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Kitman Labs Artificial Intelligence Platform Breaks Down Sleepers FOR NFL Draft
Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system today revealed its first-ever sleeper predictions for the NFL Draft, being held the next three days in Detroit Michigan.
For the 2024 NFL Draft, Kitman Labs used their Artificial Intelligence models on NCAA and NFL datasets from 2010 to present to identify players that they think will be successful in the NFL. Kitman Labs staff also spent significant time on site at the NFL Combine again this year, looking at all data sets provided and using their own AI to help project results.
Below highlights five sleeper picks, the Kitman AI believes could have significant potential for NFL success.
Bo Nix - Oregon – QB
NFL Draft Projection: 5th QB Selected
Kitman AI Projection: 73% chance of NFL Success - 1st QB
Looking like coming in at a 2nd round pick, Bo Nix ranks as the most likely Quarterback to be successful in this year’s NFL draft. Looking at his college stats it is easy to see why the model has this belief. 34 passing Touchdowns in your final college season are required by the model to have a significant increase in NFL success - Nix has 11 more. He also surpasses the threshold for Yards by nearly 700, his completion percentage is over 6% higher than required. While his rushing stats are not standout, the number of yards gained last season is high enough to show athletic ability, and his yards per carry is significantly over the threshold required by the model to increase his success rate.
Joe Milton III - Tennessee – QB
NFL Draft Projection: 10th QB Selected
Kitman AI Projection: 31% chance of NFL Success - 3rd QB
Something that is apparent when investigating what our model values in a successful NFL QB, is that it believes that a Quarterback must possess either absolute elite arm talent, or have the explosive rushing ability to make splashy plays. While the AI model highlights that Milton’s does not rank amongst the elite prospects in passing, and punishes him accordingly, it sees his rushing ability and gives him a significant chance of lasting several years in the league. Coaches and GMs may feel they can mould an athletic prospect, seeing future potential, and this phenomenon is something the AI may well be reaching back to.
Kendall Milton - Georgia – RB
NFL Draft Projection: 17th Drafted RB
Kitman AI Projection: 12% chance of NFL Success - 4th RB
The Kitman Labs AI model shows that an ability to get into the end zone in college is the number one indicator of future NFL success, far more so than yards, efficiency, or speed. With 14 rushing touchdowns in his final college season, Kendall Milton exceeded the required threshold for NFL success by 3 touchdowns. Our model also surprisingly rewards physical stature, with a taller running back being more likely to be successful. Perhaps this is due to a taller player’s greater ability to effectively carry mass, or their ability to participate in an NFL passing game. Whatever the cause, at over 6’1” Milton is one of the taller backs in the draft and the model rewards this accordingly. While Kendall Milton does have some drawbacks - the model penalizing him for lack of receiving ability, and him not hitting a required threshold in rushing yards - his ability to put points on the board see him nearly twice as likely to be a successful NFL running back than the average prospect at his position.
Malik Washington - Virginia – WR
NFL Draft Projection: 21st Drafted WR
Kitman AI Projection: 42% chance of NFL Success - 3rd WR
In a stacked 2024 WR draft class - our model rates this is by far the best class of the last decade and a half - it’s not surprising that some top tier talent is going to go in later draft rounds. However, our AI model surprisingly projects Malik Washington as being one of the top prospects in this year’s class. College receiving yards is the main indicator of future NFL success and longevity, and with 1426 yards in his final season Washington has approximately 40% more yards than the model believes necessary for a significant increase in NFL success probability. His 40 time of 4.47 seconds is also deemed fast enough to stand up in the NFL. Though this is right on the threshold our model has identified, in combination with his receiving yards and other statistics it significantly increases his chances of success. Interesting nugget; Washington did not participate in the 20-yard shuttle in the combine, but the AI has inferred from his other statistics he would have excelled at this.
Tahj Washington - USC – WR
NFL Draft Projection: 29th Drafted WR
Kitman AI Projection: 22% chance of NFL success - 15th WR
Tahj Washington is a curious case for our AI model. Not having participated in the 20-yard shuttle, the 3 cone drill, or the 40-yard dash at the combine, there are a lot of unknowns about this player. However, given his receiving yards, and his strong showing in both the broad jump and vertical leap, the model has inferred that he would have competed well, particularly in the 20-yard shuttle. Having completed these tests at his pro day, a dataset the AI had no access to, we can see he is potentially slightly below average in the 40 and 20 yards drills, but elite in the 3 cone drill. How this information would have influenced the models is unclear; however, overall the 3 cone drill ranks as the third most important feature for projecting success, so while the exact inference was wrong the model has seemingly correctly identified some possible elite athletic behavior from other available statistics. Washington still only ranks as 15th in our list of receivers, but given he is projected to be a day 3 pick and his success probability is twice that of an average WR, he still may present significant value in the draft.
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NLL Welcomes Tampa General Hospital as the First NLL UnBOXed Lacrosse Community Presenting Partner
A few months after launching its innovative continent-wide grassroots initiative, NLL UnBOXed™, the National Lacrosse League today announced its first local market, multi-year presenting partnership as Tampa General Hospital (TGH) will join the League to bring the NLL’s fast-paced lacrosse game play to more young boys and girls throughout the Tampa Bay area.
The “Tampa Bay Snowbirds™ presented by Tampa General Hospital” will begin the initial phase of NLL UnBOXed activations this year, with the League providing Snowbirds and TGH-branded lacrosse equipment to participating Tampa Bay-area elementary and middle schools for use in physical education classes for all students.
