complex.

Comcast Spectacor considers Wells Fargo Center a new, world-class arena thanks to a $400 million privately funded renovation including a new club level, an overhauled main concourse, upgraded suites, and other building-wide improvements, with further plans to develop the South Philly Sports Complex into one of the country’s top sports and entertainment destinations — but a quirk in the 1996 arena lease put the responsibility to renovate and improve the Sixers’ team facilities inside Wells Fargo Center on the tenant rather than the landlord.

“We felt like we really needed to do something to get the team areas here up to even close to an NBA standard,” HBSE and 76ers CEO Tad Brown told Boardroom. Before a late March game against the Dallas Mavericks, the Sixers unveiled a completed new locker room, weight room, training, rehab, and other facilities as part of a $9 million upgrade for which they footed the bill.

“This is a unique lease situation that made it part of the team’s obligation,” Brown said. “We abide by our lease. We appreciate the changes Comcast made.”

Notably, Comcast owns not just Wells Fargo Center, but also NBC Sports Philadelphia, which broadcasts the Sixers’ local games with a contract running through September 2029. The business relationship will endure despite the two sides’ differences; Comcast Spectacor said it will continue to be a great partner to HBSE and the 76ers whether they extend the lease beyond 2031, otherwise partner on the renovated current arena, or succeed in building their own.

“We want a good working relationship with them. We share the facility and we’ll continue to do that,” David Adelman said of the Comcast relationship. “One thing should have nothing to do with the other. I think they’re doing a nice job with the TV rights. We’ve had very open and transparent dialogue with them about our intent, and they’ve had open dialogue about theirs.”

Adelman pointed out that Wells Fargo will be one of the NBA’s oldest facilities by lease’s end with sightlines built for hockey, not primarily for basketball. HBSE invited Comcast Spectacor’s Flyers to join the Sixers in 76 Place in 2031 — something the team said Comcast seemed somewhat receptive to initially — but the company’s current stance is that it’s committed to and believes in its current home and the broader Sports Complex moving forward.

Further, an additional sports arena would likely cut into Comcast Spectacor’s annual revenue, but many in the 76ers camp believe that a major city like Philadelphia is big enough to support two top-quality indoor venues.

“They can both still live well from an entertainment perspective,” Adelman said. “Whoever we’ve spoken to are ready for a newer, better option for their talent and we think we can accommodate that.”

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When asked whether there was concern that a new arena would significantly impact Wells Fargo Center’s ability to generate revenue and profit, Comcast Spectacor said it’s extremely excited and optimistic about the future of its world-class arena in a growing sports and entertainment district at the Sports Complex.

Amid the intrigue, Boardroom spoke to someone who knows better than almost anyone about live entertainment venues: Irving Azoff. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and legend of the music and entertainment industry said he supports the trend of NBA teams building downtown arenas and investing in additional entertainment options around such venues to provide fans a plethora of options to improve the game day experience.

“They want hotels, restaurants, bowling alleys, movies, Top Golf, massive restaurant options,” Azoff told Boardroom. “Every one of these downtown places is becoming like a mini Las Vegas. The future inevitably to me is if you’re given a choice, put your arena downtown. As much as I hate to admit it, the Staples Center revitalized downtown LA.”

As co-founder of stadium developer Oak View Group and a veteran of the music industry spanning more than 50 years, Azoff knows that booking dates for premier musical acts is difficult in arenas that host more than one pro sports team. All the weekend dates get eaten up, and NBA and NHL teams have holds on dates for two months during the playoffs. Azoff cited internal research estimating that there are 12 or 13 shows at Philadelphia’s baseball and football stadiums, 40 at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in nearby Camden, New Jersey, 10 to 15 at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, and 40 to 50 at Wells Fargo.

“Philadelphia is a vibrant, big market that should be bigger and would be bigger [with a second arena],” Azoff said. “Through Oak View Group, we consult a lot of basketball teams and we’re landlords to hockey and basketball teams. When a lease runs out for an NBA or NHL team and they stay in an arena, even if they were to stay, the landlord wouldn’t make the kind of money on a new deal that they currently make. That’s just the way the business runs.”

The Sixers are in a similar boat as the Los Angeles Clippers, who are currently tenants alongside the Lakers, the WNBA’s Sparks, and the NHL’s Kings at downtown LA’s Crypto.com Arena while they build their own venue, Intuit Dome, slated to open next year in Inglewood. Azoff said it wouldn’t be a huge loss for Crypto.com Arena when the Clippers leave because the team doesn’t pay much in rent; he would even argue the arena could make more money through additional concerts than holding 40-plus Clippers home games.

“Just opening up those nights up so if they could play more music, they can make it up easily,” Azoff said. “Honestly, if you don’t own the team and you’re just the landlord, one night of music is far more profitable to an arena than one night of basketball.”

One member of the news media in Philadelphia who requested anonymity in order to speak freely noted to Boardroom that Comcast told them and others that there just wasn’t enough consumer demand to support two Philadelphia arenas, thus they are heavily lobbying in opposition to 76 Place. This person understands that Comcast doesn’t want to lose the Sixers’ business, but as the previous owners of the franchise itself, they said that Comcast should have seen this scenario coming after selling to Josh Harris and David Blitzer’s group in 2011.

When Boardroom asked if Comcast Spectacor regrets selling the Sixers, the company stated that it continues to be a great partner of the team and will continue to do so whether they build their arena or not.

The news media member said they’re disappointed when they hear people saying the Sports Complex would have better SEPTA public transit access than the proposed Center City arena atop Jefferson Station because they know the talking point came from Comcast Spectacor. A train along the orange Broad Street line isn’t a convenient trip for most people, the individual said, while the new arena with regional rail access to two million people in the greater Philadelphia region would provide value for fans who wouldn’t have to bother with traffic and parking.

The news media member called Philadelphia a company town in a sense, and that company is Comcast. It’s one of the largest employers in the city and one of the last locally based companies that hasn’t been merged with or acquired by a different conglomerate. Comcast Spectacor said that the company employs 11,500 people in Philadelphia and doesn’t expect a new Center City arena to have an impact on its workforce. 

“This is adjacent to their workforce. I actually thought they’d be excited,” Adelman said. “I’m giving their employees something to do when it’s so hard to get people back to work.”

A lot of local residents, the news media member believes, feel obligated to Comcast, which is very integrated into the local ecosystem. The Sixers may have underestimated how much hold and reach Comcast Spectacor and its parent company have.

Following its acquisition of NBC Universal from General Electric in 2011, Comcast’s influence extends to the NBC family of networks, which are viewed by millions each week between television and streaming. In late April, the 76ers received emails from NBC’s prime news program, NBC Nightly News, as well as from financial news network CNBC requesting comment for a story for the company’s digital platforms on challenges involving Chinatowns across the country, including the proposed 76 Place near Philadelphia’s own Chinatown, that was to look into how urban Chinese diaspora communities have been combating gentrification and protecting their culture and history amid the rise of luxury developments. May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month across the United States, which brought the subject into an even brighter spotlight.

