National

Sports

The Department of Justice has charged a Texas man with distributing performance-enhancing drugs to athletes ahead of the delayed 2020 Olympic Games, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday.

Why it matters: It's the first criminal charge brought under an anti-doping law that went into effect last December, according to the DOJ.

Details: The complaint alleges that Eric Lira, a "kinesiologist and naturopathic" therapist in El Paso, Texas, distributed PEDs to at least two athletes ahead of the delayed 2020 Games, held last year in Tokyo. 

Lira allegedly sourced PEDs such as human growth hormone and erythropoietin, known as a "blood building" drug, from Central and South America. 

According to prosecutors, in July, one recipient of Lira's PEDs tested positive for human growth hormone and subsequently was "provisionally suspended" from the competition. 

Lira is in custody and scheduled in court Wednesday, per the DOJ. A lawyer for Lira was not immediately identifiable.

Context: Lira is charged under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, which bans involvement in doping schemes at major international sports competitions. 

He faces a maximum prison sentence of 15 years for two charges.

What they're saying: "Today, this Office sends a strong message to those who would taint the Games and seek to profit from that corruption,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said according to the press release. 

DOJ charges man for allegedly distributing performance-enhancing drugs to Olympians

A Texas "naturopathic" therapist is the first person to be charged under a new anti-doping law.

Photo: Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images

2020 Olympics

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Nashville

Axios Nashville

There is support for Nashville to recruit a professional women's soccer or basketball team at a community and corporate level according to a new consultant's report released Wednesday.

It's the latest encouraging sign that the effort to bring a National Women's Soccer League or WNBA franchise to Music City is gaining steam.

Consultant CAA Icon presented its findings on Wednesday to the women's pro sports committee, which is composed of members of the city's Sports Authority board.

The research consisted of approximately 4,400 web surveys mined from the email lists of Nashville's pro sports teams and interviews with top executives at 16 major corporations.

Why it matters: Nashville has three professional teams in men's sports, but no women's team.

53% of those surveyed support the initiative to bring an NWSL or WNBA team to Nashville.

Just 14% do not support the cause, according to the report.

Be smart: The growing popularity of women's soccer and the need for stars that girls can look up to was cited as the main reason supporters back a NWSL franchise.

The state's rich history in women's college basketball combined with the lack of a pro men's team were the top reasons for wanting a WNBA team.

The big picture: There is clear corporate support, necessary for any initiative to lure a pro sports franchise. CAA Icon is continuing interviews with corporate executives.

Yes, but: Business leaders were optimistic Nashville could support a franchise, but told the consultant success of a new team would depend on the quality of the ownership group.

Finding a facility is a major issue for a possible WNBA team. While the city's state of the art soccer facility will be completed this year for the MLS' Nashville SC, which would serve as a perfect home for a NWSL franchise, there were concerns about the options for a basketball venue.

Bridgestone Arena may be too large for the crowds WNBA franchises typically draw. The city-owned Municipal Auditorium would need major investment in upgrades.

Meanwhile, top WNBA players told the New York Times that the time is right for the league to expand. But commissioner Cathy Engelbert says that while expansion is part of the league's transition plan, it isn't imminent. 

"We're going to absolutely expand down the road, but we don't just expand for expansion’s sake until we get the economic model further along," Engelbert told the newspaper.

Next steps: CAA Icon plans to reach out to the NWSL and WNBA to discuss opportunities for Nashville. The consultant will also conduct an economic impact analysis to determine how much money a women's pro team would generate for Nashville. 

CAA Icon: Nashville would back women's pro team

53% support the initiative to bring an NWSL or WNBA team to Nashville.

Illustration of the TN flag with a basketball at the center.

Women in sports

Rachel Balkovec will become the first woman to lead a minor league baseball team after the New York Yankees this week named her manager of the Tampa Tarpons.

Driving the news: Balkovec, 34, will manage the Tarpons, the low Class A affiliate of the Yankees, for the 2022 season, which begins in April. 

The Yankees hired Balkovec in November 2019 as a minor league hitting coach, when she became the first woman be named to that role in the history of professional baseball.

