Latest news with #SheilaHamp
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TGL's $70M Detroit Expansion Team Backed by Lions, Broncos Owners
Detroit Lions owner Sheila Hamp will be a co-owner of the Motor City Golf Club when it joins the Florida-based indoor golf league TGL in 2027. Hamp's son Michael will be the team's governor as one of the principals in Middle West Partners, which leads the new ownership group. Denver Broncos owner Rob Walton will also have owner's suite privileges at SoFi Center. And they won't be alone among NFL affiliates at the highest levels of the tech-infused golf competition. TGL announced the expansion club Tuesday, saying Detroit will join the six original franchises for the 2027 season. According to a person familiar with the transaction, Motor City paid more than $70 million for a spot in the league, which could see further expansion after its debut season. That's more than double the entry fee for founding teams. A TGL spokesperson declined to comment on the team's expansion price. TGL parent company TMRW Sports was valued at nearly $500 million in a 2024 funding round. Advertisement More from Owners tied to the Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Kraken, Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Rockies were all reportedly spotted at TGL matches in 2025 as big-name sports investors eye the upstart league. Washington Commanders co-owner David Blitzer, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen are among those already invested in teams. 'We really like those team owners that are operators of other sports teams and other professional leagues in their communities,' TMRW Sports founder Mike McCarley said last year. In recent weeks, expansion speculation has followed news that TGL Holdings filed trademark requests for 'Chicago Links Golf Club' and 'Texas Golf Club' in addition to 'Motor City Golf Club.' A Dallas-based group has reportedly put up $77 million to land a team. Advertisement TGL has also considered adding women to its competition—and possibly opening a West Coast playing venue as well. L.A. Golf Club owner Alexis Ohanian said in April that he expects the team to achieve profitability in year two. The Motor City ownership group also includes technology entrepreneur Kal Somani, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League; Ronin Capital Partners, led by Jay Farner, former CEO of Rocket Companies; and sports investment firm RHC Group. A PGA Tour event sponsored by Rocket Mortgage has been held at Detroit Golf Club in Michigan since 2019. Middle West Partners didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Michael Hamp's grandfather, William Clay Ford Sr.—himself the grandson of Henry Ford—purchased the Detroit Lions in 1964 for $6 million. (This story has been updated in the penultimate paragraph with mention of Middle West Partners not immediately responding to comment.) Advertisement Best of Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Detroit's Motor City Golf Club to join TGL as expansion team in 2027
Detroit's golf scene is about to add a new player. TMRW Golf League (TGL) announced May 20 it will expand to a seventh city, Detroit, in 2027. The team will be known as the Motor City Golf Club and will be owned by a group involving Sheila Hamp, the primary owner of the Detroit Lions. Advertisement Detroit was rumored as an expansion city along with Chicago and Dallas earlier in May when a trademark application was filed for the name "Motor City Golf Club." TGL was founded in 2022 by Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and media executive Mike McCarley, who commented on the new expansion team out of Detroit: 'Detroit is a fantastic sports city has a championship legacy and Detroit fans are passionate about their teams and they'll let you know it." TGL played its inaugural season in 2024 featuring six teams: Atlanta Drive, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club and The Bay Golf Club. Motor City Golf Club will make up the league's seventh team once it begins play in 2027. TGL matches take place at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, combining live golf with virtual reality to create a unique atmosphere in the golf scene, late winter months. Last season all of its matches were televised on ESPN or ESPN2 with a tripleheader of matches on Presidents Day. Advertisement The Atlanta Drive won the first TGL championship, featuring golfers Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel and Lucas Glover. The league also features top golfers like Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler on its roster. You can reach Christian at cromo@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit's Motor City Golf Club to join TGL as expansion team in 2027
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Lions lost Aaron Glenn, Ben Johnson, but that's no reason to fret
Like many others, I've been thinking a lot about the Detroit Lions' quick exit from the postseason. I was born and raised in Ann Arbor and left Michigan for school in 1984. I've been a Lions fan since I was 6, and have never stopped being a fan. As disappointing as this postseason was, I've come to the conclusion that grit and resilience need apply to fans as well as to the team. The NFL is full of teams with crappy fan bases (I'm talking to you, Philadelphia). It's freaking hard to win it all — most teams don't make it. Sheila Hamp spoke to the fan base in the midst of that 1-5 start to the 2022 season, and took the heat when everyone was calling for Campbell's head. She (rightly) said the Lions (and fans) had to stay the course, and that all the pieces were in place. We have to remember that this is still true. Even if we feel that the loss of Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson are big blows, there is no reason to give up or start over: abandoning what has worked won't help. Culture change is more than players and coaches: it's also about the organization. If they have truly changed the culture of the organization, it should survive personnel transitions. The Lions have known for two years that they were likely to lose Glenn and Johnson. Anyone who thinks that the whole organization has not been thinking about and planning for the transition clearly has not bought into the new Lions. Add to that the fact that Holmes and Campbell have built a great scouting team, trained to look for guys who fit the Lions culture, and you know they will continue to build on draft and player development success. (Remember how Amon-Ra St. Brown was a fourth round pick?) So I think fans need to show the same grit and resilience we've come to expect from the Lions, now. Even (and maybe especially) when things are at their worst and when we are struggling to feel it, emotionally. That's what the Lions did. That's what we expect of them. They should expect and receive the same from us. Richard Van Eck East Grand Forks, Minnesota Let me begin by thanking Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions for another great season. And while the season ended in a disappointing and heartbreaking loss — it's my fear that they may look at this defeat as though they have failed us — they would be wrong. One of my favorite quotes is from Lewis Howes. He describes the chasing of our dreams this way. "The journey is just as important as the destination. Nothing can substitute for experience; everything you go through provides you with an opportunity to learn. You are able to learn more from the world around you, as well as the world within you. Although the destination will be worth the wait, you must enjoy the journey first. Trust the process." If the goal is to win the Super Bowl — then yes, we missed the mark. However the Detroit Lions have achieved so much more along the way. Truthfully more than I've seen in my 70 years. This season brought so much to so many. Yes, businesses and the city of Detroit fared very well financially — but there's more — so much more. They brought excitement back to the game of football. They gave hope to an untold number of lifelong fans. They united us around a common dream. They brought joy with every touchdown and laughter with every "trick play." They brought creative fun in the many displays of beloved players (cake, flowers and snow sculptures) They have given new meaning to the words "never give up" and we will NEVER give up on you. They highlighted the importance of "family." They have and continue to be an inspiration — our own personal heroes. This is not the resume of a "failure." So while this loss hurts, and I'm not going to lie, it does — I'm sure no one feels it more deeply than you and the players — the whole Lions staff in fact. That is why I just wanted to thank you from the whole of my heart for all the joy this season has brought. I truly believe that you will all get there, but until then, just know that you are loved. Thank you for another great ride, and for continuing to give us a reason to believe. Judy DuPont Clinton Township I was disappointed in the Lions' loss, but not heartbroken. If another win meant the Lions would raise their prices even more, then maybe it was ordained by the football gods. Or if the loss meant we won't see any more stupid end zone stunts like head stands and flips, I'm okay with that. Football is a dangerous sport as it is, and if an impressionable kid gets hurt or even paralyzed by emulating their heroes, I'm not okay with that. Gary McDonald Rochester Hills Submit a letter to the editor at and we may publish it online and in print. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions Aaron Glenn, Ben Johnson loss no reason o fret | Letters
