Jason Clinkscales
@asportsscribe.bsky.social
Bobby & Kathryn's 5th of 6, BX/Harlem bred. Sports biz, media biz stuff. Ex-Sportico, Yardbarker, eMarketer. Freelance scribe for hire. Me, my backpack and Eli Manning went viral once.
I'm sorta kinda back at it because some of these thoughts have to go *somewhere*. Reviving the old but barely noticed newsletter for a new day in my career. Welcome (back) to The Whole Game. thewholegame.beehiiv.com/p/third-time...
Third Time's the Charm?
To the dozens that followed the original newsletter and/or the website years ago, we meet again. For everyone else, welcome to The Whole Game.
thewholegame.beehiiv.com
Who else is stress eating, chain smoking or hard drinking after that ninth inning?
Remember those "Pay Us What You Owe Us" shirts that sparked a firestorm of sorts after the @wnba.com ASG? During @sportico.bsky.social's RISE event yesterday, I had a chance to talk with WNBPA about their impact. www.sportico.com/leagues/bask...
WNBPA Speaks on Impact of Players’ ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us’ Shirts
“It was an opportunity for players to speak in their own voice about how they were feeling," Erin Drake, WNBPA chief legal counsel, said.
sportico.com
According to @netflix.com, over 41 million around the world watched Crawford's win over Canelo. Some context in my latest for @sportico.bsky.social as scrutiny over streaming numbers has grown in recent weeks. www.sportico.com/leagues/boxi...
Netflix Says Over 41M Watched Crawford Defeat Canelo
Canelo Alvarez's loss to Terence Crawford fell short of Netflix's record, but the streamer claims to have pulled in a strong number for the fight card.
sportico.com
The jokes are flying but the business is real. With USF/Miami on The CW tomorrow, I chatted with its president about how ACC football helps raise the profile of CW Sports. My latest for @sportico.bsky.social. www.sportico.com/business/med...
CW Profile Grows With Unexpected Top 25 College Football Matchup
The CW is still a newbie to live sports TV, and having USF vs. Miami in an early season Top 25 battle has surprised the college football world.
sportico.com
While Josh Kraft will face Boston's incumbent mayor Michelle Wu in November, the early count in tonight's preliminary election is... woof. For @sportico.bsky.social, I wrote about his campaign spending as well as the sports stories for both candidates. www.sportico.com/personalitie...
Josh Kraft’s Bid for Boston Mayor Takes Hit in Prelim Vote
Josh Kraft, scion of the Kraft family empire, has spent a small fortune on his mayoral campaign despite remaining a huge underdog against Michelle Wu.
sportico.com
My latest for @sportico.bsky.social on the alleged no-show job for Kawhi Leonard that might have allowed the Clippers to go around the league's cap, the company at the center of it all, and a trip down memory lane. www.sportico.com/leagues/bask...
Kawhi Leonard’s Alleged ‘No-Show’ Job May Violate NBA Cap Rules
Kawhi Leonard, the Los Angeles Clippers forward, may have taken a 'no-show' job with an allegedly fraudulent company against NBA rules.
sportico.com
So Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy threw a little shade at Oregon's spending. Pot, meet kettle? For my latest at @sportico.bsky.social, a look at the actual dollars for the athletic programs (and football teams) of the two schools. www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...
Oklahoma State’s Gundy Cries Poor Ahead of Oregon Matchup
Mike Gundy and Dan Lanning took shots at the spending of their opponents as Oklahoma State prepares to face Oregon in a nonconference matchup.
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Exhale, YouTube TV subscribers. In the short run, you still have the Fox channels, including everything under Fox Sports. The latest on @sportico.bsky.social as the two sides signed a short-term extension, ensuring that folks won't miss Texas/Ohio State and more. www.sportico.com/business/med...
