Latest news with #FranklinField
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
FanDuel bans bettor for heckling Gabby Thomas at Philadelphia track meet
FanDuel has banned the sports bettor who heckled three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas at a Grand Slam Track meet last weekend and later boasted that his actions helped him win a bet placed on one of her competitors. 'FanDuel condemns in the strongest terms abusive behavior directed towards athletes,' a FanDuel spokesperson said in a statement to The Athletic. 'Threatening or harassing athletes is unacceptable and has no place in sports. This customer is no longer able to wager with FanDuel.' Advertisement The betting platform took action after Thomas said Monday that a sports bettor followed her around Franklin Field in Philadelphia, the site of the track event, and heckled her. 'This grown man followed me around the track as I took pictures and signed autographs for fans (mostly children) shouting personal insults- anybody who enables him online is gross,' Thomas wrote on X. In response to a previous post from Thomas, a man posted a video on X where he can be heard heckling Thomas at the starting line. He calls himself 'The Track and Field Bully' and 'The King of Track and Field and Sports Betting Dramedy' in his X bio. The man also shared a screenshot of a winning bet slip showing he won over $800 on a parlay, which included a victory by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in the women's 100m. Thomas, who won gold at the Paris Olympics in the 200m, was bested by Jefferson-Wooden in the 200 on Saturday and then beaten by Jefferson-Wooden again Sunday in the 100. The man wrote, 'I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win.' Grand Slam Track said Tuesday that it was working to identify the man in the video and opened an investigation into the incident. Thomas is the latest athlete to address the growing trend of alarming treatment from fans related to sports betting. Last month, Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and his family received death threats from a fan on social media after his rough outing in a 13-9 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The Astros alerted Major League Baseball and the Houston Police Department, which later identified the fan as a frustrated bettor who lashed out online while inebriated. NBA players have reported an uptick in verbal abuse at games and receiving threatening or harassing messages on social media from bettors in recent years, prompting the league to put processes in place that allow players to report incidents to their teams and/or the league office. Advertisement 'I've never felt genuinely threatened, but there has been some really disrespectful s— said,' the New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson told The Athletic earlier this year when asked if he's felt threatened by messages he receives. 'It's a lot of people who don't have profile pictures. There is part of me that has thought about airing them out, but s— always comes back around.' Editor's note: The Athletic has a partnership with BetMGM. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Runs 100-Meter World Lead At Grand Slam Track
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the United States wins in the Women's 200 Meters during the Grand Slam ... More Track series at the historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on May 31, 2025. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Operating on a newly condensed two-day competition schedule, Grand Slam Track brought electric energy and elite racing to the historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Almost every race ended in a new stadium record, effectively rewriting the history books and raising the bar for all who wish to compete there in the future. From Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone running her first-ever professional 100-meter dash to Olympic silver medalist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden dropping a new 100-meter dash world lead, there was something invigorating for every fan to watch. Here is a guide that recaps some of the most exciting moments from the weekend. PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES JUNE 1: Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the United States celebrates after ... More she wins in the Women's 100 meters with 10.73 a new World Lead time and her Personal Best, winning the Women's Short Sprint category, on the second day of the third leg of the Grand Slam Track Series, held at the historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on June 1, 2025. (Photo by Artur Widak/Anadolu via Getty Images) Olympic bronze medalist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden is currently on a three-Slam winning streak in the short sprints. Even with having to face the fourth fastest woman of all time, Gabby Thomas, Jefferson-Wooden shows she isn't afraid to test her limits for the $100,000 prize. On day one of Grand Slam, Jefferson-Wooden lined up against Olympic champion Thomas for the second this Slam season in the 200-meter dash. Although Thomas has incredible top-end speed, it wasn't enough to track down Jefferson-Wooden, who ran a 21.99 second personal best. In the mixed zone after the competition, the Olympic silver medalist expressed that part of her plan for the 200-meter dash was to get out as quickly as possible because she knew her competition would be strong and looking to track her down. 