Month: February 2022

The XFL announced on Monday that it has come to a collaboration agreement with the NFL. In a press release from the XFL, the partnership’s plan is to provide “select innovation programs to further expand the game of football and create increased opportunities for player development both on and off the field.”

Dany Garcia co-owner and chairwoman of the XFL, said: “We are extremely pleased to collaborate with the NFL in these important areas. We are bringing forward an XFL that is progressive and forward-thinking when it comes to innovation, leveraging the newest technology to enhance gameday experience. We have an open field for innovative rules to enhance in-game access. Sharing insights and practices between the XFL and NFL will do a tremendous amount of good for the game of football and support the player ecosystem overall.”

NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said in a statement: “The XFL has shown us that innovation is one of its core principles We are hopeful that this relationship will support further development and improvements in the game of football at all levels.”  The statement outlines plans for the two organizations to work together on physical and mental health programs for players, studying different playing surfaces and equipment, development football on an international scale and testing different game rules to enhance player safety.

The XFL announced in July of 2021 that it had plans to return again for a third time, having previously run one season in 2001 under Vince McMahon before the league folded.  In 2018, it was announced the XFL would return in early 2020, led by Oliver Luck. However, the league was suspended mid-season in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the league filed for bankruptcy a month later, it was sold to a group consisting of Garcia, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Gerry Cardinale in August of 2020.

The XFL is set to return in February 2023.

Editorial credit: Christopher Lyzcen / Shutterstock.com

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced on Monday that Medina Spirit, the horse that won the 2021 Kentucky Derby but later failed a drug test and died, has been stripped of his Derby victory.  The commission also ruled that the $1.86 million purse from Medina Spirit’s win must be forfeited and returned for redistribution.  In addition, the commission suspended Medina Spirit’s trainer, Bob Baffert, for 90 days, and issued him a $7,500 fine.  Baffert said in a statement: “I am very disappointed in the ruling. It runs contrary to the scientifically proven facts in this case and the rules of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. We will be filing an immediate appeal.” Baffert previously was suspended by Churchill Downs and cannot enter a horse in the Derby in 2022 or 2023. The veteran trainer also is barred from entering horses at the New York Racing Association’s Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct tracks.

The commission named Mandaloun, the second-place finisher, the official winner of the annual Triple Crown race.  Churchill Downs in a statement: “Today, Churchill Downs recognizes Mandaloun as the winner of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby and extends our congratulations to owner-breeder Juddmonte, trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux.  Winning the Kentucky Derby is one of the most exciting achievements in sports and we look forward to celebrating Mandaloun on a future date in a way that is fitting of this rare distinction.”

Medina Spirit tested positive for 21 picograms of the steroid betamethasone through a post-race sample after the 2021 Derby win. That amount of the drug is double the legal threshold allowed in Kentucky racing. Baffert claimed that the drug came from an ointment used to treat the horse for a skin condition. Medina Spirit died during a workout Dec. 6 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Baffert initially claimed that Medina Spirit died of a heart attack, but a necropsy report this month showed no definitive causes of death for the 3-year-old colt.

The 2022 Kentucky Derby is set to take place May 7 at Churchill Downs.

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Chris Paul, 12-time All-Star for the Phoenix Suns, was the inaugural recipient of the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award for his “significant contributions to the advancement of girls’ and women’s basketball, and advocacy for the WNBA.”  The WNBA and Vanessa Bryant presented Paul the award at Sunday’s NBA All-Star at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a news release:  “I have seen first-hand Chris’ appreciation of the WNBA and the game at every level for women and girls, especially in Phoenix and North Carolina, and his ardent support of our game strongly reflects the legacy of Kobe and Gigi. The league is proud to name Chris as the inaugural recipient of the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award, as he serves as a leader and role model for other professional athletes around growing the future of the game for young girls and all fans.”

Said Paul:  “I’m excited about seeing the growth in the women’s game. I’m a big fan of the W. It’s probably been the funniest year, and last year having the WNBA team right there in our home city. I tell people, I don’t know if I tell people all the time, but the day I got traded to Phoenix, I got to Phoenix, and I worked out on one side of the court, and on the other court (Phoenix Mercury’s) Diana Taurasi was working out. I’ll never forget that image in my head. We don’t really get to do that in the league.”

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com