Latest news with #AtlantaOlympics
Axios
16-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
WNBA expansion teams are entering a league transformed
When Cleveland's WNBA team takes the court in 2028, it will enter a league vastly different from the one the Rockers unceremoniously exited in 2003. Why it matters: This time around, the yet-to-be-named team — along with forthcoming expansion teams in Toronto, Portland, Detroit and Philadelphia — can expect a larger fan base, bigger paychecks and brighter spotlights. The big picture: Ownership groups in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia each ponied up $250 million to secure expansion teams announced earlier this month, record-breaking sums that speak to the explosive growth of a league that was once a backwater and a laughingstock. It's now the hottest brand in pro sports. Owners who in the early aughts struggled to find investors for their distressed assets are now clambering for a piece of a rapidly expanding pie. Driving the news: This weekend's WNBA All-Star Game will feature Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark — one of the biggest reasons for the league's surging popularity — captaining a team on her home court, though she is questionable to play after an injury Tuesday. The 18,000-seat Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis sold out within hours. Flashback: In 2003, the Cleveland Rockers' average attendance was 7,400 per game, a stat juiced by discounted and complimentary tickets. The Rockers were one of the WNBA's eight charter franchises, but failed to turn a profit in each of their seven seasons. Team owner Gordon Gund, who also owned the NBA's Cavaliers, cut ties shortly after that season, and the team folded when Gund and the WNBA were unable to find local investors to assume ownership. Between the lines: Gund was not alone. The WNBA had surfed a cresting wave of enthusiasm for women's sports after the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but for years was unable to capture sports fans' sustained attention and spending power. Even the dynastic Houston Comets, who won the WNBA's first four championships, couldn't attract investors at an asking price of $12 million after the league took over the team in 2007. It folded a year later, to the dismay of its former stars. Fast forward: The landscape couldn't be more different today, as the WNBA monetizes the success of magnetic college superstars like Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers. It's now the fifth-most popular league nationwide, behind only the men's big four leagues: the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. Last year, the WNBA signed a lucrative media rights deal that will reportedly net it $200 million per year. Zoom in: Cavaliers CEO Nic Barlage told reporters in a press conference last week that the record-setting 2024 Women's Final Four in Cleveland was a good sign that the city was ready for a WNBA franchise. "Every key performance indicator we've looked at over the last three years has this trajectory that you haven't seen in and around a sports asset in quite some time," he said. "What was even more important to us was the way that communities engage with these assets. They really wrap their arms around these teams." What's next: Cities are doubling down on their investments with ancillary developments like practice facilities for their WNBA teams.
Sydney Morning Herald
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Vale The Back Page, a rare and beautiful exception to Hunter S Thompson's TV dictum
'The TV business is uglier than most things,' Hunter S Thomson famously wrote. 'It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason. Which is more or less true. For the most part, they are dirty little animals with huge brains and no pulse.' Harsh, I know! But there are many exceptions. One of them was The Back Page, the sports panel show which has finished up this week after a 29-year run. As one who was on it for its first decade and a bitty, I have been inundated with emails, texts and calls this week, from those lamenting its demise. Inevitably, many of the obits have focused on its latter years – which is fair enough because, to my amazement, it has been bloody successful for the last two decades, too, and really was a great show. With its latter-day incarnation hosted by Tony Squires and boasting panellists such as Crash Craddock, Adam Spencer and Candice Warner, the thing was still working and doing great box office. I have no clue why Fox Sports has cut it off at the knees, save the possibility its new owners, the British-based DAZN, intend to channel more foreign content to this small outpost on the other side of the planet at the expense of local content. But I digress. For my obit, let me focus a little on the first decade, when The Back Page proved the antithesis of Thompson's dictum. It was a terrific show because we all really liked each other, and were close friends well beyond whatever we put to air. The show was the idea of the veteran sports producer Saul Shtein. Knowing that Mike Gibson, the iconic sports broadcaster from Wide World of Sports, would be at the Atlanta Olympics at the same time as me, Saul asked me to duchess him on the idea of the show, after Mike had politely rejected his first approach. Mike and I got together one day at the beach volleyball, when Australia had just got the gold medal, and I pitched again.
