Orlando

Major League Soccer in the State of Florida: MLS All-Star Game Coming to Orlando?

Published

9 years ago

March 5, 2017

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber spoke at length with the media on Sunday afternoon before Orlando City’s opening game at Orlando City Stadium. He addressed the one burning question that has been on the minds of Orlando soccer fans since the ground breaking of the stadium: Will the MLS All-Star game come to Orlando?

Garber faced it head-on. “We have made a commitment to bring the All-Star Game to Orlando. We just have to finalize the date.”

For fans who don’t know about the All-Star game, under the current format it is the best players of the MLS against one of the best teams from across the world. The 2017 game will be played on August 2nd at Chicago’s Solider Field.

Orlando City Stadium is the largest soccer-only stadium in the entire MLS. The capacity is over 25,000 and it had 25,527 people for its home opener on March 5th. It is also home to the National Women’s Soccer League’s Orlando Pride and United Soccer League’s Orlando City B.

Also during his meeting with the media, Garber went over a few key topics as well:

He said that there was no new news concerning the Miami expansion situation. He stated that he has talked to David Beckham and his ownership group about the on-going stadium discussion, but so far there are no new plans on a new stadium in Miami
He was very open to the idea of Saint Petersburg/Tampa becoming one of the next teams eligible for expansion. He acknowledged the potential stadium site and mentioned how impressed he was with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and their fan base
He was extremely over-impressed by how much the Orlando team and its staff have grown the fan base in Orlando. “Orlando has over-delivered on its promise to MLS,” he said.
He would announce the 2018 MLS All-Star game location in August during the 2017 MLS All-Star game. He also said that he would be announcing the 2017 opponent very soon and fans will be excited.
As for now, even with talks of expansion in Florida, Garber is hoping that Orlando and Atlanta would start a rivalry.

Danny Thompson is a contributing sports reporter for Florida National News. He can also be found over at NBA Full Court Press Radio.

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Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

10 months ago

March 9, 2025

Mike Brodsky

Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.

Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2024

Mike Brodsky

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.