A second local media member more specifically connected to the local sports scene said that the 76ers and Comcast Spectacor have been on the phone with anyone they could get ahold of to convince them to take their side in this arena battle, trying to generate any amount of leverage they can muster. Comcast Spectacor has a lot to lose if the Sixers leave, this person said, especially after spending $400 million of its own money on Wells Fargo Center upgrades. A tenant would immediately become a competitor as soon as a new arena opened.

This sports media member believes that Comcast Spectacor is sensitive about this issue in part due to the threat of the Sixers taking top musical acts and other in-demand events with them, but that the company shouldn’t worry too much considering that Wells Fargo Center does well currently against other local and regional competitors.

Comcast Spectacor said it would love to negotiate a new lease with the 76ers that would allow them to purchase some manner of equity in the building itself. It believes the future of South Philadelphia is incredibly bright and that it would love for the Sixers to be a part of that story.

For its part, a 76ers spokesman said that if the team doesn’t have the necessary approvals for the current Center City project by the end of the calendar year, they would be faced with a decision on whether to proceed with buying a separate piece of land at the Fashion District Mall site to the east. The team believes Comcast knows this, which is why they’re trying to delay the approval process as much as possible.

Another major part of the approval process? Working closely and productively with community groups across the city. And as we’ll see in Part III of our Boardroom series, many of these groups find themselves deeply divided when it comes to the 76 Place proposal.

Stay tuned for the next story in our series, which will cover the discourse between Philadelphia community groups with differing views of opinion regarding 76 Place.

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The post Are the 76ers & Comcast at War Over a Downtown Arena Project? Depends on Who You Ask appeared first on Boardroom.

Part II: Are the 76ers & Comcast at War Over a Downtown Arena Project? Depends on Who You Ask
Part III: 76ers & Chinatown: Downtown Arena Proposal Forms Deep Divisions
Part IV: The 76ers Want a New Downtown Arena. Here’s How They Get it

The newest member of the Sixers ownership group wants to leave his mark on Philadelphia with his arena aspirations. So, what’s stopping him?

The Philadelphia 76ers‘ quest to build an 18,500-seat downtown arena in time for the 2031-32 NBA season is vastly more nuanced than a basketball team looking for a new home — it’s a comprehensively complex story that combines nearly every element of Philadelphia civic life, including sports, business, real estate, politics, race, corporate power, jobs, transportation, and, of course, money.

Last July, the Sixers announced their plans to build a $1.3 billion arena, dubbed 76 Place, bordering the city’s historic Chinatown neighborhood. Ownership vows to privately fund the project in full. The team reached an agreement to purchase part of the Fashion District Philadelphia mall from existing owner Macerich, with plans to knock it down to create a new anchor in the City Center district atop Jefferson Station, which serves nearly every SEPTA Regional Rail line.

76ers managing partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer named native Philadelphian, local business leader, and real estate developer David Adelman the chairman of both the plan and the newly created development company behind it, 76 Devcorp.

In October, Adelman purchased the roughly 10% stake in the team that was previously owned by Michael Rubin, making his leadership of this project both business and personal.

On a crisp spring morning in late March, Adelman provided Boardroom a tour of the mall and the surrounding area that he hopes will be the Sixers’ future home. As a key part of Center City in obvious disrepair, it’s currently an eyesore in the heart of the country’s sixth-largest city.

Graffiti lined the walls next to the glass entryway of a mall that’s struggled mightily of late with crime and lackluster foot traffic. Across the street, boarded-up storefronts — some of which the 76ers also agreed to purchase for a potential mixed-use project — show signs of urban decay that have worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adelman said he was approached to help find the team a new home roughly 18-24 months before he bought his Sixers stake. The goal was to not only build a world-class venue with great experiences for fans and players, but to make a community impact. The prospective site would have a strong existing infrastructure and would permit the 76ers to control their own destiny when their current lease at Wells Fargo Center expires in 2031.

The team has played at Wells Fargo since it opened in 1996 in South Philadelphia as part of the broader sports complex where the 76ers, Flyers, Eagles, and Phillies have all played since the 1970s.

“I’ve been here my whole life and I have a real passion for the city in wanting to make a difference,” Adelman told Boardroom. “This will not be a great economic return for us financially, but it’ll be a great civic return and we think that’s important.”

The NBA‘s five newest arenas in San Francisco, Milwaukee, Detroit, Sacramento, and Brooklyn are all located in downtown areas, and like the basketball venues in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Boston, and Washington, DC, 76 Place would be built atop its city’s busiest central transit hub, making the arena accessible for fans across the region. That’s in addition to the 50% of season ticket holders Adelman said either lived or worked in Center City right before COVID. Adelman said the station that serves tens of thousands of riders a day wouldn’t be negatively impacted by potential construction.

By building the arena — which Adelman said would only stand about 15 feet taller than the height of the existing part of the mall that would be knocked down — he hoped to spark an economic revival in Center City with further investment and urban renewal projects. He pointed to the LA Live campus that became the downtown home to the Lakers and Clippers in 1999 as an example of how a new arena can revitalize an area.

Sixers and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment CEO Tad Brown helped the Houston Rockets build and open the Toyota Center in 2003 just prior to his tenure as CEO there from 2006-21, which preceded his departure for Philadelphia. He knew upon joining HBSE in 2021 that ownership wanted a new arena — one with a more intimate feel and better sight lines than the 21,000-seat Wells Fargo Center. There would be fewer suites and luxury boxes than in a traditional larger venue, with more opportunities for communal access built for an environment that would host not just 41-plus NBA games per season, but more than 150 events a year across sports, concerts, and other shows and attractions.

Brown’s role in making 76 Place a reality is currently centered around working with Adelman to make sure all the resources are in place to get the site the team calls Market East municipally approved. They are currently collaborating with the many constituent groups who will be affected, pitching them on why the project would be beneficial for the city in terms of more jobs, a revitalized downtown, and billions in long-term economic impact.

But for the Sixers, there are numerous overarching obstacles and opponents standing in the way of this grand plan. Any one of them could derail their plans for the Center City site.

“If you talk to a lot of folks who have built arenas recently, any major development projects in major cities,” Brown told Boardroom, “you’ll probably consider it similar to a political campaign.”

Chief among the groups vocally opposed to the Sixers’ plan are business leaders and representatives from a Chinatown neighborhood long scarred by large-scale developments and wary of increased crime, traffic, lack of parking, and rising cost of living. The proposed arena would sit at Market Street between 10th and 11th Streets, and across to Filbert Street. It would also take over an existing Greyhound Bus terminal just behind it that was already planning to vacate that site — geographically, that’s arguably where Philadelphia’s Chinatown begins.

A March survey from the influential Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp., which officially voiced its opposition to the arena that month, found that 90% of business owners and residents oppose 76 Place. A Sixers spokesperson conceded that the biggest challenge to their arena plan is understanding how to adequately address the concerns of Chinatown.

