Tag: Fan fest

Gator Collective hosts fan event to boost NIL’s public image

Florida fans got their first taste of the Gator Collective.

On Wednesday, Gator Collective hosted their first (and hopefully annual) Fan Fest, an event that included opportunities to interact with over 40 of the university’s athletes. It was held at Touchdown Terrace in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and over 200 fans came for the three-hour event. Aside from the obvious appeal of meeting their favorite players, the event was held in an effort to raise fans’ awareness of the positive impact of name, image, and likeness laws.

NIL can be confusing and incites a lot of strong feelings, but the Gator Collective is helping to navigate those choppy waters. It supplements benefactor support with contributions from the fanbase to connect Florida athletes with NIL opportunities.

“Fan donations toward the Gator Collective allow athletes to earn compensation in exchange for exclusive content and experiences with UF athletes for those fans, such as last Saturday’s event,” explained On3’s Zach Abolverdi.

Gator Collective is best-known for their splashier moves, such as the “very lucrative” package they put together to persuade [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] to return for a third season at Florida.

However, arranging for paid appearances like Wednesday’s event is a way to appeal to current athletes to stay with the Gators. It’s about as subtle as your uncle’s Facebook board, but putting money in the hands of players already enrolled at Florida is important for the health of the program. Furthermore, it could be easy for it to fall through the cracks when so much of the media is obsessed with player acquisition.

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Chargers training camp: Struggling kickers booed by fans

Fans at SoFi Stadium were left disappointed by the kickers on Sunday.

With the Chargers starting kicker job up for grabs, no one was able to move the needle on Sunday.

In fact, the showings were so underwhelming that they received boos from fans who were in attendance for the team’s Fan Fest at SoFi Stadium.

Michael Badgley went 4-for-7, with his misses coming from 41, 49 and 51 yards. Badgley did manage to make one from 55 yards out to end a two-minute drive.

Tristan Vizcaino finished 4-for-6, missing kicks from 38 and 49 yards. Undrafted free agent Alex Kessman’s day wasn’t any better, ending his session 2-for-6.

Sunday’s performance didn’t offer much to be optimistic about for those watching, considering incompetent special teams is what cost Los Angeles some games last season.

All kickers have split the uprights from beyond 50 yards up to this point, but no one has separated themselves from the pack when it comes to consistent accuracy.

Still, with a handful of practices and three preseason games, there is plenty of time for someone to prove themselves to the coaching staff.

Chargers training camp live updates: Fan Fest

Sunday’s practice will be held at SoFi Stadium.

The Chargers continued training camp on Sunday, with practice being Fan Fest at SoFi Stadium in Costa Mesa, CA.

Today, I will have coverage of training camp with live updates from practice below, courtesy of media members in attendance along with fan posts.

Panthers release 2021 training camp dates

Training camp is back, for the Carolina Panthers and the rest of the NFL. And, after a year away, it’s back for the fans as well.

Whip out those calendars and start circling some dates, folks. Because after a year away from you, the fans, Carolina Panthers training camp is back!

The team officially announced its training camp schedule on Wednesday afternoon, as they return to Spartanburg, S.C. at Wofford College for the summer. Practice will begin in just under a month’s time, on July 28, bright and early at 8:30 a.m. ET.

A few other notable dates include the NFL’s Training Camp: Back Together Saturday, where the league observes the reunion of its fans and their football, on July 31. In celebration of the event, the Panthers will roll out “on-field performances by the TopCats, Sir Purr, PurrCussion and Black & Blue Crew, the Mayor’s Ball Delivery and activities including face painting, food trucks, interactive games, sponsor activations and more.”

Fan Fest makes its comeback as well, as the team will head back to Bank of America Stadium on Friday, Aug. 6. Tickets will cost fans $5, with the proceeds going to Carolina Panthers Charities.

Also sprinkled into the schedule are the joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens. The Panthers will travel to Westfield, Ind. for practices on Aug. 12 and 13 ahead of their preseason game against the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium that Sunday, Aug. 15. They will then wrap up by hosting the Ravens at Wofford on Aug. 18 and 19 before their exhibition matchup at home on Aug. 21.

For more details on all the dates, check out the entire schedule here.

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WATCH: Astros players will apologize for role in sign-stealing scandal at spring training

The Houston Astros players are set to apologize for their roles in the team’s sign-stealing scandal at spring training, that revelation via owner Jim Crane.

The Houston Astros players are set to apologize for their roles in the team’s sign-stealing scandal at spring training, that revelation via owner Jim Crane.

MLB.com reports that Crane explained Tuesday that the team will address the situation once the players are geographically together. The report follows the Astros FanFest weekend, which was this past weekend.

“We’ll all get them together and they’ll come out with a strong statement as a team and, I think, apologize for what happened and move forward,” Crane told MLB.com. “A couple of guys that have been interviewed have been holding back a little bit. We need to get them a little more time to get together.”

During FanFest, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman were the most prominent players speaking to media, but neither player addressed the scandal in a particularly apologetic manner.

Bregman called the accusations that the pair wore buzzers at the plate “just stupid,” according to Astros beat writer Brian McTaggart, and Altuve assured fans that the team would return to the World Series.

Astros pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Thursday, Feb. 13, the first full-squad workout is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 17.

“Quite frankly, we’ll apologize for what happened, ask forgiveness and move forward,” Crane said.

Astros players will apologize for role in sign-stealing scandal at spring training, according to tea

The Houston Astros players are set to apologize for their roles in the team’s sign-stealing scandal at spring training, that revelation via owner Jim Crane.

The Houston Astros players are set to apologize for their roles in the team’s sign-stealing scandal at spring training, that revelation via owner Jim Crane.