Bitcoin and NFTs are the new preferred payment method for athletes who wish to directly invest

By KATHERIN RAYGOZA- sports@theaggie.org 

Cryptocurrency is creeping into the sports industry after many leagues suffered financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To recoup their losses, professional sports organizations have turned to cryptocurrency as a form of compensation for athletes who wish to further their investments. 

After former Arsenal full back Kieran Gibbs received half his pay in Bitcoin while playing for Inter Miami CF, the Premier League for soccer in Europe, begun talking about including cryptocurrencies as the players method of payment. This caught the attention of several other plays and it could be the future of English Leagues.

“All roads lead to Bitcoin,” Gibbs said. “It’s just going to take time for people to trust what this thing is. It’s similar to what we saw on the internet, I believe. It took a long time for that to happen, and now many people believe you can’t live without it. It’s an avoidable part of our lives.”

Cryptocurrency is a digital payment method and/or currency that doesn’t require authorization from banks or trusted third parties to verify transactions. Instead of having access to physical dollars, people can now make payments purely as digital entries. Thousands of different types of cryptocurrencies exist, including Bitcoin and a Non-Fungible Token (NFT), which are one of the most popular ones today.

The main aspect of this type of currency creates units of cryptocurrency that are found through a process called mining, which uses units that are kept in cryptographic wallets, but uses generators that can be downloaded onto a computer to create these units. 

Cryptocurrency first entered the National Football League (NFL) in May 2019 when former offensive tackle from the Carolina Panthers, Russel Okung, tweeted that wanted to receive his pay in Bitcoin. A year later in 2020, he let the world know that he has become the first NFL player to receive his salary in cryptocurrency. At the time, Okung was making $13 million and received 50 percent of his earnings in Bitcoin. 

The NFL is using Zap Strike  — a Bitcoin investment and payments company that transacts over the “Lightning Network.” This means that Zap Strike facilitates ordinary currency into Bitcoin almost instantly. 

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley earned more than $10 million in endorsements and sponsorships deals and decided to start having his entire income from these deals converted into Bitcoin

“You see inflation,” Barkley said. “You see how high it is right now, and you learn that you can’t save yourself to wealth. That’s why I’m going to be taking my marketing money in bitcoin.”

Since some sports seem to be appealing to crypto nowadays, it represents an opportunity for cryptocurrency companies to expand their network. Crypto is appealing to the sports industry because its most popular players are currently earning more money with the investments they are and also. This is happening at a time when teams are still financially recuperating from the pandemic.

“They’re beginning to exhaust the early-adopter market,” Columbia Business School professor R.A. Farrokhnia said to Sports Illustrated. “They have an incentive to try to increase the market, the number of participants, the volume of trades and so on.”

So far some players from the NFL, MLB, NBA, and MLS are currently using cryptocurrency. Many crypto companies are attempting to make their way into the sporting world, but explaining crypto to fans or people who watch is something that is tricky — particularly in the limited amount they can explain in a sports advertisement. Because of this, they instead focus heavily on building trust. 

As crypto slowly is being incorporated into sports, it is also becoming widely used as a form of payment amongst the fans. Tickets and merchandise are being purchased through cryptocurrencies, allowing the clubs to pay for the players’ salaries allowing them to transfer their fees. 

Despite the rise of excitement and opportunities in crypto-assets in the sporting world, there are many risk factors that sport clubs are conscious of. The value of assets in crypto continues to grow, but there are many risks involved that still remain uncertain. 

Written by: Katherin Raygoza — sports@theaggie.org 

UC Davis finishes in eighth place in the Big West with a 23-29 overall record 

By MARLON ROLON — sports@theaggie.org

Infielder Libbie McMahan did it again for the UC Davis Softball team. The sophomore hit her second career home run Friday afternoon against the Rainbow Wahine in the final series of the regular season at La Rue Field. 

McMahan isn’t known for hitting the ball out of the park, but her confidence at the plate has surged as of late. 

 “We’ve been looking for those stinking hits all year long and then Libbie comes up with a big home run,” said UC Davis Softball Head Coach Erin Thorpe. “Libbie has not been a home run hitter so it’s awesome to get to see her [in recent games], [McMahan] got a grand slam [against UC Santa Barbara on April 30] and today’s home run was just awesome so I hope she can build off that with some confidence.”

The Aggies trailed 6-1 in the sixth-inning until a pair of hits by senior slugger Delaney Diaz, freshman outfielder Reese Mattley and McMahan’s three-run homer brought UC Davis back within two. 

Despite a strong sixth inning, the Aggies fell short in a near comeback to the University of Hawai’i who sat in third place in the Big West standings. 

“We were a little bit too short and we had the right people up at the right times, we just quite didn’t get it done,” Thorpe said. 