“A primary goal for NLL UnBOXed always centered on partnering with influential local leaders and community-driven companies to help us introduce and foster a new love of NLL-style, fast-paced lacrosse to young boys and girls across North America,” said Kurt Hunzeker, NLL Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations. “We are thrilled to begin this exciting journey with our friends at Tampa General Hospital and bring the Tampa Bay Snowbirds to life in Bay Area schools starting this fall.”
While the first wave of Tampa Bay-area schools who registered to bring NLL UnBOXed to their students will be announced in the coming weeks, any elementary and middle school administrators, athletic directors, and/or physical education teachers can request to become an inaugural participating school by registering at NLL.com/UnBOXed.
"Tampa General Hospital is committed to promoting health and wellness in our community to prevent illness and chronic health conditions," said Kim Christine, administrator of community health and wellness at Tampa General Hospital. "This partnership not only helps us connect youth to the growing game of lacrosse, it allows us to invest in creating a healthier Tampa Bay."
Tampa Bay joined seven other North American markets in the League’s inaugural class of “NLL UnBOXed Lacrosse Communities” unveiled in November 2023. To illustrate its commitment to growing box lacrosse participation and skill development across Canada and the United States, the NLL created community-relevant team names and bold brand identities for each of the nine markets: Baltimore Ghost Crabs™, Charlotte Cobras™, Minnesota Lake Dragons™, Montréal Castors™, Seattle Shipwrecks™, St. Louis Howlers™, Tampa Bay Snowbirds™ presented by Tampa General Hospital, and Utah Spikes™.
NLL UnBOXed will drive the expansion of the League’s current multi-national activation footprint to include approximately 60 North American communities by the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles when sixes lacrosse, similar to the NLL’s 6-on-6 box lacrosse game play style, returns as a medal sport for the first time since 1908.
Officially licensed NLL UnBOXed merchandise, including a wide selection of Snowbirds’ apparel and collectibles, will debut later this year with exclusive reveals all summer via the League’s social media channels.
The 2023-24 NLL regular season wraps up this week before the 2024 NLL Playoffs begin on Friday, April 26.
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American Association Hires Chris Browne As Vice President-Sponsorships
The American Association of Professional Baseball has named Chris Browne as, Vice President of Sponsorships. Browne brings more than 30 years of experience in professional sports, including 23 years as an executive in baseball.
In his role, Browne will handle sponsorship services for the league, coordinate sponsor related jewel events including the All-Star Game, the Miles Wolff Cup, and Baseball Champions League in addition to other leaguewide initiatives.
“Chris Browne brings to the American Association a long history in sports business. Specifically, his ideas around activation and relationship building will provide the American Association with an accretive element beneficial to our sponsors,” said Joshua Schaub, American Association Commissioner.
Browne previously spent twelve years as Vice President and General Manager of the Kansas City Monarchs predecessor brand, the Kansas City T-Bones, during 2008-2020. Under his leadership, the club was twice named Organization of the Year and appeared in two league championship series, winning the Miles Wolff Cup in 2018. Browne was also recognized by the Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau with the 2011 Excellence in Hospitality Award and named Tourism Advocate of the Year in 2015.
In 2019, Browne was named as the Kansas City Sports Executive of the Year by the Kansas City Sports Commission. The prestigious award had previously been given to Kansas City Chiefs CEO/Owner Clark Hunt and Kansas City Royals VP/GM Dayton Moore.
Most recently, Browne led Perfect Game USA’s Midwest operation in Kansas City.
“I am thrilled to join the American Association office and their dynamic leadership team led by Commissioner Josh Schaub and Deputy Commissioner, Josh Buchholz. I look forward to working with our staff, partners, and member clubs,” said Chris Browne.
A native of Kansas City, Browne started his career working as a Clubhouse Attendant and Bat Boy for seven years for the Kansas City Royals, including the 1985 World Champion season. After completing his degree with an emphasis in Sports Management from the University of Missouri, Browne worked as an executive for the Class AA Jacksonville Suns (now Jumbo Shrimp) and was Assistant General Manager for Major Arena Soccer League’s Kansas City Comets.
Browne resides in Lenexa, KS with his wife Becky, son Brett and daughter (Pee Wee) Reese.
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National Lacrosse League Playoffs Begin Saturday; Schedule to Feature Broadcasts on TSN and ESPNU
The National Lacrosse League’s (@NLL) new unified standings aimed to make every game count, and it took until its 135th and final regular season game to set the 2024 NLL Playoffs bracket and schedule. With Rochester defeating Philadelphia, 12-3, the postseason field of eight is set, with quarterfinal play beginning on Saturday, April 27.
The top-seeded Toronto Rock (15-3) and No. 2 San Diego Seals (13-5) are joined by the No. 3 Albany FireWolves (11-7) and No. 4 Buffalo Bandits (11-7) in hosting single-elimination quarterfinal games next weekend.
Two teams, the No. 7 Panther City Lacrosse Club (9-9) and No. 8 Rochester Knighthawks (8-10), punched their tickets based on the wild final weekend results.
This year’s field includes six teams that advanced to the postseason in 2023, including defending champion Buffalo.
TSN will feature Rochester at Toronto to start quarterfinal weekend on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. ESPNU’s coverage will include the No. 5 Georgia Swarm at Buffalo Saturday night, 7 p.m. ET, and No. 6 Halifax Thunderbirds (10-8) at Albany on Sunday at 3 p.m ET. Every postseason game can be seen on ESPN+ and TSN+.
