Front Office Sports Today

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.

The Caitlin Clark phenomenon has turned into a major opportunity for the business world around her, particularly broadcasters Fox and Comcast. The two media giants are opting for very different approaches when it comes to how to leverage the hype around Iowa’s superstar.Plus, we speak with NFL journalism legend Peter King who just announced he's hanging up his lanyard, Illinois governor JB Pritzker is skeptical of providing public money for a new White Sox stadium and every NWSL team released brand new kits.

The answer might be: depends on the lighting in the room. Uni Watch founder and editor Paul Lukas joins to discuss the fiasco of MLB’s see-through pants and he dissects the Los Angeles Clippers’s revamped logo and jerseys ahead of the Intuit Dome opening next season. We also look into the pay-for-play future of the NCAA in light of a recent court injunction with Front Office Sports reporter Amanda Christovich, and what it could mean for the coming transfer window.Plus, the MLBPA is not pleased with a certain team executive and Marvin Harrison Jr. is charting a unique path to the NFL.

Social media impostors of sports reporters are a real challenge for the sports media ecosystem. The trend has been egged on by changes made to X, formerly known as Twitter, under Elon Musk. Front Office Sports senior reporter AJ Perez investigates the phenomenon, which has become a thorn in the sides of reporters like Adam Schefter and Adrian Wojnarowski.Plus, amateurism in college sports may effectively be over, a Nevada group looking to block the funding the state is providing to the Oakland A’s plots their next legal move, and we explore the world of professional women’s ultimate frisbee.

The Negro Leagues have been kept alive through oral histories and the work of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. That history is coming to life in a new way: through the Storylines option on the popular video game, MLB: The Show. NLBM president Bob Kendrick joins to talk about how the collaboration is one of the most important achievements of the museum and why the Negro Leagues matter more than ever.Plus, Utah wants to give $900 million to build a new baseball stadium. Now it just needs a team, and EA Sports is making an unprecedented NIL offer to every football player in the FBS system.

Ironman has been synonymous with triathlons and other extreme sports for decades. Now the company is working to tap into that legacy to inspire a new generation of athletes who want to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a marathon in one day. We spoke with Scott DeRue, Ironman Group’s new CEO, on his vision for the company.Plus, the Arizona Diamondbacks are floating relocation if they can’t secure taxpayer money, Fubo is suing to block the combined sports streaming venture from ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, and Amazon is paying $120 million to stream a single game.

With every passing day, what exactly the Oakland A’s are up to becomes more and more of a mystery. Melissa Lockard of The Athletic joins us with thoughts on where the A’s will play next season and whether they will ever make it to Las Vegas.Plus, with the MLS season starting, Apple is releasing a docuseries on Lionel Messi—we speak with the executive producers of the show. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé looks to trademark his signature goal celebration before heading to Real Madrid, while Barcelona faces another major cut to its spending limit.

Cleveland is a top-20 market and home to some of the most-beloved franchises in sports. Now there is momentum to launch a National Women's Soccer League team, including funding earmarked for a new stadium. The founders of the group behind this big-league push join the show to discuss all the moving parts involved with the ambitious plan.Plus, the NBA All-Star Game produced almost as many points as complaints, while the Steph Curry-Sabrina Ionescu three-point contest pointed toward the weekend’s potential, MLS is likely to begin its season with replacement referees, and the Chicago White Sox want $1 billion from the state.

The NBA All-Star Game has gone from being just a top-shelf scrimmage to a full weekend of concerts—Lil Wayne! Keith Urban! T-Pain!—panels, and events. NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Event Strategy and Management Joey Graziano joins the show to discuss the evolution of the game and what the league learned from the first in-season tournament.Plus, Wilson is selling a $2,500 basketball, Comcast is using Caitlin Clark’s record chase to drive Peacock subscriptions, and MLB players are less than thrilled with their new Nike-Fanatics uniforms.This episode is sponsored by:Autotrader: autotrader.com/seeitfindit

Nikola Jokić is a singular basketball player, but he is emblematic of a talent pipeline from Serbia that is growing in prominence for the NBA. The New Yorker’s Louisa Thomas joins the episode to discuss the Serbian team that produced the superstar, the challenges of marketing Jokić, and what he means for the future of the NBA.Plus, Oakland and the A’s are talking again, and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo tells FOS's Mike McCarthy how ESPN changed his life.This episode is sponsored by:Autotrader: autotrader.com/seeitfindit