📰🏟️ Harper vs. Manfred
Plus: Apple deal tanks MLS viewership…
Good morning. In today’s edition: Apple deal tanks MLS viewership, LPGA’s new rising star cashes in, and much more.
—Peter & Kyle
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🗺️ AROUND THE HORN
Three big headlines
💬🔣 No cap: Bryce Harper reportedly cussed out Major League Baseball’s commissioner. The Phillies star outfielder got in the face of commissioner Rob Manfred during a meeting last week, telling him to "get the f--- out of our clubhouse" if Manfred wanted to talk about the potential implementation of a salary cap, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan. While there was no specific mention of a cap in the meeting, per Passan—though Manfred was talking about the game’s economics—it’s been a hot topic ahead of the expiration of the collective-bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association on Dec. 1, 2026. Owners are once-again pushing for a salary cap (the World Series-canceling ‘94 strike was caused by a similar move), while the MLBPA vehemently opposes one, arguing it serves more as a tool to increase franchise values than to lessen the game's disparity between high- and low-spending teams.
📉 Apple’s walled garden tanked Major League Soccer viewership. At his recent press conference during MLS All-Star Weekend, Commissioner Don Garber stated that MLS is averaging 120k unique viewers/match this season, a 50% increase from last season. It marks the first time viewership numbers have been shared since 2023, when the league inked a 10-year, $2.5B deal with Apple for the exclusive broadcast rights to all of its games. And while there is some confusion as to what the figure actually means, one thing is clear: viewership is significantly down. Comparatively, ESPN averaged 343k viewers for MLS matches during the 2022 season, the last in which the league aired outside of Apple TV+, Sports Media Watch’s Jon Lewis reports. Much of the league’s viewership growth this year has also been the result of a concerted effort by Apple to expand distribution; the tech giant has inked MLS-centric partnership deals with Comcast and DirecTV, as well as T-Mobile.
⚾ Off to the races: MLB's Speedway Classic is set to break the all-time attendance record. The Cincinnati Reds are playing the Atlanta Braves on the modified infield of Bristol Motor Speedway this Saturday night, which will mark Tennessee’s first time ever hosting an MLB game. The contest has already sold 85,000+ tickets, the MLB announced yesterday, eclipsing the league’s previous all-time paid attendance record set in 1954. Saturday night’s game will integrate several NASCAR traditions and crossover elements in honor of the venue, including a pregame player parade and postgame trophy presentation.
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📸 SNAPPED
Pic of the weekend
🏌️ The LPGA has a new rising star—and she’s finally cashing in. Lottie Woad, a 21-year-old from England, won her first start as a professional women’s golfer on Sunday, taking home the Scottish Open title by three strokes. Woad’s victory came with a $300k first-place check, which helps her make up for not being allowed to accept $560k+ in prize money for a pair of top-three LPGA finishes as an amateur earlier this month. Woad enters the Women’s British Open this weekend as the odds-on favorite, in just her second career start as a pro.
👀 MUST-SEE TV
Top plays
⚾ Addison Barger loses fly ball in the clouds, but recovers to make sliding catch
🎾 Corentin Moutet wins epic match point against former world #1
🏌️ Golf pros try their best Happy Gilmore swing
🤸 Savannah Bananas player fails a backflip during live CNN segment
⚾ Carson Williams makes a diving snag for the Durham Bulls (in Charlie Brown style)
🔢 STAT OF THE DAY
1113.33 lbs
How much weight Hafthor Björnsson, aka “The Mountain,” successfully deadlifted on Saturday, breaking his own world record for heaviest deadlift set back in 2020. It also sets a new competition record for deadlift that was previously held by Björnsson’s bitter rival, The Hound Eddie Hall.
📰 NEWS
What else is happening
- Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders revealed in a press conference yesterday that he beat cancer after having his bladder removed.
- President Donald Trump signed an executive order related to governing the NIL landscape, as well as Olympic and women’s sports.
- A Little League baseball team from Venezuela was denied visas to travel to the US for a major tournament.
- Grand Slam Track is in a $13M hole in large part because an investor backed out of their full eight-figure commitment, founder Michael Johnson told Front Office Sports.
- Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, known mostly for his time with the Cubs, died at age 65 following a battle with prostate cancer.
🔥 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HUSTLE
The Hustle: Where business meets fun
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🤔 TRIVIA
Cooperstown or nah?
In celebration of Sunday’s National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, we’ve compiled a list of former Major League Baseball players below. Your challenge is to tell us whether each is in the Hall of Fame or not.
- Lou Whitaker
- Pete Rose
- Barry Bonds
- Adrián Beltré
- Manny Ramirez
- David Ortiz
- Don Mattingly
- Roy Halladay
- Carlos Beltrán
- Shoeless Joe Jackson
- Andy Pettitte
🌐 WEB GEMS
Interesting things to click
🏌️ Just taaaap it in: The oddball golf putter company that private equity just bought for $200M.
🤔 Michigan-Ohio State? Yankees-Red Sox? Real Madrid-Barcelona? We’re working to determine the best sports rivalry of all time using data. Weigh in here.
⚾ Explore: The most updated list of the top 50 MLB trade deadline candidates.
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🤔 ANSWERS
- Lou Whitaker (No)
- Pete Rose (No)
- Barry Bonds (No)
- Adrián Beltré (Yes)
- Manny Ramirez (No)
- David Ortiz (Yes)
- Don Mattingly (No)
- Roy Halladay (Yes)
- Carlos Beltrán (No)
- Shoeless Joe Jackson (No)
- Andy Pettitte (No)
