#while also playing a game where most professional venues will invest in tech to read card crystals and summon appropriate effects

[mantisgodsdomain]

Finally, we get the opportunity to put our Spy Cards worldbuilding in a work. Though there are many questions about such things as "regulation" "how these cards are printed" "who approves a single spy card", and so on, we are here to present a bold new take: this game is based like 60% on obscure roach memory-reading tech that got turned into a card game with absolutely No card-game-related intentions included in the original tech and most of the card vetting is just from the fact that there aren't too many card printers out there and most of them make cards that need to be translated from Roach.

Strictly speaking, as a card game, it is not a terribly good or well-balanced one. It's popular primarily because of a mix of the difficulty involved in getting the data for high-level cards, the fun of seeing the variety of monsters that can be brought to the table, and the incredible amounts of ham and drama that goes into specifically the professional scene.

#we speak #bug fables #bold and new because we think that only maybe three people have even asked questions about the semantics ofc #notable points: professional spy cards is an entirely different thing from competitive spy cards #and the overlap between fanbases means that there is occasionally some REALLY incomprehensible beef about deck composition #also every time that carmina uses astotheles' card in one of her decks she has to pay him royalties #this is because he approached her personally about it. it was an Experience. #the roach tech thing also means that like a decent chunk of high level spy cards players know like. a handful of words in roach #competitive spy cards is generally smaller than professional and involves shit like actual deck composition and like #trying to get ahold of That One OP Card so that you can utterly crush people at the local tournament. actual card geek shit. #professional spy cards is basically wrestling in card game form and does NOT optimize the decks very well #because 99% of the draw of PROFESSIONAL spy cards is that youre gonna watch a whole bunch of people roleplay elaborate storylines #while also playing a game where most professional venues will invest in tech to read card crystals and summon appropriate effects #its a spectacle sport. specifically a spectacle sport where the actual game is mostly framework for Cool Monsters and Interpersonal Drama #carmina is a heel #this might be slightly incoherent but we'll clean it up later maybe. we are taking a break from sketching comms to write rn

[rickhorrow]

15+5+5 To Watch : 5719

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF MAY With Jacob Aere

The NBA Playoffs are a global celebration. The conference semifinal round of the NBA playoffs got off to a rousing start last week, and now, it's time to appreciate all the international talent in the playoffs. Let’s take a look at how global the game of basketball, and the NBA, has become. For starters, there are 31 international players on the NBA Playoff rosters of the remaining eight teams, an average of just under four players per team. The remaining teams average seven out of 20 players in the cumulative starting lineups of the four remaining Eastern Conference teams. Australia – long a quiet pipeline to the NBA – boasts five of its citizens on playoff rosters: Ben Simmons, Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut, Jonah Bolden, and Kyrie Irving (who was born in Melbourne, and has dual citizenship). Likewise, Spain has three (the Gasol brothers and the Bucks' Nikola Mirotic), Serbia continues to produce NBA caliber players (the Nuggets' Nikola Jokic and the Philadelphia 76ers Boban Marjonovic) and Cameroon fields the Sixers’ Joel Embiid and the Raptors Pascal Siakam. Alongside the international roster of players, of course, comes an international fan base – critical to the NBA’s future on and off the court.

Speaking of Philadelphia – we kick off our week at Drexel University. Drexel2020: The Evolving Sports Business Market will be held in Philadelphia the morning of May 6, and presents a rare opportunity to hear directly from movers and shakers in the sports world and gain access to their personal insights. Our signature new book, The Sport Business Handbook, recognizes the last 50 years as the formative period for the modern era of sports business. The Drexel University panel will explore its most influential moments. Most importantly, a vision for the future will emerge, with valuable perspective offered from the very individuals shaping that future. I look forward to moderating the panel, which features sports business leaders Jon Butler of Pop Warner, Tony Ponturo of Turnkey Sports and formerly Anheuser-Busch, and Nick Sakiewicz of the National Lacrosse League. The event is free and open to students, members of the sports business community, and others looking to learn more about the ins and outs of our high-profile industry.