Before joining the Yankees, Balkovec spent three seasons with the Houston Astros organization, working as the strength and conditioning coach for Double-A Corpus Christi in 2018 and the Rookie-level GCL Astros in 2017.

Balkovec began her professional baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012 as a minor league strength and conditioning coaching intern.

Between the lines: Balkovec said Wednesday she faced numerous rejections when applying for strength and conditioning jobs at the beginning of her career.

After multiple rejections,  Balkovec, encouraged by her sister, briefly changed her name on her resume and applications from "Rachel" to "Rae," and she began getting calls back for job interviews, she said at a press conference. 

Still, she would get rejected once officials realized she was a woman, she said.

"It was pretty short lived that I changed my name because at the end of the day, you just have to look yourself in the mirror and be like, well, you know, if they don't want to hire me because I'm a woman I probably don't want to work for those people," Balkovec said.

What she's saying: "I want to be a visible idea for young women. I want to be a visible idea for dads that that have daughters, I want to be out there," she said. 

"I'm glad my path was difficult and it still serves me to this day, and so if you're feeling like you're not welcome or it's a difficult path, good. Try to look at yourself and go, 'this is going to be good for me in the future,' even if it doesn't feel good in the moment."

Yankees name Rachel Balkovec as 1st woman to manage minor league team

Balkovec, 34, will manage the Tampa Tarpons, an affiliate of the Yankees.

Hitting coach Rachel Balkovec of the Yankees looks on during the Florida Complex League (FCL) game between the FCL New York Yankees and FCL Detroit Tigers.

Hitting coach Rachel Balkovec looks on during the Florida Complex League (FCL) game between the FCL New York Yankees and FCL Detroit Tigers on July 9, 2021 at the Tigers Minor League Complex in Lakeland, FL. Photo: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Baseball

NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL

Lia Thomas, a 22-year-old transgender woman who swims for the University of Pennsylvania, is dominating in the pool this season.

Why it matters: Thomas' record-breaking campaign comes amid a debate over transgender inclusion in sport — one that has become increasingly politicized as anti-trans legislation sweeps across the U.S.

Catch up quick: Thomas, assigned male at birth, competed on the men's team at Penn from 2017-20, though in 2018 she realized that she identified as a woman.

In May 2019, she began testosterone suppression therapy, and after the Ivy League canceled the 2020-21 season, she joined the women's team last fall as a fifth-year senior.

NCAA rules state that a trans woman can compete against women as long as she's undergone one year of testosterone suppression.

By the numbers: At one meet in early December, Thomas won the 200-yard free by seven seconds, the 500 free by 14 seconds and the 1,650 free by 38 seconds, setting two Ivy League records and posting the fastest time of the year among college women in the 200 and 500.

Of note: While Thomas' broken records have made news, her times relative to the women's field are generally comparable to what her times relative to the men's field had been.

Her best time in the 500 pre-transition (4:18.72) was 12 seconds off the men's record (4:06.32); now, her best time (4:34.06) is 10 seconds off the women's record (4:24.06), having lost 16 seconds post-transition.

Driving the news: Thomas won two races at her final home meet on Saturday. She also lost two to Yale's Iszac Henig, a transgender man who can compete against women because he hasn't begun hormone therapy.

Picture of Lia Thomas shaking hands with another swimmer in a pool

Thomas is congratulated after winning the 200-yard freestyle event. Photo: Hunter Martin/Getty Images

What they're saying: Thomas just wants to "continue to do the sport I love as my authentic self," she told SwimSwam last month.

"My mental health was not very good," she said of the 2018-19 season. "It was a lot of unease, basically just feeling trapped in my body."

Since transitioning, that's improved: "Being in a swimsuit 20 hours a week has helped me accept my body as it is [and] be comfortable in who I am."

The other side: Some believe Thomas holds an unfair advantage even after two-plus years of testosterone suppression.

"At stake here is the integrity of women's sports," a group of Penn swim parents wrote after that December meet. "The precedent being set ... is a direct threat to female athletes."

"I think the NCAA policy issued in 2011 was not really based much on scientific knowledge," one parent told WashPost. "So this is all about the rules. It's not really about Lia. She followed the rules."

