FOS Daily 7/6/2020

The Washington NFL Team could have a new name by September because of mounting pressure from partners, investors and NFL officials to abandon its Redskins moniker. The organization, which has resisted a name change for decades, seems to be moving towards making the move.

Over the Fourth of July weekend, head coach Ron Rivera reportedly worked with owner Dan Snyder on new names as the team moves through a “thorough review.”

The debate around the team’s name was reignited last week as a group of investment firms and shareholders called for major team partners like Pepsi, Nike and FedEx to end business with the team. FedEx – which owns the stadium naming rights – then responded by requesting the team change its name while Nike removed team apparel from its website.

FedEx founder Fred Smith has reportedly been telling Snyder to change the name for years. Smith has also been trying to sell his piece of the team to no avail; two other minority owners are also looking to sell their shares as they are “not happy being a partner” with Snyder.

The Cleveland Indians also announced that it is reviewing its name. In 2018, the Indians removed the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms but the name discussion is new.

“The recent social unrest in our community and our country has only underscored the need for us to keep improving as an organization on issues of social justice. With that in mind, we are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name,” the Indians said in a statement.

The Atlanta Braves released a statement that it is not considering a change, saying the Braves moniker “honors, supports and values the Native American community.”

Learfield IMG College is reportedly asking schools for 60-day delays on payments for their radio, marketing, and sponsorship rights deals. The requests also include restructuring deals to reduce or eliminate guaranteed rights fees.

Some schools have agreed to the changes, but others view it as a way for Learfield to get out of less-profitable deals. Learfield IMG College’s guaranteed payments range from $1 million for Group of Five schools and up to $15 million for Power 5 schools, of which it holds deals with 54 of 65 schools.

UCLA and Cal are in particularly sticky situations, as both schools have deals with Learfield IMG College and Under Armour, which is also working on getting out of deals. Cal has more than $80 million between the two contracts at stake, while UCLA has more than $180 million on the line.

While both schools would likely find replacements or reach settlements, the two athletic departments are already struggling financially, with UCLA reporting a 2019 deficit of $18.9 million and Cal reporting a $24.5 million deficit.

The 2020 baseball season was supposed to be a farewell tour for the Pawtucket Red Sox as the Triple-A team prepared to move to Worcester, Mass., next season. But with the Minor League Baseball season canceled, the team was forced to pivot beyond baseball. 

It turned the outfield of McCoy Stadium, its home of 50 years, into a diner with a menu ranging from hot dogs to lobster rolls. There are currently more than 2,600 people on the waitlist to eat dinner at the ballpark.

That has become a common story across the country as lower-level baseball teams work to maintain connections to their community during the shutdown, while also finding unique ways to drive revenue in a sport that is heavily dependent on gameday sales such as tickets, concessions, and merchandise.

— The Pensacola Blue Wahoos listed their stadium on Airbnb and have held other events like movie nights, hoping to recoup a quarter of its usual annual $8 million in revenue.

— Several Texas-based MiLB teams sought expansion franchises in the Texas Collegiate League, a summer wood bat league. Organizations like the San Antonio Missions hope to recover a quarter of revenue from the lost MiLB season. 

— The Savannah Bananas, the creative college summer league team, has launched a streaming service to serve their normally raucous crowds. More than 500 fans have already signed up for the $5.99 service, which also lets them vote on the team’s on-field decisions.

— The Lansing Lugnuts are hosting a contained summer wood bat competition with two teams for collegiate players from across the state called the Lemonade League. It hopes to have up to 500 fans in attendance for the games in July and August.

While the NFL has trimmed two games from the preseason, the NFL Players Association board voted to eliminate the other two games as well. The recommendation might not be considered by the league, but it shows there is concern from the players about the prospect of getting into game shape and the risk of the spread of coronavirus as the season nears.

In Other League News:

— The NBA and NBA Players Association have agreed on 29 social statements that can appear on jerseys when play resumes. Among the messages are: “Vote,” “Black Lives Matter,” “I Can’t Breathe,” “Education Reform,” and “Peace.” If chosen, the message will be in place of their last name for the first four games, then a player can go back to their name. If a player continues after the first four games, their last name will go beneath their number.

— The NHL and NHL Players Association have agreed to protocols to return to play in Edmonton and Toronto, with games expected to start August 1.

— MLB players continue to drop out of their upcoming season, as Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price became the seventh MLB player to declare that they won’t play. At the same time, several players across the league tested positive for COVID-19, including New York Yankees DJ LeMehieu and Luis Cessa, and Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman.

— An MLS is Back Tournament game between FC Dallas and Vancouver was postponed as six Dallas players tested positive for COVID-19 when they arrived in Orlando. Two Vancouver players also tested positive, keeping the team in Canada. The tournament is scheduled to start Wednesday when Orlando City takes on Inter Miami.