Tiger Woods will receive his Presidential Medal of Freedom on Monday. According to the New York Times, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor. First awarded in 1963, it has honored achievements in fields including acting, architecture, art, economics, law, medicine, music, journalism, and politics. Among the two dozen sports figures who have been honored are Jesse Owens, Ted Williams, Muhammad Ali, and Michael Jordan. In golf, President George W. Bush honored Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, while President Obama recognized the pioneering player Charlie Sifford. In his time in office, President Trump has honored Babe Ruth posthumously, as well as quarterback Roger Staubach. Woods’ award comes at a time when many athletes have shown a reluctance to be honored by the Trump administration. The Golden State Warriors declined a White House visit after their championship, as did the NCAA Champion University of Virginia men’s basketball team. The champion Baylor women’s basketball team attended a White House ceremony last Monday.

Before the World Wide Web there was “Wide World of Sports.” As noted by Axios Sports, 58 years ago this month, ABC's "Wide World of Sports" debuted with coverage of the Penn Relays at Philadelphia's Franklin Field. The show was a massive hit, and host Jim McKay's introduction soon became a national catchphrase: "Spanning the globe...to bring you the constant variety of sport...the thrill of victory...and the agony of defeat." In the big picture, over the course of its 37-year run, "Wide World" fundamentally changed sports television, becoming appointment viewing in the days before “Sports Center,” showcasing events that viewers had previously only been able to read about. And here’s a fun fact, also courtesy of Axios: the NCAA’s March Madness, Wimbledon, the Daytona 500, the Little League World Series, the British Open, and the X Games all made their U.S. TV debuts on "Wide World."

The U.S. government has placed Saudi Arabia on its Priority Watch List amid ongoing pressure from several national sports bodies and international broadcasters to bring down the pirate broadcaster BeoutQ. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has released two reports condemning the Saudi-based piracy operation and calling out the country for its failure to protect intellectual property. Saudi officials have confirmed the illegal nature of BeoutQ’s activities and claim to be addressing this issue by seizing BeoutQ set-top boxes. But such devices nevertheless continue to be widely available and are generally unregulated in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is included in the USTR’s "2019 Special 301 Report" that identifies governments that fail to protect and enforce intellectual property around the world. The U.S. government intervention arrives in conjunction with calls made by the U.K. government to investigate widespread piracy of live sports content in Saudi Arabia. The pirate broadcaster is also subject of a $1 billion international investment arbitration BeIN Sports brought against Saudi Arabia last October.

Wimbledon has raised its prize money to $49.42 million this year, an 11.8% increase from $44.22 million in 2018. According to the London Evening Standard, the increase means the men’s and women’s singles champions this summer will each pocket $3.06 million. Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber both earned $2.93 million for their title wins in 2018. The Wimbledon singles championship money exceeds the $2.59 million that the French Open announced for this year’s singles winners at Roland Garros but "remains some way shy of the U.S. Open," which gave winners $3.89 million last year. Wimbledon is also raising singles prize money for "both qualifying and the first three rounds of the main draw" by over $13,000. It means prize money for a first-round loss "has risen" from just under $15,000 to over $58,500 in "just eight years.” Reuters also notes Wimbledon will “not employ the ‘shot clock’" that was "used at this year’s Australian Open." However, it is "likely to be rolled out" at Wimbledon in 2020.  

Fenway Park will host its own college football bowl game starting in 2020. Fenway Park will host a new bowl game starting in 2020 featuring teams from the ACC and AAC, according to sources. The ballpark will join venues in Los Angeles and Myrtle Beach as "sites for new bowl games" in 2020, which "marks the start of the NCAA's new bowl cycle." A record 43 bowls will be played that season. Fenway will become the third Major League Baseball venue to host a bowl game, "joining the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium and the Cheez-It Bowl" at Chase Field. AT&T Park in San Francisco previously held bowl games under multiple naming rights partners, but the short-lived tradition was discontinued after low attendance year after year. Just as the NFL has stretched its brand marketing to become a 12-month sport, so too is college football looking to retain fan interest year round by extending its post season and timing intriguing announcements – like a bowl game underneath the Green Monster – to the post NFL Draft college football news cycle.

