👋 Good morning! Let's sports.
Today's word count: 2,212 words (8 minutes).
👋 Good morning! Let's sports.
Today's word count: 2,212 words (8 minutes).
Locker Room, a social audio app where fans can talk sports and spontaneously join live conversations, launches today on the App Store.
Why it matters: Locker Room sits at the nexus of major sports media trends like the "second screen" companion, the audio/podcasting boom, and the rise of multicasts and broadcast customization.
How it works: Locker Room functions similarly to Clubhouse, another social audio app that was all the rage among venture capitalists this summer and raised $12 million from Andreessen Horowitz.
The big picture: Locker Room isn't the only app betting on social audio. In addition to Clubhouse, there's also:
The intrigue: Leagues and networks are increasingly offering multicasts, alternative commentary and other ways to customize broadcasts, while esports livestreams provide a glimpse of a more interactive future.
"Locker Room lets 'commentary' mean whatever you want it to mean. Create a watch party, react in real time to big plays, or just listen to a conversation that suits your mood. It's not just about Joe Buck not being your only option; it's about reinventing the century-old idea of live commentary."— Howard Akumiah, Betty Labs Founder/CEO
The challenge: Sports feeds aren't in perfect sync, which could hurt Locker Room's in-game experience. If another person's feed is a few seconds ahead of yours, they'll spoil the action.
Between the lines: Media members, athletes and others have been using Locker Room's beta app for months, and some popular formats have emerged:
"I'm on camera a lot for ESPN, but sometimes I just want to casually talk sports when I'm at home. So it's nice to have a place where I can do that and not have to worry about looking at the camera or anything."— Jeff Darlington, ESPN reporter
The bottom line: Locker Room is more live than a podcast, more accessible than sports radio, more personal than Twitter and more casual than a livestream. That doesn't mean it will succeed, but it certainly makes it interesting.
Go deeper:
The MLS regular season ends in less than two weeks, with 14 spots still up for grabs in next month's expanded playoff, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.
The state of play: 25 teams have between three and five games left, but the Colorado Rapids (nine games left) played Saturday for the first time in a month after dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak, putting their playoff odds in jeopardy.
Stat leaders:
Tonight's slate (ESPN+):
Meanwhile, in Europe: Champions League play resumes today.
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This week, we're examining the sports apparel industry through the lens of some of its biggest players.
Nike is positioned as the past, present and future king of apparel, and the company's enormous online retail business helped it crush earnings expectations last quarter, Jeff writes.
Snapshot:
Founding story: In 1964, Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman and one of his former runners, Phil Knight, started Blue Ribbon Sports as a U.S. distributor of the popular Japanese running shoe, Onitsuka Tiger (now Asics).
Timeline:
Where it stands: In the past eight years, Nike has become the official uniform and apparel supplier for the NFL (2012), NBA (2015) and MLB (2020).
The bottom line: Despite a penchant for controversy — including the use of sweatshops in the 90's or the more recent scandal involving doping and gender discrimination — Nike enters its seventh decade with more momentum than ever. Perhaps it really is too big to fail.
Apparel Week:
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster, both long-time college basketball insiders, have joined forces with former players and fellow media members to launch a new college hoops podcast network called The Field of 68.
Coming up: The network will launch with a trio of national podcasts this week:
What's next: The Field of 68 is also launching 12 podcasts focused on high-profile programs, with former players leading the coverage. A few examples:
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Rams overpowered the Bears 24-10 behind a dominant defense that held Chicago to 279 yards of total offense.
LEKUNBERRI, Spain — The Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain) opened last week with the strictest health protocols of any race so far this racing season.
SYDNEY, Australia — The Brisbane Broncos claimed a third straight NRLW championship (Australia's top women's rugby league) with a 20-10 victory over the Sydney Roosters on a sopping wet field.
Photo: Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images
16 years ago today, the Red Sox broke the Curse of the Bambino, beating the Cardinals to win their first World Series in 86 years.
Watch this immediately (if you want to cry)
The Munster Senior Hurling Championship got underway this past weekend in Tipperary, Ireland, with a clash between rivals Limerick (green) and Clare (yellow).
The backdrop: The pandemic halted hurling for nearly eight months in Ireland, where it was invented 2,000 years ago. There were some club games this summer, but nothing compares to the thrill of the inter-county championships.
🎥 Watch: Highlights (YouTube)
Photo: Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
Christian McCaffrey, who's back at practice after a five-week absence (ankle), is one of three players in NFL history to record 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season (he did it last year).
Answer at the bottom.
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The Dodgers have been chasing Kirk Gibson's ghost since 1988. Tonight, they might finally catch him. But the Rays stands firmly in their way — and they're sending in their ace.