Sports & Entertainment Beat

Welcome back to the Spotlight! The long wait is over… As unbearable as waiting a week for the next installment of the Spotlight, I am referring to the four year long wait since the last Summer Olympic Games. At the moment, the World’s elite athletes from all walks of life, each with their own stories and paths leading them to this point are descending upon Paris, France in search of Olympic glory under their respective flags. Many of the Olympians who are competing already enjoy their fair share of fame, while others – relative unknowns – will undoubtedly rise like a great soufflé (it’s all about the stuff peaks, folks) reach new heights far above the Eiffel Tower and open avenues more grand than the Champs-Élysées (or Marnier). Others will sink like a bad soufflé (again, stiff peaks are key) and flake apart like a perfect croissant.

And if for some reason, my romanticism isn’t enough to get you interested in the Games for which advertisers are shelling out an estimated $1.2 billion, then there is always the star power that NBC Universal is integrating into its Olympic programming.  For the final leg of the torch-lighting ceremony (which does not, to my chagrin, have anything to do with crème brulée), Snoop Dogg—never too far from flammable objects--will be a torch-bearer. Although the Summer Olympics do not have motorsports, there will be plenty of horsepower, with former Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts great Peyton Manning, and rapper Megan Thee Stallion playing sizable roles in the promotion of the Games. Additionally, comedians Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson will be hosting a highlight show throughout the Olympics (with Thompson hopefully reprising his role of “Pierre Escargots” from his All That! days). A little something for everyone it seems, and a whole lot of money—enough to fill the Seine (infinitely better than the…uhhh… crêpe that the Seine is actually filled with)—is riding on it.  

How was that for an Opening Ceremony?

• • Drawings by the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, will soon be going up for auction, or as I like to call them, “Don’t stop ‘til you bid enough.”
     
  • Hydration beverage company Prime is hit with a lawsuit by the US Olympic Committee for use of the Olympics trademark and USA Basketball inspired branding for its limited edition flavor on which it partnered with NBA All-Star Kevin Durant. Not all that surprising Prime would be hauled into court given how notoriously hawkish the Olympic Committee is in protecting its IP — not to mention Prime being an especially attractive defendant due to its liquid assets.
     
  • The horsedrawn wagon is pulling out of Philadelphia as Wells Fargo opts out of its naming rights deal for the 76ers’ and Flyers’ home arena. Meanwhile, the bandwagon at Madison Square Garden has plenty of room for newcomers.
     
  • The WNBA and dating-app Bumble enter into a new sponsorship focused on forging connections through sports. You might say that they’re more than just friends

Welcome back to the Spotlight! With Summer in full swing, it’s hard to resist the lure of campfire s’mores (and central air conditioning). So it’s only appropriate that I discuss the marshmallow, the indispensable core and glue to the s’more, great on its own but elevating the components around it, here in the context of the Marshmallow Test. To those who are unfamiliar with the Marshmallow Test, the concept is that you offer someone (in my case, one of my sugar-craving children) the opportunity to receive one marshmallow now, or wait five minutes to receive two marshmallows. The idea behind the exercise is to demonstrate the value of delayed gratification (something many among us could stand to benefit from these days…). 

 
Last Friday, NBA all-star point guard Jalen Brunson, every bit the indispensable core and glue to the New York Knicks, great on his own but elevating the components around him, passed the Marshmallow Test of all Marshmallow Tests with flying colors. Although Brunson had an opportunity to extend his player contract with the Knicks for approximately $269 million in 2025, he chose to leave nearly $113 million on the table in the name of giving the organization flexibility to keep its team together while luring additional pieces in pursuit of an NBA championship. The move not only further ingratiates Brunson with Knicks fans, teammates and the city of New York (you might as well give him a key to the city) but it sets his team up for success and long term marketing potential. That, and he’ll be eligible for a $323 million deal in 2028 or $418 million in 2029. A marshmallow sweet reward for his delayed gratification. His parents must be proud. Fingers crossed that this post ages well.

• • Unscripted reality television production is facing headwinds in Los Angeles, with the primary motivating factor likely being that people have dwindling interest in reality.
     
  • Disney CEO Bob Iger and wife Willow Bay join an already star-studded ownership group in NWSL club Angel City FC, paying upwards of $87.5 million for a controlling interest in the team at a $250 million valuation– making the team the most valuable women’s professional sports team in the world.  To put things in perspective, that is roughly the price of a one week long Walt Disney World vacation for a family of four.
     
  • Having already introduced American soccer to his incomparable brand of play, Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi is introducing a new brand of sports hydration beverages called “más+ by Messi.” Will it stand out among the crowded field of sports drinks by imparting the consumer with Messi’s skills? Unlikely, but given the U.S. Men’s National Team’s unceremonious exit from the U.S.-hosted Copa America 2024 tournament, they can use all the help they can get.

Welcome back to the Spotlight! If jumping back into this space isn’t hard enough after a week off, the oppressive heat and humidity paired with mounting levels of existential dread due to [insert national or global event here] (Sad Libs is my version of “Mad Libs”) provide an obstacle the likes of which an Olympic pole vaulter would shudder at. Oh well, at least I have my New York Yankees to lift my spirits, right?…RIGHT?!?! (Editor’s note: the Yankees have lost 16 of their last 25 games). (Sigh…) For those who share in my malaise, I hope you’ll find some relief and humor by way of the clown tears below:

• WWE Pro-Wrestler and actor (not mutually-exclusive) John Cena announced that he’s hanging up his tights after Wrestlemania 2025. Though that would ordinarily mean it could be the last time to see him wrestle in a ring, if Cena’s catchphrase is to be believed, we’re still waiting on the first time to see him.
   
• Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake are teaming up to open a sports bar in Scotland. It will be Uber-interesting to see whether the bar gets a Lyft from being so closely aligned with the golf legend and pop icon.
   
• WNBA Rookie of the Year Candidate Angel Reese seems poised to add Hershey to her growing list of endorsements, as her fanbase (who she calls “Reese’s Pieces”) now includes Reese’s (the candy brand).  So, don’t be surprised if you see Reese eating the Reese’s Pieces in the not too distant future – but you should absolutely be surprised if you see Reese eating her Reese’s Pieces.