Sports

NASCAR trial: Commish called MJ talks frustrating

Published

2 days ago

December 9, 2025

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Associated Press

Dec 9, 2025, 01:18 PM ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The commissioner of NASCAR testified Tuesday in Michael Jordan’s federal antitrust trial against the racing series to the frustrating two-plus years of negotiations on a new revenue sharing model with teams, noting that Jordan’s financial advisor would not compromise on key issues.

Steve Phelps, who was president of NASCAR during the negotiations, said Jordan’s right-hand man Curtis Polk was the lead representative for the teams and held firm in their demand for increased revenue, permanent charters, a voice in governance and a third of any new revenue streams.

The deal finally presented to the teams in September 2024 did not include permanent charters or a voice in governance, but NASCAR gave the teams a firm deadline to accept its final offer or forfeit their charters. 23XI Racing — owned by Jordan, Polk and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin — and Front Row Motorsports, owned by Bob Jenkins, were the only two teams out of 15 organizations to refuse to sign and instead have sued.

The charter system was established in 2016 and is equivalent to the franchise model used in other sports. In NASCAR, a charter guarantees cars a spot in the 40-car field each week, as well as specified financial terms.

Phelps, promoted to become NASCAR’s first commissioner earlier this year, testified on the seventh day of the trial that he worked very hard to get the teams the best deal possible. But he said the teams’ initial request for $720 million in revenue a year guaranteed to them would have put NASCAR out of business, and communications between NASCAR executives showed that the France family, which founded and owns the series, would not budge on permanent charters.

At the same time, Polk would not budge, either.

“It was one of the most challenging and longest negotiations I’ve ever been part of,” said Phelps, who admitted he didn’t particularly enjoy negotiating with Polk, who was at the time the representative for the “Team Negotiating Council.”

“The TNC never wavered off their four pillars. It was just the same thing, the same thing, and that was very frustrating.”

Phelps testified at one point NASCAR believed it had landed on a new charter agreement that satisfied the teams but it was contingent on NASCAR finalizing its new media rights deal.

“I thought we’d just plug in the numbers,” said Phelps, who testified NASCAR was hoping to land a media deal worth $1.2 billion. When it became clear the media rights deal wouldn’t net that much money, Phelps said the teams asked to set a floor in negotiations.

NASCAR ultimately got a media deal worth $1.05 billion — still an increase of $33 million a year from the previous deal — and Phelps said “every dollar” went to the race teams when it began this year.

However, the ultimate revenue payout to teams is $431 million annually, the charters are not permanent and the teams did not get a voice in rules and regulations.

Even so, Phelps testified he believed the charter agreement was “a fair deal.”

But, internal NASCAR communications again showed the Florida-based France family was a “brick wall” on the issue of permanent charters and executives found chairman Jim France’s stubbornness to be frustrating during negotiations.

Messages were shown in court in which Phelps and current NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell repeatedly lashed out at the lack of internal progress as they fought to get the teams the best deal possible.

Pace in the trial has picked up on the order of U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell, who has grown weary that its taken the plaintiffs seven days of testimony and counting. The teams still plan to call Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress and France before resting its case.

On Monday, an economist testified NASCAR owes the two teams $364.7 million in damages based on a complex formula he used.

Edward Snyder, a professor of economics who worked in the antitrust division of the Department of Justice and has testified in more than 30 cases, including “Deflategate” involving the NFL’s New England Patriots, continued testimony to open Tuesday, and the defense got him to admit he’s being paid somewhere close to $2 million for his work on the case.

Based on Snyder’s calculations, he determined NASCAR shorted 36 chartered teams $1.06 billion from 2021-24.

NASCAR contends Snyder’s estimations are wrong and its own two experts “take serious issue” with the findings. Defense attorney Lawrence Buterman asked Snyder his opinion on NASCAR’s upcoming expert witnesses, and Snyder said they were two of the best economists in the world.

Sports

Fired Moore in custody, suspect in alleged assault

Published

6 hours ago

December 11, 2025

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Fired Moore in custody, suspect in alleged assault

Dan Wetzel
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Dan Wetzel

ESPN

Dec 10, 2025, 07:37 PM ET

Sherrone Moore was in custody in the Washtenaw (Michigan) County Jail on Wednesday night as a suspect in an alleged assault, just hours after he was fired as Michigan’s football coach for having what the school said was an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Moore was initially detained by police in Saline, Michigan, on Wednesday and turned over to authorities in Pittsfield Township “for investigation into potential charges.”

