Posts tagged with "NHL"

GMC PARTNERS WITH NTWRK

GMC is teaming up with leading livestream shopping platform NTWRK for a full Day of Drops on October 20th to celebrate the reveal of its new all-electric vehicle, the first-ever Sierra EV. The Day of Drops will include six curated products from NTWRK, all powered by GMC.
“The Sierra EV is a bold play in GMC’s growing electric-vehicle portfolio, and we’re happy to be a part of their electric revolution. NTWRK is very passionate about a zero-emissions future, so this is the exact thing we can support and champion as we all work together towards an all-electric future,” NTWRK CEO Aaron Levant says.

“The Sierra EV is the newest addition to GMC’s electric revolution, which began with the GMC HUMMER EV supertruck,” said Molly Peck, vice president of Buick and GMC marketing. “This collaboration with NTWRK celebrates the next chapter of the Sierra franchise, bringing forward premium talent and products that enhance the reveal of the first-ever Sierra EV.”

NTWRK tapped fashion designer Dao-Yi Chow (Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods) for the “Van Moof E-Bike” – a custom electric bike that levels up to the Sierra EV’s technology – automatic electronic gear shifting, anti-theft tech, removable power bank, and high-tech smart technology. The bike, which costs $1,000, is one-of-one, and fans will have the opportunity to purchase exclusively on the NTWRK app for a chance to go home with the unique riding machine.

Chow is a born and raised New Yorker who co-created the street-savvy fashion brand Public School in 2008, which has received high acclaim with several major fashion awards (CFDA’s
Swarovski Award for Menswear & Menswear Designer of the Year, US Woolmark Prize for
Menswear). His collections continue to be sold in boutiques and department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Harvey Nichols, Maxfield, Isetan, Boon The Shop, and Mr. Porter.
Additionally, American professional ice hockey center for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews, will present the “Convertible Traveler Garment Bag” – a timeless piece for the Sierra EV audience who have affinity for luxury, fashion, lifestyle and travel. Matthews helped put his spin on this premium quality product that’s functional and transforms travel through tasteful design. Four bags will drop on NTWRK, each costing $340. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase these custom bags.

“I’m excited to be collaborating with GMC and NTWRK on this exclusive garment bag, it is a great way to travel in style,” said Auston Matthews.

Matthews is the first player in NHL history to score four goals in his debut. In his first year in the NHL, he won the Calder Trophy, and received the NHL’s Rookie of the Year award. Since then, he was voted as most valuable player in the NHL in 2021-22, thereby winning the Hart Trophy; he also became the first Toronto player to win the Ted Lindsay Award, distinguishing him as most outstanding player by the NHL Players’ Association.
NTWRK’s Day of Drops will also include a range of highly sought-after products such as art and highly sought-after collectibles. Other creators involved include Hoop Dream Studios, a curated
BE@RBICKS drop, and a luxury art drop featuring designers such as HAROSHI, Cristina Martinez, MATT SENNA, and more.

The Day of Drops will culminate in a special live episode, where GMC will reveal the first-ever Sierra EV at 5:00pm ET on October 20th.

About NTWRK

Named one of Fast Company’s “Brands That Matter” and “Most Innovative Companies” as well as Ad Age’s “Hottest Brands,” NTWRK is the premier North American livestream shopping platform where “entertainment meets e-commerce” (Forbes). Built on a digitally-innovative model of daily product drops, livestream shopping festivals, and exclusive partnerships with world-renowned brands and creators, NTWRK has fostered an organic global community of artists and fans since its launch in 2018. Under the motto “Shop, Watch, Connect” NTWRK provides a curated digital shopping experience that resonates with Gen-Z and millennial consumers.

