The Daily Valet. - 9/18/23, Monday
✔️ Where Are They?
Monday, September 18th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
Is September flying by for you, too? Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
Today’s Big Story
Do You Know Where Your Sports Are?
The streaming wars have made it more challenging (and expensive) than ever to be a sports fan
Televised sports is going through a profound evolution. There's never been more options, but that doesn't always make it easy. Of course, one thing is clear: Live sports are, far and away, the most popular thing on television in the U.S. Last year, the top 10 American telecasts were all major games. Then again, that's nothing new. In American history, 22 of the 30 most watched television programs ever are Super Bowls (and the 2023 NFL championship game is No. 2, just behind the moon landing).Then why does it feel increasingly difficult to keep up with your favorite team? Short answer: The biggest streaming platforms are in the midst of an aggressive live sports cash grab—trying to compete with the broadcast strategies employed by traditional networks by snatching up licensing agreements—and fans are suffering as a result.It's never been more confusing, or more expensive, to watch your favorite sports teams as leagues struggle to figure out the best way to reach the most people in this new and fractured TV ecosystem. Both the leagues and media platforms are walking a fine line—trying to follow viewers who are migrating to streaming services without making those fans so frustrated that they skip the games altogether.The Athletic reports that the NFL will have dueling Monday Night Football games the next two Mondays, one on ESPN and one on ABC, as the league tests out how different kickoff times drive viewership. They put it like this: “NFL fans, you are about to be part of an NFL viewership experiment.”Sunday games will be spread across Fox, CBS and NBC. But wait, there's more. Thursday Night Football will stream on Amazon Prime Video, which will also carry the first-ever Black Friday game. Plus, NFL Network has a few exclusive games, too. What if you're a college football fan, who also wants to keep up with the PGA Tour? That'll be another $10 for ESPN+ and $6 for NBC's Peacock streaming service. The upside is that no game is off-limits, as long as fans are willing to pay for it. Think you can keep up with that?
Meanwhile:
Cable companies have started to figure out a way to stay in the TV game: Reselling streaming services.
All 3 Detroit Automakers Strike
Nearly one in 10 of America’s unionized auto workers went on strike Friday to squeeze companies for better pay
Seems like Hot Labor Summer is turning into hotter labor fall. For the first time, workers at all three Detroit automakers went on strike on Friday. Sources say that nearly one in 10 of America's unionized auto workers walked out to pressure the car companies into raising wages in an era of big profits and as the industry begins a costly transition from gas guzzlers to electric vehicles.Currently, the strikes are limited for now to three assembly plants: a GM factory in Wentzville, Missouri, a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, near Detroit, and a Jeep plant run by Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio. But the workers received support from President Biden, who dispatched aides to Detroit to help resolve the impasse and said the automakers should share their “record profits.” Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su will continue to engage with the parties and plan to continue conversations in person early this week.Workers out on the picket lines said they hoped the strikes didn't last long, but added that they were committed to the cause and appreciated Union President Shawn Fain's tough tactics to secure across-the-board wage increases of 36% over four years. So far, the companies have countered by offering increases ranging from 17.5% to 20%. If negotiations drag on—and the strikes expand to affect more plants—car dealers could run short of vehicles, raising prices and pushing customers to buy from foreign automakers with nonunionized workers. Quartz says it would also likely put fresh stress on an economy that's been benefiting from easing inflation.
Dig Deeper:
NPR on how Shawn Fain, an unlikely and outspoken president, led the UAW to strike.
A Modern Secession Story?
Are We About to See the Oregon-Idaho Border Transform?
It's been over half a century since the border between two states has changed. In 1961, the boundary between Minnesota and North Dakota was redrawn as a result of flood mitigation efforts. That was a relatively modest effort though, involving land near the city of Fargo. But lately, there's been an increasingly high-profile effort to radically transform the states of Oregon and Idaho—a shift that could involve over a dozen counties moving from the former state to the latter.The short version is that several counties in eastern Oregon—counties where the voters are, by and large, more conservative than in western Oregon—are seeking to break off and join the more ideologically simpatico Idaho.But as the Washington Post points out, this is no small task. Both the Oregon and Idaho state legislatures, which are controlled by Democrats and Republicans, respectively, would have to approve a border shift. The issue would then go to the U.S. Congress. And the opposition has swung into gear, too. A Portland non-profit called Western States Center is branding the move a “radical change” that would raise taxes and cut wages. CBS News says their message is clear: If rural conservatives don't like Oregon's urban liberal leanings, well, don't move the border, move themselves instead.
FYI:
Tennessee and Missouri are tied with one another for the state that borders the most other states. Each borders eight states.
Starbucks Wants to Ditch Its Cups
It's legendary as a marketing icon, but the coffee chain now hopes it goes away for good
What started out as a simple white cup of to-go coffee grew into a bonafide icon—something of a status symbol in the early aughts. According to the Associated Press, Starbucks is working to get rid of its disposable cups by 2030. In place of its beloved white paper cups with the green siren logo, the shop wants to introduce reusable cups. The concept is already being tested at some locations.Of course, producing disposable products like cups creates greenhouse gas emissions, which warm the planet and lead to extreme weather events and other manifestations of climate change. And then there's the fact that many of them are simply chucked in the trash. That goes against customers' increasing expectations for companies to be part of the solution to climate change.But the coffee chain has a long way to go. As Fortune reported, last year only 1.2% of its sales were in reusable ones. And some people have already expressed uncertainty about the switch from disposable to reusable Starbucks cups. “Outside of a few Metro areas, I don't see this taking off. Most people want convenience, and will avoid hassle,” said one regular customer on X (formerly Twitter). Others wondered if they should drop the surcharges for vegan milks instead. I personally just think they could do a better job of brewing better-tasting coffee.
DIg Deeper:
Those eco-friendly paper cups are still coated with a thin layer of plastic, which scientists have discovered can leach chemicals.
In Other News
“I'm built a little differently I guess,” he tells Meet the Press.
Have you heard about ...
The Long Read
This is one wild watch story ...
A Geneva court ruled Yoko Ono is the owner of one of the world's most valuable watches, but that's only the beginning of a story of extortion, theft, and a watch that traveled around the world. Now that we know where it is, will we ever see it?”
- By Anthony Traina
Read It:
//
Shopping
What We’re Buying
A sweater shirt jacket
Is this the ideal cover ($90) for transitional weather? Perhaps. Cut like a shirt jacket, but knit like a sweater from a soft yet sturdy cotton blend, it's the best of both worlds. Available in a dark, charcoal grey and this creamy off-white, it's finished with generous pockets and oversized, vintage-inspired buttons. Wear it as you would a zip-up hoodie—it'll feel just as cozy but you'll look way more put-together.
Want more?
The five stylish items you should buy this week.
Morning Motto
Consider the source.
▾
Follow:
Share today’s motto:
