Now the back to back World Series champions LA Dodgers are making moves over the weekend.
Tariq Skel is now on rotation that includes Yoshinabu, Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasston along with Blake Snow.
So, but the rest of the world of baseball isn't so happy about this.
They feel that the league gave the Dodgers an advantage like no one else had had.
So what could this lead to a lockout for the next season?
Joining me to discuss this and more is FinTech TV's sports business analyst Rick Harrow.
Rick, thanks so much for joining us.
Yeah, absolutely.
A lot to talk about.
A lot to talk about indeed, Rick.
So let's go ahead and start with baseball.
Other teams have made key moves, but the Dodgers are adding Tariq to this already stacked roster, and that has some fans saying that the lockout next year will be well deserved, calling balls and strikes.
What's your take here, Rick?
Well, first of all, as a Cubs fan, uh, you know, let's not hold a pity party for, for any of the other teams in the league.
They could have signed Scoble.
This is a rent a Scoble.
There's only about $9 million left on his contract, and the question is not whether you sign him now, but can you re-sign him afterward.
You just talked about the rotation.
It is prolific.
Guess what?
The Dodgers have lost 5 in a row and everybody loves it, but now it's the team you love to hate.
Everybody had access to this.
That's why, Johnny, the salary cap and salary floor discussions are still relevant, and many people in Major League Baseball say this was good for baseball because it gets everybody focused on the.
End product.
All other leagues, I've got to tell you, they all have cap floor systems based on revenue sharing, but they had to go through a lot of labor strife to do it.
Remember, December 1 is the time where if you don't get a deal done, you can lock and strike and have all of these other issues.
A lot of people are preparing for that, not really good for baseball in that context.
All right, Rick.
Well, Congress is likely going on summer recess on Friday, and it's unclear if the Protect College Sports Act will be getting a vote by then.
So the college football season will have already kicked off by the time lawmakers return.
Is that bill at the one yard line, Rick, or is it more like a Hail Mary at this point?
Yeah, I don't know which one yard line it's at, you know, the problem is, as you know, it's like making a hot dog as far as congressional legislation.
You look at the creative structure of what they're trying to do with the Protect College Sports Act.
A limits on NAL spending, limits on teams in a respective conference, the whole idea of making sure that other sports get the revenue as well, it looks great now.
Who knows what's going to happen if it's watered down, especially with the ACC, the Big 10, and the SEC all saying we have problems.
With it and the other issue is the playoff system.
By December you've got to decide for next year whether you're going to have 12 or 16 teams in the playoffs.
And you know, don't look now, but we already have a poll out as to who's in and who's not with the playoffs.
It doesn't start too early.
It's only early August.
Yeah, Rick, well, it's definitely gonna be interesting to see that, but let's go ahead and talk a little bit more about Indiana.
So we know that the first coach's poll already released yesterday, the defending champion, the Indiana Hoosiers, ranked at 6th, while Ohio State is number 1.
Indiana is also being criticized for its so-called weak non-conference schedule.
So what storylines are you following with the football season a few weeks away?
The storyline is the impact of last year.
It's not that the industry didn't learn.
It's just that they can't make a lot of changes.
It's like the jury system.
The best way to deal with this college football controversy about who makes a playoff and who doesn't lock everybody in a room.
And at one time say, here are the 12, here's who made it, here, here's who didn't.
Not only are you're not following that, but it's early August and we're already talking about who should be in the playoffs and who shouldn't be.
Yeah, Indiana is not top, but all of their guys turned over, including the Heisman Trophy winner.
You know, I'm a. in not at the university, but you know, live around there and we think we should be number one.
But look, Texas, Penn State, Ohio State, you look at the list and what do they have in common?
They all spend more money and have more revenue than almost anybody else.
What does that tell you?
Definitely, it's gonna be interesting to get that input as the weeks go on, but Rick, since you were last on, FIFA has abandoned its private equity deal after the European teams voted to boycott.
So is all good again in the world of soccer?
Well, just because they abrogated that particular plan doesn't mean it's all good.
Gianni Infantino is having an emergency meeting of his troops to see where we go next.
It is clear the most important issue right now is how to fund the continuity.
This FIFA forward plan was going to receive $4.5 billion raised from this private equity.
Now you have to figure out what else to do.
There are 55 federations.
They all want a seat at the table.
The Infantino, here's what we're going.
Do preaching it didn't work, so there has to be some kind of other solution.
All is not right.
It's great.
The US, Canada, Mexico World Cup was absolutely fantastic, as you know, the US coach already hired again for a second time at the Apple, and we'll have to see what happens.
Soccer is a much different position, Johnny, this time this year than it was before the World Cup.
All right, Rick, and before we wrap it up, anything else to watch for in the world of sports and your thoughts?
Let's go.
Yeah, well, first of all, we've got a whole issue about the majors positioning themselves for the FedEx Cup playoffs in golf.
You've got tennis heading to the US Open.
College football, as we said, is getting ready for opening the camps.
NFL Hall of Fame game coming up pretty quickly.
The betting Calci lawsuit, we've got 100 things, so stay tuned because we've got a lot to talk about in the next few weeks.
A lot indeed.
Well, Rick, thank you so much for joining us again.
Rick Harrow, sports business analyst for FinTech TV.
See you next time.
