Front Office Sports Today

An investigation from Front Office Sports reveals the identities of the executives accused of facilitating and covering up alleged exploitation by longtime WWE boss Vince McMahon. The story shines a light on the circle of protection around McMahon: high-ranking officials who were complicit in his conduct.Plus, NFL teams are using their extra $30 million worth of cap space in a free agent bonanza, but headlines announcing signings can be misleading, and an MLB player is looking for a new team after his old one used a little-known loophole to cut him.

Formula 1 has surged into the American consciousness over the last four years, but now it faces the challenge of maintaining interest amid a season that may be uncompetitive from the start. Wall Street Journal sports editor and co-author of The Formula Jon Clegg joins the show to discuss how F1 got as big as it has and whether it can sustain that success.Plus, the Bears are staying in Chicago after all, Deadspin has been sold and its entire editorial staff laid off, and North Carolinians are seeing sports betting ads everywhere they look.

Big East commissioner Val Ackerman is wary of the major changes coming to college sports, including the possibility of athletes becoming unionized employees. She joins the show to discuss how the overlapping web of school, conference, state, and federal rules and bylaws create a sea of confusion regarding the future of college sports.Plus, a potential betting scandal encircles Temple University, a new college basketball tournament shows what is possible in the NIL era, and Roger Clemens comes out of retirement …. for the Savannah Bananas.

A planned $2 billion development, centered around a new arena for the Washington Wizards and Capitals, appears to be dead, after Virginia lawmakers killed a budget item that would have provided funding. The move could signal a turning point in the attitude toward public funding for sports venues.Plus, Netflix will show a live fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul … as long as it can avoid potential legal issues, the PWHL altered its jerseys to better accommodate women, and we explore the evolution of sports talk shows with New York Times Magazine writer Jonathan Mahler.

The National Rugby League of Australia is looking to harness football’s massive popularity in the US by promoting its similar sport. The NRL hosted games at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas last weekend as part of a long-term push to grow a US audience.Plus, Jason Kelce is in high demand among media companies, Bill Belichick could be as well, we have another sign that women’s sports are on the rise, and we asked the Las Vegas mayor what she thinks about the new renderings from the Oakland A’s.

Dartmouth basketball players voted to unionize, setting up a precedent that, if upheld, will spell the end of the NCAA’s amateurism model. Front Office Sports reporter Amanda Christovich joins to sort through the implications of the industry-shaking vote.Plus, the Oakland A’s finally produced renderings of their planned Las Vegas stadium and we get the live reaction from Gensler architect Ryan Sickman. Sickman also provides a deep dive into the world of stadium and arena design, including the latest trends in team training facilities.

Brad Gilbert is an ESPN analyst and coach of rising tennis star Coco Gauff, and recently he picked up another client: Zendaya. The movie star turned to Gilbert to learn the game for her upcoming film Challengers. Gilbert joins the show to discuss the parallels he sees between Gauff and Zendaya, the state of tennis in the post “Big Three” era, and how Netflix is changing tennis media.Plus, MLS is in a precarious position with extra attention on their replacement referees, Jason Kelce retired from the NFL and could have a new job before long, and more than 10,000 college football players have accepted an NIL deal with EA Sports.

As Caitlin Clark broke the record for points scored in a Division I college basketball career, Dartmouth basketball players prepared to hold a vote on whether to unionize. Any vote to unionize is sure to be challenged in court, but could ultimately lead to athletes at private schools being declared employees.Plus, freshly retired World Series champion Eric Hosmer and Anthony Seratelli join to discuss their just-launched production company Moonball Media, and why amid a surge in athlete-led media companies, very few focus on baseball.

Jenny Cavnar will be the first female lead play-by-play announcer for an MLB team, following her hire to call games for the Oakland A’s by NBC Sports. She joins the podcast to talk about her approach to the job, breaking barriers, and narrating a singular season in Oakland while the team has one foot out the door.Plus, Caitlin Clark declares for the WNBA draft, another presumptive number one pick, Caleb Williams, has already made an estimated $10 million in NIL contracts, and we look into the world of collectibles and life as the most-hyped rookie through the market for Victor Wembanyama’s rookie card.

Spring training is a time when many MLB players say they are in the best shape of their lives, but how about the league itself? We explore the state of the game, and much more, with Jason Kelly of Bloomberg, who is launching a new show with Alex Rodriguez.Plus, Stephen A. Smith could be eyeing a late night gig (amid other intrigue at ESPN), leagues aren’t happy about the coming joint venture between ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, the ATP Tour strikes a deal with Saudi Arabia, and NFL players grade their teams.