A month out from the tournament’s first matches, VISA unveiled its global marketing campaign for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. Titled “One Moment Can Change the Game,” the campaign is designed to amplify “the meaningful moments women are creating on and off the pitch, whether it be inspiring athletic greatness on the field, influencing business outcomes in the boardroom, or driving economic impact at home and across industries.” The global campaign showcases a series of authentic vignettes, including Team VISA female football players Lucy Bronze (Great Britain), Eugenie Le Sommer (France), Kim Little (Scotland), Dzsenifer Maroszan (Germany), and Nadia Nadim (Denmark). The just-announced U.S. women’s World Cup roster includes a dozen players from the 2015 USA championship team. The all-pro U.S. squad – all the women play for a pro club – begins its three-match “Send-Off Series” on May 12 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, where it will host South Africa. It follows that with friendlies against New Zealand on May 16 in St. Louis and Mexico on May 26 in Harrison, New Jersey. 

Women’s hockey players lay down their sticks in search of a better deal. Over 200 women’s hockey players, with names that include Team USA stars Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield, announced that they refuse to play in a North American professional hockey league next season, noting in a statement that "We cannot make a sustainable living playing in the current state of the professional game. Having no health insurance and making as low as two thousand dollars a season means players can't adequately train and prepare to play at the highest level." Last Wednesday, the Canadian Women's Hockey League officially discontinued its operations, citing an economically unstable business model, leaving the National Women’s Hockey League the sole remaining professional league in North America. Some players noted that they hope the NHL will support a women's league via financial and infrastructural resources, according to ESPN. In contrast, on the men's side, the top ten players of the 2018-2019 season each brought home multi-million dollar paychecks from the NHL, with lucrative endorsement deals to boot.

CBD is building a perfectly legal presence in pro sports. Hemp supplement company cbdMD is sponsoring golfer Bubba Watson in a multiyear deal that kicks off with the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black later this month. Watson will feature the cbdMD logo on both sides of his headwear at all PGA Tour events. The deal includes a wide range of other integrated marketing opportunities to promote the brand. Meanwhile, another hemp company, diemCBD, has partnered with marketing company Swag'r to launch an augmented reality game for attendees of the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on May 26 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Users can download the app, which is modeled on "Pokemon Go," to collect diemCBD tokens while exploring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event, leading them to coupons, free products, and more. From sports wagering to CBD usage and brand-building among athletes, we are certainly currently living in an era of relaxed rules considering where sports was merely months ago. As always, money talks.

USA Basketball cemented a multiyear partnership with Red Bull North America to build “an elite pathway for men’s and women’s players who have a goal of competing at the highest levels of 3x3 basketball.” As part of the partnership, Red Bull will host more than 20 qualifying tournaments across the country under the newly-created Red Bull 3X series to identify the eight athletes who could potentially represent USA Basketball at the 2020 Olympics. The winning teams at these qualifiers will compete to accumulate enough individual FIBA points with the goal of moving on to the Red Bull USA Basketball 3X Regionals in the Fall of 2019, and then to the Red Bull USA Basketball 3X Nationals in March 2020, which will be used to select the USA men’s and women’s 3x3 national teams. Additionally, Red Bull Media House will create original storytelling with USA Basketball to shine a light on the 3x3 game, qualifiers, and players, and celebrate the journey as the sport makes its debut at the Olympics. Red Bull is now the official energy drink of USA Basketball and will support the USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s National Teams as both look to defend their gold medals from the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Youth baseball gets a boost from Stadium and Adidas. Stadium inked an exclusive partnership with the 2019 Cal Ripken Major/70 World Series, a tournament of champions for players aged 12 and under. Stadium will air thirty-four live games over eight days, including the International Championship, U.S. Championship, and World Championship on August 10. Similarly, Little League Baseball and Softball inked a multi-year partnership with Adidas that will see the brand become the official uniform, footwear, and coaches apparel supplier for the Little League World Series and a Little League Official Sponsor. Beginning this season, Adidas will design and create all official on-field uniforms for all seven total Little League World Series events throughout the United States. Additionally, Adidas will outfit all teams with cleats, training apparel, and accessories, and all coaches will be supplied with athletic footwear and apparel. To kick off the partnership’s first season, Adidas will design brand and marketing activations at both the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and the Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Oregon. Right before school resumes in August, our attention will be riveted on school-age bats and gloves at their annual peak. 