What's next: Thomas, an Austin native, will be a favorite at next month's Ivy League championships, and she's already qualified for the NCAA championships in March.

The story of trans Penn swimmer Lia Thomas

Thomas' record-breaking campaign comes amid a debate over transgender inclusion in sport.

Picture of Lia Thomas wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a cap and holding a towel

Penn's Lia Thomas during a meet with Yale and Dartmouth on Saturday. Photo: Hunter Martin/Getty Images

Pennsylvania

NCAA

Axios Sports

 Data: Basketball Reference; Chart: Will Chase/Axios 

After two decades of non-stop media attention, you'd be forgiven for developing LeBron James fatigue and taking "The King" for granted. But I'm begging you: Please don't.

By the numbers: Currently in his 19th NBA season, James is putting up almost identical numbers at age 37 as he was at age 27. It's utterly insane.

Age 27 (2011-12): 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 53.1% FG, 36.2% 3PT, 77.1% FT, 37.5 minutes

Age 37 (2021-22): 28.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 52.8% FG, 37.2% 3PT, 78.5% FT, 36.8 minutes

The big picture: James' longevity is perhaps best illustrated by his annual player efficiency rating (PER), a popular all-in-one statistic that measures per-minute productivity.

Outside of his rookie year, James' PER has been between 24.2 and 31.7 every season. He may have peaked at age 24 (31.7 PER), but his decline has been virtually non-existent.

James' career PER average is 27.4, which is the second-best mark ever behind Michael Jordan (27.9). His PER this season as one of the NBA's oldest players? 27.5.

Wild stat: James has had four seasons with at least 27.0 PER since turning 30. Only six players in NBA history have had more in their entire careers.

Coming up: James enters tonight's game against the Kings (10pm ET) having scored 25+ points in 11 straight games. 

He's also been starting at center in Anthony Davis' absence, and shining in that role. 

LeBron James: The ageless wonder

Lebron James

Georgia fans are buying championship gear at a historic rate. 41 years of waiting will do that to you.

Driving the news: Fanatics says it sold more Georgia championship merchandise in the first 24 hours after the Bulldogs' victory than the previous best-selling school (2021 Alabama) sold in the first 30 days.

The big picture: "Merchandise sales are just one of the many ways the Bulldogs will capitalize on this national title," notes Sportico's Eben Novy-Williams (subscription).

"High-profile victories generally produce short-term increases in sponsorship and licensing revenue, and larger impacts in the form of donations, future ticket sales and future recruiting."

Georgia already generates more football revenue than almost any other school ($134.4 million in Fiscal 2020). Naturally, it also ranks near the top in spending ($48.5 million budget).

Go deeper: Georgia's unmatched recruiting spending (USA Today)

Georgia fans buying championship apparel at record pace

Georgia already generates more football revenue than almost any other school.

A Georgia fan celebrates after the national championship

College football

Chicago

Axios Chicago

According to some NFL insiders, the Bears are a top destination for head coach candidates this offseason even though the big-market team hasn't won a playoff game in over a decade.

Quick take: Here's a cheat sheet of a few coaches on the Bears' radar. Use it to make you look smarter on your next Zoom happy hour.

Jim Harbaugh: The former Bears quarterback and current head coach at the University of Michigan has reportedly not ruled out a return to the NFL. Seems like a long shot he'll leave, but he did get drafted by Chicago in 1987.

Byron Leftwich: The offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Bucs has designed one of the best offenses in the league. Although let's be honest, it's much easier to execute when Tom Brady is your quarterback.

Todd Bowles: How about the Buccaneers defensive coordinator? He's already been a head coach with the Jets and was lousy, but his defenses usually are the best in the league. And Bears fans looooooovvvvveeee defense.

Leslie Frazier: The Bills defensive coordinator was a starting cornerback for the 1985 Bears. Need we say more? The franchise owes him for that busted reverse punt return in the Super Bowl that ended Frazier's playing career.

Brian Daboll: The Bills offensive coordinator is on everyone's short list. Who knows, maybe he'd bring Mitch Trubisky back.

