Profit Players June 19

Author

Nate Rodgers
June 19, 2024

The Mad Scientist Strikes Again

Bryson DeChambeau employs unique scientific methods to improve his golf game, including dunking his golf balls in saltwater to test their balance. He believes this ensures the balls fly straighter, as any imbalance could affect their trajectory. This approach paid off when he won his second U.S. Open, narrowly defeating Rory McIlroy. DeChambeau's use of science and data in golf extends beyond saltwater tests. He has collaborated with Microsoft to understand the relationship between shot quality and grip pressure and developed a scientific method for reading greens. During the pandemic, he focused on gaining weight to increase his driving power, resulting in impressive long-distance shots.

At this year's Masters, he introduced 3D-printed irons designed to improve his performance on mis-hits. These innovations have contributed to his recent successes, including a sixth-place finish at the Masters and a second-place finish at the PGA Championship, culminating in his U.S. Open victory. DeChambeau's dedication to precision and scientific methods has cemented his status as a star in golf, even as he primarily competes in the LIV Golf league. His approach continues to fascinate fans and emphasizes the importance of science in enhancing athletic performance.

Bryson DeChambeau has solidified himself as one of golf’s fan favorites. As recently as last year Bryson was one of golf’s LEAST favorite players. His move to LIV, his odd approach to go, and his feud with fellow golfer, Brooks Koepka made him one of the least liked players on tour. His shift from one of the least liked to most liked has to do with his embrace of social media. His Youtube channel in particular has blown up recently. He has collaborated with some of the biggest golf influencers and allowed the golf world to see a different side of Bryson. “My mission is to continue to expand the game, grow the game globally, domestically. YouTube has really helped me accomplish some of that, consequently I think people have seen who I am on YouTube, which has been fantastic, ‘cause then I get to play off of it. It just feeds itself out here.” The mad scientist has rejoined the top of professional golf. Can he stay there?

Is the Celtics Success Sustainable?

The Boston Celtics took home their NBA-record 18th championship on Monday and are favorites to repeat as champions next year, but this success comes with real financial challenges. Team owner, Wyc Grousbeck, faces significant costs to maintain the team's competitive edge. The Celtics' 2023-24 payroll of $184 million ranked fourth in the NBA and surpassed the league's luxury tax threshold, resulting in a nearly $40 million tax bill. Looking ahead, the NBA's luxury tax threshold will rise to $171.3 million, but the Celtics already have over $192 million in contract obligations for the 2024-25 season. Star players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown could together earn $480 million between 2025 and 2029, adding to the financial strain. Repeatedly paying the luxury tax will incur additional penalties for the team.

Grousbeck, known for his willingness to invest heavily in the Celtics, is also a prominent figure in the sports industry through his investment firm, Causeway Media Partners. His investments include companies like SeatGeek, FloSports, and TuneIn. Additionally, he is part of the Strategic Sports Group, which secured a $3 billion investment deal with the PGA Tour to form PGA Tour Enterprises. It is clear he can afford to continue to put money into the Celtics, but their two stars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, are set make over $600 million cumulatively over the life of their contract. If they keep winning, Grousbeck and the Celtics will likely keep the stars together, but if things go south, one of the two will likely have to go.

The One Thing that Saved Baseball

MLB recorded its best-attended weekend in 16 years over Father’s Day, the league said. A total of 1,688,731 fans attended 45 games, which averages to 37,527 per game. Both figures are the highest they’ve been for an MLB weekend since Aug. 22, 2008.

This past Sunday alone drew the most fans the league has seen since Sept. 28, 2008. The weekend featured plenty of big matchups, including Yankees–Red Sox and Royals-Dodgers. Some of the league’s worst-drawing teams—the A’s, Marlins, Rays, and White Sox—were all on the road. MLB attendance has been growing out of the COVID-19 pandemic, which coincides with the league’s new pitch clock. The average game time dropped to 2 hours and 40 minutes last season, 24 minutes shorter than the year before, and the first month of this year saw games taking an average of 2 hours and 36 minutes.

Although fans are loving this change, some players like Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes is frustrated with the pitch clock, blaming it for a surge in pitcher arm injuries. Burnes argues that the pitch clock, which speeds up games, limits recovery time between pitches, increasing the risk of injuries. This concern was highlighted when Kyle Bradish strained his UCL for the second time this year. Burnes believes that nearly 30% of MLB pitchers spending time on the injured list due to arm injuries supports his hypothesis. Despite MLB officials attributing the rise in injuries to a long-term trend of pitchers throwing harder, Burnes argues the pitch clock exacerbates the problem. He suggests extending the pitch clock and increasing the number of pitchers allowed on rosters to provide more recovery time. Will we see the number of injuries steady or will injuries continue to increase and more players like Burnes will speak out?

Quick Reads

  • San Francisco Giants legend, Willie Mays, passed away at 93.

  • Through the first six games, the 2024 Men's College World Series averaged 1.2 million viewers on ESPN—its largest TV audience on record.

  • The PGA Tour policy board approved an exemption that will allow Tiger Woods to compete in Signature Events for the rest of his lifetime, beginning in 2025.

  • Tom Brady made his broadcast debut for the USFL championship.

  • After 25 years, Charles Barkley says he’s going to retire from TV after next season.

Jobs in Sports

Games of the Week

  • USA vs Bolivia - Sunday @ 6 PM EST

  • Netherlands vs France - Friday @ 3 PM EST

  • Florida Panthers vs Edmonton Oilers - Friday @ 8 PM EST

  • The Travelers Championship (Thursday-Sunday)

  • Spain vs Italy - Thursday @ 3 PM EST

Feel free to reply to any of our emails and tell us what you like AND don’t like about these so we can continue to improve!