🚨 We’d love your feedback!

Hello! As you might know, we’re Stanford MBA students who are passionate about making sports more accessible to everyone. We’re just getting started and would love your feedback on how we’re doing here.

Starting Five

The most discussed sports topics at water coolers across America

1. Ron DeSanctimonious is Taking the College Football Playoff into his Own Hands

The Scoop: Ron DeSantis is asking to set aside $1M of the Florida state budget for legal fees in 2024 to sue the NCAA and College Football Playoff committee. Some are speculating this is a direct response from Donald Trump placing the blame on DeSantis, who has ongoing legal battles with Disney, the parent company of ESPN. DeSantis’ family are “Noles” fans and he is taking it upon himself to right their perceived wrong.

An interesting argument is the lost value to Florida in advertising, ticket revenue, marketing views/clicks, and brand growth the College Football Playoff brings. However, there is no real argument on improper treatment; the committee acted according to its rules. Regardless, it would be pretty hilarious to see the state of Florida sue the College Football Playoff Committee. 

Conversation Starter: Does suing the College Football Committee help DeSantis’ presidential bid?

2. The Wild West of the Transfer Portal

The Scoop: In 2022, a staggering 1,300 college football players jumped into the transfer portal, seeking opportunities for more playing time, NFL exposure, and increased NIL earnings. The portal's recent opening has already attracted notable names like quarterbacks Cam Ward (Washington State), Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma), and Dante Moore (UCLA). Nebraska Coach Matt Rhule estimates the cost of securing a top quarterback through NIL and sponsorships to be around $2 million, signaling a significant shift in the dynamics of college football.

The emerging trend prompts discussions about the implications of free one-time transfers, if the sport will turn into pay-for-play to hoard wealth to teams with the most money, and how to build a roster of young developing players when other teams are trying to poach them. 

Conversation Starter: Is allowing players free one-time transfers good for college sports?

3. Shohei Ohtani’s Blockbuster Summer

The Scoop: The Japanese phenom, Shohei Ohtani seemed to break a new record every week. Whether as a pitcher, a designated hitter, or an outfielder, Shohei was one moment away from something spectacular. This summer, fans are still waiting for his next move: where he will sign. Shohei is currently a free agent, and is looking to sign the biggest contract in MLB History. Rumors are Ohtani is taking trips to various spring training locations to meet with team executives.

The current favorites are the Dodgers (+115), Cubs (+350), Rangers (+650), Blue Jays (+700), and Mets (+900). Ohtani has repeatedly said that he “wants to win,” and the World Series Champion Rangers and perennial NL West power the LA Dodgers are appealing moves. However, Cubs and Blue Jays management have been shrewd investors in talent in prior years, and may be willing to open the checkbook for the right player. Only time will tell, but we’ll keep you in the know!

Conversation Starter: If you were a free agent, how would you make the decision which team to sign for?

4. Caitlin Clark Has Outscored Iowa Football Team in 8 Games this Season

The Scoop: Reigning National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark is the biggest name in women’s basketball. She led Iowa to the National Championship game last season averaging 27.8 points-per-game, and is picking up right where she left off. She is the leading scorer in the country and her impressive numbers have caught the eye of football fans, comparing them to Iowa football’s offense.

Off the court, Clark volunteers with the Iowa Children’s Hospital and hosts skills camps for kids. She hopes to inspire and leave a legacy impacting the kids and people of Iowa. Clark will go down as an all time great, and we’re lucky enough to see her in one last run towards a National Championship. 

Conversation Starter: Do you appreciate athletes who remain involved in the communities they grew up in?

5. Revolutionizing MLB Draft Picks: A Lottery Twist

The Scoop: In a bid to eliminate intentional losing for better draft picks, MLB employs a lottery system to determine the draft order. The convoluted system assigns odds to each team based on their previous year's performance. Notably, a team selected in the lottery is restricted from being chosen above 10th in the subsequent season's draft.

The complexity of this system surfaced when the Washington Nationals, initially chosen first, were relegated to the 10th pick. The latest lottery added a thrilling element as the Cleveland Guardians, with mere 2% odds, secured the coveted #1 overall pick. MLB's commitment to injecting innovation into the sport provides a captivating case study on how sports can evolve to maintain excitement and fairness simultaneously.

Conversation Starter: Do you agree with a lottery system for draft picks, or strictly in reverse order of finish?

What We’re Watching this Week

If you're at a bar, they might be showing these games. Here's what you should know:

Thursday Night Football

New England Patriots (2-10) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5): Two of the worst offenses in football are both missing their starting quarterbacks. The stringent Pittsburgh defense should shut down a Patriots offense that did not score a single point last week, but they might not be able to score either. This will be more of a painful watch unless you’re a huge fan of punters.

College Football

Army (5-6) vs Navy (5-6): This annual clash between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen is steeped in tradition, marking its 124th edition this year. Beyond the fierce on-field rivalry, the game serves as a poignant reminder of the dedication and sacrifice of the cadets and midshipmen, and the game always takes place the week after the other conferences finish playing, so all eyes of college football fans are on these two teams

College Basketball

#4 Purdue (8-1) vs Alabama (6-2) - (Saturday at 1:30 ET): Zach Edey is the best player in College Basketball and is looking to lead Purdue on a revenge tour after being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament last year by 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson. The Boilermakers are red hot to start the season, and watch to showcase their ability against a good three point shooting team in Alabama. 

#1 Arizona (7-0) vs #23 Wisconsin (7-2) - Saturday at 3:15 ET): Arizona has assembled talent at every position, holding on to key contributors from last season like Kylan Boswell and picking up ex UNC star Caleb Love from the transfer portal. Wisconsin basketball is similar year-to-year, slow the tempo down, make shots, play tough D. It will be a good matchup for top ranked Zona to try to enforce their style of play onto an inferior foe.

NBA In Season Tournament

The In-Season Tournament has reached the semi-finals, with games on Thursday and Saturday to decide the inaugural champion:

Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks (Thursday at 5:00 ET): Giannis and the Bucks have looked impressive, blowing out the Knicks on their path to the semifinals. However, the Pacers have quite literally set the pace in the In-Season tournament, notching 5 straight wins in the competition. The Pacers athleticism will need to cause Giannis problems for Indiana to have a hope of advancing. 

New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Lakers (Thursday at 9:00 ET): The Pelicans surged late to beat the Kings and earned a match up with the Lakers, who might be starting to put things together. After a rough patch in November, the Lakers are starting to play better ball and eeked out a win against Durant and the Suns. Lebron wins championships, and we expect him to want to etch his name into the first ever in-season trophy.

Get Others in the Game

Know someone else itching to up their sports convos easily? Share this with them! For every referral you send our way, we'll:

🌲 Plant a tree in your name! We choose to plant trees in developing nations to not only alleviate climate change, but to help end hunger and poverty by rebuilding local farming ecosystems.

💸Enter your name in for a chance to win a $500 Amazon Gift Card. We guarantee 1 in 1000 people in (and every referral gets you another entry)

Your Wish is My Command

What do you think of today’s email?
As you may know, we are just getting started, and your opinion matters to us! Please share feedback, ideas, or insights on how we can make this even more useful for you! Use this link or just respond directly to the email!

Until next week,

The Fastbreakk