One additional obstacle is convincing a Sixers fanbase that has driven to the sports complex for more than 50 years. One local media member who spoke with Boardroom called Philadelphia old school and parochial, with fans not enthusiastic about the 76ers leaving South Philly and seeing nothing wrong with where they play now.

The team hopes that educational opportunities, community meetings, and sitting down with season ticket holders over the coming months and years would help get fans on board with a Center City arena. An Emerson College/PHL17 poll in May of 600 likely Democratic voters showed 51% of respondents were opposed to the Sixers arena, 30% were in favor, and 19% were unsure.

It’s also a mayoral election year in Philadelphia, with former city council member Cherelle Parker winning the Democratic primary, putting her in pole position to become the first female mayor in the city’s history. She’s previously spoken positively about the arena plan, a potential boost for 76 Devcorp. The first steps in securing arena zoning approval, however, are in the hands of the neighborhood’s council member, Mark Squilla, who will look at a series of team- and city-commissioned studies to determine whether to draft legislation for zoning approval that would then need to pass a City Council vote and receive mayoral approval.

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It could also be a race against the clock for the Sixers to get zoning planned before January, when Macerich has a debt maturity due that they may not be able to afford, according to sources familiar with the company. That could lead to a bankruptcy filing that could significantly imperil the team’s plan.

But the 76ers’ biggest adversary in their arena plans may be Comcast and its subsidiary Comcast Spectacor, which owns Wells Fargo Center.

When asked if it opposes the 76 Place plan, Comcast Spectacor told Boardroom that it consistently said it wants what’s best for Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Sixers organization maintains that Comcast has tried to get in its way at nearly every turn.

“It’s no secret that Comcast is trying behind the scenes to not see this happen,” Adelman said.

Stay tuned for our next story of the series, which will cover the high-stakes dynamic between the Sixers and Comcast Spectacor, two of the most influential business entities in all of Philadelphia.

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The show wasn’t scheduled to begin until 7:30 p.m., but hordes of fans were lined up outside the Kansas City Music Hall two hours early. With the majority dressed in Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles gear, there was no mistaking what audiences came to see. For the first time ever, the New Heights podcast was hosting a live show.

Co-hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce, the weekly program gives fans unfiltered access into the minds of two future Hall of Famers. The brothers, whose off-field charm is just as endearing as their skills on the gridiron, welcomed a sold-out crowd Wednesday, April 26 in downtown Kansas City, one night before the city hosted the NFL Draft. Travis has called the City of Fountains home since being drafted in 2013, and most recently helped the team win its second Super Bowl title in four years. Notably, he beat his older brother in that game, which many dubbed the “Kelce Bowl.”

Retaining a listener for 90 minutes every week is no easy feat, but fans seem to gravitate toward the pair. Perhaps it’s because we can imagine similar discourse with our own siblings or friend group. Or maybe it’s fun to see athletes shed that “tough guy” exterior. Whatever the catalyst, it has made for phenomenal content over the last 10 months.

“It is incredible to see how fans have embraced the show and allowed us to engage with them on an entirely new level,” Jason and Travis shared with Boardroom in an email. “The 92%ers bring that energy week after week. Getting the opportunity to experience that in real-time as part of the live show is a career highlight for us both.”

“History elevates conversation,” added Tunde St. Matthew-Daniel, SVP of Original Content at Wave Sports + Entertainment, which produces the podcast. “It’s these guys, their history together not only as players but also brothers. And so you have that as your foundation to kind of build upon. It’s like they have the shared experience of being NFL brothers, but it’s even more important they have the shared experience of growing up in the same household, just two of them.”

St. Matthew-Daniel understands what makes a palatable program, and he knew how successful this show would be almost instantly. With stints at the NFL, Spotify, and Uninterrupted, his knack for storytelling and separating athletes from their craft made it easy for St. Matthew-Daniel and WSE to see the long-term potential for “New Heights.”

Athletes opting to produce original content that allows for better self-expression only strengthens the bond they have with fans. While speaking to Aaron Eanes, Travis’s manager and an executive producer of New Heights, he said this trend can be traced back to players “not feeling like their voices are being heard in traditional media.”

“When developing New Heights, ultimately what we wanted to do differently was to have a conversation between two brothers that are both the best at what they do, but at the same time have very different outlooks and interests,” he said. “So not only focusing on football and the X’s and O’s, but having a general conversation about life and what goes into the general day-to-day and give people a peek behind that curtain. Which ultimately is the reason I would say that New Heights has success with a broader audience than just the typical football fan.”

Eanes has a point. Jason and Travis, while revered for their playing, have elevated their celebrity status away from football. One month after lifting the Lombardi for the second time, Travis was in New York hosting Saturday Night Live. Never too far from his younger bro, Jason made a cameo in one of the skits.

Alongside then-teammate Beau Allen in 2018, Jason guest-starred in the Super Bowl LII-themed episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, “Charlie’s Home Alone,” in Charlie Kelly’s imagination.

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The Guest List

Another large part of the podcast’s success is the A-list guests that Jason and Travis book. The duo is entertaining on their own, but you see a different level of banter with a third (or fourth) voice. Among the many to have joined them are their parents Ed and Donna Kelce, legendary tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Shannon Sharpe, and most recently, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

With a roster of famous faces circling Kansas City that weekend, the two had plenty of options to surprise the crowd. They did not disappoint. The minute his name was called, 10,700 guests erupted in boos as Commissioner Roger Goodell walked onto the stage. Certainly used to the reception, Goodell accepted the jeers, conversed with the brothers, and left with enough time for the brothers to welcome several more friends. In all, the audience heard from Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City native and Modern Family alum Eric Stonestreet, newly retired Chiefs QB Chad Henne, and to close the show, the two-time NFL and Super MVP himself Patrick Mahomes.

Throughout the two-hour soirée, plenty of beer was consumed onstage, merch soared from t-shirt guns and dialogue reached an excessively hilarious amount of trolling.

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“Something we’re really big on is building the shows with your host,” St. Matthew-Daniel said. “Don’t be over-reliant on guests. I’m not saying guest-centric shows don’t work. There are a lot of guest-centric shows, especially in the sports space, that do really well. But we set out to build a show with these two guys that could stand on its own even if we never book a guest.”

For those following New Heights since episode one last fall, you’ll know St. Matthew-Daniel has a point. It wasn’t until the 11th installment that they introduced their first guest, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts. Not to be overshadowed, Mahomes made his debut in episode 15.

“I think we prioritize the brothers’ dynamic over guests, and the reason we did that is because we think Travis and Jason are both stars at what they do,” Eanes said. “They’re extremely funny, extremely knowledgeable, and that’s what fans like to see. So that’s what we wanted to hold first and foremost, to give them a platform to showcase their ideas, their opinions, their passions, and their interests. I would honestly say the biggest beneficiary was Jason because people didn’t understand how funny he is, how witty he is, and how insightful he is.”

Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift: The Numbers Behind the Phenomenon

From digital footprint to merch to live event impact and beyond, let’s take a closer look at the economics of the two-time Super Bowl champ and the pop superstar.

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Reaching New Heights

With the No. 1 sports podcast in the country, the attention of two fandoms celebrating their every move, and a summer to build momentum for another season, it’s fair to wonder what the future of New Heights looks like — particularly after the two retire from football.

“We are always evaluating opportunities, so I think it’s easy to think about what the future holds,” Eanes said. “At the end of the day, we’re focused on how to make the best possible podcast and how to give the community of listeners that we’re building the best possible experience and insight. When we evaluate any decision or opportunity that is presented, we always think about those two things, and from there, it’s very easy to figure out what makes sense and what doesn’t.”

From his perspective, St. Matthew-Daniel says they’re committed to making the podcast accessible via all platforms. Whether it’s listening to the Kelces on a run, watching their dynamic on YouTube, or getting just the bits from Instagram and TikTok, the goal is to make a holistic show that stays authentic. St. Matthew-Daniel also emphasized their focus on building modestly, something he learned from another athlete-turned-worldwide-media sensation.

“One thing LeBron always used to say when I was a part of the Springhill fam is, ‘Keep the main thing, the main thing,'” he said. “We don’t want to have this show in any way — despite it being a big success so far — draw attention from what the guys are doing on the field.”

New Heights is available to stream on Apple Podcast, Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon Music.

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The post New Heights: The Elevation and Domination of the Kelce Brothers’ Hit Podcast appeared first on Boardroom.

“I just want to hear my name called in the first round.”

That was Nolan Smith’s one wish for his professional football pursuits during the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Georgia Bulldogs edge rusher was the 30th name called during April 27’s Round 1 selection ceremony, having been chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles. In an effort to calm his nerves in the moments leading up to the festivities, Smith and a number of other prospects distracted themselves by playing against each other at the second annual Call of Duty Draft Championship in downtown Kansas City.

They weren’t in attendance, but two names came to mind when we asked the 22-year-old who his dream CoD opponents would be.

“Either Bill Belichick or Peyton Manning. I feel like it’d be cool to watch them try to actually play the game — especially Peyton Manning. I feel like when he plays the game, he’ll try to look at it like real football. I’d love to just say I beat Peyton,” he joked.

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Nolan Smith, a two-time College Football Playoff national title winner, is now set to begin his rookie campaign in Philadelphia, where he’ll join a powerhouse squad that made it all the way to Super Bowl LVII in February as champions of the NFC. Notably, Nolan Smith isn’t the only Bulldog the Eagles drafted in the first round — the kings of the NFC traded up with the Chicago Bears for the ninth overall pick and picked defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

All told, the NFL is consistently loaded with elite talent here and now, but when asked about who’d most love to play alongside, the pass-rushing Dawg could not respond fast enough.

“Obviously Tom Brady. He’s the greatest. Tom Brady has done so much for the game and just left a legacy that nobody could really live up to. Like, he won six [Super Bowls],” Smith said (omitting the seventh ring TB12 won with Tampa Bay two years ago), “played through decades, and has seen football change from rules to Super Bowls and things like that. I just wanted to sack him one time.”

Smith might have won the opening night at the draft in landing with such an elite team and reuniting with a big-time UGA teammate in Carter, but he unfortunately came up short in the Call of Duty Draft Championship. In the final showdown, defending champion Sauce Gardner, All-Pro cornerback for the New York Jets and last season’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, was upset by Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Darian Kinnard 56-55. For his exploits on the sticks, Kinnard won $10,000 and a gold championship belt.

Other event attendees included Bryce Young (Panthers), Will Anderson (Texans), Jalen Carter (Eagles), Anthony Richardson (Colts), and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks).

The two-day tournament was also a chance for players to get a first look at Call of Duty Mobile, which is set to make its retail debut this summer on all mobile devices — but when you boot up the game, keep an eye out for Nolan Smith in case he pops up in your matchmaking lobby. The kid has an Eagle eye.

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The post Picking Up the ‘Call of Duty’ Sticks With Eagles Rookie Nolan Smith appeared first on Boardroom.

Even if you don’t know Adam Lefkoe, you know Adam Lefkoe.

You can’t escape the superstar sports broadcaster these days, who is all over the place as he juggles preparation for the start of the NFL Draft on Thursday while also hosting one of the most popular media shows — NBA on TNT — during the heat of the postseason. This year’s draft is a bit more special, however, as Lefkoe is preparing to host his 10th B/R Gridiron NFL Draft Night show, set to stream exclusively on the B/R app and B/R YouTube channel on Thursday, April 27 at 8 p.m. ET.

Like NBA on TNT, Gridiron NFL Draft Night is unique in that it’s one of just a few shows to feature current NFL stars to provide real-time analysis with each pick. This year, he’ll be joined by active players Micah Parsons, AJ Brown, Kirk Cousins, and Calais Campbell. 

Ahead of what is sure to be a busy weekend, Boardroom chopped it up with Adam Lefkoe to hear what he has to say about the NFL Draft, the NBA Playoffs, his Philadelphia sports fandom, the emerging world of Web3, and more.

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GRIFFIN ADAMS: You really had to grind your way through the industry to get to where you’re at today. What’s driven you throughout the journey?

ADAM LEFKOE: The first thing that came to my mind when you said that was there’s this notion of self-belief. What I mean by that is I always thought that I could do it. And I always had people that were like, “Oh, you want to do sports TV?” And I would say, “Yeah, that’s what I want to do.” And so when you’re kind of on that journey — I think I did like five and a half years of local news — there’s a lot of moments where you’re like, “I don’t think I want to do this anymore.” But you realize what you’ve said to people. You’ve said, “No, this is what I want.” And so, that pressure that I put on myself and the notion that other people were expecting that out of me, that kind of kept me going.

There was a point in Louisville, Kentucky, where I thought I wanted to leave television and go into radio. There was a time when I thought that I wanted to become a feature producer and not be on-air. There were times at the early stages of Bleacher Report when I just didn’t know if I really enjoyed it, just because there’s always gonna be a moment of the grind — some combination of your personal life and work that you’re working a lot, but maybe it’s not fulfilling. It’s not hitting that creative bone in your body where you’re challenged and at the same time, you feel like people are even watching you. That was really tough in different parts, where it was like — you do all this work and then you get done, and then there’s no response. That’s when you realize, man, this is tough. But I think I’ve had a lot of really good family and friends in my corner that have always supported me and I think that I very early on kind of established — I’m doing this shit.

GA: Having to juggle time between your NFL show and NBA on TNT, do you prepare any differently for one show than the other?

AL: When I was doing the podcast with Chris Sims and then when it became The Lefkoe Show, I actually wanted to treat the NFL like the NBA. And I would argue, if you really do look back, myself and the producer, Josh Frick, when we started doing the Simms & Lefkoe Instagram handle, B/R Gridiron hit us up and they were like, “Can you explain to us what your philosophy is?” And it was all player-centric. It was all storyline-focused because a lot of NFL coverage — we thought — was very team-specific and fantasy-specific. And now, I look at the NFL and it’s very personality-driven, which is always what I thought the NBA was.