Fox Puts Off YouTube TV Blackout With Short-Term Extension
Fox will remain on YouTube TV after the two sides reached an extension days before the first big college football weekend of the year.
sportico.com
As expected, the @pac12.bsky.social is sticking with The CW for the long haul. My latest for @sportico.bsky.social on the new deal and why it was CBS that was chosen as the conference's anchor partner despite airing on the Nexstar network after the '24 realignment. www.sportico.com/business/med...
Pac-12 Extends CW TV Deal Through 2030-31 Season
The Pac-12 is sticking with the CW for five more years as it prepares to onboard seven new member schools in 2026.
sportico.com
I'm sure some Yankees fans noticed a special guest to the stadium this weekend. It may have been coincidental, but Brendan Carr's appearance is a reminder of YES Network's still-lingering issues with Comcast. My latest for @sportico.bsky.social. www.sportico.com/business/med...
YES Network-Comcast Dispute Back in Public View With FCC First Pitch
The Yankees' YES Network has renewed its feud with Comcast over its carriage agreement through op-eds and hosting an influential guest for a game.
sportico.com
The latest play in the game of media consolidation pulls together recent beneficiaries of changes in the RSN world. My latest at @sportico.bsky.social on Nexstar's pending purchase of Tegna. www.sportico.com/business/med...
Nexstar’s Purchase of Tegna Creates Larger Player in Local Sports Rights
Nexstar's planned purchase of Tegna pulls together two beneficiaries of the recent changes in the regional sports network market.
sportico.com
The labor issue at Fenway Park continues as Unite Here Local 26 is giving Aramark a heads up about a potential strike - this time, an indefinite one. My latest on the issue at the home of the @redsox.com now at @sportico.bsky.social. www.sportico.com/leagues/base...
Fenway Park Workers Warn of Indefinite Strike Against Aramark
Fenway Park's food and beverage workers may return to the picket line in the near future as Aramark has not come back to the negotiating table.
sportico.com
The Washington Commanders are (insert sports clichè here) towards returning to DC proper after the city council gave its initial approval for a financing package towards the New RFK Stadium. More at @sportico.bsky.social. www.sportico.com/leagues/foot...
DC Council Gives Initial Approval to Commanders’ New Stadium Package
The Washington Commanders got a favorable vote for a proposed public financing package towards the New RFK Stadium, but not without some pushback.
sportico.com
Among the many challenges the NFL faces after Monday is the need for its security team to convince the league's employees of their safety moving forward. For @sportico.bsky.social, I spoke with a security and intelligence expert about the path forward. www.sportico.com/leagues/foot...
NFL Head of Security Faces New Challenges After NYC Shooting
The NFL, in the wake of a tragedy at its workplace, has to contend with a different sort of security threat than it does for its high-profile events.
sportico.com
Last night, Top Rank Boxing had its final fight card on @espn.com. For boxing fans, the end of yet another media deal means that (for now) the sport has no major traditional TV home for the first time since the 1940s. More in my latest at @sportico.bsky.social. www.sportico.com/leagues/boxi...
Boxing on Traditional TV Gets Knocked Out
ESPN aired its last boxing card from Top Rank, leaving the sport without a major linear television home for the time being.
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For the first time in the history of Fenway Park, concession workers are on strike. They will be off the job for this weekend's series between the @redsox.com and Los Angeles Dodgers. My latest for @sportico.bsky.social on how they got here. www.sportico.com/leagues/base...
Fenway Park Concession Workers Strike as Red Sox Host Dodgers
The unionized members of Unite Here Local 26 are striking ahead of the Red Sox’s weekend series against the Dodgers after not negotiating a deal.
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Weeks after authorizing a strike, Unite Here Local 26 has imposed a 48-hour deadline for Aramark to offer a new contract or it will go on strike during the @redsox.com/Dodgers series that starts on Friday. My latest for @sportico.bsky.social. www.sportico.com/leagues/base...
