Fanatics Is On The Verge

LOL the NFL.

They got the four best teams through to the conference semifinals. They also somehow avoided a controversial neutral site AFC Championship game.

Roger Goodell's deal with the devil would be fascinating reading.

In the email today:

1) Fanatics may acquire BetParx and accelerate its entry into the betting space 💰

2) Jeff Bezos might sell the WaPo so he can buy the Washington Commanders 🏈

3) The NFL is so not out on neutral site conference championship games 💵

And all I want from tomorrow is to get it better than today.

1) FANATICS COMIN'! 😳

We serially report on Michael Rubin's silent but deadly campaign for world domination. Top of mind for us has been when Fanatics will move hard into the online sports gambling space.

All good things come to those who wait.

Lillian Rizzo and Alex Sherman reported on this significant story for CNBC:

• Fanatics is in discussions to acquire the BetParx sportsbook as they look to take a bigger position in sports betting.

• A deal has not yet been reached and representatives for both companies have declined to comment.

• The BetParx app was launched last year by Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment and Playtech and is available in several states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, and Ohio.

• Fanatics has considered an initial public offering, but has been looking to complete an acquisition in the gambling space ahead of going public.

• The company would be entering a crowded marketplace with many sports-betting operators already established, including Flutter-owned FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, and BetMGM.

• Fanatics has been seeking a deal in the sports betting space for some time and had been in discussions with small gambling operator Tipico last year.

We are already pretty far in the bag for Rubin, so it won't surprise you to learn that we think this is a very shrewd move by Fanatics.

The two paths available to Fanatics were: a. Build an online sportsbook from scratch and take bumps and bruises as it found its way, or, b. Acquire an extant property that has already gone through the "build the plane as you fly it" phase.

Take direct note of the markets BetParx is already in. Those states are all fertile betting fields. Fanatics can leverage its apparel assets with wild abandon.

Rubin has done it again.

2) JEFF BEZOS MAY NOT BE OUT ON THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AFTER ALL 🏈

It's been "will he or won't he" with Bezos and his childhood NFL squad, the Washington Commanders.

Speculation was hot, then it cooled...but check the thermometer now.

To be clear, it's not like Bezos has to sell the WaPo to afford buying the Commanders. He has more money than he needs to own both assets.

It's just that, well, the Post hasn't been especially kind to the Commanders (erstwhile Redskins) in recent times. Bad blood is probably going to have to be cooled here, per Josh Kosman of The New York Post.

• There is speculation that Amazon's billionaire founder, Jeff Bezos, is looking to clear the way for a purchase of the Washington Commanders by selling the Washington Post.

• The chatter is fueled by leaked video of publisher Fred Ryan disclosing layoff plans at an unruly town hall meeting.

• The problem for Bezos is that the Commanders' owner, Dan Snyder, is reportedly still sore over the newspaper's series of exposés alleging a toxic management culture at the team, where bosses including Snyder allegedly enabled sex harassment

• Some believe that Snyder suspects that Bezos encouraged the tough coverage in 2020 in a bid to force him to sell the team to him.

• Last week, Bezos stoked fears about looming layoffs at the Washington Post during an awkward visit to the newsroom. A source close to the situation said Bezos told the paper's senior staff in private meetings that he had no plans to sell the paper.

• Nevertheless, one logical suitor believes the Washington Post is for sale and plans to bid, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said, declining to name the suitor.

• A second source who buys and sells newspapers also said he has heard that the paper might be up for grabs.

• A spokesperson for Bezos said the Washington Post is not for sale.

Without question, our favorite from the Kosman story was the unnamed source who allegedly said "it’ll never happen. Dan Snyder detests the Washington Post. No way he’d sell to the owner of that paper."

"I used to think that we were forever...and I used to say, never say never."

Exactly. Never say never.

3) NEUTRAL SITE NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU (PROBABLY) 🏈

Cincinnati 27-10 over Buffalo was the upset of the NFL Divisional Round.

That result also saved the league from questions about the equity of staging a conference championship game at a neutral site.

But apparently, just the whiff of what that outcome might have looked like has put the NFL's greedy core on high alert.

Mike Florio is the pulse of this long burn of a story.

• The NFL is contemplating the possibility of neutral-site conference championships, with the goal of capturing a big-game college football vibe and making extra money by selling the neutral-site games to the highest bidders.

• The Bengals were upset with this announcement, as it seemed irrelevant and immaterial. They had a reason to be annoyed, as it came out on Friday before the Bengals game against the Bills.

• Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, in an on-field post-game interview, said to Tracy Wolfson of CBS, “Better send those refunds.”

• The league is contemplating the idea as a way to grow revenue. If they can persuade 24 owners to go along with it, it will happen.

• The league may face resistance from teams that play outdoors in cold-weather climates, especially if the neutral sites will skew towards places with good weather.

• To get enough votes, the league may have to include more cities in the eventual mix and make it a true rotation for all 32 teams.

• The decision to take the hypothetical Bills-Chiefs game to Atlanta suggests that the league wanted a dome, likely to best ensure that the offensive performances will be unaffected by the elements.

Time as always is undefeated. It wasn't that long ago that the "cold weather teams at home" myth shifted point spreads. That's all over now. The best teams tend to win, regardless of thermometer readings.

And think of this from the NFL's perspective. Conference championship games in domed stadiums and/or in temperate climates:

• Negate theoretical weather-based impacts on game play

• In a related story, eliminating home field advantage, a neutral site drags point spreads closer to even money

• Attract NFL fan tourists from all four corners of the country to see the "Super Bowl Lite"

If we're being honest, we sort of cannot believe this hasn't happened already.

JOB LEAD OF THE DAY 💰

Even we can't believe everything that is happening with this job lead.

"Pickleball Player Relations Coordinator" had us at hello. Then we looked at where the job is tethered to. Bourbon, Missouri? Are you just effing with us?

This job is full time with a salary band from $50,000-$60,000. See below — pickleball continues to be a growth sport.

So hit the link and land the gig already.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? 😎

• Dreams do come true, as one DraftKings bettor turned a $5 free bet into $72K 💵

• You'll never believe this, but Fox might have dealt dirty to land the 2022 World Cup rights ⚽️

• Sports media types are not sleeping well in the wake of so many tech layoffs 😳

• LIV Golf will be broadcast on the CW...pretty sad for both LIV Golf and the CW ⛳️

WHAT TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR BEFORE THE NEXT SEND 👁️

• Reuters seems to think that Manchester United will be sold sooner than later ⚽️

• ESPN thinks pickleball is a (not the) niche sport of the future 📺

• Paige Spiranac and John Daly are going to play an exhibition match that your derelict cousins and Saturday afternoon foursome partners are absolutely going to watch 🏌️‍♂️

• Caesars really, really wants the Eagles to beat the 49ers on Sunday 🏈