In this week’s SportsMoney Playbook: Olympian earnings numbers, the Guardians’ stake sale price and the league that stands out as a crypto innovator. Plus: how 500-pound bobsleds made it to Beijing.
Olympics
For most Winter Olympians, endorsement deals are hard to come by, but at least four Team USA stars are making seven figures from endorsements. Here's how much Nathan Chen, Chloe Kim, Mikaela Shiffrin and Shaun White are earning.
Americans can take home $37,500 from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee for each gold medal they earn in Beijing, but that pales in comparison with the six-figure payouts on offer in these 12 countries and territories.
Pro Football
Billionaire Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who supported a Republican political committee during the Trump administration, has begun donating to two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema.
Baseball
David Blitzer's pending purchase of a 35% stake in the Cleveland Guardians values the club at $1 billion. It's Blitzer's latest addition to a sports portfolio that includes the Devils, the 76ers and Crystal Palace.
Caitlyn Callahan is a trailblazer, becoming the first uniformed female coach in the Pirates' history. Her focus is on winning, though.
Pro Basketball
A star-studded group of billionaires including Michael Dell, Laurene Powell Jobs and Joseph Tsai participated in a $75 million capital raise that could transform the WNBA.
The NBA's Top Shot platform has transformed the sports memorabilia business, bringing NFTs to the average fan. That earned the league a spot on Forbes' 2022 Blockchain 50, recognizing the innovators in the cryptocurrency industry.
Soccer
Trinity Rodman's new seven-figure contract is a testament to the financial progress the NWSL has made with its new collective bargaining agreement.
Auto Racing
Nascar’s president called the Clash Race at the Los Angeles Coliseum a "proof of concept" for hosting one-off exhibitions at premier venues. "The opportunities are limitless," he tells us.
College Basketball
UConn star Paige Bueckers is partnering with Cash App, her third major deal since the NCAA relaxed its rules on college athletes profiting from their name, image and likeness.
Featured Story
How 500-Pound Bobsleds Got Halfway Around The World For The Olympics
Even in the best of times, it isn't easy transporting bobsleds, which can measure 12 feet long and weigh over 500 pounds. The international shipping crisis made the process more difficult—and more expensive. Learn more about how Team USA got the hunks of metal and fiberglass to the Beijing Games.
Hot Reads:
- How American Skier Eileen Gu Can Cash In On Competing For China
- How Colorado's Copper Mountain Became The Premier Training Location For U.S. Olympic Skiers And Snowboarders
- How Equestrian Teams And Their Horses Got To The Tokyo Summer Olympics
Upon Further Review
Mukesh Ambani is $7 billion richer than when he topped last year's list of the world's richest sports team owners, but he's nonetheless been surpassed by an NBA owner. He also relinquished his title as Asia's richest person last week.
The Last Word
“This is one of the greatest boxers of all time, male or female, period. She deserves that pay.” - Jake Paul
When Amanda Serrano started her pro boxing career in 2009, she never imagined the kind of payday she'll score for her fight against Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden. "We're breaking barriers," she tells us. "We're making history." Read more about Serrano's incredible run in the ring.
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