NASCAR has a plan to boost attendance and ratings: betting on races. NASCAR has signed an exclusive data partnership with Genius Sports, a deal they believe will lead to an in-race betting product and help battle slumping attendance and TV ratings. According to Hashtag Sports, currently, bets on NASCAR races are few and far between at U.S. sports books, who often only have head-to-head options or odds on the race winner. Genius will use up-to-the-second data points like car speed and track position to build a betting product that the London-based company can sell to sports books. Exclusive access to the data will allow Genius to create a betting platform that provides traditional wagers—like who will win—and prop bets such as the number of lead changes or whether a Chevy will end up in victory lane. Sports leagues and teams typically see increased engagement when live betting is offered. Not only does it attract new fans, but live betting keeps them engaged for longer periods of time. NASCAR is hoping for the same response as support for the racing circuit both in-person and on TV declines.

LA 2028 has released its first budget for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, a $6.88 billion spending plan that includes a $616 million contingency for overruns. The top line is 29% higher than a $5.33 billion budget released in 2017, which has been the most commonly cited price for the Games. However, that figure was calculated in 2016 dollars, and was designed for a 2024 Games. The new 2028 budget reflects the longer lead-time Los Angeles agreed to when it accepted the 2028 hosting duties and ceded the race for 2024 to Paris. More importantly, it is calculated in “real money” terms, adjusted for inflation based on when each dollar will actually be raised and spent. According to LA 2028 Chair Casey Wasserman, the much-discussed $2.5 billion domestic sponsorship revenue goal was already inflation-adjusted and does not change. The new number also includes $200 million in additional IOC funding promised as part of the deal L.A. accepted in exchange for being awarded the 2028 Games. Most of that $200 million will be spent on funding youth sports programs in L.A. and committee operations for an additional four years.

Global brand spend on sports sponsorship will grow 4% this year to $46 billion, according to a report by data-driven sports agency Two Circles. Despite the increase, Two Circles said that rights holders’ sponsorship assets are worth $64 billion globally, meaning sports properties are missing out on an extra $18 billion in sponsorship revenues due to unsold inventory, unreported engagement, and outdated rights packaging. Once rights holders begin packaging digital assets into sponsorship propositions, Two Circles expects global sports sponsorship spend to reach $63 billion by the end of 2024, with the overall figure set to rise by an average 6% year-on-year from 2020. The report added that sponsorship revenues will continue to rise as sport moves beyond deals with companies in traditional sectors such as automotive, financial services, airlines, and gambling, which cumulatively currently account for 58% of sports sponsorship in the U.K. Rights holders are clearly adapting to this new world: by embracing the power of data and digital to create sponsorship assets that better satisfy brand objectives, rights-holders will realize the true value of their sponsorship businesses.

Top Five Tech

The NHL playoffs are booming with ratings thanks to Gen Z. According to JohnWallStreet, the first round of the 2019 NHL Playoffs was the highest rated in seven seasons and the most watched on cable television in 25 years. The three Game 7s of the first round included the most-watched first round game on cable since 1994 (Hurricanes/Capitals, 1.75 million viewers), and the league’s use of the Total Audience Delivery (TAD) metric has helped to account for streaming viewership. In order to tap into the minds of the younger Gen Z fans, the NHL formed the Power Players program, a council consisting of 13-17 year-old hockey fans that will provide insight and suggestions on matters of marketing, community engagement, events, social content, and understanding rules of play. This new platform will hopefully attract younger audiences by packaging shorter highlight clips. In order to make this more than a marketing gimmick, the NHL needs to continue its social media push with a focus on “nano” influencers and continued use of trends and tactics such as #HockeyTwitter.

