SEC and Big 12 Create New Bowl Game

College football has been evolving right before our eyes.  The latest wave of conference realignment the past few years appeared to have settled down.  A new wrinkle, however, could change the entire landscape with news surfacing of an agreement between the SEC and the Big 12.  The two power conferences are creating a new bowl game that will be played on January 1 featuring conference champions of each league....

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NFL Dominates List of Highest Paid Coaches

A list of the highest paid coaches in sports was released by Forbes this week.  It wasn't much of a surprise to find eight of the top ten coaches on the list in the NFL.  Bill Belichick, the NFL's second-longest tenured head coach, led the list with a salary of $7.5 million.  Two coaches from the NBA made the list, but no other sport is mentioned.  Here's the list:

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Top 10 Worst Stadiums

Time magazine recently ranked the ten worst stadiums in the U.S.  One stadium that figures to leave the list is the Metrodome, the home of the Minnesota Vikings.  Minnesota lawmakers approved a plan for its replacement this week, meaning the Vikings are safe from relocating to Los Angeles.  Four of the ten stadiums on the list are located in California.  Here's the list with pictures.

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MLB Attendance - First Report

Attendance for Major League Baseball is on the rise across the league.  The Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers are the league leaders in attendance so far this year.  This is no strange place for the Phillies - they have been in the top ten in attendance each of the last five seasons.  The Rangers cracked the top ten last year for the first time since the 90s.  They have also sold-out its last seven games and are experiencing franchise-highs in multiple categories.  The Phillies led the league all of last year, but are currently in the cellar of the NL East.  Here is the breakdown on all 30 teams.

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College Football Spring Game Attendance Report

The annual spring games are behind us now and all that stands between the start of the college football season is graduation and a hot summer.  It will be here before we know it.  This upcoming season will have plenty of drama with a large chunk of conference re-alignment taking effect in 2012.  SportsBusiness Daily has attendance figures from all of the BCS schools.  Ohio State topped the list with over 81,000 on hand for its annual spring game.  Alabama was second with Penn State, Texas and Arkansas rounding out the top five. 

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Peyton and Eli Manning Re-Sign with Reebok

Reebok kept two of its biggest names with the signing of the Manning brothers according to a report in today's SportsBusiness Journal.  Reebok ended its partnership with the NFL as the league's official uniform provider last season.  Nike will be the official apparel for the league beginning this season for the next five seasons.  Peyton Manning has been with Reebok since 2002 and Eli has been with them his entire career.

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List of Highest Paid Athletes by Sport

Fernando Alonso

I have to admit it - I'm not the biggest fan of ESPN The Magazine.  I've always wondered why they insisted on issuing such a large and akward magazine.  It doesn't fit nicely in anything I'm carrying without having to bend it.  Honestly, the only time I recall reading it is when I'm waiting on a haircut on a Saturday.  All that aside, I've become of a big fan of its editor in chief, Chad Millman.  He's not only a great follow on Twitter, but he has a weekly podcast that comes out on Fridays called Behind The Bets with Chad Millman that's fabulous.  ESPN The Magazine compiled the highest salaried athletes from 31 different sports.  Some of the names might surprise you.

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NFL News and Notes

The typical NFL offseason used to have three major parts to it that you could count on for news stories - free agency, the NFL Draft, and the start of training camp.  Today's NFL is a much different animal.  The draft is this coming Thursday night for its third year in prime time.  (I'm sure the NHL isn't pleased it will have to matchup against draft coverage for a game seven playoff game that otherwise wouldn't have much competition.)  A few headlines came out of the NFL today.  News out of New Orleans just gets worse and worse and Peyton Manning's playbook issued by the Broncos will be unlike anything he's ever had...

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Sifting Through the Briefcase - Weekly Recap

 

This week's headlines, notes, and videos.  It's tax week for Americans and there's an interesting tidbit about American taxpayers.  Also:  wild uniforms unveiled by Nike, media notes, and a coveted trophy is shattered.  Not to mention five excellent time-wasting videos to check out.

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Best-Selling MLB Jerseys

These days, jersey sales is a huge revenue stream in sports.  Under MLB's revenue sharing plan, revenue generated from merchandise is divided among its 30 teams.  The one exception is when that item is purchased from the team's official store in the stadium.  Each league picks an official manufacturer for its official uniform.  The NFL switched to Nike this year.  The NBA uses Adidas and the NHL has Reebok. MLB has used a smaller, private company out of Pennsylvania, Majestic Athletic, since 2004.  Below are its top jersey sales for 2011:

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Dodgers Sold for Record $2 Billion

The winning bidder for the LA Dodgers is a group fronted by former LA Laker star, Magic Johnson. Johnson and his group submitted the highest bid to outgoing owner, Frank McCourt.  A whopping $2 billion was all it took.  Reports have the winning bid $600 million higher than Steve Cohen's group.