'I knew if I wanted to win, I had to get out, get in front, control the race, and let them come get me,' said Jefferson-Wooden. The now three-time short sprint Slam champion did just that, making her race plan pay off just as intended. Today in Philadelphia, the Olympic bronze medalist ran a world lead and personal best in the 100-meter dash of 10.73 seconds. From the gun, Jefferson-Wooden had a strong acceleration phase, making her difficult to track down in the later phases of the race. No competitor was near her when she crossed the finish line. Despite some fans being concerned that she may be peaking with her athletic abilities, Jefferson-Wooden firmly believes she is far from the best version of herself and has way more in the tank. When she spoke with me in the mixed-zone, she expressed that these races are feeling easy. As it stands, she and Olympic champion Julien Alfred are displaying the most promise to podium in Tokyo so far this season. There is one more Grand Slam Track meet happening this year in Los Angeles on June 28th-29th. If Jefferson-Wooden can pull off earning her fourth Slam title, she will have a strong case for winning Racer of the Year. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 31: Ackera Nugent competes against Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ... More competes in the women's 100m hurdles during Grand Slam Track at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania on May 31, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Roger Wimmer/) Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a woman of many athletic talents. Outside of being the six-time world record holder in the 400-meter hurdles, McLaughlin-Levrone can also hold her own in the 400-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles, and now the 100-meter dash. Although she did not come out as the short hurdle Slam champion, McLaughlin-Levrone was not afraid to push her limits and fight for the title. As previously mentioned, the Olympic champion decided to compete in the short hurdles at Franklin Field. On the first day, McLaughlin-Levrone ran 12.70 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, placing fifth to earn four points. Jamaican national record holder Ackera Nugent controlled the race, running 12.44 seconds to break the facility record and earn her first victory of the weekend. Today, McLaughlin-Levrone stepped even further outside of her comfort zone and raced her first-ever professional 100-meter dash. The last time she ran a 100-meter dash before today was her freshman year at Kentucky, where she ran a wind-aided 11.07 at the Tennessee Relays. Despite not being the favorite to win the 100-meter dash, the Olympic champion held her own. She did not have the best start, but the final stages of the race were spectacular as she picked off her competitors one by one. Nugent reigned victorious again, running 11.11 seconds to earn her second short hurdle Slam victory of the year. McLaughlin-Levrone ran a strong second, running a new wind-legal personal best of 11.21 seconds. McLaughlin-Levrone placed second overall in the short hurdles this Slam, taking home $50,000 for her efforts. After competition, the 400-meter hurdle world record holder mentioned why this weekend was monumental for her testing her mental strength. 'I think the best part was honestly putting myself in an uncomfortable position and seeing how I reacted and handled it,' said McLaughlin-Levrone. 'Being able to go in there against the best of the best and put myself in that position, I'm proud of how I handled it mentally.' PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES JUNE 1: Jamal Britt of Great Britain wins in the Men's Short Hurdles ... More category, after finsing second in the Men's 100 meters, on the second day of the third leg of the Grand Slam Track Series, held at the historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on June 1, 2025. (Photo by Artur Widak/Anadolu via Getty Images) Grand Slam Track has a goal of making professional track a sport where athletes do not need to rely on shoe sponsorships to continue their dream of competing professionally. Instead, they want to provide opportunities for athletes to showcase their abilities and earn a substantial amount of money for competing against the best of the best. This weekend, unsponsored hurdler Jamal Britt became the new heartfelt story to come out of the Grand Slam meets. Britt became the short hurdle Slam champion by placing first in the 110-meter hurdles against current world leader Cordell Tinch and Miami Slam winner Trey Cunningham. Adding to his strong hurdle race, Britt placed second behind Cunningham in the 100-meter dash, earning him a total of 20 points. Britt has always been an elite hurdler. From his time at the University of Iowa to now, Britt has made multiple USATF National Championship finals, only missing world and Olympic teams by only a spot or two. Despite constantly proving his athletic ability, he sits on a long list of elite track and field athletes without a shoe sponsor. After competing, I asked him what would be the first thing he'd do with his check. Britt stated the money would go right back into funding his track career. He would use the money for medical treatment, travel, and more. Like Jacory Patterson, Dylan Beard, and Chris Robinson, all unsponsored athletes who've benefited from the large prize money at Grand Slam, this financial victory was monumental for his career. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 31: Kenny Bednarek of the United States celebrates after winning ... More the men's 200m on Day 1 of Grand Slam Track- Philadelphia at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania on May 31, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) Just like his training partner Jefferson-Wooden, Kenny Bednarek is on a hot streak with Slam titles this season. Bednarek earned his third short sprint Slam title at Franklin Field, proving why he is a strong contender for male Racer of the Year. Although the 100-meter dash isn't Bednarek's strongest event, he has proven this season that he is committed to executing dominant races to elevate his overall sprint capabilities. Bednarek ran 9.86 seconds in the 100-meter dash on Saturday, making that a new personal best and world lead. In the 200-meter dash, Bednarek controlled the race from the gun, making his competitors work hard to catch him coming around the turn. Once he hit the straightaway, no one could catch the two-time Olympic silver medalist. He ran 19.95, giving Franklin Field a new facility record in the 200-meter dash. Bednarek's sprinting capabilities speak for themselves. He was the only male athlete, along with Noah Lyles, to make Team USA in two sprint events. In Paris, he placed seventh in the 100-meter dash final. He ran 9.88 seconds in Paris, which is only two-hundredths of a second slower than the personal best he ran Saturday. Bednarek also earned his second Olympic silver medal in the 200-meter dash. The Olympian has been a force to be reckoned with since his time as a collegiate athlete. Bednarek only spent one year at Indian Hills Community College before turning professional after his wind-aided 19.49 second 200-meter dash in 2019. In the mixed zone, Bednarek stated that he felt he could have run faster in the 100-meter dash today and knows he has a lot more left to give this season. If all goes well, he can podium in Tokyo in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, similar to his countryman and three-time world champion, Lyles. The final Grand Slam Track meet will take place in Los Angeles, California, June 28th-29th. For more information on how to watch or purchase tickets, fans can refer to the Grand Slam Track website for more details. The stakes will be high as Jefferson-Wooden and Bednarek try to secure their fourth Slam victories. Fans can also expect McLaughlin-Levrone to push the envelope again as she plans to take on 400-meter Olympic gold and silver medalists Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser in the long sprints.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
McLaughlin-Levrone fifth in 100m hurdles Philadelphia experiment
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone finished fifth in the 100m hurdles at the Philadelphia Grand Slam Track meeting (Ricardo Makyn) Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's experiment at dropping down to the 100m hurdles ended in defeat on Saturday, with the reigning Olympic 400m hurdles champion finishing fifth at the Philadelphia Grand Slam Track meeting. McLaughlin-Levrone, who has been unbeatable over her specialist event since 2019, found the going tougher over the shorter hurdles discipline at a rainy and overcast Franklin Field. Advertisement The 25-year-old American superstar came home in 12.70sec and never looked like threatening Jamaican winner Ackera Nugent, who crossed in 12.44sec. Tia Jones of the United States was second in 12.60sec, with Jamaica's Megan Tapper third in 12.66sec. In other events in Saturday's meeting, Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas suffered a surprise defeat in her favoured event, beaten into second place by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. Jefferson-Wooden, a 100m bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics last year, stormed home in 21.99sec with Thomas second in 22.10sec. Tamari Davis took third in 22.59sec, just ahead of Britain's Dina Asher-Smith in 22.65. rcw/bb
CBC
7 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Grand Slam Track Philadelphia's compressed schedule is a compromise that won't skimp on quality
Social Sharing First let's spare a thought for the losers in Grand Slam Track's decision to squeeze this weekend's Philadelphia event, originally slated to take place over three days, into two afternoons. You have to feel for everybody who already bought tickets for day one, eager to watch some high-stakes races under Franklin Field's Friday Night Lights, as well as the homebodies who had planned a weekend evening around a Grand Slam Track broadcast. If you're in Philly, maybe take the opportunity to hike to a cheesesteak spot the locals trust, or run the Rocky Stairs like a true tourist. I'll probably use those hours to get a belated start on my summer vegetable garden. I also empathize with the hardcore track nerds who had budgeted nine hours for watching professional track this weekend. They can use that unexpected time surplus to connect with friends and family, or focus on the NCAA regionals, which are also underway this weekend. Choose wisely, track fans. And my heart really does go out to distance runners under contract to Grand Slam Track, dealing with their own budget shakeup. Under the three-day format, long distance runners, like every other athlete group in GST, would run twice per weekend, each race bringing its own payout. But in streamlining the event, organizers eliminated the 5,000 metres, downsizing distance runners' paydays. The decision, as we'll discuss later, will save your favourite distance runners some physical wear and tear, while their bank accounts will also suffer some damage. But it's also a sensible compromise, and we can categorize the slimmed-down event as one of the growing pains a brand new league will inevitably suffer. For all the early-season hiccups, the first two GST events have also delivered some unambiguous victories. High-stakes pro races in the spring used to be rare in track and field; now we can plug them into our calendars. Grand Slam Track has prompted the elusive Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to race consistently, and allowed young stars like Melissa Jefferson-Wooden to grab the early season spotlight. TRACKSIDE | How will McLaughlin-Levrone fare in short hurdles at GST Philadelphia: How will McLaughlin-Levrone stack up in short hurdles at Grand Slam Track? 7 days ago Duration 2:32 Hosts Perdita Felicien and Aaron Brown react to the news that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will be dropping down the flat 100m, and 100m hurdles for Grand Slam Track's 3rd meet in Philadelphia. If you're invested in the sport, its long-term success, and its ability to attract a broader audience, all those facts matter. Still, asking casual sports fans, who rarely watch track and field outside the Olympics, and who might struggle to name five track stars even if you spotted them Noah Lyles and Usain Bolt, to watch track for three hours a day for three straight days, is overly ambitious. A streamlined Philadelphia event figures to serve up a faster-paced broadcast product, better suited to drive-by fans, and young people with short attention spans. Will it work? None of us are sure. But it has a chance, which is more than most first-year leagues are guaranteed in a crowded sports broadcast market. So credit Grand Slam Track for staying attuned to viewer feedback, and making adjustments while resisting a knee-jerk overhaul of the whole product. The broadcast length, pace and frequency can change. If I were in charge I'd also tweak the short hurdles event category to award more points for hurdles races, just because it seems unfair to lose a "hurdles" title because somebody beat you in a flat 100 metres. But the basic premise – world class athletes going head-to-head on a regular schedule – remains. Lose that proposition, and you really risk alienating current and potential viewers. As for the timing of these changes? As close to ideal as possible. WATCH | De Grasse finishes 4th in 200m of Grand Slam Track debut in Miami: American Bednarek victorious in 200m at Grand Slam Track Miami, Canada's De Grasse 4th and Blake 6th 25 days ago Duration 4:43 Kenny Bednarek of the United States wins the men's 200-metre race to become the Grand Slam Track Miami short sprints champion. Fellow Canadians Andre De Grasse and Jerome Blake finish 4th, 6th respectively. Midway through season one you've had a chance to see what works (high-level races between motivated competitors) and what doesn't (broadcasts with banks of empty seats in the background). You're trying to build interest and fan loyalty that can roll over into season two, but the audience isn't so committed to the format that they can't handle some adjustments. The