Are we losing the women's soccer trade war?
Plus: RedZone ad silliness, a Running of the Bulls in Florida, and J.J. Watt's booth debut
Back by popular demand, here are six sports business items that caught our eyes to start your week.
The Sportico Story of the Week ⚽: The only trade war I’m worried about right now is England’s continued acquisition of America’s best women’s soccer players, in large part the result of the NWSL’s salary cap system compared to the rich-get-richer style of European soccer. Molly Geary broke down the latest move of a 20-year-old phenom from one of America’s most valuable women’s clubs to Chelsea.
The Non-Sportico Story of the Week 🎓: The Athletic answered some of my questions about the “Saving College Sports” ads that are running during NCAA football games this fall. It looks like the SEC is running its own commercials too, though theirs kind of gives me the creeps.
What Everyone Got Wrong 😡: People aren’t still complaining about RedZone ads, right? I’m giving vox populi a pass for last week’s freak-out over a few, non-obtrusive commercials being spread across seven hours of nonstop football. Maybe they wrongly convinced themselves full ad breaks were going to interrupt the action. In reality, the spots were hardly different from the sponsored segments and L-bar pop-ins that have been decorating Scott Hanson’s show for years.
What Made Me Laugh 🤣: I thought J.J. Watt was solid in his debut alongside Ian Eagle. But the pairing was worth it for this bit alone...
I’m told from a source close to the situation that Ian is 5’6”. I had to know.
What Restored My Love of College Football 🏈: The University of South Florida was reportedly paid $500,000 to come to Gainesville for a game at the University of Florida. They were 18-point underdogs. But USF emerged with an 18-16 win and a priceless moment of celebration for the coaches watching from their box. Best Running of the Bulls outside of Pamplona, if you ask me.
What Got Me Wearing My Tin-Foil Hat (or headband) 🎩: I still can’t believe no one—no one!—told Taylor Fritz he had his Boss-sponsored headband on upside down during the U.S. Open.
Fritz left Nike for an eight-year deal with Hugo Boss last year. A quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic in New York represented a prime opportunity to get some exposure for the gear. And Boss had a nice post lined up for the supposed accident. Is there any chance this was all a marketing stunt?
Club Sportico is a community organized by Sportico, a digital media company launched in 2020 to cover the business side of sports. You can read breaking news, smart analysis, and in-depth features from Eben, Jacob and their colleagues at Sportico.com, and listen to the Sporticast podcast wherever you get your audio. Contact us at club@sportico.com.