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Welcome back to The Sports Road! With a big weekend coming up, what better place is there to prepare for it than here with us!? Today, we have a good one. From Lionel Messi’s SHOCKING move, to how technology is being used for good in the world of sport, and more – let’s get into it!
Here's what we got for ya today:
The GOAT
AI in The Champions League?
An Initiative we Can Get Behind…
Golf’s Crazy News…
Most Valuable Sports Teams
Let's get into it!
What’s Next For The GOAT?
Well then. So, that escalated quickly…
Lionel Messi – arguably Football’s best ever player – now plays for MLS side, Inter Miami.
Where do we even start!?
For what seemed like the entirety of the saga, it looked like there were only two options for the Argentinian. The first being a return to Barcelona, and a second being a HUGE money move to Saudi Arabia.
So what changed?
I mean, we are literally talking about Messi – yes, that Messi – signing for the team currently sat at last place in the MLS. No disrespect to the league, but… yeah. This is a bit strange.
To make it even crazier, the team is co-owned by David Beckham! This can’t be real life… Being the case, despite longing for on field success, the club have actually been touted as one of the worlds most exciting and has already been home to players like Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi. Not that those moves went too well though…
This one feels different though, and it doesn’t even look like the team is ready to stop just yet. Yep, in addition to Messi’s signing, it’s being rumoured that the club are looking to add Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets to their books… I swear I’ve seen that before 🤔 The gang are getting back together!
Having sacked their manager only a few weeks ago, unfortunately we won’t get to see Football’s greatest ever players managed by – have a guess 🥁🥁– Phil Neville 🤣
If this is any indication for what this summer window will look like, help us all… This may get pretty crazy.
With this being the first time in two decades that both Ronaldo and Messi aren’t playing in Europe, it truly is the end of an era…
Ah, Football. Never change.
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The Champions League Final: With an AI Twist
Showcasing Football’s elite, the Champions League is not held to the same standards as others.
That doesn’t only extend to pure athletic performance, though. From the bone-chilling music, to dramatic storylines, it feels as though everything has to be perfectly on point…
No group of people have highlighted that more this year than CBS’ UCL coverage team.
Bringing a dynamic unseen before in traditional punditry, the group made up of Micah Richards, Jamie Carragher, Thierry Henry, and Kate Abdo offer funny and exciting commentary, while also providing top level analysis.
So with that, you may be wondering why we’re even talking about them today.
Well, this week, CBS announced a deal with Hype Sports Innovation, the world's largest global ecosystem for sports technology.
Helping link large companies such as CBS to numerous technology vendors, Hype can allow firms and teams to accelerate their progression and shoot right up to sports elite.
Already working with 200 teams, the company has interacted with over 3,500 sports tech startups!
With CBS specifically looking to use the partnership to delve deeper into AI, AR, and VR, fans could be offered a completely new viewing experience.
"We are excited to work with HYPE Sports Innovation and many of the leading technology companies from around the world to further enhance our coverage and deliver never-before-seen technology to our audiences, while developing more creative and compelling content, as well as innovative experiences"
Jason Cohen, Vice President of Technical Operations for CBS Sports.
So, who knows – it may not be tomorrow – but you may be watching next year's Champions League final in conditions you would have never thought of in your wildest dreams…
How Sports Technology is Being Used For Good
If the last couple months here at The Sports Road has taught us anything, it’s that the potential of technology is limitless.
We are truly living in an age whereby at the snap of a finger, anything and everything could completely change.
With that, there’s nothing better than seeing its mind blowing capabilities being used for good. Whether it be to improve fairness, aid in injury rehabilitation, or anything else, technology will play a key role in defining the future of sport.
Seeing its impacts at the most elite level, Denver Nuggets forward, Zeke Nnaji, is looking to harness AI to inspire the next generation.
With the help of a family foundation, the 22-year-old is aiming to help aspiring Basketball players in West Africa.
Having already aided in the building of an athletics centre, it now looks as though the NBA star’s mind has shifted towards STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – learning.
“It means a lot to me. I hope the way that I carry myself and show my culture will encourage young people over there to believe they can achieve the same things. That's really our goal, to establish a place where kids can choose where they want to go and what kind of career path they want to take.”
Zeke Nnaji
With the Nuggets taking control of the series last night, Nnaji could be experiencing even more highs in his young career soon…
We Need to Talk About: Golf’s Merger
Look – when we talk about Golf here at The Sports Road, we often begin with a pretty similar statement. We think that if you asked most people what the most interesting sport is, Golf would be nowhere near the conversation.
With all the drama it's been seeing over the last couple months though, we may just be wrong with that one…
If you somehow haven’t seen it yet, this may be sports' biggest story of the week…
The PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf absolutely stunned the entire sporting community when they announced the merging of their companies to form a new collectively owned entity.
With many considering the different companies as enemies, the deal will put a stop to any pending litigation between the tours.
Seeing as LIV had poached some of the other tours top talents, the animosity between the companies felt as though it was at an all time high.
To say the truth though, it looks like reactions have been mixed…
“I still hate LIV. Like, I hate LIV. I hope it goes away and I would fully expect that it does.”
Rory McIlroy
As reports that players’ shock quickly turned into anger swirling around in circulation, it looks like Golf will be having to undergo a serious reevaluation.
Quick Bites
What a win! West Ham are Massive!
Big changes: How Saudi Arabia are changing the game
NBA: A Big Win
Meme of the day
Karim Benzema’s new contract is almost as much as an NFL team’s yearly salary cap 🤯 @brfootball
His deal is $643M over 3 years https://t.co/SVnixbRRuK
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport)
Jun 7, 2023
Quote of the day
"I was dreaming of Barça return, yes; but I was never sure about that happening because I remember very well the story of August 2021, two years ago."
Lionel Messi
Photo of the day
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