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Sporticast: The Biggest Loser in the NHL’s Texas Expansion
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- Sporticast: The Biggest Loser in the NHL’s Texas Expansion
(Lorenzo Gordon)
On the 564th Sporticast episode, hosts Eben Novy-Williams and Jacob Feldman discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including the NHL's Texas expansion plans .
Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday that the league had a signed term sheet from Dan Friedkin, the owner of Everton and AS Roma, to add a 33rd team in either Austin or Houston. The league will make a final decision in the coming months, but Friedkin has agreed to commit $3.5 billion as an expansion fee, up front capital and funding for a new arena.
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It's another example of Southern expansion for the league and Bettman, who has made that specific type of geographical growth a main goal of his tenure as commissioner. It's also a relatively surprise owner. For a long time Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta appeared like the frontrunner for a new NHL team, and it's surprising to see the league openly discussing Houston without his involvement.
Next the hosts talk about Brendan Sorsby. The former Texas Tech quarterback was barred from trying to enter the NFL via the supplemental draft, putting him in a tough spot as he assesses his next career steps. The hosts discuss Sorsby as a product of both his own mistakes and opportunistic pearl clutching among college sports leaders.
They also discuss the World Cup. With the last round of group stage matches underway, the tournament is looking more and more like a success across North America. They talk about why early concerns about ticketing, visas and transportation have given way to celebration of underdogs ( like Cape Verde ) and stars (like Messi, Haaland and Ronaldo).
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They close by talking about a pair of other topics: the NBA Draft earlier this week and big changes in the structure of the PGA Tour.
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