*By Carlo Versano and Conor White*
Alex Rodriguez had one of baseball's most storied and complicated careers, but his investment strategy is quite simple.
That strategy, made famous on "Shark Tank," is about focusing on business segments the former Yankee both understands and is passionate about. He told Cheddar he prefers the "narrow and deep" over the "wide and shallow."
To pursue the narrow and deep, Rodriguez ー the beneficiary of two of the most lucrative contracts in sports history ー is now the CEO of his own investment firm, A-ROD Corp.
His business acumen was first observed during his famous baseball career, when he grew a real-estate portfolio from a single duplex to now more than 10,000 units across 11 states. Real estate was something he understood implicitly after growing up poor in Florida. "I dreamt as a young man that one day I could trade places with the landlord," he said.
He has used that same gut strategy to invest in new ventures in health and fitness, media and entertainment, and even a beauty brand (with the help of his girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez).
Among those investments: a partnership with esports powerhouse NRG. The esports industry is one that Rodriguez called a "phenomenon."
"The numbers and the business keep growing," he said. "Other than the Super Bowl, esports will take a backseat to nothing."
When A-Rod came on the scene as a rookie slugger for the Seattle Mariners in 1994, the idea of a player signing a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars was almost unheard of. But in 2000, he signed a $252 million deal with the Texas Rangers ー the biggest by far at that point.
Now, nine-figure contracts for baseball's best players are more common, and Rodriguez thinks they have room to grow even larger. The league grew from $1 billion to $10 billion in revenues during his time on the field, though he said contracts have not grown apace.
With two of the league's best talents, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, now in free agency, his record for most career earnings ($480 million) could finally be broken ー and he hopes it is. "I am cheering them hard," he said. "I hope they both break it."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/mlb-legend-alex-rodriguez-esports-is-quite-a-phenomenon).
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.
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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.
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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.
Bettis, known as "The Bus" when he was an unstoppable running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, voiced support for the NFL player protests but also said he thought the league was "doing the right thing" in a tense situation.
Serena Williams's altercation with a chair umpire during the U.S. Open final was just the latest example of women being treated differently than their male counterparts in the sport. But whether things change by the Australian Open in January, said the Washington Post's Cindy Boren, is hard to say.
