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Editor’s Note: Welcome to Sports Finance Brief, a new daily column we’re running here at BroBible breaking down the day’s biggest stories in sports finance. It comes to us via our friends at JohnWallStreet, a new sports business e-mail newsletter worth subscribing to. Here’s what you need to know today… 

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JohnWallStreet is not a person or location, but a destination for the educated sports fan.

While we won’t be publishing “hot takes” on LeBron’s relative greatness to Jordan, we will be offering up the most relevant sports related finance news, in easily digestible bites, with commentary from both the equities analyst and sports fanatic perspectives.

We’ll cover publicly traded professional teams & stadiums, broadcast networks, apparel & footwear retailers, sporting equipment manufacturers, ticketing companies, content and facilities providers. If it trades on Wall Street, and has a sports angle, it’s in our wheel house.

Howie Long-Short and Fan Marino will be providing their expert opinions on each story. They have slightly different areas of expertise. Fan Marino is a firm believer that the SEC is the premier football conference. Howie Long-Short knows it as the Security & Exchange Commission. Fan Marino lives and dies with the college selection of 5 star, blue chip recruits. Howie Long-Short spends his days analyzing blue chip stocks. Howie Long-Short knows that Black Monday occurred on October 19th, 1987. Fan Marino swears it happens every January after Week 17. You get the point.

Sign up for the JohnWallStreet e-mail newsletter here! 

POKERSTARS DRIVING OFF SHARKS; TRYING TO WIN BACK NOVICE PLAYERS

PokerStars, the largest online poker website has said that card sharks have driven out the novice bettors that generate the vast majority of the sites revenue. As a result, The Stars Group (TSG), which bought the website for $4.9 billion back in 2014, has seen revenue growth from the game flatten. In an effort to drive off the sharks, PokerStars has ended many off the perks/incentives, including a loyalty program, that rewarded the degenerate gambler. Instead, the company has reallocated tournament money and given perks to less frequent bettors, in an effort to bring back the casual poker player. It should be noted that shares are up 41% since CEO Rafi Ashkenazi was hired last year.

Howie Long-Short: Poker is no longer a growth business for TSG, unless they can enter new markets. I’m more interested in scuttlebutt on Baazov’s massive insider trading trial

Fan Marino: Sharks preying on beginner minnows? Fans of daily fantasy sports know that story well.

CBS TO LAUNCH 24/7 SPORTS OTT LIVE STREAMING SERVICE

CBS announced during its Q2 earnings call that it would be rolling out a 24/7 sports driven OTT live streaming service, before the end of the year. The new channel will be offered through internet-only TV providers although no carriers have been named thus far. The company plans to model the service after its news streaming service CBSN and piggyback on the existing infrastructure to reduce costs. CEO Les Moonves indicated that the channel would show original content and would not simply mirror the CBS Sports Network television channel.

Howie Long-Short: Another second/third tier sports OTT product? I can’t keep track of them all. We need a Netflix for sports to aggregate all this.

Fan Marino: A 24/7 channel that doesn’t mirror the TV network is going to require a ton of new content. WFAN is a CBS owned radio station. Could this be the future home of Mike Francesa? 6 hours of prank calls would seem to fill a need.

LIBERTY BRAVES REPORTS 34% INCREASE IN REVENUE; CASHING IN ON NEW STADIUM

Atlanta’s new Suntrust Park has provided a fresh scene for Braves fans, but also a huge increase in revenue for the franchise. Liberty Media (BATRA), reported a $45 million (or 34%) increase over the same period last year, attributing the growth to improved performance on the field and updated amenities at the new stadium. Operating profit before depreciation and amortization was $27 million for Q2, up from $12 million from last year, however after depreciation and amortization the team showed a $3 million loss. Liberty cited an increase in property and equipment, to support the development of mixed-use real estate around the ballpark, as the cause for the rise in depreciation and amortization expenses.

Howie Long-Short: Professional sports team owners demand a new stadium every 25-30 years for exactly this reason. New buildings offer new amenities. New amenities bring new revenue.

Fan Marino: Turner Field (the old stadium) opened with the ’96 Olympics. It’s absolutely remarkable the franchise was able to squeeze the city for a new ballpark after 20 years.

