The Houston Astros allegedly used technology to steal signs, and now MLB wants to use technology to rid sign-stealing from the Earth.
Driving the news: The commissioner's office is currently developing multiple prototype devices to encode pitcher-catcher communication, including a wearable random-number generator and lights in the mound, per Yahoo Sports.
Viewership of televised NFL games was up 5% to 16.5 million for the 2019 regular season, its second consecutive annual increase of 5%.
Why it matters: The rebound in viewership from previous two years will give the NFL higher leverage when negotiating new distribution deals with media partners.
Over the past decade, the NCAA men's and women's sports with the largest net gains in participating teams, across all divisions, are lacrosse and track and field, per NCAA data.
The other side: Gymnastics, rifle and skiing all saw a decline in both men's and women's programs, while tennis, fencing, water polo and women's rowing (men's rowing isn't sanctioned by the NCAA) saw virtually no increase.
Two decades of brilliance and unthinkable levels of success — for Tom Brady, for Bill Belichick, for the Patriots and for the city of Boston — may have come to an end on Saturday night.
Why it matters: Brady will be a free agent this offseason for the first time in his illustrious career, giving way to a winter of speculation about whether the soon-to-be 43-year-old is done in New England — or done with football, period.
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