Pittsfield police released a statement Wednesday night saying they responded at 4:10 p.m. to the 3000 block of Ann Arbor Saline Road “for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault. … A suspect in this case was taken into custody. This incident does not appear to be random in nature, and there appears to be no ongoing threat to the community.

“The suspect was lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail pending review of charges by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor,” the statement continued. “At this time, the investigation is ongoing. Given the nature of the allegations, the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and its current status at this time, we are prohibited from releasing additional details.”

Pittsfield police did not name the suspect in its statement.

Earlier, Saline police stated they “assisted in locating and detaining former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore. Mr. Moore was turned over to the Pittsfield Township Police Department for investigation into potential charges.”

Michigan fired Moore on Wednesday following an investigation into his conduct with a staff member.

“U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,” the school said in a statement. “Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Moore, 39, spent two seasons as Michigan’s coach, after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Sports

Braves sign vet OF Yastrzemski to 2-year deal

Published

10 hours ago

December 11, 2025

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Braves sign vet OF Yastrzemski to 2-year deal

Associated Press

Dec 10, 2025, 09:16 PM ET

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves signed veteran outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to a two-year deal Wednesday that includes a club option for 2028.

The 35-year-old Yastrzemski hit .233 with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs in 146 games last year between San Francisco and Kansas City.

Yastrzemski, who spent the first six-plus seasons of his career with the Giants before being sent to the Royals in July, will make $9 million in 2026 and $10 million in 2027. Atlanta holds a club option for 2028. Yastrzemski will make $7 million if the Braves pick up the option. He will receive a $4 million buyout if they do not.

The versatile Yastrzemski, the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, can play all three outfield positions and is a career .238 hitter. His best season came in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, when he batted .297 with 10 homers in 54 games and finished in the top 10 in NL MVP voting.

Sports

Rule 5: Yanks pick Winquest, Rockies get Petit

Published

10 hours ago

December 11, 2025

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Rule 5: Yanks pick Winquest, Rockies get Petit

Jorge CastilloDec 10, 2025, 03:55 PM ET
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ORLANDO, Fla. — The New York Yankees made their first selection in a Rule 5 draft since 2011 on Wednesday, taking right-hander Cade Winquest from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Winquest was one of 13 players — and 12 right-handed pitchers — chosen in the major league portion of the draft.

The Rockies took RJ Petit, a 6-foot-8 reliever, with the first pick from the Detroit Tigers. Petit, 26, had a 2.44 ERA in 45 relief appearances and two starts between Double A and Triple A last season. The Minnesota Twins chose the only position player, selecting catcher Daniel Susac from the Athletics.

Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player and must keep him on the active major league roster for the entire following season unless he lands on the injured list. Players taken off the roster must be offered back to the former club for $50,000.

The 25-year-old Winquest recorded a 4.58 ERA with a 48% groundball rate in 106 innings across 25 games, including 23 starts, between Single A and Double A last season. He features a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 mph plus a curveball, cutter and sweeper. He is expected to compete for a spot in the Yankees’ bullpen next season.

Right-hander Brad Meyers was the last player the Yankees had chosen in a Rule 5 draft. He suffered a right shoulder injury in spring training and was on the injured list for the entire 2012 season before he was offered back to the Washington Nationals. He never appeared in a major league game.

Also picked were right-hander Jedixson Paez (Colorado from Boston), right-hander Griff McGarry (Washington from Philadelphia), catcher Carter Baumler (Pittsburgh from Baltimore), right-hander Ryan Watson (Athletics from San Francisco), right-hander Matthew Pushard (St. Louis from Miami), right-hander Roddery Munoz (Houston from Cincinnati), right-hander Peyton Pallette (Cleveland from Chicago White Sox), right-hander Spencer Miles (Toronto from San Francisco), right-hander Zach McCambley (Philadelphia from Miami) and right-hander Alexander Alberto (White Sox from Tampa Bay).