Here is the complete 2024 NLL Playoffs quarterfinals’ broadcast schedule (all times ET):
Saturday, April 27 – #8 Rochester at #1 Toronto, 4:30 p.m., TSN, ESPN+, TSN+
Saturday, April 27 – #5 Georgia at #4 Buffalo, 7 p.m., ESPNU, ESPN+, TSN+
Saturday, April 27 – #7 Panther City at #2 San Diego, 10 p.m., ESPN+, TSN+
Sunday, April 28 – #6 Halifax at #3 Albany, 3 p.m., ESPNU, ESPN+, TSN+
Quarterfinal winners advance to their respective best-of-three semifinal series, which will commence on Thursday, May 2, through Sunday, May 5, and continue Thursday, May 9, through Sunday, May 12.
The best-of-three 2024 NLL Finals are scheduled for Thursday, May 16, through Sunday, May 19, and Thursday, May 23, through Sunday, May 26.
Additionally, should both semifinal series end in two games, the League may move the 2024 NLL Finals up to the preceding week.
Exact dates and broadcast schedules for TSN and ESPN for the semifinals and NLL Finals rounds will be announced after the pairings and dates are set. To view the 2024 NLL Playoffs bracket, visit https://www.nll.com/standings/.
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Kitman Labs Expands Performance Deal With NWSL Expansion Team, Bay FC
Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system for performance intelligence in the elite performance industry, today announced a new deal with NWSL expansion team, Bay FC. On the heels of the NWSL’s deployment of the Performance Medicine Solution from Kitman Labs as its league-wide advanced EMR, Bay FC will expand the use of iP: Intelligence Platform across the Club’s First Team to include Performance Optimization and Coaching & Development.
Bay FC will now be able to combine player medical, performance and development data in a centralized and fully integrated advanced operating system - driving cross-departmental communication and supporting evidence-based, data-led decision-making across the Club. All relevant stakeholders will have access to a complete, real-time assessment of each player. In addition, both players and practitioners will be able to access and input data through a dedicated Coach and Player App to allow for real-time data capture on and off the pitch.
“As a new club, it's important to us that we lay a technology foundation that is best-in-class, scalable and capable of immediately providing value to our coaching staff and players in terms of yielding actionable intelligence to help unlock our performance, health and wellness goals,” said Lucy Rushton, Bay FC General Manager.
"We’re thrilled to be working with Bay FC to not only help expand their data and analytics infrastructure but to partner with the Club to leverage the resulting intelligence to help accelerate their success within the League” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “In addition to providing a flexible framework to support the Club where they are today, iP: Intelligence Platform will future-proof the Club - ensuring they have the ability to continually innovate in terms of data collection and data science capabilities while supporting the kind of advanced analytics and research necessary to help propel the team forward season after season.”
Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top leagues, teams and regulatory bodies across a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company's technology is currently being used by leagues and teams within some of the world's most elite sports organizations, including the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Major League Soccer (MLS), Premier League and National Football League (NFL). Kitman Labs has recently announced deals with Angel City FC, Gotham FC and the Houston Dash.
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Lax.com Announces Acquisition Of Industry Competitor Universal Lacrosse
Lax.com, the leading lacrosse e-retailer and team dealer, today announced a substantial expansion of their scope in the marketplace, acquiring one of its chief competitors, Universal Lacrosse. The acquisition makes Lax.com the largest ecommerce (Lax.com and Universallacrosse.com) and team dealer dedicated strictly to the sport of lacrosse. Lax.com will also be acquiring Universal’s 10 retail stores.
“This move puts Lax.com in a great position to scale the business. The addition of John Flanagan and his team provides the added talent to launch Lax.com into an exciting new chapter” stated John Arrix, CEO of Lax.com. “As we unite these two companies, we are poised to harness the unparalleled expertise of our lacrosse team sales force, and we will raise the bar for customer service excellence in the industry. Our unwavering commitment to seamless relationships with our valued customers will drive a transformation of the Lax.com online platform, bolstered by synergies with Universallacrosse.com and our array of digital properties,” continued Arrix.
John Flanagan, CEO and Founder of Universal, stated, “We are excited for the future. The strategic positioning of Universal Lacrosse stores will remain instrumental in servicing vital lacrosse communities, strengthening Lax.com’s omnipresence from online to team to retail and ensuring that customers can engage with us on their own terms. This comprehensive approach underscores our dedication to meeting diverse consumer needs and preferences.”
Looking ahead to the remainder of 2024 and beyond, Lax.com’s growth trajectory will be guided by the collective efforts of the veteran teams, united under a shared vision of success. Together, the platform can capitalize on synergies, innovate relentlessly, and propel our combined group to new apexes of accomplishment within the lacrosse market. Universal’s 10 retails stores will continue under the Universal name. Lax.com and Universal will continue to run separate ecommerce platforms. Universal’s team sales division will move under Lax.com.
Additional details on the new combined business will be available in the coming weeks.
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'Four Hobbits,’ Trejo, Raimi Q&As Among Top Programming at FAN EXPO Cleveland, Friday through Sunday
From celebrity Q&As to industry, cosplay, gaming, anime and entertaining, informative sessions from all areas of pop culture, FAN EXPO Cleveland presents its collection of nearly 150 programming panels and meetups during the event, Friday through Sunday, April 12-14 at Huntington Convention Center. There’s truly something for every fan and every taste every hour of the show into the evening throughout all three days of the convention, right until Sunday’s 5 p.m. finish.
FAN EXPO Cleveland celebrity guests such the “four hobbits” Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan from in the original The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ringin 2001, Danny Trejo (Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn), legendary director Sam Raimi, “Charmed” star Rose McGowan, Randy Quaid (National Lampoon, Kingpin), “Harry Potter” standout Matthew Lewis, Jason Lee (“My Name is Earl,” The Incredibles), Alan Tudyk (Star Wars, “Firefly”), Brent Spiner (“Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Independence Day), the “Ahsoka” duo of Eman Esfandi and Diana Lee Inosanto, Ethan Suplee (“My Name is Earl,” American History X), Jeff Ward (“One Piece,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) and Butch Hartman (creator, “The Fairly OddParents,” “HobbyKids Adventures”) are among those who will conduct individual and group interactive sessions with fans, headlining the slate.
