It is President’s Day. The chief executive of the United States has an impact on just about every facet of American life. That includes the world of sports. A president from 120 years ago is an important figure in football. Theodore Roosevelt threatened to ban football unless rules were implemented to make the game safer after a reported 40 players died from injuries in 1904 and 1905. Roosevelt brought the presidents of Harvard, Yale and Princeton into the Oval Office and told them fix the game or else.
Those three along with others repaired the game. Franklin Roosevelt decided baseball was too important for the country’s morale during World War II and kept the game going. Dwight Eisenhower tried to put a thaw in the Cold War in the 1950s by sending Americans to compete in the Soviet Union in sports events. John Kennedy signed the 1961 Sports Broadcast Act which created the modern National Football League. Lyndon Johnson signed the NFL-AFL merger legislation that created the Super Bowl in 1966. Richard Nixon used ping-pong matches to open the door to China in the 1970s. Jimmy Carter ordered a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics in retaliation to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Ronald Reagan’s 1984 cable TV act and 1986 tax reform measures poured money into sports. Bill Clinton was asked in 1995 to mediate the Major League Baseball Players strike and George W. Bush included an anti-steroids statement in the State of the Union Address in 2004. Barack Obama failed to land the 2016 Summer Olympics for Chicago. Donald Trump supported a bid to land the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Joe Biden signed off on a political boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Sports decisions are just part of the job of being President.
The team could use the stadium until 2038 with additional extensions.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has one less franchise stadium issue to worry about. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim owner Arte Moreno has extended his lease by three years to use the city of Anaheim’s stadium until 2032. Manfred is retiring in 2029. It will be up to Manfred’s successor to deal with an Anaheim stadium issue. Moreno, who is 78 years old, might allow someone else to deal with the lease. Angels’ franchise ownership can extend the lease through 2038. When we last left Moreno, he had struck out in his attempt to take over the Anaheim stadium and the land surrounding it. Moreno wanted to build a stadium-village. The city of Anaheim released a terse statement about the lease extension. “The extension is not the result of any long-term discussions between the team and the city, and there are no long-term lease or other talks underway.” The Anaheim stadium is 59 years old and has undergone extensive renovations.
In the past Moreno has looked at sites in Los Angeles, Carson, Irvine and Tustin as a possible replacement for the Anaheim stadium. In March 2022, Long Beach, California officials claimed they were ready to provide Moreno with a stadium site. Long Beach, which is about 23 miles from Anaheim, had offered Moreno a chance to look at the city’s waterfront area for a stadium in 2019 when Moreno was exploring various areas to relocate his business. There was no concrete proposal for a Long Beach stadium, there was no money plan, just a notion that Moreno could be in a position to develop the waterfront property with the ballpark as the centerpiece. Moreno then had a deal with Anaheim to create a stadium-village which fell through. Moreno is out of the stadium game in Anaheim for the foreseeable future.
French number one Ugo Humbert successfully defended his title at the ATP 250 Open 13 Provence in Marseille on Sunday.
Humbert secured a straight set win to beat Hamad Medjedovic 7-6, 6-4 and ended his long-wait for a silverware since March 2024.
The 26-year-old’s experience was evident against 21-year-old Medjedovic in Palais des Sports as he brilliantly made the most of his service.
Unlike Medjedovic who registered five double faults during the game that lasted over 2hours and 30minutes, Humbert was flawless and he recorded 13 aces.
Humbert became the first Frenchman to win back-to-back titles in Marseille and an extended win record of 18-1 on French soil with the only defeat coming in the 2024 Paris Masters final against Alexander Zverev in November.
As a result of his win on Sunday with additional 250 ATP points, Humbert is now 14th in the world ranking – just a spot behind his career-best position while Medjedovic leapt from 94th in the world to number 72 in the latest ATP standings.
‘Disappointed’ Medjedovic positive after defeat
Medjedovic admitted he had a fantastic win in France but he rued his missed chances in Sunday’s final that could have turned the game in his favour.
The 21-year-old raced from behind in the first set, forcing a tie-break but he did not make the most of his chances during the crucial moments.
“It never really feels great to lose in a final, especially in the second time. I think it was a great week, I’ve played some good tennis this week and I feel good on the court, that’s the positive thing,” Medjedovic told Rant Sports after the game.
