Ex-NFL Player Cashes Big On Bitcoin 💰

PLUS Bill Belichick Is Back, Oregon Will Pay To Play, Conference Championship Week

December 06, 2024

Welcome to Office Chair Sports! Your home for everything Sports & Biz! Today, we’re covering top news about:

  • Ex-NFL Player Cashes Big On Bitcoin 💰

  • Bill Belichick Is Back

  • Oregon Will Pay To Play

  • 10 Best College Football Stadiums

  • Conference Championship Week

Ex-NFL Player Cashes Big On Bitcoin 💰

Former NFL tackle Russell Okung's bold 2020 decision to convert half his salary to bitcoin is paying off big time.

Okung became the first NFL player paid in crypto, converting $6.5 million into 240 bitcoins. At the time, bitcoin was trading around $27,000. Now, bitcoin is as high as $102,000. Meaning, his $6.5 million turned into $24,480,000.

The Panthers are riding the struggle bus right now at 3-7 in the NFC South. But at least the former No. 6 draft pick made the right call both in retirement and investment strategy.

Bill Belichick Is Back

Bill Belichick to college football? The eight-time Super Bowl champion has reportedly interviewed for North Carolina's head coaching position, and apparently "blew them away" in the process.

The 72-year-old coaching legend, who parted ways with the Patriots last year, has "high, genuine interest" in the UNC job according to The News & Observer. While Belichick has no college coaching experience, ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum believes he'd thrive in today's landscape.

It's an intriguing fit – Chapel Hill offers lower pressure than powerhouses like Georgia or Alabama, and Paul Finebaum believes Belichick could push UNC past where Mack Brown left off. The question is whether the NFL's most decorated coach can adapt to college football's NIL and transfer portal era.

Oregon Will Pay To Play

Phil Knight's influence on Oregon football reached new heights during signing day, as the Nike co-founder made a cameo in five-star cornerback Na'eem Offord's commitment video announcing his flip from Ohio State.

"Uncle Phil" helped Oregon secure the nation's No. 4 recruiting class, featuring the highest-rated average recruit (93.77) with four five-stars.

Through Division Street, Oregon's NIL collective run by Nike veterans, the 86-year-old Knight (worth $45 billion) is aggressively pursuing his dream of an Oregon national title. Industry insiders consider it one of the best-funded collectives, though it operates quietly.

As Oregon heads into Saturday's Big Ten Championship against Penn State, Knight's commitment to building a powerhouse is clear – he's donated over $1 billion to Oregon over the years, and now he's personally helping recruit top talent.

10 Best College Football Stadiums

The atmosphere and energy in college football stadiums is what makes Saturdays special.

Fox Sports’ "Big Noon Kickoff" crew ranks their top 10 stadiums in college football after visiting 8 different stadiums this season.

  1. Michigan: The Big House

  2. Penn State: Beaver Stadium

  3. UCLA: Rose Bowl

  4. Colorado: Folsom Field

  5. Wisconsin: Camp Randall Stadium

  6. LSU: Tiger Stadium

  7. Ohio State: Ohio Stadium

  8. Texas: DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium

  9. Notre Dame: Notre Dame Stadium

  10. Oregon: Autzen Stadium

Conference Championship Week

It’s conference championship week! Some big games going down tomorrow.

Here’s what's at stake:

  • Five automatic playoff spots for conference champions

  • Four highest-ranked champs get first-round byes

  • Fifth champ gets seeded in 12-team field

The expanded playoff format has made these conference championships more crucial than ever, with automatic bids and first-round byes on the line.

Internships 🙋

1. Intern, Corporate Partnerships - The Corporate Partnership intern will work to help execute existing partnerships and develop new advertising sales products. They will be responsible for researching advertising sponsorships across other NHL and professional sports teams, building proposals for potential partners and recapping partnerships from the previous season.

2. Spring Intern, Global Partnerships - Research - As a Global Partnerships Research Intern, you will have the opportunity to work with our highly energetic and creative teams and gain hands-on experience and exposure to how we do market and consumer research to inform our sales and activation teams on how best to do deals.

3. Internship - Hockey Development (USA Hockey) - Support day-to-day operations and general responsibilities Hockey Development Department as it relates to youth hockey.

4. Major League Operations Intern (White Sox) - The Chicago White Sox are seeking a highly motivated and creative individual to join our Baseball Operations team for the 2025 season. In this role you will assist with day-to-day operations across the front office.

5. Sports Science Intern (IMG Academy) - The Sport Science Intern will support the Sport Science team at IMG Academy to deliver the company’s mission to help athletes realize their potential.

Job Board 💰

1. Promotions - Seasonal Assistant (Detroit Tigers) - Responsibilities include: Administration of the PAWS off-site and in-game appearance program, including scheduling, marketing, sales, database input, talent management, fulfillment, and analysis. Assisting with management of entertainment team, including scheduling, communication, outside events, uniforms, etc.

2. Marketing Manager - Sports - The Marketing Manager - Sports works with CUENTO and designated sports clients on marketing strategy and execution.

3. Digital & Marketing Analyst - The Digital & Marketing Analyst will lead the Business Intelligence Group’s focus on Digital & Marketing efforts, driving data centric decisions within these areas.

4. Los Angeles Angels-Full Time Baseball Systems Developer - The Los Angeles Angels are seeking a Developer to join the Baseball Operations’ Research & Development team. This position will focus on frontend or full stack development, based on the strengths of the applicant. The position reports directly to the Senior Director, Research and Development.

5. Lead Field Reporter (Texas Rangers) - Responsible for contributing field reporting responsibilities to live Rangers game broadcasts, including pre-game and post-game shows, for a minimum of 120 games each season.

Thanks for reading - see you soon!