South Korea's Olympic committee said Saturday that it removed banners at the Olympic Village in Tokyo that referred to a 16th century war between Korea and Japan, which the International Olympic Committee deemed provocative, AP reports.
The big picture: In removing the banners, the South Korean officials said they received a promise from the IOC that the displaying of the Japanese “rising sun” flag will also be banned at stadiums and other Olympic venues, per AP.
Bids for the jersey Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani wore during the All-Star Game this week have significantly outpaced those of other players in an online auction to benefit MLB Charities.
Driving the news: The top offer for Ohtani's signed jersey was $111,120 on Saturday afternoon. The next closest player's bid sat at $5,010.
Germany's Olympic soccer team walked off the field during a training match for the Tokyo Games on Saturday due to alleged racist abuse from an opposing Honduras player toward German defender Jordan Torunarigha.
Driving the news: "The German team left the field together after our player Jordan Torunarigha was racially insulted," the German soccer federation said on Twitter.
The Olympics haven't made financial sense in decades. Host cities spend billions preparing for the games, inevitably suffering massive cost overruns and going deep into debt, with a lasting legacy of little more than a group of buildings ill-suited to any other use.
Why it matters: This year, the games' physical location is more of a liability and less of an asset than ever. The Tokyo competition risks spreading COVID-19 in a country with a very low vaccination rate, while bringing no glory (or tourists) to a city that has banned spectators from all events.
NBA star Kevin Love has withdrawn from the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team, saying he's not at his "absolute peak performance" following a calf injury, ESPN reported Friday.
Why it matters: It's the latest blow to USA Basketball, which announced Thursday that Bradley Beal will miss the Tokyo Games after being placed under coronavirus health and safety protocols.
Formula One on Thursday unveiled a concept car based around new regulations being introduced next year.
Why it matters: The new regulations, which were supposed to be introduced this year but were delayed due to the pandemic, are aimed at creating closer, more dramatic races.
The average MLS team is valued at $550 million, per Sportico, with LAFC ($860 million) topping the list and the Colorado Rapids ($370 million) ranking last.
The big picture: The Portland Timbers ($635 million) are the only franchise outside of a top-20 market with a top-10 valuation, bolstered by their shared ownership of the NWSL's most successful team, the Portland Thorns.
USA Basketball announced Thursday that Bradley Beal will miss the Tokyo Olympics after being placed under coronavirus health and safety protocols.
Why it matters: Though the team has time to replace Beal, it's not necessarily an easy task. The Olympic players have been conditioning for the games and working on team building, complicating the search for a last-minute addition, according to the Washington Post.
