Welcome to The Sporting Tribune 2.0
The Sporting Tribune ushers in a new era before its second anniversary with a new-look website and plans to launch a mobile app, podcast network and wire service.
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1. Welcome to The Sporting Tribune 2.0
The Sporting Tribune ushers in a new era before its second anniversary with a new-look website and plans to launch a mobile app, podcast network and photo wire service.
When The Sporting Tribune was born on September 12, 2022, I was so happy and relieved when the website finally went live. An idea that was two years in the making was finally a real thing.
As I soaked in the way the homepage looked and the way the top stories read, I prepared to head out for our launch party when a longtime friend called me. “Congratulations,” he said. “Now the real work starts. What are you leading the site with tomorrow morning?”
I had no idea. I was so focused on simply getting the website off the ground, I hadn’t spent much time worrying about the fact that all the hard work it took to launch it was now a never-ending daily grind.
My friend laughed as he could hear my voice crack and my mood change. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You’ll figure it out. You got it off the ground. Now you have to build the plane as you fly it.”
I haven’t exactly figured it out but I do love the process of building this plane while it’s in the air.
2. The Sporting Tribune launches new-look site with a mobile app to follow
The Sporting Tribune issued the following press release about its new-look site and plans to launch a mobile app, podcast network and photo wire service next month.
The Sporting Tribune launched a brand-new website today and announced plans to launch a mobile app, photo wire service and a podcast network in September.
The platform launched in September 2022 with a focus on professional and collegiate sports in Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii. The area is the regional territory for many teams, including the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers and Angels, and the broadcast area for the regional networks carrying their games.
Veteran journalist Arash Markazi, who has covered the area for over 20 years at Sports Illustrated, ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, founded the company along with data scientist Chris Mattmann, who was recently named the Chief Data & Artificial Intelligence Officer at UCLA after a storied 24-year career at NASA JPL where he was the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer.
Markazi will serve as the Chief Content Officer while Mattmann will serve as the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at The Sporting Tribune as the company seeks to reach and serve sports fans in new and innovative ways. Mattmann’s background in journalism includes the invention of the Apache Tika software, a widely used framework for content detection and analysis, which allowed journalists to break the story on the Panama Papers, ultimately winning the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in journalism.
Joining Markazi and Mattmann in leading The Sporting Tribune into a new era will be a trio of experienced newsroom leaders in Bill Bradley, Jon Scher and Josh Cooper, who will serve as senior editors.
3. Tony Jefferson returns to NFL, ready to earn spot with Chargers
The comeback of Tony Jefferson shows a safety who wants to earn a spot on the roster., writes The Sporting Tribune’s Fernando Ramirez.
A year ago, Tony Jefferson returned to the Baltimore Ravens for his third stint with the team, but it was in a different way. He turned in his helmet and pads for a computer.
He became a scouting intern for them, which meant more work hours and watching a lot of film. It wasn't film of the defense or the offense he was facing that week. It was film of different players around the country.
"I really respect scouts way more now," he said. "Because like as a player, you don't really see all that.
"You don't see the back of the backhand work that they do, but they do so much for the organizations and finding players and bringing them in and spending all the hours staring at a screen."
4. Rams go big, beef up offensive to keep Stafford upright
With a strong focus on protecting their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, the Rams' front five has emerged as one of the most promising groups for this season, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Eric Lambkins II.
Christopher Wallace eloquently asked, "What's beef?" The Rams have nearly a ton of it.
In an era where NFL quarterbacks are making seemingly a quarter of the salary cap, keeping him upright is increasingly paramount. The Rams utilized the entire offseason to answer the Notorious B.I.G.
With a strong focus on protecting their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, the Rams' front five has emerged as one of the most promising groups for this season. The addition of Jonah Jackson, the retention of Kevin Dotson, and the transition of second-year standout Steve Avila to center have formed a formidable trio on the interior.
With these acquisitions, the Rams can implement the gap-style run scheme that coach Sean McVay initiated last season. This shift in strategy is about bolstering the team's strength and it's a chance for the Rams to redefine their identity.
"What ended up happening is the evolution (of our development)," McVay said. "These guys have the ability to be physical, but they're also athletic enough to be able to do some different things where you can stretch people horizontally, you can get vertical removal.
"There is a big emphasis on keeping the integrity of the interior parts of the pocket, and so I think you'll get some of the success that we had with Steve with Kevin Dotson."
5. Steve Ballmer on Clippers’ Intuit Dome: ‘Make it bigger’
The Sporting Tribune's Mark Medina provides an in-depth look at the Clippers' new $2 billion home in Inglewood before it opens this season as perhaps the best basketball arena in the world.
The presentation seemed as captivating as watching a Hollywood blockbuster filled with special effects in an IMAX theatre.
About three months before the LA Clippers will play their first game at Intuit Dome, the franchise unveiled their “Halo Board” that provided both entertaining and practical functions through 38,375 square feet.
The “Halo Board” showcased a live feed of the actual game directly over the actual court. It provided instant replays of various highlight reels from various angles.
It presented a “Coaches’ Corner” feature filled with various game and player statistics, shot charts and analytic data. And it highlighted a “Player 360” profile during timeouts, which shared a players’ season-long and game statistics along with detail about their career and charity projects.
6. Changes, new faces highlight San Diego State athletics in 2024-25
In an era where changes to the structure and rules surrounding NCAA athletics have come increasingly rapidly, the Scarlet and Black have been doing their part to keep up to pace, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Eric Evelhoch.
When the San Diego State football team hosted a launch party for the new EA Sports College Football 25 game July 19, it was a celebration of the newest edition of an old favorite.
It will feel much the same on the gridiron in a matter of weeks, as SDSU football embarks on the new AztecFAST era under first-year coach Sean Lewis and a completely remade program.
Later in the fall that same quick turnaround will be found on the hardwood of Viejas Arena, where coach Brian Dutcher and the men’s basketball team will be incorporating seven new players.
In an era where changes to the structure and rules surrounding NCAA athletics have come increasingly rapidly, the Scarlet and Black have been doing their part to keep up to pace.
7. Video of the Day
Make sure to subscribe to The Sporting Tribune YouTube page for all of our latest videos:
8. Ticket Time
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today:
6:38 p.m. – Rockies at Angels – $3
7:00 p.m. – Angel City vs. San Diego Wave (Fullerton) – $25
9. On the Air
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today:
6:38 p.m. – Rockies at Angels – Bally Sports West
7:00 p.m. – Angel City vs. San Diego Wave (Fullerton) – CBSSN
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Bet in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher. You can also watch every Friday on BLEAV on FuboTV.
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That’s it for today. Talk to you tomorrow!