The Age
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Vale The Back Page, a rare and beautiful exception to Hunter S Thompson's TV dictum
'The TV business is uglier than most things,' Hunter S Thomson famously wrote. 'It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason. Which is more or less true. For the most part, they are dirty little animals with huge brains and no pulse.' Harsh, I know! But there are many exceptions. One of them was The Back Page, the sports panel show which has finished up this week after a 29-year run. As one who was on it for its first decade and a bitty, I have been inundated with emails, texts and calls this week, from those lamenting its demise. Inevitably, many of the obits have focused on its latter years – which is fair enough because, to my amazement, it has been bloody successful for the last two decades, too, and really was a great show. With its latter-day incarnation hosted by Tony Squires and boasting panellists such as Crash Craddock, Adam Spencer and Candice Warner, the thing was still working and doing great box office. I have no clue why Fox Sports has cut it off at the knees, save the possibility its new owners, the British-based DAZN, intend to channel more foreign content to this small outpost on the other side of the planet at the expense of local content. But I digress. For my obit, let me focus a little on the first decade, when The Back Page proved the antithesis of Thompson's dictum. It was a terrific show because we all really liked each other, and were close friends well beyond whatever we put to air. The show was the idea of the veteran sports producer Saul Shtein. Knowing that Mike Gibson, the iconic sports broadcaster from Wide World of Sports, would be at the Atlanta Olympics at the same time as me, Saul asked me to duchess him on the idea of the show, after Mike had politely rejected his first approach. Mike and I got together one day at the beach volleyball, when Australia had just got the gold medal, and I pitched again.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Olympic champion Wang Junxia joins Hong Kong via talent scheme, runs with Lee Lai-shan at Tamar Park
Olympic gold medalists highlight jogging event in Hong Kong Wang Junxia , the former Chinese long-distance running champion known as the "Oriental Deer," has moved to Hong Kong through the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme . On Tuesday, June 17, she joined a morning jogging event at Tamar Park with her daughter Huang Danting , the national youth long-distance running champion, and Hong Kong's first Olympic gold medalist, Lee Lai-shan. The event, organized by Legislative Council member Sheung Hoi-lung's office, began at Tamar Park and ended at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai. Both Wang and Lee brought their Olympic gold medals, which they won at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and posed for photographs with attendees. Also read: Is Victor Wembanyama in search of inner peace? 7'3' NBA star spotted at China's Shaolin Temple with shaved Wang expressed gratitude for being welcomed into the Hong Kong community. 'I am very honored to be a member of Hong Kong,' she said. Recalling her previous visit in 1996 as part of the Chinese athlete delegation, Wang said she was impressed by the city's enthusiasm. 'The late businessman Henry Fok gave each Chinese athlete a one-kilogram gold medal at that time,' she noted. Live Events She added, 'I was called the 'Oriental Deer,' and I feel I have a special connection with Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient.' Wang also said she would 'work hard to learn Cantonese.' Wang Junxia plans to contribute to sports in Hong Kong Wang Junxia has remained active in sports promotion since retiring from competitive athletics. During the event, she emphasized her intention to contribute to Hong Kong's sports development. 'I hope to do my best for Hong Kong, especially in sports,' she said. She also expressed optimism about the future of the city's talent programs. 'I look forward to more talents from all walks of life coming to Hong Kong to contribute to its development,' she said. Deputy Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Wu Jianmin also attended the event. Wu stated that since the launch of the government's talent-attraction policies in late 2022, a total of 470,000 applications have been received. Of those, 310,000 were approved and 210,000 individuals have already arrived in Hong Kong. Wu said the figures reflect Hong Kong's continued appeal to global talent. Also read: IOC finds Olympic sponsor in China through 2032 to replace Panasonic of Japan Youth champion Huang Danting aspires to represent Hong Kong Wang's daughter, Huang Danting, also addressed the crowd. She noted that the day was personally significant as it marked both her birthday and her formal recognition as a Hong Kong resident. Huang credited her mother for introducing her to long-distance running and said she discovered a natural aptitude for the sport. 'I hope to represent Hong Kong in the future,' Huang said. Lee Lai-shan, who joined the run as a guest of honor, welcomed Wang's arrival. 'As a Hong Kong citizen and athlete, I very much welcome Wang Junxia to Hong Kong,' Lee said. She expressed confidence that Wang's experience would benefit local athletes and contribute to the city's athletic growth.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Every Atlanta Itinerary Should Include A Meal In This Historic Neighborhood