challenge, as always is to attract new fans without turning off the originals, and it's a difficult balance to strike for a first-year league in a niche sport with mainstream dreams. Avid track fans, for example, will gladly watch nine hours of running in a single weekend. Whether it's Grand Slam Track, Diamond League or World Relays, it doesn't matter as long as it's a high-level competition. And where a newbie might view the gaps between races in a Grand Slam Track broadcast as down time, hardcores see an opportunity to discuss what just happened or what's coming next. But if a new pro sports outfit is looking for a foothold in North America generally, and the U.S. specifically, they have to account for audiences with a limited appetite for long, slow-paced broadcasts. We make an annual exception for the Super Bowl (average broadcast time: 3 hours, 37 minutes), which is a concert, wrapped in commercials, strapped to a football game. And on a weekly basis, U.S. college football (average broadcast length: 3 hours, 24 minutes) succeeds on TV despite the bloat built into the viewing experience. But every other sport is more like Major League Baseball, which has introduced a series of rule changes aimed at juicing the pace of the game, and fitting each contest into a tighter broadcast window. Track's new pro league, Grand Slam Track, explained 2 months ago Duration 0:51 Four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson is the man behind the new professional track league. The condensed version of Grand Slam Track on tap this weekend figures to check the same boxes. For people following the event, it means fewer trips to the website to remind themselves which two of the three days each athlete is competing. They're all running once on Saturday and again on Sunday. Long distance group pays the price Except the long distance group. The women run the 3,000 metres on Saturday, with the men on Sunday. No more 5,000. It didn't fit within the two-day format. Does the new schedule short-change distance runners? Financially, it doesn't help. As a freelancer who gets paid by the story, I'm beyond familiar with the headache of recalculating your finances when an assignment vanishes from the calendar. It's not fun. But dropping the 5,000 is also an athlete-centred decision. It's easy for league-level decision-makers to demand more output from athletes, regardless of optimal, or even feasible, turnaround times. The NFL just lengthened its regular season to 17 games, and the league would love an 18th. Thursday nights, Christmas afternoon, Black Friday – all in the schedule now, even though short rest periods work against player safety and the quality of the product. Grand Slam Track actually made the tougher decision. Instead of mandating half-hearted races on back-to-back days, the compressed schedule lets distance runners concentrate on running their best race, one time. These athletes might seem superhuman, but they're still human. Schedule change means compromise. Organizers had the chance to cut corners on quality but opted not to. Doesn't guarantee the moves will succeed long-term, but they gave themselves a chance.
CBC
16-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Grand Slam Track changes schedule for Philadelphia event
Changes are coming to the Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia. Founder and commissioner Michael Johnson announced on Thursday that the original three-day schedule for the professional track league event will be condensed to two days of competition. The Philadelphia Slam will now begin on Saturday, May 31 and wrap up on Sunday, June 1 at Franklin Field. "Coming off an amazing sold-out Miami Slam, we've taken time to celebrate the successes we've achieved in our inaugural season, but also have looked for ways to improve Grand Slam Track in real time," Johnson said in a release. "We've said all along we want to listen to our fans, athletes, and coaches, and having heard feedback from various key stakeholders, we've made the decision to condense our schedule in Philadelphia into two, high-octane, and intense days of combat racing. We want to be the most flexible, adaptive, and fan-first league in sports, and we believe making these changes will improve the Grand Slam Track experience for all." The move to a two-day event results in a significant change to the long distance category. The three-day competition window had allowed for a day of rest for the athletes between their 3,000-metre and 5,000m events, but now they will compete in a single 3,000m race in Philadelphia. That change also comes with an altered prize pool for long distance athletes, with winners taking home $50,000 US instead of the $100,000 previously up for grabs. The final stop of the Grand Slam Track season is in Los Angeles from June 27-29. All Grand Slam Track events will be streamed live on and on CBC Gem. For a full broadcast schedule of athletics events this season, click here.