Disney has reached a handshake agreement to sell its share of its regional sports networks to the Sinclair Broadcast Group. After out bidding opponents, Sinclair Broadcast Group scooped up Disney’s remaining 21 networks, which are roughly worth $10 billion. If the sale goes through, this would solve Disney’s sports media monopolization puzzle after the U.S. Department of Justice informed the company it would have to divest RSNs that ESPN acquired last June. According to SportsPro, a majority stake in the YES Network – Fox’s premier sports network partially owned by the New York Yankees – has reportedly already been acquired by Amazon and Sinclair in a $3.5 billion deal. Among Sinclair’s closest rivals for the majority of the RSNs: Major League Baseball reportedly teamed up with Formula One owner Liberty Media earlier this month during the final round of bidding. With Disney having to divest some of its properties, Sinclair Broadcast Group has transformed into another sports broadcast behemoth that may have a tech advantage thanks to its partnership with Amazon.

Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine joins investors to back The Professional Fighters League. According to Bloomberg, the new sports entity is a Mixed Martial Arts series that has raised $30 million from a group of investors including billionaire Iovine. Before its Series C funding, the league already had seen investments from Washington Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and actor Kevin Hart. The most recent round of funding looks to bolster the league’s data and analytics as it expands its global audience and secures more fighters. The niche sports league will serve as a great testing ground for new technology such as enhanced data and analytics to improve the broadcast and create second-screen experiences – a growing attraction for younger fans. The PFL has a multiyear distribution deal that will see every event air across ESPN2, ESPN+, and Deportes in the U.S. and plans to reach fans in 130 countries. Unlike the established UFC, the new fight league will look to a more traditional league-style format similar to hockey, basketball, and soccer, with a regular season followed by a single-elimination playoff and season-ending championship. The days of traditional PPV fights are quickly fading and the PFL is looking to capitalize on OTT trends to hook fans into a new MMA league.

Wimbledon lands a deal with Chinese smartphone brand Oppo. The All England Lawn Tennis Club, home of the Wimbledon Championships, has announced a five-year partnership with Oppo, making the agreement both the first Asian partner for the Wimbledon Championships and the tournament’s first smartphone provider. Throughout Wimbledon, Oppo products will go on display, with select photographers using its latest camera phones to capture tennis action. According to SportsPro, the best photos will later appear as part of the official Wimbledon photo gallery. Additionally, the phone brand will have an award presented on its behalf to acknowledge young, breakthrough players during the tennis tournament. Oppo already has inked deals with soccer super team Barcelona and the International Cricket Council (ICC). Now, the phone brand will play a key role in supporting top junior tennis players, adding the professional grass-court season into its repertoire while the partnership helps Wimbledon and tennis as a whole make a splash into China, the world’s biggest consumer market. 

DAZN Connect launches with the intent to unify content distribution for OTT. With over 30,000 live sport events across multiple leagues and competitions, DAZN Connect offers access to one of the largest live sports content networks in the world. According to Sports Video Group, DZAN Connect uses the latest video transport technology to help clients consolidate their acquisition and distribution requirements into one partner. With its focus on niche sports, DAZN has quietly slid into the lead position of the largest sports content provider in the industry – some of its clients include BT Sport, Iqiyi, NBC Sports, Fox Soccer, Fox Netherlands, and ESPN. Because of fan demands, the latest addition to the DAZN family utilizes the cloud to deliver the lowest latency, highest quality, and the most secure sports distribution service while allowing local sports to be available globally. DAZN Connect has made it a grandparent in the OTT sphere and now put it fully ahead of other sports media agencies trying to play catch-up in streaming.