About GMC

GMC offers a range of premium trucks and SUVs designed and engineered to the highest standard. With vehicles like the compact Terrain and full-size Yukon, all-new Canyon and Sierra light-duty, as well as the world’s first all-electric supertruck the GMC HUMMER EV, our trucks and SUVs deliver GMC’s signature combination of intuitive technologies, precise engineering and premium execution. Built on a strong foundation of manufacturing trucks since 1902, GMC now sells in a dozen countries across the world. Details on all models are available at www.gmc.com, Instagram at @GMC, Twitter at @GMC or at www.facebook.com/gmc.

Photo: Colin Defenbau

Moon Taxi – Live For it Acoustic Version

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Nashville-based alt-rock band Moon Taxi has released an acoustic version for their song “Live For It”—the original version of the song can be found on their Silver Dream album released in 2021 via BMG. Listen HERE.

“‘Live For It’ is a love song that takes place in New York, written on a windy hilltop outside Malibu. This song is about seizing a moment you share with someone you love, a singular experience you want to replay in your head over and over. We hope this reimagined version captures that exhilarating feeling in a new way,” said Moon Taxi.

Moon Taxi will also be touring from February 25th to June 5th, starting in Vail, Colorado, and ending at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The band will cover various states in the South and Midwestern United States. For more tour info, click HERE.

About Moon Taxi

Moon Taxi has thrived on the touring circuit for years, bringing their electric performances to Coachella, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, and beyond. The band also celebrated a career-defining moment as “Nashville’s own” on October 17 when they performed at a two-night, sold-out run at the famed Ryman Auditorium earning praise from the Tennessean, who stated, “Moon Taxi evolves from ‘college project’ to rock stars.” Their music has been embraced as well by brands using their songs for many commercial and TV placement—from JEEP and Microsoft Surface Pro to McDonald’s and BMW, along with landmark sporting events including the Olympics, MLB, NFL, NHL, and HBO Sports. Their songs are motivational and energizing, and they have become a “go-to” band for songs that inspire forging ahead.

LIDS EXPANDS TO EUROPE

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LEADING SPORTS RETAILER OPENING FOUR DEBUT STANDALONE STORES IN THE UK IN DECEMBER

Leading sports retailer, Lids is expanding its brick-and-mortar retail presence internationally with the opening of its first standalone stores in Europe. For its European debut, Lids will open four locations throughout the London metropolitan area: Seven Dials (now open) and The 02 Peninsula Square in London, Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex, and Churchill Square Shopping Centre Russel Place in Brighton, all opening in December.

Each store will mimic the immersive shopping experience of extensive licensed and branded merchandise Lids has long been known for. Products at each store will include a vast assortment of major U.S. league team products from MLB, NFL, and NBA, among others, as well as items from go-to brands including Adidas, New Era Cap, ’47, Mitchell & Ness, Hurley, Oakley, Local Crowns, and more. Each store will also feature Lids’ signature Custom Zones, which allows consumers the opportunity to custom embroider a hat or apparel piece of their choice in-store, including from the retailer’s numerous options of player numbers and autographs.

The expansion into the UK is strategic from Lids as the retailer looks to further expand its international footprint moving forward. “London is a natural fit for Lids. The enthusiasm for both American sports and street wear aligns with our on-field and fashion focused hat and jersey assortment. We are excited to bring our brand and product to market,” says Britten Maughan, President of Lids. Through these four retail openings, Lids is expected to create several new jobs in the London market.

The London store openings are the first of many planned from Lids heading into 2022 as the retailer looks to double down on its global footprint. “Expanding in the UK is our top priority at Lids,” says Tom Ripley, Chairman and CEO of Lids and Partner Co-Founder at Ames Watson, the parent company to Lids. “Lids has become one of the strongest retailers in North America and we’re thrilled to take this growth internationally as we look to open 100+ standalone Lids stores in new markets. There has already been great success with the London NBA store operated by Lids since its grand opening earlier this year, and we are excited to introduce standalone Lids stores to an even larger audience of British customers.”

