Front Office Sports

“We were getting free equity into companies because of who the founder’s kid’s favorite player was.” Kai Cunningham explains how his relationships with pro athletes became the foundation for investment opportunities and pricing. Catch more insights on the latest episode of Portfolio Players.

The Kentucky Derby generated over $3.8 Billion in revenue last year. Churchill Downs President Mike Anderson discusses how the venue became the crown jewel of horse racing. NBC's Randy Moss also offers his perspective on how the Derby has changed in the 45 years he's covered it. Plus, Gregg Popovich retires from coaching, John Haliburton addresses the media after his scuffle with Giannis, and Caitlin Clark's preseason return to Iowa costs as much as an NBA playoff game.

Shedeur Sanders wasn't the only player to be pranked during the NFL Draft

End of an era. After 29 Seasons at the helm, Gregg Popovich has officially stepped down as Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs. On top of his on the court accolades, he is a true leader respected and admired league-wide. 🏀 Gregg Popovich's Legendary Coaching Career: ➖ 5× NBA Champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014) ➖ 3× NBA Coach of the Year (2003, 2012, 2014) ➖ All-time Winningest Coach in NBA History (1,422 regular season wins) ➖ 29 Seasons as Spurs Head Coach — the longest tenure with one team in NBA history ➖ Olympic Gold Medalist– Head Coach of Team USA (Tokyo 2020) ➖ Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (Class of 2023) ➖ Mentored a coaching tree that includes Steve Kerr, Mike Budenholzer, Ime Udoka, Becky Hammon, and more Pop will transition into the role of Team President. #linkedinsports #nba #sportsnews #sportsbiz #popovich

After broadcasting Chicago Bulls and Cubs games, Adam Amin moonlights as a DJ. It’s after midnight, and Adam Amin has just pulled off a wild day-night doubleheader. A few hours after he called play-by-play for Saturday’s Cubs-Phillies game on Fox, Amin DJ’ed a set at 115 Bourbon Street, a club in south-suburban Chicago. Dressed in a red and black flannel shirt with rolled-up sleeves, Amin came on at 11:00 pm and played remixes of popular songs through his Pioneer XDJ-XZ machine. He opened with a mix of Hustlin by Rick Ross, and other songs in the set included The Way I Are by Timbaland, I Had Some Help by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen, No Hands by Waka Flocka Flame, and Titanium by David Guetta. “I spent 10 years of my life doing this professionally,” Amin told FOS after his set. “I did every homecoming weekend in high school. They gave me four periods off [class] and paid me to play music in the cafeteria for my friends. I worked as a wedding DJ and a mobile DJ at corporate events. One of my brothers did this professionally, so that’s how I learned music when I was younger. I made a good amount of money—I helped pay for my first year of college by DJ’ing.” Amin, 38, calls Bulls games for CHSN and works nationally on Fox NFL and MLB telecasts. It is generally agreed upon by sports media observers that he is excellent at his craft and on the short list of announcers under 40 who will be among the next generation of championship-level event callers. He works with an agent on his broadcasting deals, but for DJ work, he makes the bookings himself. Amin gave up DJ’ing around 2011 when he joined ESPN in order to focus on his broadcasting career (he left ESPN for Fox in 2020). He got back into it about two years ago, at a time when he said he was feeling “a little stagnant creatively.” He DJ’s at 115 Bourbon regularly and tends to play clubs and lounges in downtown Chicago. His dream venues include the primary space at “true house music clubs” in the city, like Radius and PRYSM, which he’s played in a smaller room. “That’s where the big electronic artists play,” Amin said. “I’m not delusional and thinking like this is going to be like a main source of income. But I’d love to do it to the point where you can open for one of the big electronic artists.” Full story » gofos.co/4jAv7P9

Shedeur Sanders, just days after being drafted by the Browns, made a surprise visit to a local Cleveland school. "I just got to Cleveland. I just wanted to come out and see y'all." (🎥 via Cleveland Metropolitan School District)

The new General Manager of Sacramento State men's basketball: Dr. Shaquille O’Neal.

Shedeur Sanders was one of many players to receive prank phone calls on draft night. NFL Insider Ian Rapoport weighs in on that, and what the Browns new quarterback room could mean for Deshaun Watson, Deion Sanders, and more. Plus, LeBron James weighs in on his playing future as Anthony Edwards is dubbed "The King Slayer" by Adidas, and the $6.1B sale of the Celtics gets an important update.

James Franklin recruits players who want the Penn State experience—not just big NIL checks. In fact, the Nittany Lions' head coach believes players on his roster are turning money down because they value the program they're building in State College. More on Next Up with Adam Breneman » gofos.co/3RIGuZ9

Amazon's NBA coverage team for next season will feature: • Steve Nash • Stan Van Gundy • Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan • Dwyane Wade and Candace Parker • Taylor Rooks, Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki