Latest news with #AEG
Associated Press
6 hours ago
- General
- Associated Press
Four Cities, One Planet: AEG's People for The Planet BRG Mobilizes Members for Plastic-Free July Initiative
This July, AEG's People for the Planet Business Resource Group (BRG) turned commitment into action, activating a series of community-driven events across four cities in honor of Plastic Free July. From riverbanks to urban parks, the message is clear: sustainability starts with showing up. In Cleveland, the month kicked off with the second annual River Cleanup at Jacob's Pavilion. AEG employee volunteers gathered along the Cuyahoga River, armed with gloves, trash grabbers, and a shared mission to protect their local environment. As they walked the boardwalk and park, they collected plastic bottles, wrappers, and other debris that threatened the health of the river. The event wasn't just about cleaning up—it was about reconnecting with nature and inspiring others to do the same. Next, in Los Angeles, the focus shifted from plastic to trees. In collaboration with TreePeople, volunteers gathered at Huntington Park for a morning of urban forestry. They cared for recently planted trees by removing invasive weeds, watering, mulching, and adjusting support stakes. The work was hands-on and humbling, a reminder that climate action can be as simple—and as powerful—as nurturing a tree in your own neighborhood. Later in the month, the movement is heading west to Denver, where People for the Planet will team up with Keep Denver Beautiful for a regional street cleanup around the Mission Ballroom and AEG Presents and AXS offices. The event will bring together employees who will work together to remove litter from sidewalks, parking lots, and green spaces. As the month draws to a close, the final activation is scheduled for Detroit, where People for the Planet will join Conscious City Cleanup for their 3rd Annual Cass Park Cleanup. With music playing and community energy high, volunteers will collect trash while enjoying a morning walk through the historic neighborhood. Across all four cities, the impact is tangible. Dozens of bags of waste are being removed from public spaces. Trees are being tended to. Conversations are being sparked. And most importantly, a sense of shared purpose is being ignited. Plastic Free July serves as more than a campaign—it is a catalyst for connection, education, and action. Through these events, AEG's People for the Planet BRG demonstrates that environmental change doesn't require grand gestures. It starts with people—coming together, rolling up their sleeves, and doing the work. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from AEG
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FOX Sports and AEG Announce Official Dates for the 2026 College Basketball Crown With Elite Eight-Team Field
Tournament to air on FOX and FS1 from April 1–5 in Las Vegas LOS ANGELES, July 21, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following a hugely successful inaugural tournament, FOX Sports and AEG today announced the official dates for the 2026 College Basketball Crown. The elite post-season college hoops tournament delivered compelling matchups, impressive viewership and a captivating championship run by Nebraska – becoming a must-see competition showcasing elite programs that narrowly miss NCAA Tournament selection. In 2026, the College Basketball Crown will take place April 1–5 at both the MGM Grand Garden Arena as well as T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and air on FOX and FS1. Year two features a newly streamlined eight-team field and continued support from its first-year brand partners. The 2026 field will feature the top two teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, and BIG EAST conferences that do not receive NCAA Tournament bids, plus two wild card teams selected by committee. The 2026 College Basketball Crown quarterfinals will take place Wednesday, April 1 and Thursday, April 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena, with T-Mobile Arena hosting the semifinals Saturday, April 4 and the championship matchup Sunday, April 5. "We launched the College Basketball Crown to create more opportunities for elite competition during the thrilling college basketball post-season – and we saw an incredible response from fans, conferences, and players for the inaugural tournament," said Jordan Bazant, Executive Vice President, FOX Sports, and board member of the College Basketball Crown. "We look forward to building on that momentum this spring by delivering high stakes matchups between top teams throughout the competition on FOX and FS1." The new eight-team format reflects a strategic refinement, designed to deliver stronger matchups, enhanced fan experiences, and continued commercial success across every stage of the tournament. "The College Basketball Crown has already proven to be a premium, athlete-first post-season platform that delivers for schools, our brand partners, and fans," said Nick Baker, President and COO of AEG Global Partnerships and board member of the College Basketball Crown. "We're proud to continue this tournament alongside FOX Sports and our partners and we look forward to raising the bar once again in 2026 with top-tier talent, world-class venues, and continued innovation." Additionally, inaugural-year partners are continuing their support for the 2026 tournament, including: Vivid Seats – Official Ticketing Provider GHOST® – Founding Partner and Official Energy Drink and Hydration Partner JSX – Founding Partner and Official Air Carrier Circa Resort & Casino – Founding Partner and Official Host Hotel MGM Resorts International – Official Partner The College Basketball Crown also continues to drive innovation in name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes, with new enhancements expected to be announced in the lead-up to next year's tournament. Additional announcements regarding ticket sales, broadcast talent, new partners, team selection and more will follow in the coming months. For more information on the College Basketball Crown, visit: ABOUT THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL CROWN Launched by FOX Sports and AEG, the College Basketball Crown is a premier post-season college basketball tournament that debuted in March 2025 in Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena. Featuring elite teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, BIG EAST, and additional at-large participants, the tournament offers a new and highly competitive post-season opportunity for student-athletes and fans alike. Key partners of the inaugural College Basketball Crown include: Vivid Seats – Official Ticketing Provider GHOST® – Founding Partner; Official Energy Drink and Hydration Partner JSX – Founding Partner; Official Air Carrier Circa Resort & Casino – Founding Partner; Official Host Hotel MGM Resorts International – Official Partner For more information on the College Basketball Crown, visit: About AEG Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world's leading sports and live entertainment company. The company operates in the following business segments: Music through AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including the production and promotion of global and regional concert tours, an extensive portfolio of clubs, theaters and other music venues, concerts and special events and world-renowned festivals such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival; Venues and Real Estate, which develops, owns and operates world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like Arena and L.A. LIVE, Uber Platz in Berlin and The O2 in London; Sports, as the world's largest operator of high-profile sporting events and sports franchises including the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and Eisbären Berlin; Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating, and other strategic partnerships. And Ticketing, through its ticketing platform, which provides more than 400 clients worldwide with ticketing services that cover the gamut of entertainments, including sporting events, arena tours, music clubs, festivals, rodeos and family events. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 90 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at About FOX Sports FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing Fox Corporation's wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports' digital properties include and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Also included in FOX Sports' portfolio are FOX's interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and the UFL and a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network. T-Mobile Arena T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between Park MGM and New York-New York, opened April 6, 2016. The arena hosts more than 100 events annually including major headline entertainment, awards shows, UFC, boxing, basketball and other sporting events, family shows and special events. T-Mobile Arena also is the home of the Vegas Golden Knights, a National Hockey League expansion team and the city's first professional sports team, as well as UFC's exclusive Las Vegas arena destination. The venue, named the No. 1 venue on Billboard Magazine's 2018 Arena Power List as well as the "Best New Major Concert Venue" by Pollstar Magazine in 2016, features 50 luxury suites, more than two dozen private loge boxes, complete broadcast facilities, and other specially designed exclusive hospitality offerings and fan amenities destined to create a guest experience second to none. Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, features performance stages, a variety of video screens and other interactive content and display areas. Designed and built to prioritize environmental sustainability, T-Mobile Arena was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2016. T-Mobile Arena is a privately funded joint venture between AEG and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information, visit or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. About MGM Grand Garden Arena The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also has been home to annual events including the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, the Latin GRAMMY Awards, iHeartRadio Music Festival, Pac-12 Men's Basketball Championship and Frozen Fury NHL pre-season games hosted by the Los Angeles Kings. View source version on Contacts Media Contacts Michael Roth, AEGmroth@ Shannon Donnelly, AEG Global Anne Pennington, FOX Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
USA Today
3 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
LA Galaxy executive shows how youth sports empowers you throughout life
It's not exactly a linear path to the LA Galaxy, Tom Braun will tell you. Play baseball as a kid in Houston. Get drafted by the Oakland Athletics as a pitcher. Pursue an undergraduate education and a Big East baseball career at Georgetown. Get into banking. He only moved west when his wife, Raquel, landed a job as a lawyer with Fox Sports. Tom got his MBA at the University of Southern California. Then, about a decade before he would become president of business operations and chief operating officer for one of Major League Soccer's flagship franchises in 2023, he took an unpaid internship at Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). It led to a job in data analytics for the Galaxy and NHL's Los Angeles Kings, which AEG owns, and set him along his MLS journey. He laughs when he is asked if he imagined it would happen this way. 'You can have hope and dreams,' he tells USA TODAY Sports, 'that you can become fortunate to work for such a great company and such a great team and you work really hard, and you hope that that pans out. Luckily, I've been around really great people and I'm gonna take advantage of it.' The Galaxy have won a league-high six MLS Cup trophies, including one last season. Along the way, they averaged a near-capacity crowd at Dignity Health Sports Park on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson and have offered a family-friendly extravaganza. Braun, 42, has been a force behind the Galaxy's youth development programs. The Galaxy hold close to 200 classes a week. According to the team, its clinics will host more than 1,500 boys and girls this year, many of whom are new to soccer or are accessing structured play for the first time. A father of two boys (Jack, 5, and James, 2) who coaches his oldest son in the AYSO, Braun spoke with us about how his own experiences as an athlete, leader and dad can help other young athletes and their parents. His story shows how far you can go when a love for sports stirs a spirit within you that goes beyond just being a professional athlete. (Questions and responses are edited for length and clarity.) Just let them play: 'They're going to find their path' Braun started out in baseball because, like with many of us, it was the sport his dad knew best. He could play it year-round in Texas, and he learned to put everything he had into it. Realizing what it all meant, and where it might lead, though, came much later. USA TODAY: How about some general tips and observations you have for parents about getting their kids into sports and keeping them fun, not getting them so competitive so early? Tom Braun: I'm young into it and fortunately, my kids are really interested in playing sports. I think often parents think that they're gonna be a professional athlete at 5 or 6 years old and really, you just let 'em have fun. They're gonna find their path, they're gonna find what they're interested in, but I think even more at an early age, parents are looking for something to do. They're looking for an activity for their kids to do, where they can be outside or be active and sports, specifically soccer in our Galaxy Juniors program, gives parents an opportunity to put their kids in sports that they don't know if they're going to like or not like, but it's an easy sport to understand, and you can see they like it. But I wouldn't push them too hard. Let 'em enjoy it and pick what interests them as they get older. I don't think anybody can decide at 6 years old if they're gonna be a professional athlete. USAT: The most successful athletes will tell you that as kids, even in the Little League World Series, it's supposed to be just about fun as well. It's not a scouting opportunity. TB: I had a pretty good career in baseball, getting to play in college, but I actually did not start to realize I was good at baseball until I was about a junior in high school. So it takes some time to kind of develop and figure out what you're good at and what you're interested in. Our sports experiences, whenever they end, can help carry us throughout our lives Going into his senior year at Kingwood (Texas) High, Braun says, he threw hard enough that it became apparent pro baseball might be an option. The A's picked him in the 30th round of the 2001 Major League Baseball draft. He opted to pursue a business degree at Georgetown, giving him a background for what he would become. He realizes now, though, that what he accomplished on the field was at the center of that transformation, too. 'When I graduated, I worked for an investment bank for about six years,' he says. 'I ended up wanting to pursue a different passion, a passion more in sports. That's kind of where my interest lies.' USAT: Do you find just competing at the collegiate level has helped you in the real world? TB: Not a lot of people, I think, realize that being a college baseball player (is) a full-time job, being a college athlete is a full-time job, and going to school and really caring about your academics is a full-time job. I do think it makes a big difference for someone's work ethic and their passion to be able to accomplish those things and working as a team, I think it gives you a lot of characteristics and qualities that do make you better in the workforce, or to make you a better person. So, yeah, I think it's important. It also shows, I think, how you prioritize things in your life. USAT: Do you have a strategy in terms of building the right environment, interactions between parents and coaches, to kind of set the standard and expectations for the parents? TB: I think it depends on the age. If they're 2 years old, of course, the child will want to hold Mom and Dad's hand and have Mom and Dad on the field. But once they start to be about 4, we start to separate it out a little bit, where the parents aren't on the field, and the kids start to build that confidence to do things independently. And I think as it progresses, there's a different type of expectation as a kid gets older that the coach is caring for them in the right way, and that the parents are respecting the coach's ability to coach the child. We spend a lot of time making sure that the kids are cared for in the right way. Coach Steve: How do you deal with a bad coach? Here are three steps Sports can have unexpected benefits for kids Galaxy Juniors starts as early as 18 months old, and it runs through ages 6-7. As they get older, kids can graduate to MLS GO and try out for MLS NEXT, as they can in many other parts of the country. Braun remembers when he was young, it was hard to find soccer on television, and it wasn't always available to play on a team. It has exploded in popularity over MLS's 30 years of existence. 'The more accessible and inclusive it is for families, the more they fall in love with it,' he says. Since his sons were born, his perspective on what the sport can mean to a kid has dramatically changed. USAT: Could you just talk about how your youth development and training program works? TB: I'll give you a very specific, personal example of just my family and what sports meant to my now soon-to-be 6-year-old. So when my 6-year-old was 18-19 months old, he was having a hard time walking. For some reason, he just wasn't comfortable walking. And at that age, most kids are walking. We decided to try to figure out why, and eventually he started to walk. And right when he started to walk at 19 or 20 months, we put him into a Galaxy Juniors program, and we saw him go from having a hard time walking, period, to listening to coaches and following directions and moving in a way that he wasn't used to moving. He went from not walking to running and to being coordinated. And I think some of that development really had a huge impact on him and his own personal growth and his own confidence at that age. So personally, like even putting them in sports when they're that young, I think, makes a really big difference in just their confidence and their growth as a little kid. We have two facilities. One's called LA Galaxy Soccer Center. It's a 75,000-square-foot indoor facility that has five futsal and small-sided soccer courts, in Torrance, that I think, on a weekly basis, we get over 5,000 kids that go in and out of that facility just to play soccer. We also have an outdoor facility here on our campus, at Dignity Health Sports Park, called Galaxy Park, where we have a number of futsal and small-sized fields as well, where it's open to the public. And kids just come and play soccer, and they take clinics with us. They do pickup games. So it's a safe space for kids to come. Coach Steve: As MLS turns 30, where does your youth player fit into its programming? Your own professional development, and your relationship with your spouse, goes hand in hand with your kids' athletic prosperity A former colleague once told me she would wake up at 5 a.m. to have coffee and sit in the quiet of the morning to center herself before she gave her young kids her undivided attention. Just recently, a family friend of ours who is raising four active kids went back to work in an office setting after about 10 years away from it. As her children have become more self-sufficient, her new career has rejuvenated her. The process works similarly with our kids and our sports: We need to take care of ourselves as we take care of them. USAT: I know you and your wife both work, so how have you managed to juggle everything with the sports? TB: Raquel was a lawyer at Fox Sports, working on World Cups and NFL and Major League Baseball. She transitioned to (doing) talent and business development for EA Sports, the video game company, and now she's pursuing her own venture where she's a consultant. She started it with a partner. It's called Mulier Fortis, which has a heavy focus on women's sports, and the growth of women's sports. My wife and I share the responsibilities, as we should. I'm a very fortunate husband. She loves it as do my kids. And she works equally as hard as I do, if not more than I do. You have to have an understanding wife and understanding family and you gotta take advantage of those moments when you're not working to spend time with your kids. It's important to make sure you're balancing your home life and your work life. USAT: Do you have like a typical day in your life? Can you kind of detail that, or is every day completely different for you? TB: Well, I'm very much a routine guy, but every day, when I get to the office, is a little bit different. But I usually wake up between 4 and 4:30 every morning. I'll go for a jog or I'll work out. That's really my hour, hour and a half that I get to spend on my own before my kids start to wake up, usually about 6 or 6:30 my kids are getting up. I'm getting them ready for school, oftentimes taking them to school, getting their lunches prepared. And then I'm in the office, probably by 8:30 every day. And then once I get to the office, it really depends on the day, what meetings we have set up, what are the priorities? Oftentimes I'm engaging with my executive leadership team to understand what the priorities are for the day or for the week. I spend quite a bit of time understanding with my head coach (Greg Vanney) and my general manager (Will Kuntz), who I get to work with every day, what their priorities are during the week, leading up to what could be a game on the weekend. So at work, it's a little scattered but at home, it's pretty regimented. I get home about 6 every day, it's quality time with the family before bath time and bedtime, and then I usually crash myself. Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons' baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here. Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Electrolux AB (ELRXF) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Margin Improvements and Strategic Challenges
Operating Margin: Improved from 1.2% to 2.5%. Organic Growth: 1.8%, driven by North America and Latin America. Cost Efficiency: Achieved SEK0.6 billion in the quarter, totaling SEK2 billion for the first half of the year. North America Organic Growth: 4.1%. Latin America Margin: Above 6.6%. Sale of Kelvinator Brand: SEK180 million. Net Debt to EBITDA: 3.5 times. Operating Cash Flow: Negative SEK741 million. Liquidity: SEK28 billion, including RCFs. Capital Expenditures: Estimated between SEK4 billion and SEK5 billion for full year 2025. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with ELRXF. Release Date: July 18, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Positive Points Electrolux AB (ELRXF) outperformed the market with its three major brands: Electrolux, AEG, and Frigidaire. The company improved its operating margin from 1.2% to 2.5%, with a positive margin in North America. Electrolux AB (ELRXF) reported an organic growth of 1.8%, driven by North America and Latin America. The company achieved cost efficiencies, delivering an additional SEK0.6 billion year-over-year. Electrolux AB (ELRXF) received 16 design awards, highlighting its strong design capabilities and innovation. Negative Points The European market remains depressed, with a 1% decline and volumes 11% lower than in 2019. Electrolux AB (ELRXF) faced negative price developments in Europe due to high competition and promotional pressure. The company experienced currency headwinds in Brazil and Argentina, impacting financial performance. Electrolux AB (ELRXF) reported a negative operating cash flow after investments of SEK741 million in the quarter. The company is facing challenges with tariffs in North America, impacting cash flow and requiring price adjustments. Q & A Highlights Q: Can you explain the difference in competitive landscapes between the US and Europe, and how it affects pricing strategies? A: Yannick Fierling, CEO, explained that while the competitive landscape is similar in both regions, the reaction to geopolitical uncertainty has been different. In Europe, consumer confidence is lower, leading to intense promotional activities, whereas North America has shown resilience despite inflation. Electrolux has been able to increase prices in North America to offset tariffs, a strategy that has been successful despite not all competitors following suit. Q: How is Electrolux managing cost-cutting efforts, and what can be expected in the second half of the year? A: Yannick Fierling noted that Electrolux achieved SEK2 billion in cost efficiencies in the first half of 2025, with a target of SEK3.5 billion to SEK4 billion by year-end. The company is focusing on product cost reduction and better sourcing. Despite a strong second half in 2024, Electrolux expects continued year-over-year improvements in cost efficiencies. Q: What is the outlook for marketing expenses, especially with new product launches like the pizza feature in the US? A: Yannick Fierling and Therese Friberg, CFO, indicated that marketing expenses will increase significantly in the second half of 2025 to support new product launches. They emphasized the importance of marketing in driving growth and innovation, with a focus on ensuring a return on investment. Q: How is Electrolux handling the impact of tariffs in North America, and what are the expectations for the second half? A: Therese Friberg explained that while tariffs have impacted cash flow, Electrolux has offset these costs through price increases. The company anticipates a higher tariff impact in the third quarter but remains committed to further price adjustments to fully compensate for tariffs. Q: Are there any signs of recovery in the European market, particularly in the new build segment? A: Yannick Fierling stated that there are no significant signs of recovery in the European new build segment. Despite lower interest rates, construction activity remains subdued, impacting Electrolux's margins due to its strong presence in the kitchen and construction sectors. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Galaxy disciplines fans for rule violations while protesting team response to ICE raids
The Galaxy have banned a fan from the Angel City Brigade support group following the July 4 match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The team has also restricted access for other fans accused of harassing the MLS team's management. Bruce Martin, a 12-year Angel City Brigade member, was banned indefinitely for using a press credential to bring a banner into the stadium not authorized by the team, according to a letter sent to Martin informing him that he cannot attend any Galaxy games in Carson or any other events at Dignity Health Sports Park. Fans from the same group have been suspended indefinitely for harassing members of Galaxy management, according to a person with knowledge of the decision not authorized to discuss it publicly. During the home game against Vancouver, fans of the Angel City Brigade, founded in 2007, walked in with several banners protesting immigration raids in Southern California since June 6. Some of the protest banners blamed AEG, the owner of the Galaxy, for remaining quiet while fans were harmed by raids. Read more: Galaxy fans protest team's silence in response to ICE raids Angel City Brigade fans, traditionally located in Sections 121 and 122 of Galaxy's stadium, left the game at the 12-minute mark in protest. Other groups, such as Galaxians, LA Riot Squad and Galaxy Outlawz, joined them by keeping quiet during the match. 'We have not issued a statement. We recognize the impact that recent events and actions have had on our community," Galaxy spokesperson Jamie Álvarez said. "For decades, we have honored the rich backgrounds, cultures, and experiences of our fans and staff. Our purpose as a professional sports organization is to unite and support our community around a shared love of this sport. We are focusing on prioritizing the safety, well-being, and sense of belonging for our staff and for our fans.' The Dodgers, another team with a large Latino fan base, were also criticized for not saying anything at the beginning of the raids and ultimately pledged to make a $1 million donation to families affected by the raids. Martin, who last season released a book titled 'This is Where My Heart Lies: Through the Eyes of a Supporter,' chronicling his passion as a Galaxy fan, revealed the letter on social media in which he is vetoed. Martin said he was heartbroken by the decision, but fans have supported him and his cause. 'A large percentage of the [Angel City Brigade] has canceled their season tickets,' Martin said. "There are a lot of fans around MLS who have reached out to me. It's one of my favorite things about the soccer community — how close we are." The support from Angel City Brigade, Galaxians, LA Riot Squad, Galaxy Outlawz and other fan groups play a major role in making the Galaxy's home field at Dignity Health Sports Park a fortress, a stadium where the team did not lose all of last regular season and where it won its sixth MLS title. Read more: Commentary: Angel City takes stand against immigration raids as others stay silent On July 12, fans also stopped chanting in protest of 'the silence of the L.A. Galaxy' in the face of immigration raids. "We recognize that the volume in the stadium is different," Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said following the team's game against D.C. United. "As I've said before, the fans have a right to take whatever stances they want and our job is to go out and try to win games. We want the fans to come, we want them to feel safe, we want them to feel like this is their club and the place they want to be, and we try to do our job on the field to help make that happen." The Galaxy approved the giant tifo used on July 4, which featured three Hispanic figures and a message that read, 'Fight Ignorance, Not Immigrants.' According to the team spokesperson, the club has had multiple discussions — before and after the July 4 game — in individual and small group meetings with leaders of Galaxy supporter groups to try to resolve the issue. The Galaxy works with community groups such as CARECEN [Central American Resource Center,] Heart of Los Angeles and All Peoples Community Center, among others. This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