Atlanta can be an overwhelming place to visit, especially the first time you go. You likely know that Ponce City Market is a must-see spot, walking the Beltline is another thing to check off, and that the international cuisine on Buford Highway can transport you around the world from a single stretch of road. But as a city made up of smaller, interconnected neighborhoods, one of the best ways to explore Atlanta is through a single pocket. And one of the most exciting corners of the city, particularly for food lovers, is Summerhill, an area rich in history undergoing a renaissance that visitors would be remiss to overlook. Located just south of downtown, Summerhill, established in 1865, is one of the oldest parts of the city. The earliest residents of the neighborhood were freed slaves and Jewish immigrants, and it was once the most prosperous African American neighborhood in Atlanta. Georgia Avenue, which runs through the heart of the area, was a commerce center, filled with stores and restaurants from the 1920s through 1950s, but the development of the Downtown Connector (I-75/85) emptied out the neighborhood. Atlanta Intown reported that, "The construction of the Downtown Connector... had caused a mass exodus from Summerhill and surrounding neighborhoods as wrecking balls and bulldozers cleared what was once a prosperous and lively part of the Southside." The publication noted that only a few thousand residents remained in Summerhill before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The city then built the Centennial Olympic Stadium in the neighborhood, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as track and field events. This development promised growth, which unfortunately never materialized. The stadium became Turner Field, home of Atlanta Braves baseball for almost two decades before the team relocated to the suburbs, and made Cobb County their new home. The stadium was then acquired by Georgia State University for its football team. For a while, the neighborhood was mostly parking lots, and considered a food desert up until 2023, when a Publix finally opened in the area. This, coupled with up-and-coming chefs opening new restaurants and local retailers moving into the area, once again mostly concentrated on Georgia Avenue, has contributed to the incredible rebirth of Summerhill as one of the most vibrant parts of the city. Anywhere along Georgia Avenue is a great bet, but we've also included favorites located beyond this one busy street. When Anthony Bourdain pronounces that a croissant is "very good," you know the baker's onto something. Owner Sarah O'Brien proudly displays his endorsement (and iconic photo) from the Summerhill outpost of her Atlanta bakery. Bourdain actually visited the original location in nearby Grant Park, but you're in good hands at any of her locations. The benne seed-studded cookies make a great afternoon pick-me-up, but if you swing by early in the day, when the case is at its fullest, you'll have the best selection of pastries. The menu rotates regularly but staples, like a buttery croissant, are always available. There's also sugar-dusted morning buns, quiche, and seasonal fruit galettes with ultra-tender crusts. 68 Georgia Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312 Bonus: Next door is O'Brien's sister concept, Big Sofie, which swirls soft serve in both classic and off-beat flavors, including dairy-free options. The ice cream shop also has custom hard shells, such as the bright orange passionfruit dip, and a litany of crunchy toppings like cornflake streusel, honeycomb, and of course, sprinkles. How Crispy Express may sound like a restaurant name generated by AI, but we promise this place is not only real, but real delicious. It specializes in crispy fried chicken, emphasis on the crispy part. Your choice of white or dark meat is freshly fried to order and then sauced in a variety of tasty combinations. You can opt for wings or nuggets, but the sandwich section of the menu is where you should set your focus. The Lemon Pepper Wet sandwich comes dripping in buffalo sauce and lemon pepper seasoning—an ode to the famous Atlanta wing flavor, but the Honey Boi, which smothers the chicken in a garlic-honey butter, and pairs it with a sesame slaw, sweet pickles, and a lime mayo on a "good bun," (their words, and very accurate) is a standout. The pro move is to order it spicy, for a hot honey meets Nashville-fried chicken effect. 71 Georgia Ave SE Unit B, Atlanta, GA 30312Traveling with a pup? Outdoor seating on Georgia Avenue, between Wood's Chapel Barbecue and How Crispy Express, is perfect for dining al fresco with a dog. Little Tart Bakery also has a few tables outside, making it easy to string your pet along. Press Shop (see below) also welcomes furry friends walk-in only spot specializes in Thai cooking. Leave the car on Georgia Avenue and take a 10 minute stroll through the neighborhood to the restaurant, passing historic homes on the way. Offerings change daily (check their Instagram for menu updates), but generally you'll find gorgeous salads bursting with bright Thai flavors and seasonal Georgia produce, vibrant noodle dishes, and fresh seafood. If the crispy rice salad is available, don't hesitate to order it. For those wondering, 'Talat' means market in Thai, which cheekily means the business translates to 'market market'. It's a humor that permeates through to the food, and the casual but fun dining room that's decked out in eclectic art and a colorful wall-spanning mural. The chefs, Rod Lassiter and Parnass Savang, received a nomination for Best Chef Southeast by the James Beard Awards last year, and one bite in, you'll know it was well-deserved. 