There are dozens of informative, entertaining panels by superstar creators as well as cosplay, gaming, trivia, film, horror and other pop culture themed sessions. Fans can review the entire event schedule at http://fanexpohq.com/fanexpocleveland/schedule. Most panels are free with event admission. Just a few of the other highlights include:
Friday:
4:15 p.m. - More Marco Diaz! Star vs The Forces of Evil's Adam McArthur, Theater #2
4:30 p.m. - Cartoon Academy with Joe Wos: As Easy as ABC, Cartooning Basics, Programming Workshop Room 20
5 p.m. - Cos-Positivity, Programming Theater B
5:15 p.m. - Heroes of Gaming with Chris Edgerly, Rob Wiethoff, Alejandro Saab, Theater #2
5:45 p.m. - Meet Cousin Eddie! A Family Vacation Panel with Randy Quaid, Main Theater
6 p.m. - Using The Force to Create Great Star Wars Art!, Programming Theater A
6:45 p.m. - The Measure Of A Man: Brent Spiner Q & A, Main Theater
8 p.m. - Comics & Cocktails, Cosplay Lounge
8:30 p.m. - Drink and Draw, Programming Workshop Room
Saturday:
10:30 a.m. - The Magic of 3D Printing with Kent State Robotics Team, Programming Workshop Room 20
11 a.m. - The Siegel and Shuster Society - Superman and Cleveland, Programming Theater A
11 a.m. - Super Hero Yoga, Cosplay HQ
11:45 a.m. - Part Of Your World: Meet Jodi Benson, Main Theater
12:15 p.m. - A Fairly Odd Panel with Butch Hartman, Theater #2
12:45 p.m. - Lightsaber Battle - Jedi Knights, Cosplay HQ
12:45 p.m. - Voices Of Gaming with Rob Clark, Fred Tatasciore and Chris Edgerly, Main Theater
1:00 p.m. - Movies: Cleveland Takes the Leading Role, Programming Theater B
1:15 p.m. - One Piece X Two Buggys! Q+A with Jeff Ward and Mike McFarland, Theater #2
2:00 p.m. - And Now a Word from Our Sponsor: The Top Ten Animated Advertising Icons of All Time, Programming Theater B
2:45 p.m. - My Name Is Earl: A Conversation with Jason Lee and Ethan Suplee, Main Theater
2:45 p.m. - Slime Making with the Cleveland Ghostbusters, Programming Workshop Room 20
3:45 p.m. - A Magical Conversation with Rose McGowan, Main Theater
4:45 p.m. - Into The Spiderverse: Meet Shameik Moore, Main Theater
5 p.m. - Adventures as Ash Ketchum: Q+A with Sarah Natochenny, Anime Events Room 25C
5:15 p.m - FAN EXPO Cleveland Cosplay Craftsmanship Cup, Theater #2
6 p.m. - The Science and Engineering of Ghostbusters (Frozen Empire), Programming Theater B
7:30 p.m. - The Four Hobbits: An Unexpected Reunion with Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, Main Theater
Sunday:
11 a.m. - Cosplay Guest Panel - Cassandra Cosplay, Programming Theater B
11 a.m. - The Sun, The Moon, Solar Eclipses - And Super-Heroes!, Programming Theater A
11:45 a.m. - The Many Characters of Alan Tudyk, Main Theater
12:15 p.m. - ¡Hóla! Soy Kathleen Herles! The Voice of Dora the Explorer, Theater #2
12:45 p.m. - Master of the Multiverse with Sam Raimi, Main Theater
1 p.m. - Elevenses: An Unofficial Lord of the Rings Food Panel, Programming Theater B
1:45 p.m. - You and Whose Army: Meet Matthew Lewis, Main Theater
2:45 p.m. - Po-Tay-Toes!: Meet Sean Astin!, Main Theater
3 p.m. - Discussing Deku: Q+A with My Hero Academia's Justin Briner, Anime Events Room 25C
3:45 p.m. - The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Spotlight on Danny Trejo, Main Theater
Single-Day Tickets, Three-Day Passes, for FAN EXPO Cleveland are available now; Ultimate Fan Packages and VIP Tickets are Sold Out. Cleveland is the sixth event on the 2024 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events/.
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Kubert, Johns, Fabok, Hitch Headline Talented Comic Creators Attending FAN EXPO Philadelphia
Batman/Superman #8 - Andy Kubert and Ghost Machine #1 - Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, Bryan Hitch
A vast array of talented comics artists and writers, spanning more than a half century of work and encompassing dozens of the most popular franchises in the history of the medium through the present, will be on hand as FAN EXPO Philadelphia today announced the Artist Alley headliners for the convention, set for May 3-5 at the Pennsyvlavnia Convention Center. Among the superstar writers and artists are Andy Kubert (“Batman: The Dark Knight III,” “X-Men”), Geoff Johns (“Geiger,” “Junkyard Joe”), Jason Fabok (“Rook: Exodus,” “Batman: Three Jokers”), Bryan Hitch (“Redcoat,” “The Ultimates”), Francis Manapul (“The Rocketfellers,” “The Flash”), Peter Tomasi (“The Rocketfellers,” “Hornsby and Halo”), Ryan Ottley (“Invincible,” “Amazing Spider-Man"), Frank Cho (“Liberty Meadows," “Wolverine"), Jae Lee (“Seven Sons,” “Stephen King’s Dark Tower”), Stephen Platt (“Moon Knight,” “Wolverine”), and Joe Wos (“Mazetoons,” “Charlie the Tuna”).
