Sporticast 310: Which Team Eats Better, Michigan or Washington?
On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including the college football championship game. Both Michigan (14-0) and Washington (14-0) won tight semifinals to advance to the College Football Playoff title game next Monday.
The hosts talk about the undercurrent of change flowing through this whole NCAA bowl season. Not only is this the last year of the four-team playoff—it will expand to 12 teams starting next year—but it is the last year of the “Power Five” conferences as we have known them for the past decade. The dramatic realignment includes Washington, which is leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, meaning this title game is a showdown between schools that will be conference rivals moving forward. They discuss the strange position for the Pac-12, which can technically win its first CFP title as it functionally ceases to exist.
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The hosts mull over the money behind both finalists, including a little trivia. Who spends more on travel? On recruiting? On food for players? That spurs a debate about food as a draw for prospective athletes.
Next they discuss a growing controversy involving Aaron Rodgers, Pat McAfee, ESPN, and its parent company, Disney (NYSE: DIS). On McAfee’s show earlier this week, Rodgers jokingly hinted that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel might be exposed as an associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Kimmel, whose show airs on ABC, another Disney network, responded with harsh criticism and threats of a lawsuit. This is not the first controversy for ESPN, McAfee and Rodgers, who is paid to appear on the show, and highlights a tough balance for ESPN, which is trying to lure younger fans that prefer edgy sports commentary while also having to fit that product safely into the broader (more conservative) Disney portfolio.
The hosts also talk about Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, who was fined $300,000 by the NFL this week after video emerged of him throwing a drink on a Jaguars fan during his team’s recent blowout loss. Tepper, whose billion-dollar fortune was amassed largely via hedge fund investing, is one of the NFL’s newest owners, and his growing frustration has become increasingly apparent in recent months.
Lastly, the hosts talk about two recent sports transactions—former Google CEO Eric Schmidt joining the group buying the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Bhathal family buying the NWSL’s Portland Thorns for a league-record $63 million.
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