112 Ormond Street SE, Atlanta, GA 30315There's too much good food in Summerhill to limit ourselves to just one dinner suggestion. If you aren't up for the walk to Talat Market, stay on Georgia Avenue, and grab a seat at Southern National. Chef Duane Nutter brings his own signature style to Southern staples. Start with the pimento cheese plate, then follow it up with any of his excellent entrees (like the Lamb Burger Helper). Just don't forget to order a side of his 72 Georgia Avenue SE Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30312This casual brewery offers a variety of German and Czech-style beers on draft, as well as cocktails, wine, and non-alcoholic options. There's a full menu of German and Belgium-inspired bites, like pork schnitzel sliders, brats, and pretzels. Dogs are welcome on the rooftop and biergarten, and there's a regular slate of events , from trivia to live music, to enjoy. 60 Georgia Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30312 Bonus: Redacted Basement Drink Parlor is the newest addition to the neighborhood, and the first proper bar. Located under Georgia Avenue, you'll find the entrance around the side of the building on Reed Street. The menu is a mix of classics, like a daiquiri or paper plane, but also creative originals like the Froot Loop Milk Punch, complete with a cereal garnish. As for food, they only offer a charcuterie board, but allow guests to bring in outside food. Grab something on Georgia Avenue to-go, then pop down to the basement for something to wash it down. 63 Georgia Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30312 Go beyond food and explore all of the neighborhood has to offer. Self-described as a 'no crap' space, this shop is filled with a thoughtful selection of products, from Spicewalla spices and the latest fiction releases, to speciality wines and high-quality yarns. There's a pet section too, and sometimes a shop dog to greet you—regulars' pups are also a fixture, like Luna, who visits every day. The business offers custom letterpress stationery (hence the name), and you'll see a gorgeous antique press right as you enter the shop. 72 Georgia Avenue SE Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30312 If you have some downtime, stop in for a facial at this local salon. The Alchemist, a service for all skin types, was named the best facial in the city by Atlanta magazine, but there's many great options tailored to specific skin needs. You can also get a great blowout, perhaps before heading to dinner at Talat Market or Southern National. 72 Georgia Avenue SE Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30312 If you're looking for a family-friendly activity, fuel up on food on Georgia Avenue, then take a walk east to Grant Park, the oldest surviving city park in Atlanta, and home to Zoo Atlanta, known for its giant pandas. It's best to buy tickets and plan an itinerary in advance (for example, to book one of the giraffe feedings). If you're traveling during the holidays, there are animal-themed light displays that kids and adults both love. 800 Cherokee Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30315 You have a few options on how to travel to Summerhill. The area is just a short drive from your downtown or midtown hotel. Once you arrive, you can easily abandon your car for the afternoon or evening, and explore Summerhill on foot. Part of visiting (or living in) Atlanta is dealing with parking, however. There is some street parking along Georgia Avenue (be sure to check time limits), which will put you near most of the recommendations below. There's also a convenient lot on the corner of Georgia Avenue and Fraser Street marked with a "Feeling Good in Summerhill" sign, if you find yourself circling the block. MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) runs public transit for the city of Atlanta. You can use the service a few different ways to get to Summerhill, but first, download the MARTA 'On the Go' app for schedules and real-time service updates. To purchase fares directly on your phone and use contactless readers on the bus or at stations, download the Breeze Mobile 2.0 app. By bus: Catch the 55 bus from the Five Points Station, or use the 832 bus from the West End Station. (A new MARTA Rapid Summerhill Line is also expected to debut this summer.) By rail: Get off at the Georgia State Station. Exit on Capitol Avenue/Hank Aaron Drive and walk one mile south. This is a 20 minute walk, but you will stroll past The Georgia Capitol and the Atlanta Olympic Cauldron Tower on the way. You can use ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft from the station too, or rent an e-scooter to quickly zip down Capitol Avenue from companies like Lime, Bird, or Spin (see here for more details on e-scooter rentals), they don't come with helmets, however. Read the original article on Southern Living
