WNBA, union still working out deal

Essentially trying to wrap 17 months of negotiations into one week, the WNBA and WNBPA exited a seventh consecutive overnight bargaining session at 3:40am ET Tuesday without a signed term sheet. Whether the sides are close to a CBA deal or not, the season is getting close, and the next words out of WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s mouth could be that exhibition games are off.

Asked early Monday if the scheduled April 19 start to training camp is realistic, Engelbert told reporters, “I wish I knew the answer to that. I do not know the answer to that.” But someone is going to blink, and it doesn’t appear to be the players.

The union, for instance, has repeatedly called Engelbert’s bluff. In late February, Engelbert had said there had to be a handshake deal by March 10 or there could be delays to the season. Nothing materialized. Then, this past week, she said there had to be a handshake deal by Monday or there could be delays to the season. And after another interminable 13-hour-and-40-minute session Monday that drained into Tuesday, nothing again materialized.

“There are deadlines, arbitrary ones, that the league has set, and then there’s a season schedule that has its own milestones,” WNBPA Exec Dir Terri Jackson told reporters earlier Monday, via ESPN. “Absolutely, we recognize that, and we respect those. But do we also recognize that these are big-time negotiations, and so there may be a need to adjust? Absolutely. And the players, more importantly, recognize that, understand that, and are prepared for that as they always have been.”

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Venezuela is in the World Baseball Classic final for the first time in six iterations of the tournament following a 4-2 semifinal win over Italy Monday before a sold-out crowd of 35,382 at loanDepot park. The win sets up a WBC title game against the U.S. on Tuesday at 8pm ET, in a rematch of a 2023 quarterfinal game. No matter how Tuesday plays out, this tournament “has been a success for Venezuela.” They had “one of the upsets of the tournament” with an 8-5 win over Japan in the quarterfinals on Saturday — a win that “also secured their spot” in the 2028 L.A. Games (MIAMI HERALD, 3/17). The U.S. won a coin toss and will be the home team for Tuesday’s game, but “there is little doubt the crowd at loanDepot Park will be overwhelmingly in favor of Venezuela, as has been the case throughout the tournament” (SI, 3/17).

Italy, the first European nation to reach a WBC semifinal, had been 5-0 in the tournament. Italy manager Francisco Cervelli said, “I just told the guys that they are the champions of this tournament. … They revolutionized Italy. They put another sport on the map.” Following the loss, Italy players “spent 10 minutes in front of their dugout hugging each other and saluting fans.” Italy 1B Vinnie Pasquantino talked about the “millions thought to have watched on television in Italy,” where the first pitch was thrown at 1:08am local time Tuesday. He said, “We weren’t successful on the field tonight, but we were successful in Italy. And that’s what this is all about” (AP, 3/17).

Iranian Football ‌President Mehdi Taj on Monday said that the country’s football federation is “in discussions with FIFA about moving ​their World Cup matches to Mexico” from the U.S. “due to concerns about the safety of their players.” The prospect of shifting Iran’s fixtures to Mexico “would mark a significant logistical switch for the tournament,” though relocating matches “for security ‌or geopolitical ⁠reasons is not unprecedented.” Should FIFA “reject a switch of venue to Mexico,” it “seems unlikely that Iran would travel to the U.S. and take part ​in the tournament while at war with one of the co-hosts” (REUTERS, 3/17). Iran is scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in L.A., followed by Egypt in Seattle. The team’s base camp for the tournament is currently slated to be located in Tucson, Ariz. Abolfazl Pasandideh, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, on Monday denounced “the U.S. government’s lack of cooperation regarding visa issuance and the provision of logistical support” for the Iranian delegation ahead of the World Cup (AFP, 3/17).

Stellantis’ Ram Trucks brand continues to go all in on projects from UFC President & CEO Dana White, with the latest iteration being a fresh understanding to sponsor the properties that make up Thrill Sports. The sides Tuesday will announce a five-year deal for Ram to become the official truck and auto partner of Power Slap, Street League Skateboarding and Nitro Circus.

Ram is also an official sponsor of TKO Group properties UFC, WWE and PBR, and it has gotten White involved with its new NASCAR program. Thrill Sports produced a reality show for Ram that gave a rising driver a full-time ride in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this year. White also narrated a recent Ram ad that played on television.

According to a press release from the sides, the deal will include all events for the three Thrill properties worldwide, with exclusivity in the pickup truck and American automotive sectors. Ram will get branding throughout Power Slap events including on the table, canvas, broadcast integrations and during weigh-ins and fighter arrivals. They are also planning activation opportunities at events and Ram dealerships along with sweepstakes, social media programming, hospitality experiences and athlete endorsements.