Just about every franchise imaginable will be well represented, and comics fans will revel in meeting the creators who have made them possible. Q&A’s, interactive demonstration sessions, autographs, commission opportunities, and more make the experience a can’t-miss for comics lovers.
The FAN EXPO Philadelphia field of creators also includes talents such as Rodney Barnes (“The Boondocks,” “Killadelphia”), Yanick Paquette (“Wonder Woman,” “The Incal”), Tom Grummett (“Thunderbolts”, “Superman”), Brad Anderson (“Geiger,” “The Rook: Exodus”), Heather Antos (Group Editor Licensing/IDW Publishing), Russ Braun (“The Boys,” “Jimmy’s Bastards”), Hailey Brown (Dark Horse Comics, Brink Literacy Project), Chris Burnham (“Unstoppable Doom Patrol,” “Batman, Inc.”), Jim Calafiore (“Exiles,” “Aquaman”), Joe Corroney (“Star Wars,” Lucasfilm), Mike DeCarlo (“The Simpsons,” “Archie”), Guy Gilchrist (“The Muppets,” “Nancy”), Jonathan Glapion (“Batman,” “King Spawn”), Scott Hanna (“Amazing Spider-Man,” “Superman: Lois and Clark”), Ben Harvey (“Star Wars: Darth Maul,” “X-Men”), Mike Hawthorne (“Batman,” “Deadpool”), Tim Jacobus (“Goosebumps,” “Spinetinglers”), Bob McLeod (“New Mutants,” “Superman”), Jonboy Meyers (“Venom,” “The Inhumans”), Rags Morales (“Identity Crisis,” “Batman Confidential”), Carl Potts (“Alien Legion,” “Punisher War Journal”), Aaron Reynolds (“Effin’ Birds”), Alex Saviuk (“Spider-Man,” “The Phantom”), Keith Williams (“The Hulk,” “Action Comics”), Ron Wilson (“The Thing,” “Marvel Two-in-One") and many others.
See the full list at https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpophiladelphia/comic-creators/.
The quality of the creators in Artist Alley mirrors that of the FAN EXPO Philadelphia celebrity roster, which features a first-rate list that includes the National Lampoon’s Vacation foursome of Chevy Chase (“Clark Griswald”), Beverly D’Angelo (“Ellen”), Randy Quaid (“Cousin Eddie”) and Dana Barron (“Audrey”), Hayden Christensen (Star Wars franchise), Rosario Dawson (“Ahsoka,” Rent), Rainn Wilson (“The Office,” “Lessons in Chemistry”), Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny, The Wrestler), Adam Savage (“MythBusters”), Danny Trejo (Machete, The Book of Boba Fett), Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,”), Mario Lopez (“Saved by the Bell,” “Access Hollywood”), Natasha Liu Bordizzo (“Ahsoka”), Kate Mulgrew (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Orange is the New Black”), Rose McGowan (“Charmed,” Scream), Holly Marie Combs (“Charmed,” “Picket Fences”), Felicia Day (“The Guild,” “Dragon Age: Redemption”), Emily Swallow and Gina Carano (“The Mandalorian”), and more.
FAN EXPO Philadelphia will also feature a variety of comics creators who have written and drawn many favorite stories over the past half century, exhibitors featuring classic and unique pieces from the thousands of memorable characters and scenes that Star Wars and all of its offshoots have produced, and programming panels and special events to help fans across any empire show their love of one of pop culture’s most enduring series.
Single-Day Tickets, Three-Day Passes, and Ultimate Fan Packages for FAN EXPO Philadelphia are available now. Advance pricing is available until April 18. More guest news will be released in the following weeks, including line-up reveals for additional headline celebrities, comic creator guests, voice actors and cosplayers.
Philadelphia is the eighth event on the 2024 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events/.
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Kitman Labs Expands Performance Deal With Houston Dash
Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system for performance intelligence in the elite performance industry, today announced a new deal with the NWSL’s Houston Dash. Capitalizing on the NWSL’s recent deployment of the Performance Medicine Solution from Kitman Labs as its league-wide advanced EMR, the Houston Dash will expand the use of iP: Intelligence Platform to include Performance Optimization for the Club’s First Team.
The Houston Dash will now combine player medical data with performance data (eg. game, training, gym, physical testing and more) in a single, fully integrated advanced operating system. By combining the critical data sets in one integrated platform, stakeholders and practitioners alike will have access to a complete, real-time, 360 view of each player and the ability to generate the analytics, insights and actionable intelligence necessary to support evidence-based decision-making across the team. In addition, the centralized platform will enable cross departmental communication, collaboration and knowledge transfer, eliminating the information silos that can cause inefficiencies, misdiagnoses and subjectivity.
"In our pursuit of enhancing player health and performance, it's imperative to consolidate data from disparate sources. By centralizing both data and personnel within a unified platform, we equip ourselves with the transparency and analytical tools crucial for informed decision-making and achieving our desired outcomes," expressed Alex Singer, General Manager of Houston Dash.
"Fragmented data leads to internal confusion and inertia” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “Our technology enables teams like the Houston Dash to harness the power of data to inform strategic and tactical decision-making at every level of the organization. The centralization and integration of that data in a single advanced operating system means practitioners and players can spend less time collecting and interpreting data and more time applying insights and practical intelligence on the pitch.”
Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top leagues, teams and regulatory bodies across a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company's technology is currently being used by leagues and teams within some of the world's most elite sports organizations, including the National Football League (NFL), Premier League, Major League Soccer (MLS), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).
This launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken including two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports. The combined companies represent the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations (2000+), creating the industry’s largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.
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2024 National Lacrosse League Playoffs Open April 25-28 with Single-Elimination Quarterfinals
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) today announced its 2024 NLL Playoffs schedule that will start as early as April 25th.
Postseason positioning continues as the NLL’s “The March to May” playoff push continues this weekend with nearly every team still in contention for a playoff berth and many still in the hunt for a top-four seed and ability to host the single-game elimination quarterfinal later this month.
The exact dates and times of games will be determined as soon as practical before each playoff round, dependent on seeding, arena availability, and broadcast windows. Teams are not re-seeded after each round, resulting in a true “bracket style” format.
The single-elimination quarterfinals will be held between Thursday, April 25, and Sunday, April 28, at the home sites of the #1 through #4 seeds, hosting #8 through #5, respectively.
The best-of-three semifinals will commence on Thursday, May 2, through Sunday, May 5, and continue Thursday, May 9, through Sunday, May 12.
The best-of-three 2024 NLL Finals are scheduled for Thursday, May 16, through Sunday, May 19, and Thursday, May 23, through Sunday, May 26.
Additionally, should both semifinal series end in two games, the league may move the 2024 NLL Finals up to the preceding week.
The NLL postseason schedule, including the ESPN and TSN broadcast slate, will be released following the regular season, which concludes on Sunday, April 21.
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Kitman Labs Joins ‘More Than Equal’ Quest To Develop First Female Formula 1 Champion
Kitman Labs, the sports technology and analytics company setting the industry standard for how elite sports organizations use data, today announced a partnership with More than Equal, a global independent motorsport initiative with a mission to find and develop the first female Formula 1 world champion.
The partnership will provide More than Equal with an advanced operating system which will centralize data for female drivers participating in More than Equal’s pioneering Development Programme, a high-performance preparation programme that supports young, talented female drivers who have the potential to develop into elite racing drivers.
The ‘More than Equal Intelligence Platform’ is a single, fully integrated data and analytics platform designed to provide drivers and coaching staff with a comprehensive, unified and real-time view of the driver’s performance, athletic, and personal development data.
Utilizing the latest performance monitoring technology, the platform will give More than Equal data accuracy and the ability to convert driver data into actionable insights and intelligence to support evidence-based tactical and technical coaching that is relevant to their gender and age. The More than Equal Driver Coaches, in collaboration with elite coaching group Hintsa Performance, will leverage the platform to track and support the drivers’ progress holistically, from their in-car performance, to their physical athleticism, to their social and cognitive development. The platform ensures the consistent and accurate collection of data for female drivers, with a goal to optimize the driver’s performance on and off the track.
The platform will be supported by a dedicated staff and player app (iOS and Android), to support the real-time collection of driver data globally.
The organization, whose mission is to find, nurture and develop female racing drivers, will leverage several Solutions in iP: Intelligence Platform, including: Performance Medicine, Performance Optimization and Coaching & Development. iP will serve as the singular advanced operating system for the Organization - eliminating data and information silos, enabling cross-departmental communication and providing transparency and alignment across all stakeholders.
“More than Equal is on a mission to revolutionize how female racing talent is identified, developed and supported,” said More than Equal CEO, Ali Donnelly. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Kitman Labs to provide our driver cohort with access to best-in-class performance technology, allowing our coaches to optimize and personalize their talent development.”
"On a personal and professional level, we couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with More than Equal to help realize their vision as they pioneer a new model in providing elite training and development for talented female drivers,” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “iP: Intelligence Platform was created for this - to leverage the power of data and analytics to enable and inform foundational change; to convert that data into the meaningful insights and actionable intelligence necessary to unlock human performance. We are on a shared mission.”
Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with the top governing bodies, leagues, teams and athletes across a variety of sports, including soccer/global football, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company's technology has been used by teams in some of the world's most elite sports organizations and universities including the NFL, NBA, Premier League, NWSL, WSL, MLS and NCAA.
This launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken including two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports. The combined companies represent the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations and largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.
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Atlanta at the Top: Strat-O-Matic Simulation Tabs Braves Champions
While their 104-win 2023 season didn’t result in a World Series title, the Atlanta Braves come into 2024 with high hopes of turning their talented young roster into a postseason champion. Strat-O-Matic (@strat-o-matic), the market leader in sports simulation games, has simulated the 2024 baseball campaign, tabbing Atlanta as the winner of 99 games and the franchise’s third World Series title since moving to The Peach State. The Braves need only five games to take down A.L. winner Houston in the Strat-O-Sim championship.
Strat-O-Matic’s simulation has the Braves winning the N.L. East by seven games over Philadelphia, joining Central champ Chicago (90-72) and West winner Los Angeles (99-63) as division titlists. Arizona (97-65), Philadelphia (92-70) and San Diego (84-78) claim the wild card spots, with the Braves taking out the Dodgers in a sweep in the NLCS after dispatching the Cubs in three straight in the NLDS.
In the A.L., Houston (102-60) enjoys the majors’ best record, backing it up by edging wild card Tampa Bay (90-72) in the ALDS and sweeping Minnesota (96-66) in the ALDS. The Twins, Central Division winners, had upended No. 2 seeded New York (99-63) to advance through the ALDS. Texas (91-71) and Cleveland (86-76) were the other A.L. wild cards.
Major award winners in the American League are New York’s Aaron Judge, whose 48 home runs and 113 RBI to go with a .962 OPS earned the MVP, while Minnesota’s Pablo Lopez turns in a 20-8 mark with 3.15 ERA and 235 strikeouts to win the Cy Young. In the N.L., Mookie Betts’ move to shortstop makes him an even more integral part of the Dodgers, garnering his second MVP with a .281 average, .945 OPS, 40 home runs and 118 RBI. Atlanta’s Spencer Strider breaks through for his first Cy Young, posting a 20-5 record and stellar 2.79 ERA with 260 whiffs.
