* Ironic that Johnny Damon, a former Ray, is now a prominent spokesperson for the effort to bring a MLB team to Orlando, which is still the Rays’ defacto Plan B if the Tampa stadium deal falls through. BTW, Orlando is where Damon grew up and where he still lives.
* “The reason Orlando is the place is we have 80 million visitors.”—Attorney John Morgan.
* When MLB labor talks are in session, the players side has typically relied on a majority vote among a group of 38 players to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement. (A salary-cap scenario could still loom.) That player group: 30 team representatives (the Rays is pitcher Drew Rasmussen) plus another eight who are part of a group inside the MLB Players Association known as the executive committee. Among the eight: Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Cedric Mullins.
* The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the U.S. is tri-hosting along with Mexico and Canada, requires, of course, a lot of preparation, including, most notably, security. Among the biggest concerns for any major global event: the potential for an increase in human trafficking.
* Speaking of the World Cup, FIFA is banning fans from bringing pre-revolution Iranian flags into stadiums hosting WC matches in the U.S. Iran has two games scheduled in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
* BTW, the World Cup final will take place July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Headliners for the half-time show: Madonna, Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira and K-pop super group BTS.
* Congrats to the University of Tampa. Its men’s lacrosse team won the Division II national championship.
* The NFL is increasingly looking like an IFL with nine regular-season 2026 games slated for foreign venues: Paris, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Madrid, Mexico City and London (3).
* The University of Texas has the largest athletic budget in all of college sports, generating more than $270 million annually.
* Another $ign of the times in major college sports: The University of Florida’s men’s basketball roster is expected to cost roughly $25 million in 2026-27. $eriously.