Golf Channel and NBC must be thrilled. Deep into the second day of The Players Championship, arguably golf’s “fifth major,” with an attendant star-studded international field and golf’s heftiest purse--$9.5 million, with the winner pocketing over $1.7 million. Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia atop the leaderboard, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy not far behind. A controversy—V.J. Singh, his use of verboten deer antler spray, and the “humiliated” golfer suing the PGA Tour. 
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The big question around football circles these days is where Tim Tebow will play next year, if anywhere. There’s been little interest from either NFL or Canadian Football League teams, but one fan base has been trying extra hard to get Tebow in their jersey. A petition was recently filed on the White House’s website asking President Obama to call Jacksonville Jaguars GM David Caldwell and demand the team sign Tebow.
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Levi Strauss has purchased the naming rights to the San Francisco 49ers’ new $1.2 billion stadium. The company will pay $220 million over 20 years for the naming rights, and will call the facility Levi’s Stadium. At an average of $11 million annually, the deal represents about 4% of the company’s annual marketing budget.
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It’s little secret that ex-Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson wants to get back into the NBA as soon as next season. Jackson reportedly turned down a lucrative head coaching inquiry from the Brooklyn Nets because he’s interested in rejoining the league on the management side.
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For the first time in its history, the X Games gets underway in Barcelona, Spain. The city is one of six across the world that’s hosting an X Games event this year, part of a plan to spread the extreme sports competition to markets throughout Europe and South America. The Games bring upwards of $50 million in economic impact to the communities that host the four-day event, as well as significant worldwide media exposure.
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Vijay Singh is suing the PGA Tour over doping allegations involving his use of deer antler spray. The suit charges the tour with violating its duty of care and good faith and exposing Singh to public humiliation and ridicule. Singh ultimately was cleared of any wrongdoing.
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**Organizers of the Sochi Olympics plan to make all ticket holders apply for a “spectator’s pass” in order to enter the Olympic Park.
**The Orlando Magic are moving forward with a $100 million sports & entertainment complex next to Amway Arena.
**Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter says the city is “enthusiastically embracing” the possibility of bidding on the 2024 Summer Olympics.
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Between mounts Golden Soul and Goldencents, it’s going to be a golden day on Saturday at Churchill Downs. While Golden Soul is a longshot at 50-1 odds, Goldencents—partially owned by Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, fresh off a NCAA championship—is one of the top picks at this year’s Run for the Roses. Will the winner of the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby be a Revolutionary, an Orb, a Palace Malice, or one of the golden guys?
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With profits up $15.3 million since 2008 and strong viewership across NBC’s networks attracting a wide swath of sponsors, the Kentucky Derby is certainly worth its weight in gold. Over the past five years, Churchill Downs boosted its profits by following stick-and-ball sports stadiums down the well-trod turf of seat licenses.
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The saga over the future of the Sacramento Kings finally appears to be over. The NBA’s relocation and finance committees unanimously rejected a bid to move the Kings to Seattle, this despite a purchase agreement between Kings owners the Maloof family had and a Seattle contingent led by investor Chris Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
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