Latest news with #PicaboStreet
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Suns, Mercury Seek Arena Naming Rights Deal After Footprint Exits
The NBA's Phoenix Suns and WNBA's Phoenix Mercury's arena naming rights deal with Footprint, an environmental tech company, has ended early, as removal of arena signage and branding began on Monday. The Footprint Center, where the Suns and the Mercury play their home games, will have a new name next year as the naming rights contract has been reworked. Player 15 Group, the parent company for the Suns and Mercury, will handle the naming rights negotiations internally and expects to name a new partner before the 2025-2026 NBA season. More from Suns' NBA Trade Deadline Woes Date Back to Sarver Ownership Joining the Billionaires at Davos: Lindsey Vonn and Picabo Street It's Time for College Football's Best Mascots to Get Paid, Too Footprint, based in Gilbert, Ariz., will remain a team partner but at a lower level of sponsorship. The arena-rights deal began in 2021. The new partner will be the fourth title sponsor for the 18,000-seat, multi-purpose arena that opened in 1992. 'I expect for us to command significant investment based on the major events that are coming here and that will continue to come here,' executive vice president and chief revenue officer Dan Costello said in a phone interview. 'As long as we have things like All-Star games, tourism and impact from a population growth perspective, this will be a place where brands want to align.' Player 15 Group looks to capitalize on a healthier market than in the last round of rights negotiations, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The arena, which hosted the WNBA All-Star Game last year, is preparing to host the 2026 NCAA Women's Final Four and 2027 NBA All Star Weekend, which will be the fourth All-Star game the city has hosted. The hunt for a new partner comes during a busy time for United Wholesale Mortgage CEO Mat Ishbia, who bought the team for a record $4 billion from ex-Western Alliance chairman Robert Sarver two years ago. Ishbia has been busy since, investing another $100 million to build a new Mercury practice facility and team headquarters downtown that opened last summer. Last year, the Suns also introduced its new G League team, the Valley Suns, the third pro team under the Player Group 15 umbrella. The rise of the WNBA, coupled with increased impressions from both local and national TV broadcasts, positions the parent company to ink a larger naming rights deal than the one with Footprint. The arena is also hosting roughly 40 more events annually, according to Costello. 'It's rare that you have a sports team under new ownership with all these things in our favor,' he said. 'We felt like it was a great opportunity to go into the marketplace. We feel like we're going to have incredible interest.' The financial terms of the original deal are unclear, but it was reported that Footprint signed a 10-year pact worth roughly $9 million per season. The deal still includes integration of Footprint's products including plant-fiber technology, compost containers, among other things. Footprint, which will remain as the official sustainability partner of the Suns and Mercury, has reevaluated its sports-related investments after it saw its valuation drop nearly 38% when its planned merger with SPAC Gores Holding VII unraveled in 2022, preventing the company from going public. Footprint announced its partnership during the Suns' appearance in the 2021 NBA Finals, replacing Talking Stick Resorts. The partnership was inked under Sarver's ownership. (This story has been updated in the first paragraph to clarify that the change was not sudden, as Footprint has been reevaluating its presence for some time.) Best of NFL Private Equity Ownership Rules: PE Can Now Own Stakes in Teams Most Expensive Sports Memorabilia and Collectibles in History Why Sports Tickets Are More Expensive Than Ever
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lindsey Vonn hit pause on her life to 'set a new standard of what's possible' back on the ski slopes
SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — She helped Salt Lake City secure hosting rights for the 2034 Winter Olympics and designed her own skiwear and goggles lines. She invested in and advised companies, worked with her foundation that helps girls from underserved communities and made a film about her childhood idol, Picabo Street. She even hosted a reality TV dog show while staying in shape between surgeries to repair her various skiing injuries. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Lindsey Vonn had plenty going on during her nearly six years of 'retirement.' All those ventures are on hold now, though. That's because Vonn recently came out of retirement and is back ski racing at the age of 40 — currently at the world championships and preparing to chase a medal in Saturday's downhill on her new titanium knee. 'I lived a wild life in the last six years,' Vonn said. 'I'm on the boards of companies. I invest. I'm advising different funds. I've created businesses. I have my foundation. … Ski racing has allowed me to build an incredible life for myself. 'I'm just pausing that life. I'm not leaving that life,' Vonn added. 'This is just a crazy adventure that I'm going down. I don't know the outcome, but I know that life is short and I want to take a chance on something that could be incredible.' Vonn was criticized in Europe when she returned to the skiing circuit in December, with Austrian and Swiss former champions suggesting she was 'crazy' to race downhill at her age, attributing it to a lack of purpose in retirement. Vonn this week hit back at those comments, calling them 'completely inappropriate and disrespectful." 'I love my life and I'm very lucky and I'm excited to get back to it,' she said. 'I have friends and I have businesses and I have things that need to be done still, regardless of whether I'm racing or not. So I'm trying to find that balance of maintaining my life and still trying to do this somewhat insane thing that I'm doing." The reason she returned was that she didn't walk away from the sport on her own terms in 2019. Injuries forced it upon her. But then in April she had a partial replacement procedure performed on her right knee and now she feels like she's 'turned back the clock 15 years.' No more pain. No more swelling. No more worries. 'Skiing is a specific part of my life and there's nothing that I can do outside of skiing that will ever replace it,' Vonn said. 'I have an amazing life. I'm happy. You know, it's not always happy. But in general I'm very lucky. … So I'm not happier because I'm skiing. I'm happy in general and I'm lucky to be able to do something that I enjoy doing so much.' So much so that Vonn has continued to compete at the worlds despite feeling sick with cold- and flu-like symptoms and despite losing feeling briefly in her right arm when she got caught on a gate in the super-G, her opening race on Thursday. One thing keeping her going is that she needs to keep testing her new equipment and improving her ranking for her long-term goal of competing at next year's Milan-Cortina Olympics. Another is that she's breaking barriers in the sport. The oldest woman to finish on the podium at a worlds or Olympics was Federica Brignone, who took silver in super-G at 34 this week. Vonn could beat that record by six years. 'I mean, I like records. I'm not going to lie,' Vonn said. 'So if I can get another one, I'll take the old records. No problem.' Johan Clarey holds the men's record: he was 41 when he took silver in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. 'It's been done by men so why can't it be done by a woman,' Vonn said. 'Hopefully I can set a new standard of what's possible.' ___ AP skiing:
The Independent
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Lindsey Vonn hit pause on her life to 'set a new standard of what's possible' back on the ski slopes
She helped Salt Lake City secure hosting rights for the 2034 Winter Olympics and designed her own skiwear and goggles lines. She invested in and advised companies, worked with her foundation that helps girls from underserved communities and made a film about her childhood idol, Picabo Street. She even hosted a reality TV dog show while staying in shape between surgeries to repair her various skiing injuries. Lindsey Vonn had plenty going on during her nearly six years of 'retirement.' All those ventures are on hold now, though. That's because Vonn recently came out of retirement and is back ski racing at the age of 40 — currently at the world championships and preparing to chase a medal in Saturday's downhill on her new titanium knee. 'I lived a wild life in the last six years,' Vonn said. 'I'm on the boards of companies. I invest. I'm advising different funds. I've created businesses. I have my foundation. … Ski racing has allowed me to build an incredible life for myself. 'I'm just pausing that life. I'm not leaving that life,' Vonn added. 'This is just a crazy adventure that I'm going down. I don't know the outcome, but I know that life is short and I want to take a chance on something that could be incredible.' Vonn was criticized in Europe when she returned to the skiing circuit in December, with Austrian and Swiss former champions suggesting she was 'crazy' to race downhill at her age, attributing it to a lack of purpose in retirement. Vonn this week hit back at those comments, calling them 'completely inappropriate and disrespectful." 