In terms of covering it, I think that as the host I need to know your team and I need to know truly what they’re going through and have the information. I can’t go on there and not know that Baker Mayfield is in line to be the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Bucs and how that might make Bucs fans feel. Or know the last time that three tight ends went in the first round of the NFL Draft.

So, I overprepare for NBA on TNT, the NFL Draft. … I treat ’em both the same. I treat ’em like an open-book test where I fill up with a lot of information, and let’s say I have 15 nuggets for every player. What I’ve learned over the years is that if I give out all 15, I’ve talked too much. And I have to be OK, maybe giving two, and I have to kind of know ahead of time what are the two that I value the most because I’m gonna want to hear from Renner, I’m gonna want to hear from Felder, I’m gonna want to hear from Parsons or Cousins or Calias Campbell, or AJ Brown. And so, I know in both situations, it’s not about me, but I need to prepare in case somebody says something or there’s an opportunity to kind of add some context.

GA: I really like the open book thing. Is that something that was passed down to you or something you developed over the years?

AL: The first time I realized that, I was working in Louisville, Kentucky, and we were covering the Breeders Cup. I prepared for two months and I had seven nuggets for every horse in every race. And then I went on TV and my hits each time were 30 seconds long and I got out one nugget. I realized that you have to understand the job that you’re preparing for and what is going to be asked of it.

The other thing that really made me understand prep was watching Ernie [Johnson] and seeing his sheets. I would ride with him, like a car with the talent team to an event and I would just see a stack of papers. I realized that he had all these notes and he might not get to ’em [all], but if Chuck said something, “Man, I wonder what the next three games are gonna be,” Ernie had to have that.

So, I started looking at what nuggets and notes he always had, or I’d watch him on TV and I would close my eyes and I would listen to what he said and I’d go, “Oh, he brought up their record when losing at halftime.” “Oh, he brought up their record when holding an opponent under 100.” And so what I started doing was: Any time he said a stat, I was like, “That’s an interesting one.” And they might not hold a team under 100. I may have looked up that, I may have spent five minutes finding that, and it was a complete waste of time, but if they did, that’s interesting.

Kind of listening to him and following the way he works really kind of showed me a roadmap map for the way to prepare.

GA: Ahead of hosting your NFL Draft show, how do you feel about this year’s class?

AL: I think for this draft, I think this: I think mock drafts are gonna be the most incorrect this year than they’ve ever been because I do not think anyone even knows the order of the quarterbacks. Usually, at least we have that and we know which teams want a quarterback. Secondly, every single one of the top quarterbacks has a huge flaw that teams are gonna have a hard time with. I believe that there are gonna be a number of the players — the rumor right now is that there’s 15, 16 players that have first-round grades for a lot of NFL teams, which means that there’s not a lot of super high-end guys. I think guys like Bijan Robinson, I think guys like Jalen Carter go a lot higher than people think.

And I actually believe that the quarterbacks are gonna fall a little bit and I think it’s gonna shock people. I just want to remind everybody of that 2018 draft when we had five first-round quarterbacks — four in the top 10 — and every one of them was seen as a lock. Lamar, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, and Sam Darnold. And right now we’re sitting here [and] Lamar Jackson can’t even get a contract; Josh Allen is the only one that’s kind of done it. And Baker and Sam Darnold, and Josh Rosen is not even in the league.

So, I think it’s a crapshoot and I, but I think that leads to a really fun night of after every pick sitting there and going, “What’s going on right now [hypothetically] with CJ Stroud?” I think that’ll be fun.

GA: The draft certainly won’t be short on the drama. What’s it like having NFL players join the show to help break down each pick in real time?

AL: Having active players on our draft show completely changed the experience last year. Reacting live to AJ Brown getting traded with Jason Kelce was truly a moment where I forgot I was on camera — and as an Eagles fan, we lost our minds. Realizing that the Eagles drafted Jason Kelce’s replacement and going, “Jason, what do you think of this pick?” And then realizing and going, “Oh man, I’m sorry.” It’s not just people breaking it down. There’s a human element to it.

The fact that we have Kirk Cousins on this draft and there are a number of draft analysts saying that with that No. 23 pick, there’s a chance the Vikings could go quarterback. That could be insane. The thing, though, is these guys are such professionals that they can handle any moment. But we had Cam Jordan come on, and when Kyle Pitts got drafted to the Falcons, he said he was gonna separate his head from his body. When Robert Griffin was on and Kellen Mond was drafted, he said he’s gonna replace Kirk Cousins. That was not a good take.

I think for a lot of these players, the thing that I get excited about, is Bleacher Report, the draft show has actually launched a few media careers. Jason Kelce was on last year, and now he has one of the most popular podcasts in the country. And that sort of was validation. RGIII got the job at ESPN like a week after he was on our draft show. It used to happen all the time where guys would come on our podcast and then the other networks would pick ’em up. So, it’s been very cool to see athletes look at our draft show and go, “This might be a launching pad for my broadcasting career.” I love helping out athletes like that. I love helping them with their second career and their second life and the good ones I’ll pour into. Because if you got it, man, not everyone has it.

GA: So speaking of your Eagles fandom, how are you feeling about the recent Jalen Hurts extension?

AL: I like to think about the contract that they gave to Carson Wentz and then how that turned the locker room inside out because they didn’t believe he was truly a leader. And then to see the reaction towards Jalen Hurts getting the contract and what that does to the rest of the franchise. I’m looking at the Giants right now and all they’re dealing with. Daniel Jones got a contract, Saquon [Barkley] didn’t — Saquon’s not coming to camp. You’re not seeing that in Philly. The Philly Eagles’ players are going nuts right now cause they love it.

The other thing is, is that Eagles fans need to appreciate the fact that Jeffrey Lurie is willing to pay guaranteed money. Year after year, they’re able to sign guys late in the offseason like James Bradbury, because he’s willing to go, I’ll guarantee this deal. I’ll guarantee Kelce’s deal. And to give so many guarantees to Jalen Hurts is freeing up salary cap year after year to where I think the Eagles might be one of the few teams with a big quarterback contract that can still put good players around him.

The thing that people don’t realize about NFL owners and owners, in general, is we’re starting to get to the point where it’s a family business. And a lot of these owners are the children of other owners. They do not have their own financial freedom. Their finances are the franchises. The Bengals — it’s gonna be tough signing Joe Burrow. The Cardinals, the Bidwill family.

What Jeffrey Lurie did, it’s a little bit like Steve Ballmer, Robert Kraft. The owners that are willing to spend money can then open it up to keep it going. And I mean, you’re seeing it in Buffalo. They gave Josh Allen that huge contract and then they lose their best linebacker and an offensive lineman. So, I was very pleasantly surprised and I’m thrilled they got it done before Herbert and Burrow got a contract.

GA: Is there a player you hope falls to the Eagles at No. 10?

AL: They are No. 10 and No. 30. So the fun pick is Bijan Robinson. The best player that I heard from some people that I trust, if he starts to fall a little bit, they might move up and get him is Jalen Carter, the defensive lineman from Georgia. And if you are putting him and Jordan Davis together for the next four years, that’s the position they care about the most. Those are the two that’ll probably make me the happiest.

