Miami's canine Covid detectors | The NBA's highest-paid players | Soccer's AI innovators

Plus: The technology bringing Al Davis back to life

Pro Basketball

The Heat have reopened AmericanAirlines Arena. Before fans can take their seats, though, they have to pass by a team of dogs trained to sniff for Covid-19.

Soccer

Artificial intelligence is shaking up soccer. Playermaker manufactures shoe sensors that generate data for players and coaches; it's now taking its technology to amateurs in the U.S. Zone7 believes its AI system is responsible for the reduction in injuries that has helped Rangers take a commanding lead in the Scottish league. AiSCOUT, which has a new partnership with an English Premier League team, is using the technology to help players and scouts break down film of training exercises.

Barcelona tops the Deloitte Football Money League, leading all soccer clubs in revenue for 2019-20, even as a separate report claims the club is "on the verge of bankruptcy." Both statements could be true. Deloitte's report also provides valuable insight as Manchester United and Manchester City approach huge deadlines.

Auto Racing

Record label executive and distillery owner Scott Borchetta is going from Nascar sponsor to Nascar owner. "It gets down to dollars and cents, and this makes a lot of sense for our dollars," he tells us.

College Sports

The Pac-12 faces an existential moment as it selects a new commissioner. Choose the right path, and the road to financial relevance becomes smooth; the wrong path, meanwhile, could lead to oblivion in the Division I landscape.

Video Gaming

Electronic Arts has thrived during the pandemic, largely thanks to its FIFA franchise, which is navigating an increasingly complex licensing landscape. That's not the only thorny issue EA Sports faces around athlete likenesses, either, with the company reviving its college football game.

Snowboarding

Chloe Kim is using her snowboarding experience to design an outerwear line for her new sponsor, Roxy. Her overalls, for instance, will have a back zip so "you don't have to moon everyone when you go to the bathroom."

Sports Business

All 45 PGA Tour Superstore locations across the U.S. were closed to in-store traffic last year for much of the spring—typically one of their biggest sales stretches. But 2020 was anything but business as usual in the golf industry, and Superstore ended up with a record-setting year.

With an innovative hinge in the midsole, Nike's GO FlyEase is the first fully hands-free sneaker, taking accessibility to a new level. 

Featured Story

Even with empty arenas set to dent NBA salaries by 20% this season, the league's ten best-paid players are projected to earn a combined $558 million for the 2020-21 season, with 44% coming from off-the-court endeavors. The top earner is expected to bank $95.4 million—a record haul in American team sports. Who's No. 1? Click here to see the full list.

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Upon Further Review

Naomi Osaka has purchased a stake in the NWSL's North Carolina Courage, allowing the growing soccer league to take advantage of the kind of network effect that men's sports have long enjoyed. Osaka has the money to make a difference: She's coming off the most lucrative year by a female athlete in history. How much did Osaka make? See the full story here.

The Last Word

“Let’s get Al Davis and Pete Rozelle. Let’s bring them back. Let’s conjure them.”

Ken Rodgers

When Ken Rodgers was making the new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Al Davis vs. The NFL, he wanted Davis, the former Raiders owner, and former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle to speak for themselves. The problem: Both died years ago. So Rodgers, an NFL Films director and longtime showrunner of HBO's Hard Knocks, used deepfakes to bring them back to life. Ahead of tonight's premiere, learn more about the emerging technology that powers the film here.