'I love my life and I'm very lucky and I'm excited to get back to it,' she said. 'I have friends and I have businesses and I have things that need to be done still, regardless of whether I'm racing or not. So I'm trying to find that balance of maintaining my life and still trying to do this somewhat insane thing that I'm doing." The reason she returned was that she didn't walk away from the sport on her own terms in 2019. Injuries forced it upon her. But then in April she had a partial replacement procedure performed on her right knee and now she feels like she's 'turned back the clock 15 years.' No more pain. No more swelling. No more worries. ' Skiing is a specific part of my life and there's nothing that I can do outside of skiing that will ever replace it,' Vonn said. 'I have an amazing life. I'm happy. You know, it's not always happy. But in general I'm very lucky. … So I'm not happier because I'm skiing. I'm happy in general and I'm lucky to be able to do something that I enjoy doing so much.' So much so that Vonn has continued to compete at the worlds despite feeling sick with cold- and flu-like symptoms and despite losing feeling briefly in her right arm when she got caught on a gate in the super-G, her opening race on Thursday. One thing keeping her going is that she needs to keep testing her new equipment and improving her ranking for her long-term goal of competing at next year's Milan-Cortina Olympics. Another is that she's breaking barriers in the sport. The oldest woman to finish on the podium at a worlds or Olympics was Federica Brignone, who took silver in super-G at 34 this week. Vonn could beat that record by six years. 'I mean, I like records. I'm not going to lie,' Vonn said. 'So if I can get another one, I'll take the old records. No problem.' Johan Clarey holds the men's record: he was 41 when he took silver in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. 'It's been done by men so why can't it be done by a woman,' Vonn said. 'Hopefully I can set a new standard of what's possible.' ___
Washington Post
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Lindsey Vonn hit pause on her life to 'set a new standard of what's possible' back on the ski slopes
SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria — She helped Salt Lake City secure hosting rights for the 2034 Winter Olympics and designed her own skiwear and goggles lines. She invested in and advised companies, worked with her foundation that helps girls from underserved communities and made a film about her childhood idol, Picabo Street. She even hosted a reality TV dog show while staying in shape between surgeries to repair her various skiing injuries. Lindsey Vonn had plenty going on during her nearly six years of 'retirement.' All those ventures are on hold now, though. That's because Vonn recently came out of retirement and is back ski racing at the age of 40 — currently at the world championships and preparing to chase a medal in Saturday's downhill on her new titanium knee . 'I lived a wild life in the last six years,' Vonn said. 'I'm on the boards of companies. I invest. I'm advising different funds. I've created businesses. I have my foundation. … Ski racing has allowed me to build an incredible life for myself. 'I'm just pausing that life. I'm not leaving that life,' Vonn added. 'This is just a crazy adventure that I'm going down. I don't know the outcome, but I know that life is short and I want to take a chance on something that could be incredible.' Vonn was criticized in Europe when she returned to the skiing circuit in December, with Austrian and Swiss former champions suggesting she was 'crazy' to race downhill at her age, attributing it to a lack of purpose in retirement. Vonn this week hit back at those comments , calling them 'completely inappropriate and disrespectful." 'I love my life and I'm very lucky and I'm excited to get back to it,' she said. 'I have friends and I have businesses and I have things that need to be done still, regardless of whether I'm racing or not. So I'm trying to find that balance of maintaining my life and still trying to do this somewhat insane thing that I'm doing.' The reason she returned was that she didn't walk away from the sport on her own terms in 2019. Injuries forced it upon her. But then in April she had a partial replacement procedure performed on her right knee and now she feels like she's 'turned back the clock 15 years.' No more pain. No more swelling. No more worries. 'Skiing is a specific part of my life and there's nothing that I can do outside of skiing that will ever replace it,' Vonn said. 