*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).
Jill and Carlo are a bit delayed today on account of Carlo's internet not working. Better late than never, they discuss what we know about the suspect in the Christmas parade crash, closing arguments in the Arbery killing trial, and more.
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NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and his daughter/business partner Jaqui Rice Gold joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to talk about their energy drink G.O.A.T. Fuel. The pair talked about launching the brand during the height of the pandemic and what makes it different from competing brands. "The thing that separates us from the other energy drinks is we have cordyceps mushrooms in the drink," he said. "You're not going to have the jitters or anything like that." The duo also discussed the Los Angeles Lakers making it the official energy drink of its organization and what that means for the growth of the brand.
Jill and Carlo cover the developing story out of suburban Milwaukee, where a speeding SUV careened through a Christmas parade. Looters get more brazen in San Francisco, the missing Chinese tennis star resurfaces, and more.
Alternative asset, sports cards-focused platform Alt recently raised $75 million in a Series B round. Alt's platform lets users research, trade, and securely store sports cards and other high-value assets. Right now, the company has more than $70 million worth of cards in its vault. The company is also hoping to get into other assets, including NFTs. Alt CEO Leore Avidar joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Ameeth Sankaran, CEO of the emmy-winning media company Religion of Sports, joined Cheddar to talk about the "Man in the Arena: Tom Brady" docuseries that premiered on ESPN+ earlier this week. Sankaran noted Brady and former NFL star Michael Strahan as co-founders and discussed the origin of the company and its goal to tell stories about sports figures beyond their roles on the court or field.
A former live-in-chef for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown has claimed the NFL star lied about his COVID vaccination status and obtained a fake proof of vaccination card. Brown and the Bucs have since come out denying the claims.
Jill and Carlo are back to cover the latest in the Rittenhouse trial, new information on the origins of Covid, return-to-office and more.
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Ben Stinar, NBA reporter for Fastbreak on FanNation, joins Cheddar Bets to provide some one-month-in overreactions and underreactions to some of the NBA betting lines.
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Jared Smith, sports betting analyst from Pickswise, joins Cheddar Bets to break down the biggest games of the college football weekend, including those that put Ohio State and Oregon's Playoff spots on the line.
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