Sports

To celebrate the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Sotheby’s is gearing up to launch an online auction, dubbed “The Olympic Collection,” featuring a range of rare memorabilia and collectibles spotlighting historic achievements across the Games’ decades-spanning archive. Open for bidding on July 23, in tandem with the commencement of this year’s Games, the auction offers more than 50 lots, though two momentous pieces claim center stage: a pair of Converse Fastbreak sneakers worn by Michael Jordan during the 1984 Olympic Trials and a pair of “Prototype Logo” track spikes handmade by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman for Canadian Track and Field sprinter Harry Jerome in the 1960s. The former is expected to garner between $80,000 USD and $100,000 USD, while the latter is estimated to achieve between $800,000 U...

Tokyo Olympic organizers announced on Thursday that spectators will be banned from the games after the Japanese government declared a state of emergency in Tokyo due to rising COVID cases. The International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Government of Japan made the determination in response to the state of emergency currently in place. The members agreed in June to restrict spectator numbers at the Games in the event of a public measure put in place to prevent the pandemic spread. Under the new announcement, no spectators will be allowed in any venues in Tokyo during the Olympic Games. If the number of infections changes drastically, organizers will meet again to review the policy. F...

NFL fans could soon be watching Sunday Ticket games on Apple TV+ as the streaming giant is reportedly in talks with the league for its streaming rights. According to sources, there are no ongoing negotiations as of writing but Apple “has expressed early interest” in acquiring the streaming rights. Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand added that Apple might not be the only company interested in the rights, with The Information stating that other platforms such as Disney‘s ESPN+ and Amazon Prime Video could be throwing their names into the hat for more sports games. Sunday Ticket is currently only available to watch via DirecTV, however the expiration of its contract is already scheduled for 2022. Apple previously hired former Amazon exec Jim DeLorenzo as part of its aim to dive deeper...

During one of his recent press appearances for UFC 264, Conor McGregor discussed the possibility of fighting Logan and Jake Paul. After an interviewer brought up the potential of the Paul brothers being ringside at his upcoming trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier, “The Notorious” shared his thoughts on the YouTubers turned boxers. Simply saying, “I couldn’t care about them two dingbats. Leading the interviewer to ask if he would ever compete against Logan and Jake Paul. “I don’t see so, but never say never. If they’re gonna keep competing and whatnot, who fuckin’ knows? But dingbats, the two of ‘em,” replied McGregor. Conor McGregor speaks about fighting Jake Paul and Logan Paul in the future.@TheNotoriousMMA @jakepaul @LoganPaul pic.twitter.com/bz1JbSIcm7 — YouTube Boxing ? (@Youtube_Boxing...

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has responded to backlash over its decision to suspend Sha’Carri Richardson for 30-days from competing in the Tokyo Olympics. The decision came after Richardson tested positive for THC, the main psychoactive component found in marijuana, resulting in the runner being left off of the roster for the U.S. Olympic Women’s Track team. U.S. House Representatives Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Jamie Raskin penned a letter on July 2, asking the sports body to overturn its decision to ban Richardson. Defending their decision, USADA referred the congresswomen to the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), an organization with a greater position of authority. In its response, the USADA agreed that Richardson’s “exclusion from the Tokyo Olympic Games is a heartbr...

LeBron James is arguably the NBA league’s biggest name this decade. Throughout the years, King James has garnered a global reputation that has given him immense influence across culture, business and the entertainment sector. His ever-growing fame has done wonders for his net worth as Forbes reports King James is set to become a billionaire by the end of this year. For the past seven years, James has been the NBA’s top-earning player, including off-court income. The publication states that he is “expected to earn $95.4 million, including an estimated $64 million from endorsements, memorabilia and media.” The amount earned is a record income for any NBA player and is the highest ever in any American sports team. James’ endeavors this year will push his career earnings to $1 billion USD with...

Dreamville — J. Cole‘s path-forging record label and multidisciplinary entertainment company — has partnered with Wilson to bring back the storied Chicago pro-am basketball tournament as The Dreamville Chi-League Powered by Wilson. Following a four-year hiatus, the celebrated basketball league will return with an updated format, featuring both a men’s and women’s bracket along with a number of live entertainment components. Dreamville’s involvement plays a crucial role in the tournament’s revival, helping to increase player interest, curate halftime performances and miscellaneous weekend entertainment, design custom team gear and create unique in-game experiences for fans. “Chicago has supported Dreamville and its artists from the beginning. It’s a privilege to infuse our brand with the ri...

With UFC 264 just around the corner, Dana White‘s mixed martial arts organization recently held a press conference for Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier III. With fans packing into Las Vegas, Nevada’s T-Mobile Arena, the duo took to the stage ahead of their highly-anticipated trilogy fight. Unlike the press moments around their last meeting in the Octagon, the two Lightweight division fighters have been at odds with one another on social media and now in person. Conor McGregor looks to have returned to his signature braggadocious nature starting things off by throwing away his opponent’s hot sauce leading to a heated encounter. Throughout the conference, Dustin Poirier kept his cool, while “The Notorious” repeatedly tried to antagonize his rival and berated the press for questions he didn’...

Following news of track and field athlete Shac’Carri Richardson being left off the US Olympics Team roster after testing positive for marijuana use, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has announced it will change its rules on cannabis use in favor of fighters. The NSAC regulates all contests of unarmed combat in the state of Nevada including boxing, kickboxing, and MMA. “According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA considers marijuana to be a substance of abuse, not a performance-enhancing drug,” NSAC executive director Bob Bennett said. “Our goal is to test for performance-enhancing drugs to ensure a level playing field. The fact that it is not a performance-enhancing drug, I do not believe we should test for it any longer.” While the commission will continue to test for canna...

Following the committee ruling that deemed Sha’Carri Richardson ineligible to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, Diddy expressed his support for the star track and field athlete on social media, writing that his “heart is broken” for her. Richardson was given a 30-day suspension after testing positive for THC, the psychoactive component found in marijuana, on June 19, a week after the death of her mother. While the suspension was set to end before the start of the relays on August 5, her name was left off of the roster that the USA Track and Field sent out on Tuesday, meaning that she won’t be competing at all in this year’s games. The decision has garnered widespread backlash, with dozens of athletes and public figures coming out in support of Richardson. Diddy spoke out on Thursday, criticiz...

A petition calling to allow Sha’Carri Richardson to run in the Tokyo Olympics has amassed over half a million supporters since its creation less than a week ago. While Richardson won a spot on the U.S. Olympic Women’s Track team, she was banned from competing due to a 30-day suspension after testing positive for THC, the main psychoactive component found in marijuana. Though marijuana is legal in Richardson’s home state of Oregon, where she qualified, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency bans athletes from using the substance during or outside of competition. Richardson was still eligible to compete in the relays on August 5, but her name was left off of the Team USA roster released by the USA Track and Field organization. “Sha’Carri Richardson is one of the fastest athletes in the world—and would ...