News of this international growth follows the retailer’s exponential growth into a billion-dollar business since being acquired by Ames Watson in 2019. To date, Lids operates nearly 2,000 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada, including through its ongoing retail partnerships with Macy’s and Designer Brands. Lids also operates the newly opened National Hockey League (NHL) flagship store in New York City as well as the National Basketball Association (NBA) flagship stores in New York City and London. Lids is the world’s largest retailer specializing in the sale of officially licensed and branded headwear with over 30 million hats sold annually.

About Lids

Lids Sports Group is the largest licensed sports retailer in North America, selling fan and fashion-oriented headwear and apparel across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico through almost 2,000 retail locations. Indianapolis-based Lids Sports Group carries officially licensed and branded gear aimed at empowering customers to represent their unique and individual style, team, passion and fun. Lids Sports Group operates stores under the Lids, Locker Room by Lids, Fanzz, Yankees Clubhouse Shops, Dodgers Clubhouse, Cardinals Clubhouse, and numerous other nameplates. Lids also has locations within select Macy’s department stores nationwide.

CREATIVE SPARKS FLY IN NEW LEXUS CAMPAIGN

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Lexus collaborates with a dynamic group of artists on original song, music video

In its new marketing campaign, “Emotional Sparks,” Lexus celebrates its commitment to engineering vehicles that deliver the freedom, excitement and inspiration drivers need to spark their creative visions. To bring the campaign to life, Lexus partnered with a group of musical artists who gain first-hand experience with innovations like Lexus Teammate™ Advanced Drive Technology found in the new LS500h, Remote Park and Plug-In Hybrid Electric technology on the all-new NX and the exhilarating 5.0L, naturally-aspirated V8 engine performance of the first-ever IS 500. Motivated by their in-vehicle experiences, the artists collaborate (for the first time) to create an original music track inspired by innovation and performance.

Titled “No Ceiling,” the track was created by three-time Grammy nominated, American record producers and songwriting duo Nova Wav, Korean-American R&B artist Audrey Nuna and Argentinian freestyle rapper Ecko, and is available on major streaming platforms. For the music video, renowned dancer and choreographer Zak Ryan Schlegel brought the song to life. Both the song and music video are live now at www.lexus.com/sparks.

“‘No Ceiling’ captures that limitless feeling you have when you’re driving and your favorite song comes on,” said Nova Wav, Warner Chappell Music songwriters. “We loved producing this track with Audrey and Ecko and seeing Zak’s moves. The energy of our collaboration comes through in the video and the commercials.”

“At Lexus, our inspiration comes from our guests, and this campaign beautifully showcases the very best of Lexus’ guest passions, energy and excitement,” said Vinay Shahani, vice president of Lexus marketing. “Prioritizing how our guests feel while driving and owning a Lexus is critical and provides the spark for us to develop cutting-edge features like our all-new multimedia system called Lexus Interface and Teammate™ Advanced Drive technology.”

While the “No Ceiling” music video provides an overall look at the collaboration, four :30 TV spots focus on the individual artists and songwriters. Each spot features an excerpt of “No Ceiling” and its inspiration:

“Plug In, Play Loud” – Nova Wav listens to Audrey Nuna’s vocals while navigating city streets on electric power in the new 2022 NX plug-in hybrid vehicle.

“Hands To The Sky” – Audrey Nuna’s lyrics take shape as she gets behind the wheel of the 2022 LS 500h, activating the all-new Lexus Teammate™ Advanced Drive technology.
“La Via Rapida” – Warner Chappell Music’s Ecko is invigorated by the performance of the IS 500, crafting his verses as he pushes the throttle.

“The Asphalt Stage” – Zak Ryan Schlegel brings a dancer’s perspective as he performs movements inspired by the NX 350h’s Remote Park, a function of Advanced Park.

The “Emotional Sparks” TV spots will air during primetime, late night and sports, including the NFL, college football, NHL and Premier League. The campaign also includes advanced TV, digital, social, print and out of home.

A variety of media partnerships will provide content celebrating innovative creative processes. In partnership with Playbill, The Times Square Alliance and The Broadway League, Lexus will be the Auto Presenting Sponsor of Curtain Up!, a three-day celebration marking the return of Broadway to the heart of Times Square. Additional media partnerships will roll out over the coming months.