Other positions, if a cornerback fell like a Christian Gonzalez — I don’t think he will — but that would make sense. If they went the [Peter] Skoronski kid out of Northwestern, the guard. And then, that depends on how many years Jason Kelce has left. If they know that Jason Kelce’s gonna play one more year and you draft a guard, and then next year you move Jergens to center, then you’re solidified for the next four years, that’s pretty good.

But I want to leave this draft with at least one pass rusher. I think it’s the one part of the Eagles, everyone says they’re deep. Brandon Graham is coming to the end. Fletcher Cox is coming to the end. Derek Barnett’s coming off of an injury and they lost Javon Hargrave. This is a team that had 70 sacks last year. They need another D-line.

GA: Alright, transitioning to the NBA here for a second. Don’t worry, we’ll get to our Sixers in a second, but before that, what have been your thoughts on the NBA Playoffs thus far? Feels like a lot has happened in such a short amount of time.

AL: I had to remind myself that last year, it was like a 20-point win and then it would be a 20-point win for the other team. And [this year] wasn’t great until towards the end, every single night, with two minutes left in the fourth quarter. We’re sitting there — the last shot, Trae Young hits a buzzer-beater in Boston. The Grizzlies-Lakers game goes to overtime and LeBron hits a three-quarter-court shot and it almost goes in at the buzzer. Minnesota-Denver came down to multiple buzzer-beaters. The only one that was a sweep was the Sixers. I mean, even the Suns-Clippers games, even though it was a 4-1 end, they were thrilling.

What really gets me excited is to see the young guys step up, that’s what I get excited about. I thought Anthony Edwards was phenomenal in that series. I love seeing Trae Young get trashed all year and then take it to a whole other level. Devin Booker and that Clipper series, averaging 37, 5, and 6. Incredible. De’Aaron Fox — hopefully he’s healthy with that finger — what he’s been like in the Warriors series. It gives me a lot of hope and excitement for the years to come. Jimmy Butler with 56 against the Bucks. I still think the Bucks are gonna make it a series just like I like the Warriors when they were down 0-2. I think Steve Kerr is 14-4 in Game 5s. He’s just — that’s a different level of a team.

I think the fact that we’re sitting here now and we still don’t have a real favorite The team that I thought was the favorite just lost to Atlanta at home. And Phoenix, you’re going, man, their bench isn’t that deep. So, every team kind of has a little bit of an Achilles heel. Bucks, Giannis is hurt. Sixers, Embiid is hurt. But they’re still battling through, so I have a feeling that it’s gonna be a really spicy conference finals and Finals.

GA: I said we’d get to the Sixers, so I’ll get to it: How you feelin’ about this year’s team?

AL: I’ve been negative all year. [laughs] I mean, they start off the year 0-2 and that’s sort of when I was like, I’m not putting my emotions into this team. I think the thing that scares me, other than the fact that Embiid is hurt, is that James Harden, when he drives is not the same guy. He’s not getting to the free-throw line. He’s not finishing around the basket. And I think that Nets team — Sure, you know, after the All-Star break with all those pieces, they fought really hard and they kept the six-seed over the Heat. They’re just not a good team. They’re not at the level of the Boston Celtics. And so I have gone into this year thinking I have zero expectation.

All I want is for Embiid towin the MVP. If they do anything, I am happy to be proved wrong. I remember when the Raptors won the championship and they beat us, but like, everyone would be like, could the Raptors do it? And I would just say no, because until you prove it to me. I’m happy being right six years in a row, and then maybe I’m wrong in the seventh year.

But the one thing I will say about the Sixers team that makes my heart full is that they finally have some dogs. PJ Tucker. Milton. Maxey. Paul Reed. We haven’t had guys like that. For a long time, we never got those loose rebounds, man. We never fight. And I said from the beginning, the reason I love PJ Tucker was I was tired of Embiid being the toughest dude on the team. I don’t think your star should be the guy that fights people. And now, I think they have a few other people that will fight people.

But in the end, I don’t get my emotions up for Doc Rivers or James Harden. They’re just, when all is said and done, we know what their book is gonna say about their playoff legacy. So, I hope they prove me wrong. It would be the No. 1 thing I’d love to be wrong about.

GA: Earlier, you mentioned Philly’s favorite team in the Boston Celtics as your potential title favorite. Do you still feel that way after their Game 5 loss?

AL: Yeah, because I think that they have four or five guys that can take people off the dribble. I think they have three or four deep at big man, especially when you include Grant Williams — you can throw him on Embiid and Giannis. But with Horford and Robert Williams being healthy, I think that they also have … they’ve all been there.

The one team that I keep thinking that people wrote off last week, and they’re back in vengeance are the Warriors because [Andrew] Wiggins is only to get more comfortable, and Klay [Thompson] and [Donte] DiVincenzo kind of coming into his own, and it is Steve Kerr and Steph Curry. That’s dangerous, man. I would lean Celtics right now, but the Suns and the Warriors are the other teams that I have circled as like — they could win it.

GA: Alright, pivoting again, this time to Web3. Walk us through your journey into the space and how it will evolve alongside sports moving forward.

AL: This really started during the pandemic. All of a sudden, Web3 exploded, and NFTs and all that. That’s when everybody got into it, right? I hit up my bosses and I was like, “If we’re doing anything on this, I’d love to be a part of it.” And they connected me with two guys, and we just had a meeting one day and I said, “Guys, the thing is everybody’s trying to make money off of this. I would just love for us to truly create utility and access because I’m hearing a lot of money grubbers out there.” And I would much rather it be something that is for the fans.

The thing I always thought: I was that sicko that would watch NBA on TNT until 1:45 in the morning on the East Coast. And I would know all the bits and I would know EJ’s Stat of the Night. So what I thought was, I would love to find a way to reward the people that are truly fans of the show. Last year, I went to the Western Conference Finals — I went to Dallas and I went to San Francisco for that Golden State-Dallas series. There are hundreds of people out there and they’re live. They’re getting to high-five Shaq and get an autograph from Barkley. What I thought was how cool would it be if the people that watched until 1:30 in the morning were the ones that got to come to something like this? I think that’s the future that we’re kind of thinking is when it’s All-Star Weekend, when it’s a conference finals, how can we give access to those people?

How can people collect moments, build up their wallets, and communicate with other fans of the show? And it’s not just Twitter, it’s not just a Reddit, but it’s its own private little safe space of NBA on TNT inside the NBA fans. And the thing that I’m excited about is when it gets to that level where we give access, where maybe you get to see the studio. Where maybe you get to come in, maybe we send you one of the rundowns autographed by people or a video from Candace Parker. To me, that is the future of all of this — how do we become the first show to really break down that fourth wall and communicate with the fans?