As it turns out, McCourt, the much-maligned owner since 2004, is laughing all the way to the bank. McCourt purchased the Dodgers for a measly $430 million.  He must pay his wife, Jamie, $131 million as part of their divorce settlement, remaining debt totaling $573 million, and the taxes on the deal.  It's all gravy after that though..... So who is the money man behind the deal?

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NFL Reigns Supreme Even in Offseason

The NFL is the most covered, most talked about, entertaining, and dramatic sport in America.  Even on a warm spring day six months before the season starts.  Yesterday, when news broke about Sean Payton approaching Bill Parcells about coaching his Saints during his one year absence, I was listening when a sports talk host was signing off the air and mentioned the story along with the phrase, "The NFL, the gift that keeps on giving."  The amount of moves in free agency along with suspensions and coaching changes keeps the league at the forefront of the sports world year-round.  Can you imagine a sports conversation at a bar in January and predicting Peyton Manning would be the QB of the Broncos and Parcells maybe coaching the Saints?  Me neither.  The NFL Draft hasn't even taken place yet.  Here's the bullet points of some of the offseason action this year:

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Major League Baseball's Highest Earners - Top 10

MLB will soon invade the sports landscape for its 2012 season.  Founded in 1869, it remains the oldest of the big four sports leagues, (NHL - 1917, NFL - 1920, NBA - 1946).  Forbes compiled the top earners for the upcoming season.  It's no surprise that the Yankees have four of the top 10 on the list.  The list has the usual suspects that have become baseball's wealthiest over the last few years.  There are only three pitchers on the list and notably absent is Albert Pujols because his new $240 million contract is "heavily backloaded" and will earn just $12 million this year.  The list:

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Update on Dodgers Sale: Looks Like Magic at $1.6 Billion

The sale of the LA Dodgers has been a long process, but the light at the end of the tunnel could be near. Outgoing owner, Frank McCourt must decide on a buyer by April 1.  Next week, four bids will be submitted to MLB for approval.  Magic Johnson's group is the leading bidder with a whopping $1.6 billion.  Magic welcomed another investor this week in longtime friend and business partner, Peter Guber.  Guber owns several minor league baseball teams.  Other groups in the running include:  

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Redskins and Rams Complete Mega Trade

The Washington Redskins traded for the second overall pick owned by the St. Louis Rams in this year's draft and they traded a lot.  The Redskins presumably will take Robert Griffin III after the Colts select Andrew Luck.  The 'Skins handed over THREE first-round picks and a second rounder.  Washington was in line to draft sixth this year, but that pick now belongs to the Rams.  Inside the trade:

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Peyton Manning - The Numbers

Peyton Manning and the Colts, as expected, parted ways officially Wednesday.  Manning spent 14 years with the Colts.  Today's press conference made for riveting live television while most of America was at work.  Where he lands next will be a hot topic for debate over the foreseeable future.  In the meantime, Forbes published a myriad of numbers relevant to number 18's career.

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MLB Expands Playoffs Starting this Year

MLB expanded its playoffs for only the second time in the last 50 years this past week.  The last change to its playoff format came in 1994 with the introduction of the wild card.  The new change will mean 10 teams will now be in the playoffs instead of eight.  Each league will add an additional wild card team and the two wild card teams will play a one-game playoff while each division winner will receive a bye in the first round.

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Derrick Rose's New Contract with Adidas is one of the Richest of All Time

It has been a life-altering 12 months for Derrick Rose.  It started by becoming the youngest player to ever win the NBA's MVP award at age 22.  Then the Chicago native signed a five year, $95 million contract extension with his hometown Bulls prior to this season.  Last week, he inked a lifetime endorsement deal with Adidas totaling 14 years, $250 million.  Maybe that's why he was cool as a cucumber when introduced in last week's NBA All-Star Game.

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College Football's Most Valuable Teams

Forbes ranked the 20 most valuable college football teams using its four component scoring system which includes value to its university, athletic department, conference, and surrounding community.  It's no surprise to see the SEC with nine schools on the list.

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Bodog Founder Indicted by Feds

A day after Homeland Security seized Bodog.com, federal prosecutors indicted the founder of the popular gambling site, Calvin Ayre. Bodog has been one of the biggest players in online sports gambling since it hit the scene in 1997.  It recently rebranded itself to U.S. customers with a name change to Bovada.  Ayre faces illegal gambling and money laundering charges, but claims it will still be business as usual in a statement released on his website in which he denies all charges.

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