For additional details, visit www.lexus.com/sparks.

Moon Taxi × Silver Dream Tour

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Nashville-based alt-rock band Moon Taxi have added Nashville’s premier vinyl disco DJs Sparkle City Disco and small-town organic farmers turned major label rock stars Illiterate Light along with a host of other friends including Futurebirds, Olympic Music, and AFTM to their national headline Silver Dream tour this summer/fall.

The tour will find Moon Taxi and friends playing the Iroquois Amphitheater in Louisville, KY on August 7 and continuing through into the fall hitting venues such as New York City’s famed Webster Hall, The Ogden in Denver, Delmar Hall in St. Louis, and two nights at the brand new 2,200-capacity concert hall The Eastern in Atlanta, Georgia where the run will conclude over the Thanksgiving holiday. For more info visit Moon Taxi’s website.

Moon Taxi has thrived on the touring circuit for years, bringing their electric performances to Coachella, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, and beyond. The band also celebrated a career-defining moment as “Nashville’s own” in October ’17 when they performed at a two night, sold-out run at the famed Ryman Auditorium earning praise from the Tennessean (“Moon Taxi evolves from ‘college project’ to rock stars”). Their music has been embraced as well by brands using their songs for many commercial and TV placements – from JEEP, to Microsoft Surface Pro, McDonald’s, to BMW, along with landmark sporting events including the Olympics, MLB, NFL, and NHL and HBO Sports. Their songs are motivational and energizing, and they have become a “go-to” band for songs that inspire forging ahead.

Michael E. Jordan – Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist

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From very humble beginnings, Michael E. Jordan has elevated the UNRL brand with core values, quality of product, and a spirit of giving back to the community.

UNRL announced that its founder and CEO, Michael E. Jordan, has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious Entrepreneur of The Year® Award, Heartland Region, presented by Ernst & Young. Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, UNRL is an athletic apparel brand that specializes in creating functional athletic clothing.

After an intensive nomination and selection process, Jordan was identified as one of 36 finalists within the seven-state Heartland region. This award honors game-changing business leaders who rise above challenges using ingenuity, courage, and ambition. Nominees are evaluated based on six criteria: entrepreneurial leadership; talent management; degree of difficulty; financial performance; societal impact and building a values-based company; and originality, innovation, and future plans.

Jordan founded UNRL in his mother’s basement seven years ago with an investment of a mere $300 and has since grown the company exponentially year after year. Today, UNRL has 19 employees and is on track to reach 8 figures in annual sales. All of this was done with hard work and entrepreneurial spirit, without any outside investment or business loans.

UNRL products are sold in various retailers throughout the country including Scheels Sporting Goods, PGA Tour Superstore, various NHL, and NFL Pro Shops. One of their most notable apparel partnerships is with the social media powerhouse Barstool Sports. UNRL takes great pride in the quality of their product and their attention to how business is operated.

“It’s an incredible honor to be selected as a finalist for this award,” said Jordan. “I don’t view this as an individual achievement, this is a testament to my team. It’s been a collective effort with 100% buy-in from every member of our team. Without that, we wouldn’t be here today. I believe we are growing this business the right way, and it is meaningful to be recognized for that. I’m very grateful for all the support Ernst & Young has provided throughout this process.”

Jordan said that he has high expectations for the UNRL brand in the future; articulating plans to surpass the $10 million annual revenue marker within 12 months and reach the $100 million milestone by 2029. In doing so, continuing to donate 15% of net proceeds to nonprofits including the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital.

“I am very competitive by nature. I’ve been an athlete my whole life,” said Jordan. “I pride myself on continuous improvement and doing things the right way to leave a positive legacy on the industry. The Entrepreneur Of the Year® Award has my respect because it’s a challenge against the best in the business, and we have something to prove. I want to win this.”