Honorable mentions: Former head coaches Brian Flores (Miami), Doug Pederson (Philadelphia) and Dan Quinn (Atlanta) are all reportedly on the Bears short list.

How to fake it: Bears coaching choices

Many names are in the running, including Jim Harbaugh.

Jim Harbaugh scrambles during a game in 1990. Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images

National Football League (NFL)

Novak Djokovic apologized Wednesday for not isolating after testing positive for COVID-19 and blamed his agent for an "administrative mistake" when making an incorrect declaration in his Australian travel document.

Why it matters: Australia's immigration minister is still considering whether to revoke the men's tennis world No. 1's visa and deport him, despite Djokovic winning his legal case to stay in the country and defend his Australian Open title at the tournament, which begins Monday.

If he wins, the unvaccinated Serbian star would set a record 21st Grand Slam title.

The big picture: Australian border officials last week canceled Djokovic's visa over his COVID-19 vaccination status.

Djokovic said in a statement Wednesday that his support team had completed his travel documents on his behalf before he left for Australia, and they incorrectly ticked a box saying he hadn't traveled in the two weeks before his flight to Australia. He was seen in Spain and Serbia during this period.

"My agent sincerely apologises for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box," the 34-year-old wrote. "This was a human error and certainly not deliberate."

He also told French sports newspaper L'Equipe he'd taken part in an interview and a photo shoot in Serbia after testing positive for the virus in December — an "apparent violation" of the country's pandemic rules, the New York Times notes.

What's next: Australia's immigration minister, Alex Hawke, is expected to make a decision on whether to revoke Djokovic's visa on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Australian Border Force is investigating whether Djokovic made a "false declaration" in the pre-travel declaration. This could also be grounds for a visa cancellation.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of Djokovic's interview with L'Equipe and the Australian Border Force investigation.

Djokovic admits travel papers "mistake" as Australia visa decision looms

Australia's immigration minister is still considering whether to revoke the men's tennis world No. 1's visa and deport him.

 Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a return during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open at the Melbourne Park tennis centre in Melbourne on January 12

Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a return during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open at the Melbourne Park tennis centre in Melbourne on Jan. 12. Photo: William West/AFP via Getty Images

Australia

Coronavirus

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

Twin Cities

Axios Twin Cities

The Vikings need to hire a new general manager and head coach to replace Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer, who were fired Monday. 

First the team will hire a GM, who will then pick a coach. They're competing with five other teams who have fired their coaches so far. 

Byron Leftwich, Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator.

Doug Pederson, the former Philadelphia Eagles head coach.

Brian Flores, the just-fired Miami Dolphins head coach.

Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator the New England Patriots.

Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City's offensive coordinator and former Vikings running backs coach.

Thought bubble: I would make my first two calls to Leftwich and Flores.

If they say no, I would call Pederson, who smoked the Vikings in the 2017 NFC Championship en route to a Super Bowl title.

Who could replace Mike Zimmer as Vikings head coach?

The team is competing with a handful of others who've fired their coaches so far.

Byron Leftwich wears a headset during a game.

Byron Leftwich is a hot head coaching candidate. Photo: AP Photo/Don Montague

Axios Twin Cities, anchored by Torey Van Oot, Nick Halter and Audrey Kennedy, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard

Denver

Axios Denver

Sports betting handle, by state

Data: Legal Sports Report; Chart: Sara Wise/Axios

Colorado is one of the top six sports betting states in the U.S. since local voters first legalized sports gambling in 2020 — and this month may prove the most profitable yet. 

Why it matters: The state collects tax revenue from sports betting and funnels it directly into gambling addiction services, including crisis hotlines and counseling, as well as infrastructure investments like water conservation and storage projects. 

Driving the news: Colorado generated nearly $37 million in sports betting revenue in November, the latest data available, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue.

Since May 2020, about $4.6 billion has been wagered on sports statewide. 

Of note: Colorado is one of 15 states along with the District of Columbia that allow mobile betting, in addition to gambling in-person.

What's next: January will almost certainly break the record for money wagered on sports nationwide with NFL playoffs and a college-football championship, Axios' Jeff Tracey writes. 

