From the Piano Man's final bow at MSG to drama off the NBA court, here are your top entertainment headlines.
Billy Joel Leaving MSG
After performing a staggering 150+ shows at the world-famous Madison Square Garden, Billy Joel's ten-year residency is set to end.
Joel, who holds the record for most shows at MSG, announced that his final show at the venue will take place in summer 2024. Over the course of his stay at the Garden, he sold more than 1.6 million tickets.
"The greatest arena run of all time is coming to an end. The historic sold-out monthly residency at the World's Most Famous Arena will conclude in July 2024 with his 150th lifetime performance," the official account for Joel said in a tweet.
Joel's first-ever performance at MSG was in December 1978. The singer is such a staple at the iconic arena that in 2006, following his 12th consecutive show, a banner in his name was raised above the New York Knicks home court – a sight the team had not seen since 1999 when they won the Eastern Conference Finals.
Speaking of the NBA Finals, the first game between conference champions Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat is set to tip-off tonight but it will be without a familiar face.
Referee Eric Lewis, who has worked the finals for the last four seasons, is currently embroiled in controversy. In the midst of the NBA post-season he was accused of maintaining a secret Twitter account that appeared to support calls he and other refs were making on the court. Now the league is investigating.
"Regarding Eric Lewis and the social media posts, we are continuing to review the matter and he will not be working the Finals," NBA spokesman Mike Bass told the Associated Press.
Critics have compared the potential scandal to that of Tim Donaghy, a former ref who pleaded guilty in 2007 to two felony conspiracy charges for his role in a gambling scheme.
In Other Sports News...
The once-upon-a-time dynamic duo of Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe will no longer exist after the 2023 NBA Finals.
Fox Sports and Sharpe apparently reached a buyout deal that will end his seven-year run at the network. The writing has been on the wall for some time now and became even more clear in recent months when debates around Tom Brady and DaMar Hamlin seemed to get personal between the two. What's next for both talking heads remains to be seen and neither addressed the elephant in the room during Thursday's broadcast.
Tupac's Star
Tupac Shakur has been deceased for nearly three decades but his impact continues to be felt today. Now, the late rapper and activist is set to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The news comes during the success of FX's Dear Mama docuseries, which highlights the unique relationship between he and his mother, the late Afeni Shakur. It's the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's 2,758th star and according to Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Tupac's impact will continue to be felt.
"This iconic artist has continued to be part of the zeitgeist for decades after his passing and will continue to be an important cultural figure for many years to come," she said in a statement.
Join Cheddar News as we break down the top headlines this morning including updates on the Jan. 6 hears, the PGA suspension of 17 of the world's best golfers, and NASA's plans to study UFOs.
The PGA Tour has announced that it will suspend players that are competing in the LIV Golf event that teed off today. At least 17 players, including names like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Sergio Garcia are banned from the PGA Tour competition. Hilary Fordwich, a business analyst and golf expert, joined Cheddar News to discuss why the PGA had to go this route. This is a threat to the future of golf for them, and there's been many contentions about them not being fair and that this is vindictive," she said. "Don't forget, of course, they represent sort of a monopoly in the history of golf. So you've got two sides to this story. You've got those the purists, those that feel that golf should only be a certain way and that there are only these limited events that the PGA puts on. And then you've got other people who are saying … this is all about money"
Sports merchandising company Fanatics announced it will be making trading cards featuring college athletes, a deal made possible by the NCAA's change to NIL rules for its players. Anchors Kristen Scholer and Ken Buffa break down the deal for Cheddar.
Survivors of Larry Nassar, including Olympian Simone Biles, are seeking $1 billion in damages from the FBI due to its failure to investigate the former gymnastics team doctor convicted of committing years of serial sexual abuse of minors. Jack Queen, a senior reporter at Law360, joined Cheddar News to break down the legal grounds of this case. "This is one of the biggest black eyes that the Bureau has faced in generations, quite frankly, and the FBI has taken full responsibility and admitted that it completely botched this investigation," he said. "So, there's a lot of pressure to settle."
The victims from the USA gymnastics sexual abuse scandal continue to seek justice. Survivors of Larry Nassar are seeking more than one-billion dollars from the FBI for failing to stop the convicted sports doctor when the agency first received allegations. According to a report released by the Justice Department's Inspector General, FBI agents knew
in July of 2015 that Nassar was accused of abusing gymnasts; however, Nassar wasn't arrested until December of 2016. The group that filed the claim includes Olympic medalist Simone Biles and around 90 other women. Louise Radnofsky, sports reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
A controversial professional golf tour backed by Saudi Arabia tees off on Thursday. Today, two-time Major winner Dustin Johnson announced he's resigned from the PGA Tour ahead of headlining the Saudi-backed tour, called the LIV Golf Invitation Series. The announcement comes as the PGA tour has threatened disciplinary action for its golfers who take part in the Saudi golf league event, which will also feature notable golf stars like Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia; however, LIV Golf's CEO, Greg Norman, told The Washington Post that Tiger Woods rejected a contract worth 'high nine digits' to play in the tour. Chris Bumbaca, reporter for USA Today Sports, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Marques Ogden, former NFL offensive lineman turned author and celebrity success coach, joins Cheddar to discuss his career transition after his NFL playing days and how he overcame a low point to prioritize family and re-shape his life as a success coach.
Abe Stein, Head of Innovation at Sports Innovation Lab, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains why the top four spots on his company's 2022 list are European soccer clubs and discusses Sports Innovation Lab's plan to publish data on women's pro sports teams in the not-too-distant future.
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Alex Barrett discusses why he believes taking his salary in crypto is the best financial decision for him, while Bitwage CEO Jonathan Chester breaks down how Barrett and other crypto investors can best utilize his platform.