Regional winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award will be announced in late July. The National Entrepreneur of the Year Award will be handed out on November 13.

ABOUT THE ERNST & YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD:

Entrepreneur Of the Year® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth, and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur of the Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National Overall winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur of The Year™ title.

ABOUT UNRL:

UNRL is a clothing brand that bridges the gap between functional and casual. Their clothing is designed to take you from the office to the gym, or the airport to the golf course. UNRL creates all products with three principles in mind: style, comfort, and versatility. Everything is crafted from scratch with premium hand-selected materials and tailored for a great fit. UNRL is here to instill confidence in the athlete that strives to do more.

NFL Highest Average Franchise Value

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NFL Highest Average Franchise Value Among North American Sports Leagues – Over $3B in 2020

The North American sports industry is one of the most lucrative industries in the world. Since 2010 the average franchise value of the four major North American sports leagues has risen at a dramatic rate. Iconic franchises such as the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys, just to name a few, are now worth billions of dollars.

According to data presented by Safe Betting Sites, the NFL had the highest average franchise value among the major North American sports leagues while the NBA had the highest CAGR from 2010-2020.

NFL Average Franchise Value Over $3B in 2020; NHL Only League to Experience A Decline

In 2020 the average value of NFL franchises stood at $3.045B – the highest average franchise value among the four major North American sports leagues. This figure was a 6.5%YoY increase from 2019’s value of $2.86B. The NBA had the second-largest average franchise value after leapfrogging MLB in 2019.

The average value of an NBA franchise stood at $2.123B in 2020, a 13.65% YoY increase from 2019 – the highest rate of increase among the four leagues. The NHL was the only North American sports league that experienced a decline in its average franchise value for 2020. The average value of an NHL team in 2020 stood at $653M, 2.1% less than 2019’s average value of $667M.

NBA Had Highest CAGR from 2010-2020 – 19.19%

North American sports leagues enjoyed significant growth in the last decade. In 2014 the average franchise value of the NFL, NBA and MLB had all crossed the $1B mark while the NHL crossed the $500M mark for the first time. In the period from 2010-2020, it was the NBA that experienced the highest growth among North America’s sports leagues.

In 2010 the average franchise value of the NBA stood at only $367M. Since then, this value has experienced an impressive 10-Year CAGR of 19.19% – the highest CAGR among the leagues. MLB registered the second largest CAGR of 14.2% while both the NFL and NHL had a CAGR of just over 11%.

Dallas Cowboys, NY Knicks, NY Yankees and NY Rangers Most Valuable Franchises Per League

The Dallas Cowboys of the NFL is the most valuable North American sports franchise with an estimated value of $5.5B in 2020. New York solidified its place as North America’s most lucrative sports market with the three other most valuable teams in their respective leagues calling it home. The Yankees, Knicks and Rangers were worth $5.25B, $5B, and $1.65B respectively in 2020.

You can read more about the story with more statistics and information here.

How Does Online Sports Betting Work?

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With more and more of the world spending time at home, the interest in leisure activities has shifted. Over the past year or so, many are looking for ways to relax without spending a fortune. With trips to casinos often on hold and card nights amongst friends canceled, those who have fun gambling are often at a loss.

However, activities such as sports betting are available online and easy for anyone to get started. For those who don’t know how sports betting online works, it can feel like a scam. Worse yet, it can be a self-destructive hobby. In reality, it’s neither. Sports betting doesn’t require a large financial investment or blind faith in a website. In fact, many reputable sports betting sites will give you a hand getting started.

Is Online Sports Betting Illegal?

Absolutely not. While many forms of gambling, including online poker and blackjack, are now illegal in some countries, online sports betting is perfectly legitimate. There are, of course, strict rules and regulations that keep the industry in check. However, these rules and regulations are for the benefit of those placing bets. The crackdown on internet gambling that began a few years ago made sure that those sports betting sites that operate today are trustworthy and honest.

