Sports & Entertainment Beat

Welcome back to the Spotlight! One of the more notable headlines in Hollywood this week is that Ryan Seacrest has been selected as the successor host to Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune.  For a man who wears countless hats, what’s another gig on one of America’s longest running game shows?  Happily, I have my law degree to help keep a moat around this slightly lesser paying position (if I am out next week, it will be because I am taking a break for Independence Day, not because of Seacrest).  For the rest of you, it’s not Artificial Intelligence that’s the biggest threat to taking over your job—it’s Ryan Seacrest (though maybe not mutually exclusive). Speaking of concerns about obsolescence, in response to several states having passed laws shielding state schools from being punished by the NCAA for any NIL-related violations, the NCAA has issued guidance to its member colleges and universities that disregard state laws for purposes of enforcement of NIL violations. In so doing, the NCAA is brazenly thumbing its nose at detractors and setting the stage for a renewed push for federal intervention to provide clarity to confusion arguably wrought by the NCAA itself. In essence, what the NCAA is doing is the equivalent of driving the wrong way on the highway in hopes that it will create a need for a traffic light. Where the chips land at the end of the day is anyone’s guess, but certainly no stretch of the imagination is required to arrive at the conclusion that there will be litigation to resolve the stalemate. After all, what people really want is to have lawyers in the spotlight.

• • Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (alongside Michael B. Jordan and Redbird Capital) look to spin gold once again, this time on the Formula One circuit through their investment in the Alpine race team. On the one hand, Alpine is seeking to tap into the same success as Wrexham. On the other hand, they’re hoping that when it comes to their cars, they don’t wreck ‘em.
    
    
  • No stranger to things fiery red, Ed Sheeran is leveraging his record label’s new venture arm in launching his “Tingly Ted’s” line of hot sauces in collaboration with Kraft Heinz.  Personally, I would have gone with the name “Red Tearin’,” but what do I know about marketing? I’m just a small town lawyer who makes dad jokes.
    
    
  • NBA Star Chris Paul invests in plant-based brand Wicked Kitchen founded by brothers Derek and Chad Sarno. Not yet announced is whether Cliff Paul will join his brother on the cap table.