Sports & Entertainment Beat

Welcome back to the Spotlight! I am fresh off my trip (not to be confused with a “vacation”) to Walt Disney World, and discounting--just about the only time the word “discount” has been used in recent memory—being pummeled by Hurricane Nicole, several children’s ear infections and coming down with the Flu, there were still good memories and a lot of fun to be had by all. Mickey-shaped pretzels and Dole Whips helped ease the malaise as well. But I’m back to do away with your malaise (or sense of relief, depending on your point of view) and fill the sports and entertainment law void left in my absence. As previewed two weeks ago, I have new section on emerging sports, replacing the NFTs section—at least for a while until the crypto market rebounds #goodvibesonly. But just make sure to fill your plate with enough food (for thought) as I’ll be gathering with my core readership (my family) for Thanksgiving. Between now and then, there will undoubtedly be a veritable cornucopia of stories that I’ll be putting on my LinkedIn page. Consider it a flashlight rather than a Spotlight. 

• • NFL Wide Receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. files a $20M lawsuit against Nike, alleging he was cheated out of an opportunity to sign an endorsement deal with Adidas. When Beckham consulted his attorney about filing the lawsuit, he undoubtedly said “just do it.”
  • Elon Musk announces that he intends for Twitter to share revenue (perhaps with content creators on the social media platform. An open question is whether that includes a share for recording artists, songwriters. Another open question after the last few weeks is whether there will be any revenue to share. 
  • Pickleball remains on the upswing with Stephen Colbert manning the umpire chair for a celebrity competition that is sure to be a vlasic. 
  • Lastly a feel good story of mending fences with Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield joining forces to market Holy Ear cannabis gummies in an homage to the infamous moment when Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield’s ear in a 90s heavyweight boxing match. 

Welcome back to the “Spotlight!” “I’m going to Disney World” is a hallowed (and trademarked) phrase in pop culture, uttered by MVPs of major sports championships, Olympians and even “American Idol” winners before an all-expenses-paid trip to the Happiest Place on Earth (the “Spotlight” being a distant second place). Incidentally, I am none of the above and all expenses remain payable, but I am nevertheless giving you and the other seven of my readers the heads up that the “Spotlight” will be on a one-week hiatus while I don a pair of mouse ears in lieu of my writers’ hat because, well… I’m going to Disney World. Upon my return, I plan to bring back a “Tomorrowland” of my own, piloting a new section of the “Spotlight,” focused on emerging (perhaps Cinderella?) sports—whether it be relatively recent sports skyrocketing in popularity such as pickleball, cornhole and eSports, or sports such as rugby that are well-established elsewhere in the world that are on the precipice of taking a foothold in the U.S. It might sound goofy, daze-y, further out than Pluto, but I might as well “let it go” and give these fields of growth a deserved Spotlight.

• • Speaking of tomorrows in sports, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s tech-infused sports, entertainment and media company TMRW Sports announces investment backing by some of the biggest names in the business. I guess my invitation got lost in the mail.
  • Speaking of cartoon characters, as if there aren’t more pressing (let alone real) issues for figureheads in our society to address, another high-profile persona with millions of social media followers, Kyrie Irving used his platform to promote a film that pushes antisemitic disinformation and conspiracy theories. And while he has faced some public backlash, he seems unlikely to face the same response Kanye West received from his sponsorship and endorsement partners.
  • Speaking of Cinderella Story, Christmas comes early for Mariah Carey as the $60 million copyright case alleging infringement by her “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was dropped. Perhaps the plaintiff realized lottery tickets were less expensive than legal fees.