Thrill, which is backed by Lorenzo Fertitta, also used to own the Nitrocross rally cross racing series but ended that effort in 2024.

On the night the Hawks were supposed to host a promotion with local strip club Magic City, “plenty” of fans dressed in “both official and unofficial” Magic City gear, including Hawks owner Jami Gertz. Monday’s game drew 18,138 to State Farm Arena. The cancellation of the collaboration between Magic City and the Hawks was “met with mixed reactions and, locally, a good amount of confusion.” That was “clear by game time,” as one of the arena’s retail shops had “tallied 12 Magic City hoodie requests” through the first quarter. A Hawks shop sales associate said that 300 of the hoodies were “available for preorder, and they sold out almost immediately.” Rapper T.I. performed at halftime of the game, as had been originally planned as part of the promotional night. The NBA had canceled the night after a number of stakeholders, including a current player, objected to the promotion (AP, 3/17).

The jury in the antitrust case against Live Nation “returned to court on Monday after a week’s break,” during which the U.S. Department of Justice announced a surprise settlement with the company and a coalition of more than 30 states dissatisfied with the deal decided to continue the case. In testimony on Monday, AEG Presents CEO Jay Marciano spoke about competing against rival Live Nation, “a company that puts on three times as many concerts and sells 10 times as many tickets.” Marciano said that venues run by AEG had “lost out on many concerts promoted by Live Nation because they use AEG’s ticketing system, AXS, rather than Ticketmaster.” Since DOJ lawyers “have left the case,” lawyers from state attorneys general and from a law firm hired to represent them “led the questioning on behalf of the states” (N.Y. TIMES, 3/16). Also testifying Monday was Live Nation President of U.S. Concerts Bob Roux. The jury is “expected to hear testimony for several more weeks” (BILLBOARD, 3/16).

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is “urging states to continue in their suit against Live Nation” and “seek a breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster.” Blumenthal sent letters to 27 states attorneys Monday, after the DOJ and several states reached a settlement last week with Live Nation, a few days after the federal antitrust trial had already begun (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/16).

Baller League USA, a new creator-led soccer competition, has signed State Farm as one of its most visible sponsors during its inaugural season. The home and auto insurer will have its logo displayed on the pitch at the center circle of all Baller League USA matches and be the title sponsor of its playoffs. It will also be designated the competition’s official insurance sponsor.

The American version of Baller League, which has previously launched editions in Germany and the U.K., is set to begin Thursday. Live telecasts of the six-on-six competition will stream on CBS Sports Golazo Network, Twitch, YouTube and Kick.

The league president and team managers for Baller League USA are a mix of social media stars, celebrities and former soccer players. In addition to the president, soccer influencer iShowSpeed, the group includes Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldinho, Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, NFL free agent Odell Beckham Jr., comedian Druski, content creator xQc and streamers Kai Cenat and AMP.

Range Sports, which is serving as a non-exclusive sales agency for Baller League USA, brokered the Kalshi deal on the property’s behalf. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. State Farm is the second major sponsor to sign on with Baller League USA after prediction market Kalshi became the kit sponsor for all 10 teams.

TrailRunner International named Alden Mitchell as the new president of TrailRunner Sports, the firm’s global sports advisory business. Mitchell previously served as Stanford’s COO and former interim AD. Mitchell joins TrailRunner Exec Chair Jim Wilkinson and Vice Chair of Sports Jamie Zaninovich on the growing team of sports leaders for the agency.

As a joint venture with Legends Global, TrailRunner Sports has a roster of clients including professional sports leagues, teams, universities and collegiate conferences. “When it became clear to me that it was time to look at the next thing, fortunately, [I was] able to pick up the thread with Jim and with Jamie, who have been for a long time looking to invest in sports as a business for TrailRunner,” she said. “I feel really fortunate that the timing and the desire of TrailRunner’s side to invest in sports have lined up.”

Mitchell said her goal at TrailRunner will be to help clients think tactically around the opportunities in sports.

“TrailRunner Sports will serve a differentiated place in the advisory space,” she said. “I will be looking to build a team of operators and people who deeply understand the underlying actions that are required to be successful in the sports industry, and rolling up our sleeves and diving in with our clients.”

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“One of its epigraphs is from Genesis 30, about Leah, Rachel & Rachel’s servant Bilhah.”