“I will continue working until I get there and when a new tournament starts.
“It was a good week, I got my first top 10 win and I have improved in my ranking. It‘s positive and it will give a real confidence for the future so I’m really happy about it.
“I made a lot mistakes by winning yesterday [against Medvedev] and being too hyped about it, not focusing on the final. I knew I won a big game yesterday but my whole focus was in today’s game; I had my chances in the first set which I didn’t use.”
On his next plan as he targets more milestone in the 2025 season, the Serb said: “For now, I’m leaving for Doha and I’m connecting Dubai from Doha. I don’t think I struggled with return today, Ugo served very well and he used his left hand amazingly.
“I think this main moment when I had the set point, tie breaks, I should have done better and it is something I will improve on when I face a player like that.”
What next in the ATP Tour?
The ATP Tour train moves to the Middle East with the Qatar Open in Doha this week then by the Dubai Tennis Championships the following week.
Majority of the players who featured in Marseille including winner Humbert and runner-up Medjedovic are scheduled to participate in the tournament alongside Novak Djokovic.
A combined 1000 ATP points are up for grabs for the winner of the two ATP 500 tournaments in Dubai and Doha.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9), right, steps onto the court with Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Palm Desert, Calif. (AP Photo/William
NBA MVP Odds
With the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in the rearview, let’s now concentrate solely on basketball as the league hits the stretch run to the postseason. One of the big questions as the regular season begins to wind down is: Who is the leading candidate to win the Most Valuable Player award this year? Here’s a look at the players with the best MVP odds right now to capture the honor this season, according to sports.betmgm.com.
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics: +30000
Why he could win:? The No. 1 seed in the East isn’t out of the question for the Celtics, who have one of the easiest schedules the rest of the way. If the Cleveland Cavs do slip, Boston could reach the top, opening the door for Tatum (27.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists).
Why he wouldn’t win:? While possible, the Celtics likely aren’t catching the Cavs for the No. 1 seed. The defending champs also have so much depth with Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis that Tatum won’t always post big numbers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: +12500
Why he could win?: Antetokounmpo’s numbers (31.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 blocks) garner him consideration. With 28 games remaining, he can lead the Bucks on an incredible run, and they could climb from the No. 5 seed to No. 2 or No. 3 in the East.
Why he wouldn’t win?: The two-time winner has struggled with a calf injury and Thursday’s game was the first he played in since Feb. 2. The Bucks might be cautious, and he could be in and out of the lineup. Players must play in at least 65 games to qualify for the award. He’s played in 42.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: +300
Why he could win?: The three-time award winner is averaging a triple-double (29.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 10.2 assists) and shooting 45% from 3-point land. Those numbers are better than last season when he won. Denver is also heating up, winning eight out of its last 10.
Why he wouldn’t win:? Voter fatigue. Michael Jordan should’ve won more than five MVPs. LeBron James should have more than four. Jokic’s greatness is being taken for granted. The Nuggets also can’t finish 8.5 games behind the No. 1 seed in the West as they are now.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder: -500
Why he could win?: Gilgeous-Alexander is the best player on the best team (44-10) in the league. That’s been a winning formula. He leads the NBA in scoring at 32.5 points, shooting 52.5 percent from the field, and averages 6.1 assists and 5.2 rebounds.
Why he wouldn’t win?: It would take a gigantic team collapse or severe injury to him in order for SGA not to win his first NBA MVP award. But there’s no reason to believe OKC won’t keep stacking wins, and he’s been durable, playing in 53 out of 54 games so far.
In case you did miss it, here’s a recap of the festivities last weekend: — San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle was named MVP of the Rising Stars event after leading Team C past Team G in the title game. — Team Cavs (Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley) won the Skills Challenge competition, but the better story was Team Spurs (Chris Paul, Victor Wembanyama) got disqualified for cheating. — Miami Heat star Tyler Herro outgunned Golden State Warriors’ Buddy Hield and Cavs’ Darius Garland in the last round to win the 3-point contest. — Mac McClung, a two-way player for the Orlando Magic, soared over a car to win his third consecutive and maybe his final slam dunk contest. — Lastly, Shaq’s OGs, which consisted of future Hall of Famers Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Damian Lillard, cruised past Chuck’s Global Stars to win the first-ever All-Star mini-tournament.
