HK News

The NFL Draft is upon us, and the league’s 32 teams are working tirelessly to improve the roster they put on the field. At the same time, the NFL and its broadcast partners are making sure that their spring selection process—now the league’s second-most popular special event behind the Super Bowl—continues to be appointment viewing with its millions of fans. What started as a simple way for teams to select college players, the NFL Draft has grown into a big business over the last thirty years. [read more]

**Lucas Oil CEO Forrest Lucas is upset with the lack of primetime home games on the Indianapolis Colts’ 2013 schedule. **Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter says the city is “enthusiastically embracing” the possibility of bidding on the 2024 Summer Olympics. **The Miami Heat could have difficulty keeping their star-studded team together after next season because of the NBA’s luxury tax rules. [read more]

In all my years in the sports business, here’s something I’ve never seen before. Lucas Oil CEO Forrest Lucas, whose company’s name adorns the NFL stadium in Indianapolis, is upset with the lack of primetime home games on the Colts’ 2013 schedule. Lucas is particularly unhappy that of the Colts’ six primetime games this season, only one is in Indianapolis. [read more]

On the court, the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic are trending in opposite directions. The Heat are aiming for their second straight NBA championship, while the Magic finished the regular season with the league’s worst record. The teams could be heading in opposite directions off the court as well, only with the Magic holding the upper hand. [read more]

After his victory at the Sony Open, Andy Murray ascended to ATP World No. 2. In the wake of an announcement by his agency XIX Entertainment, it appears that the Scot has more than the No. 1 ranking in his sights—Murray’s company has partnered with Globosport, the company run by Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi, to explore business opportunities in India and China. [read more]

For the college standouts chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft, the moment ushers in a major transition in their personal and professional lives. Accordingly, the athletes and the teams courting them would be well served to absorb the observations of Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, founder, chairman and CEO of the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs, ComPsych. [read more]

With the NFL Draft upon us, teams are working tirelessly to improve the roster they put on the field. Ironically, some franchises are making substantial progress improving their financial position off the field as well. No NFL offseason in recent memory has included so many teams working to renovate or build a new stadium. [read more]

**MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has declined to meet with San Jose’s mayor to discuss the Oakland A’s desire to move to his city. **The sports and entertainment company founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has organized a new international soccer tournament beginning this summer. **The University of Connecticut unveiled a new fiercer, wolf-like mascot and logo, part of the school’s institutional rebranding and marketing campaign. [read more]

If nothing else, the 2013 NBA postseason is a living, breathing, dunking example of “The More Things Change, the More they Remain the Same.” As NBA Playoff games across the nation are set to tip off on Saturday, the league, its business partners, and fans face two dominant issues that really haven’t budged an inch since teams reported to training camp in September. [read more]

**Revenue projections for the casino games earmarked to help fund the new Minnesota Vikings stadium continue to fall. **The NHL officially announced that the 2014 Winter Classic would be played in Ann Arbor’s Michigan Stadium after this year’s game at the stadium was cancelled due to labor unrest. **San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed formally requested a meeting with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to discuss the Oakland A’s quest to build a new ballpark in the city. [read more]