You can win real money with online sports betting, but most players deal in small amounts. The thrill of winning is not necessarily in the form of a briefcase full of cash but the fun of rooting for your favorite teams and players.

How Do I Get Started?

If you’ve placed money on a game before, you’re likely somewhat familiar with sports betting. The goal is to maximize the opportunities to win, plain and simple. However, each website has its own way of handling transactions and making bets. Before you begin playing, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations.

Read the fine print carefully to find out how long it takes for winnings to hit your account, when you can cash out, and how many transactions you can place in any given period. Fans of sports betting online tend to enjoy the convenience of logging in and seeing all activity in one place. That way, betting and money management are simpler.

What Is a “No-Deposit” Bonus?

It may sound too good to be true, but sometimes there’s such a thing as free money! Most large online sports betting establishments attract customers by offering a no-deposit bonus. This means you’ll be given a certain amount of money just for signing up and completing registration, a perk of many gaming and gambling sites.

However, in sports betting, it’s not just applicable to your first deposit. You have the option to only bet using the money given to you as a bonus. It’s typically a small amount, from $5 to $15. If you win, you’ll win real money as with any other kind of bet. If you lose, you’ve only lost free bonus money. Many websites even return this in some form. It’s a wonderful way to ease into a new hobby or check out a new website.

How Do I Know if This Is for Me?

The benefit of the no-deposit bonus is that, win or lose, you have a sense of how online sports betting works and the culture of a particular website. Many will also offer chat rooms, forums, and interactive tools that connect players. Any new hobby tends to be fun when shared with like-minded individuals, and it’s not necessary to study sports and stats to enjoy betting.

If you end up not enjoying a particular site or sports betting doesn’t hold your interest, there’s nothing lost. With a responsible and knowledgeable attitude, though, many find fun and success. The past year has been one of exploring new interests from the comfort of home for many people. Why not give it a try?

Blink and You’ll Miss it!

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Canadian Ice Hockey

Watch just one professional ice hockey match and we guarantee you will be hooked for life. It’s one of the most exciting and fast-paced sports in the world; with players skating at up to 25mph and a puck flying towards the goal at 100mph, you will understand why you can’t afford to blink!

Betting is a huge part of Canadian ice hockey culture and one that is featured heavily by all of the best sports betting sites on wetten.com, where you are certain to find a bookmaker that fits the bill.

You can certainly add even more excitement by betting on ice hockey matches, although we don’t recommend some of the in-play options until you are fully conversant with what’s happening on the ice!

Love the sport – how do I bet?

Ice hockey is one of the rare games played over three sessions rather than two halves. Play is three 20-minute periods, with sufficient time between each for the players to get their breath back and plan strategy, for the Zamboni to restore the ice to pristine and for spectators to grab a much-needed beer.

The most common type of bet is Moneyline, which means a straight wager on which of the two teams you think will win the match. There are lots of others too; you could place a bet on your prediction of the score, or total number of goals at the end of each period of play, for example.

Ice hockey is both addictive and interactive. Although it is unlikely you will be able to attend a live match for a while yet, extended TV coverage and live-streaming from select bookmakers is currently bridging the NHL gap, both doing their best to keep the fan base happy until spectators are let loose again.

I want to bet – what’s the best plan?

The NHL currently comprises 31 teams, 24 located in the US and 7 from Canada. During the regular ice hockey season, each team will play 82 matches, 41 at their home rink and 41 away games. As you can see, that is a lot of matches and one hell of a lot of statistics.

If you intend to wager seriously based on studying stats, then your first port of call has to be the official NHL website, where you will find more statistics than you can comprehend, as well as all of the ice hockey rules and regulations too.

Don’t be daunted, if you only want to wager for fun, there are plenty of more ‘novel’ bets to catch your attention. Emotions run high on the ice and players often resort to physicality to settle their differences, usually leading to penalties plus a time-out in the ‘sin bin,’ you can even bet on that aspect if you like.

I prefer to follow the Canadian teams – where can I find out more?

