The Sunday Scroll - 08/03/2025
Where sports, business, media, and culture collide.
Happy Sunday everyone -- The MLB’s “Winter Classic” at Bristol Motor Speedway was supposed to take place yesterday, but it ended up getting rained out after 1 inning, and they finished the game today. It was, unfortunately, a sub-par performance, which is a shame, because it had the potential to be a really special event that the MLB hasn’t explored too much in the modern era. But fans were super turned off, and folks estimated about half of Saturday’s crowd returned for Sunday’s finish.
The intention was there, but the execution might have been off a bit. I hope to see these special-event games continue in unique and iconic locations, and I also hope the MLB improves on the fan experience, because that is what matters most.
Here are some fan reactions ⬇️
Players got in on the fun too - Reds' Catcher Tyler Stephenson wore a Ricky Bobby inspired fit. Games like these allows players to showcase their personalities, where pop culture and sports collide.
On a separate note, Front Office Sports had their second Huddle In The Hamptons event this past weekend, and I found this quote below to be super interesting and important to consider and look out for.
“Listen to the kids, bro” - Kanye on Saint Pablo…This is my reaction to the statistic right below from Boardroom.
The new “I want to be an astronaut” is now “I want to be a YouTuber” which I actually am in full support of because it makes kids / teenagers explore their creative sides at young ages and take risks early in their lives. Just look at what Cole Bennett has done.
This Weekend’s 3 Spotlights
NFL Deals Red Zone, NFL Media Assets To ESPN In Blockbuster Billion-Dollar Agreement
Summary & Key Takeaway: The NFL and ESPN have agreed to a landmark deal that will give ESPN control of several NFL media properties -- including NFL Network, RedZone, and additional regular-season games -- in exchange for up to 10% equity in ESPN. This comes as ESPN prepares to launch its $29.99/month direct-to-consumer service, giving users full access to ESPN programming without cable. The deal, years in the making, positions ESPN as a more comprehensive NFL content hub, while allowing the NFL to offload its underperforming media assets and gain long-term upside through equity in ESPN. The agreement is pending regulatory approval and could take effect by next season.
My Thoughts: This is one of the most important sports media deals of the decade. I’m really intrigued by it, because this could truly expedite the death of cable. We mainly watch cable for live sports, and a deal of this caliber might open doors for other leagues to do something similar in promoting a DTC model.
The NFL gets equity in a network it already drives -- and ESPN shores up its DTC future with must-have assets like RedZone. This isn't just about rights -- it's about long-term alignment. If executed right, this makes ESPN the destination for NFL fans as cable continues to fade.
Kendrick Lamar's pgLang Launches Global Creative Agency: Project 3 Agency
Summary & Key Takeaway : Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free have officially launched Project 3 Agency, a full-service global creative agency under the pgLang umbrella. Five years after pgLang's founding, this new venture is focused on building brands externally -- offering creative direction, brand strategy, design, content production, and more for both corporate and independent clients. Project 3 marks pgLang’s expansion from a creative collective into a structured agency model, made possible through the acquisition of creative studio Frosty, whom pgLang has collaborated with for years. The name reflects the three pillars of storytelling: beginning, middle, and end.
My Thoughts: Bringing Kendrick-fueled creativity into the corporate world is a major unlock. Project 3 has the potential to bridge culture and commerce in a way that feels fresh, modern, and authentic. Brands are constantly searching for relevance -- and no one understands cultural storytelling, tone, or aesthetic like pgLang. If they can package that vision into scalable services, Project 3 could become the go-to agency for companies that actually want to connect and grow with consumers -- not just talk at them.
Stanford Hires Former Nike CEO John Donahoe As AD
Summary & Key Takeaway: Stanford has hired former Nike CEO and business executive John Donahoe as its new athletic director, marking a bold and unconventional move. Donahoe brings elite corporate leadership experience from Nike, eBay, Bain & Company, and PayPal, alongside deep Stanford ties as a GSB alum and advisory board member. His appointment signals Stanford’s desire for strategic innovation in a changing collegiate sports landscape -- particularly as its football program struggles and Olympic sports thrive. Donahoe will oversee football general manager Andrew Luck and is expected to help shape a sustainable model for Stanford Athletics moving forward.
My Thoughts: As I brought up in the intro, Julia Wittlin, Partner at RedBird, told Front Office Sports’s Hamptons audience this past weekend,
"College sports is the new frontier for private equity -- the reality is that schools need to pay the players. Stadiums need to be refurbished. Who's going to pay for that now?"
The money is flooding in, and athletic departments are being forced to operate like high-growth businesses.
That’s what makes Stanford’s hire of John Donahoe so sharp. If you're a PE firm, high-net-worth booster, or media partner looking to do real business in the college space, who better to work with than the former CEO of Nike? These sports team are multi-million and billion-dollar brands. And now, Stanford has a leader who understands how to scale and manage them accordingly.
🏟️ Sports Business
The Athletic
SBJ
MLB
FOS
“We’re not a retail business first -- we’re a hospitality business. Our goal now is to elevate what’s already special. To double down on culture, community, and pride.”
NBA
ESPN
📺 Sports Media, Content & Streaming
Awful Announcing
🎽 Sports & Culture: Athletes, Brands, Partnerships, Style
Complex
WWD
“Growing up playing sports has been a big part of my upbringing — being competitive and all of that,” J.I.D told FN in between Paris Fashion Week engagements in late June. “So being involved with a sports brand is on brand for me. I just think it’s cool because I miss football all the time. So I like being involved with sports and whatever can get me back to the feeling that I had when I was in that world of sports.”
Yahoo
House Of Heat
GQ
Sneaker News
Until Friday,
MH