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Chevy Chase, Fellow ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’ Stars to Attend FAN EXPO Philadelphia
The Griswold family may not have been able to enjoy Walley World as planned (spoiler alert!) but the stars of National Lampoon’s Vacation are set to have a great time greeting fans, posing for photo ops, signing autographs and conducting interactive Q&As at FAN EXPO Philadelphia, set for May 3-5 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Chevy Chase (“Clark”), Beverly D’Angelo (“Ellen”), Randy Quaid (“Cousin Eddie”) and Dana Barron (“Audrey”) will make their new “family” trip to Center City Philadelphia a memorable one for fans of the 1983 hit and its sequels.
Chase transitioned from a writer to one of the breakout on-camera stars on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” in its first season in 1975-76, moving on to films like Caddyshack and Foul Play before the original Vacation, Fletch (1985) and National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985) and Three Amigos (1986) made him one of the most prolific leads of the 1980s. He continued that success into the next decade with several new iterations of the Vacation franchise as well as family films like Man of the House and Snow Day. Chase also found new audiences with a run as a regular on the series “Community.”
D’Angelo has more than 130 film and TV roles on her resume, including Vacation and three sequels. She had starring and co-starring parts in The Miracle (1991), Eye for an Eye (1996) American History X (1998) and many others, and dozens of TV movies and guest appearances on hit shows like “Frazier,” “The Simpsons” and “Cougar Town” as well as a six-season recurring run on “Entourage.”
Quaid first gained notice for a co-starring role opposite Jack Nicholson in the 1973 light comedy-drama The Last Detail. In addition to the “Cousin Eddie” turns in Vacation, Christmas Vacation and Vegas Vacation and Amish bowler “Ishmael” alongside Woody Harrison and Bill Murray in Kingpin, Quaid has had supporting roles in such favorites as Independence Day and Brokeback Mountain. He won a Golden Globe Award and Peabody Award for his portrayal of President Lyndon Johnson in the TV Movie LBJ: The Early Years and has been nominated for Oscar, Emmy and BAFTA Awards.
Barron portrayed Griswald daughter “Audrey” in both the original Vacation and Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure, among more than 40 credits. She had a three-year supporting role in the adventure series “Crossbow” and played “Nikki Witt” in the original “Beverly Hills, 90210” as well as guest spots on “Murder, She Wrote,” “Babylon 5” and “Dream On.”
The four add heft to an already top-level FAN EXPO Philadelphia roster that includes Hayden Christensen (Star Wars franchise), Rosario Dawson (“Ahsoka,” Rent), Rainn Wilson (“The Office,” “Lessons in Chemistry”), Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny, The Wrestler), Adam Savage (“MythBusters”), Danny Trejo (Machete, The Book of Boba Fett), Morena Baccarin (Deadpool, “Gotham”), Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,”), Mario Lopez (“Saved by the Bell,” “Access Hollywood”), Ben McKenzie (“Gotham,” “The O.C.”), Joonas Suotamo (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, Solo and more), Kate Mulgrew (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Orange is the New Black”), Rose McGowan (“Charmed,” Scream), Holly Marie Combs (“Charmed,” “Picket Fences”), Felicia Day (“The Guild,” “Dragon Age: Redemption”), Emily Swallow and Gina Carano (“The Mandalorian”), and more.
FAN EXPO Philadelphia will also feature a variety of comics creators who have written and drawn many favorite stories over the past half century, exhibitors featuring classic and unique pieces from the thousands of memorable characters and scenes that Star Wars and all of its offshoots have produced, and programming panels and special events to help fans across any empire show their love of one of pop culture’s most enduring series.
Single-Day Tickets, Three-Day Passes, Ultimate Fan and VIP Packages for FAN EXPO Philadelphia are available now. Advance pricing is available until April 18. More guest news will be released in the following weeks, including line-up reveals for additional headline celebrities, comic creator guests, voice actors and cosplayers.
Philadelphia is the eighth event on the 2024 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events/.
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Caldwell University's Lauren Marks Named CACC Bowler of the Year
Senior Lauren Marks (Parsippany, N.J.) has been named CACC Bowler of the Year by the league's coaches, the Conference announced today. Additionally, she was selected to the All-Conference First Team.
Marks has been one of the league's most consistent bowlers throughout the season, leading the Cougars in average in both team (19.73 per frame) and Baker (19.68) formats, serving as the Cougars' anchor all season.
She led Caldwell to the top seed in this weekend's CACC Tournament, posting the highest average in the field (209.4) in the CACC Invitational #2 earlier this month, as CU won seven of 10 matches for a 15-5 overall CACC mark this season.
Marks also had impressive showings at numerous other events this year, recording 22.71 per frame (Baker) at the Wildcat DII, DII Invite in February, 21.23 (Baker) this past weekend at the Northeast Roundup and consistent 19 or better frame averages in five events in Team and five in Baker format during the season.
Marks, with a 3.95 GPA in Studio Art, was a CACC All-Academic, First Team All-Conference and All-Tournament Team performer last year when the Cougars won the league championship.
The Cougars take on the winner of No. 4 Chestnut Hill vs. No. 5 Bloomfield in the double-elimination portion of the CACC Championships on Friday in Southampton, Pa. Play continues through Sunday.
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NLL Game of the Week on TSN Schedule Flexes for Final Two Weeks
As "The March to May" rolls closer to the 2024 NLL Playoffs, the NLL Game of the Week on TSN will showcase the key games that will go a long way to determining the qualifying teams and seeds.