PROKHOROV LOOKING TO SELL NETS/BARCLAYS CENTER FOR $2 BILLION

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has placed a $2 billion price tag on his Brooklyn basketball franchise and their 5 year old arena, the Barclays Center. The Nets are looking for a Chinese buyer to purchase the team and reportedly had 20 meetings last month to gauge interest; though no price has been agreed to and no sale is imminent. The Los Angeles Clippers were the last NBA team to be sold. The L.A. based franchise went for an NBA record $2 billion back in 2014. The Nets are currently one of two NBA teams for sale, the other being the Houston Rockets.

Howie Long-Short: Forbes values the Nets/Barclays Center at $1.8 billion. The Clippers sold for $2 billion and lease space at the Staples Center. The Lakers and Knicks aren’t hitting the market. There is no way the Nets aren’t going for $2 billion plus.

Fan Marino: As a Nets fan, I can’t complain about Prokhorov as an owner. He’s spent money trying to win. I do fault him for hiring Billy King.

TARGET MOVING SPORTS MARKETING DOLLARS FROM NASCAR TO MLS

Target Corp. (TGT) is shifting its sports marketing budget from NASCAR to MLS. The retail giant announced it is terminating its 16 year sponsorship of Chip Ganassi’s NASCAR team and that it does not plan to renew its deal with Kyle Larson’s No. 42 Chevy car, following this season. Instead, TGT will be among the national sponsors of MLS and the primary local sponsor for the Minnesota United FC. The company has stated the move is being driven by growing interest in the game of soccer within core target demographics; Hispanics, families and millennials.

Howie Long-Short: Hard to argue with TGT logic here. One sport is growing, while the other is in a decline.

Fan Marino: Pro Tip: If you go to a NASCAR event, make sure to get the scanner headsets so you can listen in on the drivers. Game-changer.

Blair Walsh is still salty at the Vikings for cutting him last season. Walsh, who once missed a game-winning 27-yard field goal in the playoffs for the Vikings a few years ago, hit a 52-yard field goal on Friday as a member of the Seattle Seahawks and proceeded to stare and point at his former coach Mike Zimmer on the sidelines.

Walsh hit another 52-yard field goal minutes later and once again looked Mike Zimmer’s way.

Vikings fans weren’t happy with Walsh’s taunt.

Think about your toiletry bag. Think long and hard. You keep your shaving stuff, toothbrush, meds, deodorant and a ton of other personal items in one compact bag, right? Right, so why the hell do you toss all your tech stuff in your backpack like a damn animal? See what I’m getting at?

This $8 travel bag from AmazonBasics is the toiletry bag for your tech.

“Offering a rigid exterior of molded-EVA plastic and a soft, scratch-free interior, the AmazonBasics Universal Travel Case will protect your small electronics (GPS units, mobile phones, digital cameras, the Flip, iTouch and much, much more) plus cables, extra batteries and other accessories. The removable wrist strap makes it easy to transport.”

Best of all, every AmazonBasics product is covered by a one-year limited warranty and the case is only $8 right now. Keep your stuff together. Don’t be a damn animal.

BUY IT NOW: $7.99

The BroBible team writes about gear that we think you want. Occasionally, we write about items that are a part of one of our affiliate partnerships and we may get a percentage of the revenue from sales.

We’re still deep in camping season all across the nation. This handy survival axe is the perfect tool to toss in the back of the truck and leave it there until you need it. Whether you’re fighting the undead or getting a fire started, this is the tool you want with you.

You don’t want to be caught off the grid without one of these babies. The Off-Grid Survival Axe is a finely-tuned machine, with extreme versatility, accessibility, and enormous strength. The top-of-the-line design incorporates an all-steel head and tang combined with lightweight, glass-filled nylon handles. With an enormous range of tools included on the axe, you don’t want to be stranded without one. Buy Now: $64.99 (26% OFF)

— New design provides a better grip & balance while holding or throwing the axe
— Hammer, pry bar, nail puller, & hex wrench provide a complete toolset for on- or off-grid tasks
— Can & bottle openers give you easy access to your beverages
— Glass breaker will get you out of a jam in the event of a car accident

Get It NOW: $64.99

 
The BroBible team writes about gear that we think you want. Occasionally, we write about items that are a part of one of our affiliate partnerships and we may get a percentage of the revenue from sales.