Power of Sports Five

Chelsea will take on the Revolution for a charity soccer match to fight hate. According to Trifecta Network Sports, the match will take place at Gillette Stadium May 15 and include a handful of Chelsea regulars such as David Luiz, Gonzalo Higuain, Eden Hazard, N’Golo Kanye, and Willian. The match is being called the “Final Whistle on Hate” and aims to raise awareness around anti-Semitism. This will be the first time playing in Boston for many Chelsea players and is a rare appearance on U.S. soil. The idea of the match was developed by clubs owners Roman Abramovich and Robert Kraft, with all proceeds being dedicated to initiatives to combat anti-Semitism and all hate crimes. The match’s primary beneficiaries include the World Jewish Congress, the Tree of Life synagogue, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Holocaust Educational Trust. Chelsea FC owner Abramovich and the Kraft family will also each donate $1 million in support of the cause, while the match will highlight the rise of hate crimes around the world and use the power of sport to tackle prejudice in all its forms. This is a match all the more necessary after ongoing shootings associated with anti-Semitism; it will also be a rare experience for Chelsea fans based in the U.S.

Former UFC champion Stipe Miocic raises money for fallen firefighters. According to WKYC 3, Miocic returned to the fighting world, but rather than in the octagon he competed in a jiu-jitsu grappling match against Aaron Howard in the Fight2Win 110 event at the NEO Sports Plant in Euclid, Ohio. Although he lost via decision to Howard, Miocic donated his entire purse to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, a cause with extra personal significance as he is a part-time Cleveland paramedic and firefighter. By taking the bout on short notice and having never fought in a Fight2Win event before, Miocic is an even bigger hero to the community and Howard than he is in the fight game. One of the greatest heavyweight UFC fighters of all time, Miocic plans to continue his pursuit of regaining the championship belt. In the meantime, he will be fighting flames in the community.

The Chicago Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo returns to fundraising. While the Cubs were taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, the two teams took time to recognize the first baseman ahead of their matchup thanks to Rizzo’s contributions to the Phoenix Children's Hospital. According to Arizona Sports 89.7 FM, the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation contributed $50,000 towards PCH’s Beach Ball 2020 – the principal fundraising event held every year to benefit the hospital. Last year, the Beach Ball raised more than $1.65 million in support of PCH. After having gone through his own battles with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Rizzo recognized the toll fighting cancer took on an entire family. Now, his foundation focuses on funding cancer research and providing support to children and their families battling the disease. Outside of the Phoenix hospital, the Rizzo Family Foundation has worked with major children’s hospitals around the country, including two hospitals in Florida and two in Illinois. While he hasn’t been off to the strongest start on the field this seaosn, Rizzo continues to make strides in philanthropy. 

Cubs Manager Joe Maddon creates a beer…for charity? The beverage is called “Try Not to Suck,” and is a partnership between Maddon's Respect 90 Foundation and Rags of Honor 1, a nonprofit that helps homeless vets. For now, the German style helles lager is available only in the Chicago area. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Chicago-based nonprofit Rags of Honor 1 helps homeless veterans, and founder Mark Doyle made arrangements to have the beer made by the Haymarket Beer Co., and vets helped with the production. The foundation is also seeking to establish its own brewery, RnR Brews, which will be fully staffed by veterans who will then take over production. The microbrewery trend has helped to popularize different styles of beer, and what better way to give back to veterans than blend to iconic parts of America’s pastime: baseball and brews.

London Marathon runners raise north of £45 million. According to Third Sector, London Marathon organizers are confident that the event has now raised more than £1 billion in its near 40-year history. So far this year, £3 million has been raised for Dementia Revolution, a campaign by the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research U.K., which was the official charity campaign of this year’s race. Runners using the platform Virgin Money Giving have also raised £25.5 million, with the final total expected to surpass £28 million. This would be a new record for the platform, which this time last year had helped to raise a total of £21.8 million. The other popular fundraising platform JustGiving said runners through its site had totaled more than £20 million this year, with the amount raised per fundraiser and the average donation amount having both risen this year. Overall, the race allows for individual runners and the marathon governing body to reach out to charities to use one of the world’s largest running events for the benefit of Alzheimer's and beyond.