NASCAR has rejected a sponsorship deal between driver Brandon Brown and the meme cryptocurrency LGBcoin, which is a reference to the "Let's Go Brandon" chant meant to represent a veiled insult against President Biden.
Details: Brown's team Brandonbilt Motorsports was informed of the decision on Tuesday, a NASCAR official confirmed to Axios on Wednesday.
Driving the news: Before Tuesday — when Joe Ingles entered COVID protocols — the Jazz were the only NBA team that hadn't added a player to that list this season.
Fanatics has acquired Topps' trading card and collectibles business for roughly $500 million, according to people familiar with the deal.
Why it matters: Fanatics, the world's largest seller of licensed sports apparel, is now the dominant player in the booming trading card space, and home to the hobby's most iconic brand.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal is out at MLB Network after more than 12 years, reportedly due to critical stories he wrote about commissioner Rob Manfred.
The backdrop: In the summer of 2020, Rosenthal's columns for The Athletic analyzing the stalemate between MLB and the MLBPA "featured some light criticism" of Manfred, writes NY Post's Andrew Marchand.
Novak Djokovic has been granted a medical exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement at the Australian Open and will be competing in the tournament, Djokovic announced and the Australian Open confirmed on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Djokovic, the world's No. 1 tennis player, had so far not revealed his vaccination status and it was unclear whether he would play in the tournament, per the Washington Post.
Fanatics agreed to buy the trading cards and collectibles business of Topps for around $500 million.
Why it matters: Topps must feel like a baseball card stuck to a bicycle spoke. The industry pioneer last year agreed to go public via SPAC at a $1.3 billion valuation, but the merger was scrapped after Topps lost its exclusive licensing deal with Major League Baseball to Fanatics, which has yet to print a single card.
Terry Dischinger poses for an action portrait in 1962. Photo: NBA Photos via Getty Images
Kyrie Irving is expected to make his season debut Wednesday night in Indiana as a part-time Nets player, suiting up only for road games where his unvaccinated status doesn't break local mandates.
Why it matters: Irving will be the NBA's first part-time player since 1962, when Chicago Zephyrs rookie Terry Dischinger balanced basketball and books — a far different situation than the one Irving is in.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is perhaps the most powerful figure in college sports, leading a conference that takes center stage Monday night in Indianapolis.
State of play: Sankey has helped solidify the SEC as the cream of the Power Five crop — a league so lucrative it could soon generate more revenue than the NCAA, itself.