Larry David is the hero the world deserves, but not the one it needs right now. Especially since he’s cozy in bed and retired for the night. The Season 9 trailer for “Curb Your Enthusiasm” features a city in turmoil with references to past “Curb” episodes including Mr. Simmington, respecting wood, and Al Abbas Original Best Chicken.

“There is only one hero who never stays silent. Who fights against injustice wherever he finds it. And the world needs him now, more than ever.” But Larry, is not ready to jump into action even with the David-signal. Can’t blame him since “Curb” has been off the air for the last six years. Season 9 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” will, of course, feature creator and star Larry David, as well as Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, and JB Smoove.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” returns to HBO on October 1 at 10 p.m. ET. However, some episodes of “CYE” have already leaked as a part of the massive cyber hacks that have wreaked havoc on HBO.

The size of your speakers is dependant on the size of your living space. You don’t want monster noise-makers in a small space but you also don’t want hand-sized speakers that barely bounce off a wall.

These Klipsch Bookshelf Speakers are just about perfect for any room.

With an integrated phono pre-amp, Bluetooth wireless technology, digital optical, analog RCA and USB inputs, your R-15PM is the best performing, most versatile monitor on the planet. The R-15PM powered monitors deliver room-filling sound without taking up much space. This highly efficient, powerful yet minimalist speaker engulfs listeners in their favorite movies and music.

You can also seamlessly add a subwoofer to enhance low frequencies even further and boasts features such as a dedicated source selection, track controls, and play/pause.

Best of all, these handsome speakers are 46% off today. Grab them now.

BUY IT NOW: $269

The BroBible team writes about gear that we think you want. Occasionally, we write about items that are a part of one of our affiliate partnerships and we may get a percentage of the revenue from sales.

Rick And Morty

A few weeks ago, the creators of “Rick and Morty” got their hands on the elusive spicy, yet sweet Szechuan dipping sauce that McDonald’s debuted back in 1998 to promote the Disney movie “Mulan.” This week, co-creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon got to taste the special sauce that they would travel back in history to procure. They poured the precious sauce from the huge jug into small cups so they could easily dip their Chicken McNuggets in all that goodness.

The creators of “Rick and Morty” finally were able to enjoy the Szechuan sauce that came from a portal from an alternate dimension where it’s always 1998. With the soundtrack to Disney’s “Mulan” in the background, the “Rick and Morty” team sampled the sugary sauce, and the reviews were in. “It’s really good, I swear to god,” Roiland said. “Bring it back please so we can all die of diabetes.”

Your move McDonald’s, bring back the sauce already.

Via McKayla Maroney Instagram

McKayla Maroney has been missing on Instagram for over a month now. When most thought the former Olympic gymnast was going down the road of becoming an Instagram model, she curiously deactivated her account weeks ago. But don’t you worry your pretty little faces because Miss Maroney is back on Instagram and posting enticing photos and a video of her dancing.

The 21-year-old two-time vault world champion could not break away from getting the attention on Instagram and followed the video up with some pics.

It’s good to have you back McKayla.

Via The Verge

While it was in development, Microsoft’s Xbox One X was codenamed “Project Scorpio.” If this recent leak is any indication, then there is actually a limited Xbox One X Project Scorpio console. The Project Scorpio Xbox is said to be available on day one of the release of the Xbox One X on November 7th.

The special edition Xbox One X was accidentally leaked by German game retailers Saturn and MediaMarkt in listings on their websites, and then quickly deleted. Not quick enough though. The listing stated the Project Scorpio Edition is a limited time offering “for the biggest fans.” These Project Scorpio editions are said to include a 1TB hard drive and feature the name “Project Scorpio” on both the console and controller, which has all black buttons. The powerful gaming console has a different woven texture compared to the regular Xbox One X.

[TheVerge]

Kimmel

Floyd Mayweather doesn’t appear to be taking his fight agaist McGregor too seriously. The 40-0 boxers plans to use his upcoming fight with UFC superstar as a way to promote his newly opened Vegas strip club.

Last night, Mayweather announced through his Instagram page that’ll he’ll meet and greet fans at the Las Vegas strip club he owns every day until his fight with Conor McGregor on August 26th.

So while McGregor is putting hard work in the gym, Mayweather is going to be making it rain at the club. Sounds about right.

