There was a time when sports and politics rarely mixed, but that all changed in 2017. FHM's Nick Dimengo joins Cheddar with a look back at the biggest trends and stories from the year in sports. The senior editor breaks down the biggest headlines, from the NFL's kneeling controversy to the Golden State Warriors' feud with President Trump.
The anthem protests weren't the NFL's only sore spot this year. Dimengo also details the slew of high-profile injuries that took the league's biggest stars out of commission. We consider whether football's struggles represent an opportunity for the NBA to become America's most popular league.
Finally, we share our predictions for 2018 in sports. Dimengo says Washington Nationals' star Bryce Harper will be next year's biggest winner, while USA Soccer will be its biggest loser. Finally, we share our picks for which teams will come out on top in the next 2018.
The blockchain has made its way into a slew of industries. Next at bat ー the sports world. The Los Angeles Dodgers are moving away from traditional promotions and have begun using crypto tokens to give away digital bobbleheads to fans. Ralph Esquibel, VP of information technology for the team, said this is the first giveaway of its kind and could lead to more experiments with cryptocurrencies.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Naz Aletaha, head of esports partnerships for Riot Games, said that the "priceless" experiences with new global sponsor Mastercard will start with the world championships in October, offering premium content and behind the scenes access to the biggest event for esports lovers.
Mastercard, seeing a market opening in the skyrocketing popularity of esports, signed a deal to become first global sponsor for Riot Games' "League of Legends." Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer for Mastercard, said the company will become exclusive payment service provider for the game. The deal represents the largest mainstream sponsorship thus far in the esports world.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
As the online gaming world continues to boom, professional sports organizations are working to marry the online and physical sports world. Hugh Weber, president of the New Jersey Devils, said that there is a way for live esports events to be compelling enough to translate to ticket sales.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Chris Raybon, senior editor at The Action Network, breaks down the best bets for sports fans heading into Week 2 of the NFL Season.
The company's recent growth on the back of a newly invigorated gaming segment is only the beginning, according to president and CEO Bracken Darrell. He said in an interview on Cheddar that esports could become "the biggest sport in the world," and Logitech will be there as its top hardware provider.
If you had any lingering doubts that eSports had gone mainstream, they would have been erased when the North American League of Legends Summer Split took over the Oracle Arena ー home to the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors. Cheddar was there for the last stop before the World Championships in South Korea next month.
