NEW YORK: More than 11 million fans have flocked to Major League Soccer games this season, the league said Monday, breaking the previous record of 10.9 millions fans who attended games in 2024.
The league said in a statement that the league has averaged 23,240 fans per game, breaking the 11 million-fan barrier for the first time in history.
MLS said the arrival of international stars such as Lionel Messi — whose presence in the league has often prompted teams to switch fixtures to bigger stadiums — had helped boost attendances.
“The arrival of international stars and the work from clubs to create more unique fan friendly ticket packages and game day experiences are among the key drivers of the continued surge of record-breaking attendance across MLS,” the league announced.
The record-breaking tally comes with the regular season still to be completed. Sixteen more matches are due to ake place before the season wraps up on October 19.
The attendance numbers mark the third consecutive year that MLS had drawn more than 10 million fans.
MLS sets new attendance record with 11 million fans
https://arab.news/wwqnh
MLS sets new attendance record with 11 million fans
Saudi MMA fighter relishing chance to join ‘Battle of The Giants’
- Mostafa Rashed Nada is set to take on Egyptian newcomer Ahmed Sami on Oct. 19
RIYADH: The Professional Fighters League will head back to Saudi Arabia on Oct. 19 with another stacked card as some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts come together at the Mayadeen for “Battle of The Giants: Brace For Impact.”
And fighting alongside the likes of Francis Ngannou, Renan Ferreira, and Cris “Cyborg” will be the Kingdom’s very own Mostafa Rashed Nada, a 185-pound standout who is undefeated inside the PFL SmartCage.
The 36-year-old made his PFL debut back in 2023, winning by a first-round technical knockout against Korey Kupp. Nada followed that up with another first-round stoppage win over Abdel Driai in the main event of PFL MENA 2 earlier this year.
Now, the Saudi native will take on Egyptian newcomer Ahmed Sami in the biggest MMA event of the year as he gets to live out what he says is a childhood dream.
“Competing on the international stage has been a childhood dream of mine, and I am happy to be the first fighter from Saudi Arabia to compete in a huge PFL event like this,” Nada said.
While Saudi Arabia is slowly becoming a staple for major PFL events, Nada believes that Battle of The Giants has the makings of becoming this year’s must-see MMA event.
“It’s not new for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host an event of this size, but of course I’m very excited and proud to be part of it,” said Nada. “I believe it’s going to be one of, if not the biggest event in the country this year.”
As one of the country’s biggest MMA stars, Nada fully understands how important representing the Kingdom on a global MMA stage is. He is also aware of the impact PFL MENA has had on the region in terms of growing the sport.
“Having the PFL in Saudi Arabia is great, and PFL MENA has been an amazing platform for all Saudis and Arabs to embark on becoming professional mixed martial artists and one day compete on the global stage that is the PFL, alongside the best fighters in the world,” Nada said.
“My main goal is to show the world that there are Arabian fighters ready to compete on the global stage. We are highly skilled and most importantly, we uphold our moral values before fighting.
“I want to be a good role model for the upcoming generation of Middle Eastern fighters,” added Nada.
Battle of The Giants: Brace for Impact will be headlined by Francis Ngannou taking on Renan Ferreira for the PFL Super Fights Championship, while Cris “Cyborg” meets Larissa Pacheco in the co-main event.
Shane Lowry looking forward to Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship return
- Former champion to take part in first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs from Nov. 7-10
ABU DHABI: Former champion Shane Lowry is excited to return to the UAE for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs taking place from Nov. 7 to 10.
The Irishman claimed the famous Falcon Trophy in 2019 just six months before becoming a Major champion, winning the Claret Jug at The 148th Open.
Lowry will join fellow Major winners Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Adam Scott, as well as Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood, in the field for the fourth Rolex Series event of the season at Yas Links.
The 37-year-old has enjoyed an excellent 2024 campaign, recording 13 top-20 worldwide finishes, including sixth-placed results at both The 152nd Open and US PGA Championship.