Fenway Park Workers Give Aramark 48-Hour Strike Deadline
Fenway Park's concession workers gave Aramark 48 hours to offer a new labor contract or they'll strike during the Red Sox's series versus the Dodgers.
sportico.com
It was a mixed bag for the @wnba.com this weekend, but both the All-Star Game and the Skills Contest on Friday hit some viewership highs. Some context at @sportico.bsky.social. www.sportico.com/leagues/bask...
WNBA All-Star Game Ratings Fall 36% Without Clark Playing
The exhibition game drew 2.19 million viewers on Saturday night, down 36% versus last year but the second-most watched WNBA All-Star Game in history.
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If you just watched the fights on Netflix, I have to say that Amanda Serrano is the most gracious loser (a relative word here) in sports we've seen in a long, long time.
Sparkling water maker @drinkspindrift.bsky.social added some new investors, with KD, Livvy Dunne and Azzi Fudd, among others. For @sportico.bsky.social, I chatted with @fcdallas.bsky.social goaltender Maarten Paes about joining this group of athlete investors. www.sportico.com/business/com...
Kevin Durant, Livvy Dunne Invest in PE-Backed Spindrift
Spindrift, the beverage company bought by private equity firm Gryphon Investors this year, has athletes as new investors, headlined by Kevin Durant.
sportico.com
For the groups from non-NBA cities, the @wnba.com expansion bidding process was going to be tough, but it was even more challenging going against bids backed by @nba.com teams. At @sportico.bsky.social, I spoke with Fran Harris about what the Austin bid went up against.
Austin WNBA Bid Group Says NBA Owners Were Biggest Competition
The WNBA's expansion process broke some hearts in Austin, where a bidding group felt that they checked every box but one: the backing of a NBA team.
sportico.com
Long expected, now official: @txst.edu joins the @pac12.bsky.social . At @sportico.bsky.social, here's more on the news, which comes a week after the "new Pac-12" announced CBS Sports as its anchor media partner. www.sportico.com/leagues/coll...
Pac-12 Adds Texas State, Now Meets Threshold to Stay in FBS
Texas State will become the ninth member of the Pac-12, giving the rebuilt conference a minimum of eight football schools to remain in the FBS.
sportico.com
Someone told me that I graduated from high school 25 years ago today and it has ruined my entire day.
The potential strike of Fenway Park concessionaires looms before the Boston Red Sox return home on Friday. For @sportico.bsky.social, I chatted with United Here Local 26 in depth about its labor battle with hospitality vendor Aramark. www.sportico.com/leagues/base...
Fenway Park Workers Fret Over Aramark’s AI-Powered Concessions
Fenway Park's concession workers wonder if Aramark will replace them with more self-checkout machines as a potential strike can happen at any time.
sportico.com
Just two months after a deal for the 2025 season, the rebuilt @pac12.bsky.social and @cbssports.bsky.social are walking down the aisle together in a long-term deal for football and men's hoops. My latest for @sportico.bsky.social. www.sportico.com/business/med...
Rebuilt Pac-12 Signs 5-Year Extension With CBS Sports
The Pac-12, with six incoming new members in 2026, has extended its media agreement with CBS Sports months after signing the network group for 2025.
sportico.com
Recently, my colleague Eric Jackson and I had the pleasure of chatting with Jim Lampley here at the @sportico.bsky.social offices about his career as well as how dramatically TV has changed for the sport of boxing. Have at it, folks! www.sportico.com/leagues/boxi...
Jim Lampley’s TV Boxing Journey May Never Be Repeated
Jim Lampley, most known for his 30-year journey with HBO's boxing coverage, talks about how the sport's TV coverage has changed over time.
sportico.com
As the Red Sox and Yankees finish the weekend series in Boston, concession workers at Fenway Park are on strike, the first time vendor labor has done such a thing in the ballpark's history. My latest at @sportico.bsky.social on why this is happening. www.sportico.com/leagues/base...
Red Sox Concession Workers Strike in 113-Year Fenway Park First
Fenway Park concession employees are walking off the job in hopes of new contract with Aramark, creating a logistical challenge for the Red Sox.
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