We’ve been featuring Mac Lethal’s blistering, tongue-twisting rap skills since 2011. The talented lyricist has speed-rapped his way to viral prominence such as when he flaunted the 27 styles of rap video. The supersonic rapper is back with another outstanding clip where he rattles off EVERY sports team in one mind-bending track. Every NFL team. NBA team. Every MLB team. Every NHL team. And even every MLS team is in this jam.

You may remember Mac Letha from such rapid-fire raps such as the pancake rap…

Or this tongue-twister alphabet rap…

Or white kid raps fast rap…

Or white kid raps even faster rap…

And who can forget when Mac Lethal got grandparents high as fuck and had them listen to trap music.

Whoever is going to play QB for the NY Jets is going to have a long long season. During tonight’s preseason game against the Lions, Jets QB Christian Hackenberg got absolutely destroyed after his team let Lions defesive end get into the backfield untouched.

Ouch.

Cowboys Noah Brown delivered the dumbest penalty of the preseason when he laid out Colts kicker Rigoberto Sanchez who was away from the play.

Pretty idiotic to do this and risk injuring someone during the preseason.

US Navy

During World War II, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed twice and sunk by an Imperial Japanese submarine in the early morning hours of July 30, 1945. The USS Indianapolis had just completed a secret mission delivering components of the atomic bomb used in Hiroshima, but in a mere 12 minutes the mighty warship sank into the Pacific Ocean. The American cruiser sank so fast that the crew was not able to transmit a distress signal. Of the 1,196-man crew, 880 died on that day or in the following days due to exposure, dehydration, drowning, and shark attacks. For the past 72 years the USS Indianapolis has been missing, but it was just found by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen and a team of civilian researchers.

The team led by the entrepreneur and philanthropist announced that they had found the wreck of the WWII cruiser. The USS Indianapolis was discovered 18,000-feet in the Pacific Ocean. Utilizing estimates from Naval History and Heritage Command’s Dr. Richard Hulver, Allen and team were able to narrow the search perimeter to approximately 600 square miles. Then using state-of-the-art subsea equipment known as the R/V Petrel they surveying and mapping the massive area.

“The Petrel and its capabilities, the technology it has and the research we’ve done, are the culmination years of dedication and hard work,” Allen’s director of subsea operations Robert Kraft told the Navy. “We’ve assembled and integrated this technology, assets and unique capability into operating platform, which is now one amongst very few on the planet.”

Only 316 members of the USS Indianapolis made it back home, and there are a mere 22 survivors still alive today. These brave survivors will surely be thankful to Allen and his team for finding their long lost ship where they lost so many friends and fellow sailors.

Coincidentally, the USS Indianapolis is the same ship from Quint’s epic story from “Jaws.”

“Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into her side, Chief. We was comin’ back from the island of Tinian to Leyte. We’d just delivered the bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in 12 minutes.

Didn’t see the first shark for about a half-hour. Tiger. 13-footer. You know how you know that in the water, Chief? You can tell by lookin’ from the dorsal to the tail. What we didn’t know, was that our bomb mission was so secret, no distress signal had been sent. They didn’t even list us overdue for a week. Very first light, Chief, sharks come cruisin’ by, so we formed ourselves into tight groups. It was sorta like you see in the calendars, you know the infantry squares in the old calendars like the Battle of Waterloo and the idea was the shark come to the nearest man, that man he starts poundin’ and hollerin’ and sometimes that shark he go away… but sometimes he wouldn’t go away.

Sometimes that shark looks right at ya. Right into your eyes. And the thing about a shark is he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, he doesn’t even seem to be livin’… ’til he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then… ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin’. The ocean turns red, and despite all your poundin’ and your hollerin’ those sharks come in and… they rip you to pieces.

You know by the end of that first dawn, lost a hundred men. I don’t know how many sharks there were, maybe a thousand. I do know how many men, they averaged six an hour. Thursday mornin’, Chief, I bumped into a friend of mine, Herbie Robinson from Cleveland. Baseball player. Boson’s mate. I thought he was asleep. I reached over to wake him up. He bobbed up, down in the water, he was like a kinda top. Upended. Well, he’d been bitten in half below the waist.

At noon on the fifth day, a Lockheed Ventura swung in low and he spotted us, a young pilot, lot younger than Mr. Hooper here, anyway he spotted us and a few hours later a big ol’ fat PBY come down and started to pick us up. You know that was the time I was most frightened. Waitin’ for my turn. I’ll never put on a lifejacket again. So, eleven hundred men went into the water. 316 men come out, the sharks took the rest, June the 29th, 1945.