In addition, he partnered McIlroy to victory at the PGA TOUR’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
“I’m excited to end my season in the UAE, starting with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links,” said Lowry. “It’s always nice to return to a part of the world where you have had success in the past, and I hope to end the year on a high.”
As part of the season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs, the championship will have the top 70 available players from the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex at the conclusion of the “Back 9.”
The top 50 players at the end of the week will then advance to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
Also confirmed for the championship are Genesis Scottish Open champion Robert MacIntyre, who also represented Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup, and Thriston Lawrence, currently ranked second on the Race to Dubai Rankings.
Royals hit back against Yankees, Tigers maul Guardians
- The result leaves the best-of-five American League Division Series finely balanced at 1-1 as the series heads to Kansas City on Wednesday for Game 3.
- Kerry Carpenter blasted a three-run home run in the ninth inning as the Detroit Tigers stunned the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 to level their series at 1-1
LOS ANGELES: The Kansas City Royals jolted the New York Yankees’s Major League Baseball playoff hopes with a series-leveling 4-2 win in the Bronx on Monday as the Detroit Tigers bounced back to stun the Cleveland Guardians.
The Royals, pipped 6-5 by the Yankees in a Game 1 thriller on Saturday, produced a four-run fourth inning blast to set up victory at Yankee Stadium.
The result leaves the best-of-five American League Division Series finely balanced at 1-1 as the series heads to Kansas City on Wednesday for Game 3.
“That’s just the way that we are — we fight together, and we win together,” said Royals veteran Salvador Perez. “We feel like a family.”
The Yankees, chasing their first World Series crown since 2009, got off to a smooth start with Giancarlo Stanton driving in a single to score Gleyber Torres in the third inning.
But the Royals jumped on Yankees starter Carlos Rodon in the fourth inning to build a three-run lead that ultimately proved decisive.
Perez homered to start the scoring blitz, before Tommy Pham’s line drive to center field sent Yuli Gurriel over home plate to make it 2-1.
Garrett Hampson’s single allowed Pham to score for 3-1 before, and then Hampson got home safely after Maikel Garcia’s single.
Rodon was pulled thereafter, but the Yankees were unable to claw back the deficit as the Royals bullpen produced a lights out performance to stymie the Bronx Bombers.
There was a nervous finale for the Royals after Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered to start the ninth for New York to make it 4-2 before Jon Berti singled to put the tying run on base.
But closer Lucas Erceg took care of business to bag the final three outs and leave the series at one apiece.
In Monday’s other playoff game, Kerry Carpenter blasted a three-run home run in the ninth inning as the Detroit Tigers stunned the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 to level their series at 1-1.
Carpenter, 27, crushed a 423-foot two-out moonshot to right field off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase to settle what had been a nerve-shredding pitcher’s duel before the ninth inning drama.
It marked another fairytale chapter for Carpenter, who only made his Major League debut two years ago and was working part-time in a sporting goods store in 2020 as he chased his dream of breaking into the big leagues.
“I received a whole lot of God’s grace right there, and that’s about it — and I put a good swing on the ball,” Carpenter said afterwards of his winning homer. “It felt really good. I blacked out after I hit it.”
The Tigers, who stunned the Houston Astros in the Wild Card round last week, had been thrashed 7-0 by Cleveland in Game 1 of the best-of-five ALDS tussle on Saturday.
But a superb pitching performance from starter Tarik Skubal and some scintillating defense shut down the Cleveland offense to leave the game scoreless and on a knife edge heading into the ninth inning, setting up Carpenter’s moment of magic.
“Everybody out there is just fearless and we have a bunch of guys who can execute when they need it most,” Carpenter said.
Skubal pitched seven innings, with just three hits for no runs, to keep the Tigers in touch.
The Tigers host Game 3 of the series in Detroit on Wednesday.