'I have an amazing life. I'm happy. You know, it's not always happy. But in general I'm very lucky. … So I'm not happier because I'm skiing. I'm happy in general and I'm lucky to be able to do something that I enjoy doing so much.' So much so that Vonn has continued to compete at the worlds despite feeling sick with cold- and flu-like symptoms and despite losing feeling briefly in her right arm when she got caught on a gate in the super-G, her opening race on Thursday. One thing keeping her going is that she needs to keep testing her new equipment and improving her ranking for her long-term goal of competing at next year's Milan-Cortina Olympics . Another is that she's breaking barriers in the sport. The oldest woman to finish on the podium at a worlds or Olympics was Federica Brignone , who took silver in super-G at 34 this week. Vonn could beat that record by six years. 'I mean, I like records. I'm not going to lie,' Vonn said. 'So if I can get another one, I'll take the old records. No problem.' Johan Clarey holds the men's record: he was 41 when he took silver in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. 'It's been done by men so why can't it be done by a woman,' Vonn said. 'Hopefully I can set a new standard of what's possible.' ___ AP skiing:
Associated Press
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Lindsey Vonn hit pause on her life to ‘set a new standard of what's possible' back on the ski slopes
SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — She helped Salt Lake City secure hosting rights for the 2034 Winter Olympics and designed her own skiwear and goggles lines. She invested in and advised companies, worked with her foundation that helps girls from underserved communities and made a film about her childhood idol, Picabo Street. She even hosted a reality TV dog show while staying in shape between surgeries to repair her various skiing injuries. Lindsey Vonn had plenty going on during her nearly six years of 'retirement.' All those ventures are on hold now, though. That's because Vonn recently came out of retirement and is back ski racing at the age of 40 — currently at the world championships and preparing to chase a medal in Saturday's downhill on her new titanium knee. 'I lived a wild life in the last six years,' Vonn said. 'I'm on the boards of companies. I invest. I'm advising different funds. I've created businesses. I have my foundation. … Ski racing has allowed me to build an incredible life for myself. 'I'm just pausing that life. I'm not leaving that life,' Vonn added. 'This is just a crazy adventure that I'm going down. I don't know the outcome, but I know that life is short and I want to take a chance on something that could be incredible.' Vonn was criticized in Europe when she returned to the skiing circuit in December, with Austrian and Swiss former champions suggesting she was 'crazy' to race downhill at her age, attributing it to a lack of purpose in retirement. Vonn this week hit back at those comments, calling them 'completely inappropriate and disrespectful.' 'I love my life and I'm very lucky and I'm excited to get back to it,' she said. 'I have friends and I have businesses and I have things that need to be done still, regardless of whether I'm racing or not. So I'm trying to find that balance of maintaining my life and still trying to do this somewhat insane thing that I'm doing.' The reason she returned was that she didn't walk away from the sport on her own terms in 2019. Injuries forced it upon her. But then in April she had a partial replacement procedure performed on her right knee and now she feels like she's 'turned back the clock 15 years.' No more pain. No more swelling. No more worries. 'Skiing is a specific part of my life and there's nothing that I can do outside of skiing that will ever replace it,' Vonn said. 'I have an amazing life. I'm happy. You know, it's not always happy. But in general I'm very lucky. … So I'm not happier because I'm skiing. I'm happy in general and I'm lucky to be able to do something that I enjoy doing so much.' So much so that Vonn has continued to compete at the worlds despite feeling sick with cold- and flu-like symptoms and despite losing feeling briefly in her right arm when she got caught on a gate in the super-G, her opening race on Thursday. One thing keeping her going is that she needs to keep testing her new equipment and improving her ranking for her long-term goal of competing at next year's Milan-Cortina Olympics. Another is that she's breaking barriers in the sport. The oldest woman to finish on the podium at a worlds or Olympics was Federica Brignone, who took silver in super-G at 34 this week. Vonn could beat that record by six years. 'I mean, I like records. I'm not going to lie,' Vonn said. 'So if I can get another one, I'll take the old records. No problem.' 'It's been done by men so why can't it be done by a woman,' Vonn said. 'Hopefully I can set a new standard of what's possible.' ___