I’ve always thought that the NBA on TNT was revolutionary in the way that it listened. They were the first show that I ever saw that started putting tweets on TV. They were the first show where they would be talking about something, but then a fan would tweet something in and they’d just start talking about the fan. We’re not afraid to listen to our audience. And when I heard people talk about Web3 — which was all about open source, shared community — the ethos aligns, you know? I don’t really care if y’all make money; I don’t get paid any different. But in terms of connecting with the audience, that was the No. 1 thing that attracted me to doing something like this. I think it’s been fun. I think the audience and the community have been great.

GA: Last question here for you before letting you go. Obviously, we’re big sneaker people over at Boardroom. We always see you dropping heat on the set, so I’m curious: Have anything in store for the rest of the NBA Playoffs here?

AL: If you notice, the Tuesday show has a hole in the desk and the Thursday show does not. When we were coming up with it, I was like, “Hey guys, I wanna wear some fire kicks and I’d like for the audience to see it.” Because that’s part of our culture right now. I just did Pat McAfee’s show and he is like, “Man, we see you!” and “You got him on a box and everything.”

When I figure out what I’m gonna wear, I start with the sneakers. Because that’s how I get dressed when I go out. I figure out, hey, I wanna wear the Wotherspoons. I don’t pick a sweater: I ask myself what goes with those? One of the most fun things I do is I sit down with a few of my friends that are big sneakerheads or that work at different companies in that world, Stadium Goods designers and stuff like that, and we just come up with what 10 sneakers would we like to see?

We had a show on Valentine’s Day this year and I ended up rocking the Valentine’s Day Nike Dunks that came out this year. I was actually upset because I had two sneakers that I wanted to wear, but I could not get them in time. One of them was Joe Freshgoods’ “No Emotions Are Emotions,” which is like a Joe Freshgoods x New Balance collab, a red and pink one. Can’t find it anywhere. And the only one I could find was $8,000 and I was not about to pay that. And then the other one was the Strangelove Dunks. Anytime I was walking in Soho and anytime I pass a sneaker store, I just go in and I go to that back case where it’s always the expensive ones and they had ’em in there for like a really good price in my size. I didn’t realize how beautiful the material was. Because sometimes, man, the quality’s not that good, but the quality of that was so nice.

But one of my favorite parts of the year is sitting down in June with my friends and being like, what 10 kicks? My friend, Adam Kaufman — he works over at Stadium Goods — he was the one that pitched the Chinese New Year’s and I didn’t even really know about that shoe. And then just looking into it and looking at the history of that and then getting them in-hand and seeing them, and I was like, “Oh, this shoe was fire.”

What’s very funny is now that I’ve done this for three years in a row, I always buy them and I go, “Oh, I’ll sell it afterward.” And then I’ve just kept all of them. I don’t give any of them back. Once I get ’em, I can’t let go. It becomes a part of the rotation, but yeah, man, it’s the best.

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First, Jalen Hurts was a phenom. Then, he became an MVP candidate. With all that wind at his back, the do-it-all quarterback capped a wondrous 2022 NFL season by leading his Philadelphia Eagles all the way to a Super Bowl appearance.

And with three NFL seasons in the books following that NFC title campaign, GM Howie Roseman and his front office wasted no time in locking in the face of the franchise in his very first offseason of eligibility for a lucrative contract extension.

As first reported by NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Philly signal-caller is now the owner of the single largest contract in NFL history by average annual value: five years and $255 million, as negotiated by super-agent Nicole Lynn of KLUTCH Sports.

For a man wearing a jersey emblazoned with No. 1, it only makes sense.

Notably, the news arrives as the former Alabama and Oklahoma star man still has one year left of his modestly-scaled rookie deal — he was due to make just $4.3 million in the 2023 season before the windfall kicks in, though his take-home will be enhanced with signing bonus money from the new deal — but suffice it to say that the future is secured for the talented Mr. Hurts.

We had previously thought out loud about what such a mega-deal might look like, and now, we have some truly dazzling numbers to feast on. With that in mind, let’s dive into the details behind the Eagles’ eye-popping Jalen Hurts contract extension.

Think You Know the Highest-paid QB in the Game?

Check out Boardroom’s breakdown of which quarterbacks are bringing home the biggest bags.

Show Me the Money!

Jalen Hurts Contract Extension & Salary Details

All dollar figures as reported by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

Years: 5
Total value: $255,000,000
Average annual value: $51,000,000
Guaranteed at signing: $110,000,000
Total guaranteed money: $179,304,000
Free agency: 2029

Click here for the full details of Hurts’ four-year rookie contract.

As Tom Pelissero additionally reports, the Hurts extension includes $15 million in extra incentives, bringing its effective max value up to $270 million, or an average annual value of $54 million. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, a full no-trade clause attached to the deal is an Eagles franchise first.

Nice work if you can get it.

The NFL’s Highest-paid Players of 2023, Ranked

From Mahomes and Allen to Lamar, AR12, and beyond, find out who tops football’s salary honor roll this season.

Show Me the Money!

Jalen Hurts’ Career Earnings

Salary data via Spotrac.

TOTAL CAREER EARNINGS THRU 2022 SEASON: $4,593,559

ESTIMATED CAREER EARNINGS THRU 2028 SEASON (no additional incentives): $259,593,559
ESTIMATED CAREER EARNINGS THRU 2028 SEASON (all additional incentives): $274,593,559

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The post Jalen Hurts Contract & Salary Breakdown appeared first on Boardroom.

At Super Bowl week in Phoenix, Boardroom chatted with Pro Football Focus lead analyst Sam Monson about how analytics has changed the NFL and the merits of the draft scouting combine. Monson also had plenty of thoughts on NFL free agency, which kicks off this week with the start of the new league year, how rebuilding teams can use analytics to improve, and which stats and players are overvalued or undervalued.

Let’s get into it.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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SHLOMO SPRUNG: How would a rebuilding team use analytics to improve?

SAM MONSON: It’s one of the areas that if you make a mistake, particularly in free agency, that’s essentially millions of dollars not flushed away, but it can harm your cap and constrain you. Using data to understand what a player is going to project into your system is huge.

And the same thing is true with the draft. Some smart teams have a player projection model that can project how these guys are going to do statistically at the NFL level based off all the information that they have, and use those data points to understand better how this guy fits into your system. Not just “here’s a really good player playing on another team, let’s just get him without factoring in how that looks in your system with your scheme with the players around him.” All that information adds to a better safeguarding of those kinds of decisions. 

SS: Who are some free agents on the board that you think analytics value more than their value on the open market? 

SM: It’s a tough one because I don’t think this is a particularly good free-agent group. One area where teams still overpay for free agents relative to the statistics and analytics is where sacks are involved. Sacks are one of these shiny objects, a gaudy statistic that people still overpay for.

We know for a fact that pressures are a more important data point to look at for a couple of reasons. It’s a much bigger sample size, right? Instead of 15 sacks, you can look at 80 pressures over a course of a season, and you get a much better idea of how a guy has actually done. They’re a lot more predictive of future sacks, and a large number of sacks come and go. They can be lucky plays or down to other guys making a play and creating an opportunity for you. But the NFL still pays for guys that are shown they can get sacks. There’s still a sort of shine to that, where the league will still pay a premium for you. 