Anyway, we delivered the bomb.”

[Gizmodo]

Broken Lizard

This week we FINALLY got the word that “Super Troopers 2” is lighting up theaters on 4/20! That’s right chickenfuckers, we are getting “Super Troopers 2” on 4/20/2018, the perfect gift for national weed day! I am so gonna have the enchilada platter with two tacos and no guacamoles at my favorite restaurant with all the goofy shit on the walls. The sequel to the 2001 cult comedy classic will go up against “Rampage” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Tully” with Charlize Theron, and a remake of “Overboard” featuring Anna Faris and Eva Longoria.

Broken Lizard

The studio also released the official synopsis for “Super Troopers 2” and it sounds spectacular:

“Everyone’s favorite law enforcement team is back by popular demand with the long anticipated follow up to the cult comedy classic…Super Troopers. When an international border dispute arises between the U.S. and Canada, the Super Troopers–Mac, Thorny, Foster, Rabbit, and Farva–are called in to set up a new Highway Patrol station in the disputed area. Unconventional police work follows, and the result is…Super Troopers 2.

The cast for “Super Troopers 2” includes returning Broken Lizard alum Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske as well as Lynda Carter, Marisa Coughlan and Brian Cox who were in the original. The movie will also star Rob Lowe, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Tyler Labine, Hayes MacArthur, and Will Sasso.

Last week, Mac revealed in great detail, possibly too many details, about his upcoming love scene with Farva.

Via Nerdist

If you want to hear Mac and Farva talk about “Super Troopers 2” check out the Chewin’ It podcast.

So start growing your mustaches right meow because there’s only 243 days until “Super Troopers 2.”

[Nerdist]

Getty Image

A few weeks ago word got out that a new Eminem album was hitting the streets this fall. The latest rumor is that a new collaboration between Eminem and Pink is dropping in the very near future. According to the Mojo In The Morning radio show in Eminem’s hometown of Detroit, a new collaboration with Pink will be released “very very soon.”

“So our boss just got back from New York City where he was hanging out with some peeps,” Mojo explains. “He says there is a new Eminem and Pink song coming out that he said is unbelievable. He said he was one of the first ones to hear and that it’s coming out very very soon.”

You can listen to Mojo in the Morning discuss the possible Eminem and Pink collabo starting around the 1:03 mark.

You, of course, remember the 2010 track “Won’t Back Down” from Eminem’s Recovery album, which peaked at No. 62 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Then Em appeared on the singer’s “Here Comes The Weekend” track back in 2012. So is this exciting news that he is pairing up with the pop singer or is it bad news that it might be more mainstream?

[Uproxx]

I get older, Elizabeth Hurley seems to stay the same age. Despite being 52-years-old, the mesmerizing Miss Hurley looks better than girls half her age. The gorgeous actress knows she looks fantastic for any age so she is flaunting her incredible physique on Instagram as of late with seductive bikini pic after seductive bikini pic.

Red hot.

Hello yellow.

Goodness gracious.

Being in that tall grass, I certainly hope Elizabeth is using a tick repellent, preferably one with a good amount of Picaridin or DEET.

Prrrrr.

Lovely Elizabeth Hurley is the cat’s meow.

I think I just sprained a muscle just looking at this photo.

Who wouldn’t want to rest their weary head on those comfy pillows?

Before halftime of today’s Cardinals-Bears preseason game, The Arizona Cardinals opted to go for a 63-yard field goal but the kick came up short which lead to Deonte Thompson catching the ball in the endzone and taking it the length of the field for a 109-yard kick-six touchdown.

San Francisco 49ers QB Brian Hoyer is in midseason form. In the first half of today’s Niners-Broncos preseason game, Hoyer went to throw the ball but it ended up slipping right out of hands which led to an easy fumble recovery for the Broncos.

It’s going to be a long season for Niners fans.

Roberto Aguayo still can’t hit field goals. Less than a week after getting cut by the Tampa Bay Bucs, Aguayo suited up for the Bears and was put in the game in the second half. In the fourth quarter, the former FSU kicker attempted a 49-yard field goal and it went wide right.

That wasn’t even close.