The 30 Under 30 list's sports standouts | The Super Bowl stadium's big upgrades | The NHL's salary dispute

Plus: Why the Jets' empty stadium still uses a public-address announcer

Soccer

Soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic made waves when he questioned Electronic Arts for using his likeness in its wildly popular FIFA video game. EA says the real fight is between his agent and FIFPro, the organization that represents pro players.

A settlement between U.S. Soccer and the women's national team on working conditions does not end their conflict; in fact, it makes further litigation more likely in the near term, not less. But it also makes peace more possible.

Hockey

Just five months after agreeing with its players' union to an extension of their CBA, the NHL is seeking salary concessions to help it weather the Covid-19 storm. But even as the dispute intensifies, a lockout is not legally possible.

Pro Basketball

Despite plenty of rumors, four prominent NBA players remain on the trade block; a front-office executive explains why. The Celtics did manage to arrange a sign-and-trade that sent Gordon Hayward to the Hornets and netted Boston the largest traded-player exception in league history. That is causing consternation around the league.

Pro Football

While the NFL is taking a wait-and-see approach with respect to the number of fans who will be able to attend Super Bowl LV in Tampa, $160 million in renovations to Raymond James Stadium has the venue ready for any potential turnout on February 7.

Auto Racing

Formula One's Romain Grosjean drove straight into a metal barrier at almost 150 miles per hour, a terrifying crash in which his car had a peak deceleration of 53G. Technology saved his life four times within 28 seconds.

Tennis

The WTA Tour is rebranding its tournaments, another sign of the growing cooperation between the men's and women's tours.

Cricket

Helped by India's strongman tactics, Greg Barclay emerged from a bitter contest to take over as head of the International Cricket Council, ousting interim chairman Imran Khwaja. But Khwaja, who had taken a more inclusive approach and had somewhat diminished the heft of the sport's big three of India, England and Australia, is looking to stay in a position of power.

Sports Business

Even its CEO acknowledges GreenPark Sports is difficult to define, but the app, which combines the sports fan experience with a mobile game, has signed a partnership with the NBA and added $14 million in a Series A round.

Triller, a competitor to the much-larger TikTok that allows users to upload music and videos, published exclusive content ahead of last week's fight between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. Its co-owner explains that sports are a key part of its growth strategy.

Featured Story

When Covid-19 prompted a nationwide lockdown in March, shutting down stadiums, gyms and even local tracks and trails, it seemed we were headed for a year in which sports no longer mattered. Members of the Forbes 2021 30 Under 30 sports list reminded us why they still do, maybe more than ever. See this year's 30 honorees here.

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Upon Further Review

Under Armour, which signed Stephen Curry to a footwear sponsorship deal in 2013 and has already given him his own signature shoe, is further leveraging the Warriors sharpshooter's popularity with the launch of the Curry Brand. The company can only hope it one day resembles the Jordan Brand. Nike has paid Michael Jordan an estimated $1.3 billion since 1984, including $130 million last year—and that's a huge bargain.

The Last Word

“I miss them when they’re cheering, and also when they’re not so happy.”

Joe Nolan

Fans are missing from stadiums, but public-address announcer Joe Nolan is still clocking in for the Jets and Rutgers. He tells us the weekly preparation remains the same—he studies the names of opposing players to make sure he's got the proper pronunciations down—but injecting life into a fan-less atmosphere is a much tougher challenge than the typical wordplay. Why do these teams need a public-address announcer for their mostly empty stadiums? Read the full story here.