Colorado ranks among top 6 states for sports betting

Colorado generated nearly $37 million in sports betting revenue in November.

News

Business

Axios Denver, anchored by John Frank and Alayna Alvarez, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.

Axios Login

Axios China

The Chinese government has promised Olympic athletes free access to social media platforms and other websites in the Olympic Village in Beijing, but internet use may still be fraught with restrictions and risks.

Why it matters: China's aim in temporarily opening its "great firewall" is simply to boost its global reputation ahead of the Games, not to champion an open internet, experts say. And they expect heavy surveillance of online activity to continue, even for visitors who are allowed to access sites that would otherwise be blocked.

"It's a way for China to easily spread positive narratives about the Beijing Olympics, in the midst of all of their human rights criticisms," said Kenton Thibaut, resident China Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab.

What they're saying: "They put on these airs as if they're allowing freedom of speech and movement, things that are synonymous with the liberal tradition of the Olympics, but in reality, all of it is carefully monitored," said Victor Cha, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

What to watch: "Even though they allow access to social media, I don't think any athlete is going to tweet out something about Hong Kong or Taiwan," Cha said.  

"They will work with the IOC to clamp down on any athletes that do say anything, and then they'll count on the Games to sort of capture everybody's imagination," he said.

The state of play: Chinese authorities have said Olympic participants and foreign media will have uncensored access to the internet through special SIM cards.

The U.S. Olympic organizing committee is warning athletes and officials that "performing mission critical business and personal communications will be difficult at best while operating in China," according to a technology advisory being shared with athletes and national sport organizing bodies.

"[I]t should be assumed that all data and communications in China can be monitored, compromised or blocked," the document states.

As for what athletes can say on the internet from Beijing, that's another matter.

The International Olympic Committee has touted athletes' right to free online speech as long as they don't violate local laws, but Chinese law gives authorities the flexibility to prohibit whatever online speech they deem to be illegal.

Chinese athletes will face intense scrutiny; Chinese authorities have arrested dozens of Chinese citizens for content they posted on foreign social media. But it's not clear how authorities view non-Chinese citizens posting freely on foreign websites.

Chinese authorities also frequently use denial of market access to punish speech by non-Chinese citizens.

Context: Numerous governments, including the U.S., have announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics games due to the Chinese government's ongoing genocide against the Uyghur population in the northwest region of Xinjiang.

Activists and rights groups have urged corporate sponsors to push Beijing on its Xinjiang policies and withdraw their sponsorship. 

Chinese streaming platforms dropped Boston Celtics games after center Enes Kanter called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "brutal dictator" on social media in October 2021. Houston Rockets games also disappeared from the Chinese internet after general manager Daryl Morey tweeted in support of the 2019 Hong Kong protests.

Also, just because athletes can get online in China, doesn't mean they shouldn't take precautions.

"If [athletes] are using their supplied Wi-Fi, they would just have to assume that everything they're doing is being monitored," Thibaut said.

Security experts recommend using a separate phone, a virtual private network, SIM cards not provided by China, and avoiding logging into services or sharing other sensitive information. 

Flashback: At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, reporters discovered they could not access many websites, despite the IOC and Chinese officials' repeated promises of unfettered web access before the Games began. The IOC later admitted they had agreed to some web restrictions.

What they're saying: Some athletes anonymously told the New York Times in December that they are afraid to criticize the Chinese government publicly for fear of reprisal.

But some are speaking out anyway. “To be silent is to be complicit,” Clare Egan, a biathlete from Maine, told the Times. 

U.S. pairs skater Timothy LeDuc said on Sunday that Uyghurs in China faced a "horrifying" situation. "I read somewhere the other day that it's the largest number of people held in internment and labor camps since World War II," LeDuc said.

The bottom line: "The Chinese government has the tools and capabilities to track and monitor what athletes are accessing and what they say, and they are not afraid to use coercive measures if they feel that's necessary," said Steven Feldstein, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Go deeper: Biles vacuums up Olympics attention on social media

China makes a show of opening up the internet for the Olympics

The "great firewall" will come down — for visitors.

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