The Big Deal Weekly: Port's pitch to Grundy, Boxing Day Test on the market, Boomers at crossroads, Aussie punter's NFL pay day, women's volleyball breaks crowd record & more
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The Big Deal Weekly: Port's pitch to Grundy, Boxing Day Test on the market, Boomers at crossroads, Aussie punter's NFL pay day, women's volleyball breaks crowd record & more
Newsletter no.49, 5 September 2023
Welcome to this week’s sports business wrap.
While there’s plenty happening in footy and cricket, we’ve also seen a new global attendance record set for women’s sport - and it has come from college volleyball.
Plus, the Formula 1 star who was too fast on his feet for a watch thief.
There’s a lot on the agenda … tune in below or scroll down for the notes.
Listen to the wrap and subscribe for free now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
TREDDERS’ TALKING POINTS FROM THE AFL
In the audio wrap, Tredders talks about:
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley and All-Australians Zak Butters and Connor Rozee met with outcast Melbourne ruck Brodie Grundy earlier in the week.
Sydney’s interested but looks as if he doesn’t want to discuss with the Swans and has his mind set up on a move back to South Australia.
Geelong defender Esava Ratugolea offered a rumoured seven-year, $5 million deal to join Hawthorn.
Matt Crouch extends his West Lakes stay for two years - should he have?
Former Crows defender Jake Lever set to be a Demon for the rest of his career with a four-year extension.
Is the AFL on the nose with key people? Leigh Matthews has pulled out of the race for a spot on the AFL Commission, and several others have picked clubland.
Why has the AFL put the AFLW in the suburban venues? There’s been plenty of criticism but was it the right move?
LOCAL FOOTY CLUB SET FOR CRIPPLING PUNISHMENT
Adelaide Footy League club Gaza is set to cop the biggest fine in South Australian sporting history, which could have fatal repercussions for the club.
The fine has been handed down due to systematic salary cap breaches dating back to 2018.
The club’s president could cop a 10-year suspension, while the club’s chairman and football director are set to cop a three-year ban.
The $350,000 fine exceeds the $300,000 the Crows copped for the Kurt Tippett saga in 2012 and Port Adelaide’s $100,000 fine for the recent concussion protocol breach.
Where does the line get drawn? The ramifications for junior footy and the local community are enormous. Especially when realistically many clubs and leagues have issues with ‘cashies’ and salary cap issues.
Gaza denies any wrongdoing.
TESTS UP FOR TENDER
Close your eyes, Victorians.
The famous Boxing Day Test is up for grabs, as is New Year’s Day.
Cricket Australia wants new agreements to coincide with the new seven-year broadcast rights deal worth $1.5 billion from 2024.
It wants seven-year cycles to help offset any dips around England and India.
INTERNATIONALS LOCKED IN FOR BBL
The Big Bash League will have plenty of international cricketers this season, with 21 overseas players drafted last week, 13 of which were English.
Rashid Khan went pick one to the Adelaide Strikers, even after his threats to never return following a spat with Cricket Australia.
The Strikers also scooped up The Hundred player of the season Jamie Overton - in a surprise pick in the top 10.
The full list of picks is here.
CRICKET IS COMING FOR THE OLYMPICS?
Cricket looks set to get added to the Olympic Games for Los Angeles 2028.
The IOC is eager on attracting more views from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, with the format likely to be Twenty20.
But, organisers only want to add cricket if they can also add ‘flag football’, a modified version of American Football.
Wonder who’ll win gold there…
WHERE TO NOW FOR THE BOOMERS?
The Boomers are out of the World Cup, and transition is coming.
Brian Goorjian will remain coach, despite the poor finish on the world stage.
Josh Giddey, Josh Green and Dante Exum showed the future is bright, but appears to be the end of the road for Joe Ingles.
While the Boomers fell short, South Sudan has been the story of the cup.
The last African team left, qualified for the Olympic Games, and were playing on outdoor, concrete courts just a year ago.
The team had hardly any funding before it was backed by former NBA All-Star Luol Deng, and it has flourished.
ANGE CONTINUES TO WIN HEARTS IN TOTTENHAM
When Robbie Williams is singing songs about you, and the fans are embracing you - you’re in a good spot.
And if the football is that good looking as well, Ange and Spurs look a match made in heaven.
Heung-Min Son, who had his worst season at Tottenham last season is back to his best, now as Spurs captain.
The South Korean star scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 mauling of Burnley, and heaped praise on the Aussie manager.
“I am so grateful that I am working with him,” he told Optus Sport.
Could Ange deliver trophies to Spurs? Something they haven’t seen since 2008?
EPL WRAPS UP BUMPER TRANSFER PERIOD
The Premier League transfer window closed on Saturday morning, with 28 signings on deadline day, but the spending blitzed over £2 billion for the first time.
Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool all splashed the cash throughout the window, with three of those four sides playing scintillating football.
Saudi Arabia’s still trying to kick the door down, with Mo Salah an attractive prospect.
Liverpool rejected a £150 million offer for the Egyptian winger on Deadline Day, but a bigger offer could come in.
One player who has knocked back Saudi Arabia is legendary Spanish defender Sergio Ramos, who returned to former club Sevilla after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired in June.
AUSSIE PUNTER WINS BIG NFL PAY DAY
The NFL season is back!
There are seven Aussies in the NFL, including punter Lou Hedley, who won a spot on the New Orleans Saints roster, and will collect a nice $1.16 million AUD pay day.
Not a bad effort for a former Perth labourer who played in the WAFL reserves before starting his punting journey in 2017.
Former St Kilda AFL player Arryn Siposs was let go by Philadelphia however.
Other Aussies include Jordan Mailata (Eagles), Mitch Wishnowsky (49ers), Michael Dickson (Seahawks), Daniel Faelele (Ravens), Adam Gotsis (Jaguars) and Cameron Johnson (Texans).
COACH PRIME CHANGING THE GAME
A big name makes a big difference.
Colorado has won its first game of the season with Deion Sanders at the helm, who is an NFL legend.
He signed a five-year $29.5 million USD contract in 2022, which was a massive risk at the time.
Deion has put Colorado into prime-time with broadcasters, season tickets have been sold out since April and they’ve attracted $28 million USD in donations.
Living up to the hype already.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL TEAM BREAKS GLOBAL ATTENDANCE RECORD
Mammoth.
92,003 fans attended a women’s volleyball event in Nebraska, making it the biggest women’s sports attendance ever.
It has smashed the record set by Barcelona last year in the Champions League, which was 91,648.
It was a paid attendance event, originally priced at $25 at adults and $5 for high school students and below, but the re-sell value was as much as $400.
Nebraska volleyball is massive, having turned a profit of $233,000 in 2022 reportedly.
Their ticket sales revenue was $2.12 million USD in 2012-22, which is outstanding.
The only other women’s sports team at a public FBS school that rakes in more ticketing money is UConn’s women’s basketball team at $2.40 million.
F1 STAR CATCHES MILLION DOLLAR WATCH THIEF
Formula 1 is still on the rise, and the speed is on and off the track.
Max Verstappen made it 10 wins in a row to set a new F1 record, while Carlos Sainz had some trouble off track.
Sainz was robbed of his $973,000 AUD watch just hours after his third-placed finish at the Italian F1 GP, but managed to caught the thieves.
A Richard Mille watch was certainly worth the chase in a scene that could’ve resembled Shooter McGavin stealing Happy Gilmore’s Tour Championship gold jacket.
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