The Big Deal Weekly: Smith's Big Bash blitz, Withering Vine eyes Grand Tour, Lewis Hamilton's retirement fund, Novak Djokovic's water bottle, Usain Bolt broke & much more
Newsletter No. 19, 23 January 2023
Welcome to The Big Deal.
The Big Bash League has drawn its share of bashers in the last year or two.
But a planned shortened program next season and the injection of some superstar talent might be turning things around.
Not content with destroying Test attacks, Steve Smith has turned his attention to ruining T20 arsenals which really should be like shooting fish in a barrel for him.
Yet no-one in the squillion dollar Indian Premier League wanted him.
We’ve also got the latest on Australian cycling’s next big thing - he’s destined for some big pay days if Stuart O’Grady knows anything about the game.
By the way, you won’t want to miss this week’s podcast, where swimming superstar Kyle Chalmers opens up on his one man media war … subscribe now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you don’t miss the drop.
Now, here’s the latest on the sports folk that command the big coin.
IN THIS WEEK’S WRAP OF THE BIG DEALS
Smith makes a mockery of doubters
Withering Vine warms up for big season
Slow moving AFL should look to clubs for next CEO - Tredders
Hamilton eyes one last big pay day
Saudis line up Formula One bid
The Joker and the water bottle
Bolt broke without investment millions
Flyers star holds out on pride round
An abbreviated tale
Million dollar mug
Bananas reject slippery slope
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SMITH MAKES A MOCKERY OF DOUBTERS
Steve Smith continues to make a mockery of IPL clubs who overlooked him for the 2022 tournament.
The 33-year-old didn’t even nominate for this year’s event.
But the former Australian captain has found a rich vein of form in the Big Bash, plundering his second consecutive century.
Smith scored 101 off 56 balls opening for the Sydney Sixers against the Adelaide Strikers in Coffs Harbour.
He then backed it up with an unbeaten 125 from 66 balls against Sydney Thunder.
His hot streak has propelled the Sixers into second on the Big Bash ladder behind the Perth Scorchers.
Smith only joined the Sixers’ squad last month as a replacement player after Cricket Australia eventually succumbed to pressure to allow the country’s best players to take part amid growing criticism of the tournament.
Incredibly, he played only once for Australia in the T20 World Cup, losing his place to Singapore-born Tim David.
Smith was released by the Delhi Capitals after the 2021 IPL and remained unsold last year after no side met his asking price of $350,000.
He had made nearly five times that figure in the previous two IPL tournaments with Rajasthan Royals, topping their batting averages in 2019 before a modest 2020 campaign.
Instead of playing short-form cricket in April and May, Smith has signed a short-term contract with Sussex where he will fine tune his red-ball game for this year’s Ashes series.
WITHERING VINE WARMS UP FOR BIG SEASON
Tour Down Under race director and former winner Stuart O’Grady is predicting big things for Jay Vine after the Queenslander won the race at his first attempt.
And while Vine may only have pocketed €12,000 (A$18,700) for his win, O’Grady thinks Australia has unearthed its next Grand Tour winner.
Only Cadel Evans and Jai Handley last year have had success among the three biggest races in Europe, the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España.
Riding for UAE Team Emirates, Vine clinched the Tour Down Under win in Adelaide on Sunday after finishing second to Simon Yates in the final stage.
Amazingly, he only secured a WorldTour contract in 2020 when he won an online talent search competition via the Zwift Academy.
Vine will race in next weekend’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race before heading home and preparing his tilt at the northern summer.
SLOW MOVING AFL SHOULD LOOK TO CLUBS FOR NEXT CEO - TREDDERS
Port Adelaide legend Warren Tredrea has criticised the AFL for dragging out the process for replacing CEO Gillon McLachlan, who will step down later this year.
AFL general manager Andrew Dillon remains the favourite to win the coveted role in another internal appointment, but Tredders believes the league should break from the “boys club” and give Richmond CEO Brendon Gale the game’s top job.
“I think the AFL will miss the boat if they go internally, rather than externally. They just seem to be dragging their feet,” Tredders told The Big Deal podcast.
“They’ve done the TV deal, financially they’re secure, they’ve got through COVID, the game is sort of getting back to normal with no real restrictions.
"They said he (McLachlan) has to tick off the CBA (before leaving his role). Well, anyone can negotiate the CBA. What is going to be left for this new CEO to do?”
Listen to the full discussion:
HAMILTON EYES ONE LAST BIG PAY DAY
Lewis Hamilton is seeking a near-billion dollar retirement package from Formula One.
He is already the richest driver in the sport’s history with a net worth of US$285 million.
According to Forbes, he was paid US$93.8 million last year in contracts and sponsorship placing him 17th in world athletes’ earnings - $73.5 million of that being part of his Mercedes deal.