NCAA’s $2.78 billion settlement with colleges to allow athlete payments gets preliminary approval
- NCAA President Charlie Baker: Today’s progress is a significant step in writing the next chapter for the future of college sports
- US District Judge Claudia Wilken released an order setting a timeline for a deal that would put millions of dollars into the pockets of college athletes
NEW YORK: A judge granted preliminary approval Monday to the $2.78 billion legal settlement that would transform college sports by allowing schools to pay players.
US District Judge Claudia Wilken released an order setting a timeline for a deal that would put millions of dollars into the pockets of college athletes, who can begin applying for payment on Oct. 18.
A final hearing is set for April 7, 2025, the day that one of college sports’ biggest moneymakers, March Madness, comes to a close with college basketball’s national title game.
If finalized, the deal would allow the biggest schools to establish a pool of about $21.5 million in the first year to distribute money to athletes through a revenue-sharing plan. Athletes would still be able to cut name, image and likeness deals with outside groups.
Former college athletes from as far back as 2016 would be able to apply for their share of $2.576 billion set aside to help them recoup money they could’ve made from NIL deals, which weren’t allowed until 2021.
“We are pleased that we are one step closer to a revolutionary change in college athletics that will allow billions in revenue sharing,” said plaintiff attorney Steve Berman.
The judge’s approval comes 11 days after attorneys tweaked wording in the original settlement agreement to address Wilken’s concerns. The main change involved getting rid of the word “boosters” and replacing it with a better-defined description of whose potential NIL deals would be subject to oversight by a neutral arbitrator once the deal goes through.
That did not, however, strike to the heart of the settlement, which sets up a revenue-sharing arrangement between schools and athletes who, for decades, played for scholarships, a few expenses and little else, while coaches and athletic departments brought in millions. The $21.5 million figure comes from the 22 percent of average revenue that power conference schools generate through media rights, tickets and other sources. It will be recalculated periodically through the 10-year window the agreement covers.
Not every school will chip in the full amount. Those that will are hurrying to find ways to replace what they’ll pay out to athletes. They worry it could impact their overall sports programs, especially the “non-revenue” sports that play an outsized role in populating US Olympic rosters.
“We are thrilled by Judge Wilken’s decision to give preliminary approval to the landmark settlement that will help bring stability and sustainability to college athletics while delivering increased benefits to student-athletes for years to come,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker. “Today’s progress is a significant step in writing the next chapter for the future of college sports.”
In addition to creating a payment system, the settlement sets up a framework to regulate future NIL deals and replaces scholarship caps with “roster limits,” which will grow to 105 for football, the biggest sport at most major universities, and also the sport that brings in the most money while incurring the most expense.
How those new roster caps and everything else will impact Title IX has yet to be seen. Plaintiffs lawyers have estimated around 90 percent of the money will go to football and men’s basketball players whose sports bring in the lion’s share of the revenue. Critics of the settlement have suggested that could be in violation of Title IX.
This settlement resolves three major antitrust lawsuits filed against the NCAA, including one spearheaded by Grant House, a former swimmer at Arizona State. Berman’s law firm says the value of new payments and benefits to college athletes is expected to exceed $20 billion over 10 years.
The $21 million that the biggest schools will dole out represents not even 10 percent of an NFL salary cap, but is considered big progress for college sports, which are undergoing a revolution with an expanded football playoff (with its $7.8 billion TV contract) and a related move to mega-conferences; the Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences now have 34 teams between them.
“For far too long, these athletes have been deprived of their economic rights in an unjust system that will now, finally, be fundamentally reformed,” plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Kessler said in a news release that was part of the court filings.
Still unknown is how long the terms of this deal will last. Litigation regarding the rights of players to unionize and potentially be considered employees remains unsettled. Meanwhile, the NCAA is pushing for federal legislation to knit together a streamlined policy for NIL, which is currently regulated by a patchwork of state laws, legal settlements and NCAA rules.