Sophomore pitcher Sara Reineman got the nod to start for UC Davis, however, she only lasted two-innings on the mound before Thorpe pulled her out for freshman pitcher Mia Hildebrand. 

Reineman allowed three runs along with four hits and had a rough outing against the Rainbow Wahine batters. But there is a reason why Hawai’i is a top three powerhouse in the Big West — they make most pitchers struggle. 

Hildebrand did not have better luck as the right handed pitcher allowed three runs off seven hits. Although the pitching had a rough day, the experience gained against elite competition is what matters for the pitching pair. 

“Hawai’i is a great team, they have a chance to be second in conference after this so we know that they’re going to come out, they’re going to swing it, they’re going to play hard,” said Thorpe during a postgame interview. “We just want to compete, we just want to come out and feel like we left it on the field.”

Double Header

Following the 6-4 loss, UC Davis looked to rebound in the final two games of a long season. The Aggies best chance to win is with Kenedi Brown on the mound, who did not pitch the previous day. 

Arguably the best pitcher in the Big West, Brown delivered. Brown pitched for seven innings, striking out 11 batters and allowing four runs off three hits while earning her 13th win of the season. 

Likely the Aggies most reliable batter, Anna Dethlefson, sparked the offense with a single to left field in the first inning. Dethlefson tested her speed stealing second base and third base. Then McMahan continued her hot streak with a hit. The rising star Mattley was sure to make some noise on the plate until she got hit by a pitch. Finally, sophomore infielder Leah Polsen smacked a double off the wall in center field to bring Mattley and McMahan home. 

McMahan wasn’t done generating hits however, as in the third-inning she hit a double to left center field and eventually scored off a fly ball putting the Aggies up 4-0. 

Thorpe’s team tacked on the scoreboard in the fifth when Mattley generated an RBI bringing in junior infielder Sommer Kisling. 

Thorpe had high praise for the freshmen during the postgame interview, “We knew that she [Reese Matley] had a ton of potential, when she came in she was pretty raw,” Thorpe said. “We’re just super excited about the improvements that she’s already made so we’re really excited. She’s one of those one’s that’s like ‘wow’[from] where she started to where she is now. It’s really encouraging to us and she should feel really proud of what she’s been able to do this year.”

Just when the game seemed to be over, Hawai’i clawed back in the sixth inning scoring three runs, however, that was not enough. Brown eventually put the last nail in the coffin to close the game 6-3.

In game two of the double header, UC Davis continued their dominance. Although the Aggies are out of contention for the playoffs, they had something to play for – they played for their two graduating seniors, Sierra Hillman and Claudia Kim, who played their final game of their respective careers. 

“It’s tough we really want to end the year strong with our two seniors, we know we’re not fighting for anything at this point,” Thorpe said. “In our conference, we’ve been out of it for a while.”

Hawai’i opened the game in the second-inning with a score. However, the graduating senior Kim stepped up on the plate and singled to left field to bring Mattley across home plate to tie the game at one a piece. 

Dethlefson followed through with a single to left center field that saw Polson score, making it 2-1. The Rainbow Wahine looked like a different team from the previous day blanking out on the scoreboard. 

In the fourth-inning, McMahan continued her dominance at the plate, hitting a line drive to right field earning the RBI. At this point in the game UC Davis led 3-1. 

In the fifth, Hawai’i was able to take one back on the scoreboard to be within one from tying it. That was the last time Hawai’i would score. A pair of hits from Dethlefson and Kisling got the Aggies on base, and then McMahan hit a ground ball that gave Dethlefson enough time to cross home plate for the final run of the game, 4-2. Fans at La Rue field celebrated a doubleheader sweep, a feat that hadn’t happened since April 2 when they swept CSU Bakersfield. 

“We want to feel like we left in a good spot ready to come back next year and just build,” Thorpe said. 

The UC Davis softball team ended the season with an overall record of 23-29, and 10-14 in conference play. However, this was the first full season after the pandemic. Thorpe was fully staffed this season with a full roster, something that wasn’t there last year.

Even though the Aggies finished below .500, there were some bright moments throughout the season. They beat top teams in the conference, such as the conference champion Cal State Fullerton and second place Long Beach State as well as beat third place Hawai’i in the season series. 

Notable players who were bright spots this season – Dethlefson, Diaz, Brown, Mattley and Kisling. These players were outstanding all season long consistently producing day in and day out. The team is mostly composed of first and second year players, with a relatively young team growing pains were expected. 

“You have to fight at this level, you have to be a fighter and clearly we are still learning how to fight,” Thorpe said. “It’s about the little lessons that we’re learning.” 

Although the Aggies finished in eighth place, their record doesn’t indicate how hard they played this season. They were in it in every game, they battled until the end. This season was marred with learning experiences for the young players on the team, come next spring Thorpe hopes the lessons learned this season translates into a Big West conference championship.

Written by: Marlon Rolon — sports@theaggie.org