He’s out of contract at the end of this year and is seeking an additional two-year deal with Mercedes worth US$217.8 million as well as a 10-year ambassadorship with the manufacturer upon his retirement worth an additional US$389.6 million.
If it comes to fruition, it all adds up to a minimum US$680.9 over the next 13 years or A$975 million.
Some of that money could end up in the pockets of the Glazer family with Hamilton and Mercedes’ principal partner Jim Ratcliffe continuing to be linked with a bid to buy EPL giants Manchester United.
SAUDIS LINE UP FORMULA ONE BID
Saudi Arabia’s ever-expanding influence in world sport has suffered a rare defeat with Liberty Media last year rejecting an offer of well in excess of US$20 billion to buy the commercial rights to Formula One.
Liberty paid US$4.4 billion for the rights in 2017.
Bloomberg reports the offer collapsed last year but that the Public Investment Fund remains interested in a takeover.
The Saudis already have a race on the F1 grand prix calendar and in recent times have expanded their interests in golf, boxing and the purchase of EPL club Newcastle United.
THE JOKER AND THE WATER BOTTLE
Novak Djokovic’s fragile relationship with the media and more recently Australia continues to waver after video emerged of him allegedly receiving a note stuck to a water bottle from a member of his team.
The video suggests the actions could be in breach of the tennis coaching rule which has recently been updated to allow verbal interactions with team members on the same side of the court.
It follows a similar episode at the Paris Masters in November where Djokovic’s team was captured trying to hide a substance it was preparing which also involved the Joker and a water bottle.
Djokovic continues to battle a hamstring strain during the Australian Open which he says he is doing his best to manage.
BOLT BROKE WITHOUT INVESTMENT MILLIONS
The finances of the world’s fastest man are looking dire after reports last week of Usain Bolt being defrauded of millions of dollars after dealings with a Jamaican investment group.
Bolt has allegedly lost US$12.7 million (A$18.24 million) leaving him with just US$12,000 in his bank account.
It’s a stunning fall from grace for the 36-year-old who was listed by Forbes in 2018 as the world’s 45th richest athlete.
Jamaica’s Financial Services Commission is investigating on behalf of Bolt and others who have lost their money with the eight-time Olympic gold medallist also hiring lawyers in an attempt to recover his money.
FLYERS STAR HOLDS OUT ON PRIDE ROUND
The Philadelphia Flyers have played a star player who refused to participate in a gay pride celebration.
In contrast to the disastrous and ultimately season-destroying rein pulled by NRL club Manly, Flyers defenceman Ivan Provorov took his place in the side, despite refusing to wear a pride warm-up jersey or use a stick with rainbow tape, based on his religious beliefs.
Provorov is paid an average annual wage of US $6.75 million making him the Flyers’ third highest-paid player.
The decision on whether or not to play him was left to team management rather than solely in the hands of coach John Tortorella, an experienced NHL coach but in his first season at the Flyers.
Provorov’s decision has drawn widespread criticism across US mainstream and social media.
The NHL has spent considerable money in recent times embracing a new path, trying to rid itself of the perception it is a non-inclusive league.
AN ABBREVIATED TALE
LAFC now officially plays at BMO after the Los Angeles FC signed a 10-year US$100 million stadium naming rights deal with the Bank of Montreal.
It will now be known as BMO Stadium, replacing the BOC (Banc of California) as naming rights sponsor.
The BOC signed a 15-year US$100 million naming rights sponsorship in 2016 but paid US$20.1 in 2020 to GTHO (get the hell out).
BMO Stadium is not to be confused with BMO Field which is home to Toronto FC.
Curiously, the capacity of the “stadium” is only 22,000 as opposed to the field which can accomodate 30,000 fans.
The first match at the rebadged BMO Stadium will be played this week when the USMNT takes on Serbia.
FYI, USMNT is the United States’ Men’s National Team. We’re kind of glad we just call ours the “Socceroos”.
MILLION DOLLAR MUG
An unlucky punter has lost a small fortune on a “sure bet” in the NFL.
With the LA Chargers up 27-0 against Jacksonville Jaguars with just four minutes left to play in the first half of their wild card game, some poor mug wagered US$1.4 million on LA to win $11,200.
That’s odds of $1.008.
Well, the Jags snuck in a touchdown just before half-time, scored another 13 points to three in the third quarter and then had Riley Patterson nail a 40-metre field goal with the last play of the game to complete the third-largest comeback in postseason history.
You know the moral of the story.
BANANAS REJECT SLIPPERY SLOPE
If you’ve not heard of the Savannah Bananas, you’re in good company.
They’re an exhibition baseball team but one with a great deal of integrity.
The side rejected a US$1,000,000 ticket order from a scalper that would have resulted in an additional US$500,000 profit.
The Bananas instead chose their fans over corporate greed and opportunism.
They play a derivative of the standard game with a bunch of rules designed to maximise entertainment.
The most interesting one: foul balls caught by fans are deemed OUT!
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