Michael Jordan and Front Row’s Bob Jenkins standing firm in their fight against NASCAR
- Jordan said before the race the lawsuit is on behalf of all Cup Series teams; 13 organizations signed the charter agreement, with 23XI and Front Row the only holdouts
TALLADEGA, Alabama: Michael Jordan arrived at Talladega Superspeedway about 30 minutes before the start of the playoff race and made his way directly to Bubba Wallace’s pit stand for a quick visit with his guys.
The NBA great eventually made his way down pit road to Tyler Reddick’s stand, where he sat on the wall and waited for Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins. Both NASCAR team owners have refused to sign NASCAR’s charter agreement and last week filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the stock car series.
The brief exchange Sunday was planned as a show of solidarity by the only two teams that chose not to accept NASCAR’s terms for its new revenue-sharing model. 23XI Racing and Front Row want a jury to decide if NASCAR is, indeed, “monopolistic bullies” as the suit alleges.
Jordan said before the race the lawsuit is on behalf of all Cup Series teams; 13 organizations signed the charter agreement, with 23XI and Front Row the only holdouts. Many team owners have said they signed on deadline and under threat of having the entire charter system revoked.
“I think everybody should have an opportunity to be successful in any business and my voice is saying it hasn’t been happening,” Jordan told Fox Sports.
He said he had no intention of speaking with NASCAR chairman Jim France, who is named in the suit, while in Talladega over the weekend.
The legal battle has become the biggest talking point in NASCAR in the middle of its playoffs as the entire industry waits to see what happens next. NASCAR has declined to comment and France declined to discuss it at Talladega. NASCAR’s court response could come as early as this week ahead of Sunday’s playoff elimination race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Michael McDowell, who won the pole for Sunday’s race for Front Row, defended Jenkins’ decision to battle NASCAR. McDowell decided months ago he was leaving the team he’s driven for since 2018 at the end of the season, but is supportive of what Jenkins and 23XI are trying to accomplish.
“Bob Jenkins is so dedicated to this sport,” McDowell said. “He has spent millions and millions and millions and millions and millions of his own dollars to be in this sport and to be competitive. Nobody does that unless they’re insane or super passionate.
“He’s passionate about our race team and being competitive. It’s been a steady progression and I feel like we’re at a point now where we’re a contender,” McDowell continued. “There is nobody spending what we spend and performing how we perform. Nobody. And if he has to spend his own money, there is a problem.”
Denny Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing with Jordan and Curtis Polk, also defended taking the fight to court.
“It’s been stated in statements by Michael Jordan that he loves NASCAR,” Hamlin said. “We’ve obviously invested heavily in NASCAR and reinvested what I got out of this sport as a driver back into it as an owner. Certainly, we love the sport, just would love to see change as well.”
Asked if he thinks NASCAR has any appreciation for what Hamlin — who as a Charlotte Hornets season ticket-holder developed a relationship with Jordan and then persuaded Jordan to start a NASCAR team with him — and 23XI have done for the sport, Hamlin took a long pause.
“Probably not,” he finally answered.
Jordan is the highest-profile team owner in NASCAR, and one of only two who are Black. 23XI also has one of the most diverse teams in the garage, from driver Wallace to crew members and non-competition employees.
The lawsuit has raised another concern around the garage: Team owner Richard Childress said he was not sure if the agreement he signed is the same terms that, say, Hendrick Motorsports received — and if 23XI and Front Row eventually reach an agreement with NASCAR will organizations that have already signed be guaranteed the same terms?
“I don’t know what’s going to happen because it’s just so unprecedented in our sport,” Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks said. “There’s no historical precedent. I think in other cases like this, in other sports, you have collective bargaining unions. So it’s just a very, very different setting. I think we have a blank slate and we can land anywhere. I think whatever comes out of this, I have to believe that it should affect everybody the same.”