No country in the world loves ice hockey as much as Canada and it has more professional teams than any similarly-populated part of the US, from a per capita perspective.

There are seven NHL teams playing out of Canada, all with their own websites and fan pages, where you can find out everything you need to know about the teams and individual players:

•Montreal Canadians

•Toronto Maple Leafs

•Vancouver Canucks

•Edmonton Oilers

•Calgary Flames

•Ottawa Senators

•Winnipeg Jets

Canada undoubtedly has some of the best ice hockey teams in the world and we know exactly how seriously Canadians take this sport. If your betting strategy is based largely around the seven Canadian teams playing in the NHL, then keeping up with all of the latest news is vital.

Particularly so for this season, as current Covid restrictions mean that changes have been made to Canadian match arrangements, which could affect your strategy.

Which bookie is best for Canadian ice hockey?

Canadian bookies come in many shapes and sizes, all of them offering betting on NHL matches. However, there are a select few Canadian operations that specialise in ice hockey betting, which we believe can offer you the best all-round experience.

Don’t forget to have fun!

It really doesn’t matter whether you have just discovered the joys of ice hockey or you are a lifelong fan, everyone sings off the same hymn sheet in the crowds, dress up in your team jersey and be prepared to shout, cheer and stamp as necessary.

You will never find another sport where everything moves so fast and where every second counts. Whether you are betting or not, you will certainly enjoy!

NBA Protests

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by Justin Lyons

The clock struck 4:05 p.m. on Aug 26 in Orlando, and neither the Magic nor the Bucks were on the court for the tip-off of the fifth game of their playoff series.

Playing their home games just 40 miles from Kenosha, Wisconsin, it’s safe to say that the shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha police literally hit close to home for the Bucks players.

The Orlando Magic originally took the court for their game, but they decided to leave when it appeared the Bucks weren’t coming. That court was now empty aside from the NBA logos, the regulation markings and “Black Lives Matter” in bold text across the side closest to the scorer’s table.

Then, the tweet from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski came at 4:13 p.m. Orlando time saying that the Bucks officially decided to boycott the fifth game of the series.

News broke later that the Rockets, Thunder, Trail Blazers and Lakers all decided to boycott their games, as well, in a show of unity.

It was the spark that started the fire, as basketball wouldn’t be played again until Aug. 29.

Bucks guard George Hill was one of the most outspoken players on the team regarding the shooting of Jacob Blake, making it very clear that he couldn’t continue to play basketball to distract from the reality of what’s happening in the United States.

The Brewers, the Milwaukee baseball team that plays its home games just a short drive from where the Bucks play, also decided to cancel their Aug. 26 game against the Reds.

Brewers star Christian Yelich said it was a unanimous decision from the team to not play.

“I think the Bucks spearheaded it for us,” Yelich said. “They started the discussion. It gave us a conversation to have. It was eye-opening for us, and we felt like it was the right thing to do.”

The NHL also joined in the protests, postponing games Aug. 27 and Aug. 28.

Later on the night of Aug. 26, Shams Charania reported via Twitter that the Lakers and Clippers, both of which are still contenders for the title, voted to boycott the rest of the season. LeBron James reportedly led the movement to cancel the season, which is no surprise given his history of fighting for social justice.

Giannis Antetokounmpo said the Bucks were able to get in contact with Blake’s father very quickly. Blake’s father was moved to tears by the gesture.

According to an article from ESPN, Antetokounmpo said, “Obviously, it’s gonna be games that you come in and score 30, 35, 50 or whatever the case might be, but that you’re going to remember. The way we felt, we’re going to remember the way we felt for the rest of our lives.”

The Bucks were eliminated from the playoffs Tuesday, which begs the question of how they will respond. Hill expressed disappointment that he had to be in the Orlando bubble instead of fighting for justice, so it should be interesting to see where the Bucks go from here.

Eyes are also shifting to the NFL, which starts Thursday. The entire nation will have its eyes on protests and social justice initiatives from a league that has been just as outspoken as the NBA.