For Week 20, the League and the network have selected the Rochester Knighthawks at Toronto Rock, Saturday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. ET., highlighting what has been the NLL’s best team against the streaky Knighthawks who look to have righted the ship with three straight wins and is back level at 6-6.
Then, in the NLL Season Finale Weekend, the Colorado Mammoth, still in the hunt to return to the postseason, visit a strong Halifax Thunderbirds team in the front end of a doubleheader on Saturday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m. ET. The second game will feature either the Toronto Rock at Saskatchewan Rush or Panther City at Calgary Roughnecks at 9 p.m. ET. That selection will be announced the week of April 1.
The 2024 NLL Playoffs begin April 26-28. Under the new unified standings format, the top four seeds will host a single elimination quarterfinal game. The complete 2024 NLL Playoffs schedule will be announced early next month.
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Hayden Christensen Added to Huge ‘Star Wars’ Roster at FAN EXPO Philadelphia
Star Wars may have transformed May 4th into an intergalactic holiday, but nowhere will the force be greater this year than at FAN EXPO Philadelphia, set for May 3-5 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. And today’s announcement that Hayden Christensen, who has portrayed “Anakin Skywalker” in several iterations of the franchise over two decades, has been added to the standout alliance of stars attending the pop culture extravaganza, only makes that celebration even bigger.
Christensen joins a lineup of the first order which includes Joonas Suotamo (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, Solo and more), Emily Swallow and Gina Carano (“The Mandalorian”), Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Dennis Lawson (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi), Rosario Dawson, Diana Lee Inosanto, Eman Esfandi and Natasha Liu Bordizzo of “Ahsoka,” Ashley Eckstein (“The Clone Wars”) and Cameron Monaghan (“Star Wars Jedi”).
FAN EXPO Philadelphia will also feature a variety of comics creators who have written and drawn many favorite stories over the past half century, exhibitors featuring classic and unique pieces from the thousands of memorable characters and scenes that Star Wars and all of its offshoots have produced, and programming panels and special events to help fans across any empire show their love of one of pop culture’s most enduring series.
The Star Wars guests supplement a standout FAN EXPO Philadelphia celebrity roster that includes Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny, The Wrestler), Adam Savage (“MythBusters”), Rainn Wilson (“The Office,” “Lessons in Chemistry”), Rose McGowan (“Charmed,” Scream), Kate Mulgrew (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Orange is the New Black”), Morena Baccarin (Deadpool, “Gotham”) Danny Trejo (Machete, The Book of Boba Fett), “Firefly”), Felicia Day (“The Guild,” “Dragon Age: Redemption”), Mario Lopez (“Saved by the Bell,” “Access Hollywood”), Holly Marie Combs (“Charmed,” “Picket Fences”, Ben McKenzie (“Gotham,” “The O.C.”), and more.
Single-Day Tickets, Three-Day Passes, Ultimate Fan and VIP Packages for FAN EXPO Philadelphia are available now. Advance pricing is available until April 18. More guest news will be released in the following weeks, including line-up reveals for additional headline celebrities, comic creator guests, voice actors and cosplayers.
Philadelphia is the eighth event on the 2024 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events/.
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American Cornhole League, Play Anywhere Team For Interactive Experiences
The American Cornhole League today announced a partnership with Play Anywhere Holdings, the global pioneer in driving on-screen interactive experiences, to bring cornhole fans a wide range of live games and engaging content. Beginning this season,ACL fans will be able to interact and play along while watching the live stream of professional cornhole matches. The start of the ACL season begins with “The Kickoff Battle” in Palm Beach, April 4-7.
Under this exclusive agreement for its live streams on ACL Cornhole TV, the league will utilize the Play Anywhere® cutting-edge technology to roll out real-time on-screen interactive experiences. Fans watching live ACL tournament matches will have opportunities, offered via the Play Anywhere overlay, to play predictive and trivia games, win prizes and buy merchandise.Play Anywhere’s state-of-the-art AI engine will personalize the viewing experience for each of the millions of cornhole fans. Among its feature-rich capabilities, Play Anywhere enables sponsors to associate their brand with a “magic moment” in the sporting action.
Using the Play Anywhere financial clearinghouse, all the stakeholders in the content distribution value chain will benefit from these new revenue sources gathered fromsponsorships, advertising and e-commerce. Where permitted, gaming advertising and affiliate fees, will also be included for fans interested in betting.
The ACL professional championships and international tournaments have grown rapidly in the last several years. The cornhole fan base has exploded digitally, in large measure because of ACL’s state-of-the-art technology platform and streaming of thousands of matches over ACL Cornhole TV. The combined TV and digital audience for professional cornhole now exceeds 50 million with matches airing on ACLTV, as well as on their partner broadcasters ESPN/ESPN+ and CBS/CBSSN.
Stacey Moore, Commissioner and Founder of ACLcommented, “Our fans love to engage with our competitions, and this well give them lots of chances to get in on the action and easily buy their favorite merchandise. ACL has always been committed to using state-of-art technology, and we are excited about working with a trailblazing company like Play Anywhere.”
Pete Scott, Chief Strategy Officer of Play Anywhere and former VP of Emerging Media and Innovation at Warner Media-Discovery, stated, “We are honored to partner with one of the premier sports leagues in the world and excited to explore new ways to engage and provide interactive experiences to the ACL sports fan, while utilizing our patented technology to generate new revenue for every participant in the broadcast and streaming value chain. We will leverage our AI software to hyper personalize every ecommerce, gamification and targeted sponsorship so the user is getting their own one-on-one viewing and interactive experience.”
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