Interceptions are still another one. If you get a guy that can get a big total of interceptions in a season, it’s seen as the cause of making huge plays. Trevon Diggs was a great example when he led the NFL in interceptions, but he also led the NFL in yards allowed that year and the balance between those two things is important. One of those things is more predictive than the other in terms of how he’ll do going forward. So interceptions is still a big one where I think teams and everybody can get a little bit caught up in the positive play in the moment without looking at the broader context. How often you made a pass breakup, how often you made a hit that dislodged the ball in coverage is more indicative. 

The biggest thing is understanding scheme fit because those are where the biggest mistakes in free agency are made. It’s not necessarily taking a player who had a weird statistical profile and didn’t back it up the next year. It’s signing a player that was doing really well in one system and for whatever reason won’t do as well in your system.

SS: Who are some undervalued or overvalued free agents based on PFF metrics compared to their value on the open market?

SM: I don’t know that there’s a ton of those overrated guys this year because this free-agent class isn’t rated that highly. I think Javon Hargrave [who agreed to a four-year, $84 million deal Monday with the San Francisco 49ers, including $40 million guaranteed] is a guy that’s going to be one of the top free agents on the board, and he probably deserves to be there. He’s had this weird career arc where he started off as a run-stuffing nose tackle and almost morphed into a single-gap penetrating pass rush specialist who’s been not quite a liability against the run, but definitely weaker in that area. He’s a guy where projecting him into your system will be important.

And the cornerback market is a very strange one because there’s not a group of superstars there, but there are players that can come in and be solid over the course of the year and be capable in your system. For example, Patrick Peterson for the Vikings [agreed to a two-year, $14 million deal Monday with the Pittsburgh Steelers, including $5.85 million guaranteed] has reached this point in his career where he can’t be the man-to-man specialist he was earlier, but he’s become a really good zone corner. So if you’re a team that runs a lot of zone coverage, Peterson can still be a high-level player for you.

Troy Hill is a guy that, in the right system, has shown pretty high-level play but often gets miscast because of the size and dimensions. And then James Bradberry coming off his Pro Bowl season with the Eagles. He can be a great corner as a second player, as a complimentary piece, but the previous year with the Giants, when he was your No. 1 guy and went up against the NFL’s best receivers, maybe it won’t look as good. So there are a lot of players that can be successful if the situation makes sense.

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The post Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson Dishes on Analytics in NFL Free Agency appeared first on Boardroom.

Though he played just nine regular season games for the San Francisco 49ers last season due to foot and ankle injuries, star defensive end Arik Armstead recorded a sack in two of the Niners’ three postseason games.

The 29-year-old pass-rusher has logged eight NFL seasons already and is three years into a five-year, $85 million contract that includes $40 million in guarantees, and at Super Bowl week last month in Phoenix, the hulking 6-foot-7 Armstead was candid about how much he spends to preserve his body, estimating that he doles out $200,000 per year to stay at peak performance.

“You have to invest in your body,” Armstead told Boardroom. “You have to invest in yourself. That’s what’s allowed me to be in this position — my body — so I have to take care of it.”

Armstead’s preservation regimen includes massage therapy, acupuncture, hyperbaric chambers, and even some international travel for stem cell therapy. Those helpful expenditures stand in contrast to some of the more questionable buys he admitted to making in the past, however, like designer clothes he never ended up wearing that still sit in his closet today. While he doesn’t wear jewelry, the Sacramento native once bought a chain for two weeks before realizing it was a mistake. Armstead ended up re-purposing it into a necklace and bracelet for his wife, salvaging the situation.

You live, you spend, you learn.

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Armstead and the 49ers nearly salvaged a horrific year of injuries at the quarterback position into a Super Bowl appearance. Week 1 starter Trey Lance suffered a season-ending broken ankle in Week 2, Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot in Week 13, and unsung rookie sensation Brock Purdy tore the UCL in his throwing elbow in a blowout NFC Championship loss in Philadelphia after entering the game undefeated as a starter.

It was a disappointing end to the campaign, but Purdy’s success is something Armstead definitely did not see coming after being the last pick taken in the 2022 draft.

“I don’t think anyone can say they did,” Armstead said, “but he had a confidence and assertiveness about himself that gave him a chance to be good. And he went out there and did it.”

Looking ahead, Armstead said he isn’t sure whether Lance, the 22-year-old No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, or the 23-year-old Purdy will start San Francisco’s season opener this fall, but he knows training camp will be a battle once both of them get healthy. “We can win with either of them, but we’ll see what the plans are,” he said.

And as impressive as he was, it was probably increasingly strange for Purdy to both be the Niners’ out-of-nowhere savior starter and have to complete rookie duties like making food runs and carrying pads for his veteran teammates. Armstead recalled during his own rookie season in 2015 being responsible for buying his teammates dinner and taking them to a Golden State Warriors game.

“Little did they know, I really finessed it, but they let me because I was a good rookie,” he said. “My plan was to go to dinner, get a party bus to the Warriors game, get a suite at the Warriors game. Luckily, I knew someone on the Warriors — my guy Festus Ezeli, who was playing on the Warriors at the time — so I got the suite for free.”

Armstead was nonetheless praying that his fellow Niners didn’t run the dinner bill up on him, but he had a plan either way.

“I took them to Fogo de Chao, which has a set price,” he said. “They had food and drinks in the suite, which was cool, so I got out of there only like $4,500, $5,000. It was good.”

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These days, Armstead is a starter on a potent defensive line that features Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, the latter of whom has a very specific diet to help him retain his All-Pro form.

“I can confirm that Nick Bosa hasn’t eaten a carb in like six months,” Armstead said, “and right when the season ends, I always see him eat his first carb for a long period of time. That’s pretty crazy to me because I don’t have that kind of discipline.”

Fewer snacks, more sacks.

The defensive unit is the single biggest reason why Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers have made three of the last four NFC title games, but they came up short two years in a row. The circumstances didn’t go San Francisco’s way in January, but Armstead seemed more down by loss to the soon-to-be-defending champion Rams in the NFC Championship two seasons ago after defeating Los Angeles six times in a row.

But now, its onto the most intriguing part of the offseason — free agency and the return of team minicamps as the summer months approach quicker and quicker.

“We have a great team. I believe in us,” Armstead said.

“And we’ll be back.”

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The post What Arik Armstead’s Building in the Bay Area appeared first on Boardroom.

Two years after its launch in 2016, TikTok became the most downloaded app in the world in October 2018. The influence is seen today through the numbers, though it still isn’t quite the king of social, boasting 1.05 billion active users in 2023 and trailing Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and WeChat.

Most think of TikTok as an influencer’s platform, but businesses and advertisers are wisely taking advantage themselves. One example is Hyundai, which opted to air an ad on TikTok versus shelling out $7 million for a slot during during Super Bowl LVII. Professional sports leagues, teams, and its players hopped on the trendy app and it has paid dividends.

That said, let’s take a look at the most-followed NFL teams on TikTok.

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The Top 10